Chapter three
"Oh, that's right.. something about meeting me in Harajuku.. Must be Kaorin again... Mezishimata's Pastries, right? Or was it the store next to it... Hold on, Kaorin said she had to film a TV show today.. Hmm.." Abe Natsumi was talking to herself again. Not that she noticed, but other people did. Natsumi was walking down the streets of Harajuku. She started humming a song to herself.. Quite relevent, as it was Morning Musume's own Harajuku 6:00 Shuugou, from their third album. Natsumi realized what she was doing, and started giggling. She was always giggling, always cheerful.
"So, Nakazawa-senpai, do you find the work you do hard?"
'Nakazawa-senpai'? 'No freaking way..' Natsumi thought.
"Hmm.. Well, not really. I've been a member of Hello! Project for nine years.. I guess I'm kind of used to it.." She laughed.
Natsumi felt jealous. That laugh.. Yuko NEVER laughed like that. She had been to serious lately.. And who was that kid, calling her 'Nakazawa-senpai'? As they moved closer, Natsumi darted behind a lamp post.
"Hmm?"
"Nakazawa-senpai?"
"Nothing.. I must've been imagining things.."
It was a good thing she was well-hidden, because Yuko had look directly at her lamp post of protection. Natsumi couldn't for the life of her put her finger on the other girl's name. It started with "M" though. Megumi? No. Murakami Megumi had left. And it certanly wasn't Murata. Miyabi? Natsuyaki Miyabi always hung around with Kumai Yurina.. Maasa? Certainly not. Momoko? Perhaps, but Natsumi then remembered Tsugunaga Momoko sounded like a rat who had swallowed a hellium tank rather than a mouse.
She started to recite the Kid's names.. one by one.. "Let's see.. Maasa, Yurina, Momoko, Miyabi, Risako, Chinami, Saki S, Airi, Megumi (but she left.. can't be her..), Saki N, Kanna, Erika, Maimi, Chisato.. Mai--" she stopped. Hagiwara Mai. 'Wait a minute...' Natsumi thought. 'Isn't she only ten?'
Natsumi hurried after Yuko and Mai. She saw, to her horror, that they were holding hands. "Let go of her you stupid little loli," Natsumi muttered. "Yuu-chan doesn't want you -- you're not even legal!"
"Nacchi? What are you doing here?"
Crap.
She'd been spotted.