Subject: [KOR][FanFic] Fugawari Orange Street Episode 16
From: "Greg Dreher" <[email-masked]>

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        FUGAWARI ORANGE STREET
        A KOR universe fanfic
        By FOS Project
        Web page-http://members.aol.com/Riiya/fos.html
        Discussion group-http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/
             FugawariOrangeStreet/
        FTP archive-ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/KOR/
             Fugawari-Orange-Street/
        Archive-http://www.fanfic.net/pub/Anime/FanFictions/KOR/
             Fugawari-Orange-Street/

Introduction:

Fugawari Orange Street is a fanfic series set in the world of
Kimagure Orange Road.  Its origin was a simple message on the KOR
mailing list, which somehow evolved into a discussion of what might
have happened to the original characters.  Specific comments about
Kazuya, and the mention that he is probably around the age Kyousuke
was during KOR, led to the proposal of creating a fanfic to follow
him as he travels through Kouryou High School.

FOS is set in the manga universe, and attempts to follow its specific
details and timeline as closely as possible.  However, details on
characters other than KOR's Big Three are sketchy, and ten years have
passed since we last saw these characters.  If you disagree with the
liberties we've taken, send us comments.  Send all comments to
[email-masked].

FOS was originally to be released biweekly, in real time.  However,
the real world has impeded these lofty plans.  In any case, we will
continue to set stories approximately two weeks apart, and we hope
you'll read this episode and all that eventually follow.

As is the case with many fanfic series,  |Word| represents English
dialog.

Fugawari Orange Street is based on the characters and situations of
Kimagure Orange Road, created by and copyright of Izumi Matsumoto;
new characters and situations created by and copyright of Tony Chen,
Greg Dreher, Daniel Lee, Paolo Valladolid, and Jeoff Wilks.  Episode
text copyright of Greg Dreher.  Any use of copyrighted or trademarked
material is not and should not be construed as a challenge to these
statuses.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Episode 16
"Welcome to the Real World!  Kazuya Fights Fate."

Kazuya drifted in a void that defied description.  To his left was
Grandfather, and to his right was Grandfather again, although this time

ghostly and indistinct.  Both sat, as if there were something of
substance under them.

Grandfather motioned to the air behind Kazuya.  "Take a seat," said
Grandfather.  Kazuya shrugged, and sat, feeling just as if he were on
his couch back home.

"Here's what happened," started the corporeal Grandfather.  "It started
back at the cottage, when the use of the Power shocked your mind and
adjusted your personality.  When we shocked your mind back to its right
shape, while deep in the cave, something didn't work right.  You
shifted to an alternate world."

The ghostly Grandfather nodded his head sagely.  "Yes, my world," he
said.

"Your cousin Kyousuke has experienced this slipping between realities
in the past, finding himself in a vastly different world," explained
Grandfather.  "But elements of two worlds cannot exist together.  It is
a violation of the very nature of the universe, and the universe rights
itself using any force necessary."

"However, your world is not noticeably different from mine," said the
ghostly Grandfather.  "I had lengthy conversations with the fine
gentleman to my right, and we could only identify minor differences
between our worlds.  We suspect the similarities allowed you to live
out of your world for so long, but problems were escalating, and you were
in grave peril of deteriorating to nothing."

Kazuya thought about what he had learned.  Finally, he spoke.  "Now,
What you're saying is this problem is all your fault?"

Both Grandfathers sputtered angrily.  "That's not true!" they shouted.

"The important thing is, we found you, Kazuya, and we're going to
return you to where you belong," said Grandfather.  "You'll return to a
time and place where the world is stable enough."

"What happened to the other me?" asked Kazuya.

"He has been rescued already," said Grandfather.

"Yes, in my universe, grandchildren LISTEN when their elders call for
them!" said the other world's Grandfather.

"But what about all the time I spent in this other world?" asked
Kazuya.

"That time is still lived.  It may take some time for your memories to
catch up, but they will," Grandfather said confidently.  "Just keep in
mind that what you saw over these last two weeks isn't necessarily
going to be what everyone else thinks happened.  They'll remember whatever
it was that your doppelganger did in your stead.  You don't want to go
about looking stupid, now, do you?  Or worse, threaten the family secret?"

"I'll be careful, Grandfather," said Kazuya.

The two Grandfathers turned to each other and nodded.  They each put
their hands together, and electricity began to circulate around them,
spreading to Kazuya.  Kazuya felt his hair rise, and a metallic taste
filled his mouth.  He felt his body vibrate and shake, but was unable to
move a muscle.  Everything around him turned white, and....

* * * * *

Kazuya awoke with a start and a gasp.  Tumultuous images swirled in his
mind, strange sensations of fear and confusion, and a dangerous use of
the Power.  He looked around.  He was in his room, and things looked
normal.

"It was just a dream," muttered Kazuya, his heart rate returning to
normal.

Kazuya sat up in his bed.  As he did so, something fell off his chest
and drifted to the ground.  He picked it up; it was an envelope.  He
opened it, and found a hand-written letter.  In large letters at the right
side of the page, it read "IT WASN'T A DREAM, KAZUYA!"

Kazuya read further.  "Your memories will become clearer soon, but
realize that others will remember things differently!  Keep a low
profile, and be prepared for any surprises.  DON'T SCREW THIS UP!"  The
letter was signed "Grandfather."

Kazuya set the letter aside and thought about what he had just
experienced. His memories weren't fading, as memories of dreams fade.
He mulled it over while he showered.  His memories of the last few days
were surprisingly mundane: attending classes, working after school,
watching a baseball game, and studying.  Still, something was missing.
He could still feel in his body the aftereffects of excitement, no, fear.
He struggled to connect to what it was that caused this fear, but to no
avail.

After Kazuya left the bathroom, he noticed the clock; it was later than
he anticipated.  He cursed himself for dawdling, and hurriedly dressed.
He grabbed his bag and headed to the kitchen.

Kazuya passed by his father, who was sitting on the couch, reading the
sports section of the local paper.  He quickly scanned the headlines as
he walked.  About the only interesting story was the margin of victory in
one of the baseball games; the Swallows had crushed the Giants 16-1.
Something flashed in his mind.  He had seen that before!

"Otoosan, is that yesterday's newspaper?" asked Kazuya.

Mr. Kasuga checked the front page of the paper, and then shook his
head.  "No, this is today's paper."

Kazuya walked to the kitchen.  "So today is..." he said quietly.

"Today is shopping day," said Mrs. Kasuga, answering Kazuya's apparent
question.  She handed him a list.  "Kazuya, will you please go to the
market after school and pick up the food on this list for tonight's
dinner?"

Kazuya looked over at Akane, who was seated at the table.  "Why can't..."
started Kazuya.  He stopped when he got the feeling that this approach
wouldn't do any good.  "Hai, Okaasan," he said.  Kazuya sat down and
quickly ate breakfast.

"Itte kimasu!" shouted Kazuya as he departed for school.

* * * * *

Kazuya half-walked, half-jogged to school.  When the school building
finally came into view, he checked his watch, and realized he was in no
danger of being late.  He had plenty of time.  As he walked through the
school grounds, he didn't notice any of his friends, so he went straight
to homeroom.

Kazuya sat down and checked his school bag to make sure he had everything.
Upon seeing his literature notebook, he recalled studying literature
With Emi.  Wasn't he studying tonight?  Then, Kazuya's heart sank.  Would
he still be studying with Emi?  He remembered thinking that she was being
unusually nice to him.  Was that just in the nature of the other world?

Emi wasn't in class just yet, so Kazuya went out to look for her.  Not
moments after he left the classroom, he saw her walking down the
hallway.  "Shimada-san!" he called.

"What is it, Kasuga-kun?" she asked.

"We've got that literature paper due tomorrow," said Kazuya confidently.
His confidence slipped as he tried to phrase his next words well.  "We,
ahh, would both benefit from working together and discussing the stories,
you know, ahh, after school today?"

Emi looked at Kazuya as if he had started speaking an alien language.
"I'll be fine working on my paper alone," she said dismissively.

"But don't you want a better grade on your paper?" asked Kazuya.

"I got an A on my last paper," said Emi.  Kazuya noticed she looked
away slightly as she said that.

"An A-minus, you mean?" he queried.

Emi blushed, caught in her exaggeration.  "Class is about to start," she
said, changing the subject.  "I don't want to be late."  She passed by
Kazuya, who followed her into the classroom.

* * * * *

The school bell sounded, indicating the end of morning classes and the
beginning of lunch.  "If this is Thursday, then there's katsu-sand in the
cafeteria!" thought Kazuya.  He grabbed his bag and dashed out of the
classroom.  Picking his way around slower schoolmates, he reached the
lunchroom quickly.  As normal, a crowd larger than the entire school body
appeared to be present.  The seething mass of humanity pushed and clawed
and tried desperately to get to the front of the line.

Kazuya entered the fray, using his shoulders to force other students out
of the way.  Once Kazuya finally pushed his way to the front, his heart
sank.  The tray of katsu-sand was empty.  He picked some inferior bread,
and then extracted himself from the crowd.

Kazuya looked around, but didn't see any of his good friends.  He sat
down at a corner table and ate.  His mind drifted to the events of recent
days.

"Oi, Kazuya!"

Kazuya looked around, and fixed his eyes on a man a few years older than
him.  He was standing next to Maiko.  Noticing their resemblance, it hit
him who this person was.  He hadn't seen Maiko's older brother Shinichi
in a while; he remembered he was studying at an American college.

"Hi, Mai-chan, Shin-niichan," said Kazuya, waving them over.  "You're
back in town?" he asked Shinichi.

"Yes, classes were over at the end of May," he said.

"We have a lot of catching up to do," added Maiko.

Kyouko found her way through the crowd.  Seeing Maiko and Kazuya, she
joined them.

"Oniichan, do you remember my friend, Moriyama Kyouko?"

Shinichi blinked hard.  "You mean, your little friend, Kyou-chan?"

"Yes, she moved back to town in February," replied Maiko.  "I told you
when you called home one day."

"Yes, but I didn't draw the connection until I saw you two together
again," said Shinichi.  "You know, you two really were inseparable back
then."

"And you'll be seeing a lot of us this summer!" said Kyouko cheerily.

"Say, Oniichan is taking me out to dinner tonight," said Maiko.  "I want
you two to join us."

"We're going to an Italian restaurant, called Palermo," added Shinichi.

"Free food?  Count me in!" said Kazuya.  "We can catch up after dinner,
too."

"I'm sorry, Mai-chan," Kyouko responded, "but I have plans with my family
tonight.  I'm sure if I talk to my parents first, we could go out another
night, but I won't be able to join you tonight."

The prospect of a fun evening with Maiko should have really lifted
Kazuya's spirits.  But he was left with a sinking feeling in the pit of

his stomach.  Why was he feeling such dread?

* * * * *

Kazuya breathed deeply and tried to focus his mind on class.  Today he
had chemistry lab, and he knew he needed to concentrate to learn the
material.  However, he was still searching his thoughts for the reason
for his fear.  He sat at one of the granite-topped lab table, near the
front of the room, and opened his notebook.

Yukio sat on an adjacent stool.  "Oi, Kazuya, can I check your homework?"
he whispered.

Kazuya had a bad feeling about the situation.  "Are you sure you want to?"
he asked.

Yukio just stared at Kazuya, dumbfounded.  "What do you mean, do I want
to?  Of course I want to!" he said.

"I just don't know if it's the best thing right now," said Kazuya,
noncommittally.

"Well, I think it's a great idea," said Yukio.

Kazuya shrugged and slid the notebook to him.  He noticed that Yukio
wasn't checking his answers; he was scribbling them down, word for
word.

"Typical," Kazuya thought.

The chemistry teacher, Nakada-sensei, entered and soon started the
lecture.  Kazuya took notes on the lecture, but with every pause, his
mind was off searching his obscured memories.

Kazuya noticed that the teacher had finished his lecture, and was calling
on students to answer questions.  He kept one ear on the discussion,
but hoped he wouldn't be called on to answer any questions.  Fortunately,
he was passed by during this class.

His teacher was preparing a demonstration, so Kazuya's thoughts once
again turned to his memories.  First, Nakada-sensei sketched a formula
on the board: 2Na + 2H20 = 2NaOH + H2.  He then tightened his white lab
coat, and donned gloves and protective goggles.  He pulled out a small
brown jar.

"The sodium is kept in mineral oil to prevent a reaction like the one
I'm about to demonstrate.  Even the moisture in the air is enough to cause
a reaction, creating sodium hydroxide, also known as lye.  Now, observe,
as I cut a small piece of the metal...."

Kazuya shuddered as an intense memory broke through and flooded his mind.
He pictured a roaring inferno, a building collapsing, and Maiko trapped
inside.  "Taihen!" he shouted.

Nakada-sensei was startled, as he was intent on his experiment, and
definitely not expecting a shout from one of his students.  His hand
jerked, and cut a large piece of the sodium metal.  It fell, along with
some of the oil, into the beaker.  The metal flared and the water
bubbled as the chemical reaction raged out of control.  The beaker
exploded, sending pieces of glass everywhere.  Kazuya reflexively put up
his hands, and also projected a wave of Power, rattling the rack of test
tubes in front of him.

The students, including Kazuya, looked up to see what happened.  The
teacher's lab table was a mess, with the beaker in pieces, as well as a
lot of other glassware broken or cracked.  Nakada-sensei bore the brunt
of the explosion, but was fortunately protected by his safety gear.
Kazuya looked to his left, and noticed Yukio clutching his hand.  A large
shard of glass, probably from one of the test tubes, was imbedded in his
hand.

It took a few moments for the pain to register with Yukio.  "Itee!" he
hissed.  Nakada-sensei, having confirmed that the reaction had concluded,
then surveyed the damage.  Seeing Yukio's injury, he said, "Go to the
nurse's office right away."

"That's the last time I copy homework from you," deadpanned Yukio as he
left.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

[Room 1 at Maison Ikkoku.  A plump middle-aged woman and her young son
enter.  The woman takes a bottle of American beer from her grocery bag
and places it on the table.  She peers at the label on the cap.  Then
she starts to dance in front of the bottle, shaking her generous hips and
waving her twin paper fans with much enthusiasm.  The boy looks at her
in horror and tugs on her leg.]

Ichinose Kentaro: Okaasan, what are you doing?  You're embarrassing me!

Ichinose Hanae: Shut up, Kentaro!  I'm just following the directions on
the bottle!

[Kentaro goes over and peers at the bottlecap label.  It says: "Twist
To Open."]

Logo on screen: Budweiser.

Writer's note: Standard Disclaimer.

END COMMERCIAL BREAK

The final bell rang, and Kazuya grabbed his bag.  He headed to pick up
his shoes, and saw Emi.  She also saw him, and nodded, but proceeded to
walk out the door.  "Shimada-san!" called Kazuya.

"Konnichi-wa, Kasuga-kun," replied Emi.  "What is it?"

"I thought you might want to hear how Motomura-kun is doing.  I heard he
needed three stitches.  But he seemed fine when I spoke to him."

"Okay," said Emi.  "But why bring that up now?"

Kazuya was a bit surprised.  "Eh?  Aren't you worried about your own vice
president?"

"You know I'm a very busy student, and I'm sure I will talk to
Motomura-kun in due time," she replied.  "It just wasn't on my mind right
now."

"I think he'd enjoy it if you did check up on him," said Kazuya.  "Bye!"
He grabbed his shoes and left.

Kazuya's mind was occupied still with trying to figure out how to protect
Maiko.  However, he needed to run his errands after school, so he headed
to the market.  Grabbing a basket, he filled it with vegetables, and then
double-checked his list to make sure he got everything.  Satisfied, he
paid for the food and headed home.

Kazuya's stomach growled as he passed by a convenience store.  The bread
he had at lunch wasn't very filling.  He followed a young mother and her
baby into the store.  Kazuya found it fairly busy; he recognized a few
classmates by their school uniforms, though he couldn't place their
names.  Maneuvering through the crowd, he selected a rice ball and a can
of juice.  Fortunately, the cashiers were working quickly, and before he
knew it, Kazuya was ready to go.

Kazuya walked to the exit, looked at the doorway... and remembered
bumping into the door.  The automatic door hadn't worked for him.  Would
it work now?  He took one step in front of the sensor, and the door swung
open in front of him.  Kazuya breathed a sigh of relief.

Kazuya sat down on a nearby bench and unwrapped the rice ball.  He ate
hungrily, making the snack disappear in seconds.  He pulled the tab off
the juice can, and drank it more slowly.  Once he had drained the can,
Kazuya moved to toss it into the garbage can a few meters away.  For some
reason, he remembered missing the shot.  He considered his aim more
carefully, and tossed.  The can went in, clanging off the back of the
garbage can.

Kazuya also remembered trying to get home in a most expeditious manner.
His attempt at teleportation hadn't worked, but then he had later
teleported, when he needed to.  The only question was, how exactly did he
do it?  "I might need to teleport, so I've got to give it a try," he
thought.

Kazuya started walking towards home, then ducked into the first alley he
passed.  After checking to see no one was there, and no one was looking
into the alleyway, he concentrated hard.  "I wish I were home right now,"
thought Kazuya.  He envisioned the location, his bedroom, next to his
bed.  He willed himself to find that special pathway to his home.  He
strained and struggled, but then something changed.  Kazuya felt a
sensation like half his body falling, as if he were on a roller coaster
dropping down a steep hill.  He struggled to gain his balance, then
suddenly popped back into existence in his bedroom.  He stood ungracefully
on one foot for a moment, then lost his balance, pitching forward onto his
bed and spilling his groceries.

Kazuya picked himself up and retrieved some errant vegetables.  He
listened; the house was quiet.  His mother must have stepped out for a
minute.  He looked down, and noticed he was still wearing his shoes.
He took them off and ran them to the front entrance.  By the time he had
returned to his bedroom, he heard the door open.

Kazuya walked out of the room, and saw his mother had returned.  "Okaeri
nasai, Okaasan," he said.  "I'm back from shopping."

"That was quick," she commented.

"Well, ahh, I didn't waste any time getting home," said Kazuya.  "Mai-chan
and her brother invited me to dinner tonight," he quickly continued.

"Oh?  Well, that sounds wonderful.  Just be sure to get your homework
done before you leave, Kazuya."

"Hai, Okaasan," replied Kazuya.

* * * * *

Kazuya looked over the arguments he made on his essay about In the
Grove.  He was pleased to find the almost-complete paper existed in his
reality, but he was determined to earn an A-plus and impress others, at
least one other, with his scholarship.  He stared at the paper.
However, his mind remained focused on images of doom.

Kazuya clutched his head in frustration.  All he knew is there would be
a fire at the restaurant named Palermo tonight.  He didn't know why, or
even when it would happen.  He remembered the people trapped inside, so it
must have come as a surprise to them.  He couldn't let Maiko and Shinichi
? and himself! - become victims.  Yet he had no way of telling them to
avoid the restaurant, without endangering the family secret.

The hours until dinner ticked away agonizingly slowly.  Kazuya called the
restaurant, to confirm that the reservations were at 7 PM.  He looked at
the clock.  Two hours away.  He kept thinking.  Only one idea came to
mind, and that was just to delay events.  The longer they waited, the
greater their chance to avoid the fire.  Kazuya picked up the phone.

"Moshimoshi, Asagiri desu," said Maiko when she picked up the phone.

"Hi, Mai-chan," said Kazuya.  "Listen, my parents are making me finish
some chores before I leave.  I'm hoping I'll get there on time, but I
wanted to let you know I might be a little late."

"Okay, Kazu-kun.  See you soon."

"Bye," said Kazuya, hanging up the phone.  He breathed a slight sigh of
relief that Maiko didn't ask any questions.

Kazuya checked the clock.  He figured he had bought himself thirty
minutes to think.  But what could he do?  Call the restaurant?  Call the
police?  He pictured what would happen if he explained what he knew -
his whole family in chains, in some underground government laboratory with
white walls and harsh fluorescent lighting.

Eventually, Kazuya gave up looking for a solution.  He put on a cheery
expression, and left his bedroom.  "I'm off to dinner," he announced.

"Have fun, Kazuya," his mother replied.

"See you later tonight," added Mr. Kasuga.

* * * * *

Kazuya knocked on the door to Maiko's apartment.  Shinichi answered the
door, looking rather impatient.  "Ah, Kazuya," he said, moving to leave
the apartment.

Maiko hurried to greet Kazuya.  "Oniichan wants to get going right away.
Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," replied Kazuya.  Soon, Kazuya and the Asagiris were walking
to the restaurant.

The group walked quickly, without making much conversation.  As they
walked, Kazuya's mind continued to churn, searching for ways to delay
their trip.  Finally, Kazuya noticed Maiko tapping his shoulder.
"Kazu-kun?" she asked, in a tone suggesting she had called his name
several times before.

"Oh, sorry," uttered Kazuya.  "What is it?"

"I wanted to know how your chores went."

"Chores?" asked Kazuya.  "Oh, they weren't too bad.  Once I focused on
the cleaning, it was a snap."

Snap?  Finally, Kazuya got an idea.  He manifested a quick burst of Power,
snapping one of his shoelaces.

"Che," he muttered.  "My shoelace broke."  He took a slow step, and the
affected shoe flopped around.  Kazuya fiddled with the laces, appearing
to try to fix them, while he breathed a sigh of relief.  He knew he had
succeeded in slowing down the group.

"There's a shoe repair store over there."

"Eh?"  Kazuya lifted his head in response to Shinichi speaking.  He was
pointing to a small store in a block of buildings nearby.

"You can probably buy shoelaces there," continued Shinichi.
Kazuya dutifully walked over to the store, grumbling under his breath
once out of earshot.  Sure enough, shoelaces were available.  Kazuya
bought a pair, laced his shoe, and returned to the group, his pocket a
little lighter.

"I guess I should have known I'd need new shoelaces soon," mused Kazuya
aloud once he returned.

The group needed to cross a busy street to continue their journey.  They
took the pedestrian bridge, and Kazuya got another idea.  Walking down
the steps, near the bottom, he deliberately overstepped, his heel slipping
at the edge of the stair, and then he let gravity take its course.  He
skidded down the steps on his rear, landing uncomfortably on the sidewalk.

"Kazu-kun!  Daijoubu?" shouted Maiko.

"Itee," moaned Kazuya.  He didn't think falling five steps would hurt so
much!  He hesitantly stood up, and found his legs were fine.  "I think
the only thing I hurt was my pride," he said, dusting himself off.

"That's it," Kazuya thought, "I'm not going to get anywhere by killing
myself!"

Shinichi looked at Maiko and Kazuya crossly.  "Are you sure this isn't
some sort of prank to welcome me back?" he asked.

Kazuya shook his head vigorously.  "No, not at all!" he said
emphatically.

"We don't do pranks, not anymore," added Maiko.

"I'm not so sure," said Shinichi.  "I remember, firsthand, many of your
pranks, like when you soaked me by turning on the sprinklers at the park.
Your actions," he said, pointing to Kazuya, "are setting off warning bells
in my head."

"Let's just focus on having a good time and welcoming you back home,"
said Kazuya.  "It's just too bad Kyouko couldn't come."

"We should call Kyouko after dinner and talk!" said Maiko.

"That's a great idea," replied Kazuya.  He then stopped in his tracks as
suddenly, he remembered Shinichi's words, and he got an idea.  "Listen,
Mai-chan, I told my parents I'd be home after dinner.  I need to go call
them to let them know I'll be back later."

"Okay," she replied.

"Hurry up!" urged Shinichi.  "We're already twenty minutes late for our
reservation!"

Kazuya dashed off to a phone booth.  He closed the door, and checked to
see that no one was paying him much attention.  He then thought of an
alley not far from Palermo, and concentrated.

Kazuya opened his eyes.  Nothing had happened.  "Our lives are dependent
on me making this work!" he thought.  Kazuya took a deep breath and
focused again.  This time, he felt himself lurch and move.  For a brief
moment, all was still, without the distant noise of the city.  Then,
the noise returned, along with the feel of the breeze and the smell of
garlic, and he landed softly.

When Kazuya opened his eyes, he found out why he had landed softly.  He
was standing in a Dumpster, knee-deep in paper and food refuse.  He
hurriedly lifted himself out of the Dumpster, but a gross feeling still
lingered.  Kazuya checked himself, then used the water in a nearby puddle
to wash away some red sauce.  Kazuya was thankful he was wearing black
pants today.

Leaving the alley, Kazuya turned the corner and headed to Palermo.  The
large picture windows revealed a cozy European-style restaurant, about
two-thirds full.  Couples and a few families were dining at candlelit
tables with white tablecloths.

Kazuya sauntered over to the menu, posted on the window by the door.
Instead of reading the menu, though, he scanned the interior walls of the
restaurant.  Finally, he found what he was looking for.  Reaching out
with the Power, he tugged down on the red fire alarm signal.  Immediately,
a loud ringing erupted.  Kazuya jumped back, in part acting, in part
legitimately surprised at how loud the noise was.  As patrons of the
restaurant calmly began to rise, Kazuya hurried back to the alley.

This time, Kazuya was able to focus on the phone booth and quickly
teleport.  He arrived to see a mess of green and brown, and felt branches
poking his face.  He stood up, finding that he had arrived in a patch
of bushes about two meters from the phone booth.

"Oh, Kazu-kun, there you are!"  Kazuya turned at hearing Maiko's voice,
and saw Maiko and Shinichi staring at him.  Had he been gone that long?

"What are you doing in there?" asked Shinichi suspiciously.

"I, uh, dropped a 500-yen coin," stammered Kazuya in reply.  "It rolled
in here.  I was trying to find it."

"Did you find it?" asked Maiko.

"No," replied Kazuya.  He noticed Shinichi looking at his watch
impatiently.  "It's lost," stated Kazuya.  "Let's go."

Kazuya joined the Asagiris and started walking.  He thought he saw
Shinichi sniff, but fortunately, no one said anything.

"Is everything all right with staying out later?" asked Maiko.

"Yes," said Kazuya, "everything will be just fine."

* * * * *

"What is going on?" asked Shinichi.

Kazuya, Maiko, and Shinichi stood outside, across the street from
Palermo.  Several fire engines were parked on the street, and a police
officer was holding back a crowd of onlookers.  A middle-aged man,
probably the restaurant's manager, was engaging in a heated argument with
a fireman.

"Ne," Maiko asked a passer-by, "what's going on?"

"The fire alarm went off and the fire department evacuated the
restaurant," the woman said.  "Now they're doing some kind of search."

"Thank you," said Maiko.  Turning to the others, she continued.  "This
is going to ruin our dinner plans."

"I guess we'll have to eat elsewhere," said Kazuya.

"Well, how about we eat at that Chinese restaurant?" asked Shinichi,
motioning to the adjacent building.

"No!" shouted Kazuya, a lot louder than he intended.

Shinichi looked at him curiously.  "What's wrong with that place."

"Well, you see, ahhh," stuttered Kazuya nervously.  "There was, ahh, a
prank," he spurted.  "I don't think we want to check if the restaurant
owner remembers me, so let's go elsewhere."

"What prank?" asked Maiko.  "I don't remember doing anything to a
restaurant."

"You weren't involved in that prank.  I dressed up like a bike messenger,
put my cat Tera in her cat carrier, and took it into that restaurant,
announcing loudly, 'I have a delivery for the kitchen.'"

Maiko laughed.  Even Shinichi smiled.

"I remember there's another Italian restaurant, a few blocks away,"
offered Kazuya.

"Yes!  I think it's called Bella Luna," said Maiko.

"Shall we eat there?" suggested Kazuya.

Shinichi nodded.  "That sounds good."

* * * * *

Happily sated after a wonderful meal, Kazuya and the Asagiris returned
home.  Once they arrived at the Asagiris' apartment, Maiko called the
Moriyama residence.  She activated the speakerphone, and Kazuya and Maiko
sat around it.

"Moshimoshi, Moriyama desu," answered Kyouko.

"Hi, Kyou-chan!" said Maiko.

"Hi.  Sorry you missed dinner," added Kazuya.

"Maybe next time," said Kyouko.  "How was dinner?"

"Excellent," said Kazuya.

"Delicious," said Maiko.

"And how is your brother?" Kyouko asked Maiko.

"He's doing well," replied Maiko.  "He really enjoyed spending the year
in America, but he's glad to be home.  He can speak English so well now!"

"Where did he study?" asked Kyouko.

"At the University of Wisconsin," said Maiko.

Kyouko thought about her own years in Los Angeles.  "But it's cold up
there!" she said.

Maiko nodded, but then realized Kyouko wouldn't be able to see that
gesture.  "Yes.  He said it was cold, like Hokkaido, but there wasn't
any good skiing."

"I'm going to have to go, and finish my studying," said Kyouko.  "My
parents are giving me that look."

"I understand," said Maiko.

"We should get together this weekend, don't you think?  Maybe at Abcb?"
offered Kazuya.

"That's a great idea!" said Maiko.

"Yes, it is.  Let's talk about it at school tomorrow," said Kyouko.
"Good night, both of you."

"Bye!" both Maiko and Kazuya said.

As Maiko hung up the phone, Kazuya stood up.  "I should get going.  I
also have a little studying to do.  Thank you again for the meal."

"You're welcome.  Good night, Kazuya," she said.

Kazuya left and walked home.  He passed a large electronics store, with
banks of televisions in the window.  They showed their normal evening
fare.  Kazuya smiled.  The prospect of making plans for the weekend had
never felt so good.

* * * * *

Kazuya awoke the next morning.  Though it was early, he felt refreshed,
with no memories of strange dreams, and no dire warnings from Grandfather
echoing in his mind.  But was everything okay?  He remembered yesterday's
newspaper article, and decided to get today's newspaper.  In the sports
section, he didn't see a repeat of yesterday's 16-1 score.

Kazuya breathed a sigh of relief, and set the paper down.  As he did,
another article caught his attention.

GAS LEAK FIXED IN KOURYOU

A false fire alarm Thursday evening led firefighters to evacuate the
Palermo restaurant in Kouryou.

Investigators found no sign of any smoke or fire.  However, they did find
a gas leak in the basement.  The gas company was called, and was able to
repair the leak.  The restaurant reopened at 9 PM.

No one was hurt in the incident, officials said.

End Episode 16.

Fugawari Orange Street Episode 16 Credits      | Episode Date: 6/6/96
-----------------------------------------------+-----------------------
                                  Lead writer: | Greg Dreher
                           Additional writing: | Paolo Valladolid
                      Editing and pre-reading: | Tony Chen
                  New characters and concepts: | Tony Chen
                                               | Greg Dreher
                                               | Daniel Lee
                                               | Paolo Valladolid
                                               | Jeoff Wilks
This series would not exist if it weren't for: | Matsumoto Izumi-sama
-----------------------------------------------+-----------------------