Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Gravitation, the 'Graspers in any form, Tokyo High, Ryuichi -though I WANT TO-, his singing voice -I WANT THAT, TOO-, Norikko, Tohma, the song Sleepless Beauty -it belongs to The Seeker-, or the song "Shining Collection". Thankyou, Murakami-sama.

A Shining Collection

Ryuichi Sakuma wandered down the school hall, swinging his pass around one finger as he did so. He was 17 years old, a senior at Tokyo High School, and loving life. He came to the freshman bulletin board, and, as the 'straight-A' student he was, naturally, he stopped to look.

The notices were the usual- PTA reminders, Spirit Day flyers, and help wanted ads. One thing, however, caught his eye...

There, pinned for all to see, on purple printer paper, was a sign-up sheet for the school talent show, entitled "A Shining Collection". Ryuichi smirked. That music stuff was for losers with too much time on their hands.

He continued down the hall lost in thought. "Hmm... I can sing pretty well, but why should I waste my time on stupid things like talent shows? I have to study if I want to get into a good college."

Deep within his mind, he pictured the look on his father's face if he knew what his son was doing all those nights when he was home alone. He had not been studying as he had told his father, but singing. He would stand in his basement with a broom-less broomstick and sing his heart out, a cappella. He had even began writing his own song. Without realizing what he was doing, he began to sing softly to himself:

"Tooku de me o, hikarasete, mezameru monotachi, ma-a-a-tte iru..."

"OW! Sorry! Sorry! So sorry!"

Ryuichi stared at the boy he had just collided with, who was now lying on the floor, reaching for his black bowler hat, which he placed neatly on his head. The boy had light blonde hair, green eyes not unlike his own, and a tall, slender figure. He stood up and bowed, holding his hat to his head.

"So sorry!"

"Nah, it's okay, don't worry about it. What's your name?"

The boy stood up straight. "Tohma Seguchi. Senior year. 18 years old."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ryuichi Sakuma. Senior year. 17 years old."

The two walked down the hallway.

"What homeroom are you in?" Ryuichi asked.

"I was in 1-5, but I got switched to 2-7 today. That's why I was wandering around the

hallway. I'm lost."

"I'm in 2-7! I'll show you where it is."

The two continued down the hall. When they were a few yards from 2-7, a girl with purple, curly pigtails exited a classroom. She smiled when she saw them and waved, yelling, "Hey, Tohma-kun!"

"Hey, Nori-chan. How's freshman year so far?"

"Dull!"

"Very funny, Nori-chan. You should pay attention, though."

She stuck her tongue out in response.

"Oh, by the way, Norikko, this is Ryuichi Sakuma."

"Nice to meet you, Norikko." She was cuuuuute...

"Hey! My real name's Norikko Utame, but you can call me Hyper Little Nori!" she said with a smile.

"Well, um, 'Hyper Little Nori', it's nice to meet you."

"Aw, she's just joking around, Ryuichi. You can just call her Nori-chan."

"Tohmaaaaa! You're no fuuuuun!"

"Well, excuse me."

"Hey, uh," Ryuichi started, trying to stop the fighting, "How do you two know each other?"

"We live on the same street," said Norikko.

"Oh." Ryuichi wondered how close their houses were.

The three continued down the hallway, passing room 2-7.

"So, what do you guys do for fun?" asked Ryuichi.

"Well, we both play keyboards. We want to start a band, but we're missing one thing: a singer," said Tohma.

Ryuichi felt his heart stop.

"A... a singer?"

"Yup! Just give us a singer and we're a real band!" said Norikko excitedly.

"I... um..." If he was going to do this he was going to do it once and for all.

"What, Ryu-chan?"

"I... I know a singer who would be happy to be in your band." The damage was

done.

"Really? Who?" said Tohma.

"M... me."

Norikko and Tohma exchanged excited looks and said in unison, "REALLY?!? THAT IS SO COOL!"

"Heh... heh?"

"Come by my house later and we'll try out some songs!" said Tohma.

"Sure, okay."

The bell rang to signal the end of the period and the start of a new friendship.

So, hate me? Wanna kill me? Wanna hunt me down and stab me until I bleed a horrible death in hellish agony forever and ever? Well, you can't because that would make my cat, Onyx, an orphan. NY-CHAN! You can't be orphaned! I love you, Ny-chan! (said Nee-chahn.) "Please don't kill my Kyoko!"

Ny-chan requests that you R+R, pretty please.

Are you so cruel that you would say no to my black kitty??? Animal-hater. I love my Ny-chan.