SIDE STORY: Yuta Asahina (feat. crossovers)

The sun-soaked upstairs patio was lined with tables boasting a mouth-watering assortment of snacks: sweet, salty, savory and everything in between, along with bowls of non-alcoholic punch and five flavors of tea. A bubbly up-tempo pop song was playing from a sound system. A few minutes ago, the upstairs floor of this trendy combination restaurant, athletic club and karaoke bar had been abuzz with activity as a few dozen junior college girls enthusiastically celebrated the 21st birthday of the leader of their clique and their personal heroine - an athlete gifted in many fields but usually just called "The Ultimate Swimmer".

But now those girls were watching in mute fascination and shock. Not long after the party had started, her younger brother Yuta had shown up, despite Aoi's wishes that this be just for her own circle of friends, and that she'd celebrate with just family later in the evening. Some of them thought it was terribly cruel that Aoi would try to exclude her own brother from her birthday celebration - but then, a few of her closer compatriots told the others that they 'didn't know him like Aoi did', even though Yuta appeared to be a perfect gentleman.

Then, Aoi had spotted Yuta - who was very proud of having just gotten his driving license - offering a ride home to one of the swim team members, in Aoi's car. It didn't seem so bad to most of them - after all, he was coming right back - but Aoi had stormed up to him and told him in no uncertain terms to get lost, to which Yuta begged for her to please let him stay.

With that, Aoi, dressed in her favorite red blazer worn over one of her dozens of swimsuits for some friendly competition later on, had come up to him and wrapped her arms around the wiry yet strikingly handsome young man. All of the bystanders had oohed and aww'ed at how adorable it was.

"Really... I just wanted to wish you happy birthday in person, even though I know I'll see you again tonight. And if I can help one of your friends who needs to go early, won't that make it easier on you?" Yuta asked softly.

Still hugging him, Aoi spoke softly into his ear from over his shoulder. "You really are a great runner... and a great tennis player... and even an OKAY swimmer, Yuta. But you've got to understand, my clubs mean a lot to me, and... I have to watch out for them, you know? You're my only brother and I'll love you forever..."

He smiled, but then felt her grip suddenly tighten on him. "And sometimes we have to show that love in hard ways. Remember when you were 6 and I tossed you in the pool so you'd have to learn how to swim? You were accusing me of trying to kill you, and then a month later you said it was the best thing I'd ever done for you... so I know that you'll forgive me for doing what I have to to make sure that I don't strain my friendship with them by having you dating half of the team." She cleared her throat. "So everyone, you know that my brother just recently turned 18 too, right?" A few of the girls blushed at that but she kept talking. "Well," Aoi continued, "in the interest of fairness I thought we might gather some loose money together for his needs. Akiko, Hitori, Chieko, you remember our high school? Well, he was our favorite chemistry teacher's favorite as well - so much so, it turns out, that he's the reason next year's 12th grade chemistry class is going to have a long-term substitute teacher, on account of Ms. Ohta taking maternity leave."

"Ohmygosh - wait - did she mean...?" "What? I thought she was getting married..." "What? He did? REALLY? I have to post this...!"

Yuta gaped like a landed fish, looking back over his shoulders. "SIS!! You can't...! She's... she's just joking, everyone!" he started laughing awkwardly and tunelessly.

"So that's why..." Aoi said with a dark grin, "you have enough troubles without doing my friends any favors, Yuta! We should be doing YOU a favor! While we discuss getting a collection together after the party, why don't you focus on your training? Take your mind off of *social obligations* for a change! Nothing helps clear my mind like a nice refreshing swim, you know!"

Yuta had been so shocked by Aoi spilling his unfortunate little secret that he had scarcely noticed her maneuvering him closer and closer to the edge of the railing. There was a chorus of gasps as suddenly, Aoi, displaying strength that her curvaceous body hid well, picked up the young man - who must have weighed at least as much as she did - and heaved him over the edge of the railing. Fortunately, there was a high dive board up on this level of the building intended for just such a use, and the pool was right below.

A shrill cry of surprise came to the girls from over the edge, followed by a thunderous splash. All of Aoi's friends started laughing and gossiping. "See you at home, Yuta! I'll drop off what the girls have put together a pot, combined with the big birthday gift that our uncle sent, maybe you can afford a car of your own and start running a taxi service to help pay for 'things'! Until then, make sure you get lots of practice!"

When he finally finished drying himself off, Yuta decided discretion was the better part of valor and slunk away out the front gate. How unfair of Aoi to bring up his one little mistake (that she knew about) at a time like that! And in front of everyone, too - not only did all of her junior college friends know, but thanks to the power of rumor it probably wouldn't be too long before it was all over his own school, too. Yes, she was his teacher, but she'd practically left him ****, coming onto him in their private tutor sessions like that! And besides, how was he supposed to know that a 45 year old woman could still get pregnant that easily? It had only been... Yuta paused in his stride to count on his fingers... Seven or eight times.

And now Aoi was acting like he was some kind of... of demon, or something. Yuta looked down at his feet at sighed. Maybe he really should stay away from girls this winter break and just focus on his training. Someday he was going to beat his sister in the 150 meter... someday.

But he hadn't gotten far before a little laugh reached him. Turning to the side, he saw something that always put a smile on his face: a cute girl. She was definitely part of one of those delinquent groups that the school councils were always wringing their hands about. Definitely on the short and petite side, the girl had her neck-length hair dyed electric blue to match her outfit, and even had lipstick and nail polish in the same color. She was dressed warmly, a little too warm for the mild autumn, but still in a way that made Yuta get a little twitch in his stomach: a short blue dress with faux-fur trim around the wrists and hem, with a pair of striped blue tights beneath it.

"I saw you get tossed into the pool up there. So the great queen Aoi Asahina didn't just forget to invite me, but didn't want her own brother showing up? I guess she's a lot less laid back at heart than she first seems, huh?" She walked up fearlessly and put her hands behind her back, leaning forward to smile invitingly at him. "I don't think we've met - you can call me Mew."

"Y-Yuta." he said, holding out his hand with a chastened smile. "And uh, I guess I did sort of spring it on her. She was just having a little fun with me, we've roughhoused ever since we were kids."

"I love this city, you know." Mew said out of nowhere. "Even the parts of it I hate. Especially those parts. That's why I came - a high-class club with a big entry fee and a clique of competition team girls? That's definitely the kind of place I hate. But when you get, hee hee~ caught in a little downpour," she pointed to Yuta's still-dripping beige shorts and teal track jacket, "sometimes you need a place with a little more relaxed standards. Looking at your jacket there, you're probably a big time athlete or something yourself, right?"

"Or something." Yuta nodded and smiled.

"Cool!" Mew said in a bubbly voice. "I was just going to head back to where the rest of the Gee-Gees hang out. Our 'turf', we call it sometimes~ We have a little unofficial, uh, athletics club going on there, and the others are always asking me to invite out the kinds who don't fit in, like with Miss Ultimate up there. We even do races, and... prizes. Just for fun, you know."

"Really?" Yuta said with almost puppy-like gleeful eyes. "It's funny you mention that, I had just gotten a fifty-thousand yen check from my uncle for my birthday and I'd been thinking of going to some high class clubs or a mahjong parlor or something. But that sounds like a lot more fun."

He wasn't sure, but he felt like the cutesy, innocent-seeming Mew perked up at the mention of that. "Oh yeah, I'm definitely going to have to introduce you. But first..." she bounced back a few paces away from him and did a couple of stretches, bending over once far enough that Yuta could see up under the hem of her dress (which was covered down there by her striped leggings, but even so). "You're going to have to keep up with me!" She produced a pair of headphones and put them on, tuning them to a particular station and starting to sway in time with the beat as she gave him a moment to get ready. Yuta, ever the cavalier competitor (and drawn towards this girl on a bone-deep level) hurriedly emptied some more of the water out of his shoes and got into a starting stance.

"Ready, set... go!" Mew said, taking off... A new vital energy suffused Yuta, and despite the considerable distance he was never more than three steps behind Mew as she weaved through alleys and lead him into a graffiti-covered slice of what Yuta would later learn was the Red Light district... But just as he was sure he was in the right place, Mew suddenly vanished, having taken a turn that ha hadn't seen and vanishing as if by magic! Yuta felt his heart sink... until, he caught sight of one of the other regular features of this particular street of the city Mew so loved...