Summaries for F Compo Days 94 through 97
It's a beautiful Saturday and Shion is helping her mother set the table when a phone call comes in. Mom passes the phone over. As Shion starts to say hello, Mom tells her its Asagi-san (Negiboozu). Shion gets a queer look on her face then runs out of the room with the phone. Mom stares after wondering what that was about and then stares away remembering something.
Meanwhile, Shion is now in the hallway with the phone and answers it as a male. The caller is the old friend we met last time, the one who fell in live with him as a boy. Shioya (Shion as a male) tries to ask how she got his number, but the girl overrides that by saying that since it is Sunday tomorrow, would it be okay if she came over to his house. Shioya goes into shock. "Would 1 o'clock be okay?"
Shioya is about to protest when Mom comes in, so he clams up not wanting her to hear him using a man's voice. Unfortunately this means the girl takes his silence as a yes and says "I'll be looking forward to it" and hands up.
As Shion stares at the phone in horror, Yukari asks her if that's not the same girl she knew back in elementary class. Shion tries to recover and complements her Mom for being able to remember things from 10 years ago. All Shion can really think about is how the heck was the girl able to get her number. She goes to the prime suspect and hits paydirt.
Masahiko--"Ah, I told her. Shouldn't I have?" He did it the day Shioya had run out of the shop and left him alone with the girl. She asked for the phone number, and he said it would have been seen as strange if he hadn't given it to her. Shion tells him he went too far. When Masahiko asks why, she tells him that because she gave him the number, the girl will be coming over tomorrow. Masahiko replies that he didn't give her the address only the number. Shion tells him that if you have the number then there are ways to get the address. Masahiko then recalls to mind that he heard the Asagi's confession of love. "You were eavesdropping?" "It was an accident!"
Masahiko presses that Shion should tell the girl about her true nature, though by his expression one can see he already feels for what the girl will go through when she finds out. So Shion being her usual self, pounds him with why should she be cruel to a beautiful girl, she'll be in college for 4 years, why shouldn't she keep this girl as her girlfriend while she's a man? Of course Masahiko's utterly shocked face is exactly what she was looking to get. Heh.
As Masahiko then tries to protest, she hits him with "Hold it, right now we have a bigger problem. This girl, who doesn't know, is coming here. Do you understand what this means?" After a couple of seconds, the reality sinks in and Masahiko screams! Shion then goes on to explain how the main piece of the problem right now is not that she tell this girl the truth, but that Shion's parents not find out Shion has been leading a double life for school. So if anyone finds out what's been going on, everyone will be hurt.
"Well, call the girl back and tell her..." "I can't. I don't know her phone number." Then add in the further problem that the girl doesn't know Masahiko lives in the house and.... "What are we gonna do?!"
The next day, Masahiko is leaving with Yukari on the pretext that he needs her to help him with some shopping. With Masahiko and her mom out of the way, and Sora working on a deadline upstairs. Shion begins to change into Shioya after having moved out anything of a girlish nature out of her room and hiding her photo album. "Girls always want to look at your albums."
Asagi arrives! Shioya lets her in and the girl is unhappy when she finds out that Shioya's Mom isn't home. Shioya tells her she had to do some shopping so he's there alone. Asagi explains she'd hoped to see Shioya's parents as she remembered them being so nice to look at. She'd been looking forward to it. (Yet Asagi is thinking to herself--Alone, are you?)
Shioya brings up how pretty the weather is and suggests they should go outside. Asagi evades this. She then asks if she could see his room. Shioya says it's nothing special, even as he thinks to himself that the getting her outside tactic hadn't work, as he'd expected. He takes Asagi up to his room.
Asagi says it is not the image she held of a boy's room but then again this is the first time she'd ever been in one. Then she hits Shioya with the album question. Shioya evades. Then Asagi heads for the closet. "Could I look in it? I want to see what kind of clothes you have." In panic, Shioya cuts her off at the doors, giving some excuse about the mess in there and how it would all pour out if she opened the door. Asagi laughs after a moment, and tells him it's okay. She understands there's bad boy stuff in there he doesn't want her to see. Shioya is thinking it's all the girls clothes in there that would destroy him. Shioya gets brought back from his thoughts as Asagi leans to look out the window and says "Isn't that your mom?"
Shioya is in shock bordering on panic. She's back early! Then the cellular phone rings. The screen says it's Masahiko. Shioya excuses himself and goes into the hall. Yukari comes in and notes the two pairs of shoes--one female (She assumes Shion) one male (she assumes a boy). "I wonder if Shion brought a friend today?"
Masahiko warns Shioya that Yukari got away.
Yukari meanwhile is preparing a tray of treats for Shion and her guest. Shioya is trying to think of how things could get worse. Asagi starts pressing for them to go back downstairs so she can talk to his Mom. When Shioya hesitates, Asagi sits on the bed and tells him she realizes he's upset because his mom came back early. How he'd wanted Asagi's coming over to be a secret.
Meanwhile, Masahiko sneaks into the house and while thinking of sneaking up to his room gets caught by Yukari-san. He spots the tray, and realizing what it means, dashes upstairs.
As Shioya tries to dissuade Asagi of her suspicions, Asagi rushes forward and hugs him close. "Hey!" "I understand. Shion-kun is a man. You were thinking of manly things when you worked for your parents not to be here, right? For you to think those manly things, is okay with me." Asagi closes her eyes and homes in for a kiss as Shioya tries desperately to think of what to do and is tempted all the same. The mood is broken when a loud KAW KAW echoes into the room. Shioya uses the loud bird as an excuse to get away and opens the window. When he does, he sees Masahiko leaning from the roof up from his room making the sounds. (What kills me here is the two of them thinking thoughts at each other without talking and neither getting it.) Shioya suddenly understands what Masahiko is trying desperately to say when Yukari calls up.
As Yukari appears with the tray, Asagi greets her and introduces herself. Yukari connects her with the phone call the day before. Then asks where Shion is. (Shion has disappeared out the window.)
Masahiko is continuing the bird calls, and as Yukari leans out calling for Shion, Shion shows the upper part of her face and speaks as a female explaining how there's a little trouble up there and she's trying to fix it. Would she tell Asagi she'll be right back?
Yukari does so and leaves a happy Asagi in the room alone. Masahiko looks exhausted, while Shioya sits on the roof wondering how this can get any more complicated. To be continued... (Hahahahahahaha! I love it!)
As you know, we left off with Shion and Masahiko just barely diverting disaster after an old friend of Shion's (who knew him during a boy phase) invited herself over to the Wakanae household.
Asagi is happily eating the cake Yukari brought up to Shion's room while Shioya(Shion in male guise) is still out on the roof thanking Masahiko for his timely rescue. The problem now is what to do with Asagi. Shioya asks Masahiko to please get their shoes from the main entrance and put them upstairs to the entrance there. Masahiko is hesitant, reminding Shion that that is where Sora's group is working. Was Shioya sure that would be all right?
Asagi gets impatient and peeks out the window trying to get Shioya to come back in. Shioya hangs up (they were using their cellular phones at this point) with Masahiko who is not too thrilled about things as they stand.
Shioya goes back in doors and instantly apologizes to Asagi for the previous weirdness and now for the fact they need to go. "Ah, but your mother invited me for supper a few minutes ago." (Shioya goes into stupefied shock-hee!) "I'll help your Mom make supper and then I'll be able to meet everyone in your family." Shion presses she still has to leave as he doesn't know when supper will be because no one knows when his father will be back.
Meanwhile, Masahiko has sneaked downstairs and retrieved Asagi's and Shion's shoes. As he makes it upstairs, he recalls how sensitive Sora gets to any little sound when the group gets to this particular stage of their work. Even as he thinks that, horrible sounds issue from the work room and he freezes. An unhappy Sora comes out of the room and gives Masahiko a killer glare as he goes for the bathroom thinking about 18 hours of time, 6 pages, etc. Masahiko gives a sigh of relief as he lives through this unscathed.
A disgruntled Shioya waits for Asagi's answer and is relieved when she suddenly says she understands. Then she adds they can't cover everything in one day anyway, that she'll be looking forward to returning some other time to share a meal with the Wakanaes. Shioya thinks to himself that there won't be a next time!
As they leave his room, Shioya being cautious and quiet, Asagi asks why they are sneaking around? Shioya tells her to keep it down even as they approach the second landing. Masahiko has deposited the shoes where he was asked and as he leaves that part of the floor, almost runs head first into the other two. Shioya makes a big noise while using his arms to try to cut out Asagi's view even as Masahiko crunches back behind the door he was about to come out of. To cover his behavior, Shioya tells Asagi he saw a cockroach. As Asagi looks for it, Yukari suddenly steps out into the hallway from somewhere else.
In total panic mode (after wondering what his Mom was doing up there) Shioya grabs Asagi's hand and takes off. Only when Asagi yells out in protest does Yukari seem to realize what she may have seen.
The two of them tromp through the area Masahiko had just escaped back to, but he was able to hide behind the door as they passed. Just when he's sighing with relief, horror shoots through his veins as Sora opens the door of the workroom. "Whose making all the noise out here?! I'll kill him!" (Manga deadline time is an ugly time in this household. Heh.)
Shioya and Asagi have stopped running, gasping for breath. Shioya is unhappy knowing her Mother saw him. Asagi asks for an explanation of what's going on. Shioya tries to give a quick answer but Asagi is not falling for it. Shioya insists they go on or Asagi will miss her train. Masahiko is shadowing the pair not too far behind.
At the train stop (one of the small local open air ones) Shioya again tells her how noise is really bad for today at his house. Shioya then tries to say "See ya" but Asagi calls him back. She mentions something about their earlier embrace and her telling him it was ok. She apologizes and then tells him she understands. The situation is complex and she couldn't, shouldn't expect a kiss so fast. If he'd been a bad man... she would have been a bad woman...only... Shioya is saved from more as her train arrives.
Asagi then says she wants to fix so as she moves to step inside the train, she suddenly turns around and kisses Shioya! Shioya is immobile shock and after the train leaves turns around to find a still paralyzed Masahiko staring in his direction.
On the way home, Masahiko is unhappy even as Shioya tells him he had nothing to do with what happened. Masahiko says participating willingly or not, they'd kissed! Shioya (he can't let this pass!) asks Masahiko what's he so mad about? Masahiko thinks to himself that he doesn't know, and wonders why is he angry? Then Shioya voices out his opinion. He says (that evil gleam in his eye) that Masahiko is jealous! "What the heck do I have to be jealous about!" Masahiko demands--his fervor actually taking Shioya aback. Then Shioya says he figured Masahiko was jealous at the fact Shioya had a beautiful girl for a girlfriend. Masahiko's expression gives the impression that may not be where his heart was heading. He jumps on it though and says that's it even as he stomps off.
Now Shioya moves in her mind to the problem of her mother. When they get home Yukari's immediate response is to ask why is Shion wearing those male clothes! Shion takes off the cap and undoes her ponytail and then berates Mom with an abbreviated tale on Asagi and how she only knew her as a boy and what was she supposed to do, etc, etc. At the end, as Yukari stares speechless, Shion grins. Yukari says oh, that explains it, even as Masahiko wonders why she hadn't said that to her parents before all this began. Then as Shion moves to excuse herself, Yukari says, "but does this girl really not know you're a girl? Your class from years ago would have meant mutual friends and wouldn't they have told her that you were now a girl?" (Seems that a number of classmates do know Shion switches back and forth. Does not seem to bother them.) Shion and Masahiko stare at Yukari in shock then at one another. "If someone has said something, then" Shion says. Masahiko continues, "then that girl, she wouldn't know if you were a boy or a girl so why does she still like you?"
Parting shot is Asagi on the train thinking Shion's name.
(Bwahahahahaha! I love you, Hojo Sensei!)
(Flashback scenes)
A young male Shion is playing soccer at school as three girls are talking and watching nearby. Asagi is on a play bar listening to them. "Hey, did you know that kid was a girl in grade two? Then he became a boy in grade 3." "No way, he looks like a boy. Which is he? A boy or a girl?" "Don't know."
"It gives me a bad feeling." The soccer ball then accidentally disturbs them and Shion comes to get it back apologizing. Asagi is the one who throws it back telling him to be more careful. Then thinks to herself that even though she knew the truth at that time, she still liked him.
(End of flashback)
Asagi is sitting in the film club staring out a window. The rest of the club members are looking at the plot for the film and talking about how it has many kissing scenes in it. Asagi has won the role of the heroine but the male lead has not yet been decided on. Masahiko is wondering what Shioya (Shion in male garb) is going to think if Ejima gets the part and gets to do those kissing scenes with Asagi. If Masahiko were in Shioya's place he thinks he would be (dokimagi) jealous(?). One of the boys (the one who's been after Masahiko) seems to suggest that Masahiko should play the heroine and he the man she kisses. "I told you I don't like that!"
Ejima comes into the room looking dejected then angry. He rushes Shioya and grabs him by the shirt. It seems that somehow, Shioya will be the one to play the male lead. Seems that Asagi will not do the lead without him? The director and his buddy tease Ejima and so they are all surprised when Shioya calls out and says it's not funny. He says he will not have his way forced into the movie. Shioya is going to go, but Ejima stops him telling Shioya he's not the only one this affects. That Shioya should do this and he'll get the next one. Masahiko can only think how what had happened at the train station wasn't a movie scene. (See Day 95)
On the way home, Masahiko asks Shioya what he will do. Shioya says he won't quit. Masahiko presses the issue, saying that at the station Asagi might not have known he was female and still expressed that she likes him, but what would happen if she knew the truth. She would probably hate him then if she met him as in his other persona. This gets Shioya thinking. "That's the crux of it, does she think I'm a man or a woman?" Shioya then tells Masahiko to go on ahead home without him and takes off.
Meanwhile, Asagi gets a phonecall on her cellular phone. It's Shioya. He asks her to meet him at the coffee shop they stopped at before. Asagi goes there and doesn't see Shioya anywhere but goes ahead and gets a table. As she waits, we get a glance at a long haired figure at the counter. Shioya, now in female garb as Shion, gets up and comes over then sits down.
Surprised, Asagi starts to say something, but Shion interrupts saying "Don't you know who I am?" After a long moment, Asagi says "Wakanae...kun?"
"...I thought so, you knew I'd also been a woman," Shion says. "So, which one do you think I really am?"
"I don't know."
The two of them leave the coffee shop and Masahiko, hidden behind a telephone pole, slinks after them.
Shion takes Asagi to the park. Asagi admits she's only known Shion as a boy. But she then tells her that in school she'd learned from some of the others that he'd not always been male. She says something about not being able to like boys who spoke of lesbians?(Asagi always wore her hair short and looked boyish so boys made assumptions about her?) But when she reached High School she thought she might be getting to like girls? In her second year, she was approached by a first year student. A very cute girl, one who thought of her as a lesbian. One day the girl confronted Asagi and asked why she kept running away from her. Asagi said she wasn't. The girl, crying threw herself at her and hugged her. She told Asagi she truly loved her and wanted to be with her. Asagi was tempted by the offer, but in the end, ran away. She could not make up her mind what she was or what she liked. All she could think about was Shioya's face and how she'd loved him as a boy. And all through high school she never went one way or the other, not hooking up with either boys or girls. So for college, she made sure to go where Shioya would be. That way she could ask once and for all--was Shioya male or female? (Masahiko is on pins and needles awaiting the answer!) Asagi goes on to say that she doesn't care which one Shion is, that she loves her either way.
Masahiko is thinking he will finally find out what the truth is and yet, Asagi's words ring through his mind again--'I love you. It doesn't matter what you are.'
Instead of answering, Shion tells Asagi to kiss her. "If you love me..."
As Masahiko stares in growing shock, Shion closes her eyes and waits for the kiss. Asagi leans forward, their lips get very close...and then... she frowns and pulls back. "You're a normal woman," Shion exclaims. "You're only able to kiss my male form and not the female one." It looks like Shion then tells her that now she would not have to live with worry anymore. They'd met again and her preference issue had now been settled. So go find yourself a good man and be happy.
The next day, Masahiko is with Shioya at school beneath a tree and Shioya says he doesn't think he and Asagi will be coacting together now. "Ah, so you think so do you?" Shioya gets suspicious from this and asks if he knows something. Masahiko realizes that was a bad thing to say since Shioya doesn't know he was spying on him. Fortunatly for him, Asagi then arrives and interrupts. "We may not be acting together, but I love the male Shion-kun," she declares. "I'm not giving up!" She leaves both Masahiko and Shion with open mouthed expressions.
But the thing I do keep coming back to is how the girl's words repeated in Masahiko's mind "I will love you no matter what your gender or sex." I'm wondering if this is going to lead somewhere with him... Hmmm....)
Masahiko has called Youko and invited her somewhere but she says she's sorry but she can't go. Masahiko hangs up looking wistfully at a pair of tickets. Shion shows up behind him and asks what the tickets are for? Masahiko explains how he hasn't seen Youko in about 2 months since she's been so busy helping her mother at the hotel. Shion suggest that maybe Youko's just avoiding him. She's surprised as Masahiko abruptly takes the suggestion to heart and so she quickly tells him she was joking, that it was a gag. Shion the goes on to say it is a pity to waste two night tickets to the Kashima Park. Masahiko says he would give them to Ejima but they were very expensive. So Shion then suggests that she'd like to go, so why don't they go together?
Masahiko protests, and finally tells her that the tickets are for lovers as the all the events have been set up for couples. Shion is incensed that no one but couples can go. Masahiko points out that's why they can't go together. "Well, if we were lovers, then we could go," Shion says. "What....?"
Shion goes with Masahiko and says no one will know they're not lovers. Masahiko protests saying they'll be breaking the rules. Shion argues back that for this event then they'll a couple for one night and that way they won't be breaking any of the rules.
When they get close to the end of the line to get in to the park, however, they make a startling discovery. The guy at the entrance is making each couple prove they are a couple before letting them in. The first couple are made to hug very close. Masahiko pales as Shion is intrigued. The next couple is told to kiss. "Look at that! We have to go home!" Before Shion can answer, the two of them realize it's their turn. Masahiko bumbles, tells himself he can't go through with this, and whispers that he can't kiss her. Shion moves up and explains that the two of them just started going out. The stress has her boyfriend frozen. Just his holding her hand makes his face turn red. And tonight, she's hoping that by coming here, she can get her first kiss. (The crowd goes wild!) They're allowed in. (Masahiko is so convincing! He doesn't have to fake it! Hee!)
Once inside Masahiko worries about Shion's words of a first kiss, wondering if she could possibly be serious. He bangs his head and Shion asks him why his face red. "No, no reason."
Walking through the park, they watch a number of the games being played by the couples. Races with ballons pinned against the back of their two bodies, popping if they get too close. Carrying oranges between their cheeks. Both of them eating from each end of a pretzel stick (the one couple got so into it the guy got a kiss out of it!). This all makes Masahiko go even redder. Especially when Shion says "So that's what you wanted to bring Youko here for." Masahiko protests (face crimson) saying he had no idea it would be like this. Then he tells her she can think what she wants and starts to stomp off. "Oh, you don't want to see what else there is?" "Don't say stupid things. This is for lovers only and we're not," he counters. "Ah, but for this one night, we are! Besides, you're not the betraying type." Masahiko thinks to himself that even though that may be true, he has no idea about her character or what she's thinking.
They walk around some more and come across "The Lover's Labyrinth". Shion remarks that she thinks that used to be the the monster house. So they get closer and find a couple fighting as they leave it. Then they hear the speech from the deeply cowled figure at the door saying how going through the labyrinth will prove whether the male is willing to protect his mate and thus prove their love. Shion turns to Masahiko and tells him it sounds fun, let's go.
The female of the group must wear blinds. The couple will be given a small lantern, with the boyfriend leading the girlfriend, but they cannot speak to one another. They must communicate without words. If they break one of the rules, they will be "retired" from the game.
Masahiko is not feeling too sure about this at all, but prepares to do his part. With his arm protectively around Shion's shoulder, he proceeds with the other couples.
The first couple, the girl calls the whole thing stupid, then gas comes from the wall and zombies take them away.
When Masahiko and Shion reach a set of stairs going down, Masahiko stops Shion, stomps his foot to let her know there are stairs, gets in front of her and leads her down by the arms. (So cute!!!) One of the other couples trips and they start insulting each other--disqualified! In another hall, there's lost of creepy things and a head falls from the ceiling. The boyfriend screams and leaves the blindfolded girlfriend alone to fend for herself. Disqualified!
Once, Masahiko leads Shion up a set of stairs and gets her to duck past a low ceiling, and he starts thinking of how they are alone and remembers the cave episode where they'd almost kissed. His heart rate goes up, he stares at her lips and then...two zombies come out, one grabbing Masahiko from behind the other sweeping Shion off her feet and running off with her. The zombie holding Masahiko throws him against a wall and runs as well. Masahiko, wondering what kind of event this could be, gives chase. When he gets around the corner, they are gone. He almost calls out for her but remembers he'll get disqualified. He then remembers his cellular phone and calls Shion's number. By hearing the answering beep, he runs down the hall towards the sound. He runs into a room with dark lamps, which go out as soon as he sees a figure manacled to the far wall. A voice commends him for getting that far. It tells him he can back out now, for he has no idea what traps may be in the dark between him and the girl. He could just "retire" and live, that is if he's not concerned for her.
Masahiko, in his darling way, takes this very seriously. Making up his mind, he puts his arms up to protect his face and makes a full out run across the room, having no idea what to expect. We hear a scream, a flash of light (turn the page) and a large crowd of monsters and spectators are clapping maddly. "Congratulations you two! You did it!" (The wall Shion was on and which Masahiko hit, has fallen onto the other side, putting them outside in the crowd.
Shion takes off the mask and chides Masahiko for forgeting this was a game and for sticking to the rules. Masahiko gets embarrased by it and looks away, admitting he was wrong. Shion stops him and tells him that regardless of that, she admires his determination and spirit. "Well done my lover." And kisses him on the cheek. Masahiko pulls away looking both surprised and red cheeked. Shion looks at him fondly. "Time's over my one day lover. It has now ended..."
Too cute!!!!!! (One of my definite favorites!!!!)