Grin and Bear It

Kozue sat outside in her car, right in front of Junko's house. Junko Higurashi's house. The dojo. Dressed in her shorts, her sandals, her red and white Devil’s jersey, sticking out like a white thumb on a black hand in the middle of Tokyo. Everything she owned was in the backseat and trunk, bundled up in a few suitcases. Her game systems, her clothes, her training gear, all of which she’d bought since coming to the island. She was here. Finally. Physically here. But she was still having a hard time arriving mentally.

She'd pulled up a couple of minutes ago, but hadn't quite worked up the nerve to get out yet. Part of her - a small, but obnoxious part that refused to shut up - told her to just drive on, go back to her dump of an apartment, have a hard drink and just forget about it. This was the worst sober idea she’d ever had. This was doomed to blow up in her face in so many ways. All this could possibly do was screw her life up more than it already was. If it was just Junko she'd be working with, that would have made her nervous. She’d done enough Googling to know just how much experience she had and the sort of standard she would set. Kozue was lucky to be in the same room with her, much less train with her.

But, no, that was something she could get over. The real problem was going to be Taylor Parker.

That same small part was telling her that she was insane for asking Taylor to train her, and Taylor was slightly more insane for agreeing. Two insane women in the same room, in the same ring. Training. Kozue swore, she could almost imagine the police report being written. All that could come out of this was blood, mayhem, and broken bones.

Three minutes, now. Getting weird.

Kozue grabbed the steering wheel and took some slow, cathartic breaths. She did want to be a good wrestler, didn”t? She wanted to make a career out of this? Wanted to get somewhere, do something, be someone? Then she needed help. Kozue would swallow her pride, be careful not to choke on it, keep an eye on the goal and get it done. Taylor thought she’d quit, thought she wouldn’t be up to this? Prove her wrong. Even if they never met in the ring, Kozue could win this.

“I’m good.” She drummed her fist along the steering wheel. “I am good, I can-”

Kozue accidentally tapped the car horn and made it bust out a short honk, startling a couple of power walkers nearby.”Shit!” She scrambled out of the car and straightened up, figuring now might be a good time to go inside, before someone called the cops to deal with strange white girl in the clunky Sedan loitering around their neighborhood.

After a few seconds to knock out the wrinkles out and tie her ponytail into a bun, Kozue walked up the steps with a bag of luggage rolling behind her. She gave the doorbell a solid ring and stepped back.

Junko had been watching through the blinds ever since Kozue pulled in. The noise of a car pulling up was a rather distinct sound and she had been waiting anyway after a meeting time was established.

She'd seen the girl on television. She knew that Taylor hated her and she also knew that her son Junichi... didn't... At least not as much as Taylor would have liked. The way the two talked about her was rather amusing to the older woman. If she had not been so seasoned with experience and keen on the trials and tribulations of life, she might have been worried about the young couple and how that might affect their relationship to bring in a lit stick of dynamite.

However, she had become bored off the dramas on television and this would bring some excitement into all of their lives. She also wanted to see how serious the girl was as well. She had a lot of obstacles to overcome and if her only reason to show up at Junko's door was to get into her son's pants, that would make itself very apparent very quickly and Junko herself would take care of the problem in a far less... immature... way than Taylor might.

Once The horn beeped and Kozue finally worked up the courage to roll up tot he house, Junko opened the door as soon as the bell buzzed. Wrapped in the modest and billowy kimono, Junko was every bit the little old lady that her age would expect her to be. her large round spectacles and her short bob. her gentle demeanor and cheerful grin made her seem as though she had never hurt a fly in her time on earth. It belied her decades of wisdom in the sport of beating the ever loving crap out of someone and certainly did well to hide the rock solid body that would make a lot of the girls half her age jealous. Even the svelte ninjette was taller than Junko.

The older woman lifted her magenta eyes up at Kozue and a mischievous grin spread across her face. "Fufu~" She chuckled and lowered her head. "Please, bring in your bags. I'm sure it was a long ride. You can unpack later. I have some tea. What's important is to get you inside so i can look you over. My name is Junko Higurashi, but I'm sure you know that much. I hope you will be able to put up with me since we'll be living together, fufu. I've always thought of my girls as family so it should be no trouble on my end as long as you're serious."

Junko slipped a fan from out of her sleeve. She opened it and began to fan herself with quick motions as she turned and shuffled into the house. "Fufufu~"

There was a moment, a brief instant, a flash where Kozue could have sworn she was looking at her own grandmother.

She was much younger than granny, but she had a similar size, they talked in a similar way, even had similar glasses. If granny did the 'fufufu' thing, too, it would have been downright disturbing. But the clincher was the kimono. Granny loved herself some kimonos. She wore them all the time and bought Kozue her own little collection. The moment she saw Junko's, memories started to come back. Countless hours spent trying them on every time she'd come to visit, getting wrapped up like a little present. She'd hated it at the time, but now...

It was a burst of warmth, and she only hoped her soft smile wasn't too goofy. It also reminded her to be about her Ps and Qs. Granny was a sweet lady, but she always had a slap ready when you stepped out of line. Kozue was willing to bet they had that in common, too.

"Arigato, Higurashi-Sensei." She gave a quick bow, left her sandals by the door, then grabbed her bags and followed Junko inside, looking around the house as they went. "Kozue Kaburagi, nice meeting you."

"Fufu, good girl."

Junko said as she lead Kozue into the main sitting room of the household. "Just set your things down, dear. This isn't the gym but you may become familiar with this room since you'll be staying here. I'll give you the proper tour in a short moment but I'm eager to get down to business as soon as possible."

Junko spun around and closed her fan, looking over Kozue. "Ok." She said. "Take your shirt off, fufu."

It was easier to distinguish between Junko and her grandmother, now.

Kozue dropped her bags and hesitated for a moment, as that request came from the blindside. It took her a few seconds to process it, but she calmed down quick enough. If they were going to be living under the same roof, it probably wouldn't be the last time she her topless. Besides, it wasn't like she had much to hide. Very glad Taylor didn't seem to be around, though.

She took a deep sigh and started to slide off the jersey, immediately exposing her chest and upper body. No bra, she rarely bothered with them. "You want it off, off it goes."

Junko watched as Kozue took her shirt off. She pulled up her fan and pressed it against her lips as she looked the girl over. Despite the odd request, she was looking over Kozue less like the sexual deviant that her demand made her out to be and more like she was sizing up a side of beef at the butcher's shop.

She stepped closer to the ninjette and pushed her fan along the girl's abs. "Hmmm..." She said as her fan trailed up. She gave the almost non existent bud of a breast a poke with her fan before she started to pace around to the back. "Well, neither of you got out of the gate in that department." She muttered to herself.

She took one of Kozue's arms and held it up, squeezing the muscles. "mhmm." She said and then kept going. She gave kozue's rear a quick slap with her fan. 'Well, it looks like we've found where you keep it, fufu." She said.

Junko stepped back around and looked Kozue in the eyes. "Well, you'll need a good supply of sports bras while you're hear, but that shouldn't be an issue. You can put itback on now." She said. "I'm pleased to see that it looks like you keep yourself in good condition. However, it can be a bit deceptive." She said. "You are also very skinny even though you're not especially short. You have them muscle but you're more like the wing of the chicken, rather than the thigh. There's not much clinging onto those bones, is there, fufu? Well, at least what's there looks good. I am certain I can work with it!" She said as her magenta eyes sparkled.

She then leaned close to Kozue, so their faces were close. "Now that we've gotten all that out of the way, it's time for the important question." She grinned wider. "What are your intentions with my son?" She said with a very serious face. "If you're here to declare yourself as a rival to my daughter, then I should warn you, you will have a tough time, fufu!"

Kozue was a little bit creeped out as Junko examined her, but not nearly as much as she could have been. It helped that she was calculating about. Nothing untoward here, just trying to get a good feel for what she was working. Kozue's first instincts told her be insulted at the cracks on her body, but a cooler head kept that in check. Junko wasn't trying to be offensive, just stating plain facts. She did try to keep in shape, but there was room for improvement, and that's what she was here for. This was constructive criticism.

*She pulled her shirt down and tried to ease up, but that simply wasn't happening. Junko was in her face the moment her head popped out of the hole, deep in her personal space while she asked a deeply personal question. Kozue thought the conversation might drift that way at some point, but she didn't think it would be this blunt. Just, BAM, out of nowhere: 'Are you here to bang my son?'

"Intentions?" She held her hands up and stepped back, letting out a few weak laughs for cover along the way. "I don't really...I mean..." She rubbed the back of her neck and loosened up her hair in the process, making it fall around her shoulders. Kozue started to fiddle with it, then shrugged it off and decided to let it hang.

"Okay." She clapped her hands into a steeple. "I won't lie, I do like Johnny. I mean, you're not stupid, anybody can see that. Obvious. I like being around Johnny, I like talking to Johnny, I like wrestling with Johnny. Johnny's fun." She had a little shiver when she remembered their match, the feeling of her body on his, that little poke in her back...

"Being honest, I do wish it was a little more than that. But," She held up a finger. "I'm here to train. Up and down, I swear. I'm not here to start some love triangle in your house. That's not what I'm aiming for, anyway. Promise. Though..." She canted her head to the side a bit, looking Junko over. ""Kinda get the feeling you wouldn't consider it the worst thing if I was. Am I reading that wrong?"

[Junko continued to keep her face in Kozue's as much as she could. Aside from the raised eyebrow, her coy smirk made for a pretty good poker face while she listened to the ninjette.

Once Kozue had finished, Junko's smile grew wider and she patted Kozue's cheek. "Oh my, fufu." She chuckled. "Of course I appreciate your honesty, but you don't need to be that rigid with it. I expect you to respect me. I expect you to listen to me. I don't expect you to kiss my ass. I was a horny young girl once, fufu. I know how two girls who like the same boy act."

Junko pulled back and turned away. "Do I want you to wreck my son's marriage and hurt my daughter's feelings? I certainly don't. However, everyone here is an adult... I hope... fufufu. Taylor-chan doesn't care for you very much. That is her problem, not mine. I'm only interested in making you into the best wrestler you can be."

Junko looked at Kozue and motioned for her to follow. "So, tell me, Kozue-san, why did you decide to take up wrestling?"

'Taylor-Chan doesn't care for you very much'. That was about as polite a way as you could put it. Still, Kozue was liking Junko so far, and her words help relax her enough to let the shoulders start sagging a bit, even get her smile back. She was starting to see how Johnny turned out so mellow.

"Right, minimum of ass-kissing. Gotcha, sensei." She dipped into her bag and snatched a bottle of water, then shuffled after Junko nice and quick. "And money. It was money." She took a sip, clearing up her throat. "That's what it started out as. Didn't have a yen to my name when I got off the plane, so I needed to do something to get by. I used to make a little cash fighting guys back home, figured Tension would be a good fit."

Maybe not the most thrilling reason, but true. She didn't want to set Junko's bullshit detector off, so she'd keep it honest.. "Plus, I wanted to piss off my old man, knew he'd hate it. So, money and spite, at first.The more I did it, though..."

Junko listened carefully to Kozue as she explained why she was in the league. She lead the girl into the kitchen and set a tea kettle on the stove.

"Fufu, those are awful reasons to become a wrestler." She said as she turned and looked back at Kozue. "Thankfully, it seems you have come to your senses. Let me rephrase  the question, my dear. Why are you here?"