In a high-rise office building in Tokyo's main television production district, Koyomi Mizuhara sat in her small office, staring hard at the printout sitting on her desk. It was a piece that had just come in from some international affiliates in Australia, regarding the recent hijacked Lo-Budget Airlines flight number 315; it seems that there had been a rogue Interpol intern on board the flight, who was the one responsible for rescuing the pilot and all of the people on board. Sitting next to this report was a full record of all the passengers on board that flight; naturally, there had been three names that caught her eye. Koyomi opened the top drawer of her desk and drew out a highlighter, then carefully marked the three names. In her mind, she recalled these names as she once spoke them on a daily basis: Kaorin, Tomo, and Chiyo-chan.
       This, she thought, was way too much of a coincidence to really be happening.
       Of course, having kept in touch with Tomo Takino for so long, Koyomi knew that the "rogue Interpol intern" mentioned in the report was none other than her crazy friend. She also recalled reading something a while back in one of Tokyo's many newspapers about Chiyo becoming the youngest person on the staff of Hiroshi Tadakichi, Japan's Ambassador to the United Nations. Naturally, with Tomo in New York City as well as Chiyo-chan, they were bound to run into each other eventually. No, maybe not; New York was large, and with so many people, the chances of meeting up like that were astronomical. Yet they both worked in similar fields, sort of. And how did Kaorin factor into this?
       Koyomi smiled to herself. This, indeed, was the makings of a story—at the very least, a human interest piece, one in which she had a part in as well. This was it—her big break—and it was sitting right in front of her in the form of innocent sheets of paper atop her desk. Though she knew it was a bit wrong to think such things, she couldn't help but consider how this recent incident with these hijackers could be the turning point of her entire career.
       She was about to set aside these documents and glance over some other reports when her cellular phone rang. There was only one person that she knew of who had the audacity to call her right in the middle of her workday, but for obvious reasons, she didn't mind as much on this particular day. After pulling the phone out of her bag, she flipped it open and answered it.
       "Hello, Tomo."
       "How you doing, Yomi? Listen, I'm on my way to Narita International about now, so can you meet me there in a few hours? I've got one hell of a story to tell you."
       Koyomi, who has long been called "Yomi" by her classmates and friends, smirked as she heard Tomo's words. Yep, this was going to be quite an exclusive. "Sure thing. I'll be waiting for you in the baggage claim area; we can hit a buffet or something afterward."
       There was a pause, followed by Tomo saying, "You mean you aren't even going to ask me why I'm on my way to Tokyo?"
       "I'm sure you'll tell me the whole story later, anyway."
       "Heh, yeah, you're probably right. Anyway, I've gotta go, or this call will end up costing me an arm and a leg. See ya!"
       "Okay! See you later!"
       There was a click and a dial tone as Tomo ended the call. Yomi hung up her own phone and stuck it back in her purse. She folded her arms in front of her face and stared ahead, deep in thought. It appears that Tomo had somehow managed to get out of Charleville herself, which was why there was no official announcement about it. Was she in some sort of trouble? Yomi sighed and shook her head; it wouldn't surprise her in the least if that was the case. She pushed the enter key on her computer's keyboard to have it wake up from sleep, then proceeded to do a couple of online searches. She needed to know what plane Tomo was likely to be on, and exactly when it would arrive at Narita International. It would be typical of Tomo to leave off the exact arrival information, but considering the very strange circumstances, Yomi decided to let this one slide. About half an hour later, through a combination of searching online and making phone calls, Yomi got the information she needed. All that remained to be done now was to wait until it was time for her to leave, a task Yomi knew would be difficult, since she couldn't wait to see some of her old friends again, even Tomo.

       The chartered jet touched down at Narita many hours after leaving the Australian continent. Chiyo, still chewing away on a piece of gum even as the plane came in for a smooth landing, smiled as she saw the familiar surroundings beyond the tarmac of the runway. She was home once again. Her last trip to Tokyo had been well over a year ago, and it was only to see family during the New Year's holiday; as such, it was far too short.
       Thankfully, they had left Charleville with little incident. After bidding farewell to Sakaki and Suzume, and promising to get in touch with them once they arrived back in Japan, Chiyo, Tomo, and Kaorin got on board the jet along with five zoologists and staff members from the Kyoto Zoo. As the plane took off down the runway and lifted into the air, Chiyo looked out the window and was startled to see a small dark figure of a man who was running after the plane. Chiyo continued to stare for awhile, wondering if this man was Inspector Peterson. As the plane lifted higher and reached a suitable cruising altitude, Kaorin shook her on the shoulder to show her something in a magazine she had brought, and Chiyo soon forgot about the man she had seen.
       The flight was a little long, but overall it was pleasant, much more so than the flights on Lo-Budget Airlines, and in more ways than one. After the plane touched down and parked at its assigned gate, Tomo, Chiyo, and Kaorin said goodbye to the Kyoto Zoo crew, who would be continuing on to Kyoto after their plane was fueled and had been run through a quick maintenance check. As the three former classmates walked through the busy terminal, lugging their carry-on bags, Chiyo noticed Tomo eyeing a kiosk that stood a little ways in front of them.
       "Hmm…" she mused. "I wonder if I should get Yomi something while we're here?"
       "What's the point of that?" Chiyo asked. "Yomi's going to meet us at the baggage claim area anyway!"
       "Well, I just feel bad that I didn't get her anything in New York, Los Angeles, or Australia!"
       "I don't think she's gonna mind too much, especially after we tell her about our adventures," Chiyo said. Kaorin nodded in agreement.
       "Okay," Tomo sighed. "Two against one… I get the message."
       They merely passed by the kiosk, and focused on the security gates that were now just a little ways ahead of them. What they saw beyond those gates caused them to slow the pace of their walking.
       About a dozen reporters were there, armed with microphones and microcassette recorders. Bunched up behind them were about a half-dozen or so cameramen; each one of their video cameras bore a large sticker with a television network's logo. However, what made Tomo, Chiyo, and Kaorin the most uncomfortable with this scene is the fact that the reporters' eyes, along with the cameras' lenses, were all squarely trained on them. It seemed to the three that someone, somewhere, had gotten wind of their adventures and alerted the Tokyo news agencies. Maybe those one or two reporters they had seen in Charleville after their flight from LA made its emergency landing? It seemed to be the most likely possibility.
       Slowly, cautiously, the three women continued forward, not knowing what to expect, but not wanting to be trapped by the media in an airport terminal. Kaorin gave a sidelong glance over to her companions and whispered, "Tomo! Chiyo-chan!'
       The two that Kaorin had addressed gave her cautious glances of their own.
       "Listen," Kaorin whispered. "I've had to see the clients of the company I work for deal with this sort of thing dozens of times. Now listen to me: if any of these guys ask you any question, any at all, then just tell them, 'No comment'."
       "Even if they ask us what we had for breakfast?" Tomo whispered back.
       "Yes! Believe it or not, anything they say may potentially be used against you, even something that seems as stupid as that!"
       Tomo turned her glance away from Kaorin and muttered, "I didn't think it was a stupid question…"
       Chiyo whispered, "Brace yourselves, guys. We're almost there…"
       As soon as they got within three yards of the reporters, they started shooting a barrage of questions toward them, catching the three off guard. Startled and left speechless by the veritable vortex of activity, all they could do was stand still and listen to the questions as they rained down upon them.
       "How did you manage to get on a chartered flight out of Queensland, Australia, when many of the other passengers who were on the same Lo-Budget Airlines flight as you are still stranded?"
       "Ms. Mihama, what did you tell Ambassador Tadakichi when you and Ms. Takino decided to leave New York?"
       "Ms. Mihama, we heard that you were accosted in Manhattan shortly before your departure to Los Angeles. Are this incident and the hijacking about Flight 315 somehow connected?"
       "Ms. Takino, do you intend to return to Interpol anytime soon?"
       "NO FRICKIN' COMMENT!" shouted a voice from behind the reporters. As Chiyo and Kaorin gasped, Tomo exclaimed, "Yomi! That you?"
       Sure enough, Yomi emerged, pushing her way through the cluster of reporters and cameramen. "Let me through, you slobbering media dogs!" she yelled.
       One of the reporters, apparently recognizing her, replied, "You're one to talk! Aren't you that junior reporter on… what was it? The Tokyo News Network?" He looked her up and down. "I guess the diet's not working, eh chubby?"
       With that comment made, the entire contingent of "media dogs" burst out laughing at this comment. Yomi snapped back, "I'd watch yourself if I were you. With all of NHK's recent budget cuts, it's bottom feeder reporters like yourself who get shafted first!"
       As the contingent of media types said a collective, "OHHHH…" at her statement, Yomi wriggled her way through the rest of the crowd and, while under the watchful and suspicious eyes of the security staff, briskly strode up to Chiyo, Tomi, and Kaorin.
       "Good to see you all again! Now, I wish I could give you a proper greeting, but we have to get out of here as soon as possible."
       Tomo smiled and replied, "Well, lead on, oh fearless one!"
       "Right," said Yomi with a nod. Taking Chiyo's hand, she said, in lowered tones so the other reporters wouldn't hear her, "Listen, we're splitting up. Tomo, I want you and Kaorin to head to the left side of the airport, while me and Chiyo go to the right. We'll regroup at the baggage claim area for the flight you came in on.
       "Hold on a sec," Tomo said, holding up her hands. "Wait a minute. Chiyo is under my protection. I can't let anything happen to her."
       Yomi found herself insulted by this statement. "Are you saying that you don't trust me? Besides, it's better this way. Those reporters back there want to talk to both of you, so the less opportunity we can give 'em, the better. You follow me?"
       "Okay, okay, we'll do things your way." Tomo took hold of Kaorin's wrist. "You ready to go, Kaorin?"
       After an uneasy glance at the small crowd of reporters and cameramen, Kaorin replied, "As ready as I'll ever be…"
       "Great! Now, on the count of three…"
       Tomo and Yomi counted together—"One… two… THREE!"—then proceeded to barrel forward toward the media dogs, dragging Kaorin and Chiyo, respectively, behind them. A few cameramen, doubtless fearing for the safety of their equipment, broke away from the crowd; however, the remaining cameramen and all of the reporters held their ground. With guttural yells, Tomo and Yomi slammed into the reporters and quickly broke through the crowd. From there, they carried out with their plans, running toward opposite ends of the airport's long and crowded concourse, their companions in tow.

       Chiyo walked up to the bakery's cash register, panting out a request for two bottles of water. Her and Yomi had been running for ten minutes straight, and as a result, she was thoroughly exhausted. After paying for the water, she hastily opened one of the bottles and took a long drink. Then, still panting a little, she picked up the second bottle and brought it over to Yomi, who was cautiously glancing around a corner, obviously on the lookout for any rogue reporters. Fortunately, she hadn't seen any since they came to this stop, and she gratefully took the bottled water from Chiyo. Sure, she may be a little overweight, but at least she was in good shape, not unlike her so-called "colleagues" in the news reporting business.
       As she and Chiyo briskly made their way to the closest escalator, Yomi opened her water and took a long swig from it, draining nearly half the bottle. She couldn't wait to get out of here and get home, no matter how exhilarating this day had ended up being. Somehow, Chiyo could sense this, and this time around it was she who led Yomi through the various corridors, navigating their route to the baggage claim area for chartered flights. They had almost reached the carousel for their flight when Chiyo froze. Standing before them were four men in black suits.
       Yomi asked, "What's wrong, Chiyo?"
       "Those guys," Chiyo whispered. "They're the ones who've been chasing me. I just know it."
       "They certainly seem to fit the profile, don't they?"
       "Huh?"
       "I won't lie to you, Chiyo," Yomi said. "Practically every news agency in Japan knows of what's been going on with you and Tomo. I hate to admit it, but that's part of the reason why I came here."
       "You mean, you want to do a report on us?"
       Yomi nodded solemnly. "Just like every other reporter in Tokyo who's looking for their big break."
       "Hmm…"
       Chiyo and Yomi stood still there for a moment, not knowing what to do, when all of a sudden, a loud "BOO!" startled them from behind. The two women looked behind them to see a grinning Tomo standing there, with Kaorin at her side. Chiyo then swung her head back around and noticed that the four men in black suits had taken notice of them, and had started walking toward them. She turned back to Tomo.
       "Tomo, you idiot! They're coming to get us, now!"
       "They?"
       Chiyo pointed back in the direction where the men were.
       "Oh. Well, you guys jet. Me, Kaorin, and Kagura already picked up our bags anyway."
       Practically in unison, Chiyo and Yomi exclaimed, "Kagura?!"
       "Hey, I don't know what she's doing here either, but I'm glad she was able to help us out when she did. Her car's parked right outside, so you guys go meet her."
       Fearing the inevitable answer, Chiyo asked, "And what are you going to do, Tomo?"
       "Me? I'm going to find out from these punks once and for all just what it is they want with you!"
       Chiyo sighed. "Right. I figured as much."
       Tomo strode forward, past Yomi and Chiyo, to confront the four men. From behind her, Kaorin called, "You sure you don't want any help?"
       "I'll be fine," Tomo replied, without once turning around. "I'm an Interpol intern, after all—the cream of the crop!"
       Yomi skewed her eyebrows. "Am I really hearing this?"
       "Never mind that," Chiyo insisted. "Let's go meet up with Kagura."

       Tomo heard her friends' feet recede behind her, startled that they really would leave her all alone like that. She looked at the four men before her, recognizing them as the same ones she had seen back in New York. Her old friend Jigen led the pack.
       "So," she said, "what brings you guys here? Still chasing down my good friend Chiyo-chan, aren't you?"
       "That's none of your business," Jigen replied. "We're just here to do our job, and you're getting in our way."
       "Oh boo hoo hoo, I'm getting in your way," Tomo mocked. "Well you guys have been getting in Chiyo's way for too long! Who is your employer, and what does he want?"
       "Why should we tell you?"
       "Because if you don't tell her, then you'll have to deal with me!"
       Tomo recognized the voice almost immediately—it was one that she hadn't heard in about a decade. Annoyed, she whirled her head around to see yet another old classmate of hers, Kagura, who was wielding an aluminum baseball bat.
       "What the hell are you doing here?! Shouldn't you be escorting our friends to safety?"
       "Yomi said that she'd drive Chiyo and Kaorin back to her place, so I gave her my car keys—"
       "That's not the point!'
       "But you just asked—Hey, wait a minute. You don't want any help, do you!"
       "Damn straight I don't! I can handle these guys by myself! Right guys?" Tomo declared, turning to face the men in black once more. Despite the fact that their eyes were obscured from view by their sunglasses, both Tomo and Kagura could tell that they were growing rather impatient with the two friends' bickering.
       "A—all right, Kagura," Tomo said, getting into a defensive pose. "You might as well make yourself useful now that you're here. I've got to get some answers from them, so be sure not to kill any of these guys, okay?"
       "Geez, Tomo," Kagura chided as she raised her bat. "What kind of person do you take me for? I'm a Phys Ed teacher, not a killer."
       Jigen raised his hand, and his three companions ran toward Tomo and Kagura.
       "You ready, Kagura?" Tomo asked.
       "As ready as I'll ever be."
       Kagura swung her bad at one of the men, catching them in the head. The man reeled back and ended up stumbling onto one of the luggage carousels. Meanwhile, the two other men closed in on Tomo. As one of them swung a fist at her, she ducked, effectively dodging it, and swept one of her legs at the four shins in front of her. However, the men were a bit more cautious this time and backed away as she attacked. One of them aimed a kick at her; Tomo tried dodging the blow, but the man's foot managed to catch her in the side. She stood up, massaging the side of her chest with her hands. Kagura came up before her and put up her fists.
       "I can handle this!" Tomo said.
       "Yeah, maybe you could, if you weren't hurt, that is," Kagura replied.
       With some of the pain gone, Tomo removed her hands and got into a defensive position of her own. "Remember, we don't want to mess them up too bad. We need that info!"
       "Yeah, yeah."
       A black-suited man rushed toward them; Kagura swiftly stepped to one side and swung an arm around his neck, effectively gripping him into a choke-hold.
       "How's this, then?" Kagura grinned. "I bet you can get tons of info, now!"
       Tomo rubbed her chin and nodded appreciatively. "Not bad, not bad at all." She looked up at the other man, who was slowly backing away, back to where Jigen was standing. She walked up to and stood right in front of the man Kagura was holding, recognizing him as the one who told her that he and his colleagues had been instructed to bring Chiyo back to Japan.
       "So, what do you have to say now, eh?" Tomo declared, her hands placed firmly on her hips, and her chin pointing ever so slightly upward. "I remember you once told me that you had to bring Chiyo back to Japan! Well, Japan's a big place, if you get my drift."
       "Don't do anything foolish!" Jigen yelled at Tomo, Kagura, and the latter's captive. "More of our employer's agents are chasing your friends on the highways as we speak!"
       "Damn!" Kagura exclaimed. "I guess we have no choice but to make this quick!"
       Tomo nodded and turned her attention back to Kagura's prisoner. "Now, where in Japan is your boss located?"
       Kagura added, "Tell us, and we'll let you go! And if not…" She tightened her grip on the man's neck.
       "O—O… sa… ka…" the man managed to squeak out between gagging noises.
       Kagura looked up at Tomo. "Osaka!"
       "Thank you!" Tomo said to the man. "Kagura, you can let him go now. Let's get out of here!"
       "Right." Kagura lifted her arms up, and the man fell to the floor, curled up in a fetal position and gasping for breath. Tomo and Kagura immediately took off, running toward the sliding glass doors. As they ran outside, they could hear pounding footsteps follow them from close behind. Veering to a halt, Tomo walked into the street and waved down an approaching taxi. The taxi screeched to a halt, and the driver, an annoyed-looking middle aged man, got out and shouted, "What the hell are you doin'? If you want to get a taxi so badly, go wait at the taxi stand like everyone else!"
       Tomo rummaged around in her bag for a moment and whipped out her Interpol identification card. "This is Tomo Takino of the International Police Force Interpol! I have some urgent business and must get out of this airport immediately!"
       Dumbfounded, the taxi driver stuttered, "Y—yes ma'am! Please, get in." He then got back inside the taxi and closed his door, as Tomo and Kaorin piled into the back of the cab. From out the windows, they could see Jigen and another man in black—the one that Kagura hadn't batted or choked—scrambling through the crowds in their direction.
       "Hit the gas, man!" Kagura shouted. "They're coming!"
       The taxi driver barked back, "Well neither of you has even told me where I'm going yet! I can't be of much help to you if I don't have a destination to take you to!"
       Kagura pulled a business card from the front pocket of her jeans. "Here! Take us here!"
       "To the Tokyo News Network offices?"
       "Yes! We have to meet our friend there!"
       Tomo protested, "But didn't Yomi say that she was—"
       "Never mind that! Let's go! And by the way, Mr. Taxi Driver, I'll pay you extra if you manage to lose those guys along the way!"
       "I ain't no Hollywood stunt driver," the man grumbled, "but I'll do my best."
       "Thanks!" Kagura beamed.
       Behind the taxi, a few cars had come up behind them, and some of the drivers of these cars were now impatiently honking their horns. On top of that, Jigen and his partner were almost upon them.
       "C'mon!" Tomo said, bouncing in her seat in a way that seemed unbecoming for an Interpol employee. "Let's jet!"
       The taxi driver, who had only now noticed the men in black, realized at that moment just why these girls were being so impatient with him. He replied, "S—sure thing," and slammed on the gas pedal just as the two men in black reached the cab. The taxi roared away down the long stretch of asphalt that lay adjacent to the arrivals area, and toward the roads that would lead them out of the airport and into the heart of Tokyo.

       As the cab driver made his way into the city, he did his best to avoid any potential pursuers. Meanwhile, in the back seat of the cab, Tomo beckoned for Kagura to lean close to her, which she did. Harsly, Tomo whispered, "What the hell were you thinking? We want to go to Yomi's apartment, not the TV studio where she works!"
       "I know that!" Kagura whispered back. "But I don't know where Yomi even lives! I was lucky enough to get a business card from her when we ran into each other!"
       Tomo gave her an odd look. "Why were you at the airport to begin with, anyway? Do you know something that we don't?"
       Kagura laughed. "Of course not! I just happened to see a report on the news in the teachers' lounge at work, saying that your plane was due to arrive any minute! Naturally, I rushed out to the airport as soon as my classes were over so I could get a glimpse of you guys."
       Tomo's face paled, turning a deathly shade of white, and she found herself too stunned to say anything.
       "You guys are big news around here," Kagura continued, idly twisting the handle of her bat. "An attempted kidnapping in New York City, an escape to Los Angeles, a hijacking over Australia… almost makes me wish I could've been along for the ride. Well, it looks like I'm finally caught up in the momentum, eh?" Kagura laughed again.
       Sighing wearily, Tomo shrugged. "Well, if you want to stick around and help us, don't say I didn't warn you." The back seat of the cab fell silent; Kagura continued twisting the bat, and Tomo took in the familiar sights of Tokyo, looking upon buildings and other landmarks that she hadn't seen in oh so long.
       "So," Tomo said, breaking the silence, "you're a PE teacher, huh? Where do you teach?"
       "At our old high school, believe it or not. Miss Kurosawa got offered a coaching position at a college close to her house, so she recommended me for her old job."
       "Huh. Well that figures. Physical education was the only class you ever did super well in."
       Kagura glared at Tomo. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
       Instead of answering this question, Tomo simply changed the subject. "What about Miss Yukari? Is she still working there?"
       "Well, she's Mrs. Yukari now, for one thing."
       Tomo gasped. "What? You mean she got married?"
       "Yeah. Her husband's pretty cool too. Anyway, she's trying to get a job at the same college Miss Kurosawa's at, but she's having a tougher time of it. There's no open positions for English teachers right now."
       Tomo seemed to ignore these little details about Mrs. Yukari's career prospects, and focused on the more unbelievable first half of Kagura's report.
       "What kind of guy would marry her? She was always a little bit… weird."
       "Yeah, so she's somewhat dense and childish, but that's not entirely unlike some other people I know…" Kagura replied, throwing a sidelong glance to Tomo.
       "Hey! What do you mean by that?"
       "Nothing. Hey, I think we're almost at the television studio!"
       "Don't change the subject!" Tomo said.
       "But—"
       "Hey, Mister Cab Driver man," Tomo said, leaning against the back of the front seats. "Can you keep going to a different address?"
       Both the cabbie and Kagura said, "Huh?"
       "Our friend has already gone home. Listen, take us to…" Tomo proceeded to give the man an address, as Kagura looked on in annoyance. The cab driver sighed heavily and prepared to make an otherwise unplanned right turn at the next intersection.
       "You mean you knew where Yomi lived this whole time?" Kagura asked.
       "Of course! I've known her ever since we were in elementary school! No way I was gonna lose touch with her once we all graduated!"
       "Wow, I never knew that friendship could last that long…"
       Tomo leaned back in the seat and folded her hands behind her head, a smug grin on her face. "Believe it."
       "…but you know, you still could've given the cabbie her address when we were still back at the airport!"
       "Well, the thought didn't cross my mind, to be honest."
       "The thought didn't—" Kagura started, before realizing that this was going to get her nowhere. This, after all, was Tomo she was talking to. She simply sighed in exasperation and flopped back against the seat, her arms folded in front of her, and her head bowed slightly. She couldn't wait to get out of this cab, out of the back seat she shared with Tomo, and into Yomi's apartment, where at least a little bit of sanity was ensured.

*****

       Chiyo, Kaorin, and Yomi had a bit of a breakneck adventure of their own, after Kagura took off to help Tomo and Yomi slid into the driver's seat. Without wasting a moment, Yomi slammed on the gas and peeled out of the airport as fast as she could, which was a bit tricky considering the traffic. Looking out the windows on the drive toward Yomi's place, Chiyo and Kaorin would occasionally spot a car where a man in a dark suit and sunglasses would look out at them. Eventually, Chiyo became so shaken and paranoid that she slid down the seat, out of the view of any others traveling on these roads. Yomi, realizing the pressure Chiyo was under, tried to keep things light with a bit of conversation.
       "So, Chiyo-chan. I see you're wearing your hair out. Do you do that all the time these days?"
       The mention of her hair caused Chiyo to remember her first encounter with the men in black, when one of them touched her hair. She mumbled something inaudible and slid down the back seat even further.
       "Um… okay," Yomi said. "I guess I'll change the subject." However, there was nothing else she could think of talking about, certainly not in this situation, and the conversation came to a standstill, which lasted until she arrived on the block where her building was, and pulled into the driveway that led to the parking garage.
       As Yomi drove through the garage, keeping an eye out for her space, she said, "We'll be out of this car in a sec. Are you two all right back there?"
       "Y—yeah, I'm fine," Chiyo managed to say.
       "Me too," added Kaorin.
       Yomi nodded. "Great. Ah, and here's my parking space."

       The three women got out of the car, removed the various pieces of luggage from the trunk, and briskly walked up to the door that led into the apartment complex itself. Yomi unlocked it and ushered Chiyo and Kaorin inside, while scanning the area for any suspicious vehicles or suited men. Fortunately, there was nothing that she saw that seemed out of the ordinary, so she followed her two visitors inside, carefully locking the door behind her. From there, Yomi led the way to a bank of elevators and pressed the "Up" button. As soon as an elevator arrived, they boarded and rode up to the fourteenth floor. From there, Yomi, Chiyo, and Kaorin walked down a well-lit but narrow hallway right to the very end. Yomi once again whipped out her keys and unlocked the door. Once she opened the door, she could hear Chiyo and Kaorin gasp, much to her delight.
       It was a large apartment; unquestionably expensive, but due to the nature of Yomi's job, she could afford it. The first thing Chiyo and Kaorin had noticed were the large windows and the view beyond them, which was rather nice. Yomi walked into the living room briskly, as her visitors, now taking note of the apartment itself, looked all around them. Yomi's place was large, and its floors were almost entirely covered by a carpet that was a pleasant, washed-out shade of blue. The walls were cream colored, and lined with bookshelves, a couple of tables, and other furnishings. A couch and an armchair sat close to the wall to their left. and a low table sat in the center of the room, facing the television by the opposite wall.
       "Would you guys like anything to drink?" Yomi said. "Or a tour of this place?"
       Chiyo and Kaorin took Yomi up on both offers, and after sitting around the table and drinking water for a little while, the latter showed them the kitchen, the study, the bedroom, and the bathroom. It was truly a fully-loaded, Western-style apartment.
       "Very nice place you have," Kaorin said admiringly. "I've been thinking about getting an apartment like this, but I rather like my tatami mat floors."
       "You can afford it too, right?" Chiyo asked.
       "Yeah. But places like this just don't do it for me, do you know what I mean?"
       Yomi leaned against a wall in the short hallway where they had ended the tour. "No, not really. Maybe I'll want something more traditional later on, but for right now—"
       Just then, the phone rang. Yomi said, "Excuse me," then briskly walked back into the living room to pick it up. In the meantime, Chiyo and Kaorin followed Yomi and sat down on the couch, listening as she talked with whoever was on the other end.
       "Who are they? Tomo and Kagura? Very well, sign them in and have them come up. Thanks." As Yomi hung up the phone, she explained, "That was security. It looks like our friends were able to get away from those guys in the shades and suits."
       Chiyo smiled. "I'm glad to hear that! This is unbelievable, huh? The bunch of us, all reunited together again!"
       "Yeah," Kaorin said, a slight flush coming into her cheeks. "It's too bad we had to leave Sakaki behind in Australia, though."
       Yomi interrupted, "Whoa, wait a minute. You guys saw Sakaki too?"
       Nodding, Chiyo said, "Yep! She was there doing some research on the Australian wildlife. Sakaki promised she'd meet up with us again after she came back to Japan."
       "Cool," Yomi replied. "So then that leaves the only one of our group missing—Ayumu."
       "Ayumu?" Kaorin asked. "I don't remember anyone named Ayumu in our classes."
       Chiyo laughed. "You don't remember her real name? Back then, everyone used to call her—"
       "—OSAKA!"
       Startled by the noise, Yomi, Kaorin, and Chiyo all turned their heads to the front door, which Tomo had just pushed open, slamming it loudly against the wall. Standing behind Tomo was a slightly mortified Kagura. Yomi, who was still standing, barked, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Don't you have the decency to knock first?"
       "Au contraire, Ms. Mizuhara. You should know better than to leave your apartment door unlocked!"
       "Well, this is a private, secured building, and sometimes I forget, okay?"
       "Excuses, excuses," Tomo said as she strode into the room. Behind her, Kagura wordlessly closed the door and locked it. "Anyway, while you three were busy escaping, we found out just where the boss of Jigen and his boys is located!"
       "Really?" Chiyo said, her voice trembling with anticipation. "Where's that?"
       "Geez, didn't you hear what I said when I came through the door? He's in Osaka! Osaka!"
       As Chiyo digested this bit of news, Yomi said, "You know, before you and Kagura came in, we were discussing our high school classmates. Most of us are now all together again through a bizarre set of circumstances, except for Sakaki, who's still in Australia, and Ayumu—a.k.a. 'Osaka'—who none of us seemed to have run into at all. No one here's been in touch with Osaka, have they?"
       "Nope."
       "I haven't."
       "Me neither."
       "Tomo, what about you?" asked Yomi, turning to her old friend.
       "You and Osaka went to the same university, right?"
       Nodding, Tomo replied, "Yeah, but she transferred after her sophomore year. I haven't heard much from her since then—if anything."
       "Do you know where she transferred to?"
       "I think it was some place in Osaka; maybe she wanted to be close to her old home or something."
       "Hmm…" was all that Yomi could say, before wandering over to the window and staring out at the city skyline.
       Kagura walked over to the table and sat down on the floor beside it. "You know, we should get in touch with Osaka if we can and invite her to hang out with us once Sakaki comes back to Japan."
       Chiyo beamed. "Yeah! I was thinking the same thing! It'd be great—just like old times!"
       "I don't know…" Yomi mused, without turning away from the window.
       "Oh come on, Yomi! What do you mean by that?" Chiyo asked. "Don't you want to see her again?"
       Yomi shook her head. "It's not that. It's just that I have a weird feeling about all this… those guys chasing Chiyo, especially."
       Tomo gave Yomi an odd look. "What makes you say that? Reporter's intuition?"
       "Yeah… I guess that's what you could call it…"
       "Ahh," Tomo nodded. Just then, something that sounded like a cross of a growl and a gurgle came from the general vicinity of Tomo's stomach, much to the embarrassment of all those present. "I'm kind of hungry…"
       "You don't say," Chiyo deadpanned. "But I know what you mean. We haven't had much since that small lunch they gave us on the flight over."
       "Maybe we should out and hit a ramen shop," Kagura said. "It's around dinner time, and I'm pretty hungry myself."
       Kaorin replied, "Works for me," and Tomo and Chiyo nodded in agreement. However, Yomi was shaking her head. Arms folded across her chest, she declared, "I don't think any of you should go out at the moment—well, Tomo, Chiyo, and Kaorin, anyway. There's probably reporters crawling everywhere right now, all of them looking for you!"
       Chiyo shuddered slightly at this disturbing image, while a frustrated Tomo asked, "So what the hell are we going to do for food, then? I don't suppose you have anything edible in this place—I wouldn't imagine so, judging by how nice and clean your kitchen looks!"
       "Of course I don't have much food here!" Yomi replied. "With a job like mine, you're not left with a whole lot of time to cook! Anyway, we can order out—I know a great take-out restaurant that's not too far from here. I have a menu of theirs in the kitchen. Just sit tight and I'll be right back."
       Yomi left the living room and disappeared into the kitchen, where she started rummaging through a pile of papers stacked in a corner on the counter. In the meantime, Tomo joined Kagura in sitting by the low table. Suddenly, Chiyo remembered something, and she said, "Hey, Tomo? This whole fuss over dinner reminds me. On the drive over here, Yomi told us that you, me, and Kaorin can spend the night here if we want."
       "Is that so…" said Tomo.
       Kaorin nodded. "Yeah. She said she was worried about us, and that we'd be better off staying with someone we knew, rather than checking into some hotel room."
       Tomo leaned across the table and peered into the kitchen, where Yomi was pulling out a long, skinny pamphlet—a restaurant menu. "Hey Yomi! So, taking pity on us, eh?"
       A little annoyed by the snarky way in which Tomo asked this, Yomi whirled around and replied, "So what if I am? You guys are my friends, after all. Just think nothing of it, okay?"
       "Bet you're getting one hell of a story out of it too, huh?" Tomo continued, her smirk growing a little wider. "Isn't it true that our little adventure here has made us famous here, and, as you've implied, an interview with us is currently one of the most sought-after news items amongst reporters in Tokyo?"
       Yomi, now thoroughly annoyed with Tomo, marched back into the living room and tossed the menu on the table. "So what if it is?" she seethed. "You guys'd rather give me an exclusive interview than one of those weasels out there, right?"
       Tomo reached for the menu and opened it up. "I'll think about it."
       Chiyo piped up, "This could be a great opportunity, if you really consider it! We can let people know what's going on, and maybe they can call in with information! Perhaps someone will call in with a tip which will lead us to the very source of our problems!"
       "Chiyo, I think you watched too much America's Most Wanted while you lived in the United States."
       Kaorin shook her head and said, "Well I think it's a good idea. As long as we don't give away too much information, it might be a good thing. Hey, it may even lessen the attacks on us, since everyone will know to look out for small groups of men in identical suits and sunglasses."
       "Yeah, whatever," Tomo replied. "And what exactly do you mean by 'too much information', eh?"
       "I don't know," Yomi started, pacing about the room. "Maybe… how you went rogue from your internship at Interpol? You know, it wouldn't be very hard for me to let every Interpol agent in Japan know where you are."
       This statement prompted Tomo to look up from her menu and over at Yomi, to whom she gave a very definite glare. Yomi, in return, gave a small smirk—not nearly as large as the one Tomo wore before, but a smirk nonetheless. Tomo rolled her eyes and sighed.
       "Very well, your highness. We'll talk about doing your 'exclusive interview' later. Now, let's order us some food!"

       The reunited friends ended up ordering a veritable feast: sushi, sashimi, sukiyaki and rice, steamed vegetables, and a six-pack of beer to top it off. After dinner, a barely-touched strawberry shortcake, which Yomi had bought the previous day but hadn't found the time—or the courage—to start eating, was found in the fridge. Tomo brought this out to the living room, while Chiyo carried in forks, an knife, and a stack of small plates, and Yomi started brewing coffee. Though a bit hasty, it was a fine feast; certainly befitting a reunion of this nature. Rehashing their previous meetup with Sakaki, the three travelers—Tomo, Chiyo, and Kaorin—gave a thorough and detailed account of the many twists and turns of their adventure, which occasionally drifted off into non-sequiturs about their high school days, and remembrances of old friends and teachers. The five of them talked long into the night; it was not until around midnight that Kagura stood up to leave.
       "Sorry everyone, but I have classes to teach tomorrow, so I should get going."
       All the others nodded understandingly, except for one.
       "Ahh, you wimp!" Tomo chided. "C'mon! The first time you see your old friends in who knows how long, and you have to leave now?"
       "Well, I'm the only one here who's not spending the night, for one thing…"
       "It was certainly good to see you again, Kagura!" Chiyo said, smiling.
       "Same here, Chiyo-chan! I'd like to meet up again when Sakaki comes back—you all will let me know about that, will ya?"
       "Absolutely!" Yomi replied. "Let me go get a pen so I can write down your cell number."
       Yomi went into the kitchen, grabbed a pen and a pad of paper, and wrote down the digits as Kaorin recited them.
       "Thanks! I'll be sure to call you once Sakaki's here."
       "Sounds good!" Kagura said. "And I have your work number, so if I don't hear anything for awhile, I can bug ya."
       "Don't worry, we won't forget about you. Not a chance."
       Kagura nodded and started for the door. "Well, good night everyone! Don't stay up too late!"
       Tomo replied, "Hah! Yeah, right!" while Yomi rolled her eyes, recalling that the former was always the first one to fall asleep during their stays at Chiyo's family's summer house.
       Everyone bid goodbye to Kagura and waved as she left; she returned the wave briefly before closing the door behind her.

       Once the dishes were washed and put away, Chiyo, Kaorin, and Tomo helped Yomi get a couple of futons from out of the closet, along with some comforters and pillows. In the living room, they shoved the table out of the way and lay the futons down, set the pillows at one end, then spread the comforters on top of the futons. One by one, Yomi's three visitors borrowed use of her bathroom to shower and otherwise get ready for bed. By the time they were all done, Yomi let out a long yawn, a sign that she was ready to turn in herself.
       "Well, good night ladies," she said. "See you all in the morning!"
       Tomo, Chiyo, and Kaorin returned the "good nights", and Yomi trudged off to her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
       In the living room, the three visitors stayed up for a little while longer, mostly because Tomo was goofing off and wouldn't let them sleep. However, as expected, Tomo herself was the first one to fall asleep, and after she did, Chiyo and Kaorin breathed sighs of relief.
       "So," Chiyo said, "I wonder what we're going to do tomorrow?"
       Kaorin snuggled beneath the comforter and closed her eyes. "Well, I don't know about you and Tomo, but I have to report in to the agency, first thing."
       "Oh, that's right. You work in Tokyo as well, don't you?"
       "Yeah. I called them after we landed in Australia, so they've already been expecting me to get back a little later than planned. However, now that I'm back, I really should return to work."
       Chiyo nodded. "I guess that's reasonable. You aren't worried about the reporters, though?"
       "Not too worried…" Kaorin said, seeming to drift off in thought. "Heh, maybe I should wear a disguise, huh? You know, like pop singers do!"
       "That's a good idea… but…"
       "But what?"
       "I wonder what me and Tomo are gonna do?"
       Kaorin opened her eyes and looked over at Chiyo. The younger woman had a blank, lost look on her face. Trying to sound as comforting as possible, Kaorin said, "Don't worry too much about it tonight. I'm sure you guys will figure something out. I'll make sure to leave you with my cell number tomorrow before we leave, so that you can contact me if you need anything."
       Chiyo smiled, then, in a move that caught Kaorin off guard, reached over and hugged her. "Thanks, Kaorin. You're a real friend."
       Not quite knowing how to respond to this action on Chiyo's part, all Kaorin managed to say in reply was, "Oh… umm… thanks."
       Chiyo nodded once, in a lazy, sleepy manner. "You're welcome," she mumbled, shortly before flopping back down on her pillow and pulling the covers up to her neck. Kaorin looked upon the sleeping form of Chiyo for a moment, then turned over and closed her eyes once more. Within a minute or two, she was asleep.

*****

       Tomo, being an early riser, was naturally the first one to wake up that morning. She bolted upright from her spot on the floor and looked upon the two figures lying adjacent to her, both completely covered by their respective quilts. She then said, "Rise and shine!", then stood up and walked to the bathroom.
       A groggy Kaorin, who had been sleeping between Tomo and Chiyo, groaned as Tomo tromped off out of the living room; it was the one wake-up call she certainly didn't need this morning. Peeking over the top edge of the quilt, she shifted her eyes around the room until they landed on the clock. It was a little after seven in the morning. Kaorin groaned again and sank her head back beneath the quilt.
       Around that time, Tomo came out of the bathroom, whistling an instrumental piece from Hayao Miyazaki's Lupin III film, The Castle of Cagliostro. Kaorin buried herself even deeper under the quilt, while, at the other end of the room, Yomi emerged from her bedroom door, her hair disheveled, and an irritated expression on her face.
       "It's still early, Tomo. Give it a rest."
       "Oh, good morning, Yomi! Did you sleep well?"
       Yomi sighed wearily, the bags under her eyes bearing the weight of exhaustion. "I would've slept better if you hadn't decided to go tromping around my apartment so early in the morning…"
       Tomo replied to this with a grin. She walked back over to the futons and stared down at the prone form of Chiyo, which hadn't so much as budged since Tomo woke up.
       "Chiyo-chan is certainly a heavy sleeper these days, isn't she?" Yomi observed as she walked into the room.
       Tomo stared hard at the futon. "Not this heavy. Something's up."
       "Huh?" Kaorin mumbled, partially emerging from under the quilt. "What's going on, guys? Is something wrong?"
       "Well, we're about to find out."
       Taking the edge of one of the quilt's sides in her hand, Tomo pulled back the covers to reveal a large, orange stuffed cat with almond-shaped eyes… and nothing else.
       The three women in the room gasped. Chiyo was gone.

---

Written November 2004 | Copyright 2004, Reeve.

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