Club Idol (S02E06 - A Face From The Past) 03/20/2012

[resop2]

(This is a fan fic based on the "public images" of various Hello!Project artists and is no way shape or form trying to imply anything about the personal lives of the real people behind the public images.)

Author's Note: The character name "Haruko" is not supposed to be suggestive of an h!p idol, but is just a random name.

Club Idol Season 2 - Part 2

Makoto sees Asami come down the stairs.  Wow, she looks upset.  "Are you okay?  Should I even go up there?"

Asami grabs Makoto by the shoulder.  "Yes.  That moron Aibon is just out for attention, so why not draw all the attention away from her?  Makoto, go up there and do you your best."

Makoto salutes.  "Roger!"  I doesn't really understand what the problem is.  Okay, Risa and Aibon weren't exactly on the same page, but why is her presence so upsetting?

Makoto steadies herself and walks up the stairs and out into the club.  She goes to her usual corner and leans against a chair.  Okay, now.  I should flap my jacket and make some of the same moves that I made during that song.

Makoto is quickly surrounded by a group of admirers.  Whoa.  This is different.  All the usual ladies, the ones who offer to buy me drinks, are staying away.  These new ladies seem a little more on the shy side.  I better make the first move and ask one of them their name.

Makoto picks one of the new girls out.  She is about to ask the girl her name but stops.  Wait a second.  When I was out with Reina, after a while Reina stopped asking me questions and started telling me what to do.  "Hey, I haven't talked to you before.  Tell me your name."

The lady blushes beet red.  "Haruko."  She stammers her answer.

"Well, Haruko, you look nervous.  Rest your head on my shoulder."

Haruko immediately does what Makoto tells her to do.

Makoto smiles on the inside.  This is easier than I thought.

Makoto turns her attention to the other clients and lets Haruko just hang out on her shoulder.

After a little while of chatting, Makoto gaze falls outside of her little entourage and scans the room.  She sees that Risa and Asami are still downstairs and Ai is doing her usual best chatting up her crowd of regular clients.

Makoto also sees Risa's ex-girlfriend, Aibon, who has another girl on a leash.  Normally this wouldn't even catch Makoto's attention, but the girl on the leash is dressed in a white robe and large round white hat as if she is a religious pilgrim.

Makoto cringes a little.  Aibon has caught her looking and is now bringing her "pet" over.

"I am an unlucky girl."

Makoto looks at the strange girl, then does a double take. "Hey, I know you.  You're Eri."

"I am an unlucky girl."  Eri stares blankly off into space.

Makoto rolls her eyes.  Apparently Eri is only doing what Aibon is telling her to do.  Makoto looks away and concentrates on the clients surrounding her.

Aibon and Eri walk off.

Makoto finally walks down the stairs.  Her clothes are disheveled and there are lipstick marks of multiple shades on her shirt collar.  She sits down on a chair and sighs.

Asami nudges Makoto.  "How did it go?  Ai was telling us that you totally stole Aibon's thunder."

"That was different. Can I talk to you tomorrow about it?"

Asami nods.

--

After the practice the next morning Ai walks with Risa to the train station, leaving Asami and Makoto alone.

"So, how was it really?"

"It was pretty easy, but then I got these."  Makoto holds up business cards from clients from the previous night.

Asami looks at one of them and her eyes bulge out.  "Wow!  I've never gotten a card comment like that."

"All the comments are over the top."

Asami nudges Makoto.  "So, are you going to seal the deal with this one?"

Makoto blushes.  "Don't you think this is going way too fast?  I am a tachi for only one day and you think I am going to go out and get laid with some girl who wants me to tie her up?"

Asami punches Makoto in the arm.  "You don't start swimming until you jump into the water."

Makoto punches back.  "How about this, you don't become a pirate until your ship leaves the port?"

"There's that to."

That was supposed to be a joke, not a serious proverb.  "So, I should just go out and do whatever I want?  Have three or for girlfriends at the same time?  Do all the stereotypical things that a tachi would do that I used to hate?"

"I like that idea.  If you have multiple girls then there will be no danger that any of them will become more important to you than the group."

"I don't want to be sneaking around all the time."

"I noticed that there were a lot of different shades of lipstick on your collar last night.  You acted like a player in front of all of those girls and they responded in a positive way.  Why should you sneak around?"

Makoto just stares at Asami, not having an answer.

Asami grabs Makoto's cell phone off the charger and gives it to her.  "Strike while the iron is hot."

"First tell me one thing."

"Sure."

"That was Risa's cousin last night, the one dressed up really weird?  I remember having her in a couple of classes."

Asami nods with an evasive distant look on her face.

"I understand Risa being upset, but you looked pretty mad as well.  Eri was never really part of our circle in high school, so why were you mad?"

Asami looks like she is fighting off tears.  Finally she switches to anger.  "Look.  You are never to mention this to Risa, okay?  I mean never!"

"Ahh, sure."  Makoto makes a motion sealing her lips.

"Remember you asked me about all the girls I have had, and I said that I had only been with four girls?"

Makoto nods.

"Eri was my first.  But, we never told anyone, and Risa doesn't know."

"Wow."

"Swear you won't tell."

"I won't tell."

"Good, now, make that call."

Makoto looks at the phone and looks at the card for around a minute before dialing.

"Moshi, moshi?"

"Hello, Haruko, this is Makoto.  You gave me your card last night at the club."  Makoto lowers the pitch of her voice as she did the night before.

Makoto can hear running on the other end of the line and a door shutting.  "I can't believe you called."

"I can hang up if you didn't want me to call."

"No, no, no."

"Good.  There is a pastry shop around the corner from Club Idol.  Meet me there at nine tonight."

"But, I have, I need, I ..."

"I'll be there at nine."

"Okay, I'll be there."

"See you."  Makoto hangs up.

Asami applauds, drying her tears.  "That was awesome."

"She sounds like trouble.  When I called she ran into another room like she had to hide the call from other people."

Asami gives Makoto a completely blank stare.

"What?"

"You're talking as if that's your problem that she has a situation.  It's not."

"What if she tries to draw me into her problems?"

"That's why you're going to call all of these other ladies."

"Not all of them.  One of them smelled funny."

--

Makoto sits at the pastry shop enjoying an eclair.

"Hey, you're Makoto right?  I seen you perform a couple times on Fridays as I was delivering pastries.  Why has it taken so long for you to come here, the place where all the magic happens?"  The girl behind the counter is much taller than Makoto and wears a small jewel on the side of her nose.

"Well Aya, I have a new date, and this is the first place I thought of."

"When I'm at the back of the club it always sounds so lively."

"You have no idea how lively it can get."

Makoto hears the bells over the pastry shop's door signifying that some one has entered.

"Is that really you?"

Why does she sound disappointed?  Oh, wait a second, I'm wearing a skirt and a pretty blouse.  Not very tachi like.  I better compensate.  "But, of course it's me."

"But, I, ..."

"Come here and sit with me.  Have an eclair."

"I, I, ... okay."

"You're really funny.  We did six songs last night and for two of them I was wearing a sexy girl's clubbing outfit and then for the last two I was wearing sexy lingerie.  And, now you're shocked to see me in a skirt.  I would hate to think what you would do if I dyed my hair or something."

"No, no.  I like your black hair."

Makoto nods.  I better not acknowledge Haruko's complement to strongly.  Haruko needs to work harder.

Haruko starts getting nervous and starts flipping her hair, trying to get Makoto to warm up to her.

"So, that was a really nice business card you gave me last night."

"I, well, um..."

Makoto puts money down on the counter for Aya.  "Well, then.  Come with me."

"I, um, ... Yes."


To Be Continued

[resop2]

(This is a fan fic based on the "public images" of various Hello!Project artists and is no way shape or form trying to imply anything about the personal lives of the real people behind the public images.)

Club Idol Season 2 - Part 3 - An Industrial Headache

"Mari?"

"Yes, boss?"

"I'm afraid there's been a problem.  That contract that you were supposed to send to the customer is now all over the internet."

"That's not possible."

"I'm afraid it is.  I looked at your email records and you didn't use a strong enough encryption."

"Oh, no."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go."

"Oh, no!  What am I do to?"

"And, cut!  That's a wrap!"

The cast celebrates.

After thanking each member of the cast and crew individually, Risa walks back to her office, a small hole in the wall of the huge warehouse, an office just large enough to hold a desk and some bookshelves.

Erika joins her.  "Great job, champ.  We're definitely in the black for this month.  This is going to work."

"Um, boss?  This was the fifth industrial video that I've directed this month."

"Yes.  Our clients are really happy with them.  They are cheap to make and very profitable."

"Are we trying to hide that we do porno from these guys?"

"Well, sort of.  We call ourselves a different name for the industrial videos, but the clients do know."

"If we're not trying to hide it then I'm just a little surprised that we haven't done more adult stuff."

"We did do 'The Red G-string of Fate 2', and the early sales numbers for that are right where we expected them to be."

"What about other titles?"

Erika sits on Risa's table, invading Risa's personal space.  "When are you going to give us some hot ideas?"

"You shot down my first two ideas as lame."

"They were."

Risa hangs her head.  "I will come up with a killer idea.  I will come up with a killer idea."

"I know you will.  Do your best Risa.  Oh, and let's get this footage edited tomorrow morning.  Okay?"

"Yes."

Erika leaves Risa alone.  Risa racks her brains but comes up with nothing.

That night, Risa sits at home.  Her floor is littered with crumpled up pieces of paper.  She writes an idea down on a note pad, looks at it, and crumples up the page and throws it on the floor.  "Lame!"

Risa grabs her phone.

"Moshi Moshi."

"Asami, you have to help me."

"Do you need me to find some muscle to scare you know who?"

"No.  I can't lower myself to that level.  Besides, it's not about that."

"Then what?"

"I can't think of any ideas for an adult video.  The industrial videos that we're doing now are driving me up the wall."

"And, you think that I will have ideas?"

"Sure."

"Me, the girl who hasn't dated since she was dumped?"

"Sorry."

"Call Makoto.  She's having a really good run nowadays."

"Really?  Okay."

Risa calls up Makoto.

"Moshi Moshi."

"Mako-chan.  Asami tells me that you are on a roll."

"She did?  Figures."

"So, things are going good with dating?"

"Yes, but success can bring its own hassles."

"Well, the reason I called is that I have writer's block.  I need some good ideas for movies, so I thought I ask around."

"My life as a movie?  That will be the day."

"So, how did you get on a roll?  What's the big picture?"

Makoto lets out an embarrassed giggle.  "A girl changes from being a neko to being a tachi and gets tons of new girlfriends, but gets into tons of trouble due to her playboy ways."

"Oh my god!  That's perfect!  All I need is a title and we'll be set."

"How about 'playing for the other team?'"

Risa stares at the receiver for ten seconds before replying.  "I think people would get the wrong idea.  That phrase already means something else."

"Oh, oops.  How about 'a new outfit'?"

Risa rubs her head.  "That's getting closer.  Oh, how about 'Crossing the Line'?"

"You're the director, why are you asking me?"

"Because Erika thinks my idea are lame."

"Well, it does sound a little vague."

"But, we can have a cover shot of Erika and Yui and on the left side they're dressed up in a cute outfit and on the right side they're dressed up in butch outfits and there's a dotted line down the center."

"Oh, amazing!"

"But, to make this work, you need to give me the dirt.  What was it like the first time you did it?"

"I was scared out of my mind!  The entire time I was worried that the girl was going to turn around and say that I was a lame tachi and I should go back to being a neko."

Risa starts laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just that I would never think of something like that even though it's real."

"Why not?"

"Well, did your date say anything like that at all?"

"She did start a little bit when she showed up and I was wearing a skirt, but I shut her down pretty quickly."

Risa starts furiously taking notes.  "So, you took control?"

"You're not going to ask me to give you a blow by blow of my date are you?"

"Just the important parts, the parts before you two jumped in bed.  Erika and Yui can handle what comes after."

"Oh, okay."

"So, you took control over her?"

"I guess you could say so.  It was more like I could tell that she wanted me to boss her around."

Risa fills up a page and starts on the next page.  "So, what did it look like?"

"What?  Me bossing her around?"

"No, what did she look like while you were bossing her around?"

Makoto thought hard.  If anyone else had asked her a weird question like that she would not have taken it seriously, but Risa was such a keen observer and teacher of gestures and expressions that Makoto knew that she was extremely serious.  "I know.  She went from looking ahead to looking down."

Risa involuntarily gasps.

"Usable?"

"You're a license to print money, Makoto."

"Oh my god!  I have to get there early for my job.  But, I'll try to organize my thoughts and tomorrow I'll be able to give you the straight scoop."

"Sure thing."

---

"Itai!"  Makoto shudders as Asami rubs an ice cube under her eye.

"I feel like an idiot."

"Oh, come on.  The stage is small.  I'm surprised we don't hit each other in the eye with our microphones every night."

"Okay, try it again."

Makoto tries and this time is successful in removing her contact lenses.  Makoto pulls out an old looking pair of glasses from her purse.

"Look at you, the chicks are going to be all over this look."

"Hey, if they're not, I'll tell them to be."

Makoto goes upstairs.

Asami goes over to Risa.  "You ready to face them tonight?"

Risa stares at a mirror, imagining how her face would look when she sees the couple.  "Okay, I can do this."

Risa and Asami join the after party.

Risa looks around the club and her jaw nearly drops.  On the other side of the club from Makoto stands Aibon and Eri.  However, Risa can clearly see that Aibon had tried to compete with Makoto and had been burned badly.  Eri is not dressed as a religious pilgrim this time, but is dressed up as a male gigolo.  However, Makoto clearly had a larger crowd, probably due to the novelty of her glasses.

Risa finds a spot to hang out and is soon joined by some admiring clients.

But, before too long, this party is crashed.

"Hey baby, my name is Eric.  I am a traveling salesman of love, and I can get you a good deal."

Risa doesn't even bother looking at Eri, but instead shoots daggers with her eyes at Aibon, who eventually retreats with her slave.

--

Several days later Asami gets a call.

"Moshi Moshi?"

"Asami?  This is Maki."

"Hi!  How is your website?  Any issues?"

"Oh my god, it is running like a charm.  I'm getting so much feed back that I haven't had a chance to play any online games in days."

"That's great."

"But, there's one thing that I was caught flat footed about.  I've gotten over a hundred requests for some sort of a video, and they've said that they would pay top dollar for it."

"Sweet."

"But, I don't know where to get a video like that produced."

"Well, I think I might know someone who can help ..."


To Be Continued!

[resop2]

(This is a fan fic based on the "public images" of various Hello!Project artists and is no way shape or form trying to imply anything about the personal lives of the real people behind the public images.)

Club Idol Season 2 - Part 4 - A Game She Didn't Start

Maki shivers and looks miserable.

"Come on Maki, I know it's cold.  That's how we could afford shooting here without busting your budget.  So suck it up."

Maki nods.  She wraps herself with a blanket for a couple of minutes to warm up.

"Okay.  I can do this."

"Okay roll it!"

Maki walks around in a skimpy bikini that barely contain her breasts.  "One of my favorite things are water rides."

Risa raises an eyebrow.  You'd think Maki would be more talkative, considering that she's an entertainer?  But I have to work with what I am given.

"What would you do with a client if they took you to the amusement park?"

"Is the director supposed to talk?"

"We can block my voice and just put text on the screen."

"Oh, okay.  Um, if you were to take me to an amusement park you would get to see me go down this ride."  Maki lays down in a stream of cold water just a few feet from what might have been a steep cliff, but was a long slide to a pool some three hundred feet below.  Maki opens her arms and her legs.  "But sometimes I get scared of heights so I would want you right here and we could go down the slide together."

Risa notices that Maki is not enjoying the cold water, but is at least putting on a brave face.  Risa also notices that Maki's bikini top seems even less adequate now as Maki's nipples stiffen because of the cold water that she splashes on herself.

Risa signals the other two cameras, one for a long tracking shot of the slide and the other for a close up of the pool at the end of the slide, to start rolling.

Risa give Maki a signal to start.

Maki looks over the edge and squeals.  "Yikes!  I wish you were here!  That's scary.  But, I'll pretend that you're with me, comforting me.  Here I go!"

Maki pushes herself over the edge and slides down the enormous slide.

Risa has the cameraman with her to shoot over the edge of the slide to follow Maki until she is out of range.

Risa sighs.  Why couldn't Asami have sent her some hot scenario for an adult video?

--

Ai walks down the steps to the basement dressing room area of Club Idol with the group's checks.

"Is she up there?"  Risa looks visibly upset over the idea that Aibon and Eri could be at the after party.

Ai nods.  "Don't worry, I know that you won't lose to her."

Risa nods.

"However, there might be a problem for you, Makoto.  There's some strange girl up there who asked me about you.  Is this some jealous girlfriend of one of your playthings?"

Makoto gulps.  This was not the sort of trouble that I want.  Why wouldn't these girls tell the truth and say that they already had girl friends in their life?  Not that I wouldn't be able to tell anyway.

Asami giggles.  "Well, in a pirate's life if you live by the sword then you die by the sword."

Makoto nods.  "Well, running away from a beating isn't going to prevent it."

Makoto walks up the stairs.  She sees no one suspicious other than Aibon who has dressed up Eri as a fairy princess.

Makoto finds her usual spot, but before she can settle in a strange girl gets in her face.

"Hey, are you Makoto?"

Makoto looks at the girl.  She has shoulder length black hair, old fashioned looking dark glasses and a masculine demeanor.  "I'm Makoto."

"We have a problem then."

Makoto notices that the strange girl's posture has become more menacing.  Makoto also notices that the girls who usually hang out with her have stepped back but are now studying the confrontation closely.

Makoto adjusts her posture to match the strange girl.  "I have lots of problems.  Which one are you talking about?"

"You wore glasses last week.  You're infringing on my territory.  I play here Thursday.  I'm the only one allowed to wear glasses around here."

That is what this is about?  Is this girl for real?  "Well, the only reason I wore them was because I had gotten poked in the eye.  You'll notice that I'm not wearing them now."

The other girl relaxes.  "Oh.  That's right, you're not."  The girl puts her hand behind her head and laughs nervously.

"Besides, they're not even the same type."  Makoto pulls her glasses out from her purse.

"Okay, well I guess wire rims are okay.  My name is MISONO.  I spell my name with capital English letters rather than kanji or kana."

"Good style!  Hey, let's get a drink."

The other girls watching this hang their heads in disappointment and walk away.

MISONO slaps Makoto in the back.  "I think we disappointed your fans.  They wanted us to fight."

"Physically?"  Makoto looks shocked.

"Hey, I know that this scene is really mellow, but I play several other clubs and in one of them the tachi girls have a pecking order that they enforce by brawling."

"No way!"

"Way.  And, some of these girls are bigger than the two of us put together.  I occasionally have to go to war to avoid being stepped all over.  When I do, the neko girls go absolutely nuts.  After one fight some neko girl asked me to take her outside and do her in the back seat of her car right on a busy street.  It was an insane scene."

Makoto leaned in and whispers to MISONO.  "Well, to tell you the truth, I'm kind of new to the tachi game.  Up until last month I was a neko."

"Really?"  MISONO studies Makoto carefully.  "I can see it.  But, now you've smartened up."

"Sometimes I don't feel so smart."

"No one has all the answers when they start out.  Hey, I started out as a neko, but I've been on top now for several years now.  Let me give you my card.  I can give you some pointers in how to get and keep your game strong."

"It's just so wonderful that you two are now getting along!"

Both Makoto's and MISONO's shoulders hunch up as if they had heard fingernails scratching across a chalkboard which is understandable considering that the person who just talked has raised the pitch of her voice to that approximate range.

MISONO looks at Eri with a withering stare.  "Scram."  She says in a deep voice.

Eri walks back to Aibon, visibly shaken.

"Some drama going on?"

"Heavy duty.  That's the new plaything of an ex-girlfriend of one of the group members.  She's also the cousin of the same group member."

MISONO winces.  "Ouch!  That's really low.  But, there's nothing we can really do, right?  I mean, I know the if your punching that ex-girlfriend in the face would help anything you probably would have done it by now."

Makoto's eyes widen.  "Eeeehhhh?  Are you serious?"

"Hey, your friends all seem like neko girls to me.  They're probably just waiting for you to take care of the situation."

"What do I do?  Just go over there and smack her?"

MISONO giggles and whispers in Makoto's ear.  "That's what you do as a last resort.  It's the punch that is threatened and not delivered that hurts much more than the one that lands."

Makoto nods.  She gathers her courage and walks over to Aibon who is leaning against one of the walls of Club Idol.  "So, you think you're really smart with your little games?"

Aibon's smug smile disappears, replaced by a look of indignation.  "What?"

Makoto slams her hand hard against the wall close to Aibon's head and yells at Aibon.  "What do you think?"

Aibon's look of indignation changes to fear.  "Hey, I was just fooling around.  I'm going now."

Aibon runs out of the club.

Eri looks shocked, but reluctantly chases after Aibon.

Makoto's heart races at a mile a minute and her line of vision narrows to a small tunnel.  She breathes a sigh of relief and then walks back to MISONO.  "I'm so glad that worked.  I haven't been in a fight since junior high school.  I was so scared."

MISONO smiles.  "Turn around."

Makoto turns around, half expecting Aibon to have snuck back into the club to jump her, but instead sees most of the clients at the club staring at her.

Spontaneously they break into applause.

MISONO puts her arm around a stunned Makoto's shoulder.  "Welcome to tachi-land, my brother."


To Be Continued!

[resop2]

(This is a fan fic based on the "public images" of various Hello!Project artists and is no way shape or form trying to imply anything about the personal lives of the real people behind the public images.)

Note: The character Chigusa is meant to suggest Professional Wrestler and former idol singer Nagayo Chigusa.

Club Idol Season 2 - Part 5 - The Other Side of the Line

Erika knocks on Risa's office door.

"Come in!"

Erika enters and sees Risa furiously editing video.  "Wow, two computers at once?  You're really getting into the groove."

"I would be idle half the time waiting for the computer to render video if I didn't use two."

"Very good, but if you can spare a minute of your time, there is a young lady here who wants to be in one of our videos."

Risa hits enter to start another video render.  "Very well, show her in."

Erika exits the small office and Eri enters.

"You?"

Eri's eyes double in size.  "Cousin, you direct adult videos?"

"Cut the crap, Eri.  You're not going to tell me that Aibon didn't put you up to this."

"She didn't.  I haven't seen her in more than a week.  Every since Makoto went cave woman on her she hasn't said a word to me.  Which sucks, because I need the money."

Risa slams her hand on her desk.  "What is the matter with you?  Do you have a gambling problem?  Aibon probably paid you a lot.  Where did that money go?"

Eri looks down at the ground.  "I need the money to buy a pastry shop franchise.  I had eighty percent of the money raised until your buddy ruined my money supply."

Risa looks at her cousin and wants to feel anger but instead feels a sort of kinship.  "If you need work, we can use a extra grip for our industrial videos.  However, we're not going to be paying you enough to buy a franchise."

"I hate you!"

"Can't you get a loan?"

"I dunno."

Risa winces.  "Let me give you Asami's number.  She could walk you through getting a loan.  You probably already have enough money so you don't need to do weird things anymore to get the franchise."

Eri gets a mortified look on her face when Risa mentions Asami's name, but the look then turns to resolve.  "Okay."

--

The door of the bar opens and a huge woman drags a smaller woman by the scruff of her neck and pushes her out into the filthy alley.  The push, though powerful and purposeful, does not cause the smaller woman damage, nor does it need to.  After a few seconds of gathering her wits, the terrified woman brushes off her pants and runs up the alley out onto the main drag of Shinjuku Ni Chrome, running past two other astonished women who walk down the alley.

What have I gotten myself into?  Makoto starts quivering.  "This doesn't seem like a good idea anymore."

"My brother, it will be fine.  I'm sure that woman breached the etiquette code and was escorted out."  MISONO pats Makoto on the shoulder to try to calm her down.

Makoto nods but is still visibly shaking.

MISONO pays for their covers and leads Makoto down a flight of stairs to a basement club.  A sign over the basement door says "Club Tachi".

When the door to the club opens Makoto's ears are assaulted with loud raunchy American style rock music.  Makoto turns to leave but MISONO drags her into the club.

Wow, I have never been in a dump this bad.  Compared to this, Kay's club has kind of a refined elegance.  This is just gross.

Makoto notes that there are four large heavyset women playing pool at a pool table.

MISONO sees where Makoto is looking.  "Those are the top ladies.  Let me introduce you to them."

Makoto gulps.  Is this how it is going to end for me?

MISONO leads Makoto over to the largest and most powerful looking of the women.

Immediately, the other three women start fawning over Makoto.

"Hey, look what we have here!"

"Some fresh meat!"

MISONO catches the large woman's attention and clears her thought.  "Chigusa-sama, I would like you to meet Makoto, she's my new bro."

The other three large girls get mortified looks on their faces when MISONO says the word bro.

The largest woman smiles.  "Makoto, welcome to our club.  Please forgive the rudeness of my friends.  Your prettiness gave them the wrong idea."

"It's okay, I'm kind of new at this."

"We're all new once.  But, please, make yourself at home.  If you want to make sure that a neko isn't spoken for just catch my eye.  I'll raise my eyebrow if they are not free and clear."

Makoto gathers her courage.  "And, if I don't, will I be escorted out like the lady we saw on the way in?"

Chigusa looks at her sternly for a few seconds and then busts out laughing.  "You catch on quick, don't you?  Yeah, she was hassling someone's favorite neko.  Rather than having the neko's tachi mop the floor with the idiot we threw her out for her own protection."

Makoto remember's MISONO's line about the punch not thrown and smiles.  "You guys are pretty sharp."

"Thanks.  But, please, have a beer!  This club makes up for style with happiness."

MISONO grabs Makoto.  "Yes, we will, Chigusa-sama."  MISONO drags Makoto to the bar.

"Did I do okay?"

"I think so, but we didn't want to push it."  MISONO orders a beer for herself and fruit juice for Makoto (who wants to protect her throat).

"Hey, baby.  Ever thought of posing?"

Makoto turns around and points at her nose.  "Are you talking to me?"

A tall, somewhat voluptuous woman stands before Makoto.  "Of course.  My eyes never lie.  I am great artist."

MISONO nudges Makoto.  "That's Jun Jun.  She's a painter."

"Jun Jun is it?  My name is Makoto."  Makoto offers Jun Jun her hand and then squeezes Jun Jun's hand firmly.

"My, so pretty pretty and so strong.  Please, accept my card."

Makoto accepts Jun Jun's card and watches Jun Jun walk off.  "Is she for real?"

MISONO nods and points to a painting hanging over the bar.  It is a painting of a pair of woman's ankles.

Makoto rolls her eyes.  "You're kidding me, right?  Is she some sort of weirdo?"

"She gets paid, so she must be doing something right."

Makoto nods and goes back to her drink.

"Hey baby, are you new around here?"

Makoto turns around and almost drops her drink.  "Reina?"



To Be Continued!

[sakura_drop_]

OMG!!! Reina!!!  :panic


EDIT: IT'S MY 500th POST!!!! 

[resop2]

(This is a fan fic based on the "public images" of various Hello!Project artists and is no way shape or form trying to imply anything about the personal lives of the real people behind the public images.)

Club Idol Season 2 - Part 6 - A Face From The Past

"Reina?"

"Hey, babe.  What's with this familiar stuff?  Have we met before?"

Makoto shoves Reina.  "Oh, come on!  You have got to be kidding me.  Is this some sort of a comedy routine?"

Reina notices MISONO who is rolling her eyes.  "She's a feisty one isn't she?"

MISONO shakes her head in shame at Reina's behavior.  "My brother, I think you're getting off on the wrong foot here.  Let me introduce you."

Reina smiles.

"This is my bro, Makoto."

"Ma - Ma - Ma - MAKOTO??"  Reina's eyes bug out in panic.

Makoto smiles.  "Bingo."

"You're a brother now?"

"I haven't been one for long."

"Oh my god, I would not have guessed in a million years.  You look so different now."

"Thanks, I guess."

Reina sits down with MISONO and Makoto.  "This is so strange.  I have never had an ex-girlfriend change before."

Wow, is Reina is troubled by this?  Why should this bother her?  Makoto shoves Reina again.  "Give me a break.  Mikitty must really be affecting your self esteem if something like this bothers you."

MISONO grabs Makoto's shoulder.  "Brother, some of us might feel that an ex-girlfriend becoming a tachi reflects badly on their powers as a tachi."

Makoto looks at Reina.  Reina is agreeing with that?  This is messed up.  Makoto shoves Reina again.  "Don't be stupid.  You didn't fail at making me happy, you succeeded in showing me how to be happy."

Makoto sees Reina's blank expression.  Oh great.  Reina doesn't even understand what I am saying.  This is hopeless.  "Dang it.  Now I feel guilty for some reason."

"Well, there is one way to make it up to me, but it would mean among other things in you leaving the club."

MISONO nods knowingly.  "That would be fine.  This is my bro's first time here.  She needs to ease herself into the scene."

I'm afraid to ask, but I might as well.  "What do I need to do?"

"You see that blond on the other end of the bar?  I have been trying to pick her up for a while but she won't look at me."

Makoto nods.

"If you slug me and walk out then she'll be all over me."

MISONO nods.  "Chigusa-sama sees that trick all the time.  You won't get in trouble if you leave immediately."

"Slug you?"

"Yes, punch me in the jaw."

"How hard?"

"I can take it.  It's for a good cause."

Makoto rolls her eyes.  "Okay, but, punch you right now?"

"No, what we'll do is we'll both stand up and I'll yell 'you take that back' and then you punch me, and then the two of you will leave in a huff."

Makoto nods.

Reina and Makoto stand.  Reina shoves Makoto.  "You take that back!"

I can't believe I am doing this!  Bam!

Reina sprawls out on the floor.  MISONO grabs Makoto's arm and drags her to the door.  "Let's go, brother."

MISONO and Makoto make it to the door in one piece.  As they leave Makoto sneaks a peek back into the club and sees the blond, as predicted, fawning over Reina.

They start up the stairs.

"Nice punch.  I think you caused a bruise."

"Crap."

"No, that's a good thing, chicks dig it."

Suddenly, they are surprised by a voice from farther up the stairs.  "Mako-chan?"

Makoto looks up to see her frequent client at the club, Hitomi.  However, instead of wearing her usual business attire, Hitomi is wearing a vinyl jacket and skirt with a spiked collar.

"Mako-chan, what's a cute little bunny like you doing in a den of foxes?"

"Hitomi-sama.  How nice to see you outside the club!  I was getting my fox education."

"You're a brother, now?"  Hitomi's eyes triple in size.  "This is great, we should go out and pick up chicks together."

"What about Rika-sama?"

Hitomi descends the steps to where MISONO and Makoto are.  "Let me tell you a secret.  It's not easy being a tachi.  The neko girls always want to domesticate you and make you a one neko tachi.  But, living with a neko saps a tachi of her strength.  Too much pink, too many frilly things, and soon a tachi starts feeling soft.  Rika-chan understands this and allows me my freedom to recharge.  Even though she consciously tries to make me behave, she subconsciously desires the untamed me."

Makoto nods politely.

"So, you understand?"

"No."

"You will, someday.  It might be even tougher for you since you were so heavily into being a neko.  But, eventually it will become clear."

"I hope so."

Hitomi holds out her fist and Makoto bumps knuckles with her.

"Will you come by Friday with Rika?"

"Absolutely, my brother.  It will be fun."

Hitomi walks past them and enters the club.

MISONO sees Makoto looking at her with a flabbergasted expression and she shakes her head.  "My brother, Hitomi's rap didn't make much sense to me either.  But, I haven't ever tried to live with a neko.  And, I have never asked someone to hit me either.  The fights I have been in have been real fights."

Makoto smiles, relieved.

"Everyone chooses their own way."

--

"That's amazing!"

Makoto and Risa put the finishing touches on their makeup for the after party.

"It's all true, I couldn't make this stuff up if I wanted to."

"You need to take me to this club.  I need to see this as research for my video.  Who knows?  Maybe it will have an attached documentary?"

Ai starts climbing the stairs.  "I'm just happy all that drama is over with concerning Aibon."

The other three girls nod enthusiastically.

Ai walks out into the after party and makes her way to her usual corner.  However, a new client is already there, a client who is hiding most of her face.  "How are you tonight?  Is this your first time here?"

"Ai, it is you, I'm so glad!"

Ai's jaw drops and she loses the ability to form words.  It's her!

To Be Continued!

[sakura_drop_]

Her..?