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The Hello! Project Fanfics => H!P Fanfics => Topic started by: Estrea on December 10, 2012, 06:02:46 PM

Title: Neighbours [20/10 - Episode 7: Motto Aishite Hoshii no]
Post by: Estrea on December 10, 2012, 06:02:46 PM
*creeps in* I really shouldn't be starting new fic but what the heck. I miss writing Gorokkies so tadaaaaaa.

Title based on soap opera. Yes, that one. Episodic chapters can be expected as and when I bloody feel like it. You have been warned.

Credits to Kuji for prodding me and giving me ideas to bounce off. XD Trolling you always, ya shorty! :P

And 'ere we gooooooo~


===============================================================================


Pilot Episode


"And that's all for tonight's Guerilla Love Navi~ This is everyone's favorite love guru, I-sensei signing out! Goodnight~"

Click. The connection fizzled out, and the young woman removed her headset with a whoosh of relief. She replayed the section she just recorded, checking through her own diction to make sure it sounded good. She would have to vet through the whole thing at least a couple times more before uploading it the following night. Which reminded her, she needed to pick a couple of songs to insert in between the questions in order to emphasize the points in her answers...

A click at the door, followed by the familiar rasp of the doormat. Keys jangled noisily, slapping against what had to be a leather surface, and the seated woman smiled, turning her head in a flurry of dark locks towards the newcomer.

"Okaeri~"

"Tadaima... Sayu? I thought you weren't coming over?" This was accompanied by the slip-slide of cloth against more leather. The door to the shoe cabinet creaked open and shut a pause later. Then the actual owner of the apartment came into view, a tiny young woman with pink highlights in her bronzed hair. She wore more leather than was perhaps recommended for the season, but instead of appearing skanky, managed to pull off cool, with some cute thrown in. She was in the process of hauling off her stockings as she came in, and her toenails were a coral pink. This, the woman on the couch knew even before the stockings were off -- she helped paint them on after all.

"Oneechan called to say she was going drinking with her friends from work. She asked me to come along, but I didn't feel like it. So I came over instead." She smiled sweetly, and the newcomer scoffed in her usual fashion, slinging her bag down at the tiny dining table before crossing the three steps to the couch and all but plunging down next to the seated girl.

"Rough day at work?" Sayu looked down at the kittenish girl who was leaning against her shoulder. Removing the laptop from her lap, she shifted, allowing her companion to wriggle into a more comfortable position.

"Mm. Met one of my new guitarists. Marina, I think her name is. Damn newbie treating me like a little kid. I'm older and the senior one, damnit!"

Sayumi giggled at the indignant pout on the girl's face. It was easy to forget that the girl on her lap was already 24, same as her, just a few months younger. Reina did look no older than 16 after all. The size didn't help either.

"So did the great Tanaka Reina put those upstarts in their place?" Sayu teased lightly, stroking Reina's hair gently and untangling knots as she went. The smaller girl puffed up proudly.

"Course I did! They're my minions, not the other way round!"

Only Tanaka Reina could get away with calling other people her minions. Sayumi couldn't help it; she laughed. Reina frowned imperceptibly, then slid up into a sitting position in a flash, straddling Sayumi easily. In that position, it didn't matter that Sayumi was bigger and taller than her. She had the advantage, and that was the way she liked it.

"Laughing at me, are you?" Reina growled with a hint of menace, but the playful twinkle in her eye was speculative as she eyed the girl she was on top of. Sayumi smiled innocently, her eyes wide and doe-like as she relaxed easily under the smaller girl.

"I missed you all week." Sayumi breathed quietly, disarming the cat-like girl before they could drag out the charade for longer. Reina did so love these little games, and Sayumi did as well, but there were times when she just wanted to get to the point. This was one of those times.

A smirk curled on Reina's lips. "Five days, and I did ask you to come with..."

"And get stuck in your hotel room the whole time? No thanks." Sayumi sassed back just as easily. She liked being around Reina, but she wasn't that needy.

"Oh you're going to pay for that..." Their noses were barely an inch apart, close enough to see each other reflected in their eyes.

"And who'll make you dinner, hmm?" Sayumi let her eyelashes flutter oh so briefly, moving on hand to trace the inside of Reina's knee. She felt more than heard Reina's breath catch, and allowed herself a brief moment of triumph.

Reina growled low in her throat, though it evened out into a purr as Sayu's questing fingers trailed up from her knee along the inside of her thigh. The dark amber of her eyes had hardened almost to a rich chocolate, sending a trill of excitement along the taller woman's spine. Not much longer now...

"Dinner can wait. I want dessert right now."

Hook, line and sinker... Sayumi thought smugly as her girlfriend swarmed over her like piranha over prey. And that was the last coherent thought either of them for the next hour or so.

~*~*~*~

"So you're staying over tonight?" Reina asked casually, taking another dumpling off the plate. She had thrown on a large t-shirt and shorts since the nights were still a little chilly. Winter could not be over soon enough, in her opinion. She scuffed the floor idly with one bunny slippered foot as she thumbed through the channels using the remote control from the dining table.

The person she was addressing was currently curled up snugly at the kotatsu, the only visible part of her being that luxurious mane of dark hair and her bare shoulders. Sayumi hadn't really bothered to get dressed after their, ahem, activities. As a matter of fact, neither of them had bothered to pick up their scattered articles of clothing yet. They would get round to it eventually. Right now, Sayu just wanted to bask...and catch her breath. Her stamina wasn't exactly the greatest, and Reina was always extra frisky whenever they were separated for longer than a few days.

"Mm...I already told oneechan that I'm staying over." Sayu stretched luxuriously, feeling the delicious ache in her muscles as she tried to find a more comfortable position without leaving the warmth of the kotatsu. Reina raised an eyebrow at her girlfriend, taking in the laptop bag that she brought along and obviously, precious little else.

"You planning on sleeping naked? Not that I mind..." Reina smirked. Sayu rolled her eyes.

"Don't be silly, I left a set of clothes here the last time and forgot to bring it back. I'll be wearing that...and don't get any ideas." Narrowed eyes met off-center ones, who promptly put on the most innocent expression ever. Not that it fooled the bunny.

"Don't look at me like that. You hog the covers and it's cold at night. I rather not fall sick."

Reina pouted adorably, sulking behind another mouthful of dumpling. Sayumi giggled at the petulant expression on her girlfriend's face. 2 years together (or a year and 5 months, depending on who you were asking -- it's a long story) and they had settled into a comfortable routine. Reina had her work, and Sayumi had hers -- though Reina would argue that what Sayu was doing wasn't really work, but the poison tongued bunny sweetly rebuts that if a hobby that makes money wasn't work, then Reina wasn't exactly working either. Reina couldn't really say much to that -- she did love her music and fronting a band was like a dream come true...plus it brought in the dough and made her famous in her own right.

They led radically different lives, truth to be told. Reina lived in the spotlight and thrived on it, and while Sayumi wasn't in the spotlight the same way, she did crave attention, and found ways to get it while never even leaving her own comfort zone. One could say that they were both famous, but in different circles. Sayumi's weekly web radio program was followed by hundreds, if not thousands, which made her a celebrity in her own right. Of course, that wasn't really her day job, but it was a nice addendum to the drudgery of coding and programming work she did for a living. She designed her own homepage and blogged regularly, managing to garner enough of a following that eventually gained enough critical mass to organize itself into a fanclub. Well, she was cute, so she felt like it was fully deserved. Reina scoffed and called her a narcissist, but didn't discourage her otherwise. Truth to be told, Reina was actually rather impressed (not that she would ever tell Sayu, the girl didn't need any more of an ego boost).

Few people knew of their unorthodox relationship. By mutual consent, they told no one, except for Sayu's best friend, a certain Kamei Eri, who absolutely had to be told, given how it was mostly due to Eri that this unlikely couple even crossed paths to begin with. If you had told them 10 years ago that they would eventually end up together in a steady, committed relationship, Sayumi would have called you a lunatic, and Reina would have hit you on principle. They really didn't get along back in school.

But that was a story for another time, and Sayumi cast around lazily for a way to get up and take a shower without exposing herself to the cold air. It was nice and comfy in the cocoon she had burrowed into, but she had to get clean eventually. Her dilemma was solved when a big fluffy blanket landed on her head. Sayu bit back an instinctive curse, pulling the blanket down with a huff to glare at her laughing girlfriend, who stood with folded arms leaning against the entrance to her bedroom. The girl must have gotten up and stole off to her room for the blanket while Sayumi was woolgathering. It was sweet and annoying at the same time, but that was Reina for you. Well, Sayumi was not one to be trifled with either.

"I guess I'll just have to take a shower then...alone."

Getting up with deliberate slowness (also, because her muscles were cramped), Sayumi made sure that Reina's eyes were on her as she wrapped the blanket around herself and sashayed past her lover with an air of haughty indifference. Sayu was always a little insecure about her figure, but Reina had assured her that she liked her the way she was, small boobs and all. Which had then led to an animated discussion on who had smaller boobs, in which tempers flared dangerously until Sayumi had defused the tension in a completely ingenious move so that things could end on a more pleasant note. Who said being a pervert was a bad thing?

Regardless, Sayumi was satisfied by the way Reina traced her form, chasing her outline with hungry eyes. Their eyes met for a split second, and Reina smirked wolfishly, making Sayu frown -- was she keeping something from me? -- and the smaller girl slid smoothly out of her girlfriend's way, but not before pausing to lean up and nuzzle into the taller girl's ear.

"Dinner was great, thanks."

And just like that, all irritation melted away. Sayu cocked an eyebrow at her departing lover, and made sure to leave the bathroom door unlocked after her. To her disappointment, Reina didn't take the unspoken invitation. Though, when she emerged from her hasty shower, she spotted where Reina had left her a set of PJs from her last sleepover. Thus dressed, she stomped out of the tiny bathroom into the narrow confines of the 2LDK apartment, and on spotting Reina clearing up the mess they'd left behind earlier, her vague dissatisfaction faded away into nothingness.

Insinuating herself into the cleanup process had never been easier. All she had to do was stand within reach of her girlfriend, and Reina would hand her something to either put away or toss into the trash pile. Through their domesticity, they nattered on about little tidbits in their lives during the enforced separation. Reina divulged juicy details about the band circuit and entertainment gossip, and Sayu gave her a general update on difficult clients as well as interesting questions sent into her radio show. The web DJ never had the luxury of time to answer all the questions sent in during the self imposed time limit of her show, but she usually gave out general advice on her blog that targeted a broad spectrum of relationship issues. Reina often jokingly referred to her as a modern day Aunt Agony, but Sayu only laughed and then forcibly drafted Reina's help on some of the thornier cases she selected for individual treatment on the show. And while Reina would never admit it, she often listened to the broadcasts whenever she was away from her lover. Even though she could always just pick up the phone to call, Reina didn't often want to act like a needy kitten, so she found a way to get her dose of Sayu-time without having to get off her pedestal. In any case, Sayu usually initiated calls anyway, and they texted each other on and off through the day.

As Reina finished up and nipped off for a quick shower, Sayumi curled up on the couch, relaxed by the routine between them. Eri often called them an old married couple whenever Sayu called her to chat -- her bestie seemed to be keeping well occupied post-graduation, though exactly what she was up to, Sayu wasn't really sure. Something about a theme cafe of some sort. She kept planning to go, but work kept her busy, and in between running over to see Reina, it left her with little time for anything else. Eri was very understanding though, but Sayu made up her mind to clear out some space in her schedule the following week so she could go visit. Maybe even drag Reina along, schedules willing.

"Yen for your thoughts?"

Reina sauntered over, towel still draped around her shoulders. The cat-like girl didn't bother asking Sayu to scoot over, flopping comfortably half on top of her girlfriend and nuzzling into the taller girl's neck. Sayu curled her arms around the lithe form of the girl on her lap, taking comfort from the close contact.

"Just thinking of visiting Eririn at her cafe. I haven't been a very good best friend..."

"You've been busy." Reina defended her instinctively. Cupping Sayu's face with one hand, Reina leaned in and rubbed noses with her worrywart lover.

"Don't worry, I dropped by that place a couple weeks ago when work took me nearby. Got your bestie some of those snacks she really likes and said they were from you. There, problem solved!" Reina looked so proud of herself. Sayumi laughed softly.

"What would I do without you?"

Reina paused in her contemplation of one of the many love bites she had left on the bunny earlier, eyes flickering with mischief as she replied.

"Not have amazing mindblowing sex like you do now."

Sayumi swatted at her lover playfully, earning a mock growl from the kitten, who pretended to nip at her. It lasted only a moment before they settled back into their comfortable embrace.

It was Sayumi who broke the silence first, idly voicing a whim as she traced circles on Reina's arm.

"I wish we could do this more often..."

Without even looking away from the TV screen, Reina replied just as casually.

"We could if you moved in with me."

Silence. The talk show host on the screen squawked something that brought on the canned audience laughter reels. Reina's hand rested on the remote control, but did not change the channel as she usually did. Her eyes remained focused on the screen, not even looking back for Sayu's reaction.

"Did...did you just...?" The normally eloquent bunny was reduced to stutters. If Reina had been looking she would have laughed her ass off at the way Sayu was gaping like a stranded goldfish.

"Mm." If they hadn't been sitting practically on top of one another, Sayu wouldn't have noticed the slight tensing of her lover's muscles. Reina was nervous, though she hid it well. The thought left a warm feeling in Sayu's heart, and she tightened her embrace on the smaller girl.

"I would love to, but your apartment's too small..."

"I found a place." Reina cut in abruptly. She turned halfway around, eyes anxious for approval. It's big enough for both of us, and I should be able to afford the rent and it's located in a really nice district and..."

Sayumi silenced her with a kiss. Reina's eyes widened briefly, then she relaxed into it, the familiar motions calming her obviously rattled nerves. When they parted, Sayumi leaned her forehead against Reina's.

"You did all this without telling me?"

Reina smiled lopsidedly. "I was afraid you'd say no otherwise."

Sayu quirked an eyebrow. "And what's to stop me from saying no now?"

"You wouldn't." Reina looked briefly dismayed, making Sayu giggle and pinch at the smaller girl's cheeks. "Of course not, silly. But what am I going to tell Oneechan?"

"About that..." Reina had a mischievous little grin on her face. "I asked her for permission first."

"You what?" Sayu's jaw dropped. "But we, I, I mean, I never told her about us." The last part came out slightly strangled. Reina made a small 'o' with her mouth, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"So that's why she looked so surprised at first..."

Sayumi delivered her best death glare at her unrepentant lover. "Reina..."

"She wasn't that surprised." Reina waved it off smoothly. "You give your sister too little credit. She said something along the lines of 'knew there was something going on between the two of you' and 'well done'." Reina looked fairly smug. "I think she approves."

Sayumi did not look reassured. "But, but Oneechan can't keep a secret! First time Mama calls in to check on us, she'll spill everything!" She looked next to panicked. Mama Michishige was a pretty scary entity in her own right, so she had reason to worry. Reina just shrugged.

"Hey, she knew about it for weeks and kept it from you. And you guys live together. I think she knows when to keep her mouth shut." Reina still had that smug little expression on her face, making Sayu torn between wanting to slap her and wanting to kiss her. Or both. Probably both.

"Are you ashamed of us? Of me?" Reina gathered Sayu's hands in hers, kissing each of the knuckles in turn, her eyes never leaving Sayumi's. Sayu swallowed nervously.

"It's just...I'm worried, Reina. It doesn't matter so much for me, but you...you're in the entertainment industry and it would ruin your career if this gets out. There being an 'us' would hurt you more and, and...I'm afraid..."

This time it is Reina who silences her with a kiss. Through it they shared their fears and anxieties, worries and concerns bleeding through the intimacy, and Sayu felt a load lifting off her shoulders as she felt Reina's love for her through the contact. Unwavering devotion, intense and unguarded. It wasn't often that Reina was so forthright with her feelings, and Sayu treasured every second of it.

"I'm scared too, but I want to be with you. I don't like waking up alone and wondering where you are and what you're doing. I like when we cuddle in front of the TV and when you help me with my nails. I like brushing your hair before bed and stealing the covers off you just so you'd cling on to me at night.  I like it when you cook for me and that you remember to help me record my dramas when I'm too busy, and there's just so much more. I love you, Sayu, and I want to be with you. I don't care what other people think. The people who matter won't care, and the people who care don't matter."

Tears started to flow before Reina was even halfway through her speech, and Sayu was a bawling mess by the end. Reina held her through it all, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"I'll call Mama to tell her. About us. About everything." Sayu blurts after a moment, her face still buried in the front of Reina's shirt. Reina chuckled.

"You don't have to rush on my account. I'll be there when you decide to tell her. We should do it together. I won't let you be alone, you know."

"I know." They kiss again, gentle and probing, unhurried. Sayu drew back briefly to regard her girlfriend, who was smiling lazily like a cat that got the canary.

"What?"

"Nothing...just thinking that I'll have something else to tell Eri when I see her..."

"Oh, about that....she knows too." Reina had the decency to look slightly shamefaced as Sayu's eyes widened.

"Tanaka Reina. Does the whole world except me know about this until now?"

"It's just your sister and Kame! Kame helped me find the place actually. I'm sure you'll love it."

"Some best friend she is. I can't believe she was plotting behind my back." Sayu pouted. Reina laughed and kissed the pout off her lips.

"Hey, it was for a good cause." Reina grinned at her girlfriend. "So I ask again...move in with me?"

Under that confident, cocky attitude was that of a child. Sayu saw through it immediately, and she laughed, hooking her arms around Reina's neck to bring her in close.

"What if I say I have to think about it?" Sayumi purred in her most sultry voice. Reina's eyes took on an eager expression, her lips curving into a cocky smirk.

"I'll be happy to add my persuasion to your consideration..."

They never did remember to turn off the TV after that.

~*~*~*~

I-sensei has some good news and bad news for everyone this week! Bad news: the next episode of Help Me, I-Sensei's Emergency Phonebooth will be cancelled! The good news is...I'm moving in with my perfect boyfriend and that's why I won't be available for the broadcast~ I know everyone will miss me but I-sensei will be back the following week to help solve everyone's relationship problems! Until next time~

"Boyfriend?"

"I don't think the world is ready to know that I'm a raging lesbian."

"True. But...boyfriend? Me?"

"Well I can't be the boy in this..."

"But I like pink just as much as you!"

"Oh for god's sake...Reina. I know you're a girl. I love you in all your girliness and tantrums and shopaholic tendencies. I don't want you to be a boy and have never wanted a boy anyway."

"Really?"

"Yes. Geez, you're such a girl."

"That's why you love me."

"I do."

"But, boyfriend? Really?"

"Reina!!!"


=======================================================================


I realize this is my first ever Tanashige. I hope I did ok. Haha.

Just the beginning. The real story begins after they move in together. Fufufu. XD


*wanders away*
Title: Re: Neighbours
Post by: Kuji on December 10, 2012, 06:38:47 PM
OH YEAH, TANASHIGE GOODNESS. :deco:

I know I basically gave you a running commentary as I read this but can I say again that I love the idea of this whole neighbourhood deal? The prologue is a great start, introducing basically our lovely Tanashige couple who are joining this new community. I can't wait for them to meet and interact with the rest of the cast. Fun stuff.

Hmph. Since I like this story, I'll even forgive you for the shorty comment. This time. :catglare:
Title: Re: Neighbours
Post by: rndmnwierd on December 10, 2012, 08:59:26 PM
Reading at work. Bad me! XD

EDIT: Ok, I'm back. So the couple has been firmly established, as has their jobs and their 6ki connections. Funny how there's no mention of Reina's family, yet. And I noticed that you said GOrokkies... I'm guessing the 5kis show up as neighbors?

I'm glad to see it starting off so upbeat! I can't wait to see where you'll be taking this...
Title: Re: Neighbours
Post by: XxRoByNxX78 on December 10, 2012, 10:43:40 PM
TANASHIGE !!!! OMG IVE BEEN WANTING TO READ THIS COUPLE SO MUCH LATELY !!!!

OMG UPDATE SOON !!

Lol sorry for the hype anyway i love this fic i think its great the way Renia has planned everything before she even asked Sayu and the way Sayu is a tease lol an now they are fighting on who the boy in the relationship ahahaha please update soon its very interesting and funny and plus its TANASHIGE !!!
Title: Re: Neighbours
Post by: farquhar97 on December 10, 2012, 11:01:50 PM
Ahaha this seems really good and the couple are dead pervy lol I enjoyed reading this hope you update soon please
Title: Re: Neighbours
Post by: yunagi on December 11, 2012, 12:07:04 PM
Another GoRokkies fic! *pumps fist into air*  :cow:  :cathappy:

Totally though it was Ai doing the broadcasting what with the “I-sensei signing out!” and the whole checking the recording thing. I never pegged Sayu to be the responsible character, not that I’m saying she isn’t responsible… It’s just that I hardly see(and read) Sayu being ‘responsible for her action’, but hell I’m (sorta) new to this so Imma shut up now.

Soon as I read the word leather Reina came to mind... and I was right.  :lol:

Quote
"I'm older and the senior one, damnit!"
Lol, apparently it doesn’t show

Quote
Sayumi giggled at the indignant pout on the girl's face. It was easy to forget that the girl on her lap was already 24, same as her, just a few months younger. Reina did look no older than 16 after all. The size didn't help either.
See, even Sayu thinks it.  XD

Tanashige foreplay  :drool:

Quote
"Don't look at me like that. You hog the covers and it's cold at night. I rather not fall sick."
*falls off chair*

Quote
Reina often jokingly referred to her as a modern day Aunt Agony
:D

Quote
… but Sayu only laughed and then forcibly drafted Reina's help on some of the thornier cases she selected for individual treatment on the show.
:lol: You go Sayu.

Sayu worrying over how she’s been a bad friend and Reina taking on the sweet lover role. <3

Quote
"Not have amazing mindblowing sex like you do now."
Ah, do I sense another round of playtime?

Quote
"I wish we could do this more often..."
What? Foreplay and then bedroom? xD

Tanashige serious moment

Sounds like a proposal to me. Sayu say yes! I know you want to.

Quote
"You give your sister too little credit. She said something along the lines of 'knew there was something going on between the two of you' and 'well done'." Reina looked fairly smug. "I think she approves."
Hell she does!

Quote
…and stealing the covers off you just so you'd cling on to me at night.
And the mystery is revealed. Reina you little devil. Lol

Quote
"What if I say I have to think about it?" Sayumi purred in her most sultry voice. Reina's eyes took on an eager expression, her lips curving into a cocky smirk.

"I'll be happy to add my persuasion to your consideration..."
And round two is a-go!


The last part just cracks me up. Boyfriend? Really? Haha.

Totally following this story. The world needs more GoRokkies!(or at least my world)
Title: Re: Neighbours
Post by: kRisZ on December 13, 2012, 06:46:14 AM
That was very nice!   :twothumbs  :twothumbs  :twothumbs
Headache was forgotten for a moment   :mon sundae:


MOAR!!!
Title: Re: Neighbours
Post by: Estrea on December 19, 2012, 08:06:26 PM
Yay new chapter! Yay comment replying!


Kuji: Why are you asleep. Too bad, you can read this when you wake up. :P I expect another running commentary when the time comes :P More of the cast in the upcoming chapter. You already had the privilege of previewing some sections, but I hope you like the rest as well! Also, try to keep your KameShige instincts under control, ya? :lol:


rndy: Haha nice observations. Reina's family will come into play later. I'm still shoring up on details for basically everything as I go. XD Hope you like the new cast members that show up this chapter! (pretty sure you will :P)


XxRoByNxX78: Can I just call you Robyn? Easier to type. :lol: Yeah Tanashige managed to hook me lately, so here I am with Tanashige. XD It took me a while to get this chapter out cos it's loooooong. Haha. But yeah I like how Reina and Sayu are together. :3 They're so cute and non-standard lol. Glad you liked it!


farquhar97: Thanks for commenting! I'm notorious for taking my time to update, I must say. :lol:


yunagi: Thank you for the massive quote-commenting. :lol: I missed those! Sayu is so often written as being selfish and narcissistic but the Sayu in my eyes is a different sort of person I must say. She plays up the image of being self absorbed, but she's extremely aware of everything that goes on around her, and she's very sensitive and responsible in her own way. :) I always enjoy writing Sayu, even though I tend to typecast her in the lolicon narcissist role myself :lol: Mostly cos it's just hilarious...but I try to balance that here. I like fleshing out my characters :D Glad you liked the Tanashige! :D

krisz: Yo! Glad I could help with the headache! Haha. Moar, as requested!



Okie, time to edit and post!
Title: Re: Neighbours
Post by: Estrea on December 19, 2012, 08:27:33 PM
Episode 1: Love Like A Game



And the next message is from ringo_daisuki-san:

I-sensei konnichiwa! It's going to be the birthday of the senpai I admire, and I really want to make an impression so she'll remember me. What do you suggest I give her? She's really proper and elegant and reserved, so I'm not sure what to get her that will stand out from the rest. What should I do???

Ahh, young love! Don't worry, ringo_daisuki-san! I-sensei is here for you! Firstly...


~*~*~*~

"Thank you so much for helping us with the boxes!"

Sayumi had to fight to suppress her squeal reflex. The person who was helping them was sooooooo handsome! Never mind that she was in love with Reina, surely she could be forgiven for ogling such a wonderful specimen of eye candy? The best part, it was a girl! Tall and cool and so much like a fairytale prince! If only...

A sharp pinch to her arm brought the bunny to her senses. Sayumi made a small yelp and glared balefully at her erstwhile best friend, one Kamei Eri, who had already moved on to speak with said "prince", their neighbour and resident eye candy, Yoshizawa Hitomi.

"Oh it's no big deal, I just came back to pick up some documents and equipment. Work doesn't start until later in the afternoon anyway, and I'm always glad to get out of those production meetings."

Sensibly dressed in flannel shirt and jeans, Yoshizawa ("call me Yossy!") cut a fine figure in practical sneakers, and a silver watch that didn't quite match the rest of her outfit rested around one slim wrist. Her hair was dyed a deep brown, with bleached streaks hidden in the waves that almost reached her shoulder, though not quite. She was taller than Sayumi and Eri both, and had very kindly lent a hand with the unpacking process.

Reina had had to leave halfway after an irate phone call from her manager, with many apologetic looks and a last affectionate kiss on Sayu. The kitten did make a point to glare at Yossy while doing so, as if daring the older woman to say something about inappropriate relationships. To her eternal surprise, Yossy only chuckled and said something about young love. Reina had seemed somewhat mollified by the response, though she still cast suspicious looks at the tall woman. Reina did not warm to strangers quickly or easily. It probably did not help that she had spotted her girlfriend getting a serious case of googly eyes at the handsome appearance of their new neighbour. Jealousy was unbecoming, but the green eyed monster was a somewhat familiar guest for the pair.

When Sayumi had drawn her best friend aside to ask about Yoshizawa's non reaction to Reina's territorial display, Eri only grinned and said that she wouldn't have found a place for them to live that would be hostile to their relationship.

Speaking of which, Sayumi had been more than surprised when Reina first showed her the new place...especially when Eri popped up from a door over dressed only in her pajamas. Clearly, her girlfriend had been keeping it from her, judging from the smug expression on her face when the two best friends embraced with a squeal.

The apartment itself was a dream come true. Reina refused to let her know how much it cost, but Sayumi had promptly changed gears and declared that she would be in charge of all other household expenses instead. Reina took one look at her girlfriend's face and wisely decided not to press the point. She did know when to pick her battles.

It was a modest 3LDK, with 3 rooms, a living room, dining room, and a kitchen. When Sayumi asked Reina why they needed 3 rooms, the girl said this:

"Well, one is for our bedroom of course. We probably need a second room for all our clothes...mine alone already spilled over to the spare room at my old apartment."

"And the last room?"

"That's for you. I know you always wanted a room for all your tech stuff, so, well...I wanted to make it a reality for you. I have absolutely no idea about all that advanced crap so you can do whatever you want..."

Reina had been cut off at that point by an enthusiastic squeal from Sayu, who practically smothered her tiny girlfriend with appreciative affection. If Eri had not been standing nearby, it was very likely that they would have had sex right there and then. As it was, they almost did, but Eri reminded them of her presence in spectacular fashion. A bucket of cold water had never been taken quite so literally.

As it was, they already had Eri muttering something about soundproofing, to which Sayumi smartly replied that if Eri could sleep through an earthquake, she could sleep through anything. This was actually a proven case. When they last had a "minor" quake, Sayu had been worried sick about her best friend, who had remained uncontactable during the time. A quick visit revealed that the turtle girl was quite safely ensconced in her futon and had apparently not even been aware that she had just slept through a 3.4 earthquake. It was the stuff of legends, one of many that surrounded one Kamei Eri. They had met in high school, and through some twist of fate, become absolutely inseparable in the process. Considering Eri was a year older (you really couldn't tell), that was a surprise in itself.

It actually was a pretty funny story. Eri was supposed to be in class 2B, but for some reason she had wandered into the wrong classroom and wound up napping in class 1B instead...right next to freshie Sayu, who thought that the sleepy looking girl was her age until after the end of first period when an exasperated form teacher had strolled past them and exclaimed loudly that if Kamei-san wanted to be held back a year so much, all she had to do was tell the principal. Or something. To which Eri had only yawned, grabbed Sayumi's hand, and towed the disoriented firstie along with her to the cafeteria for a mid-morning snack.

Of such stuff friendships are made, and they had bonded over yakisoba bread and tea. The rest, as they say, is history.

"We ought to take a break from all the heavy lifting though! Why don't we all head down to the cafe and get something? It'll be on the house!"

Eri flopped down by the squishy couch that the burly movers had moved in days before. The only things left that had required Yossy's help was mostly Sayu's stuff, since Reina already had hers shipped over. Reina had been right, they would need a whole room to contain both their not-inconsiderable wardrobes. Sayumi joined her on the couch, also visibly worn out by spending the better part of a morning supervising the move.

"As much as I'd like to join you ladies," Yossy checked her watch, "I really have to get going or I'll be late for a meeting I can't afford to skip. And ah, gotta grab some files for Ai-chan too!"

"That's right, you're working with Ai-chan for that new production she was talking about! But wait, isn't Gaki-san off at work too? How are you gonna get into their place?"

Yossy grinned and produced a small key with some impressive sleight of hand. "Ai-chan passed me hers. She's stuck in cast meetings and they're having a preliminary reading later on, but she left a couple of her notes. I offered to pick them up since I was coming back for some of my stuff too."

Eri nodded. "Okay~ Say hi to Ai-chan for me when you see her later!" She waved as Yossy headed for the exit.

"Will do~ Oh, and rain check on that cafe offer?"

Eri stuck her tongue out at the departing figure. "Limited to today only~ I have a business to run, you know!"

Yossy's laugh echoed from round the corner, fading quickly as the lanky woman headed to a different floor via elevator. Sayumi, who had been watching the proceedings with some amusement, turned to her best friend with a raised eyebrow.

"What happened to the person who was too lazy to socialize that I remember?" Sayumi poked a pouty Eri in the cheek, giggling at the injured expression on the turtle's face.

"Occupational hazard? But well, in this case it's all really Gaki-san's fault."

"Gaki-san? Is that the same girl you shared most of your classes with in college?"

Eri leaned back, crossing and uncrossing her legs as she made herself comfortable. "Yup! She's rooming with Ai-chan now, so that's one down. And Ai-chan runs into Yossy at work often enough that they've moved from colleagues to friends by now, and Ai-chan was the one who recommended Yossy to move in about a year ago or so. Oh! You should meet Yossy's girlfriend! Gorgeous, but scary. Definitely scary." Eri shivered at the last bit, leaving Sayumi to gape at her.

"Wait. Wait a minute. Are you saying that my prince, I mean, Yoshizawa-san...is gay and lives with her girlfriend?" For all of her vaunted wit, Sayumi found herself nearly short-circuiting at the casual way her best friend was dropping all this information on her.

Eri smirked. "Just to show you how good of a best friend I am, I won't even tell Reina about your oh-so-obvious schoolgirl crush on Yossy. And yes she is very taken and very happy about it. They're even more of an old married couple than you and Reina...speaking of which, you are also 'gay and living with your girlfriend' as of today."

Sayumi hit her best friend on the arm. Eri had definitely taken a level in Verbal Sparring. The turtle laughed and then begged mercy when her best friend unleashed the weapon of last resort: The Tickle Attack!

Ten minutes later and utterly reduced to helpless puddles of mirth and gleeful tears, the two best friends leaned against each other on the couch, heaving for breath after having called a truce. Sayumi missed hanging out with Eri. They hadn't been able to spend as much time together as life and work started getting in the way, but it was good to unwind with her whenever they got together. The lack of expectation and mutual acceptance of each other's flaws made it easy to relax. Sayumi loved Reina, but Eri would always hold a special place in her heart.

"I think I'm ready for that tea now." Eri breathed between gasps. Sayumi nodded, also trying to recover from the intense side-splitting ordeal they had just been through.

"Shall we go then?"

~*~*~*~

"So explain to me how you managed to gather so many gay people around you. Are you sure you're not secretly gay too?"

Sayumi stirred her ice tea, watching the cubes clink against the frosted glass as she waited for her best friend to respond. Eri shrugged.

"Luck? I'm pretty sure I'm not gay though...not sure what I am, but definitely not just into girls."

Sayumi snorted. "I seem to recall you dating Reina back in school. You sure you're not into girls?" Surprisingly enough, considering what was being said, Sayumi did not sound jealous. In fact, she seemed rather amused. Eri sighed and rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her tea.

"You know I say 'yes' to any given person depending on my mood. And I think Reina wasn't so much interested in me as she was in what I could do. It certainly didn't last." Eri shrugged. "You hated her back then though."

Sayumi smiled wistfully. It certainly was ironic how things turned out. She really did go out of her way to make life hell for Reina after the yankii (that she was back then) had split with her best friend. Not that Reina took the punches lying down either. The hostility between them was legendary, and it practically polarized their entire year into opposing camps as both sides sought to out-maneuver each other.

Sayumi could never have imagined that she would end up with Reina. And now she was moving in with her! It would have been unthinkable to her high school self. Youth and immaturity plus Unresolved Sexual Tension (this, Sayu determined years after the fact) had led to a very explosive combination. Throw in friend jealousy and general irritation at Reina's don't-give-a-fuck attitude, and it made for a very interesting last year at high school. It did not help that Eri had already graduated by then and was off at college. High School Sayu probably just needed something to focus on, the older (and hopefully more mature) version mused. Even if it was just a petty rivalry...or righteous rage...or just something.

"I was upset that she took you away from me...and then you guys split up. I thought she dumped you or something so..." Eri laughed at Sayumi's sheepish admission.

"We just...didn't work out. And for your information, I dumped her, not the other way round!"

Sayumi laughed. Reina had said exactly the same thing, down to the dumping part. The bunny had pretty much resigned herself to never finding out who actually did do the dumping. With both parties actively muddying the waters, the truth was unlikely to surface. Not that it mattered, since Reina was with her now, and Eri was still her best friend. Best not to dig up old issues.

"So how's business around here?" Sayumi changed topics smoothly as she looked around the cafe. It was a small, intimate space with many private booths like the one they were seated at. The wood panelling could easily have lent a heavier atmosphere with a lack of adequate lighting, but the usage of pseudo gas lighting along with strategic placement of furnishings gave it a cozy and homely feel instead. A sprig of fresh greens poked out of a slim vase on every table, and soft chamber music played in the background. The soft murmurs of customer conversations was suddenly pierced by running feet, muted only by the carpeting.

"Sorry I'm late!" A panting voice wheezed from just out of sight. A high pitched voice replied with some exasperation.

"Mou, Ikuta-kun, that's the third time this week!"

"Sorry Haruna...ah! I saw your spread in last week's Seventeen! You looked great!" Some rustling as the newcomer rummaged in her bag. "And here's the latest issue of your favourite manga! I saw it on my way in Akiba earlier!"

"Thanks! I see you had a good haul yourself!" The two teenagers chatted on for a short while before Eri stuck her head out of the booth and not-so-subtly told her employees to get cracking. The shamed silence was very telling for the next several minutes.

"Your employees sure are lively." Sayumi twirled her straw. Eri sighed.

"Ikuta gets a little over-excited at times, but he makes up for it by being enthusiastic and being a decent hand in the kitchen. And I'm not even sure why Iikubo-chan is working for me. She's a history major at Todai and models part-time." There was a pause as Eri steepled her fingers and rested her chin on them. "I suspect she just likes wearing an apron and calling people goshujin-sama."

Sayumi giggled as the aforementioned girl flitted by, expertly balancing a laden tray and greeting customers with a brilliant smile as she set down their orders. The slim university student stopped by their table with one last dish on her tray.

"Kamei-sama! Suzuki-san asked me to pass you and your friend this! It's a new recipe and she would like your opinion on it!" Again, Sayumi had to marvel at how effortlessly the girl hit the higher ranges without even trying. It was like hearing a real-life anime character talk. She even looked like one, Sayumi had to admit. Large, dark eyes and doll-like features paired with a stick-thin figure and the most brilliant smile you could imagine. It wasn't hard to picture the girl as a model, though Sayumi personally preferred her girls to be more petite.

"Thanks Iikubo-chan. You can take a break now that Ikuta's here." Eri smiled briefly as she dismissed the bouncy girl. Her attention drifted down to the pastry resting on the little dish between her and her best friend. It wobbled enticingly, seducing the onlooker with the promise of rich cream and chocolate. The frosting seemed to shimmer in the low light. It was beautifully presented and it felt almost like a waste to sink a fork into the confectionery.

"This is sooooo good!" Sayumi all but moaned into her fork. "It actually melts in my mouth!"

Eri licked her fork discreetly and pinched another forkful before Sayu could. Between the two of them, they polished off the little cake in record time. Sayumi dabbed at her lips delicately with a napkin, eyes flicking to the kitchen doors.

"Can I kidnap your patisserie?"

"Only if you want to get arrested as a lolicon on top of kidnapping charges." Eri shot back with a grin. "Suzuki-chan's still a student, but she's very gifted as you see. I let her have more or less free run of the kitchen when she's here, and she comes up with my bestsellers. She gets to practice and I get a reputation for excellent pastries." Eri shrugged. "Win-win."

Sayumi gazed at Eri for a few beats, until the turtle girl raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"Nothing. Just thinking that you've grown a lot since we were in school. You're so capable now."

Eri scratched at her head sheepishly, betraying a hint of the slightly goofy girl that Sayu remembered underneath the capable businesswoman she had become. She tried to disguise it by lifting her teacup to her lips, forgetting that it was just recently topped up with fresh brew, and scalded her tongue with the overly large gulp she took. The next several moments saw her fumbling with her cup, splashing hot tea on her hand, and trying desperately to fan her tongue at the same time.

Sayumi burst out laughing at the hangdog expression her best friend was sporting, helping to clean Eri up as the older girl pouted. Sayumi poked her best friend in the cheek as Eri puffed them up, chuckling at the indignant expression on her face.

"And here I was just saying that you have gotten so capable..." Sayumi fussed over Eri with her usual gentle care, making the older girl squint as she ruffled her long silky hair on purpose.

"I'll always need you to take care of me, Sayu." A rabbit-toothed grin. Sayumi rolled her eyes and smacked Eri on the side of the head, but inside she felt nice and warm. She had been a little worried that they were drifting apart as they grew up, but as usual Eri knew what to do and say to allay her fears. What more could she ask for in a best friend?

"Don't change, Eri."

"I won't...so tell me, is that a mosquito bite on your neck or did a certain kitten get there first?"

"Kamei Eri!!!"

~*~*~*~

The back door to the dorms creaked open with the faintest of squeaks, letting in a sliver of moonlight and a human-shaped shadow before it swung back into place. A click of a lock turning, and a quiet thanks was murmured as the intruder tiptoed with extreme care down the dim hallway. It wouldn't do for the dorm head to catch her after curfew, and she skirted the main common areas where the other girls congregated for talk or study before lights out. Too obvious that she had been out late given that she was still dressed for the outdoors. Once she managed to get back to her room and changed to more appropriate indoor wear, she would be able to blend in. Of course, getting there was half the challenge. The other half had been getting in without being spotted. The girl gave thanks that her roommate was supremely understanding and also an exemplary student...an exemplary student who managed to swipe the keys to every door in the dorm building, make copies, and then return them before anyone was any the wiser. Rumours of that girl being the incorruptible and perfect star student who could do no wrong were greatly exaggerated, though no one else but her knew the truth.

And success! Tonight's skulking trip had gone without a hitch, and the girl exulted as she pushed open the door to her dorm room. The room was dark except for the lamp at the table, which spilled light in a halo onto a pool of hair that trailed silky tendrils across an exercise book. There was a light snoring sound, though perhaps that was too inelegant a term. Her roommate did not snore, she snuffled like a kitten and made little mewling sounds once in a while. A pencil was clutched slack in her limp hand. Clearly, the girl had fallen asleep while doing work. Again. As usual.

"Nngh..." The sleeping girl stirred as the newcomer dropped her bag on her bunk. "Kanon-chan?" The voice was blurred with sleep, and the mop of hair stirred as the sleepy girl lifted her head and rubbed at one eye with a hand...the pencil-holding one. The effect was such that she managed to poke herself in the eye. "Ow!"

"Riho-chan..." The girl named 'Kanon-chan' by the newly awoken sleeper seemed halfway between laughter and a familiar, fond exasperation. Her roommate was a klutz, could fall asleep any time and anywhere, and who would forget her own head if it weren't permanently attached. The last two years rooming with her had seen Kanon acting as schedule, alarm clock, and personal nursemaid to the somewhat oblivious yet at the same time, completely brilliant Sayashi Riho.

"Kanon-chan? You're back?" Riho yawned, showing even white teeth that gleamed in the lamplight. She winced in the next second when Kanon flipped the room lights on, shielding her eyes from the glare.

"How many times must I tell you to not work in the dark?" Kanon repeated a familiar refrain, and Riho grinned sheepishly, scratching at the back of her head as she stood and stretched.

"How was work? I saved you some dinner by the way." The wrapped sandwiches rested on the other tiny desk that was a lot more organized compared to whirlwind mess on the one where Riho had been taking an impromptu nap at earlier. Kanon smiled gratefully up at her friend, falling into the plain foldout chair and grabbing the sandwiches. Her gaze drifted to the other mess on Riho's bed. A small mountain of unopened gifts teetered precariously in a disorganized heap, shifting and spreading into a wider hillock of presents when Riho's weight sank onto an open spot on the bed.

Riho caught her gaze, smiling ruefully. "I don't even know how they found out about my birthday. It's not like I go around advertising it." That was true. Riho was intensely private, and kept a closed circle of friends. If the random room assignment had not landed her with Kanon in their first year, there would have been little chance of them becoming anything more than just classmates. After all, they had chosen different specializations, Kanon going down the cookery route, and Riho choosing the sciences. Riho could just as easily have gone down the humanities route with her strong grasp of Japanese and literature, but had preferred to pick a course that would provide her with more opportunities when college rolled along. She was an ambitious girl, Kanon had to give her that. Even if she was a forgetful klutz who was messy and slept too damn much.

"Happy birthday again, anyway." Kanon grinned, eyeing the pile with a kind of amusement. There was a price to being too popular. Though it was fairly convenient at times. Riho always shared the spoils with her, so to speak. For whatever reason, most of the gifts were usually foodstuffs, and even with the girl's legendary appetite, she needed Kanon's help to finish everything. Which Kanon was only too happy to, of course. Some of those gifts had been really tasty!

"I saw your gift by the way. Thanks." A cat-like grin curled thin lips, her eyes thinning into slits as her cheeks dimpled. There were times when Kanon felt like she was living with a cat instead of a person. Whenever Riho smiled that way the feeling grew stronger.

"I've got something else for you though." Setting her half eaten sandwich aside, Kanon turned and carefully removed a box from her bag. The edges were a little battered, but the plain cream-coloured box was still happily intact. She breathed a sigh of relief at that. It would be a waste if the contents got crushed.

"Oooh?" Riho bounded off the bed, sending another cascade of gifts scattering to the floor, which she gleefully ignored and instead pulled up her own chair closer to Kanon's side of the room. Her eyes were bright and fixed on the box in Kanon's hand. Living with a chef-in-the-making had its benefits, and Riho never minded being used as a guinea pig for Kanon's culinary experiments. She ate basically anything and everything, and gave informed criticisms as necessary. Kanon could not have asked for a better test subject. Not that she was testing anything on her dear roommate tonight.

"You got your present earlier today, but I figured we should celebrate properly. Tadaaa!" Kanon undid the ties holding the box closed. The sides unfolded to reveal a perfect wedge of cheesecake with the words "Happy 16th birthday, Riho-chan! Hya~hoi~" written in syrup that seemed embedded in the topmost layer of the cake, and a chocolate carving of a kitten and a puppy perched on one side.

Riho beamed and promptly leapt on her best friend, enfolding the smaller girl in a bear hug. "Kanon-chan you're the best! Hyahooooooi~" Her random exclamation was only reserved for special moments and amongst friends, and was an indicator of how excited the girl was depending on the pitch and volume of the cry. Riho was practically brimming with energy right now, all sleepiness forgotten in the face of cake.

With a quick 'itadakimasu!', Riho took a bite...and then promptly froze. Kanon stared at her with obvious worry for a few seconds, before her friend turned to her suddenly with...was that actual tears in her eyes?

"Kanon-chan..." Sobs. "Cider cheesecake..." Another quivering mouthful. "I love you..." She actually sniffled as she said the last, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

Kanon barked a laugh. Riho was such a dork, crying over cake. Well, it was very good cake, if she could say so herself, so she felt somewhat justified by the reaction. Honestly, she could never have imagined that the perfect student who aced both academics and club activities could be capable of such derpiness. A total 180 degree change from her first impression of the girl, that was for sure.

Leaving her roommate to polish off the rest of the treat, Kanon stood up and started tidying up. She had a neat streak and it was a constant battle to maintain a spotless room with Riho's tendency to leave things everywhere. Her current task: picking up the fallen presents and stacking them in a corner.

"Oh? Riho-chan, did you see this?"

"Mmgh?" Came the reply from a mouth stuffed full. Kanon held up an oblong box with a scroll attached. The scroll had come loose, and out of curiosity, the aspiring chef had glanced through it. Love letters were fairly common...even with this being an all girls' school. The two roommates often read them out loud to each other for comic effect. A little sad for the sender, but it amused the recipient and her friends well enough before landing in the trash. Harsh, but when you got that much spam, you learned to tune most of it out.

"Someone's being a little more original for once." Kanon waved the scroll at Riho, who snagged it out of the air and eyed it with the speed and grace of a professional.

"Basic calligraphy. Someone did their research at least..." Riho muttered. Her secret admirer, whoever it was, had written a haiku in traditional form, though she found enough to pick upon in the execution. The strokes were rough and unsteady at the edges. A beginner who picked up the bare basics. I was doing better work than that when I was 8, Riho thought to herself with a small scoff, but she gave the work the courtesy of being read. She would at least honour the effort put in.

"Do you even remember who gave you that?" Kanon asked skeptically. Riho pulled a face, scrunching her nose as she tried to recall. Nothing. Maybe a vague sense that it was someone smaller than her. Nondescript. Riho wasn't very good with names and faces outside her immediate social circle. It couldn't be helped. Kanon watched her with a small smirk on her face. She knew Riho never remembered these things.

"So how many does that make this month?" Kanon teased. Riho made a face, putting the scroll aside and reaching for the box it came with. She came to a girls' school to get away from this kind of nonsense! Unfortunately for her, she forgot that fangirls were always more demonstrative than fanboys. At least boys knew to back off...or at least, they couldn't follow you into changing rooms without being called a pervert. Riho sighed. At least she didn't have to deal with that. Only starstruck juniors who wanted her to mentor them. Things could be worse.

She almost dropped the gift when she saw what was inside. A fine set of brushes, elaborately tooled and set. An ink stick that seemed to glow from within, a cool blue that matched the equally impressive ink stone. Riho held her breath almost reverently as she stroked the cool inkstone. It was of excellent quality. Expensive, to be sure. She frowned when she found a minor flaw on the inkstone. Bought with more money than sense, she determined after a closer inspection. They were good tools, pretty tools, but not perfect. And Sayashi Riho was very exact when it came to what she used for her calligraphy.

"Another one bites the dust?" Kanon commented offhandedly as Riho set the package aside without so much as a second glance. Riho waved a dismissive hand over the gift.

"I don't need people bribing me with gifts for my attention. Especially if they don't even know what they're doing." And that was that. Kanon chuckled and shook her head. Riho could be completely heartless sometimes. She almost felt sorry for the girl's fans, given how fickle Riho could be. They would have better luck approaching her directly rather than resorting to such desperate and extravagant measures. She shrugged. Not like it was her loss in any case.

They spent the rest of the night sorting through the stack. Or rather, Kanon sorted; Riho rejected. It was a familiar routine. Many things happened behind closed doors. They laughed at extravagant love letters. They ate the chocolates that came with more than one package. Kanon appropriated some of the useful gifts that Riho didn't need or want. No matter that they were indirectly trampling on the unanswered feelings of many admirers.

High school life was cruel like that. Best to learn these things early, after all.

~*~*~*~

1) Get something significant to your senpai's interests! If she has a hobby or craft of some kind, get her things she can use, so that she will remember you when she uses them!

2) Write something classy in a note with the gift! Anyone can gush in prose, maybe you can try poetry? Something that stands out, for sure. Try to avoid cliches in your message and it should be fine!

3) Pass the gift directly and when she is alone. If she is as popular as you imply, you don't want to be lost in a sea of faces! Smile at her and be confident! That will be memorable, instead of leaving gifts in her locker or on her desk.

And lastly, ringo_daisuki-san...good luck! I hope I was able to point you in the right direction! All the best from I-sensei and your fellow listeners!



================================================================================================


I am a terrible person, I know. :lol: I troll with the best. :P

Long chapter. Probably mistakes I can't spot with my eyes drifting shut Typing half blind cos I can't see the words on the screen. orz Will proofread again after I get some sleep, hee.

hope everyone enjoys the chapter! All the characters! :D

And no, I don't know where the chapter title came from. Sleep deprived brains don't always make sense.

Goodnight!
Title: Re: Neighbours [20/12 - Ep 1: Love Like A Game]
Post by: XxRoByNxX78 on December 19, 2012, 09:07:27 PM
looks like someone took sayu's advice lol

Eri and Sayu so cute together best friends forever =)

Yossy is Sayu's prince lol

Yossies Gf is Rika or miki right ??? I think its most likely miki considering she is the scariest but then when Rika is mad u dont really want to cross her lol

I wonder wht Renia did after the call from her manager

Renia so secretive lol coz Eri lives next door lol

Yes feel free to just call me Robyn =)

I love your fic update soon Tanashige is so cute lol
Title: Re: Neighbours [20/12 - Ep 1: Love Like A Game]
Post by: rndmnwierd on December 20, 2012, 08:14:02 AM
More new characters are revealed!

Yossy, of course, as Sayu's Prince Charming. XD

I so love the KameShige friendship (and the surprising hint of past Tanakame) The Aho Combi is so awesome, I've always loved their relationship.

Iikubo, Ikuta and Kanon(whom I thought was Airi at first, lols) all work for Eri... And Kanon is Riho's roommate.... and ringo_daisuki was the admirer....

So many degrees of separation!  :panic: I can feel the train slowly chugging along and I can't wait til it gets up to speed.

(I'm not going to talk about Ai and Risa... I'm not... :lol:)
Title: Re: Neighbours [20/12 - Ep 1: Love Like A Game]
Post by: Shiawase_Honoo on December 21, 2012, 11:53:03 AM
Long time no see, Essy XD
Moreover, you always come with another new fiction :lol:
Never mind, your fiction is one of my top list favorite :thumbsup

I love how Eri has about luck of gathering people :lol:

P.S. Friendship of RihoKanon is so beautiful :deco:
PSS. It's kind of fun to have Harunan and Eripon there, because Eripon happens :rofl
Title: Re: Neighbours [20/12 - Ep 1: Love Like A Game]
Post by: yunagi on December 21, 2012, 02:00:48 PM
Glad you liked it. Imma try my best to deliver. ;p

Gotta say I really like this Sayu, not that I’m saying I dislike her or anything of the sorts. From what I hear Sayu’s the type that’s – how would you say this… a balance of childish innocence and a mature adult. Contradicting much? xD More like a spoiled little princess trapped in a grown-up’s body. Sound’s better but it still missing something…

Bah- Anyway I like her and that’s what matters right?

Anyway… Yes~ New chapter!

Quote
Sayumi had to fight to suppress her squeal reflex. The person who was helping them was sooooooo handsome! Never mind that she was in love with Reina, surely she could be forgiven for ogling such a wonderful specimen of eye candy? The best part, it was a girl! Tall and cool and so much like a fairytale prince! If only...
Hm… let’s see. Girl, tall, cool, fairytale prince. Yossie, no doubt about it. Imma gonna go ahead and guess that there’s going to be a very jealous (and possessive) kitty nearby.

Quote
Reina had had to leave halfway after an irate phone call from her manager, with many apologetic looks and a last affectionate kiss on Sayu. The kitten did make a point to glare at Yossy while doing so, as if daring the older woman to say something about inappropriate relationships. To her eternal surprise, Yossy only chuckled and said something about young love.
Of couse it’s Yossie we’re talking about here.

Quote
Reina did not warm to strangers quickly or easily. It probably did not help that she had spotted her girlfriend getting a serious case of googly eyes at the handsome appearance of their new neighbour. Jealousy was unbecoming, but the green eyed monster was a somewhat familiar guest for the pair.
Lol called it.

Quote
Speaking of which, Sayumi had been more than surprised when Reina first showed her the new place...especially when Eri popped up from a door over dressed only in her pajamas.
*tears up from laughing* that is so like Eri! Reminds me of that episode of madori ari XD

Damn they have that much. Might as well call that one room a walk in clos– no mini mall is more like it. And aw… Reina that’s so nice, giving Sayu her own room for her recording. She’s really taking the responsible “boyfriend” *ahem* girlfriend *ahem* role really well.

Quote
As it was, they already had Eri muttering something about soundproofing, to which Sayumi smartly replied that if Eri could sleep through an earthquake, she could sleep through anything.
You’d be surprise how a little “quirky” sound can wake up even the heaviest of sleepers. *shiver* I didn’t hear anything. -_-“

At the mention of Ai and Risa somewhere in my mind the takagaki fangirl just did the chocosamba dance.

Quote
You should meet Yossy's girlfriend! Gorgeous, but scary. Definitely scary." Eri shivered at the last bit, leaving Sayumi to gape at her.
o.O

Two options… But is Eri even afraid of Rika?

… Mikitty?

Quote
"So explain to me how you managed to gather so many gay people around you. Are you sure you're not secretly gay too?"
The million dollar question! lol

Quote
"Luck? I'm pretty sure I'm not gay though...not sure what I am, but definitely not just into girls."
It’s called being bi my dear. Like I usually say “Now a days even a ruler can bend. ” ;)

Quote
"You know I say 'yes' to any given person depending on my mood. And I think Reina wasn't so much interested in me as she was in what I could do. It certainly didn't last."
Oh… what did she use to do?  :jerk:

And damn~ past TanaKame :w00t:

Oh Kami-sama. I absolutely love Eri in all her goofiness <3 Like Sayu said and I quote “Don’t change!”

Crap! My cute senses are on overload. Any more and I might just go blind from too much of the eye sparkles. Dear Kami-sama, that's one big sparkling thingy... Oh no wait... that's a light bulb, isn't it? (lol don't mind me, common sense just clocked out for a sec.)

XD Riho-chan’s so cruel. Can't really say much except for FOOD! It's not Momusu without those goodies, a lot of those precious goodies.

Awesome chapter. Can't wait for the next update!  :thumbsup
Title: Re: Neighbours [20/12 - Ep 1: Love Like A Game]
Post by: rokun on December 28, 2012, 09:41:42 PM
Okay, so I finally read this :lol: I like the idea, neighbors and six degrees of separation - it'd be fun if Sayu ever has any idea that the crush of one of her loyal listeners she gave advice to is the roommate of one who created for her such a delicious pastry XD That's... 4 degrees of separation there? XD (I count -> Eri (for taking her to restaurant and having Kanon as employee -> Kanon -> Riho -> ?). Speaking of young mystery girl, based on hints given I have my ideas, but I'll keep them secret (here at least) for now. XD

...And obviously first thing I start talking about here are the QTenkis lol. Love the TanaShige and curious to see how it develops... though I feel like it won't really be a big factor in the story? more like a status quo and setting. I wonder how far the dorm is from the apartment building Reina and Sayu moved into :lol: Though I suppose you can be neighbors in many senses...

Anyhow, things really just getting started, but it's a nice warm fuzzy flair from you, so I look forward to the continuation. :) :heart:
Title: Re: Neighbours [20/12 - Ep 1: Love Like A Game]
Post by: Estrea on January 30, 2013, 05:08:22 PM
Ehehehe~ I'm back~ Did anyone miss me? XD


Robyn: Yes, taking Sayu's advice will be a recurring theme. :lol: You'll see what I mean soon enough. :P And I agree, Tanashige is cute together~

rndy: Even more new characters as I go. I love doing this. ;w; Awesome Aho Combi is awesome. I miss KameShige friendship too. You will love the degrees of separation involved here too~ :lol: I spare no effort in making everything link together fufufufu... oh and AiGaki? Did you not mention them? :P

Shiawase_Honoo: Yes, me and my new stories. Thank you for always reading. :3 I'm very grateful to you and rndy for always commenting regularly on everything~! :D And yes, RihoKanon friendship is beautiful~ And I love Eripon. Eripon happening is a must in any Essy story. :lol:

yunagi: Sorry about my long delay in updating~ I ran into a mini block trying to figure out the sequence of the next chapter. You'll see why. XD I love Sayu dearly so my interpretation of her tends to be on the evil poison-tongued princess on the outside, but heart of gold on the inside. Many layers, my Sayu. XD I like her and that's good enough for me~ I hope you like the Ai and Risa here if you like that sort of thing. Fufu...I'm having fun. Is Eri afraid of Rika? All 3 Rokkies are afraid of Rika, FYI. :P It's kind of infamous by now. Their scariest senpai is Ishikawa-san rofl. But yes, KameShige cuteness is the best. :3 And I hope you'll comment on this chapter as well! :D

rokun: Why hello there. :D I love my degrees of separation. It's amazing how connected people are without even knowing it. More QTenkis for you to dissect here as well. I do love my newgen members (of all kinds XD). You do have a good eye in spotting the fact that Tanashige is basically a given in this story...though I will be moving their relationship along as we go. It's basically progressing on multiple levels at the same time. :lol: You can tell I enjoy doing such things. :3 And yes, Neighbours as a theme comes across in many ways...they all live in the same general neighbourhood, but whaddya know? XD One continuation coming up!

Wee, time to edit and post~
Title: Re: Neighbours [20/12 - Ep 1: Love Like A Game]
Post by: Estrea on January 30, 2013, 05:22:14 PM
Episode 2: Honto no Jibun


Hai! The next message is from ikemen_shoujo-san:

Osu! I always have fun listening to I-sensei's advice every week, and I finally got the courage to send in a message! You see, I grew up with two brothers and am often mistaken for a boy because of my short hair, but the thing is I'm still a girl and would really like an older sister figure to look up to! I have this cousin I really admire, but my parents don't like her much...how should I get back in contact with her without it sounding awkward? I'm really shy despite my appearance so please help me!!

Hmm, this really is a problem, yes? Even though you didn't put your age here, I assume you're still in either middle school or high school? But that's fine, because I-sensei is here to help! Well the first step is just the same as what you did here: send a message! And then...

~*~*~*~

"Oh, otsukare~ Ai-chan, you're heading back yet?"

"Nope, meeting Gaki-san for dinner first after she closes shop. What about you, Yoshizawa-san?"

"I'm headed back, the missus seems to finally have an open slot tonight, so we're making plans for dinner at home. And call me Yossy dammit! How many times must I tell you?"

Yoshizawa grinned at the tiny woman before her, and Takahashi Ai grinned back sheepishly.

"Only since you first met me Yoshizawa-san."

"Ch! Cheeky brat. Living with that girlfriend of yours must have rubbed off on you." Yossy grabbed her coat even as Ai shook her head behind the taller woman.

"We're not like that..."

Yossy rolled her eyes and thrust Ai's coat at the actress. "Whatever. That Gaki needs to get a clue, seriously. How long have you guys been together-but-not-together?"

"Only since high school." Ai deadpanned, grabbing her bag as well. The pretty young actress seemed bemused but resigned. "Risa's a little dense. But I'm fine with the way things are now."

"You have the patience of a saint." Yossy rolled her eyes. "I'm surprised you haven't jumped her by now."

Ai blushed cutely, making the taller woman go 'awww' and try to pinch her cheeks. Ai ducked and put her hands to her flaming face.

"We're not like that, Yoshizawa-san!"

Yossy was about to make a clever retort when her phone chirped at her, cutting her off automatically mid-sentence as she rushed to answer. The ringtone was unique, set for her partner only. Ai politely slowed to a stop as Yossy answered the call.

"Hey love. How's work? All finished up? Oh? Oh...I understand, it's ok...there's always other days...no no, don't worry about it...you can always make it up to me some other time, like..."

Yossy's voice faded to a whisper, and Ai wasn't trying to overhear, but the wicked grin and half-chuckle said volumes. Ai tried to keep her face straight as Yossy murmured a few more endearments to her lover over the phone, and only managed to restrain herself to a raised eyebrow as Yossy turned around to face her.

"Let me guess: she had to cancel because of work?" Ai intuited. Yossy nodded glumly, her arm falling to her side.

"Yeah, the price of dating a busy and popular reporter." The tall woman shrugged, though her eyes carried a tinge of sadness. "I'll be able to see her more often after the season's over in any case. Guess I'll just whip up something simple and comfort myself with ice cream while watching her on TV again later..."

"Why don't you join us?" Ai invited. Now it was Yossy's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"You don't mind me interrupting your date?"

"As I said earlier, we're not dating. And who knows, maybe this time Risa will figure out that she wants to spend time alone with me instead of sharing."

Yossy outright burst out laughing at that, slapping at one thigh in mirth.

"Using me as bait? Tsk, Ai-chan, I thought you were a good girl!"

"But I am~" Ai batted her eyelashes innocently, causing the two of them to break down laughing after a few seconds. Yossy wiped away tears of merriment as she gasped.

"Thanks, I needed that."

Ai grinned. "So you coming?"

Yossy hooked one arm around the smaller woman's shoulders, leaning in conspiratorarily close.

"Of course! Wouldn't miss seeing you bait that dense little brat for anything. Maybe I'll even help you guys along..."

"You do know that since you're the oldest there you should treat us juniors?"

"Oi, don't push it, kid."

"Just kidding."

~*~*~*~

"I'm telling you! I'm innocent! You got the wrong person!"

"Yeah yeah, that's what they all say, boy."

"I'm a girl, dammit!"

This was turning out to be a really shitty day for Kudou Haruka. Firstly, she had just been minding her own business after swimming practice at the local pool, taking an alternative route home on foot. Dressed casually in jeans and hoodie with a sports bag slung on one shoulder, her short hair and lanky frame contributed to the popular first impression of her as a boy. A fact that she sometimes played to her advantage at school, when some starstruck girls gave her chocolate on Valentine's Day. Hey, if you've got it, you would flaunt it too!

As it turned out, her alternative route home took her past an alley where she was first run over by another girl with short hair (that moon-face was kind of girlishly cute), helped to her feet by a prim-looking girl with aristocratic features, and then noticing the defaced wall on the apartment behind the girl. It was actually rather prettily done, she had to admit, if only it hadn't been spray painted on private property. A discarded spray-can rolled to her feet around then, just as a police officer on bike patrol rode by while she was still clutching onto the taller girl's arm.

One thing led to another, and somehow Haruka found herself arrested for 'defacement of public property' and 'disturbance of peace', the latter of which had something to do with how she yelled back her innocence while still clutching on to the stranger's arm, inadvertently causing the girl pain in her vehemence. Haruka knew that she looked like a troublemaker, what with her short spiky hair and rebellious dress sense. Not to mention her defensive potty-mouthed nature. She was on her school's medal-winning swim team for god's sake! And she was on the student council as well! She wasn't a delinquent dammit! Just because she looked like one doesn't mean she was one!

Stupid policemen... She kept this opinion to herself. The last time she said that out loud, they had tacked on the charge of "disrespect and resisting arrest". Yes, this wasn't the first time she has seen the inside of this bleak grey cell they called a holding room. And if she didn't miss her count, that barmy old officer Degawa would be stepping in any time now...

True to form, he did. The first thing she saw of him was his belly, then the rest of him came through as the metal slab of a door swung inward. Haruka cringed inwardly. Her parents Would Not Be Happy about this. But how was she going to avoid letting them know when someone was going to have to bail her out for this?

"Well well, who do you have here? Kudou, what did I tell you the last time?"

"That you didn't want to see me here again?" Haruka deadpanned, some snark slipping into the 15 year old's voice. She folded her arms stubbornly. "I'm telling you, I didn't do it. I was just walking past."

"My patrol officers have been seeing those graffiti works all over town for the last couple of days. Right mess they are to clean up. One of my boys spotted a short haired punk near those scenes..."

"Just because I have short hair doesn't prove a thing! You can't accuse me like this!" Haruka protested, throwing her hands up in the air. Indignance coloured her every word, and with good reason.

"You were next to the scene of the crime. There was a spray paint can next to you." The middle-aged officer wasn't giving up. Damnit, he was nearing his retirement age and didn't want to deal with delinquents like this! He was the most senior officer in this precinct! He never wanted this sort of trouble! Why did he always get the problem cases? Like all those years ago...

"It really wasn't me! Now that you mention it though, I saw this short haired girl who ran past me right before one of your cronies showed up. Maybe that's the culprit you were looking for!"

The balding officer narrowed his eyes disapprovingly at her, and Haruka felt her heart sink. They probably couldn't actually charge her officially since they didn't catch her in the act, just like the last few times she ended up in a similar state (because she really didn't do it, dammit!), but they were going to have to call her guardians aka her parents and issue official warnings and what-not. Ugh, this was going to be highly unpleasant. She was in the third year of middle school and high school entrance exams were on this year! She had really wanted to get started on a good footing this school year, but here she was, a few weeks into the semester, and already in the police station. She had no luck whatsoever.

"I'm going to call your parents. We're letting you off with a warning this time, but if we catch you doing anything next time, it's off to juvie for you."

That was what he said every single time. Usually, Haruka would just cringe and nod grumpily, knowing that she was innocent but having no proof of it otherwise. The local police already had the worst possible opinion of her, so by now all she had to do was walk by anything suspicious and they would pin it on her. It was total discrimination!

But this time Haruka had a plan. A desperate plan that wasn't even really a plan, but she really wanted to avoid having her mother ground her like last year. She wanted to enjoy her last year in middle school like any other normal middle-schooler!

"Wait a minute, ossan." Haruka knew she wasn't scoring any points by calling him 'ossan', but the man was old and didn't like her already, so she figured there was no point in trying to butter him up. As long as she wasn't outright rude she figured she could get away with it.

"Kids these days have no manners..." Degawa groused, towering over the seated girl. "What do you want?"

"About that, you need a guardian to speak to and pick me up, right?" Haruka's mind was working quickly. Her parents were busy people. Papa had been posted to a different regional branch in the company early this year, so it was just her mother and two younger brothers here now. As a good daughter she really wanted to save her mother the headache of hearing from the police once more, especially since her mother had caused quite the scene at the police station the last time. All those tears...the look on Degawa's face clearly showed his resignation at having to bear with Kudou-mama's histrionics again.

"What do you know, even a delinquent like you knows about proper procedure. Then again, you've been here plenty of times. Enough to pick a few things up, eh?"

That was true. Haruka scowled at the implication, but reminded herself that she could exploit a loophole in that procedure that would hopefully leave her mother out of the equation. She really wanted to avoid that grounding.

"Can I make a phone call then? My father's not in town and Mama's busy with my younger brothers...I can get another family member to stand in, right?"

"Well, we need an actual guardian..."

"Older relative. Related. Guardian-ly. I swear." Haruka said quickly. Degawa did not look very convinced. Haruka added.

"Mama will hear about this from the person I'm calling. I will definitely get chewed out and punished. But you won't have to deal with her."

That convinced him if nothing else. Haruka was not above below-the-belt moves when her ass was on the line. That was one thing that was sort of delinquent-like about her, if one was pressed to find an actual trait. He grunted an assent and escorted the lanky teen to the front desk, where he watched like a hawk as she dialled some numbers. It was probably a good thing he didn't notice the way her fingers trembled as she pushed the buttons. Truth was, the person she was calling made her nervous...

But there was only one way to move forward, right? Just do it! Haruka took a deep breath as the call went through and the other voice on the line answered.

"Moshi moshi..."

~*~*~*~

"Ah~ When's Reina coming back? Now that we finally have a place of our own..."

Sayumi whined out loud as her bestie stepped out of the kitchen. They were over at Eri's place, since Sayumi did not want to be alone in her apartment with no Reina to keep her company. She still had unpacking to do, but she figured that she would get round to it in good time. In any case, since her best friend literally lived just around the corner, they could have a girls' night in and chat until Reina came back. It was very considerate of her girlfriend to consider this point as well. Sayumi had been missing time spent with Eri lately, after all.

"Geez, you'll be seeing more of her every single day from now on, so quit whining." Eri dropped off drinks and snacks at the coffee table, plopping unceremoniously into the sofa seat next to Sayumi. The bunny had a hand on the remote and was idly channel-surfing.

"But I miss her..." Sayumi pouted, making Eri roll her eyes and pretend to gag. Really, the turtle sometimes found it amazing how the two went from outright rivalry in their high school days to their disgustingly saccharine married couple lovey-doveyness now. Though perhaps saccharine wasn't really the right word. Reina and Sayu together was like tying a cat and dog together, their banter playfully vicious yet filled with a kind of loving tenderness. It was amazing to watch in action, and Eri occasionally felt like she couldn't get a foot in once those two started on one of their famous back-and-forths. She couldn't keep up with the speed of their verbal fencing, that was for sure.

"Yes, I know...oh, stop, go back a channel!" Eri pointed at the TV excitedly, and Sayumi obediently flipped one channel back.

"Ah, it's reporter Charmy. Is that a police station in the background?" Sayumi squinted to read the sign that was blocked by the beautiful reporter in the foreground. Eri grinned.

"Just so you know, 'reporter Charmy' lives in the same building as us~"

"Uso! Really? Wow!" Sayumi stared at her best friend, who was still grinning madly and was about to say something when Reina's voice suddenly started singing from Sayu's obnoxiously pink phone on the table.

"Ah! Reina's calling!" Sayumi squealed and grabbed her phone with way too much excitement. It was rare for Reina to initiate calls. She got the occasional message from her cat-like girlfriend, but Reina usually didn't communicate much electronically, preferring to leave it until she saw Sayu directly. Reina was a bit old-fashioned like that, but Sayu would have her girlfriend no other way.

"Reina~ When are you coming home? Hehe...home...sounds sooooo good to say that... Oh? Oh ok...sure...but I want to wait up for you...it's cold at night...mmm....come back soon, ok? Miss you~"

Normally, Eri would have had something to say about how disgusting a couple her friends were, but her attention was currently fixated on the TV screen, a fact her best friend immediately noticed upon hanging up.

"What are you looking at, Eririn?"

"That." Eri pointed. Sayu followed her gaze to the 50-inch screen.

"...rise in crime committed by adolescents. This is a disturbing trend in our society amongst the youth! This is Reporter Charmy, reporting live from our local police station."

Eri was not pointing at the reporter. Sayu knew this immediately. She would know that silhouette any day, even with the hat and sunglasses (who else would wear sunglasses after the sun has set?) on. The clincher, of course, was the old-school keypad phone the young woman was clutching in one hand. Her other hand was holding on to the arm of a lanky young lad as they emerged from the police station in the background.

"Who's that?" Eri wondered out loud. Sayu stared blankly at the screen for a moment.

"Reina...?"

~*~*~*~

"Whew. We got away again! Lucky~"

"All thanks to you...we were so close to getting caught today..."

"Oh pssht, the police would never suspect you of any wrongdoing. You look perfectly innocent. Me, on the other hand..."

"But you didn't do anything?"

"Like I said, you don't look the part. But that's ok, it's my job to keep you out of trouble anyway~ Besides, aren't you having fun?"

"Fufu...well, yes."

"So we can tick off the 'almost get caught doing something illegal' thing on our list~ What's next?"

"I think we can tick off the 'get someone else to take the fall' thing too."

"Oh?"

"There was someone who looked kind of like you today who got arrested in my place. She was taller though..."

"Ah, is that so? Double lucky~ And see just like I said, no one would ever suspect an ojou-sama like you of any kind of wrongdoing!"

"Fufufu...but I'm not an ojou?"

"You look the part, Mizuki-chan. That's enough."

"Why thank you Akari-chan. Does that make you my servant then?"

"As always, my lady~"

"Fufufu..."

~*~*~*~

The first step to establishing contact with someone is to simply Just Do It! You can always open with a simple message saying "hi" and talk about something relevant to your mutual interests.

If you're too shy to do that, maybe you can ask her for help with something? After all, your cousin isn't a complete stranger, and it helps to build rapport if you ask for advice or something of the like. People like being asked for help even if they don't show it right at first! It's always nice to be needed.

And remember, ikemen_shoujo-san, the first step to gain communication with anyone is simply to start doing so. The only one who can change things is you! Good luck, and I hope things go well with your cousin! And don't worry too much about your parents, what they don't know won't hurt them. *wink*



===========================================================================


Yup, still trolling. XD Poor Duu.

Credits to Kuji for the reporter Charmy's line on TV. :lol: The rest came out of the fevered imagination of yours truly. Inside jokes galore! So many degrees of separation you need a relationship chart to keep things straight! Eripon didn't happen this time, but the other half of the PonPon combi sure did! Take-chan! Again, poor Duu. TV is awesome. And I love I-sensei corners.

Hehe. Comment lots, everyone!

And yes, in case no one noticed, H!P song titles all round for chapter titles. :P First chapter is a bastardization of Gomaki's song, but this one had Buono. Felt right. XD

P.S. That last bit with Takechan/Mizuki? I kind of have Takechan saying かしこまりましたお嬢様~ in my head. XD Can't be helped I guess...

EDIT: Thanks Slack! I was a bit iffy about the way Fukuchan addressed Takechan, so thanks for the tip! Fixed now. :D

EDIT 2: Thanks again to Kuji, my informal editor. :P What would I do without you? :lol: Fixed the stuff you pointed out!
Title: Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun]
Post by: rndmnwierd on January 30, 2013, 06:24:34 PM
With the opening of the I-sensei corner, I thought this one might be Du related. Poor kid XD I felt stupid when I didn't immediately guess her beloved cousin, especially with all of the connections around here. I did figure out the defacer was Mizuki, but, again, felt dumb for n ot guessing the other was Takechan, what with all of the talk of their closeness around here lately. Are they doing a bucket list?

Now I wonder if Reina is going to tell Sayu about Kuudu or is Sayu going to confront her or is Sayu going to let it go with hurt feelings about not being confided in? The possibilities are endless!

P.S. I got a hearty chuckle out of your P.S. btw XD
Title: Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun]
Post by: Slack on January 30, 2013, 06:52:03 PM
Aww Take-chan nervous about contacting her admired cousin Maimi. I know I said I don't usually go for present-day slash fic, which this one appeared to be at first, but this has all these side stories that add more variety! I really dig the way you use Sayu's advice show as a framing device to introduce characters before we actually meet them and tie together the separate plot lines. That said, we haven't really found out who gave Riho her brush set, even though I have a suspicion of who it might be. (If this was supposed to be a future character, that is.)

Oh, and I especially liked how you threw in Kudou's swimming and had Degawa show up as her antagonist. I'm looking forward to seeing how she and Reina are connected.

Now if I could be a little more critical for a moment, I know it would make it more confusing to those less familiar with those two, but it kind of stuck out a bit to me when Mizuki called her "Take-chan" instead of "Akari-chan".
Title: Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun]
Post by: XxRoByNxX78 on January 30, 2013, 07:07:54 PM
Nice update  :twothumbs

but there wasnt any tanashige ='(

anyway how can Gaki be so dense to Ai-chan I mean come on its Ai-chan she is like as obvious as they come who Gaki open your eyes.........

Charmy is Yossi's gf lol poor Yossi getting ditched but then i suppose its all fun an games if she gets to see Gaki be dense lol

And Reina getting Haruka from the police station I wonder what Sayu will think since Reina didnt tell her the truth ahhhhhh
Title: Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun]
Post by: Shiawase_Honoo on January 30, 2013, 07:52:08 PM
The dense person is always fun to write. lol
Oh~ My Kuduu. Don't worry, I am also the rebelion-liked aura, but Megane-wota looks. I can be more harsh than my appearance. XD
Just want to know how Sayu deal with Tanasa-tan after this. Wait for sure. lol
Mizuki and Akari-chan... I haven't seen S/mileage member in fiction before, so interesting.
Title: Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun]
Post by: rokun on January 30, 2013, 08:36:29 PM
Somehow Reina and Kuduu cousins makes a good bit of sense :lol: Ah it's nice to see more Kuduu... although I think now that Reina and Sayu are "gay and living together", they should just adopt Kuduu. XD I think that'd be hilarious. XD .......but unlikely I'd guess, lol.

I nailed Fuku-chan right away of course when they were coming out of the alley, although I was a little confused at the sequence of actions there. ^^; It seemed like Kuduu was still holding onto Fuku-chan when the cop came... I guess cause Fuku-chan doesn't look like a troublemaker they let her go? XD Anyhow, I just wasn't expecting a S/mileage member to pop up, lol, though I should have known better with you.

I'm enjoying the continuation of the character introduction (with the main Sayu-Reina thread keeping up...) ^_^
Title: Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun]
Post by: Estrea on January 31, 2013, 11:38:00 AM
I'm back guys! :D Quick update with a missing scene. XD

@rndy: Duu and Reina as cousins :3 Makes sense, no? And good guess, Takechan and Fukuchan are indeed doing some kind of bucket list. :lol: More shenanigans will ensue at appropriate times. :3 Also, you'll see what happened at the police station that I left out of the chapter proper, hehe. :3

@Slack: Lol, actually, the message was from Duu in the advice corner. But it does sound pretty ambiguous, yes? XD I'm not really sure if this fic counts as present-day slash fic, I kind of see it more as a sitcom with gay characters...quite a few of them. Of course, that's not all there is, and not everyone is gay here, honest. It only just so happens my main cast is. :lol: Glad you like the supporting cast that have been introduced though, because most of the lulz will be coming from their interactions with the main cast, hehe. I quite enjoy Sayu's advice show too, it's dead useful as a bridging device and I enjoy weaving connections. As for Riho's mysterious admirer, I have a couple of ideas but it really isn't set in stone yet. I enjoy leaving openings for myself because things are always changing in the real world and I would love to see if the future throws up more possibilities at me. :3 Glad you picked up the little things I slipped in though! It makes me feel appreciated when people pick up the little jokes I put in there, hehe. And thanks for correcting me on the Take-chan thing! I'm still picking up S/mileage as characters so I'm not overtly familiar with them as I am with the MM girls. Appreciate any corrections as necessary :D

Robyn: Tanashige is awesome even if they're apart. :P AiGaki isn't so bad lol...we haven't officially met Gaki here yet so you'll see why she's so dense. :P And yup Ishiyoshi for the win, though I felt sad having to cancel their dinner date....oh well, time enough for that! You'll see what really happened at the police station!

Shiawase_Honoo: Yup I love dense people. It's funny as hell. XD Appearances can be deceiving~ But yes, you'll definitely be seeing more of S/mileage ever since I've started to gain a bit more interest in them. XD Hope you like!

rokun: I enjoy seeing Kuduu around too. World needs more 9/10kies in general. XD And I agree, Reina and Sayu should just adopt Duu, though it's unlikely...but eh! Nice idea. I might just use it. ;) And yes, Duu was still holding on to Fukuchan when the cop came. I imagine the scenario went something like this:

~*~
"Ouch, that hurt...thanks..."

Haruka was pulled to her feet by a surprisingly firm grip, and when she stood up she was eye to eye with a pretty girl. The girl looked sweet and innocent, her wavy long hair cascading down to her shoulders and teasing at her simple one piece dress. There was a peculiarly magnetic aura that simply made you want to stare at her, though the girl in question seemed wholly oblivious to it.

Haruka was staring, she couldn't help it. She knew it was a bit rude, but it was as if the girl had cast a spell on her, and a few seconds passed with them standing wordlessly on the pavement. Then a whistle cut through the air.

"Hold it Kudou! What are you doing to that girl?! Release her!"


Huh? Haruka blinked, turning around to see a patrol officer on his bicycle screech to a stop beside them. What was the man talking about? She hadn't had time to respond before the cop's gaze strayed to the defaced wall beyond them.

"Did you do that?!"

"What? NO!" Haruka defended herself vehemently, her grip tightening unknowingly on the strange girl's arm, making her wince. The officer saw the movement and scowled.

"That's it brat, you're coming back to the station with me."

"What? Wait, I didn't do anything! Hey!"

~*~
 Something like that :lol: Poor Duu. So misunderstood. :lol: Glad you like it though!


Ok here comes the missing scene at the police station.... :D
Title: Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun]
Post by: Estrea on January 31, 2013, 11:50:17 AM
Missing Scene #1: Chotto Matte Kudasai!


"Eto...Tanaka-neechan?"

"Who's this?"

"Kudou Haruka, your cousin?"

"Oh! Little Haru! I haven't seen you since the last family gathering. What's up?"

"Um...I kind of need your help with something..."


When your little cousin asks you for help with something, you do not usually expect to be bailing them out of police custody. Reina had to suppress a familiar shudder as she stepped through the revolving glass doors into the aging precinct building. How many years has it been since she last came to this place? Long ago, yet not long enough.

Kudou Haruka was her second cousin on her mother's side, and while their families weren't particularly close, their grandmother usually insisted on seeing the whole extended family at least once a year, and so Reina had known of little Haru. 10 years younger than she was, but she had taken a small liking to the brat who sort of reminded her of herself at that age. Reina used to run around playing with the boys when she was a kid too, so she understood the girl's feelings.

Seeing her little cousin was a bit of a shock after 2 years. They had exchanged numbers at the last gathering 2 years ago, and Haru had been tiny then. Reina was not a big person herself, a fact that her girlfriend loved to pieces, and it was comforting that her cousin was even shorter. Time and puberty had changed that though, and now Haruka towered over her, at least physically. There was something sheepish in her manner as the teen waved at her and smiled awkwardly. Reina hid a grin. Reunions were not best undertaken in such a place.

"You the guardian? You look kind of familiar..." The squat and balding officer squinted at Reina suspiciously. The singer had come straight off from work, where she had been recording some tracks with her band members, so she was dressed semi-casually by her standards. Semi-casually by Tanaka Reina standards was still fairly dressed up by most normal people's standards, and she had gone for a slightly punk rock look to match with her younger band members today. The skull-and-crossbones design along with her silver accessories and ripped jeans did not project the most wholesome look, she knew, though her overcoat hid most of that fact. Removing her customary shades, Reina scowled at the police officer out of habit before returning her attention to her cousin. Haruka was now tall and tanned with fairly wide shoulders, and Reina vaguely remembered that her cousin was on the swim team. Her boyishly short hair paired with a lime green and black patterned hoodie and ash-grey jeans gave the 15 year old an edgy, rebellious look.

Reina smirked. The kid looked surly and irritable at the officer next to her. Reina remembered looking much the same when she was her age. Difference being, Haruka had at least not dyed her hair, whereas Reina had gone blond even before she was actually allowed to at school. Still, there was no mistaking the resemblance between the two cousins, at least in outward appearance and aura.

"I'm here to pick her up and bring her home." Reina said curtly, careful to mind her manners but keeping everything short and to the point. She didn't like police stations or the donut-eating officers there. They used to love making her life miserable back when she was still an adolescent, if only because she looked like a delinquent...which she kind of was, but she was never the troublemaking kind. The only kind of delinquency she practiced on a regular basis then was truancy, and even then that was only because she was sneaking off with her crew for jamming sessions. Reina had known for the longest time that she loved music and school was just a distraction for her. Years on she was living her dream, though admittedly she had made mistakes along the way and done a few things she hadn't been proud of, but at least now she had a career and something of a reputation in the industry. Hard won and hard earned.

"Who are you to this kid?" The old man was really annoying, and Reina glared coldly at him.

"I'm her cousin. You can look it up in the family registry if you need to." Calm and coldly confident, that was Reina. She held her chin up proudly and folded her arms, and did not miss the admiring look her cousin shot her. Haruka had trailed along behind her pretty often back when Reina used to attend the family gatherings, but Reina hadn't been back with her family in a while, and only kept in regular contact with her younger brother, who was in high school now if she remembered correctly. She made a mental note to buy the lad a birthday present soon. The date was coming up, and Reina doted on her baby brother even if they used to argue all the time back when they were kids.

The man grunted, jerking his head to indicate that they should follow him inside. Reina and Haruka exchanged a glance; they might not have met in person for 2 years, but kinship of a different kind connected them.

I didn't do it.

I know.


Once out of sight of all and sundry, the officer launched into a lengthy rant about everything Haruka had apparently been up to. Halfway through the tirade, Reina masked a yawn with one hand and raised an eyebrow at her cousin, and Haruka bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. They were of similar humours, the two of them, and this unexpected reunion simply drove home their apparent similarities.

"Delinquents are a plague on society and need to be given a firm hand." The old man seemed to be quite vehement about it. He was studying Reina with a disapproving look. Reina ignored it. She might not be in a traditionally respected profession, but she was gainfully employed and certainly not up to anything illegal or shameful.

"I understand. I'll keep an eye on her." Reina lied blandly through her teeth. Well, not quite. She had been soundly surprised to have Haruka call her of all people for help. The Kudou side of the family definitely had not liked her and her yankii image, believing it to be a bad influence on their own children. That had not stopped Haruka from trailing her around like a lost puppy every time the kids were left to their own devices at family gatherings. Reina had not been chummy with children, but she hadn't been overtly hostile either. Family was family, after all.

The officer seemed a bit deflated by Reina's lack of challenge to his words. What was he expecting, her to argue with him? Defend her cousin maybe? Reina knew firsthand that arguing with lawmen did no good when they were convinced you were up to no good. They couldn't do anything to you without evidence, but you had best not give them any reason to rag on you any longer than they were allowed to. The only way to prove them wrong was simply not to take the bait and let time prove you right. Of course, this was something she learned much, much later in life, and sometimes she wished she had the sense to hold her tongue back when she was a rash adolescent. Oh well, some things couldn't be taken back, no matter how much she wished it to be so.

"I'll need you to sign the release forms here and here." The man said grumpily, pushing the papers and a cheap ballpoint pen that Reina recognized from her youth. Damn, they hadn't even updated the brand they used here, she thought to herself, and signed off the forms with a flourish. It felt a little strange to be doing this for someone else. Usually it was her mother who had to come redeem her from custody back in the good old days.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my cousin home. It's getting late." Reina said coolly, ready to leave this dingy hole of a place. Haruka's sneakers squeaked on the tile as the younger girl trailed close behind her. Sometimes it felt like some things never changed.

"Ah, you're that Tanaka? I knew you looked familiar!" Reina paused in her footsteps, angling her head around to raise an eyebrow at the balding policeman, who was now eyeing her with open suspicion. Reina twitched. She never paid much attention to the officers who brought her in with tiresome regularity, and ten years was long enough to change some people. Not Reina of course, she still looked almost identical to her 15 year old self, save the fact that she now had short hair to her long then, and pink streaks instead of blond on brown. Sometimes she still got carded trying to buy alcohol at places, which was both immensely flattering and highly annoying at the same time.

"What?" Reina growled. Haruka was looking quizzically between her older cousin and the fat man, smartly not saying anything but openly curious in any case. The policeman was looking between the two cousins as well, and nodded as if confirming a theory to himself.

"I wondered why I hadn't seen you since my senpai retired from the precinct all those years ago. Watch that Tanaka brat, he used to say to me. Always getting into trouble and I had to haul you and your gang in all the time..."

Reina stared blankly at him, then mentally pictured the man with less of a gut and more hair. A lightbulb went off in her head, and she snapped her fingers in recollection.

"Oh! You're the one that Miya always left in the dust when you tried to catch us!" Reina nodded to herself. She always used to get caught due to her lack of speed, but since they could never find anything incriminating on her, they had had to let her go eventually. She studied the older man with a new light. The years had not been kind to him. He had more wrinkles and a bigger beer belly than before, plus a receding hairline that he carefully concealed with judicious trimming and combing.

Haruka gaped at her cousin. Well, that was something she had not known about the woman. Her mother was always saying that Reina was trouble, but never went into detail in case it gave her own children any ideas. Not that it helped her eldest daughter stay out of police custody in the end. Haruka had no idea why they loved to target her in the first place. If she had but asked, Reina would probably have told her that it came down to bad luck and poor timing, plus horrible PR and image issues. The older girl had once been in the exact same position before.

Officer Degawa (yes, that was his name, Reina finally cared enough to remember) did not look happy at the reminder. He had been a mid-level officer back when Reina was still getting her ass hauled in for delinquency. It had come to the point where Reina was personally acquainted with all the active duty officers at the precinct, such was her natural charm. They were always suspicious of her of course, but they could never charge her with anything.

"I was wondering why you suddenly disappeared back then, and now you're here in my precinct." He stressed the word 'my', as if to reinforce the fact that he was in charge here now. Reina shrugged. It didn't matter to her. 5 years ago she had left her hometown and signed on to a record company, and work kept her busy enough that she never really returned except for family events. It was a bit of a surprise to move into Tokyo suburbs and find a familiar, if unwelcome face. Degawa must have moved up the ranks to get this posting. Well, it mattered little to her in any case.

"So? I have every right to be here. If you'll excuse me, it's a school night and my cousin really ought to go home." Reina couldn't care less about the bristling self-importance of an aging, overweight policeman. Her stomach rumbled quietly at the same time. Yes, it was past dinner time and she should probably get Haruka fed before sending the kid home.

Degawa was still looking between Haruka and Reina. Age old paranoia plus a deep seated suspicion that all delinquents never changed their spots prompted the following statement.

"I knew it! You must have disappeared to raise a kid! There's no other reason!"

Reina twitched spastically. Haruka choked on air, a raspy chuckle emerging from her throat. The teen turned aside and clapped her hands to her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. That was it, the old man had to be senile. This was just golden!

"The brat's an exact copy of you! I bet you don't even know who the father is, do you?"

Haruka was losing it. Her shoulders shook and short barks of what passed for laughter came in trembling waves as she tried hard to control herself. Reina had a vein popping in her forehead as she grabbed her cousin by the arm and turned on her heel. She didn't have to stay and be insulted, for god's sake!

"Not a word from you, kid." Reina growled under her breath. Haruka took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. Funniest thing that had ever happened today. It almost made everything she went through worth it. Reina, for her part, was insulted on more than one level, but mostly her thoughts revolved around:

Do I look old enough to HAVE a kid?

To calm her nerves, Reina reached for her phone and pressed the speed dial for Sayu's number. She wanted very much to hear her girlfriend's voice, even though she told herself that she just needed to let Sayu know that she would be back late because she was picking her cousin up.

"Sayu? Mm, I'll be back late today, met up with my cousin just now. I need to send the kid home, so don't wait up for me...ha, I know. I will. I'll see you soon."

Turning to her curious cousin, Reina replaced her shades out of habit and tugged the kid along.

"Now why don't you tell me all about what happened over dinner?"

"Hai...Tanaka-neechan..."

============================================================


Ehehehehe. I enjoyed this a lot. XD

Oh, and here's a short omake:


~*~

"So that's what happened. Geez, the nerve of that old man!"

Sayu tried very hard to keep from laughing out loud. She failed. In between guffaws she looked between Haruka and Reina, and then in tears she said:

"You two do look alike..." More laughing, then Sayu straightened and put on her most wounded expression.

"Reina, how could you?! I thought you loved me!"

"Oi! Not you too!"

~*~

:lol:
Title: Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun]
Post by: Slack on January 31, 2013, 12:10:21 PM
Huh. So Kuduu was the one asking for advice. I guess I just registered "short hair", "ikemen", and "cousin" and assumed it was Take-chan. You can tell Take-chan really does admire her cousin a lot though. She always lists Maimi as her most admired member, after all.

As for the ways all the members address each other, I saw a Google doc spreadsheet recently that showed the names each member used for the others, including several of the trainees. I don't have the link at the moment, but that might be something you may want to keep around in case you want accuracy for a more obscure member's means of addressing the others.

Hmmm so Miya and Reina got in trouble together, eh? I wonder if some others of the Tanaka Gundan will show up...
Title: Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun; +Missing scene and Omake]
Post by: Shiawase_Honoo on January 31, 2013, 06:19:49 PM
One of the best omake. rolfed.
Duu and Tanasa-tan are lovely cousin. >w<
Maybe adding Maa-chan for Duu and Tanasa-tan after this would be fun. XD

About S/mileage, I love them! Not as much as Morning Musume, but still love them. Maybe some of my researches can help you.
My oshi-mem in S/mileage are Kanyon, Kananan and Rinapu~. >w<)
Title: Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun; +Missing scene and Omake]
Post by: Kuji on January 31, 2013, 06:24:08 PM
Ohohoho...

The adventure of (not really) Duu is hilarious. Poor thing, being judged on looks... though if she's gonna take advantage of her looks to get Valentines choco, then she has to suck up the bad parts of it too. XD Of course, thanks to my "backstage pass" I knew the cousin was Duu but still awesome to see how it goes from the I-sensei letter to the actual call (from jail no less!).

lol, thanks for using my line for Charmy... obviously I complain a lot of how the youngin's are ruining society because I'm an old auntie now.  :sweatdrop:

Fuku effect is amazing. It is just like the movies how some pretty dame totally sets up some dope to take the fall, using her feminine wiles... only, you know... she did it without knowing... kinda. Close enough.

I lol'd at Reina calling Duu "little" Haru. XD Who's the little one now?

Can't wait to see more of the cast... like Phoebe. ;D
Title: Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun; +Missing scene and Omake]
Post by: XxRoByNxX78 on January 31, 2013, 07:04:08 PM
Lol the years truely havnt been kind to that police man huh

 :lol: :lol: Reina having a kid does she look like she is old enough the girl looks like she is highschool still  lol

I love that Reina coudnt care less about the police man and that she use to skip classes just to rock out ahahah

I wannna know more of Tanashige's past

and lol Sayu at the end go little bunny ahahah
Title: Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun; +Missing scene and Omake]
Post by: Estrea on February 17, 2013, 08:08:43 PM
Look, I'm back! XD

Slack: Yeah I have a sheet where they list how all the MM and Berryz members address each other privately, but I'm short of C-ute and S/mileage...well, always time to learn! If you can find the link, I'd be very grateful! As for Tanaka Gundan...well, we'll see, won't we? XD

Shiawase: Omakes are great :D I enjoyed linking Duu with Tanasa-tan too~ Maachan will show up eventually, never fear. XD And I'd be grateful for any information you can provide on S/mileage members! :D

Kuji: Hope you woke up in time for work! You can read this tomorrow :P And yes, the adventures of Duu is great. XD I hope you enjoy this chapter too ;w; You already had a sneak preview anyway :lol: Phoebe huh? XD I'll see what I can do!

Robyn: Yoohoo! Nice to see you again. :D Not much Tanashige this chapter but I'll do my best to fulfill your curiosity! :D


Ok time to edit and post~
Title: Re: Neighbours [31/01 - Ep 2: Honto no Jibun; +Missing scene and Omake]
Post by: Estrea on February 17, 2013, 08:19:24 PM
Episode 3: Uwaki na Honey Pie


And we come to the last letter for today! It's from iroiro_tsuma-san:

I-sensei konnichiwa! It's my first time writing in and it makes me a bit embarrassed somehow, especially at my age, but I really hope you can help me with a problem I have. Lately my child has been giving me problems and I really want to discuss it with my husband, but he's away for work and won't even come back for a weekend to hear me out. I'm starting to wonder if he has someone else on the side and is cheating on me! How do I convince him to listen and make sure he's not cheating on me?  I'm really at my wits end and really need some advice! Help me I-sensei!

Uwaaa this is quite a different problem from my usual! First, I would like to thank iroiro_tsuma-san for listening to my program! This is a very serious matter and I'm honoured that you are asking me for advice! Let's see now...

~*~*~

BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGGG!!!!!!

A hand smashed into the alarm clock, nearly knocking it off the table. Bleary eyes blinked in the gloom, and a messy mop of hair wriggled out from under the covers. The glowing hands and numerals on the face of the slightly abused alarm clock proclaimed it to be 6 in the morning, and its owner yawned as he stumbled out of bed.

"Ohayo..." The lanky boy muttered to the empty room, rubbing at his eyes as he made his way to the bathroom. On the way he almost tripped on a discarded jacket on the floor, and made a mental note to himself to tidy up the house later in the day.

After freshening up, the boy did a fist pump, his reflection mirroring the action with a smug grin.

"Yosh! Ganbatte-ikuta!"

First stop, the kitchen. A new note magnet-ed to the fridge drew his attention when he went to take ingredients from it.

Erio,

Papa has to go Saitama for a case. I won't be back for a few days so don't worry about making dinner for me. Papa has a couple of leads on some ongoing cases in town too, can you help me follow up on them while I'm away? I've left money for expenses on the counter along with the case files. Yoroshikuta!

Papa


A folder and a manila envelope rested on the kitchen counter. Expertly balancing the ingredients taken from the fridge, Ikuta Erio started making his bento for school. Nothing fancy, just egg rolls, meatballs and rice. No vegetables either, just the way he liked it. His mother in heaven would have been displeased, but since he was the master of the kitchen, no one could force him to eat icky veggies. Nya nya nya!

A good half hour later, he was mostly done. Preparation work from the night before totally paid off in this case! Packing it neatly into a box, Erio washed up quickly and set the utensils to dry. When he was finally done, he reached for the folder and sat down at the tiny dining table with a glass of milk and natto with raw egg on rice -- his breakfast.

"Hmm...a missing persons case. Gotta meet with an informer huh, I can do that." He muttered to himself. He skimmed through the rest of the case notes. His father's messy handwriting was decipherable probably only to him, since he did grow up with it. He took another gulp of milk and swallowed.

"Oh, this one's interesting...not many leads huh...Papa's already stopped by the police station. Hm, interesting. I'll have to ask around...and aw crap! I'm running late!"

Hastily depositing his bowls in the sink, Erio quickly packed up and got changed, ready to leave for school. Today was going to be a busy day too!

~*~*~

"Atchoo!"

Iikubo Haruna sneezed for the umpteenth time that day. Morning lectures had been absolutely miserable. Her nose was runny and red, and the rest of her was kind of pale, despite her slightly bronzed skin. She sniffled helplessly into a tissue. She really ought not to have stayed up so late...

"Maybe I better call in sick...I can't go to work like this..." Haruna muttered to herself, flipping out her cellphone as she walked down the long hallways of the faculty building. Even though the weather was already warming up, she was still bundled up heavily due to her illness. That and, lecture halls were always cold, regardless of season. At least in winter she had an excuse to wear overcoats!

"Better text around to see if anyone can cover my shift...maybe Ikuta-kun?"

Rounding out of the faculty building, Haruna was so focused on her text message that she didn't quite pay attention to what was ahead of her. When she reached the bottom of the steps leading down to the main history section, she quite unfortunately bumped into someone.

"Ah! Sumimasen!" There was a loud clatter as items went flying. Haruna herself landed on her bum, woozy from her cold. She blinked in confusion at the easel next to her, then looked over at where another figure was buried under an armful of canvases.

"Are you alright?" Haruna scrambled to her feet and tried to help the fallen person up. The girl groaned.

"Ah...I'm fine...AH! My canvases! Are they alright?"

The mystery girl checked on her precious cargo...which was still in her arms. Haruna didn't know if she should smile or giggle. She chose instead to pick up the fallen easel and bag, dusting them off while resisting the urge to sneeze again.

"Here you go, I'm so sorry for bumping into you..." Haruna apologized to the stranger, who was just a bit taller than her when she finally stood up. Her hair was dark and long, and curly at the ends. Haruna couldn't help but notice that the girl had really long legs. I wish mine were that long too!

"Mm, it's fine. No harm done." The girl smiled brilliantly, then cocked her head to one side. "You look familiar, weren't you in Professor Iwata's class last semester?"

Haruna blinked. "Oh, you mean the one on Art History? Yes, I took it as an extra credit class...oh! You were there too! You did a presentation on Viénot, I remember now!"

"And you did yours on Vermeer, if I'm not wrong. I enjoyed your analysis on his style and the contrast between the different periods in which his works were done despite the social upheaval in those times. It was very well researched."

Haruna blushed. "Thank you. It really wasn't that good... You did a really good job with Viénot though, ah...how may I address you?"

"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Wada Ayaka, 2nd year in Art. I specialize in oil-based and water colour paintings. Nice to meet you."

The girl sketched a small bow, made somewhat awkward by the fact that she was still trying to keep a hold on not only her canvases, but bag and easel as well. Instinctively, Haruna reached out and took the easel from the girl, if only to keep her from dropping everything else.

"Thanks. I was trying to make it to the art building..."

"Oh! I'll walk you there then, you look like you need help." Haruna volunteered immediately. Thank goodness she had a free period. "My name is Iikubo Haruna by the way. 2nd year in History, specializing in Archaeology. It's really nice to meet you, Wada-san...ah--atchoo!"

"Oh dear, have you caught a cold?" Ayaka looked at her in concern, and Haruna nodded ruefully as they made their way across the courtyard towards the art building.

"I shouldn't have stayed up so late last night, but I really wanted to catch the meteor shower and fell asleep on the roof afterwards..."

"Oh! The Arietids right? I was up for that too!"

"Eh!? Wada-san likes astronomical observations too?"

"Mm! I look at the stars every night and pick out the constellations where I can!"

"Ohhhh! I do that too! Did you catch the solar eclipse 2 months ago?"

"Yes! It was only an annular though...the last total eclipse was 5 years ago. We won't see another in Japan for another 20 years..."

"Wow, you're really knowledgeable! No one else I know understands why I get up at strange hours to see these things!"

"I know right! But it's just so interesting! And do you know..."

The conversation continued unabated. If you had not known the girls previously, you would have thought them friends for years, not simply mere acquaintances. By the time they reached the art building, they were chatting like best friends.

"I have to go to class now..." Ayaka apologized as they halted in front of a studio. She smiled at her new friend. "It was really nice talking to you."

"It was really nice talking to you too." Haruna replied, handing the easel back to Ayaka and reaching to open the door to the studio for her. The art student stumbled through with thanks, and Haruna turned to leave with a smile on her face.

"Wait!" A minute later, a voice called out from behind her. Haruna turned.

Ayaka was jogging up to her, phone in hand. The art student seemed a little sheepish.

"The professor's not in yet." She said by way of explanation. The taller girl looked almost shy as she looked at Haruna.

"I was planning to go to the exhibition at the planetarium this weekend, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with?"

"The meteorite collection right? I was planning to go alone, but I'd be delighted to go with you!" Haruna gushed. Truly, a woman after her own heart!

They exchanged contact details, and would have chatted more had Ayaka not spotted her incoming professor from behind Haruna. Waving a hasty goodbye, the art student ran back to the studio with a bemused Haruna staring after her. This was turning out to be a wonderful day after all!

Then she sneezed. Oh right. She had to find a replacement for herself at work. Did Ikuta-kun reply yet? As if on cue, her phone beeped.

"Oh good, Ikuta-kun can cover for me! Now, to call Kamei-san..."

~*~*~

"Since I don't have to make dinner for Papa tonight, I might as well work huh? Lucky~" Erio hummed to himself as he tucked the envelope he just received from one of his father's informers into his bag. School was out, and he was already busy on her phone, fingers tapping rapidly on the screen as he texted different people consecutively.

Papa Ikuta was a former detective who went into business for himself, setting up his own private eye business following the passing of his wife several years ago. He did it mostly to give himself more flexibility to care for his son, who was still in elementary school at the time. As a single father, raising a child alone was not the easiest thing to do, and everyone at the station had understood his resignation at the time. Fortunately, Erio turned out to be quite capable, and indeed, one could argue that the son had wound up taking care of the father instead. At the tender age of ten, Erio was already learning how to take on the bulk of the household chores in order to spare his father from worrying about it (and him).

Given his former links to law enforcement, Papa Ikuta was quite well set up with contacts both on the legal and not-so-legal side. That helped with his private eye business, and within a few years he managed to drum up a certain amount of reputation. As his business expanded, he started becoming more selective about his cases due to the piling workload...a workload that eventually his son started sharing if only because the boy helped him file his cases away and had in the process picked up quite the curious streak. He could not be sure when he started unofficially training his son in the business, but as it turned out, Erio appeared to have quite a gift for sniffing out leads and networking with people. The boy had always seemed to be able to befriend anyone and everyone, a talent a good detective could build on. Before Papa Ikuta knew it, he was already capitalizing on his son's unexpected talents, sending him on minor errands that were quite safe, if only for the kid to build experience.

Erio enjoyed the challenge of it. Tracing leads and putting things together was a fun task. Most of the time he ended up dealing with smaller cases like missing pets, and his father paid him a case-by-case wage (which doubled as his allowance). It taught him to be self-sufficient, and he often held several part-time jobs when he had time to spare, since he did not want to be a burden on his father. Occasionally Papa Ikuta left Erio to follow up leads on smaller cases while he tackled the more urgent ones, like right now.

Erio grinned. Knowing people was a great thing. He had contacts of his own that even his father didn't have, mostly because he was in high school, and high school kids had their own network of information, albeit in limited circles. That interesting case his father left him just got more interesting, since he just noticed a possible link from some message boards frequented by high school students. How awesome would it be if he cracked a case without Papa's help? He would be so proud!

With that in mind, Erio whistled merrily as he started off towards the nearest supermarket. Time for some grocery shopping in the meantime. Never a moment to lose!

~*~*~

First things first, iroiro_tsuma-san...I hope it's not pretentious of me to say so, but trust your husband! He could really be busy with work. Maybe if it's difficult to say over the phone, send him an email about your concerns over your child? It's probably best not to accuse him of having an affair without proof in any case, and it might strain your relationship if you said anything rash. My boyfriend is often away for work too, and I learned that I had to trust him even though he's always around pretty girls at work. It's not easy, I understand, but do give him the benefit of the doubt!

Put your case to him clearly and make sure he knows that it's about your child. He could have been tired when you communicated with him the first time, and didn't pay enough attention to you. Don't worry excessively! It's probably the stress from worrying over your child that affected you as well. I hope that everything goes well for you, iroiro_tsuma-san. Good luck!


"So, you get jealous of the girls at work?"

"Well, Reina's always around cute girls. I mean, I'm the cutest and all, but what if you get tempted?"

"Pssht. So full of yourself!"

"You know you love me~"

"Yeah, whatever. Pretty girls, though...huh."

"Well, you did bring one home the other day...what else was I supposed to think?"

"Dammit Sayu, that's my cousin! My very underage cousin! Don't smirk like that, it gives me the creeps!"

"Pity she's all dressed up like a boy though. She has such a cute face! Ah~ If only I could have my way with her~"

"Hentai."

============================================================================


Hurrrr. Eripon centered chapter, with side focus on Harunan and introduction of Dawa! :D Wink wink nudge nudge. :P Did some research on meteor showers and eclipses and artists because I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THEM. Sorry if I got anything wrong, pulling shit out of my ass is what I do. XD Oh, if you wiki Arietids you can get a general timeframe for when the events are set as well~ I do things very deliberately sometimes. :D

Probably only Kuji will know who the I-sensei corner was about/from. XD To everyone else, yay private eye. :D I love Eripon! And herhis Papa too! :lol:

Not enough Tanashige, I admit. Hope that last bit in the end suffices for now~

Lalala~


P.S. So the title is Uwaki na Honey Pie. I giggled when I thought of it. For more than one reason. Honey~~~~

:lol:
Title: Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki no Honey Pie]
Post by: rndmnwierd on February 17, 2013, 09:33:40 PM
I have no clue who the I-sensei corner was about. :sweatdrop: But, but Eripon, yay~! I always love how you portray your characters, Eripon the private eye's daughter/protegee is so much win. And the non-sequitur from DawaHaruna was cute

Of course, gotta end with a bit of Tanashige, I love their relationship.

Title: Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki no Honey Pie]
Post by: Slack on February 18, 2013, 01:02:25 AM
Slack: Yeah I have a sheet where they list how all the MM and Berryz members address each other privately, but I'm short of C-ute and S/mileage...well, always time to learn! If you can find the link, I'd be very grateful!

Aha, found it.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AnYQCS8c5Y36dEVqaTlQV1V5MXM1ZmFCT3JOY2xzQUE
Title: Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki no Honey Pie]
Post by: Shiawase_Honoo on February 18, 2013, 04:06:11 PM
Wow~~~~! Quite a chap.! :wub:
Eripon, high-school student privated detective :inlove:

AyaHaru, the Lovey-Dovey of the year. XD
Just two of them, no one can understand what they are saying any. :lol:


PS. A person who have same ability (Friendly with any and everyone) as Eripon in S/mileage is Kananan. Also, she doesn't even had a fear of reptiles.
She usually makes colded atmosphere because of her Osaka-style humour sense. (5 members in S/mileage except herself were born in Kanto region.)
Kananan herself like to make fun, and little bit evil joke, but no harm. She just love laughing. :lol:

PPS. If you want to know more about S/mileage, you can contact me personally.

PPPS. I ROLFed so hard because of Rinapu~'s trolling. If I don't know her this much, I would end up with just jaw dropped. :rofl:

Darling~~ />w<)/
XD
Title: Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki no Honey Pie]
Post by: H!PShipper on February 18, 2013, 05:42:31 PM
Lmao pedo sayu XD
Detective Eripon
And Iikubo wada Rubu!!
But I can't for the love of me figure out who the heck the message is from. Im thinking it might be someone we haven't been introduced to yet, and its not really their husband but girlfriend, just like sayu calls reina her Boyfriend. I donno lol btw ive been lurking for a couple weeks but I'll try to comment from now on ^^
Title: Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki na Honey Pie]
Post by: XxRoByNxX78 on February 21, 2013, 05:35:16 PM
Sayu has great advice lol but who knew behind that cute face was a giant perv lol Reina better contain her  :lol: not much tanashige in this chap but i forgive you lol jelly Sayu is funny tho and Reina's cousin best be carefull around her and detective Eripon lol update soon
Title: Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki na Honey Pie]
Post by: Estrea on February 25, 2013, 03:40:38 PM
I'M BACK. Wow, this took a long time to write. The chapter, I mean. Been working at it in bits and pieces for the last couple of days. XD

rndy: It's ok rndy, all will be revealed in time ohohoho. Eripon is awesome, I know. XD I love Tanashige too!

Slack: Thanks for the chart! And watch as I proceed to ignore it in the next chapter BUT WITH GOOD REASON. :3 XD

Shiawase: Haha yup Eripon is amazing. And nope, AyaHaru is always in their own love-love world. :lol: I'll be sure to get in contact with you when S/mileage members start becoming more prominent in the story! AND THANK YOU FOR NOTICING, HONEY~ :lol:

H!PShipper: Welcome to my threads! Delurking is a good thing, join in the fun! But yes, the letter's from someone who hasn't formally shown up yet. :D As for the details...well, you'll find out, so stay tuned!

Robyn: Yeah, I love lolicon!Sayu. My favorite version of Sayu hehehe~


Time to edit and post! Big chapter this time!
Title: Re: Neighbours [18/02 - Ep 3: Uwaki na Honey Pie]
Post by: Estrea on February 25, 2013, 03:52:57 PM
Episode 4: Chu! Natsu Party!


The next message today is from ikemen_shoujo-san:

I-sensei konnichiwa! I'm writing in to thank you for your advice the last time. You're very welcome! It worked! But I'm not really sure how to keep it going since my cousin is so much older than me, and I really don't want to end up annoying her by bothering her all the time. That and my mother keeps trying to introduce me to "proper" company and I simply don't have the chance to go look my cousin up sometimes. What should I do?

Ahhh, thank you for writing in again! You seem like a very well-mannered young lady, ikemen_shoujo-san. Let's see what I can do to help this time...


~*~*~

"Ah, yabai! Sayu wants me to come back early today!"

Reina exclaimed to herself as she checked her watch. She had had to attend to something at the office earlier in the morning, but had gotten involved in a meeting. While she was not actually late (yet), she was cutting it a little close. Not to mention that her girlfriend had set several errands for her to fulfill. Definitely cutting it too close!

"Ugh, guess I have to take a taxi..." For someone as notoriously thrifty as Reina, such extravagance was to be reserved for the most dire of circumstances. While this wasn't quite life and death, displeasing one's girlfriend is still an unpleasant prospect. Reina really didn't want to get thrown out to sleep on the couch. She liked their bed a lot, thank you very much.

The occasion which she absolutely could not miss, of course, was their own housewarming party. It was originally going to be a small, intimate affair involving Sayu's older sister and of course Eri. But her dear girlfriend had also (un)fortunately befriended some of their neighbours, which meant that the guest list had more than doubled. Then again, considering the original size of their guest list, perhaps that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Besides, Reina kind of liked parties. Sometimes.

After several moments of frantic shopping (she could be fast on her feet when the occasion demanded!), Reina decided herself sufficiently armed to face an extended inspection by her girlfriend. Thank goodness Eri had offered to help provide the food. Sayu could be a chronic worrier at times, and Reina was secretly grateful for the turtle's presence to ground her girlfriend with. Left to her own devices, Sayu would probably give herself an internal hemorrhage from excessive fussing. Lord knows Reina loved her girl dearly, but Sayu could be really picky sometimes!

The taxi ride home was uneventful, save for that one moment when Reina thought they were going to end up in a flaming fireball due to the driver obviously thinking that he was in Initial D. Seriously, while she did offer him extra to get to their destination by a certain time, that did not mean she wanted to reach it in a casket!

Eventually she did manage to arrive in one piece, if in a slightly green state. Lugging all the drinks took all her arm power and then some, and Reina briefly contemplated calling her girlfriend for help.

"Maa, it's just a few steps. Yosh!"

With a grunt, Reina trudged up the sidewalk and turned into the lobby after nodding at the security guard at his post. There were a couple of other residents also waiting at the lobby, though there was no one familiar to Reina. Not surprising, since she didn't make a point of socializing the way Sayu did. That and with the amount of time she spent at work, Reina occasionally felt guilty about neglecting Sayu. Even though they were technically living together now, she felt like they still didn't see enough of each other. With that niggling at her, she had tried her best to wrangle a few days off from her manager. She really wanted to spend quality time with her girlfriend, dammit!

It was a bit of a squeeze getting into the elevator with all the people while clutching to her bags, and Reina found herself getting annoyed. An inconsiderate person shuffled around in their spot, inadvertently pushing back on Reina, forcing her sideways into another stranger. She hated coming into contact with strangers!

"Excuse me..." She muttered mutinously to the person she bumped into. The only thing she noticed about that person was an oddly familiar looking silver wristwatch that went well with the rest of her business attire. Even as she was wondering where she had seen it, the stranger gasped softly.

"LovendoЯ's Tanaka Reina!?"

Oh shit. Even with sunglasses and a beret pulled on, it seemed like someone managed to recognize her anyway. Reina growled, glaring up at the big mouthed stranger, then stopped.

"...Reporter Charmy?"

The elevator went silent. Then the floor indicator blinked to her floor, the doors opening with a ding! In unspoken accord, the two celebrities made a hasty exit before things got any more awkward.

Reporter Charmy, otherwise known as Ishikawa Rika, couldn't believe herself. What was the Tanaka Reina doing here? With all these groceries? Was she visiting a boyfriend? Was this a potential scoop? Oh, the excitement!

Reina was at a loss for words. She admired Reporter Charmy, being the television addict she was, so it was kind of strange to see the woman up close. Still, she had mixed feelings seeing a reporter so close to home. Privacy, wherefore art thou? She was going to have to be more careful now...can't have the world finding out she was living with her girlfriend, after all!

It was then, to the (dis)satisfaction of both parties, when they found out that not only were they neighbours, but that Rika was also invited to the housewarming party thrown by the Tanaka-Michishige household, along with her girlfriend, a certain Yoshizawa Hitomi...

"So that's where I've seen that watch before!"

"...no scoop? Dammit. A scoop I can't report!"

~*~*~

"Kanon-chan~ You're not off work yet?" A long haired girl whined to her best friend as she scuffed the floor with her shoe. A full table of snacks and pastries were arrayed before her. Half the plates were already empty. The girl's tongue flicked out and licked the crumbs off her fork.

"Not yet, I have a last batch to finish and then send off! And Riho-chan! How are you going to finish all those!?" Suzuki Kanon, on a rare break outside the kitchen, scolded her gluttonous roommate. The cat-like high school girl grinned impishly, sticking the fork into her mouth.

"I'll be fine~ Maa, if I can't finish, I can always invite the rest of the staff to help me out~ Ne, Ikuta-san?"

"With pleasure~ Oh, and you can just call me Erio! You're that Sayashi Riho Kanon-chan always talks about, right? Pleased to meet'cha! Do you mind if I call you Riho?"

The cheerful waiter stopped by Riho's already full table, delivering a new bottle of lime soda. So far, there were already two empty bottles, one orange and one apple. Erio deftly cleared those with a flourish, smiling charmingly at Riho. Riho seemed a little taken aback by the boy's forwardness. Though she didn't look like it, she was quite shy by nature and it had taken weeks of Kanon-chan nagging at her to stop cooping herself up in their room to study and actually get some fresh air. Naturally, Riho had found herself gravitating straight to where she knew her best friend and roommate would be.

"Erio-kun? Hmmm..." Riho pursed her lips, then snapped her fingers in remembrance. "Ah! You're that ikemen-kun Kanon-chan was talki--mmpfrgh!!"

Kanon had one hand clamped over Riho's mouth, glaring down at her gagging best friend. Riho turned innocent eyes up at her, flailing in an attempt to explain herself without being able to talk. Erio seemed amused by the byplay between the two girls, shifting the tray he was holding onto his other arm. He flashed his most winning grin at them.

"Now ladies, I'm sure there's more than enough of me to go around..."

Riho broke out of Kanon's grip to roll her eyes dramatically at the flirtatious boy. "Oh please, I barely know you." She eyed him from the top of his streaked blonde hair to the bottom of his black leather shoes. "Flashy...I don't dislike it though. You get points for being Kanon-chan's friend." Riho shot the boy a smug smirk of her own. "But you have a long way to go to impress me, boy."

Erio returned the scrutiny with one of his own. What? He was never one to back down from a challenge, especially not one from a cute girl. Giving her a deliberate once over -- and noticing that she seemed to shrink a little under the scrutiny, though she did keep her chin lifted proudly -- he let his eyes travel down from her glossy straight hair that fell around her shoulders, the pink straps of her dress peeking through the curls. The lacy one piece she was wearing did not hug her curves too tightly, but didn't hide her figure either. She appeared innocent and cute without being excessively childish, and there was some maturity written in around those eyes. Riho's eyes narrowed a little when she noticed Erio's eyes lingering a bit longer around around her chest, and she shifted to make it less prominent. Not that she was anywhere near as well endowed as Kanon-chan, but it didn't make her comfortable to have anyone staring at it either!

Erio raised a hand in mock surrender at the gesture. He pointed at the charm necklace around her neck instead.

"I was just looking at that. Did you get it off the net?" He named a couple of indie labels off the web, and Riho nodded cautiously, her reserve melting slightly as Erio launched into a slight tangent to engage her in conversation. It worked, and when Riho cracked a smile at something funny Erio said, the boy suddenly grinned.

"So, how much do I rank on that scale of yours now?"

Riho rolled her eyes again. "Not enough, you can stick to calling me Sayashi-san for now."

"Aw, don't be a spoilsport Riho!"

"That's Sayashi to you."

"Scrooge."

"Casanova."

"I prefer Romeo, actually."

"Well, I'm not your Juliet."

"Damn."

Kanon watched the back and forth between her best friend and her suave colleague. On one hand, she was glad that Riho-chan was out and about and actually talking to people, rather than being buried under her books the whole time. The girl literally had no life outside of school and studying, so it was nice to see that she was clicking with the hyper-social Erio. It had taken her quite a while to crack Riho's shell when they first met, and it was only now that Kanon realized how good a job she managed. Riho was effectively flirting with Erio, though the girl didn't seem to realize it herself at all, and Kanon wasn't sure how she felt about that.

She was broken out of her reverie when Erio sauntered up to her with that cocky grin of his still firmly in place. Kanon instinctively took a half step back and ducked her head to avoid meeting the taller boy's gaze, suddenly finding the hem of her apron very interesting. Erio casually slung one arm around Kanon's shoulders, leading them towards the kitchens as he expertly balanced his full tray on the other arm.

"You still have that big order from Kamei-san, don't you? I'll help out."

"T-thanks, Erio-kun."

"S'all good. Can't let my Kanon-chan do everything alone after all!"

Kanon smiled gratefully up at the boy, who returned it just as warmly, though with a playful wink at the end as he detached himself from her to drop off the empty glasses and bottles. With a small sigh, she shrugged off the sudden mood that had overcome her, focusing back on work. Time to get busy!

~*~*~

"Uso! You're a real celebrity!"

"Didn't you say the same thing when you first met Ishikawa-san?"

"Down to the facial expressions and everything. I have it on video too."

"Ai-chan! You're mean!"

Reina watched the back and forth between the gaggle of girls next to the kitchen counter, feigning only the politest of interests. She was holding a bottle of her favourite vegetable juice, and was contemplating going for something stronger. She hated having her home invaded by strangers, but since this made Sayu happy, she would grit her teeth and bear it. Just this once.

Eri had been the one to introduce Takahashi Ai and Niigaki Risa to her, and it had been Niigaki who had the classic "OMG you're a celebrity!" moment, much to the amusement of the other two. Takahashi had simply greeted her normally, with a slightly apologetic air for her friend as well. Reina nodded a tad stiffly, turning around to look for her missing girlfriend. What she saw made her grind her teeth together irritably.

"Ne, Reina-chan, if you squeeze that bottle any harder, it's going to explode on you."

The friendly voice of Sayu's sister interrupted her annoyed gaze, and Reina turned back to look up at Michishige Sayuri. Both Michishige sisters were taller than her, of course, and that didn't bother her too much. Besides, she genuinely liked the older Michishige sister as well, even if she was kind of an airhead sometimes.

"You want anything to drink? I'll mix up something for you." Sayuri was their unofficial bartender for tonight. The Michishige women were notorious for their alcohol tolerance, and Sayu's elder sister had volunteered to be in charge of the bar for the day, even bringing in her own stash for the party.

"Why not?" Reina, on the other hand, was a bit of a lightweight with alcohol, a fact that Sayu had discovered early on. In fact, that had been the main reason how their relationship got a much-needed jumpstart. There might have been tears, slurs, and some drunken groping involved. Needless to say it was all very dramatic and part of why both of them technically disagreed over just when exactly their real anniversary date was. It was all rather complicated, but at least it eventually worked out in the end.

"Sayumi's a little flighty, but she does love you very much." Sayuri murmured as she mixed up something mild for her sister's girlfriend. She knew Reina wasn't a strong drinker, and so took appropriate precautions. Couldn't have one of the hosts passing out so early in the evening. That would be somewhat embarrassing.

"Sure." Reina grumped, taking a sip from the cup proffered to her. "Then why is she flirting with Tall and Dashing over there?"

"I don't think flirting is the right word, Reina." Eri drifted over with a glass of her own in her hand. "Ishikawa-san is right there, and if Sayu's still in one piece it means she definitely isn't flirting with Yoshizawa-san."

"Reporter Charmy doesn't look that scary."

Eri shot her a look. "You don't want to know. Trust me, you really don't want to know."

"But who would have thought there would be so many lesbians out here? What's their story?" Reina jerked her head in the direction of Takahashi and Niigaki, who were chatting and eating with the relaxed air of an old married couple. Eri suppressed a cough.

"They'renotactuallydating...or so Gaki-san says. Ai-chan doesn't seem to worry about the details that much..." They watched in relative silence as Ai yawned and rested her head on Risa's shoulder. The younger of the two didn't react at the gesture, shifting only a little to make sure the older was comfortable. Reina smirked.

"Not dating my ass."

"You don't have an ass, darling." Came Sayumi's sugary sweet voice from behind, the taller girl leaning down to peck at Reina's cheek affectionately. Reina growled, digging her elbow back on reflex, but she was already smiling.

"Says you, Ms. Ironing Board."

"Sometimes I can't tell that they love each other." Eri stage whispered to the elder Michishige, who only giggled. Sayumi wrapped her arms loosely around the previously-sulky Reina from behind, whispering something that made the tiny yankii scowl in mock annoyance.

"But sometimes we can." Sayuri murmured. Her baby sister squealed when her tiny girlfriend twisted around and pulled her down onto her lap, her milk-white skin flushing as Reina whispered something back. Their eyes met, and it was as if they did not notice the world around them.

"I almost feel like I'm intruding..." Eri averted her eyes, letting her gaze fall upon where the Yoshizawa-Ishikawa couple were mingling with the Takahashi-Niigaki pair. There were a few other residents from the floor who were drifting around the pot-luck party table, and everyone appeared to be at least enjoying themselves.

"Drink for you?" Sayuri suggested smoothly, and Eri was about to accept when the door bell rang. Glancing over at the couple who were ostensibly hosting the party, Eri shrugged and decided to answer it herself. After all, what were best friends for?

~*~*~

"Sorry to make you come along with me, Riho-chan..."

Kanon apologized to her best friend, who shrugged as best as she could while carrying a platter wrapped in aluminium foil before her.

"Well I probably need to work off the calories from earlier anyway." Riho joked easily, careful not to tip the platter as she walked. "Besides, I haven't come out into town since term started, and this is a weekend!"

"You could have gone downtown instead of visiting me at the cafe." Kanon shot a glance at her sometimes-incomprehensible roommate. Riho grinned.

"And miss all the amazing snacks? No way!!"

"Erio-kun's right, I have no idea how you manage to eat so much and stay so slim. One day your metabolism is going to slow down, and I will laugh when it happens."

Riho looked horrified at the mere thought, and Kanon enjoyed a laugh at the girl's expense. Riho did manage to finish almost everything she ordered earlier on her own, though she did also invite the rest of the staff to share with her tea-time. Or early dinner. Kanon could not be sure.

Riho recovered from her shock to start grinning strangely all of a sudden, and she bumped a shoulder into Kanon's, almost making the slightly shorter girl stagger.

"What?"

"Say, about your ikemen-kun..."

"I can't believe you said that in front of him! Honestly, Riho-chan!"

Riho did not look very sorry. If anything, her grin got broader.

"He is kind of cute. Is that why you like him?"

Kanon gaped like a fish for a second or two, and very briefly considered whacking Riho with the boxes she was carrying. That smirk was getting on her nerves, and irritation, NOT embarrassment, was fuelling the red on her cheeks.

"Erio-kun's just a friend. It's not what you think, Riho-chan!"

"Reaaaaally. Sure, be that way. We'll see." The cat-faced girl let the matter drop, but the smug look never quite vanished from her face. Kanon heaved a sigh. Where did that stoic girl she first met disappear off to? And the worst part of this? She probably only had herself to blame.

The walk from Kame-ya (the cafe) was not particularly long, but it wasn't a short one either, and both girls were glad to see their destination after a good 20 minutes or so.

"Let's see the address...ah, here it is!" Kanon doublechecked the note she brought with her, and took the lead confidently after confirming the details. Riho trailed behind her, looking around with apparent curiosity.

"Hmm...this is it, I think?" Kanon stopped at the door, checking the note again to be sure. Once confirmed, she rang the door bell. A minute or so later, the door opened with a smiling Kamei Eri at it.

"Suzuki-chan! You made it it in time I see!"

"Hai, Kamei-san! Pastries and desserts as requested!" Kanon hefted the two boxes she was carrying, and Riho shuffled a bit closer to her friend with the tray. Eri's eyes fell on her.

"And who's this?"

"Ah, this is my friend from school, Sayashi Riho-chan. Riho-chan, this is Kamei-san, my boss."

"Very nice to meet you, Kamei-san." Riho bowed precisely at the correct degree, somehow managing to keep her balance perfect even with the tray in the way.

"And the same to you. Now girls, come on in and put these inside!" Eri stepped out of the way, shooing the two high school students in. Riho and Kanon looked around curiously before being showed where to place their burdens. Kanon gave Riho precise instructions on what to do, since the rich girl obviously had never worked a day in her life. At least she could follow basic instructions which mostly involved staying out of the way; with Riho helping Kanon hold on to her things while the capable 15 year old laid everything out to perfection.

As Riho stood obediently by the table quietly watching the people mingling around the apartment, someone bumped into her from behind, almost making her drop what she was holding.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Riho turned around to apologize as well. There was an awkward pause as the younger girl cocked her head to one side, uncertain if her apology had been accepted. The slightly taller woman was staring at her in a way that made her feel slightly uncomfortable, and Riho shifted uneasily on her feet.

"Ah, Sayu~ Meet my employee and her friend!" Eri leapt to the rescue unknowingly, gesturing at Kanon and Riho as she stood beside the still frozen Sayumi.

"Ah...how...nice..." Sayumi murmured, her eyes still fixated on a clearly jumpy Riho. "Do introduce us."

"That's Suzuki-chan over there, she's my pastry chef. And you're...what was it again..."

"I'm Sayashi Riho. I'm just helping Kanon-chan out today." Riho bowed quickly, biting her lip uncertainly though she kept the rest of her face neutral.

Sayumi plastered on a broad smile. "Why don't you girls stick around for a while? This is a party after all, and I'm sure you would want a break after bringing all those things over."

"Is that really alright?" Kanon had finished with her setting up, and was now standing next to Riho. The two girls looked over at Eri, who shrugged.

"Hey, the host has spoken. Suzuki-chan, have you taken your break yet? Who's back at the cafe?"

"Ah, Er--I mean Ikuta-san's running the floor with Takagi-san and Uemura-san. Kanazawa-san took over my place in the kitchen. And no, I haven't taken my break yet, it was busy in the afternoon and I had to rush this order..." Kanon looked a bit sheepish. Eri nodded.

"You might as well take your break here then. I'll give them a call back at the shop. You're closing today, right?"

"Yes! Thank you very much, Kamei-san!"

"Kanon-chan, why didn't you say something? I would have saved some food for you earlier!" Riho scolded her best friend, who only chuckled awkwardly.

"Are you two still students?" Sayumi interjected smoothly, turning her best charming smile at the girls. Without even so much as a ring of doom, a conversation was struck up between the two high school girls and Michishige Sayumi, lolicon-in-denial.

~*~*~

At some point Yoshizawa might have ended up in an arm wrestling contest with Tanaka, and Ishikawa sought refuge by the bar counter, striking up an instant camaraderie with the older Michishige over the appreciation of good alcohol. Takahashi might have wandered over to join the younger Michishige in cooing over the cute little party crashers, and Kamei was busily swapping lame jokes with Niigaki over pie and shochu. Everyone else (not that many, really) milled around aimlessly, chatting among themselves.

Eventually Sayashi found herself alone and cornered by Michishige the Younger, her buddy nowhere in sight. A desperate text SOS only delivered a terse apology in return. The girl swallowed nervously, the hairs on her arm standing on end for no obvious reason, save maybe for that oldest of instincts, self-preservation...

~*~*~

"...so I was telling that guy to take his stinking foot out of his big mouth and shove it up his goddamn ass, and he was like 'Ishikawa...'"

"Sayu doesn't love me!"

"Don't fuckin' interrupt me, chibi."

"She only loves me cos I'm small!"

Michishige the Older had to remove the bottle of whiskey from the counter before Ishikawa could use it to clobber the obviously smashed Tanaka, who was blubbering into her beer. Then she turned to check that her cellphone was still on and recording. On a whim, she whipped out her portable charger and hooked it up. Couldn't have her phone dying on her halfway through recording blackmail material!

~*~*~

"Ai-chan, you need to stop drinking."

"Why can't I~ This is good~ You want some too, Risa-chaaannnn?"

"Stop that! Wait, what are you doing, Ai-chan! That's not...!"

"Ehehehe, Risa kawaii!"

"Stop it! Ai-chan!"

~*~*~

"Yoshizawa-san~ Are you having fun so far?"

"Pretty good, Shige-chan! Great drink selection by the way!"

"Ano....have you seen a cute little girl about yay high around?"

"Nope, been watching TV."

"Oh...thanks..."

A few seconds later, Yoshizawa moved her legs off the coffee table, shifting them so a terrified Sayashi could crawl out from underneath.

"Thanks..."

"Any time, kid."

~*~*~

"So I was like BAM! IN YER FACE, MUTHAFUCKA! and then..."

"Risa-chan doesn't love me!"

"No one interrupts the ISHIKAWA!"

Tanaka clapped gleefully as Ishikawa bullrushed the obviously buzzed Takahashi, who was hugging a bottle of Umeshu to her chest while bemoaning her unloved state in full operatic aria. Michishige the Older was taking bets with one hand and dealing crack, I mean, alcohol, with the other. Yoshizawa had to rescue her colleague from her girlfriend's chokehold, which prompted another dramatic scene where Takahashi sang, tearfully, Desdemona's final lines in Shakespeare's Othello verbatim while swooning in Yoshizawa's arms.

"Do you smell...what the ISHIKAWA is cooking?"

"Kyaaa! Ishikawa-sama!"

~*~*~

"Sayashi-chan~ ♪ Found you~ ♪♪"

"Eep!"

~*~*~

"What if Sayu dumps me for a younger girl?"

"Then you break her fuckin' legs and show her WHO'S BOSS!"

"What if she doesn't love me anymore?"

"Are you questioning me, chibi!"

"Is it because I'm getting old?"

"And that's Ishikawa-sama to you."

"Why doesn't Sayu love me anymore, Ishikawa-sama?" 

"Better."

~*~*~

"Thanks for helping me carry Ai-chan home, Yoshizawa-san..."

"You're welcome. I better get back before Rika breaks anything else..."

"People or furniture?"

"Just be happy that it's only bruises on Ai-chan this time."

"Oh, I am."

~*~*~

"Oi, what the fu---what's a damn brat doing under the table?"

Frantic shushing signs and eyes on the verge of mental breakdown persuaded Tanaka to keep her silence. For all of 2 seconds. Which happened to be enough, as Michishige the Younger swept by with all the grace of a typhoon. Ishikawa slung down another shot of whiskey neat as Sayashi peeked out like a terrified bunny between the two drunkards.

"Atten--HUT! Brat! What is your favourite drink!"

"Eh?! Uh...um...it's cider, ma'am..."

"Louder!"

"Cider!"

"ONE. MORE. TIME. With FEELING!"

"CIDEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!"

~*~*~

Tanaka was face down in a puddle of juice. At least something that looked like juice. Ishikawa blinked owlishly at the nervously sweating Sayashi, who was wondering if it might have been safer to stay with the lolicon...

"You like cider you say?"

"Hai, Ishikawa-sama."

"Do you want cider?"

"Thank you, but not really, Ishikawa-sama..."

"I said, DO YOU WANT CIDER?"

"No...I mean, yes....Ishikawa-sama."

"Good girl. Ore-sama will give you cider. This is good cider. This is ice cider from America. Take it. Love it. FEEL IT."

"Hai, Ishikawa-sama..."

~*~*~

"Otsukare, senpai..."

"Hey, take a look at this."

"What about the cameras?"

"Someone's been loitering outside the gate for the last hour or so. Some young punk."

"Should I go chase him away?"

"Nah, let's just put a call in to the police box. We pay tax for a reason!"

~*~*~

"You're still here?"

"Ah, you're that nice onee-chan from earlier. Thanks for letting me hide..."

"Dammit, you need to go. It's way past your bedtime, kid."

"But the door..."

"Shit, Shige-chan's coming. Quick, fire escape now!"

"Hai! Oh, could you return this to Ishikawa-sama please?"

"Sure, now get a move on!"

Yoshizawa only just managed to shove Sayashi out through the fire escape when Michishige the Younger came in, and covered her presence in that area by lifting the bottle the kid had handed her to her lips. The bunny eyed her suspiciously for a moment, then flounced away. Yoshizawa sighed, lowering the bottle, then froze and stared down at it.

"Wait a minute, this is..."

~*~*~

At the bottom of the fire escape, a 16 year old girl leapt from the ladder, landed perfectly, and then tottered forward with a silly grin on her face.

"It's really warm tonight....hic..."

~*~*~

Have you ever sat down and spoken to your mother, ikemen_shoujo-san? Sometimes if you have a proper conversation with her about what is going on in your life, misunderstandings can get cleared up. Your parents aren't mind readers, so you need to give them a chance to understand you! I understand it's really difficult now since parents sometimes don't give us a chance since they think they know best, but you need to show that you can be mature too!

As for your cousin, well, start slow and maybe text her first before you go looking? I'm sure she'll make time for you when she can, ikemen_shoujo-san! Good luck, and I hope to hear good news from you next time you write in!



"Sayu, do you still love me?"

"Reina! I saw the cutest girl just now!"

"You don't love me..."

"She has the most beautiful hair I've ever seen...!"

"Sayu doesn't love me anymore..."

"And when she smiles it's soooo cute, just like a hamster!"

"Is it because I'm getting old?"

"I wish we could adopt her!"

"Is it the wrinkles? Do I have wrinkles?"

"Oh Reina..."


=================================================================================


Yay alcohol. All hail Ishikawa-sama! I borrowed grac's drunk!Rika for lulz. I hope I did her justice!

What Ai-chan sang while drunk: O, falsely, falsely murder'd! / A guiltless death I die. / Nobody; I myself. Farewell / Commend me to my kind lord: O, farewell! -- from the final act of Othello. :lol:

I hope Riho made it home safe...heh. XD

I hope everyone likes the chapter bwahahahahaha.
Title: Re: Neighbours [25/02 - Ep 4: Chu! Natsu Party]
Post by: Shiawase_Honoo on February 25, 2013, 05:31:44 PM
I...I can't breath...really...I... XD
I can't leave any comment for this chap :lol:

You're not only bring S/mileage into your fiction, but also some members of Juice=Juice. Sayube-, Aarii, and Kanatomo (TTvTT

I hope RihoRiho can reach to her dorm safely. By the way, where's Kanon-chan? XD
Title: Re: Neighbours [25/02 - Ep 4: Chu! Natsu Party]
Post by: rokun on February 25, 2013, 10:28:31 PM
^ I was wondering where Kanon-chan too :lol: She seemed to have disappeared after Sayu appropriated her RihoRiho... Some defender she is. :P

The last part certainly wound up a bit more random than I was expecting lol, but it was funny. Poor Duu, getting arrested again for loitering/trespassing (if I spotted it right XD)... We did kind of leave off right when the party was winding down, but not quite at its end yet, so it'd be interesting to hear how the night turned out for everyone. XD Maybe next episode will be the next morning?

Oh, Ishikawa-sama is scary XD and poor unloved Ai-chan and Reina... You know what that means, they should take refuge in each other *nudge nudge* XD XD XD no... please don't do that in this story >.>; lol (though that doesn't necessarily mean I can't....  :ph43r: )
Title: Re: Neighbours [25/02 - Ep 4: Chu! Natsu Party]
Post by: H!PShipper on February 26, 2013, 02:45:03 AM
Lmao hilarious omg
Drunk Rika is amazing?
Drunk anyone is amazing, really. Lol
I was thinking that the person who write last time was Rika but I'm not too sure, Yoshi doesn't seem to travel or anything. Anyway, this was fun and enjoyable to read. Great job. I'm a huge TakaGaki fan so I really like just the little interactions between them in this chapter. Hopefully you'll show more of them cause I love a Dense/blind to love Risa anyday lmao
Title: Re: Neighbours [25/02 - Ep 4: Chu! Natsu Party]
Post by: rndmnwierd on February 26, 2013, 03:08:55 AM
OMG why won't this grin go away?  :lol:

I love this chapter in every way possible. I love how it starts off all coherent, then, as the alcohol gets passed around, even the chapter itself gets more crazy and random. Does that make any sense? I'm not even sure if you meant it that way, but still. XD

But wait...
Quote
"Someone's been loitering outside the gate for the last hour or so. Some young punk."

"Should I go chase him away?"

"Nah, let's just put a call in to the police box. We pay tax for a reason!"
Duu? XD Oh god, I had just gotten myself under control, too. XD :lol:
Title: Re: Neighbours [25/02 - Ep 4: Chu! Natsu Party]
Post by: XxRoByNxX78 on February 28, 2013, 10:31:26 PM
Sayu u pedo lol chasing after Riho!!!  :lol: :lol:

Ha Charmy has a story she cant report coz if she does it will back fire lol

AI-CHAN YOU ARE SO DENSE JUST GET WITH GAKI!!!

Tanashige finally lol i seriously wanna know more about their highschool days together plus i wanna know about some of Reina's old friends lol an how rebliouse her and her friends were lol

Tanashige are so cute together lol

nice update cant wait till you update next
Title: Re: Neighbours [25/02 - Ep 4: Chu! Natsu Party]
Post by: yunagi on March 09, 2013, 03:41:19 PM
Crap. I have absolutely no excuse. How could I miss all this updates?

Anyway… All 3 Rokkies are afraid of Rika? o.O I did not know that.

KameShige together always equals cuteness. They’ve just got the best friends forever role down. What’s cuter than two grade school best friends handing out? It’s KameShige hanging out, plus there’s a higher percentage that it’ll end up in a lol fest.

Quote
"Ch! Cheeky brat. Living with that girlfriend of yours must have rubbed off on you." Yossy grabbed her coat even as Ai shook her head behind the taller woman.

"We're not like that..."
Love Yossie’s comeback but what really got my attention was Ai’s response. That last part sounds interesting.

Quote
"Whatever. That Gaki needs to get a clue, seriously. How long have you guys been together-but-not-together?"

"Only since high school." 
Ouch. Either Risa friendzoned Ai by acting oblivious or Risa’s actually oblivious. Either way Ai’s gotta do something about this. I want TakaGaki happening.

Quote
"You have the patience of a saint." Yossy rolled her eyes. "I'm surprised you haven't jumped her by now."
Lol. If there was someone as irresistible as Gaki living in with me I woulda turned long ago. That girl really got herself together… I say give it a little more time, she’ll crack sooner or later.

Quote
...you can always make it up to me some other time, like..."
Like… oh yeah !@#$%^&*()_$%!@*%^*... Yeah, that sounds nice

Quote
I'll be able to see her more often after the season's over in any case. Guess I'll just whip up something simple and comfort myself with ice cream while watching her on TV again later..."
That’s got to be one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard. I think Ai’s together-but-not-in-a-relationship-together’s better than Yossie’s in-a-relationship-but-it-doesn’t-seem-like-it-together.

Quote
"As I said earlier, we're not dating. And who knows, maybe this time Risa will figure out that she wants to spend time alone with me instead of sharing."
Oh God. xD But if you put it that way.. it could work.

Quote
"I'm telling you! I'm innocent! You got the wrong person!"

"Yeah yeah, that's what they all say, boy."

"I'm a girl, dammit!"
Poor Kudou, girl can’t seem to get a break. There she is minding her own business, having nothing in her mind but going home. Then faith intervenes and decided that ‘this is boring’ and makes her think ‘hey why not take the time going home and use this alternate route instead?’ Next thing she knew someone hits her, runs away, then another helps her up. Cop rides by and it’s hello grey cell.

Well one things for sure, she certainly have the yankii image. Cops were bound to suspect her one way of another. She’s got to do something about her timing. xD

Quote
"Older relative. Related. Guardian-ly. I swear."
Guardian-ly. Sounds legit. xD I think I know who this “relative” is, if my research was in anyway  correct, if I’m right then this is going to be one hell of a meeting.

Night out, people’s response to doing anything requiring physical/mental labor without a satisfying reward.

Quote
"But I miss her..." Sayumi pouted, making Eri roll her eyes and pretend to gag. Really, the turtle sometimes found it amazing how the two went from outright rivalry in their high school days to their disgustingly saccharine married couple lovey-doveyness now. 
Yeah, how did that happen? O.o

Quote
Reina~ When are you coming home? Hehe...home...sounds sooooo good to say that...
Sounds like something a school girl would say.  Well it was definitely cute. So Sayu-poi.

Haha… looks like Kudou took the ‘ask for help’ advice. Not really something a person would expect after having no contact with a kin for a while, but it’s something.

Missing scene… I smell a little school-girl crush. The next time she wants to see the girl maybe she should actively go looking for trouble. ;)

Police station:

Reunion at the precinct, at least it wasn’t in a jail cell.

Worst thing to do when you’re around cops it to argue with them. Ain’t never gonna end in a good note. Then again if you got something to back you up.. then let ‘er rip.

Quote
Sometimes she still got carded trying to buy alcohol at places, which was both immensely flattering and highly annoying at the same time.
Can’t say I know how it feels, I was the complete opposite.

Quote
"I knew it! You must have disappeared to raise a kid! There's no other reason!"

Quote
"The brat's an exact copy of you! I bet you don't even know who the father is, do you?" 
Oh God!  :rofl:

 
Quote
"You two do look alike..." More laughing, then Sayu straightened and put on her most wounded expression.

"Reina, how could you?! I thought you loved me!"

"Oi! Not you too!"
DOOD!!! This exchange just gave me a whiplash. Ouch my neck, but I can’t stop laughing. *teary eyed*

Chapter 3

Ikuta Erina Detective in the making… it has a nice ring to it. But it kinda clashes with her being KY, which makes it all the more interesting.

Haruna Ayaka convo.. I couldn’t understand a thing they were saying… but it’s cute that they understood each other. Kinda like having a conversation in another language that only the other could understand. But from what I can see it looks like they’ve got a lot in common. Maybe something to build on. :D

Quote
"Well, Reina's always around cute girls. I mean, I'm the cutest and all, but what if you get tempted?"
Lol Sayumi’s the cutes of them all. This is why I like Sayu so much.

Quote
"Pity she's all dressed up like a boy though. She has such a cute face! Ah~ If only I could have my way with her~"
Hentai!!! No wait Pedo!!!!  :lol:

I wonder who  the sender was… looks like a job for Eripon! xD

Sorry it’s kinda short, I’m not yet familiar with the new girls.

Chapter 4
Quote
… While this wasn't quite life and death, displeasing one's girlfriend is still an unpleasant prospect. Reina really didn't want to get thrown out to sleep on the couch. She liked their bed a lot, thank you very much.
And she’ll miss hogging the blankets so that she gets more cuddle time with Sayu ;)

Quote
Left to her own devices, Sayu would probably give herself an internal hemorrhage from excessive fussing.
Well it’s a good thing Eri’s their neighbor.

Quote
The taxi ride home was uneventful, save for that one moment when Reina thought they were going to end up in a flaming fireball due to the driver obviously thinking that he was in Initial D. Seriously, while she did offer him extra to get to their destination by a certain time, that did not mean she wanted to reach it in a casket!
  :rofl: guess next time she’ll better watch what she says.

Quote
It was a bit of a squeeze getting into the elevator with all the people while clutching to her bags, and Reina found herself getting annoyed.
Reminded me off “People, people, people… wow, wow, party! party!”  XD It’s honestly the first thing that popped into my mind.

Quote
"...no scoop? Dammit. A scoop I can't report!"
Not if she wanted to be found out too. Oh the woes of a reporter.

Quote
Despite Riho's deceptively slim figure, the fact that the girl had also polished off all those pastries on her own within the last hour while idly finishing her homework at the same time spoke of an enormous appetite. Eripon raised an eyebrow. Where did all that food go?
Just like my sister. Seriously where do all those food go to?  :?

Quote
"Uso! You're a real celebrity!"
Gaki-san, there’s no mistaking this.

Quote
Reina nodded a tad stiffly, turning around to look for her missing girlfriend. What she saw made her grind her teeth together irritably.
Oh, little kitty’s jealous.  What’d she see?

Quote
"Sure." Reina grumped, taking a sip from the cup proffered to her. "Then why is she flirting with Tall and Dashing over there?"
Should’ve known…

Quote
In fact, that had been the main reason how their relationship got a much-needed jumpstart. There might have been tears, slurs, and some drunken groping involved. Needless to say it was all very dramatic and part of why both of them technically disagreed over just when exactly their real anniversary date was. It was all rather complicated, but at least it eventually worked out in the end.
Cheers to alcohol. See it solves problems.. though it almost always does make another one.

Quote
"Reporter Charmy doesn't look that scary."

Eri shot her a look. "You don't want to know. Trust me, you really don't want to know."
I wanna know! I gats ta know!

Quote
"They'renotactuallydating...or so Gaki-san says. Ai-chan doesn't seem to worry about the details that much..." They watched in relative silence as Ai yawned and rested her head on Risa's shoulder. The younger of the two didn't react at the gesture, shifting only a little to make sure the older was comfortable.
TakaGaki love!!! :heart:

Quote
"I almost feel like I'm intruding..." Eri averted her eyes, letting her gaze fall upon where the Yoshizawa-Ishikawa couple were mingling with the Takahashi-Niigaki pair.

Couples, couples everywhere. It’s kinda like Valentine’s day… makes every single person aware of the fact that well… they’re single.

Quote
"Eri-chan's right, I have no idea how you manage to eat so much and stay so slim. One day your metabolism is going to slow down, and I will laugh when it happens."

Riho looked horrified at the mere thought, and Kanon enjoyed a laugh at the girl's expense. Riho did manage to finish almost everything she ordered earlier on her own, though she did also invite the rest of the staff to share with her tea-time. Or early dinner. Kanon could not be sure.
There will come a day! Bwahahaha.

Quote
"Oh I'm sorry!" Riho turned around to apologize as well. There was an awkward pause as the younger girl cocked her head to one side, uncertain if her apology had been accepted. The slightly taller woman was staring at her in a way that made her feel slightly uncomfortable, and Riho shifted uneasily on her feet.

"Ah, Sayu~ Meet my employee and her friend!" Eri leapt to the rescue unknowingly, gesturing at Kanon and Riho as she stood beside the still frozen Sayumi.

"Ah...how...nice..." Sayumi murmured, her eyes still fixated on a clearly jumpy Riho. "Do introduce us."
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the start of pedoSayumin!!!!

Quote
"Are you two still students?" Sayumi interjected smoothly, turning her best charming smile at the girls. Without even so much as a ring of doom, a conversation was struck up between the two high school girls and Michishige Sayumi, lolicon-in-denial.
Lolicon-in-denial! XD

The rest that followed… (If I did this one by one this would probably reach two posts)

Loled so hard. Pure crack at its finest. I’m pretty glad I’m the only one here right now.

Riho’s drunk! XD

Aw… Zukki-chan didn’t get a chance to drink(and suddenly disappeared). Tsk… At least we got a smashed Ai and Reina. :twothumbs

I love all the crack! Awesome writing!
Title: Re: Neighbours [25/02 - Ep 4: Chu! Natsu Party]
Post by: Estrea on April 13, 2013, 06:26:24 PM
Apologies for the extended absence! I got distracted by another fic, and then I got a job and became really busy... ^^;

But I'm back! With an update! Yaaaaaayyyyyy~

Comment replies first.


@Shiawase: Yes, Neighbours is where I can bring EVERYONE in. As and when I like it. Teehee. Kanon-chan had to go back to work and thus RihoRiho was left to her own devices...XD you'll see what happens here~

@rokun: Yes, poor Duu. XD Next episode coming up! And honestly, don't try to ruin a good thing. :P Go write ReinAi yourself if you must!

@H!PShipper: Drunk everyone is always amazing. XD Patience! TakaGaki will come in time~

@rndy: Yes, I was feeling slightly crazy as the party progressed, so the chapter got more insane as the alcohol intake increased. :lol: And yes, Duu makes another appearance! :lol:

@Robyn: Ai-chan's drunk. Gaki's the one who's dense. XD Tanashige has an interesting past~ And yes they're the cutest couple ever ;w; Sorry I took so long to update!

@yunagi: Haha and then I make you wait for an update again. Sorry? XD But yes the Rokkies are afraid of Rika...or were...XD I love KameShige yes I do! And all that massive block quoting, love it. :D Thanks for the comment even if you were late! Haha, hope you like this chapter too!


Ok time to edit and post~
Title: Re: Neighbours [25/02 - Ep 4: Chu! Natsu Party]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 13, 2013, 06:38:32 PM
Wedge! >.<
Title: Re: Neighbours [25/02 - Ep 4: Chu! Natsu Party]
Post by: Estrea on April 13, 2013, 06:44:35 PM
Episode 5: Kioku no Meiro


This week's letter is from chanponchan-san:

Konnichiwa I-sensei! I always have fun listening to you while I'm at work. To be honest, what I have isn't even really a problem, but well, it bothers me a little and that's why I'm writing in? Recently I realize that I'm surrounded by the oddest kind of couples, and I wonder how is it that I can't even find a normal relationship in my life. I'm already in my mid-20s but haven't really dated much. My best friend tells me not to worry so much, but I can't help it! I really want a dashing prince of my own, but I have no idea where to find my destined partner! What should I do???

Thanks for writing in, chanponchan-san! I'm glad you like listening to me at work...won't you get into trouble though? Haha. Mm, it's quite difficult isn't it? Trying to find the right person for yourself...


~*~*~

Sayashi Riho woke up with a pounding headache and absolutely no idea what she was doing or where she was. Unfamiliar stationery, scratchy upholstery under her thighs, and her mouth felt like someone shoved sand into it. Squinting blearily, she shifted, and a jacket fell from her shoulders to settle around her butt.

"Oh, you're awake! Good thing we picked you up before anything bad happened! You need water?" A perky lady in a neatly pressed uniform swooped down on the still groggy Riho, who was valiantly attempting to process her surroundings.

"Um, yes, that would be wonderful." Riho found herself saying, cradling her head with one hand. Her brain started parsing information before it clicked that the lady was wearing a police uniform, and judging by her surroundings, she was at a police station. How did she end up here? Why was everything spinning?

She was still trying to put things straight in her head when the cheerful policewoman came back with a glass of water and aspirin, which Riho gratefully downed. After a minute of two of silently blinking, Riho looked up at the policewoman, who seemed to be waiting considerately for her to gather her wits.

"What...happened? Why am I here?"

"We were hoping you could help us with that. A couple of our patrol officers saw you with a bunch of boys who were up to no good. Did they drug you or something? You were out cold when our officers found you."

Riho stared in shock, then quickly re-examined herself. Nope, her clothes seemed to be in order, except for a rip at her sleeve. The policewoman noticed her actions, and laid a comforting hand on the young girl's shoulder.

"Don't worry, according to my colleagues nothing seemed to have happened. The troublemakers were fighting, it seemed. Probably over you...do you remember anything at all?"

"I think...there was a party? Someone gave me a drink...and I don't remember much after that..." Riho winced as she vaguely remembered climbing down a fire escape and faint impressions of being chased by something...or someone.

"Children these days...you should be more careful." The policewoman tutted disapprovingly. Riho hung her head in shame. She was always a model student, and it would be awful if this got back to her school, or worse, her parents! They would be so worried...and so disappointed.

"You...you won't tell my parents, right?" Riho whimpered, looking terrified. The policewoman looked at her sternly, but Riho's best impression of forlorn kicked-puppy was second to none.

"I'm on scholarship at a private school, please, don't tell anyone! I don't want to disgrace my family." Riho started to sob -- slightly theatrically, truth be told -- but her fear was genuine even if her actions were somewhat played up to gain sympathy.

The policewoman softened after a minute or two. "Well, if you be more careful next time..."

"I promise!" And I'm never drinking again, I swear. Riho shuddered inwardly. Her memory was a mess!

"Well, if you're feeling better, why don't you come with me? We've caught the boys involved, but if you can identify them that would be great."

Riho nodded cautiously, eager to follow instructions and hopefully get out of this without any stain against her permanent record. Walking was a bit of a challenge with her persistent headache, and she hoped fervently that the medication would kick in soon.

The policewoman brought her to the holding area and told her to wait while she arranged for the suspects to be brought out. Riho spent the time waiting and trying to dig through her memory for anything beyond the fire escape. She vaguely remembered running into someone, she thought...but everything afterwards was a jumble of noise and faded colour. It was frustrating.

"Look up, kiddo. Do you remember anyone here?"

The policewoman came back with a couple of her colleagues, who were escorting a bunch of boys, five in all. No wait, four boys and a girl. Riho had very good eyes, and despite the short hair and boyish clothes, there was no doubt to her that one of them were a girl, and a good-looking one at that.

"You..." Riho paused in front of the other girl, who was glaring sullenly at the cops. The lanky teen narrowed her eyes at the confused Riho, who was struggling to remember what happened the night before. A flash of recognition lit in Riho's eyes as she thumped a fist into an open palm.

"I remember you! You were...holding me?"

There was a triumphant snort somewhere behind them, and the boyish girl glared over Riho's shoulder at the cop standing there. Riho stared at the person she vaguely recalled, remembering how close the other girl's face had been to hers. Riho frowned, trying to piece together her fragmented memory. She lifted a hand to her lips as something else floated into her mind.

"Did you...kiss me?"

"WHAT?"

More than one voice erupted in the room. Riho's eyes were wide as she vaguely recalled something, but she couldn't be entirely sure. Just that the girl in front of her was really familiar, and then...something?

"IT WAS NOT A KISS! YOU BUMPED INTO ME, YOU IDIOT! IT TOTALLY DOESN'T COUNT."

Riho found herself being shaken by the suddenly angry stranger, before the police stepped in and separated them by force. Riho was escorted out by the nice policewoman as an argument broke out between one of the portly policemen and the girl-who-dressed-like-a-boy.

"Don't worry about it, kid. We'll take care of the matter. You just go home and rest, alright? I'll get one of my colleagues to give you a ride."

The policewoman assured a rattled Riho in a motherly air. Riho nodded distractedly.

She seemed to be missing more than a few pieces of memory, and it was going to bother her until she worked it all out!

~*~*~

Michishige Sayumi hummed tunelessly to herself as she picked up the trash and started cleaning the remains of the wreckage from the previous night's party.

All in all, it was a successful party, she felt. After she had ascertained that the cute little girl she had been looking for all night was no longer around, Sayumi had then decided to join the party proper and started drinking like a fish. Despite having done so the previous night, Sayumi still managed to get up before noon with no visible ill effects. It was a trait the Michishige women shared, she found. Both her mother and sister were also similarly immune, and this was why she could clean up while her girlfriend languished in bed.

Reina was currently huddled under the blankets and exhibited no signs of moving out from underneath it any time soon. When Sayumi had attempted to tug the blanket off her curled up girlfriend, all she got was a miserable growl in response as the hungover kitty curled into a tighter ball. Sayumi had shook her head then and left the glass of water and aspirin by the bedside table. It was no good trying to force Reina to do anything, and there were better things she could do with her time.

Like trying to fix the worst of the damage left over from the night before. Her sister had cleared up the broken glass, but she might have to replace a couple of chairs. Maybe the coffee table too. What happened last night again?

Oh yeah, a certain Charmy Ishikawa. Sayumi shuddered. She was beginning to understand why Eri had stayed well away from the famous reporter. The woman had seemed harmless enough, but put alcohol into her and it was like unleashing her inner Hulk. With marginally less smashing (unless provoked), a lot more swearing, and possible anger management issues.

It would have been funny if only Reina had stayed out of harm's way. At somewhere past midnight, the kitty had woken up from her stupor and then promptly challenged the drunk-as-a-lord Ishikawa to an arm wrestling contest. Do not ask how that happened, or why it would even make sense at all, because Sayumi would not know and did not care to find out, concerned as she was in making sure that Reina didn't lose her fingers or end up with a broken beer bottle through an eye or worse. And this was after she had more than a few drinks in her too. It was amazing there had been no casualties.

Sayumi sighed as she made a few calls to order replacements. With some luck, she would have new ones in before Reina woke up and raised holy hell over the damage. Her girlfriend was thrifty to a fault, and Sayumi really didn't want that argument to happen. Living together was proving to be a challenge for their relationship at times, but Sayumi was determined to make it work. Even if Reina had a tendency to leave her accessories all over the dresser. While hogging the TV all the time. And never sorting the laundry into whites and non-whites...

But even so, Sayumi still loved her troublesome kitten. Because when she was stressed, Reina would buy them each a tub of ice cream, they'd put on a good movie they both liked, and then bitch about anything and everything while gorging on every unhealthy tidbit you could think of. Reina listened to her whenever she had something to say, whether or not she understood what was going on. And when she was sad, Reina would make her laugh. The woman had her flaws, but there was no such thing as the perfect person. They just had to work through their differences.

Just as Sayumi was clearing away the last of the debris, the doorbell rang. Bemused, Sayumi wandered over to the door and opened it.

"Osu~ Hi there Michishige-san! Is Tanaka-san around?"

"What are you guys doing here?" Sayumi asked incredulously. Three people stood outside her door, two of whom were carrying guitar cases. The one who spoke had no such burden, although she was carrying a backpack and a basket full of fruits.

"Oh, Tanaka-san didn't tell you? We couldn't make it to the party yesterday, but we told her we'd pop by today to visit before practice this afternoon. Figured we could hang out here and head down to the studio together later. If...it's alright with you?"

The speaker ended with a questioning note to her sentence, and Sayumi sighed. She had met her girlfriend's band members a couple of times before, but she didn't know them very well.

"It's alright, come on in. Okada-san, was it? Reina's still sleeping, she got really smashed last night."

"Just call me Okamari, Michishige-san. Ojamashimasu~"

Sayumi stepped aside, letting the three girls in. They politely took off their shoes at the entrance, looking around curiously. One of the guitarists grinned at the mention of Reina's drunkenness.

"Really? Damn, too bad we weren't here. Would have loved to see Tanaka-san get smashed! All we got to do last night was chaperone Marin on her date..."

"It was not a date." The other guitarist said flatly, giving the older girl the evil eye. "And you two didn't have to come along. I was the only one who promised to go."

"And leave you to the wolves? Not happening." The first guitarist laughed, patting Marin on the head like a disobedient puppy. Marin frowned, but didn't protest the action.

"It was just a performance, and it wasn't even me performing. Asahi-chan wouldn't have let anything happen to me."

"But she is the problem." Okamari muttered in between coughs, before handing over the fruit basket to their host. Sayumi raised an eyebrow, having heard the comment, and Okamari shrugged helplessly with a 'what can you do with this kid?' glance back at the baby of the group.

"Well, it was a good show your girlfriend put up though. She's really good on that keyboard of hers."

"She really is! I think she added in a little something I suggested to her when we were jamming together at the studio the other time..."

"Wait, you guys were jamming together? When did this happen?"

"Last week? I ran into her after lunch and she just finished piano lessons, the studio was still open so we spent an hour talking and playing on our instruments. It was weird trying to make my guitar work with her piano, but it was a good learning experience." Marin's expression was light, though bland, as per her usual fashion. Then she frowned as something else occurred to her.

"And she is not my girlfriend."

Okamari and Uozumi (otherwise known as Nee-san) exchanged long-suffering glances and heaved dramatic sighs. Nee-san slung one arm around the youngest of the group, shaking her head sadly as Marin looked confused about why her band members were reacting this way.

"I'll see if I can wake Reina." Sayumi said after a moment, obviously amused by the interplay between her girlfriend's colleagues. "Warning though, she won't be in the best of moods."

"I brought chocolate!" Marin piped up suddenly, rummaging around in her bag after putting her guitar case down. "I found some sweets I think Tanaka-san would like too. That might make her feel better."

"Gosh, you two need to stop gorging on sweets. No wonder you guys have delicate stomachs!" Okamari flicked Marin in the forehead, making the younger girl squint defensively.

"But I like sweets..."

Sayumi laughed as she returned to their room. The LovendoЯ girls knew about her and Reina's relationship and were totally cool with it, which had endeared Reina to them a little more than she would have otherwise. It also helped to be able to mark Reina as hers, since Sayumi always got a little jealous whenever Reina spent time with other girls.

"Reina? Time to wake up."

"Nngh..."

"Reina. You have visitors."

Something like "tell them to fuck off" came from underneath the blanket. Sayumi chuckled. The hangover wasn't going to go away like that, so she yanked the blanket off the suffering kitty and dodged when Reina kicked out reflexively. It was a little like dealing with a very aggressive baby, Sayumi mused as she all but forced Reina to drink water and aspirin, then let her girlfriend bury her face into her stomach while stroking Reina's light brown hair affectionately.

"Sayu...tell them to go away..." Reina whined, her voice muffled from being pressed into her girlfriend's tummy. Outside from the living room, Sayumi could hear the voices of the band members, and the sounds of an acoustic guitar being played (tuned, actually, not that Sayumi would know).

"You have to go to practice with them later anyway." Sayumi rubbed Reina's back comfortingly. Reina grumbled, shifting this way and that on the bed, kicking reluctantly at the covers.

"Don't wanna..." Reina pouted, squinting as she rolled to look up at Sayu from the woman's lap. Sayumi leaned down and kissed her on the nose.

"You never miss practice, Reina. Don't start now."

"Meanie."

"I love you too." Sayumi said blandly as Reina crawled to her feet, cursing and staggering to the bathroom so she could wash up. Sayumi made the bed almost absently, before going back out to the living room where the other band members were chatting quietly.

Nee-san was the one tuning her guitar, and she apologized for the noise when Sayumi came back out.

"It's alright. Reina's washing up now, she'll be out soon."

Sayumi joined in on the conversation, and soon the girls were exchanging stories about the strangest things they had seen during the course of their work. Okamari had them all howling with laughter at her description of her grandmother crashing one of her gigs.

"...so there was my dear old Baa-chan, sitting on her little foldable stool in the middle of a mosh pit and eating her bento while surrounded by huge guys with tattoos and piercings... I didn't know whether to laugh or cry..."

"What's going on?" Reina stalked out of the room with a towel around her neck. She looked and felt considerably better after a quick shower, and she was dressed simply in t-shirt and shorts before flopping down matter-of-factly into her girlfriend's lap. Sayumi 'oof'ed at the sudden weight, but smiled and wrapped her arms around Reina's waist. Reina leaned back comfortably, looping one arm around the back of Sayumi's neck. Nee-san whistled at the sight, and Okamari grinned.

"Just telling 'em about my family. I think they're all crazy."

"Well you're not much better. It must be in the genes." Reina snarked back, earning a pinch in her side from her girlfriend. "Itai! Sayu! What was that for?"

"That's not very nice, Reina." Sayumi chided her wayward girlfriend, who pouted back stubbornly. The band members watched this scene quietly, a bit awed by how tame their leader was around her girlfriend. Marin broke the silence first by scrambling over and handing Reina a few different packs of sweets and chocolates in a little plastic bag.

"I saw these the other day while I was out, and I thought you'd like it too. I tried them, they're good!"

Marin said proudly, and Reina couldn't help but grin back at the baby of the group. Out of the other three band members, she doted on Marin the most, mostly because they both loved sweets and Marin was adorably innocent. She accepted the gift graciously, and Marin beamed.

"So how's your new song coming along?" Sayumi asked after a few minutes of idle chat. Reina broke off from snacking and swallowed before answering.

"Pretty good. Okamari and I need to figure out some stuff around the bridge though, it's a bit rough there."

"Yeah, Nee-san and I are practising hard too. We've got some really hard guitar solos this time." Marin piped up, her mouth still full of chocolate. Nee-san poked her in the cheek, mouthing "swallow first" to the younger girl, and Marin scowled before doing as she was told.

"I was talking to Shacho about holding a mini underground tour. I think he liked the idea about hitting indies venues, reconnecting with our roots and all that." Okamari leaned forward enthusiastically, and Reina nodded approvingly. Behind her, Sayumi frowned slightly.

"Will you be gone for long?"

"We're only planning for venues in and around Tokyo proper. Furthest we'll go is Nagoya this time." Nee-san said quickly, hoping to defuse the situation in time. Reina shot her a grateful glance, and she acknowledged it with a tiny nod.

"It's all still in the planning stages. Top secret though! Don't go telling anyone about it." Reina nuzzled Sayumi affectionately, making her girlfriend giggle softly.

"Who would I tell? Except Eri, but she already knows about us, and she hasn't told anyone else yet."

Reina was about to banter back playfully when her phone started wailing loudly. Marin, who was nearest to it, grabbed the offending article and tossed it to her leader, who caught it deftly and grimaced when she saw the caller ID.

"Ugh. Can I not pick up?"

"Who is it?" Sayumi looked over Reina's shoulder, and Reina sighed.

"Someone who really doesn't like me..." Taking a deep breath, she accepted the call, and was about to put it to her ear when a really loud voice echoed through the speaker.

"TANAKA REINA HOW DARE YOU CORRUPT MY DAUGHTER..."

Reina made a face and disentangled herself from Sayumi, excusing herself as she walked into the room to continue the call. Everyone exchanged bewildered looks.

Two minutes later Reina walked back out with a tense scowl on her face. Sayumi stood up and walked over to embrace her wordlessly, and Reina's expression relaxed fractionally, her shoulders slumping.

"Can I not deal with her?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Sayumi soothed, stroking Reina's hair. Reina sighed, resting her face against Sayumi's neck.

"But I have to. My cousin's in trouble again, and somehow it's my fault even though I have nothing to do with it. I can't just ditch the kid."

The band members exchanged glances again while Sayumi tightened her grip on her girlfriend. Reina sighed before pushing herself away gently.

"Guys, I gotta pop down to the police station for a bit. I'll meet you at the studio later?"

The three band members had another silent exchange before Nee-san spoke up.

"We can tag along if you let us, Tanaka-san. We've still got some time. Us girls gotta stick together when stupid shit happens!"

"Yeah! We've got your back!" Okamari pumped her fist in the air. Marin just nodded with the other two.

"You guys..." Reina seemed genuinely surprised by the show of solidarity. Sayumi pushed her forward from the back, and the other band members swarmed around their pint-sized leader, towering over her as they went for a group hug.

"LoVendoЯ is the best! Yaaaaa~~!!!"

~*~*~

It's never easy finding the right person for yourself, chanponchan-san. I understand how you feel though, I too worried about never finding my prince back in the day, and ended up going out on random dates with really inappropriate people because I was desperate. Though in the end, I found my dear R-kun not through being desperate, but because we already knew each other from before and built on a relationship from there.

Now, I'm not saying that all relationships have to start that way, but I feel like you shouldn't stress about it so much! Maybe your prince is already somewhere near you and you don't even know it! Just keep yourself available, and maintain an open mind. Be calm and confident, guys like that! If you really want to meet people, maybe join a club or some kind of group activity? It's always easier to bond over shared interests!

Good luck, chanponchan-san! There surely will be someone for you out there! Never give up!


"What's this about inappropriate people?"

"Reina, you didn't really think you were my first girlfriend, right?"

"From the way you were in bed, only straight girls would be that lazy."

"Hey! Just because I'm not as athletic..."

"Whatever. So. Other girlfriends?"

"...are you jealous?"

"Not if you sucked as much as you did during our first time. Or didn't know how to suck, actually..."

"Reina!"

=========================================================================


This chapter took me the longest time to write. Haha. XD Thanks to Kuji for helping me get through it, and providing the title for me as well!

You know, this story wouldn't exist without her egging me on. :lol:

And whoosh~  :ph43r:

EDIT: Lol thanks for wedging, rndy~
Title: Re: Neighbours [14/04 - Ep 5: Kioku no Meiro]
Post by: Kuji on April 13, 2013, 07:12:11 PM
Things just happen when we talk about the babies, that's all~ It's not so much egging as mutual squeeing, I think. XD

So, gave running commentary as I read this but in short:

LOL Riho. Hahaha. pft. <-- you know why
Poor Duu. ALWAYS MISUNDERSTOOD.
It doesn't count, really? Ok then. :3
Sayu is the best girlfriend/wife ever! ;w;
Band solidarity! Yay!

Oh silly Chanponchan.

 :bow:
Title: Re: Neighbours [14/04 - Ep 5: Kioku no Meiro]
Post by: XxRoByNxX78 on April 13, 2013, 09:45:08 PM
lovendoя really know how to stick together and Marin is adorable and Reina's cousin is so unlucky always getting into trouble even if it isnt her fault I feel so sorry for her as for her cousins mum it wasnt even Reina's fault so she needs to take a chill pill and sit down or you know zip her lips before I do it for her lol Riho doesnt even remember the night before *tut*tut* lol she shouldnt drink but then the only reason she was out late at night because she was escaping a very pervy bunny so its sort of Sayu's fault lol and Charmy has anger issue problems when she has alchol in her system i cant believe she broke so many things who knew she was that strong why didnt Yossi stop her lol Reina is so cute when hungover and when drunk she should have thought about her actions in asking Charmy for a arm wrestling match my guess trying to impress Sayu after little drunken drabble of not being good enough and Sayu how can she take so much alchol and Reina dont take that crap off your aunty when it isnt your fault just tell her to shut up and go away but it is very sweet that you love you cousin and protect her one question why does Reina's aunty think that its Reina's fault is she just looking for someone to place the blame on and Tanashige was very cute loved the ending bit after the advice go Reina tease Sayu! As for the hole Takagaki thing last chapter yer my mistake lol i wasnt thinking while writing it aahahaha and with you saying that Tanashiges past is interesting you just make me want to find out about it more lol and dont worry about taking your time to update remember lol you have a life other than JPHIP lol and i must say it was well worth the wait and wow this must be my longest comment ever on any ones fic ahahaha anyway i cant wait till you update next =)
Title: Re: Neighbours [14/04 - Ep 5: Kioku no Meiro]
Post by: H!PShipper on April 14, 2013, 05:32:35 AM
Lmao chanponchan is so obvious. It seriously made me laugh out loud when I read it. Sayu's advice to Risa should open her eyes to see that Ai has always been there for her but density it strong. even in real life I feel like Risa just doesn't see the undying love that Ai holds for her Y.Y lol jk
Anyway, I see that you're bringing some HarukaxSayashi into this fic lol nice. (It has grown on me)
And what can I say, I love the sayurei. And the band sounds fun! I haven't seen much of the girls other than the stuff on UFLICKS but I think I love them now. Lol
Btw about That person who thinks her husband is cheating on her, I think it's harukas mother, huh? Idk lmao
Can't wait for the next chapter
Title: Re: Neighbours [14/04 - Ep 5: Kioku no Meiro]
Post by: all6th on April 14, 2013, 08:38:44 AM
I love your story sooooo much author-san.

tanashige here are the sweetest couple I've ever seen.. I love them very much.. Sayu is the best wife ever btw.. I love how she always taking care her kitten very well.. and wohooo for lovendor, I love their bond  XD

please keep it up author-san  ;)
Title: Re: Neighbours [14/04 - Ep 5: Kioku no Meiro]
Post by: Shiawase_Honoo on April 14, 2013, 12:16:26 PM
Awwww for TanaShige :wub: :wub:
The LovendoR!! XD
Uh... Asahi-chan not that scary, right? With the kind of air-headed without her piano :lol:
Riho, you... maa, iiya. :lol:
O...oi Duu!!! You again!!!! Pity of you that whatever character you inherit from Reina so much. XD
Just put Maa-chan beside Duu, problem solve! XD :rofl: :lol:

Thanks for your hard working :bow:

P.S. I'm 22 now, quite an old lady everyday I look at them. :lol:
Title: Re: Neighbours [14/04 - Ep 5: Kioku no Meiro]
Post by: all6th on April 14, 2013, 12:22:21 PM
oh yes, one more request, if you don't mind, why don't you write a little flashback about how tanashige end up together.  I would love to know their story before they're getting together. Well it's just an idea from me. If you don't want to, then you don't have to  :lol: thank you author-sannnn..  :thumbsup
Title: Re: Neighbours [14/04 - Ep 5: Kioku no Meiro]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 14, 2013, 07:02:31 PM
I figured it was appropriate to read this after waking from my own alcohol induced slumber XD

Btw, your SayaDuu is showing. Might wanna watch that.  :lol:

The whole exchange with Lovendor is amazing. I'm actually really excited about the band and to see them interact in that way, which is really close to the way I imagine it actually, is pretty awesome.

OMG, is Gaki-san the one writing in to I-sensei?! Omg, omg, omg! XD
Title: Re: Neighbours [14/04 - Ep 5: Kioku no Meiro]
Post by: yunagi on April 16, 2013, 08:56:01 AM
I'm not so late this time! lol

Chanponchan! XD

It’s Risa isn’t it? It’s got to be Risa. Lol

Damn, with all the ‘odd couples’ surrounding her you’d think she woulda noticed that one (hot) person who’s always by her side.

Quote
Riho spent the time waiting and trying to dig through her memory for anything beyond the fire escape. She vaguely remembered running into someone...
Huh, police station + a bunch of boys and Riho vaguely remembers bumping into someone else… Wasn’t Duu loitering around there…

Quote
…despite the short hair and boyish clothes, there was no doubt to her that one of them were a girl, and a good-looking one at that
I rest my case. Poor, poor Duu.

Quote
"Did you...kiss me?"

"WHAT?"

More than one voice erupted in the room. Riho's eyes were wide as she vaguely recalled something, but she couldn't be entirely sure. Just that the girl in front of her was really familiar, and then...something?

"IT WAS NOT A KISS! YOU BUMPED INTO ME, YOU IDIOT! IT TOTALLY DOESN'T COUNT."
*gasp* … well at least she got a, sort of, kiss out of it.

Quote
Reina was currently huddled under the blankets and exhibited no signs of moving out from underneath it any time soon. 
From intoxication, finding out her gf is a loli or both? Hm…

Quote
Her sister had cleared up the broken glass, but she might have to replace a couple of chairs. Maybe the coffee table too. 
Well that was some kinda party. Wonder if drunk Rika-sama went into a rampage after the alcohol’s all gobbled up, I could totally imagine it. :lol:

Quote
Oh yeah, a certain Charmy Ishikawa. Sayumi shuddered. She was beginning to understand why Eri had stayed well away from the famous reporter. The woman had seemed harmless enough, but put alcohol into her and it was like unleashing her inner Hulk. With marginally less smashing (unless provoked), a lot more swearing, and possible anger management issues.
Scratch my last statement. I wonder if drunk Rika-sama went into a rampage after being interrupted one too many times.

Love, love, love how Sayu described Reina doing all those sweet things for her. I'm a bit jealous

And LovendoЯ appearance! Aw… Reina has such nice band mates. Kinda sucks that she has a major hangover the girls didn’t see her while she was drunk. Wonder what woulda happened if they all got drunk and began jamming.

Quote
Something like "tell them to fuck off" came from underneath the blanket. Sayumi chuckled. The hangover wasn't going to go away like that, so she yanked the blanket off the suffering kitty and dodged when Reina kicked out reflexively. It was a little like dealing with a very aggressive baby, Sayumi mused as she all but forced Reina to drink water and aspirin, then let her girlfriend bury her face into her stomach while stroking Reina's light brown hair affectionately.

"Sayu...tell them to go away..." Reina whined, her voice muffled from being pressed into her girlfriend's tummy. Outside from the living room, Sayumi could hear the voices of the band members, and the sounds of an acoustic guitar being played (tuned, actually, not that Sayumi would know).

"You have to go to practice with them later anyway." Sayumi rubbed Reina's back comfortingly. Reina grumbled, shifting this way and that on the bed, kicking reluctantly at the covers.

"Don't wanna..." Reina pouted, squinting as she rolled to look up at Sayu from the woman's lap. Sayumi leaned down and kissed her on the nose.
<3 So cute! Sayu’s a great girl. She could be a great mom… if only she could lighten up with the loli-con tendency.

Quote
"TANAKA REINA HOW DARE YOU CORRUPT MY DAUGHTER..."
… "But I have to. My cousin's in trouble again, and somehow it's my fault even though I have nothing to do with it. I can't just ditch the kid."
Still getting blamed even though she didn’t do anything. I see the innocent black sheep gene at work, though with Reina it was not-so-innocent. Ah… family. :lol:

Quote
"We can tag along if you let us, Tanaka-san. We've still got some time. Us girls gotta stick together when stupid shit happens!"

"Yeah! We've got your back!" Okamari pumped her fist in the air. Marin just nodded with the other two.

"You guys..." Reina seemed genuinely surprised by the show of solidarity. Sayumi pushed her forward from the back, and the other band members swarmed around their pint-sized leader, towering over her as they went for a group hug.

"LoVendoЯ is the best! Yaaaaa~~!!!"
"LoVendoЯ is the best!!!

Quote
Maybe your prince is already somewhere near you and you don't even know it!
You just don’t know it… don’t know it… don’t know it…. Poor Ai-chan.

Quote
"Not if you sucked as much as you did during our first time. Or didn't know how to suck, actually..."
XD

Maybe I'm overdoing the whole block quoting thing... :sweatdrop:
Anyway I love it! :twothumbs
Waiting for the next update.
Title: Re: Neighbours [14/04 - Ep 5: Kioku no Meiro]
Post by: Estrea on April 23, 2013, 06:36:08 PM
HI, THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE. BUT I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO GO REREAD THE CURRENT CHAPTERS. SOME CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE.

*trollface*

He.He.He.HEE.

:ph43r:
Title: Re: Neighbours [14/04 - Ep 5: Kioku no Meiro]
Post by: AmberSan on April 23, 2013, 08:24:58 PM
I usually don't like gender bender but this works somehow.. also am i seeing IkuSaya??

anyway, Ikumen is always  awesome:

(http://img4.uploadhouse.com/fileuploads/17600/17600946-holder-356828e34c0a5f64dc3088bd7c6adca8.jpg) (http://www.uploadhouse.com/viewfile.php?id=17600946&showlnk=0) (http://img8.uploadhouse.com/fileuploads/17600/17600947-holder-4e6e2af614bc0c81a9de6045839f55aa.jpg) (http://www.uploadhouse.com/viewfile.php?id=17600947&showlnk=0)

Title: Re: Neighbours [14/04 - Ep 5: Kioku no Meiro]
Post by: rndmnwierd on April 24, 2013, 04:39:15 AM
*squee~* Erio is so awesome! I so want some IkuSuzu!
Title: Re: Neighbours [14/04 - Ep 5: Kioku no Meiro]
Post by: Estrea on June 05, 2013, 08:01:21 PM
Look who's baaaack. :D


Kuji: We're awesome. It must be said. *nod*

Robyn: run on sentence wall of text ahhhhhhh but thank you for commenting. :D I read it all! I just can't reply to it at 2am in the morning after a whole day of work! Forgive me!

H!PShipper: Yeah, chanponchan is pretty obvious XD Risa's pretty dense, it's going to take some work haha. And I think my mission in life is to shove the new people down everyone's throats muahahaha. Btw, nice instincts. ;)

all6th: Hi, welcome to the thread! Sayu is indeed the best wife ever! And I love Lovendor as well. :D Flashback for Tanashige...hmmm...not at this moment but maybe later on. No promises though!

Shiawase: Asahi-chan might not be that scary...but well....just think of the others as overprotective big sisters LOL And I agree about "poor Duu" XD Maachan is always awesome!

rndy: Noted. :P I'm glad you liked the way I wrote Lovendor! I love those girls. And yes, who else could chanponchan be? xD

yunagi: I always enjoy your block quoting. I just can't respond very well to it right now @_@ Sorry to keep you waiting!!!!

AmberSan: Ikumen is always amazing. I think I love "him" most. XD


Time to edit and post. It's a looooooong chapter~
Title: Re: Neighbours [14/04 - Ep 5: Kioku no Meiro]
Post by: Estrea on June 05, 2013, 08:20:43 PM
Episode 6: Seishun Bus Guide


And now we have a letter from mizuirobot-san:

I-sensei konnichiwa! I always enjoy listening to your advice! The truth is, I've been admiring someone from afar, but I can't quite pluck up the courage to do anything about it. I'm a couple years older, and while it wouldn't matter if we were adults, we're still only students...and it's really awkward to approach someone younger than me. I'm in my final year of high school though, and it's my last chance to do something about it. What should I do?

Ah, that really is tough around that age! Things can get so complicated...but never fear, I-sensei is here! You see, when it comes to love...


~*~*~

"Everyone to your assigned seats! Stay together! Your seatmate will be your partner for this trip, so don't lose sight of each other!"

The teacher blathered on to her noisy class of middle school students, who were chattering excitedly about being allowed out on a school day for a class trip. Never mind that it wasn't to anywhere particularly exciting, just trips to nearby high schools for visitation and allowing the third years a glimpse of high school life and what type of high school would be ideal for them.

Kudou Haruka was chafing at being told what to do. She was normally a very responsible, obedient student who never gave any trouble to her teachers at school, was well loved by her swim team and classmates, and was basically a model student. However, the incidents that happened outside of school had unfortunately led to her mother clamping down on any freedom she might have had. Straight home after school, or else her cellphone would be buzzing every other minute...or worse, her mother would call the school. Haruka did not want that to happen, so she toed the line...but it did not aid in improving her overall temperament.

At least now they got to get out of school on an authorized class trip, supervised by a teacher, of course. It was better than nothing, Haruka mused. At least it got them out of their stuffy classroom for a bit. Settling down at a window seat, the swimmer looked less boyish today only by virtue of the fact that she was in her school uniform - sailor suit, skirt and all. If one had to be perfectly honest, she made a pretty girl as well, but it never really occurred to Haruka herself. It was a blind spot within herself where she was concerned.

I wonder why Mama was so angry with Tanaka-neechan the other day? Haruka wondered as she leaned against the window thoughtfully. Honestly, it wasn't even her cousin's fault this happened, but her mother had railed against the singer (who came with the rest of LovendoЯ! It had caused quite an uproar at the station that day.) for "corrupting my daughter" and had told Tanaka-neechan, in no uncertain terms, that she was to "keep her freak self away from my children". Haruka had not understood what made her Mama so upset, but she couldn't help but think that Tanaka-neechan was seriously amazing in the way she didn't even get ruffled by the tirade, and even quipping quite blandly back that "Haru-chan's life is her own, I'm not going to force her choices, and neither should you". If Haruka hadn't already liked her cousin before, those words would have led her to literally worship the woman. Tanaka-neechan was cool!

"Yay! A free seat!" A voice squealed as the owner plopped her backside onto the seat next to Haruka. Out of courtesy Haruka turned away from the window to face her seatmate -- and, if she recalled correctly what the teacher said earlier, her partner for this trip.

"Ah...Satou-san, was it?" Haruka plucked the name out of a vague recollection from the start of term. Third years normally stuck to the same classes from second year, but this girl, if she remembered correctly, was shuffled in this term as she had just moved to town from Hokkaido.

The bubbly girl beamed broadly at her, and Haruka was reminded of the fact that this girl was also well loved by practically everyone in the class. Haruka had been busy with club practice so she hadn't really spent much time with her classmates, but she passed by knots of interaction centred around the girl in question often enough to know that despite the completely incomprehensible self-introduction the new girl had given at the start of term, she seemed to communicate well enough to be well liked. If nothing else, Haruka supposed that the bubbly enthusiasm was probably infectious on some level.

"I don't think we've talked before! I'm Maa-chan! It's very nice to meet you!"

"I'm Kudou. Nice to meet you, Satou-san." Never let it be said that Haruka didn't have any manners.

"Kudou-chan? Call me Maa-chan! Everyone calls me Maa-chan!"

Haruka gave the hyper-positive Sato Masaki a slightly perplexed look. She was sure they barely knew each other, so the "-chan" suffix was a little...premature, to say the least. Then again, it was probably something she could overlook. Some people were just naturally friendly, after all...

"So Kudou-chan, what's your favourite mug colour?"

"Huh?" Haruka blinked. "Orange, I guess?"

"Maa-chan likes clouds! They look like cotton candy! Do you like cotton candy, Kudou-chan?"

And then Haruka flinched as Masaki (or just Maachan?) half clambered onto her to point out of the window.

"Oooh, you know that tree, that kinda round one, that's my favourite!"

Haruka couldn't quite keep up with the pace with which Maa-chan was changing topics. Hell, when someone could change topics midway through a sentence -- Have you ever seen bears, oh, at the Skytree the other time I had Skytree flavoured ice cream and then my daddy, you know, he shot the bear that came to our house in Hokkaido, he brought us to the top and it was so high...have you been on Mt.Fuji? -- Haruka found herself frozen with a half-smile and glazed eyes as she attempted to process her hyperactive seat partner's thought processes.

It didn't really work.

By the time Haruka puzzled through one sentence (or half a sentence), Masaki was off onto the next three thoughts and not looking back. As long as Haruka nodded or grunted a response (sometimes even before), Maa-chan was happily rattling away at random topics and filling the air with interesting colours from the conversations she invoked. Mesmerized by the constant drone, Haruka just sat back and went along with the ride. Hey, when someone was this entertaining, you would play spectator too!

"Kudou-chan did you know my horse fell in love with my neighbour's cat..."

"Kudou-chan did you know that rolls of seaweed..."

"Kudou-chan did you know..."

"Kudou-chan..."

It was like watching a firing squad taking aim at a whole row of your conscious thoughts. Split. Splat. Gone. Somewhere in between seal-fishing, cow-tipping and the algebra of penguins, Haruka was suddenly roused back into consciousness when Maa-chan said:

"Kudou-cha--ah, that's so inconvenient! Kuu-chan? No, Duu-chan!"

Haruka spluttered. "Wait a minute, you can't just...!"

"Duu! Do you think they have camels in Ueno?"

"What?" Haruka stared at Maa-chan uncomprehendingly. There were so many things she wanted to correct, she did not know where to begin. Magnanimously, Maa-chan explained herself (one of the few times she would ever do so).

"The zoo! You've never been to the zoo?"

"Of course I have! And you just, wait a sec, my name is Kudou Haruka, not Kuu-chan or Duu-chan or whatever you come up with! I barely know you and everything and you can't just--"

"We're classmates right!" Nod. "That makes us friends!" Headtilt, and a raised eyebrow. "Friends give each other nicknames! That makes us closer, Duu!"

Haruka resisted the urge to bash her forehead against the seat in front of her (it would bother her classmate, so she resisted -- see, she was a good girl!), and even managed to stop herself from strangling the smiling girl next to her. A dozen sharp retorts leapt to the tip of her tongue, but she held it as she looked into the beaming face of her seat partner. It was just so sincere, so honest, so...so...happy.

"Friends?" Maa-chan pressed insistently, for some reason appearing a lot like a puppy. Haruka could almost swear she saw a tail wagging on the girl. And she had always wanted a dog, so...

"...yes." Haruka sighed. Maa-chan squealed and latched on to the resigned tomboy.

"Now you're a part of me too, Duu!"

"What."

This was going to be a long bus ride.

~*~*~

"Don't run in the hallways!"

"Yes, Vice Prez~" The grinning tomboy in the school blouse and skirt slowed obediently with a jaunty little wave as she speed-walked past the stern Vice President of the student council. Her blazer was draped over an arm, and she made a 'hurry up' gesture at the taller girl lagging far behind her in the hallway. "Mizuki-chan, you're slow! They'll run out of yakisoba bread by the time we reach the canteen!"

"Akari-chan walks too quickly!" The other girl walked at a stately, elegant pace, though she did pick up a bit of speed at more verbal prodding from her friend. Fukumura Mizuki nodded familiarly at the vice president, who smiled back at her classmate.

"Ayumi-chan, thank you for your notes the other day. They were very helpful!"

Ishida Ayumi, vice president of the student council, shook her head modestly. "It was my pleasure to help!" Mizuki thanked her again and went after Akari, who was hopping impatiently from one foot to another at the other end of the hallway.   

As the pair disappeared from sight, Ayumi continued her stroll slash patrol as she headed in the direction of the library. Pure and serious minded, Ishida Ayumi was respected among her peers for being hardworking and a model student who always kept her grades above average, though nothing about her stood out in particular beyond the fact that she managed to make vice president of the student council. Being responsible and rule-abiding, she was well liked by the teachers as well, though her schoolmates probably trod a little more carefully around her. Ayumi might not be one to abuse her authority, nor did she make a habit out of throwing the rulebook at people, but she was a stickler for propriety. It made people watch their behaviour whenever she was around, for better or worse.

"Good morning, vice president!"

"Ishida-san, the kendo club missed the budget submission deadline yesterday, we're really sorry, could you help us process our application? Here are the papers! Thank you so much!"

And so on and so forth. It was widely known amongst the students and staff that the person who got things done in the student council was one Ishida Ayumi, so everyone just went straight to her whenever possible. Being as responsible and good-natured as she was, Ayumi never turned down anything she wasn't incapable of. She enjoyed solving problems and helping people, so it was no big deal for her to take on the added workload where she could.

Personally, she was just a little concerned about having to hand over her duties to the incoming student council -- elections were in a few weeks, so you could see posters of candidates running for the various positions stuck onto the noticeboards all over the school. She had faith that the student body would pick competent people, but she really wanted to brief her successor and guide her through the mountain of duties the Vice President had (actually, there weren't that many, but Ayumi tended to bite off more than she could chew).

As she neared the library, she almost walked right into one of her teachers who was carrying a stack of files almost as high as up to her nose. The poor woman could barely see in front of her, and the heels she was wearing made her weave dangerously. Naturally, Ayumi had to do something.

"Good morning, Mano-sensei. Can I help you carry those?" Ayumi volunteered, easing up to her harried teacher and relieving her of half the stack. The moon-faced teacher huffed in relief and smiled at her helper, and Ayumi was once again struck by the seeming youth of her music teacher. Well, she was only 24, but the woman looked as if she could still be in high school herself!

"Thanks, Ishida-chan. Ah, I really have to get all these files to Takigawa-sensei! And then I have to go meet the middle school delegation that's touring our premises today! Oh, I hope I'm not boring you!"

"Not a problem, Mano-sensei." Ayumi smiled kindly at her harried teacher. "Oh, that's the visit you had the student council put us posters for in the academy this past week, wasn't it? I think each of the major clubs and societies have demonstrations ready in some of the assigned rooms, I drew out the assignment and schedule myself, have you seen it?"

Mano-sensei nodded absently. "Yes, good work Ishida-chan. You're always so reliable...I hope the next student council committee coming in will be at least half as hardworking as your batch were! It's really a big help for the faculty."

"Just doing my bit for the school and the students." Ayumi said modestly as they stopped outside the teachers' lounge. One of the passing students kindly opened the door for them, and teacher and student marched in before dropping off the files at Takigawa-sensei's table. Mano-sensei waved quickly at Ayumi before dashing off to meet the incoming delegation.

Left to her own devices, Ayumi decided to change course and head towards the demonstration rooms where some of the clubs and societies would be holding presentations for the middle school visitors who might be interested in enrolling. Her role was technically finished past the planning stages, and some of her juniors were helping with the nitty gritty of last minute on-the-ground logistics, but Ayumi was a hands-on kind of person, so she definitely wanted to help out where she could. Besides, it would be nice to see wide-eyed middle school kids as they wandered around. She might even be able to advise them about things!

As you could probably expect from all of the above, Ishida Ayumi was definitely A Good Person. And good things happened to good people right?

You will excuse the world as it pauses for a dramatic cackle. Which ended in a wheeze resulting from excessive squealing. Which in turn might have come from an extended game of hide and seek -- totally unplanned, completely spontaneous, and the seeker didn't even know to start seeking until she turned around and discovered that where there was once someone, no one was now there.

Which is why you might also have heard a very quiet "what" behind the cackle as it died down. Or you could have been imagining things, as a school full of high school girls are wont to do when in the grips of hormonal turbulence. Ishida Ayumi, serious and responsible vice president of the student council, was not entirely immune to that either. Who knew what lay behind that proper exterior?

"Good work everyone." She smiled and helped out where it was needed. One must always keep up with appearances. She straightened a crooked sign. Dusted off some streamers. Picked up litter. Bumped into harried juniors. Arranged tables. Cleared broken glass. Somehow picked up a lost child...

...wait a minute.

Ayumi paused in the middle of the central square and looked closely at the tail she had inadvertently picked up. Said tail was beaming happily, had a lollipop in her mouth, and was holding another one out to her. She also looked very, very lost, in a way only a lost child could manage -- if said lost child were five and crying for their mother. The girl in front of her was at least 10 years older than five, wasn't crying, and even seemed quite cheerful in all respects...and yet she still somehow managed to convey a sense of "HI I'M A LOST CHILD" in glowing neon letters that blinked every 5 seconds. And who was looking at her with watery puppy eyes.

Ayumi took the lollipop. it seemed like the right thing to do. Or the only thing to do, while she was trying to figure out what to say. Somehow, the urge to treat this seemingly-15-year-old person like a 5 year old was overwhelming, but that nagging sense of propriety in her thought that maybe doing so would have been insulting. Somehow. Then again, she got a lollipop out of this. Things could be worse, right?

She was proven wrong (or possibly right...or not...well, something may have been proven. It was just never patented) the moment the mystery girl opened her mouth.

"Are you from a different class? What's your name? Did you know it's probably still snowing in Hokkaido now? Are you lost too?"

The words made sense. The sentences made sense. The questions even made a strange kind of sense. What didn't make sense, of course, was the context.

Ayumi took a deep breath. She did not sigh. Instead, in practical, vice-president-ly fashion, she began to tackle the problem at hand seriously. In slow, simple, easy-to-understand sentences. She had a feeling her newfound charge was going to need it. She was right.

"Are high school students all so small? Duu's bigger than you are!"

Is that all she took out of what I said? And I'm not that small! I'm...average. Yes. Japanese people are petite. I'm the perfect example of the Japanese body type......am I really that small?

Ayumi smiled. She even meant it. There was just something about Maa-chan ("just call me Maa-chan!") that simply had no malice in whatever she spouted.

"Last week I had kanji lessons with Yasushi-san..."

Now, if only she could get Maa-chan to stop going off on tangents long enough to pinpoint which middle school group she came with, so that she could hand the girl back to them...

Ayumi squared her shoulders. She always did like a challenge.

~*~*~

Kudou Haruka was annoyed.

It was a few steps above irritation, and a whole flight of stairs away from rage, but it was, all things considered, quite justified. Why so? Her hand twitched spasmodically in response.

It had all begun after the bus ride. She had managed to survive it, amazingly. Maa-chan wasn't really so bad, as long as you pretty much gave in to her whims.

Tactical repositioning, Haruka corrected herself. There was no point in picking a fight over what to call the other girl. She wants to be called Maa-chan? Done. Haruka scrupulously avoided calling Maa-chan anything in particular, actually. It was actually rather easy. "Oi, you" was pretty much universal. Not very polite, but Maa-chan didn't seem to either notice, or care.

Haruka did draw the line at letting Maa-chan call her by some ridiculous nickname. Well, she tried. Maa-chan even managed to call her "Kudou-chan"...once in five times. Well, she had to start somewhere. Rome wasn't built in a day after all!

All things said and done, things only got more complicated after the bus ride. As the teacher had announced at the start, your seatmate was your buddy for the trip, and the point was that you had to stick together. It was an attempt to impose some form of order over the natural teen state of chaos. You try herding a bunch of rowdy teenagers around. It was very much like attempting to round up chickens, minus the option to truss them up like, well, chickens.

The pairing up was tolerable. So was splitting up the entire party into smaller groups of pairs to explore. It made a great deal of sense, actually. They were old enough to look around on their own, in any case.

No, you see, it was the fact that Sato Masaki had gotten into her head somehow that because Haruka and her were now buddies, they needed to revert to kindergarten protocol and hold hands. Just like pre-schoolers on their first trip out into the big, bad world. "So that we don't get lost!" Maa-chan had cheerfully declared, and then held on in a shark-like grip. Duu had groaned very loudly then, to the amusement of her classmates.

It actually worked out just fine for the first 15 minutes or so, with Haruka putting as much distance between them as was humanly possible while still holding hands. There was the vague sense of taking a puppy out for a walk (or the puppy was walking her, as is the case most of the time), but it wasn't completely terrible. At least neither of them had sweaty palms. That was something.

It was a mystery really, to then lose Maa-chan despite the fact that they were holding hands. Thing was, Haruka was so focused on keeping her distance that she wasn't even aware that the other girl had let go until she happened to flex her fingers...and met no resistance.

Apparently, no one else in their group noticed that Maa-chan was gone either, until someone pointed out that it was awfully quiet. Which, combined with Haruka staring at her hand disbelieving, clued everyone in to the state of affairs.

"Did Masaki-chan go to the toilet?"

"Maybe she saw something that interested her?"

"I'm sure she'll find her way back to us."

"Yeah, we're the only ones here with this school uniform after all, haha!"

Haruka, for some reason, had not been very reassured by that. Perhaps it was out of a misguided sense of personal responsibility. The teacher did say that they had to be responsible for their buddy. And like it or not, Maa-chan was her buddy. Being a good girl really sucked sometimes.

This was why Haruka was now wandering around in search for her missing partner. She, at least, was fully capable of finding her way back to the group, so her priority was to locate the errant Maa-chan and make sure that the girl wasn't in some kind of trouble. Her experience on the bus ride had taught her to expect shenanigans when one Satou Masaki was concerned.

So it didn't particularly surprise her that much when she saw the whirling dervish that was her partner hauling around a high school student (Haruka had to do a doubletake to be sure it really was a high school student she was dragging around, since even Maa-chan towered over the girl) and talking a mile a minute from what she could tell, standing metres away.

"...so when I went back to Hokkaido I brought back a HUGE jar of snow for my tutor Yasushi-san since she's never been to Hokkaido before, but when I came back it was all melted...but Yasushi-san said it was nice and she accepted it anyway! Isn't it great?"

"...that's...nice?"

Haruka sighed and decided to intervene before the baffled high school student got even more confused. Marching straight up to the pair, Haruka clapped one hand onto Maa-chan's shoulder, and the hyper 15 year old whirled around.

"Duu~~~~!!!! Look, I made a new friend! Anumin! This is Duu!"

"It's Ayumi, actually. Ishida Ayumi." The girl corrected reflexively, glancing up at Haruka as she tried to extricate herself from Maa-chan. The usually composed girl looked a little frazzled around the edges, and stiffened when she saw the taller Haruka looming somewhat apologetically over the over-excitable puppy that was Satou Masaki.

"Nice to meet you, senpai. Sorry about the trouble this kid caused." Haruka apologized politely, pulling Maa-chan away and keeping a firm grip on her buddy's arm.

"I-it's alright." Ayumi recovered from her momentary surprise, drawing herself up to her full height (which wasn't much) and tried to project some of her usual vice-presidently dignity. "You're visiting our school, right? How do you find it so far?"

"It's a beautiful place..." Haruka started, and then had to stop to haul Maa-chan back by the collar before the girl wandered off again. "Dammit -- sorry senpai--,  stop moving!"

"But Duu! The fountain is so pretty!"

Both Haruka and Ayumi heaved simultaneous sighs, looked at each other, and Haruka grinned. Ayumi returned the smile tentatively, then looked away quickly.

"Since you're here to look around, why don't I bring you around? I know the school pretty well."

"You would? That'd be great!"

Ayumi smiled and started leading the way. This day was turning out to be just fine after all.

"Isn't Anumin really tiny for a high school student? You're a whole head taller, Duu!"

Well, except for certain hiccups. Life was never perfect after all.

~*~*~

"Sooooo...I saw that your ikemen-kun walked you back to dorms yesterday~"

"Riho-chan! What are you implying!"

Sayashi Riho smirked at her beet red roommate as they walked down the corridor towards the main courtyard. Classes were out today for the first years since it was recruitment fair day. For this pair, it was a welcome reprieve, since Riho already knew what club she would probably join, and Kanon wasn't going to join anything since it would cut into her extra time after classes, and she needed to work part time to cover costs. Still, they had to keep up appearances and actually show their faces around the fair. If nothing else, Riho had to sign up with the calligraphy club. She did promise the club president last week. She had had to turn down the track and field team who wanted to train her for long distance races (Riho was surprisingly athletic for someone who spent most of her free time sleeping), and a number of other clubs and societies had all tried to court her before the recruitment fair day. Gymnastics had totally wanted her after she did a one-handed backflip during Phys. Ed, but Riho, having already decided to drop heavy club involvement in favour of focusing on her studies, stuck to her initial choice of calligraphy. It was the least demanding in terms of club hours and it would look pretty good on her CV if she played her cards right.

"I'm just saying that he seems awfully nice to you~" Riho said in a singsong fashion, that insufferable smirk still firmly in place. Kanon swatted at her smug roomie.

"Erio-kun is just a really nice guy! And we've been doing the closing shift together recently, that's why he's been walking me back! He says it's not safe for a girl to walk back on her own so..."

"Kanon-chan, your face is still really red you know." Riho pointed out, then wisely ducked from the incoming swat. She missed the follow-up elbow though, and doubled over with an 'oof'. Quitting dance back in middle school had really made her more than a little rusty! She made a mental note to do something about that...eventually.

"Honestly Riho-chan, we're just friends. That's all there is to it." Kanon waved hi to some of the girls from the other classes as they passed by. Riho watched half-enviously, admiring how easily Kanon-chan always made friends with anyone and everyone. "It's not like someone like Erio-kun would ever like someone like me anyway..."

"That's not true! Kanon-chan is the nicest person I know!" Riho defended her best friend loyally. Then the scholarship student smirked suddenly.

"Did I hear you just admit that you want him to like you?"

"Riho-chan!" Kanon had her hand up ready to smack her best friend, but Riho had already raised her hands in surrender.

"Ahahaha, sorry Kanon-chan. But really, you have a great personality and everyone likes you. Why wouldn't he?"

"Well, I'm not the prettiest girl around..." Kanon looked down uncertainly, playing with the hem of her skirt. Riho placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, forcing them to a stop as she looked sternly at Kanon.

"But you are pretty!" She shook her head. "Some people just don't know how to appreciate..."

"But I'm not cute and fashionable like Riho-chan is! Boys like girls like you!" Kanon all but wailed, looking anything but confident. Riho sighed.

"Don't be silly. Kanon-chan is gorgeous." Riho eyed her best friend as she walked in a half circle around the other girl. "You know, you have a better figure than I do, Kanon-chan. You're just not dressing up to show it off properly..."

"Well, I...I just don't know..." Kanon mumbled half to herself. Riho smiled and took Kanon's hands in her own.

"I'm on your side, Kanon-chan. Even Cinderella got to go to the ball and find her Prince too!"

"Does that make you my fairy godmother?" Kanon chuckled. Riho grinned mischievously.

"Shuwa shuwa PON!" Riho swished her finger around dramatically, then smirked all of a sudden.

"This means you're going shopping with me, you know."

"But I have work...?" Kanon protested as Riho linked arms with her bestie to continue their trek towards the courtyard. Riho clucked her tongue and waved one hand dismissively.

"It'll work out somehow~"

"Riho-chan, you shouldn't be so carefree about something like this! And you never did tell me what happened that night at Kamei-san's friend's party. You never came back all night! I was so worried..."

Riho twitched convulsively.

"It's a long story, Kanon-chan..."

~*~*~*~

"Akari-chan, can we not go home so early today?"

Takeuchi Akari turned to look at her childhood friend and benefactor. She had practically grown up with the rich girl, though she was of much humbler beginnings compared to the Fukumuras. Her parents worked on the Fukumura family estate and had been valued for their service, but a tragic accident had orphaned Akari at a young age. With no other kin that the then 8 year old Akari knew of, the Fukumura family had all but adopted her and sponsored her education as well. Part of it had been primarily to give Mizuki another girl to play with that they could trust, but regardless of the reasons, Akari was grateful. She could have wound up on the streets had the Fukumuras not taken her in as one of their own.

"Nn didn't your father say to come home early for a family dinner?"

"...I don't want to."

Akari paused, evaluating her options. Being semi adopted by the Fukumuras also meant that it really was her job to look out for the ojou of the family. Not just because she had to, but also because she wanted to. Mizuki-chan was very important to her, and if the choice was ever between the Fukumura family and her Mizuki-chan, Akari knew where her loyalties lay.

"Your eldest brother is coming back today." Akari said out loud, remembering the fact off the top of her head. Mizuki frowned almost imperceptibly, her hands tightening around the sketch pad on her lap.

"So? I don't want to go home."

"Alright then." Akari caved the moment she noticed the unhappy look in Mizuki's eyes. The tiny girl seemed about to say more, but thought better of it as her eyes tracked to something else beyond Mizuki's shoulder. The sporty 2nd year called out to her junior.

"Oda-chan! Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Ah, Takeuchi-senpai! Fukumura-senpai too! How are you two today?"

Though neither Akari nor Mizuki were officially in any clubs or societies, Akari often helped out with the sports clubs while Mizuki sat aside either studying or drawing on her sketch pad. As a result, Akari was quite well known (and well loved) by the juniors. The third years kept trying to recruit her into their clubs, but Akari would never commit to anything that would take her away from Mizuki, and Mizuki certainly wasn't going to join anything, so that was that.

"It's really noisy with all the middle school students tramping around, that's why we're here." Mizuki replied politely. 'Here' was a section of the gardens near the back of the campus, where there were many benches and pavilions for the students to do their work out amidst nature if it pleased them to do so. The junior nodded, panting slightly as she attempted to regain her breath.

"So Oda-chan, why were you running across the gardens?" Akari asked again, handing her own bottle of water to the first year. Akari remembered Oda Sakura from choir club. The girl could sing!

Sakura shook her head at the proffered bottle, finally catching her breath as she straightened slightly.

"There's a weird guy outside the back gate! I was helping to water the plants in the greenhouse earlier, and there was this flashily dressed young man outside talking to some of my classmates. He seems kind of shifty so I didn't dare to go up to him...but I'm going to report it to a teacher!"

"Weird guy? Interesting..." Akari mused. Mizuki seemed to have lost interest the moment 'guy' was mentioned, but she did point at a group of people on the far side of the grounds.

"Isn't that Ayumi-chan? She'll probably know where the nearest teacher is."

"Oh, the Vice President! Ah, aren't those middle schoolers with her? Is it alright to disturb her?" Sakura seemed concerned. Mizuki laughed.

"Ayumi-chan will definitely help you out if you ask! Come on, we'll go with you."

Mizuki rose and primly dusted her skirt off. Akari tagged along next to a confused looking Sakura, pestering her junior for details on the strange man.

"Tall and good-looking huh...doesn't sound like the typical pervert..." Akari swung her arms around restlessly as she jogged forward to meet the vice president's group. "Yo VP! Saw any teachers around lately?"

Ayumi, who had been attempting to rein in the hyperactive middle schooler with her, paused mid-scold to look at her junior.

"Is something going on?"

Akari jabbed a thumb behind her where Sakura was catching up with Mizuki next to her.

"Oda-chan says she spotted a suspicious man near the back gate. Guess we should report it to a teacher, huh?"

Ayumi was about to answer when the shorter of the middle schoolers with her suddenly yelled.

"Maa-chan will defeat all suspicious people in the name of the moon!"

"Don't copy other people's jokes!" Her taller friend swatted at 'Maa-chan' and dragged the problematic child back. She nodded at Ayumi.

"Thanks for the tour, Ishida-senpai. You were really helpful! But I best get Maa-chan back to our group now."

"Oh...you're welcome. Maybe we'll see each other again?" Ayumi smiled up at the tall middle schooler, who grinned back wolfishly.

"Haha perhaps! This school's really pretty, and you are too! I'm sure we'll see each other again!" The girl tugged at her restless partner. "Hora Maa-chan, let's go!"

"Bye Anumin! Duuuuu can we have ice cream?"

"Only if you're treating."

"Duu is meannnnn..."

The two squabbling youngsters walked off, leaving bemused smiles in their wake. Mizuki watched Ayumi with interest instead, a soft curl touching the corner of her lip.

"So that's what it was..."

"Pardon?" Sakura, who was next to Mizuki, looked even more confused. Mizuki's smile widened, but she shook her head. "It's nothing."

Ayumi turned back to face the others, all business again.

"I saw Mano-sensei with her friend earlier. I think her friend came to visit but we should be able to get her help! She was just round that other corner, so let's go!"

Akari fell back in step with Mizuki as Sakura hurried forward with Ayumi.

"Was that..."

"Akari-chan noticed too?"

"Maa...just a sense? Didn't think our straitlaced vice prez would be..."

"Fufufu...girls are beautiful, Akari-chan. Much better than stinky boys."

Akari hummed a quiet agreement, tossing a wistful side glance at the now cheerful Mizuki. It would have been nice if...

No. Akari shook her head. She shouldn't even entertain such thoughts. Mizuki was her best friend. And that was all there was to it.

"Akari-chan? Are you ok?" Mizuki looked concerned. Akari beamed widely, putting on her most energetic persona. She was happy when Mizuki-chan was happy! The last thing Akari ever wanted to do was make her best friend sad.

"Yup! Say, let's skip the rest of the day! I heard about this really good ice cream place..."

~*~*~

"Uwahhhh you woke up at the police station? Don't you remember what happened though?"

Kanon looked shocked at the account her roommate had given her. To think so much would have occurred after she had left! And she never thought that her bookish best friend would even have the capacity to get into that much trouble unaided.

"Well there was this one girl that..." Riho's phone started chirping noisily, and the pair detoured away from the fairground-like hustle and bustle of the main courtyard. Riho had just signed up for the calligraphy club just minutes ago, so they were pretty much just wandering around seeing the sights, even as Riho spun her tale of horror from the fateful night at the party. Once they were a safe distance away from the noise, Riho picked up her phone.

"Papa? Oh, you're coming to town on business? Yes, let's! I miss you Papa...how's Mama? Is Ryuuichi getting used to middle school? And Rikako, has she learned to sleep alone yet? Haha...I'm sorry Papa, I would take her in if I were home...can't wait to see you!"

Kanon watched her roommate with a peculiar kind of bemusement. Normally cool and aloof, it was quite a sight to see the reserved girl light up while talking to her parents on the phone. The chef-in-training looked around the festive atmosphere of the courtyard, noting the presence of many visitors. Right, wasn't it coincidentally Open House day too? Kanon nodded to herself even as Riho ended the call, still beaming widely.

"Kanon-chan! Papa's coming down this week so I'll be meeting him on the weekend! Do you want to come along? If Papa's around I'm sure I could get him to pay for stuff!"

"Is that really ok? I wouldn't want to impose..." Kanon seemed doubtful, but Riho just grinned and was about to say something when...

"YASUSHISUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN~~~~~~~"

Riho managed to squeak out a "Maa-chan?" before being steamrollered by a hyperactive 15 year old that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. 'Nowhere' being from around the corner, and then having accelerated to lightspeed from a standing start in order to launch a flying tackle at the hapless Riho. The diminutive star student gagged as her over-enthusiastic huggler seemed determined to strangle her with a bear hug. Speaking of bears...

"Maa-chan. Bear." Riho managed to gasp between strangled breaths. The speed with which Maa-chan's head turned around would have been sufficient to cause whiplash, as the girl literally jumped at the very word and was now hiding behind the slightly taller Riho while looking around twitchily. Thus freed, Riho rubbed at her sore neck and said clearly.

"And it's Sayashi. Not Yasushi, Maa-chan."

It took a few tries before Maa-chan could pronounce her name properly with Riho patiently walking the girl through it, to Kanon's endless amusement. She had heard of this Sato Masaki before from her roommate, but seeing is believing, and the Maa-chan experience had to be, well, lived. No amount of anecdotes would ever come close to the eccentricity of the real thing.

"Sayashi-saaaaaaan~ Did you miss me?" Finally, Maa-chan had gotten the name down to Riho's satisfaction, and was currently clinging happily on to her tutor, though with significantly less force than her initial tackle. Their parents were acquaintances, and Riho had stayed with Maa-chan's family in town when she first moved to the area for school, before her place in the dorms had been secured. When Maa-chan finally joined her parents in town, the girl had been delighted to find a new playmate in Riho, which was a happy thing since she had hated transferring away from her friends back home. Also, given that Riho's grades were excellent and Maa-chan's was...erratic at best, Riho then took it upon herself to tutor her mercurial young friend in her weakest subjects, ie. Japanese. It was one way to repay the kindness and hospitality Maa-chan's family had shown her, but Riho found that she did enjoy teaching the girl, even if it took some time trying to get Maa-chan to focus. Sometimes it was like the girl lived on a different plane of reality altogether, with the kind of words that came out in writing.

Riho was working on that. She was sure that eventually, Maa-chan would be able to express herself at least competently, instead of being a garbled mess. The star student took some pride in the fact that she was one of the few people in the world who could decipher Maa-chan lingo. It took a lot of intuition and even more patience -- not to mention an eye for abstract art when Maa-chan decided that doodling was a perfectly acceptable form of communication. She loved the kid to bits though, despite all the trouble and Maa-chan's constant inability to pronounce her name right. There was just something about that girl...

"Did you come here for the Open House?" Riho gamely played along with the impromptu thumb war Maa-chan initiated, and the two fell into a decisive battle of wits and thumb dexterity and ferocious concentration as they duelled. Riho had her tongue sticking out from one side of her mouth, while Maa-chan simply looked intense, even scary. Yes, over Thumb War. Because obviously this was Serious Business. Really.

Kanon was trying very hard not to laugh in the background. She hadn't thought that Riho would have had it in her. Yes, Riho-chan was cute and clumsy and adorable, but seeing her like this...it was like watching a pair of 5 year olds. In the best possible way.

"Ha! I win!" Riho crowed as her thumb finally subdued the opposing one. Maa-chan pouted.

"I will defeat Sayashi-sun next time!"

"It's -san."

"Hai~~~"

Riho ruffled Maa-chan's hair affectionately, making the younger girl squint and pout adorably. And then...

"There you are! Stop running off like tha----YOU."

Riho looked up. So did Maa-chan. Kanon was standing by the side, watching the festivities and regretting the lack of popcorn. Maa-chan, having identified the newcomer, squealed and pounced.

"Duuuuuuuuuuu!"

"Ah, delinquent-san."

"I AM NOT A DELINQUENT, DAMMIT."

"Why is Duu a delicacy? Duu's not edible, hora!"

"Ow! Did you just bite me?"

"You taste bad..."

"Maa-chan, it's delinquent. Not delicacy. It's not the same thing."

Kanon gave up trying to remain standing at that point. It hurt too much to do so. At the sight of the girl rolling on the floor laughing, Maa-chan paused and cocked her head to the side.

"Yasushi-san, you have weird friends!"

"I know, and it's Sayashi."

"OI, WILL SOMEONE JUST---"

The looming shadows of campus security bulked large over them. Riho smiled innocently. Kanon still couldn't stop laughing. Maa-chan waved. And Haruka just gulped. With fairly good reason.

Many things happened afterwards, but most importantly, no one went to jail that day. That was a change. But, if one were to summarize everything, we must defer to the only impartial observer on site, one Suzuki Kanon, who very wisely said this:

"What a day."

~*~*~

It's your last year of high school, isn't it? Mizuirobot-san, this is the last of your shining school days. You should make the most out of it! I understand it can be hard to confess to someone, even worse when it's a junior! If you find it awkward to do it in person, you can always write a letter... But the best way, really, is to get to know them first...especially if you want your confession to succeed. Don't just wait and watch from afar, nothing would ever happen if you do that! Don't live a life regretting the things you didn't do! As you said, it's your last chance, what do you have to lose?

As I said, just find a way to talk to them. It could be over something really trivial, but since you're the older one in this case, you do have the advantage of being able to initiate a conversation without it being too awkward. As a senpai, you can offer advice without it sounding too odd, and suggesting that you spend time together studying is a great excuse too! Be proactive, mizuirobot-san! Good things come only when you work for them! Don't be afraid, and I wish you the best of luck!


"Do you remember how we ended up together?"

"The first time or the second time?"

"Second. I don't even remember the first time."

"Right. You suck at holding your liquor, honestly."

"Shut up. Actually, why didn't you suggest alcohol? It would simplify things considerably."

"The kid's underaged, do you want me to get into trouble? Besides, it might complicate matters."

"True...and I notice you added the letter option."

"Well, since a certain someone was avoiding me..."

"Hey, I apologized!"

"And you are forgiven. Just don't expect me to forget any time soon."

"Meanie."

=====================================================================================


Monster chapter is looooong. So tired. Need sleep. x_x
Title: Re: Neighbours [6/06 - Ep 6: Seishun Bus Guide]
Post by: rndmnwierd on June 05, 2013, 10:53:22 PM
Omg I spent the entirety of the Maa-chan parts laughing my literal ass off. I even had to explain to my roommate because my cackles wouldn't cease. The MaaDuu combi has been established, IshiDuu meeting has commenced Delinquent!MizukixAkari duo shows up, and, what I'm most excited for, potential for later IkuSuzu! I love Maa-chan so much, though it seems exhausting just writing her XD More craziness!
Title: Re: Neighbours [6/06 - Ep 6: Seishun Bus Guide]
Post by: Shiawase_Honoo on June 06, 2013, 05:44:16 PM
What a chap :rofl: :rofl:
Don't know that I want to laugh or cry. :rofl: :rofl:
As I said, putting Maa-chan with Duu, problem solve. XD
How crazy Maa-chan is.  :lol: :rofl:
Just imagine her run around like an exthusiastic puppy, I can feel how exhausted Duu is. :lol:

Thanks for your hard working. I almost die because lack of breathe. XD
Title: Re: Neighbours [6/06 - Ep 6: Seishun Bus Guide]
Post by: yunagi on June 12, 2013, 09:37:25 AM
MAADUU!!! (http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/raccoon/dance-raccoon-emoticon.gif?1302774069)

Quote
"So Kudou-chan, what's your favourite mug colour?"

"Huh?" Haruka blinked. "Orange, I guess?"

"Maa-chan likes clouds! They look like cotton candy! Do you like cotton candy, Kudou-chan?"
(http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/red-fox/red-fox-emoticon-07.gif?1292871602)

Quote
It was like watching a firing squad taking aim at a whole row of your conscious thoughts.
My sentiments exactly. But it’s Maa-chan so it’s all good, her overall bubbly (hyperactive) charm makes it interesting. It’s like watching a small puppy yap-yaping away.

Quote
"Kudou-cha--ah, that's so inconvenient! Kuu-chan? No, Duu-chan!"
Kitaaaaa

Quote
"We're classmates right!" Nod. "That makes us friends!" Headtilt, and a raised eyebrow. "Friends give each other nicknames! That makes us closer, Duu!"
*nods head sagely* Yeah, randomly giving cute nicknames to the person beside you, whether you’re close or not, is the first step to becoming great friends. Did I mention the nicknames were cute? Cause they are.

Quote
Haruka could almost swear she saw a tail wagging on the girl. And she had always wanted a dog, so...
Oh God, my cheeks are already aching from smiling too much.

Quote
"Now you're a part of me too, Duu!"
That sounded so wrong… and yet so right. And… ah, bad thoughts *smacks self*

Quote
One must always keep up with appearances. She straightened a crooked sign. Dusted off some streamers. Picked up litter. Bumped into harried juniors. Arranged tables. Cleared broken glass. Somehow picked up a lost child...

...wait a minute.

Ayumi paused in the middle of the central square and looked closely at the tail she had inadvertently picked up. Said tail was beaming happily, had a lollipop in her mouth, and was holding another one out to her. She also looked very, very lost, in a way only a lost child could manage -- if said lost child were five and crying for their mother. The girl in front of her was at least 10 years older than five, wasn't crying, and even seemed quite cheerful in all respects...and yet she still somehow managed to convey a sense of "HI I'M A LOST CHILD" in glowing neon letters that blinked every 5 seconds. And who was looking at her with watery puppy eyes.
From vice-pres to baby sitter in a nano-second. Who’s the (not so)little lost girl? Hm…

Quote
"Are you from a different class? What's your name? Did you know it's probably still snowing in Hokkaido now? Are you lost too?"
Oh God. Remember when I said my cheeks were hurting? Scratch that, now my cheeks feel like they’re locked in a perpetual grin.

Quote
"Are high school students all so small? Duu's bigger than you are!"

Is that all she took out of what I said? And I'm not that small! I'm...average. Yes. Japanese people are petite. I'm the perfect example of the Japanese body type......am I really that small?
XD

Quote
because Haruka and her were now buddies, they needed to revert to kindergarten protocol and hold hands. Just like pre-schoolers on their first trip out into the big, bad world. "So that we don't get lost!" Maa-chan had cheerfully declared, and then held on in a shark-like grip.
D’aww. That’s so cute.

Quote
It was a mystery really, to then lose Maa-chan despite the fact that they were holding hands. Thing was, Haruka was so focused on keeping her distance that she wasn't even aware that the other girl had let go until she happened to flex her fingers...and met no resistance.

Apparently, no one else in their group noticed that Maa-chan was gone either, until someone pointed out that it was awfully quiet. Which, combined with Haruka staring at her hand disbelieving, clued everyone in to the state of affairs.


(http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/cheetah/worry-cheetah-emoticon.gif?1302786125)

Duu: (http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/cheetah/frustrated-cheetah-emoticon.gif?1302786122)

Quote
"I'm just saying that he seems awfully nice to you~" Riho said in a singsong fashion, that insufferable smirk still firmly in place. Kanon swatted at her smug roomie.

"Erio-kun is just a really nice guy! And we've been doing the closing shift together recently, that's why he's been walking me back! He says it's not safe for a girl to walk back on her own so..."
I smell a little romance in the air.

Quote
"Did I hear you just admit that you want him to like you?"
Busted.

Imagines Zukki going (http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/text_line/text-line-smiley-058.gif?1302022364)

Aw… Riho Zukki friendship. Saiko! (http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/text_line/text-line-smiley-084.gif?1302022369)


Quote
"Riho-chan, you shouldn't be so carefree about something like this! And you never did tell me what happened that night at Kamei-san's friend's party. You never came back all night! I was so worried..."
Dun dun dun… Does she even want to remember… I wonder how she’ll react the next time she sees Duu.

Quote
Ayumi was about to answer when the shorter of the middle schoolers with her suddenly yelled.

"Maa-chan will defeat all suspicious people in the name of the moon!"
Da hell?

Quote
The two squabbling youngsters walked off, leaving bemused smiles in their wake. Mizuki watched Ayumi with interest instead, a soft curl touching the corner of her lip.

"So that's what it was..."

"Pardon?" Sakura, who was next to Mizuki, looked even more confused. Mizuki's smile widened, but she shook her head. "It's nothing."
Huh? Did I miss something?

Quote
"Maa...just a sense? Didn't think our straitlaced vice prez would be..."

"Fufufu...girls are beautiful, Akari-chan. Much better than stinky boys."
Ah…  That one.

Quote
Akari hummed a quiet agreement, tossing a wistful side glance at the now cheerful Mizuki. It would have been nice if...
Looks like Ayumi isn’t the only one.

Quote
"YASUSHISUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN~~~~~~~"
You’re joking right?

Quote
Riho managed to squeak out a "Maa-chan?" before being steamrollered by a hyperactive 15 year old that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere…
XD Small world.

Quote
"Did you come here for the Open House?" Riho gamely played along with the impromptu thumb war Maa-chan initiated, and the two fell into a decisive battle of wits and thumb dexterity and ferocious concentration as they duelled. Riho had her tongue sticking out from one side of her mouth, while Maa-chan simply looked intense, even scary. Yes, over Thumb War. Because obviously this was Serious Business. Really.
ROLF, You’re killing me!

But with Maa-chan there I guess it won’t be long till Duu shows up.

Quote
"There you are! Stop running off like tha----YOU."
speak of the devil.

Awesome chap. Even without alcohol you still got all these crack out without it being weird. Guess Maa-chan’s the best substitute for alcohol.
Title: Re: Neighbours [6/06 - Ep 6: Seishun Bus Guide]
Post by: H!PShipper on June 13, 2013, 02:54:19 AM
Yeah I have good instincts lol
All this time I've been trying to figure out who Ringo_Daisuki (or what ever it was, from the second chapter) was and I think now that maybe it was Sakura? Is she the one that gave Riho those writing tools for her b-day?! It could also be masaki but I doubt she wants Rihos attention that much and she doesnt even go to rihos school soo...I can't come up with anyone else other than Sakura! lol And now I'm trying to figure out the pairings for this story(from the younger girls). lol It's obvious from this chapter that Ishida has got something for Kudo lmao And Takeuchi might have something for Mizuki lol And the listener for this chapter, Muzuirobot, is it Mizuki? I'm not completely sure if its her(Even though its pretty much her name lol) cause I cant figure out who she could be admiring from afar. Anyway I'll figure it out lol I'm getting a glist that the ships will be a mystery for now cause I'm getting love hexagons when thinking about how possible OTPs will work in this fic lmao and also, who could that mysterious handsome guy be?! (I have no idea what you're going to pull here, unless it turns out to be yoshi or something lmao) OMG, I totally forgot Ikuta is a guy here! Is it him?! that brings up the KanonxIkuta ship that I over looked lol
Title: Re: Neighbours [6/06 - Ep 6: Seishun Bus Guide]
Post by: XxRoByNxX78 on August 20, 2013, 10:25:05 PM
Alchol was involved in their second time together okay now i am really interested in their past and first time how can Reina not remember it? Haruka really looks up to Reina lol poor Haruka though her seat mate wouldnt shut up Maa-chan let Haruka have her peace lol looking foward to your future updates.

I cant wait to know more about Tanashiges past!
Title: Re: Neighbours [6/06 - Ep 6: Seishun Bus Guide]
Post by: Estrea on October 01, 2013, 10:30:08 AM
Ok guys, I've been away for too long but yeah, been suffering a major block on the still half written chapter 7. Therefore I decided to post some one shots to get me going! XD

Anyway, some comment replies first:

@rndy: Maachan is amazing. And yes, writing her is exhausting. I think I used up all my mojo writing Maachan. XDDDD Glad you like all the plot advances going on!

@Shiawase: MaaDuu is invincible :nod: Duu will get used to Maachan eventually. lol. And hehe, you're welcome.

@yunagi: Agreed, when in need of weird, sub Maachan in. Maachan is better than alcohol. XD

@H!PShipper: Hehe have fun trying to figure things out XD It's going to be a fun ride~

@robyn: Tanashige's past...I need to cover it sometime. lol.


Ok short post!
Title: Re: Neighbours [6/06 - Ep 6: Seishun Bus Guide]
Post by: Estrea on October 01, 2013, 10:31:30 AM
Apple Diary #1


Father bought me a new notebook today, so I've decided to start an observational diary on my favourite~st person in the world! My senpai, Sayashi-san!

Unnnn, where to start? Firstly, she's cute! That's right! Senpai is really adorable when she smiles! Even when she falls asleep in class! I know because I got someone to take a picture for me and it's my phone wallpaper now!

Furthermore, Sayashi-senpai is really smart and also good at athletics!  She's a really nice person too! When I bumped into her in the corridor and dropped my things, she stopped to help me pick them up! ...I really want to do it again but I'm afraid that she'l think that I'm clumsy...what to do...

I gave her something for her birthday too, I hope she likes it! Sayashi-senpai is such the epitome of a traditional Japanese girl! Her calligraphy is beautiful! I want to be like her...Mama's always telling me to work harder at my lessons...maybe if I were a bit more like Sayashi-san, maybe Mama wouldn't look so disappointed? Un, I'll work hard like Senpai too!



===========================================================


Who is the mysterious ringo_daisuki-san, aka Apple-chan? XD

Oh Riho, you have a fan~ :P
Title: Re: Neighbours [1/10 - Side Story: Apple Diary #1]
Post by: H!PShipper on October 02, 2013, 08:53:11 AM
who would like apples so much? Im suddenly thinking odasaku just cause the senpai thing but I'm not sure right now. I'll need to reread your other chapters cause its been a while and I think sakura's been mentioned as a different role?

I'll update you on my theories lmao
Title: Re: Neighbours [1/10 - Side Story: Apple Diary #1]
Post by: Baekshim on October 02, 2013, 03:43:52 PM
When I think of Apples&Momusu together I think of that video Morning Musume Eating Apples (English Sub) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYhl_kCjK8I#ws)

Do the people who writes the letters are all Morning Musume members? Or some of them are random people?

So far we have:
ikemen_shoujo-san: Duu~
chanponchan-san: Gaki-san~ so obvious XD

ringo_daisuki-san: Sakura?
mizuirobot-san:? Ayumi?
iroiro_tsuma-san:? I think she's some random person since she's married & has a child (or she's an OG?)

Episode 6: Seishun Bus Guide
Quote
this flashily dressed young man outside talking to some of my classmates.
Quote
"Tall and good-looking huh...doesn't sound like the typical pervert..."
Eripon? XD

Quote
"OI, WILL SOMEONE JUST---"

The looming shadows of campus security bulked large over them. Riho smiled innocently. Kanon still couldn't stop laughing. Maa-chan waved. And Haruka just gulped. With fairly good reason.
I didn't understand what happened there XD

Thanks for the update! ^_^
Title: Re: Neighbours [1/10 - Side Story: Apple Diary #1]
Post by: rndmnwierd on October 04, 2013, 07:18:59 AM
I don't know.... But good luck with everything Essy!
Title: Re: Neighbours [1/10 - Side Story: Apple Diary #1]
Post by: Mucca on October 19, 2013, 05:55:05 PM
I thought Apple-chan might be Uemura, because she seems to have developed a healthy love (http://www.hello-online.org/index.php?app=helloapp&CODE=article&topic=1866) for Riho (http://blog-project.net/uemura-akari/158523), but we've already seen Uemura working at Eri's cafe, and besides, Apple-chan first appeared in the story months before Juice=Juice even debuted. Hmm...

As for Mizuirorobot-san, Fuku-chan seems to be an obvious choice (because of the name, I guess)...but what is obvious is not always correct.

Iroiro_tsuma-san will probably be an OG, but watch it be an unexpected one like Kago or something. :lol:
Title: Re: Neighbours [1/10 - Side Story: Apple Diary #1]
Post by: Estrea on October 19, 2013, 09:54:01 PM
Too frigging tired to comment reply. It's 3.30am blah blah blah. Be nice.

========================================================

Episode 7: Motto Aishite Hoshii no


This week we have a somewhat unusual request from charming_choco-san. Without further ado, let's get to it!

Konnichiwa I-sensei! This might be a bit sudden but I would really like to ask a favour from you. You see, I have a girlfriend I love very much, but due to work I haven't really been spending time with her. I feel really bad about this, but I'm not really sure how to approach her on this matter. It's a little silly considering how long we've been together, but well... That's why I would like to be able to tell her how I really feel through your programme. I know she listens to you pretty regularly, so could you please lend me some air time to broadcast my feelings?

Of course, charming_choco-san! I-sensei is an ally to all lovers out there! I'm sure your girlfriend will be happy that you're making an effort!

Speaking of which, my R-kun has also been really busy with work lately so we haven't been spending much time together too. As a girl, I can assure you that your girlfriend will definitely appreciate what you are trying to do! After all, we need assurance every once in a while that you care!

Ah, but enough about me. Let's get on with the show! Charming_choco-san, I will leave your message to the finale so please wait for it~

And the next message is from...



~*~*~

"Otsukaresama, Ishikawa-san."

Ishikawa Rika, or should that have been Reporter Charmy?, turned out and flashed a dazzling smile at one of the dozen juniors who lived for her approval.

"Otsukare, Kashiwagi-chan. You did well on that weather report earlier. Keep it up."

The tall young girl flushed slightly under the compliment, but kept her expression serious and sober. Still in her mid 20s, not young enough to be called a young girl per se, but younger than Ishikawa herself, which was enough for Rika to add the endearment to the girl's name.

"Oh, I'll be taking the rest of the day off, so work hard, alright?"

To her credit, Kashiwagi didn't even stop and stare like a number of more seasoned crew members who had worked with Rika for years. Reporter Charmy never took a break. If there was a story or breaking news out there, Reporter Charmy could be counted on to be on-site within the hour, traffic and typhoon be damned. It was that work ethic, coupled with sheer force of personality, that propelled her into recognition as one of the most well known reporters on TV.

"I understand, Ishikawa-san. Have a good rest."

Rika nodded at her junior -- you could always count on the slightly older ones with more life experiences than the fresh meat just out of high school or college. Despite her deceptively youthful appearance, Kashiwagi had had a more checkered past than most people were privy to. Rika had a deal more sympathy towards a single mother like Kashiwagi, knowing how intolerant and inflexible society could be towards anyone who broke the norm. Being someone who was not strictly in the norm as well, Rika knew well the pressures of having to stay closeted, and was thus kinder to others disenfranchised by a society that adhered strictly to unspoken rules of behavior, punishing those who dared even to toe the line.

Brushing past any number of busy-looking TV people, Rika managed to avoid the majority of small talk, engaging only when it was inevitable and doing her best to actually get out of the door before someone tried to waylay her with more work. The problem with being always available meant that people couldn't comprehend the fact that she actually really did want the rest of the day off. As in she was going to shut off her work phone, divert all calls, and resolutely ignore her emails. She absolutely did not want any last minute emergencies to divert her from her self-imposed mission. Speaking of which, she needed to iron out a few more details on that.

Whipping out her other phone, Ishikawa Rika shed her Charmy persona the moment she stepped out of the building, and became the "Rika-chan" only her closest friends knew anything about. Which was about as far a cry as you could imagine Charmy ever being.

It was a good thing to have friends who accepted her for who she was, Rika mused. The dial tone hummed an annoyingly catchy jingle as she navigated the busy streets at lunchtime. Her Yocchan would only have been up and about not too long ago, since she knew that work began late for her significant other today. She had taken that fully into account as well.

Click. The call went through.

"It's Ishikawa. Yes, the plans are still in place. I'm not going to cancel them. Really! Don't make me sound so evil...yes I know, that's why I'm doing this! I really need your help to make this work...thanks a billion, Kozaki-san! Haha, why do you sound so embarrassed? Do you want me to go back to calling you baba again? Heh, thought so. All right, I'll see you later!"

Yet another check off her list. Today had to go well. She would make it so.

She had too much to make up for...

~*~*~

"Hmm, I think it's in this direction...ah, sumimasen!"

Wada Ayaka apologized on reflex as her sketch pad collided with someone as she was turning to ascertain her surroundings. Then she swallowed nervously as the intimidating figure gave her the most terrifying glare she had ever experienced in her life. It made her feel very, very small.

Then the feeling was gone in an instant as the person she bumped into looked away and started walking off, and Ayaka breathed out a sigh of relief. For a moment there she seriously thought she was going to die before she made it to see Harunan...

The art student looked at her phone again. She had started exchanging friendly mails with the history student, and they had discovered that they had many things in common. Their friendship sometimes expressed itself in ways her good friend and roommate Yuukarin couldn't understand -- why, Yuukarin sensibly asked, do you guys even bother going to art museums together when the first thing you do is split up at the entrance?

Other people simply wouldn't understand. Art had to be appreciated in one's own time and at one's own pace. Ayaka liked that Haruna knew and understood this fact, so they could do things independently of each other, congregating only at the end to go out for snacks and drinks after the experience at the museum. There they could talk to each other about what they saw, and exchange thoughts and ideas about things. It was a nice change from her other friends. Kanyon and Yuukarin were good friends and they had grown up together, but they just couldn't understand her passion for the fine arts. It was as if she had been waiting her whole life for someone like Harunan to come into her life.

As she resumed walking on her quest to find the cafe where Haruna worked part time, Ayaka abruptly realized that she was inadvertently trailing behind that scary person who had glared at her earlier. Are we going to the same place? Not that she dared to ask, and checked the map on her phone once again. Yep, she was on the right track.

On second thoughts, the scary person wasn't all that scary from the back. Kind of small, actually. Ayaka knew she was relatively tall for a Japanese girl. Not model-sized, but not tiny either. The scary person had seemed a lot larger than life when that deadly gaze had been trained on her earlier. Now that Ayaka was looking at her from the back, the reality was very much scaled down. Long wavy hair and a fearless sort of attitude that was apparent even from a back view.

It wasn't until the moment they reached her intended destination that Ayaka realized two things:

1) She and scary person were in fact headed to the same place;
2) She'd stopped following the map and started following the scary person somewhere along the way.

Thank goodness they had been headed for the same destination. It would have been disastrous otherwise. Waiting for the scary woman to head in first, Ayaka felt her heart leap slightly as she heard a familiar voice going "Irasshaimase!" as the scary person went in.

She managed to wait all of 5 seconds before running into the cafe herself.

"Harunan!"

"Wada-san! You made it!"

And all was well in the world.

~*~*~

"You're late."

"Toranosuke didn't want me to leave."

"How is that little munchkin?"

"Insufferable. As needy as his father."

"You love it."

"I do."

Yoshizawa Hitomi waved her best friend down to sit opposite her. They had been acquainted since junior high, and kept in contact even after they had gone separate ways post-university. It hadn't been that long ago when she had received the invitation to the wedding. Yossy had gone with Rika to the event, and Fujimoto Miki didn't even bat an eyelash at it, even if some of the other guests had shot them odd looks. Most likely it was because most people had some difficulty deciding if Yossy was male or female, but in any case, having Charmy Ishikawa show up on her arm was a very good reason for a double-take.

Miki knew about her friend's inclinations, of course. It never bothered her, and their friendship was never adversely affected -- contrary to popular opinion, it was possible to have lesbian friends without actually being homosexual yourself. Though no doubt many people thought they were dating during their school days, but Miki couldn't give a damn about the rumours.

They were both older now, and Miki was even married with a baby, but they still met up religiously to catch up at least once a month. It was something they had agreed to after graduation, and nothing short of death and deadly illness could keep them from their monthly gatherings. Oh, and a bout of colic for the baby that one time. Actually, even that didn't stop Yossy from dropping by the hospital to fret with Miki and Shouji (the completely henpecked and loving it husband) over Toranosuke, her favourite god-son.

"How are you and Rika-chan?" Miki asked lightly, though her eyes were sharp as always. Yossy shrugged noncommittally as she poked at the ice in her drink with her straw, but her shoulders slumped after a moment.

"She's been busy...I don't see her as much."

"I see her on TV all the time." Miki said it as if it proved something -- which it did. It meant that work was taking her best friend's significant other away from the relationship, and anyone with eyes could see that Yossy wasn't too happy about it.

Yossy waved a hand as if to dismiss the issue. "We'll get over it." The wry grin on her face was almost convincing, but painful to watch for anyone who truly knew her. Respecting her boundaries though, Miki inclined her head, allowing Yossy to change the topic.

"So, aren't they missing you at work yet? I didn't think they'd beg you to stay even after you gave got married and pregnant and all."

Miki chuckled, tapping idly on her knuckles with one hand.

"They haven't found anyone else as capable...well, mostly because I keep everything to myself and they know they can't afford to lose me. The only complete records are here," she tapped the side of her head, "and they know they can't have it any other way, if they want operations to remain secure. I'm pretty much indispensable at this point." Miki concludes with a self satisfied smirk, drawing a laugh out of Yossy.

"You're the only person I know who holds her own employers hostage, you know."

"Their own fault for appointing me to that position..."

"Which you totally schemed your way into."

"Hey that was a job requirement! I totally earned it too." Miki grinned, arching her fingers and resting her chin on them. "Someone has to do it anyway."

"What's amazing is that they let you get away with it." Yossy shook her head, still impressed by her best friend's feat. In a male dominated society, for her friend to have risen as far as she had was an achievement in itself.

"You could do more than what you're doing now, you know." The bubbly waitress that had greeted her at the entrance zipped by and set a drink in front of Miki, who raised an eyebrow at her old classmate. Yossy shrugged one shoulder. The moment Miki had texted her to say that she was "almost there", she had ordered the drink. When you have been friends for so long, you settle into a pattern. Miki gave up and took a sip.

"No, Kuwagata, I'm not going to work for you. You know I can't be bound to all those rules." Yossy preempted the question, reading the familiar lines on best friend's face.

"Bah, rules." Miki waved a hand dismissively. "Never bothered me."

"I'm not you, unfortunately." Yossy took a sip from her own drink. They fell into a companionable silence for a while, Miki thumbing through her cellphone idly and occasionally showing off pictures of her son engaged in various antics.

"You ought to do something about Ishikawa." Miki said suddenly, after their food had arrived and they had proceeded to tuck in. Yossy froze between one forkful of pasta and the next, but masked it by shoving the fork into her mouth and chewing harder than was actually necessary. Miki pressed a little harder.

"You've been with that woman for practically forever. I see you two together sometimes and it seems like something out of a dream...when you're actually together. I hope she's not taking you for granted, Kabutomushi. You deserve better."

"And you wonder why Rika doesn't like you when you keep telling me to move on." Yossy said blandly. Miki grinned unrepentantly.

"Gotta look out for my buddy. I want you to be happy too, you know."

"Are you attending Matsuura's wedding?"

Talk about a thunderbolt from the blue. A muscle jumped in Miki's cheek, and she narrowed her eyes at Yossy, who calmly swallowed her pasta like she had just made a remark about the weather.

"She invited you?" Miki replied neutrally. Yossy shrugged.

"We did run together in the same circles for a while." She didn't add 'because of you', but it hung palpably in the air between them. Miki pushed her plate a little away from her, appetite apparently lost.

"I suppose I should go."

Yossy put down her fork. "You two were close before." The unspoken "what happened?" flickered behind her statement, and Miki leaned back in her seat.

"We grew up."

Yossy's phone buzzed loudly on the table, ending the awkward conversation before it went further. Miki saw the caller ID and was suddenly oddly grateful towards her best friend's significant other. Miki and Rika had never been on the best of terms, the latter being jealous of Yossy and Miki's friendship, while Miki just found Rika too flighty for her best friend. Despite Yossy's manly pose, Miki knew that the woman was a lot more devoted and and sincere than her apparently flippant manner suggested. An outsider would have assumed that Yossy was the 'man' in the relationship. The outsider would have been wrong.

"Rika? Mm, I'm awake...yeah, I'm going to work later on. Thanks for giving me a call...yeah, I'll catch you later...I'm sure you're busy...mm...love you too. Bye."

"You can stop smiling now." Miki smirked at the slightly goofy grin on Yossy's face.

"She remembered that I start work late today!" Glee. Miki rolled her eyes, scoffing.

"Whipped."

"Lunch is on you, just for that."

"Cheap trick."

"Stingy."

They looked at each other, and grinned. What else were friends for?

~*~*~

"If you're not going to be serious about this, we don't need you here."

Yossy walked onto the main stage of the theater to a very tense atmosphere, where a familiar scene was taking place. A diminutive woman was scowling at a younger and taller ingenue was clutching her script and looked to be on the verge of tears. A couple of stage hands tossed her helpless looks as Yossy strode across the stage, placing one hand on Takahashi Ai's shoulder.

"Ai-chan, what's wrong?"

The tiny producer let the comment drop at first as she ordered the cast to 'take five', before turning back to her lighting and effects specialist with a sigh.

"They're not doing it right."

"You're too hard on the newbies." Yossy chided gently, steering the stressed Ai towards the backstage. Ai's shoulders were tight and tense, and she had an irritated tic on her eye.

"Everything has to be perfect. This show's my baby." Ai seemed more aggravated than usual, checking and doublechecking with each and every person to make sure they were doing their parts correctly.

"We'll pull through, Cap'n." Yossy drawled, and Ai flashed her a grateful half-smile.They stopped by with the sound technicians to check up on something, and then Hurricane Takahashi was whisked off to the costuming department to deal with some last minute issues with props and the like. Bemused, Yossy went off to check her own area instead.

The opening night would be in 2 days, and everyone was running high on adrenaline and stress as they absolutely had to make the play succeed. It was Ai's first independent work as a producer, and she had been stressed over everything from finding sponsors to get things going, negotiating with everyone involved, running through the script and being excessively anal about the casting...if Yossy hadn't known Ai for as long as she had, she might have walked out from all that micromanaging.

Thing was, Ai wasn't usually that much of a micromanager, though sometimes her desire for perfection could make her come across as overbearing. Added stress from external sources didn't help, Yossy chuckled to herself. She had heard from Shige-chan that the silly beanhead that Ai lived with was still deeply in denial about, well, everything. It was almost laughably amusing how Niigaki Risa could completely ignore the fact that "her perfect prince" was already right next to her...albeit shorter and not quite a guy. It almost made Yossy want to intervene in order to speed things up, but the knowledge that Ai wouldn't like it stayed her hand. Then again, it was faintly hilarious to see all that unresolved sexual tension between those two. It was like a real life drama. Just better.

The afternoon and best part of the evening passed quickly. Ai only made two more people cry in the process, but otherwise everything seemed to be right on track. In the midst of more last minute adjustments to the script as well as all the timing of the cues for light and sound, everyone totally missed dinner until stomachs started to rumble, prompting an enterprising crew member to call in pizza for the entire crew. Raucous cheers greeted the Pizza-la delivery man, and everyone retired into their own corners to take a breather and grab a bite to eat.

Yossy was about to get her portion when Ai called her over. Regretfully, she put down her cup and eyed the slices in the open pizza boxes heaped at the table before trotting over to the production nazi who also happened to be her neighbour.

Ai seemed to be a strange combination of hyper and stressed, if her behaviour was any indication. Her motions were jerkier than usual, and she seemed to cycle through 5 different emotions within a span of 3 seconds, all while animatedly talking about some idea she had. Yossy nodded at the suggestions and tried very hard not to think about the dwindling amount of pizza back at the tables backstage.

They ended up in the main stage area, which was more or less clear of everyone except for stray props and a couple of abandoned scripts. The lights were dimmed. Ai stopped abruptly, turning to Yossy.

"Thanks for listening, Yoshizawa-san."

"Comes with the job." Yossy replied wryly. Ai smiled.

"I know, but thank you anyway." The producer looked across the dimmed stage where props had been left untended by the starving crew. Apart from some backdrop stuff, there was also a table and a couple of chairs.

"Well, I won't hold you back from dinner anymore. Have fun!" Ai suddenly dashed off, leaving a bemused Yossy in her wake.

"Hm?" Shrugging, the effects specialist was about to follow her back to where the pizza was when a spotlight came on, freezing her in her tracks.

"What?" Yossy spun on her heel. Was this a prank?

A crackle, then the unmistakeable sound of a familiar voice started playing through the speakers.

"...and I hope my advice can help you, eien_rival-san! I'm sure your childhood friend takes you very seriously too!"

...I-sensei? Yossy blinked. She checked her ever present silver watch, which had been a birthday gift from Rika. Its twin adorned Rika's wrist. The time was about right for the latest broadcast of the I-sensei show, and she had been resigned to missing it since she was sure work was going to run late today. What was this?

"And now, it's time to address charming_choco-san's request! I really hope that it will reach the ears it's meant for!"

Yossy looked around once more, certain she was being punk'd somehow but not sure who was behind it or why this was even happening. Her mind turned quickly to the look on Ai's face earlier. Dammit, had Ai-chan been in on whatever this was?

Yossy had half a mind to just walk back to the waiting pizza, but the next lines from I-sensei's lips stopped her again.

"Yocchan, are you hearing this? I hope you are. Actually, I'm making sure you are."

Only one person called her that. And suddenly things made a whole lot more sense.

"I'm sorry how I never have much time for you these days. Coming home late and seeing you already asleep, then having to leave you again early in the morning for work...I feel like we barely see each other anymore, even though we live together, and it's really all my fault."

The words were spoken in I-sensei's somehow very familiar voice, but Yossy could hear Rika's lilting tone in each heartfelt line. Rika could be a little closed off sometimes, and they had become so used to reading each other's nonverbal cues that it came at the cost of actually having conversations. Yossy didn't remember how much she missed it...until now.

"Ne, Yocchan, remember when we first met?"

It was a long time ago. Coffee had been involved, Yossy remembered vaguely. Their first date had been at a cafe. Except it wasn't really a date, yet. But...coffee. Memories.

"I thought you were a gopher and told you to get me a coffee and you did it anyway. Then you left a note with my coffee saying it wasn't your job, but that it was ok since I was cute. I still have that note with me."

An involuntary smile crept its way up her face. Had Miki been there, she would have been mocking her again. But why shouldn't she be smiling? She remembered bumping into Rika now, back when she was still only an assistant effects specialist and had been contracted to work at the TV studio. How many years ago was that? And Rika kept the note? All this time?

"I got you back though, remember?"

Oh yes. Yossy hadn't expected it to go anywhere. She had left the note on a whim, fully expecting it to be tossed away and ignored. So she had totally been surprised when Rika walked right up to her the next day and shoved a cup of coffee into her hands.

"...then I told you we should go out for coffee sometime. I was really nervous when I did that then, you know. I'm glad I did though. That's what led to there being an 'us' at all."

It was like being a teenager again, that date. Yossy recalled having sweaty palms while trying to act cool, never mind that they were both already past 20 and adults then. Rika wasn't Charmy Ishikawa the intrepid reporter yet back then, but she was still gorgeous. Almost intimidatingly so. And there was no real indication that Rika even swung that way at first. After all, Yossy was used to girls falling all over her during high school due to her tomboyish good looks. But girls liking her because she looked like a guy wasn't the same as girls liking her as a girl. A few failed relationships taught her that painfully crucial difference. It might also have led her to start growing out her hair and adopt a slightly more feminine, though still androgynous look, after graduation.

"And I want there to continue being an 'us'. You've always made an effort to be there for me, to be the first one to initiate things between us, and...I'm scared of losing what we have. I don't want us to grow apart, Yocchan. You promised me you'd always be there for me, but I haven't always been there for you. So, starting today, I'm going to try harder to be."

Another spotlight came on, illuminating a figure on the other end of the stage. Time had not dimmed Rika's beauty in the least, Yossy mused, her eyes locked on the beautiful woman coming towards her. Unconsciously, her feet brought her forward, meeting the love of her life halfway as she always did.

They stopped before each other, Rika smiling shyly up at Yossy, whose unconscious grin gave her a distinctly Cheshire appearance, but for the soft expression in her eyes. They pause, uncertain where to begin.

"I love you, Yocchan. Forgive me?"

"What she said." Rika quipped, laughter dancing in her eyes. Yossy grinned, putting one hand on her hip and pretending to scowl for a moment.

"I want to hear it from you."

Rika met her eyes. Yossy could see the colour rise in her lover's cheeks, knew from experience that Rika was painfully shy about airing her emotions, and was, to some extent, socially awkward. Odd for an ace reporter who was a veteran in her field, but Yossy loved her no less for it.

Neither noticed how the broadcast had been turned off, and some enterprising person had put on some soothing ballroom music to 'work the mood', so to speak. Later, Ai would buy that clever person a beer for their initiative. But back to our couple.

"I missed you, Yocchan." Rika said softly, taking a half step forward to take one of Yossy's hands in her own.

"I never left." Yossy replied quietly, and Rika flinched ever so slightly, making the taller woman wince. It would sting, that comment. And it had hurt, Rika never being around. But she never wanted to hurt Rika. No, not ever.

"I'm sorry." Both apologized simultaneously, and the absurdity of their timing coaxed identical chuckles from the lovers. It felt right, this synchronicity, the bonds they had developed over years of their relationship, almost to the point where their mutual friends had begun to suspect them of telepathy. It was an intimate connection, and Yossy had not known how much she had missed it until they rekindled it once more. How do you explain missing something like a limb, but more? It was a phantom pain that was made ever more subtle by the fact that they still lived together and caught glimpses of each other every day. But it was not the same as the deep connection of truly understanding, truly paying attention to each other's needs. That was what they had been missing.

Rika hugged Yossy suddenly, laying her head on the taller woman's shoulder. Yossy's arms wrapped automatically around Rika's waist, burying her face into the luxuriously long locks. Her own hair was almost shoulder length, but tied back into a neat ponytail. There was a deep sense of completion in the gesture.

"I missed doing this." Rika mumbled. She tilted her head up, her eyes guilty.

"I'm sorry I was always away."

"You were busy." The excuse came up automatically, the usual defence. Yossy was so used to defending Rika against criticism that it came as second nature now.

"That's no excuse. I should have made time..." Rika shook her head. Yossy placed a finger on her girlfriend's lips.

"You're making time now, aren't you?"

And there lay the first step to forgiveness and healing...until Yossy's stomach rumbled a loud protest at being deprived for so long. Rika let out a chuckle.

"Sorry Yocchan, I guess it's time to feed you?"

The taller woman laughed and scratched at the back of her head awkwardly. Rika smiled mysteriously and disengaged from her tall lover, taking Yossy's hand and leading her to the table that had been left in the middle of the stage. Glasses and cutlery were neatly arrayed there, and they took seats opposite each other.

"Ai-chan was totally in on this, wasn't she?" Yossy said wryly. Rika grinned unrepentantly, clapping her hands sharply to signal someone. When the food came rolling up in a trolley pushed by an elegantly dressed waiter, Yossy raised an eyebrow. Her eyebrow went even higher when the waiter laid out the French cuisine before her.

"Is this...?"

"I called in a favour." Rika said simply, an impish look on her face. Yossy laughed.

"Yasuda-san just called me the other day and we were taking about her husband and his cooking...I guess this was the result?"

"Guilty as charged." Rika winked, blowing a kiss. "And it's Kozaki-san now that she's married~"

"She'll always be Yasuda-obachan to us though!" Yossy completed the joke, both of them beaming at each other. A tender expression crept onto Yossy's face, and she reached out to grip Rika's hand.

"I love you, Rika."

Rika's answering smile was brilliant as the sun itself.

~*~*~

Ahhh~ I'm all teary now! I hope your Yocchan appreciates your gesture, charming_choco-san! And if I may add, just spend more time with her! But awww you two sound like the cutest couple, just like me and R-kun!

To all lovers out there, a little time to show your care and concern always helps! It doesn't have to be a grand gesture every single time, but it's the little things that you do every day that really matter. Never forget to show your love; they won't know if you hide it away somewhere, and you can't expect your loved ones to read your mind!

Once again, I wish the best to not only charming_choco-san, but to all lovers out there!


Sayumi ended the live broadcast with a click, letting out a long breath she couldn't hear due to the noise-cancelling headphones she had on her head. She sat in silence for a moment, not wanting to take the headphones off to hear the very real silence of the house.

Reina had been busy with studio practice this past week, spending all day cooped up there with her bandmates as they rehearsed for their upcoming tour. By the time she came back, it would be in the wee hours, and so Sayumi didn't get to see her girlfriend quite as much lately.

With a sigh, Sayumi removed her headphones and rose from her swivel chair, padding out into the darkened living room and groping around on the couch for the remote. She found it hidden under a cushion where Reina had no doubt left it, and turned the TV on to some random channel.

It was comforting to hear the TV when she was alone at home. It gave her the illusion of having Reina home with her, since Reina always left the TV on whenever she was home, whether or not she was currently watching something. If she was lucky, Reina would be on some program and she'd even be able to see her cat-like girlfriend.

Of course, if she were luckier, Reina would be home with her right now. Sayumi curled up on the couch and hugged a cushion to herself. It still smelt like Reina. Gods, she missed her. Was it this hard back when they only saw each other once or twice a week? Sayumi felt greedy, wanting ever more of Reina's presence. Was this what being in love was like? It made her feel jealous and small, somehow.

"Reina..." The bunny sighed as she flipped to another channel. It was going to be another long night without her girlfriend with her.


=========================================================================================


Title is self evident. All the nicknames. Ishiyoshiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. Things. Stuff. Happening.

Sorry this took so long guys. I'mma crash now.
Title: Re: Neighbours [1/10 - Side Story: Apple Diary #1]
Post by: Mucca on October 19, 2013, 11:40:40 PM
So much OG goodness! I admit I wasn't thinking of Yasuda's married name when "Kozaki-san" was mentioned, so it didn't hit me who it was until Yossy namechecked her maiden name, ho ho ho.

I giggled at the absurdity of everyone working together to such lengths to let Reporter Charmy have her moment with Yossy, but damned if it wasn't a great read. :)

I'm interested in what went down between GAM, too. You're such a tease, Estrea!

Best line(s) of the chapter, though, hands down:

An outsider would have assumed that Yossy was the 'man' in the relationship. The outsider would have been wrong.

Mwahahahaha.
Title: Re: Neighbours [20/10 - Episode 7: Motto Aishite Hoshii no]
Post by: yunagi on October 20, 2013, 03:45:54 PM
So sweet~ Ishiyossi <3 I was so hoping that Rika would suddenly appear on stage… and there she was!  :cow:

And not to forget Ai micromanaging and making people cry instead of crying herself XD
Having to oversee two separate events in the same location within the same timeline would do that to a perfectionist.

I’m with Mucca. What happened with GAM?
Title: Re: Neighbours [20/10 - Episode 7: Motto Aishite Hoshii no]
Post by: Ayumizuki on October 26, 2013, 07:35:56 AM
Hiya Essy I'm back after a long while! Missed me?  :P  :lol:

Anyways Essy I think I have a love-hate relationship with ya. I love the fact that your fanfics are so freaking awesome and totally out of the world in a good way but I hate the part where you write so many fanfics and end up not finishing any of em lol  XD


But I think I still love ya Cos your fanfics are just simply too awesome for my liking  :lol: keep up the good work and update soon lol  :twothumbs