I had rewritten this chapter multiple times. Not happy with it, but the show must go on, as they say.

Ah, I have no idea how Japanese schools work. As usual, any corrections would be appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

Hisa moved her head slightly as her eyes blinked open. The early morning sun flickered through a gap in her window shades. A glance at the bedside clock told her that it was still a little past seven in the morning. This was new. Usually her alarm blared into her ears and it took her a few minutes of listening to music before she could muster up the will to open her eyes. There were worse things than waking up early on a Sunday.

Remote, remote, remote...

Ah, there it was. She spotted it behind her bedside clock. She pressed the power button on her tv and grabbed for her phone in her usual morning ritual. Check her emails, check the news, then check the weather. On most days, nothing interesting ever came up, but once in a while she'd hear something about a fight in the rougher parts of town, though the media rarely dropped any names. It depended on the location and the timing, but she was usually able to guess whether or not her people were involved.

Two emails, and no breaking news. One was from Hitoshi, and the other was from Fujita. She shrugged as she dragged herself off to the bathroom. If nothing was on the news, she could afford to wait a few minutes to read her emails, especially the one from the older woman. She doubted that one was particularly important.

Hisa returned to her room, one hand brushing her teeth absentmindedly as she opened up her phone to read Hitoshi's message. She prepared herself for something inane, but she admitted that it was equally as likely to be something important.

"If you see anything on the news, don't pay any attention. Things are going as planned."

She frowned. He was being unusually cryptic. Was his phone being monitored? There wasn't anything reported, either. Were they trying to do some sort of publicity stunt? She hadn't heard of any such plans. If anything, they'd always tried to stay away from the media. It set Hisa's teeth on edge. He was doing something foolish, and thought it was a good idea to keep her out of it. He probably thought he was being chivalrous or something just as useless.

No, she had to give him some credit. He would never intentionally treat her as anything but an equal. Maybe he wanted to prove he could pull off something big without her, that he was reliable? Being cryptic indicated anything but reliability. She smirked.

Well, she'll confront him about it later. If he wanted to surprise her, then he'll just have to get used to being disappointed. She had her own ways of getting information, too.

Hisa gave her old companion a long look.

"I don't mind celebrating your new job, but why did you have to bring alcohol on a school night?"

Fujita took a sip of said beverage. "So weekends are fine?"

The redhead sighed and shook her head. "I don't have time to deal with you when you're drunk. The school festival's right around the corner, Mihoko-san's being an ice princess, and Hitoshi's even worse than usual. I swear, all of you are making me look like the sanest person around."

She sat across her friend at the kitchen table with a twitch at the corner of her lip. The older of the two raised an eyebrow and nodded towards the rather generously sized sake bottle.

Oh, what the hell. Why not? Hisa shrugged almost helplessly before smirking.

"Give me that."

"Woah, hold on! What did I tell you about drinking straight from the bottle?" Fujita protested.

"I don't want to hear that from someone who can't even keep her room clean," Hisa snapped back, but obligingly left the table to get another cup.

"I can't really help you about the other two, but Kazekoshi's little princess has been flipping between hot and cold during the club meetings, too," the smoker said helpfully.

The redhead lowered her eyebrows in thought as she returned, pouring herself a cup. It had been a long time since she last had any alcohol. Ever since the four first years joined this year, it had been one thing after another. Why would she need any alcohol when things were going just fine? Then again, things had been getting worse lately. She needed to stop pushing it at the back of her mind like a little kid. Everything was starting to get on her nerves. Hisa took a gulp, making a face as the slight bitterness lingered in her mouth. Damn, she forgot that Fujita liked her sake warm, not cold.

"I can't figure her out at all. One moment she's all blushing and taking everyone into her arms, and the next she's using keigo and behaving like every word between us was only business. I thought we were friends!"

Fujita blinked. The older woman poured her another cup, partly out of curiosity, and partly out of sympathy. What would she say as she became progressively more inebriated? A sober Hisa was exasperating enough, but she usually let down her guard enough for some of her honesty to get through with enough alcohol. That was the past, anyway. There was no guarantee things would stay the same as before, but it was still worth a try.

"Well, that's enough about me. How's that job of yours? I hear a lot of things about Kubo lately; mostly unrelated to mahjong," Hisa asked, unceremoniously shoving aside her rantings.

Fujita mentally sighed. So much for that plan. Soon she'd be able to hold her alcohol and maybe even beat her in a drinking contest. It was a mildly disappointing thought. Hisa was growing up and would no longer be corruptible. If anything, from the sounds of things, she was the one who was corrupting Fukuji, or trying to, at any rate.

"I've worked with Kubo in the past, and she's never brought me any problems. She's a bit more carefree than I'd like, but that's her business." Fujita shrugged noncommittally, starting to pack in her pipe, then continued, "Kazekoshi isn't a bad place to work at. My official title is the 'Assistant Coach' but they all know I'm just there as a replacement for Kubo when she leaves."

Hisa raised an eyebrow. "Technically you don't even need to be there until next year, if that's the case."

"It's good to have an idea of what I'm getting myself into," she replied somewhat dryly, taking an unfeminine gulp from her cup and pouring herself another. "Hey, don't you have any proper sake cups? Drinking from tea cups is a little..." She gestured emphatically.

"Don't complain. I let you in here from the goodness of my heart, out of the pouring rain. I thought we taught you better than that," the redhead quipped in mock-disappointment.

"You're so full of it. My grandfather taught me everything I know, rest his soul," Fujita replied, half-annoyed. The alcohol was starting to get to her. Unfortunately, she tended to be a sad drunk, albeit a dry-eyed one.

Hisa opted to stay quiet on the subject, knowing that any reply could be misunderstood, even if she was joking. The Takei's had taken in Fujita into their household, back when they were still called Ueno and debt-free. The older girl had wandered onto the streets, a young teenager who had suffered a series of unfortunate events, with the death of her grandfather, her guardian, being the most recent (barring the Ueno's fall). Looking back on it, she could say that it was like bringing in a lost puppy, with the way she had asked her family if the girl could stay with them. It might have been one of the saddest days in Fujita's memory, but Hisa was overjoyed to have a proper companion. Come to think of it, she really did treat the older girl like a pet. It was a strange realization.

"I'm glad you're here with us," she sincerely said instead.

"Yeah..."

"So, did you meet any cute students?" Hisa asked with a wink.

"You're hilarious," Fujita replied flatly, picking up the new topic easily. She must have wanted something else to talk about just as badly as the younger girl.

"Well, with the way you were hugging Koromo at the training camp, what was I supposed to think?"

"She's like a human-sized stuffed animal. Can you blame me?" She said defensively.

Hisa merely shrugged and leaned back into her chair with a smirk.

"So what's this about Mihoko-san behaving differently in the club?" She changed the subject abruptly once more.

"Oy, don't judge me! You're secretly laughing, aren't you?" Fujita accused in mock-anger.

"I didn't say anything. I'm just worried about the Kazekoshi captain," Hisa replied, not entirely untrue.

"Fine, fine. Well, she's been arguing with Kubo more often lately, though the coach isn't exactly passive to begin with." The smoker paused, then added thoughtfully, "I think she likes her."

"What?" The redhead's eye twitched, and a surge of outrage rose up in her. She clamped it down reflexively.

"No, no, not like that. Japan's hardly filled with sexual deviants like us, you know," Fujita hastily explained. "I meant that I think she sees the princess as some sort of puzzle. A toy. I can't explain this; you're better at this people garbage."

"That just makes her sound like a pedophile. Are you sure this woman shouldn't be locked up?" Hisa asked tiredly, her wave of anger already passing. It was slowly being replaced with a sense of unease she couldn't identify.

"Hm... Honestly, she reminds me a little bit of you. It's like you both like to tinker with people. Isn't that why you're talking with Fukuji to begin with?"

"People are interesting to begin with; that doesn't mean I treat them like science experiments," Hisa replied evasively, secretly annoyed that there was someone comparable to her near Mihoko.

"You could always pay us a visit. I'm sure Kubo would be happy, relatively speaking," Fujita suggested.

"'Us', is it? You traitor. You're planning on stealing Kiyosumi's undefeatable strategies, aren't you?"

"If you're really that invincible, then it wouldn't matter if we used the same thing against you, right?" Fujita quipped.

"...That's true. After all, you don't have me on the team. I'm worth at least 50 members of the Kazekoshi mahjong club," Hisa boasted, finishing off with a drink.

"Don't take them so lightly. You'd be surprised at how much they've improved. Fukuji's been seriously working on some new strategies with Kubo. For all of their arguing, they make a pretty scary team when they're trying."

Hisa sighed inwardly, thinking of her team. It wasn't that they were hopeless; everyone knew that was hardly the case. It's just that they lacked a unifying force. The power of friendship was a beautiful thing, but someone needed to be the bad guy if they were to get anything done. It made her worry about what they'll do next year without her. Would Mako be enough to drive them towards even further heights?

She turned her attention back to the conversation, outwardly smirking.

"That's if I visit. I'm far too busy with the student congress and the mahjong club for that. There's the school festival, too, and I need to prepare for my entrance exams," she reminded her friend. "Besides, the Abe-gumi might be doing something reckless, so I need to make sure Hitoshi doesn't go too far. I think Katase might be unaware of what's going on, but I can't be sure. They're both a lack a little self-awareness."

"School barely bothers you; don't exaggerate. As for Hitoshi-kun, he told me that they're planning on some countermeasures for those attacks we keep hearing about. We think it's a new group that's trying to assert its presence. There could be a war soon, so stay safe. Well, that's what he said. I personally don't think anything less than a meteor could break through that thick skull of yours," Fujita finished with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't joke like that," Hisa said seriously, her vision starting to sway as she firmly placed a hand on the table for emphasis. "A war is nothing to laugh at. Do you realize how many men we could lose? It'll make us look even worse with the civilians if they get caught in the crossfire, too. Can't they negotiate peacefully?"

"Wake up, Hisa. This isn't a game. We can't play the knight-in-shining armor here. It's pointless to try and negotiate when they refuse to be caught. They keep killing themselves before we get the chance to ask them anything. It's frustrating, I know, but you're not the only one worried over this."

"Ah, right." Hisa blinked, realizing she wasn't thinking before opening her mouth. "Is he being bugged?"

"'Bugged'?" Fujita frowned, unsure for a moment before understanding dawned on her. "Oh. Maybe. It never came up. He just said to explain things to you if I saw you."

"And it took you six cups of sake before you did. You're so reliable," she replied dryly.

"Hey, I've got a stable income! Let's focus on what's important here. Kanpai!"

"Kanpai." Hisa toasted with an amused grin, silently mulling over everything she had learned tonight. She had a lot of work to do.

Hisa made her way up the stairs of the mahjong club. Usually she came later, after the preparations for the day were over to remind her friends that it was time to leave the campus. Today, however, she was forced to leave early by her underclassmen, citing that she should be busy studying instead of helping out. That was fine, except that she found it terribly ironic that they waited until after she had drawn out plans and printed out most of the necessary forms before more or less kicking her out. Not that she minded. It was fun watching everyone work so hard, after all.

As she rounded the corner to face the club room door, she saw Mako waiting for her against the wall. She grinned at the sight. Was she trying to look cool, with the afternoon sun playing on her green hair and her arms crossed while she looked out the window at the opposite end? Admittedly, it wasn't a bad try, but it was hard to look anything but normal in their school uniforms.

"Yo. What's up?" Hisa greeted when Mako noticed she was there.

"Oh, hey buchou! I didn't think you'd come by this early," she replied, her eyes twinkling with amused exasperation at the club president's arrival. The third year was always doing unexpected things, and while Mako should be used to it by now, she wasn't.

Hisa shrugged. "I got kicked out of the student council room. It looks like they're encouraging me to be lazy, and who am I to refuse them?"

Mako raised an eyebrow. "Buchou, don't you have entrance exams to worry about?"

"Not at all," the redhead replied deftly with a grin.

"...You're not attending university?"

"Oh, I am. I just don't need to worry about the entrance exams."

"I... see." Mako blinked, gathering her thoughts. "Ah, right. The rest of the mahjong club and I have decided that you're banned from the clubroom until you've taken your entrance exams. So, please do your best, buchou. We'll be rooting for you."

Hisa laughed. "Et tu, Brutus? I'm grievously wounded by this betrayal, but you do what you must, and I shall do the same."

"Still the same as ever," Mako shook her head. "Please take this seriously, though, and let me know if you need anything. Really."

"I will, thank you. I still don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up last year."

"D-Don't start getting all sentimental. I'm not letting you in, no matter how much you start to sweet-talk me," the green-haired girl stammered awkwardly.

"I'm just saying it as it is," she replied with a wave before heading back out.

After one full afternoon of studying, Hisa declared to herself that there was no point in doing this if she had no idea what school she was planning on entering to begin with. She didn't feel like picking a school yet, and frankly, she had no real idea of what she wanted to do after university. There was the possibility of doing something that would put the Abe-gumi greatly in her debt, which would nullify all of the Ueno's previous debts and pull her out of the marriage, but the real question was how to accomplish this. It wasn't something that could be learned in school, nor did she have the luxury of time after graduating from university. Studying abroad might be an option. She could help secure "bases" for the Abe-gumi to operate at in someplace in the Americas. Central America seemed to be a very viable option, for various reasons, but their success there depended on how aggressive the other gangs were. Unfortunately, it would be suspicious for her to go there as a transfer student when the United States was a more popular destination. Well, she could worry about that later.

With that decision made, she went to the headmaster of Kiyosumi for something, anything, for her to do.

"Come in," he beckoned after her swift knocks.

Hisa walked in and bowed shortly. "Good afternoon, sir."

"Ah, Takei-kun. Perfect timing."

The slightly balding man peered at her through his oval glasses. The wrinkles around his eyes deepened as he smiled at her. He motioned for her to take a seat in one of three plush chairs across from his desk.

"I've been meaning to ask a favor of you, but that can wait until later. Now, what can I help you with?" He asked kindly.

Hisa sat down quickly and placed her hands in her lap. She looked at him seriously.

"The truth of the matter is, sir, I was actually here to ask if there was anything that needed doing."

He blinked, then abruptly laughed.

"We're really blessed to have you as a student here, Takei-kun. Only you would ask for more work during this time of year. Shouldn't you be studying for your exams, young lady?"

She inwardly cringed. If one more person said that to her, she might just end up throwing one of her study guides at them. What kind of society were they living in, anyway? It's not humane to expect someone to study six hours a day, or more, for months on end. There must be a better way!

Hisa breathed out, careful to mask her irritation. She smiled sheepishly instead and thanked him for the compliments.

"I'm ahead of my study schedule, sir, and I believe a change of pace might do me good. They say it's healthy for your mind to change gears every so often, right?" She grinned for effect. Ah, when did her motions start to become scripted?

The headmaster nodded amicably. "That's so, that's so. It's good to hear you're on top of things. In that case, I'll discuss that favor I had mentioned earlier. Do you remember that request you put in for improved science facilities, as well as better club rooms?"

At her nod, he continued, "Well, it seems that one of the local contracting companies has decided to sponsor us. We'll be starting construction next spring, if all goes well. However, they need a tour of the campus, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in playing tour guide for them?"

"Yes, sir!"

Her previous annoyance all but dissipated at the news. Kiyosumi would finally be recognized as a serious school after this! She will have graduated by the time construction starts, but it still made her proud that she helped to bring about such a positive change for her backwater school.

Hold on. Why would a construction company take an interest in them to begin with? It's not unknown for the local community to support their educational institutions, but it rarely happened in rural areas like theirs. Even stranger was the headmaster's lack of explanation. It's true that he wasn't required to tell her everything that happened at this school, but she'd like to believe that their relationship was a little more friendly than most in their situation. Was he hiding something, or was he just happy enough to accept such an offer without asking questions?

Hisa decided it would be best to inquire later; perhaps from the construction workers themselves. She bowed and made her exit. The tour would take place in two days, which meant it would be during festival preparations. It wasn't the best time to be doing something like this, but then, it would highlight which areas were in dire need of renovations. She hoped no accidents would happen during that time period.