Chapter 194
At romance camp.
"So I guess the first question to ask," the head counselor said. "Is why each of you are here?"
There was a circle of men sitting around.
"Uh..shouldn't we have a male counselor or something, I mean...uh..well.." someone said.
"I'm not going to make value judgements.." the head counselor said.
"A girl not making a value judgement is like a snail without a shell," Morris muttered.
"Isn't that a slug?" Steve asked.
"Not technically."
"What are you two doing?" the head counselor.
"Having an aside mam.." Morris said.
"Well stop it. This is serious," the counselor said.
"So much for value judgements," Morris said.
"Boys..I don't need to make a value judgement to see that you two are trouble."
Steve and Morris glanced at each other.
"Now let's begin.." she said.
The first guy sort of looked around.
"Well..my girlfriend left me because I was staring at another girl.."
"That doesn't sound that bad," another guy said..
"Yeah..we do that all the time," Morris said.
"Well...I guess I was a little excessive.."
"How excessive?" the group asked.
"Well essentially I was staring at the spot where the girl had stood for at least a quarter of an hour," the guy said.
"But the girl was gone..right?" Morris asked with some measure of disbelief.
"Yeah..."
The guys all looked at each other.
"He's incurable," they all said.
"No..he'll just be an interesting project..I think..." the head counselor said. "Uh...next."
"Well...I've never been on a date," a very well kept dark haired guy said.
"Why buddy, you look like you've got the looks..ahem..speaking objectively of course," Morris said.
"Well you'd think, but I haven't been able to uh..you know..talk to a girl.."
"Seriously?" Steve asked.
"Yeah..I just kinda stammer through it."
"Well we can cure that in no time," the counselor said.
"At least that guy wasn't as messed up as the first," Morris muttered.
"Yeah," Steve replied.
"Third," the counselor said.
"I think women are tools of the devil.." an unshaken long haired guy said.
The group all sighed.
Makoto's eyes widened slightly as she found herself starring at Serena covered with honey.
"Uh..Serena..what happened?" Makoto asked.
"Mercureo's girlfriend happened," Serena said. "Bees...there were bees.." She stammered.
"Did you get stung?"
"No....but...I..can also run very fast..." Serena said and sank to the ground
with exhaustion.
Meanwhile an SDF helicopter was flying above the tree line several miles from Tokyo. General In Chief Nagumo sat on one side of it. On the other side was Maverick.
"So..you think your making progress?" Nagumo asked.
"It's hard to say sir, I'm finding links, but whether they mean anything is not known," Maverick said.
"Hmm..well there's someone behind it."
"That's pretty much all I know for certain."
"Yes...it is pretty annoying."
"We'll be at the target in two minutes," Maverick said.
"Good luck then. I've got some business of my own up here."
Maverick nodded.
Back in Tokyo, Amy was sitting on her couch just looking around her large living room.
"A house this large, and no one inside it," she said to herself. "Everyone's got their problems, and here I am..just sitting here. I should do something. I've been helping D.V out, but he ran off somewhere, I don't think he doesn't want me along, he's just used to working alone I guess. I could try and go see Greg, but it might be a bad idea. I could still call him though. I wish I could make this easier on him. And the others. I have no idea what I could.."
The doorbell rang. She looked through her peephole and then opened the door.
Rick stood there.
"Hello," he said.
"Rick? What can I do for you?" Amy asked.
"Uh..well have you got a minute?"
"Plenty of them," Amy said and let him in.
"Why do I get the sense that this camp isn't going to work?" Steve asked.
"No idea, I have one hundred percent confidence in this system," Morris said with a grin. "Of course let me put it this way, I'm worse off then you are."
"I don't know about that," Steve said.
"Well..you're not doing anything wrong the problem is that you've done nothing right either. Me, I'm on the wrong side completely, you just need to be inched over the line, me..I'm going to be here a while."
"But when has it been possible to teach people how to be romantic?" Steve asked.
"Beats me, you're here aren't you?"
"Well it was a recommendation from a friend, but he's a very strange person, as is all my friends."
"Oh?"
"Trust me you don't want to hear anymore."
"Okay...wha..." Morris said and stared in another direction.
"Huh?"
Morris pointed. The two noticed that the slick guy, from the discussion before, was currently embracing one of the girls.
"That slickster, he's here to pick up women.." Morris said.
":Oh..I get it..he isn't having problems at all is he?" Steve asked.
"Doesn't look that way," Morris said. "Still..there are better ways to pick up women then to pay for it."
"Unfortunately," Steve said.
Morris grinned.
"Steve..why are you really here?"
"What?" Steve asked.
"I mean it...you don't need this..what you need to do is figure things out yourself, you seem to be genuinely concerned about your problems, you've given them a lot of thought those should be all the answers you need," Morris said.
"Well I've paid, I might as well stick around," Steve said.
"Yeah..I guess so now."
"Amy..you're the only friend of Raye I could find, and I was wondering if you had talked to her."
"To tell you the truth, I've been avoiding her as well. We know how she can get."
"Hmm..so you wouldn't know if she's you know..recovered."
"No, I'm sorry."
"Hmm..guess I've just got to risk seeing her."
"Rick..I wouldn't be so worried, even if she is angry, she'll get over it. The longer you stay away, the worse she'll feel."
"Yeah, I know, it's a balancing act, go back too early, she yells, go back too late, she yells.." Rick said.
Amy grinned slightly.
"Yes, that's the story of Raye. But Rick, this is a girl who chose to revive you over even her own grandfather."
"And how do I repay her, by saying what I did."
"I'm sure you didn't mean you wanted to give her up."
"It was just guy talk."
"Raye knows that."
"Does she really?" Rick asked.
"I think so," Amy said.
"Hmm..I guess...I'll just have to see," Rick said. "Thanks."
He stood up and headed out.
The man stood facing Lita in the front yard of the shrine. He was silent. Lita stood straight also silent.
A minute passed, then two. Lita tensed slightly.
This is very uncomfortable. She thought.
"You failed," the man said.
"WHAT?" Lita shouted.
"You heard me.." the man said and walked inside the dojo.
"What do you mean!" Lita shouted and followed him. "I didn't make any noise, I stood straight."
"Ah..but you were about to give up."
"How do you know?"
"I know...now listen...I'm growing impatient with your failure."
"I've been doing my best."
"I hate to be cliche, but your best is hardly good....."
He was interrupted by the sound of helicopter blades.
"Hmm.." he said and headed out into the yard again.
"I don't understand, just what do you want from me?" Lita asked.
"We will speak of this later," the man said.
At this point Lita realized the sound of the helicopter approaching.
"A helicopter? Here?" Lita asked herself.
"Apparently so.." the man said. Less then a minute later an SDF helicopter set down and General Nagumo walked out.
"General Nagumo? What's he doing here?" Lita asked.
"Ah..you have met him... you didn't tell me that," the man said.
"Didn't think it was..." Lita said, but stopped.
Nagumo approached.
"I was in the neighborhood, thought I'd stop by," he said.
"Nice of you, but I'm with a student," the man said.
"I won't be long. I have my own troubles back in the city. Miss Nelson isn't it?"
"Yes sir," Lita said.
"I was surprised to hear you have met, but then again life can be surprising, so..my son..what is it that you need?" the man asked.
Lita's eyes widened.
"Well father, there's something I wished to discuss with you," Nagumo said.
"Very well, come inside," the man said and the two headed in.
They're father and son, I had no idea. Lita thought and found herself wandering towards the SDF chopper with the various weapons.
"Do you like it?" came a voice. She turned to see a pilot in his twenties leaning out of the side of it.
"It looks tough," Lita said.
"It is, of course no one can hit it either, not with me flying."
"Hotshot pilot are you?" Lita asked.
"Yep, the best chopper pilot in the country."
"And you have to shuttle a General around..how interesting can that be?"
"It has it's moments," the pilot said.
"So..have they found out who's behind all the trouble in the city yet?"
"Well..no..but we'll figure it out."
You'll probably have nothing to do with it. Lita thought to herself.
And back at Romance Camp.
"Now...this is a very important workshop. Now, we're going to learn what you guys think women are..." the head counselor said.
"You want us to be blatantly honest?" Morris asked.
"Yes..." the counselor said.
"But I don't want to get hit," someone else said.
"See this is the root of the problem. You somehow think if you say something wrong about a girl or women in general that they'll hit you," she said.
"But they have," the entire group of guys replied.
The counselor sighed.
"Fine..here's a male counselor..." she muttered and walked out. Steve noticed something familiar.
"Woah..hey..guys.." the new counselor said.
"Chad? What the heck is he doing here?" Steve asked himself.
"You know him?" Morris said.
"Yeah..and that worries me."
"Oh..hey..everyone...I'm here to sort of work through the myths and non myths of women I think..woah..."
"Hey..Chad..are you qualified to do this?" Steve asked.
"What? Sure...how ya doing Steve?" Chad said.
"Fine..fine..Chad..but when did you learn a thing about romance?"
"Oh..you know night school. I'm well on my way to getting a degree in counseling,."
"Oh? Fair enough," Steve said.
"Yeah..that guy's a friend of a friend of my ex-girlfriend, which brings up a good point..guys..if a girl ever asks you if she can date you and another guy at the same time..say no.."
The entire group looked at him strangely except Steve.
"No..no.he raises a good point," Steve said. The entire group looked at him strangely too.
"Long story.." Chad said. "Anyway..let's move on..."
"So General Nagumo's your son..I had no idea," Lita said.
"My name is Soun Nagumo, but that relationship is unimportant," The man said.
"Uh..but he's your son," Lita said.
"Lita..it's not that we don't love each other, but it's for the best that we stay separate..it's complex."
"I understand," Lita said. "Not the reasons of course, but I won't ask anymore."
"Thank you...it does not bring me pain, however, the subject is awkward."
Lita nodded.
"But that must distract me from you..we have much to do..you need to make some progress," Soun said.
"Haven't I?" Lita asked.
"You don't know?"
"Not really."
"Oh..well then you haven't made any progress yet."
"Oh..I see.."
"No you don't," the man said and laughed a little. "But this is serious...we must move onto the next exercise. Eventually you may figure this out. Now..strip."
"WHAT?" Lita shouted.
"You heard me," Soun said.
"I'LL DO NO SUCH THING!"
"Oh you won't..perhaps I didn't make it clear the importance of this exercise. If you can do this it will prove to me you are capable of proceeding further."
"I WON'T DO IT."
"Well..then..it's over. You can go now."
"NO..THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY." Lita stammered.
"None."
"You've got to be kidding."
"Why should I be? I'm the renowned master. I'm the one people speak highly of. You're not the first student I've had. All the rest listened to me or they failed. And plenty listened, and their lives improved. If you know what you're doing, then why are you here?" Soun said.
"I can't believe that this is necessary."
"And that's why you're going to fail! I've never met such an unagreeable student! They all had figured things out by now! But you..I don't know if you ever will."
"FINE!" Lita shouted and in her rage ripped off her clothes.
The man stared at her.
"Foolish girl...now I know you'll fail!"
"WHAT?" Lita shrieked.
"I suggest you leave...the training is over.." Soun said and walked into another room. Lita sank to the ground.
"I don't understand.." She moaned.
And several miles south of Tokyo.
"What's the deal with the head counselor anyway?" Steve asked.
"Oh..she's strange...I don't know.." Chad said.
"Chad...level with me..does this really work?" Steve asked.
"The workshops and stuff?" Chad asked.
"Yeah."
"They don't do a thing..but you should be looking at this instead..." Chad said and pointed at the large dining hall windows, where inside several girls and guys were inside chatting a bit.
"That's the real secret," Chad said.
"Oh...well that doesn't help one bit, I wanted to learn what I was doing wrong.." Steve said.
"From what I hear you just weren't doing anything..." Chad said.
"That's the long and short of it," Steve said.
"Well..then let me give you some advice...as hard as it is, you have to learn to be tolerant if not ecstatic about a girl's interest, and there's always the fact that you have to never complain."
"Lita would see through me," Steve said.
"Lita isn't you girlfriend anymore, don't think in those terms," Chad said.
"Still I'm no good at faking."
"You'll get better over time."
"And how many girls will dump me before I get good enough?"
"Depends," Chad said.
Steve growled and headed off.
"Glad I could help," Chad said with a slight grin.
"So uh...two guys at once huh.." Morris asked popping up referring to Chad's relationship with Raye.
"Yeah..two timing with permission essentially," Chad said.
"Woah..tell me more."
"Okay..but the ending is a little hard to explain so don't ask..." Chad said.
Lita, dressed again, still stood in the front room of Soun Nagumo's house. It was three hours following her encounter. Soun entered and stared at her.
"Are you still here?" he asked.
"I won't leave," Lita said.
"I told you to go."
"I've listened to a lot of things you've told me. I won't listen to this one."
"You won't?" the man said.
"No."
"Very well..then you can stay."
"WHAT?" Lita said with surprise.
"Hmm..that surprised you, maybe you do not understand. Still..there is hope."
Lita just listened, not knowing what to say.
"Well..now that you've passed the first major test, even though you failed several minor ones, I can tell you the story."
"Story?"
"Yes..you are here to learn discipline, but you have just seen that it can be as bad as it is good. You refused to strip. Something that is perfectly reasonable. It was down right improper for me to ask you to do such a thing. Yet I goaded you, made you feel I was so correct, that you did it, despite the fact that you are a very strong young woman, one of the strongest I've met..now..let me tell why I am here."
Lita listened intensely.
"Yes...you see why I am here is because I was a soldier in World War Two a very good one, smart, discipline, patriotic, but then...there was a day, towards the end of the war. The Americans were taking the island I was on. We would be defeated. That was assured. Still, we were told to order a charge. And I did. Twenty of my men and I raced across a jungle, they all were cut down by the gun fire, I was hit once, I went down and I survived. What could be gained by doing that? Nothing. But discipline lead me to follow the orders without question. Ever since then I have tried to prevent things like that from happening again, with the students who come here. Most of them learn what I mean and become skilled in the art I teach quickly, but you..have taken longer...you seem too trusting."
"I rely on trust to survive," Lita asked.
"Survive?"
"Yes.." Lita said.
"What do you mean?"
"I do something that risks my life..and I rely on my friends, as they rely on me."
"I see..so you face danger?"
"Yes...and without my friends, and our trust in each other, we don't stand a chance."
"Hmm..
"I may be naive to keep following your suggestions, but it's the way I've learned to live."
"I had no idea...I can see you have a conflict...very well..we will try harder...I am sorry I did not see it before."
"Uh..thank you."
That night, Steve found himself sitting on a dock staring out at the lake that sat around the site of the camp. He sighed.
Maybe I shouldn't be wasting my time here He thought. What's the use...you can't teach love.
"Well...it's good to see that there's more then one person here who can't stand all this.." came a female voice. Steve turned. A very beautiful girl was standing there looking at him.
"I'm sorry to intrude.." she said.
"No..no that's okay.." Steve said.
"You don't buy all this do you?"
"You can gain that just by the fact that I'm sitting here on a dock?"
"Sure can," she said. "Well it's more like a very educated guess."
"Oh..." Steve said.
"Cautious....fair enough.." she said. "My name's Aisa," she said.
"Steve," Steve said.
"Well..there that's done," Aisa said.
"Yeah.." Steve said.
"So...what's your problem?"
"Problem?"
"You know..why you're here.."
"Oh..I uh..wasn't the least bit romantic around my girlfriend."
"Couldn't sit through the movies could you?"
Steve's eyes widened.
"Well there's nothing wrong with that..." Aisa said. "I could understand where their value would be lost on a guy."
"Really?"
"To be honest I don't know how any guy sits through them. Of course then again..a relationship is about compromise, in an ideal situation there would be enough things the two of you could do toghether that would satisfy all that you wanted it too, but that doesn't work out, it's a matter of doing things that you don't want to sometimes."
"Yeah, I know."
"Still if your friend sees that you're not enjoying it, she'll enjoy it less, so one has to wonder how it ever works."
"That's what I'm wondering," Steve said.
"You had a lot in common with her?" Aisa asked.
"Yeah," Steve said.
"Wasn't enough though?"
"No."
"It's not you fault," Aisa said.
"It's not?"
"No..having a lot in common means you could be great friends, romance is an entirely different matter, I'm not saying opposites attract necessarily either, but there's a spark....almost a magic to it. Why do you think so many relationships fail, they either don't have the magic or they lose it, but that's the risk you take," Aisa said.
"I guess. So why are you here?" Steve asked.
"Me? I have a habit of being too assertive, it scares the guys I date," Aisa said. "Does it scare you.."
"A little at first.." Steve said. "Not anymore."
"Well that's good, I must be making progress," Aisa said. :"Or we're just a little more compatible."
"Yeah..I guess so."
"Sure you do," Aisa said. "Uh..can I sit down.."
"Be my guest."
"Thank you," Aisa said and sat down on the edge of the pier. "I didn't come out here to try to come onto you or anything....but all those people up there think that just because they're all in the same place at the same time that that's going to work. Most of them won't last...especially when they get seperated when they go home."
"Still..people just like to band together."
"Yeah..but I'm not about to date a guy just because he happened to be in the same place I was."
"I know what you're saying," Steve said. "That's just asking for it."
"Steve...did you ever kiss your girlfriend?"
"Once or twice.."
"And how long did you date her?"
"Uh..a year..."
"Oh...well...that might be something you can work on..how about you practice right now.."
"Uh.I thought you said you didn't come here to hit on to me.."
"I didn't...but I've changed my mind," Aisa said.
"Now.I'm a little worried," Steve said.
"Oh.come on..why not? There's no one around.."
"Ehh...no..sorry.." Steve said.
Aisa said.
"Good for you, you'll do fine..." she said with a grin. "See ya later.."
Steve watched Aisa walk off and grinned himself.
"You know the strange thing is that I don't mind all this," Serena said leaning back on Makoto's bed.
"Oh?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah, I mean, I came up here just to get away from my ordinary existence, the sights the sounds of my life. But up here, I get involved in feuds, get chased by bees, and it doesn't matter, because it's a change."
"Change can be a good thing," Makoto said.
"Yeah..see the problem is now that I'm up here, I'm finding it hard to bring myself to leave."
"I can kick you out of the house if you'd like."
"I didn't mean it that way..but..you may have to eventually."
"Oh..you don't want to go back?"
"I'm not sure," Serena said
CHAPTER 181 CHAPTER 182 CHAPTER 183 CHAPTER 184
CHAPTER 185 CHAPTER 186 CHAPTER 187 CHAPTER 188
CHAPTER 189 CHAPTER 190 CHAPTER 191 CHAPTER 192
CHAPTER 193 CHAPTER 194 CHAPTER 195 CHAPTER 196