Chapter I: Every Day Living

Ryo Chuin snorted as he flipped through a gossip rag, waiting in line at a newsstand.

The cover page was filled with large brightly colored words about random celebrities. He flipped to the center page which featured the cover article. It was talking about an actor who had starred in an American movie and now was nominated for many awards. The article was filled with both sycophantic praise of his performance and outlandish rumors about how the actor was planning on moving to Los Angeles and in a relationship with his award-winning costar.

"Reading about yourself again, Tomo?"

Chuin, or better known as Tomo to his closest confidents, looked up at the tall man who was smirking at him.

He grinned in response. "Apparently I'm dating Kandyse McClure this time," he quipped with a grin. "She's gorgeous and wonderfully sweet, but I don't think I'm her type. Nordic looking fellows like you however," he left off smirking.

"No thank you," the other man shot back.

Tomo grinned.

"Come on Nakago!" he teased. The taller man rolled his eyes in response as he flipped open his newspaper.

"And do you propose I would meet her? After all, she lives in Canada, doesn't she?" he asked dryly.

"You could always leave your boring old office and come along with me. I'm sure the industry would love to see your face again," Tomo offered.

Nakago sighed.

"I'm retired, remember? I don't model, I don't act. I am your agent and also an agent to many other people."

Tomo rolled his eyes. He had been nineteen when he had run into the elder man, newly twenty-two at the time. They had been cast for a denim advertisement. On the first day, the elder man had been silent and very professional on set, leaving an impression of aloofness.

Tomo hadn't been put off though. Within minutes after their first break, he had introduced himself to the young man and been surprised to find out that he was also Japanese, though with some Nordic ancestry. Gi Ayuru, as he had introduced himself, was a well known face in the foreign market and was slowly making his way into Japan, the opposite of Tomo.

Tomo had grinned at the young man's typically Japanese way of speech and managed to give him advice for breaking into the Japanese market while conning him into joining the rest of the crew for dinner and drinks that evening.

Since then, the two have been faithful friends, even with their memories of a previous lifetime. As Nakago once put it, "I remember that life time, but I don't know those people. I don't know that man. My name is Ayuru and I'm a 20th century young man with goals and hopes for the life time I live in. The past is the past and it can't change who I am today."

It helped that Nakago had such a strong personality, for after a few years of modeling and minor acting, he left the industry's frontlines to become an agent in the background, a difficult transition filled with lots of hardship. Tomo had been his first big client and that had solidified their friendship into a relationship of brotherhood.

It also helped that the younger man wasn't the slightest bit intimidated by his elder companion. In fact, Tomo's favorite pastime consists of baiting and teasing Nakago whenever he gets the chance.

"But what about a vacation?" he whined as Nakago paid for his newspaper. "You haven't gone anywhere in years!"

Nakago rolled his eyes at the younger man as they walked away from the newsstand.

"I don't have time. I've been looking over new contracts with for some younger idols and also at some advertisement spots for you," he explained.

Tomo groaned. "You're so boring. Like an old man."

"Ah well, this old man makes sure that you don't get screwed by the industry. Keep that in mind!" he replied back snidely.

Tomo sighed. "You know what, I need to find you a girlfriend," he declared, causing both men to stop in their path.

"What?"

Nakago turned to Tomo in shock, all smug confidence gone from his face.

"I'm serious. You need a girl to shake up the monotony that's your life," the younger man concluded with a nod.

"You've got to be joking," Nakago spit out after a minute before starting to walk again.

"Come on! Who do you like? I'm pretty sure you're not interested in those crazy fashion idol types like Hamasaki Ayumi or the overtly sexual types like Koda Kumiko."

Nakago studiously ignored Tomo as he mused aloud.

"Oh! What about Jea from the Brown Eyed Girls? You speak Korean, don't you?"


Miaka yawned as she entered the small kitchenette. Yui had already left for classes and Taka was busy all day, so she, who had the entire day off, was completely on her own.

She pulled out a glass and filled it with juice before walking over to the couch and sitting. Slurping it quietly, she studied the small flat she and Yui shared. They had moved in together after Keisuke had gotten engaged. Miaka had figured it would easier for her mother and Keisuke if there was more room, especially with a bride-to-be entering the picture. Yui had been hesitant at first, but managed to come around. The two had searched and hunted for months before finding a little rundown place not too far from the main campus. It was within their budget and the neighboring apartments were filled with either small families or elderly couples which made the girls feel safe.

Of course, it had taken a lot of work to fix the place up. It wasn't so cheap for nothing. With Taka's help, the girls had managed to clean and exterminate any unwanted roommates. Miaka couldn't help but chuckle as she recalled her own shriek when she found a rat in the bathroom. Yui and Taka had both burst into hysterical laughter at her face and still hadn't stopped teasing her about it, the brats.

She smiled as she looked fondly at the pictures hanging on the walls. One was her and Yui at their high school commencement, laughing in the camera. Another was her and Taka from the latest anniversary. Her favorite of the bunch was of Yui and Taka at Yui's birthday from a year ago. Their faces were smeared with day-glo paint, but the brightest part of the picture was their smiles.

Finishing her juice, Miaka stood and decided to go out. It had been a while since she had tried a new recipe. Maybe a trip to the store would inspire her.


Ryuunen shrugged his hair out of his face for the fifth or sixth time.

"I think I'm going to cut it," he announced after glaring at the wayward strands for a minute.

"Don't you dare, Nuriko!"

Ryuunen, or rather Nuriko turned to chuckle at the glaring young woman pointing a finger at him dangerously. She glared at him before dissolving into laughter, balancing precariously in a pair of gilded stiletto heels.

"Oh Soi, my heart, did I scare you?" he asked with a mocking smile.

She swatted him as he walked by her.

"I should just let you cut it and then laugh when you realize how terrible you look without it," she threatened as she made her way over to the swivel chair and sat down. He grinned at her as he hit the light for the table and took a look at her face.

"Thankfully, I'm not going to drown you in make-up today," he commented with a grin as he picked up a moist towelette and wiped down her skin. "Just smoky eyes and pink lips."

"Yay!" Soi cheered with a grin. "Though I'm glad it's you here, anybody else would've smothered me in kohl," she laughed. "Now, now, Kean. Don't argue. My magic is simply the best!"

Nuriko chuckled at the young woman's spot-on imitation of one of his contemporaries.

"Twisted," he teased. "Such a horribly mean little model!"

Soi laughed back. "Who did I learn it from, oh enlightened one?"

The two shared a glance before laughing again. Nuriko had met the young girl, barely seventeen, at a small restaurant where she had been waiting tables. While physically stunning, it was her warm demeanor and sense of humor that had him coming back again and again. When he had later heard about a make-up brand searching for a new face for advertisements, he had recommended the girl. That one recommendation had taken the girl from practically poverty to a strange life of constantly being on the move, plied with all sorts of gifts and monies, and under harsh scrutiny.

However, to Nuriko's delight, she hadn't lost a bit of her warmth, even after regaining her memories of previous tragic life. She had come back to Japan after being in Paris for ten months and the first thing she had done was to throw her arms around him in a gigantic hug, shouting "I missed you!"

Years later, he still felt like a proud mother to the now young woman with the sparkling laugh.

"Tell me you're free after this," she begged as he drew a thick line of black at her waterline with a kohl pencil. "I really want to see the American movie starring Ryo Chuin and you're the only person who speaks English well enough to see it with me."

He chuckled.

"You have such a crush on him!"

She laughed back.

"I've always liked him. He was so polite to me, you know, when we worked together. It was only my second job and I was so scared to work with another model, and yet, he was an absolute gentleman throughout. He talked to me, made jokes to make me feel more comfortable, even gave me advice on how to survive," she commented with a shy smile, remembering the kindness the man had given her.

Nuriko chuckled.

"I still say you like him," he teased.

She snorted.

"No thanks. He's more your type anyway, that pale fresh face and dark coloring. I think I'd be too intimidated to be with a man so much prettier than me! I mean, have you seen the man's skin?"

Nuriko laughed with his entire chest at the comment, a mental daydream of said man's face popping into his head.

"What about Gi Ayuru?" he asked after calming down. "I thought you had a crush on him?"

"Nuriko!" the young woman squealed in horror. "I was seventeen at the time. Okay?"

He grinned mischievously.

"Okay sweetheart, I guess I won't comment that you still have that magazine clipping of him in your day planner."

He nearly came undone at the choked gasp she gave in response.


Xing-shu gasped as the path before him was blocked a falling column. The smoke was rising higher and higher, and he was gasping for air.

He turned around and tried to head in another direction to get out of the inferno. He could hear his manager screams, along with the set directors and dancers.

It was supposed to be just a rehearsal for his first concert in Tokyo. When and how it went wrong, he wasn't sure. All he knew was if he didn't get out soon, he wouldn't be having a concert in Tokyo, but instead a funeral.

All of sudden, the set wall in front of him crashed aside as a man in a firefighting uniform broke through.

"You alright?" he yelled from behind his mask.

"Yes!" Xing-shu called back.

"Come on!" the firefighter called over, reaching into his pack and pulling out a flame resistant blanket. He wrapped it around Xing-shu and then threw the unsuspecting singer over his shoulder before heading out the way he had come.

Xing-shu clutched the man weakly, out of breath and boneless with the relief of being rescued. He felt the burning embers come near him, singeing his hair. The smell of burnt paint reeked in the air and he coughed trying to clear his lungs. The man kept moving at a steady pace, each step purposeful as he moved to safety.

As they reached away from the fire, yells broke out. Xing-shu could hear his manager screaming his name over the wails of the dancers and costumers. He groaned as the man set him down on a gurney and ripped his protective mask off.

Xing-shu nearly fainted as he caught sight of the man's bright red hair.

"Tasuki?"

The man took one look at him, wide eyed with surprise.

"What did you just call me?" he started to ask, but by then Xing-shu knew only the blackness of limbo.


Yui yawned as she slumped in her seat. It was her last class of the day, finally, a recitation period for a court literature class she had had earlier in the day. The young woman sighed as she propped up her head with her elbow and watched the room fill with her classmates. Yui enjoyed her courses and was happy with school, but she missed her bed more than anything after being in classes all day. At least she didn't have to go to cram school anymore, the young woman mused as she flipped open her notebook.

"Are you saving this seat?"

Yui jolted up and looked at the young man—no boy staring at her. It took her a minute to process his words before she shook her head embarrassedly.

"No, no. Please, go ahead. I just really need a nap it seems," she added with a weak laugh.

The boy smiled at her as he placed his bag next to hers and sat down.

"I really liked your presentation from last section. I thought it was very innovative," he started, startling her.

Yui turned and faced the boy again.

"Thank you-?" she left off, confused.

"I'm Ou Doukon," he introduced. "Or perhaps, you'd prefer to call me Chiriko?"

Yui's jaw dropped open as her arm fell away from the desk.

"I'm sorry?" the young woman asked.

"It's a nickname," the boy explained. "My mother told me I started calling myself Chiriko when I was very young and it just stuck. I honestly don't know where it's from, but it's always been natural to me."

The boy then flushed at the shocked look on Yui's face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ramble at you like that. My friends always scold at me for going off on tangents."

To her surprise, the young woman found herself relaxing and laughed.

"You know what, it's okay," she interrupted, reaching out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Chiriko."

The boy smiled as he took her hand in return.

"So would it be strange if I asked you what you thought of our professor's quip on the degeneration of modern day court literature?" he asked shyly.

"Only if you find it strange that I actually could and would spend ten minutes ranting on said subject," Yui returned with a grin.


Shun'u walked into the ER shyly, dodging nurses and interns as he made his way over to the main desk. He wanted to see that singer again, to find out if the man had been just hallucinating or whether he had really known the name 'Tasuki'. Setting his heavy firefighting jacket on the counter, he waited for the receptionist to finish her call.

"Can I help you?"

Shun'u turned at the voice and blinked as he stared at a chin. Lifting his eyes, he found himself staring at a very tall and handsome man that was shockingly familiar. His jaw dropped open and without even noticing, the firefighter whispered.

"Mitsukake?"

The taller man's eyebrows shot up exponentially before grabbing Shun'u's arm and dragging him away from the main desk and into a small examination room.

"Mitsukake, is that you?" the firefighter asked again.

"Who are you?" the man asked with a deep frown.

Shun'u found himself stuttering as he studied the man before him. It just had to be the warrior he remembered because the man before him had the same dark eyes, cropped hair, and muscular physique under his powder blue hospital scrubs. Grinning like a fool, Shun'u ripped off his baseball cap, revealing his bright orange hair.

"Who do you think I am, ya ass?" he asked with a toothy smirk.

"Tasuki," the doctor breathed out heavily, his eyes with surprise as the redheaded firefighter tackled him in a bear hug. "How?"

The firefighter grinned. "I have no clue, but damn, it's good to see you! And you're a doctor too. I should've known," Tasuki crowed as he clapped his hand heavily on the taller man's back.

"And you are?" Mitsukake managed to ask between coughs.

"A firefighter."

The doctor raised his eyebrows at the younger man.

"I suppose it is better that you're putting fires out this time," he quipped with a smirk.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"


Sighing as she sat down on the bus, Yui leaned her head against the window and slumped deep into her seat. She was exhausted, not just physically, but mentally as well. Her brain was still stumped with meeting the boy, Chiriko. She didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or run away screaming. Sure, she had managed to calm down in the recitation as to not cause any commotion, but away from it all now, she could still feel the fear and uncertainty. Realizing she needed a change of pace, Yui reached to grab her phone when a young teenage boy fell into her with a loud 'oof'.

"Ai, forgive me! Are you alright?" the boy asked, grabbing Yui's shoulders as he straightened up.

"Yes, yes," the girl responded as she pushed her hair out of her face and sat back up. Looking up, Yui was struck by the boy's smile.

"Oh my gosh! You're Hongo Yui," he exclaimed with a smile, taking the seat next to her.

Yui raised an eyebrow at the boy in surprise.

"Yes. How do you know…" she began.

He laughed, holding out his hand amiably.

"I'm Cho Takumi. I go to Jonan Academy. You were my mentor when I applied," he explained.

Yui blinked, trying to place his face as he spoke. She vaguely remembered mentoring younger students during her time at the academy, but the boy's face wasn't ringing any bells in her mind.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I just—I don't really recall any of the students I mentored."

Rather than getting upset, Takumi laughed.

"I'm not surprised. I heard you had to mentor twice as many students as anyone else because one of the other mentors had dropped out."

Yui nodded with a smile, realizing the boy's memory was right.

"Yeah," she agreed with a laugh. "But how did you recognize me?"

He suddenly blushed, making the blonde stare in wonder.

"I actually had a crush on you and pretty much followed you throughout school like a demented puppy," he admitted, making Yui's jaw drop open. "I was pretty heartbroken when I found out you had a boyfriend, you know?"

He then grinned again at Yui's dumbfounded expression.

"Don't worry. I'm not stalking you anymore or anything. I actually was coming from the university examination application drop off and saw you getting on. So I figured it was a touch of fate and I might as well say 'hello'."

Feeling her brain spin for a minute, Yui grabbed onto the first thing that popped into her mind.

"It's a 'twist of fate', not a 'touch'," she corrected before she could stop herself. Realizing what she just said, the blonde colored and began to stammer out an apology.

Takumi's laughter stopped her short.

"Yui-sempai, may I call you that?" he began. "I think we should become friends. In fact, do you want to go and get a bite to eat with me? I know this great little truck nearby that sells the best crepes ever," he offered with a grin.

Feeling a bit off balance and yet utterly amused, Yui smiled.

"Why not? As long as you're buying, Takumi-kun?" she asked, reaching for her bag. The boy grinned back at her.

"Only if you treat next time, Yui-sempai."

The blonde laughed and nodded as she followed the boy off the bus.

"So tell me, Yui-sempai, you don't still have a boyfriend, do you?"

-TBC-


[A/N]: Argh. I can't stand that last scene, but I'm sick of fighting with it.

Hello and welcome to the new version of chapter one. As you've seen, the older chapters have gone down. Don't worry, I'm uploading them onto my LJ as we speak (the link is in my profile), so they're still there for any curious souls. Here in chapter one, we still have all the characters as the first, but this time, I tried to get their identities out in the open as soon as possible. I think I've introduced everyone expect for a few of the Seiryuu seishi.

This chapter is pretty slow, mostly dialogue. But I hope that it will set a good stage for the rest of the story. The only part, besides the last scene, that I felt apprehensive writing was the first scene and the celebrity names used. I haven't been keeping up with Japanese pop culture, so I felt like I was really shooting in the dark. Darn Kpop, why are you so addictive?

Well, let me know how you feel about this one. Thanks for reading!

P.S. Bonus points if anyone recognizes who Kandyse McClure is. (Without googling her!)


Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Yuu Watase and Shogakukan Inc.