If I live to be a hundred
And never see the seven wonders
That will be alright
If I don't make it to the big leagues
If I never win a gramme
I'm going to be just fine
Cause I know exactly
Who. I. Am.
~Who I Am - Jessica Andrews
"... This is the restaurant your uncle owns?" Amu asked in amazement. This was the most expensive place she'd ever been in, and she was wearing clothes from last year she dug out from the bottom of her closet!
"Yes, it's one in a chain, but this is the first created." Kairi explained, seemingly unimpressed by the place, well, maybe unimpressed compared to Amu. She was looking around the place excitedly, from the white table cloths to the waiters wearing gloves.
"He has more than one?!" Amu felt more like she was dining with royalty than getting a business offer. She tried to calm down and get her attitude back under control, but she was just so excited. "If I had known we were eating here, I would've worn something more formal."
"That's not necessary. Usually when someone dresses in a casual attire, the outfit says more about their character than if they were prepared for certain circumstances." Kairi explained while waiting for someone to seat them.
So..., that's casual for him? Amu thought to herself, analyzing his outfit. Sure, a typical white button up shirt with khakis and a tie no doubt, this guy must be the wild and crazy type. "I see."
-
-
"Man, fancy digs." Kukai commented to everyone staring at awe at the place. Kukai assumed they were going pretty steady if the guy took her here. "This place looks more expensive than my house."
"Well, now what?" Tadase asked, it was obvious they weren't getting through the front door, not they way they looked.
"We go in." Ikuto answered with a smirk, having already thought of a way around the issue.
"How? We can't exactly walk in." Tadase reasoned with Ikuto, who he had a feeling was thinking of something stupid.
"Maybe not through that door," Ikuto answered pointing towards the front entrance, "But, that door looks like it has lower standards." Ikuto explained pointing to a back entrance that said 'Employees Only' across it.
"Can't you read?" Tadase asked, knowing it would be stupid, "We don't work here."
"Well, we'll have to be extra careful then, won't we." Ikuto commented with a smirk as he started walking towards the door. They looked at one another and shrugged before following Ikuto to the door.
Ikuto opened the door a crack to see where the door went. It looked like it would take them to the kitchen, and they'd have to take another door to get into where the tables were. He nodded at the guys and gestured with his hand for them to follow his lead. The four teenage boys, and the one six year old, crawled army style under the tables through the kitchen to remain unseen.
Until a waiter dropped a bowl on the ground, when he bent down to pick it up, he saw something he didn't expect to see. People that had been crawling under the table stopped and stared at him, with the same blank expression he stared at them with. What the hell were they doing?!
He was about to say something when he was shushed by a little kid, "Keep quiet." she told him with a finger over her lip to silence him. He just stared at the kid before gaining back his composure, or as much composure he could muster kneeling under a table to talk to people crawling under said table.
"What are you doing in here?"
"We... got lost on our way the bathroom." Kukai answered thinking of a lie quickly. An unconvincing one however, and the waiter showed it with his stare that was suggesting he thought of murder at the moment.
"We're looking for onee-sama." Ami answered honestly with a convincing six year old smile. Who could say no to a face like that? He looked over the four teenage boys questioningly. "And, you four?"
"We're the babysitters." Tadase answered with everyone else nodding in agreement.
"And, how's that working for you?"
"Better than being a waiter." Kukai answered just to strike a nerve.
"Just, get out the kitchen."
"Got it." Kukai answered again, with a nod, they all stood up and walked out of the kitchen and into a room filled with tables, soft music, and good smells. "That was easier than expected." Kukai added with the others sighing in relief and nodding to agree.
"Where are they?" Tadase asked looking around the room for their pink haired friend. "They're still waiting to be seated." Nagihiko pointed out at the two talking at the entrance. On instinct, the four ducked behind the closest table and peeked over it, just enough to watch the two.
"Now what genius?" Tadase asked Ikuto sarcastically. Sure, they could see them, but so what? They were too far away to hear anything, so what was the point. Plus, if she caught them spying on her, she'd kill them all for sure. Especially since they brought Ami along with them. Ikuto watched a waiter approach the two.
"Scatter, one of us is bound to end up close to where they're sitting." Ikuto explained with the guys shrugging in agreement. Ikuto saw them begin to walk to their table, "Now!" The guys went everywhere, looking for a place to hide. Nagihiko snuck into a plant that was big enough to hide him, and was near a few empty tables. Tadase, who was planning to hide in the plant himself, looked for another spot, panicking he dove under on of the empty tables and curled into a ball. Ikuto went behind an open doorway to another room of tables, with Ami deciding to hide behind his leg. Kukai, who couldn't find another spot, followed Ikuto to the doorway.
They all watched, with the exception of Tadase who just waited, Amu and her mysterious "boyfriend" walk with one of the waiters to an empty table. And, with their luck, it just happened to be the table Tadase was hiding under, and Nagihiko was in the plant near.
"Great," Kukai commented sarcastically, "Now we can't leave until they do." he complained, putting his binoculars to his face to observe them more closely. Trying to read their lips, as he pulled out her chair for her. She smiled at him politely and took the seat and nodded a thanks. "I think he's trying to put the moves on her." Ikuto and Ami just stared at him and then went back to the two at the table.
"So..., just out of curiosity," Amu started once they were seated and comfortable, enough, "How exactly did you get my phone number?" it was something that had been bothering her for awhile, and if her number was on a bathroom wall or something she wanted to make sure no weirdos would call her, not that she really thought Kairi was a weirdo or anything.
"I think she asked him he wanted to go home." Kukai told Ikuto with his translation of Amu's words. "Maybe he's boring conversation, he looks like it." Kukai added focusing in on the two again.
"I have my sources." Kairi answered with a cool attitude, Amu noticed, and a mysterious vibe that Amu wasn't buying. "Plus, the phone book was rather useful." Kairi added learning that vague answers were not going to satisfy in this case.
"He told her she was hopeful."
"Oh, I see." Amu answered with a nod, that was the most logical explanation, but somehow, she had managed to look past it. "But, I don't remember saying my last name on the radio."
"She said, 'Do you think we could turn up the stereo?'."
"No, but I recognized your voice, and I remembered your last name from Takio Middle School choir." Kairi explained pushing up his glasses.
"He said he thinks he might change his name to Takashima."
"Huh?" Amu asked confused by that. How did he know where she went to middle school and that she was in choir? "How did you-"
"I live in Takio, and remembered you from school." he explained noticing her surprise that he knew who she was. He wasn't surprised that she didn't know who he was, it was only logical she wouldn't.
"She said, 'What?! I like-' then he cut her off and said, 'I was just kidding'."
"Sorry," Amu apologized slightly embarrassed, here this guy was, an old classmate of hers, who could even recognize her voice, and she didn't even remember seeing him in class, "I don't remember you."
"She said she was sorry she overreacted."
"I didn't expect you to, I was never in any of your classes, and I am two years younger than you."
"He said it was alright he didn't think it was funny to her."
"What?! Your still in middle school?!" Amu couldn't believe it. On the phone she thought he was an older guy, then she thought he was her age, and now he was two years younger than she was. How did that even work. "Are class rep or something?"
"She said, 'What?!' and was offended that he thought she couldn't take a joke."
"Yes, but I don't see what that has to do with anything."
"He said that yes, but he still loved her all the same."
"Just curious." Amu added slightly embarrassed again. She was getting nervous and pulled on her hair. She felt dumb already around him. He looked like the smart kind of guy that was good with things like computers or something, that made it hard to make any kind of small talk.
"She said she loved him too. They're pretty serious." Kukai told Ikuto who was staring at him like he was insane. "What?"
"You can't read lips, can you?"
"I get close enough." Kukai defended himself looking into his binoculars for an instant, "Yeah, she's into him."
"How do you know?" Ikuto asked annoyed by Kukai for making assumptions.
"Because, she messing with her hair and biting her lip. Girls do that when they're into a guy." Kukai told an unconvinced Ikuto, "Nagihiko told me so." Well, if it was Nagihiko, then the theory was another thing. Ikuto looked over at Amu, who was looking nervous.
"We got to get closer."
"Huh?!"
"We got to hear what they're saying."
"I don't need to hear them, I can see what they're saying."
"Yeah, no offense, but you're lip reading skills aren't that reliable."
"Well," Kukai added, turning his back to Ikuto and crossing his arms, "I see how it is. I can't be trusted to translate for the love birds- OW!" Ikuto hit him on the head before he could say anything else, and then started looking around for a way to get closer. Kukai looked at Ikuto confused for a moment. Why had he hit him, and why did he hit him so hard?! Sure he knew that Ikuto could beat him to a pulp if he wanted to, but they were friends. That was really hard hit, and he didn't even know what he did!
"Got it." Ikuto said to himself with a smirk, he had found a way. "Coming?"
"Yeah, yeah." Kukai said quickly recovering from before and crawled with Ikuto to wherever he was going. Then he saw what Ikuto did. A cart of food, with a white covering on the bottom that left whatever was underneath unseen. Ikuto opened the curtain to see there was nothing underneath.
"Nice." Kukai said with a smirk of his own, that was quickly swiped off his face when he heard someone cough behind them to get their attention. They turned their heads around slowly to see the same waiter from before. Now Kukai wished he hadn't said anything about his job. "Where is that bathroom?" Kukai asked looking around as if he were really looking for the bathroom.
"What are you three doing?" he asked, not buying into Kukai's act, he wasn't an idiot, even though he thought they were.
"Come on man!" Kukai complained, didn't this guy have anything better to do than bother them? Like maybe his job? "Can't you see we're on a stake out here?!" the guy just stared at him as though he were insane.
"Anyway, you could help us get over to that table?" Ikuto asked pointing to where Amu was sitting. The waiter looked between them and the table. "Not likely."
"Ten bucks?" Ikuto bargained, getting the man's attention. "Twenty."
"Deal." Ikuto agreed and looked at Kukai, "Pay the man."
"What?! Why me?!"
"Because you're the one who pissed him off to begin with." Ikuto answered and Ami nodding her head in agreement. Kukai grumbled and pulled out a few ruffled bills and handed them to the waiter he now despised. After the three hid themselves under the cart, the waiter pushed it towards the table.
"I suppose you're wondering by now what I called you here for." Kairi suggested once they had ordered their food and had their drinks on the table. Amu nodded perking back up in order to listen closely. "Excuse me," a waiter approached them and asked, "I'm sorry, but would you mind if I left this here for now?"
"Not at all." Kairi responded then went back to Amu, "Now, I believe you have a remarkable talent with your singing, and I believe you could go places."
"What'd he say?" Kukai whispered to Ami, who was leaning out just enough to hear what they were saying but still remain hidden.
"Remarkibe. Go plwaces."
"Palaces?" Kukai asked confused about her going to royalty.
"Places." Ikuto corrected, understanding the six year old's language.
"Thanks." Amu told him, having an idea on where he was going with this.
"My sister is a manager for the company Easter, and she herself believed you could be a hit."
"Beweived."
"But weed? What weed?"
"Believed."
"I see," Amu answered wishing he would stop beating around the bush, "And how is that relevant?"
"Well, I've recently decided I would follow in my sister's footsteps, in the career field to become a manger. I called you, offering a few ideas."
"Offvering."
"Onion ring?"
"Offering!"
"Man, we need a better translator!"
"What kind of ideas?" Amu asked, curious, but not getting her hopes high enough she may agree to whatever he was planning. She knew better than that.
"There are a few places in the area that are looking for musical performers in order to bring in business. If you're interested, I could show you who's hiring and help you get a gig so to speak." Kairi explained his recent research to the girl that was blinking in interest.
"And, why would you help me do that?"
"Something about helping do that. What would that be?" Kukai asked himself as he eavesdropped, replacing Ami. Who was ignoring them for the moment, helping herself to a large chocolate cake that wound up under there. "Huh?! Where'd you get that?"
Ami pointed up and Kukai realized they were under the dessert cart, but he was on the side Amu was on now. He couldn't reach up for something without being caught. "Hey, can I have a piece of that?" in response, Ami stuck her tongue out at him and stuffed another forkful into her mouth, "Why you little-"
"Would you focus?" Ikuto asked getting annoyed by Kukai's ADD. "What are they saying?"
"As I told you before, I want to follow my sister in her career choice, so I've been seeking out talent for awhile now. I had forgotten about you, until I heard your voice on the radio. I contacted you in an offer to become your manager for your own career." Amu was stunned, he was offering to help her with her career?! A career that didn't exist, and would never exist! She was about to tell him so, when she thought of something. She remembered Ikuto telling her that they never thought of a name because they never had a gig to play, so there was no point. Sure she didn't want to sing as a career, but she didn't know if maybe one of the guys wanted to play an instrument as their career. If she turned Kairi down, she may have thrown away an opportunity for one of them, and that, she felt she didn't want to risk.
"I think he said he's been seeking her out, and never forgot about her. I think he knew her from her old town maybe?" Kukai told Ikuto what he heard, wondering if Amu was really into this guy. He looked like some kind of computer geek or something, and she was more of the punk type. How did that relationship work?
"It sounds great, but the thing is, I'm kind of in a band." Amu told him trying to decide how to get this offer in a different way. Once he heard the band, he'd definitely think they had talent, so everyone would win.
"She said it sounds great." Kukai said thinking to himself, "You think it and that are the same thing?" Before Ikuto could comment on it, Kukai put his hands up in surrender, "I know, I know, concentrate."
"Really?" Kairi asked actually interested, he hadn't expected her to join a band. When he thought of Amu Hinamori, he thought of the girl in choir, but she did have a stand off kind of attitude. Maybe a band was a fitting choice for her character.
"Really what?" Kukai asked himself more than told them. This was getting confusing on many different levels.
"Yeah. They're really good with their instruments, I'm just the singer, but I'm sure the band has the talent you're seeking."
"Really good and has the talent you're seeking." what did she mean by that?
"What are you suggesting?"
"She's the one suggesting?!" Kukai asked appalled, nothing pure was going through his head at the moment.
"You could manage the band instead, if you want to."
"If he wants to, of course he wants to, he's a guy!" Kukai was getting angry just listening to it, and Ikuto wasn't any better off. He glanced down at Ami with her big cake and smirked, "Hey munchkin, think I can have a piece?"
Ami looked up at him with a grin, her face covered with chocolate and nodded excitedly. She gave him a piece that was already sliced in the cake, Kukai stared at her for a second, "Oh sure, give him a piece." he complained before getting back to the lovers conversation.
"Hmm, interesting." Kairi thought it over for a moment, he'd still be helping Amu, and if she somehow couldn't make it, then he had a chance with any of the members in the band. Plus, he was just curious to see what the band could do, "Sounds like a plan."
"Interesting and a plan?! What is wrong with her?!" Kukai added, wondering how Amu could be the one asking and suggesting these things, just before turning to Ikuto who was trying to do something, "What you doing?"
"Keep listening and wait for it." Ikuto answered with a smirk, with Kukai going back to the conversation with a confused expression.
"Great! I can't wait to tell- Oh my God are you alright?!" Amu asked as she watched Kairi just get hit in the face with some kind of chocolate dessert. It just came out of nowhere.
"I'm fine." Kairi answered taking off his glasses that were now covered in chocolate and tried to wipe them off with his napkin.
Kukai was confused for a second, until he risked a peek at the scene. He had to keep a hand over his mouth to keep him from laughing out loud. "That's one to do it." Kukai told Ikuto with a thumbs up. Ikuto smirked, satisfied to have ruined the moment in the manner.
Amu had no idea where the hell that came from. The dessert cart was right next to them, but it wasn't like someone walked by and threw something at Kairi. Then, Amu noticed it. The white cloth curtain moving, she glared at it by instinct before she reached down carefully and grabbed the cloth. Then she suddenly pulled it back fast, to see what she feared. Ikuto, Kukai, and Ami stared up at her, with blank expressions. "Sup?" Kukai asked, as if this were normal.
"What are you doing?" Amu asked putting a smile on her face, which at the moment, was scarier to them then any death glare she could give.
"We... were heading to the band store." Kukai panicked a little with his lie. They were screwed.
"Oh," Amu said as if she understood, "You mean to the one in the mall?"
"We came for the bread." Ikuto added with Ami nodding to back him up.
"Uh huh." Amu responded, obviously not believing a word they said. Then she felt something moved under the table. She did a quick kick and hit something that responded with an "Oww!"
She pulled the cloth up from under the table to see Tadase rubbing his sore ribs. "Get out!" she commanded with a stern voice, which he obeyed like a scared dog. "You too Nagihiko!" she yelled, knowing he was somewhere near. Sure enough, he emerged from his plant and joined the others.
"We may have come for the bread! But we stayed for information!" Kukai yelled at her, melodramatic of course, determined to let her know they knew what she was up to.
"Oh, so you heard all that?" Amu asked surprised, how long had they been there? Ikuto was surprised that she didn't look embarrassed or anything, as if none of that bothered her.
"Yeah! So we're here to protect you!"
"Huh?" Amu was confused by what Kukai was saying, and he was way too loud.
"Alright, Ikuto you hit him high, and I'll hit him low." Kukai stated before getting into a fighting stance, ready to start beating this guy to a pulp. He didn't care if they were going out, or if Amu really liked this guy, he wasn't going to let her make this kind of mistake. Plus, when was he going to get another opportunity to beat someone up with an excuse?
"What are you talking about?" Amu asked, beyond confused at this point. Was he on some kind of medication, or was he always this emotional?
"What are you talking about?" Kukai asked, dropping his fists, just as confused as Amu was.
"I'm talking about how he offered to be our manager." Amu answered as if it were a 'Duh' question. How well were their listening skills. All four of them looked confused, none of them could hear the conversation well, of course they all had different ideas on how it went, so none of them knew what his offer was.
"Manager?" Tadase questioned, he thought that he was just making small talk above him, or whatever people talk about on dates. He didn't pay attention well, having to dodge their feet from hitting him.
"So, that what what your meeting was about?" Nagihiko asked, just to verify they weren't dating, in which case he would have to tell Ami to listen more carefully when eavesdropping.
"Yeah."
"How come we weren't invited?" Kukai asked, suddenly becoming offended. Amu wanted to hurt him so bad.
"Because, it was originally an offering for Amu." Kairi explained still trying to get the chocolate off his face, "I had some openings for her, but when she told me she was in a band, she suggested managing it. Now, I suppose I have a few performing options for your band."
They stared at Kairi in disbelief for a moment, before Kukai put that goofy grin back on his face, "Alright! You're the man, Mr. Manager." Kukai told Kairi putting his arm in a kind of head lock and punching him lightly in the rips.
"Hooray!" Ami exclaimed with joy, throwing her hands in the air with excitement. Amu smiled at her sister, with her chocolate covered face and cute smile.
"Ami." Amu said shaking her head still smiling. She grabbed her napkin off the table and bent down to Ami's level, "You're face looks like Kairi's." Amu told her giggling, when she noticed something. Her face did look like Kairi's, covered in chocolate from some kind of dessert, which could easily been thrown at someone from under the dessert cart. Amu glared at Kukai and Ikuto. Feeling her glare, Kukai let go of Kairi and pointed at Ikuto, "He did it!" he said really fast and then retreated to behind Nagihiko.
"Thanks Kukai." Ikuto mumbled, now having to faced a pissed off Amu. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Amu yelled at him, standing up and getting up in his face. She still hated the fact he had to look down at her. "This is a nice place! You don't go throwing food around in here! How old are you?!"
"I don't think I ruined the restaurant, I didn't miss his face." Ikuto answered with a shrug and a smirk, "That's what you get for not telling us what you were up to."
"What?! You're going to follow me and tell me this is my fault?!"
"Well, you didn't have to let that dessert cart stay by you're table, you'll get fat if you eat that stuff."
"Why you-"
The four guys just watched them bicker for a while with blank expressions. Until Nagihiko broke the silence with a question, "What exactly did you two think they were talking about?"
"Well,.." Kukai started, trying to figure out how to explain it all, "It started with her liking him, then something about onion rings, and somehow we got the idea they were talking sex."
"I beg your pardon?" Kairi asked with the same confused look Nagihiko and Tadase were giving him.
"Well you kept saying doing it, and doing that, and, well, you try listening to something under a dessert cart and tell me if it's easy!"
Nagihiko went over some thoughts in his head, before a smirk appeared on his face, "Hey, Kukai."
"Huh? What?" Kukai asked, with a bad feeling about the smirk on his face.
"I think it's time for another experiment."
A/N:
I'm still alive :) thanks to all those who care! I now have a 70s beanbag to sit on, with my grandmother's cat, Yoru, protecting me from the little creatures... with my lunch as payment. Well, thanks for all the reviews^^ I'm glad people like my story! :P