Chapter 31- An Agreement

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="95" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 46 WIDTH="91"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="46" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="91" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Arial" ><B>Ultra Symphony</B></FONT>    </div> <bR> <div> Chapter 31- An Agreement</div> <bR> <div> ***</div> <div> Mikono blew into her straw, sending bubbles of her strawberry soda shooting upward before exploding over the brim of the cup. She looked over the counter at Jerry, and her eyes spoke volumes. </div> <bR> <div> He looked back at her with equal intensity over the rims of his obviously designer sunglasses. As the red liquid dribbled down the frosty glass, he shook his head. </div> <bR> <div> "A little indiscretion is fine. It's to be expected with young singers. You just want to get away sometimes. You had quite an unfortunate embarrassment, after all." He said, more to himself than to Mikono. "But the public's in a fair way to forgetting." </div> <bR> <div> Mikono replied by building a tower out of miniature rice balls and slurping her soda. </div> <bR> <div> Jerry wasn't at all fazed by this display of impudence, and he casually slammed his briefcase on the counter, knocking the tower down and spilling the soda. Mikono glared at him. </div> <bR> <div> "On the train today, I'll tell you what I heard about this. This little gallavant isn't making anyone think, Mikono. MEU? Yesterday's news. I hope you aren't trying to make a statement, because no one's listening. This was all just fluff on a slow news day. I'll save your news clippings, if you think this adventure was really all that noteworthy. But it's time to come back, huh? Time to stop screwing around. We'll take some pub shots and print it up as some sort of research article in your fan club magazine. 'Mikono Hayagane Fights Aliens'. Nice teaser, huh?"</div> <bR> <div> Mikono frowned. "This had nothing to do with publicity, Jerry." </div> <bR> <div> "It didn't? Then what did it have to do with? Hey, I'm not going to pretend the thing in the hospital didn't happen, but as far as the public is concerned, it was drugs. And you've been missing from the face of the planet for a week now. It's not looking real good. Akikutsu Records doesn't need this crap right now, okay?" </div> <bR> <div> "Jerry, I know you don't understand.. but you have to believe me, that I'm at MEU for a REASON."</div> <bR> <div> "What reason, Mikono? What I saw there was you sitting around in some overly technological motel 6 in some guy's boxers and no shirt, yelling at that Shinkannou fellow about being a pervert. I mean... am I missing something here, are you filming some movie without telling me?"</div> <bR> <div> "He's not a pervert, it was all a misunderstanding." Mikono said, clutching her shirt in her fist. </div> <bR> <div> "I DO NOT CARE, MIKONO! This is going to end now. Your contract with Akikutsu records is in effect until 2004, and unless you want your career to end up in the shithole, you're going to come back. Your tour has been cancelled at 5 venues now."</div> <bR> <div> "People died at my last concert, who would want to go to one now?!" Mikono hissed.</div> <bR> <div> "That is not the issue. You have a responsibility, goddamn it!" </div> <bR> <div> "I have a responsibility to be at MEU--" Mikono began, but Jerry grabbed her forearm and looked into her eyes with fury. </div> <bR> <div> "Your mother tried to OD." He snarled. </div> <bR> <div> Mikono's eyes widened. "Wh..What did you say?!" </div> <bR> <div> "She's in the hospital. When you left, she completely lost it. Can't blame her, she thought MEU was some cult or something, and you'd been overtaken by Satan." </div> <bR> <div> Mikono felt her head spinning. "I... I didn't want to hurt anyone... I'm here to..." </div> <bR> <div> Jerry slammed a piece of paper in front of her. "Sign it." </div> <bR> <div> "What is it?!" Mikono demanded.</div> <bR> <div> "It states that you will adhere to the policies expressed in the contract, and that if you ever break one of the rules again, you are to be immediately terminated." </div> <bR> <div> He paused. </div> <bR> <div> "The last page amends that you are allowed a certain amount of time at MEU per month, as long as the contract remains sound." </div> <bR> <div> Mikono frowned. </div> <bR> <div> "Your mother refuses to see you until you come back. The last page can be our little secret."</div> <bR> <div> "I thought you didn't approve of MEU." Mikono whispered. </div> <bR> <div> "No, but everyone's gotta have their little guilty pleasures."</div> <bR> <div> <I>Like saving the world?! </I>Mikono thought. </div> <bR> <div> Jerry sat back in his stool, arms crossed. </div> <bR> <div> Mikono bit her lip. "But... my.. MEU time.. I'll only sign this if you agree that whenever I need to go there, I can. Without notifying anyone."</div> <bR> <div> Jerry shrugged. "Done."</div> <bR> <div> <I>He must really need me to sign this contract.. </I>Mikono thought. She stared into her glass of soda for a minute more, and then she sighed. </div> <bR> <div> "I'm doing it," She said sternly, "For my mother." She scrawled out her signature, in both Kanji and Romaji, and shoved it back over to Jerry. He stared at it a moment before taking it and sliding it into his briefcase. </div> <bR> <div> "Good. Nice. I'll see you in my office at 4:30." He said, leaving 1000 yen on the counter to pay for their drinks and snacks. </div> <bR> <div> Mikono stared after him, and then also immediately got up, deciding then and there to go see her mother.</div> <bR> <div> The air outside was slightly cool, and she pulled the hooded jacket she'd found in the closet of her quarters closely around her. </div> <bR> <div> "The city does feel cold, doesn't it? Especially when its protectors are so distant," a female voice echoed from around her. Mikono turned around, and behind her stood a petite, mostly pink female Ultra. </div> <bR> <div> Mikono frowned. "W...Who are y..." She began, but she suddenly found herself engulfed in Sakura petals. When her vision cleared, the figure was gone. The Sakura petals landed on the ground, and disintegrated. </div> <bR> <div> <I>An Ultra?! </I>Mikono thought, looking at the ground. She shook her head, thinking she had to be seeing things. That dream.. or something. Something was screwing with her head. </div> <bR> <div> She looked back up, preparing to catch the bus to the hospital, but instead of a ritzy city street in front of a cafe, she found herself in the middle of a rocky clearing. </div> <bR> <div> "What the hell?!" She cried. </div> <bR> <div> Suddenly, she sensed something behind her, and she turned around just in time to see the same pink Ultra woman as before swinging a pink sword at her. </div> <bR> <div> "DIE, ULTRACHIBI 85!!!" The Ultra screamed, her voice powerful and furious. </div> <bR> <div> ***</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 32 A burning kiss"><U>Chapter 32</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ultra Symphony"><U>Back</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>