"What is wrong with you?"

Mieko stared into the bathroom mirror after splashing her face with water. She pointed at the exit while she whispered at her reflection in a harsh tone. Having spent so much time alone, it was a bad habit she had picked up. She would often find herself talking to the mirror in order to work through her thoughts, as well as give her the illusion of human contact. She rubbed her eyes and then looked up at herself, "You have so few friends, are you really going to risk everything over... over..."

She bit her lower lip as she put both hands on the sink. She leaned in, turned on the water and stared at the faucet as a steady stream poured out and swirled around before disappearing down the drain. She found this soothing and it helped her collect herself. She just stood there for several minutes as she tried to collect her thoughts. Out of the corner of her eye...

Something on the sink caught her attention.

----

Toshi stared at the closed door and though about knocking on it to ask if she was okay, but he heard the sound of running water and thought better of it, ~I wonder if I screwed up, or if she is just nervous.~ He paused before adding, ~Or she just really had to go. Maybe I'm overthinking this.~ He looked around, not really seeing any place to sit. He walked over to the mattress lying in the corner and dropped his butt down on it.

As the mattress depressed under him, he heard a soft crinkling sound.

He paused, squinted, then bounced up and down on the bed. As he did, he heard more crinkling. A sound he knew well, which is why he made sure to put his... what he thought this was... on the far side of his bed so this very thing wouldn't happen. Toshi bit his lower lip, ~I shouldn't.~ He slowly grinned and listened to hear if the water was still running.

It was.

Toshi, quietly, slowly, reached down, pulled up the mattress and reached under it to see if there were any... shall we say...

Periodicals of ill repute.

----

Mieko turned and spotted the bottle of pills her mother had given her.

She smacked her forehead, "GAH!" Then covered her mouth and looked at the door, hopping she had not been heard. There was no response from beyond the frame, so she relaxed and picked up the bottle, "Birth control... that affects your hormones, yes? Ah. That's why mom said take a pill before you go on the date! I bet it stops you from being so..." She cleared her throat and opened the bottle, "So... thirsty." She tapped a pill out into her hand and stared at it, "A little late to be taking it now."

She considered her options then tapped out a second pill, "Maybe... double up so it works faster?"

She stared at the two, then filled up the cup she kept on the sink. She almost swallowed the pills, then seemed to think better of it and put them both back, "Maybe I should just grin and bear it. It is not like I need to worry about getting any at this point."

----

As Mieko stepped out and the door closed behind her, her mother glanced over her shoulder to make sure she was alone. The candles on the shrine all started to flicker in the same direction. Mieko's mother smiled softly as she turned to face her visitor.

The visitor stepped out of the shadows and commented softly, "That was not the outcome I was expecting, Rin"

Rin bowed in response, "You honor me with your presence." She straightened up, but kept her head bowed to some degree at all times. It might be better to say she was averting her gaze, "Do you disapprove?" The visitor replied coolly, "No. As we stated before, we leave how to handle this up to your judgement. She is your daughter, after all." He turned away from the door to look at the head mistress of the shrine, "I am curious as to why you did not tell her the complete story."

Rin simply spread her hands, "After talking with her, I came to the conclusion that she lacks any sort of subterfuge. Trying to tell her what to do would not work. It is far better to just... push her in the right direction." The visitor nodded, "I see. Well, she is by far our preferred candidate. There are... other options, but if we had our choice, we would prefer her." Rin looked mildly concerned. The visitor spoke softly, "Please. Speak your mind."

Rin rolled her hand in the air, "Couldn't you just... err... make him?"

The visitor shook his head, "That is not possible. It has to be his choice, even if mundane coercion is involved. It would be far too risky to force the issue." Rin  bowed her head, "I understand. I am just concerned that he will choose wrong. You-" The visitor made a sweeping hand gesture to cut her off, "We have already taken measures to correct the oversight. Someone who is a suitable rival to Toshi has already been acquired. It... wasn't easy, and a bit risky, but we feel that the replacement will do a fine job stealing Naora's heart. We have studied much of your modern romance literature. She will find him irresistible. "

Rin let out a sigh as if she was holding her breath, "That is good to know. I was worried, especially with the plan-" She was cut off again by the visitor, "You are aware that those pills were given to you to be used on Toshi, yes?"

Rin nodded slowly, "Yes. I only gave her a few and... well... I know my daughter. She is far too straight laced. If she is going to get anywhere with Toshi, she is going to need to grow a spine. Boys do not like having to chase a girl. They wish to be chased." The visitor nodded slowly, "Ah. So you told her the aphrodisiac was birth control so she would be more aggressive, while at the same time remain fertile. An excellent plan." He kept nodding, "I expected no less from you." Mieko's mom smiled and dipped her head, "Why thank you." She raised her eyes to look at his collar with a smile, "And as long as she takes it as instructed, there shouldn't be any problems."

----

Toshi sat there with eyes the size of dinner plates.

There were several hentai magazines under Mieko's mattress. Enough porn to make a sailor green with envy, and raunchy enough to make Larry Flint blush. As he rifled through the various titles, one jumped out at him:

CELEBRITY RAPE ISLAND.

It was a particularly nasty, hand-drawn manga about an island where sadistic human (female) traffickers kidnapped famous people (male) and subjected them to horrifying sexual torture. On the cover was a picture of this issue's piece de resistance.

The main attraction had more than a striking resemblance to Honey Whitefox.

----

Mieko tapped three pills into her hand and tossed them back. Washing them down with a gulp of water, she stared at her reflection.

"Better safe than sorry."