^Buckle up cuz ya ain't getting off for awhile
Ugh, I'm done with this chapter. Stop me before I keep going on with it. I think it's just all filler but ya like that stuff right? The crazy funny stuff.
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Chapter 13Egao YES NUUDO
Anata dake no watashi dakara
enryo sezu ni tsuyoku shite yo
Donna yoru mo tsuite yuku kara
Egao YES--"Stop! Stop!" The choreographer shouted as she paused the song.
Someone was messing up the dance, again. I pointed my eyes straight at the back of the new girl who was in front of me. Of course, it's always the new ones messing up. Then again Miracle over there wasn't doing such a hot job either. I watched our choreographer correcting Mitsui as I turned to look at my other fellow group mates. Yossi was wearing her futsal shorts, looking more mannish than usual. We exchanged glances and then I turned to the gokkies. Aichan was doing some stretching while Gaki, the perfectionist, was dancing on her own, making these obnoxiously overexaggerated expressions with her face. Miracle was watching Mitsui and the choreographer trying to correct her own dancing. She then catches me looking at her and flashes a toothy smile to which I averted my eyes quickly. Then my so-called generation was all huddled together, bickering about stupid stuff, I suppose. I always think they're trying to plot something against me. I looked at Eri whose sweatpants were riding up, she kept pulling them down. Her pockets were inside out again, causing me to flinch in annoyance. I walked forward and joined them, but not before doing this.
"Kyaaa!" The turtle screams as I gave her a wedgie. That was then I realized something.
"Hey! Isn't that mine?" I pulled at the waistband of the sweatpants I lent her weeks ago.
Eri turns from me to pull the wedged fabric from her bottom and looks down at the pants. "Oh. Yeah, I think they are. I forgot." She giggled.
I rolled my eyes and proceeded to touch her some more. "And tuck these damn pockets, it's annoying me to death." I glanced at Reina and Sayumi who cowered behind Eri, shielding themselves from being the next victims of a wedgie attack. The choreographer called for our attention as we started the dance all over again. But as we got to the chorus again...
"Stop Stop!" Yells the choreographer.
Mitsui messed up again. I sighed then walked toward her and placed my hands firmly on her hips. She jumped and stiffened at my touch. I heard some gasping from the others as another falls victim to my touching hands. But I ignored it and proceeded to show Mitsui how to move.
"Like this." I showed her and moved her in my hands. Her head bobbled and swayed like a ragdoll as I manipulated her body to move this way and that way. I turned her around and proceeded with the next steps. After showing her the part she messed up, I finally let go of her. "Got it?"
"
Hai! I will practice harder, Fujimoto-san." She said, bowing toward me then running back to her position with her arms now glued to her side. She's probably in shock now. I also went back to my position and saw Yossi casting a look at me.
"Boney," I replied to her unasked question. "Needs more meat." Yossi rolled her eyes at me.
Practice went smoothly from then on. See, sometimes you just need a little "hands-on" training to get things in order. "Egao YES Nude" was the name of our upcoming single, and also Mitsui's debut song. Seems a bit too sexy for a baby like her, I thought, but then again every song Tsunku has written for us seemed inappropriate for someone in the group. Like "Sexy Impatience" and Miracle. I shook my head. Kami-sama forbid that we would sing another cringe-worthy song about being sexy yet maintaining our innocent virginal angel images. I actually liked "Koi wa Hassou..." though, which had nothing about being pseudo-sekushii, except that "a hole poked in my love" line sounded a bit iffy though. I was disappointed when that didn't become a single. I'd rather sing about doing "the hustle" than sing about a "huge fish that got away". Then again, both do not make sense anyway.
Anyway...
As everyone slowly filed out from the practice room I stayed behind and did some stretching. My back has been bothering me lately I realized as I bent down to touch my toes. I blamed my slouching and couch potatoing for my bad posture. Aya would be badgering me about it saying "I told you so." or "should've listened to me" and whatnot. I noticed one of my shoelaces was untied. I kneeled down to tie it. Suddenly a pair of feet appeared next to me. I looked up.
"Here, Miki-sama" Eri presents me my sweatpants.
"Ew," I grimaced. "You just sweated in those. Give it back to me after you wash them."
"Sorry." She apologized. I looked at what she wore now, some black baggy capri sweats. They looked cool on her I have to admit. It's like the kind hip hop dancers wear. Why didn't she just wear those to practice? I followed down her tan legs and noticed two unmatched socks poking out from her white shelltop adidas.
"Ah, I found the pair for that one at my apartment." I pointed at the brown sock on her right foot.
"Really? Great!"
"Yes, I threw it away." I said matter of factly.
"Oh." She pouted. "Well, that's ok. It was old anyway."
"Damn right it was. And can't you at least match your socks?" I finished tying my shoe and decided to sit on the floor and stretch some more.
"Socks are socks. No one's looking at them anyway." Eri explains herself.
"I suppose it's the same for your underwear too huh?" I countered.
She gasped, crossing her arms over her chest as if she was being exposed.
"Tck. I just hope they don't have holes in them either, that's just gross."
She frowned. "They don't!" She then dug into her bag and pulled out some papers that have now been crumpled being inside. "Anyway, here."
"What's this?" I said taking it from her.
"The script for the new segment."
"Script? We need scripts for it?"
"Yeah, I know. Most of the time we just read off the cue card and improvise."
"Improvise?" I repeated. That is something I'm not good at. I flipped through this so-called script. It was only three pages. All it had were lines for the intro, announcements, game, and rest of it was improvising. Great.
"Do you want to go over it together?" Eri suggests.
"Huh?" There is nothing to go over.
Suddenly her expression changes as if a light bulb lit up in her head. "Ah! Yes, you can come over to my house and we'll rehearse it together!" She moves closer to me. "I have to ask you about something anyway. You know, you know." Her eyebrows wiggled up and down.
I groaned. I really don't want to. I said nothing can tempt me from going back to her house. Nope. Never. But Eri said something that knocked all that right out of me.
"Mom's making yakiniku tonight."
"OK!" I jumped to my feet, ready to go. Gah, you're weak, Miki. I scolded myself. Weak!
"You're going to Eririn's house?" I heard Sayu's nasally voice behind me. "No fair, I want to come too!"
"Mou, Sayu, not today." Eri replied, slightly annoyed.
"Why not?"
"Because Miki-sama's my guest today. Besides I know what you're going to do and it's icky."
"What's icky?" I asked.
"Sayu keeps flirting with my dad." Eri blurted. Sayu gasped in response and slapped Eri's shoulder.
"I am not!" She retorted before crossing her arms. "Can't I just hang out with my best friend in the world and," She looks at me but is at lost for words at what to call me. "...and her." She hooks arms with Eri. "That's it. I'm coming with you guys."
I was a bit surprised to see Eri annoyed by Sayu when they were always so buddy buddy together. I'm sure it's because she wanted to ask me for more advice but didn't want the ichiban annoying to get in the way. I wished Eri would shoo her away as well but Sayu clung on to her like a leech all the way out of the studio. We ended up taking a taxi to Eri's house and somehow I was crammed right in the middle between the dumb and dumber duo. I closed my eyes and tried to endure the ride. But I can hear them snickering on either side of me. I peeked and saw that they were talking to each other through their text messages on their phones.
"Oh, my gosh!" I huffed. "You're like right next to each other, why don't you just speak for crying out loud?"
"But Fujimoto-san," Sayu starts. "I'm sure you don't want us talking over you, would you?"
I thought for a moment. "Good point." I agreed. "Carry on."
I hear them tapping away at their keypads, it was still annoying to hear but definitely better than listening to those two yapping back and forth. Then Eri's phone rang. She answered.
"Kaa-san?" She identifies the person on the other line. I listened to her whine and complain. Her mom must be scolding her again. Then she starts speaking in some foreign tongue. "
leasepay, akemay akinikuyay onighttay orfay innerday." She said rather secretively.
I opened my eyes and looked at her. "She wasn't going to make yakiniku anyway, huh?" I figured.
Eri didn't answer me but I already knew the answer. I slouched some more and just closed my eyes. Oh Kami-sama, help me!
----
"
Tadaima!" Eri announces as she opens the door.
"
Oka-ERI!" Her mom responds then sees Sayu and me. "Ah, welcome back you two. Nice to see you both again!"
Sayu and I bowed to her as we entered their home. We got the usual greeting from the family dog, growling and gnashing of teeth. Sayu hid behind me in fear. Suddenly that fear quickly dissipated when a charming sound filled our ears.
"Ah, hello again, ladies." Eri's dad passes by on his way to the living room. That trail of stars is following him again. I thought it was just me but Sayu seems to notice it too.
"Konbanwa, Kamei-sann~" Sayu and I almost sung in high pitched unison. We then looked at each other and exchanged glares as if we were going to fight for Mr. Kamei's attention.
Before we made fools of ourselves, Eri grabs us both by the wrists and drags us up to her room. Ugh, the craziness never stops in this house, ne? We entered the disaster area, it's junky as ever. Sayu and I scavenged to find the nearest clear spot in the room which was right smack in the center. Eri then left us here while she tended to something downstairs. Sayu and I just stared at each other, silent and awkward. My stomach growled at the anticipation of a yakiniku dinner but realized it's not going to happen. I felt the folded up script in my back pocket and flipped through the three measely pages. Then Sayu spoke up.
"So, why are you here?" She asks almost defensively, as if I was plotting to take away her best friend or something.
"Not that I wanted to be here." I answered. "Eri wanted to go over the script for this new segment we're in." I waved the flimsy script in front of her.
Sayu just casts an uncertain look at me before answering chipperly, "Oh, ok!" Then busies herself with her cellphone.
Weirdo number two. I shook my head. I was about to return to my script until a thought came up. "Sayu, do you know about this guy Eri likes?"
That made her stop fiddling with her phone. "Ah, you know about Ozaki-kun too?"
"Ozaki?" I repeated. So the mystery guy finally has a name.
Sayu sits up on her knees as if she's ready to expose Eri's secrets. "He's Eri's study buddy at school." She explained.
"Study buddy?"
"Yeah, Gaki-san can't stand studying with her, she has no patience when it comes to Eri and schoolwork. Work is one thing, but school is entirely another." True, I thought. But I don't think anyone has patience for her with anything. Sayu kept babbling on. "So after failing to work with tutors and such, Ozaki-kun decided to volunteer. He's been helping her since last fall."
"Ah, and that's how she ended up liking him? And he likes her too?"
"Apparently, they are going out now." Sayu said that with a sting of jealousy in her voice.
"Have you seen or met him?"
She shook her head. "Not even a picture. Eri doesn't want to get in trouble if pictures surfaced, you know?
Ah, how smart of her, I thought. Good for her.
"Of course, Gaki-san has seen him. She says he's pretty good looking. I guess I believe her."
"But if she shares this with you, then why aren't you the one giving her advice?"
"I know nothing about dating, why would I have advice for her?" Sayu replied then returns to fiddling with her phone. "Of course, if I were I'd be an expert at it....and cuteness."
I rolled my eyes. "So what's with you flirting with her dad then?" I joked.
"I am not!" She whined. "I mean, yes, he's very handsome. Anyone can see that. Don't you think so, Fujimoto-san?"
Hawt is more like it. I said in my head but I nodded instead. "Oh yeah, for a middle aged man, I'd say he's quite attractive."
"See? I'm not the only one who thinks that. I'm sure Yoshizawa-san would fawn over him too."
"Good luck with that." I mumbled.
"Eririn's just mean to me like that." Sayu sighed.
"I'm what?" Eri asks, huffing from just running up the stairs. She plops down next to Sayu and me.
"So, how are things with you and Ozaki-kun?" I brought up.
Eri's eyes widened at my knowledge of her new beau's name. Her eyes averted straight to the bunny. "Sayu!"
"What? She's going to find out eventually. It's not like she knows him anyway. We haven't seen his face." She then gasped. "Or have you?" She looks at me then at Eri. "No fair! How can you show her your boyfriend first before me?"
"Sayu, shut up." I said. I turned back to Eri. "I just wanted to see if this guy really exists and you're not just messing with me. Because there's a punishment for those who mess and lie to me."
They both shrank back. "
Hai." They coughed.
"Anyway, are we gonna go over this script or not? I have more better things to do with my time." Actually I don't but I didn't want to waste my time here.
"Uh, Sayu!" Eri screeched, which made Sayu's ears perk up. "Did you hear that? I think my dad is calling you downstairs."
"Really?!" Sayu squeaked in delight. Eri nodded and motioned her to go. Sayu wasted no time getting up and skipping down the stairs.
"I didn't hear anything." I scowled. I was about to follow Sayu wondering why Eri's dad would call her, but Eri stopped me before I reached the door.
"Miki-sama, I was just kidding!"
I froze in my position. "Oh. I knew that." I stretched out my arms and tried to play off my little airhead moment and turned myself around.
"I just wanted to get her out of the room." Eri explained. She checked to see if Sayu was really gone before shutting and locking her room door. She casts a deviously bright smile at me which almost freaked me out as she started walking toward me. Furthermore, she took both of my hands in hers and squeezed them, crushing my script between our hands. "Eeeee! Miki-sama! I think I'm in love!" Eri beams ecstatically, hopping up and down.
I pulled my hands away from her grip and looked at her. She's so happy it's making me sick. "In love? Already?"
"I know we've only known each other for awhile but knowing Ozaki-kun in this situation now it's just...." She sighed at the end.
It's like watching a sappy drama, but it was kinda cute and somewhat disturbing seeing Eri gushing like that. "So what do you want to ask me about now?"
She sighs again but this time defeatedly. "What am I suppose to do next? Where should we go? I don't know anything cool and fun to do."
I wasn't surprised. God forbid that she would take him to Kidzania or something. "How about the amusement park?" I suggested. "Those are always fun."
"I don't like going on rides." She quickly shot it down.
"But you've ridden rollercoasters on the show all the time." I pointed out.
"Against my will!" Eri added.
"Besides, if you get scared you can always hold on to him." I nudged her.
"Oh. Ooooh." She blushed then giggled shyly.
"Just don't be spazzy and clingy. Might be a little off putting."
"Hai. I got it." She then paused for a moment. "Miki-sama, have you heard of something called
faasuto beisu?" The last words were in poor English.
"What?
Fast bass? What does music have to do with anything?"
"No, no. It's like uh, volley...no, baseball!
Faasuto beisu."
"Baseball, baseball?
First base?" I gasped and popped her in the forehead with my fingers. She yelped, not expecting my response to be that. "Where are you hearing this stuff from?"
"Why? What does it mean?"
"It means it's too early to be thinking about yet. You've only went out with him once." I sounded like a mother.
"Oh. It's
that???" She covered her mouth and blushed. "Oh my gosh, why did I even say that? Oh, Eri, that's dirty."
I wanted to laugh. "It's not...nevermind." She must be thinking about the other thing but, oh well, I didn't bother to correct it. "Anyway, are we gonna rehearse this script or what?"
"Pfft. There's nothing to go over." She repeated a thought of mine earlier. "Just improvise it."
I felt a vein pulsing in my temple. But I knew it was my fault for being here. I had every chance to refuse to come here but I don't know why I didn't do it. I got up and told Eri that I was going to go home then, this time Eri didn't protest but escorted me downstairs. On the way down we realized that Sayu hasn't come back after Eri tricked her into going downstairs. We passed by the living room where Sayu was totally PDAing on Eri's father. Public display of annoying, that is. She gushed on and on about how cute she is while Eri's father was being nonchalant, engrossed in the newspaper in his hands. Although he did responded with "sou" and "hai" every now and then to Sayu's questions. She didn't care, she was just too dumbstruck and googly eyed. Mr. Kamei briefly looks up from his paper and sees me, flashing a smile that felt like a bullet just shot through me. I almost fell backwards but quickly regained my composure. I turned my attention to my shoes which I realized I had put on on the wrong feet. I grunted, trying to fix them properly. I don't care if they're not completely on my feet, just as long as I'm able to walk out of this house. I reached for the doorknob and counted.
3, 2, 1..."Leaving already?" A voice asks.
I knew it! I knew I'd be stopped just before I leave. I turned to the person who asked, Eri's mother.
"Yes, I have some things to do. Please excuse me, Kamei-san." I said politely and bowwed.
"Oh. Would you like to have dinner first?" She asks. "Eri says you like yakiniku, so I--"
Before she could even finish I kicked off my shoes and made a b line to the kitchen. I plucked Sayu from the living room on the way who then grabbed on to Eri as we made a chain through the house.
"Hey! What are you doing, Fujimoto-san?" Sayu fumbled behind me along with Eri. I plopped both of them straight down into a chair each and pulled up a chair next to them.
"We are having dinner." I almost salivated, holding a handfull of chopsticks in each hand. It's no use trying to resist anymore, I thought. I might as well get used to it and take advantage of it. As I watched Mrs. Kamei happily setting up everything on the table for us, I turned to Eri.
"So," I started. "Looks like I'll be coming over more often. Is that ok with you?"
"Of course, it is." Her mother answered. "We always like having guests over."
"
Arigatou gozaimasu." I smiled and added. "In fact, I think I'll be coming back tomorrow."
Eri looked a bit surprised, but eventually a smile emerged from her face. "Sure, Miki-sama. Of course you can."
Sayu looked at me with a bit of suspicion and maybe a bit of jealousy too. Hey, gotta do what ya gotta do, right? A girl's gotta eat and I'm not going to miss out on an opportunity for a free meal. Yeah, yeah, I know, bad Miki.
Topic: April no Aho [Chapter 16 - 3/4] (Read 49107 times)