While Facing Mother(hood) focused around Megumi, Second Chances focuses mostly on Hitori, at least until the second half. By the second half both characters will have an equal amount of attention, which means by then there should be a lot of romantic tension between them. All of you will enjoy that, I assume. ;) As always, many thanks to Meara for proofreading my stories and giving me insightful suggestions and ideas that always help me out of my periods of writer's block. Make sure to read her latest story. It's called "Seduction" and it is sensational! Don't forget that this teenager loves email. So do me a favor and send me any suggestions, praise, criticism, complaints, or any ten-dollar bills that you may have. (Okay, okay, I'll do without the money! ^^;) My email address is at the bottom as well as my web site address. Once again, thank you! *Brief Warning* While this chapter is rated PG-13, it is sitting on the fence of an R rating. There is some violence and foul language, but that's not why. The main reason is because the men in this chapter have a wonderful and enlightening conversation about the birds and the bees... get my drift? So you have been warned! Even though I know most of you probably don't care, I've done my job and you've been warned! And finally, I do not own Sailormoon. I own the $15 in my pocketbook and the characters I have created, but I don't own Sailormoon. Sucks, ne? Amazing Grace: Second Chances By: Masked Maiden Chapter One: Exposed April 1970: two months later Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo "Our top story this morning is the kidnapping of Omori Aiko, the wife of the Liberal Democratic Party's chairman, Omori Kaname. Mrs. Omori was reported missing last night after a charity banquet when her husband grew suspicious of her long absence..." Officer Chiba "Hit Man" Hitori set his cup of coffee in his lap and turned up the volume of the car radio. He was fully aware of the kidnapping, for he and his partner, Officer Ijirashii Mamoru were on call last night. They reported to the crime scene at ten o'clock and did not return home until six hours later. Given only three hours of sleep they were depending on the large dosage of caffeine coursing through their bodies to keep them from falling asleep on the job. Hitori retrieved his coffee and took a long sip, not really caring if it scorched his tongue. It was numb, anyway. As he waited for Mamoru to return from his second call of nature for just this morning, he continued listening to the news report and watching the occasional pedestrian step inside a convenience store across the street. "...The kidnapping took place in the East Gardens at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. The police discovered a ransom note from the culprit, yet no other clues have been found. Mr. Omori has asked to all information be kept confidential until further notice. He has also issued a 10,000,000 yen reward for anyone who may have information concerning his wife's kidnapping..." "Wow!" Hitori exclaimed. He didn't know about that last bit of information. "Give me the money and I'll find her!" Mamoru returned, grumbling something under his breath about the affects coffee had on his body. He sat down in the passenger seat and closed the car door. "Hit Man, what are you hollering about?" he asked. "The reward Omori Kaname has issued concerning any info about his wife," Hitori answered. "10,000,000 yen!" Mamoru's jaw dropped to the seat. "Give me the money! I'll find her!" "My words exactly. The only bad thing I see about the reward is that everybody and their uncle is going to claim they know who the kidnapper is." "Well that's to be expected whenever money is involved. But whoever has solid information on the kidnapping deserves the money, and I bet you 500 yen they won't really care about the reward. They just want to see justice served." Hitori shook his head. "Not exactly. I like seeing justice served, but I'd also care about the money!" "Speaking of money, let's use some to buy lunch. It's almost noon. We should go ahead and take our lunch break." A plate of tempura with a side order of ippan sounded good to Hitori the moment Mamoru mentioned lunch. He'd skipped breakfast that morning and the coffee he drank filled him up, but he could make room for a hot meal, especially one he didn't have to cook. The only food he cooked usually had the word "instant" before it. "Let's go to Ryoutei," Hitori suggested. "It's only three blocks from here." "Sounds good to me," agreed Mamoru. "I could eat anything right now." "I think I'll call Akio. He'd probably like a short break." "There's a pay phone across the street. Call him up." Hitori opened the car door and placed both feet on the concrete sidewalk. As he stood he crouched down and sat on the edge of the car seat, craning his neck to get a good view of the convenience store behind him. Something caught his attention. The trained observer he was he noticed small details that an average person couldn't catch. Last night it disappointed him that the culprit outsmarted him; except for the ransom note, there was nothing left behind that could help pinpoint the man's identity. But this morning he noticed the convenience store, or more correctly, the customers. Four to six people had entered the store since Mamoru left and returned. The amount of time that went by was approximately fifteen minutes. Since then, not one of those customers had left, and hardly anyone spent fifteen minutes or more in a store meant to have quick fixes for hunger and for caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine addictions. "Something wrong?" Mamoru asked. "That store over there," Hitori pointed out. "I think it's being robbed." Mamoru's brow rose. "You think so?" "Not one of the customers has left since you went to the bathroom and came back. They're being held up in there." "Oh great... we got a robbery and possibly a hostage situation. Should we call back up?" Hitori tried to remember the last person that entered the store. Two young men in bellbottom jeans were the only two he could think of. Neither of them looked suspicious, but then again, looks were always deceiving. "Might pay us to," he answered. "There's possible two men behind the robbery. One's probably a look out." "That means they can see us," the blond cop pointed out. "They must be some stupid people to rob a store when a squad car is right across the street." "That's why they haven't left yet. Let's trick them. You go ahead and call back up. We'll get out and walk until they can't see us from the window. You go left and I'll go right. Then we'll cross the street and wait for them near the door." The precinct was contacted through the C-band radio and soon a dispatch for back up was heard over the crackling static. The two cops exited the car and walked a short distance in opposite directions down the sidewalk before crossing the street. They remained calm, almost too calm for their own sanity. Passers-by thought nothing of the officers, for all of them assumed Tokyo's finest were patrolling the streets to keep their city safe from crime. As long as no one suspected a robbery was going on just a few meters away, then all was well. Neither cop wanted to cause a calamity, even though calamity usually followed them wherever they went. They stopped a few centimeters away from the edge of the window on their side. Standing face to face they waited for the robbers to exit the store. "Knife," Mamoru mouthed. "At cashier." "You see?" Hitori mouthed back. "Move back. They may see you." Their plan worked, and fortunately they didn't have to wait long. The moment the robbers were sure no more cops were around, they hurried outside. The sight of Officer Ijirashii, a man whose height intimated many, nearly caused them to yelp in surprise and fear. "Hello, boys," the intimidator grinned. The robbers spun around to run in the opposite direction, but they were blocked by Officer Chiba. He wasn't as intimidating as his partner, but he did look like a man that could seriously injure them if he chose to. Both decided to take their chances on the dark-haired policeman, which only proved their stupidity. The leader of the duo threw a punch directed for Hitori's face. Hitori blocked it but soon found himself being pushed to the ground. He caught himself by pressing his hands to the sidewalk before his face was smashed to pieces. He quickly got up and saw that while the man's lackey was in Mamoru's grasp, the leader was making tracks. Hitori wasted no time and started chasing him. The back up team made their appearance one second too late. Mamoru waved at the flashing squad car and pointed to the direction his partner and the other culprit were headed. "That way!" he shouted. The sidewalks were filled with the noontime masses. For Hitori, chasing Dumb Robber was an experience similar to running in the ocean during high tide. Pedestrian after pedestrian was moved out of the way by either free will or with the assistance of the chaser and the chased. Hitori did his best to dodge people, but he wasn't always successful. With every bump in the robber gained distance. The crowd was slowing Hitori down, but he remained persistent and kept his eyes on the robber. Hitori heard the wailing sirens behind him and prayed that the back up team was thinking the same thing he was. Dumber Robber and he were running out of sidewalk. There was an intersection meters away. If the squad car turned left and blocked the road, it was possible to finally put an end to the wild chase. That is, if Dumb Robber didn't turn the corner and continued running down the block. If that were the case the squad car would at least have a better chance following him that Hitori would. Dumb Robber was not as dumb as everyone assumed, or at least he liked to think so. He did not cross the street, and he did not turn the corner and high tail it. He turned into an alleyway, thinking the cop behind him would be fooled and he would get away scot-free. That was not the case. The cop was still behind him and the alleyway turned out to be a dead end. He was trapped and in a deep pile of bovine dung. "Looks like you're out of luck," Hitori remarked. He slowed down his pace and walked toward the robber with caution. It then wished he'd charged forward and snagged him before he had the chance to pull out his knife. Hitori stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of the shiny, jagged-edged weapon. "You stay away!" Dumb Robber demanded. Hitori tried to remain calm, at least on the outside. It didn't matter if he was certain the man had a slim chance of hurting him -- being held at knifepoint was *not* a good feeling. "Put the knife down," he requested. "Hell no!" "Look, you're at a dead end and there are policemen right outside the alley. It's over. Now *put* the knife *down.*" Ignoring the cop's words, the robber charged toward him with the knife pointed to him. In a chain of swift moves, Hitori grabbed the man's arm, raised it up, and punched him in the stomach with his free fist. Dumb Robber dropped the knife and moaned in pain as he fell to the cold pavement. Hitori held him down with a foot on his back. He grabbed the man's arms and handcuffed them behind his back. "So how does it feel to be knocked down?" Hitori mocked. "I tried to tell you to put the knife down, but noooo... You wouldn't listen to me..." He pulled the robber to his feet just as he heard the moaning sound of a siren winding down and closing car doors. Mamoru and two other cops rushed in the alleyway. One of the cops was Officer Akiyama Eisuke, a good friend and a man who barely passed the height requirement for his job. He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his thick, dark green hair. As much as he worried about his friend being in some kind of trouble, it appeared Hitori didn't need any help at all. There was no question -- Chiba Hitori did his job, and he did it well. "Eisuke, you have the most impeccable timing," Hitori jeered. Eisuke scoffed, "I was going to ask if you were all right, but it's apparent you are." "Oh I'm just dandy! Read this fellow his rights, ne?" "You got it." Eisuke grabbed the handcuffed felon and led him to the car, reciting rights along the way. "Well, I'm going to ask," Mamoru said. "You okay?" Hitori nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay..." His lips curled in a sinister smile as he added, "But I'd feel even better if my best buddy in the whole world would buy me lunch!" Mamoru rolled his eyes. "I bet you would. You think he'd buy me lunch too?" ~*~*~ Pastor Chiba Akio of Cornerstone Baptist Church could travel the world a thousand times in search for great riches to create a life considered far better than the one he lived, but without God it meant nothing to him. His life was the closest thing to perfection that was permitted on Earth, and it was all because of the array of people in his life that God blessed him with. There was his wife and son, his parents, his brother and sister, Ijirashii Mamoru and Hanako, his friends nearby and overseas from years of missionary work, the growing congregation at the church, and so on and so on... A place was as only as good as its people. With the people in his life, the world wasn't as bad as people said it was. But one thing Akio was not blessed with was excellent health. During the days when he was a little boy the only treatment for rheumatic fever was sulfa pills. That was exactly what the doctor prescribed for him when he was seven and suffering from the fever. It was a miracle he survived, or at least that's what his mother always told him. Now, twenty years later, Akio was one of the many with congestive heart failure, and rheumatic fever was the cause. It was kept under control with medication and regulated physical activity, but Akio pretty much lived a normal life. It did unnerve at times, especially when Hitori talked about his job, but as long as he could still preach, travel, go dancing with his wife, and play catch with his boy, he was a happy man. Hitori and Mamoru arrived at the restaurant as the last remaining customers from the lunch crowd were leaving. They had missed the disarray of noontime businessmen. So the restaurant was peaceful, relaxing and, with the exception of the storeowner and the employees, empty. Akio walked in just as they sat down in a booth by the window. He joined them, and the three men waited for Eisuke to show up before ordering any food. "I don't think I've met him before," Akio said, referring to Eisuke. "You haven't," Hitori confirmed, "because if you did you'd remember him. Eisuke is not the type of person you'd forget." "Oh? How so?" Mamoru pointed to the window. "Take a look and see for yourself." Through the transparent glass the scene of a 5'2" man and a 5'8" woman having a conversation was seen. Eisuke folded his arms and leaned on the window in the infamous "I am so cool" stance, oblivious to the fact his friends were watching him from the other side. The woman almost found him attractive, that is until she noticed he was staring at a certain part of her body. Realizing this, she did her best to halt the conversation without sounding too mean (she was apparently nicer than most women were), but Eisuke just wouldn't take the hint. Hitori and Mamoru started to ad-lib the conversation between their friend and the unfortunate woman. Mamoru took the role of Eisuke and Hitori did his best to sound like the young lady, but he somehow ended up impersonating an old, British biddy. "Oh!" Mamoru exclaimed. "You're so beautiful!" "Die!" threatened Hitori. "You vermin, Die!" "Not until I see over those firm mountains of yours!" Hitori threw a fake slap across Mamoru's face. "You pervert!" Akio shook his head. "You two are going to embarrass me." "Oh please..." said Hitori, voice back to normal. "The person you need to worry about is Eisuke. He'll embarrass us all! I mean, look." He pointed out the window. "Can you imagine how uncomfortable that woman feels to know that Shorty is at eye level with her breasts?" "And it doesn't help when you can tell he's enjoying it," Mamoru added. "Eisuke is the biggest womanizer that you will ever meet. No ifs, ands, or big butts." "I thought my day was going be to boring," admitted Akio. "I can assume he'd act differently if he knew my occupation, ne?" "Yeah, so don't tell him!" Hitori requested, grinning from ear to ear. "I want to do that personally, just to see the look on his face." Akio acted surprised. "You want me to *lie?*" "No, just keep your mouth shut and play along." "Ah... Well, this should be interesting." They turned their attention once more to scene just as the woman plastered a beautiful "go to hell" smile and walked away without saying a word. She inwardly groaned when it was apparent they were both going to the same restaurant. Eisuke walked past her and opened the door for her, perplexed at why she was acting so cold all of the sudden. He would have followed her to her booth, but he heard Hitori's loud voice shout, "Hey, Shorty! Sit your tiny little butt over here, man!" Eisuke was red with anger and embarrassment when he sat down next to Akio. He leaned over the table and said, seething, "I was just about to ask her out on a date." Mamoru patted Eisuke's hand in a comforting manner. "It's okay, Eisuke. She'll manage to survive without you." Eisuke lowly growled and sat back down. That was when he noticed Akio. He said hello and then asked, "Have I met you before? You look like someone I know." "I'm a friend of Mamoru's," Akio answered, and truthfully for that matter. He'd known Mamoru about as long as Hitori had. He glanced over at his brother and they smiled like two mischievous boys. It had to be the eyes, for it was the only thing they had in common. Hitori was more muscular and had a darker skin tone from working in the sun for many years on their parent's farm. Akio was more fair skinned and inherited his mother's auburn hair. He was taller than his brother and skinner, resembling a beanpole. It surprised him that Eisuke managed to notice their only similarity. Then again, he was always surprised when anyone did. The waiter came by and took their orders. Eisuke was a little disappointed that none of the waitresses came to their table, but he recovered quickly when he remembered the very reason he decided to join his friends for lunch. "Say, Hit Man, are you free tomorrow night?" "Yes," he said, "but I'd rather have a root canal than go on one of your blind date set-ups. I know what you're up to." "Friday night then?" Hitori rolled his eyes. "I already made myself clear. I do not wish to go on a blind date with a woman hand chosen by you, because for some reason I can't help but picture a woman that I would arrest for standing at the corner at midnight. Do you get my drift?" Eisuke held up his hand. "Just hear me out this time. Her name is Sachiko, and she happens to be my cousin. She just moved her from Hiroshima about a week ago. She's a very nice person and since she's just moved here she doesn't know many people. So I thought..." Hitori interrupted, "You thought that I would ask her out and make her 'feel at home,' right? Well, forget it. I don't need any handouts." "This isn't a handout. She's a very attractive woman, and she's your type. She's not a blonde and she's a very down- to-earth person. You'd like her." "Sorry. I have no doubt that your cousin is a nice person, but no thank you. I can find a date on my own." "So why haven't you since Akane dumped you?" Akio and Mamoru were beginning to feel very thankful -- they were not involved with this conversation. "Akane did not dump me," Hitori corrected. "I let her go." "Which was probably the dumbest thing you ever did." "So what if it was? I wasn't going to stand being second rate in her life. When her old boyfriend came back to town I could tell she wanted to go back to him. So I let her go. And to answer your question, I haven't dated any because I spent all my time with Akane. I love women and I love dating them, but I'd like some time to myself before I date again." "But what if this date is meant to be the ice breaker?" "I'm not dating your cousin!" There was a brief pause as the waiter came back with their orders. A string of "thank yous" were muttered, and when the waiter left Eisuke was back at it. "Hit Man, come *on*! I understand that you don't want a serious relationship after breaking up with Akane, but it doesn't give you the excuse to become unsociable. Go on a date. If you won't go out with Sachiko when someone else. Kami knows you could get any woman you want..." "But I don't want just any woman," Hitori tried to tell him. "I don't go to the bars to find a temporary fix like you do. I have to like her just a little. And I don't mean only physically like you and Ms. Brunette from earlier." "You sound too picky." "I am not picky." Eisuke leaned back on the seat and folded his arms across his chest. He stared at Hitori for a moment, brow furrowed. "Hit Man, when's the last time you had sex?" Akio nearly choked on his sushi when he heard the question. He forced it down and then looked up at his little brother. Hitori had dropped his chopsticks and now stared at Eisuke with indescribable appall. Mamoru made eye contact with Akio and it was clear they were both thinking the same thing -- this was going to be *very* interesting. Hitori nervously laughed, "Wha...?" "It's a simple question," said Eisuke. "It's a personal question and I don't have to answer it." "I didn't ask for any details. All I want to know is when was the last time you had sex. Was it just before Akane left or what? I mean, you have had sex before, right?" There was a haunting silence enveloping the restaurant as Eisuke waited for his friend to answer his question. He watched earnestly as Hitori hesitated, debating whether or not to tell the truth, but with his hesitation Eisuke quickly figured it out. "Bullshit!" Hitori actually expected that reaction from Eisuke. "I basically told you it was none of your business," he said. "It's your fault. You're the one that wanted to know, and now you know." Eisuke leaned over the table and in a hushed voice, as if it were a crime to even speak the word, said, "You're a virgin?" "Yes. Do you have a problem with it?" Eisuke didn't answer. He pointed to Mamoru. "Did you know?" When Mamoru nodded he pointed to Akio. "How about you?" Akio nodded as well. Eisuke turned his attention back to Hitori. "You have got to be kidding me! Hitori, you used to drink like it was going out of style. I find it hard to believe that you never found a woman to share a beer and a bed with whenever you went to the bar." "Just because I was a drunk didn't give me an excuse to sleep with a woman. I never liked the idea of waking up the next morning and forgetting where I was. And as wasted as I got I know I wouldn't have remembered a thing from the night before. It was just a preference for me to know what I did, where I did it, and who I did it to. But now that my drinking days are over I just don't want to get in trouble. With my luck I'd get some STD or get a woman pregnant and I don't want to take the risk." "So use a condom." "Doesn't always work. A friend of Hanako was on the pill and her boyfriend used a condom. He then left her and now she has a baby to care for. I love kids, but I don't want to raise one unless it's with Mrs. Chiba Hitori. And if you haven't noticed, I haven't found her yet." "Just because that happened to Hanako's friend doesn't mean something would happen to you." "I put my life on the line with my job everyday, and that's enough risk for me. I don't need anymore risk in my life." Akio noted, "You seem to have a very Christian perspective on life." "You could say that," Hitori agreed. Eisuke gave a short huff. "I should have known your religious kick had something to do with it. Well fine, whatever works for you. I don't agree with it, though. Religion just binds people to too many rules. People should just live their lives the way they want to and to hell with everything else." That was their cue. "Eisuke, have you ever met Hit Man's brother before?" Mamoru asked. "No," Eisuke replied. He looked over at Akio, who was sitting next to him, and finally made the connection. "Well shit! No wonder you looked familiar." Hitori introduced the two. "Akio, this is Officer Akiyama Eisuke. Eisuke, my brother, Pastor Chiba Akio." Akio offered his hand in a Western gesture of greeting. "Nice to meet you," he said. Eisuke had offered his hand the moment Hitori started the introduction, but when him what Akio's occupation was, he jerked his hand back and stared in disbelief, not to mention embarrassment. If he'd known that ahead of time he wouldn't have said half of what he did (okay, he wouldn't have said anything at all!), which was the exact reason why Hitori and Mamoru kept silent. "You're a pastor?" he asked. "Five years this May." Eisuke wryly smiled and shook the pastor's hand. "Ah... T- that's nice." "Need some help pulling your foot out of your mouth?" Mamoru asked. His smug smile appeared when Eisuke gave him a glare that distinctively told him to shut up and drop dead. Akio reached into his pants pocket, took out 200 yen for the waiter's tip, and picked up his order ticket. He kindly asked for Eisuke to stand so he could get out. "See you tonight, Hitori," said Akio. Hitori replied, "Bye, Niisan." When Akio paid for his lunch and left, Eisuke sat back down and watched his friends enjoy their latest laugh fest. The three of them were always playing tricks on each other, so the prank itself was harmless. But there were times when it took longer to get over the embarrassment of being had... like now. "Both of you are evil!" Eisuke shouted. "You are evil and I hope both of you drop dead and go to hell!" ~*~*~ Working on the school newspaper was a great experience for any aspiring photojournalist. That is, except for Tsukino Kenji, a senior at Shinjitsu High School. He felt restricted by his job on the school newspaper. All he was allowed to take pictures of were students, faculty, award ceremonies, sports, and other school oriented activities. Kenji wanted more. He wanted the recognition. He wanted to feel the adrenaline from being the first photographer at a crime scene. He wanted to see his name under the photograph for a front-page story. And yes, he wanted to be paid! That was his dream, and he was going to make it happen someday. But for now he was trespassing in a neighborhood park in the middle of the night, loading a new role of film his 68mm lens camera with a slow exposure that eliminated his need for a flash. He rarely took any nighttime photographs. Seeing how the cherry trees were in bloom, Kenji was willing to take the risk of being caught by patrolling police officer. Plus, it didn't hurt that a local camera store was having a photograph contest. First prize was 10,000 yen, and to Kenji that money was automatically his. "Okay... here we go," he spoke with confidence. Pictures of the fragile cherry trees against the pale moonlight were taken right after the other. When he got bored with close ups, he photographed landscapes of the park. His prize-winning entry, at least in his opinion, had to be the pond surrounded by the pink-topped trees and with the moonlight reflecting off its crystalline and still surface. If for some reason he never got a job at a newspaper, Kenji knew he had a career with still life. When he was down to his last five exposures, Kenji looked around to find something worth taking a picture of. He walked through the wooded area, thinking he would find something there. He soon regretted it. The woods were not only frightening at night, but also easy to get lost in. Kenji started looking for a hiking trail that would lead him back to familiar grounds. There was none. All he found were footprints. Footprints? The rustling of leaves penetrated the silence, and a woman's moaning reached the teenager's ears. Kenji started to wish he'd never come to the park that night. Being spotted by a policeman sounded nice right then. he convinced himself. Kenji's assumption was proven false when the woman's moaning was ceased by a blood-curdling cry that signified her pain. After that the silence roared. Kenji just knew that woman was no longer living. He hid behind a tree, knowing that if he started running the leaves under his feet would give him away and he could very well be the next one killed. A man came forth from the bushes, stopping momentarily to tug at his pants and put on his belt. The murder weapon, a butcher knife, was tucked under the sleeve of his overcoat. He looked over his shoulder once, twice, three times before he was convinced no one else was around. Obviously he wasn't aware that at a certain angle the moonlight shone upon his face just enough to make out his facial features. Using the five remaining exposures, Kenji took his picture. ====== End of Chapter One 07.09.2001 Author's Notes: The LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) is a political party in Japan, and is one of the most popular. In the manga, Rei's father is a member of this party. Unless it's by coincidence, Omori Kaname doesn't exist. I made him up. Just in case you were wondering. Japan has a very strict gun control policy. Only the military, government officials (ex. FBI and CIA), and high- ranking police officers are allowed to carry a gun. Hitori, Mamoru, and Eisuke are not allowed. (They have those clubs you see British cops carry.) However, once promoted to detective or sergeant, they can. At least, I think so. I remember seeing Seiya having a gun holster when he was a one-day chief of police in a Sailor Stars episode. (If he had a gun it was undoubtedly a toy one.) So it's a good educated guess to say our boys in blue will one day have one. 10,000,000 yen would be between $80,000 to $100,000. 10,000 yen would be between $80 to $100. At least I think so. The value of the yen has gone down over the years and so I can't really give the exact amount. All I know is 100 yen is less than a $1. If anyone knows the exact number, please tell me. I'd like to know. Cornerstone Baptist Church is the church I attend. It's a very contemporary church and that's the kind of church I plan on having in this story. (Stuffy and too reserved churches have never been my style. I like to know the people are awake instead of asleep, you know?) Tempura is deep-fried vegetables and ippan is a bowl of rice. Ryoutei literally means "Japanese restaurant", but I decided to use it as the restaurant's name. Niisan means "older brother." And everyone should know what sushi and chopsticks are. ;) Shinjitsu means, "truth." Do a little thinking and you may see the symbolism between Kenji and the name of his high school. (And aren't you just glad I decided to introduce Kenji into the story? ^_-) Email: masked_maiden@hotmail.com or gracefulangel15@yahoo.com Web Site: (a miracle romance) http://miracleromance.cjb.net/ Stories for the "Amazing Grace" series are as follow: Amazing Grace: Take a Picture (one chapter) Amazing Grace: Facing Mother(hood) (three chapter) Amazing Grace: Second Chances (one chapter thus far) Stay tuned for chapter two!