Balance Policy: Chapter 14

BALANCE POLICY

CHAPTER 14, THE EPILOGUE OF THE MANGA

.....And so that day, Kenji was taken away to Tokyo in a mini-van, supposedly never to be seen again....

**FIFTEEN YEARS LATER**

It's a hot summer day. Very hot ! The figure of an adult man can be seen in the distance, walking in the middle of the narrow roadway. Despite the hot weather, he is dressed in a shirt and tie, dress pants, and yet carrying his business jacket over his arm. He is sweating profusely, as he nears his destination. Silently, he thinks to himself as he wipes the sweat from his forehead; it has been fifteen summers since he was last here. Eventually, he comes upon a long deserted house. He looks up at the house, it has obviously been unoccupied for quite some time. Yet, it is in remarkably good shape. He thinks back to about 15 years ago.....Back then, Kenji had apparently made up their mind not to return, and that is why Kenji had been weeping so profoundly. Everything is quiet, except for the sounds of the cicadas. "They must not be here yet...", he thinks to himself.

Back then, fifteen years ago, the man recalls, he looked everywhere on the 'Net, but Kenji was not to be found at all. There was no trace of Kenji anywhere. After much painful searching, the one looking for Kenji come upon a vague clue. Kenji has said that they spent time in the hospital with another patient that was being changed from male to female. That one was named "Gorou" (see Chapter 5). Fortunately, he had found information on the Internet of a transformed person named "Goro". The same person ? Maybe ? The Goro on the Internet had also been searching for Kenji, but had always come up blank, too. In the end, there was no trace of Kenji anywhere in the country, or on the Internet. None whatsoever !

Suddenly, a baseball comes rolling by the feet of the man. A voice calls from behind him, "Play catch....?" The man asks a boy of about 8 or 9 years old who he is, but the boy is silent. The man recognizes the baseball glove that the boy is holding over his one hand. He has seen that glove before....! A pretty, attractive young woman steps out from behind a bush. She remarks, "Are you Masaomi-kun ? Pleased to meet you at last !" The man muses to himself, ....he....no, she, is Sakura Fujisawa (formerly known as Goro Fukuyama). She had contacted me once more, after a long time, saying that she wanted to see the birthplace of Kenji. Masamoi asks if the boy is her son ? Yes, his name is Daisuke, 8 years old.

Masaomi remarks to Sakura that she looks the very same as a photo of her from fifteen year ago. She looks like she has not aged a day over 16 years old. You really think so ? Silently thinking to himself, Masaomi recounts that those who undergo the transformation under the Balance Policy, also are treated in such a way that their bodies natural aging processes are paused or slowed down, so that their youthful bodies can produce more children. It is said that this does not extend their natural life span, only that they retain their youthful appearance well into middle age. Sakura says that she will soon turn 30 years old. Why, she still looks like a teenager !

Putting on a catcher's mit, Masamoi catches a ball thrown by Daisuke. Sakura asks if Kenji really wanted to disappear of their own accord ? Explaining, Masamoi relates that if someone who was transformed wants to, they can enter a Security Program, relocate and move away from everyone they know, and live the rest of their lives as someone totally different from who they had been. It's quite likely that Kenji decided to use that program. A thrown baseball smacks into Masaomi's mit. Sakura asks if Kenji had a crush on your older sister ? Replying, Masaomi says that was supposed to be a secret, but maybe Kenji confided in you. It certainly looks that way. What happened to your sister ? In the end, reveals Masaomi, she sorta eloped..... ummmm ..... with another woman....! Wow ! My sister was romantically attracted to only other women, that was something that she was so careful to conceal. Sakura comments that seems like it would emotionally be painful. Have you heard from your older sister since ? No, not a word.

Baseballs are traded back and forth. Mi-Ko has heard from my sister, relates Masaomi. They were close to one another. What has happened to Mi-Ko ? She got married, and moved to Kyushu. She has had a few kids by now. What about you, Masaomi ? Married ? He observes that Sakura sure is asking a lot of questions. Married ? No, never did marry. Masaomi's girlfriend left him because he was always working so hard. Married to your job, right ? Yeah ! Well, good for you, Masaomi. Sakura now calls to Daisuki, saying it is about time to go. We are going to the amusement park today ! Daisuki places his baseball mit on the porch, and follows his Mom. Leaving, Sakura says that they will meet again sometime, and we can talk more later. Sure ! Until then, goodbye !

Masaomi watches the two walk away, turning the corner of the house, and disappearing from sight. With his back to the front door of the house, he hears it slide open. Turning, he sees who opened the door and is standing in the door's threshold---***KENJI !!!*** **Seemingly fifteen-year-old Kenji, wearing the same sailor suit that she wore the first day when the two met, after Kenji got back from her transformation, so long ago !** Both silently stare at one another for a long, long time. Finally, Kenji speaks---

"YO ! Masaomi ! Long time, no see !"

"Uh....'bout fifteen years or so.....It's like time has stopped for you, Kenji !", replies Masaomi.

Kenji relates that she wore the very same sailor suit today, just so as to surprise you. It's not the sort of woman's outfit that I wear these days. I'm nearly thirty years old, after all, same as you !

"So....are you surprised to see me again ?"

"No, not really !"

Masaomi continues, relating that we used this very same baseball glove when we played together, remember ? And here it is in perfect condition after all this time, well taken care of. The obvious conclusion is that Goro and Kenji were up to something together....!

**"DON'T GIVE ME THAT B.S., MASAMOI !", barks out Kenji.**

Confessing, Masaomi says that he doesn't miss little clues like that, no matter how small. After all, I now work in the **Confidential Information Division of the National Balance Policy Organization  !**

Kenji gives him a sour look for a while. Finally, Kenji asks if he knew where she was all this time ? Yeah! So why didn't you come and visit me, Masaomi ? It would have been against the rules and policies of the Organization. Staff members like me, who knew someone who was part of the Balance Policy Program, are forbidden to contact them later. Kenji, with her back to Masaomi, remarks that you have grown up quite a bit, plus you are a professional. That was because of you, Kenji. Masaomi goes on to relate that you, Kenji, said, "Be a man, for my sake!" You're telling me that, before you disappeared, has kept me working hard and doggedly going on all these years.

Going over to the door threshold, Kenji retrieves the baseball glove, and puts it on. "Hey, Masaomi...", begins Kenji, "Since you work in the Confidential Division, then you know what happened to my Father, don't you ?" Yeah, I do! Masaomi goes on to relate that he knew that Kenji had a weakened heart, before, or because of, the transformation. That is the reason that Kenji was taken back to Tokyo so soon after she had returned home. Ten years later, when Kenji was about 25 years old, her heart began to fail. Her Father pleaded with the doctors and surgeons to give Kenji his own heart, thereby ending his own life. This they agreed to do. An operation like that, upon a transformed girl, would have to be carried out in complete secrecy, and never be publicly revealed.

"My Father..", confides Kenji, "...his wish for my successful transformation, resides here inside of me now. I don't know, even now, why my Father did what he did. I will have to live a lot longer, and come to realize a lot more things, to understand all of what he did. Yet his heart, inside a 30-year-old me, is that of a 55-year-old man. But my feeling is that my Father was a 'real man', after all."

Next, Kenji states that she has decided to move back here again, and to once again live in this house. She is also rescinding her Security Coverage. Masaomi points out that Nee-chan, his older sister, does not live here anymore. Don't be an idiot, replies Kenji. That is not why I am coming back. I just like the taste of the water here, same as before (see Chapter 1) ! Kenji bends down to get the baseball from the ground, and she does the same thing that she did fifteen years ago---Wearing a short-hemline, pleated skirt, as she bends down, she inadvertently shows Masaomi her white panties ! She then slaps the baseball into the glove, as she offhandedly remarks---

"Anyhow, Masaomi....you are living and working in Tokyo, right ? If you ever get some time off, you might come back and visit me occasionally. I'll be waiting for you, I'm not going anywhere, I'm not going away. And I don't plan on having children !" Masaomi sighs, but a smile comes across his face. "Sounds good...I will do just that !"

He then puts on the other baseball mit, and the two begin playing catch, just like they did before. This goes on silently for quite a while. After the game of catch is over, Kenji earnestly speaks---

"Say Masaomi....?"

"Huh....?"

"Next time you come here to see me, wanna get together, and do what we always did, when we were teenagers back then .... ?"

"Yeah, sure ! You want us to begin dating ...... ?"

"Well .... yeah .... maybe .... probably .... "

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Sakura and Daisuki are approaching the entrance to the amusement park. She notices that it is especially crowded today, mostly with children. Of all the children, about three-forths or more of them are boys, with one-forth or less being girls.......

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(End of the Epilogue)