[Date: Wednesday, November 26, 2003]
[Location: Tokyo Tech Motor Club]
[Unfortunately for Haruko, the plans for having Akemi do a photo shoot for 
them have fallen through, given her increasingly busy schedule.  So the 
calendar must go on without her.  At this point, said calendars have now 
been printed, but in order to save money, the Motor Club is performing the 
assembly themselves.  (It's not exactly repairing vehicles, but several of 
them are pretty handy with a stapler.)  While there were a whole bunch of 
members working on it at first, the crowd has died down: among the group, 
Maki's gone on a food run, and Club President Mitsuru has... gone 
somewhere, as is his wont.  At this point, it's just Haruko and Takumi 
working away.  Absolutely nothing can possibly go wrong.  Right?]
[Session Start!]
* Haruko assembles pages. They previously had a bit of a production line, 
but now she just stacks up the broadsheets before handing them off to 
Takumi for straightening and stapling. "So..." She glances around, 
confirming that they're alone.
* Takumi straightens and staples another one, then looks at Haruko. "Yes?"
<Haruko> First I wanted to thank you again for seeing this through. 
Everyone's motivation seems a lot lower without Shiraishi-san to ogle. I 
know Bulut-san and Maki will draw some people back when both of them come 
by with food, but your seeing the whole thing through means a lot to me.
<Takumi> Oh, you're welcome.  I felt pretty bad after having to cancel 
lunch, so I thought I could help make it up to you this way.  
* Haruko hesitates for a moment after that. "Right... Well, I suppose now 
will do." She runs a hand through her hair. "There's something we should 
talk about." She looks up at Takumi. "I want to make sure I'm being honest 
with you."
* Takumi staples another calendar, then looks at Haruko, eyebrow raised.  
"Go on."
* Haruko notes the expression and fixes her gaze at a distant point. "I do 
enjoy going out with you. Going out on dates I mean, we have a lot of fun. 
But, I have always been clear that we're not like... boyfriend-girlfriend 
steady, right?" She collates another calender, this time with a double 
page at the middle of the year.
* Takumi is looking at Haruko and doesn't notice the duplicate page, so it 
gets stapled in there.  Oops.  "Well..." he says, quietly, continuing to 
stare at her, "I was hoping that at some point you'd change your mind.  I 
didn't want to put pressure on you, but... I feel like I'm being strung 
along.  If we were just friends, that would be one thing.  We're more than 
that, though.  I want this to be something real, like we've got a true 
connection, you know?"
* Haruko bites her lip and lets out a breath, taking a moment to find her 
words. "I hope for that too... but..." She glances to the small shrine at 
the back of the garage. "I guess I have been stringing you along. I think 
searching is still real and I think we might be something more," Deep 
breath, Haruko. She looks back up at him "But you aren't the only guy I've 
been dating."
* Takumi looks to the shrine for a moment as well before returning his 
gaze to Haruko.  "...yeah.  I'd heard some things.  I wasn't quite sure 
how true they were, because people will see something and they'll jump to 
conclusions, but..."
* Haruko flinches at heard things and more as he continues. "Takumi, I 
don't really know what I want. I know I like spending time with you. I 
hoped that our time together was good enough for you that it was worth it 
even if it didn't lead to something more."
* Takumi sighs.  "It has been fun.  Don't get me wrong.  But... you really 
haven't got it figured out?  Honestly?"
* Haruko looks confused and then perturbed at that. "What do you by that?"
* Haruko managed to assemble a calendar without a cover this time. Can't 
be that important, covers.
<Takumi> It's been months.  I'm not asking you to settle down forever but 
I'd hope that you'd have some sort of idea of where you want to go.  I 
mean, I do.
* Haruko looks dead on at Takumi after that last line, taking a moment to 
really process what he just said.
<Haruko> I'm not even twenty Takumi. I still have stuff to figure out. I 
just know that I enjoy being around you, that you're exciting, that you're 
quite good with machines but just as good with people, and with four 
wheels off-road you're the best in the club. So no, I don't think we're 
there now. But it seems like we could some day. 
<Takumi> Someday, huh?  Well... I'm sorry, Haruko, but I think I need a 
break from this right now.  If you want to see other people, if you need 
time to figure things out, by all means, but... I really just can't keep 
going like we have.
* Takumi staples the long-neglected coverless calendar. 
* Haruko is crestfallen and just nods. She picks up the cover, which has 
her riding through Ginza with sparkling water hanging in the air, and 
hands it to him. "I screwed that one up."
* Takumi takes the cover and adds it on.  "Let's just get this finished."
[Scene break!]

[Date: Saturday, November 29th]
[Location: A coffeehouse in Shibuya.  A sort of electro-jazz band is 
playing on the stage.  Haruko and Kenta are comfortably situated at a 
table, some warm drinks in front of them (and the remains of dinner).  At 
least, it was comfortable until Haruko brought up the subject of their 
going out...]
* Haruko is dressed up for the night, wearing a teal dress that Kenta gave 
her. She sitting, tilted a bit to look at the band, with one leg folded 
atop the other which means her calf is visible past the end of the small 
table. She also is wearing the headband with the daisy, even if that's not 
really her flower. "So, Kenta, do you think I've been leading you on?"
* Kenta smooths his hair back, though his hand remains behind his head.  
"Not exactly..."
* Haruko tilts her head before leaning in, her bangs dangling by the side 
of her face as she looks into Kenta's eyes. "Go on..."
<Kenta> Well, I kinda knew there were other guys.
* Haruko nods without breaking eye contact. "There are sometimes, but that 
doesn't mean that I don't value my time with you. It just means that I'm 
still working out what I want."
<Kenta> And what you might want is that guy with the car.
* Kenta sounds a bit flat there.
* Haruko frowns. "I can drive myself, thank you." She leans back. "That 
isn't it, I've fallen in... fallen for a guy without a car before." She 
then picks up her drink, looking over it at Kenta. "I do want a guy that 
will go to the dancefloor with me."
* Kenta frowns slightly.  "I think I look like a fool.  I don't enjoy 
looking like a fool."
* Haruko sighs and shakes her head. "You will. It's true. As will I 
sometimes." She then smiles, "But it can be so worth it. You can practice, 
get better, and I'll help you. You love music, trust it, trust me, I'll be 
by your side."
<Kenta> You really will?  ...just my side, though?
* Kenta looks hopeful, but still a bit wary.
* Haruko takes a moment to contemplate whether that would be enough, and 
she just doesn't know. She sighs... "Kenta..." And she closes her eyes to 
think and make a silent prayer to Isao to help her figure out why she 
doesn't know what she wants.
[Haruko feels Isao's presence for a moment.  "Do you care for him?  Is the 
possibility of hurting him later worse than the knowledge of hurting him 
now?"]
* Haruko meditates for a moment on that. She does care for Kenta, but she 
doesn't love him and hasn't felt exhilarated those times she has danced 
for him, as he hasn't faced death although she doesn't know that's why.
* Haruko is willing to risk hurting him later if he's going in eyes wide 
open, but she isn't willing to give him or herself false hope.
[Haruko briefly sees Isao sitting in a chapel, speaking with a young 
woman.  She looks worried and upset, but Isao's expression is kind and 
understanding.  Then another scene, where the same young woman is back 
with a young man, but now Haruko can't see Isao.]
<Kenta> Haruko?  Are you all right?  You looked a thousand kilometers away.
* Haruko takes a breathe. "Kenta-san. It is important to me that I be 
honest with you. I hope that if I can teach you to dance, I'll find what 
I'm looking for. But I also hope that..." She takes a moment to search for 
the right words.
<Haruko> I was honored when you said how you feel about me. But if someday 
you find someone that might be an even better match, that you'd also then 
be able to dance with her. Do you understand what I mean?
* Haruko still looks a bit distant and her words have a crispness an 
enunciation that she sometimes lacks.
<Ciara> <Kenta> I think so?  But what if she doesn't like dancing?
* Kenta still looks fairly confused.
<Haruko> It means I don't want to promise you a commitment I don't know I 
can deliver. But that when I am with you, especially when I'm on the dance 
floor, I will be entirely with you. And dancing is like cooking, it's a 
skill most people appreciate even if they don't want to do it themselves.
* Haruko stands up. "Would you care to join me Kenta-san? You do 
appreciate my dancing at least, I hope?" She asks with a gentle smile, not 
quite the grin she usually wears with such a question.
<Kenta> I do, Haruko, I really do, but... it may be better to not have 
this dance at all than to be disappointed when it ends.
* Haruko 's eyes widen at that. "Disappointment is something I can't 
protect anyone from, Kenta-san. But, I hope that sometime that you'll 
reconsider what you're giving up." She proceeds to the floor, keeping her 
promise and not dancing with anyone else.
[End Scene!]