The sun had just set by the time Masato Hijirikawa finally got to sit down and relax. He sighed heavily as he recalled that day's events. Cecil had claimed he was better than STARISH and Camus decided to put the seven of them through idol training. Masato thought they were close to losing when it seemed Cecil had gotten all the right hiragana cards. On closer inspection, the blue haired idol saw that Cecil had the wrong cards. For once, Masato was thankful that his father made him vigorously practice writing when he was younger.
Tap tap
Masato's thoughts were interrupted when he heard sounds fill the otherwise quiet room. The sounds seemed like they came from his bedroom window. But that couldn't be right. Who in their right mind would be outside his window at this time?
Tap tap tap
The blue haired idol started slowly walking towards the window. When he reached it, he pulled back the curtain, not knowing what to expect on the other side.
"Masato~! I was beginning to think that you had fallen asleep already!" a certain Agna prince said cheerfully.
"…Aijima. What are you doing here at this time? Outside of my window of all places?" Masato asked Cecil after he sighed in slight relief that it wasn't something abnormal outside of his window. Well…Cecil being outside of his window wasn't exactly normal to begin with…
"Well um…I have a favor to ask you," Cecil said while rubbing the back of his neck. "So could you please open the window?" The prince was silently thankful that Masato's room was on the first floor, unlike Haruka's room.
Masato gave Cecil a look that said 'Are you serious?' but Masato saw that Cecil was indeed very serious. So he sighed once again then proceeded to open the window for Cecil to enter his room.
"Aijima…why didn't you just use the door?" Masato asked Cecil after he climbed through.
"Well…I didn't want anyone to see me," the brown haired idol replied. Masato gave him an inquisitive look. "I didn't want anyone to ask questions." Cecil elaborated. Though it still didn't really explain anything.
"Aijima, I still don't understand. What could you possibly ask me that you didn't want anyone else to know?"
"I wanted…" Cecil hesitated. "I wanted to ask you to help me with my hiragana!" Cecil finally said. Masato gave him a somewhat surprised look.
"I see. Though I must ask, why me?" Masato asked after he got over his shock.
"Because you were the one who found all my mistakes today! If not for you, STARISH would have surely lost!" Flushing lightly, Masato was taken aback and also a little flattered. He supposed that was right. Not that he thought his band mates were unintelligent in any way, but out of the six of them, he was probably the best at Japanese writing.
"So why didn't you want anyone to ask questions?" The blue haired idol asked after a few moments. Cecil flushed lightly in embarrassment and looked away. A small smile found its way to Masato's lips at the sight. Masato didn't particularly care for Cecil due to his arrogance earlier, but the prince's current shyness was a rather suiting look for him.
"Because I…" Cecil cleared his throat and finally met Masato's eyes. "I wanted it to be just us two." Masato looked at Cecil with surprise once more. Why just them? Could it be that Cecil was embarrassed that his hiragana wasn't as well as he liked it and he wanted to improve without the others knowing that it was due to receiving help. He supposed he could understand that.
"Okay, Aijima. I'll help you. But I'll warn you now, I'm not a lenient teacher." Masato replied stoically. Cecil grinned as soon as the words left Masato's mouth and the prince suddenly pulled said stoic idol into a hug.
"Thank you so much, Masato~! I'll work hard and listen to everything you tell me~!" Cecil exclaimed enthusiastically. Masato's face flushed deeper at the close contact. He tried shrugging off the brunet idol, but Cecil was persistent.
"Are we interrupting something here, Hijirikawa~?" a smooth voice said from the door entrance. Masato looked in horror towards said door, where his senior and childhood friend stood with amused expressions. Masato shook his head and successfully shrugged off the still grinning prince.
"N-No! Aijima was just leaving!" Masato said as he turned around to hide his reddened face. Cecil, with the big smile still plastered on his features, walked past Ren and Ranmaru and stood in the doorway.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Masato~!" Cecil said before making his way to he and Camus' room.
"I see you got a date tomorrow, nee Masato~?" Ren said as he made his way into the room. He had a small plastic bag from when he and Syo went out to shop at a nearby shopping center. He threw the crinkling bag on the coffee table and then threw himself on the vermillion couch on him and Masato's side of the room.
"Shut up, Jinguji," Masato said in a near huff to which Ren let out a lazy chuckle. Masato inhaled slowly to regain his composure. "Aijima was just asking me for a favor." He really didn't understand why he felt the need to defend himself. Well, he did find the prince's earlier shyness cute, so maybe that was why.
"If you say so, Hijirikawa." Ren drawled as he reached for the bag on the coffee table. He pulled the scarf he purchased earlier with Syo from said bag and admired it. Ochibi-chan sure had good taste.
"Both of you shut up. I'm going to bed soon." Ranmaru said from his large bed. The heterochromatic idol was even more irritable when he was tired, so Masato and Ren listened to him to avoid getting yelled at. They both dressed into their sleepwear in silence and then shortly after, the three idols went to sleep.
oOoOoOo
Masato was woken up the next morning by sunlight leaking into their room and birds chirping. The blue haired idol always woke up before his two roommates. Masato slept on the bottom bunk, so he didn't have to worry about making noise climbing down a ladder. He made his way to the bathroom where he showered and brushed his teeth. After changing into casual, everyday clothing, Masato went on with his daily schedule. He checked out a few offers from studios that wanted him to play a role on their shows and other jobs that came with being a new idol. He got back to the dorms when it was near dark. As he entered the building and made his way to his room, he was surprised to actually see Cecil by the door. Upon hearing the older idol arrive, Cecil looked up at Masato and smiled.
"Good afternoon, Masato! I'm here early, ready for my lesson~!" Cecil said enthusiastically. Masato fought back a smile at the younger idol's eager behavior.
"Right, just let me get dressed into more comfortable clothing and we'll start right away." Masato said as he opened the bedroom door and entered his room, Cecil tailing behind. Shortly after, their lesson began. Masato was almost surprised at how good Cecil already was at hiragana. He knew Cecil spoke fluent Japanese, but he wasn't entirely sure how he was at writing it, seeing as he made little mistakes during their idol training. To help Cecil practice, Masato would speak a simple sentence and ask Cecil to write the whole sentence in hiragana. Afterwards, Masato would look it over and show Cecil when he made a mistake. He didn't show Cecil the correct character right away, but instead had him try to figure out the right one. If he still didn't get it after a few tries, Masato would show him the right character and have him write it out a few times to allow him to get used to writing it. After a few sessions, Cecil learned the difference between 'i' and 'ko', 'shi' and 'tsu', and 'chi' and 'sa'.
Before their practice sessions, Cecil was usually right at the door whenever Masato got back from doing daily idol things. If he wasn't there right away, he was sure to arrive a few minutes afterwards. Lucky for them, Ren and Ranmaru weren't really there during the afternoons. Ren surely would have made stupid remarks, and Ranmaru would have just been rude to them both. However, they usually got back right as Cecil was leaving. Sure enough, Ren would come in the room making a not so appropriate comment, to which Masato would glare daggers at him. One thing that bothered Masato more than Ren's comments was the fact that he got so defensive because of them. He often pondered during the day as to why that was. His pondering soon led his mind to thinking about how he thought the prince was very handsome. But that was perfectly normal, right? One man can think another man is handsome without necessarily feeling anything towards them. Yes, of course that was true. Besides, Masato knew deep down in his heart that he was in love with Haruka. He would most likely never tell her because he and the rest of STARISH were all bonded with her through music. And honestly, that was all he needed.
Still…he couldn't help but find Cecil kind of compelling. Masato always found himself admiring the fact that when he spoke to Cecil, his turquoise eyes locked right onto his. Cecil always spoke the truth and you could just tell from the way his eyes bled sincerity. Another thing Masato particularly liked was his enigmatic way of speaking. It kept him curious as to what exactly Cecil meant whenever they found the time to talk before and after their sessions. The blue haired idol usually liked knowing exactly what was being said to him, but he didn't mind when it came to Cecil. It left a sort of mysterious air about him, and that was what he found compelling about the young prince. There was still so much that he and rest of STARISH needed to learn about this young man that Haruka admired. And because of these sessions, Masato learned quite a bit about him. He learned that he wasn't as arrogant as he had come off during their first meeting. He, like the rest of STARISH, just harbored deep feelings for Haruka and wanted to be the best he could for her. Honestly, Masato couldn't blame him for that. He also learned that Cecil was very kind and caring. Whenever one of STARISH needed help with something, Cecil was usually there to offer words that were wise beyond his years. Yet, there was still so much more that Masato wanted to learn about this young man.
oOoOoOo
Tokiya sighed in frustration with himself. How could he have let down his guard so easily? If he'd just kept a stronger hold on his feelings, he wouldn't be feeling like this right now.
Somewhere along the way of becoming an idol, Tokiya had grown feelings for the other dark blue haired idol in the dorm. They were so alike, he and Tokiya, when it came to keeping their true feelings to themselves. They did this so no one would find weakness in them. It was rather ironic that the same attitude was what got through Tokiya's wall surrounding his heart. His feelings for the other idol weren't anything too deep yet, it was mainly attraction. The other idol was handsome alright, and Tokiya always found it hard to control his heartbeat around him. He was just as stoic, if not more, than Tokiya, so the task didn't prove that difficult.
Lately, Tokiya had seen Cecil Aijima going to visit Masato's, Ren's, and Ranmaru's room in the afternoons then leaving just as Ren and Ranmaru came back. That kind of behavior would have normally been suspicious, but Tokiya knew that things weren't like that. Either way, Tokiya felt oddly jealous of the brunet idol as he spent more time with Masato than Tokiya did.
One particular afternoon, Tokiya was walking through the hallways when he saw Masato walking toward him. He walked past him and presumably to his room. Tokiya stopped midstride and turned halfway towards Masato.
"Hijirikawa." Tokiya said to which Masato stopped and turned around to face Tokiya.
"Yes, Ichinose?" Masato inquired. Tokiya swallowed nervously. What did he even stop him for? Tokiya walked toward him and when he was but a mere foot away from Masato, Tokiya reached out and gently grabbed Masato's arm. "I-Ichinose…? What's wrong?" Masato asked after a few seconds, his cheeks starting to turn a shade of red due to the close contact. Light blue eyes were unable to hold the gaze of amethyst. Tokiya cursed himself for being weak. He let go of Masato's arm and shook his head afterwards.
"It's nothing. Never mind, Hijirikawa." Tokiya finally said softly before walking away, leaving behind a confused Masato. When Tokiya turned a corner, he stopped and leaned against the wall. Damn it, he missed a chance to tell Masato about his feelings. He had to do it soon while no one else was near the dorms. Giving himself a determined nod, Tokiya decided that he'd go to Masato's room after the time Cecil usually left so it would just be them two.
oOoOoOo
Cecil and Masato were both sitting on the dark red couch while working on the coffee table. Lately, Cecil's hiragana was getting near perfect. Masato hardly ever needed to correct him anymore. After this session, Cecil's hiragana would more than likely not need improving. Therefore, he wouldn't need Masato anymore. Masato almost frowned at the thought. He didn't want to admit it, but he really did enjoy Cecil's company.
Another thing on Masato's mind was how Tokiya had suddenly stopped him in the hallway earlier. What had that been about? Tokiya looked like he wanted to say something important, but decided against it in the end. Masato often found himself thinking about how alike he and Tokiya were. Sure, Masato was closest to Ren out of all the STARISH members, but Masato had more similarities to Tokiya than the rest. Not that he minded, it was nice having someone in the dorms that he shared viewpoints with. If Ren hadn't been his childhood friend, Masato would've definitely been Tokiya's best friend. Plus, there was something about those light blue depths that Masato found himself admiring every time he was near Tokiya.
"Masato, I finished the writing." Cecil said, pulling Masato from his thoughts. He had a habit of doing that. At least it wasn't because the prince was outside of his window this time. Masato grabbed the paper and looked it over. He had given Cecil a hard sentence, and Cecil got it all correct. Masato gave Cecil a light smile and put the paper down.
"There aren't any mistakes. Good job, Aijima." Masato lightly patted Cecil on the head to which Cecil grinned wholeheartedly, his cheeks flushed lightly.
"Thank you, Masato. It's only because of your help though!" Cecil replied. Amethyst eyes scanned Cecil's features wistfully. Masato wished that Cecil could come a few more times like this. But Cecil didn't need him anymore, so there was no point.
"So Aijima," Masato lightly cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "I was thinking that today should be our last session. Your hiragana has improved greatly and I don't really think you need me anymore." Cecil looked at him in surprise, something like sadness flashing through his eyes for a brief moment.
"A-Ah, I see. Okay then…thank you again, Masato. I really, really appreciate your help." Cecil said, leaning back on the couch. The Agnapolis prince looked at the blue haired idol with the same wistful look that Masato had given him earlier. Cecil also really enjoyed their sessions. He considered Masato a friend now because of these sessions. They both learned a lot about each other, both wanting to learn a lot more.
"It was no problem, Aijima. I'm glad I could help. I…I had fun helping you…" Masato said, turning away to hide a light flush. Not before Cecil saw though. Cecil smiled knowingly and scooted a few inches closer to Masato.
"Is there…anything I can do to repay you? Anything…at all?" Cecil said, leaning in towards Masato.
"That's quite alright, Aijima," Masato said as he turned his head back towards Cecil only to find that the prince was a lot closer to him than he was a minute ago. "It was a favor, so I don't expect anything in return." Cecil had leaned a bit closer to him.
Ba-dump
Masato swallowed nervously as he could now hear his own heartbeat. Cecil was looking at him with half lidded eyes. Turquoise eyes locked onto amethyst and Masato found that he couldn't break the gaze.
"Masato…" the Agna prince said with a light whisper, his breath tickling Masato's nose. The blue haired idol felt Cecil's hand on one of his cheeks. He was screaming in his head. He wanted to stop Cecil before things got out of hand. But…did he really want Cecil to stop…? Masato thought he did, but the more he thought about it, the more his self-control diminished. Cecil's thumb brushed over the beauty mark under Masato's left eye. Masato's eyes fluttered lightly at the soft touch. It gave him goose bumps and made his breath hitch in his throat.
"A-Aijima…please…" Masato whispered back, his voice faltering. He didn't know if he meant for Cecil to stop, or to keep going. Cecil went with the latter and closed the distance between their bodies.
Their lips met lightly and chastely. Masato's breath was still held as his eyes shut. What was he doing? He loved Haruka. And so did Cecil. They both knew that. Despite that…why did this feel right? Such a question was left unanswered when Cecil cupped the other side of Masato's face and deepened the kiss, their lips melting and molding against one another. Masato was surprised how experienced Cecil seemed to be at kissing. Well, he was a prince. He supposed Cecil probably had experience with boys and girls alike. But Masato certainly wasn't clueless when it came to this kind of stuff either.
Cecil broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Masato's. Said blue haired idol met Cecil's eyes with his own. The turquoise depths looked sincerely happy.
"I can…stop if you want me to…Masato..." Cecil said after a few deep breaths. He didn't want to stop, but he didn't want to force Masato to do anything he might regret later. Masato thought about it for a moment. He already knew that he didn't want to stop. He smirked before suddenly putting an arm around Cecil's waist and pulling their bodies closer together, much to Cecil's surprise.
"Stop talking, Aijima." Masato said before closing the distance between their lips again. Cecil's eyes were wide with shock, but he got over that quickly and wrapped his arms around Masato's neck and allowed the idol to lay them back on the couch.
Masato pulled his arm from around Cecil's waist and instead tangled his hand in Cecil's soft brown locks. The other arm was supporting his weight as he rested against his elbow. Cecil had both of his hands tangled in Masato's hair and they continued moving their lips against each other. Masato slyly used his teeth to lightly tug on Cecil's bottom lip, to which the Agna prince gasped in delight, his hands tightening in Masato's hair. Their eyes met once again, turquoise and amethyst beginning to get clouded with growing desire and lust.
A warm tongue slowly snaked into Masato's mouth. He too gasped at the sudden feeling as it had caught him off guard. Almost immediately, Masato met Cecil's tongue with his own. He had prepared tea and melon bread for the both of them at the beginning of their session this afternoon, so Cecil's mouth tasted sweet. It was almost sweeter than the actual food, and Masato let out a low groan as he explored Cecil's mouth. A chill went up Cecil's spine at the sound and he shivered lightly. He wanted to hear more sounds made by the older idol. The prince's hands untangled from Masato's hair and started a trek down. He rubbed down from Masato's neck until he got to the bottom hem of the blue haired idol's shirt. One hand slid underneath the shirt and started rubbing the flat, smooth skin of his abdomen. Masato shuddered at the skin on skin contact as his tongue slid against Cecil's tongue, their seductive dance having found its way into Masato's mouth.
Masato broke the kiss in a loud gasp when the fingers on Cecil's other hand flicked open the button on Masato's jeans. Said idol smirked down at Cecil, which the brunet idol returned. Masato dipped his head down and trailed kisses from his jaw to his neck. Cecil's hands stopped their ministrations as he stopped to shudder and let out a small whimper. Masato's eyes flashed with lust at the sound and he began licking feverishly at his neck now, stopping every so often to nip and suck on certain spots that produced more sounds from the brown haired idol. Cecil's breath came out in short pants as moan after sweet moan poured out.
If Masato had been in his right mind, one not clouded with desire, he would have been quieter and would have told Cecil to keep his sounds at a minimum. However, he wasn't. So when a certain saxophone playing idol reached out to grab the door knob and the sounds reached his ears, he smirked knowingly and shook his head. He knew it was only a matter of time. He had always seen the way the prince's cheeks and his childhood friend's cheeks would flush every time he made a comment about the two men being alone in the room. Ren pulled his hand back and turned back around, seeing his senior walk their way. Ren walked toward Ranmaru, put an arm around his shoulder, and turned them around to walk in the other direction.
"What do you think you're doing, Jinguji?" the silver haired idol asked impatiently.
"Ah, I just wanted to show you something rock and roll related. I figured you'd be interested, nee~?" Ren said smoothly as he walked himself and Ranmaru away from their room.
Meanwhile, Masato was still busy lavishing Cecil's neck with heated kisses and licks. Cecil tried his best to fight the sensations so he could continue on with his own explorations. Cecil slowly pulled down the zipper on Masato's pants and slipped his hand inside. Masato released a shuddering groan and his grip in Cecil's hair tightened when the prince cupped his growing arousal underneath his boxers. Cecil smirked in satisfaction at the response he got from the older idol. Masato chuckled upon seeing the prince's smug expression. He leaned down to Cecil's ear and traced the outer edges with his tongue.
"So, that's how you want to play, is it?" Masato whispered before playfully nipping Cecil's earlobe. Cecil's back arched as he let out a quiet whine at the bite. The older idol was satisfied having now wiped the smug look from Cecil's face. The prince, however, was still cupping Masato through his boxers. Masato was reminded of this when Cecil rebutted by gripping the area firmly, causing the blue haired idol to give a shaky moan. As soon as it left, the smug smirk Cecil had returned as he began firmly rubbing up and down.
The hand that Masato had in Cecil's hair was now down in between him and Cecil's body, trying to undo Cecil's pants. He successfully undid the button and zipper, now slipping his own hand into Cecil's pants. Masato returned the favor of firmly gripping the growing bulge under Cecil's boxers. The prince gasped and whimpered as his body lightly trembled. Cecil removed his hand from Masato's pants and instead worked on getting the restricting clothing off his partner. Masato complied and started doing the same for Cecil, leaning down to lock lips with him and engage him in another tongue battle.
They kicked both pairs of pants to the floor and were now only in their shirts and boxers. However, Masato was working on getting Cecil's shirt off. Cecil allowed Masato to peel his shirt off and throw it on the ground next to their pants. The blue haired idol leaned down and began kissing and licking Cecil's neck once more. Cecil had one hand in Masato's hair and the other against the arm of the couch for support. Masato started kissing down, stopping to nip at Cecil's collarbone. Once his kisses reached Cecil's nipples, Masato smirked before latching his lips around one. Cecil's back arched and he inhaled sharply at the sudden warmth pooling in his chest, starting its way down to his groin.
"M-Masato…!" Cecil cried out in ecstasy as Masato's tongue prodded and teased the now perked bud. His other hand was lightly pinching Cecil's other nipple. The prince's head began swimming as his support arm started shaking from the stimulation he was receiving.
"You make the cutest sounds, Aijima~" Masato said, his voice thick with lust. Cecil, if possible, flushed harder and shot a scowl at the blue haired idol. Masato chuckled lightly and returned to his task, turning Cecil back into a moaning mess.
oOoOoOo
Tokiya looked at the clock. It was around the time Cecil would usually be leaving. Tokiya exited his room and made his way to Masato's room. His throat felt tight with nervous anticipation. How would Masato react? What if Tokiya's suspicions were right and he and Cecil actually did have some sort of intimate relationship? Tokiya shook his head. Whatever happens, happens. When Tokiya was standing in front of Masato's door, he swallowed nervously. He extended his hand to knock on the door, but as he did, he could hear more than one voice on the other side of the door. He sighed in slight agitation. This was usually the time that Masato was alone in this room.
As he turned to walk away, a very distinct sound caught his attention. Tokiya wasn't one to eavesdrop in on other people's conversations, but these sounds were not normal conversation sounds. Tokiya remained where he stood and turned his head slightly towards the door to hear the sounds more clearly. He heard pants, and definitely some moans. He was trying to figure out who's they were though.
"M-Masato…!" Tokiya heard someone cry. Oh god, that sounded like-
"You make the cutest sounds, Aijima~" Well, that confirmed it. It seemed that Cecil and Masato did have an intimate relationship. Tokiya grit his teeth and clenched his fists. If only he hadn't hesitated in confessing his attraction to the other blue haired idol.
Tokiya turned to walk away in disappointment, but something kept him rooted to the spot. It was the arousing sounds currently coming from the other side of the door, not that Tokiya would admit that to himself though. The soft moans, the deep groans, the sharp gasps of breath. All of those things kept Tokiya from walking away. It was ever so alluring…and so achingly sexy. Tokiya felt his throat tighten the longer he listened.
Oh god. He was already attracted to Masato as it was, so to hear his moans and pants only made Tokiya yearn for him more. And surprisingly, Tokiya actually found himself being turned on by Cecil's sounds as well. The prince had a sweet singing voice, and it sounded even sweeter when he was whimpering in pleasure.
That thought seemed to shake Tokiya back to his rational state of mind. What the hell was he doing just standing there listening to them? Like some sort of pervert? Tokiya 'tched' at himself before turning around to talk back to his room, only to come face to face with Ren Jinguji.
Earlier, the saxophone playing idol had managed to find something to keep his senior occupied for the time being. As he was walking Ranmaru to the first thing that came to his mind as a good distraction, he saw Tokiya walking toward his room with determination on his features. Ren wasn't an idiot. He saw how Tokiya looked Masato when he thought no one was looking. Ren sighed to himself. It seemed he'd have to help this happen too. After leaving his senior, Ren walked back to his room only to see Tokiya standing outside of it with a strained expression on his face. It seemed to Ren that Tokiya was having a hard time deciding whether he was turned on or upset. Ren assumed it was a bit of both and walked up behind Tokiya. He was too consumed with the sounds on the other side of the door to notice Ren doing so. The saxophone player had decided to wait for Tokiya to realize he was there. It'd be more amusing that way.
"J-Jinguji…!" Tokiya exclaimed as his face flushed bright red at being caught listening to something so intimate. "I-I was just—" Tokiya stuttered.
"Listening to Ceccy and Masato having some fun time~?" Ren drawled in a knowing tone. Tokiya opened his mouth to retort, but closed it just after. It was the truth, after all.
"How about this, Ichi? Since I know you won't do it on your own, I'll just help push you forward to you can have fun with them. Well…backwards, actually." Ren said, reaching out and grabbing the door knob behind Tokiya. The blue haired idol only had moments to process what Ren meant before he opened the door and pushed Tokiya into his room, swiftly closing it once Tokiya was in. Ren held on to the door knob on the outside of the room so Tokiya wouldn't get cold feet.
Said idol was utterly horrified when he felt himself being pushed back into Masato's room. He stumbled a bit to keep himself from falling on his behind. He heard the door slam once he was completely in the room and looked up to see that Ren had indeed closed the door. Tokiya swallowed hard when he heard…nothing.
Masato and Cecil had stopped when they heard the door open and then close. They looked up just in time to see Tokiya being pushed into the room by a force on the other side of the door. Whoever it was, they didn't see them before the door was closed. The older blue haired idol was standing with his back to them, his form stiff.
"I..Ichinose…?" Masato said after a few moments passed. Though to Tokiya, it felt like an eternity.
"Tokiya?" Cecil added after a few moments more. Tokiya swallowed hard and turned around. He felt his pants get a tad uncomfortable when he saw their state of dress. Masato had boxers and a shirt on and the Agnapolis prince was only clad in boxers. Tokiya cleared his throat.
"Umm…g-good evening."