Digimon: Frontier Parent Trap

                                                                            Chapter Three

                                                                    The Lethality of the Ring

Koji tapped his finger impatiently on the armrest as the plane flew towards the airport, his eyebrows creased into a worried frown, Please like me… please…

As he pulled his bag down from the overhead compartment and walked into the airport, he took a deep breath, shook his head and glanced around, almost immediately spotting the grey-haired Masaru.

"Koichi!" the elder man cried, enveloping Koji in a tight hug. "How was camp?"

"It was great, Masaru," Koji replied, smiling as he pulled away from the hug. "And you were right. Someone did beat me at kendo. But I got them back during a poker game."

Masaru smirked slightly, holding out his hand for the handshake. Taking it - as well as a deep breath - Koji grinned as they finished it and Masaru took his bag, leading him out of the airport and into a black car.

As the car pulled to a halt, Koji gulped slightly, opening the car door and pausing at the gate to his brother's house.

The three-story town house was a red-brick building with Victorian-styled windows and a black-tiled roof. Cream curtains hung in almost every window, except at one, where the curtains were blue - obviously Koichi's bedroom. The front door was also a creamy colour and had a large, brass doorknocker nailed onto it, with a matching letter slot underneath. The garden was filled with petunias and lilies and the oak patio had a small, metal swing with a comfortable-looking cushion, a wooden table and a matching stool.

Glancing at the number beside the gate to make sure he was at the right house, Koji took a deep breath and pushed the blue gate open, walking up to the door, "Here I go… house twenty nine… mom should be right. Inside. The door…"

Another deep breath later, he clutched the door knob and turned it, pushing the door in, a wide smile creeping over his face with what he saw.

In the extravagant living room, among the soft couches and side tables, were a dozen balloons, and strung up in the middle of the room was a banner reading; 'Welcome Home, Koichi!'

Concealing a giddy laugh, Koji walked into the next room - which he remembered as the study - to see a short woman with long, grey hair pulled into a bun reading the end of a book, a small pair of reading glasses perched delicately on her thin, pale nose, concealing half of her brown eyes.

"Grandmother?"

The woman looked up and smiled widely, "Koichi? Is that tall, lanky thing my Koichi?"

Laughing slightly, Koji ran over to her and pulled her into a large hug. Chuckling slightly, his grandmother - Tsukiko Kimura - looked down at him, "It seems like years since you left for camp."

Koji nodded in agreement as she pulled free of the hug and a new voice wafted into the room, "Koichi, is that you?"

Koji froze, glancing up at his grandmother - who smiled - before walking out of the study, through the sitting room and back into the hall he had entered to see his mother - Tomoko Kimura - descending the set of stairs, her raven hair tied back in a loose ponytail - much like how his used to be - her bangs falling into her pale face and cobalt eyes.

She had obviously just woken - it being only nine thirty in England - and was rubbing sleep from her eyes while buttoning up the bottom of her blue shirt.

But upon seeing Koji, she abandoned all of this and all but ran down the stairs while Koji smiled and ran up to meet her, "Mother!"

"Koichi!" Tomoko almost purred with happiness as she wrapped her arms around her son, who's eyes were filling with unshed tears of happiness. "It seems like it's been years since I've seen you!"

"You have no idea," Koji laughed, tightening the hug as he buried his face into Tomoko's shoulder.

Although slightly surprised, Tomoko smiled and stood up after a minute, "Did you get anything to eat on the airplane?"

Koji shook his head, suddenly realising how hungry he was. He'd been to nervous to eat since he had left the camp more than eight hours previous.

Tomoko nodded, moving towards the room to the left of the front door that Koji remembered as the sunroom - named so because of the glass roof and large windows - after a moment.

As she glanced back at him, Koji took a shaky breath and glanced back at his Tsukiko quickly before following his mother while his grandmother frowned as she watched him follow Tomoko almost giddily into the room, looking as if she were working on a puzzle and couldn't quite find the right pieces.

But then, shrugging, she picked up her book again and sat down. There was no possible way that Koji was there… Right?

"And I finally-"

Tomoko was cut off as Masaru knocked on the door, frowning in a confused manner, Koji's small wolf in hand, "I found a stowaway in your case, Koichi…"

"Oh gods, Okami…" Koji muttered before he could stop himself.

"Okami?" Tomoko frowned slightly. "What happened to Shishiza?"

Koji frowned before remembering that Koichi had mentioned having a lion stuffed animal and grinned nervously, "Um… you see, I shared a room with a boy who had Okami, and he and… Shishiza must have gotten mixed up…"

Masaru raised one eyebrow and glanced down at the wolf, "Well, since it's not your Okami, should I dispose of it?"

"No!" Koji immediately gasped in his own accent, immediately grabbing the wolf out of the surprised Masaru's hands. Realising what he had done, he blushed, "I-I mean… I'll just mail it to him and get him to send Shishiza back to me. It's his favourite toy and… he couldn't sleep at night without him."

Nodding - and still confused - Masaru walked out of the room as Tomoko's mobile rang.

Frowning as she picked it up, she mouthed an apology at her son and hit the green button, "Hello?… Yes, what about it?"

Keeping Okami in his hand, Koji walked towards his mother's desk, glancing through the sketches as she continued with her conversation. A sunset with a woman in a wedding dress in the arms of her husband… a wolf howling at the moon… A group of lions relaxing on rocks…

"Koichi?"

Koji's head whipped up as he glanced at Tomoko, afraid that he'd been intruding, but his mother looked at him apologetically, "You wouldn't mind coming to the studio with me for a bit, would you?"

As the two ran across the road towards Tomoko's large-scale art studio, Koji gaped at the picture in the window of a wolf and a lion on either side of a river, the lion in the day and the wolf in the night, lapping up water with cherry blossom trees reaching across from either side and intertwining with one another, "Whoa…"

"I'm sorry I finished it, but I had to have it done by the end of last week. But you really helped out," Tomoko smiled proudly, glancing at the painting as Koji gasped.

"I… I helped with that?"

Tomoko nodded, turning her smile to her son, "Yes, remember? You did the background and the lion."

Looking at the painting again, Koji finally noticed the subtle style differences between the lion and the wolf, the wolf having larger eyes, but less detail in his fur while the water had a better reflection on his side than the lion's.

Laughing awkwardly, Koji nodded, "Oh, yeah. It just… looks so different now…"

Tomoko nodded in agreement, pushing open the wooden door to the studio, "Maybe we could do something like that again soon."

Koji nodded, smiling nervously as he bit his lip. He couldn't draw to save his life.

"Alright, what's the problem?" Tomoko queried as she entered the sales floor of her studio with Koji behind her.

"This man wants to buy a painting, but he's from Japan," her a woman who Koji assumed was her assistant explained, indicating to the short, bald man arguing with several staff. "And no one can speak Japanese."

Tomoko groaned, biting her lip, "You know I don't speak much either…"

Shaking her head, she walked towards the man - who was now making angry gestures with his hands - as Koji gazed around the studio. In several paintings, he could see Koichi's style against his mother's, some even just with Koichi's own work and nothing else.

Several roughly drawn sketches were pinned up on the wall and the computers staff had abandoned at desks were still running, and most littered with websites such as Amazon with dozens of customers clamouring for one of the famous Tomoko Kimura's paintings, one even from someone named Satomi from near where he lived with his father in Japan.

Seeing his mother still struggling, Koji sighed and - forgetting that Tomoko knew nothing about Koichi now being able to speak almost-fluent Japanese - walked up to her, "What are you trying to tell him?"

Frowning slightly, Tomoko glanced down at Koji, "This man wants to buy the painting in the window, but with deer, but he doesn't understand that we don't have one…"

Shaking his head, Koji glanced up at the man, "Watashi wa, hijō ni mōshiwakearimasenga senseidakedo, watashi wa osore-san Kimura wa, genjiten de zaiko ga sono e o motte inai ndakedo, go kibō ga areba, kanojo wa anata no tame no mono o peinto koto ga dekimasu."

The man frowned slightly, narrowing his eyes at the bluenette, "Watashi wa watashi no musume no kekkonshiki no tame ni kikoku shinakereba naranai mae ni, shikashi, watashi wa sūjitsu no tame dake ni koko ni i. Watashi wa kanojo ga betsu no o tsukuru tame ni taiki suru jikan o motteinai!"

Pursing his lips slightly, Koji glanced at Tomoko, who was staring at him open-mouthed, "Are you able to send the painting to Japan?"

When Tomoko nodded, Koji turned back to the man, "Kimura-san anata ni posuto no e o okuru koto ga dekimasu. Sore wa daijōbudeshou ka?"

The man continued to frown at Koji for several minutes before he eventually nodded, gave Koji - who wrote it down in English - his address, smiled at the perplexed staff apologetically and walked out of the building.

Smiling at Koji thankfully, the staff rushed about for several minutes, and continued doing as Tomoko motioned for Koji to follow her as she walked outside.

Glancing down at him, Tomoko laughed slightly, "Koichi, when did you learn to speak Japanese that well? I knew you and Masaru knew a small bit, but that was utterly amazing!"

"Oh," Koji bit his lip, suddenly extremely interested in his green-and-yellow shoes. "Um… I learnt a bit at camp, one of the boys there was from Japan…" The conversation trailed into silence for several minutes - save the sounds of shuffling feet, cars, and other people conversing - until Koji eventually looked up at Tomoko, "So, when are you going to tell me about him?"

"Who?" Tomoko's eyes widened as the pair ran across the road towards a café and the rain began pouring out of the heavy storm clouds above him.

"My father," Koji explained. "You never talk about him. What was he like?"

Tomoko sighed, taking Koji's hand in her own, "Well, he was quite lovely, to tell you the truth. Happy now?"

Koji raised an eyebrow, narrowing his eyes, making Tomoko laugh, "I guess not… I knew you'd ask me this one day. So what do you want to know?"

"How did you two meet?" Koji pressed eagerly as Tomoko pushed open the door, behind which a bell rang with a sharp 'ding'. "You can't avoid the subject forever."

"We met on a ship, the Queen Elizabeth 2," Tomoko sighed as she sat down. "We were both afraid of flying at the time, and we were both going to Tokyo on business… he's Japanese, you know."

"No kidding," Koji muttered, shaking his head as he ordered a mug of tea - thankfully correcting himself before he ordered green tea.

"Yes," Tomoko sighed again. "We were at the same table, and we started talking. I wound up in a hotel near his, and we met again soon after. Then, we went back on the ship again and the captains can do special things, even marry people. But… he tried living here, and I tried living in Japan, but neither of us really felt at home. Then, things just… happened, I suppose."

Koji nodded, smiling in thanks at the waiter as he placed the mug of tea on the table. Koichi would be thrilled with the new development on their parents.

Koichi yawned, blinking open his eyes as the plane landed, sitting bolt upright as he realised where he was.

Japan.

Shibuya.

He was about to see his father for the first time in his life.

Fighting back the urge to stay on the plane until it was flown to its next destination, Koichi gulped, tied Koji's favourite blue-and-brown bandana around his head and grabbed the blue duffel, walking down the set of stairs as he slung the strap around his neck.

As he stepped away from the plane, he glanced up, hearing a voice calling Koji's name. Seeing a tall man with sleek, raven hair and blue eyes, Koichi ran forwards, grinning widely, "Outo-san!"

Kousei Minamoto laughed, pulling his son into a bear hug, "Koji, I hope you hated it there, because you are never going back; I missed you too much! And you've cut your hair! I remember you used to swear you would cut it the day I got married."

Koichi chuckled slightly, glancing around, expecting to either see Ayame or Wolf, but was surprised, "You didn't bring Ayame or Wolf?"

"Nah," Kousei shook his head, placing an arm around Koichi's shoulder. "Ayame wanted to make you a special lunch for when you get back, and Wolf… well you know her and airplanes. She's terrified of them."

Koichi nodded, leaning into his father as they walked towards the blue Mercedes. Suddenly, he thought of something that made him mentally freeze.

Koji had thought Wolf would be at the airport to meet him, so whatever reason Wolf was there wasn't to do with airplanes.

Koichi gasped, glancing at the house from the car as they drove up the large driveway. Koji hadn't been exaggerating, and neither had the picture he had been shown; a large, wooden porch wrapped around the house, covered in hanging vines with comfy-looking deck chairs placed here and there. The garden looked a lot neater than it had in the picture, with a lot more flowers and decoratives - most favouring different shades of pink and purple - while a large kennel he hadn't noticed before was shoved against the left side wall.

As soon as he stepped out of the car, he glanced around, hearing a quiet squeal of joy, "Koji!"

Koichi glanced up to see Ayame's petit, lavender figure rush towards him, her green eyes shining with excitement as she swept him into a hug, "You're back! And your hair…!" After a moment, she half broke away, still clutching his shoulders as she looked at him seriously, "Listen, Koji, if you liked it there, don't talk your dad out of letting you go back. You're a growing boy, you need a change of scenery every once and a while."

Koichi nodded, smiling as Ayame stood up again, "So, I've got some ramen-"

"Did someone say something about ramen?" Kousei queried, walking up to the two as Ayame laughed slightly and pointed him in to the kitchen. As they both walked in after him, Ayame noticed the bag around Koichi's shoulder, "Well, we have three options; we can eat and then unpack, unpack and then eat, ooooorr… eat while we unpack."

Koichi's eyes widened as she glanced at the now-empty pot of ramen, shaking her head in exasperation, "You mean I can eat in my room?"

Ayame frowned, slightly confused, "I'd say so, you've been eating there since you were three…"

Realising his mistake, Koichi blushed, tightening his grip on the duffel, "Sorry, it's just we weren't allowed at camp and I've just… gotten used to it!"

Ayame nodded, still frowning as she walked up to Koji's room, Koichi following close behind, heaving a sigh of relief.

Before they could open the door though, a loud bark sounded through the house, followed by the sound of paws rushing towards Koichi. Turning around, Koichi smiled as he realised it was the Koji's grey Husky, Wolf, "Hey, girl. Come here."

Instead of continuing towards Koichi, however, Wolf stopped and narrowed her eyes, bearing her teeth into a low growl. Ayame frowned, "Now that's weird. You'd think she didn't recognise you. What's wrong with you, girl? It's Koji!"

Koichi forced a soft laugh before pushing open the door to his brother's room, leaving Ayame alone in the hall with Wolf. That's just great. Wolf knows I'm not Koji, and I have a feeling Ayame's suspecting something.Sighing, Koichi dropped his bag onto the bed, glancing around the yellow-and-blue room, gazing at the laptop resting on the oak desk beside a guitar, a violin and several music books.

I never knew Koji played any instruments, Koichi realised, biting his lip. Shoot, I can't play a single chord! I'm screwed!

Jumping as Ayame walked in, Koichi blushed slightly and walked towards the window, frowning as he saw a large, pink garden hat through the beams of the patio roof, "Ayame, who's that?"

Glancing out at the hat, Ayame groaned, "Satomi Kurosawa, your dad's new manager, but if you ask me, she's more interested in him than his clients."

"What do you mean?" Koichi frowned, his heart beating rapidly as he saw the woman - Satomi - laugh and move closer to Kousei.

"Nothing, nothing, she's a lovely girl," Ayame muttered, moving closer to Koichi before she said the next part. "But, just between you and me, if Wolf used her hat as a chew toy, she'd be getting a large bone every day for three months from me."

Koichi nodded, grabbing his mobile phone off his bed and taking a picture of the back of Satomi - who was wearing a pink garden-party dress, gold heels and had a sheet of midnight-black hair - as she stood up, walked a little ways into the garden with his father and kissed him on the cheek. This was not good.

Remembering Wolf again, Koichi turned back to Ayame, shoving his stuffed lion - Shishiza - under his pillow before the lavenderette could see it and ask where Okami was, "So, why didn't you or Wolf come to the airport today? D… um… Outo-san said something about her being afraid of planes, but I don't remember that."

Ayame threw back her head, snorting slightly, only vaguely noticing how Koichi stumbled over his words, "Ask her. She says she's fine with dogs, and loves them and all that, then the second Wolf goes near her, she shrieks and demands she should be put into the kennel."

"Kennel?" Koichi frowned, not recognising the word for several seconds. "Oh… when did you get it anyway?"

"Two days after she came," Ayame scoffed, placing Koichi's last t-shirt into the wardrobe. "And what's with all the English anyway? Less than two months in America and you're acting like you've been living there your whole life."

England, actually. "I've just gotten used to it," Koichi blushed slightly. "I had to speak English at camp the whole time, so I just… forget I'm not still there some times."

Ayame frowned suspiciously before nodding, "Alright then. Come on, the ramen should be ready now."

Koichi blinked open his eyes as the alarm clock on his phone rang underneath his pillow, muffling it quickly before Wolf began barking. Pulling off the blankets of Koji's bed, he crept into the bathroom, scrolling through the contacts on his phone until he eventually found his house.

Putting the phone up to his ear, he scowled slightly, "You'd better pick up, Koji…"

Masaru sighed, picking up the house phone as it rung, "Yes, hello?"

"Is this the Kimura residence?" The voice asked. "This is Mark Riordan. I'd like to speak to Koj… Koichi Kimura please."

"Koichi?" Masaru frowned at the speaker of the phone in confusion as Koji walked up behind him.

"Hai, Masaru?"

Masaru whipped around, glancing at Koji, then at the phone, "Oh, Koichi… there's a Mark Riordan on the phone looking for you… sounds exactly like you…"

Koji frowned for a moment before smiling, "Oh, um, yes he's a friend from camp." Taking the phone he smiled at Masaru as the grey-haired man walked away, "Hey, Mark, could you wait just a moment?"

Glancing around, Koji bit his lip, grabbed the cordless phone and ducked into the closet behind him.

"Koji? Koji, are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here, Koichi," Koji replied, closing the door behind him. "What's wrong? It's like midnight there, so it must be important."

"Two am, actually, and something's definitely wrong." On the other end of the line, Koichi bit his lip, "I think dad's going out with someone, his new secretary."

Koji raised one eyebrow, "You called me because you think he's going out with someone? Outo-san cares more about his computers than girls, have you any proof?"

"They were holding hands, laughing, kissing, everything," Koichi growled. "I've even got pictures. You have to bring mom out here if we want them back together."

"No way!" Koji protested angrily. "I haven't even been with Okaa-san for twenty four hours! You'll just have to break them up somehow."

"Koji," Koichi growled, making Koji roll his eyes before smirking as he reached into one of Tsukiko's coat pockets. "This might be serious! I need help!"

"Look," Koji smirked as he pulled out a bull's eye and unwrapping it slowly. "Just do your best to get that girl suspicious of Outo-san, mad at you and get her to trip up over something. And if things get more serious, let me know."

"Koji-"

"Koichi, are you there?" Koji queried, rubbing the paper wrapper against the speaker of the phone. "I can't hear you."

"Koji, I'm right he-"

"Koichi?"

"Koji!"

"I think I've lost you, Koichi!" Koji sighed, hanging up on Koichi - who stared at his mobile in astonishment for several moments before growling and going back to bed. It wasn't that he didn't want to see his brother or dad again, but he wanted more time with his mother first.

Opening the door, he crawled out of the closet and placed the phone on the table again before walking into the dining room, where he knew his mother and Tsukiko would be about to sit down for breakfast. Just a few more days and if things got worse, he'd go back to Japan.

Koichi yawned as he sat down at the table, struggling to keep his eyes open as Ayame handed him two plates filled with food.

"Okay, I've given you tamagoyaki, salmon maki, miso soup, nori, green tea and if you're really, really hungry, there's some chocolate-chip pancakes on the stove." When Koichi merely nodded in thanks and stared almost-queasily at the food, Ayame smiled sympathetically, "Rough night?"

Koichi nodded dully, mentally cursing whatever had cut off his and Koji's conversation last night. Ayame nodded knowingly, "I'd be tired too if I was making secret midnight calls in the bathroom."

Koichi froze, "Um… I can explain that… I have a friend from camp from… Tokyo, and I wanted to talk to her."

"Oh, so you wanted to call her at a time that was convenient for her," Ayame smirked as Koichi nodded. "So you decided to call her at three am?"

Realising his mistake, Koichi froze, "Um… you see, she was… on holiday with her parrots, I mean parents in Madagascar, so it was only three pm," he explained, stumbling over his Japanese in haste to come up with a decent excuse. When Ayame frowned, he nodded smugly.

"Smooth move," she muttered before glancing away. "Your father wants to formally introduce you to Ms. I'll-Just-Have-Half-a-Bowl-of-Miso-for-Breakfast at the pool as soon as you're done and changed for swimming."

Koichi nodded, taking a small bite of the tamagoyaki before sliding out of the seat, "Done! Thanks for breakfast, Ayame!"

As he moved towards the door, Koichi jumped as Wolf began barking furiously at him. Moving around her, Koichi shook his head, mouthing 'weird' at Ayame before trying to pull the door open several times. Seeing him struggling, Ayame frowned, "Push, Koji!"

Pushing the door open, Koichi stumbled outside before glancing apologetically at Ayame, "Sorry… forgot!"

Ayame nodded, still frowning as Koichi ran towards his room, You'd almost think he was… Shaking her head, she began clearing the table, putting Koichi's unfinished breakfast in the fridge. Nah, it's impossible. Koichi's in England with Tomoko… right?

"Hey, Koji," Kousei greeted, grinning as Koichi walked up to him, swimming trunks on along with the usual yellow t-shirt and bandana, a towel under his arm. "I want you to meet someone today."

Koichi nodded, ignoring the churning sensation in his stomach as they walked towards a figure lounging on one of the pool-side chairs. "Koji, this is Satomi Kurosawa, Satomi, this is Koji."

Koichi held back a cringe as Satomi looked up, her ice-blue eyes attempting to pierce his as she lifted the pink sunhat from her black hair, "Koji Minamoto, finally we meet. I've been hearing so much about you, but Kousei made it sound like you were a little boy. You're all grown up, though! How old are you?"

"Twelve," Koichi muttered, resisting the urge to gag as he bowed to Satomi. "And you?"

"Twenty two," Satomi replied, looking slightly offended.

Koichi hummed for a moment, smirking as he glanced at Kousei, "Only ten years older than me, how old are you again, Outo-san?"

"Alright," Kousei announced, blushing slightly. "Well, you two talk for a bit while I run and get a few things done. See you in a bit, Satomi. Koji, I'll try and clear the afternoon for you."

Koichi nodded, watching as his father walked away before pulling off his t-shirt and bandana and sitting at the edge of the pool, dangling his feet in the water.

"Hey, Koji," Satomi smiled, moving closer to the bluenette. "I hope you don't mind, but I rode your horse while you were at camp."

"Not at all," Koichi smirked, glancing back at her. "I'm just surprised Kosho let you near him; he hates anyone strange. Not that you're strange, you're really ordinary compared to the others."

"Others?"

"Yeah," Koichi confirmed, crossing his fingers by his side. "This is a record for Outo-san, only one girlfriend. Last time it was… three I think. It's always the same story; a romantic dinner on the beach, a romantic film night, a bottle of some of his best wine."

Standing up, Koichi jumped into the pool, making sure he was as close to the edge as possible so he almost drenched Satomi - who squealed. Pushing up to the surface again, he gasped, "Oh, I'm sorry, did you get wet?"

"Just… a bit, Koji," Satomi gritted her teeth, patting her dress dry with a towel as Kousei walked back, green bottle in hand.

"Hey, Satomi, how about a movie night with a 1674 bottle of wine tonight?"

Koichi smirked, raising one eyebrow as Kousei smiled, glancing between the two, "So, did you find something to talk about?"

Taking a deep breath as Satomi nodded, Koichi ducked under water. It would take a lot more than a wet dress and some fake girlfriends to drive Kurosawa away, and Koichi knew it.

"Koji, you ready?" Kousei called into Kosho's stall as Koichi hopped into the saddle, riding out to meet his father. At a slight nod, the two began galloping at top speed towards the small, country lane, one thing occupying both of their thoughts.

Eventually, the two reached the top of the hill, where Kousei called up to Koichi, "Koji, give Kosho a break!"

Koichi nodded, pulling to a halt beside Kousei, who glanced at his son, "So… what do you think of Satomi?"

Koichi gulped, forcing a smile, "What do you mean, Outo-san? As… your secretary, as your… very close friend?"

"Just… just as a person," Kousei pressed almost desperately.

Koichi nodded, faking thoughtfulness, "Well, she's… pretty… Kosho doesn't mind her… honestly Outo-san, I have no idea what she's like."

Kousei took a deep breath, nodding, "Well, you're going to get a chance to get to know her. Koji, I-"

"Race you home Outo-san!" Koichi cried, urging Kosho forwards as Kousei called after him, terror making his hands shake. He couldn't let it happen, he couldn't let his father fall in love with anyone other than his mother.

Almost immediately after un-tacking Kosho, Koichi ran into the living room, running his hand through his hair, "Oh, God, I can't do this. I-I'm just a kid, I need help-"

"What're you talking about, Koji?"

Koichi jumped as Ayame stood up, frowning, forgetting to speak in Japanese, "Oh, Ayame, you scared me."

Ayame frowned more deeply, "Seriously, Koji. You're appetite's changed, Wolf won't go near you, you're always talking in English and forget simple words, you haven't touched your guitar yet and yet you went crazy if you didn't play it every day before you left; what's going on?"

Koichi shook his head, fighting back a blush, "Ayame… I've just changed…"

Ayame continued frowning for a moment before shrugging, "Okay, but if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were-" she quickly cut herself off. "Never mind. It's impossible."

"Almost as if I were who, Ayame?" Koichi pressed as Ayame turned away. "Almost as if I were… Koichi?"

Ayame froze, turning around to face him, her eyes wide as Koichi nodded, switching to English and pulling off his bandana, "I am Koichi."

Ayame gasped, fighting back tears as Kousei walked into the room and Koichi hastily re-tied the bandana around his head, "Koji, what was that about? I was trying to tell you something." Frowning, he glanced at Ayame, "Why are you looking at him like that?"

"This is how I always look at him," Ayame sobbed, smiling. "Ever since he came home from the hospital… six pounds, nine ounces… I'm gonna go whip something together. Do you want something special? Anything? You know what, never mind. I'll just make whatever's there."

Kousei shook his head in confusion as Ayame walked out of the room before leading Koichi over to the couch, "Koji, I want to talk to you about something. How would you feel about making Satomi part of the family?"

A sinking feeling in his heart, Koichi decided to play the innocent act, "That sounds great, dad! I can't believe I'm actually going to have a sister!"

Kousei frowned, shaking his head, "Koji, I don't think you get it-"

"No, Outo-san, I do," Koichi grinned 'excitedly', his heart pounding. "You're going to adopt Satomi."

Kousei's eyes widened as he bit back a laugh of amusement, "No, Koji… I'm going… I'm going to marry her."

Koichi was silent for a few moments, "Marry her?" When his father nodded, he growled, standing up, "She's young enough to be my sister! Den boró na pistépso pos tin pantrefteí , aftí eínai mia skýla prospatheí na párei ta chrímatá sas! Ti gínetai me ti mitéra mou, entáxei? Ti tha gínei me-"

Kousei's eyes widened as he grabbed his son by the shoulders, "Koji, Koji calm down! You're speaking… Greek?"

Koichi froze, "Huh?"

"You were speaking Greek," Kousei confirmed, shaking his head. "Where…?"

"Something I picked up at camp," Koichi growled, pulling free of his father's grip. "I'll see you later, Outo-san."

With that, he ran towards the garden, ignoring his father calling after him.

Koichi glanced up as Satomi approached him and sat down on the swing across from him. He had been sitting there thinking about whether to call Zoe, JP, Tommy and Takuya for help as well as Koji for several minutes, and now she had to interrupt him.

"Hey, Koji," Satomi smiled. "I heard the news didn't go down too well with you, hm?"

Koichi shrugged, glaring at the ground as Satomi leaned towards him, "Look, I love your father very much, and he, me, so we just want to spend our lives together."

God, that sounds worse than 'we're getting married', Koichi smirked, glancing up. "So it has nothing to do with Outo-san's money?"

Satomi stuttered for several moments before smirking and crossing both her arms and legs, leaning back, "Your dad underestimates you."

"But you won't," Koichi matched Satomi's actions, narrowing his eyes. "Will you, Satomi?"

Satomi scowled, narrowing her eyes, "Look you little brat, I am marrying Kousei Minamoto in two weeks, and there is nothing you can do to stop me. You know why? The second I say 'I do', you'll be on a plane to a boarding school in England. Got it?" She then stood up and stalked away, hair bouncing off her back as Koichi glared at her.

"Whatever you say, Cruella."

"Zoe?"

"Koichi, is that you?"

"Yeah, how are you?"

"Cut to the chase, I know you didn't call to America from Japan just to chat."

Koichi took a deep breath, fighting back a blush, "You're right; I really need help and I can't get a hold of Koji. My dad's getting married."

There was silence for a moment, "I'm going to book a ticket to you now, I should be there in a day or two. Is it okay if I stay with you?"

"Should be, but I'll ask dad first."

"Okay, good. I'll call JP, Tommy and Takuya, you do as much as possible to reach your brother."

"Since when do you have JP and Takuya's numbers?"

"In case of emergency... and the tickets are booked. I'll be there the day after tomorrow around noon."

"Okay, Zoe. Thanks."

"Koichi, try and stay strong. We'll make sure this wedding doesn't happen."

"Thanks, bye."

"Bye."

As Zoe hung up, Koichi exhaled a deep breath, leaning against the bathroom wall with his eyes closed for several moments before walking to the desk and pulling out a piece of paper and a pencil, beginning to draw Wolf barking an 'SOS' signal.

He had to get Koji over here, no matter what the cost.

Even if it meant blowing both his and his brother's cover.