HOME | DD

Description
"Hana. Hana! Wake up!"

Hana opened her eyes, groaning slightly as she sat up and rubbed the spot on her forehead where she had rested it against the window.
She looked across the table to see Melody and Karin looking at her as they rose from their seats. To her left, Natalie was already up and pulling her bag out of the overhead shelf.

"Oh, we're here?" She looked out the window to see their train was approaching Waterloo Station.

"Yeah, so get ready to go! Time's a wasting!" Karin spoke loudly.

"Karin relax, we have loads of time." Melody sighed, looking out at the early morning sunrise. "That's why we took the early train, remember?"

"So? We still need to get to the Expo as early as we can to get a good spot in the queue. There'll be people waiting already."

"You're joking, right?" Natalie looked at Karin, wide eyed. "I mean, it's six in the morning and the convention doesn't start until eleven. No one will be queueing up that early."

"You underestmate fans, my dear." Karin wagged a finger at her. "They can wait days if they have to."

Hana chuckled at her friend's exaggeration and Natalie's reaction, then pulled out a notepad and a printed leaflet filled with the details for the London Comic Con.

One of the biggest comic and game conventions in the U.K, The Comic Con was one of those events Hana, Melody and Karin had always gone to whenever they had the chance. But this was the first time the three friends had been able to go together, and they had wasted no time in renting a hotel room to stay overnight and attend the con fully. For Natalie, it was the first time she had ever been to any convention, and she was overjoyed to be able to come with her older friends.

"Don't worry, we've got loads of time." Hana studied the notes she had written. "According to the schedule, we'll reach our hotel at about 6:30. That should give us time to freshen up and do a bit of shopping in Piccadilly Circus. Then at eight we head back, put our costumes on, and take the subway to the Expo Center. We should be there in plenty of time to pick up our tickets."

"See Miss Lark? Miss Williams has got it all figured out." Natalie smiled.

"Just so long as we can get in before it gets really crowded. I don't wanna wait ages to play the new games." Karin replied.

The train came to a stop at the station, and the four girls disembarked, walking towards the entrance to the subway.

Hana frowned trying to recall where to go. "Damn, I always get lost trying to remember how to navigate the subway..."

Natalie checked a map. "Let's see, the quickest way to get our hotel is on the Central Line, then from there we can visit Piccadilly Circus, then back to Waterloo to take the Jubilee Line to Canning Town."

"Right." Hana smiled at the younger girl. "Thanks Natalie. It's a good thing I put you in charge of navigation."

"No problem." Natalie shrugged. "It's the least I could do to say thank you for letting me come with you."

She grinned giddily. "I still can't believe I'll actually be attending this convention! I've head so much about it. Is it really as awesome as everyone says?"

"Even more awesome." Karin replied. "You get to play all the new games before they come out, they have Dance Dance Revolution tournaments.."

"Stalls selling all kinds of cool toys and collectables, thousands of comics and books.." Melody chimed in.

"The steampunk exhibition, meeting actors in person.." Hana said.

"It all sounds wonderful." Natalie fished in her bag. "But there's only one thing I really want to do while I'm there.."
She produced a CD case with a picture of three Japanese females posed on it. "Meet Perfume and get my CD signed."

"Perfume?" Karin blinked, confused. "I don't think they sell perfume at the convention, unless it's some kind of Final Fantasy branded stuff.."

"No, Perfume! The J-Pop group. They're my absolute favourite group, and they're playing and signing autographs!" Natalie spoke, excitement in her voice.

"They're not that annoying high-pitched sound I keep hearing whenever your phone rings, are they?" Melody teased.

Natalie pouted at her. "Laugh all you want. I think they're the best band ever, and I'm gonna get their autographs!"

Hana patted her friend's back. "That's the spirit Nat. Come on, everyone. The quicker we get our rooms, the quicker we can enjoy ourselves."

"YEAH!" The girls cheered in unison, and marched towards the entrance to the subway.
"Ooh, girls!" Karin piped up. "Once we're at Piccadilly, there's a shop I need to visit. Can we go there first?"

"Sure." Melody replied. "What are you getting?"

Karin smiled knowingly. "Something absolutely vital which every fangirl can't live without."

-----

Karin stood before the shop and held out her arms wide. "TAH DAAAAAAAAHH!!"

The other girls looked puzzled as they read the shop's banner, written in English, Japanese and Chinese.
"Oricon Treats and Groceries?" Hana said.

"Yep! They sell loads of food from Asia, including all those really yummy sweets from Japan. They got Pocky, they got Pochari Sweat, they even sell all those fancy Kit Kat bars! All the snacks we'll ever need are right here!"

"Karin.. you do know they have stalls selling Asian snacks at the convention, right?" Hana asked.

"Yeah, but they always jack up the prices on those stalls, it's ridiculous." Karin frowned. "Here, we can get it right from the source, and save a few quid."

"Sure, never mind those poor vendors who have to pay to rent space at the con.." Melody muttered.

Karin led the other's into the store. It was a small place, but its shelves were stacked high with loads of various sweets and snacks baring strange and foreign designs on their packaging. Natalie stared at them with awe in her eyes.

"Wow, there's so much here... what should we get?"

"Well, we'll need chocolate and Calorie Mate bars to keep our energy up." Karin delcared, already pulling things off shelves and dumping them into a basket. "Plus some Pocky and other small sweets to nibble on while we wait in the queues. Ooh! And drinks!"

Melody sighed. "Just don't buy so much this time. I still have nightmares about the last time you came to the Con, got high on sugar, and ended up humping a statue of Master Chief."

Karin paused to look at her. "You weren't there that year."

"I still got the photos sent to me. Every day for three weeks." Melody cringed.

Karin blushed before continuing her hoarding, while Natalie just looked at her in fright. "I don't want to know.."

Hana meanwhile, was examining the drinks cabinet, pondering which pack of beverages to take with them. There were plenty of regular soft drinks to choose from and some of her favourite iced tea, but since they were out for the day, it only seemed right that they bought something a little different...
Her eyes rested on a display of pink plastic bottles, adorned with a vivid green and blue label which depicted a mass of foaming bubbles. Curious, she picked one up and studied the name emblazoned across the label.

"Buroti Cola... hmm"

She turned to the bored looking Japanese man sitting at the counter, reading a paper. "Umm, excuse me... what exactly is this?"

The shopkeeper looked up and put on a friendly expression. "Oh that? That's a new product that just came out. It's pretty good stuff."

"Really?" Karin leaned her head over Hana's shoulder. "What's it taste like?"

"Oh, it's like a cola, but they've done something different to the way it's carbonated." The shopkeeper explained. "Whatever they do, they make it twice as bubbly as a normal soft drink."

"Oooh, sounds nice."

"It is actually. I've tried one for myself..You can literally feel the bubbles dancing and popping in your mouth. It feels a little weird at first, but it does improve the flavour a little."

Hana pulled some coins from her pocket and grabbed a bottle. "Well, I'm intrieged. I'll try one."

She handed over her money, then twisted off the bottle's top. The second she did, the liquid began to loudly bubble and fizz.

"Oh my.. that is some powerful carbonation. Must be using some kind of glycerin..."

The other girls watched her with anticipation as she tilted the bottle to her lips. Hana's eyes opened wide with delight as the liquid hit her tongue. It was indeed a tasty cola, but it was the bubbling sensation which really surprised her. Sure enough, she could feel the drink bubbling in her mouth even as she drank, the bubbled popping all around her mouth and releasing more flavour.

"Well? How is it?!" Karin eagerly asked.

"Wow! It really does bubble on your tongue." Hana exclaimed. She handed the bottle out. "Here, give it a try."

Karin snatched the bottle and took a swig. While she let out an excited giggle as she felt the drink bubble down her throat, Melody and Natalie took the opportunity to sample it for themselves.

"This stuff is amazing!" Melody declared.

"I know. I'm surprised we don't sell it over here." Natalie added.

"Well, they damn well ought to." Karin faced the shopkeeper. "So, how much does this stuff cost again?"

-----

Meanwhile, several thousand miles and another time zone away in Tokyo, Japan...

Kenji Wakamoto jogged through the corridors of Funami Beverages central office, racing toward the office of the CEO as fast as he could.
He still couldn't believe this had happened. For years the company had operated with a perfect record, no complaints or errors with their products. And now, something had happened which could ruin their reputation for good.
He barged into the massive office, where the President of the company, Mr Funami, was busy at his desk,typing at a laptop.

"Sir!" Wakamoto stopped before the desk, managing to quickly bow before his boss. "I'm sorry for the interruption but.."

The older man stared up from his laptop. "Wakamoto, do you mind? I am in the middle of filling in some important documents, and I do not care to be interrupted..."

At that moment, the voice of a young girl called out from the laptop. "Ah, Oni-Chan! Are you going on a date with Kaori-chan tonight, or spending the day with me?"

Both men looked at each other for several moments before Mr Funami closed the laptop with as much dignity as he could muster.

"Alright, what's the matter?"

Wakamoto pulled out some of the papers he'd been holding in the crook of his arm. "Well, it's like this sir. You know our recent cola product, Buroti Cola?"

"Ah yes, that's the really bubbly drink, right? Sales have been good, I trust?"

"Yes sir, sales have been really great, especially among teens... that's not the point! The point is, something has happened to a batch of the Buroti Cola which was recently shipped from our Sapporo plant."

Mr Funami quivered in worry. "Something's wrong with the cola? Its... its not poisonous, is it?"

"No no sir, its nothing like that, though it's still doesn't look good for us.."

Wakamoto placed a paper full of chemical data and equations on the desk. "As you may know, our men in the chemicals department created a new carbon dioxide mixture to put into Buroti Cola, giving it a much more powerful fizz effect than any other drink on the market. But something went wrong with one of our recent batches. The mixture was formulated incorrectly, creating a mix of cola which is ten times fizzier!"

"And... that's a bad thing?" Funami asked.

"We didn't think so at first, but when we tested this wrong formula, we found something disturbing." Wakamoto pointed at a graph. "The formula is fizzier, but completely safe in normal conditions. But then the liquid is heated to 37 degrees, which is about normal body temperature, a stange reaction occurs."

He produced a photograph, depicting a metal table in a laboratory, which was covered end to end with a thick, brown foam like substance.

"Once it's heated, the cola foams up into this incredibly viscous substance, and expands exponentially within a matter of minutes." He produced another picture of the pile of foam, which was now twice the size it was before and pouring over the edges of the table.

"Is.. is it dangerous?" Funami asked.

"On its own, no. The foam is harmless and non-toxic. But the dangerous thing is what happens if this stuff expands after someone ingests the cola. Inside a living body, the cola would quickly heat up and... well, expand that body from the inside."

"Expand a living being?!" Is that possible?"

"I'm afraid so." Wakamoto laid down another photograph before the President, who looked at it with confusion on his face.

"What am I looking at here?" He asked. "They look like a load of balloons with heads..."

His eyes widened as realisation set in. "...and tails... and covered in fur."

Wakamoto nodded. "This is what happened to the lab rats we gave small doses to. We can only imagine what would happen if a human were to drink this.."

"And right now, this cola is out in stores?!" Mr Funami's face was ashen. "Dear lord, what if someone drinks it? They could be killed!"

"We're not certain if the foam expands to the point where it could burst someone internally..." Wakamoto began.

He was interrupted when Funami grabbed his shirt and yanked him closer. "Never mind that! By God man, do you know what this could mean? If someone drinks this stuff and turns into a human balloon, the fallout will be terrible. No one will ever drink Buroti Cola again! This could ruin us! Do you remember what happened to Kurakora drinks when they accidentially slipped iodine in their lemonade?"

"Yes sir, I know. I was there when you bought the company after they declared bankruptcy, remember?" Wakamoto replied, uncomfortable being this close to his boss' face.

Funami released his and thumped the desk with his fist. "Exactly! We've got to fix this right now!"

Wakamoto resumed a stature of calm. "It's alright sir, we've already started taking care of it. On the way here I sent messages to all of our distibutors to recall all bottles of Buroti Cola which were shipped out today. Luckily, it's near the end of business hours for most stores, so we should be able to retrieve all the bottles and replace them with untainted products without raising a fuss."

"Oh, that's a relief to hear.." Funami let out a relieved sigh.

"And should the worst happen, our men at Research and Development are working on a way to evaporate the foam safely, should anyone happen to drink the cola. Though hopefully, we'll get all of it back before anyone has a chance to drink it."

The president sagged back into his chair. "Well, I'm glad we've got this under control. Good job staying on top of this Wakamoto."

"Thank you sir. I should head back, see how things are going."

"Yes, you do that. And keep me informed."

Wakamoto bowed and turned to walk to the exit.
"Wakamoto, wait!" Funami cried out suddenly. "A thought just occured to me!"

"Sir?"

"What about overseas? I know we have a few vendors who sell our products overseas to sell in Asian specialty stores. Shouldn't they be told about the recall?"

Wakamoto blinked. "You.. you're quite right sir. I had forgotten all about them. I'll get the word out to all our overseas distributors as well."

He pulled out his phone and began dialing. "Although I wouldn't worry so much about that sir. We've only been selling small amounts of Buroti Cola overseas since it came out, and it's virtually unknown outside of Japan. The chances of some of the tainted cola ending up in another country, let alone some foreigners drinking it, are slim to none."

-----

"Okay, two six packs of Buroti Cola!" The shopkeeper declared as he stuffed the two drink packs into a coolbag. "And thats the lot. Here's your total.."
"Thanks!" Karin handed over her debit card and punched in her PIN.
Natalie picked up the bag and handed it to Melody. "Well, this should keep us going throughout the entire convention."
"Yeah, provided Karin doesn't eat them all on the first day." Melody said snarkily.
"Har har.. if anything, you're more likely to gobble them all up." Karin snapped back.
"Come on girls, enough." Hana stood between them, holding up her schedule. "We can fit in a little more shopping before we have to go and change into our costumes."
"Well, let's quit wasting time!" Karin cried, pumping a fist in the air. "The fun starts here!"
The four girls strode out of the store, laughing and cheering. The glass bottles of Buroti Cola clinked ominously in Melody's bag.

TBC

Description
"Hana. Hana! Wake up!"

Hana opened her eyes, groaning slightly as she sat up and rubbed the spot on her forehead where she had rested it against the window.
She looked across the table to see Melody and Karin looking at her as they rose from their seats. To her left, Natalie was already up and pulling her bag out of the overhead shelf.

"Oh, we're here?" She looked out the window to see their train was approaching Waterloo Station.

"Yeah, so get ready to go! Time's a wasting!" Karin spoke loudly.

"Karin relax, we have loads of time." Melody sighed, looking out at the early morning sunrise. "That's why we took the early train, remember?"

"So? We still need to get to the Expo as early as we can to get a good spot in the queue. There'll be people waiting already."

"You're joking, right?" Natalie looked at Karin, wide eyed. "I mean, it's six in the morning and the convention doesn't start until eleven. No one will be queueing up that early."

"You underestmate fans, my dear." Karin wagged a finger at her. "They can wait days if they have to."

Hana chuckled at her friend's exaggeration and Natalie's reaction, then pulled out a notepad and a printed leaflet filled with the details for the London Comic Con.

One of the biggest comic and game conventions in the U.K, The Comic Con was one of those events Hana, Melody and Karin had always gone to whenever they had the chance. But this was the first time the three friends had been able to go together, and they had wasted no time in renting a hotel room to stay overnight and attend the con fully. For Natalie, it was the first time she had ever been to any convention, and she was overjoyed to be able to come with her older friends.

"Don't worry, we've got loads of time." Hana studied the notes she had written. "According to the schedule, we'll reach our hotel at about 6:30. That should give us time to freshen up and do a bit of shopping in Piccadilly Circus. Then at eight we head back, put our costumes on, and take the subway to the Expo Center. We should be there in plenty of time to pick up our tickets."

"See Miss Lark? Miss Williams has got it all figured out." Natalie smiled.

"Just so long as we can get in before it gets really crowded. I don't wanna wait ages to play the new games." Karin replied.

The train came to a stop at the station, and the four girls disembarked, walking towards the entrance to the subway.

Hana frowned trying to recall where to go. "Damn, I always get lost trying to remember how to navigate the subway..."

Natalie checked a map. "Let's see, the quickest way to get our hotel is on the Central Line, then from there we can visit Piccadilly Circus, then back to Waterloo to take the Jubilee Line to Canning Town."

"Right." Hana smiled at the younger girl. "Thanks Natalie. It's a good thing I put you in charge of navigation."

"No problem." Natalie shrugged. "It's the least I could do to say thank you for letting me come with you."

She grinned giddily. "I still can't believe I'll actually be attending this convention! I've head so much about it. Is it really as awesome as everyone says?"

"Even more awesome." Karin replied. "You get to play all the new games before they come out, they have Dance Dance Revolution tournaments.."

"Stalls selling all kinds of cool toys and collectables, thousands of comics and books.." Melody chimed in.

"The steampunk exhibition, meeting actors in person.." Hana said.

"It all sounds wonderful." Natalie fished in her bag. "But there's only one thing I really want to do while I'm there.."
She produced a CD case with a picture of three Japanese females posed on it. "Meet Perfume and get my CD signed."

"Perfume?" Karin blinked, confused. "I don't think they sell perfume at the convention, unless it's some kind of Final Fantasy branded stuff.."

"No, Perfume! The J-Pop group. They're my absolute favourite group, and they're playing and signing autographs!" Natalie spoke, excitement in her voice.

"They're not that annoying high-pitched sound I keep hearing whenever your phone rings, are they?" Melody teased.

Natalie pouted at her. "Laugh all you want. I think they're the best band ever, and I'm gonna get their autographs!"

Hana patted her friend's back. "That's the spirit Nat. Come on, everyone. The quicker we get our rooms, the quicker we can enjoy ourselves."

"YEAH!" The girls cheered in unison, and marched towards the entrance to the subway.
"Ooh, girls!" Karin piped up. "Once we're at Piccadilly, there's a shop I need to visit. Can we go there first?"

"Sure." Melody replied. "What are you getting?"

Karin smiled knowingly. "Something absolutely vital which every fangirl can't live without."

-----

Karin stood before the shop and held out her arms wide. "TAH DAAAAAAAAHH!!"

The other girls looked puzzled as they read the shop's banner, written in English, Japanese and Chinese.
"Oricon Treats and Groceries?" Hana said.

"Yep! They sell loads of food from Asia, including all those really yummy sweets from Japan. They got Pocky, they got Pochari Sweat, they even sell all those fancy Kit Kat bars! All the snacks we'll ever need are right here!"

"Karin.. you do know they have stalls selling Asian snacks at the convention, right?" Hana asked.

"Yeah, but they always jack up the prices on those stalls, it's ridiculous." Karin frowned. "Here, we can get it right from the source, and save a few quid."

"Sure, never mind those poor vendors who have to pay to rent space at the con.." Melody muttered.

Karin led the other's into the store. It was a small place, but its shelves were stacked high with loads of various sweets and snacks baring strange and foreign designs on their packaging. Natalie stared at them with awe in her eyes.

"Wow, there's so much here... what should we get?"

"Well, we'll need chocolate and Calorie Mate bars to keep our energy up." Karin delcared, already pulling things off shelves and dumping them into a basket. "Plus some Pocky and other small sweets to nibble on while we wait in the queues. Ooh! And drinks!"

Melody sighed. "Just don't buy so much this time. I still have nightmares about the last time you came to the Con, got high on sugar, and ended up humping a statue of Master Chief."

Karin paused to look at her. "You weren't there that year."

"I still got the photos sent to me. Every day for three weeks." Melody cringed.

Karin blushed before continuing her hoarding, while Natalie just looked at her in fright. "I don't want to know.."

Hana meanwhile, was examining the drinks cabinet, pondering which pack of beverages to take with them. There were plenty of regular soft drinks to choose from and some of her favourite iced tea, but since they were out for the day, it only seemed right that they bought something a little different...
Her eyes rested on a display of pink plastic bottles, adorned with a vivid green and blue label which depicted a mass of foaming bubbles. Curious, she picked one up and studied the name emblazoned across the label.

"Buroti Cola... hmm"

She turned to the bored looking Japanese man sitting at the counter, reading a paper. "Umm, excuse me... what exactly is this?"

The shopkeeper looked up and put on a friendly expression. "Oh that? That's a new product that just came out. It's pretty good stuff."

"Really?" Karin leaned her head over Hana's shoulder. "What's it taste like?"

"Oh, it's like a cola, but they've done something different to the way it's carbonated." The shopkeeper explained. "Whatever they do, they make it twice as bubbly as a normal soft drink."

"Oooh, sounds nice."

"It is actually. I've tried one for myself..You can literally feel the bubbles dancing and popping in your mouth. It feels a little weird at first, but it does improve the flavour a little."

Hana pulled some coins from her pocket and grabbed a bottle. "Well, I'm intrieged. I'll try one."

She handed over her money, then twisted off the bottle's top. The second she did, the liquid began to loudly bubble and fizz.

"Oh my.. that is some powerful carbonation. Must be using some kind of glycerin..."

The other girls watched her with anticipation as she tilted the bottle to her lips. Hana's eyes opened wide with delight as the liquid hit her tongue. It was indeed a tasty cola, but it was the bubbling sensation which really surprised her. Sure enough, she could feel the drink bubbling in her mouth even as she drank, the bubbled popping all around her mouth and releasing more flavour.

"Well? How is it?!" Karin eagerly asked.

"Wow! It really does bubble on your tongue." Hana exclaimed. She handed the bottle out. "Here, give it a try."

Karin snatched the bottle and took a swig. While she let out an excited giggle as she felt the drink bubble down her throat, Melody and Natalie took the opportunity to sample it for themselves.

"This stuff is amazing!" Melody declared.

"I know. I'm surprised we don't sell it over here." Natalie added.

"Well, they damn well ought to." Karin faced the shopkeeper. "So, how much does this stuff cost again?"

-----

Meanwhile, several thousand miles and another time zone away in Tokyo, Japan...

Kenji Wakamoto jogged through the corridors of Funami Beverages central office, racing toward the office of the CEO as fast as he could.
He still couldn't believe this had happened. For years the company had operated with a perfect record, no complaints or errors with their products. And now, something had happened which could ruin their reputation for good.
He barged into the massive office, where the President of the company, Mr Funami, was busy at his desk,typing at a laptop.

"Sir!" Wakamoto stopped before the desk, managing to quickly bow before his boss. "I'm sorry for the interruption but.."

The older man stared up from his laptop. "Wakamoto, do you mind? I am in the middle of filling in some important documents, and I do not care to be interrupted..."

At that moment, the voice of a young girl called out from the laptop. "Ah, Oni-Chan! Are you going on a date with Kaori-chan tonight, or spending the day with me?"

Both men looked at each other for several moments before Mr Funami closed the laptop with as much dignity as he could muster.

"Alright, what's the matter?"

Wakamoto pulled out some of the papers he'd been holding in the crook of his arm. "Well, it's like this sir. You know our recent cola product, Buroti Cola?"

"Ah yes, that's the really bubbly drink, right? Sales have been good, I trust?"

"Yes sir, sales have been really great, especially among teens... that's not the point! The point is, something has happened to a batch of the Buroti Cola which was recently shipped from our Sapporo plant."

Mr Funami quivered in worry. "Something's wrong with the cola? Its... its not poisonous, is it?"

"No no sir, its nothing like that, though it's still doesn't look good for us.."

Wakamoto placed a paper full of chemical data and equations on the desk. "As you may know, our men in the chemicals department created a new carbon dioxide mixture to put into Buroti Cola, giving it a much more powerful fizz effect than any other drink on the market. But something went wrong with one of our recent batches. The mixture was formulated incorrectly, creating a mix of cola which is ten times fizzier!"

"And... that's a bad thing?" Funami asked.

"We didn't think so at first, but when we tested this wrong formula, we found something disturbing." Wakamoto pointed at a graph. "The formula is fizzier, but completely safe in normal conditions. But then the liquid is heated to 37 degrees, which is about normal body temperature, a stange reaction occurs."

He produced a photograph, depicting a metal table in a laboratory, which was covered end to end with a thick, brown foam like substance.

"Once it's heated, the cola foams up into this incredibly viscous substance, and expands exponentially within a matter of minutes." He produced another picture of the pile of foam, which was now twice the size it was before and pouring over the edges of the table.

"Is.. is it dangerous?" Funami asked.

"On its own, no. The foam is harmless and non-toxic. But the dangerous thing is what happens if this stuff expands after someone ingests the cola. Inside a living body, the cola would quickly heat up and... well, expand that body from the inside."

"Expand a living being?!" Is that possible?"

"I'm afraid so." Wakamoto laid down another photograph before the President, who looked at it with confusion on his face.

"What am I looking at here?" He asked. "They look like a load of balloons with heads..."

His eyes widened as realisation set in. "...and tails... and covered in fur."

Wakamoto nodded. "This is what happened to the lab rats we gave small doses to. We can only imagine what would happen if a human were to drink this.."

"And right now, this cola is out in stores?!" Mr Funami's face was ashen. "Dear lord, what if someone drinks it? They could be killed!"

"We're not certain if the foam expands to the point where it could burst someone internally..." Wakamoto began.

He was interrupted when Funami grabbed his shirt and yanked him closer. "Never mind that! By God man, do you know what this could mean? If someone drinks this stuff and turns into a human balloon, the fallout will be terrible. No one will ever drink Buroti Cola again! This could ruin us! Do you remember what happened to Kurakora drinks when they accidentially slipped iodine in their lemonade?"

"Yes sir, I know. I was there when you bought the company after they declared bankruptcy, remember?" Wakamoto replied, uncomfortable being this close to his boss' face.

Funami released his and thumped the desk with his fist. "Exactly! We've got to fix this right now!"

Wakamoto resumed a stature of calm. "It's alright sir, we've already started taking care of it. On the way here I sent messages to all of our distibutors to recall all bottles of Buroti Cola which were shipped out today. Luckily, it's near the end of business hours for most stores, so we should be able to retrieve all the bottles and replace them with untainted products without raising a fuss."

"Oh, that's a relief to hear.." Funami let out a relieved sigh.

"And should the worst happen, our men at Research and Development are working on a way to evaporate the foam safely, should anyone happen to drink the cola. Though hopefully, we'll get all of it back before anyone has a chance to drink it."

The president sagged back into his chair. "Well, I'm glad we've got this under control. Good job staying on top of this Wakamoto."

"Thank you sir. I should head back, see how things are going."

"Yes, you do that. And keep me informed."

Wakamoto bowed and turned to walk to the exit.
"Wakamoto, wait!" Funami cried out suddenly. "A thought just occured to me!"

"Sir?"

"What about overseas? I know we have a few vendors who sell our products overseas to sell in Asian specialty stores. Shouldn't they be told about the recall?"

Wakamoto blinked. "You.. you're quite right sir. I had forgotten all about them. I'll get the word out to all our overseas distributors as well."

He pulled out his phone and began dialing. "Although I wouldn't worry so much about that sir. We've only been selling small amounts of Buroti Cola overseas since it came out, and it's virtually unknown outside of Japan. The chances of some of the tainted cola ending up in another country, let alone some foreigners drinking it, are slim to none."

-----

"Okay, two six packs of Buroti Cola!" The shopkeeper declared as he stuffed the two drink packs into a coolbag. "And thats the lot. Here's your total.."
"Thanks!" Karin handed over her debit card and punched in her PIN.
Natalie picked up the bag and handed it to Melody. "Well, this should keep us going throughout the entire convention."
"Yeah, provided Karin doesn't eat them all on the first day." Melody said snarkily.
"Har har.. if anything, you're more likely to gobble them all up." Karin snapped back.
"Come on girls, enough." Hana stood between them, holding up her schedule. "We can fit in a little more shopping before we have to go and change into our costumes."
"Well, let's quit wasting time!" Karin cried, pumping a fist in the air. "The fun starts here!"
The four girls strode out of the store, laughing and cheering. The glass bottles of Buroti Cola clinked ominously in Melody's bag.

TBC