Hey, all! Just here to leave a little trigger warning about vomit. It's not described in detail but if it bothers you, feel free to skip some. Okay, Enjoy!


Kana

Our first meeting was a disaster. And, I don't mean I bumped into him gently, or I accidentally nudged him to get his attention, nothing like that. Actually, I was trying to avoid him as best I could-you didn't typically see band members shopping in the grocery store, right? Didn't they have people to do that for them? It wasn't like he was really concealed, either. His golden locks shone like sunlight under those fluorescent grocery store bulbs, his smile equally bright when a fan noticed him and screamed or waved hello. I'm not going to lie, I was excited to see him that day too. Or, would have been, if I hadn't felt so damn bad.

You see where I'm going with this?

All I was there for was just some Pepto, ginger ale and plain old saltine crackers to settle whatever had gotten into my system that was making me feel like garbage. Something that should have only taken a moment or two for me to grab, pay for, and leave with. Naturally, my luck stinks, so I was in the middle of a crowded grocery store that was only getting hotter by the moment, with a pounding headache and a churning stomach. Not to mention a celebrity within sight that I would have killed to get a picture with. I sighed, leaning onto the cart as I pushed my way toward the front counters. If I can make it to the cashiers…

A few steps later, a wave of nausea nearly put me to my knees, causing me to double over a little in an attempt to keep the contents of my stomach where they belonged. I squeezed my eyes shut, crouching as I breathed slowly, in and out. That's it...Good girl. Once I got my stomach somewhat under control, I opened my eyes only to see a wide chest as arms scooped me up. I looked up at whoever had come to my rescue, intending to either scream or thank them, or both maybe, but I stopped. Stopped even breathing, for a second there. My stomach turned over with the butterflies, and before I realized what I was doing, my hand was clenched in his shirt, head turned toward him and I puked all down the front of his shirt. The crowd quickly dispersed as he began to carry me toward the nearest bathroom, one of those family restrooms that stores normally have. With no shame, he carried me inside and flipped the lock closed, sitting me up against the wall by the toilet. Thank God this bathroom is clean…

"Are you okay?" He asked gently, brushing a lock of hair away from my sweaty forehead. I shook my head tiredly before turning to the side and puking again, this time in the toilet and not all over us. He helped me after stripping from his dirty t-shirt, holding my hair back and rubbing my shoulders.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, my stomach feeling a little better at this point. I still leaned over it, resting my elbows on the seat and holding my head in my hands. "I am so sorry." The second apology was a little stronger than the first, but he'd never really know how sorry I was. I was the girl that vomited on a celebrity.

His soft laugh as he ran his fingers through my hair, holding the long strands of my bangs back from my forehead surprised me. "You didn't do it on purpose. Are you feeling any better?"

"A little bit," I said honestly, sighing and sitting back up against the wall. "I'm just thoroughly embarrassed right now." I peeked at him through half-closed eyes, noticing that he'd buttoned the loose sweater he'd had on. Thankfully, that hadn't gotten dirty. "I feel really bad about...well...everything. You can leave, if you want. I don't expect you to take care of me."

"I want to make sure you're all right before I leave," he said, smiling as he sat back on the floor, back against the door. His knees were drawn up closer to him, the bathroom not having the kind of space he'd need to stretch out. "So I'll sit here with you as long as it takes."

"You're way nicer than I would have thought," I said, shaking my head. "What are you doing in a grocery store, anyway?"

He grinned sheepishly, toying with a lock of his blond hair, green eyes twinkling behind his thin-framed glasses. "Otoya and Ren asked me to pick up some things this afternoon."

I groaned, putting my hands over my face. "Oh, God. They're waiting on you?" I shook my head. "You have to leave me here so you don't hold them up. Please. So they don't hate me."

"Let me walk you home," He said. "And then I'll leave you alone."

"I really don't want to puke on you again," I said, grimacing. "But if you insist, I'm not really in the position to say no."

He laughed, standing and leaning to pat my head. "Let's go, okay?"

Once I moved my hands from my face, I took the hand outstretched to me, and looked down at my ruined shirt. "Oh, no," I said, frowning. "Uh...Well...I can't take it off."

"I'll let you borrow my sweater," he said.

"Do you make a habit of letting strangers borrow your clothes?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. His response was to merely laugh sheepishly, shrugging the sweater off his broad shoulders. He respectfully turned around, patiently waiting for me to remove the ruined garment. Once I was changed, I called his name to get his attention. The sweater nearly swallowed me,but it was warm, and it was comfortable. He smelled so good, and I had never been more thankful that I felt better, at least for a moment. "T-thank you, ."

"Call me Natsuki," he said with a cute smile, tilting his head to the side like a puppy. It would have been way more adorable if he hadn't been half-naked at this point, or stuck in a bathroom. People were starting to crowd around the door now, having seen us walk in, but not out yet. The thought made my stomach turn again, this time in nervousness. I was going to get torn apart by rabid fans, I was sure. "Are you feeling well enough to leave, now?"

"I still have to buy my groceries," I said. "But I'm feeling good enough to try now, before I start feeling bad again."

He nodded before both of us washed our hands and left the room. I felt all eyes on me as he led the way to a tourist-y T-shirt rack and grabbed a shirt, tossing it over his head and taking the price tag off to pay for it. I reached around him, snatching the tag from his hand and making my way to my nearly-forgotten cart of groceries. He protested, following me to the counter. I turned to him, grimacing at the way the room spun for a moment, and he reached out to steady me. "I really don't want to throw up on you again," I started, then shook my head. "Also, I'm getting this. Because I ruined the other shirt."

He blinked at me before his bright green eyes softened and he nodded with a smile. "Okay." The line wasn't long, thankfully for me, and we were on our way to my house before the nausea hit me again. I sat down against my front door before unlocking it, closing my eyes to breathe, counting to ten and hoping to settle my stomach. I felt those arms underneath me again, but this time I didn't open my eyes as he found the front door key and unlocked it so we could get inside. He set me on my couch gently, sitting me more upright as I tried to get this nausea under control.

"Don't you learn?" I asked softly, without opening my eyes. I heard the pop and fizz as he opened a can of ginger ale and went through my cabinets to find a glass for me. Afterwards came the padding of socked feet and the soft thud of a glass on the coffee table in front of me. "You're really, really sweet."

"You're really cute," he said, then chuckled to himself. "I don't mind helping to take care of you."

"Someone is going to take advantage of you," I said. I peeked at him through half-lidded eyes for a second. "If you keep being so nice to strangers." I stopped, taking a deep breath that resulted in a hand on my arm. "I think I'll be okay. But...I wanted to thank you for your sweater."

"You can keep it until you feel better," He said with a smile.

"Thank you," I said softly. I leaned back against the couch, sighing and closing my eyes again. "Tell everyone I'm sorry for holding you up." I wiggled until I reached my phone in my back pocket, and handed it to him. "If you trust me having your phone number, I can contact you when I feel better and return your sweater to you. Uh. Washed."

After some tapping, he handed the phone back to me. "Here. What's your name?"

I looked at him then, for just a moment before closing my eyes again and groaning. "I'm so sorry." I rubbed my face. "My name is Kana. Kana Kijimuta. Despite the circumstances, I'm very happy to meet you, Natsuki Shinomiya."

"I'm happy to meet you, too, Miss Kijimuta."

"Kana. Please," I said with a smile. I looked at him again, just briefly, before reaching out and nudging him with a foot. "Go on, they'll be calling soon to find out where you disappeared off to if you don't hurry. And you didn't even buy anything."

He laughed. "I'll be looking forward to hearing from you, Kana."


The next morning I awoke on my couch, bundled up in blankets with 4 cans of ginger ale and a half a pack of saltine crackers on my coffee table, feeling much more energized and much better. I was still wearing Natsuki's sweater, and now that I was properly able to fangirl, I flailed my arms, pressing the long sleeves to my face with a smile that actually hurt if I held it too long. It still smelled like him, and I sighed dreamily. He really was like a prince, wasn't he? I wondered, with a little jealousy, if he did this for every girl he saw in distress. Figuring yes, I snorted to myself in the empty room, but quickly assured myself that right now, I was the lucky damsel. I looked through my phone, eyes widening in realization that I also had his number. I really was lucky.

My finger hovered above his name in my contacts for a long while, before I finally backed out into the main menu. It was way too early to call him now-not to mention that I hadn't gotten up yet, or washed his sweater as promised. I ran my fingers through my salmon-orange hair, a yawn escaping as I stretched and finally stood. Good, I wasn't feeling nauseous at all, even standing. I looked at the clock, and seeing it was nearing noon, figured I'd go ahead and attempt to eat something, even if it was just buttered toast for the time being. Showering was first on my list, however, and I went to get a change of clothes, picking my blanket up to throw on the bed on my way to the bathroom.

After showering, I looked at the sweater, sighing and tossing it into a laundry basket with the rest of my dirty clothes. I made sure nothing else I had could bleed onto it and when I was 100% positive there was no way I could ruin it, dumped everything into the washing machine. The tinkling sound of my phone ringing followed the rough groan of the washing machine's startup, and I tossed the basket on the floor in my haste to get to it. Nacchan? Oh, shit. He got my number, too? When'd he do that?

"H-Hello?" I answered, stomping down my nervousness.

"Kana?" Oh, hell, it's actually him.

"Speaking," I said, trying desperately to calm my racing heart and jumpy nerves. He's actually calling me?! "Shino-er, Natsuki?"

"I wanted to see how you're doing," He said, and I felt my entire body light up in a savage blush. "But I didn't want to just show up at your house."

"Hah," I laughed breathily, a little flustered. "You're too sweet. I'm much better today, thanks. I actually just tossed your sweater in the washing machine, and I'm gonna cook lunch. Are you around? You're welcome to join me. And...uh… I guess if any of the other guys want to come with, they're also welcome."

"Y-you don't have to," he said, but I heard the smile in his voice.

"I insist. It's the least I could do after what you did to help me yesterday. After all, it's not every day an idol like you takes care of a random girl like me, and I'd really like to show my thanks. I can't do it financially but I can give you food." I smiled as I heard the muffled sound of him asking the rest of the band (STARISH, they were called) if they'd like to join us for lunch. I felt my face turn red at the question, thoughts racing as to what to cook if all 7 of them joined.

"-na. Kana!" His voice brought my attention back to the phone, and I answered him with a nervous laugh. "It's going to be Ren, Syo, Otoya and me, okay?" In the background, I overheard a loud, "Why do I have to go?!" and Natsuki's laugh. "We'll be there shortly, okay, Kana?"

"Works for me," I said with a smile. "I'll see you later, then! Thank you, Natsuki!"

We hung up the phone and I tapped my chin in thought, then searched my cabinets. Not knowing how much time I had, I decided to go with just a simple stir fry dish, taking an hour to fix at most, including prep. I gathered the ingredients, tossing them into a pan, my stereo turned up loud (my neighbors all worked or went to school at this time, so I knew the surrounding apartments would be empty). I didn't hear Natsuki knock when they arrived, so was incredibly embarrassed when the four of them entered my house, watching in amusement as I danced around my kitchen. When I noticed them, I dropped the wooden spatula I'd been singing into, turning the stereo off and hid my face in my hands. "Oh, God. Hi."

"A meal and a show?" Ren Jinguji grinned at me under sunset-orange bangs, blue eyes twinkling as he watched the spectacular shades of red that colored my face. "The others will be sad they missed out."

"Don't tease me," I groaned, dumping a little soy sauce into the pan and stirring it with a different spatula this time. "I didn't hear you guys knock."

"It's no wonder," Ren said, gesturing to the stereo. "Do you normally leave your door unlocked?"

"Not normally, no," I said, turning the stove off and moving the pan to a different burner so I could get bowls out for us. "I just was...a little under the weather yesterday, and forgot to lock it after Natsuki left. I'll admit I'm a little spacey, but not usually that bad." I grinned at him when he chuckled. "Anyway, you guys have good timing. It's ready now. Make yourself at home." I began to fix the dishes as they took a seat at the table. A spot beside Natsuki was left empty for me, and I felt myself blushing as I sat beside him.

Lunch was interesting, to say the least. They raved about how good my food was (especially Syo, which both flattered and embarrassed me a little bit), Natsuki asking me to cook with him sometime. Ignoring the alarmed look from the other 3, I smiled at him and agreed to maybe set up a date sometime. Syo and Otoya looked even more horrified, almost comically so, while Ren did little but laugh to himself as he continued to eat. At this point, part of me wanted to know why they were so turned off by the idea of us cooking together, since I didn't necessarily believe it was mine they were so afraid of. I almost asked, but made a note to ask one of them when Natsuki was otherwise occupied. The grin the blond gave me melted my heart and I couldn't help but feel giddy-there was no way I would ever, ever regret my agreeing to cook with him, I was sure of it.

Ren cleared his throat after a moment of what I was sure was just Natsuki and I smiling cheesily at each other, getting my attention. He gave me a small grin of his own before asking me about myself, clearly amused by the way I stumbled over my words to answer him. It was intimidating, talking to people who had so much fame, and it was easy to forget we were around the same age. I was just a few months younger than both Natsuki and Ren, who were both 21, and I'd soon be catching up in December. Syo and Otoya were both 19, though looked older.

"What do you do?" Otoya asked, finishing up his food and pushing his bowl to the side.

"Mm," I said, swallowing my last mouthful of food. "Freelance work, mostly. I do logos and things for companies to keep myself above water, but it's not something I'm interested in doing forever. I've got a couple websites I write articles for, as well." I shrugged with a smile. "I do enjoy it, though, and it pays my bills and puts food on the table."

Otoya nodded, grinning. "So you're an artist? Can I see?"

I laughed sheepishly, tucking a rogue strand of hair behind my ears. "Sure, I suppose. I like to draw for myself in my spare time, but it's not quite as good as my logos." I tapped my chin. "Actually, can I do something else?"

His eyes widened a little and he cocked his head to the side just slightly. "Oh?"

"I'd, um...I'd like to draw you guys and get your autograph on it, if I can," I said, then lowered my gaze. "If you're willing to let me. I've got to throw the laundry in the dryer so Natsuki can have his sweater before you guys leave-uh, if you're not on a time crunch today, I mean-so I can grab everything I need while I'm in my room."

"Are you kidding?!" Otoya said excitedly. "That's so cool! You have to give us a copy!"

The rest of the guys agreed, Natsuki as excitedly as Otoya, getting a smile out of Ren and Syo, though the latter looked a little reluctant. I nodded, taking the empty dishes from the table and putting them in the sink, and making my way to the washing machine. Transferring clothes took no time at all, and soon I was back in the dining room, equipped with my computer and drawing tablet. I started on Natsuki first-chibi drawings took the least amount of time, minimal detail but just as cute as anything else I could have come up with. He watched over my shoulder, and surprisingly I wasn't uncomfortable with it. The other guys watched in interest, though Syo lost interest quickly, pulling his phone out to surf the web while I drew. I laughed to myself, looking up. "I have a television and some game consoles you guys are welcome to use, if you're interested."

After a moment of thought, he grinned and nodded, walking into the living room and making himself at home. Otoya followed him, though Ren and Natsuki chose to keep me company. Ren made small talk, which didn't bother me in the least-I hoped the silence wasn't bothering him, either. I wasn't a perfect hostess, but it wasn't often I had company. Soon Natsuki's chibi was finished, the others coming along quickly behind it, and I smiled when I saw the completed photo, about an hour and a half later. It was a simple thing, but I'd do something a little more detailed for them later on, maybe as a gift to send. I'd have something like that blown up with all seven of them, but for now, the four of them with autographs would be fine. More than fine, actually. I could die happy.

Natsuki threw his arms around me once I was finished and printing the photo on glossy paper, his broad chest to my back, cheek pressed to the back of my head. "It's awesome, Kana, thank you!"

I laughed. "You're very welcome. I'm glad you like it." I bit my lip. "It means a lot to me."

"You're talented," Ren agreed, patting my hair when Natsuki finally let me go. "I'd be proud to autograph that for you."

"Thanks," I said, feeling a little embarrassed now. I rubbed my face, handing Ren the copy for each of them to sign, and each of the others a copy to keep. I gathered my computer and tablet, heading to my room to drop it off before grabbing the sweater from the dryer for Natsuki. It was warm, and I quickly folded it, holding it to my chest as I made my way back to the dining room.

"Lady," Ren began.

"You guys are off, yeah?" I smiled at them, tears pricking my eyes. "Thanks for hanging out with me. It means a lot to me. Seriously."

He stepped forward, touching my cheek softly, where a tear had escaped. "You don't have to cry."

"Hah," I said sheepishly. "Don't get it wrong, Ren...I'm happy!" I pulled back, wiping my eyes with an arm. "Never in my lifetime did I imagine I'd ever meet you, and now you guys are in my house, and I was able to draw you a picture. I'm really, really happy."

He smiled. "You act like this is the last time we're going to see you."

I blinked at him, then back at the others, who were grinning at me. "It's not?"

"Where else am I going to get such great lunch," he teased, poking my nose, then putting his hands in his pockets as he walked to the door. "We'll come back."

"Oh," I breathed, grinning widely. "I'm looking forward to it. I'm really excited!"

They all laughed, each saying their goodbyes and walking out, until it was only Natsuki and I left in the house. I looked up at him, then remembering I was still holding his sweater in my arms. "Ah, here," I said, holding it out to him, my face red. "Thank you again. So much." I giggled nervously. "You smell really good." At that, I slapped a hand over my mouth. "Shit, that was creepy. Sorry."

He laughed gently, reaching out to move and hold the hand I had over my mouth. His hand was big, and it was warm, and I found myself wishing he'd never have to let go. "Don't be so nervous, Kana." He released it, and part of me wanted that warmth back. "You're so cute."

"You keep saying that, but you seem to forget that I was the girl that threw up on you yesterday," I said with a grimace. "If I were you, I'd be repulsed by me."

"I'm just happy you're feeling better," he said, and the clear honesty in the statement was overwhelming. He was just as gentle now as the day he'd joined Saotome Gakuen, wasn't he? "And your food was really good. We should cook together soon."

"Just, um...just call me when you're ready." I grinned softly. "I'll be around."

He smiled, leaning down to give me a hug that lifted me off the floor. "See you later, Kana!"

I waved at him as he left, following to lock the door behind him. Once he was gone, I leaned against the door, my signed picture held to my chest, tears running freely down my cheeks. If I died right now, I'd be the happiest I'd ever been in my life.


"Good morning!" I greeted my cousin, Miruka Matsushina that next morning as she drug herself into my apartment. She looked exhausted, and I smiled gently at her, sitting next to her on the couch. "Hard day at work, huh."

"Yeah," She whispered, stretching out on the couch, putting her head in my lap. She closed her eyes. "Had a few emergencies and I didn't get much sleep yesterday, so last night was a challenge."

"Ah, I'm sorry," I said, swiping her wavy lilac bangs from her forehead and petting her hair. "Just rest here. I'll be quiet and still until I can't, then you can have my bed, okay?"

"Mm," she said, putting her arm over my legs like they were a pillow. "You're comfortable. Do you have everything you need before I pass out?"

I looked to my side, making sure I had my phone beside me. I smiled gently, stroking her hair. "I've got it all. I'm guessing Shin came for a visit?"

"He showed up last night before work, unannounced," She said softly, her voice drowsy. "I try to tell him to call but he never listens."

I laughed. "He's only worried about you, Ruka. He's trying to be a good brother, even if he does drop by unannounced." I patted her shoulder. "Just sleep, and we'll talk about Shin when you get up."

She sighed, nodding, and I picked up my phone, planning to surf the web until my legs went to sleep or she woke up, whatever came first. Sneaking a picture of her, I snickered. She hated what she looked like sleeping-she was adorable, by the way-but I tended to take photos of her anyway. She was a gentle soul by nature, but exhaustion had her looking older and a little more mean than she actually was. Being a nurse was hard for sure, but it was something she loved, and something she was good at. Due to her timid personality, she'd have patients that tested her, but with a little tenderness had them wrapped around her finger like everyone else she met.

The two of us had been close as long as I could remember, playing together at my grandparents' inn, then together at my house before being called back to go home with her parents. After graduating, we'd separated for a short time-her entering a nursing program at the local university, and me beginning my freelance working, choosing to stay at home. Business seemed to flow to me, despite what my parents said-most things from overseas, but they weren't shy to pay, and it helped me learn English as well-and being swamped in work made it hard to stay in touch. However, when we needed a day to relax, we made time to spend with each other at either her apartment or mine. Every now and then, Shinobu and Kanon would be there for a surprise visit, so I got to spend time with them too.

Then the accident happened, and she wasn't herself for a while.

Though, who could blame her? She'd lost both her parents at once and never had the chance to say goodbye. They'd been hit head-on, by someone doing over the speed limit and very obviously under the influence of something, and it cost everyone their lives. She called me to tell me, before hanging up and locking herself in her apartment for a few days. I tried to call, to visit, but nothing convinced her to open the door and I eventually gave up until she felt good enough for my company. The first time I'd seen her, we both dissolved in tears, hugging each other so tightly we couldn't breathe. She'd become more clingy after that, though I didn't mind-I tended to be pretty affectionate anyway.

She started spending a lot more time with me, coming to my house after working a shift just to sleep, playing video games (though she wasn't good, it was still a ton of fun), critiquing my art when I asked for it. She would bring takeout every now and then, and slowly started opening back up to everyone else. Shinobu would start dropping by out of the blue, and after a few days, she'd come to my house for refuge (though he'd still come by my house when she didn't come home after a night or so). He was a worrier, always had been, but even more so after their parents' accident. He'd soon go back home to Kanon, and though the visits were nice, it was nice for her to be able to breathe again.

After a while of reading articles and social media, my phone blipped twice, Natsuki's name popping up in a text message. I smiled, pleased to know he wanted to talk to me, as embarrassing as I felt I was. It was a simple query of how I was today, and a cute little drawing of Piyo-chan, a little mascot that any fan knew was his favorite. I smiled at the phone, typing back a reply-the picture was damn cute, I didn't know he could draw-wondering what was going on that he'd want to text me about. As if he read my mind, he sent me a photo of himself this time, his hair half tied back, wearing a white button-down shirt (half unbuttoned and I blushed so hard so quickly I felt like I'd been slapped), with a lipstick mark on the side of his neck. "Photo shoot" was the only words to accompany it, and I smiled, trying hard not to wiggle around and wake Miruka in my excitement. He'd made time out of his busy day to send me a picture of him? It was an amazing feeling. I debated whether or not to send back a flirtatious reply, but since we weren't exactly flirting with each other, I decided against it. I sent back a photo of myself, pointing to my sleeping cousin. Sleeping beauty, I wrote back. Cute, isn't she?

Your girlfriend?

The sound I made was almost inhuman when I realized I hadn't mentioned anything about her even though Ren had made a point to ask about family, and Miruka groaned, rolling to the other side and swatting my thigh to quiet down. I apologized, stroking her hair and blushing fiercely. Oh! No, she's my cousin. A nurse. We're close.I laughed nervously. Sorry, lol.

He replied with a few smiley emojis, before a "Be right back!", and I grinned again. What had I done to earn something this wonderful? Natsuki Shinomiya was my favorite, favorite celebrity, and had been since STARISH's debut. Everything I'd heard about his attitude had been proven true, and it was almost like a dream come true that he was in my life now. I busied myself reading different books on the reader app I had, before my stomach began to growl and I had no choice but to usher Miruka into my room.

Once she was settled, I went to the kitchen to find something to eat for lunch. Nothing sounded good that I had, and since I wanted to be more on the quiet side, I decided to run to the store to find something quick. I'd pick up dinner while I was there, since she'd very likely be up at 3 or 4 o'clock this afternoon and hungry. Shinobu would probably be calling me as well, so I made a note to keep him in mind while I shopped. He loved my cooking, saying it reminded him of their mother's, so I never minded him joining for dinner. Leaving a note on the counter for her in case she woke up early and worried, I left, locking the door behind me.


"Shinny!" I said happily, letting my broad 6'1" cousin in the door. "It's nice to see you again." I hugged him tightly, him pressing an affectionate kiss to the top of my head.

"Kana," He said. "Are you taking care of yourself?"

I rolled my eyes at him even though i grinned and moved to the side. "Yes, I am. What about you?"

"You know I am," he said, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at me. "What kind of question is that?"

"Just makin' conversation," I said. "Go ahead and sit down, dinner's all fixed. Ruka's showering, cause she just woke up but we can chat while she's in there."

He nodded, sitting across from me at the table. "Any boyfriend?"

"Geez, you're as bad as my dad," I grumbled. "But no. I'm not even talking to anyone right now." I smiled. "Focusing on myself, mainly. I'd ask you, but uh...I already know the answer."

"No," he said anyway.

"See? I told you. I know," I said with a laugh. "I do have a new thing in my collection, wanna see?"

"Sure, you know I like your artwork," He replied. "A new logo?"

"Not exactly," I said, standing. "I'll be right back. Gonna go grab it." I made my way to my room, where I'd framed the photo and hung it up. I smiled broadly when I saw it, touching the glass affectionately before walking out of the room, and nearly into Miruka, who was coming out of the bathroom. "Oh, good timing. Come on, Shinny's here and I want to show him this thing I drew that I didn't tell you about."

"O-kay…" she said slowly, following me while wrapping the towel around her head. I sat at my spot at the table, laying the photo out in an empty spot by Shinobu.

He raised a brow at me and I smiled brightly, the grin almost hurting my face. "I met every single one of them!" I said before he had a chance to speak. "It's a crazy embarrassing story but I'll tell it if you want to hear it." They both nodded, looking at the autographs and grinning right along with me. "So, I met Shinomiya in the grocery store and kind of puked on his shirt. Then I bought him a new one and he brought me home. He gave me his sweater to wear in the store cause mine got messed up, and so I needed some way to get in touch with him when I washed it, and he gave me his phone number. Like…" I sighed dreamily, putting my hands to my face, blushing brightly. "He texted me yesterday to check on me, and then brought friends cause I cooked lunch and then I offered to draw the picture. They agreed to sign it and they're so fucking cool, guys, you wouldn't even believe it." I giggled. "Especially Shinomiya. God, I love him so much."

The looks on their faces said it all-shock, amusement, more shock, a little skepticism-and I laughed. I was giddy, talking about it all aloud. "You're serious?" Shinobu was the first to speak, and I nodded. "You know, they could all be acting."

"That thought did run through my head but honestly, why would they worry about acting with a girl like me? He really should have turned and run instead of playing hero and I told him so once I got finished throwing up on him," I said. "But he didn't. Instead, he stroked my hair and brought me home, and once I was here, hung around for an extra minute to see if I was okay. Not only that! But he checked on me the next day, and even came over for lunch. Sorry if I'm being really naive, but I've had literally zero bad feelings around these guys. Any of them."

"I don't trust any man around either one of you," Shinobu muttered good-naturedly.

Miruka shook her head as she helped herself to the dinner I'd set out. "We know. You don't have to worry about her. I've only ever heard good things about Shinomiya so I think we're safe. No one can pretend all the time."

"Yeah, yeah," Shinobu said. "Anyway, it's good that you met your idol, Kana."

"Mm," I nodded, smiling to myself. "He wants to cook with me, sometime. I think it'd be fun." Shinobu raised a brow at me and I groaned. "Shinny, stop with the look. Believe it or not, I am actually grown and I can be in a room with a man, all by myself."

"If he does anything to hurt you-"

"Mmhmm, yep, I sure will call you," I interrupted. "It's cool. I wanna be his friend. And he's made no move on me. The only thing I've gotten from him is a picture." At the glower now on Shinobu's face, I blanched and held my hands up. "Also of his face! God, Shinobu, you're really overprotective. Relax. I've got knives and I know how to use them." I picked up a sliced piece of tuna with my chopsticks. "Case in point." I put the steak in my mouth and looked between my cousins.

"You should trust her a little bit," Miruka said, smiling over at me. "You trust me on my own. Mostly." She looked at him. "Should I be present for this next meeting?"

After a long deliberation with himself, he finally shook his head. "No. No, I trust you to make good decisions like I'd expect Miruka to make good decisions. Or Kanon, but she's a teenager and they never make good decisions."

I laughed, then, steering the conversation toward the subject of their youngest sister, and off myself and Natsuki. The rest of the night went smoothly, and it was fun just to catch up on what we'd missed of each other. Miruka told stories of her patients, I filled them in on what work I had and was catching up on, and Shinobu talked about the goings-on at home and with Kanon. At the end of the night I sat down to watch something on television, Miruka leaving around 8:30pm for her shift at the hospital and Shinobu excusing himself to go back to Miruka's apartment as well. He'd only be staying another day, so he was going back to call Kanon and sleep tonight, promising to come back in the morning if I felt like company. Naturally, I didn't mind. They were the closest family I had-my parents didn't support my freelancing and my grandparents were no longer alive. Being an only child got lonely, but when I had them, I didn't feel like I needed anyone else.

When my phone blooped as the time ticked onto 11pm, I looked at in in surprise to see Natsuki's name come up. A text? My heart raced at the thought of what I may find, only to see a photo of his smiling face with a follow up of simply, "Goodnight."

Grinning, I sent a goodnight text back. Well, if he keeps it up, there may be one more person I need in my life.