The next morning...

Baba: "Meimei, over here!"

Everyone meets up in the hotel lobby. We're supposed to go return the golden statue, but...

Meimei: "Good morning!"

Baba: "Top o' the morning to you, pretty lady. Do you have any plans today?"

Meimei: "I thought we were going to return the statue?"

Baba: "That's a different story, morning glory."

Baba flashes me a guidebook that he seems to have pulled out from thin air.

Ota: "Hokkaido, a fresh seafood paradise?"

Baba: "No, no, next to that."

Meimei: "Fishing for pond smelt?"

Meimei: "Wait a minute, you're going to ice fishing?"

Baba: "Yeah! Sounds interesting, right?"

Soryu: "We're going to return the statue..."

Baba: "We came all the way to Hokkaido. I want to make some memories!"

Baba: "Don't you think that'll be more fun for Meimei?"

Meimei: "I guess so..."

Meimei: "But we don't have to do it right this minute...!"

Soryu: "...Well, it's fine for a bit."

Meimei: "Really?"

Ota: "No way! Soryu's actually going to deviate from the plan for once!?"

Baba: "It must be the power of love."

Soryu: "Let's just go."

Soryu gives an aggravated sigh and then he pulls me by the hand.

Meimei: "Are you sure?"

Soryu: "If we don't go along with them, we'll never get anything accomplished."

Soryu: "So let's go catch some fish, then we can hurry up and return that statue."

Ryosuke: "I've got the flu, so there's no way I can go out on the ice."

Momiji: "Ryosuke, you should get some rest."

Baba: "Aw, that's a shame. You'll just have to stay behind then."

Ryosuke: "Take this then, Baba."

Baba: "Okay. I won't let your sacrifice be for nothing, young man!"

Ryosuke: "I'm not dead yet..."

Baba's his usual flamboyant, dramatic self as he takes the statue from Ryosuke. At the moment, we had no idea about that statue would lead to such a catastrophe...
____________________________________________________

Baba: "Fishes, oh fishie...!"

Baba: "Don't worry now. There's nothing to be afraid of. So go ahead and come to me. Come to Baba..."

Ota: "I'm not sure about seduction will work with fish, Baba."

We're out on the ice with some rented equipment trying to catch the fish. Our guide cuts a hole in the ice for us and we drop our fishing lines through to the water underneath. Obviously... it's freezing about still was sitting on frozen lake. For a while, we're all trying our best to catch the fish, but...

Baba: "Hmm... it's cold and nothing's biting. This isn't exciting as I imagined."

Meimei: "What? You're the one who came up with this bright idea."

Ota: "I'm cold. I'm sick of this, too."

Samejima: "I never really wanted to fish for pond smelt to begin with..."

Meimei: "Oh not you too, Ota and Samejima!?"

Samejima: "What do you think, Soryu?"

Soryu: "..."

Baba: "Sor?"

Soryu: "Be quiet. I'm concentrating."

Baba: "Concentrating?"

Soryu: "Fishing is a battle between you and the fish. You can't win unless you have concentration."

Samejima: "Apparently Soryu's enjoying himself..."

Baba: "Sor's such a weirdo..."

I smacks Baba's arm playfully.

Meimei: "Hush!"

Baba: "What?"

Meimei: "You're such random, Baba."

Ota: "And you're too random, Baba."

Meimei: "Ahahaha..."

Soryu: "Quiet."

Meimei: "Oops, sorry..."

Baba: "Maybe I'll go buy something to drink."

Baba: "What if they're selling pond smelt over in that shop over there?"

Ota: "Hahaha. Good luck with that."

Baba starts to walk across the ice. But then...

Guide: "Oh, sir! Be careful, the ice cause there is--!"

Baba: "What!?"

Baba is heading straight for a huge hole in the ice!

*CRACK*

*SPLASH*

Baba: "Waaaaaahh!!"

As suddenly, Baba falls right through the ice.

Meimei: "Baba!!"

Soryu: "Baba..."

Samejima: "...!"

Ota: "Ahahahahahahaha! Is this really happening right now!?"

Meimei: "Stop laughing!?"

Ota: "Okay, okay, sheesh..."

Unfortunately for Baba, because he's fallen right into the freezing cold water.
_____________________________________________________

Baba: "Why did this have to happen to me..."

Baba asks, he wrapped up in a blanket and he's shivering.

Baba: "What did I ever do to deserve this?"

Ota: "You're the one who suggested going fishing before returning the statue."

Ota: "That's karma for you."

Soryu: "I can't argue with that."

Baba: "Haha! So in other words..."

Ryosuke: "???"

Samejima: "???"

Baba: "That statue is cursed!!"

Meimei, Momiji & Sakura: "What!?"

Ota: "It's cursed!?"

Baba: "It has to be! Inui had it first, then he caught the flu."

Baba: "Then after he gave the statue to me, I fell through the ice!"

Baba: "It has to be cursed..."

Soryu: "Baba, if it was cursed, then shouldn't the person who stole it in the first place suffer the wrath?"

Baba: "That's true..."

Samejima: "Oh, that reminds me. I got a phone call from Detective Kishi."

Samejima: "He said there's a good chance that as the Russian mafia is behind the theft of the statue."

Soryu & Meimei: "The Russian mafia?"

Soryu: "If that's true, they're a disgrace to everyone in the business!"

As suddenly, Soryu stands up from the couch.

Meimei: "Soryu?"

Samejima: "If the Russian mafia are behind it, then they must be close."

Meimei: "What do you mean?"

Samejima: "Their base in Japan is right here in Hokkaido."

Soryu: "I heard the Russian mafia's base is somewhere around Lake Otaru."

Samejima: "...!"

Ryosuke: "...!!"

Sakura & Momiji: "...!!!"

Soryu: "I'm going there to catch the thief."

Meimei: "!!"

Baba: "Oooh!"

Ota: "You're so cool, Soryu!"

Ryosuke: "I'll come with you, Mr. Oh!"

Samejima: "You're sick, Inui. You'd just be holding him back. I'll go with him!"

Baba: "Yeah. You stay here and hold down the fort with me, Inui."

Ryosuke: "I have to stay behind again!?"

Meimei: "Wait... can I go?"

Meimei: "But I think about having a woman with you would make you look less conspicuous."

I thought he'd say no, but Soryu nods with approval.

Soryu: "You've got a point. You can come with us."

Meimei: "Oh thanks!"
_____________________________________________________

This is my first time in Otaru, and it's a port city with a way more character than I envisioned. There are tons of nice cafés lined up along the waterway.

Samejima: "It was very peaceful here..."

Soryu: "Yeah."

Meimei: "It doesn't look like it would be a mafia headquarters."

Meimei: "Oh, this is the Japanese candy shop, t that was in the guide book!"

Meimei: "Can we go there first?"

Samejima, Soryu and I walk into the shop. We sit at a table next to the window, that overlooks the street. We dig into the sweets, we ordered and...

Samejima: "What's that, Soryu?"

Soryu: "...!"

We see two foreign men walking together on the other side of the street. They seem like they know exactly where they're going, so I don't think they're tourists.

Meimei: "Hmm... are those guys in Russian mafia?"

Soryu: "Let's follow them and find out."

Samejima: "Yes, sir!"

We leave the candy shop and we start following the men.

Soryu: "They're headed towards the warehouses."

Samejima: "I'll go on up ahead and check it out."

Samejima leaves us and he walks up ahead. I watch him out of the corner of my eye and...

(Oh...!)

Soryu casually reaches out he grabs my hand.

Meimei: "Um..."

I look up at him hesitantly.

Soryu: "This is what couples do, right?"

Meimei: "O-Oh, right!"

Meimei: "But it just surprised me... I'm not used to you holding my hand!"

Soryu: "..."

Meimei: "Wh-What?"

Soryu: "Don't look so shocked."

Meimei: "I'm sorry..."

His words are cool, as usual, but his hand is hot and my heart starts to race.

(Our fingers are laced together.)

(This really makes us feel like a boyfriend and girlfriend.)

Even though we're tailing the bad guys right now, my heart throbs sweetly.
_______________________________________________

The men stop in front of an abandoned warehouse. We hide in the shadows and we watch as an elderly Japanese man emerges from the warehouse.

Man 1: "Anything out of the ordinary?"

Old Man: "Nothing."

Man 1: "The boat leaving for Vladivostok comes tonight."

Man 1: "You have the packages, right?"

Old Man: "Yes. All the gold, you collected from your travels through Japan are already in the warehouse."

Old Man: "Are you sure, you'll be able to fit it all on the boat?"

Man 1: "Let me see the list."

Old Man: "Here you go."

The old man shows one of the men a piece of paper. The other man is keeping watch, a stern look on his face.

Soryu: "The men are Russian mafia and the old man must be the guy who they hired to watch over the warehouse."

Meimei: "Seems like it."

Soryu: "So they're collecting stolen goods here and then send them off to Russian in boats."

Meimei: "So the gold statue would've gotten sent off to Russian if Ryosuke hadn't found it?"

Soryu: "According to Kishi's inform, there are group of thieves who are just after precious metals."

Soryu: "The Russian mafia might be the ringleaders."

Meimei: "Hmm..."

Soryu: "You wait here, Meimei."

Meimei: "Huh? What are you going to do?"

Soryu: "Check the inside of that warehouse."

Soryu leaves our hiding place and he starts walking towards the warehouse.

Meimei: "Hey! Soryu!?"

And suddenly, he disappears from view.

(Seriously... is he going to be alright by himself? But who knows and how many people are inside?)

(He should've at least waited until he met up with Samejima.)

I nervously look over at the warehouse when I see a familiar person.

Samejima: "Meimei!?"

Meimei: "Samejima...!"

Samejima: "Where's Soryu?"

Meimei: "He went to check inside the warehouse, by himself."

Samejima: "This warehouse?"

Meimei: "The Russian mafia are storing their stolen goods here."

Samejima: "I see..."

Samejima looks up at the warehouse. And just then, a huge black shadow sneaks up behind him.

Meimei: "!?"

Meimei: "Samejima, watch out!!"

Samejima: "What!?"

*CRACK*

Samejima: "Whooa!"

As suddenly, one of the Russian mobsters who attack Samejima.

Man 2: "Where did you come from, rat!?"

Samejima starts bleeding from his head and he falls to the ground.

Meimei: "Samejima, are you alright!?"

Samejima: "Meimei, get out of here!!"

Just then another man shows up and he stands in my way.

Man 1: "Are you tourists?"

Man 2: "I think they heard us. It'll be safer to kill 'em."

The man takes out a gun.

Meimei: "Tch!"

Samejima: "...!!"

He points the gun towards me and...

Soryu: "Stop right there!!"

Man 1: "...!"

Soryu presses his gun against the back of the man's head.

Soryu: "Put your hands up. You, too."

The two men put their hands up. Soryu takes away their guns and he tosses them to Samejima.

Soryu: "Samejima!"

Samejima takes the gun and he quickly shoots by the men's feet.

*SHOOM*

Samejima: "That's payback for before."

The men scream and they start to run. But then, we hear a noisy siren coming down the street. Some local police officers show up and they arrest the mobsters.
_______________________________________________________

A few hours later, Soryu and I are enjoying night time Hokkaido.

Meimei: "We're all alone."

Samejima's recuperating from his head injury back at the hotel. I look at Soryu, who's sitting next to me. Then neon lights and passing headlights from the cars illuminate his profile. He looks so handsome right now.

Meimei: "S-Soryu?"

Soryu: "Yes...?"

Meimei: "Where are we going?"

Soryu: "Not that far..."

Meimei: "???"

For some reason, he's being evasive.

(But I don't care where we go as long as I'm with him, but...)

Meimei: "Why did the police show up so quickly before?"

Soryu: "I saw the stolen items inside the warehouse."

Soryu: "Then I contacted Kishi, who called up the local police."

Meimei: "I see."

I'm always surprised when Soryu and Detective Kishi cooperate.

Soryu: "Right about now, the cops have probably returned the golden statue back to its owner."

Meimei: "I'm so glad!"

Meimei: "It was worth coming all the way to Hokkaido."

Soryu: "Isn't it a little early to be saying that?"

Meimei: "What?"

(What does that mean?)

I look at him, puzzled, and he smiles back at me meaningfully.

Soryu: "We're here."

Meimei: "This is..."

He's taken me to a spot that overlooks all of Hakodate. Soryu and I ride a cable car up to the peak of the mountain. The city and ocean sparkle below us, the landscape stretching out like a panorama.

Meimei: "Wow..."

Meimei: "I didn' expect to come here..."

Soryu: "You said you wanted to visit Hakodate, right?"

Meimei: "I didn't think we'd have time, and what with all the trouble as we ran into."

Meimei: "Thanks, Soryu..."

I'm so happy, tears start welling up in my eyes.

(Wow... I'm such a crybaby.)

Soryu: "Meimei, should we take a picture?"

Soryu: "You brought your camera, right?"

Meimei: "Yes, but..."

Meimei: "I'd rather take a picture of you. But not me."

Soryu: "Me? You're so odd..."

Meimei: "But I want to put a picture of our trip on Hokkaido in your album."

Grandma 1: "Shall I take the picture for you?"

Meimei: "What?"

There's an elderly group of tourists looking at us.

Grandma 1: "You came on this trip together, so you should both be in the picture!"

Grandma 2: "That's right, you should!"

Soryu: *Sigh...*

Grandma 3: "May I have your camera?"

One of the old ladies helps herself to my camera. Another one seems to have taken an interest in Soryu and says...

Grandma 2: "You have such a cute girlfriend!"

Soryu: "What?"

Grandma 2: "You shouldn't make such a cute girl cry!"

Soryu: "Uh-huh..."

Soryu: "You're right."

Grandma 2: "Sure I am!"

Soryu looks a little embarrassed, but doesn't seem to mind much.

(Hehe. I hardly ever see that look on his face.)

Soryu: "Cute girlfriend, eh?"

Meimei: "Haha. That makes me happy even if they are just being polite."

Soryu pats my head.

Grandma 2: "Here we go! Get closer together."

Grandma 2: "Hokkaido..."

Grandmas: "Say cheese!"

*CLICK*

That's the last picture, we take our trip to Hokkaido, and it holds a lot of special memories for us.

~End of (Sequel) Epilogue 2~

TO BE CONTINUED...