“Girls are weird,” Saruwatari commented, looking back at the two females of the group.

           “Hadn’t noticed,” Fu replied with all seriousness.

           Matsuo frowned. “They’re all right.” 

           Saruwatari nudged Matsuo in the ribs. 

          “You only say that because you’re a girly boy, chunky!”

          Matsuo growled at Saruwatari before hitting him in the shoulder. Saruwatari rubbed his shoulder, smiling his wide smile.

          “Shut up!” Matsuo shouted at him.

          Saruwatari giggled.

          “Enough,” Fu practically roared. “I’m not letting you morons travel with us out of liking for you. I hate children!”

          “But Kojima’s our age,” Saruwatari stated, “and you like her just fine.”

          Fu blushed.

          “I already told you little monkeys! It’s not like that!”

          The two chuckled at him.

          “Umm…”

          Matsuo, Saruwatari, and Fu all glanced over at Rai. He was blushing a bright red, twiddling his index fingers and looking down at the ground. His eyes were misty. A moment later he looked over at them.

          “Yes?” Saruwatari spoke up.

          “That girl…Yumi-San…” he began blushing even more. “Umm…is…Yumi-San…Does…”

          Saruwatari and Fu looked back at Yumi. She wasn’t paying any attention. She was pointing out random things on the trail with Kojima.

         “What about that Yumi girl?” Fu questioned his little brother, a hint of suspicion in his voice and his eyes. “Do you like her or something? She’s all right, I guess…But a bit of a bother.”

          Rai quickly looked away from them, his shoulders hunched over and his eyes wide.

          “Brother…I….”

          Saruwatari poked him in his shoulder.

          “Rai-San likes Yumi-Kun,” he teased with a grin.

          “Please…Saruwatari-San…” Rai stammered. “I…Please don’t…It’s just…”

          Rai couldn’t think of what to say. Fu didn’t like to see his little brother cornered emotionally by these two little morons.

          “Rai,” he said in a calm, serious tone. “Why don’t you scoot over here and take the reins?”

          Rai did as he was told. He climbed over the others to the other side of the cart and took the reins of the horses. Saruwatari scooted into his former spot, Matsuo took the newly freed place, and Fu moved over to where Matsuo had sat.

          Fu glanced over at the two with an evil grin. Saruwatari and Matsuo grimaced.

          “Crap…” Matsuo whispered. 


                                                                *                                *                             *


          “Please! Please! Please! Please! Pleeeeeaaaaaaaassssssseeeeeee!!!!!” Kojima pleaded.

          Yumi shook her head.

          “I don’t trust you!”

          Kojima looked shocked.

          “But…! You don’t trust me?! How the hell does that work?!”

          Yumi sighed.

          “Nothing personal, Koji. It’s just I really don’t know you anymore. I mean, two years of thinking you were dead is a long time. And then you come back to the living road as fragile as an ancient old woman.”

          Kojima frowned.

          “It’s not all that bad. I can still hold up well enough to hurt you!”

          Yumi sighed. “It’s not that easy—”

          Kojima punched her in her arm.

          “Okay,” Yumi croaked in pain. “You’re the same Kojima-Kun. But that still doesn’t mean I’ll let you hook me up with Rai!”

          Kojima sighed.

          “Whatever. I don’t like dealing with people’s love lives anyway.”

          “Speaking of love lives…” Yumi glanced up ahead. “Who are we looking for exactly?”

          Kojima cleared her throat. She stared at the boys ahead of them for a long moment. Then she began to explain.