"The Key, The Secret !"

Banzuke, Sumo Toshiyori, Part 13

"Is there anything we should all know about the ‘Browrock beya’, Oyakata ??" asked Daikonran, the next morning after practice as he sat on the raised agari-shiki platform clad in his Yukata playing a game of Mah-jongg against the wizened shar-pei. All around them, most of the other wrestlers in the lower ranks were sweeping the training areas floor or engaged in some kind of domestic chore to keep the Shohoku beya clean, tidy and running efficiently.

"No, I have confidence…you just all do your best…." muttered the wrinkly retired wrestler as he thoughtfully made his move with the discoloured old ivory tiles.

"Don’t you even have a video of them wrestling or whatever, so we could study their technique…..??" the humble giant panda pushed him further, as he took his own turn.

"Maybe Kakera have one, perhaps ?…but you could spend all the time between now and tomorrow studying it…and it still not help, only serve to confuse you further……".

"Please Oyakata-sensei…. I only want us to all do well, and not bring dishonour to your Beya…." gushed Daikonran, bowing his head respectfully as he spoke.

"You not…." mused the Japanese canine, as he moved another tile "If I not thinking any of you, any good, would have been sending you all home long time ago….". Daikonran just nodded, solemnly and Mr Yamamoto continued with a knowing smile "Oyakata of Browrock Beya just…how you say ?, ‘throwing his weight around’ he must have been find out I have lot of ‘gaijin’ wrestlers training here, and wanting to challenge us….. A lot of other Beya’s look down on Shohoku as we so small…just myself, Kakera and Hikari…..".

"And Renjiro……" added Daikonran, hopefully.

"Yes, if he stay…..I am not sure his Father really wanting him too….".

Daikonran swallowed as he said that and looked sheepish, "I understand that, Oyakata… I….I..think….".

"You have to return home to be taking over family business, I have feeling you might ??" suggested the shar-pei, guessing what was choking up the giant panda.

Daikonran just nodded sadly, "I want to stay, Oyakata…REALLY I do…. I want to do Sumo until I’m old and my furs tinged with grey…but it’s like I can’t run from my responsibilities or commitments forever….. It tears me up to think every time I step into the ring…it might be one of my last times…..".

"I got the impression from the look in your Fathers eyes, last time I spoken to him that he letting you come here so you ‘get it out of your system’. Not go to your grave wondering what it be like to train at a real Beya and live a life of regret….. Your Father VERY proud of you really, although he might not show it openly……".

"Y…Yes, Oyakata".

The elderly dog reached across the board of the game they had long since finished playing in favour of their conversation and put his right hand on the quavering pandas shoulder to comfort him.

"The day I retired from active Sumo, it was all I could do to stop myself from crying without control at my retirement ceremony…..but I knew I was taking over this Beya, so that make me feel a little better…..you realise if you DO change your mind now or ever, you are always welcome back at my Beya, that invitation extend to any of the others who came here after the international basho also…..all have impressed me in one way or another, and behaved admirably and being respectful to Sumo custom and traditions….".

"I hope we will all bring honour to your Beya, tomorrow……" repeated the panda, humbly "It was very good of you not to turn all the others away when they arrived unexpectedly like that….. I hope I speak for everyone when I say we want to do well, to show we all appreciate you and your Gashira taking us in and training us like you did…..".

"You all just do your best tomorrow, that’s all I ask… as I said before" nodded the elderly dog, focusing his attention back on the Mah-jongg tiles, "In truth, I shall miss all of you when you all flying home to own countries not long after…..Beya not be the same…..now let’s finish our game, it your turn I believe…!".

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"I dunno…I just can’t seem to get Natsuko out of my mind, an’ that other male feline she was with, ‘Nicky’ or whatever he was called…..". mused Ralph as he wandered into the Beya’s kitchen. [re-read end of part 7, series 4…] Colin was clad only in his Mawashi and ‘Piyo piyo’ apron as he was helping Kakera prepare the usual chanko-nabe that everyone would be eating later.

" ‘You SURE that’s wot he was called !" sneered the koala screwing up in large flat nose as he often did, as he spoke " ‘Don’t sound much like a Japanese name…".

"Yeah, mate….’Nicky’ or ‘Nikki’…. ‘something like that….although it kinda sounded like ‘Arnachy’……" mused the kangaroo, thoughtfully, "Aww, heck….y’know how limited my knowledge of Japanese is….." he added with an exasperated expression.

"You not meaning…’Aniki’ ??" interrupted Kakera, who couldn’t help overhearing them, as he was checking on the large stew pot, and giving it a stir with a large wooden spoon.

"Yeah, that were it…YEAH !!" blustered Ralph excitedly, his eyes going wide and his large ears twitching comically.

"You want know what it mean ?" muttered the massive grey rat, dryly.

"Yes…YES !!" he pleaded.

"Brother….!".

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"It be good to be havin’ za excitement of another Basho tomorrow, yah ?" the Mawashi clad rottweiler made small-talk as he swept the Beya’s training floor along with Ruffert.

"Yeah, I guess so….I’ll be good to end our time over here with a bit of a bang !" replied the alsatian.

"You both looking forward to going home then ?" asked Lyro, from where he was tiding the bedding cupboard nearby.

"Yah, I iz missing food of home, especially mine Mothers !!" muttered Knall, savouring the thought. Ruffert just shrugged his shoulders.

"Is anyone here thinking of staying, do you know…..?" asked Lyro, casually. Ruffert shrugged again, "I think Dai’ intended to, to begin with…..but I’m not so sure now…..’best to ask the others….".

"I vaus afraid, Shlank might be staying, for a vhile….." announced the muscular heavy accented German, "Vinning gone to hiz head to begin with, not so sure now, either….think he miss Deutschland very much too, and not like za idea of having to learn Japanese…..iz bad enough learn English !".

"It was lucky for us, the Oyakata and Gashira speak pretty good English, huh ?" added Ruffert with a rye smile as he carried on sweeping the Sumo training ring. "Oh, Hi Morgan….".

"Alright, you lot !" the brown bear who also just wore his Mawashi replied, as he wandered out of a side door closely followed by Renjiro.

"We have just both finish clean bathroom !" beamed the black velvety furred Japanese mole, holding up a bucket of cleaning materials, to illustrate what he’d just said, with a broad smile.

"We where all just talking about who might be staying on….." mused Ruffert, including them in the conversation he’d just been having with Knall and Lyro.

"I LOVE it here !!, cleaning the bathroom…I not mind !…’know if I train hard I become great wrestler one day !!" bolstered Renjiro, puffing up his chest with pride.

"Ummm, I’m just going to see the Oyakata, an’ Dai’…..’see you all later, alright !" muttered Morgan, pointed to the cross-legged pair sat at the other end of the room.

"You need report job done to zhem both, yah ?…. How you veel being Tsukebito to your panda friend, zen ??" asked Knall, leaning casually on his broomstick.

Morgan just shrugged his broad shoulders, "It’s OK, he’s just the same as when I normally train with him…..I guess… I’m just glad that I didn’t have to swap places with Valdis….".

"Ahh, zhey just joking to instil fighting spirit or somesuch….." blustered the stocky rottwiller. "Not repeat zhis, but Shlank it get to hiz head a little….he cool off a bit after I loose patience with him one time zhough…..He in Hikari’s room with him at moment…..he iz like ‘Teachers favourite’ !!".

"He IS the current International Sumo Lightweight Champion…so I suppose that is to be expected !" suggested Lyro.

"Look, I’ll see you all later, alright !" Morgan repeated, to excuse himself as he wandered off across the room, leaving them to their gossiping.

"Well, I’ve finished my chores…." announced Morgan bowing respectfully as he approached the Oyakata and Daikonran as they where still sat playing Mah-jongg on the raised platform at one end of the training area.

"Well done…" Mr Yamamoto nodded his approval. "Tell me, how you feel about tomorrow, Morgan ??" asked the wrinkly shar-pei quizzically.

The near naked light brown bear looked at his feet wearily, then back up and gave a slight sigh, "I’ll take it as it comes, Oyakata !". The retired former highly ranked wrestler pondered the reply for a few seconds, with a thoughtful expression.

"You sound like bear who not take things to heart too much….".

"I guess some MIGHT say that, Oyakata…" breathed Morgan, giving the giant panda sat opposite Mr Yamamoto a slightly contemptuous look as he said that.

"Daikonran was saying to me that perhaps you all should study video of Browrock beya wrestling…to study their technique….do you think that a good idea ?".

"I don’t see how it would hurt, Oyakata…it’s good to be ‘wise before an event’…but on the other hand, we could get a definite idea into our heads that maybe one wrestler favours a certain move….and then he might not even use it….".

"It would eliminate the ‘fear of the unknown’ though" Daikonran suggested, defending himself. "They wouldn’t have such a psychological edge over us, then…".

"I not know quite what you meaning……can you say that in Japanese, please !".

"Yes, Oyakata…’excuse me, Morgan….".

The brown bear just rolled his eyes and waited for the two of them to converse in Mr Yamamoto’s native language for a few moments.

"Well, if everyone have your attitude tomorrow, Morgan…I think everything be fine….." the Japanese canine smiled at the brown bear kindly, after he’d took in the translation by Daikonran.

"If you’ll allow us, Oyakata… my ‘Tsukebito’ Morgan and myself would like to go downtown into Ikybukuro for awhile….".

"Yes, of course….you were letting me win anyway, I think….." the shar-pei gave the panda a cunning look.

"N…no, Oyakata…you….." gasped the robed Daikonran as he stood up.

"You are TOO modest….." replied the wrinkly shar-pei as the two bears bowed humbly to him, "Just be sure be back in good time for Chanko we having later….".

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"Alright, you two !". The two bears were greeted by the Mawashi clad Jasper and Dennis working in the small cramped laundry room, as Morgan wandered in to get a Yukata to wear, as there were none hanging by the front door.

"This is almost like ‘work’ back home….only with less towels !" smirked the polar bear, " I really I hope my jobs still waiting for me when I get back, I thought my number was up when Decker and Nameh….y’know…?".

"You’ll be fine, Jasper….Decker’s off work with his groin strain injury from the last Basho at the moment, but he hasn’t quit his job as a car transporter driver at my fathers factory as far as I know…." answered Daikonran as he stood by the open doorway.

"Yeah, I guess so…I’m just being paranoid…." muttered the Canadian polar bear, as he carried on working.

"Ohh, suits you sir !" joked Dennis, as he passed Morgan a neatly folded Yukata emblazoned with the Beyas logo from the pile nearby and the light brown bear put it on.

"Thanks, Den’…it almost feels weird to wear clothes now, seeing as we just wear our Mawashi’s nearly all the time.

"Maybe we’re all closet ‘naturists’…?" smirked the badger, with a cheeky grin, "Hey, talking of Mawashi’s….take a look at what we just hand washed in readiness for tomorrow…." And he hooked a thumb in the direction of the window. Both Morgan and Dai craned their necks to see, hanging from the washing line outside were a whole load of brightly coloured silk Mawashi’s.

"It’s not exactly a candidate for the ‘Turner prize’ for art, but can you guess or see any ‘significance’ in the arrangement of the colours…" mused Dennis, pretending to be some sort of pretentious art critic. The brown bear and panda stifled a laugh, as it looked more or less like a gay pride rainbow flag.

"Anyway, I’d better ‘come out of the closet’ for now…" quipped Morgan, as he made his way back out of the tiny, almost cupboard like room to rejoin Daikonran, "See you both later, alright !".

"Umm, ‘later…my friends" added Dai.

" Hurry back, it’s Chanko for tea !" replied Dennis as he and Jasper nodded a goodbye to them.

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"Chanko…AGAIN !" sighed the Yukata clad Morgan, once the pair of them were outside and started walking the short distance down the road, into Ikybukuro, "Yum yum….." he added sarcastically.

"Morgan !!, that’s NO way to talk….." Daikonran rebuked him, "The Oyakata took us all in for free, fed us and kept a roof over our head….the least you could do is show a bit more gratitude !".

"Oh, I’m grateful alright… I’m just a bit bored of eating Chanko most of the time…It’ll be nice to have something different, Y’know I kind of feel a bit guilty not inviting Dennis and Jasper along with us ….".

"The point of it was so we could be ‘alone’ to talk, you’re the one who…." started Daikonran, feeling Morgan was contradicting himself after what he’d said originally.

"HHHEEEYYY!!!, Wait up you two !!" hollered a voice from behind them, and the sound of feet running to catch up. Turning around Morgan and Daikonran found themselves face to face with the two Australians, Colin and Ralph, also dressed in Yukata’s emblazoned with a repeat design of the Shohoku Beya’s logo.

"Are you guys goin’ down into Iky’…." asked the koala, who’d been the one who’d called out.

"Yeah, we were about to go on our invisible motorbike….want a lift ??" sneered Morgan, feeling a bit miffed that a rare chance of some privacy he was about to share with Dai’ was about to be shattered.

"Hey, chill out mate….we wus only askin’….." pouted the koala, wrinkling his nose as he often did.

"We were just going back to the Hotel….. we just wondered if you were going that way too….." offered Ralph, "If not, that’s cool…..".

"Yeah, Raphie here wants to invite the love o’ his life to see him at the Sumo Basho tomorrow……" blustered Colin, pointing accusingly at the slightly embarrassed sandy coloured kangaroo.

"Rack off, Col’…you’re supposed to be my Tsukebito remember !, where’s your R-E-S-P-E-C-T !!".

"Left it back at the Beya !" quipped the Koala as they walked along side the two bears.

"He’s right you know…." added Daikonran is his usual silky smooth calm voice, "Just because the Oyakata or Gashira aren’t here breathing down your neck, you shouldn’t let standards slip…..".

"….An’ you might be the first Australians most folks over here will have ever seen in real life, and do you want ‘em thinking EVERYONE ‘Down under’ is like you ?, you’re representing your country in a way !!" added Morgan, immediately cringing inwardly for saying something so ‘parental’.

"I gave up tellin’ him that after the first ever International Basho…." sighed Ralph, rolling his eyes in despair.

"Yeah, yeah…." snorted the boisterous koala dismissifully, "I won’t let ‘the side’ down tomorrow, so stop stressin’…"

"Glad to hear it !" whispered Daikonran as they continued strolling along in the cool early evening air, "I wouldn’t want to be you, if you’d angered Mr Yamamoto, Hikari or Kakera…..".

"Look, we’re four single guys out on the town in Japan, tonight….we won’t be here much longer, so lets just have a laugh while we can, eh ?" announced Colin. The small group of Yukata clad Sumo students wandered along in contemplative silence for awhile, until they were nearly in sight of the towering high rise Hotel Metropolitan.

"Can you guys keep a secret ?" muttered Dai’ in the direction of the Australians.

"Ummm, yeah….I guess so…" replied Ralph.

"Go ahead, ‘mate’…." added the Koala, eagerly. Morgan shuddered, fearful of what he was about to hear.

"Well, they’ve recently overhauled the Hotels Gym, and I’ve managed to acquire some of the old stuff….".

"And…??" gasped Colin a little perturbed, hoping he was going to hear a juicer secret than that.

"I’m going to get it delivered to the Beya just before we all leave, ‘sort of call it a ‘thank you/goodbye’ present, ‘ say it’s from all of us….I’ve brought a card that we can all sign too…".

"Errr, that’s great….." mused the koala, as they approached the hotel’s glass fronted lobby.

"Ripper !" added Ralph, "Bet they’ll be well chuffed, but do you think the Oyakata will accept it, he won’t be offended like you’re treating him like a charity case or something ??".

"I don’t expect so, hopefully he’ll accept it in good grace as it’s given as a gift….".

"Yeah, we’ve been scoffing his food, kipping on his floor and trained by them, all for nothin’, seems fair to me…" muttered Colin, "WHAT !" he snarled at the other three looked at him in surprise, "It’s true, ain’t it ?!".

"Sorry mate, you ‘came over all sensible then for a sec, we wondered if we should call for a Doctor…." teased the taller kangaroo, looking haughtily down at him.

"RACK OFF, RALPHIE !" spat the quick-tempered koala, "Look, ‘we goin’ in this Hotel or WOT !?!".

"Yeah, in a minute… umm, so how did you manage to wrangle the gym gear….." Ralph directed the question to Daikonran, it was obvious to Colin that his friend was nervous about going in to see Natsuko.

"Well, my Father pulled a few strings… Seeing as how he’s ‘in’ with this Hotel….I told him about how so many of us ended up at the Beya and it just went on from there…." replied the panda, not wanting to go into too much detail and sound like a spoiled single cub of rich parents.

"Your dad sounds like a pretty good bloke, doesn’t he hassle you about getting a job an’ stuff though…’cos mines getting like that…".

"Yeah, none of us are gettin’ any younger !" snarled Colin, tapping his right wrist as though he was pointing out the time on a watch.

"I’m supposed to take over the family firm, yes….and as I’m an only son….it’s not like I really have much choice….." the panda replied politely.

"Yeah, mines getting all heavy about me runnin’ a surf hire hut on the beach back home, it’s ‘good business…especially in the tourist season…but he wants me to get a ‘proper’ shirt an’ tie job in the city like him……".

"Listen, I hear sad violin music playin’….." cut in the koala sarcastically, cupping a hand to one of his large furry ears as if he was directing the sound towards it. "Are we goin’ in OR WOT !!", he repeated his earlier insistence, as though he was a young cub out with it’s mother.

"Yeah, it’s getting a bit cold standing out here in the early evening air…." added Morgan with an impatient sigh. Daikonran nodded, and made a move towards the hotel’s front door.

"W..wait !" blurted Ralph, nervously. The other three turned to look at him in bewilderment, "Umm, it’s nothin’….never mind….".

Once inside, Ralph shuffled nervously over to the reception desk, closely followed by Colin. "D’you think you could sit on one of those seats over there, mate…or go look in the gift shop or somethin’…" he whispered to the koala, "I don’t want you crampin’ me style…I’m nervous enough as it is…..".

"Yeah, whatever…." snorted Colin, taking the hint. "Hey where are you two, off’..??" he called to Morgan and Daikonran who had wandering across towards the lift.

"Umm, we’ve got to see about the Gym equipment….." replied the giant panda, rapidly stepping inside the lift behind Morgan and jabbing the top floor button.

"Hey, can I come along too ?…..aww, never mind….." sighed Colin, as the lift doors swished shut before he could walk across to join them.

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The bears stood inside the lift in silence, each lost in their own thoughts as it wound its way to the top floor, stopped with a slight lurch, and a chime heralded the opening of the doors.

"Well, here we are again….." announced Daikonran, immediately hating himself for saying something so lame and obvious to break the uncomfortable silence between them, as the panda produced the key, walked over to the doorway and unlocked it.

"Yeah….." snorted Morgan, giving him a scathing look, as they both wandered inside the Hotel Metropolitan’s palatial top floor Jacuzzi, "We’ve FINALLY been able to get some privacy…I was afraid we’d never be able to shake those two Aussies off….".

"Oh, they’re harmless enough…Ralph Harris just wants to invite that pretty Siamese receptionist he’s got a crush on to come and watch him at the Sumo tomorrow…I think it’s sweet, kinda romantic…" mused the giant panda in his silky smooth, ever calm voice.

"Romantic….?!, that ‘thing’ most of us haven’t been getting’ for the best part of a month ‘cos we’ve been living like monks back at the Beya….?!"

"Please, my friend….don’t be like that…..can’t we just……" pleaded the giant Panda, looking a little hurt as he slowly peeled his Yukata robe off his broad shoulders.

"Can’t we just…WHAT!?…. What if those two start asking questions about how we just wandered off into the Hotel, I bet that koala will suspect something and tounges’ll start waggin’…..".

"We’ve got a cast iron, alibi….’checking on the gym equipment we’ve acquired, remember!…. THAT’S why I told them in advance, guessing they might question us later !".

"So what do you propose we do now ?, just have a quick fuck and forget about everything….." snapped Morgan as he closed and locked the door behind them, giving them the first true privacy they’d had in quite awhile. "Can’t say as I’m really in the mood, now….." he pouted, "I mean, ‘gotta keep our strength up for tomorrow, ‘don’t we ??".

"Would things be any different, if you’d have invited Dennis, Jasper and maybe Ruffert and any other gay wrestler back here to ‘Orgy central’….that’s what we normally end up doing here isn’t it….?" hissed Dai dryly, stopping as he was about to untie his Yukata’s belt. "I remember you saying you ‘had a headache’ when I first offered you the chance to come here, yesterday….".

Morgan just threw his arms up in the air in despair, "What are y’ sayin’…I only said, don’t you feel a bit guilty that we’re here and they’re…..".

"I also recall saying to you that we could just come here to ‘be alone to talk’, or are you suffering from Ruffert’s affliction and ‘thinking with your balls’ now ?" replied the panda, uncharacteristically raising his voice slightly.

"Oh, GREAT…. So we’ve come ALL this way just to have a blazing row…’in private’….." snorted Morgan animatedly flinging his arms up in air once again in tribulation. "You’re never going to forgive him for that incident with Randell are you…some of us MAKE mistakes you know, we’re not all ‘perfect’ like you and the almighty Oyakata an’ co….!"

"MORGAN, that’s no way to talk after the Oyakata and his two Gashira let us all stay, and train at their Beya for free….." Dai’ gasped, scarcely believing what he’d just heard, even if it was in the heat of an argument.

"You said that on the way here, NO need to keep repeating it over an’ over…Ahhhh, they’ve gotta be getting SOMETHING out of it, publicity by having a bunch of us gaijin [foreign] Wrestlers staying… I expect that’s what tomorrows all about…..".

"Ohhhh…. ‘is that partly what this is about ?" surmised Daikonran with a rye knowing smile as though he’d just learned a secret.

"HUH ?!??".

"About us taking on a rival Beya in a ‘friendly tournament’ of sorts at the Meiji-jingu near Yoyogi koen park, tomorrow…..Sunday".

"Yeah, a bit… I suppose…." sneered Morgan, folding his arms defencifully in front of himself, "It’s been bugging me a bit, I don’t want us to all look like side-show freaks….or for them to wipe the floor with us".

"Credit the Oyakata with more intelligence than that, I doubt he’d have accepted the challenge if he didn’t think any of us were good enough…and stop lashing out at ME and throwing a tantrum like a real little cub ??".

"Oh, I’ve not got a problem with tomorrows mini Basho, I’ll go through with it alright….. The sooner it’s over with and we all go home, the better if you ask me !".

"As simple as that ?".

"I guess so, yes….then we can go back to our ‘Normal’ life of ‘Domestic bliss’ ….and Sumo…" hissed Morgan with withering sarcasm, "THOSE of us who are going home that is…." he added, pointedly.

"Look, if it bothered you that much, why is it that YOU lead the charge….to the Beya, that is… so to speak….".

"DAMMIT DAI’ because I LOVE you, I couldn’t just get on that shuttle bus to the airport and fly back to the ‘States like that, after the last Basho….although it seemed as though you wanted me too !".

"It wasn’t easy for me to do that you know…. But I thought the opportunity to train at a real Beya was too good a opportunity to miss.."

"And good old reliable Morgan would just get in the way…..??".

"I NEVER said that….!"

"You didn’t seem that pleased to see me when I turned up on the Beya’s doorstep….".

"I was more shocked than anything else…especially that you had all those others in tow?".

"Can’t stand to see someone else take the lead, huh ?….".

"LOOK MORGAN, I don’t know HOW MANY times I have to keep laying it on the line for you….. Sumo isn’t forever, a wrestler can only be active in the sport for SO long as in any sport before he’s superseded by other, younger fitter up and coming Wrestlers…. I’ve got to take my Fathers place as the head of Kuma Motors before too long as you well know, So MAYBE I just want to enjoy it for as long as it lasts……".

"Ok, then…" snorted the light brown bear, "If we’re gonna REALLY kick things off…..What if I was to say choose between…’Sumo…or ME !!’….".

"Oh, Morgan…..didn’t we go over that the…..?" sighed Daikonran with a heartfelt sigh.

"FUCK IT, DAI’ !!!, aren’t you even going to raise your voice at me or something to defend yourself….you’re making me sound like a drunken idiot here….." shrieked Morgan.

"Well, I believe the phrase is ‘you said it, I didn’t’…." the giant panda rebuked him.

"I don’t drink and you know it !!, although there’s times you could drive me to it !!…… I’m surprised the almighty heavy weight Kakera isn’t convincing us to drink gallons of beer to get a big Sumo gut like his…..".

"I don’t think you should say disrespectful things like that…." snarled Daikonran. "The Oyakata says alcohol is for weak-minded FOOLS, I don’t think he even allows it in his Beya…..".

"Oh yeah, whatever your ‘Lord and Master’ says…." sneered the light brown bear, "Although I do agree with him on that…..".

"As do I " harrumphed Daikonran, glowering at Morgan from where he was stood opposite him, "And it may or may not surprise you to know that I’ve told my ‘Lord and Master’ as you put it, that I’m NOT staying on at the Beya now…..Congratulations ‘my friend’…you’ve WON !".

"Yo…you’re not…..?!" gasped Morgan, his muzzle hung open is shock.

"That’s right…over the game of Mah-jongg we where having earlier, maybe I should have called you over to witness the event…..!" scoffed the giant panda.

"No wait…I don’t want this thrown up in my face, forever more….".

"You won’t….." sighed Daikonran, reverting to his normal tone of voice and looking sorrowfully down at his feet. "I made the decision on my own… What I told the Oyakata was ‘I’d like to do Sumo until I’m old and my furs tinged with grey. But I can’t run from my responsibilities or commitments forever and that it tears me up to think every time I step into the Sumo ring that it might be one of my last times’…..".

"And….?" whispered Morgan, in his heart of hearts he felt he’d heard it all before.

"He said that he got the impression from looking in my Fathers eyes, the last time he spoke to him. That he let me come to the Beya to ‘get it out of my system’, and not go to my grave wondering what it would have been like to train at a real Beya and live a life of regret wondering what it might have been like….. "

"Umm, so that’s it then….." gulped Morgan, feeling a bit like a deflated balloon. "I guess our attempt at running a Sumo summer school all that time ago was a pretty poor second, huh…. Maybe we can take our ‘summer holidays’ here or something from now on…..?" suggested Morgan, hopefully trying to reach some sort of compromise, but inside he was still seething with rage.

"OK, So now can we just soak in the warm water and….." continued the giant panda reverting to his usual calm and smoothing voice, although to Morgan’s ears it sounded slightly patronising.

"Talk things through ?!" scoffed the brown bear, guessing at how Dai’ was predictably going to end his sentence as he angrily tore off his own Yukata robe and furiously began yanking at the flat knot behind his Mawashi to untie it. After all he’d been through at the Beya, the prospect of a steaming bubbling Jacuzzi was too much to resist…weather they’d just had an argument or not !.

"Yes….." was the simple, whispered reply from the downcast panda.

"Hey !, what are you doing….".

Morgan had strode over to the Jacuzzi and defiantly waded right in, "It’s NOT a ‘traditional’ Japanese bath, Dai’ " he sneered defiantly, "It’s a JACUZZI…an’ I’ve got into it as an ‘All American’ bear…for once !".

"Well, if you want to soak in your own sweat…go ahead !" replied the naked giant panda, as if he was chastising a little cub.

"Doesn’t that strike you as POINTLESS or STUPID…if we’re only probably going to end up fucking in it……" Morgan snarled back, angrily flicking some frothing water away from his muzzle as he lowered himself down onto one of the underwater ledge-seats.

"I guess because it’s tradition or something…. It’s just instilled in me !".

"You said a muzzleful there ‘my friend’…." hissed the soggy brown bear, as the panda stripped off and headed over to the bathing stools to shower himself off regardless, "Tra-dit-ion !…y’know it occurred to me last night when I couldn’t sleep….".

"What did ?" snorted Dai’ wearily, just wanting the argument to just run it’s course, as he washed himself off before bathing as was the Japanese custom.

"The way you ‘SEE’ me, or my place in ‘our relationship’…..".

"Oh….." breathed the panda, furrowing his brow and narrowing his eyes as he span around to look at him.

"You want me to be like the traditional subservient Japanese wife….don’t you ?…..putting ‘her’ husbands needs or wishes before her own !".

"I can see where you’re coming from with that, Morgan…but….".

"Why are you always so damn calm ALL the time ! ….do you have any idea how infuriating that is sometimes….." snarled the brown bear, reiterating that it was one of his shortcomings "It pisses off that Rasputin, NO end…..".

"That’s true…but it certainly helps psyche him out, pre-bout doesn’t it ?" Daikonran forced a smile.

"SUMO…" wailed Morgan in despair, swiping at the frothing waters surface in his anger with his right arm, "I wondered how many seconds it would be before that came back into conversation again….anyway, going back to what I was saying…..".

"That ‘I’ want you to be like the traditional subservient Japanese wife…..putting ‘her’ husbands needs or wishes before her own !" the patient panda earnestly reminded him, reciting what he’d just said. "What…what is it ??" gasped Morgan, as Daikonran snatched up a nearby large towel, and hurriedly started ruffling his fur dry with it.

"Aren’t you….??" pleaded the brown bear, gazing open muzzled at him, fearful that his lover was ignoring him, and intended to leave.

"I’m going back to my ‘Lord and Master’, you can stay in the Jacuzzi as long as you want, just be sure to lock up after yourself and return the key to reception on your way out…..".

"Dai’ don’t go…..please…." whined Morgan, "I realise I lashed out on you…I’ve been bottling it up for so long…I…..".

"I’m sorry my friend but there’s no ‘atmosphere’ in here, between us…." sighed the panda, as he began wrapping himself in his Mawashi again. In readiness to put on his Yukata and leave.

"I’ll stop being argumentative…I promise…." implored the brown bear, "It’s all just getting a bit overwhelming, and what with that contest tomorrow an’ everything else…. Look, think of all the happy times we’ve had in this Jacuzzi….. How this room’s rang with laughter when a whole load of us practically filled it to capacity, water spilling over the sides as we had one of our usual gang bangs…..".

"Yes, it does seem rather empty without the company of our friends, doesn’t it…." mused Daikonran. "I did feel a bit guilty not inviting some of them back here with us, but it wouldn’t be right to only invite one or two of them….and like you said, it might arouse suspicion".

"C’mon in…" encouraged Morgan, patting the side of the Jacuzzi.

"I don’t know…." mused Dai’ pretending to be coy, as he slowly unwrapped the length of Mawashi he’d wrapped around his groin and waist.

"We could have probably been able to snuck Dennis and Jasper back here with us, maybe even Ruffert too….." suggested Morgan with a grin, as Daikonran clambered into the ample Jacuzzi opposite him.

"You’ve always had a soft spot for him, haven’t you ?" whispered the panda.

"Yeah, I guess so…. He was there at the start, we where like the ‘Three Musketeers’ or something" the brown bear reminisced, fondly.

"All for one, and up the bum !" smirked Dai’, making a joke out of it, happy that they’d stopped yelling at each other. "I guess you’re right….I’ve always judged him a lot harder than you. I guess I felt angry and betrayed that he just went off with those wolves like he did…. Although his coming to the Beya to train with the rest of us has changed my opinion of him somewhat".

"And what about those that didn’t….??" asked Morgan, a little afraid they might be heading for another argument.

"Oh, I expect they all had their good reasons, Decker was injured, Rusty has his company to manage, Axel was due to visit his parents……. No doubt I can put in a recommendation to the Oyakata should any of them fancy the ‘Beya experience’…….".

"You make it sound like one of those ‘Reality based’ TV shows…." mused Morgan as he lulled back, getting comfortable in the warm swirling water.

"Yes, when you put it like that…I suppose it is kind of similar….although we’ve all stayed the distance".

"I very nearly left at one point….But was afraid how it would look after I was the one that ‘lead the charge’ to the Beya in the first place".

"I think a lot have thought about it at one time or another, my friend….but didn’t want to appear to be the weakest or whatever….anyway we’ve just got tomorrows little Basho against the Browrock Beya, and then we’ll all be flying home not long after that".

"Amen !" nodded Morgan, looking past the panda to the view through the panoramic tinted windows of Ikybukuro lighting up as darkness set in, "One things for sure, I’ll miss this view……" he mused, philosophically , "It’s kind of like in that ‘Koyaanisqatsi’ movie I saw when we were staying here".

"The view…oh…oh yeah…." Dai cast a look over his shoulder, then decided to wade across to sit beside Morgan so he could enjoy it with him. Full of trepidation, he snaked his muscular black furred arm behind the other bear, afraid that he might flare up. But Morgan let his head rest against one of the pandas pec’s as though it was a pillow, and Daikonran kissed him tenderly on top of his head.

"I do love you Morgan, really and truly I do….I could only ever love someone who loves Sumo nearly as much as me, as you must well know by now…. I don’t want you thinking that I’m taking you for granted or whatever, if you ever have a problem with me, just come right out and say it….".

"That’s not been exactly easy in the ‘straight acting’ Beya, y’know…." sighed Morgan, as he lovingly rubbed his partners white furred chest under the frothing water of the Jacuzzi.

"I know, yes…. I guess that’s why I didn’t want you to feel obligated to stay at the Beya with me, it would have put a considerable strain on our relationship….but I think we’ve ‘weathered that storm’ for now….." beamed the panda.

"Y’know….those things I said about Mr Yamamoto, Kakera and Hikari….I didn’t really mean them you know, it was the anger talking…..they’ve all been fantastic really. Sure, they’ve been strict, but only to push us to do well an’ stuff…..Hikari seems to have it in for poor Dennis a bit though…..".

"Oh, I think he’s just the type who decides on the spot weather he likes you or not…as far as I an tell, it’s got something to do with the Computer games they both like, as petty as it sounds" sighed Daikonran.

"I wonder if Mr Yamamoto will ever throw out his Playstation like he keeps threatening to do…..".

"Who knows, lets just enjoy the Jacuzzi for now….and wait and see what tomorrow will bring…..".

To be continued…

Dedicated to the ‘Urban cookie collective’…….

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