arigatou for the readers and the guests! i am really glad you are enjoying this story as much as i enjoy writing it^^
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【The Turn for the Other】
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When you want something, never give up until you reach it.
Ijuuin Kyo read it aloud. And he couldn't help himself but think how such a stupid thing could earn a space in the Newsletter he was subscribing to. If the writer only knew how many times Ijuuin had been doing the 'never give up' thing, the writer would have no balls typing that irritating sentence.
Considered as one of the prominent composers in the music industry, Ijuuin wasn't completely happy about it. At the music academy where he met the friend who fully understood him, he thought being 'second' would finally end. Yet, in the freaking end of it, he was always second to that friend, Usami Akihiko; during their student days, when they went their own ways, Ijuuin became second with surveys, with number of sales, the person considered to be called in when Usami Akihiko was busy with something else. Honestly, was the word 'second' carved somewhere in his body?
The long fingers of someone obviously very good at playing the piano reached out to one of the Mochis on his table. His lips turned into a smile.
"This should have been Misaki's..." he muttered aloud. "Or at least we should have been eating this together..."
As he chewed it, it tasted like he was chewing rubber. No taste, just plain sticky thing to busy his mouth with.
Unlike Usami Akihiko, Ijuuin Kyo came from a family of musicians. His father, a concert violinist and his mother a concert pianist. His older brother and older sister followed the footsteps of their parents. It was only him who chose to be away from public view. And despite that, he got a number of comparisons and mock from his father.
Yes, his father was so strict. Since Ijuuin showed great potential at being a concert pianist himself, it was what the family wanted for him but young Ijuuin refused. The torment he had to suffer when Ijuuin realized that his friend, Usami was better in all aspect was so great.
"Being second to someone else is the same as being a loser, Kyo!" his father once shouted when he saw in the academy site the rankings of the music students.
When he was compared to, Ijuuin would smile, when he was irritated, he would smile, when he was sad and lonely he would smile. Before Ijuuin knew it, he was smiling at every opportunity when he was feeling about to lose it. A front to hide the weakness he was told never to show anybody else.
The door opened softly revealing a man seriously carrying a stack of papers.
"Yoh," he greeted nonchalantly.
Fuji's eyes widened in shock, the papers he was holding almost slipped his hands.
"For goodness sake Ijuuin, don't scare me like that!" Fuji growled, gathering back his secretarial composure.
The man walked towards Ijuuin's dark table and placed the papers on top carefully. "I thought you'd be out today. Why are you here now?" the secretary asked while sorting something.
Ijuuin rested his head on top of the head rest of his chair and looked up the ceiling.
"Well, something came up," Ijuuin answered sighing. "Or rather, something did not come so that's why I'm here with you."
Finally finding what he was looking for, Fuji pulled it and then looked at the dark haired man who was as if thinking something very deep.
"As usual Ijuuin, your vagueness, I worship."
Ijuuin looked at Fuji and grinned. "Now I like that..."
Resigning himself that his boss was really something he wouldn't be able to explain, Fuji raised the paper at Ijuuin's face. "Oi, the panel sent me another message if you're done with the opening theme song for the Sonate? Here, read that, they're all over their heads now."
Ijuuin ignored the paper and looked at his empty music sheet in front of him. "Is the ending theme already done?"
Fuji crossed his arms. "That's why they're going crazy. For the first time Usami Akihiko had submitted his piece way before the deadline, so the only one left for them to nag is you."
"Really?" Ijuuin smiled at the empty music sheet before him. And he burst out laughing.
"Listen Usagi-san, don't you act strangely before my brother!"
Misaki was almost jumping, flying his way to his brother's room. His chocolate hair bouncing as he hopped, Usami wondered if the area had been as lively and bright as this. The last time he walked the same path with the eccentric guy named Arisaka, it was just glum. Or perhaps, it was Misaki's happiness radiating to everywhere.
The teen knocked excitedly at the door and pushed it open. "Nii-chan!"
"Misaki!" Takahiro who was just sitting quietly exclaimed. Obvious relief and happiness could be seen from his face.
Usami watched the teen jump towards the bed and cuddle into the arms of his older brother's body with a smile. It clearly showed how close the two of them were.
Misaki circled his arms around Takahiro's waist, his head on his brother's lap like a child. Misaki was so happy and content at the moment. Because this was it, the different kind of warmth of his brother he missed so much, the huge hand on his hair patting him. Everything was just so good Misaki felt like crying.
"Misaki," Takahiro started with a crease in his forehead. He cupped his younger brother's cheeks and looked into the green eyes. Not that he could see them anyway. "You lost so much weight. How could you be any skinnier than you already are?"
"Huh? How can you tell?" Misaki asked dumbfounded as he started sitting properly, he tugged his collar outwardly and looked inside. Well, everything was still flat. Misaki didn't know that Usami by the door was trying not to laugh at what he was doing.
Takahiro tapped the bed with his right hand. "Because the bed didn't creak as loudly as it used to whenever you jumped in."
"Eh?"
Takahiro smacked Misaki lightly on the head. "And don't let the visitor just stay by the door, invite him in!"
"Ah, right, I'm sorry!" Misaki jumped from the bed and pulled a chair for Usami to sit on. "Please come in and have a seat," he motioned for the man and then turned to his brother.
"Uhm, Nii-chan, this person is..." the teen looked at Usami once more and then at his brother pursing his lips. He couldn't think of a way to introduce the man to his brother properly and without hurting his Usagi-san.
What should I say?
"So suddenly formal, huh?" Usami thought to himself. He walked quietly and sat gracefully on the chair set by Misaki. It was like having a King visit a room of a servant in Misaki's imagination.
"Good afternoon, I'm Usami Akihiko, Misaki's friend."
The teen gaped at Usami for a while. It felt quiet not right since they weren't just friends. Somehow that was disheartening for Misaki. He knew Usagi-san just helped him out of an awkward situation. But doing it still felt bad. It was like lying to his brother, and shunning their real relationship at the same time.
"I'll, I'll make some tea," Misaki cut in before turning to the small table at the corner of the room where a thermos and dried tea leaves were resting. He just listened to the two men converse for the first time.
"Ah...Usami Akihiko? The Usami Akihiko?" Takahiro muttered unable to hide the surprise in his unseeing eyes.
"'The'?" Usami repeated and smiled. "I'm just a regular person."
Takahiro extended his hand and the silver haired man gave it a firm shake.
"I am Takahashi Takahiro, Misaki's older brother. Nice to meet you! I never expected to be able to meet in person a living legend. I'm really honored," the unseeing man smiled happily.
Usami couldn't help but to think that the two was indeed brothers. Takahiro and Misaki both had the knack at making others feel relaxed and welcome. "It's my pleasure meeting you too."
"Say, Nii-chan," Misaki cut in as he pushed the table where the tea he prepared was. "How'd you know I have someone else with me? He didn't even set foot in yet."
Takahiro took the cup Misaki gave him and laughed. "Well, he smelled differently from you."
"What is that?!" Misaki blurted. "Are you saying I smell bad?"
"No, the air around him is different. I didn't say you smell bad. However, your nose is closer to you so you can tell it on your own."
"What the heck Nii-chan!?"
Usami watched them with a content smile on his face, sipping the tea Misaki prepared and watch Misaki with energy fool around with his brother. If only all families were this close, the world would be so much different.
The entire afternoon passed with Usami telling some stories of his travels and how he composes where Takahiro and Misaki listened with interest. The sun outside was already turning orange, giving the insides of the room a feeling of a mystery.
"Ei, Nii-chan, U-sami-san," Misaki called out as he stood from his seat. "I'll just go out to check something."
Usami watched Misaki disappear from the door. And when he looked back at Takahiro he was surprised to see some tears the man hurriedly wiped with a tissue.
"Takahashi-san?" Usami asked, worried that perhaps something was hurting.
The man in bed shook his head slowly. "No, don't worry I'm fine. I am just really happy his dream to be able to meet you came true. What's more you've become friends."
Usami smiled. We're more than friends, though. "You don't have to worry about Takahashi-kun too much. I'll look after him."
"Thank you. You're so kind. I owe a lot to that brother of mine. I can't do anything else but to support him in anything that he wants," Takahiro finally calmed the tears in his eyes. Only reddish trace in his nose was visible.
"Were you born like this?" Usami asked out of the blue. Curiosity took the better of him.
The look on Takahiro was a mix of shock and sorrow that Usami regretted asking.
"No, I was a normal salary man just a year ago..."
"Usagi-san, thank you for coming with me," Misaki muttered happily as he was trying to put seat belt on him. "My Nii-chan is a fan of you too so I'm sure deep inside him he's doing some summersualts!"
Misaki laughed but the man beside him was quiet. The yellowish light from the inside of the car just hid Usami's expression behind his hair. The night had already settled in, there were many people in the parking lot too. Although Misaki was very happy, perhaps his Usagi-san felt forced to act all happy in front of his brother.
"Usagi-san, I'm sorry if you're tired because of this..." Misaki murmured looking at his lap, the seat belt still undone.
The light inside the car disappeared suddenly, enveloping the two of them in darkness. Misaki turned his head towards the man in the driver's seat questioningly and instead felt hands circle his waist. He felt being pulled forward, towards his Usagi-san's broad chest, his grip on the seat belt weakening, until he had no choice but to let it go.
Dark and quiet, Misaki was surprised by the sudden act that he was rendered speechless for a while.
"Usagi-san? What's wrong?"
A little embarrassed, Misaki winced when he felt his Usagi-san kiss the base of his neck for a short while. "Hey...Usagi-san! What are you doing?"
The hug grew tighter as if Usagi-san was trying to crush the breath out of Misaki's frail body.
"Just stay like this for a while," the voice was deep and low. Warm and yet Misaki felt shivering.
There in that small space of the red sports car, devoid of light since the older man had turned it off, Misaki raised his hand and ran his palm against Usagi-san's warm back. The teen didn't know why the man was being like this, so he just did what he thought would make the man feel that he was not alone.
"I became like this because of an accident. A wine accident," Usami remembered Takahiro telling him that with a pained face. "It was Misaki's gift for me, the wine in a pretty bottle. Since I forbade him to drink because he is still underaged, I was the only one that got affected."
"Wine?" Usami asked, remembering the wine accident in Teito hotel where he had slapped Misaki for the first time. Thinking about it, how he just mindlessly hit the teen, he felt his stomach churning in disgust at himself.
"Yeah. The wine Misaki bought was one of those illegal wines circulating. I lost my sight and the ability to walk because of it. I..." Takahiro gripped the blanket. "I blamed Misaki for it, to the point that I even hurt him physically but he never left me and stayed with me despite the horrible things I said."
The sun had completely disappeared and the room felt gloomy at that time despite the strong white lights from the bulb above their heads.
"It took me a long while to finally realize it wasn't Misaki's fault. He even gave up his studies and started working just to make the two of us survive..."
Usami watched the unseeing eyes roam around the room as if doing so would make him see even something a little. His lavender eyes traced the legs under the thick blankets that used to walk and carry this man to everywhere he pleased and yet, now, no muscle would even move at Takahiro's command.
Usami was horrified thinking that it was supposed to happen to him too. It was all heaven's doing that Misaki was there and stopped him from drinking that wine despite the cold treatment he was giving the kid before.
Usami sighed his thanks to all the unseen entities of the world at the warm skin of Misaki's neck. This sweet feeling he would never allow to escape him.
"Usagi-san, really what has gotten into you?" the teen muttered still patting his back softly.
"Misaki..." the deep voice continued. The warm breath was sending off goose bumps on the teen's skin.
"Usagi-san...can you release now?"
Instead of releasing, the arms just stayed around Misaki. As if saying there would be no letting go.
"Misaki...I am falling in love with you more with each passing second... with each things I get to discover about you..."
There was a long silence in the car. The people walking towards their own cars wouldn't know there were two men inside the car hugging each other, into their own worlds. Cars passed them by, people passed them by. Usami was just there clinging like a lost child to Misaki. His heart was already beating this wildly just knowing the kid was with him this close.
Slowly, Usami released his arms around Misaki, allowing him room to breath. Still the darkness was there, hiding them behind the tinted windows.
"Misaki," Usami called, sounding calm and yet serious at the same time.
"Hmmm?"
"Do you want to live with me?"
Eyes wide, Misaki stared at the man in the shadows.
"Tadaema..."
He felt the coldness of the wooden floors against his feet after removing his shoes. It has been a while since he last set foot in this precious apartment. Everything felt so old and quiet and yet he felt the sense of belonging in it. He opened the doors of the rooms, and the windows. He went to the kitchen, his favorite place, his throne. Eyes eyeing his table wares and kitchen tools, Misaki ran his index finger over the table and raised it to his face. He frowned.
"Dirty. It's dirty everywhere," Misaki muttered as he whirled around the place he could call his and his brother's alone. He sighed. He'd have to do major cleaning or he'd die from dust suffocation.
It was already nine in the evening. Yet Misaki couldn't just let the things be undone like that. So fully decided, he grabbed his cleaning apron, put it on and decided cleaning the house.
He was wiping the top of the kitchen table with a soft cloth when he found himself pausing in the middle.
"I did the right thing...didn't I?" he asked the table. No one answered.
His grip tightened. His sigh ever increasing in number as he continued working.
"Why not?" Usami Akihiko asked at a loss.
The car they were in was back to normal. A car with lights inside, a car that runs on the road through the building up traffic of the evening rush hour. The silent hum of the airconditioning filled the silence that Misaki left after rejecting the offer. Feeling awkward, Misaki turned his gaze at the cars beside them on their way to their own destinations.
"Give me a proper explanation Misaki," the composer asked sternly as he maneuvered expertly in the roads. The red sports car was like a racing comet from the view of the people on top of the surrounding sky scrapers in busy Tokyo.
"Because...Usagi-san..."
"I want to be with you for as long as I can. See your face first thing in the morning and before I fall asleep. Why are you saying no?" Usami continued asking as he made a left turn.
"I want to be independent Usagi-san..."
"Independent?" Usami interferred with a tone a little annoyed. "Misaki, you're with me now. You should rely to me now. I'll even help you with your brother's concerns."
"NO WAY!"
At the sudden outburst, the red sports car that has just been racing on the roads halted. If not for the seatbelt, Misaki would have kissed the windshield. The blast of the horns coming from the cars from behind creeped its way inside the red sports car. Sighing in relief Misaki looked at Usagi-san who had a hard expression plastered on his face. This man was not used to getting rejected without a second thought.
Both knew they wouldn't be able to talk properly while on the road. So in silence, Usami Akihiko drove the car to a gradeschool parking lot. They didn't make a move. They just sat quietly, their eyes in front.
The school building was dark. The school grounds empty save from the flashlight a security guard was carrying, flashing here and there as he expected the vicinity, doing his job.
"Usagi-san, just so you know, I didn't say I love you so I could find someone to shoulder my responsibilities," Misaki started with a soft voice.
"Misaki, your responsibilities, I wanted them to be mine as well. Don't be stubborn."
Frowning, Misaki scratched the back of his head. He dropped his gaze to his hands on his lap.
"You know, Usagi-san, I am very grateful for your offers. The thought is more than enough. But I want to stand on my own. I know I sound arrogant. But Usagi-san, I have two hands and two feet that can work. I want to stand on my own. Help my brother on my own. Make my own name with my own hands."
"You can still do those things while living beside me," Usami countered, now looking at Misaki's depressed form. "Or do you not want to be with me as much as I want?"
"Usagi-san, just...give me time to fix things."
"You really don't want to go home with me?"
"..."
"When will you go home with me?" the composer, the man who was older, ranted like a child asking for his candy.
"Who knows? Maybe soon?" Misaki grinned at the man beside him.
Usami stared at the dark green eyes before him. The more he stared, the more he felt like losing. He extended his hand and rested it on Misaki's head. "You win. Just for tonight," he sighed sounding with a hint of bitterness.
The composer started driving him towards his apartment. Through his profile, Misaki could see a little sadness in those eyes. He wasn't just ready yet to live together. How would he act in the first place? How would he pull himself in front of this almost perfect man. Why almost? Misaki smiled. His Usagi-san can be a child at times, he just realized. He found it funny he started grinning by himself.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing, Usagi-san...you're so cute, I think."
"HA!?" Usami had to stop his car again. Never in his life has anybody told him he was cute. If anybody had told him that, they'd have their teeths flying off everywhere for sure. But it was coming from Misaki's lips, he felt embarrassed.
"If anyone's cute here...it's gotta be you. Don't tell your seniors they're cute, Misaki, that's rude."
"Don't tell me I'm cute...I'm a boy Usagi-san."
"Well look here, I AM a MAN."
Call it stupid, or both of them insane, but they continued their drive in laughter. How Misaki wished that this kind of peace would stay like this forever.
"Uwah~finaly I'm done!"
Misaki slumped to his bed with new sheets and roamed his gaze around his room. They were back to its original state before he got stabbed. Squeaky -clean. When he turned to his side, he smiled as he ruffled his hair. Showering after a hardwork was the best. It felt so relaxing he could doze off any moment.
He closed his eyes, thinking he'd start looking for a new job the next day. He wouldn't let Usagi-san act like his patron or something. He wanted to someday be able to stand together with him on equal footing. Though it may take him forever to do that.
He felt like floating away from his bed only to fall back down.
"Hmmm?"
You have a call! Shing Shing! A call!
He ran his fingers over the bed side table where his phone was and mindlessly placed the phone against his ear while burrying his face on his pillow.
"Misaki, are you sleeping now?"
Eyes wide now, fully awake, body tensing, Misaki sat on the bed, his face a little flushed. There was really no getting used to hearing this voice ringing inside his ears so softly.
"Usagi-san?" Misaki answered, looking at the Keroppi alarm clock that said 11:20 in the evening. "It's late...aren't you supposed to be sleeping now?"
"I want to hear your voice. You won't live with me yet, so I want to hear you before I sleep."
Rubbing his eyes hiding his smile, he frowned fakely as if Usagi could see it. "What are you saying?"
"Whatever..."
Then there was silence. Misaki was growing impatient. He could only hear a soft breathing from the other line.
"Oi, I know you are rich Usagi-san but don't waste money if you're not going to talk, I'm hanging up."
"Sshhhh...just a little more. I'm charging up."
"Ch-charging?"
"Misaki?"
"What?" the teen scowled. He didn't know what the older man was trying to do.
"I will never stop trying,
I will never stop watching as you leave
I will never stop losing my breath
Everytime I see you lookin back at me
I will never stop holding your hand
I will never stop opening your door
I will never stop choosing you babe
I will never get used to you..."*1
Speechless, Misaki stared at his feet for a long while. Did Usagi-san just sang for him? Did the Usami Akihiko just sang for him? Misaki looked around making sure he was still in his room awake and not dreaming. His face was hot, he felt like there was some steam coming off from his head.
"Wha-what...Usa-"
"Awed much?"
Misaki grimaced. Such arrogance! "Not very much!"
"Actually that's my real congratulatory gift for you. Didn't like it?"
About to bury his own self in embarrassment, Misaki hid his face on his knees. "Th-thank you very much..."
"What do I do now? I will never be able to sleep..." Misaki muttered silently as he stared at his phone when Usagi-san finally hung-up.
It has been almost three days of job hunting for Misaki. But for a young man who hadn't even finished his high school studies, it was getting harder and harder for Misaki to get a decent one. There were openings in a construction site. But in that kind of body of his, he will never be able to put of with the strenous work. The restaurants he checked, they were all paying a little low than he was hoping up for. They were no good as well. Aside from the fact that it will eat all his time, it would be exausting and he was even planning on taking two to three jobs at the same time.
Everytime Usami and Misaki would meet for a small lunch or dinner, the man would always bring up the subject of living together which he always turned down. He wouldn't also discuss the ordeal of looking for a job. He only talked about funny things although, in his mind, perhaps, Usagi-san already has a picture of his dilemma and was just giving him space since he asked for it.
On the third day of job hunting, Misaki was almost at the verge of tears when he got a call from the agency he passed an application.
"Good morning!" Misaki greeted when he entered a cluttered office full of women who seemed to be facing a storm.
The teen was wearing a simple, white polo and black trousers with his sling bag dangling from his shoulder. He had tried so hard to fix his hair properly but they went all over the place no matter how hard he tried and gave up eventually.
The woman with huge spectacles raised her eyes from what she was typing and looked at Misaki from head to foot.
"You're name?"
"Ahm...Takahashi Misaki," he answered, forcing a smile. When he roamed his eyes around, all white walls, sticky notes on every space where they could stick one, women with deep frowns and men grunting all the time, this place seemed so not fun at all. But he couldn't be picky.
The woman dialled a number on the phone on her table while typing something on her computer with one hand. Misaki was so awed by the woman's ability to do things at the same time. She was like a robot.
"Yes, yes," the woman answered. "He's here already. Shall I tell him to go meet you now?"
"Oh great, I could really use some help now. Oh wait, what's his name?"
Misaki was feeling nervous.
"His name is Takahashi Misaki, aren't you reading the information I e-mailed you?" the woman asked with a furrow, Misaki felt more nervous his heart was sinking.
"Sorry, sorry! Don't be mad it's still early in the morning! Hmm though...that sounds familiar, anyway tell him to come to my office now, thanks Minami-san."
Raising her gaze to Misaki from her computer screen, she wrote something on a sticky note and extended it to him.
"That's the name of the person you'll be assisting. Their office is on the 8th floor. They're occupying the entire floor so it wouldn't be difficult for you," the woman smiled for the first time Misaki felt he was thrown out of his loop. The woman was such a beauty if she wasn't like an old lady frowning like that.
"Do your best kid."
The entire elevator ride felt so long for Misaki. This would be the first time for him to work in an office. In such a huge one at that. He was just lucky that a person such himself with not much marketable skills would be hired by a huge office.
When he stepped out of the elevator, he was greeted by a modern style interior. A mix of red and white and black filled his eyes. The hallway had a red carpet, the walls white and the sofas from afar for guests perhaps where shining black. The contrast was too much for Misaki's new eyes at such design. He was used to the very business like setting in Zone.
He continued walking while swallowing his nervousness until he found a door with a number 201. He took a deep breath and was about to knock. But the door was made of blurred glass, he would just hurt himself. He finally found a black button on the side after ignorantly inspecting the entire door. Instead of any ringing, the door opened widely for him.
Misaki found a man in suit standing by a huge shelf. He turned to him and smiled.
"Oh thank God you're here now. Hi, you'll be working for me. Don't worry I am not a devil. I won't exaust you."
The man smiled warmly at Misaki that made the teen somehow relieved.
The man left what he was doing and motioned at Misaki to come follow him towards his table.
"So, Takahashi-kun, I am the secretary of some worthless piece of work, and you'll be assisting me because we're in the middle of really very busy season. These are the contract and the scope of your jobs so please read them over there..." the man pointed at a plush sofa set at the corner of his office.
Observing the entire office of this man, it was obvious he was doing a lot of things but he still managed to keep things in order.
"I wish you won't find anything bad about the contract and the offer, and just sign right away," the man smiled again at him.
Misaki bowed and thanked the brunette and was about to move to start reading when the automatic glass doors where he came from opened once more.
A man wearing darkrimmed eyeglasses entered. His legs moved like the man owned the entire place even though he was just in blue jeans and a fitting blue v-neck shirt. Busy with his eyes set towards the papers in hand, he grunted, "Hoy, Fuji, what the hell is this schedule? Fix this, I don't want to go to the Sonate meeting tomorrow. Cancel this."
"Ijuuin-san?" Misaki couldn't help himself but blurt it out. He was shocked as if seeing a ghost.
The tall man lifted his gaze from the papers, removed his eyeglasses and squinted with unbelieving eyes at the green-eyed boy staring at him. "Takahashi Misaki? What are you-?"
"He's going to be my assistant Ijuuin," Fuji cut in. " That is if he didn't find anything to complain about my offers," he muttered while smiling at the teen.
Earlier that morning Ijuuin Kyo decided to unsubscribe with the Newsletter as he kept on getting nonsense.
"The die is rolling. The ball is turning. What's under will be on top. Uncertainty makes the world go round for you. What you don't have will be at you doorstep, you just have to take care of it."
Maybe he would resume subscription.
Chapter End Notes:
I hope you enjoyed this chappy.
^^ so i came down with a fever but this didn't stop me so i give my self 10000 claps. LoL..^^
*tadaima- i'm home!
*1the thing Usagi-san sang is a a song titled "never stop" by SafetySuit. I am currently obssessed with this band. I just learned them recently and all of their songs had me addicted.^^
- my ears are bleeding, i feel hot because of my fever or because of the BL drama Cd Punch Up i was listening to a while ago.^^? hahaha..
-till then
-shuusetsu
to PLZ- i am so glad you like it enough to make a movie for it! ahaha..sure go ahead. tell me once you're done so i can watch okay? really i feel honored!:*:・(^∀^)・:*: