Shinobu was making dinner when Sarah snuck into the room to try to steal a taste. Shinobu started to slice some carrots and without out looking addressed Sarah.

"Don't even think about it," Shinubo said then looked at her, "You have to wait like everyone else."

"Oh come on," Sarah said then looked at the bowls, "You might want to make food for eight, I heard someone new is moving in today," Sarah said with an apple behind her back.

"Drop it," Shinobu said when she saw an apple was missing. Sarah sighed then put the apple back on the fruit plate on the counter, "Who do you think it is?"

"Beats me, but I really don't care," Sarah said then tried going for some other snack.

"I heard it's a guy," Kitsune said from the door.

"A...guy?" Shinobu said then looked at her. Kitsune nodded then walked into the room.

"That's what I heard. A guy showed up not to long ago, and Keitaro said he'd show him to his room. Keitaro is out of his mind if he thinks a guy living here would be at all appropriate, and I bet Naru won't be happy about it either."

"What did he look like?" Shinubo asked, then finished cutting carrots and placed them in the pot with boiling water.

"Well, a little average I suppose. Not exactly the kinda guy you stop to take a second look at. I'd guess he's you're age or a little older, but you two are about the same height, he's pretty short," Kitsune said then took the apple that Sarah wanted. She took a bite out of it before Shinobu could protest.

"You're going to ruin your dinner," Shinobu said then tried to snatch the apple away.

"I got plenty of room for dinner, don't worry about me, you worry bout that boy and his hormones,"Kitsune said then left the room. Shinobu sighed then pulled out an eighth bowl, just in case the rumor was true.


"Come on, bout time for dinner," Keitaro said as he opened the boys room. The boy was laying on his bed just staring at the ceiling above. His face was expressionless, and he seemed like he could snap into any emotion in a heartbeat. His mind was lost in something that was pulling him out of the reality around him.

"Takeo," Keitaro said to him. Takeo turned his head and just stared at him.

"Yeah?" He asked dully.

"Dinner's going to be ready soon," Keitaro said.

"Soon, so get me when it's actually done," Takeo said then continued to stare into space.

"Dinner!" Sarah shouted from downstairs. Keitaro looked at Takeo who just sighed then spun his feet around to the floor. Takeo walked pass Keitaro and started down the hall with his head down and hands in his pockets.

"Is he okay?" Naru asked from behind Keitaro, "Then again I'd be worried if he was." Keitaro nodded in agreement then just followed him down the stairs and into the dining room where Shinobu had laid everything out. The girls sat around the table, all staring at Takeo when he walked in.

The entire dinner everyone at one point or another asked Takeo a question. He didn't answer one of the questions as he sat there slowly sipping the vegetable and beef soup Shinobu had prepared.

"So, um...how old are you?" Shinobu asked from directly across the table. He didn't even seem to react on the fact she was talking to him. Takeo seemed to be in his one little dream world, or possibly nightmare by the look of it.

"Will you just talk, you're starting to freak me out," Kitsune said to him. Takeo pushed his chair back then tucked it in before he walked out of the room and back upstairs. Once she thought he was out of earshot she looked at Keitaro.

"You can't let him live here, you being here is a problem on its own," Kitsune said to Keitaro. Everyone but Shinobu nodded. "You got something to say Shinobu?"

"He looked like...he was hurt," Shinobu said then got up off her chair. She grabbed his bowl of soup then started to walk out, "I'll be right back."

"I swear that girl is too nice for her own good," Motoko said then started on her soup again, "But Keitaro, who is he, and why is he here to begin with?"

"Yeah," Sarah repeated.

"He has no where else to go. His house burned down, and he's supposed to be staying at his grandparents house but they're on vacation and won't be back for another few months. He's staying here till then."

"Just rent him a hotel or something," Kitsune said to everyone at the table, "Do you even know him?"

"I do. He's the friend of my parents, son. My parents heard about his problem so asked me to help out," Keitaro said then looked at the table, "It'd be heartless to not at least give him a chance."

"Naru, you can't be alright with this. Tell you're boyfriend he has to get rid of him," Kitsune said to Naru.

"No, I agree, he should stay here for now," Naru said.

"What!" Kitsune said getting up quickly, her chair hitting the ground, "Unbelievable."

"What do you care, you don't live in the apartments," Keitaro said to her.

"Well, I can't let some teenaged punk disrupt my friends," Kitsune said to him.

"Maybe he should do something bad before we have any rights to kick him out. Plus Keitaro is the manager, so the decision is ultimately his," Motoko said then finished her food, "I say stay." She said then left with her bowl to put it in the kitchen.

"If he messes up, he's gone, agreed," Naru said to end the conversation.

"Fair enough," Su said.

"Sounds okay," Sarah said.

"I hate you people," Kitsune said then sat down after putting her chair back.


Shinobu gingerly stepped down the hall toward the once unoccupied room. The thing she heard as she approached was the sound of a poorly played guitar. It reminded her of when someone who didn't know how to play, just strung random strings to see what it sounded like. Only when Takeo did it, it was wild and random, he'd play three notes fast, for a moment it sounded nice, then he did something wrong that made the guitar screech like a strangled cat. Shinobu cringed then knocked on the sliding door.

"Umm, Takeo, it's me, Shinobu," Shinobu said almost as a whisper. Nothing was heard from within the room except the guitar stopped playing. Then she heard small footsteps toward the sliding door that slightly slid open enough for her to look in and see Takeo looking out.

"What?" Takeo asked blandly. Shinobu took in a breath then showed him the bowl.

"I figured you didn't eat much, so I thought I'd make sure you got something to eat before going to bed," Shinobu said, steam still trailing off the bowl in a cloud of pungent warmth. Takeo opened the door enough for her to see his body instead of only his face. He took the bowl from her then placed it on the dresser in the room.

"Thanks," Takeo said then shut the door. Shinobu was thinking about knocking again, but Takeo scared her a little. Not like she feared he'd attack her in her sleep. More like, if she talked about anything sensitive with him, he'd crash. Takeo just didn't seem like the talkative type.

After a moment or two Shinobu took a step away from his door then walked down the hall. Before she reached the steps she placed her hand on the railing then looked back at his room. She secretly hoped he'd come down, but his door remained shut, as poorly played notes echoed down the hall. With a sigh she faced the stairs, then walked back into the dinning room.


Shinobu stood at the sink in the kitchen with her elbows in the foamy water. She scrubbed the bowls from the nights dinner, and a few random plates her roommates used throughout the day. Su and Sarah had offered to help, but Shinobu thought it best that they weren't given the opportunity to mess up. Knowing those two they'd start a dish fight.

After drying her hands she thought about going into the hotspring for a bit but changed her mind. Recently Kitsune and Naru had been teasing her about her chest size that was growing rather fast now. Whether she wanted to or not they'd compare sizes, usually having to touch and fondle to get the full comparison. She was excited that she was developing, but wasn't too thrilled about getting groped. Not in the mood to put up with it, she just decided she'd go to bed.

Walking down the hall upstairs she slowly made her way to her room. As she walked down the hall she passed Takeo's room and thought she heard him talking. Grabbing her door to slid it open she stopped once she realize he was talking. Letting her door go she walked a few rooms down back to his and saw it was left ajar. Once she was close enough she noticed it wasn't talking, it was crying.

Takeo was on his bed in an ocean of tears. His faced was puffy and stained with tears as his eyes were red and blurry. His body trembled with every gasp as he fought against his emotions to breathe. Soon he started to hiccup, and just when it seemed like he was done, he started up again. The sobs got louder, his face got wetter, and his pillow was beginning to feel like a soggy towel.

"Takeo?" Shinobu said softly through his door. Suddenly he glared at her then quickly got off his bed and ran to the door.

"Leave me alone!" He shouted then slammed it all the way shut. Shinobu jumped back with a gasped then took a deep breath.

Keitaro leaned out of his room and saw Shinobu on the verge of tears. He walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"It was nothing you did, come on," Keitaro said then started to lead her to her room. Shinobu stared at Takeo's room until Keitaro addressed her to look away