Samurai 7: Warriors Of Rock

DISCLAIMER: This story is a non-commercial work of fiction based on the anime/manga Samurai 7. Original copyright of Samurai 7 belongs to Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni, MICO, GDH, GONZO. Original copyright of Gravitation belongs to Maki Murakami. Absolutely no monetary gain has been made with this work.


SAMURAI 7: WARRIORS OF ROCK
© October 15, 2006 By Rory V. Pascual


CHAPTER FIVE: Shall We Dance (Dance Revolution)?

"THAT HURT!" Shichiroji wailed at the stern back in front of him. A glistening tear formed at the corner of his eye as he gingerly clutched the lump at the top of his head.

Kanbei took the plastic tag from the Package Counter girl's hand. He watched as the roses were placed in the largest box with great care.

To Kanbei's annoyance, the place where the guitar player took him to was a popular entertainment center in the heart of Harajuku. Because it was a Friday, the arcade was packed with youngsters and gamers out for a good night of fun after the tedium of the classroom. Not a few teenagers gave them curious looks as they entered the arcade.

"Serves you right! You got exactly what you deserved!" Kanbei snorted as he stormed straight inside the gaming center, pulling up the collar of his jacket as he did so. He was not about to be recognized by any of his daughters' friends who may be lurking around at that moment.

"Of all the nerve!" Kanbei continued ranting. He growled menacingly as Shichiroji bumped past him and took the lead, heading in the direction of the pastel-lighted malt shop. "The first time in ages that I receive an actual compliment from girls, and you had to call me 'gay'!"

"Better gay than a dirty old man!" Shichiroji casually rebutted, whispering something to a cute girl on roller skates.

"Don't lump me in with your kind!"

The lead guitarist pouted. "And what 'kind' is that exactly?"

"Ecchi, hentai, pervert…Do I have to spell it out for you? And what the hell kind of place is this to hold a business meeting anyway?"

"Not a business meeting. A date, Kanbei. A DATE!"

"If you had told me we were going out on a date in an arcade, I would never have gone with you in the first place, and to hell with the contract!"

Laughter caught Kanbei's hearing. At one brightly lit table, two boys, wearing matching raspberry berets and dark glasses, were arguing over scattered music sheets.

"You call this a love song?" the boy seated at the left remarked with a grimace. "Man, your lyrics suck big time!"

The other boy tossed his beret in the air and ruffled his pink dyed hair in frustration. "Yeah, I know! Damned lyricist's block! And that cranky Yuki wouldn't help me and he's supposed to be a romance novelist!"

// Pink hair? Yuki? OH SHIT! // Kanbei grabbed a surprised Shichiroji by his wrist. "Come on!" he said hastily, leading the younger man towards the table at the farthest, most secluded corner of the malt shop.

As Shichiroji sat down, he eyed a group of teens trying out, albeit unsuccessfully, the latest game that the center had installed. For all intents and purposes, it looked like a stage with flashing poles and a screen at the back showing the latest music videos. It was, however, the radical new version of a popular dance game program. Called 'Dance Revolution Extreme', it required the gamer to dance AND sing along to the singer being shown on the screen. The floor of the stage flashed the complicated steps to be performed. It was a very difficult game and, so far, no one has been able to conquer it. Nevertheless, he had been itching to try it out the first time he read the announcement in the papers.

Kanbei was unaware that his companion was distracted, still fuming as he was. Clicking the briefcase at his feet open, he pulled out the folder containing the bank's profile.

"Let's get this over and done with," he said curtly, wanting to end this little 'meeting' as quickly as possible. "I want to get home to my kids and…"

But when Kanbei settled back on his seat, he found himself gaping at a tall crystal glass of strawberry parfait. That wonderful pink ice cream smothered with bright red syrup, and those large juicy strawberries… Despite his irritation with the blond, Kanbei found himself swallowing hard. He could not remember the last time he had indulged in such a sinful treat.

"The ice cream here is the best! Go on! Try it!" Shichiroji could barely stop himself from smiling, seeing Kanbei's gloved hand slowly closing around the dessertspoon. "I heard that the strawberry parfaits they serve is like ambrosia from heaven. Komachi told me that you love strawberry parfaits."

The spoon fell with a clatter on the tabletop. "Komachi?" Kanbei gave the other man a dark, suspicious look. "How do you know my daughter? Have you been stalking me and my family?"

"Actually…" Shichiroji took a spoonful of banana split, trying to hide his discomfiture. How could he have been so stupid and careless as to make that little slip? "…It was Komachi and her friend Okara who came to the studio looking for me, or for Kyuzo to be exact. A case of mistaken identity. Now, don't get mad with those girls. Komachi thought that I was the one who had hurt her dearest Daddy."

Kanbei remembered that Saturday morning when Komachi had left, bringing along her shinai, for a rendezvous with Okara. // So that's where they went. But how did Komachi… // Then, he recalled the night he returned from the audition. Kanbei groaned, realizing that his youngest daughter may have been awake at that time and had seen him distressed.

Placing his trembling hands on his lap, Kanbei lowered his head. "I'm sorry. I had no idea that my daughter did that." His hands closed tightly into fists over his thighs. "I'm so…ashamed. If…if there is anything I could do to make up for all the trouble they had caused you…"

But Shichiroji shook his head. "No, I'm the one who should apologize. I truly regret what happened at the audition. Kyuzo would never have hurt you the way he had if I hadn't forced you to sing. Please forgive me."

"I… It's all right. I was asking for it anyway. I should never have done it to begin with."

"Komachi told me that you lost your wife ten years ago, that she died giving birth to her."

Kanbei nodded painfully. "Yes. I should've been at Maeko's side but I was…doing something else. I…I never even got to talk to her before she passed away. When I arrived at the hospital, Maeko was lying under a long white sheet, Komachi in a bassinet beside the bed. My eldest daughter Kirara would not speak to me for two months."

Shichiroji looked thoughtfully at the older man. He could see that Kanbei was on the verge of tears. Never did he fathom the depth of the pain that still existed inside Kanbei's heart.

"I swore at Maeko's death bed that I would never abandon my family as I had her," Kanbei continued. "I will not lose Kirara and Komachi to a fleeting dream." Sighing, he picked up the spoon once more and began to eat slowly, the color of the syrup turning his full lips to a dark healthy pink.

Shichiroji took this as a cue not to speak for a moment. He too dug in to his ice cream, switching the conversation to a more amusing topic, namely the wild goose chase that ensued inside the recording studio. Soon, Kanbei began to loosen up, talking about his daughters with great fondness that Shichiroji did not doubt how much the older man cared for his children.

They were both laughing as Kanbei narrated that evening when Gorobei was struggling to teach his niece how to belly dance.

Shichiroji wiped the tears from his eyes as he downed a glass of water. "Oh, please don't describe it anymore! I don't think I could keep a straight face when I see Gorobei at rehearsals. After this, I'm planning on keeping him behind the mixing console."

"I had the same problem at the bank. I just couldn't stop remembering," Kanbei chuckled. "He looked like a big old tree in a typhoon."

"I wish I had seen you belly dancing though."

Kanbei's laughter died down at that innocent statement. "Well, I wasn't that good at it either and…"

"I doubt that. Aside from being a wonderful singer, I know for a fact that you're a fantastic dancer as well." Shichiroji blushed as he cast his eyes down, not wanting to see the look of startlement on the other man's face. "I've always wanted to be like you."

Suddenly, the malt shop seemed very hot. Kanbei could feel his hands sweating inside his gloves. Slowly, he peeled them off to reveal the flower tattoos at the back of his hands.

"How long have you known?" he asked quietly.

"That instant I heard you sing," Shichiroji admitted. "Your voice seemed very familiar to me. I didn't want to believe it at first that it was you…until I saw the tattoos on your hands."

"And that's why you coerced me to sing with your band."

The blond guitarist did not reply at first. "Let me tell you something about myself. I was a child prodigy, adopted into a family of industrialists. Because of my gift at numbers, everyone thought of channeling my talent into the company. I must admit that the idea of being 'Chairman' appealed to me back then…until that one day when I heard the band Flame on the radio while out on a business trip in Kyoto, specifically their lead singer K."

Leaning back into his seat, Shichiroji breathed in deeply. "To say that I was blown away by K's voice is putting it mildly. I've never heard such power in a voice. The way it reached into my heart and tugged at emotions that I never knew existed… I knew then that that's what I wanted to be. A musician. Oh, everyone in my family was against it in the beginning, especially when I took up the electric guitar and I discovered that I had a natural knack for those mean hooks and riffs. Then I met Kyuzo, Heihachi, Katsushiro, and Kikuchiyo, all very talented session players, and I knew that this was my true calling. Kaoru…he convinced my father to give me the chance to fulfill my dream, for as long as I do not neglect my duties to the company until the time that he graduates from college. And that's what I've been doing. It wasn't difficult, mind you. Kaoru and Omi have been helping me, as well as their friends at BL Academy, and I'm very grateful for their support. Of course, even Saionji Electronics has been of great help to me as well with my band. You probably don't know this but Kikuchiyo was in a horrible accident that left him totally paralyzed. He was a promising new drummer and to have him incapacitated in such a terrible way… With my father's blessings, he let me lead the cybernetics arm of Saionji, Xyberdyne. At the laboratories there, we developed the mechanical shell that was to be Kikuchiyo's new body. True, it was a robot's body, but Kikuchiyo couldn't care less, as long as he could play the drums again." Shichiroji paused and looked Kanbei in the eye. "Did you know that we are all Flame fans? Katsushiro still does not recognize you, however. He thinks of you as his hero. Well, perhaps I could not call Kyuzo a fan, although his brother adored Flame until his…tragic…death."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Kanbei asked, meeting the younger man's frank gaze.

At that moment, cheers rang out from the crowd that had gathered at the Dance Revolution Extreme game as a popular song by the boy band Take That began to play.

" 'We've come so far and we've reached so high, and we've looked each day and night in the eye,' " Shichiroji sang along quietly in a perfect falsetto. " 'And we're still so young and we hope for more.' I've always loved this song."

"Yes," Kanbei said, letting the music fill his heart with a twinge of longing and sadness. "It was my…a favorite of Kirara's."

"I swore to myself that I would fulfill my dream, that I would reach the heights of success with our band and our music," Shichiroji vowed in determination. "I promise that we will sing a song like 'Never Forget', to encourage other youngsters to fight for their dreams…as K had done for me."

Kanbei gaped at the younger man, awe-struck. "Shichiroji…"

The blond laughed as he got to his feet. "I'd better show these kids how it's done. Good grief! They're ruining such a wonderful song by singing off-key." Saying this, he sauntered over to the crowd and pushed his way through.

In truth, Shichiroji was feeling uncomfortable in the older man's presence. He never expected to talk about himself that much. But he had to tell Kanbei how he felt. It may not convince him to join their band, but at least Kanbei would know just how important he was to them.

"Hey, kid!" he declared, snatching the headphone mic from the teenaged boy with multiple earrings. "Don't mangle the song! Let me show you how it's done!"

"Ooh!" a boy with dark blue hair peeking out of his beret called out. "Gambarre, Ojisan!"

"I'M NOT AN OLD MAN!" Shichiroji groaned inwardly, as he strode up on stage. // Now, I know how Kanbei feels. // He pointed to the grinning man at the game console. "From the top!"

Standing on the platform, Shichiroji closed his eyes and waited breathlessly as the opening notes swirled all around him.

" 'We've come so far and we've reached so high, and we've looked each day and night in the eye, and we're still so young and we hope for more,' " he sang the first lines at the same high range as the children's chorus.

Shichiroji was about to shift to a lower register for the next lines…when someone beat him to it.

" 'We've come a long way, but we're not too sure where we've been. We've had success. We've had good times. But remember this…' "

Blue eyes popping open, Shichiroji's jaw dropped at the sight of Kanbei walking up on stage, sans his glasses now tucked in his breast pocket and slowly peeling off his jacket to the sinuous beat of the song. He was also wearing a headset microphone. As he ambled past Shichiroji, Kanbei gave the blond a playful wink and fatherly pats on the head.

// Damn him! // Shichiroji growled like a resentful puppy after that smug figure. // Was he being patronizing towards me? I'll show you who the better performer between the two of us is, you old has-been! //

It slowly dawned upon the guitarist, however, that Kanbei's stage prowess far surpassed his own.

During the first part of the song, Kanbei just made simple dance steps – half steps here, full steps there, nimble leaps, and graceful pivots on his toes, all punctuated by slight jerks of his hips and waving motions of his hands and arms.

As the song surged into the refrain, Kanbei strode over to one of the poles adorning the stage. Grabbing it with one hand, he swung around it three times, his left leg hooking around the bar. He stopped, leaning against the pole with his long legs spread and bent at the knees, his whole weight supported only by his toes. With serpentine grace that defied his age, Kanbei bent his body forward so that the crack of his shapely rump slid up the length of the bar. With a snap of his body upward, he tore his long hair free from its tie and let it fall in a tumble of mocha waves.

" 'Never forget where you've come here from,' " Kanbei sang, his voice strong and true. " 'Never pretend that it's all real. Someday soon this will all be someone else's dream.' "

In his mind, Shichiroji sang a different set of lyrics. // Never forget who you've come here for. Never pretend that he's not real. Someday… NO, HE WILL NEVER BE SOMEONE ELSE'S DREAM BUT MINE AND MINE ALONE! //

Shichiroji noticed those ash brown eyes fixed upon him. Kanbei was gripping the pole with his left hand, his body inching sideways with his weight. An alluring toss of his head, and Kanbei licked his lips, a wispy lock catching in that small, yet seductive smile. It was a blatant challenge he could not resist.

Abandoning themselves to the lilt of the song, the two men sang and danced, a flirtatious game that had Shichiroji pursuing the older man. Kanbei coquettishly skirted the blond's attempts to trap him in an uncompromising position. But the guitarist could be very persistent when he chose to be.

At the rousing chorus, Shichiroji managed to trap the older man between his arms, the pole behind him blocking any escape. With a strong twist, he spun Kanbei around. Their bodies undulated with the drumbeat. So close as he was to Kanbei, Shichiroji could see how his turtleneck shirt clung tightly to his sweat-slicked torso. The cleavage of his broad chest was clearly outlined, as well as the taut points that strained to tear through the fabric. The feel of Kanbei's tight butt grinding against his groin was testing his control to its limits. The desire to plunder this alluring man in front of this cheering, adoring crowd was overwhelming him.

It was Shichiroji who broke free, yanking Kanbei away from the pole and letting him slide across the floor. As he reached the middle of the stage, Kanbei nimbly leaped to his feet once more. Shichiroji took his place at the older man's side, as they brought the song to its soft end.

The cheers and applause that exploded from the crowd nearly blew them off the stage, so that neither man could speak at first. It was heavy arms on their shoulders that drew them back to the here and now. Whirling, they found themselves staring at the grinning faces of the two beret-wearing boys.

"Congratulations, guys!" the dark-haired boy greeted, immediately thrusting their prize – a cute pink rabbit with a polka dot bowtie into Kanbei's arms. "You won the game!"

The pink-haired boy added, "Yeah! You were so into it that you didn't even notice us singing back up with you on stage!"

Shichiroji squinted at the two boys curiously. "Don't I know you two from somewhere?"

The first boy's lips pursed into a sullen pout at that query. "Shichi-kun…" He whined. "You offend me with that question. I know I've been living in the U.S., but I haven't changed that much."

When the boy removed his beret and glasses, Shichiroji let out a surprised gasp. "RYUICHI-KUN?"

There were screams among the females in the crowd. "Oh my God! It's Sakuma Ryuichi from Nittle Grasper! Oh my God! Oh my God! It really IS him!"

In the commotion, Kanbei was making a stealthy retreat down the stairs when the pink-haired boy tackled him hard that he nearly fell the rest of the way. He turned to see teary, but happy eyes looking at him.

"Not even a hello, K-kun?" the boy sobbed miserably. "You're mean! And it's been ten years since we last saw each other!"

"Uh…errr….it's so nice to see you again, Shuichi," Kanbei stuttered as he struggled to break free. "Now, if you don't mind, I really must get going."

A school girl frantically poked at her friend. "I told you that's Shindou Shuichi from Bad Luck, but you just wouldn't believe me!"

To Kanbei's trepidation, Shuichi wheedled even louder, "Don't go yet! Please…K-kun!!"

The murmurs in the crowd at the mention of his former stage name caused Kanbei's blood to run ice cold.

"K-kun?"

"Did he say K?"

"From Flame? THE K?"

"But that voice…"

"That old man…he couldn't be K!"

His counter to those two words was lost as the flashes of a camera blinded him momentarily. He could already feel the crowd closing in on him.

Suddenly, there was an outraged bellow, followed by a loud crash. Then, a strong voice declared, "Hasn't anyone ever told you that you could be sued for this? When will you paparazzi ever learn?"

A hand gripped his wrist, and Kanbei just found himself being pulled through the crowd by Shichiroji. They passed by a tall blond-haired gentleman who was puffing elegantly on a cigarette. Kicking the broken camera out of his way, the film snaking out of its cracked casing like Polaroid intestines, he slipped Kanbei's briefcase and jacket into his hand. The Package Counter girl gamely tossed the bouquet to Shichiroji from her perch on the storage boxes.

"Eiri-san…" Kanbei whispered, recognizing the man instantly.

Yuki Eiri gave him a salute. "I'll be seeing you again, Kanbei-san," he said as the two men made their quick getaway from the arcade.

~~~~~~~~~~

A taxi came to a rumbling halt in front of the Shimada home. Just as quickly as it arrived, the taxi drove away, leaving its two passengers standing at the sidewalk.

Kanbei bowed gracious to Shichiroji. "Thank you so much! It has been a most…exciting…evening."

"Well, I didn't mean for it to be THAT exciting. I'm sorry about what happened towards the end." Shichiroji gave his head a rueful scratch. "I never expected that we'll be bumping into Ryuichi and Shuichi of all people."

"Somehow, I did not find it at all surprising. Those two are infamous for escaping from their bodyguards. I doubt if their celebrity status will ever go to their heads." Kanbei smiled fondly. "It's nice to see that they're still the two boys I knew who just want to have fun."

"What did surprise me was seeing Yuki Eiri there," the blond guitarist admitted.

Kanbei had to nod in agreement. "True. He wouldn't be caught dead in the places that Shuichi goes to. I guess a lot has changed in ten years."

"No, it hasn't," Shichiroji countered. "You're still the fantastic performer I remember you to be."

"Shichiroji…"

Uncomfortable silence descended between the two men.

"Shichiroji…" Kanbei began once more, smiling. "I would be very happy to take care of Saionji Electronics for you and your family. I will not dishonor the trust that you have placed in me."

"I trust that you will be very…vigilant, Kanbei-san," Shichiroji acknowledged, putting emphasis on that last word.

"What do you mean?"

"Just…just be careful. I suggest that you do the same with the Okamoto account that is also your responsibility."

Shichiroji's cryptic warning mystified Kanbei, but rather than inquire further, he simply nodded. Only one thing was left unresolved.

"Uh…about that other matter…"

"SHICHIROJI! HEY, SHICHI!"

The two men whirled to find Heihachi, Kikuchiyo and Katsushiro running towards them, having gotten down from their youngest bandmate's parked limo.

"What's up?" asked Shichiroji in concern.

"MUSHROOM BOY! That's what's up!" Kikuchiyo squealed at once. "He fucked up BIG TIME!"

"Why? What did he do this time?"

In reply, Heihachi produced a brown envelope and slapped it into Shichiroji's hand. "Here."

Frowning, the blond partly pulled out a sheet of paper. He did not have to read the whole page. Just a glimpse of the title alone and the envelope flew out of his hand and he cried out most eloquently, "OH, SHIT!"

"Oh, shit is right!" Katsushiro asked impatiently, "What are we going to do now?"

Kanbei was looking at the four men in confusion. "What's going on? Is anything wrong?"

Shichiroji pinched the point between his eyes, feeling a terrible headache coming on. "It's nothing we couldn't handle. Don't worry about it." Contrary to what he said, he snarled in frustration, "I'm going to kill him! Why didn't you tell me that the selection was today?"

"It all happened too fast," Heihachi exclaimed. "The committee called up Kyuzo first. By the time we got there, it was too late."

"Man, that Kyuzo has the WORST luck when it comes to the lottery!" Kikuchiyo exclaimed.

Picking up the envelope, Kanbei peeked inside and saw the page Shichiroji was reading earlier and a DVD. He frowned, however, when he saw what was written on the envelope.

" 'Band: Unnamed'?" Kanbei read aloud. "What kind of name is that for a band?"

"Actually…" Katsushiro began sheepishly. "…We don't have a name yet."

"We figured we'd get a proper name for the band once we've found all the members we needed," Kikuchiyo replied with a shrug.

"Finding a name for the band will be the least of our problems," Shichiroji groaned in misery. "If we fuck THAT up…" He pointed to the envelope in Kanbei's hands. "…We're finished before we even started." Turning to his bandmates, he nodded towards the waiting limo. "Come on, guys! We need to discuss this back in the studio."

It troubled Kanbei to see Shichiroji walking away, very distraught. "Shichiroji, wait!" he found himself calling out to the blond. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Shichiroji stopped in mid-step. "Thanks for the offer, but it's nothing that could be solved with the expertise of a certified public accountant."

Kanbei was stung by those words. "But Shichiroji…I…I just wanted to help…if I can. I mean, I…"

Then, the lead guitarist turned on his heels. Closing the distance between them in three long strides, Shichiroji pulled Kanbei into a tight embrace, sending rose petals flying, and gave him a passionate kiss on the lips.

Kanbei was too stunned to move, much more to breathe. His heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest. Even the stuffed rabbit crushed between them seemed to have acquired a heartbeat. Nothing else registered to his mind except the searing heat of the man holding him and the longing pressure of his lips. If he allowed this to continue, Kanbei knew that he and Shichiroji would melt into nothingness.

"HEY! I ONLY TOLD YOU TO APOLOGIZE TO MY DADDY! I DIDN'T GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO SNOG HIM!"

Kanbei felt Shichiroji's chuckle as a sweet tingle on his lips that reverberated down to the base of his throat.

"I must go now before your little protector decides to finish what she started in the studio." Shichiroji gently caressed the older man's cheek. "If anything should happen," the blond began, "don't forget that other dream. I'll be waiting for you, K, no matter how long it takes."

A last fleeting kiss, and the limo drove off, bearing Shichiroji and his band of hopeful dreamers.

Sure enough, as the blond guitarist had said, Komachi came running out of the house with bamboo sword in hand.

"Where did he go?" Komachi demanded breathlessly. "Where's that kinky gay boy?"

"Komachi…"

The little girl let out a croak, realizing that she was in the formidable presence of her father. With a guilty grin, Komachi greeted, "Okaeri nasai, Otosama!"

"Don't you 'otosama' me, young lady," Kanbei said sternly. He would have assumed a more intimidating pose if it were not for the roses, the stuffed toy and the envelope he carried in his arms. "And don't you try to wheedle yourself out of this one! I know what you and Okara did." His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Let me guess. You set me up with that guy, didn't you? That's why you made me dress up. Well, what do you have to say for yourself now?"

He was surprised by Komachi's answer. "Did he say he was sorry, Daddy?"

There was no reason to deny it. "Yes, Komachi. He did."

Komachi smiled in relief. "Then…I have nothing to say."

Kanbei bent down and ruffled his daughter's hair. "What am I going to do with you, Komachi?"

"How about a kiss, Daddy?" Komachi pointed to her father's lips. "But wipe your mouth first. That freako might be rabid and I don't plan on catching whatever it is that he's got."

"Don't worry," Kanbei burst out laughing. "I plan on taking a nice hot bath." His eyes focused on Kirara's bedroom. "Is your sister home?"

"Yeah! She came home early, but I told her that you were going to be late because you have a business meeting."

"Kirara…do you think she saw…"

Komachi shook her head as she picked up her father's briefcase. "Nah, I don't think so. She was exhausted from the Algebra test she had and she said she'd be turning in early."

Kanbei could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. If his eldest daughter had seen him, he could think of no good explanation to give to her.

"Why do you ask, Daddy?" Komachi piped in. "Was he a good kisser?"

Kanbei was thankful that it was too dark for his youngest child to see the blush that colored his cheeks. "Stop asking silly questions, Komachi. Let's go inside. I'm famished!"

~~~~~~~~~~

Kirara heard the door open. It was followed by soft footsteps and then a tender kiss upon her cheek. Even when her father closed the door, she did not stir under the covers.

She squeezed her eyes tight, but the image was forever burned in her memory.

The sight of her father standing at the sidewalk, being kissed by a blond-haired man who was younger than him.

// Who is that man? // Kirara thought in growing revulsion and despair. // Why did he…my Dad? I don't understand! Daddy…he couldn't be…with that guy! //

Tears began to pour through the slit of Kirara's eyelids. // I'm going to find out who he is. I'll ask Katsushiro even if I have to throttle him. I won't let that man take my Daddy away from us! //


* * * * * * * * * *