Nanami entered her apartment, carefully balancing two heavy grocery bags in her arms. She kicked the door shut behind her, and crossed into the kitchen to unburden herself. The light on her answering machine was blinking.

When she pushed the button, the machine delivered its message with a click and a whir. "Nanami-han, Hiroji here. I had a great time the other night," came a cheerful, good-natured voice. "We've got to do it again sometime, ne? How does Friday sound...?" He went on for a little while longer, and Nanami leaned contentedly against the counter.

He had a good time! He likes me! she thought exuberantly, inwardly scolding herself for acting like such an adolescent. Still, she reasoned, it's always nice to be appreciated.

For Nanami, the next several weeks passed quickly. Hiroji had everything she was looking for in a man. He was smart and witty, and never seemed to be in a bad mood. He was exceptionally interested in whatever she had to say, especially when she brought the conversation around to obscure ninja tribes and the material culture they had left behind. Other men she had dated had given up on her when they had realized there was more to her than just a pretty face. Yet Hiroji seemed to appreciate her intelligence. He was sweet and thoughtful, often picking up little gifts for her which he thought she might like. Almost too good to be true! she'd often thought happily to herself, clasping his arm as they would take a walk in the park or go out and have fun.

He seemed especially disappointed when the exhibit came down and was packed away.

"It's not going to another museum, is it?" he asked her, worriedly, as they sat at a sidewalk cafe having lunch one Sunday afternoon.

"You've seen it ten thousand times!" Nanami laughed playfully. "Every time you come to fetch me after work, I see you hanging around the cases. Especially around that case with the Taishaku Kaiten in it. I don't know what you see in it... I get this strange feeling around it. Like it's evil. I don't like the big, staring eye." She frowned.

"It's only a staff," laughed Hiroji nonchalantly. "But it's unique, and I feel strangely drawn to it." He shrugged. "But perhaps what's even more mysterious is why you're so drawn to me. You're so pretty, and you know so much-- I don't know why you waste your time hanging around someone like me--" and he kissed her fingers very softly.

"You, my friend, are dangerous. You know that?" she asked, her eyes laughing as she leaned over and kissed him on the tip of his nose. "You know exactly how to get what you want. But in answer to your question," she said, becoming more serious, "The artifacts are going to be taken off to a private lab for study. A grant was obtained from the Kokom Foundation which will allow a group of private scholars to do a more detailed analysis of the objects and their relation to the era."

"The Kokom Foundation?" inquired Hiroji, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. He didn't care much for coffee, especially with his lunch.

Nanami nodded. "It's headed by Mori Kouran," she explained. "His son, Kurei, happens to be a connosseur of artifacts from that time period. I hear that he has quite a private collection of his own. So with those kinds of connections, it was a piece of cake to be granted funding for this project." She bit into her sandwich and chewed thoughtfully.

"Where do you get all this information?" Hiroji laughed. "I never read about this kind of thing in the newspapers."

Nanami waved her hand nonchalantly. "It depends what circles you run in," she explained. "They're very well-known in our field because of the support they have shown concerning fieldwork, exhibition, and research. It might only get a quick blurb in the paper, but believe me, they're major players in the arts community."

"So when do my little friends get shipped away, never to be seen by the public again?" asked Hiroji casually.

"In two weeks, on Monday morning," said Nanami, thinking hard. "It's right after the Museum's big fundraiser. Speaking of which, would you be interested in supporting us? We're having a costume ball, and the tickets are kind of pricy, but it's all for a good cause."

Hiroji considered. "To support the arts-- why not?" he smiled. "And, I assume, you'll go with me?"

"I'll have to be schmoozing the big donors part of the time," cautioned Nanami, "But I think I'll be able to swing it so that I can mix a little pleasure with my business." She smiled brilliantly at him, and he returned her smile with equal warmth.

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