Nihoooon- GO!

Junko Higurashi skipped easily from one side of the room tot he other. She had a little duster in her hand and hummed happily as she cleaned the room she was in. Mamouru was sitting on the couch, watching her dust. He was wearing a pair of wrinkled slacks and an undershirt. In his hand was a tie that was partially balled up. He didn't move other than his eyes which followed his mother as she danced around the room.

When she reached the side of the room he was one, she stopped and stood in front of him and grinned.

"Mother...." Mamouru said in a dry tone. All he received in response was a light chuckle and she wafted the duster over his nose and tickled him. He sputtered and coughed and pushed her away, standing up and moving towards the kitchen. She just chuckled at him some more and gave him a sly look.

"Mamouru-kuuuun~" She said. "You've been moping around for three days. You've started to collect dust, fufufu."

Mamouru sighed. "It's not like I've been sitting in the same spot..."

"Oh yes, you move from the bed to the couch to the study and then to the bed. You have really been blazing a trail around this house!" She said with a grin. "If you're not going to talk about it and you aren't going to go home, then I'll just have to treat you like the rest of the furniture, fufufu."

Mamouru clenched his fists. "At least have some decency about you! You're in nothing but undergarments and an apron! What if we have company?!" Mamouru put his hand to his forehead. "You're not some child anymore. You cannot just do as you like now that Father is gone! Please have some respect!"

Junko tilted her head. "The last time I checked this was my house, not yours, Mamouru-kun. Don't take your girlfriend troubles out on your mother! Who is the one lacking respect? fufufu."

Mamouru rubbed his temples. "She's NOT my girlfriend!" Mamouru looked up. "This is exactly why Johnny-kun doesn't come visit you. He's afraid you'll embarrass him in front of Taylor-san."

"Ooooh, that spunky little vixen? It's too bad Junichi-kun got to her first, oh my, fufufu." She said and fanned herself with her feather duster.

Mamouru threw his hands up. "What did I just say?! It's bad enough you say that in front of me, but you'd say it in front of HER too!"

"What?" Junko said making a pouty face. "She IS a cutie. If I can see that, I know YOU'VE looked at that tush of hers once or twice."

"This is utterly ridiculous. I'm the only person in the world who has a mother who is like this. I don't look at Taylor-san like that anymore."

Junko cleared the distance between them and shook her feather duster at him. "Anymore? You can't hide anything from me, Mamouru-kun. Junichi's got a good thing going. I don't want to see you and those smooth hands of yours messing it up! Not when he's supposed to be getting me some grand children!" Junko furrowed her brow. "And here I thought it would be you first! tsk tsk. You better work out those problems with your girlfriend!" She scolded.

"She's not my girlfriend! Argh!"

Junko pinched Mamouru's cheek. "Have her come see me, I'll make everything better."

mamouru sighed. "I'm taking a shower and leaving, Mother." He said and brushed past her. Junko let out a soft chuckle as she watched him leave before turning back to her cleaning.

Mamouru had been wondering what to do. He was afraid of calling Cassie. He had to eventually but he wasn't sure how things would go. There was nothing HE could say or do to lift her spirits. What he had said was part of the reasons he was so down about it in the first place.

Once he was out of his shower, he dressed properly and said his goodbyes to his mother. He ran a few errands while he thought about it and when he returned to his apartment, he decided there was one thing that maybe, just maybe he could try.

Cassie had been feeling quite alone lately. She was homesick even though she had come back from Canada sort of recently. He knew she couldn't go home. She needed to see things through here. But... that didn't mean she had to be completely alone. He did some work to scrounge up the number and after doing a little bit of checking, he decided that he would try it. The worst that could happen was he would get scolded, just like seemed to happen from everyone. But the way Cassie had spoke, it seemed like he was about to dive into bear den and get torn to pieces.

He took a nape to calm his thoughts and woke up around midnight. He spent the next two hours waiting, staring at his phone. Japan was about fourteen hours ahead and he knew the worst thing he could do was call int he middle of the night. Now, he'd be contacting them around noon and he thought that everything would be ok. As he shakily dialed the number he decided that maybe this would be the best thing for both of them, himself and Cassie. As the number buzzed, he wondered what would happen. He honestly just expected whoever answered the phone to know instantly who he was and start screaming at him for being a horrible person. That seemed to be how things went these days.

He let out a sigh as he heard the line click on. "H-Hello?" He swallowed to clear his throat. "This is Higurashi Mamouru. I represent Cassie Elliot at the AFW. I am her manager. Am I speaking to Marc Elliot-san.. er... Mr. Elliot?"

Cassie's dad was a great man.

That's what she told everyone, anyway. Marc Elliot, Marc Gabriel Elliot, was a quiet man in his early 50's, though he looked to be in his mid 30's, with lazy, sandy hair and soft green eyes. He stood no more than 5'9", he was by no means a large man, but not small enough that one would call him small without reservation. Somewhere after turning 50, he lost his clean shaven face and now a shadow of a pale beard rimmed his striking jawline.

He was sitting at a small table in a dinette attached to the kitchen, flanked by a set of bay windows that overlooked the melting snow and the small greenhouse in the backyard. His break for lunch was always quiet, as long as he could help it. He used it to clear his mind and slow down, and to remind himself everyday of the things that were too important to forget.

One of them was his wife, Rachael, who he watched making her way down the stone path to the greenhouse, in rubber boots and a a light coat, her long red hair wound into a bun behind her head. He wore a faint smile even after she disappeared inside. If he lived to be a hundred and twenty, he'd never cease to be astonished by her. She was achingly beautiful.

His coffee was cooling in his hand, and his plate was empty. On a sill separating him from the kitchen were four framed pictures, one of a handsome, blonde haired young man, one of what looked to be a slightly younger version of the same man, and another of cherubic, adorable Cassie. The fourth was a picture of the five of them from a grappling competition a couple years ago. The boys wore white grappling gi and grinned ear to ear, their mother glowed and their father was alight with quiet pride. Cassie always wore the biggest smile.

He threw back most of the remaining coffee and stood up to dump the rest in the sink, bringing his dishes with to wash them before he left. He had time to take a walk around the property before returning to the school for afternoon training sessions. He thought he would wander into the greenhouse and poke around at what Rachael was doing. She always told him he was no gardener, and only gardeners were allowed inside, but she could never quite get rid of him. Nor would she want him. She never could turn him down. He never could stay away.

He ran water in the sink and waited for it to heat up, and while the sink was filling the phone rang. He answered it.

"Hello?" He said. He had never heard the voice on the other end. There was a moment of confusion until he realized that the accent was Japanese. He was too preoccupied by the shock of it to catch his name, but he was sure he said Mamouru. Cassie had told them about her manager, though it was always best to take Cassie's assessments of people as only part of the picture. Cassie's willingness to see people the way she did was her greatest asset, and he would never tell her otherwise, even if he did take them with a grain of salt.

"Yes, this is. Please, call me Marc. It's... this is unexpected, Mr Mam-" He stopped himself, remembering that he was Japanese. "Mr. Higurashi. It's good to finally get to talk to you. How are you? How is Cassie?" His voice was even, but his enthusiasm with the question was easily noticeable. "Are you taking good care of our little girl?"

Mamouru stiffened when he heard the voice. It was polite and dignified but he could already tell what might lie underneath it, especially with the words he chose. Though, it was difficult to be so informal. Westerners definitely liked their informality. "Ah... Marc-san..." He began in a soft tone. "Please forgive the unexpected call." He said apologizing. "And, please, call me Mamouru as well." Getting called Mr. Higurashi was probably the strangest thing he had ever been called! He tried to push on. "Thank you sir, Cassie-san has spoken quite fondly of you and I am greatly honored to speak to you." The Japanese and their formalities were equally as ridiculous as Westerners were in some respects.

Mamouru swallowed hard. "Cassie-san has been going through some troubling times lately." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "I fear she is beginning to realize that this league is not like what she is used to. I am convinced that she will pull through her current troubles, however, I feel as though she could use a little more morale support."

Mamouru licked his lips, he was starting to feel a little cold and there was even some nervousness in his voice. "I am afraid that currently it would be unwise for her to return to Canada, but I was... I called in hopes that perhaps you could help her out nonetheless. You, see... Mr. Elliot.. ah! Marc-san... If you are able to, I think that Cassie-san would love to see you.. for you to see her work, have a match... ah..." Mamouru wiped his forehead.

"I think if you could find some time for a short visit, that would be exactly what she could use to propel herself forward into the next phase of her career!"

He said it all in one gasp and suddenly it sounded like it was so stupid. He wasn't a salesman trying to pitch Cassie to some investment firm, he was trying to get her parents to come see her! "I would be truly honored if you would allow me to fly you and your family over, sir." He bowed deeply despite being alone in his apartment. He had made sure he had enough and he was definitely cutting it close, but if it was for Cassie's sake then he would do it. He just hoped her father would accept his generosity. Well, he hoped a lot of things for this conversation and he wasn't sure if he'd done well at all.

"Mh." Was all Marc Elliot said. He listened attentively, and with concern while Mamouru described Cassie's difficulties. It wasn't news to him, of course, though Cassie didn't necessarily come out and say what was really going on she was by no means a closed book. She called home frequently enough that he was always at least somewhat aware of how she was doing.

He couldn't help but chuckle at Mamouru's nerves. "Mamouru." He said like a father to his son. "You seem to really care about Cassie. It's hard not to, isn't it?" He said with a smile. "I expect she's taking care of you, too. Ah, what a good manager you are. We would absolutely love nothing more in the entire world than to visit Japan and see our Cassie-bear.

"I'm... sure we can work it out with the school... One of her brothers will probably have to stay home." He was thinking out loud, and he was a little dismayed by the reality of leaving one of the boys behind. He already knew who would do it. "I look forward to meeting you, too. I don't feel like I've met a man until I've been able to look him in the eye and shake his hand. We can discuss the cost later. When would you like us?"

Mamouru's eyes widened at Marc's words. The man seemed to be taking things quite well. Mamouru was a little worried but his nerves were still getting the better of him. "Ah.. y-yes, very much so! I mean! As her manager, I must be.. Ahhh..." Stupid! Stupid! He let out an audible sigh. "Hai, sir, I do." He said finally. "Yes... her enthusiasm for life is quite infectious." He added. When he said they would come, Mamouru felt a deep weight suddenly lift off his shoulders. Cassie would definitely be excited for sure. Mamouru was a little excited too, once he cut through the bundle of nerves.

"Yes, Arigatou gozaimasu, Marc-san." He said, thanking him in Japanese and then stopping. "I mean... Thank you, sir. As soon as you are able too would be the best. It is not urgent, but she does have a few matches lined up. I am sure if you could come when one of them is scheduled, she would be absolutely thrilled. I can call you in a few days once you have had a chance to talk about it with the rest of your family." Mamouru then exchanged numbers with Marc and was about to hang up when he paused. "Also, please, if Cassie-san happens to contact you, please do not tell her you are coming. I think that it would be the most wonderful surprise if suddenly you turned up in Japan."

Marc chuckled. Mamouru sounded young, and he appreciated his enthusiasm. He knew perfectly well the effects his only daughter could have on people, if they spent enough time around her. Of course, those effects on a young man could be worrisome, but he trusted Cassie to take care of herself, inasmuch as any father trusts their daughter like that.

"No, thank you. We've been looking for an opportunity to visit for... two years? Has it been so long?" He stared up at the ceiling and folded his arms. "It feels even longer. We haven't wanted to stifle her... We know that she's in Japan to be independent and to grow, and having us there would just let her stay comfortable, as much as we would all love that. As a father or as a manager, it's always so hard to make those decisions for their best interest. When it's hard for them, it's so much harder for you."

He laughed out loud, good-naturedly.

Between him and his wife, Marc was the disciplinarian. Even with how head over heels he was for Cassie, he was quietly strict and demanding, while his wife was softer, more indulgent. However, when Cassie figured out there was something people weren't telling her, she went straight to her father, to the point that a surprise for Cassie had to be a surprise for him as well.

"I won't say a word." He said. He'd never hear the end of it otherwise. And he could just picture the look on his little girl's face when they all showed up, and that alone was worth the agony of keeping it from her. "I'll discuss it with everyone tonight, and I'll call you back with dates."

Mamouru couldn't help but smile and be at ease talking to Cassie's father. He could definitely see where Cassie got it from. What he said was true. He had already had to do things he very much had not wanted to do for Cassie's sake and he was always worried whether it WAS the right thing to do.

When everything was said and done, Mamouru nodded into the phone. "Great. I am very glad that you are on board. I definitely look forward to seeing you and your family and I know that goes manifold for Cassie-san. Hopefully you will be able to come sooner, rather than later."

Mamouru turned his head and stifled a yawn. He had forgotten how late it was but suddenly he felt really tired. "Feel free to call whenever you make a decision. I know the time difference is pretty vast, but I should pick up any time of the day or night. Thank you again, Marc-san. It was an honor to meet you. Shitsurei shimasu, Marc-san."

Mamouru said and hung up the phone. He ten flopped onto his couch and expended a deep exhale. He then smiled and let out a soft laugh. That was one of the scariest phone calls of his life! He didn't even bother changing out of his clothes. He didn't even crawl to his bed. Right there was good enough for him as he dozed off.

Mamouru was always unsure how much time to give Cassie after awkward things happened with Cassie. He frowned at the thought that maybe these things happened too much. He gave it two more days, four total since the incident. Thankfully, he had settled things with Marc and had dates priced out. Now, he just had to get an idea of what Cassie's mood was like. He could use the pretext of keeping her in shape for the match coming against Tomomi.

He pulled out his phone and dialed directly. There was no way that Cassie was still dejected from everything that happened. Not Cassie Elliot. She'd be bright and happy and back to her old self when she picked up for sure.

Cassie breathed a sigh of resignation, and answered her phone.

"Hi, Mamouru." She said. In her head it sounded an awful lot like "What do you want?"

She'd done her best not to think about Mamouru over the last few days. She wasn't successful, though, and her manager had occupied her thoughts in nearly every spare moment. She couldn't stop because she just couldn't make sense of it. Why was she so upset about the things she heard? She knew perfectly well how Mamouru was, and it would be stupid of her to expect him to change. But... maybe she could still hope, but that would only guarantee her plenty of suffering like she'd experienced in the last few days.

She was never sure where she stood with him. She didn't like it. Was he her friend? Sure. But maybe he was just going to someday act on the things he said, and suddenly Cassie would find herself fending off her "friend's" aggressive advances. A tiny part of her wondered... would she even want to fight him?

It wasn't right though. As much as she avoided thinking about it, she still knew that Mamouru was not, and could never be anything more than her friend. Maybe Mamouru didn't feel the same way. Maybe it was time to sort it all out.

"What do you want?" There it was.

Mamouru was surprised at Cassie's tone. Well, he wasn't surprised that he was receiving it, more that it was coming from Cassie. It seemed that the incident had stuck with her and Mamouru cursed himself for that. No. He cursed that despicable girl. The only reason he had said the things he said was to keep this exact situation from happening. He didn't want Dark Angel to be able to use HIM to get to CASSIE and in the end she had maybe gotten him to do that all on his own. That is what infuriated him the most. He had to try and smooth things over but he wasn't sure what the best course of action was. Should he pretend like nothing happened or should he bring things up? He just wasn't sure. He knew he had to at least be on passable terms with her for when her family arrived so he chose option one.

"Cassie-san." He said in a soft tone. "I need to make sure you have been keeping up with your regiment. Your matches are very important and the best thing to do is keep focused. Tomomi isn't someone who should be underestimated. Perhaps it could be good to come to the facilities and put in a vigorous workout?"

"Yeah, I have." Cassie snapped like a petulant, defensive 15-year-old. She might as well have been talking to her mother in one of their mother-daughter clashes.

Of course, she hadn't worked out once in the last few days, but there was no way she'd tell Mamouru that she spent her time fitfully yanking weeds out of her window garden and sulking on the couch.

"Yeah, I know, Mamouru. She was my training partner, remember?" Now she just sounded irritated. "I'll be fine. I'm not underestimating anyone. I'm not stupid. And I was already gonna go to the gym, so... whatever. We should probably talk about strategy."

It was hard for Cassie to keep up the attitude. Toward the end, she was only trying to keep it up to avoid giving in and being perfectly civil. It was not her natural state, being disagreeable, but she just couldn't be nice to Mamouru. Not right now. Maybe not for the whole day.