@Yuuyami: Well, I <3 your fanfic, and you obviously like mine, so like, yeah
chapter nine
"Maimai?" Airi walked over to Mai and sat down on the bench. "You okay?"
No answer.
"Maimai?"
"Oh? Airin.. yeah?"
'This isn't like her.. she's usually perky...' Airi thought. "Hmm.. nothing, you just seem.. I don't know.. different today. I was just worried."
"Who? Me? No, I'm fine, really!"
Again with that unconvincing smile.
"Yeah, alright then..."
"I'll be going now, see you!" Mai stood up and walked off.
"Byebye!" Airi called out. "She's so not alright..."
She could talk to Maimi about it.. their leader might be able to help.. Even though Airi knew she shouldn't interfere, however there was something about her.. something about Mai..
* * *
"Oiiiiiiii, Yassui!"
"Airin? What is it?" Yajima Maimi was making her way down the stairwell, and Suzuki Airi had just called out to her.
"It's.. Maimai.." Airi panted.
"What about Maimai?" Maimi asked, interested yet sounding impatient.
"Is it just me, or did she seem different today?" asked Airi. "You know, not herself.."
"Yeah, she did.." said Maimi thoughtfully. "I have no idea where I've seen that behaviour before.. somewhere, but.."
"Ohhhhhhh, whatcha talking about!?" Chisato teased.
"I'll talk about it later," Airi muttered to Maimi. "The others don't need to know."
"We better go, Berryz Koubou are supposed to have a recording session today, too," said Erika.
"How do you know?" asked Saki. "You're not a member for one thing.."
"Yurina told me," Erika replied.
"Too late, they're here!" Kanna was standing on her tip-toes and peering out the window.
Then an idea struck Airi. Maybe she could talk to the Berryz Koubou girls..
"Airin, c'mon!" Chisato called out.
"I just remembered, I left something in the studio!" Airi replied.
"Okay then!"
"Totally!"
"Oh. My. GOD!"
"No freaking way!"
"Oh gosh, really!?"
"Huh? Suzuki?"
"Eheh.. I was wondering if I could talk to you about something.. or, actually, someone.." Airi grinned nerviously.
"What about?" asked the tall, almost living sky-scraper Kumai Yurina.
"Well.. it's about Maimai.." Airi dived into an explination of Mai's sudden change in behaviour. The girls listened in amazement.
"It's so obvious, Airin!" Tsugunaga Momoko squeaked. "I can't believe you haven't figured it out!"
"Momocchi, don't be mean!" Tokunaga Chinami punched her softly on the arm.
"Sorry, sorry!" Momoko sighed. "But come on.. think about it.. it's so obvious!"
"Would you care to share your insight to the matter?" Sudou Maasa raised an eyebrow. "And besides, WHAT is so obvious?"
"Well, this sudden change in behaviour, or as I like to call it, 'talking a turn on the Emotional Express'."
"Emo-- what!?" the other girls stared at her.
"She's in love, silly!" Momoko smiled.
"EEH--------------------!?
LOVE----!?"
"That explains it," said Saki.
"I can.. see were you're coming from," Risako nodded.
"But the question remains," Yurina pondered. "Who is she in love
with?"
"When I went to get her, she was with Nakazawa-senpai, Iida-senpai, and Abe-senpai. She seemed to want to stay with them."
"Hmm.."
"She was also supposed to be meeting Nakazawa-senpai in Harajuku a couple of days ago.."
"Nakazawa-senpai?" Yurina blinked.
"No way.."
"But Nakazawa-senpai is always with Abe-senpai," said Chinami. "They've always been close.."
"Girls, we need to get this done today!" the person in charge of the recording called out.
"Sorry!" the girls chorused together.
"Well, I'll be going now," Airi made her way out the door. "Sorry about that!"
"It's fine," said Saki. The other members nodded.
'Nakazawa-senpai, huh? I wonder.. what will Abe-senpai think of this..'