familiarfoxThe netherworld was not an empty place. Silhouettes with far too many or too protrusions and inhuman body parts skittered across the screens; hands of all shapes and sizes and colours reached out from some, claws and blackened nails and groping digits - or digit, in some cases - tugging for Stasi's clothes. Voices slithered out from everywhere, beckoning to her, whispering to her, trying to lure her in. Even the softly glowing lanterns lining the avenue seemed to be alive, flickering almost eerily whenever she drew near.

familiarfox"Hey, little miss, come in here~"

familiarfoxA vice-like grip, cold as ice, closed around the mocha's wrist, trying to pull her into the building. Before it could move her a foot, however, a fan cracked across its knuckles, and the hand recoiled. The owner of the fan turned out to be Tomoe, who snapped the fan back open and fluttered it lazily over the lower half of his face as he gazed at Stasi with an almost distasteful glower.

familiarfox"You're an absolute idiot, coming into the demon realm," he quipped. "Someone like you is a free and easy lunch for their ilk. Go back to where humans belong, and stay there." With a disgruntled sigh, he held out his hand. "Come, I'll take you back."

ninshibaA small smile crept onto Aly's face. Or course she'd have forgotten, what with everything that was landing in their laps right now. The Asian held no ills to her sister-figure and grinned slyly as she answered Stasi's question.

ninshiba"If you want. Or we could make it a surprise. Whichever you wanna do," she giggled. "Noon's fine with me, I need to get some of my homework done anyhow. See you at home, nee-chan!"

hyphenStasi hung her head dejectedly as her friend told her she’d already eaten. Thinking about it for another second, it was fine since her short class was already done for the day and the guys were undoubtedly on their way back to their apartments. The mocha shrugged a shoulder and replied, ”I had a brainfart and forgot. It’s cool, though… the guys are probably heading back home. I’ll set up lunch with them tomorrow since our class is ten to noon. Think I should tell them it’s you?”

ninshibaOh God. She was serious. Aly bit back the urge to squeal in delight and instead clapped her hands over her mouth and fought to keep control of her emotions. Stasi, teaching their KAT-TUN look-alike neighbours. How perfect of a set up was that? It'd be great, both for their education and their relationships! If they had problems with English their teacher would be just a knock on the door away, and what's more, there wouldn't be such a professional barrier between them. Aly had definitely had her share of teachers who she felt comfortable popping in to say hi to, and it was a lot easier on her education when she liked her teachers. Surely the boys, be they KAT-TUN or not, would appreciate this.

ninshibaStasi's question about lunch caused the Asian to wilt a little. "Anou... nee-chan... I already had lunch," she told the mocha. "I thought I gave you my schedule for this semester? I'll give you another copy if it helps. I'm free eleven to two again tomorrow, so if you want to eat lunch then, I'm all for it."

hyphen”I kid you not,” Stasi replied as she shook her head, a laugh erupting as the younger female demanded lunch together. ”When are you going on your lunch? I’ll get them to come!”

hyphenThe mocha figured that the guys would be eager to take her up on her invite especially once she reveals to them that they will be meeting up with Aly. KAT-TUN seemed to be really attached to the girls though it’s only been just a few days. Perhaps it was just because these two girls were the only friends they had here so far. Still, having lunch with them would only serve to deepen their bonds more.

ninshibaA giggle escaped Aly as Stasi brought up Miyano Mamoru's "apple" phrase. She had never heard the man actually say it, but from the accounts of her sister figure gave her of the incident it was something quite unique. As every one of her suggestions were shot down, the Asian's curiosity grew. Who could it be that the mocha was teaching that was causing her such excitement?

ninshibaSo absorbed in conjuring more possibilities was she that the girl almost missed Stasi's revelation, so it took her a few moments to register her words. When she did, however, her face transformed into one akin to a deer caught in headlights and she seized her friend by the shoulders.

ninshiba"Pleasedon'ttellmeyou'repullingmyleg."

ninshibaThe words came out in a flurry, before she could even process them. Their neighbours... KAT-TUN! Or rather, KAT-TUN's doppelgangers. Or maybe they here KAT-TUN? She wanted to believe it was true, but she always kept asking herself: what were the chances? None. Zilch. Nada. They had to be really close look-alikes. The old saying went that there were three other people in the world with your face. Having people who looked a lot like KAT-TUN living on the same apartment floor as herself and her sister-figure was a lot more likely than KAT-TUN themselves in the same situation. At least, that's what logic told her. Her imagination, on the other hand...

ninshiba"Lunch buddies or it didn't happen."

hyphenTaking a moment to listen as Aly rattled off several names of beloved seiyuu between the two of them, the mocha only shook her head and replied with a laugh, ”Nope, nope, nope. Wish, wish, and Mamo-san’s fine on his own with his ‘I like apple’. But really… get this: I… am teaching… our neighbors.”

hyphenStasi gave her friend a moment to let the information sink into her friend’s head. It was a huge shock to her when she walked in and saw the five familiar faces in her borrowed lecture hall. Though at the same time, it was comforting. She’d already had a chance to talk to them beforehand so it made their first meeting a little less stiff and awkward.

ninshibaFor the three hours she was in class, it was as if the excitement of the weekend had never existed, or had been many years ago. Life went on as usual; rushing to catch the bus, navigating through the class scramble, taking notes diligently as the professor lectured, chatting with classmates. The typical, mundane Monday morning of Aly Feng.

ninshibaThe pseudo-facade of normalcy was broken when she returned from her lunch break to attend her next lecture when she was yanked aside. Startled, she spun around to see the excited gleam of her sister-figure's eyes. Her mouth reflexively opened to ask why she was here, but then she remembered their conversation a few days before and quickly closed her lips again. A good thing too, otherwise she wouldn't have heard the question.

ninshibaWho was the mocha teaching? That was rhetorical wasn't it? Well, perhaps not; Aly knew that look. Stasi always had it when she had something exciting to share, which meant that she thought that she should know who it is. A million different possibilities whirled through the Asian's head.

ninshiba"NaKazu? You-Kyan? SuzuKen? Sugidork? Kishi D? Mamo-san?" Nicknames of famous voice actors that either she or Stasi liked. Aly knew it was highly improbable but hey, you never knew, especially when the mocha was pretty much bouncing in her shoes.

hyphenStasi’s morning started out routine enough. Like her friend she, too, was up around 6:15 am. Hating to wake up so early, the woman peeled herself from her mattress and shuffled into the bathroom after Aly was done with what she was doing. Getting out of bed was always the most difficult part of her morning routine and once she’d gotten over that speed bump, the rest of the morning went smoothly.

hyphenThe same couldn’t be said for the idol group. Still unused to the time zone change, despite being used to staying up until all times of the morning for PV and drama shoots, KAT-TUN took some time to get up. It wasn’t until Yuichi’s alarm went off again that the eldest threw back his blankets, blinking owlishly. There was silence in the apartment he shared with the youngest member, indicating that he wasn’t awake yet. Yawning widely, he went to the other man’s door and knocked.

hyphen”Oi! Kame… get up. Ka-me!” he called in Japanese.

hyphen”Shut up, Nakamaru!” the younger man grumbled from beneath his blankets.

hyphen”We have to meet out teacher. Get up.” he replied, not once raising his voice.

hyphenLetting out a grunt of frustration, Kazuya relented and kicked off his blankets, getting out of bed before he hears the other calling to him again. The time zones had him all out of whack and he was definitely not happy about it. Looking to his nightstand, he picked up his cellphone and dialed over to Tatsuya. After a few rings, a sleepy voice spoke up.

hyphen”What do you want?” his deep voice mumbled into the receiver.

hyphen”Wake up, we’ve got to go meet our teacher soon.”

hyphen”Yeah, yeah. I’m getting up now.”

hyphenA short, but effective exchange. Seconds after the phone call with Kazuya, Tatsuya rolled out of his bed and started getting ready. Continuing the chain, he went through his phone and called over to Koki.

hyphen”What’s up?” the rapper answered.

hyphen”Are you and Taguchi awake?”

hyphen”Yeah, we were up a while ago. We’ll meet you a—“

hyphenTHUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, BAM! ”SEI LA O TZI SAI DAI DOH LA!!!!” THUMP, THUMP, THUMP! A brief pause and the ding of the elevator was heard before the floor went silent again. Though they all weren’t together, each of the idols looked toward their doors with similar expressions of confusion. That was… Aly, right? The voice sounded like hers and the – as they figured - Chinese would be more of an obvious fit, so it was safe to assume that the young Asian girl had just left the apartment in a rush.

hyphenNot even a few minutes later, there was a softer thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. ”Be good, Koro~ I’ll bring you home a treat today!” A happy bark in response to the promise of treats then a click, signaling that the deadbolt on the door was secure. Yet another thump, thump, thump, thump be the elevator dinged and the floor was silent once more. It had to have been Stasi leaving for work. Though they weren’t caught off guard like they had been at the mocha’s younger roommate’s departure, it was still pretty obvious that someone was walking around as the mutual floor of the building had quite an echo.

hyphenWell, now their neighbors had left for school and work and, soon, the idols will be picked up and taken to meet their English teacher. They all finished getting ready and had a quick breakfast together then set out to learn.

---

hyphen”Here is where your class will be,” the Dean of Linguistics said the to the idol quintet as he opened the door to a small classroom. ”Welcome to America and have fun. Your teacher will be here shortly.”

hyphenFiling inside the classroom, KAT-TUN situated themselves at the front of the classroom in the first two rows of desks. Behind them, the group left a trail of curious people who were either captivated by their good looks or wondering who they were and where they came from. They took a look around at the room’s décor and noted how... simple it was. There were only twelve desks, a podium for the instructor, a chalkboard, a dry erase board, and a projector. Very bare, to say the least.

hyphenJust outside, the guys heard the low voices of the Dean who had just lead them to the room as well as the voice of a woman. Figuring that it was their teacher, all eyes were on the door so that they could see her as she entered.

hyphenStasi wrapped up her conversation and prepared herself to take on her newest assignment. This was going to be her first time being an actual teacher as opposed to only being a translator. She already knew it was going to be an exciting endeavor! With a bright smile, she pushed open the door and greeted her students cheerfully.

hyphen”Ohayou gozaimasu, minnasan~! ( Good morning, everyone! ) she began. ”Alright, we’ll start by intr—”

hyphenThe mocha stopped in her tracks as five familiar faces looked at her, almost mirroring her stunned expression. Ho… -ly… crap… she thought as she went to the front with a bigger smile.

hyphen”You’re going to be our teacher?! Lucky!” Junnosuke exclaimed as he sat forward.

hyphen”This is lucky! Not only are you our teacher, but you’re our neighbor!!” Koki added.

hyphen”That’s going to make learning a lot easier,” Yuichi spoke up as well.

hyphenAll around, the six talked about how exciting it was to be seeing one another for school and at home. Just as the eldest member mentioned, it was going to be a lot easier for them to learn since they could do official learning at school and addition – and more fun – learning back at home! This made the idols even more eager to get started becoming more fluent in English. As such, their adventure had hit an exciting new turn!

---

hyphenThe hours of class time had passed quickly and the guys had just started getting the hang of their first lesson when their time for the day had ended. It was an almost bittersweet parting, but they’d all see each other later on that evening. Once her students had left, again leaving behind a trail of curious spectators, the mocha rushed off to find her best friend before her next class.

hyphenAs she wandered around to where – according to directions given to her – Aly’s next class would be, she spotted the Asian and quickly walked up to her, pulling her aside. Her eyes were wide and she was short of breath, but the grin on her face told the younger girl that she had exciting news. After she caught her breath, Stasi looked at her and said, ”Guess… who… I’m… teaching…”

ninshibaIt was sad to see them go, but Aly left them leave, allowing Koro to accompany his new friends to the door. The Akita plopped his bum to the ground and sat at perfect attention at the edge of the mat, his curled tail swaying as he watched the five leave. His brown eyes were doleful, as if begging them to visit again. Once they'd filed out, however, the canine obediently nosed the door shut and trotted back over to his Asian mistress.

ninshibaLike Stasi, Aly slowly slid into the space that Yuichi had been in, her mind reeling with the fact that their favourite idol group was here, in this house. It was like a dream, a wild, impossible dream, but the dull throb in her toes told her it was not. The events had actually happened. For a while all she could do was sit there and try to really let it sink in. Stasi broke the silence first, and when she did, the mood went viral. The Asian grinned back at the mocha with an equally doofy expression, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

ninshiba"Right!? But no way can they be here; they're one of Johnny-san's top dollars! Why would they be here?"

ninshibaShe wanted to believe they were here; it would be a dream come true. But at the same time her more logical, realistic side was trying to reason with her. Life just didn't work that way.

---

ninshibaWith all that had happened the day before, Aly had been almost certain she would never be able to fall asleep. But fall asleep she did, and early morning found her cocooned in her nest of blankets. On her nightstand, her Totoro clock's hands hit 6:15.

ninshiba"Dokidoki de kowaresou sen paasent love HEY!!"

ninshibaThe blare of MAJI 1000% LOVE shattered the morning quiet, coming not from the nightstand, but from the cellphone next to her pillow. It was a peculiar set up to be sure, but it got the job of waking the college student up done. With a groan she tried to block out the sound before her tired mind remembered why said sound was important. Still, it was a battle to actually get up, and she spent most of her time oozing about and a zombie-like pace to get ready.

ninshibaShe had just started making breakfast when--

ninshiba"I will! Buuuuuuurn myyyyy dreaaaaaaaaaaaaad!!"

ninshibaFrom within the apartment of the two girls, the thud of rapid footsteps drummed ever closer to the door before, with a terrific BANG!, the door snapped open and a blur of Aly fairly flew out, backpack thrown haphazardly on over an equally ruffled windbreaker. Her frantic footsteps slammed down the hall to the elevator, her panicked voice trailing behind.

ninshiba"SEI LA O TZI SAI DAI DOH LA!!!!!" (Crap, I'm so late!!!!!)

ninshibaThe footsteps paused momentarily before the ding of the elevator, remarkably quiet in comparison to the din before, announced its arrival. The sound of feet again, and then with another soft chime, the door slid shut and everything was quiet again on the eighth floor.

lightsideOnce her “guardian” left the restaurant, Stasi’s attention turned back to the young Asian who had sat down across from her. Looking at her friend’s selection of sweets, she grinned. She and Airi were both definitely strawberry addicts and their dessert choices showed it.

lightside”You’re fine, Airi,” she smiled, pressing her hands together and joining her friend. ”Itadakimasu~!”

lightsideWith that, she began indulging in the various sweets she’d picked out, fawning over the best ones with her younger sister. The mocha felt so light-hearted and carefree hanging out with the girl. She was a much needed breath of fresh air, especially given her line of dirty work.


lightsideAfter the two had their fill of the buffet’s confections, Stasi picked up the tab for them both – despite Airi’s complaints on her doing so – and drove her back to her own apartment. As always, Stasi accompanied her until she was safely tucked away inside her place and then departed for her home.

---

BIG TIME SKIP!

lightsideMonths passed and the seasons changed. Summer came blazing with sunshine and heat. On the weekends, the beaches were full of people looking to escape the heat and have fun. No exception to this was Stasi and Airi! Surprisingly, Koki decided to come along with them though he only sat underneath the beach umbrella, eyes shielded behind sunglasses. He wasn’t stupid to leave himself open for easy identification, though some of his features were unmistakable. Instead, he opted to watch his lovely wife enjoy herself with her best friend.

hyphenAll five of the young men glanced from one girl to the other, still searching for telltale signs of who the girls favoured more than the others. They were fans and, from their collection, they had been for some time. The idols knew that these girls had to have one they loved above the rest. For now, the quintet just laughed it off along with their hostesses. That is, until Aly complimented them all on being awesome and cool.

hyphenAs if on cue, they bowed their heads, expressing their gratitude for receiving such a compliment. No matter how often they heard it, they were still extremely grateful to hear that they are doing their jobs well. To them, their fans’ happiness was well worth the effort they put into their work.

hyphenSilence fell in the room again and the tension returned with it. No one knew exactly what to say at this point. Stasi wondered if she should break the ice again by inviting them to stay for dinner since she and her roommate had decided on a home-cooked meal. Then again, they already had a lot of awkward moments that afternoon and having KAT-TUN over any longer would definitely bring about a lot more that could possibly scar Aly and/or frighten their beloved idol group. This sentiment seemed to be shared by the group as Kazuya spoke up on behalf of the other four.

hyphen”Anou… I think we should go back now,” he said as best he could. ”Thank you for having us. It was fun.”

hyphen”Y-yeah,” Koki chimed in. ”We will see you again though. We will be here.”

hyphen”Same for us,” Stasi replied to them with a smile.

hyphenThe Japanese men all stood and bowed again, thanking the girls for having them over. Along with this Tatsuya also apologized for nosing around in the girls’ collection, to which he was immediately forgiven as he didn’t invade any kind of privacy – the entertainment center was open to view, after all. As the group filed out of their neighbor’s apartment, they said their temporary farewells. Junnosuke even started a chain of “jaa ne” ( see you later ) to the Akita.

hyphenOnce they’d departed and had each gone back to their respective apartments, Stasi sat in the spot where Kazuya once sat. Looking at her friend with the goofiest of expressions, she let out a small squeal of glee.

hyphen”If that’s not KAT-TUN, those are the absolute best imitators I have ever seen!”

ninshibaAly could feel their eyes on her as she remained bowed, and unsure and not really wanting to know what kind of expressions she was being met with, she refused to lift her head up. It wasn't until Stasi started speaking in Japanese that she realized that her anxious apology had pretty much gone right over everyone's heads. Feeling her face heat up again in shame, she slowly straightened but kept her eyes on her toes.

ninshibaKoki's question caused her eyes to widen and for a moment they flickered up to stare at her favourite before catching herself and dropping her gaze down again. God, what an embarrassing question! The petite student knew it was better than to answer; favouritism was a mindset not condoned in her field of practice, and for good reason.

ninshibaHer nickname being called by a familiar voice; jolted out of her thoughts, Aly blinked in mild disorientation before registering what was being said to her. "Ah... u-un, sou da yo!" (Yeah, that's right) she nodded, backing her sister-figure up. "Datte, minna-san wa hontou ni sugoi to ka, kakkoii to ka..." (Everyone is really awesome, and cool...)

ninshibaAaaaaah, Aly, shut up! she mentally berated herself. She was almost certain she was butchering the language, and while she knew them to be generally good-natured, reality was always a little different now, wasn't it?

hyphenThe idols had been looking to Stasi for confirmation of what they found. Instead, they got their answer from the younger female who had just returned to the living room after her textbook mishap. Aly had begun to fire off a long explanation to about her and Stasi’s status as fans. To be honest, however, KAT-TUN only understood the first part of what she’d said regarding them being fans and knowing of their trip to the States. After that, there were just words here and there that they understood, but couldn’t really piece together the entire meaning of her speech.

hyphenNoting the confused expressions on the young mens’ faces, the eldest female stepped in to help. At this moment, she was extremely thankful that she’d continued with learning Japanese instead of trading it off as she once wanted. Taking a deep breath, she explained to them, in Japanese, what her friend had said to them.

hyphenOnce the mocha finished speaking, the quintet watched as she sat back and watched them, no doubt waiting for a reaction. It was just as Tatsuya expected when he first laid eyes on the collection. Their neighbours just happened to be fans! How often does that happen and overseas, no less! Collectively, they were a bit wary of the duo now that they knew, but… the girls had pretended to act as if they didn’t know them and treated them as friends. With that in mind, all of KAT-TUN decided that they would continue to befriend these girls. Besides, they both had their doubts on the mens’ authenticity, so they’ll keep their guards up as well.

hyphen”So…” Koki began, breaking the silence. ”Who—which one of us is your favourite?”

hyphenStasi’s eyes shot open and she stared at the rapper as if a second head grew out from his neck. Why did he have to ask that? Unconsciously, the mocha’s eyes slid over to the man who she held the biggest bias for in the entire group. Her eyes met with Kazuya’s and she felt her face heat up significantly. Luckily, they were all grouped together so shifting her gaze from him was a simple feat.

hyphen”Tanaka-san, dame desu! ( That’s bad! )” she scolded with a laugh, turning her head to look at her best friend. ”Da yo, na, Shiba-chan? ( Right? )”

hyphenLaughter erupted from the group as they all teasingly scolded the second T. Though they all brushed is aside, the idols were curious as to who these two girls were more fond of. Sooner or later, though, they figured that their curiosity would be satisfied as they got closer to Aly and Stasi.

ninshibaAly had been expecting a great number of things when she returned, but not what she saw. Stasi, seated alone on the couch, looking very stiff and worried. The five men huddled together near the entertainment centre, staring back at the mocha. She'd come in just as Kazuya spoke, and for a moment the Asian's mind drew a blank. Could it be what? What was going on? Caramel-brown eyes traveled slowly over the scene again, and then she remembered. That cabinet they were close to, it was the one where...

ninshibaDawning comprehension struck her like a sack of brick. All Aly could do was stand there with an identical expression as her sister-figure. First she'd embarrassed herself by dropping her textbooks onto her own toes, and now they'd discovered that the pair were actually huge fans of theirs. What was going through their minds? Worry? Confusion? Driven by gut instinct, she cleared her throat to get their attention.

ninshiba"Hontou ni, gomen nasai," (Truly, I'm sorry) she said, bowing low in traditional Japanese manner. "Nee-chan and I are big fans. We'd heard that KAT-TUN had flown to America but we always had the conception that idols would live in VIP penthouse suites, not an urban residential high-rise. To be totally honest, we found it hard to believe that you guys are really KAT-TUN... I don't know about nee-chan, but I'm still having some doubts, even though you guys fit to the tee. It's just that... well... we're two girls living by ourselves. Not to say that this is a bad neighbourhood, or that you guys are thinking of anything of the sort, but there are people who'd take advantage of that."

ninshibaEven though she'd said her piece, and explained at least her side of the story, Aly remained bowed. What would they think of them now? The Asian would hate if their fan status detracted from their relationship even before their friendship began. She really hoped they could be friends - she always fangirled that they could be more, but she had to be realistic here - but... could the five men accept the fact that they'd be befriending fans?

hyphenThe silence that engulfed the room after the Asian girl departed was louder than expected. Everyone in the room was concerned about the young woman’s well-being. However, only her roommate knew that she was more affected by what happened after the books fell than the actual injury she’d attained. Her beet red face was a dead giveaway of that fact. Internally, Stasi grinned and she’d be teasing her friend about the entire scene - with some added flowers and glitter, of course – at a later time. For now, it was time to fix the atmosphere so that everyone wouldn’t feel awkward upon the girl’s return.

hyphen”Shinpai shinai de ( Don’t worry ). She is okay,” the older hostess reassured her guests. ”Aly is a strong girl, so don’t worry too much, okay?”

hyphenReluctantly, the idols agreed not to make a big deal over what happened and everyone tried to relax some. Though what had happened did, indeed, make them feel uneasy, their neighbours didn’t send signals that they wanted the quintet to leave nor did they want to. They had only been there for just a few minutes.

hyphenStasi returned to her spot on the chair near Kazuya, becoming just a little more comfortable around him, but still not able to look him in the eyes. Yuichi also returned to where he had been sitting before the chain of events had been set into motion. Koki sunk into the cushions of the girls’ couch, wondering if he was getting too comfortable there. Junnosuke let out a quiet whistle to see if he can get the Akita’s attention once more as he enjoyed playing with Koro. As for Tatsuya, he simply leaned over the side of the couch where he got a good look at the entertainment center nearby.

hyphenDeep brown eyes lazily scanned the shelves, not recognizing many of the titles neatly placed. However, that would soon change. The same eyes that glazed over the rest of the movies widened as he began to recognize a collection of CDs and DVDs. “The Best of…” “Cartoon…” “…Queen of Pirates” “Break the Records”

hyphen…

hyphen”Eh?” he sat up suddenly, glancing over at the mocha. Without making a big commotion, he tapped Junnosuke next to him and showed him his discovery. Much like his band mate, his eyes widened and a grin spread across his face.

hyphen”Ne, Kame,” Tatsuya began, wanting to tell everyone. ”Kocchi, kocchi!”

hyphenGesturing with his hand, he beckoned the other man over to him where he proceeded to whisper the news into his ear.

hyphen”Maji ’su ka? ( Are you kidding? )” he responded quickly.

hyphen”Hontou! Mite!”

hyphenObviously, this did not go unnoticed by Stasi as she watched the rest gather around to hear what the second-eldest idol was saying. When she saw him point, it finally set in just what he’d seen. Oh crap! Ohcrap! Ohcrap! Ohcraaaaaap! she thought as her eyes widened and her posture became stiffer.

hyphenAs if they sensed her uneasiness, all of the men turned their eyes to the lone hostess who was now staring back at them with the signature “deer-in-the-headlights” expression. They’d found out that the girls that were being so hospitable to them were also huge fans of theirs.

hyphenIn a way, they didn’t know how to react to the news. These girls hadn’t treated them in the manner that a fan would treat their favourite celebrity. Were they big fans or just enjoyed a few songs? It couldn’t have been the latter because of the extensive collection of their CDs and DVDs they had. Finally, Kazuya spoke again.

hyphen”Anou… Stasi-san… Moshikashite… ( Could it be that… )”

ninshibaSomething warm and strong closed over her wrist, and a jerk on her arm later she was up against something else warm and strong. Maru. Maru's chest. Maru's body. In the few moments it took her to recover, Aly caught the faint, lingering scent of musk; some kind of spray or cologne? For a brief second she mused about how he had good taste in fragrances before realizing her proximity and, flustered, pushed him away.

ninshiba"A-anou... etto... U-un. D-daijoubu." (Uhm... uh... Y-yeah. I-I'm okay.) Trying very hard not to show pain - she was feeling it now that she wasn't in Yuichi's arms anymore - the petite Asian slowly sank into a crouch to grip her throbbing toes. Her face was a delightful shade of red, and the fact that she'd been in her number one idol's grip was running circles in her head. Oh my God, oh my God, I'm such a fangirl...! Must... Not... Derp...!

ninshibaAt the crash, Koro had let out an alarmed yelp, but now he smelled something wrong with one of his mistresses, and all affectionate pampering forgotten he leaped off Junnosuke's lap and was now hovering around Aly similar to Stasi, concerned whining escaping him as he nosed her. The raven-haired girl waited until the pain had subsided enough for her to let go of her feet before looking up to smile at the akita.

ninshiba"I'm okay, Koro-kun. Were you worried about me? Good boy." And putting her hands on his cheeks she planted a kiss on the top of his head before turning to the mocha. "Yeah, I'll be fine." Then she looked up at Yuichi, and her smile grew wobbly, uncertain. "A-anou... sankyaa, Nakamaru-san. Tasukatta." (Thanks, Nakamaru. You saved me there.)

ninshibaIf she was being honest, Aly would have wanted to melt into the ground and evaporate. It was taking every ounce of willpower not to go stumbling into her room, but she truly, desperately needed to get out of the situation at the moment, if only to calm her nerves. Her textbooks! She was going to put them back anyhow. Fumbling a little, she began to regather her school supplies.

ninshiba"Sh-shitsureishimasu (Excuse me). I'm just going to put my books away. I'll be back."

ninshibaDipping her head a little, the Asian retreated with her books to her room, where she closed the door and slowly slid down onto the floor. Her heart was racing for a great number of reasons, and while she was still shaky, she couldn't help but feel giddy inside. She'd been hugged by Nakamaru Yuichi. Well, okay. He was just making sure neither of them fell, but still. Tentatively Aly curled up and buried her face into her chest. Ah, was that his cologne on her? For a moment she allowed herself to revel in the memory. Very few mundane fans of KAT-TUN like herself could boast about that. Her special memory.

ninshibaOnce she'd composed herself - it didn't take very long, she was a resilient young woman - Aly put her books on her desk and returned to the living room.

hyphen”Yeah, but that was by name association and my weird way of thinking,” laughed Stasi as she noticed that the eldest member of the group moving closer to her roommate. Oh, this will not end well…

hyphenJust as she thought, Aly had turned too quickly and was just a hair’s breath away from bumping into the man. She was able to avoid collision with him, but in doing so, she’d lost her grip on her textbooks and they fell to the floor.

hyphenYuichi managed to dodge the heavy book that was heading for his socked foot. Unfortunately, Aly had not been so lucky. Already concerned with her physical injury, he stepped forward mouth opening to ask if she was okay and needed help. However, the Asian’s chain of unfortunate events didn’t end there. She reflexively stepped back to distance herself from the pile, but miscalculated the landing place of one of the books and it was now underneath her foot. The smooth surface did little to nothing at all as it gave way, causing her to topple backward.

hyphen”Abunai! ( Watch out! )” he exclaimed, his instinct launching him forward to grab hold of her wrist. With enough strength to sway her falling, the Japanese man was able to successfully stop her from falling backward. ”Daijoubu desu ka? ( Are you okay? )

hyphenJust a few feet away, Stasi and the rest of the idol group watched the entire scene take place. The other four males were a mixture of surprised, relieved, and proud. They were surprised that the situation had escalated as much as it did, relieved that Aly had not come to anymore harm, and proud of their friend for going to her rescue.

hyphen”As expected of the Super Ranger,” Junnosuke commented in his native language, referencing one of the dramas his colleague had starred in.

hyphenAgreements and praise for the eldest member were heard all around before all eyes centered on the rescued young woman. Expectant expressions waited for her to voice that she was okay and, before she could say anything, the mocha slipped from her place on the couch and started toward her friend. She was certain that the younger girl was already embarrassed that this had happened. Topping it all off was her being saved from falling on her butt by her number one bias in the group.

hyphen”Shiba, you good?” Stasi asked her, more worried that she’d tear herself away from the man and hole herself up in her room.

ninshibaWait wait no don't get up please don't get up... Nope, Yuichi was getting up and coming over to her. Aly fought every urge she had to throw her textbooks at him and use them as a distraction to flee into her room and lock the door behind her in embarrassment. Even his button nose was the same. Unconsciously, she gripped her textbooks tighter to her chest but mustered all her courage to stay where she was.

ninshibaLuckily she was saved when she heard her nickname. Distracted from the approaching man, she perked at the nickname that only Stasi called her by, saw the mocha gesturing towards her. Koki piped up, asking for the reason behind her nickname. Koro's eyes were boring pleading holes into her. Anything to distract her from the fact that a man who looked exactly like her favourite idol was close to her.

ninshiba"Koro, you can go up." Hearing the words that meant he was allowed on the couch, the akita's ears shot straight up and immediately he bounded all hundred-something pounds of doggy muscle and affection onto Junnosuke's lap. "A-anou, Ju-... Taguchi-san. If you don't want him licking you just tell him 'no kisses'."

ninshibaShe was too used to calling the KAT-TUN members by their fandom names. It wasn't polite to call someone by their first name when you barely knew the person, let alone use a nickname. By then Stasi had launched into an explaination of her nickname, and as she finished Aly grinned.

ninshiba"Well, you used to call me Neko before we met Kiri, remember? Since my usual nickname - Aly - sounded like 'alley', like an alley cat," the Asian added to explain to the quintet. "But I do try to keep to the loyal thing. You make a friend in me, I'll fight tooth an' nail fer ya."

ninshibaShe had definitely distracted herself well; without her acute awareness of Yuichi, Aly had lost whatever anxiety she'd had and had even reverted to what she called her "tomboy accent". It wasn't so much of an accent per se, just a much more colloquial way of speaking. Oh, wait, she had to put her textbooks away so she could sit down with the others again...

ninshiba...Textbooks. Studies. Yuichi. Agh, how rude of her, she'd just left him hanging there! Aly opened her mouth as she turned to the direction she'd registered him last, only to realize how close he was. Not violating personal space, but close enough to surprise her. Startled, she jolted, only to send her textbooks tumbling from her arms.. onto her toes.

ninshiba"OW!"

ninshibaReflexively her feet scrunched in to put pressure on her now throbbing toes and she instinctively took a step backwards to get her feet away from the books. Something smooth and mobile under her foot, and then she was toppling backwards.

hyphen”Ii na! ( That’s nice! ) You like children?” the eldest asked her with a smile, wanting to hear more about her career choice.

hyphenAs Yuichi began to inch his way off of the couch to better converse with the younger hostess, Ueda leaned over and whispered something into Koki’s ear, prompting the rapper to nod. Looking over at the older hostess, he spoke up.

hyphen”So, Stasi, you are a translator?” he asked her, politely interrupting the non-conversation with Kazuya.

hyphen”Yes, I am,” the mocha replied, finally being released from the spell the man next to her had placed on her.

hyphen”You translate for Japanese?”

hyphen”Yep! I started learning on my own when I was nineteen, but I actually went to college for it.”

hyphen”Did you have a hard time?” Kazuya asked.

hyphen”Ohhh, yes. H-haha, ask Shiba sh—“ Stasi paused mid-sentence as she took a moment to collect herself. She’d forgotten that they weren’t familiar with her nickname for her best friend. ”You can ask Aly. I started to second guess everything I had learned before when I went to college.”

hyphen”Japanese is difficult isn’t it?” Junnosuke chimed as he continued petting the Akita who was sticking very closely to the man.

hyphen”Wait! Wait! Wait! Did you call her “Shiba”? Why?” Koki interjected as this caught his attention.

hyphenWith a sheepish smile, Stasi glanced over to her roommate. She figured that after it slipped out, one of them was going to ask her about it. There wouldn’t have been a way around it. With a slight shrug, she began to explain to them the reason behind her nickname for the young Asian girl.

hyphen”Well… we have this thing where we relate to an animal,” she said, choosing her words carefully. ”My animal is a fox and Aly says that she is like a dog; a good, loyal best friend. We had read that the Shiba Inu was the same way, and saw that it was really adorable so… the nickname stuck.”

hyphenIn the back of each guy’s mind, they could see how close the two girls were by the fond tone the older one used when she spoke of her friend. It warmed their hearts to know that their neighbours were so kind. They knew that these two young women would be a very helpful when it came to learning English. What was better was that they both spoke Japanese so if they were ever at a loss for a term, they could just simply ask! It was super lucky that their arrangements had fallen the way it had.