Daydream! Everything Begins with a Stalker!!

by NurikoLuver

The story of an American Otaku stalking a number of the Fushigi Yuugi Bishonen: a task that later results in an adventure in The Universe of the Four Gods.

Fushigi Yuugi

Episode One: Daydream! Everything Begins with a Stalker!!

By Trudy Haley (NurikoLuver)

Author's Notes: http://www.nurikoluver.com/edit_an1.html - Written as if the OAV and Gaiden Novels had yet to exist. ^^;;;

This was it.

I was going to be fired.

This was the third job I've held in the last three months...I couldn't afford to lose this one, too. I nearly sobbed in exasperation as I shoved the rest of my toast into my mouth and shut the clasps on my purple-and- pink roller blades.

My boss had warned me that if I came in late one more time, he would have to fire me. And right now, it wasn't looking too good. Five minutes till noon. I had five minutes to get across town and to the cafe where I worked. If I didn't, it would be just a cardboard box, some dry ramen noodles, and me until I could get my next job.

Who says that I can't make it? I finished buckling the rest of my clasps and stood up. I can do this! I can do this! Argghh damnit, no I can't! I was just Trudy, not some sort of super-cool, lightning-fast superhero. I couldn't even get picked in PE for dodge ball, let alone make it across town in five minutes.

I hastily pulled my large flapdoozy yakpak across my shoulder and started to skid down the street, moving my arms and legs in unison. I can do this! I can do this! I urged myself. I dodged little kids, leaped over dog leashes, and nearly escaped death, all more than once. And finally, standing before me, was the gate of heaven, the pathway to success, the ambrosia of the gods, Mocha Beat.

Mocha Beat never looked so beautiful to me. Sitting there, ten feet ahead, it no longer appeared to be dilapidated, but seemed to, instead, have a "rustic charm." The new graffiti occupying the side facing the alleyway, which usually seemed to be an additional blemish to the detoriating building, was now a piece of art that enhanced the cafe's appearance. I was almost sure I saw sparkles trim the building and an orchestral performance of Ode to Joy from Beethoven's 9th Symphone flow from the building.

But as I accelerated closer to the building, my vision cleared. And it was too late to dodge or leap over this obstacle.

Standing before me was a drop-dead gorgeous man, staring off into the distance, oblivious to the fact that I was about to crash into him. "Waoiwaoiwaoiwaoi!!!" I managed to screech. "Look out!"

He turned around, and I collided with him, falling on top of him. I glanced at my watch quickly. Ten seconds...

"Reallysorrythatihityoucomeoninandillgiveyoulunchonthehousenononoiinsist!" I picked him up, dusted him off and dragged him inside Mocha Beat at light speed.

There, at the front desk, standing to greet me was no other than Mouchou, my boss. He smirked. "Seems like you made it just in time, Haley-kun. Hurry up and get your skates off and get to work. I'm being leanant on you this time, but if you cut it this close again," he demonstrated my fate by crossing his index finger across his neck. "So don't be late again." He smiled smugly, and turned around, walking authoratively back into the kitchen to supervise whoever may be as unlucky to have to suffer his wrath during their shift.

"Grrr....Stupid bastard!" I flicked him off as he turned around. I could never do that while he was looking, but it helped me feel better knowing that I was doing it.

"Uh...excuse me...I-I'm meeting someone here, so I really can't take you up on your offer," the man stuttered. It was obvious he was looking for some sort of excuse to get out of a free meal. People are like that, you do one thing for them, and they feel as though they are in your debt forever. He'd just have to deal with that.

"Nonsense!" I grabbed his arm and skated across the cafe, sitting him in a vacant booth. "You stay here," I said, skating back across the cafe to grab a menu.

Skating back, I placed a menu in front of him. I batted my eyes flirtatiously and leaned over the table, exposing my cleavage. This guy was going to be mine. No matter what. "Order ANYTHING you want..." I stood upright again, ruffled his hair and leaned with him over the menu. "The meatball sandwich is very good..." I rolled back across the room and took off my skates, tying them around the handle of my large flapdoozy yakpak.

My yakpak held most everything that was important to me in case I ever needed it. It was the closest thing I had to a purse and that's exactly what it was to me-- a purse.

In addition to holding my skates, it held my favorite Angelic Layer, Love Hina, and Video Girl Ai manga books, my Hello Kitty CD player, a few of my favorite J-Pop and J-Rock CDs, a sketchpad and a notebook (for writing and drawing), random pieces of paper with notes on them, a box of unopened Pocky and Peko's Flower Garden (in case I got hungry), my shoes, when I got out of my 'blades, a change of clothes (in case my clothes got dirty during work, which was frequent), a hairbrush one of my friends, Hikaru, insisted I should have at all times, and my camera. Well, I hardly used the camera; it was just there for the sake of being there. Maybe I could draw, maybe I could write, but most certainly, I could NOT take good pictures. But you never know. I have so much crap in my book sack, I know. But it's best to be prepared, dontcha think? Maybe I'd have to do some sudden traveling or something.

The bells dangling over the door rang and I hurried to the entrance. "May I help you?" I said chipperly, hoping this girl would give me an extra-nice tip for being so friendly.

She looked over my shoulder, as if looking for someone. "Ooooh! Nuriko!" She nearly pushed me to the ground as she passed me, sprinting to the purple-haired bishonen that I had trampled on my way to work.

Nuri...Nuriko...so that's his name. I grinned silently. This was perfect. But...who was that girl?! His girlfriend?! I growled reflexively.

I felt a ping of jealousy nibble on my insides. This wasn't fair...Just because he met HER first doesn't mean he shouldn't give ME a chance. I cracked my knuckles and grinned evilly, brushing my hair behind my shoulders. "I can take this..." I muttered under my breath.

I approached the table, plopping a menu in front of the girl and smiling through gritted teeth. "Can...I...help...you...dear?"

"Hmmmm!" The girl hastily grabbed the menu and skimmed through it. I pressed my hand against the table, leaning against it anxiously. "Nuriko, what are you having?" the girl asked her companion.

"I think...I think I will just have a nice ham-and-cheese sandwich. And a coke," Nuriko said, handing me the menu. He turned to his girl friend. "What about you, Miaka?"

Miaka...heh. So that's the little brat's name... I giggled silently to myself. "Yes, Miaka, what will YOU have?"

She looked at me in confusion for a minute, and then glanced down at her menu, turning it towards me. "I'll have this, this, this, this, and this. And how about two of these?"

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. How could anyone order so much food?!

I pulled my rarely used notepad and scribbled down her order in my messy romanji handwriting; I had yet to have gotten used to writing in kanji. "Ooooookay," I cooed, giving Nuriko a light pat on the head as I picked up Miaka and Nuriko's menus. "I'll have your orders in a minute."

I hurried to the kitchen to deliver my orders, staring down at the tablet that held the two newest customer's lunch specifications. "Hey, Tru-chan! I didn't know you were working today!"

I looked up. "Hikaruuuu-chan!" I squealed. It was no other than one of closest friends in Japan, Hasegawa Hikaru. Her obsidian hair fell into her eyes, as she tried to wipe her apron, which was stained with the spoils of cooking.

"You're actually on time! Good for you!!" she said, stirring a pot of something. She power-walked to the oven as the alarm over it went off, pulling out a baker's dozen of chocolate pastries. "Ooh...ooh...ouch!" she dropped the pan onto the nearest countertop, pulling her hand up to her face and sucking on it to soothe the pain. "You have any orders for me?"

"...Actually, yeah! A ham-and-cheese sandwich, make it very good, please? And then this order..." I handed her pad. "Make it EXTRA special," I emphasized.

"Ooooooohhh!" Hikaru laughed. "Hold a grudge against someone?"

"Sorta..." I said coyly. "Just make it EXTRA special," I headed towards the door.

"Yeah. But the first order- the ham-and-cheese sandwich, make it genuinely good, 'kay?"

"'kay!" Hikaru winked back at me. "I'll be sure to make it awesome!"

"Thankkkks! Better get to work before Mouchou-baka catches me goofing off. Where is he, anyways?"

Hikaru shoved between the two parallel countertops. "The bathroom," she whispered. "He's got a bad case of the drips."

I stared at her blankly for a moment and burst into laughter. "Hikaru, if you're being serious..." She nodded solemnly. I burst into laughter again. "YOU," I pointed at her in between my fit of giddy giggles. "...just made my day!"

I left the kitchen still grinning. This was my day. Mouchou was feeling like crap AND I was going to nab me a totally sexy guy...I nearly drooled at the thought. It had been a whole nine months since I had first come to Japan from the states... and I hadn't had a boyfriend for at least a month before I left. It was good to have that goofy, giddy feeling where I felt I'd stumble and screw up if I talked. But I WOULDN'T mess up. This time, I would annunciate properly, I would discuss humane things like AIDs, World Peace, and Sushi. I wouldn't discuss stuff the things I usually did when I acted goofy. Like how much Dagger from Final Fantasy Nine was begging to be shot, that time I tried to sneak into E3 pretending to be someone from Squaresoft, and cheese sticks. Mmmm...cheese sticks....

No one else had entered the cafe since I made a quick departure, so I had a little bit of free time...to prowl around.

I pretended to clean the table behind Nuriko, and eavesdropped.

Miaka laughed. "Nuriko-chan! You're so funny!"

That's MY Nuriko-chan! I thought veraciously.

Nuriko smiled. "You said there was something important you had to tell me...what is it?"

"I think it's best that we wait until Tamahome gets here."

"Where's Tamahome?"

Tamahome? Who is this? Tamahome sounds like...a boy's name. But why would they invite another person on their date? Hell, who would take anyone on a date to this dump? I was genuinely confused. I scrubbed the table harder in frustration.

"He must be running late. He called me earlier today and said he'd be here by noon."

HE. HAH! So my suspicions were correct. Tamahome was a HE.

"I guess so. I wonder where our drinks are..."

I blushed ferociously and ran to the kitchen to fill their drinks. I returned with two cokes. "G...Gomen'asi..." I bowed, placing one beverage in front of each of them.

"That's no problem!" Miaka replied chipperly.

I know...the problem is YOU. I thought. YOU are stealing MY man.

I shot her a fake smile and bowed once more and returned to scrubbing the table behind Nuriko, even though it was spotless.

"Hey Tru-chan, your 'special' orders are ready!" I heard Hikaru-chan call from the kitchen.

"HAAAAAI!" I sprinted to the kitchen. "Thanks Hikaru-chan!"

"Sure, Tru-chan! Just be sure to tell me sooner the next time you have such a big order. Just how many people out there do you dislike?"

"Heh, ONE girl!" I grabbed the dishes and started placing them on a holding platter.

Hikaru's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "ONE GIRL EATING THIS MUCH?!"

"I KNOW!" I emphasized.

"Geez...Anyone else ordering?"

"No one else's come in. Business is slow, as usual. Figures."

Hikaru-chan nodded. "I guess I'll make some pastries for the walk-in customers, if we have any..."

I nodded. "I hope we don't close before the end of the month. I still don't have enough money for next month's rent."

"But you have such a crummy apartment!"

"I know, but this place pays crummy. And food, manga and trips to Akihabara are more important than rent," I winked.

"Hmmm, I presume someone bought one too many video games this month...?"

"Heh heh heh." I laughed weakly. "Maybe..."

"What game?" Hikaru crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Kokoro no Shinzui..." I said shamefully.

Hikaru scoffed and burst into laughter. "You play DATING SIMS?! I didn't know you very well, Trudy!"

"But this is the first dating sim for girls! And I have three really hot guys after me..." I nearly swooned at the thought. "Keiichi, Mori, and Sano! Their love rating is at one hundred percent! I wish that the guys would be after me..."

"They WOULD if you fixed yourself up a bit and got out a little more. How about this Saturday I give you a makeover and the two of us do some window- shopping in Harajuku and go swimming? That'd be fun, dont'cha think?"

"Err..." Personally, I would have loved to be home, being my quiet, clumsy, awkward, paranoid self.

"WOULDN'T YOU?!" Hikaru gave me an evil look.

"Heh heh, err..." I had to look for an escape before Hikaru strangled me. "I'd better go...I mean, we have customers, don't we?" I grabbed the platter and quickly dashed out of the kitchen.

"Your answer better be YES!!" Hikaru called from the kitchen. "Or ELSE."

I gulped as I walked towards the table, noticing that someone else had joined them. I presumed this was the 'Tamahome' they were talking about earlier. I greeted him and placed the dishes in front of their respective orderees.

Just as I moved slightly to go get a menu for the Tamahome guy, I heard the dishes rattle. Alarmed, I turned around, only to see that Miaka had finished her entire lunch just as Nuriko took a bite out of his sandwich.

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head, but everyone else seemed very calm about this. It was weird...almost as though Miaka always behaved in such a manner.

"Um..er...uh..." I stared in awe for a minute, then proceeded to the cash register, where I grabbed a menu from underneath the table. I returned, handed over the menu, and smiled politely.

"Is there anything else you need?"

"No, it was delicious!" grinned Miaka.

I nearly burst into laughter, remembering how Hikaru-chan had made her sandwich "extra special". "I bet it was," I said coolly. "I like you people, so I told Hikaru-chan to make it very, very special."

"Really?! Thanks!" Miaka grinned stupidly.

"You're welcome," I smiled fakely. "Are you ready to order, T-" I stopped. I had almost slipped. They'd know that I was eavesdropping on him.

"I think I'll just have a meatball sandwich, thanks. And a Pepsi."

I gaped at the boy for a minute. "Are you crazy?!"

Tamahome blinked in confusion. "What?"

"PEPSI?! Are you absolutely BONKERS?!"

"W...What's the matter with ordering Pepsi...?"

"PEPSI TASTES LIKE FLAT COKE! I took a Pepsi taste test back in the states before I came to Tokyo and I, like any SANE person in the Houston Space Center, chose COKE. PEPSI SUCKS!! Why would someone ever willingly drink Pepsi?!" I screeched, shoving my head into his face.

"Um, didn't you willingly drink Pepsi for the taste test?" inquired Nuriko.

"Of course, but that was TOTALLY different! I was proving a point- Pepsi can never take the place of my beloved Coke!" Tears of happiness swelled in my eyes. "Just the name...Say it with me...Coke."

Everyone blinked at me in confusion.

"SAY...IT!" I said as intimidating as I possible could for someone my size.

They blinked again. "....Coke."

"A...Arigato! You made me so happy!" I wiped away the tears. "Free ice cream sundaes for you good people. And..." I looked at Tamahome pointedly. "I presume you'll be having a COKE."

"Um...yes. Of course."

I smiled at him a winked flirtatiously Nuriko's way. "I'll be right back with your order in a minute, Tamahome!" I called as I approached the kitchen door.

"Tamahome...how did that girl know your name?" I heard Miaka whisper loudly.

"I have no idea."

"AH-hah-hah-hah!" I laughed loudly, walking through the kitchen. I had screwed up. Oh well. No crying over spilled milk.

"Back so soon, Tru-chan?" Hikaru said, pulling out some chocolate pastries from the oven.

"Yeah, I need a meatball sandwich, that's it."

"It'll be a couple of minutes," Hikaru forewarned.

"Yeah, yeah." I rummaged through my yakpak, searching for my pink Sailor Moon wallet. I'd have to pay for Nuriko's order, plus three ice cream sundaes, and I might as well get one for Hikaru-chan and myself.

"A-ha!" I pulled out my wallet and found that I had precisely 2345 yen to my name. A coke and a ham-and-cheese sandwich cost 525 yen, including tax. Each ice cream sundae would cost 295 yen. I hate math! I whined to myself. I'll just round up 295 yen to 300 yen...there are five of us times the five yen I'm subtracting and then...three times five is fifteen minus twenty- five yen is...fourteen seventy-five. Then, five twenty-five plus fourteen seventy-five was...two thousand yen. I had three hundred and forty-five yen to last me until this Friday-- payday. I didn't know how I'd manage, but somehow, I'd have to.

"Heeeeeee-karu-chan! How would you like an ice cream sundae, on the house?"

Mouchou nearly leaped half-naked out of the employee bathroom, tugging on his pants in earnest to keep them on his body. His pants were unbuttoned, his belt unbuckled. Hastily, Mouchou kept constant grab of his pants, but the polyester kept slipping out of his hands. "Did I hear someone say 'On the house'?! If I catch any of you kids pilfering food--"

"Keep your pants on!" I told him, exchanging a look with a blushing Hikaru. It was evident she was trying to stop herself from laughing. "I'm going to be treating Hikaru-chan and the few customers we have to some ice cream sundaes."

"Y..You said 'Keep your pants on!'" Hikaru burst into laughter. "H...he c...can't keep h..his pants on!" She started hyperventilating from laughing so hard. Hikaru-chan had a tendency to pull things out of proportion. Hikaru-chan laughed at a lot of the things I said, which made me feel sorta happy. No one ever laughed at my jokes back in America. But maybe it was because my Japanese wasn't as good as I thought...

Mouchou realized that his pants WEREN'T on and quickly potato-hopped back into the bathroom, shutting the door with his leg.

Hikaru-chan was still laughing. I poked her arm. "Hikaru-chan..."

"W...what?"

"You still have to make that meatball sandwich for Tamahome!" I said, filling up his glass with coke. "And then we can all eat some ice cream and you can meet the cutie that I adore!"

Hikaru tried to clasp her mouth shut to try and subdue her laughter. "I...I'm sorry...O..okay."

"And you really should stop making pastries, cos no one's buying 'em."

"O...ok...okay..." her laughter was muffled. I grabbed Tamahome's drink from the holding tray and brought it to the table. "Here ya go..."

"Thanks...anyways, what do you mean, The Universe of the Four Gods is missing?!"

I headed back to the table and proceeded to scrub at it some more. "Yui- chan's mother found it under her bed and thought that it was an old book she didn't read anymore, so she gave it to charity."

"What?!" Nuriko gaped. "So what are we going to do? Why didn't you tell all the others?!"

Miaka scratched her head. "I have no idea what we're going to do." Nuriko and Tamahome sweat dropped. "And everyone else was really busy with work or schoolwork. This is our last year in high school, and Chichiko's preparing for his second year in high school...It's pretty hectic."

"What about Chichiri, Tasuki, and Mistukake?" Tamahome inquired.

"Hmmm...well, Chichiri went on vacation. He's gonna be back this weekend," Miaka said.

"Where?" asked Tamahome, sipping his drink.

"He went to a place called Four da's or something. It's in the US," Miaka said.

Was this girl an IDIOT or something?! "It's FLORDIA not FOUR DA'S!!" I rudely informed her. How could she steal my man with an empty mind like that?

Everyone looked at me and blinked.

"Heh heh...sorry. I'll mind my own business next time..." I headed two booths away from their own and proceeded to scrub that. I could still hear Miaka's big mouth from there, so kept listening.

"Tasuki's in his first year of college, so he's studying too," Miaka continued.

"Yeah," laughed Nuriko. Oh god, he had a beautiful chuckle. It was soft and alluring, with the slightest hint of feminity. How great it'd be that, instead of Hikaru-chan, he'd laugh at my stupid jokes. And instead of Keiichi, Mori, and Sano escorting me on simulation dates in simulation restaurants, I could have a real life Nuriko escort me to a real life restaurants. And then we could do real life things, like play Quake, talk about Ayashi no Ceres, and discuss the importance of chocobos on Gaia's economy. Real life things like that. "I visited Tasuki yesterday. His roommate's really nice, very polite, and very smart. Sorta like an older Chiriko. And Tasuki....Tasuki's so atrocious. Like the exact opposite. His side of the room is a mess, and his roommate's is spotless...and they can't stand one another. I have a feeling things are just going to get worse from here."

"And Mitsukake's working as an intern at the hospital while he gets his degree. Everyone's busy. I'm lucky that YOU could come, Nuriko!" Miaka finished.

Don't talk about MY Nuriko like that! I thought veraciously.

"Well, I'm lucky I even got off today. Acting is very demanding. In between modeling and acting and filming a new commercial, I don't know how I find time to breathe, let alone visit with my friends."

I nearly swooned. He was an actor AND a model! Oh, do I know how to choose 'em.

"I haven't seen that show you're in yet, Nuriko," Miaka said, sipping Tamahome's coke, as hers had run out long ago.

"Hey! That's mine!" Tamahome grabbed his coke protectively.

"Here, have some of mine, Miaka-chan..." Nuriko pushed his drink to Miaka.

"Oh...Nuriko...Thank you!" Her eyes glimmered with tears. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" She gulped the drink down quickly.

ARGHHHHHHHH!!! That's the drink I paid for MY Nuriko, not for some conceited little pig of a girl! ARGHHHH ARGHHHHH!

"ARGGGGGGGGGGH!! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU!!" I hit the table...hard. "Owwwwwwwwwwww!" I wept, grabbing my knuckle and clutching it tightly. I turned. All three of them were staring at me with wide eyes.

"What the HELL do you think you're looking at!?" They quickly turned their eyes away. I was pissed.

"Er...Tru-chan...is everything all right in there?" Hikaru peeked out from the kitchen. "Wha...wha...what?! NURIKO?! THE NURIKO?! Oh my god!" Hikaru darted to the table. "Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod!! Oh please, oh please!! Shake my hand! Touch me! Or something!! Oh my god! It's THE Nuriko!!"

Nuriko blinked. "I knew I should have worn some shades today." He shook Hikaru's hand.

"Hiiiiikaru-chan! How do you know Nuriko?" I asked her.

"Tru-chan!! What country do you live in? Antarctica?! Nuriko is just THE HOTTEST sensation ever! He plays Campbell Parker in the highest-rated primetime sitcom, Life in America!! Ohmygodohmygodijustcantbeleivethisireallyshouldgogetthemeatballsandwhichandi cecreamsundaes!" she dashed off just as quickly as she had appeared.

"Antarctica's a continent..." I muttered. I turned to the trio. "...Gomen'asi. I had bumped into the table and hurt my side. I get kind of angry when I hurt myself."

"THAT'S an understatement," Tamahome said sarcastically.

Miaka elbowed him, trying to be inconspicuous.

"Miakaaaa! That hurt!" Tamahome whined.

"Take it like a man!" Miaka countered. "It didn't hurt that bad and YOU know it!"

"I'm still a boy!"

"No you're not! You're a BABY!"

Nuriko butted in while the two others engaged in a radical fight of girly slaps. "You've really never heard of me?"

I shook my head. "The only use for my TV is playing video games."

"I could have sworn you were acting goofy around me because of my position."

"Goofy?! I was acting GOOFY?! What am I, a freaking Disney character?!" I screeched.

Miaka and Tamahome paused to make some commentary on that. "Well, you do sorta have those big eyes like a Disney character," Tamahome said pointedly.

"And you have long hair. All Disney girls have long hair," Miaka added.

"And--" Tamahome began.

"ARGHHHHHHH!!!" I screeched.

The room was filled with silence.

"Lah dee dah! Everyone, here we go!" Hikaru hurried back, balancing food on almost every imaginable body part. She placed Tamahome's food in front of him first, then the ice cream sundaes in front of everyone. Hikaru and I slid in by Nuriko at almost the same time.

"Trrrruuuu-chan! I want to sit by Nuriko-chan!" Hikaru acted as though Nuriko was her long-time friend.

"B...but..." My eyes watered. "I want to, too...It's not fair..."

Nuriko sweat dropped. "How about one girl on each side of me?"

"Eeeek! What a great idea!" I glomped Nuriko and hopped to the other side of him.

Nuriko sweat dropped again.

We all dug in, but in between bites of ice cream, we managed to cram in a little bit of discussion.

"So you're from the US, right, Haley-san?" Nuriko started, reading my nametag.

"Haaaaai! But please, call me Tru-chan!"

"But I hardly know you..." Nuriko began.

"Puh-lease?! Hikaru-chan is the only one that calls me Tru-chan!" I faked a sob. "And after eighteen painful years in the United States.." I sniffled. "...never once did anyone call me Tru-chan..."

"Um..okay, Tru-chan..." he said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Eeeek!" I glomped him. "Thank you, thank you!"

"Um..." he smiled.

"Your name is Tamahome, right, eh?" I asked the green-haired bishonen.

"Ohmygoditsnuriko! Nuriko!" Hikaru was still hyperventilating at the thought that SHE had met the handsome and charming Nuriko.

He nodded. "And I suppose your name is Tru?"

"Noooooo! It's Tru-DEE. Trudy. It means esteemed warrior in Celtic. I fit my name very well!" I pulled a Beatrix and brushed my hair behind my back.

He stifled a giggle, and burst into a fit of laughter. "That's the understatement of the year, Shoujo-ko!"

"SHOUJO-KO?! I AM NOT A LITTLE GIRL!! ARGHHH! JUST...SHUT UP...YOU...YOU..." I had a second to figure out what to say, or else I'd be regretting it for the rest of the night.

Little ghost...little ghost...

"LITTLE GHOST!"

"L...Little Ghost?!" Miaka and Nuriko stuttered.

"Canyoubeleiveit?! Nuriko, Nuriko! Ofallpeopletocomeintothislittleresturauntitwasnuriko!" babbled Hikaru.

"What did you just call me?!" Tamahome seemed incredibly peeved.

"I just called you little ghost, you little ghost," I responded cockily.

"Tama-chan! Calm down!" Miaka tried to hold him back.

"Tama-chan...don't make me hold you back," warned Nuriko.

"Arghhh!!"

"You're so cute when you're angry!" Just to make him mad, I bashed my eyelashes and blew him a kiss.

"Hey!! What was that for?!" Miaka yelled.

"What are YOU getting so jealous for?" I shot back.

"Nurikoohmygod, itsnurikoandistillcantbeleiveit...." cooed Hikaru.

"Tama-chan...and I are...hey! How did you know to call him 'little ghost'? That's his ultimate pet peeve!" Miaka finally noticed that I had called Tamahome little ghost.

I shrugged. Tamahome STARTED to calm down.

"Gomen'asi...I really didn't think someone would get so pissed off over the name 'little ghost'. Maybe dumbass. Probably bitch. And most certainly cock- sucking ass-belonker. But I would never dream of someone getting angry over a name like 'little ghost.'"

Nuriko shrugged. "Long story. Too complicated."

"I'm not stupid, no da." For some reason, the last two words slipped out. I had never heard those words before, and they certainly had no meaning to me. I shook my head in confusion.

"N...no da?" Everyone seemed genuinely confused. Their eyes widened, their mouths agape. I blinked. There was a long silence.

"Ohmygodicantbeleivenurikoisrighthereintheflesh! Noonewilleverbeleivethatimetthenuriko. Nurikonurikonuriko! Pleasegivemeyourautograph!" She handed him a soiled napkin.

"M...Miaka, a pen. I really DO think that we should get going," Nuriko said.

"Ohpleasedontgo! Nononononononono! Illabsolutelydieifyouleave! Ohpleasedontleave!" Hikaru whined as Nuriko retrieved a pen and scribbled his John Hancock on the napkin.

Tamahome nodded. "C'mon, Miaka."

"What's the tab?" Miaka inquired.

"Wwwweeeeelll....minus Nuriko's lunch and the sundaes, the total for you and Tamakins is 6495 yen," I replied, calculating the total in my head.

"Tamakins?!" Miaka fumed.

"Jeez, Miaka, you're a really expensive date." Tamahome handed me 6500 yen. "Keep the change."

"Gee, thanks a lot," I said sarcastically. "I REALLY appreciate it."

"Baaaaaai Nuriko-chan!" Hikaru seemed to overcome her speech impediment rather quickly.

"See you guys later."

And with that, they departed.

"Ohiru yasumi suupu pasuta ni kandou...Kayoubi dake itsumo ranchi urikire!!" I sang, rollerblading back to my crummy apartment. I absolutely loved anything done by Tanpono, or any Morning Musume group, for that matter. I sorta wished that I hadn't spent all of my money last week...I really wanted to get their new CD. Oh well, I'd have money in three days. Payday! Oh how sweet the sound! I nearly cried tears of joy at the thought of it.

It was a beautiful day. I wished that I hadn't wasted most of my day indoors. It was getting to be late...I probably shouldn't have been walking out this late. We had a few more customers over at Mocha Beat, but not many. I was already regretting job searching. I didn't want to have to go through that again. I'd lose my mind. And then some.

I stopped for a minute, pausing for a breath. Night had fallen over Tokyo and a blanket of stars covered the skies. I skated home the long way, just so I'd be near the streetlights. It was hard to see so late at night, even with the little light they expelled. I watched two shadows cross the street and listened to their conversation as they passed me by. Their voices sounded strangely familiar.

"So what do you think we should do?" The first voice was feminine, and slightly annoying.

"Scour every charity-based store in Tokyo." The second voice couldn't be distinguished as feminine, or masculine. Maybe it was something in between.

"Thanks for walking me home, Nuriko-chan."

NURIKO-CHAN?! WHAT?! That must have been Miaka and Nuriko. I have to catch up with them!

I sped behind them, trying to accelerate by bending forward. I pleaded with my legs to move faster, but my short, slender legs were nothing in comparison to Nuriko's muscular, long legs. I could almost see him at the edge of my peripheral vision, when...

"Ahhh!" I collided with a girl, maybe a year or two younger than me, who was walking through the streets.

"Hey, you really shouldn't be out this late at night," I lectured her, rubbing my chin and stepping up to my feet, picking up the book that she had dropped.

She was quite an enigma. She wore a pair of round-framed glasses, a simple light-brown wool beanie and matching jacket that landed at her knees. "Jo Jo Jo! That's my fault. I was blinded by the light, y'see? Damned streetlights have a tendency to attack sheltered eyes when it's least expected. Sunglasses are a necessity, especially at night. Now if my book can be handed to me, thanks would not be enough."

I blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"If my book could be handed to me, thanks would not be enough."

D'uh! She wanted her book. I'm so stupid. I happened to glance at the title, which was loosely translated as The Universe of the Four Gods.

WAIT!! Wait a second! Wasn't that the book that Miaka-baka and Tamakins and Nuri-chan were getting all worried about? YES! That was it!

"Um...'scuse me little girl, but I have 345 yen...Mmmmm 345 yen! You know what you can do with that? You could buy yourself some nummy nummy pocky! And I'll trade you 345 yen for this book...eh?" I tried persuading her with the last of my cash.

She shook her head.

"Oh puh-lease!!" I sobbed. "The guy I'm in love with wants this book!!"

She blinked. "He's looking for THIS book?"

"The Universe of the Four Gods..." I nodded. "That's it."

"Did he have a strange symbol on him?"

WHAT THE HELL?

"He had a mole on his cheek..." I was confused.

"No, a Chinese symbol...can you tell me where he is, thanks be not enough...?"

Okay, either my Japanese is really horrible or this girl talks strangely. "I didn't see one....I don't know where he lives...I met him today...it was LUB at first sight..." I swooned.

She blinked in surprise. "Can I haves my book back? Surely, surely."

I handed her the book. "Little girls shouldn't go home by themselves, so I will take you home. You know it's past curfew..." I had forgotten about Nuriko already. Well, not really. I was thinking about him every moment, trying to persuade this girl that I needed this book. Heh.

She blinked in surprise again. "You look younger than me. I am surely 16 years old, and you?"

"I am 18 years old!" I beamed with pride. I looked to be no older than twelve to most.

"Wow, interesting as that is, only a two year difference."

"I know..." I grinned. "So where do you live?"

"I do live, in the place, that is, which is Kinchou."

I blinked in confusion. I recognize the place-- it's the wealthier part of Tokyo, where my friend Sora-kun lived. But how could a girl with such strangely awkward Japanese and such strange clothes be from a rich family?? "So you're from a wealthy family, eh?"

"Precisely, yes, that is, as it is, true," confirmed the girl. "Originally, though, I was born in Osaka, and yes, lived in Germany, that is, yes, most of my life."

I nearly bopped myself in the head. How could I forgot the boy Marcus' cute accent in my American History class? I should have recognized it immediately. "My name's Trudy, and yours?"

"My name, the one which I am called by, is Sakatoni Hina. That which most people call me, is Toni-chan. If you wish it to be so, call me Toni-chan as well."

I blinked again. "I am Trudy Haley. You can call me...uh...Trudy. Um, what do you mean by a strange marking?"

We continued walking. "It's a Chinese symbol."

"Like a tattoo or something?"

"That...yes...well...somewhat."

"I'd LOVE to give Nuriko a physical examination!" I swooned.

Toni just blinked at me in surprise.

I quickly fumbled for a lie. "Jeez, now I know I've been listening to too much Just Communication!"

"Ehhhh? Just Communication???" Toni was baffled.

"Just wild beat communication, ai wo hanasanaide, afuredashita atsui sugao, motsureta mune tokihanatte tonight!"

"God's name...what the god...?" Toni was distraught.

"You've never heard of Two-mix?! What country do you live on?!" I wondered aloud.

"That country, that is, Germany!"

"Oh." I nearly hit myself in the head. I was so stupid at times! D'oh!

"Here's my house..." It seemed like we had only been walking for a few minutes. Then I realized, we WERE only walking for a few minutes. "If you, as you know where, find where Nuriko lives, then please do not fail, and to contact me, at residence here."

It took a moment for me to translate that from Gibberish to Japanese to English. "Okay....but...on one condition..."

"Condition, that is what?"

I assumed she wanted to know what my condition was. "Welllllll....if I find him, you got to let me see that funny-looking book, The Universe of the Four Gods."

Toni seemed alarmed for a moment and then shrugged the attitude off. "Yes, terms that is fair. I don't see anything that would be wrong with a request such as the one you have."

"Eeeek! How absolutely perfect!" I screeched, giddy with happiness. "Once I find where he lives, I'll visit you again!! I grinned voraciously. "Arigoto! Arigoto! Arigoto!"

And then I ran home, excited to my personal endurance.

****************

I decided to prepare for the next couple of days. I somehow managed to shove my black beret, my black dress, my black sunglasses and my dark-gray tights into my yakpak. Unfortunately, I couldn't fit in my black knee-high boots, so I'd just have to carry them to work. It was aggravating, carrying something while you roller bladed. But my plan was perfect-- to stalk Nuriko.

Since obviously he was famous, and his name was going to be unlisted in the phone book, I'd start off by getting his agent's address off of the internet at the local library. Then, I'd sneak into the agent's house, go through all of his secret files, find out his client's address, and then find him! How exciting! It was not only perfect, but Supa Purrfect!

I played a little bit of Kokoro no Shinzui, and went to bed. I'd be getting to work on time tomorrow. 'Sides, work would start even earlier than I anticipated-- Mouchou asked me to be there at nine A.M. I almost said no, but I really needed the cash.

****************

It was time. Five o'clock, and time to put my crazed plan into action. I slipped into the bathroom, changed into my all-black attire, and headed off, getting several strange glances from civilians. Hikaru loaned me her binoculars, and I wore them around my neck.

When I made it to the library, I typed in "http://www.lifeinamerica.com/". Cover all these subjects Home education can be... I read. I shook my head. Not it. I typed in "http://www.lifeinamerica.net". Good. This was it. A badly designed web page. Something I would expect from most websites, who usually choose the first Joe Blow they see on the virtual street to design their pages.

This Week's Episode: Ryuunen "Nuriko" Chou returns in the second startling season premiere as Campbell Parker. Parker has just discovered that his sweetie, and fiancée, Shelly Frank (played by Nanaka Yuzeri), is already married to nine-nine year old billionaire, Eddie Michaels (Takashi Aoi). But Parker has, in the process of discovering this, fallen in love with Japanese-importee Musurao Sonchouno (Akane Aikawa). However, after learning about Parker's love for Frank, Sonchouno has suppressed her feelings, and fallen in love with her best friend and advisor, Trey Scott (Mori Tamasabuka). Tune in tonight at 7:00 to see if their love can be manipulated.

Sounds boring, I thought. I clicked on Links. Here we go. Nuriko's official web page: Nuriko's Room. I clicked it rather voraciously, and after a minute, I clicked it ten more times, in hope that it would load faster. But it never did.

Finally when the page loaded, I saw it in its splendor. It was beautiful. Gorgeous, even. His background was a pastel purple and a large, transparent full-size image of him echoed the right side of the page. I grinned excitedly as I navigated quickly and efficiently to the About Page. I scrolled all the way down. Here we go. First was the address for fan mail. No need for that...Then was the address of his agent's workplace, NOT his home address. Aww....crap. This wasn't going to work out, was it?

But...maybe I could sneak into his secret files at the office...heh...heh...heh...I feel so evil. Ph33r MY L33T ST4LK1NG P0W4! MWHAHHAHA!

I cleared the history folder, just in case anyone was stupid enough to stumble upon my humble plan and track me down. I exited the library as inconspicuously as possible-- I rolled under one of the tables and took refuge behind a bookcase. No one would see my departure. No one. "Mwahhahahahh!"

"Dear, could you please keep it down? And please stop rolling around the library??"

NOOOOOOOOO! My dastardly plan was ruined! The librarian was in on it....she knew about my secret plan. She would have to be eliminated.... No, maybe a nice bribe would do.

"Missus Librarian," I said politely. "How would you like a stick of Pocky?"

"Uh..."

"A stick of pocky for you, dear. Just keep quiet, nee?"

"Um...sure, dear."

"Thank you missus," I handed her a piece and slipped away. My plan was going to work out perfectly. This was great! It was when I was outside that I realized that my plan had gone past perfect- it was SUP4 P3RF3CT!

"Ph33r m3!!" I screeched.

People gave me strange looks. I didn't mind. It was only because the p|- |33r3d my $up4 p0\/\/4! Mwhahahhahah! I nearly laughed aloud again, but I stopped myself. No need to draw any more attention.

"Yes...yes..." I mumbled to myself. "Yes...perfect..." I started to walk across the street.

HONNNNNNK! I turned to my side to see a yellow convertible headed straight for me.

"AHHHHHHH!!!" I screeched, shutting my eyes. As if shutting my eyes would protect me.

I found myself shoved out of the way, just in the nick of time. It was just like Ayashi no Ceres!!! I couldn't help but screeching at the delight I had at being saved. "Thank you very much!" I looked up to see a blue-haired bishonen wit the strangest hairstyle I had come to witness staring down at me. He appeared to be wearing a mask of some sort. I smiled. He was pretty cute.

"You'd ought to watch out where you're going, no da," he informed me.

"Thanks...a lot....My name's Trudy."

"The name's--Hey! Wait, it's Nuriko!"

The man jumped out from his convertible. "Are you okay?!" he said, running up to me. Indeed, it WAS Nuriko. I didn't have to find him after all.

"Owwww..." I wept. "I think I hurt my ankle..."

"That's it?"

I nodded, eyes filled with fake tears.

"Nuriko, I'll be headed home. Call me." The blue haired bishonen seemed to virtually disappear before my eyes.

"Wait, Chichi-" Nuriko turned around, but the man had vanished.

"Chichi?!" I screeched.

"Errr...No..." Nuriko lifted me up off the ground. "I'll take you home..."

This was WAY past romantic. This was...classic! He'd carry me into his car, and take me home, where his car would break down, just as it started to rain. He'd stay until it stopped raining, and during that time, we would talk of normal things. And then, he'd fall in love with me, it'd flood, and we'd be stuck inside the apartment together for several hours. And then, when the helicopters would fly in to evacuate us, he would carry me onto the roof, the way a REAL man would, and we'd cuddle together on the helicopter.

He placed me gently in the passenger's seat. Was this great, or what?

"Hey Nuriko, was that Chichi--? Hey!"

"Chichi?!" I turned around to the back to see who was there. MIAKA?!

"Hey! I know you! You're that crazy waitress from yesterday!" she said.

"And you're that girl who ate so much we had to close down!!" I said with equal fake cheerfulness.

"Hey..." she said, annoyed.

"Ha ha, just kidding," I said, even though I really didn't mean it. I watched as Nuriko jumped into the driver's side.

"So where do you live?" he inquired.

"In Harajuku," I said. It was a pity it wasn't too far away.

"Harajuku, hmmmm..." I watched as Nuriko backed into a parking lot and turned around. It seemed that his plans were far from Harajuku. But that was really sweet...He was changing his plans for moi! Perhaps this bishonen had already fallen in love with me?

"Miaka..." Nuriko began. "So where exactly are we supposed to look in Ikebukuro?" He acted as though I wasn't even in the car.

"Probably in one of the side streets, in the used bookstores. It's possible someone could have saw it and bought it for their shop...Yui-chan already said that she checked the place where her mom donated the book," Miaka said matter-of-factly.

Ooooooh! They were still looking for that silly book! And only I knew where it was. I nearly started my evil fan girl laughter again, but managed to restrain myself to an evil fan girl grin.

The second I detected motion coming from the driver's side, I frowned, as if to look painstakingly thoughtful. I watched from my peripheral vision as Nuriko stared at me, scrutinizing my profile, my apparent frustration. He smiled. "How 'bout some music?" Without a response, his hand reached out for the dial, and the sound of Sakamoto Maaya poured out from the speakers. Although in mid-song, as if reflex, I began to sing, "Jibun no chiisana kara nukedasa nakucha ikenai..."

Both of them looked at me curiously. I suppose they never imagined an American singing J-pop by heart. Actually, I had been a big fan of Sakamoto Maaya since I lived in the states. Yes. Well, maybe I was a bit of an otaku. And maybe my cosplaying in the streets was a little bit over exaggerated when I first came here...But, no need to prejudge me.

I stopped singing after that line, as their strange looks had caused me to feel rather stupid. "So...er...yeah. You like Sakamoto Maaya?" I asked.

"Of course!" Miaka and Nuriko exclaimed at the same time.

"What about...Morning Musume?"

"Of course!" Both were very decisive.

"What about Utada Hikaru? The Brilliant Green? Skoop on Somebody? Cocco? Kiroro? B'z? Misia? Amuro Namie?"

"Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course!" they responded simultaneously.

"Wow, you guys like all genres, nee?"

"Yup," responded a chipper Miaka.

"Have you ever seen Ayashi no Ceres?"

"Watched it?! I LOVE it!" squealed Miaka, nearly jumping into the front seat with me from sheer excitement.

"Tell me when to turn," Nuriko turned to me and smile.

"In Volume One, isn't Aya annoy-"

"AWESOME?! OF COURSE!"

"Um...no. She's AWESOME in Volume Two. In Volume One, Aya's just annoying. Or Stupid. Or Ignorant. Or maybe all of the above. I wanted to bitch slap the girl several times when she decided to go to the hospital. 'Oooooh! My family is trying to kill me! And they told me to keep away from my brother! So I'm going to go to the hospital where my brother is!' 'Ooooh! The fire hurts, but I'll keep touching it!' That's how Aya thinks!" I said defiantly.

"If you were in that sort of predicament, don't you think you'd react the same way?" Nuriko asked defensively, concentrating on the impending traffic.

"I doubt it. Ignorance is for idiots. I think I have a slight hint of intelligence." I brushed my hair behind my back. "I may not be the Albert Einstein of Japan, but I'm certainly not the Homer Simpson."

There was a silence.

"Yuuhi was pretty hot..." I gushed. "I wouldn't mind going on a date with him."

"Otaku," Miaka said bluntly.

"Yes! And PROUD OF IT!" I gave a peace sign. I looked up. "And Nuri-chan, turn right here." I flashed him a smile.

Nuriko sweat dropped. "Okay," he squeaked.

"It's about a block up here...in this apartment complex..." Nuriko pulled into the parking lot of my graffiti-covered, dilapidated building. "Right here."

"Here?!" Miaka's eyes bugged out.

"Yeah, HERE." I was offended. "Wanna come in? I'm sure there are a couple of cockroaches looking for a girl like you to befriend."

Miaka looked at me with her bugged-out eyes. "Nani?!"

"Never mind." I grabbed my book sack and jumped out the car. I don't think I could deal with that...that...THAT MIAKA ANYMORE! I quickly glanced over his license plate. QWERTY-727. "Thank you!" I quickly scurried off.

QWERTY-727...QWERTY-727... I kept repeating in my head, running upstairs to my apartment room, Number 310.

No one really inhabited this building any more. Mostly it was a place where drug dealers made their rounds, where the Japanese mafia, with their pinky missing, would conduct their business. It was a place where people who were out-of-work would stay for a month until they could get back off their feet. It was already July 5th, meaning that I had been here for...nine months and eight days. And I was STILL living here. I unlocked the door quicker than usual, and ran to my sketchbook and wrote on the cover QWERTY- 727. First, to check the messages.

I walked over to my answering machine (which was the cheapest one I could find...), and saw the blinking 2, indicating I had two new messages. I clicked PLAY, even though I already had an inkling of who the two callers were. "Hi, Trudy-sempai! This is Tsubasano Sora-kun," her soft voice paused for a second on the machine before starting again, "...tonight, if you can stop by in the evening, I don't have tutoring sessions then. We only have four days until the postmarked date the manga is due for the contest. We still have the last couple of pages to draw out, and I also have to apply screen tone and ink about three of the pages we completed during the last session. Call me and let me know if you can make it. Thanks!" BEEP! "Hey, Trudy, this is Hasegawa Hikaru, don't FORGET, you're working from ten to five tomorrow! So don't be late and oversleep! Don't make me come over and knock you upside the head!" BEEP. "No more messages."

I picked up my cordless Sailor Moon phone and dialed in the number: 425-89- 2001. "Moshi-moshi, this is Haley Trudy, may I please speak to Tsubasano Sora?"

"Hai, one second, babe." It was the voice of Sora's older brother, Murasaki.

"Thanks," I said, although I knew he had already placed the receiver down.

"SOOOOOOOORAH! SOOOOOOOORAH!"

"Hai, onni-chan! Coming!" Over the phone I could hear Sora running down the stairs and her stumbling for the phone. "Moshi-moshi?"

"Moshi-moshi, Sora-kun! What's cookin'?"

"Nothing much, sempai! So will you be able to make it tonight?"

"Of course! Do you think I have a LIFE or something?"

"That is fabulous! How about you come eat dinner with my family tonight, and after dinner we can work on the manga. I'm sure that we can finish most of it tonight. And if you can make it every night this week..." Sora hinted, "...we can probably finish the entire manga, inked and screen- toned, AND do our talk-back and mini-author manga. And you get a free meal..."

"SUGOI! Of course I'll come! And while we work..." I started, "Perhaps you can give me some advice."

"Advice?" Sora seemed alarmed.

"On a guy!" I confirmed.

"A...guy...? I'm afraid I don't have the expertise you need in that field...I'd speak to Hasegawa--"

"Nah! YOU'RE the only one who can help me in this situation, konpyu-tamania- sama!"

"S...Sempai! I am not a konpyu-tamania! I am a Professional Computer System Associate," Sora corrected.

I grinned. Sora seemed ashamed of something I would be proud of. Sora was a good, law-abiding citizen. But sometimes it seemed that she just needed to take her aggression out on something she was passionate about besides schoolwork and manga-drawing. It seemed that she just wanted to be like the rest of us-- a little devious at times.

Sora didn't do really bad things when she hacked. Most American hackers would hack for the hell of it. They'd distribute viruses to piss off those of us who ignored those Anti-Virus Checkup messages, or even screw up the web pages I adored just to piss off the visitors. But Sora-kun would go to the most prominent news sites and would write up entire editorials on issues she felt passionate about. She would simply create a page, submit it without the necessary authorization, and would link it to the news site, along with an accompanying pen name. It wasn't anything as devious as some of us would do, like TP Harajuku or spray paint "Chickens are tasty!" on the DIET Building, but it was Sora's way of coping with everyday normalcy. Of being the so-called "perfect" person she was. But I think she felt that this one blemish tarnished her reputation entirely to those who knew, but in all actuality, I admired her valiant efforts. It was something she still wasn't conscious of, and I suppose it would be an issue that would come up one day. But until then, Sora was ashamed. Ashamed she was like everyone else.

"Well, Sora-kun...I need a favour finding someone's address. You're the computer expert, so I'm hoping you can help me."

"Of course, sempai!"

"That's great!! Thanks, Sora-kun!" I'm sure if I saw her in person, I would have glomped her. I quickly wiped away my tears of joy. "Anyways, what time do you want me to be there?"

Mari's making dinner now, so she'll take an hour or so," Sora referred to the cook.

"So cool! Okay, I'll roller blade right over--"

"No, that's okay! I'm sure that I can have Antoine pick you up from your house." Sora referred to the family chauffer.

"Sora-kuuuun!" I whined. "If your family ever finds out where I live, they won't let you ever speak to me again!"

"Antoine's cool! So are my brothers! Neither would disclose the location of your house to my parents. Besides, my parents are so wrapped up in their business trips that they really don't have time to worry about who I'm hanging out with," Sora reassured me.

"Okay, then. It'll save me a walk...er...roller blade, I guess." I really hated rollerblading past dusk anyways. That's when the nuts started roaming town.

"Okay, I'll be over in a few. Be sure to bring your supplies, 'kay?"

"Haaaai!" I screeched.

"See you in a few minutes!"

"Later!" I hung up and changed out of my all-black gear and grabbed my yakpak, making sure I had all my goodies inside. Yeah. I tossed in a few inking pens and some preliminary sketches I had started on, and I walked outside, locking the door behind me.

I sat outside, alone for a minute, watching the sun in its aura of orange loveliness, waiting expectantly for Sora-kun.

The manga we were discussing was actually for a contest, sponsored by Nakayoshi's Kondasha. A lot of the more famous mangaka had made their name by entering one of these contests, and Sora-kun and I looked to fame with an incomparable hope. We both dreamed of becoming manga artists since we were very little, but there were boundaries that prevented us. Me, I had only recently started drawing when I was 14, I couldn't afford to go to mangaka college, and I was always discouraged from the trade by family, and sometimes friends. Sora-kun had similar predicaments; her mother and father wanted her to do nothing with the art of manga, she was often sent doing second-rate jobs for her school's manga club (who failed to recognize her talent), and her ability to write fiction was less than average. So when we met, we knew this was going to be perfect. Despite the fact that we were complete opposites- I was the delinquent, starving-writer and she was the rich, seemingly perfect artist, we knew that this friendship was going to flourish. In each other, we had the qualities that we lacked- the qualities we wished to achieve. And like ying and yang, we were able to fit into each other's lives perfectly. Sora and I were best friends.

Hikaru and I had a sort of different relationship. While Sora and I were best friends, I guess Hikaru and I were just sort of..."there" friends. We would go out occasionally and be the delinquent kids we were, but I would never consider Hikaru a confidante. She was just someone I would goof off with. Not anyone I could be serious with.

Despite it all, friend-ship wise, I was perfectly content.

I heard the familiar honking of Sora's limosine, and I scurried across the parking lot to meet them. Sora opened the door for me as I approached the vehicle.

"KONNICHI'WA!" I screeched.

"Hello, sempai!" Sora beamed.

"Yo, Trudy," Antoine greeted me.

"HIIIII ANTOINEY!"

"Well, don't you seem happy?" he laughed.

I got in and shut the door. "I'm so excited! Unmei no Yume is going to be SO great!" I squealed. "If we don't win, I will DIE!"

Sora nodded happily. "To think, they will announce the winners in another week and a half!"

"Well, it's just like us to wait to the last minute. I wonder if there are lots of competitors."

"Tons," admitted Antoine. "I still don't know how they're going to get through all of the applicants in a week from their due date. But my friend said last year, there were over 270 competitors."

"Whaaa?" I gaped. "I didn't realize there were so many aspiring manga artists..." I sobbed. "I dun wanna looooose!"

"It'll be okay," Sora sweat dropped. "I mean, just look at our manga. It's perfect! We spent our entire SUMMER on this, on just perfecting everything from each eyelash to every toenail. If we don't win...I don't know WHO will."

"When we win..." I started. "I will personally go to your school and slam a copy of it published in every one of those selfish little bratty manga club students. And then, heh heh heh, I'll graffiti the club walls with, 'M4ng4 C1ub SuC|$! f33l t|-|3 \/\/r4+|-| 0f +|-|o$3 \/\/|-|o$3 |\/|4|\|g4 4pp34r$ 1|\| |\|4|4y0$|-|1!!'"

Sora sweatdropped and giggled. Antoine looked at her in complete confusion. "Huh? What did she say?"

"Oh, sempai was speaking in L337 or L33+ or L33T, depending on how you wish to spell or pronunciate it," Sora began to explain. "Sempai was just saying that she wants to graffiti the walls with 'Manga Club Sucks! Feel the Wrath of Those Who Appear in Nakayoshi!!' Sempai is a bit nuts, so whenever she gets excited, she starts speaking in L337. Don't mind her."

"Yes, don't mind me," I re-affirmed.

Antoine smiled cluelessly and shook his head. "It's strange two girls like you would end up being friends...complete opposites."

"Actually!!!" I began authoratively, "I remember the first day we met!"

Sora exchanged a laugh with me.

"Errr.." Antoine was totally lost.

"Allow me to explain," I began.

*start flashback*

After a dastardly half-day flight, I was exhausted. I was impatient. Hell, I was in a bad mood. But it was only when the airport caddies reek their havoc did I find my patience being tested to the limit.

Yes, airport caddies. Those little golf-cart-ish machines that always had a canvas; typically they would carry old people and little kids all over the airport. But hell, it left me wondering: what sort of whackos drive these things?! Did these people even have licsenses?!

And it was already the fourteenth time I had to dodge one that day: Armstrong International required only six quick movements, but in my fifteen minutes of roaming Tokyo Haneda, I had already been nearly ran over eight times.

I was peacefully walking the airport, minding my own buisnesses, when alluvasudden, out of nowhere, an airport caddy flew at me like a bat out of hell. I found myself screaming out in angst, trying to avoid the caddy, but it seemed no matter where I ran, or where I hid, the caddy found me, and would appoint its new direction wherever I dared to stand.

Eventually, I headed for higher ground, shinnying up a pillar, my life LITERALLY flashing before my eyes. And fortunatly, my safe haven kept me sheltered from the madman who drove the airport caddy. "j00 $p00|\|1|\|g ||\|1f3r! \/\/4+c|-| +|-|3 f0r| \/\/|-|3r3 y0u'r3 g01|\|g |\|3x+ +1|\/|3!" I raised my fist intimadtingly into the air, hoping that the threat would not need to be repeated.

It was once I slid down the pillar and eyed my surroundings suspiciously, did I notice a vacated airport caddy. Well, nearly vacated. A sole girl with long brown hair sat in the back, her head turned away from my direction, as if observing something from a distrance. I decided today would be the day of destiny- the day I would finally extract my revenge on those damned airport caddy drivers. I tucked and rolled the three yards away, trying my best not to appear suspicious and then hopped into the driver's side, settling my hands on the steering wheel.

"Um, excuse me, miss, do you work for the airport?" The girl seemed a bit confused as to why I had so sneakily jumped into the caddy.

"j00 d0ub+ |\/|y l33t $| j00 $+up1d c4dd13$!" I pulled off course and headed for another caddy, filled with even more people. "F33l |\/|y \/\/r4+h!!"

"AHHHHHH!"

"Please, please, please stop this!" wept the girl in the back.

"j00...j00 pl34$3 d0 n0+ cry!" I dodged the oncoming collision yet again.

"What are you saying? Oh God, I don't want to die!" she wept.

I heard the familiar sound of sirens. "0|-| CR4P!" I looked behind me to see one of those security caddies catching up, SOMEHOW behind me. I dodged the onslaught of screaming people, until this stupid preteen kid just stood in confusion, staring at my caddy heading straight for him. "F0R|1|\|g g3+ 0u+ +|-|3 r04d, y0u r3+4rd! F0r|!! AHHHH!" We spun out of control, hitting a nearby pillar. Upon collision, a small fire erupted. I quickly grabbed all my bags, and grabbed the nearly-fainted girl by the arm, who was now starting to speak gibberish in between hyperventilating.

"Wha...huh...yah...am I dead?"

"Of course you are, sweetie. That's why Tru-chan, the guardian angel of GETTING THE HELL OUT OF HERE is going to grab you and take you outside, where you can live a rich and fruitful life." I pulled her over my back, managed to carry HER bags, along with my own, and quickly dashed away from the scene before anyone managed to spot me (which was a miracle in its own right.)

We sat outside in the parking lot for awhile, waiting for everything to cool down for awhile. It took a few minutes for the hyperventilating girl to calm down, but when she did, she spoke the first decent words in the entire ten minutes I knew her. "Who are you? Do you speak Japanese?"

"j3$ 1 d0."

"Huh?"

0|-|! 1 \/\/4$ $p34|1|\|g L33+! Gomen'asi! I tend to speak L33+ whenever I get excited." I grinned and shot her a peace sign.

"L33+?"

"L33+ is not something you are taught in school. It is a language that only us who pretend to be L33+ know."

"Huh?"

"Oh! I almost forgot!" I fumbled through my baggage.

"What?" The girl seemed almost alarmed. Judging from her expression, she probably thought I was going to pull out a pistol and shove a bullet through her head. She shut her eyes tightly and clentched her jaw shut. "Oh god...."

"THIS!" I valiantly turned around, revealing the Other Junior High uniform. Sora slowly opened her right eye, and seeing that I had no intentions to kill her, she responded. "Whaaa?" Sora was stunned.

"I must get changed into this!!" I pulled the top over my Hello Kitty shirt and pulled on the skirt over my long pants. Using the armholes, I used my free arm to maneuver the shirt from underneath the school top off and through the head hole. I carefully pulled off my pants from underneath my skirt, taking care not to flash the people who had come outside to relieve themselves from the sudden bout of havoc inside the airport.

"So are you a major otaku?" Sora asked, tapping her feet anxiously.

"Of course."

"Is that your reason for coming to Japan?"

"Sorta." I grinned from ear-to-ear. "I want to attend a manga trade school and become a famous manga artist." I sighed contentedly.

"That was the same dream I've always had," Sora said nostalgically, staring off into the distance. "But my parents wouldn't approve, even if I got accepted."

"Parents are always the cause of all that's bad in the world. They think they know what's best for you, when they don't even know you."

Sora turned to me in surprise. "EXACTLY!"

I smiled back at her, picking up my bags. "Well, I'd better go...still have to find a place to stay. Stupid me didn't think of searching for an apartment before I came." I smacked myself in the head. "I'm so forgetful!"

"Um, well, maybe, would you like a ride?" Sora offered.

"YOU'RE GOING TO LET ME BUM A RIDE?!" Tears of joy filled my eye ducts.

"Um, I guess so." She scratched her head sheepishly.

*End Flashback*

"I thought you knew each other when I picked you up from the airport!" I watched Antoine's eyes widen in the rear-view mirror.

"Of course not! I was just a crazy American kid that bummed a ride from Sora!" I grinned.

"But I thought you two KNEW each other when I picked you up from the airport..." Antoine's eyes were glassed with confusion.

"Of course you THOUGHT so," I said. "I am a VERY GOOD actress." I beamed with pride.

"Yes, Antoine, Trudy IS a very good actress," Sora confirmed. "I could barely speak that day because I was afraid I was going to slip up..."

"Well, goddamn, I would have never known!" Antoine turned his eyes back to the road.

"I know! I'm so good!" I blew him a kiss. "To all my fans, I could not do it without you!"

"Sempai, I don't think you have any fans," Sora reminded me.

I lowered my head in shame. "Sorrrra! Why did you have to remind me??" I sniffled.

"Gomen, gomen!!" Sora sweat dropped and bowed apologetically.

"Girls, we're here." Antoine walked to Sora's side of the limousine and let her out first, and then he approached my side and opened the door.

"Thanks, Anti-chan!" I grinned.

"Anti-chan...? That's a new one!" He flashed me a smile and waved a goodbye as he got back into the driver's side and moved the car.

"Sora-chan! Wait for me!" I scampered to the steps of her mansion after her.

It was ivory white, structured with pillars, a Romanesque creation. It was three stories high and even at dusk, workers were still scampering around, cleaning windows or trimming shrubbery. I watched in interest at the lifestyle I doubted I could ever live.

The butler opened the door before we even stepped to the doorstop. I follower Sora into the entrance hall with Sora and raced up the stairs to Sora's room, Sora walking several steps behind me. "Tee-he, Sora-chan!! I LOVE YOUR HOUSE!! It's so clean and pretty and you have all these people who always wanna help ya out and stuff!"

"It's really not that great..." I followed Sora into her room.

"Not that great?!" I squealed. "I'd love to live here!"

"It loses its appeal really quick. I'm helpless, I can't do anything of my own ACCORD in this house. Everyone else HAS to do it..." Sora sighed and plopped on the floor.

"Oh," I suddenly understood what she meant, and plopped on her pink carpet with her.

Sora's room was pure pink. The walls were a pastel pink, her canopy sheets were cotton candy pink, the carpet was a soft red hue; even her pc was a beautiful hue of pink. It seemed that her study desk was basically the only non-pink thing in the room.

"Okay, now let's settle down, sempai," Sora said in her most professional voice. She leaned down and dug her art supplies from underneath her bed, pulling out a huuuuuge box.

"Okay, I'm going to start inking these," Sora said authoratively, displaying a couple of the ending pages. "I want you to start those preliminary sketches for the last three pages. We're going to have our work cut up for us," she sighed, lying down on her stomach.

I joined her; Sora and I found this position most comfortable for working. Most artists I've known liked to work at a big desk with bright lights. Sora and I, we just work about anywhere, as long as it's on our tummies.

"Soooo..." Sora said coyly, with a mischievous grin, as she took out her various inking pens and chose a .02 mm one, "What was your 'big predicament' you were talking about on the phone earlier?"

I stuck my tongue out at her. "Well, I'm trying to track down this guy who stopped by in the restaurant today; I have his full name and his license plate car year, color, and type, and~"

I was interrupted by Sora. "Just who IS this guy? Prince Charming?"

"YES!" I said bluntly. "Ryunnen Chou!!"

"Oh." Sora didn't seem impressed, and continued on with her work. "I can get you his number and address in no time."

I was impressed! "WHAAA?! HOW?!"

"Nuriko-chan happens to be one of daddy's best clients," Sora smiled, inking Biki Subaru's hair. "It's just hard to believe that Nuriko-chan would go to YOUR little cafe!"

"I know! I wouldn't go there if it was the last place on earth!"

I think Sora thought I was going to defend the place I worked, because it seemed to alarm her. "Don't you like ANYWHERE you work?"

"Maybe I just haven't found the right place yet..." I sketched a picture of Subaru-chan looking reserved.

"You'll NEVER find the right place. You're just so picky!"

"Someday," I began. "I will find that place. But for now, if you can get that phone number and address..."

"Wait until we have dinner," Sora lectured. "We HAVE to get this done."

"Blarghadesh!!" I sighed pitifully. "I meet the man of my dreams, and all you can say is, 'Suppress your love for another hour, cos hell, who knows if the man of your dreams will still exist then.'"

"That's not what I'm saying." Sora shook her head at my misinterpretation of her statement.

I gave her my saddest sad puppy dog face, complete with tearing eyes and the crumpled expression of complete and utter despair.

"Sempai." I could tell just from her tone of voice that she was feeling guilty.

"Puh-leaseeee? I'd do the same for you..." I forced my eyes to water over.

"...okay...you stay here and finish up, I'll have to go look in dad's files. You stay here."

"HAAAAAI!" I screeched happily. "Come back soon, Sora-kun!"

Sora sighed in response and headed out the door.

"You're my bestest friend in the world!" I reminded her loudly as she left the room.

"Yeah, yeah." I could tell Sora was smiling though.

I decided to be obedient, and actually finished two sketches before Sora- kun came back, holding a print-out of something and her phone. She tossed the phone to me, and I fortunatly caught it. She plopped to the floor and handed me the paper. It contained all of Nuriko's information: his full name, his P.O. Box, his home phone number, his celphone and pager, his work number, and hours of contact...but not his address. "Call..." Sora urged me.

It was then when it hit me: I didn't know what to say. I paused for a minute before dialing the number on the print out. I cleared my throat and prepared to talk in my best Kansai dialect.

"Moshi-moshi," I began when he answered, trying to control my excitement. "This is your telephone company, and it seems that your line is going to be disconnected soon. This is a preliminary warning, so if you would like to pay your bill now-"

"But I already paid this month's bill," Nuriko began to protest.

I quickly hopped up and ran to the computer, opening WordPad. "Okay, let's see. I'm going to need your address..."

"146 Sakurazuka Avenue, Apartment 137." I typed this in as he said it, just as if I were a real life telephone company employee.

"Okay..." I clicked the 'enter' key several times really loudly, so he could assume I was serious. "Well, Mr. Chou, it appears that your deposit has been imput into the database, but not into your account. I'm sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused you."

"Oh, no problem." Nuriko replied. I had to control myself from squealing in sheer excitement; Nuriko's handsome voice combined with the mere fact that I had his address made me want to scream for joy.

"Thank you, Mr. Chou." I hung up and turned to Sora, grinning excitedly.

"Pokota?" I nodded at Sora.

"Hime-chan?" She nodded back.

We appropriated outselves in the proper positions and then began to cheer as we shook our hands in the air, "C'mon, c'mon, go, go, JUMP!" We leapt into the air and plopped on Sora-kun's bed. That was our traditional cheer derived from the anime Hime-chan no Ribon. Sora-kun and I were both into old-school anime more than the regular otaku.

"I can't beleive you, sempai!" Sora laughed. "I would have never been able to get through that without stifling a laugh."

"Oh c'mon! I bet you could!" I insisted, turning my head to face her. "You have more self-control than me."

"Yes, but I'm no good at doing things like that," Sora smiled.

"Yeah, cos you're good at everything else."

"No I'm not."

"You're good at almost everything," I insisted.

"No I'm not!"

"Okay, okay. Everything. I don't give you justice."

Sora gave up this fight, smiling. "I suppose we should get back to our work, don't you think so too, sempai?"

I let out a whine and laid back down on my belly and finished up the art

For awhile, we sat in silence, working quietly, until we were interupted my Sora's oldest brother, Kuroi. He leaned against the door frame, smiling smugly. It seemed that Kuroi always wore a smug smile, as if he was always ahead of everyone else.

"Sora...Haley-san, dinner is ready." Kuroi's voice was soft and unemotional, and often sent chills spiraling down my back. He had dark hair that fell into his eyesand dangled across his shoulders was pulled back securely in a simple ponytail.. He pivoted his head back, trying to brush his bangs out of his eyes. He wore his regular black jeans and some white socks. He wore no shirt, and I had to admit, he was pretty well-built. Not Goku well-built, but...Yuuhi well-built. It was an understatement to call Kuroi hot, he was DEAD SEXY. Too bad you couldn't say the same thing about his personality.

"Hai, onni-san!" Sora looked up at her brother and was visibly forcing a smile. She didn't like him either, I could tell.

Sora was really close to her brothers Murasaki and Aoi, but not to Kuroi. It was strange, as Kuroi was 22, and Murasaki and Aoi were 18 and 17 respectively, they were closer to Sora in age than Kuroi; I theorized that Sora's parents, after having Kuroi, decided to wait awhile before having another child (boy, could Kuroi be creepy when he had nose rings and eyebrow rings and lip rings in, thank God he wasn't wearing them now...). I know, I'd be frightened out of having kids if I ever gave birth to something like Kuroi.

Kuroi was the family musician. He was a prodigy of sorts, he first began playing the piano at the age of four, and started playing the guitar at the age of seven. It was a shame he wasted his talent on the dead-beats in his band, Moonlit Night in Seattle. Not to mention, he could make a fortune in Japan if he would switch from alternative to pop or something a little bit more popular in Tokyo. But no, he insisted. Alternative is all I'll ever be able to do.

But I've seen Kuroi play for Sora, at her request. And it was great-- he could play any genre; from classical to pop, Kuroi was a musical prodigy.

Murasaki was the technology expert. From video games to computers, he knew everything. It was a blessing to me that he worked in Akihabara and often got me discounts at the store at which he worked. He was pretty cool, in fact, he knew most everything about every video game, and was my talking, walking, stragedy guide. Sometimes, he, Sora, and I would head out to the arcades and play Dance Dance Revolution together.

Aoi, well...Aoi was a lady's man. He'd go after anything that had breasts and a pair of legs. Not to mention, this seventeen year old had made the moves on ME, which I found quite astounding. I had to admit, he had a sort of boyish charm that was hard to resist, even though he WAS a year younger than me. Oh, and was he CUTE. A boyish cute, but cute nonetheless.

"Give us a minute to pick up," Sora smiled.

"Okay, we'll be waiting for you in the dining room...hurry up, will you?" he departed, but after flashing us both his cute smile.

Ohhhh...he was so DAMN SEXY!

I started collecting what I had managed to complete and sorting it into piles. Sora grabbed all the pens and pencils and started sorting them based on width and number. "What do you think about your older brother...?" I asked.

Sora looked up at me in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Well," I started, nibbling on my pinky nail. "I just get this feeling that you really don't like him...And he doesn't seem that bad and all..." I quickly shut up. "I'm sorry. I don't live with him, so I guess I really don't know what he's like."

"Oh no, that's okay!" Sora grinned. "I may not be best friends with Kuroi, but...who is?"

"Who is?"

Sora quickly changed the subject. "Let's go eat dinner, okay?" She quickly sped down the stairs. She must have been hungry too.

I fumbled down the stairs after her, nearly topling over Sora. "YAY! What's for din-din?" I asked anxiously.

"I think we're having Chinese tonight. Mari makes the BEST Chinese," Sora grinned down at me.

"Eeek! Sugoi!" I drooled at the thought of chicken fried rice, egg rolls, and boneless chicken. I sprinted past Sora and to the dining room, plopping my butt into my regular spot directly across from Murasaki. Sora took her seat next to me, across the table from Aoi. Sitting at the head of the table, adjoined to Aoi and Sora, sat Kuroi. It seemed that the Tsubasano parents were away on buisness. Tsubasano Mitsukai, Sora's mother, worked as an interior designer and was well-known throughout the world, so she was constantly traveling. Tsubasano Rikishi was an international lawyer, famous for his clever defenses that often left people stunned. He often represented those who were more famous: actors, singers, goverment officials. He almost never lost his cases, but much like Mitsukai, he was always gone.

The white tablecloth was filled with assorted Chinese dishes, and in front of each of us sat fine China and newly-polished silverwear. Sounds like a regular day at the Tsubasano residence.

"Let's eat!" I grinned and started serving myself.

Everyone followed my lead. It was Tsubasano Japanese Tradition that the guest take the first serving before anyone else; strange tradition.

It was great to have a hot meal in my tummy; it had been so long. I small- talked with the Tsubasano's.

"Have you played 12 yet?" Murasaki inquired.

"Final Fantasy XII?! Are you KIDDING?! I took two days off to beat it, and then another day to catch up on sleep!" I was surprised Murasaki would ASK such a thing. It was like asking if I had breathed today.

Kuroi stifled a laugh and Aoi and Sora merely sweatdropped. "So, Imouto- san, Trudy-kun, I hear that you're almost done your manga...how's it coming along?"

"Fine, onni-san." Sora was quick to respond.

"Ah, do you care to elaborate?" Kuroi mused.

"Well, actually-" I began.

"No," Sora interupted.

I exchanged a glance with me, and she just shook her head as if to say, 'Don't bring it up.' So I quickly shut up.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before someone came up with something to say.

"Haley-san...you're looking BEAUTIFUL tonight," Aoi said, winking at me flirtatiously.

I had gotten used to Aoi's courting techniques, but suddenly, I was struck with an idea of pure genius. First, when Hikaru and I would go out on Saturday, I could bring Aoi along. Hikaru, having not been friends with Sora (more like associates), would not know that HE was really Sora's brother. And she would assume that Aoi was my date. Now, this would please Hikaru. I could already tell. Considering Hikaru ALWAYS wanted to hook me up with some mysterious stranger, she'd be undoubtfully pleased. Now, this would also be perfect for making Nuriko jealous. The problem is, I'd need Sora's help too...heh heh heh.

"Aoi, how would you like to do me a favour and go out with me this Saturday?"

Aoi and Sora spit their drinks across the table in surprise, whereas Murasaki and Kuroi only choked on their food. However, Aoi quickly recovered.

"Babe, are you serious?" Aoi put on his sophisticated act.

"Of course." I smiled at him and batted my eyes flirtatiously. "How about my place, nine am..?"

"O..of course!" Aoi could barely contain his excitement.

Everyone blinked at me in confusion. "Sempai, are you SURE this is something you really want to do?"

"What are you saying? I'm not devestatingly handsome enough for Haley-san?" Aoi shot his sister THE look.

"N..no!" Sora fumbled over her words. "I'm just saying, sempai has rejected you so many times...oi...nevermind..." Sora foiled her eyebrows at me in confusion, only to notice I was shooting THE look back at her too.

I stared directly at Aoi and licked my lips. I was going to have him in the palm of my hand, he was going to be on my leash. Aoi blushed furiously at the gesture, and quickly tried to recover. Of course, Aoi didn't want to look like a boy. He wanted to be a man. He cleared his voice. "You know...I've never been on a date with an American woman..." he leaned over the table, closer to me, as I dantily carved my Chinese fried chicken. "Are American girls as good as I've heard they are...?"

"WHAT?!" Murasaki was on his younger brother in a second, popping him across the head before he could say anything more. I grinned as Sora and Kuroi sweatdropped, as if in unison.

"WHADDYA DO THAT FOR?!" Aoi demanded. "I just wanted to know if American girls behaved themselves...geez, you're so perverted!"

Murasaki blushed furiously.

I really didn't want to crush Aoi too badly, so I forewarned him, "Aoi, lemme remind you, it's only for a day." I grinned sheepishly and sweatdropped.

"Haley-san, just one day with you would make me life totally complete." He beamed at his own wittiness. I managed to stifle my laughter. I watched as Murasaki tried not to gag at his younger brother's attempt to woo me.

"Okaay...A change of subject..." Kuroi started. "The Japanese Lottery is up to 145 million yen, since no one's won recently."

"145 million yen?!" My eyes glistened over at the thought of buying all the video games, manga, and anime I could ever need. "Suuuugoi!"

"Thinking about comic books?" Sora grinned.

"O...of course not!" I was flustered.

"Of course not!" Sora mimiced in a sing-song voice. "It's anime tapes!"

"She's PROBABLY thinking of video games," corrected Murasaki.

"O...of course not!" I re-established.

That caused laughter to erupt from the table.

I tried to ignore the laughter and ate my egg roll contendedly. Geez, did these people know me well for only knowing me for nine months. I avoided the scrutinizing looks of concern Aoi kept giving me; they were making me visibly uncomfortable.

"You made Haley-san upset!" Aoi declared, grabbing Murasaki by the collar of his shirt. "You shall feel the wrath of Tsubasano Aoi for hurting the feelings of Haley-san!!"

I hit my head against the table and sweatdropped. Aoi obviously forgot that was only ONE date. We WERE NOT going steady!

"Aoi, cool it!" Kuroi stared his youngest brother directly in the eye as he said these words so coldly. I don't think I've ever heard someone talk so emotionless.

"Yes'm." Aoi knew his place in the family; Kuroi was in charge when the parents were away. He quickly took his seat.

"Seems you have realized your place. That is good." Kuroi smiled smugly. "Someday you will have to know your place when you realize there are many people that are higher than you. For instance, myself..."

Aoi blinked.

"Onni-sama, cool it with your 'holier-than-thou' attitude," Sora informed Kuroi cockily.

Everyone blinked. Sora telling someone off? I was more likely to see pigs fly! I looked outside the window eagerly. Nope, no such luck.

"S...Sora!" Murasaki's mouth dropped.

We all stared at Kuroi to see his reaction.

And he started laughing?! Everyone, including Sora-kun, blinked in disbelief.

"Sora, Sora, Sora," Kuroi tsked, shaking his finger at her. "You really are starting to act like your older brother when he was your age."

"No! I'm NOTHING like you!" Sora insisted.

Wow. Sora definitely hated Kuroi.

I took a bite of my chicken and tried to break the silence. "Mmm...my compliments to the chef."

"I agree," Murasaki added. He wanted to end the awkward silence as much as I did.

"Haley-san has the best sense of taste out of all of us. This has to be the best dinner we've had in awhile," Aoi added.

I got the feeling Aoi was flattering me.

"Anyways! Sora-kun, don't you think we should get back to work?" I asked, shoving one last egg roll in my mouth.

"Yes." Sora's voice was cold as she stared directly at Kuroi.

I got up from my seat and grabbed Sora's arm before she could say or do anything rash. "See you guys later~!" And proceeded to stumble into the hallway, up the stairs, and into Sora's room.

"Sora-kun! My GOD! I've never seen you act so strangely before! Do you HATE Kuroi or something?" I plopped on her bed. I lay down for a few moments, staring at the ceiling, waiting for a reply.

"...I don't like that boy." Sora took a seat on the floor and proceeded to continue working on the manga.

"He seems to be fond of you," I said, raising my hands up into air and attempting to crack my fingers.

"That doesn't mean I have to be fond of him," Sora didn't even look up.

"He's sort of cute..." Sora looked up at me and almost glared. I fumbled for a rebound, "...er...I mean, in a big brother sorta way!" What was up with Sora and Kuroi? She obviously hated the kid.

"Now, what I would like to know," Sora said, changing the subject, "...Is why you are going out with Aoi."

"Ahh...A plan that requires your assistance...heh heh." I grinned and proceeded to tell her my devious plan.