Shoujoai ni Bouken: Adventures of Yuriko

The Story So Far: Yuriko confirmed that Ryo was the one who sent her the news clipping of her parents' deaths. She's decided to not pursue the issue. On the bright side, she's caught up on all her homework!


Volume 4, Issue 12

"Good Fortune"

"'Morning!" Yuriko greeted the classroom at large. Several young faces looked up with pleasure and returned the salutation. She could see Aya and Sayaka hunched over something small, their heads close together over her sempai's desk.

Leaning over Sayaka's other shoulder, Yuriko asked, "What's up?" and grinned as both girls jumped.

"Yuriko-kun!" Sayaka yelped. "I didn't even see you come in."

"Not the way you were concentrating, no. What's so interesting?" She peered down at the object. "A calculator?"

"It's a fortune calculator." Aya said. "You put in the pertinent info and it gives you a horoscope reading."

"Oh." Yuriko had no interest at all in fortune telling. She dropped down into her seat as Aya continued.

"Look, we'll do yours. You're a Pisces, right?"

Yuriko rolled her eyes. "There's no privacy around here," she complained.

"It's not my fault they print your birthday with every magazine interview you give," Aya said pointedly.

Yuriko stuck her tongue out, but watched as Sayaka keyed in her birthday.

"Time of birth?"

"8: 47 AM."

"Place?"

"Tokyo."

Sayaka looked over at the blonde. "I thought you grew up in the north."

"I did," Yuriko confirmed, "But I was born here in town."

Sayaka asked a few more questions, and punched the big red key with some finality. She squinted at the small screen, reading the "horoscope" as it scrolled by. "You thrive when you are...performing many tasks at once.... The more projects you have...the better. Consider...delegating some duties...and don't be afraid to turn down...undesirable invitations."

Yuriko smiled. "I sincerely doubt that my agent would agree with that."

"Mine said that I shouldn't begin any new projects until I finished some of the old ones." Sayaka said. "I have no idea if that's accurate or not," she laughed.

"How about yours?" Yuriko looked up at Aya, who turned beet red.

Sayaka giggled. "Aya-san's horoscope said that her love life was exciting right now."

"It also told me that my family is a good place to turn for support, so there you go," Aya grumped. "It just goes to show you how wrong that thing can be."

"I've never been into astrology," Yuriko admitted. "It always seemed kind of silly to me."

Sayaka waved the calculator. "But look, this does eastern star charts too. I'm a Rat, Aya-san is a Pig. You'd be a...Snake, right?"

"Fire Snake." Yuriko confirmed.

"How do you know that, since you're not into this?" Sayaka grinned.

"Because," Yuriko insisted, "I have fans who are, and* they* send me all sorts of charts and stuff. They know more about me that I do half the time."

Aya laughed, "like your favorite food that you mentioned offhand once in an interview, that kind of thing?"

"Worse, like where I go for dinner most often, who my favorite musicians and writers are..."

"We all know that!" Sayaka said with an evil grin. "Who your favorite writer is, I mean."

Yuriko narrowed her eyes. "Ha ha."

"Here we are," Aya interrupted casually. "Fire Snake - The Snake is intense and passionate, just as likely to take out the castanets as to climb mountains. Snakes are charming and romantic. Possessing tremendous wisdom, they are deep, quiet thinkers, calm by nature. You often get involved in great causes, bigger than life, and serve as a mentor to the young. You will have an abundance of good fortune and a long and prosperous life."

"Wow." Sayaka said. "I wish I were you."

Aya nodded and continued, "The Fire Snake is like a meteor in the sky, brilliant and alive. People love to be in the company of this very graceful Fire Snake, who is always pleasant, provocative, humorous, and quick-witted. Because of their ambition, perseverance, and infinite patience, and wise financial moves made early in life, their fortunes grow steadily. Relationships follow the same path, through faithfulness, perseverance, and willingness to make relationships really work, the future is always bright." The girl looked over at Yuriko, glaring at her. "This is completely unfair, you realize."

"And also completely inaccurate!" Yuriko protested. "I have little ambition, no perseverance, I'm a bad speaker and not even remotely good in relationships!"

Aya and Sayaka exchanged glances. "Sure," they said at the same time. In a conspiracy of sulking, they completely ignored Yuriko's further protestations until the teacher arrived.

Continued