When Kouki opened his eyes, a whole field of cherry trees in full blossom welcomed his sight. A gentle breeze carried the flowers as they fell in a slow-motion dance.
He looked down at the colorful bathing suit that he wore and smiled. Lodged in the hole of a black truck tire inner tube, he floated on the waters of a placid lake.
The smell of flowers and freshwater filled the air around him. The birds and insects serenaded. The sun was on its descending track, and the sky had begun to hint at a golden hue, just a few short hours until sunset.
He floated carelessly and made little whirlpools with his fingers. He splashed a water lily floating nearby on a whim, startling a colorful dragonfly perched on it into flight. The dragonfly hovered close to his face to complain about his rude behavior. When it darted away, he remembered a face and a name: Hotaru...
He yawned and stretched his arms in front of his face, shielding the sun in his eyes. He smiled again. It feels so good. I could stay like this forever with no worries, only being lazy!
He heard a voice calling his name.
“Kouki... Kouki-chan!”
“That sounded like Yama!” he said, craning his neck and trying to find her. “Aha... there she is!” Yama was at the far bank of the lakeshore, and next to her were other girls. They bathed and splashed water playfully.
As he got nearer, he could see much better. Yama is naked! Beautiful! She even has her cat’s tail! They are all naked!
He continued paddling toward them.
“Mirai smiled at me! Who are those two other girls with them?”
When Kouki arrived at the shore, the girls laughing surrounded his floating raft, playfully pushing, turning, and tugging it.
A tiny woman tried climbing the inner tube, almost capsizing it. “Hotaru!” he screamed. He marveled at her small but well-proportioned body. “Hotaru, stop rubbing your breasts against me!”
Who’s pulling at my hand? Who’s the longhaired blonde girl? She looks a lot like... YUKI? THAT’S YUKI!
Kouki pulled her closer to him and caressed her cheek. “My beloved Yuki!”
“Kouki, wake up! Yuki is here... Kouki...,” Mirai’s voice sounded far away.
“Kouki, my love, I’m here; please wake up!” Yuki pleaded with a faint voice.
“But... I’m awake; why would this be a dream...?” Kouki mumbled between his teeth.
Mirai pinched him.
Kouki opened his eyes to Mirai, Hotaru, and Yama, hovering over him with tears in their eyes. He looked at the ceiling and the wall in front of him. He remembered.
“YUKI! MY YUKI!” He cried frantically, trying to get up.
“I’M HERE!” Yuki shouted. “Hotaru, help me!” Hotaru aided the pale Yuki to get up from the wheelchair so she could stand at the side of the bed.
“Am I still dreaming?” Kouki asked, crying.
Yuki raised Kouki’s right arm, and she slid into the bed with him. Hotaru transferred the I.V. bag from the wheelchair to the bed hook.
They kissed long and lovingly.
“Now it’s my turn!” Mirai said after waiting patiently.
She lifted Kouki’s other arm and carefully got in bed beside him. When Kouki lowered his arm to hug her closer, she winced in pain.
“Careful, love!” she said to him. “I haven’t fully healed. You didn’t regenerate my wounds as you did with Yuki.” She proceeded to take possession of Kouki’s lips after the faint complaint.
After a couple of minutes, when Kouki gasped for air, he felt a weight on top of him.
Yama had crawled to his chest. She put her face close to his and said, “Yama wants kissy-kissy!” Before Kouki could answer, she passionately kissed Kouki’s lips.
Yuki drew Mirai’s attention with a gesture. She pointed with her chin to where Hotaru stood, hands behind her, head down, looking at her feet as she tried to erase a nonexistent spot on the floor with her big toe. Mirai nodded.
“Come, you can kiss him too!” Yuki invited her. Yama had stopped kissing Kouki and was smiling at her.
“Come here, nee-chan! You are also part of him now.” Mirai, with a hand gesture, called her.
“Yama will move, so you can climb here,” Yama added.
Hotaru smiled and said, “No need, Yama, I’ll manage!”
Hotaru slowly slipped out of her hospital gown, to the delight of Kouki, and a pair of dragonfly wings appeared on her back as she shrank in size. She hovered over Kouki for a moment. She regained her normal size after landing next to Yama.
The bed creaked painfully, and Kouki opened his eyes wide. I hope the bed can hold all of our combined weight! If not—
Hotaru, at first, timidly kissed Kouki’s lips with short and frequent kisses, followed afterward with a long one. Kouki closed his eyes to savor the kisses. She does taste like hot butter melting in my mouth... mmm!
“OUCH!” he yelled. “Mirai, you pinched me!”
“You were enjoying it too much!” Mirai said with a saintly smile.
“KOUKI HAS WOOD!” Yama shouted.
At that moment, the nurse opened the door wide, and her eyes even wider when she witnessed the spectacle in the bed. She ran out of the room.
Aiko followed the nurse into the room and gasped in shock at the sight.
On the bed with Kouki were four girls. One was entirely naked, and the other three with rolled-up hospital gowns showing their panties.
“Oh...my!” was all she managed to say.
The nurse quickly grabbed a bedsheet and covered the girls.
Yuki pulled the bedsheet over her head, covering Hotaru and Yama’s heads. Kouki and Mirai’s faces turned red like beets, contrasting even more next to the white bedsheets.
Dr. Yamaguchi looked at the scene and shook her head, smiling. She approached the bed, took Kouki’s pulse, and looked at his pupils. Satisfied, she turned to the nurse and said, “Let’s leave them alone with his mother. He looks perfectly fine to me!”
Aiko moved a chair next to the bed and sat. She cleared her throat and spoke, “Good morning, son and... girls! It looks like you are well. I’ll hug you later... if I find a free part of you not monopolized by your girlfriends.”
“Mom, I’m OK! I feel great!” Kouki said, trying to hide his embarrassment.
“Of course, you feel great!” Aiko stated, amused. “Hello, musume-Mirai and musume-Yama!”
They greeted her bashfully, Yama from under the sheets.
“There are two of you that I don’t recognize,” Aiko said softly.
“I’m Hotaru Midori, and it is a pleasure to meet you... mother. A pleasure it is,” her voice came muffled from underneath the sheet.
“My pleasure too, Hotaru-chan, and... who is the shy girl? I already saw your panties, so you can now show your face to me.”
Yuki lowered the sheet covering her head. Blushing, her blue eyes looked bluer.
“It’s me Aiko-san, your... musume-Yuki.”
Aiko got up from the chair so fast that the chair ended across the room. She ran to Yuki and hugged her, crying.
“When they told me that you were dead, I was sad. It broke my heart when I saw your mother crying... I cried for her... because I know the pain of losing a daughter,” Aiko said between sobs.
“I was almost dead, if not dead,” Yuki replied, also in tears. “Kouki used his empathic ability to bring me back. He healed me by transferring my wound to his body with the help of Hotaru-chan. He saved me at his own expense.”
Hotaru uncovering her face, added timidly, “Kouki-chan used my ability to multiply his.”
“I was in a coma,” Yuki continued. “Yesterday, I opened my eyes for the first time after hearing my mother crying next to me.”
“Your hair is so long now!” Aiko said as she caressed Yuki’s head. “You look gorgeous, musume-Yuki!”
“It’s Kouki’s fault!” Yuki replied. “When he regenerated my tissues, the rapid recovery of my cells also caused my hair to grow.”
“Mom... Father is back,” Kouki said cautiously.
“I know. He’s outside... we talked... to some degree.”
Someone knocked. Aiko left Yuki’s side and opened the door only a crack, thinking that it might be Mayou getting impatient. Outside the door stood Yuki’s mother.
Aiko opened the door and moved to one side.
Yuki’s mother was tall like Yuki. Blonde and blue-eyed, she looked more like her older sister.
“I’m Kouki’s mother, Aiko Fujiwara.” Aiko bowed.
“My pleasure, Aiko-san. I’m Lucía Serrat, Yuki’s mother,” Lucía said in perfect Japanese, bowing slightly.
When Lucía entered the room, Yuki pulled the bedsheet over her head, and Mirai followed suit, covering Yama and Hotaru again. Hotaru giggled and clung tightly against Kouki, which Yama was already doing. With their faces together, they both played with their fingers on Kouki’s chest. Only Kouki’s face was outside the sheets, red as a tomato.
Kouki remembered the image he had before of Lucía: the one of her observing him under a microscope. She smells like jasmine!
“Thank you for saving my daughter Akahoshi-kun. I’m deeply indebted to you.” Lucía performed a deep bow, causing Kouki to turn an even deeper shade of red
“Er... good morning. Serrat-sama!” he mumbled.
Lucía, with a stern face, said in Catalan, “Luisa! Filla, cuan de temps estaras sota el llençol?” (Luisa! Daughter, how long will you remain under the sheets?)
“Saluts, mare,” Yuki, uncovering her face, shyly replied in Catalan.
Kouki glanced at them. What language was that?
Aiko moved another chair beside the one she used and beckoned Lucía to sit.
“¿Miri Elaine, tú también vas a permanecer oculta?” Lucía asked Mirai in Spanish. (Miri Elaine, you too are going to remain hidden?)
Mirai lowered the bedsheet with downcast eyes and replied, “Perdón, Mamá Luz, es que estoy un poco abochornada.” (I’m sorry, Mama Luz, I’m a little embarrassed.)
Kouki glanced at Lucía, mouth agape. She speaks Spanish too! Coming out of his amazement, he asked in a low voice that only Mirai could hear, “If I understood right, did she call you Elaine?”
“I told you I have a bunch of little secrets,” Mirai answered in a whisper.
“And the other two must be the shapeshifters,” Lucía ventured.
“Greetings, Serrat-sama!” Yama said, uncovering her face.
“Good morning, Serrat-sama. Good, it is,” Hotaru said.
Kouki moved his hand to Mirai’s back. She winced in pain, and a cry escaped from her lips.
He quickly pulled the hand away from her and looked at his hand when he felt something wet.
“MIRAI, YOU ARE BLEEDING!”
Aiko and Lucía went to Mirai’s side; Lucía pulled the sheet and examined the bandages. They were soaked in blood.
“I’ll get Dr. Yamaguchi,” Aiko said and left the room.
Hotaru turned into a fairy and flew off the bed. Yama turned into a cat and jumped to the floor, leaving her clothes behind. After returning to her human shape, she hastily donned her panties and hospital gown. Hotaru did the same. They both helped Yuki into her wheelchair. That was when Lucía came out of her amazement.
Kouki slid his arm carefully from underneath Mirai, looking at the blood-soaked gown and bandages with apprehension. Mirai, pale, tried to smile at him, but she only winced in pain.
Aiko came back with Dr. Yamaguchi. When she had examined the wound, she pressed the emergency call button on the bed.
“Young lady, you were not supposed to be walking around!” Yamaguchi reprimanded her. “I’m taking you back to intensive care!”
“She stays! I’m taking care of her right now!” Kouki said with a stern voice.
“Son, what are you saying?” Aiko asked, surprised. “She’s going to be in good hands with Dr. Yamaguchi!”
“Yes, let’s get you ready to—”
“You should leave her to Kouki; he knows what he’s doing,” Lucía calmly said, interrupting the doctor.
Dr. Yamaguchi turned as if she had received a slap from behind to see who would question her authority. She opened her eyes wide with surprise.
“Lucía-senpai!” she exclaimed. “I mean... Dr. Serrat! How are you? It’s been so long!”
Aiko gave Lucía a puzzled look.
“Hello Emiko, we haven’t seen each other since University!” Lucía cordially replied.
“Dr. Serrat! I’m sorry, I’ll not interfere.” Yamaguchi bowed to her.
“He’s the one that saved my daughter,” Lucía said proudly. “Kouki, is there anything you need from us?
“No, Serrat-sama. I’m sorry, Dr. Yamaguchi. Please, leave me alone with Mirai, except for Hotaru-chan. I need her here!”
Aiko was reluctant to leave, but Lucía said, “Come with me; let’s talk about our children.”
Yama pushed Yuki’s wheelchair out of the room. They were the last ones getting out.
“Get well, onee-chan; we need you!” Yuki said, crying.
“Hotaru-chan, please take Mirai’s gown and panties off.” Kouki facing away, instructed Hotaru.
“Kouki, you perv,” Mirai said faintly.
Hotaru had difficulty removing the clothes in question and opted to rip them. She gasped when she saw Mirai’s back crisscrossed with lacerations. She bled from her side wound, and the bandage on her buttock was soaked in blood.
Hotaru helped Mirai move to a comfortable position on her side.
“Hotaru-chan, I need you to also take off your gown,” Kouki asked shyly.
“Don’t get ecchi with her,” Mirai said, trying to alleviate the tension.
Hotaru, red as a tomato, covered her nakedness with the gown in front of her.
“I’m ready, Kouki-chan. Do you want me on your back?” Hotaru asked.
“No, Hotaru-chan. You will embrace Mirai face to face, and I will be on her back.”
Kouki removed his gown and shorts. He climbed to the bed, slowly inching close to Mirai.
“Don’t get too frisky. We aren’t married yet!” Her voice was faint.
“Sorry, Mirai, I’m doing this for your good,” Kouki replied, his ears red.
“I know, silly. I know.”
Hotaru climbed from the other side and faced the blushing Mirai. Following Kouki’s directions, she embraced her, making as much skin contact between them as possible.
With their nose almost touching, Hotaru looked into Mirai’s eyes. “You are soft and warm, and your skin feels like silk.”
“This feels extremely ecchi, Hotaru-chan. Are you using your ability to increase our libido?” Mirai asked, flustered.
“No, what I feel... what we feel right now comes naturally!” Hotaru replied as she, too, was blushing.
“Kouki, please hurry up!” Mirai urged Kouki. “This is getting weird! I have never been this close to a girl before.”
“I’m trying to concentrate; please be quiet!” Kouki commanded. He tightened his embrace, pulling Hotaru closer to Mirai—” Mirai moaned in pain, Hotaru with—never mind—maximizing the skin contact between him and Mirai and Mirai and Hotaru as if the three of them were fusing as one.
Mirai closed her eyes. She was at the limit of her pain threshold. Hotaru felt Mirai’s breaths on her lips, close as they were.
Kouki’s skin began to glow, engulfing Mirai and Hotaru in a red vapor.
The girls, this time, didn’t feel the electric shock associated with the empathic connection. Instead, they felt a gradual immersion into a pleasant calm devoid of any sensation, like a dream-like state of happiness. They fell asleep, the three of them.
After an hour or so, Hotaru opened her eyes and focused on Mirai’s face close to her. I feel like kissing Mirai! Would she let me?
Noticing Kouki had released his grip on her, Hotaru slowly separated herself from Mirai. She slid out of bed and walked to the other side to check on Kouki. Hotaru leaned and kissed his lips.
She dressed in her gown and was about to leave the room when she returned to the bed and kissed Mirai’s lips.
Mirai woke to the sound of the door closing. She grabbed Kouki’s hands and held them to her breasts. Mirai decided to be playful when Kouki stirred.
“Honey, you were wonderful last night,” she said mischievously.
“You bet I was! But now... I feel like dying. I don’t know how you could have endured so much pain. Please, call the doctor. I’m in extreme pain. Also, I’m bleeding.”
Mirai jumped out of bed quickly, looked at Kouki’s back, and paled. She donned Kouki’s gown and ran out of the room.
Kage stepped out of the elevator and walked to the waiting area. Hakaku got up from his chair to greet him.
“Hello, Kage.”
“Good day. Sorry about your brother.”
“I’m shocked. I knew my brother was an SOB, but this is beyond anything I could have imagined. On the other hand, he is a genius; modifying the rejuv machine to de-age in short terms instead of the seventy years average and selectively changing his appearance at will requires a deep understanding of technology.”
“The Newcomers arrived in time to help.”
“Yes, it could have been sad if they didn’t. They are interested in his work.”
“Yes, Mikael is a genius!” Kage stated. “Because of what he did, our Elders are revamping some of the laws. But some Elders are still reticent to change.”
“On our side too,” Hakaku said with a sigh, “specifically regarding the Newcomer’s solution to the Els’ genetic problem.”
“The Newcomers are staying for good, and they will also help humanity, albeit... slowly and behind the scenes. Too much technology and humanity would destroy itself.”
“Now we have another problem.”
“Kouki?” Kage stated more than asked.
“The list is long: teleportation, levitation, raising of the dead, mental manipulation, and who knows what else he can do.”
“Those are the powers of a god. Does he think he is one? What path will he choose: Good or Evil? It worries me for what he did to Mikael.”
“I would have done the same to my brother in that situation! Kouki has a good heart. It shows in the compassionate way that he treated those girls. It would have been easier for him to kill them.”
“We must keep watching him,” Kage said. “Of course, we still have our agents close to him.”
“Very close,” Hakaku confirmed, smiling. “Kage, do you miss your harem days?”
“Who wouldn’t? You had your fair share of them too!”
They both laughed.
Kouki, now in a regular hospital room, sat upright on the bed. His four girlfriends sitting in chairs near the bed conversed with him.
“—and what happened?” Kouki asked, amused.
“Yuki, Yama, and I were put in the next room to recuperate,” Mirai replied. “Since there was nothing wrong with Hotaru, she was sent home. That’s when she said that she felt sick. When Dr. Yamaguchi asked her what was wrong, she said she got pregnant by you when you healed me.”
Yuki continued, “Dr. Yamaguchi doubting her, asked how? And Hotaru-chan responded seriously: by osmosis!” She imitated Hotaru’s tone and mannerisms.
They all laughed, except for Hotaru.
“I was desperate. I was. I wanted to stay with Kouki, and nothing else came to mind,” Hotaru said.
“Well, you achieved your goal, but now, Dr. Yamaguchi must be wondering if fairies reproduce that way,” Mirai joked.
They laughed again.
“Kouki-chan, how did you find us?” Yama asked, changing the atmosphere to a serious one.
“When I teleported the first time, I ended up in my room,” Kouki replied. “I was desperately trying to escape the pain of losing Yuki. Next, I appeared in the clubroom, from there, to my room again. I realized that for teleporting, I needed to form an image of the place I wanted to go in my mind, consciously or unconsciously. But not knowing where you were, I tried other things. I thought about both of you and later Hoshiko; nothing happened.
“At first, I felt frustrated. At that moment, it occurred to me to think of an inanimate object, something familiar. Since Yama’s pendant was the one that gave me the most trouble designing, it was the first that came to my mind. Instantly, I was next to the shrine where I picked the pendant from Yama’s clothes.”
Yama lifted her pendant. “When Yama woke, Yama had it around Yama’s neck.”
“Is that when you teleported to where we were?” Mirai asked.
“Well... not really.” Kouki scratched the back of his head. “First, I went to the kitchen and wrapped my chest with saran wrap and duct tape. I was losing a lot of blood.”
“You almost died of blood loss!” Yuki said, with a concerned look on her face.
“Next, I visualized Mirai’s pendant, and I was there,” Kouki continued.
Mirai pressed his hand and smiled.
“You hadn’t told us exactly what happened when you teleported to that warehouse,” Yuki asked.
“I don’t recall most of it... I was in a daze,” Kouki replied nervously, averting his eyes from her.
“How is your back?” Mirai asked, changing the subject.
“By tomorrow, the scars will be gone.”
Mirai got up and kissed him.
“Thank you, mine are gone.”
“Yuki, what language did you speak with your mother?”
“That was Catalan, one of the four languages spoken in Spain. In addition to Catalan, I speak English, Japanese, Spanish, and Italian.”
“Wow! Kouki said, looking at her with admiration. Yuki knowing that she was the center of attention, turned red.
“I took a little bit of Spanish in middle school. I understand a little, but not enough for a conversation. Where did you learn it?
“Spanish is my native language,” Mirai replied. “I learned Japanese and English from my father. When I played with Yuki as a kid, we talked to each other in Spanish. I also learned Italian when we were together. Giovanni taught me.”
Kouki felt a pang of jealousy. Giovanni?
“You were together with this Giovanni... was he your boyfriend?” Kouki asked timidly.
Mirai opened her eyes wide in surprise. She smiled tenderly at him.
“Jealous, Silly boy? ‘When we were together.’ I meant with Yuki. The Giovanni I spoke of is Kosuke-senpai. That was his name when we were kids.”
“Oh!” uttered a red-faced Kouki.
The girls laughed.
Whenever someone entered the hospital’s cafeteria, whether a male or female, their gaze immediately went to a table on the far side of the room, where three people sat. Most notable was the fiery-red hair of one of the two women. The other woman was also remarkable. She looked young for her age. A quiet beauty that exulted elegance and good taste. Of course, the man was not without his charm and good looks.
Aiko stirred her coffee nervously, looking back and forth between Mayou and Tarelishley
“Aiko... Can I call you Aiko? Call me Tare or Diana. Diana is the name that I will use here on Earth.
Aiko nodded and stirred her coffee some more. She looked at Mayou and casually said, “So Hoshiko is fifteen..., and she’s younger than Kouki by a few months.”
“Yes, her age is—” Mayou cut his reply. He realized what Aiko meant by comparing the sequence in birth and quickly corrected it. “No! No! Hoshiko was born one hundred forty-seven years ago on our planet, making her older than Kouki!”
Aiko frowned and continued to stir her coffee after adding more sugar. She glanced at Tarelishley, who looked at her with curiosity.
“But... Diana is so young!” Aiko commented.
“Thirty years ago,” Mayou explained. “Tare was approaching sixty-seven, and I was seventy-two. We underwent the rejuvenating process and turned our age back to seventeen. We went into stasis together. Soon after, I was hijacked to Earth. That’s when you found me.”
“You do look older. You have some gray hair on the sides,” Aiko observed.
“I’ll look more distinguished now,” Mayou said, smiling. “Aiko, do you think your parents will accept me back?”
“And who says that I’m taking you back?” Aiko angrily retorted.
Tarelishley moved her hand close to one of Aiko’s, almost touching it. Mayou saw it and pulled her hand back. “No, Tare!” he said softly to her.
That was when Aiko felt a strange sensation all over her body. She sat upright and pressed her thighs together, her heart beating furiously.
Her anger was gone. She looked at Tarelishley, surprised. Oh... my! For a fleeting moment, I felt like having sex with Diana! I do like her, but not to the point of being confused about my sexuality.
“My fault, Ern,” Tarelishley replied to Mayou’s reprimand.
“Ern?” Aiko inquired with a puzzled look on her face.
“Ernilasdre. That’s my name from Na.” He smiled at her.
“Aiko, you are beautiful. I like your eyes.” Tarelishley looked intently at her. Aiko nervously resumed the stirring after adding more sugar.
“Are you kidding? I’m forty-four.”
Tarelishley pulled a little pillbox from one of her pockets and placed it in front of Aiko.
“Please, take daily one of these until they are gone. It will shave ten to twenty years off your age, not that you need it. You are still beautiful.”
“What?” Aiko asked, impressed. She looked at Mayou. “Is it safe? I mean, for us humans?”
Mayou nodded.
Aiko looked mesmerized at the golden pills inside the little box. I like her more and more. Putting the pillbox away and unconsciously dropped two more sugar cubes and stirred her coffee again.
“Diana, what will you do if you remain on Earth?” Aiko asked cautiously. She didn’t dare to ask where she would live!
“I was a scientist in my home world and on the starship. According to what Ern told me about you, the equivalent to what you are here. I studied the biology of sentient beings outside of our native Na. We cataloged about one hundred thirty-seven races in our galaxy sector alone and some odd numbers outside our area. I would like to continue my studies here if it is possible.”
Aiko stopped stirring the coffee. She looked at it; it was all froth now. She made a face of disgust and pushed the cup to one side.
“One hundred thirty-seven and some more?” she asked and continued without expecting an answer, “I’m sure you can be part of our team! Oh! Dr. Silverman and Prof. Coelho will be delighted! I must introduce you to all of them as soon as possible!”
“It will be an honor to work with you!” Diana smiled.
“As soon as Kouki is back at home and able to attend school, we could make a trip to Nevada and—” Aiko was interrupted by Diana’s raised hand.
“Aiko... there is something I need to do first, and I’m going to need your help. You see... I’m going to need Earth clothes!”
Aiko opened her eyes wide, and her lips widened in a smile. She grabbed Diana’s hands and said, “Diana-oneechan, that means older sister in Japanese. I’m going to take you to all my favorite stores. There is this shoe store that—Ah! And of most importance, you’ll need lingerie!”
“Lingerie?” Diana asked, not knowing what the word meant.
Aiko moved her hands from her breasts down to her slim waist, ending on her hips. “Yes, lingerie! What drives men crazy, and Mayou is no exception.” She winked. “I buy mine from La Seine in Tokyo. They import their products directly from Paris and...”
Mayou, entirely ignored by his two wives, looked at them and sighed. “We are going to need a bigger house!”
After a soft knock, Jane’s face appeared through the partially open door.
“Are you guys dressed?” he asked mischievously. Without waiting for a reply, he opened the door and came inside, towing Mitsuki by the hand. Following them, Hoshiko, Hisoki, Eiji, and Reiko entered the room.
They greeted each other and gathered around Kouki’s bed to see how he was doing and what had happened.
“A terrorist attack... and they chose your house to hide? Hisoki shook his head. “That’s scary. You guys are lucky that nothing serious happened.”
“Yeah, I got a few scratches from the flying glass of the broken windows and got cut in a place that is not too dignified. I’ll have trouble sitting for a few weeks.” Kouki explained in a light tone.
They all laughed.
“Kou, my father called. He really was with mother and brother, and they are bringing Akito home,” Eiji informed him.
“I’m glad, Eiji.”
“Jane, are you going to continue wearing girl’s clothes?” Reiko asked him.
“You know how much money I’ll save by sharing them with Mitsuki,” Jane replied.
“Hey!” exclaimed Mitsuki, all red.
They all laughed again.
Kage entered the room, and they all bowed except for Kouki, that nodded from his bed.
“I’m happy to see my students in good spirits,” Kage said to them, and looking at Kouki, he added, “Doctor Yamaguchi said that you can go back to school this Wednesday.”
They all cheered.
“Good. I expect all of you to turn in your homework on Thursday. Friday, you’ll have a test.”
They all moaned.
“Remember. There are a lot of mythical creatures out there!” Kage encouraged them.
“—and the Science Fiction Book Club will find them!” Kouki said.
“The Akahoshi Science Fiction Book Club!” All of them shouted.
The End...or not?
A few days later, at school:
With a stern face, Kosuke looked at the four girls in front of him.
“Shimizu-sama informed me that all of you here are serving exile as punishment due to wanton disregard of your duties when you deserted your posts and entrusted missions; not a major crime, but still an offense punishable by our laws.
“Because of that offense, all of you are stripped of your privileges, weapons, and battle suits. You are no longer warriors!” Kosuke reprimanded them.
“You chose to be punished by becoming regular Earth girls, to suffer and toil as them instead of serving as concubines on your respective bases.” Kosuke glared at them from behind his desk. “You will be incorporated as transfer students to the first year of high school, and you’ll report to me! Understood?”
They all say Yes, senpai, except for one that said, sir. Kosuke looked at her but said nothing. He opened their files.
Looking briefly at the first one, he recited the data:
“Athena Labropoulos, age: thirteen. Aren’t you too young to be entering high school?”
“I have advanced to this level through my own merits,” she replied, standing up in attention like a soldier. “I only used the machine to learn Japan’s customs and language, Himura-senpai.”
“You are not in the Marines!” he yelled at her, and looking at the rest of the girls, he barked. “All of you refrain from any military behavior from now on.”
“Kouhai Athena, you’ll have to change your last name. Yours will be unpronounceable here.”
“But... that’s my mother’s name—” Athena began to complain; she shut her mouth when she saw Kosuke’s stern look. “Yes, Himura-senpai,” she replied.
Kosuke took the following file.
“Chandra Varma, age: fifteen. No problem with your name. No previous offenses. Little service experience. Stationed at... hmm. Chandra, do you know any of the others here?”
“Yes, sir. Athena is my—”
“Here in Japan, we use honorifics! You’ll treat me as senpai, Himura-senpai, or president.”
“Athena is my sister, sir— Himura-senpai. I was abduc— I deserted my post at Averno to join her.”
“I’ll put you both in separate classes. You’ll make new friends and learn Japanese customs from your new classmates.”
Chandra nodded in tears.
Kosuke opened another file.
“Mei Chang-tzu, age: fifteen.” He gave her file a quick look and found nothing objectionable.
“And lastly, Aki Nakamura,” he said, opening her file. “Age: fifteen... Huh?”
After reading a few lines from her file, Kosuke said, “Nakamura-san, it is very unusual for an El to use the ‘rejuv’ process for such a small regression. I would say unheard of. You went from twenty-nine to fifteen. Explain.”
“I’m ashamed of my past behavior,” Aki replied. “I wasted my youth on frivolous pursuits that got me nowhere and brought suffering to my mother. I have decided to repent and begin anew. Fifteen was the happiest time of my life.”
“Very well, never too late to reform.” Kosuke typed a few things on his computer and waited for the printer to finish.
“Athena-san, your new last name will be Uchida. I’ll have all your official IDs by the end of the day. Here is your class schedule. Dismissed.”
The girls stood and bowed. When they reached the door, Kosuke called them.
“Oh, I forgot. What made you choose Twin River Academy?”
They all looked at each other and said at the same time:
“A Red Star!”
Kosuke blinked, perplexed at the closed door.
Immediately he entered a secret password to access an Ang database through his computer.
He searched for a file on a specific past event; when he retrieved it and read it, he fell back on his chair, concerned.
“This is bad, more than bad! The four of them together again!
Kouki and his girls won’t like it one bit. Especially Mirai, once she knows that Aki is the Akira that served Mikael!”
The End?