Chapter 2…Yama's turn :P

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Yamato Ishida was voted the hottest and most popular teen in music magazines this year. He also has a huge army of fans all over the internet, and artists (amateur and not) drew the most fan art of him than any of his other band members. He had such a huge follow up that if he ever decided to leave this band and go for a solo album; he would actually be able to make it big. All this fame and glory, yet Yamato was not happy. Sure, he was happy at the fact that they were making lots of money, and sure he was happy because his band members/friends were happy, but he wasn't happy because well…he was getting a bit homesick.

Yama was actually from Japan, born and raised. He moved to America by himself when he was 13 to live with his mother, who divorced his father when he was 3. He wanted to meet his mother for the longest time, but he moved mostly because living in America was his biggest dream. He wanted to move to the US because he had been trading e-mails with a small group of boys who were trying to start a band for a long time, yet couldn't find a singer or guitar player they really liked; until they heard Yamato's playing and singing through small videos he had posted on YouTube. At that moment, they knew he had to be a part of their band.

So, pre-teen Yamato decided to move to the US, since not only was living there his dream, but being part of an American rock band was also one of his long time fantasies. His dad was of course extremely against it, for he had been pushing Yamato to aim for Tokyo University…but he just wasn't able to win over rock hard teen spirit (or stubbornness), and finally gave in and let him go, calling up his ex-wife beforehand.

That's how it came to be, and it was just pure luck and coincidence that his mom lived a block down from James' home and a couple more streets down from the apartment complex where Donnie and Jimmy reside. So really, though currently Yamato was the reigning band member/leader, the original (and deep down, always) leader of the band was James, whose love of drumming and his wish for his talents to shine in front of the world was unbreakable. He was the one that gathered them together in the first place, and also the one that found Yamato's home videos through constant searching and e-mailed him.

Although he had so many good memories such as these that he never experienced in his homeland, the thought about going back to visit Japan again one day always lingered in the back of his mind. He would have liked to visit Japan just to ease this feeling, but now that they made it big and was on high demand and wanted at every show being played, he knew he'll never have time to visit Japan.

One time he wondered whether he should consider suggesting touring over at Japan with his band members… but since they weren't too well known in Japan just yet, there was no point in touring over at a foreign country where only 20 percent of the population knows about them. One of the reasons he wanted to visit Japan was to see his father again and to chill and hang around Tokyo, but that would have been impossible if they were on tour anyhow…they'd never have time.

Plus, Yamato wanted to be alone for once…he used to be alone all the time, he was even called lone wolf 24/7 at his old school! He wasn't used to this much attention at all, even when they've been famous for almost a year now. He liked it much better in their underground days when not a lot of people knew about them, and the few that did know them, they got to know on a personal basis.

Speaking of fans on a personal basis…

He still remembered their first number one fan, probably the official number one fan because really, he was the first to claim it after all. What was his name again? Yamato pinched the bridge of his nose and thought hard. He remembered he chatted with this really outgoing and hyper-active soccer playing boy a lot, well…not boy, because back then KappaKamiya was the same age as him—oh, right!!! KappaKamiya was his sn!!!

Yama didn't understand why he got so excited over such a petty detail, but he was indeed excited. He tried to look back at the days he spent chatting with KappaKamiya, and remembered he was a really cool guy. He wasn't one of those fans that freaked out and worshipped them like a mumbling idiot, and he wasn't one of those fans that tried to get to know you simply because of the fact that you're a band. He was actually a fan for their music, and he was able to tell because of the way he analyzed their lyrics, the way he complimented his singing, the way he said he loved the guitar solos and wished he knew how to play an instrument too, the way he described how much the music related to his life…

Oh, that's right…Yamato remembered now. He suddenly remembered the guy as if he had just chatted with him yesterday. He remembered the photo he scanned and sent to them a long while back, and Yamato had printed it and stored it away somewhere.

He also remembered that he used to crush on that guy so hard he thought his head would explode.

Yamato jumped, and quickly looked around. None of his friends noticed the mad blush on his face, as they were all too busy practicing for their next show. He sighed, and shook his head. Hell yeah he remembered. He also remembered, a little too late, that he decided that he would try and forget about this KappaKamiya guy a long time ago when they turned too famous. If even one tiny rumor leaked out that Yamato Ishida was chatting with a boy on a personal basis over any other girl fan, and perhaps even liked him, the news will be all over the world and it would be extremely bothersome, not to mention humiliating.

He sighed, and wished that his life could be a bit simpler. He didn't dare wish that he wasn't in the band anymore because really, he loved music and he loved this band. If only he had more free time… and if only there was some way to get to Japan and meet that KappaKamiya kid…

He slapped himself on the head. No, no…he wants to visit Japan for his dad and some free time, idiot! Not for some almost complete stranger that you've never met in real life! But really…his dad probably wasn't too keen on meeting him right now. Mr. Ishida was just so bent on him graduating and going to college, and yet here he was, a high school dropout.

Yamato began to wonder what that boy would be like in person. He had such a great personality that showed through even by simple letters on a computer screen, and he talked about life as if it were a big playground. He remembered one thing he said that made Yamato like him as much as he did.

'Life is not as hard as you think, just take it easy and go along for the ride…it may take you somewhere extraordinary.'

At that time Yama had no idea what the kid was trying to get at and he wasn't sure of it even now, 2 years later. But he decided it was the thought that counts. Plus, that guy said it with such enthusiasm that it must have meant something good in his head. What was his freakin' name?!! Oh…right…

"Uh…hey, guys? I think I'm gonna call it a day. I have to go home and help mom with the groceries," Yama said as he started to put away his guitar in his case.

"What? I thought you helped your mom with groceries like, barely last week," Donnie said, frowning.

"Yeah, I remember cuz I went with you, dude," James piped up, laughing.

They all turned to look at Jimmy to see if he had anything to say. As usual, he had none. They shrugged and turned back to face Yama.

"Well, she complained that I needed to drink more milk, so I need to go and buy some more," Yama said smoothly.

"Damn man…I think you're tall enough, I mean you're freakin' Asian and you're taller than me, for Christ's sake!" James laughed, standing next to Yamato to size them up. He was just a few centimeters shorter than him.

True, Yamato was pretty tall for an average Asian/Japanese guy (5'9), but Donnie was still the tallest, a whopping 6'2. Jimmy was the shortest at 5'7.

"Well, I'm off," Yamato said as he waved, grabbing his guitar case.

They all waved back, James giving him a hard thump in the back. He closed the door and headed for the stairs. Though they had lots of money now, they still lived in their original homes. Donnie and Jimmy living in this apartment complex he was currently finding his way out of, and James and he both living in a small and modest house a block from each other a couple streets away from here.

Yamato quickened his pace, and put on his black beanie and dark sunglasses. Though many of the neighbors already knew who he was, at times there were some strangers that would come by this part of town just to try and find him, and he wasn't going to take a gamble.

The real reason he wanted to go home was to try and find that old photo of their number one fan, and after some thinking he decided it must be hidden inside his special box. He remembered that he wrote down the guy's name and e-mail on the back of the picture, though Yama didn't know exactly what he was going to do with that information. But as he walked home, a small plan was starting to form in the back of his mind…

Wonder what he got in mind? Hmm.