Orange Marmalade - episode one
		"One More Beginning"

^_-

[Scene:  The Steps]

[It is a pleasant day in early autumn.  A few clouds are scattered
across the sky, but they don't hide the sun.  It is early in the
afternoon, but only a few pedestrians are walking along this
particular street.  Among them is a teenaged boy, walking alone.  He
stops at the bottom of the hill and glances at the long flight of
stairs that winds its way up its side.  With a small smile, he begins
to climb them; as he does, he is keeping count of the number of steps,
under his breath.]

Yuu:  {Matsuura Yuu, age 16... exploring his new home.}

[Still some distance from the top, he pauses, looking over his
shoulder at the city.  His expression is unreadable.]

Yuu:  {Come to think of it, why did we move this time?  None of us did
      anything, unless...  It's probably my parents' fault.}

[He sighs and resumes his climb.  His count is a bit more audible now,
if there was anyone to hear it.]

Yuu:  (quietly) ...89, 90, 91, 92...

[A sudden gust of wind blows along the stairs from above, sweeping a
few scattered leaves in its wake.  Yuu tilts his head back, enjoying
the sensation, and is just in time to notice another object being
carried along by the wind:  a red hat.]

Yuu:  Eh...?

[As the hat sails nearer, Yuu leaps, turning and catching it by the
brim in one motion.  He lands near the edge of the step, and, in the
moment while he's off-balance, ends up placing the hat on his own head
and using his arms to recover.]

Voice:  Nice catch!

[Yuu, having regained his balance, turns.  A teenaged girl, who looks
about the same age as he, stands at the top of the stairs.  She is
facing slightly away from him, looking at him sidelong, and smiling
warmly.  Her outfit -- white slacks and a shirt the same red shade as
the hat, with a white pattern -- suggest that she is its owner.]

Girl:  I was afraid the wind would blow it all the way to the bottom.

[Yuu stares at her speechlessly for a moment, then catches himself and
turns away, looking toward the bottom of the stairs.]

Yuu:  Probably, with a hill like this...

Girl:  (nodding) There are 99 steps.

Yuu:  Oh?  (out loud, as he climbs the last few stairs)  93, 94, 95,
      96, 97, 98, 99...  (hopping up next to her)  ...100.

[The girl's expression changes from a bemused smile to disbelief as
she faces him directly for the first time.]

Girl:  That can't be right!

[Yuu shrugs.]

Girl:  There are only 99.

Yuu:  But I counted 100.

Girl:  You must have miscounted.  99.

Yuu:  Maybe you miscounted.  100.

Girl:  99.

Yuu:  (in a 'teasing' tone) 100.

Girl:  (starting to get angry) 99!

[Yuu seems taken aback by her vehemence.  Then, he just shrugs.]

Yuu:  (nonchalant) Let's call it 99 1/2, then.

[The woman stares at him in surprise, then begins to laugh as his
words sink in.  Yuu joins in a few seconds later.]

Girl:  It doesn't really make a difference, does it?

Yuu:  Not really.

Girl:  You're new to this town, aren't you?

Yuu:  (surprised) That's right...  How could you tell?

Girl:  (smiling) You have an accent.

Yuu:  Oh...

[As Yuu stands, looking faintly perplexed, the woman takes a step
forward toward the stairs.]

Girl:  See you.

[She continues walking.  After she has descended 9 or 10 stairs, Yuu
remembers something...]

Yuu:  Wait!  Your hat...

[The young woman turns to look at him, then smiles.]

Girl:  Keep it.  It looks good on you.

[She winks and continues down the stairs, passing out of sight as she
rounds the curve of the hill.  An intrigued Yuu watches until she's
out of sight, and remains in place for a few minutes afterward.
Finally, with a shrug and a small smile, he turns and continues on his
way home.]

Yuu:  {I think I'm beginning to like this city.}

^_-

[Scene:  Matsuuras' Apartment, Green Castle]

[Yuu enters a modern apartment building.  He stops for a moment at an
upside-down placard.  Yuu turns it right side up; it reads "Matsuura"
in large kanji on the left, and, from top to bottom, "Youji - Chiyako - 
Yuu - Meiko - Anju" in smaller script on the right.  He smiles to
himself, then steps into the apartment building, ascending several
flights of steps and opening the door to his family's apartment.  The
room he enters is reasonably large, but cluttered with half-unpacked
boxes and various pieces of furniture.  A girl about Yuu's age with
long, flowing hair is carrying a small box; a second girl, identical
in appearance except for her much shorter hair, is unburdened, but
frowning in concentration.  The short-haired girl turns toward Yuu;
her eyes widen as she notices him.]

Anju:  No, don't stand there...  Look out!

[Yuu blinks and turns to the side just in time to see a large dresser
bearing down on him.  Before he can move, the dresser slams into him,
knocking him down.  Pieces of clothing fall to the floor as the
drawers open.]

Yuu:  {The joys of belonging to an ESPer family...}  An!

Anju:  (defensively) What?

Yuu:  (sighing) You know we're not supposed to use the Power so
      openly.

[By this point, Yuu has managed to extricate himself from beneath the
dresser; he crosses to the window and peers out.  Satisfied that
Anju's display wasn't witnessed, he draws the blinds.]

Anju:  But how else am I supposed to move furniture around?  It's too
       heavy.

Meiko:  Maybe you should have waited for Yuu.

Anju:  Now that he's here, he can help.  But--

[Yuu's parents walk in from one of the bedrooms.]

Chiyako:  Well, it looks like it didn't hurt anything this time.

Youji:  (smiling) That's right.  No harm done.

Yuu:  (to Anju) Do you remember how many times we've moved?

Anju:  Hmm... maybe... six?

Youji:  I don't think it was that many.

Chiyako:  Doesn't this make the fourth time?  Or is it the fifth?

Yuu:  (flatly) This is the eighth.

[As one, Anju and the parents turn to Meiko, who nods solemnly.]

Youji:  (embarassed) Ah... so it is.  I remember now.

Yuu:  {They never change.}  And the last time was barely three months
      ago.  I'd like to stay in one city for a few years.

Meiko:  But then, why did we move?  None of us was careless this time.

Anju:  (to her parents) What did you do?

[Youji and Chiyako exchange glances, then begin laughing nervously.]

Chiyako:  But Yuu does have a point.

Youji:  Right!  (to the children, particularly Anju) In the future,
        please remember:  Don't use the Power in public.

Chiyako:  We'd have to move again if anybody found out...

Youji & Chiyako:  (in unison) And none of us wants that, right?

Yuu:  {They changed their minds in a hurry.}

Anju:  In public, right?  So it's ok to use it here in our
       apartment...

Yuu:  An...

[Anju sticks her tongue out at Yuu, while the parents, each carrying a
box, retreat to the bedroom.]

^_-

[Scene:  A Street]

[Yuu, Anju, and Meiko, dressed in school uniforms, stand at a rail
crossing.  The gate is down.]

Yuu:  (quietly)  Remember, don't use the Power at school.

Meiko:  We know.

Anju:  (playfully)  That goes for you, too, right?

[The gate rises.  Yuu steps backward, avoiding getting clipped.]

Yuu:  Of course.

[The three walk on.  As they near the school, they begin to see more
students wearing the same uniform.]

Yuu:  Toryo, eh?  {Everything looks normal so far...}

Anju:  It's bigger than I expected.

Meiko:  That's probably because it has its own college.

Anju:  (excited) Does that mean we don't have to take entrance exams?

Yuu:  Assuming we don't move again before then.  (wryly) I can't
      imagine why we might need to do that.

Anju:  It wasn't my fault this time!

Meiko:  (giggling) No, not this time.

Anju:  (wounded tone) Besides, I already promised not to...

Yuu:  Just keep it in mind.

Meiko:  You could consider it an incentive...

Anju:  (to Meiko) Mou... whose side are you on?

Yuu:  The right one, obviously.

[Before Anju can make her response, the argument is interrupted by a
shout from behind them.  A motorcycle comes into view; the man on it
is shouting at pedestrians and motorists alike.  Behind him, a
short-haired girl in the same school uniform as Meiko and Anju is
riding; her expression is a grin of exhiliaration at the speed.]

Man:  Hey!  Get out of my way!  You're slowing me down!

[The girl laughs.  The riders crest the hill, and the motorcycle
launches into the air -- but it lands badly, spinning out of control.
As it spins toward the three siblings, they freeze; then, Yuu lunges
toward his sisters, intending to push them out of the way.  He manages
to shove Meiko aside, but misses Anju and places himself in the
motorcycle's path.  Anju's stare changes from shock to concentration,
and the cycle begins to slow, losing its spin.  It slides to a
momentary stop no more than a foot away from Anju, then rockets
sideways ten feet.]

Yuu:  (hissing) An!

Anju:  (guilty) But I didn't mean to... there just wasn't enough time.

Yuu:  (sighing) Never mind.  Are you all right?

[Anju nods.]

Meiko:  Well, there wasn't really a better way, this time.  Just be
        careful in the future, right?

[Anju nods again.  Meiko's glance shifts to Yuu, who reluctantly
nods.]

Yuu:  All right... this time.

[Meanwhile, the cyclist has managed to regain control, and stops.  He
removes his helmet, looking rather haggard after the experience.  The
girl, on the other hand, seems unfazed as she jumps to the ground.]

Girl:  That wasn't bad.  Thanks for the ride.  Bye.

Man:  (to himself) What... how did that...  (looking up) Hey!  What do
      you mean, "Bye"?  We aren't finished yet.

Girl:  (raising an eyebrow) How so?

Man:  I'll wait for you after school.  We can go do something fun.

Girl:  Really, you shouldn't assume I like you just because I asked
       you for a ride.  You're not my type.

Man:  W-what?!

Girl:  (mocking smile) For one thing, have you looked in a mirror
       recently?

[Outraged, the man gets off of the motorcycle and approaches the girl.
She simply stands in place, smirking at him.]

Yuu:  {Looks like I'll have to do something.  So much for a quiet
      first day...}

[Yuu takes a step toward the pair just as the man reaches the girl.]

Man:  You little--

[He is cut off as the girl raises her hand, striking his nose while
ostensibly waving to a teacher.]

Girl:  Good morning, Sensei.

Teacher:  Good morning.

[After the teacher walks by, the man attempts to threaten the girl
again.  And again, before he gets very far, the girl waves to a
teacher.  This time, she neglects to slap the motorcyclist at the same
time.]

Girl:  Good morning, Namura-sensei.

Namura:  Good morning, Suzuki-san.

[This time, she turns and walks alongside the teacher.  The man stares
incredulously for a second, then scowls.]

Man:  Bitch!  You'll pay for this...

[He quickly returns to the motorcycle and tears away down the street.
Yuu, who hadn't gotten further than a step or two before the girl took
matters into her own hands, watches him ride away.  Then, he returns
his attention to the girl, who is carrying on a private conversation
with Namura.  From her gestures, she seems to be half reassuring and
half pleading with him.  Finally, Namura nods hesitantly, and turns to
walk into the building.  The girl, Arimi Suzuki, looks around her with
a challenging stare; suddenly, nobody seems to be paying any attention
to her... except Yuu.  Even Yuu's sisters have turned away, apparently
intent on studying the school building.  Arimi scowls at Yuu.]

Arimi:  And what are you looking at?

Yuu:  (taken aback) Err... nothing.

Arimi:  If it's nothing, then stop staring and get to class.

[She turns and stomps into the building.]

Yuu:  Hmm...

Anju:  She's so cool!  I wonder if she's in our class.

Meiko:  We'll find out soon enough when we get to it.  Momoi-sensei is
        room 2-C, right?

Anju:  Mm-hmm.

[The sisters continue chatting as they walk into the school.  Yuu
keeps quiet, lost in his own thoughts.]

^_-

[Scene:  Namura's Classroom]

[A typical classroom with about 35 desks.  Most of the desks are
filled by students, but there are one or two empty ones.  The second
teacher from earlier, Namura Shinichi, is at the front of the room.
Yuu stands there, too; his name is written on the blackboard.  Namura
has apparently just introduced him, as he is bowing to the class.  He
straightens, and Namura chuckles.]

Namura:  It seems that you've been in seven other schools already,
         Matsuura-kun.  Are you trying to set a record?

Yuu:  Ah... no.  My family travels a lot, because of my parents.

Namura:  (nodding) I see... because of their jobs, then.

Yuu:  {I only wish.}  More or less.  (pointing) Ah, is that desk
      empty?

[He begins walking toward it, but it becomes clear that it is not.  A
black satchel lies on top of it.  The satchel's owner is nowhere in
sight.  Yuu glances about the room, searching for another empty desk.]

Namura:  No, Koishikawa-san sits there.  Your desk is over there.

[Namura points to the other side of the room, where one of the few
empty desks waits.  A tall boy with long hair waves to Yuu as Yuu sits
down.]

Boy:  Matsuura, is it?

[Yuu nods, and the boy proceeds to stare intently at his face.  Yuu
ignores it at first, but becomes more unnerved by it as time passes.
Finally, he looks across at the boy.]

Boy:  (unruffled) Nice to meet you.  You can call me Satoshi.

Yuu:  {He's pretty familiar, isn't he?}  Err... nice to meet you,
      Satoshi-san.

Miwa:  (gesturing at the boy behind him) And this is a friend of
       mine...

[Yuu's eyes follow the gesture, then widen as he realizes he knows the
other boy.]

Miwa & Yuu:  Rokutanda Tsutomu.

[Miwa blinks.  Yuu sighs.  Tsutomu, who apparently had not been paying
any attention whatsoever, glances at them as he hears his name.  His
eyes, too, widen.]

Miwa:  You know each other?

Tsutomu:  (almost simultaneously) Matsuura!

[Yuu rubs his temples with one hand.]

Yuu:  It's a long story.

Tsutomu:  Finally, I'll have my revenge!

Yuu:  {He hasn't changed a bit.}

Miwa:  Oh, you're that Matsuura?  How interesting.

Yuu:  (to Tsutomu) It's been three years.  Can't you forget about that
      tennis game already?

Tsutomu:  (low, angry voice) Forget?  I'll never forget how you
          humiliated me!  How could you make such an unfair challenge?
          What kind of man are you?

Yuu:  (sweatdrop) But you were the one who challenged me.

Tsutomu:  That doesn't matter!  I've been practicing for our rematch
          ever since that day.

Yuu:  What rematch?

Tsutomu:  Be quiet!  (full rant) You won't stand a chance, Matsuura!

[Mercifully, Tsutomu is struck by a flying eraser.  It doesn't succeed
in causing him to close his mouth, but he does stop talking.]

Namura:  (levelly) Class has already begun, Rokutanda-kun.

^_-

[Scene:  School Hallway]

[Miwa, Yuu, and Tsutomu stand near a window.  Tsutomu has cooled down
but is pointedly ignoring the other two, leaning against the wall with
his back to them.  Yuu and Miwa are at the window; Miwa is resting one
hand on Yuu's shoulder, and pointing out the window with the other.
Yuu looks more than a little uncomfortable at this.]

Miwa:  And that's the college, over there.  Graduates of Toryo don't
       need to take the exam to get in.  Some people just move from
       elementary or middle school to high school, and then on to the
       college.  It's a nice little system.  Sort of like a greenhouse.

[Miwa sidles a bit closer to Yuu; Yuu, in turn, slides further away,
looking for a distraction.]

Yuu:  What's that building over there?

Miwa:  (looking) That's the library.  To tell you the truth, nobody
       uses it very much, because it's only got older books.  It's a
       nice place, though.

Tsutomu:  (forgetting to be anti-social) Yeah.  It's one of the few
          places in this school where you could hope to get any
          privacy.

Yuu:  Oh?  It's a beautiful building, though.

Miwa:  I can take you there later, if you like.

Yuu:  (sweatdrop) N-no, thanks.  Maybe I'll go some other time.

Tsutomu:  (leering) With your girlfriend, maybe?

Yuu:  (startled) What?  No, I don't...

[He is about to finish, "have a girlfriend," but his voice trails off
as an image of a girl in a red and white outfit flashes through his
mind.  Tsutomu smirks, taking his silence as agreement.]

Tsutomu:  You move quickly, don't you?  I knew I was right about you
          all along...

Miwa:  (raising an eyebrow) I suppose there are a few cute girls in
       our class.  Which one is it?  Sumire-chan?  Hitomi-chan?  Or
       maybe Reiko-chan?

Yuu:  What...?  No!  You're getting the wrong idea...

[Miwa and Tsutomu grin.  A thought strikes Yuu.]

Yuu:  You seem to be familiar with a lot of the girls in our class.
      {Not to mention the guys.}

Tsutomu:  Make that in the school.  Satoshi-san's information network
          is the best.

[Yuu steps back and turns to face Miwa directly; as he does, he takes
the opportunity to free his shoulder from Miwa's grasp.]

Yuu:  Oh?  I'll have to remember that.

Miwa:  It's really not that much...

Yuu:  Hmm.  What about the girl at that empty desk?

Tsutomu:  Koishikawa?

Miwa:  I'd stay away from her.

Tsutomu:  There are a few bad ones here, too.

Yuu:  Mmm... I'm surprised you would warn me.

Tsutomu:  (smirking) I don't want anyone else to beat you until after
          our rematch.

Yuu:  {I thought so.}

Miwa:  (to Tsutomu) What did he do to you, anyway?

Tsutomu:  It was three years ago.  Our tennis club was having a
          tournament match against another school.  Yuu was in their
          club, and...

[Yuu loses interest as Tsutomu rambles on about the game.  At first,
he returns to gazing out the window at the library; then, a faint
strain of music catches his attention.  He wanders down the hallway,
following the sound.  Behind him, Miwa laughs, and Tsutomu's tone
grows more indignant; neither of them notices as Yuu slips away.  Near
the end of the hallway, he comes upon the room from which the music
originates.  The door is ajar, but the interior of the room is dark.
Peering in the door, Yuu can just make out the figure of a girl with a
saxophone.  He stands, rapt, until a hand on his shoulder startles him
out of his trance.]

Miwa:  (mock surprise) Where are you going?  We weren't finished yet.

Tsutomu:  (grabbing at Yuu's wrist) Come on, let's go.  It's nearly
          time for class.

Yuu:  But...

[Yuu's eyes flicker toward the musician in the shadows.]

Miwa:  That's Koishikawa.

Tsutomu:  You're better off leaving her alone.

Yuu:  {Koishikawa...?  Her?}

[Yuu allows himself to be led back toward the classroom.]

^_-

[Scene:  School Hallway]

[The same hallway, but later in the day.  Classes have just ended;
Yuu, Miwa, and Tsutomu are among the last to leave the classroom.
Meiko rushes up to Yuu.  She is out of breath, having apparently run
the whole way.]

Yuu:  Meiko...?  What's wrong?

Meiko:  Oniichan... that girl... this morning...?

Miwa:  (to himself) "Oniichan"?

Yuu:  Suzuki-san?  Is she in trouble?

Meiko:  (nodding) And... An followed her.

Yuu:  What?  Where?!

Meiko:  The river... ah!

[Meiko is cut off as Yuu grabs her wrist and runs off with her,
leaving Miwa and Tsutomu behind.  The former stares into space with a
thoughtful expression; the latter, becoming impatient, begins to poke
him, but gets no response.]

Tsutomu:  Miwa... Miwa...?

^_-

[Scene:  The Riverbank.]

[Not very far away at all, Arimi stands facing the man with the
motorcycle who gave her a ride to school earlier.  Four friends are
with him this time, all of them rough-looking characters.  Arimi seems
more irritated than frightened by them, though.  Further back, on a
raised platform, Anju hides behind a pillar, watching, terrified.]

Arimi:  (sounding almost bored) You had to bring this many ugly
        friends just to deal with one girl?

Man:  Shut up!  I've decided to give you one more chance.  Why don't
      you come with us, and I'll forget about this morning?

[Arimi's eyes narrow as she gazes flatly at the man.  Suddenly, she
laughs, once, mockingly.]

Arimi:  No, I don't think so.  (mimicking tha man's style of speech)
        Why don't you leave now, and I'll gladly forget all about you?

Man:  I warned you, you...

[The man charges Arimi, who calmly remains still.  When he steps close
enough, she quickly lifts her satchel, slamming it into his face.
There is an audible crunch as the man is knocked to the ground.]

Man:  (nearly inaudible, with his hands over his face) My nose... you
      broke my nose!

Arimi:  Maybe it will improve your looks.

Punk #1:  Get 'er!

[Two of the punks rush Arimi.  On the platform, Anju's expression
firms with resolve.]

Anju:  (to herself) If that's the way they're going to play it, I'll
       just...

[A hand falls on her shoulder, interrupting her.  With a squeal, she
turns around... to face Yuu and Meiko.  Their arrival doesn't seem to
reassure her.]

Anju:  Oniichan!  (accusing tone) Meiko!

Yuu:  You weren't thinking of using the Power, were you?

Anju:  (pointing over the rail) But, but... look!

[They do.  While they spoke, Arimi has managed to twist out of the way
of the two who were charging her, cauding them to crash into each
other.  She kicks a third man as he approaches.]

Meiko:  She's pretty good, isn't she?

Anju:  But it's not fair!  We should--

Yuu:  No.

Anju:  But we should help her!  If we just--

Yuu:  (slightly louder) No.  No Power.

Anju:  But, oniichan...

Meiko:  (pointing) Aah!

[The fight hasn't been going well for Arimi.  While the four men who
had attacked her are all injured to one degree or another, they've
pressed their advantage in numbers.  Now, they are holding her more or
less immobile.  The largest of the five men, who hadn't previously
involved himself, chuckles and reaches toward her.  Arimi screams.]

Yuu:  (quickly, to Anju) Let me handle it.

[Yuu grasps the rail, preparing to vault over.  At the same time, a
tiny shape whistles through the air, heralding the appearance of
another familiar figure on the slope above.  The man reaching toward
Arimi bites back a cry of pain as the weapon--a guitar pick--embeds
itself in the back of his outstretched hand.]

Arimi:  Miki!

Yuu:  (still in the same position on the platform) ...Koishikawa?

Meiko:  (surprised) You know her?

Anju:  (innocently) Weren't you going to do something?

[Embarrassed at being caught out, Yuu vaults over the railing.
Meanwhile, two of Arimi's assailants release her to focus on Miki, who
has already begun running down the slope to meet them.  She disables
the first with a palm strike to the face even before Yuu completes his
jump, and has slammed her knee into the stomach of the second by the
time Yuu lands lightly on the ground and starts running.]

Yuu:  {She's fast...}  (as Miki disables a third man--the one whose
      nose Arimi broke--with a quick combination) {Vicious, too.}

[Arimi suddenly twists in the fourth man's grasp, throwing him off
balance.  Miki follows with a quick elbow strike, downing him.  The
larest of the five men--the only one remaining--scowls as he plucks
the guitar pick out of his right hand and crushes it in his left fist.
He stands, towering over the two girls, and laughs.]

Punk #4:  Koishikawa Miki, huh?  You're almost as good as I've heard.

Arimi:  If you know who she is, why don't you save her the trouble,
        and get lost?

Punk #4:  (ignoring Arimi) Why don't you come with me?  You're
          definitely my type.

Miki:  But you're not mine.

[She snatches the man's wounded right hand with her own left, and
squeezes, applying pressure.  The man howls in pain and manages to
draw his hand away as he falls to his knees--possibly only because she
allowed him to.  With a snarl, he stands.]

Miki:  (quietly) Keep back, Arimi.

Punk #4:  Now I'm going to--

[Miki's first attack interrupts the threat.  She kicks him in the
stomach, then dances away from the man's counterattack.  Immediately,
she's in again, striking at his knees, then his neck.  She gracefully
evades several more swipes as she continues to land blows, until she
spins too close while throwing an elbow into the man's torso.  He
almost doubles over in pain, but he recovers control quickly enough to
grab her with one arm, in a choke hold.  Instinctively, her hands claw
at his arm, but he's too strong for her to tear it away.  She begins
to shift her weight to execute an escape... but Yuu is there first, and
he blindsides the larger man.  Yuu's punch is smooth, but unskilled;
he strikes incorrectly, but nevertheless staggers the man enough to
loosen his grip on Miki for a critical moment.  Miki swiftly turns and
strikes at the man's solar plexus.  As the breath is forced out of his
body, she grabs one of his outflung arms, turns, shifts her weight,
and throws him over her shoulder, into the river.]

Miki:  (turning; irritated) What makes you think I wanted...

[As she catches sight of Yuu, her expression melts into one of
surprise for an instant.  Then, she recovers, and the fleeting emotion
is gone, but her earlier antagonism is replaced by a mask of
indifference.]

Miki:  ...Your help?

[She half turns away, facing Arimi.  Arimi has also been looking at
Yuu, who she remembers from their morning encounter.]

Yuu:  Ah... sorry.  I wasn't fast enough.  (bowing) I'm Matsuura Yuu.
      Didn't we meet yesterday?

Arimi:  You know him, Miki?

Miki:  (turning further away from Yuu) I've never seen this guy
       before.

Yuu:  Oh?  (searching for something else to say) ...I think we're in
      the same class.

Miki:  You go to this school?  (catching herself; slightly annoyed)
       And?

[While the argument has been going on, the five men have quietly
withdrawn.  One of them shouts a threat at Arimi and Miki from the top
of the slope.  Arimi responds by taunting them as they ride away,
humiliated.]

Miki:  Enough, Arimi.

[Arimi glances sidelong at Miki, but quiets down.  Yuu, giving up on
holding a conversation with Miki, watches impassively.  Shortly, a
curious Meiko and an excited Anju join him.  Miki slips a cigarette
out of a package abd flicks a lihter.  An expression of distaste
flashes across Yuu's face, quickly replaced by concentration.]

Yuu:  {I probably shouldn't do this, but...}

[Miki raises the lighter toward the end of the cigarette.  Just before
they touch, the cigarette shreds, breaking apart into tiny pieces that
scatter on the wind.  Yuu takes advantage of Miki's surprise to step
closer and snatch the lighter from her hand.]

Anju:  Ahh!

[Yuu quiets Anju with a quick glance.  He drops the lighter to the
ground, crushing it beneath his heel.]

Yuu:  (casually, with a hint of disapproval) It's not a good idea to
      smoke.  You'll regret it later.

Miki:  I didn't ask for your help...  (angrier) And I didn't ask for
       your lectures!

[Miki lifts her hand, then swings it at Yuu, who freezes for that one
moment too long.  With a resounding slap, Yuu is spun around, and
almost knocked over.  Glowering, Miki walks away; Arimi follows her,
after one last glance at Yuu and the sisters.]

^_-

[Scene:  Matsuuras' Apartment, Green Castle]

[The same room from before, but the boxes are gone.  A few other small
things--a lamp, a vase of flowers--are now in evidence.  Youji and
Chiyako are watching a television show; Yuu and Anju are standing near
the door.]

Youji:  (as a commercial begins) By the way, Yuu... I heard you used
        the Power today at school.

Yuu:  Eh...?  (turning to glare at Anju) An!  Did you tell them?

Anju:  (shaking her head) Mm-mmm.

Chiyako:  It's not good to lie, An.

Yuu:  An!

Anju:  Mother... you liar!

Youji:  Eh...?

Anju:  You both promised not to tell!

Chiyako:  We did, didn't we?

Youji:  Mm-hmm, now I remember that...

[Both laugh and apologize to the outraged Anju with apparent
sincerity.]

Anju:  I don't believe this!

Yuu:  Haven't you realized yet what our parents are like?

[Meiko enters from the girls' bedroom.  She carries the res hat that
was given to Yuu the previous day.]

Meiko:  Everything's put away.  Look at this hat I found.

Anju:  I don't remember a hat like that...

[She takes the hat from Meiko and is about to try it on, when Yuu
grabs it.]

Meiko:  Oniichan... that was yours?

Anju:  (to Meiko, in a murmur a few decibels too loud) I knew our
       brother was weird, but this...

Yuu:  {Who are -you- calling weird?}

[Yuu glances in his parents' direction, but the commercial has ended,
and they are absorbed in their show, giving no indication that they
heard any of the exchange.  Yuu sighs to himself and walks into his
bedroom.  He sits on his bed in the darkened room, idly spinning the
hat on one hand.  He stares at it, picturing Miki first as she was
during the fight that day, then as she was the day before, on the
steps.]

Yuu:  {Koishikawa... that was her, wasn't it?}  (short pause) {I
      thought it was...}

[Setting aside the hat, Yuu lies on his bed, picturing Miki in the
dark room at school.  He imagines he can hear the music of her
saxophone even now...  Outside, the light finally fades into evening
as the last of the sun's rays disappears over the horizon.]