The new semester's starting. The announcer welcomes students back to school over the pa system. Rei's in the classroom, looking out the window. Some girls come in and are surprised that he's there, as he never shows up for the opening ceremonies. He just tells them he came to pick up his stuff, which he'd left in his desk, and that he'd started feeling sad as he looked around and stayed longer than he'd initially planned. As he's driving away on his motorcycle, another of his friends sees him and yells after him asking him why he's headed in the opposite direction from school... The teachers discuss Rei's withdrawal from school, saying that it's not something they didn't expect, but that his father must be very disappointed, and is probably going to give up on Rei getting an education for sure...

All the girls are talking about Rei's withdrawing from school. Harumi arrives, and one of the girls draws her aside, looking extremely troubled. Harumi thinks it's because the girl's shocked that Rei's leaving (since he's still so popular with the girls ;)) but it's actually because Kira's stepfather had called the girl's home to ask her lots of questions about Rei and what his background is, etc. At this Harumi gets really freaked out and makes the girl swear she won't say anything. The girl says not to worry, since she didn't know anything about Rei anyway, but that she's sure Kira's stepfather didn't just stop with calling her, and probably called everybody in their entire class. Harumi yells for them all to keep quiet about Kira, and to pretend they know nothing if her stepfather calls them again.

Kira's doing laundry on the roof. One of the clothes is blown off the line, and ends up on the battered-looking railing that goes around the rooftop. Kira gets out near the edge to get it just as Jin shows up with laundry. Jin, seeing Kira at the edge, warns Kira not to hang around there because it's dangerous. The railing--the whole building, actually--is really old and rotten, and the owners are planning to have it torn down in two or three years, which is why they haven't fixed anything up and the rent is supercheap. This makes Kira sad, since even though the apartment is pretty ghetto, she's had so many happy memories there with Rei. Jin laughs at Kira for being so nostalgic/sad, and goes in.

Kira, left to her thoughts, leans on the railing absently and then remembers Jin's warning and quickly backs away, realizing just how wobbly the rails are. As she's looking down she notices a woman standing in front of the building, who she recognizes as the woman that Rei was with in Shinjuku, Sonoko. Kira goes down to ask Sonoko what she wants, and whether she's the lady from Shinjuku that she'd seen with Rei. Sonoko assents, and says that she'd come out (because of Rei's father) specifically to find Kira.

Rei's with Akitaka and Kyoko, having tea. Akitaka asks Rei whether it's alright, his quitting school and all...since he's only 17. Rei says that's a really pointless question, and wasn't it Akitaka who always said he could make it as a racer and blahblahblah? Akitaka asks Rei about his relations with his father, and Rei tells him that they've probably already dissolved their father-son relationship.
Rei: Okay, so maybe he really wants me to become an upstanding citizen [rough translation]....but the thing is, I only want to live in the racing world.
Rei [looking serious]: Although all the teachers at school say that since I'm almost graduating, it's a waste to drop out of school now... But for me to continue school slowly without any objective or goal just seems meaningless...[image of a busy city street]...having a good time with friends, picking up girls on the streets,...though all that has its good points, I've already had enough.
Rei [determined]: Right now the only place that I want to put all my effort into is the racetrack. [embarrassed] I have this feeling that it's my everything...
[Akitaka and Kyoko watch Rei, first in surprise, then gladness]
Akitaka: You've changed.
Rei asks Akitaka and Kyoko to be witnesses for his and Kira's marriage. Both of them are concerned about this, since Kira and Rei are so young, and ask Rei whether it wouldn't be better to wait until he's actually gotten somewhere (ie, as a professional racer, etc) so Kira will have more security. Rei responds that he just wants to get married in a natural way, and that what Kira wants the most isn't security, but rather to have a close family member. He says he doesn't really understand this, since he's grown up without being really close to any family, but that before Kira was 10 years old, she'd known what it was like to have a father around, and so she probably really understands what it's like to have family.
Rei [smiling]: I just want to give her what she wants the most right now.

After Rei leaves, Akitaka and Kyoko talk about this turn of events. Kyoko comments that it makes her sad to see Kira yearn so much for family, as most kids Kira's age are at the point where they totally don't want to be with any family (you know, teen angst). She wonders a bit about Rei's father, and whether he actually does care about Rei. Akitaka thinks he does, since when Rei's aunt and uncle suggested that they officially adopt Rei and Sei, their father had refused. Akitaka was good friends with Rei's uncle, because they were both racers, but hadn't talked so much with their aunt...however, he does remember that when they sent Rei and Sei back to Japan, she had said something about hoping they never found out how their mother really died.

Kira and Sonoko are at a cafe. Kira watches Sonoko sitting across from her, wearing perfume and high-class accessories, and wonders whether that's what it's like to be a "mature" woman. It turns out that Sonoko came to see Kira on behalf of Rei's father, who she thinks of as a very "pitiful" person. She says that Rei's father is actually very concerned about Rei, and takes Rei's last visit to them as an example. It seems that Rei wanted to break the father-son ties because 1)he wanted freedom from the Kashino family/name; 2)he wanted to marry Kira. Kira wonders if they disapprove of her, and Sonoko tells her that it's actually just that they're worried about the two of them. She says that it's all very well to think of creating their own world with their own efforts, but that in reality things aren't so simple, and that she hopes Kira can convince Rei that he shouldn't always try to do everything himself (and accept outside help). As a last outburst, Kira asks Sonoko what she thinks of Rei's father. Sonoko, who's going off to pay the bill, turns in surprise--then smiles, and answers that she thinks Rei's father is a "useless to the point of being pitied, sad man."

Kira's walking back to the apartment thinking about Sonoko, and sincerely wishing she can trust what Sonoko said to her. She's climbing the stairs, lost in thought, and arrives at the landing--to see her stepfather standing there waiting, turning towards her and smiling. She freezes.

Rei gets a phone call from Harumi, who tells him about Kira's stepfather calling and going everywhere asking lots of questions about Rei & Kira. She says she's been trying to reach Kira, but can't seem to get hold of her. A cell phone rings, as well as the phone in Rei/Kira's apartment, but no one picks up.
Rei/narration: When we were kids playing in the park, somebody's parents would always come to tell their kid to go home. The happier we were while playing, the more that would feel like the end of the world.

Kira's stepfather walks towards her, saying that her mother told him she'd probably be with someone named Kashino, and so he'd called all of her classmates to find out where she was. He says she must have been very frightened, and that he was really worried about her, and that she doesn't have to be scared anymore because he's here to take her home. Kira, standing frightened, sees her stepfather coming towards her with hand outstretched and yells for him to stay away from her.
Kira: The place I'm going home to isn't where you are, but where Rei is!
Stepfather [stops]: What are you saying? Do you know how worried I was about you?
Kira: !
Stepfather: Why do you have to say these hurtful words?
Kira [yelling desperately]: I've had enough! Just forget about me! I'm going to marry Rei!
[Stepfather stops again. Kira, crying, looks up.]
Kira: I don't need you or mother anymore. So leave!! Don't appear in front of me ever again!
Stepfather: Don't say stupid things. Marry--? With that kind of guy? Who do you think will ever agree to that?
[Kira, angry, turns and rushes away up the stairs. Her stepfather gives chase. He grabs her arm; she falls away onto the rail. As her stepfather catches his breath, she sees the stairs continuing to the roof and starts to run again.]
[Rei's speeding on his motorcycle..]
[Kira makes it to the roof, and runs to the edge where the rail is. She takes a look at the street below, then turns as her stepfather calls her name. She leans against the rail and puts one foot on the lower bar. The rail wobbles dangerously.]
Stepfather: Kira!! That's dangerous!
Kira: Don't come near me! If you dare come one step closer, I'll jump!
Stepfather [looking sad, a hand outstretches]: Why? Why do you avoid me so?(::jen bares her teeth:: I WONDER!!! GRR) Why, when I love you so?
[Kira's eyes widen, then she looks angry.]
Kira [gripping the rail]: That's not love! You don't love me at all!
Stepfather: ! What would you know about it?
Kira: Because Rei's taught me what real love is!
[Rei gets to the apartment building. Taking off his helmet, he sees Kira standing at the rail on the roof, looking at something behind her. He rushes to the building.]
Kira: The reason you wanted me was because I was small and couldn't fight back. To you, I was the best target! [She steps on the railing] You didn't care about my feelings! You just wanted to get your own way, as long as you could enjoy yourself...That's not love, that's not anything!
Stepfather: You're wrong! [reaches out and grabs Kira's shoulder] Why don't you understand? Why don't you understand how much I cherish you?
Kira [crying out]: NO.....
[Rei arrives at the rooftop]
Rei: Kira!
[Two-page spread of Rei staring at Kira and her stepfather frozen in mid-struggle]
Kira: Rei!
Stepfather [staring at Rei]: You...You're the one--you're the one who's been using (playing around with) Kira? [grabs Rei's shirt front] What were you planning, bringing my daughter to a place like this?
Rei [staring at Kira's stepfather]: Daughter? What are you saying, mister? [Rei gives Kira's stepfather a really cold glare.] Let go of me. [Kira watches worriedly]
Rei [getting angry]: Take your dirty hands off of me!
[Rei grabs Kira's stepfather's face, and shoves him away. Kira's stepfather's glasses fly off as he falls backwards.]
[Rei runs up to where Kira's stepfather lies on the ground, smashing his glasses underfoot in the process. He kicks Kira's stepfather, and stands over him menacingly.]
Rei: She's your daughter? What kinds of things have you done to your own daughter? [he kicks him again] Do you know what you've done?
[Kira's stepfather cowers on the ground as Kira watches in the background]
Stepfather [still kneeling on the ground]: Huh....The person who doesn't know what they've done is you. Do you know what kind of position you're in? [looks up at Rei contemptuously] No matter how you try to take Kira away by force, legally, she's my daughter. What you're doing right now is basically kidnapping. [he laughs] No matter how you look at it, you're just a young fool. The only difference between you and I is our age. You young people only have more energy than others...and yet you go out and do whatever you want on the streets. What can you do? The only thing you can do is go out and trick girls. Kira, you're being fooled by this guy's appearance. No matter how good his looks are, inside he's still just a dirty male. That's right, you can say as many pretty things as you want but when it comes down to it, we're the same underneath it all. [smiles, as Rei and Kira are stunned]
[Rei punches Kira's stepfather. He continues beating him up. Kira's stepfather starts bleeding onto the ground. Rei continues.]
Rei: The color of blood...it's the same as mine...when I see it, I get angry! [brutally kicks Kira's stepfather's face] Whenever I think that your life is as important as mine, that you also have the right to keep living....[delivers more harsh blows] I get angry!!!
Stepfather [dripping blood, crawling towards the rail]: Hel--Help! Someone help me! Murder! [he leans against the rail yelling]
[The rail breaks, and he falls with it. As Kira and Rei watch, motionless, he falls over the edge and catches hold of the bar, hanging in the air]
Stepfather: Help!! HELP! I'm going to fall!
[Rei and Kira watch. Rei hesitates for a moment, then picks up a piece of broken concrete from the ground with a cold look on his face. He stands over Kira's father with the rock in his hand. Kira and her stepfather both look at him in shock.]
Stepfather [afraid and desperate]: Kira! I beg you! Stop him! KIRA!
[As she's standing there frozen, Kira suddenly sees images of her stepfather raping her. Her eyes, wide before, narrow and grow cold.]
Kira: Die.
[Rei's poised over Kira's stepfather, ready to deal the final blow. As he's standing there, though, he gets a sudden flash of seeing Kira's stepfather fall over the edge to his death on the ground below. As he pauses, Kira's stepfather's right hand slips off the bar.]
Stepfather: Save me!
Kirishima, in Rei's memory: When Sei died what was it like? What was the feeling of seeing a corpse that looked exactly like yourself? [image of Sei on the ground]
[Kira's stepfather loses his grip and begins to fall. Rei's eyes are wide. He drops the rock, and rushes to catch Kira's stepfather's hand.]

Kira notices Rei struggling to save her stepfather, and after a moment's hesitation, runs over to help him. They manage to pull Kira's stepfather up onto the roof again, Rei cursing the whole time. As soon as he's back up on secure ground, though, he gets up and begins yelling for help, yelling things about a crazed killer. Rei grabs Kira's hand and takes off running. They end up at a hotel. Rei's lying on the bed while Kira worries about whether her stepfather will sue Rei. He can, legally, since he's Kira's guardian and Rei did injure and almost kill him. Rei brushes it off, saying the worse that could happen is being sent to juvenile hall. Kira begins to blame herself for this whole mess. Rei tells her it's all his fault, and that her stepfather was right--all he has is more strength and energy than others, and actually doesn't have the capability to protect her. Kira, watching Rei bent over, remembers her conversation with Sonoko that day. She suggests to Rei that they get in touch with Sonoko. Rei rejects this, and when Kira tries to push it, he cries out that he can't face his father, since he's already said a lot of 'big words' about not needing their help anymore. Rei suddenly gets this idea that they run away. He starts asking Kira whether she's got a passport...he starts making these plans for their escape, and asks Kira if she's afraid. She tells him she doesn't care as long as she can be with him, but asks him if it's really all right...what about all his dreams to be a racer? What about his future? At this, Rei suddenly hugs Kira. His eyes closed, a sad expression on his face, he asks her to not talk about the future, because right now he can only deal with the present. Kira, crying, hugs him back.

The two of them lie on the bed.
Rei: Come to think of it, I should have just killed him then. Why couldn't I do it?
Kira: I think it's because you knew...even if you killed him, the situation wouldn't get any better. [looks pensive] Have you ever heard this story? It's a children's story...Once, deep in a forest, there lived a young, strong tree...it's the love story of this tree and a young maiden tree who, though weak, was very honest and simple.
Rei: Aren't trees asexual?
Kira: That's why I said it's a children's story!
Kira/narration: The two trees got along very well, but no matter how much they loved each other, they could never touch one another. Sometimes when the wind blew, their leaves and branches might sway and touch, but the maiden tree still felt very lonely.
Rei: If trees really could walk around and move, that would be scary.
Kira: I told you it's a children's story!! Do you have to keep doing that?
Kira/narration: One day there was a huge fire in the forest. The two trees were surrounded by the flames. At the end, though they both died--both trees were burnt and their ashes were blown by the wind towards the sky. But the maiden tree felt very happy, because they could finally be together forever.
[Rei's fallen asleep.]
Kira [smiling, head on Rei's shoulder]: When I read that story, I would always cry so sorrowfully. But now, I think I envy them.
[Kira looks at Rei's sleeping face. She's crying. She kisses her fingertips, and presses them gently on Rei's lips.]
[Rei wakes up and notices that Kira's gone. He rushes back to his apartment. The room is empty, except for a slip of paper on the table.]
[Rei picks up the paper, looks at it, and then crumples it, his hand shaking. He bends over double, kneeling on the ground.]
Paper: I've gone home. --Kira
Narration (Kira?): Thank you Thank you Thank you Goodbye....

Rei shows up at a corporate office building. The receptionists and security guards look askance at him. They ask him what he's doing there, and are about to escort him out when he tells them he's there to see his father, the boss. They don't believe him, and are about to throw him out (he's struggling with the security guards) when Sonoko shows up. She recognizes Rei, and takes him to see his father (he yells back at the security guards that they're gonna get salary reductions because of their behavior ;) haha). Sonoko asks Rei what's happened, whether it's something that happened between him and Kira. Rei tells her she and his father had known since before that things couldn't continue to go well with him and Kira, and that now it doesn't matter what his father wants to do--whether he yells at him or thinks he's a horrible person-- because the only thing he can do now is depend on his father for help.

Rei's escorted into his father's office. (Thus far, we have not really seen Rei's father's face. Well, technically speaking. But I'll explain that later ^_^) His father comments that this is unexpected, and that Rei really shouldn't just rush into his company like this and cause them trouble. Rei tells his father he thinks he's right, and he wouldn't have come, except that things have gotten out of his control and he's left with no choice but to ask for his father's help. His father asks him whether he needs money, and Rei says that he needs not only money, but status, and everything that his father has.

Rei's father questions why Rei's asking such a weird question. Rei tells him that he needs to save a girl, but that he's unable to right now and actually will bring her more trouble instead of the freedom he wants to give her. He tells his father that he needs everything his father has, in order to save her. His father thinks he's joking, and reminds him that he'd just come last month to tell him that he would never need his help. Rei's father also recalls that Rei's never listened to anything he's ever had to say, and so he sees no reason he should help Rei. Then he tells Rei to leave. Rei, covering his face with his hand, tells his father that no matter what he wants to do to him, he'll stay and not run away from it. Then he puts his hands on his father's desk, and bows over in front of his father. He begs his father for help.
Rei [still bent over]: I'm in a horrible position right now. If things continue as they are, my girlfriend's stepfather may very likely sue me. He says my actions were kidnapping. I don't care what's done to me, but if I'm put away, I won't be able to protect her anymore. [image of Kira smiling] If you think I have attitude problems, I'll change! I'll do whatever you say. If you want me to go back to school, I'll go back and study again; if you want me to go home, I'll obediently go home. [Rei's hands, on the edge of the table, are shaking. He closes his eyes, still bowed over.] Motorcycles--I won't ride anymore.
[Long silence. Rei's shaking. His father sits and stares at him, then picks up the phone.]
Father: Contact my lawyer right now.

Kira's shut herself in her room and refuses to eat. She wonders how long it will take to die if she doesn't eat or drink anything. Her stepfather, head wrapped in bandages, asks her mother how Kira is doing. Her mother just says that there's nothing they can do for her, and just have to leave her alone. She looks troubled, and asks her husband whether he's really going to sue Kashino. He replies indignantly, angrily, that of course he is, because Kashino shut Kira away there for two months! Kira's mother counters that Kira went to Kashino on her own. Kira's stepfather answers angrily that he was almost killed by Kashino, and that they can't just let Kashino keep coming to see Kira without doing anything. He asks Kira's mother whether she didn't hate Kashino as well. She seems to assent, but says that the problem lies with Kira right now...that it doesn't matter what kind of person Kira's with, as long as she's happy. Kira's stepfather can't understand what's come over his wife, and says that Kira couldn't possibly be happy with "that kind of person." Kira mother replies sadly that even so, can the two of them really make Kira happy? Kira, listening from her room, is stunned at these words. As Kira's stepfather asks what she means, the phone rings. It's Rei's father's lawyer. Basically, at first Kira's stepfather is really pissed off and rude, and refuses to listen to anything he says, just declaring that he's going to sue Rei. But the lawyer applies a little pressure, and when Kira's stepfather finds out that Rei's father is the head of "OAK group"...some huge company that started out manufacturing sound systems, but grew to include computers/electronics... and that if he tries to go up against this company, his own small factory will suffer.

Back at the company, Rei's father is getting his lawyer's report about how it's mostly taken care of, because Kira's stepfather is also a businessman. Rei's father then says he'll take care of the remaining portion, and calls Kira's stepfather himself. He basically says a whole bunch of polite stuff about Rei doing wrong, and then says that Kira's stepfather's company isn't exactly doing too great, and that his own company could possibly help Kira's stepfather's company.....you get my drift. After he hangs up, he tells Rei he'll finish taking care of it. He asks Rei if he wants to eat, but Rei tells him he has to go somewhere. Rei's father then says that sometime Rei should bring his girlfriend so the three of them--Rei, his father, and his girlfriend--can eat together. Rei agrees, and bows out. Outside, he heads towards his motorcycle-- then stops, looking at it quietly, then looking at the sidewalk.

Night falls. Kira's at home, thinking about what she's learned that day about Rei's father. She says nothing matters anymore, as long as Rei is all right. Someone rings the doorbell, and Kira's mother goes to open the door. It's Rei.
Rei: I'm sorry for bothering you so late at night, it's because I got lost coming from the station and...this is the first time I've ever walked here.
[Kira, who looked up at the first sound of Rei's voice, rushes out of her room and pauses at the landing, looking down at Rei and her mother in the entryway. Rei looks back up at her.]
Rei: I think first, I need to apologize to you for a number of things. I was overconfident in myself, and did a lot of wrong. I'm truly sorry. [He's bowed] There's another thing that I wanted to ask of you.
[Kira looks on, eyes wide]
Rei: Even though I don't have anything to recommend myself with, and though I don't have any way to guarantee anything, though I'm only 17 and haven't accomplished anything worthwhile in my life....from now on, I'll stay by my father's side and start over again from the beginning. I'll work hard to learn everything and gain people's approval and respect. With this....please agree to let Kira marry me.
[Kira watches, flushed, from the landing]
Rei: I'll soon be 18. I swear that I will make Kira happy.
[Kira, crying, rushes down.]
Kira: REI! [She runs to him, flinging her arms around him, crying. Her mother watches her, surprised at first, then flushes and cries as well.]
Mother [crying, bowing]: Then...please take care of my daughter.
[Rei looks up at her. Both Kira and her mother have their eyes closed, crying. Rei puts his arm around Kira and kisses her head.]

End Volume 11.

On to Volume 12
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