holderThe mocha couldn't resist giggling at her friend. She was just too adorable in these situations! Plus, hearing her talk about Junnosuke was always fun. Unknowingly, Airi was a bit of a spy for Stasi since she couldn't always keep an eye on her husband's men herself. It was nice to know he was doing his job well. However, he may have been doing it too well.

holder"Are you absolutely certain it's simply nothing, Airi-chan?" she asked her, amusement still lingering in her eyes.

Our lives are lived continuously.

That is why time is irrelevant.

Yet in the same breath...

tengu&weasel"...-ama. Atori-sama. Atori Hasumi-sama."

Time is so important

tengu&weaselJostled awake by the sound of her subordinate's voice, the petite raven blinked owlishly as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. A mop of chocolate brown hair and a singular silver eye gazed at her as the man at her door held out his gloved hand.

tengu&weasel"Hasumi-sama, we have arrived."

Because it will slip away before your very eyes.

tengu&weaselA hesitation before she took his hand. "Thank you, Obi."

Time is precious.

tengu&weaselThe door shut behind her as she stepped out of the car with her butler's assistance. No, wait. That wasn't quite right anymore.

tengu&weasel"Hasumi-sama, are you alright? Is there anything you require?"

Time is painful.

tengu&weaselNot far away, workers were unloading her furniture and things from a truck. Behind her, as the car drove off after setting her carry-ons next to her, she could hear whispering.

tengu&weasel"Oh my, what a precious little girl."

tengu&weaselStrong arms around her, shielding her from harm. "You're my precious master and friend. I'll do anything for you."

tengu&weasel"A new tenant to Maison de Ayakashi? Isn't she the daughter of the Atori family?"

tengu&weaselRoars and howls. His battle cries amongst the clash and roar of battle, powers at full throttle.

tengu&weasel"I heard her brother and fiance died in a terrible accident. How tragic."

tengu&weaselThe cloying stench of blood. Blood everywhere. On the ground, on her clothes, on her hands. On his tiny limp body, cradled in the crook of one arm. On his tattered wings. Matting his beautiful hair to his beautiful face.

Time is cruel.

tengu&weasel"DON'T LEAVE ME!!!!!!"

It has torn me apart...

tengu&weasel"Hasumi-sama?"

...And I don't know how to fix myself.

tengu&weasel"...I'm fine. Help me carry some of this up, please?"

Please, God...

tengu&weasel"That's the last of it, little miss." A friendly smile from one of the movers. "Looks like we're getting quite a bit of attention, aren't we?"

tengu&weaselReflexively, she graced him with a polite smile and a bow. "I suppose it's not every day this place gets new tenants. Thank you for everything, sir."

If there is one out there.

tengu&weaselHasumi left the rather flustered mover behind as she stopped to stand beside her waiting butler. Eyes like the deep emerald depths of the Kurama mountain forests gazed up at the building that would be her new home.

tengu&weasel"So, this is the place..."

Turn time on my side.

tengu&weasel"Yes, Hasumi-sama. Maison de Ayakashi. As you wished for."

Give me those moments back.

tengu&weasel"Yes... Thank you, Obi. For coming all this way with me."

It doesn't matter if I have to be hurt

ten,

twenty,

a hundred,

a thousand times.

tengu&weasel"You are my mistress, Hasumi-sama, and now my protege. You have and always will be my top priority. I would follow you to hell and back."

tengu&weasel"That's a little extreme, Obi. But... thank you for the thought."

Please

tengu&weasel"As I said, there is no need for thanks. I am your secret service bodyguard now. It is only right that I do so."

Give me one life

tengu&weasel"I'll be counting on you then, Obi."

Where I can smile and laugh

tengu&weasel"Of course." A pause, and then his features and tone softened as he held out his hand once more. "Shall we, then, Hacchan?"

tengu&weaselHearing her childhood name, the girl allowed herself a soft smile as she took the offered hand. "...Okay, Obi-nii."

and hold the hands

of my most important people

One more time

holderThe weather was mild on this day. The sky was a clear azure and clouds were but wisps against the vast span of it. It was midday in Tokyo and, as always, it was bustling with life on its streets and businesses were carrying on with their respective operations. No exception to this was one of the largest entertainment agencies in Japan: Johnny & Associates.

holderIn the office of Johnny Kitagawa, five members of one of his popular bands stood before him, the young men that made up the group KAT-TUN. Kamenashi Kazuya, whose name now stood for the K and A of the band’s acronym. Taguchi Junnosuke and Tanaka Koki, the first and second T, respectively. Ueda Tatsuya, the group’s U. Finally, Nakamaru Yuichi, the N and the oldest within the band.

holderNone of the guys knew why they were standing in their boss’s office this day and frankly, they were worried. Surely their records were selling and their merchandise was moving, especially on an international level. So why were they here, they all wondered. They all stood, watching the head man in charge wrapping up a phone call, minds buzzing with various reasons they would be standing here.

holderAfter hanging up the phone, the elderly man turned to look at his stars. He leaned back in his chair with a relaxed posture and lightly smiled at them. This smile worried them a bit, but oddly enough, they were relieved. It seems that they were called here on pleasant terms which put their hearts at ease.

holder“KAT-TUN, my bright stars,” the man began looking at each member fondly. “Have you all been well?”

holderHis question was answered with an almost simultaneous, “hai!” This brought another smile to his face. It was always a joy to know that his acts were well even while dealing with the stresses and burdens of being idols. However, now that the initial pleasantries were done, it was time for him to state his purpose for calling them to his office.

holder“I’m sure you all know that you have fans overseas; we’ve sent you on many successful tours outside of Japan,” the agency owner continued. “However, your language skills are still lacking. If you want to fulfill your dream of making it worldwide, you’ll need to become fluent in another language. A language used all over the world: English.”

holderThis bit of news came as a shock to the five young men that stood before the former idol, but at the same time, they figured something like this would happen. More and more fans were starting to demand overseas tours so that they may get a chance to see their favourite idols up close. Being the kind of company that it is, Johnny was one to try to give the fans what they wanted.

holder“In order for you all to learn English, I am hiring a tutor for you. I was given the name of a talented person from New York who specializes in translating from English to Japanese for businesses. Luckily, this person also does tutoring.”

holder“Does this mean you’ll be flying our tutor here to Japan to teach us?” Kazuya asked carefully.

holder“Not exactly, Kamenashi-kun,” Johnny replied, looking at them all once again. “I’m sending you to America.”

holderThe news hit the group like two tons of bricks and cinderblocks. All six of them looked at Johnny, mouths agape. This development was a bit of a shock! However, what the guys were mostly concerned about were their careers. Could they really just put their idol lives on pause while they go off to America for goodness knows how long to learn a new language? What about promotions, commercials, shows, recording, and everything their job entailed? Just as Nakamaru was opening his mouth to say something about it, the older man held up his hand to halt the young man’s words.

holder“Don’t worry about your careers,” he began. “I will send teams out to collect you when you’re needed for major things. You, as well as your tutor, will be given prior notice of when these will occur. Everything has been carefully planned, even your living arrangements. Tanaka-kun…”

holder“Hai?” the rapper responded quickly.

holder“You seem to be the one with the greatest level of English currently, please do your best for your fellow band mates while you’re away.”

holder“Yes, sir,” he nodded in understanding.

holder“Now then… you will wrap up your activities for this week and will be sent off to America in two weeks. That should be ample time to finish up any interviews, photo shoots, and other various things. I will be sure to keep track of any major deals such as dramas, but other than that, your careers are still a priority. I know you young men will do well with this. Good luck and have a fun learning experience.”

holderWith one final smile and nod, he wrapped up their meeting and dismissed the five idols. They all thanked him for the opportunity he was giving them and began to leave his office. Once outside, everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief and exchanged looks.

holder“That shocked me!” Koki spoke first. “I honestly didn’t know what he was going to say in there.”

holder“I think we were all worried about that,“ Kazuya added.

holder“But… America though,” Junnosuke said with a smile. “That’s pretty exciting! Ah, Koki…”

holder“Eh?” the youth quickly replied.

holder“Yoroshiku ne!” the energetic man laughed patting his friend on the shoulder playfully.

holderThe rest of the members followed suit, laughing and repeating the phrase. The group, KAT-TUN, all left the premises of their boss’s building to begin their own preparations for their trips. Each one of them wanted to make sure they had all of their loose ends tied and left nothing undone. The ones who owned pets made arrangements with their families to have them well taken care of while they were away.

holderThrough all of this, there were a few questions burning in the back of their minds. First: How long were they going to be gone? How often will they have to be picked up in order to take care of their career obligations? Will they be able to absorb their lessons with all of this hanging over their heads? Also, just who was their tutor? Each member knew that the person had to be a remarkable person for their prestigious agency to send them over to America to take English lessons.

holderEven with all of their concerns, there was an undeniable look of excitement in each member’s eyes. Despite this trip being for business purposes, each of the young men would be seeing this as somewhat of a vacation. They were going to make sure they had a good time and soak in the culture. Little did they know that what lay ahead of them would be one of the bumpiest adventures they would ever have in a foreign country.

---

holderAcross the ocean in an apartment building located in bustling New York, a young woman entered her residence and greeted her roommate cheerfully. Stasi Curtis, a young promising Linguist had just come home after receiving some pretty terrific news.

holder"Shiba, I'm home!" she announced as she went searching for her friend. "Guess what happened to me today! You'll never guess, haha! Apparently one of my past clients were so thrilled with my performance that he recommended me to a Japanese company! I was hired to tutor a whole group!"

holderAs if her excited words weren't enough, she also twirled comically. This was the break of a lifetime! She had been working so hard and studying so much. Now it was all beginning to pay off!

holderThere was a bit of a commotion below the room of the resident Kawa-uso. Peeking out from the sheets of her bed, Chie yawned and rubbed her eyes. She lingered for just a moment before she decided to give in and ooze out of her bed. It was already near noon and she knew that lounging in bed all day wasn't the best idea. Not only that, but she'd probably have someone on her case about it and she was just not in the mood to hear it today. Speaking of... where was he anyway? Usually, he was near to greet her when she finally got out of bed. Though, knowing how he was, he was off doing something for her.

holder"Nnn, Souchin... doko desu ka?" she called out as she plunked herself into the plush couch that sat not even ten feet from her bed. "I'm hungry... did you make something to eat yet? ...Souchiiiin?"

holderThe young girl knew she didn't have to keep calling him, but she just liked doing it. It never annoyed him and he always greeted her pleasantly. It bugged her at first because he never showed anger, he never showed annoyance, heck, she's only seen him furrow his brow in frustration and it was only because he was concerned for her well being. Chie felt lucky to have such an unselfish and loyal SS by her side, protecting her.

holderFinally awake enough to stand again, the girl went over to the large glass window and pressed herself against it. Below, she could see a car leaving the front of the house and two people standing and talking. One was dressed in casual clothing while the other wore an outfit she was all too familiar with.

holder"Ne, Souchin... we have a new resident now~ Lookie~"

holderThe amount of prayers that had accumulated during the previous land god's absence was nothing to shake a stick at. Stasi found herself frowning more and more as she thumbed through the various books that Tomoe had kept up with over the decades. At lot of the prayers people made, she wouldn't have even began to know how to grant them and she wondered if some of the older ones were too late to consider.

holder"Hey, Onikiri-chan," she began as she flipped through the most recent record. "Is there a way for me to be able to speak to people without being seen?"

holderStasi was thinking of those whose prayers hadn't been answered. Though she couldn't do much in terms of actually granting them, she would at least see if she was able to speak to their hearts and apologize for the absence of the Land God's presence. They deserved that at the very least.

ninshibaAt the sound of the door opening, a petite Asian looked up from perusing her textbook. A student Early Childhood Educator, Aly Feng, or Shiba as she was often called by her sister figure, had moved to New York from Canada to study. Why she hadn't gone to some of the best ECE programs in Canada she had no idea; perhaps it was just the idea of living with her best friend that seemed too tantalizing an opportunity to miss. Whatever the case, she smiled in greeting as the mocha pranced into their apartment, obviously riding on cloud nine.

ninshiba"Kae~"

ninshibaBoth she and Stasi were fascinated by the Japanese culture; though Aly had never gone so far as to become a linguist and translate different languages, she and the older woman often slipped bits and pieces of Japanese into their daily conversation. Most of it were simple phrases, and often colloquialized, but for them it was proof of their relationship.

ninshibaAs Stasi called out the good news, her jaw dropped. "Really!? That's awesome! But... does that mean you're flying over or they're coming over?"

willowispThe masked onibi-warashi looked up from her game with Kotetsu at the sound of her name, and tilted her head in thought. "Mikage-sama often took on an inconspicuous form and spoke to people through it. But that is a very high-level ability. As much as I hate to say it, Stasi-sama, I don't think you're able to do that at your current abilities."

willowisp"That's why Stasi-sama needs Tomoe-dono!" Kotetsu declared. "With Tomoe-dono around, you could be protected by him while practicing to strengthen your land god powers!"

"They're going to be flown over," Stasi replied as she plunked down next to her friend. "I wish I were being flown out, but then I wouldn't be able to see you and I just couldn't take you away from your education."

The older woman leaned on and hugged the young Asian. As much as she'd have loved to have traveled to Japan and taken Aly with her, she couldn't have possibly done that and take her away from her schooling. The mocha knew how important it was to her roommate and what was important to her little sister was important to her as well. Likewise with her own job.

"They haven't quite given me the full details yet, but I'll be told in a few days," she continued, standing and going into the kitchen to fetch herself a snack and something to drink. "They're finalizing the arrangements so once that's figured out, I'll be getting a call. But maaaaan... actual Japanese clients flying out from Japan to be tutored by me. It's almost surreal, you know."

holderSitting back on her feet, she sighed softly. Well then, her idea would have to wait until she was powerful enough to put it into motion. Once she was able to take on an inconspicuous form of her own, she would set out to visit those who had paid homage to the Mikage shrine years ago and apologize for their blessings not being answered. She felt she owed them that much even though it wasn't any fault of her own.

holder"Well then, how do we get him back here?" she asked the masked spirit.

ninshibaQuiet laughter from the Asian as she was hugged, and she responded by giving a hug back as best she could from her position. "You're telling me! I hope they'll be nearby so at least the local travelling won't be too much of a hassle for either of you. Do you know if you'll have to go someplace, or...?"

ninshibaShe left the question hanging, not because she was trying to suggest something, but rather she wasn't sure what to suggest. That Stasi's students were being flown here from Japan was incredible enough already. Surely they couldn't make so many sacrifices for the sake of their convenience. Likely, she rationalized, her friend would have to travel to the hotel they were staying in and educate them in a lounge there, or perhaps have a meeting room in a community centre booked out. Something along those lines. It only made sense, after all.

ninshibaThe question bothered Airi. Was it really nothing? She wanted to believe it. Though she was sweet with many of her regulars, and she adored them all dearly in their own way, she never felt this... embarrassed? Shy? Unsure... around a customer. To be fair she had never kissed any of them either. That was the only thing that set Junnosuke-san apart. It was only because of that, nothing more. She had to believe that, otherwise it wouldn't do her any good.

ninshiba"Yeah... it's nothing." she stated firmly. "I know I'll get over it, eventually. It's just... still a shock, I guess."

willowispBoth spirits wilted slightly at the question, shuffling uneasily. "I'm afraid it might not be that easy," Onikiri mumbled. "Tomoe-dono is very upset that Mikage-sama didn't come back."

willowisp"And he might be... there... right now." Kotetsu added. "But if you want, I can go look for Tomoe-dono."

holder"I'll be tutoring them from one of the lecture halls on your campus," Stasi smiled as she snacked on some grapes she grabbed from the fridge. "So we'll be heading out together for a while."

holderThat thought alone was enough to make the mocha giddy. She enjoyed spending time with her friend. Even though they lived together and see each other quite a bit, it was still fun to be around the younger girl. Now that they were going to be near one another for some time, the older female would be seeing more of her roommate.

holder"Ah, what are we doing about dinner tonight? Should I cook or did you have something else in mind?"

holder"Please and thank you, Kotetsu-chan~" the young woman smiled and patted his head. They are so helpful!

holderPatiently, Stasi waited for the spirit to return with the youkai that she intended to make her familiar. The thought of the process made her wonder just how she'd actually pull that off. Would she have to make him fall in love with her or could she simply kiss him and make him her familiar?

holderThis was way too rich, but the mocha laid off of her friend for now. The waiter had returned shortly with their order and left again with a bow before going to check on the other customers. Standing from her seat, Stasi smiled at the young girl.

holder"Ready to go check out the buffet?" she asked her companion. "They should have at least a few strawberry desserts. If not, then I'll just flip over the whole table and run."

holderObviously, the woman was only joking, but it was something they bonded over - the strawberries. Saying that they both loved the sweet fruit was actually an understatement. Whenever there was anything with strawberries in it, unless is was absolutely and utterly disgusting, they would both be all over it.

holderTraveling over to the lines in the buffet, Stasi let her eyes explore the variety of the confections displayed. So many different desserts caught her eye and she just knew she couldn't have them all. Well, it gave her another excuse to come out with Airi. However, it would probably be a while before she could again. In total honesty, the mocha shouldn't have been out in public, but since she was away from where she was well known, it was okay. She did have to be careful since she wasn't on her own turf, but that wouldn't stop her, nor would it stop her husband.

justadogeChie had barely gotten up from her place on the couch when the door opened to reveal a young man with mismatched eyes. He blinked in surprise to see his protege up, but smiled softly and, balancing his burden on one hand, quietly closed the door behind him.

justadoge"Ohayou gozaimasu, Chie-sama," he greeted her pleasantly. "I was worried that I would have to disturb your peaceful sleep, but it seems I won't have to forcefully wake you. Did you sleep well?"

justadogeHis words didn't quite seem to reach her, for the kawa-uso was glued to the balcony glass and her eyes - orange-gold, like twin glorious rising suns - were fixed on the scene below. Before Soushi could question her out of curiosity as to what interested her so, she called to him again, and her remark triggered his memory. Ah, yes. He'd heard they were going to be having a new tenant soon. Striding over to situate himself a little ways behind and beside his lady, the silver-haired SS peered down below.

justadogeSure enough, there was the tamed wild brown of the newest agent's head. A kamaitachi, if he remembered correctly. The taller man had undergone SS training, but had quickly been cleared; it seemed much of what was required of an SS had already been drilled into him in a different setting, though the weasel had explained that it was because he had studied and practiced diligently on the material. Which Soushi didn't doubt at all, for he had sensed a quiet, purposeful drive to the brunette's air. A sense that he wanted everything to be perfect and just right for not just a client, but rather, a specific client... no doubt the raven-haired girl that stood beside him now.

justadogeHeterochromatic eyes flickered down to regard the mocha-skinned girl beside him. The desire to make everything just so... yes, he understood that feeling. And he respected the kamaitachi for it. A soft smile.

justadoge"Yes, Chie-sama, and I hear the tenant is a girl. I brought you your favourite lunch. Would you like to eat here? If it pleases you, we can go downstairs afterwards and greet our newcomer."

---

tengu&weaselThe lobby was cool as she walked in. Obi led his young mistress down the corridor with some of her luggage in tow, giving a nod to the bald security guard sitting behind the protective glass as he passed. Hasumi did the same, bowing politely to the silent man before scurrying to catch up. Since she had come straight from the Atori mansion, she was still dressed in a casual kimono, so while she was used to moving around in it, it was still a little difficult. The raven had every intention of changing into something more casual and appropriate the moment she got to her room, and voiced this to her now-SS.

tengu&weasel"Obi, let's settle our belongings down first. I would hate to obstruct the others when I can move them."

tengu&weasel"As you wish, Hasumi-sama."

tengu&weaselAs the rooms were essentially penthouse-style suites, most of the second floor now belonged to Hasumi, with the exception of the hallway and the other suite that belonged to her secret service agent - Obi. The door opened with a quiet click to reveal the sparsely furnished suite. Much of her belongings were not furniture, so Obi had ordered them for her; he had chosen them well, and she loved it. The rest of her belongings had already been moved up, but not yet established in their rightful places. Well, that could be fixed within the week.

tengu&weaselThe brunette man was already moving, repositioning boxes of belongings and bustling to settle her in. A small hand reached out to stop him. He started in surprise, and to face the girl behind him.

tengu&weasel"Obi-nii, stop. It's okay. I can do it on my own."

tengu&weasel"But--" he began to protest, but the look in her eyes stopped him cold. Instantly he dropped to one knee and cupped her face in his hand. "Hacchan..."

tengu&weasel"Please." Her voice was hushed, and trembled, as if she were ready to cry at any moment. "You've done so much for me already."

tengu&weaselAs she spoke one of her hands trailed to the eyepatch that he wore, traced the puckered skin of the scarring that peeked out from the material. He watched as her eyes roiled with so many painful emotions, remembering how he had gotten the scar, and how much they had both lost. How could he say no, to refuse such a simple request? Relenting, the tall brunette enfolded the petite girl in his arms.

tengu&weasel"Of course. I'm sorry."

---

ittanmomenBlink blink.

ittanmomenA young man stood in the hallway, scratching the back of his head in mild confusion. He vaguely recognized the brunette; his clothing obviously giving him away as an SS. But he didn't recognize the dark-haired girl in the kimono. Was she a new tenant? It seemed that way, since the SS had a suitcase on him. He had wanted to flag them down and greet them, but they had disappeared into the elevator before he could say anything. Huh... maybe she was busy...

ittanmomenStrolling into the dining hall, looking back the way he'd come, his hand moved to his neck as he ambled toward the counter.

ittanmomen"New face... Wasn't that the new SS with her...?" he mumbled, more to himself than anyone.

willowispMinutes crawled by until quite suddenly the two spirits tumbled back into the room that Stasi was in. Though Tomoe was absent, their antsy behaviour was more than enough to tip off what had transpired in their short sojourn.

willowisp"As we thought, Tomoe-dono is there! But he won't leave!"

willowisp"He's being unreasonable, even when Mikage-sama recommended you!"

willowisp"He knows we can't protect the shrine and Stasi-sama on our own..."

willowisp"And making those callous remarks about Stasi-sama and the shrine...!"

willowisp"Oh, what do we do?"

willowispThe onibi-warashi were clearly very upset and concerned over this matter, but at the same time it showed just how low on the demonic hierarchy they were. They could do almost nothing to help the situation, only suggest and plead their cases.

kawausoFinally, the voice she'd been waiting to hear, the voice that greeted her each morning without fail. Now, she was definitely at ease since Miketsukami Soushi, her own SS, entered her suite. As he joined her at the window, Chie leaned over and held onto his arm as she often did partially to keep her balance because she was still a bit sleepy, but mostly because she enjoyed it and she knew that it made him happy for her to rely on him. She perked up at the mention of food.

kawauso"You brought my favourite?" the kawauso beamed up at him. "Thank you Souchin~"

kawausoOff she flitted to where the SS had placed her food. Just as she thought, he had brought her a platter of steamed oysters on a half shell with a wedge of lemon. She practically drooled as she gave the sour fruit a squeeze, covering each shellfish with a hint of the tangy juice. Without another moment's delay, the young girl pried the meat from the shell with her fingers and ate happily.

kawauso"Mm, ne Shouchiin," she began between her chews. "Can you get me an outfit ready? I do wanna see the new girl after eating. I hope we'll be friends~"

---

yukionnaComing from downstairs in a bit of a hurry, a buxom blonde made her appearance. Her glasses were fogged over with a delightful pink on her cheeks. She seemed to be extremely happy and she wandered around asking everyone if they'd seen the new tenant, becoming more and more disappointed each time she was told either no or she'd already gone by. Finally, she resigned and went back downstairs.

yukionna"Ehh, I really wanted to see her," the woman whined softly as she sat in one of the lounge chairs.

---

tanukibanFrom outside, two voices were now drawing closer. A high-pitched tone could be heard teasing their companion and the voice of a teen boy could be heard responding angrily. Not much later, two appeared in the lounge of Maison de Ayakashi, both male. The taller of the two wore the familiar black suit accessorized with a black bunny ear headband and a bandage covering his right eye. The shorter of the two had messy blonde hair pinned back with a few hairpins and was dressed in cargo pants with one leg pulled up and a polo shirt.

tanukiban"I told you that I don't care that someone new has moved in," the young man firmly insisted speeding up to get away from his troublesome SS.

tanukibun"But aren't you just a little curious to see what she's like~?" the light-hearted voice continued. "I heard that she was a cutie~"

kamisamaStasi could feel her eye twitching in annoyance at the little ones' report. Obviously, it wasn't their fault for his words. Still, acting this way was just... it was just rude!

kamisama"Callous remarks, huh?" she said softly, standing up and looking to the two spirits. "Take me to where Tomoe is. I'll make him come back."

kamisamaThere was absolutely no way she would allow him to dip out on her. He was this shrine's familiar, right? If so, he needed to be there with her to get things back into shape.

justadogeChie's weight on his arm caused him to start almost imperceptibly, but it was familiar by now, and he quickly relaxed. He gazed down at her and gave a soft smile. Ara, she was still sleepy. He could see it in her eyes and in her movements. How cute she was when she was still bleary. The kitsune's smile only widened further as she brightened and skipped over to the tray that bore her lunch. Though it had only been a month since the kawa-uso had moved into Ayakashi-kan, Soushi had learned much about Chie. She was a girl who was transparent about her beliefs and unafraid to speak her mind. She seemed lazy and lax, but was a keen person with sharp intuition. To top it all off, she was exotically, adorably beautiful. And though his own behaviour left his feelings ambiguous and seemingly out of duty as an SS, he was enthralled. What shaped such an amazing creature, and what blessed fates had brought her into his life?

justadogeAt her request, the platinum-blond bowed. "Of course, Chie-sama. I'm certain that you will get along wonderfully. You have a talent in making friends, after all."

justadogeChoosing outfits for Chie was always so fun. It was like an ever-changing puzzle, where the right pieces changed depending on the occasion and the image he wanted to enchance in his radiant client. At last he decided on a casual outfit that sought to cumulate the mocha's personality: simple but inviting, sweet and fun. Gentle but bright colours, nothing floral or formal, cute and chic, but not restricting in movement. And of course, the colours and cuts complimented the young woman's own natural tones and curves. With a satisfied smile he held up the ensemble for Chie to see.

justadoge"Are you alright with this outfit, Chie-sama?" Though he was certain she didn't quite mind and trusted his tastes, he asked out of formality. She was still his client and she had the final say.

---

ittanmomenThe blond's melodramatic whine caused her roan-haired client to look up from his lunch. The ittan-momen's eyebrow quirked up. See "her"...? Oh. She must have meant the new resident. Swallowing his bite of food Renshou flagged his voluptuous SS over.

ittanmomen"Ou, Nobara," he called. "If you're looking for the new girl she went upstairs." A pause, and then thoughtfully, more to himself, "Oh... maybe she went to change. That kimono didn't look very easy to walk in..."

---

tengu&weaselObi held his young charge in his arms until he felt her relax in his embrace. Then, her own arms around him, or as far as she could reach.

tengu&weasel"I'm sorry, Obi-nii. For putting you through so much grief in the past." Her voice was quiet, no longer teary, and sincere. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone for so long."

tengu&weasel"No." The kamaitachi tightened his hold on her. "There is nothing to apologize for, Hacchan. You're here now. That's what matters."

tengu&weaselNothing. It was his fault, not hers. He hadn't been able to save her best friend. He hadn't been able to protect his master, her fiance, twice. He hadn't been able to help her brother. And in the past, he hadn't been able to rescue her from her sorrow and loss. He would not allow himself to make the same mistakes again.

tengu&weasel"Thank you, Obi-nii." Lightly pushing him away, but not fully. Just to see his face. "We can tidy up around here later. Can you help me unpack some clothes?"

tengu&weaselWhile she eased herself out of her kimono behind the curtain, Obi moved the season-appropriate clothes into their rightful places, laying out a layered halter-top and a soft flowing skirt on the foot of the bed, with sandals on the floor. Once she had changed, he bowed to her.

tengu&weasel"Are you hungry, Hasumi-sama? They have a dining hall downstairs, and the chef is quite flexible with the menu."

tengu&weasel"That would be nice, Obi. Let's do that."

tengu&weaselThe elevator ride down was quiet, but not solemn. Hasumi had recovered from her spell, and hunger was driving her far more than the haunting of her past. The ding of the elevator as they reached the ground floor, and the two strode out...

tengu&weaselThe flash of blond and pink, movement in her peripheral. Hasumi turned to see who it was and to avoid them, but too late; she collided with the other and felt herself topple backwards.

tengu&weasel"Hasumi-sama!"

kawausoChie honestly wondered why Soushi insisted on asking her if some of the things he did were okay by her. He should have gotten used to the fact that she adored everything he did. Her SS was always so perceptive of her and knew just what to do at what time. Only a few times she had to scold him for something, but it wasn’t even as harsh as one would think it was. In fact, it was only a few correcting remarks she’d made regarding what she liked to eat. Once he picked up on that, she never had to correct him again. What she found odd, but refreshing was his ability to pick out outfits that flattered her well. Not even she could do that and it was her own clothes and body! How unfair that was.

kawauso”It’s just fine, Souchin,” she replied to him, looking back at him with honey-orange eyes smiling at him. ”Arigatou yan~”

kawausoJust as she voiced her thanks for her meal, she leaned back on the plush sofa and patted her stomach. Now what she had some food in her system, she was ready to take on the day! Hopping up from her place, she went into her private bathroom and washed her hands and face before returning to the bedroom to get dressed. As per normal, she proceeded to undress despite the presence of her SS. The kawauso didn’t mind him seeing her. After all, she liked him though she hadn’t quite told him yet. Part of her wondered if he’d already picked up on her feelings and was just waiting for her to actually say something, but another part of her wondered if he was honestly oblivious.

kawausoShrugging it off mentally, she slipped into the clothes that the silver-haired SS picked out for her and smoothed out any minor wrinkles that may have come up during her getting dressed. Walking over to her mirror, she looked at herself and twirled before turning to face Soushi. ”How do I look Shouchin~?” the mocha asked him with a grin knowing already what he’d say.

---

yukionnaUsually Yukinokouji paid little attention to her client unless it was absolutely necessary. Since he wasn’t a cute girl, she had no interest in him, however today he had information on where the cute new resident went to so she decided to tune him in for once. Leaning over and adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose, she looked at him.

yukionna ”Upstairs you say~?” she repeated the info with a grin. ”A-a kimono?! Ahhhh~ I wish I could have seen it~ Fate is so cruel to me!”

yukionnaThe busty SS’s mind went off on its own adventure imagining an adorable teen wearing a kimono and acting in, what she found to be, a cute but clumsy manner. As it often did, her imagination ran away from her giving her all sorts of wild ideas. Again, her glasses fogged over and her cheeks were red from her own excitement. To make matters worse, a stream of blood was now flowing from her nose from her own strange thoughts.

---

tanukiban”I said I don’t c--!” Banri began as a figure moved into his path, his eyes widening upon collision. ”Abunai!!”

tanukibanThe teen reached out to grab the hand of the falling girl and managed to catch onto her wrist. However, he couldn’t keep himself from losing his own balance and ended up on the floor along with her. It was all a blur of an event, but he finally came around as he felt something soft beneath his hand as well as something warm pressed against his lips. Azure eyes flew open to see just what had happened. His entire face flushed a bright red as he noticed the girl he tried to catch underneath him. The hand that grabbed her wrist now held her arm pinned next to her and his other hand - desperate to hold on to something – was now groping one of her breasts gently. Making the scene look even worse, his lips somehow found their way to hers. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he hand landed right between her legs and her skirt and top were embarrassingly askew. To someone who had not seen the entire thing, they would have found the whole scene to be incredibly bold and extremely lewd. Realizing this, the tanuki scrambled to move away from the girl as not to make the situation worse.

tanukiban”Go-go-gomennasai!!” he apologized quickly. ”I-I… I didn’t see you an—“

tanukibun”Hyu hyu~ Banri-chan moves so fast~,” the pink-haired SS hooted at his client. ”Who knew that the gentle tanuki could be such a lecherous beast~?”

tanukiban”SH-SHUT UP NATSUME!!” the blonde screamed at the taller male.

justadogeIf he had been in his youkai form, all nine of his tails would have been wagging. Nonetheless Souichi's expression was one akin to a dog that had been praised by its master as he set the clothes down on the bed along with a pair of low-heeled sandals. Ah, to be thanked by Chie! It left him with such a wonderful feeling.

justadoge"Of course, Chie-sama. It's my pleasure to serve you. I only want to see you smile forever, after all."

justadogeWhile the kawa-uso wandered into the bathroom to freshen up, her SS moved to fix the remains of her lunch (not that there was a scrap of edible food left on it anyways; he always made sure it was exactly enough for her appetite) and began to tidy up. Once he was done that, he opened a pot of water to prepare a cup of tea. By the time the mocha girl came out the light but invigorating tea would be steeped to just how she liked it.

justadogeChie's voice calling for his opinion. Using a pair of small tongs to remove the tea bag, Soushi carried the teacup and saucer over and gave her a look over. Ah, yes, good, that colour certainly suited her mocha skin, and brought out the orange in her eyes. The clothes didn't look stiff and tight, but accentuated her curves subtly. Yes yes, very good. Excellent. Even though he had already visualized this, the kitsune still felt his heart skip a beat seeing her in the attire. How cute, how beautiful. He graced her with his standard smile.

justadoge"Without doubt, Chie-sama looks adorable. The clothes truly suit you. It's pleasing to the eyes." With that he set down the tea. "Chie-sama, here is your tea."

---

ittanmomenAra, there she went again, her imagination getting the better of her. Renshou wondered how he had ended up with such a peculiar SS. Then again, hardly any of the SS were remotely what anyone would consider normal... except maybe the new one. In an attempt to at least cheer her up (even if she was doing a pretty good job of doing that to herself already) he spoke up.

ittanmomen"She might come downstairs? It's about lunchtime anyhow—"

ittanmomenA sudden commotion outside. Faintly he could hear Banri's voice. Oh dear, was he getting into a fight again? Thinking to help Zange stop him (when did the bunny-eared SS ever try and stop the chaos, anyhow?) he rose from his seat and went out into the hall.

ittanmomen"Oi, Watanuki~ Don't cause trouble for the—"

ittanmomenRenshou's voice died in his throat as he beheld the... uhh... spectacle. Banri on top of an unknown person (ah, wait, that was the new girl. She'd changed out of her kimono,as he'd suspected) and... well now. This was an interesting, if not confusingly bizarre, turn of events. Even as he watched Banri jumped back all afluster, sputtering apologies as his face turned shades of red that would make tomatoes jealous. Just from the younger boy's reactions the ittan-momen could pretty much figure out what had happened...

ittanmomen"Anou, daijoubu...?"

ittanmomenHe took a step toward the girl with the thought to help her out, but her SS was already at her side, checking on her and straightening her out. So Renshou was left standing there awkwardly, not really wanting to leave the scene, but also confused as to what to do.

---

tengu&weasel"Abunai!"

tengu&weaselA hand on her wrist, but still she continued to fall. Time seemed to speed up until everything was a blur, and then stop seconds later. Deep emerald eyes flew open almost the same time as azure ones did, and Hasumi was left staring at the other person in shock as her muddled brain tried to figure out what had happened, what was going on. And when it did she felt her face turn beet red. The other person's good intentions of catching her hadn't seemed to go as planned, and somehow they had ended up on top of her. It was a boy - her face flushed deeper as she realized she knew that because he had landed in a way that had left them right between her legs, and to make matters worse her skirt had hitched up; she could feel the fabric of his pants against the inside of her thigh. Her shirt was similarly suggestively askew, but the girl was more acutely aware of the boy's hand on her breast, and his lips against hers.

tengu&weaselIt lasted only a second or two, for he had already scrambled off her, as red as she probably was. Dimly she was aware of Obi's familiar presence beside her, helping her into a sitting position. Her head was in a tizzy until she heard stammering apologies and her lips reacted instinctively. Ah, how embarrassing, she could still feel his touch on her chest and her lips...!

tengu&weasel"A-ah... i-iie... A-atashi no sei de... I should've been watching where I was going..." she began to retort, reflexively pulling at the fabric of her clothes to at least be more presentable.

tengu&weasel"Hyu hyu~ Banri-chan moves so fast~" The pink-haired man who had been with the boy. "Who knew that the gentle tanuki could be such a lecherous beast~"

tengu&weaselTo Hasumi, it was as if the air in the hallway had been suddenly sucked out. Did he just say...!? Eyes wide, she looked at the boy who had fallen on top of her. Wild blond hair, azure eyes. His hair colour was different, but his face, his expressions, the way he talked, the way he acted...

tengu&weaselObi had rushed to Hasumi's side the moment the blond boy had pretty much tripped over himself trying to get off. He knew there was no ill intent behind the accident, but to see Hasumi in such a position made the kamaitachi indignant on her behalf. But he said nothing, any harsh words quashed before they could even begin to form. He couldn't bring himself to, for his mistress's sake. That's right, Hasumi was more important.

tengu&weasel"Hasumi-sama, are you alri—"

tengu&weaselThe man felt the blood drain from his face when he saw the expression on hers. Oh no.

tengu&weaselShe couldn't breathe. All she could hear in her ears was the thundering of her own heart, her own breath hitching in her chest. Staring at his face, a familiar face, a precious face, one she thought she would never see again.

tengu&weaselThe golden glow of happier, younger days. Children's laughter - hers, Obi's, her dear fiance's, her precious friend's. A time of smiles, and silly pranks, and wide-eyed explorations. Of seemingly endless light...

tengu&weaselGrowling, roaring, raking at her ears. Flashes of youkai power, gnashing fangs, slashing claws. The glint of weapons, the blur of wings, the howling of the wind. A small body, launching itself at her, screaming her name. The splatter of something warm and metallic-smelling. Transformation spell undone, his tiny, furry body falling as if in slow motion. She reached out to catch him, cradle him, panic rising at the sight of his battered body splashed with crimson.

tengu&weasel"If I can protect Hacchan... I don't mind giving up my life..."

tengu&weasel"BANRIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!"

tengu&weasel"B-......" Her voice barely made it out of her mouth, weak, trembling. Disbelieving. "Ban...rin......?"

tengu&weaselBeside her Obi stiffened. She recognized the boy. He could see the tempest of emotions that roiled in her. She was remembering again, that terrible day. There was no use trying to get her to stand; he knew she would have lost all ability to even feel her own body at this point.

tengu&weaselNo. It couldn't be true. What were the chances? Her knees felt like they had turned to water; she couldn't feel her legs. Had they turned to lead? Stone? Grown roots and planted her to the ground? It didn't matter. Hasumi was focused on one thing and one thing only: the boy in front of her. A painful lump had formed in her throat.

tengu&weasel"B-...Ban......" More of a hoarse croak. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "Ban...rin......?" Unbidden, the tears began to spill from her eyes, even as she slowly shook her head. "Uso... Banrin...... Banrin...!"

tengu&weaselHer voice cracked at the last word, and the petite raven curled in on herself as if someone had landed a solid punch into her gut even as she began to wail uncontrollably. Obi couldn't bear it anymore; bundling his sobbing mistress into his arms, he bowed low to Banri and Natsume.

tengu&weasel"My deepest apologies. Hasumi-sama isn't feeling well. We're sorry to have disturbed you."

tengu&weaselAnd with that he whisked her back into the elevator and away. Hasumi's crying was cut short by the doors closing, but her wails seemed to remain echoing in the corridor long after she was gone.

ninshibaThough she was happy for her best friend, Aly couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Stasi. They would be going to the same place, but while she was going to sit in three-hour lectures, the mocha would be off in probably a study room in the campus library or one of the seminar rooms surrounded by Japanese students. How lucky! She wanted to meet native Japanese too. The petite Chinese had yet to meet one herself; she had Japanese friends back home in Canada, but they were third or fourth generation, and knew about as much Japanese as she did. There weren't any in her classes, and sometimes she felt so out of place between the international students and the American-born Asians. Born and raised in North America, proficient in English, yet not fully "white-washed". At the same time, she knew enough of her mother tongue to hold a conversation, but she couldn't read and write it, and the more complex idioms and vocabulary was all but lost on her. Neither one nor the other. It got a little lonely sometimes.

ninshiba"A~ah, I'm so jealous~" she whined. "Class is going to get so boring now that I know you're gonna be running around campus with a bunch of Japanese kids."

ninshibaNonetheless she smiled. Envious as she was, Aly was still happy for this job opportunity for her sister-figure. Stasi had worked hard to study and become proficient, and it was good to see that her efforts were bearing such delightful fruit. Not only that, she was going to spend even more time with her best friend! It was lonely, but it was so exciting to think about. A grin split over her face.

ninshiba"You better bring your students over to lunch, otherwise I'm gonna hate you~" she teased. Well, she was serious about the meeting with the students part, but not the hating part. How could she hate Stasi? "I'm okay with anything. I gotta finish reviewing this chapter for the test on Monday."

kawausoOnce she got her answer from Soushi – which was the answer she was expecting anyway – she went over to where he was to have her tea. Her SS was such an amazing man. He always knew exactly what to do to make her happy. It was just one of the many reasons she loved him. Yes, she’d realized a while ago that she had fallen in love with the kitsune.

kawauso”Thanks again, Souchin,” Chie said sweetly as she looked at the silver-haired man adoringly.

kawausoAfter another few minutes, she had finished her tea and set the cup down on the table. A soft but happy sigh escaped her as she leaned back on the sofa. A nice meal and an invigorating cup of tea, what a way to start her day! All of it made possible by her sweet SS.

kawauso”Let’s head down to meet the new resident, Souchin~” the young kawa-uso beamed up at him, taking his hand in her own.

---

yukionnaEverything had happened in almost the blink of an eye. Hearing the ding of the elevator made her turn around as she was hoping that the new young lady would be the one departing. Much to her pleasure, it was her! Before the yuki-onna had a chance to properly observe the girl, the tanuki who was fussing with his SS – as per usual – had a collision with her. Though she couldn’t see exactly what happened, Yukinokouji did see the end result.

yukionnaBoth Banri and the girl were on the floor with the male on top, his hand practically groping her breast and laying over he as if they were about to perform the “martial act”. Conflicting emotions welled up inside her at the same time. The entire scene made her seethe with jealousy! Oh how she wanted to be the one who had landed on top of the adorable girl. Yet… seeing them like that was extremely erotic! So young but loving one another to the point that they didn’t care who saw! That was her delusion anyway. As always, her glasses had fogged over, blurring her vision. The woman’s cheeks were flushed and she had a spot of drool rolling from her mouth. Instead of just one side, she now had a full on nosebleed from watching. This was just way too much to bear for her and she reluctantly left the scene in order to compose herself.

---

tanukibanBlinking owlishly as the girl he ran into stared at him, he wondered why she looked at him that way. Did he look like someone she knew or did she actually know him? When her expression changed from the stare to a look of sheer horror, Banri felt his heart fall to his feet. Why was she looking at him like that? Had he done something to her before? Was she someone who had confessed to him but he turned down? Wait… why did it look like she was about to...

tanukiban”B-…..” she began, her voice quivering. ”Ban…rin…..? Uso… Banrin….Banrin…!”

tanukibanAfter that she’d burst into tears. Needless to say this surprised the tanuki and he scrambled to find the words to say to her. It was too late. She’d backed away from him and curled into herself into a ball, sobbing. What did he do?! He was so confused!! Just what the heck was with this girl!

tanukiban”O-o-oi,” he stammered, wondering what to say. ”W-why are you cry—“

tanukibanBefore he could get out his entire question, the SS at her side had scooped the girl into his arms and apologized to everyone. He stated that the girl, whose name he now knew was Hasumi, wasn’t feeling well. Bowing politely, the man whisked her away, leaving Banri with so many questions about what just happened. Why was she staring at him like that? Why did she start crying? How come she knew his name? Granted, it was a name that someone familiar with him would use, but still. Suddenly, his head began to hurt and he placed a hand on his head. So strange, he thought as he stood to his feet and turned around.

tanukiban”Oi, Natsume,” he spoke softly.

tanukibun”Hai hai~” the SS replied with a calm tone, knowing what his client wanted to do. Though, inside he knew just what made the young girl cry. It was an extremely sad scene and it would be best if the young tanuki didn’t ask. Kawaisou na…

hyphen"Hai, hai~" Stasi laughed softly as she stood up to go take a look at what food they had. "Once I get to know them better, I might be allowed to have them over for dinner. So there's also that!"

hyphenKnowing that her roommate enjoyed entertaining guests, she let the idea hover in the air and turned her focus back to making a meal. Since she had worked, she wasn't really up to cooking a big meal. Looking through their pantry for some convenience foods, the mocha got an idea that she thought would be a tasty little dinner. Once she decided on a delicious and filling meal, she quickly fixed it up for the two of them.

---

HUGE TIME SKIP DE ARIMASU!

hyphenAfter the plane from Japan landed, the five young men slowly strolled through the airport lobby. Waiting at the baggage claim, the idols yawned, stretched, and jiggled their ears from the popping they’d experienced. They took a look around at the many different faces they pass that were waiting to board the next flight out. Some of them looked at them curiously while others only glanced and continued on as they were. Once they retrieved their luggage, they began to exit the airport, wondering what was ahead of them.

hyphenIn front of the establishment a black car was already waiting for them, ready to take them to their new dwellings. The idols took comfort immediately after noticing that their driver was also Japanese. He waved them over with a smile, bowing respectfully once they approached. When the driver spoke, he threw each of the young men for a loop; their driver seemed to be fluent in English!

hyphen“Hello, members of KAT-TUN,” the man spoke clearly. “I am Minoru Watanabe. I will be your driver while you are here in the United States. If you need to travel someplace far from your home, call on me and I will be there promptly.”

hyphen“Thank you very much,” Kazuya replied, taking the first step to communicate with the one who would be showing them around. “Please take care of us.”

hyphenThe other four members all thanked the man in English- as best as their knowledge allowed them to- and began to pile into the back of the car. As they figured out and implemented their seating arrangement, Minoru placed the few carry-on bags the young men had brought along in the trunk. Once the trunk was shut and everyone was seated and buckled in, the driver proceeded to take the Japanese idols to their new home.

hyphenA half hour later, the vehicle pulled up in front of the large apartment complex. There were a total of 20 floors, each with four apartments. Three of the apartments had two bedrooms, a shared bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen. The final apartment had only one room, but everything else the other apartments had. There was also a large space in the middle that most tenants either decorated or – if they were close - used for small parties. KAT-TUN would be taking up residence on the eighth floor, the only floor that had three apartments unoccupied simultaneously and, obviously, all five could live. It was a rare occurrence for that many apartments to be empty at once. It was also the only complex in the city that had such an arrangement and their agency CEO snapped up the opportunity quickly.

hyphenOnce they exited the car, Minoru helped the young idols unload the few bags they carried with them and proceeded inside of the building to take them to their floor of residence. Just as the elevator doors closed after the group entered, Koki brought up and interesting point.

hyphen“Since we’re filling three of the four apartments on this floor,” he presented as he counted on his fingers. “We have to have neighbors in the other one, right?”

hyphen“Ahhhhh… yeah, we should,” Yuichi nodded.

hyphen“Let’s go meet them after we’ve put our stuff away?!” Koki said energetically.

hyphen“Why are you so excited about it?” the eldest immediately responded.

hyphen“It’s because we’re in a new place,” Kazuya chimed in.

hyphen“And we’re supposed to be learning English, so our neighbors will be a big help,” Junnosuke said happily.

hyphenThe rest of the members all agreed that would be their first plan: setting their things in their apartments and going to meet their floor neighbors! But there was still another issue hanging in the balance, rooming situations! Luckily, their driver spoke up just in time to let them know.

hyphen“Ah, before we leave the elevator, I must tell you about your living arrangements,” Minoru spoke as he removed a sheet of paper from his coat pocket. “Kazuya Kamenashi will room with Yuichi Nakamaru, Junnosuke Taguchi with Koki Tanaka, and Tatsuya Ueda will have the final apartment alone. You will all choose the apartment you would like to stay in and that is where you‘ll remain until your return to Japan.”

hyphenGrinning happily, the next to eldest idol was looking forward to having an apartment all to himself. Granted, he knew his friends would be over constantly, but it was refreshing to know that he didn’t have to share his bathroom with anyone so that meant absolutely no wait time for anything!

hyphen“Oi oi oi!” Koki began with a rebellious tone. “How come he gets his own room?”

hyphen“It had been decided by Mr. Kitigawa and passed along to me,” the driver responded simply, a hint of apology present in his tone.

hyphenReluctantly accepting the arrangements, the guys eagerly waited for the elevator to stop on their floor. Each would have to say that it was the longest elevator ride ever as they watched the lights above the door. Sixth floor… seventh floor… it seemed like minutes before they actually reached the eighth floor. The elevator door dinged and the doors slid open revealing a large plain area. To the right, there were two apartments, already furnished and ready to live in – one of which was the single bedroom and, by default, Tatsuya’s place. To the left, two more apartments- one belonging to the group and the last was where their neighbors resided.

hyphenWithout hesitation, the remaining four went to the door of the apartment they wished to stay in. Unfortunately, they all wanted the same one, the apartment next to their neighbors. They looked at one another, momentarily lost for a solution at the moment. Finally, someone spoke up.

hyphen“Janken?” Kazuya suggested as he looked around at the rest of the group, earning approval for each.

hyphenAll four of the young men joined in the game so that if half of a pair lost, then there would still be a chance to grab the apartment. Quickly, two of the members were plucked off; Koki, then Yuichi. There was a small showdown between the two remaining members, each having to throw many times after showing the same choice. However, the competition would come to an end soon.

hyphen“Jan-ken pon!” the two called as they threw their final choices. It was paper against scissors. Both looked at one another as the arms of the victor went into the air in jubilation!

hyphen“Yatta!” Kazuya cheered as he was congratulated by the other half of his pair. The two were handed two keycards to the apartment and they entered quickly, excited to see their new dwellings. The rest of the groups chose their places from the remaining places, Koki and Junnosuke taking the apartment right across from the unknown neighbors while Tatsuya entered his own place.

hyphen“Ugh,” Stasi groaned as she heard the noise outside of their door. “There are people playing around on our floor again. Why here of all places?”

ninshibaThe noise outside the apartment went relatively unnoticed by the petite Asian on the couch; lavender headphones covered her ears and her attention was riveted on the screen of the PSP in her hands. Nestled against her in content laziness was their akita, half-dozing in her arms. They had returned from their daily walk just minutes before the commotion had started, so he wasn't too desperate for movement at the moment. The muffled shout outside caused the canine to perk up his ears and lift his head, alerting Aly nouth that she tuned into the world again just as Stasi began grumbing.

ninshiba"Well, the apartments here have been empty for a couple weeks already..." Her voice trailed as she picked up on the pitch of the voices and sighed in exasperation. "Ugh... it's guys again. At least I dropped the deadbolt when I came back with Koro."

ninshibaAt his name, the akita tilted his head, and Airi smiled as she scratched his ears and planted a kiss on his forehead. "Of course, Koro-kun's nothing like those silly boys outside, right? He's such a good boy~"

ninshibaKoro wagged his tail and rewarded the girl with a warm tongue across her cheek. Giggling, she settled down again to continue playing. It wasn't that she didn't care about the situation, nor that she didn't like guys. It was just a lot different from home in Canada; a more dangerous, and she had learned quickly to always attend to her belongings. Still, whatever was going on outside wasn't really bothering her at the moment, and she wanted to relax with her otome after all that homework she'd done over the week.

ittanmomenAs the SS whisked the girl - Hasumi, he'd said her name was - away, Renshou scratched the back of his head in confusion. What had just happened? The girl had suddenly gone all stiff when she saw Banri, then started repeating his name, and finally burst into inconsolable tears. Did she know the tanuki well? She'd called him by his first name, and in a familiar format at that. An ex? No, he never recalled the blond dating... A past life, perhaps?

ittanmomenNobara had long run off to stave her wild erotic lolicon imagination. With only Natsume and Banri around, he felt this was his best chance to ask. "Anou, Watanuki, Natsume..."

ittanmomenHe didn't get to finish his sentence, for at that moment the elevator pinged again.

---

justadogeSouichi remained smiling and standing as he waited for Chie to finish her tea. Her thanks had brought a warm, fuzzy feeling in the kitsune's chest, and he was more than happy to savour the feeling until the girl set her empty teacup down and took his hand in hers, announcing she was now ready to meet the new resident. His smile widened as he nodded and guided her to the elevator.

justadogeThe scene that greeted them, however, wasn't quite what he had been expecting. Banri on the ground, Natsume and Renshou standing in the hall on either side. Confusion flashed across his face for a brief moment before Souichi spoke.

justadoge"Did something happen?"

justadoge"Ou, Mike, Chie-chan," Renshou greeted them. "Ahh... I guess you could say something did? We bumped into the new girl a moment ago, but she went back upstairs. You just missed her."

ittanmomenFor Banri's dignity the ittan-momen decided it was best if he left the details out. The tanned youth felt that the tanuki and Hasumi needed to have time to sort things out between them before anything else happened. After the petite girl had sorted herself out first, of course.

hyphenAs the group went into their places, the noise just outside the girls’ door subsided and it was peacefully quiet once again. Luckily, the walls in the building were a bit thick so they could barely hear the commotion in the next apartment. Stasi let out a sigh of relief, looking over at the fluffy Akita and smiling.


hyphenThe young Japanese idols spent a while touring their new apartments, each were similarly decorated. There were simple color schemes, a few plants, electronics, and even musical instruments. Their kitchens were equipped with the necessary devices to make and have their meals. The bathrooms were already stocked with needed toiletries and the laundries for such. In each of their bedrooms, there was a comfortable, full-size bed. Since the rooms were mostly empty, it would be easy for each of the members to be able to customize their room as they’d like.

hyphenOnce each pair familiarized themselves with the layout of their new homes and chose their rooms, they all gathered in the empty area of the floor once more and prepared to greet their floor neighbors. Koki, being the one who knew the most English, cast himself as the spokesperson and translator for the rest of the group. Seeing as no one could dispute, it was made final and they all went to the door of their neighbors’. Knocking on the door, the quintet waited for an answer.

hyphen”Who the…?” Stasi said softly as she looked toward the door. It wasn’t often that they got visitors and when they did, it was usually their landlord coming to remind them about something important. However, there wasn’t anything pressing – that they knew of.

hyphen”Wanna get that or should I?” the mocha asked her roommate.

ninshibaWith a bark, Koro was up off the couch and at the door when the knock sounded. Disturbed from her game, Aly blinked in mild disorientation before putting her PSP on hibernate and setting it down.

ninshiba"Porthaven door~" she giggled as she made to follow the dog. "I got it nee-chan."

ninshibaThe Chinese never made it a practice to look through the peephole; she'd never had one in her home back in Canada, and there was a little bit of excitement to see who it was. Plus, Koro's actions were often a good indicator of whether or not she should even open it. As it was, he was already sniffing around the bottom of the door, but nothing more, which meant they were new people. Could it be that they had...?

ninshibaKeeping the chain on the door, she undid the deadbolt and peeked out. There were five young men standing in the hallway, and not just any five, but a very, very, VERY familiar five. For a moment she was so shocked that she could just stand there and stare. Then with a screech she slammed the door shit and leaned against it with her arms spread across the width, eyes wide.

ninshiba"NEE-CHAN THERE'S A KOI-SHAPED CREATURE AT THE DOOR!"

willowispThe pair of onibi-warashi glanced at each other. Was it wise to take Stasi along? Even though she was a land god now, she was still a human. It wasn't safe. But her tone was so firm... Each taking one of her hands, they led her through the shrine to a darker area. Soon something came into view: buildings, reminiscent of the Japan of old. Tile roofs, white-wash walls, paper lanterns from the eaves. From the buildings were the sounds of merry-making and voices, glimpses of inhuman creatures from the windows. The two led Stasi to a rather luxurious looking building, with colourful lanterns at the door and equally vivid hangings over the door. A single glance inside would have given this place as a brothel, but they went in nonetheless.

familiarfox"Tomoe-donoooooooooo!!"

familiarfoxThe irritated kitsune looked up from where he was lounging and being pampered by the tanuki sisters. Ugh, they were back again? He already knew what they had come to say, so he waved a clawed hand at them.

familiarfox"What, you two again? Leave me alone, you're not making me go back!"

familiarfox"Please, Tomoe-dono! Stasi-sama needs you!"

familiarfox"Of course she does, what does a weak little girl like her have to offer? I already told you, so long as she's there, I'm not!" He paused and then smiled slyly. "Although... if she bows her face to the ground before me and says, "Please help me, Tomoe-sama!" I might think about it~"

familiarfox"Tomoe-dono! That's no good! How can you treat her that way?"