"Move that pretty ass of yours," Takumijo said to Satoshi as he tried to teach them some new dance steps. He knew it was early in the morning, but he had lots to show them. It also wasn't his fault that Satoshi wasn't a morning person. He could sleep it away if no one woke him. Yori also looked like he'd seen better days.
Both Satoshi and Yori had been acting out of sorts since last night, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe the two of them had gotten into an argument in the lounge because everything had seemed okay between them at the recording studio.
"I need you guys to get these steps right. You're making our background dancers look bad."
A few of the dancers snickered at his comment, but knew not to mess with him when it came to choreography. This was his specialty and contribution to Aomori, and not even Satoshi or Yori was going to mess this up. "It's step, step, turn, step, and pause."
Satoshi got it on the second attempt, but Yori still struggled with the combination. Usually, Yori got it on the first attempt, but now even the perfectionist, Ichiro, was getting upset with him.
"Yori has two left feet," Ichiro said from behind a fan he had taken out of his back pocket. It was one of those old-time ones made of thin wood and decorated with a scenic Japanese design. Yes, Ichiro had some strange habits, but he meant well.
Yori rolled his eyes at him. "I do not, you little geisha."
Ichiro did not seem offended by Yori's remark about his manhood.
"I'm just a little distracted. Maybe it's from the champagne."
"What champagne?" Takumijo asked. "We're in training. Why are you drinking that shit?"
Yori sat down on the floor and began doing stretching exercises. "I didn't want the usual stuff. I wanted something different."
"Champagne is for celebrating, and even the cheap stuff is expensive.
What were you celebrating?"
The rest of the dancers joined Yori on the floor and began stretching out their muscles.
"Our upcoming concerts."
"So you were just sitting in the lounge last night drinking champagne all by yourself?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"
Satoshi cleared his throat and played with his shoestring.
"Nothing's wrong with it. It just seems odd. Are you sure you weren't with some young lady?"
Yori shook his head. "I got out of the limousine with you last night.
When did I have time to meet someone?"
"You had ample time to strike up a conversation with someone in the lounge."
Yori pulled down the cuffs of his blue exercise pants until they covered his ankles. "No one I'd buy champagne for."
Takumijo grunted. "You wouldn't tell us if you had. What's the matter? Afraid one of us might steal her? You know us better than that.
We don't cross that line."
Satoshi's head popped up quickly and quite noticeably.
Takumijo walked over to him and bent over. "What do you know?"
"Nothing," Satoshi answered quickly.
"You answered too fast. You're hiding something. What did you see when you went down to the lounge to get Yori last night?"
Yori looked over at both of them and then went back to his stretching.
The backup dancers and Ichiro stopped stretching and listened for Satoshi's answer.
"Nothing, just Yori sitting in our usual booth drinking."
"Was he alone?"
"As far as I know."
"Okay," Takumijo said. He walked over and kicked the bottom of Yori's tennis shoes. "Enough of that stretching, you slackers. Let's get back to work."
Yori moved slowly up to his feet and got back in line on the left side of Satoshi.
"Take it from the top - step, step, turn, step, and pause." Somewhere before Takumijo's blood pressure rose, Yori got the hang of the exchange.
By noon, he had practiced them into exhaustion and figured it was time to stop and let them have lunch. This worked out good for him because he had a lunch date with his best friend, Osamu Nakaumura, the actor.
He hadn't seen Osamu since the last time he and Aomori had come to Tokyo. The two of them had met on the set of a drama where Takumijo had his first acting debut at the age of eighteen. Osamu had been twenty- five at the time, married, and he and his wife were expecting their first child. Osamu had just returned a couple of months early from completing his military duty and had returned to acting with a vengeance. He was now nominated for one of Japan's highest honors in acting for his portrayal of a Samurai in a period piece.
"Okay, I guess that's enough practicing for today. Good job everyone," he told Aomori and the backup dancers.
Yori lumbered toward the door and Satoshi set out behind him. The dancers followed them out. Takumijo watched them leave. He wasn't stupid. Something was up with Yori and Satoshi. He looked over at Ichiro who was busying picking up the sweaty towels and tossing out the empty water bottles. "You do know that they're hiding something from us, don't you?"
Ichiro nodded his head.
"Go behind them and see if you can find out what."
"What are you about to do?"
"I'm meeting with Osamu."
Ichiro raised an eyebrow in concern. "Do you think that is wise? Mr.
Niigata asked you to stay away from him."
"It'll be okay. I won't get caught."
Ichiro hesitated, attempted to say something, and then hurried out behind Satoshi and Yori.
Quiet as he might be, a fool, he wasn't. Yori and Satoshi had stopped talking the moment they saw him in the locker room. Were they discussing him? Ichiro wondered. Probably, since Yori looked away the minute he tried to make eye contact.
Ichiro pretended to ignore them and began removing his sweaty workout clothes, turned on the shower and stepped beneath the spray, aware that the two of them watched him, hoping one day to discover that he didn't have a penis. They'd seen each other naked before, and drunk, sick and depressed. They'd lived together for fifteen years, sharing everything from nightmares to dreams. There had been no secrets until now.
Ichiro watched the two of them separate and prepare to shower. What did Takumijo expect him to overhear except the splashing of water against the metal bottom of the stall? Ichiro finished bathing, turned off the water and stepped out on the cold floor. He really had better things to do besides be a spy for Takumijo while he went off to meet Osamu. He sighed, thinking that he should be following Takumijo to make sure he stayed out of trouble, and trouble would certainly come to him if he didn't heed Mr.
Niigata's warning to stay away from the married actor.
Of the four of them, Takumijo caused the most trouble with his renegade ways and shitty-assed attitude. Yori had caused his share of problems, too, but at least he was smart enough now to be more discrete and not let the media find out about it.
Ichiro dried off and put the towel around his waist while he retrieved his clean underwear and street clothes. The other two had exited the shower and started dressing. Neither had spoken a word since his arrival.
Finally, he could not take the silence any longer. "Okay, what are you two hiding?"
"Nothing," Yori replied as he tugged his T-shirt over his head, struggling to get it over his shoulders and down his chest. Yori and Takumijo always bought T-shirts a size smaller to emphasize their muscles. He and Satoshi were not as self-centered as those two.
"I am not stupid. Most of the time I can't shut the two of you up. What did you do that is going to get all of us in trouble?"
Satoshi playfully pulled Ichiro's hair as he had done since the first day they'd met. The act had been annoying at first, but he'd grown used to it and understood that it was Satoshi's way of saying that he liked him.
"Nothing for you to worry about. Yori is just having some personal issues."
"Maybe I can help," Ichiro said, leaning against the wall with his bag of dirty clothes. He didn't miss the interplay of eyes between Satoshi and Yori. That definitely meant that the two of them had been conspiring about something.
"It's nothing really, Ich. Amaya is just all over my case again."
"Oh, is that all? Why the big secret? She's been all over your case for years."
Satoshi laughed. "Why are you so talkative all of a sudden?"
"I only speak when I have something important to say," Ichiro replied.
Yori slipped his feet into his shoes. "Amaya wants me to come home for a visit."
"I hope you explained that it is impossible."
Yori nodded. "She misses me. She does not understand that I can't." "How is she going to adjust to that when you're married?" Ichiro asked.
"I have no idea. If she wants a traditional husband, we're going to have severe problems. She's already accusing me of having affairs with our fans."
"You've cheated on her before. Maybe you should just marry her and take her on the road with you," Ichiro suggested.
Satoshi zipped up his bag. "I don't think that is a very good idea. She still won't see Yori that much. Maybe you should end your relationship with her."
Yori gathered up his things. "I don't know."
"He can't do that," Ichiro replied. "They are in love."
Satoshi headed toward the door, and Ichiro and Yori followed. "It would make your life a little easier. Your career is on an uphill climb.
Having a wife will only put pressure on you."
"I'll think about it," Yori said as they walked into the lobby and headed out to the van.
Kenshin spoke to them as they entered and all conversation ceased.
Ichiro climbed into his seat and fixed his seatbelt. If either Yori or Satoshi thought he believed anything they said, they didn't know him very well.
"I'm coming to Tokyo."
Yori stared at the phone as he sat in the restaurant. Maybe he shouldn't have lied earlier. "Why?"
"What do you mean why, Yori? I'm coming to see you."
"I don't think that's a very good idea, Amaya. We're very busy with rehearsing and I won't have much time to spend with you."
Satoshi made a surprised look at him from across the table. Even Ichiro stopped eating long enough to gawk.
"That's okay. My parents are coming with me. They have some business in town and they want to see your concert. They're very excited about it."
Yori grimaced. This couldn't have happened at a worse time. "How did you manage to get tickets? The concerts are sold out."
"My father called Mr. Niigata. He arranged everything."
Great, they will probably be seated next to or very near Shaundra.
"When will you be arriving?"
"In a couple of days. Father has to finalize his plans. Mr. Niigata suggested that we stay at the Dome Hotel since it is close to the concert site."
And close to him. Yori laid his head back against the seat. They were moving over to the Dome Hotel tomorrow so they could be close to the Dome to practice and for dress rehearsals. "Okay, let me know so I can arrange some time off."
"You act like all you do is practice and Mr. Niigata doesn't allow you time to sleep."
If she only knew. There were times when they went days without sleep and practiced to the point of exhaustion. Ichiro had been hospitalized twice for dehydration, and not to the mention the constant broken body parts and colds. To the fans, everything seemed perfect, but for the singers, it was hard work.
"I'll call you later after I talk to father. I'm so excited."
They ended the conversation, Yori slipped his cell phone back into his pocket and went back to his meal. He grimaced again. His noodles were cold. He pushed the bowl of ramen aside.
"Sounds like she's planning a romantic weekend," Satoshi said as he picked up a piece of sushi with wooden chopsticks.
"More like a shopping excursion if she's brining her parents along.
They will also be attending our concert, which is odd since they never showed an interest in my work before."
Satoshi put down the chopsticks. "Smells like a set up to me. Maybe they're coming to get you to set a date."
"Then they are wasting their time," Yori said before he could stop himself. "I won't be pressured into doing something I'm not ready to do."
Ichiro stopped eating his soup. "What has happened in the last couple of weeks that has made you change your mind? Have you found someone else?"
"No, not exactly. I think maybe I've been too hasty. How do I know Amaya is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with?"
"You were sure about it up until now," Ichiro replied, watching him with those all-knowing, cool blue eyes. "That must mean you have met someone else recently. Since the only time we've been out of each other's sight was the other day at the fashion magazine, it's safe to say something happened there."
Yori sighed. "I think I prefer the silent Ich. The one who minds his own business."
"You are my business. You are one-fourth of Aomori. If you're in trouble, we're in trouble. If you break up with Amaya, we break up with her too."
"Ah, that's so sweet," Satoshi teased.
"On the other hand, if Amaya shoots you for cheating on her, you're on your own."
Satoshi laughed. "You sure are."
Yori called for the waitress, who'd been shyly peeping at them from behind a counter. Luckily, she wasn't one of those fans who gushed and screamed just because she was in the presence of a celebrity idol. It was bad enough fans were gawking at them from outside. Apparently, someone had found out that they were dining out.
"Yes, Mr. Morioka."
"We would like to settle our bill," Yori told her.
She gazed over at Ichiro. "You have lovely eyes."
Ichiro blushed and looked away.
"Don't mind him," Satoshi told her. "Ichiro is shy."
"And gorgeous." She giggled and went off to get the bill.
"You are too old for blushing," Satoshi told Ichiro. "Learn to take a compliment."
The waitress returned.
"My treat," Satoshi told them. "Since this may be Yori's last meal."
"Funny," Yori replied. "I can't wait until this situation is reversed."
Satoshi paid the waitress and she went away starry-eyed and smiling.
"That won't be for a very long time. I have no immediate marriage plans."
He rose and called for the guards. They hurried over to escort them out of the restaurant.
Yori and Ichiro rose and followed them through the restaurant, past the other diners who had stopped eating to watch them leave. The wait staff waved good-bye courteously. Everyone in the place knew who they were, but were smart enough not to beg for autographs.
Unfortunately, the crowd of fans outside was not so generous. They lunged toward Ichiro, but the guards held them back.
"I love Ichiro," one of them screamed. This set off a round of giggles and shouts.
Poor Ichiro looked like he was about to jump out of his skin.
"Let's sign a couple of autographs and get this over with," Satoshi suggested.
The fans squealed, pushing toward him. Takumijo was usually the crowd favorite, but lately, Satoshi's popularity had been quickly soaring off the charts. Ichiro's too. A girl pushed a stuffed animal at Ichiro. He accepted it, bowed to her and quickly ducked behind Satoshi.
"He's so shy," someone shouted. "I just love him."
An older woman pushed an autograph book at him. Yori took it, asked her name, and wrote some meaningless drivel onto it.
The woman thanked him and pulled a younger girl off with her.
After satisfying all the fans, the guards pushed the singers into the waiting limousine. Ichiro climbed into his seat and put the stuffed animal in the seat next to him while he buttoned his seatbelt.
Yori and Satoshi got into their seats and buckled up just as Kenshin pulled away from the curb. The van with their security followed.
Satoshi picked this opportunity to toy with Ichiro. "You certainly were popular with the fans today. I think I actually saw you smile at a couple of cute girls."
Ichiro's cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Satoshi reached over and played with Ichiro's hair. "They love you and those baby blue eyes. I think I'm jealous, Yori. Our baby is discovering girls and using that alluring smile of his to hypnotize them into giving him gifts."
Yori agreed. "Yes, before we know it, he will be coming to us for advice on dating."
The pink in Ichiro's cheeks turned beet red. "Stop teasing. The fans were just being generous with me since Takumijo wasn't there."
Satoshi released Ichiro's hair and settled back in his seat. "I don't think so. They were very much coming on to you. After all, you are a gorgeous and desirable young man."
Yori agreed with him again. "Maybe we need to go out more often without that fan-hogging Takumijo. Who knows, Ichiro might meet the future Mrs. Yoshida soon if this keeps up."
Satoshi disagreed with him. "I think Ichiro has already found the future Mrs. Yoshida."
Ichiro lifted both hands to his face to hide behind.
"Ah, come on, we're not blind. We know you like Ms. Morrison."
"I do not," Ichiro said from behind his hands. "She is a nice lady who I like to talk to."
Satoshi wouldn't let it go, even though Yori shook his head and rolled his eyes at him to get him to stop. "You never wanted to talk to any other women before. What is it about her that brings out your voice?"
Ichiro lowered his hands. "She smells like sunshine, and I get this funny feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever she's around."
"Ooh," Satoshi teased. "That's lust. Do you hear that, Yori? Ichiro is hot in the pants for Shaundra."
"Stop teasing him, Satoshi. We've been in that position before a time or two."
"But I like to see Ich blush. Makes me feel so warm inside."
Ichiro couldn't help but smile at Satoshi's statement. "I don't do men."
Satoshi pretended to be hurt by Ichiro's slight. "But I've been saving myself all this time for you. I've been looking forward to the day when I have you on my bed with all that hair of yours spread out on my pillow."
"You are one sick puppy, Satoshi," Yori replied. "The fan girls would go crazy if they heard you say something like that to Ichiro. You'd be the star of YouTube." Of course, all of them had starred on YouTube a couple of times since they debut. Especially Ichiro. His fan-made videos were renowned and had been ever since the first time he had been mistaken for a girl. They'd paired him with Takumijo before, but never Satoshi.
"They're already writing fan-fiction about us," Satoshi replied. "I saw it the other night. They especially like you, Yori. You should read some of it."
"No," Ichiro said, positively shocked.
"Don't tell me you never go on the Internet and Google yourself?"
"No, I don't," Ichiro replied. "I'm not as vain as you are, Satoshi."
"I am not vain," Satoshi said, flipping his hair.
Ichiro smiled. "You spend more time in the mirror than Takumijo."
"No one stays in the mirror more than Takumijo," Satoshi corrected.
He turned to Yori. "Are you going to check out your fan-fiction?"
"No thanks. I don't want to see what man they have me screwing."
"Why do you think they have you paired up with some guy?"
Yori stared at him. "I'm not dumb when it comes to the comments I've heard from reporters. I know they think I look like a girl too."
"We all do, but that doesn't make us so." He paused. "I wonder how Takumijo's lunch date with Osamu Nakaumura went. Takumijo is always excited to see him."
"I hope Mr. Niigata does not find out. He's afraid Osmau will lure him away from singing and try to make him an actor," Yori said.
"I don't see why he can't do both," Satoshi replied. "We've starred in mini-dramas before and it hasn't hurt our careers."
"But we've never starred in a full-featured film before and I think Osamu wants to make a movie with Takumijo. I think if anyone can persuade him, Osamu can."
"I don't really care for acting," Ichiro replied. "Too much trouble and too many lines to rehearse."
Satoshi agreed. "Speaking of which, what is next on our schedule for today?"
"Packing," Yori said, sliding back into place as their leader. "We're moving over to the Dome Hotel in the morning."
"It's not going to take that long to pack," Satoshi insisted. "So does that mean we have some free time?"
"Yes," Yori answered. "What do you plan to do with your freedom?"
Satoshi looked at his watch. "Watch television. Ms. Morrison and three of the authors are going to be on Around the Town this afternoon."
"The talk show?" Yori asked, trying not to sound excited. "How do you know this?"
"I overheard them talking the other day. And four of the other authors are doing a promotion at a bookstore in Shibuya."
"Not the bookstore," Ichiro begged. "Fans will be there."
Satoshi chuckled. "You didn't seem so upset to be around fans earlier.
Just a little shy."
"None of them tried to touch me," Ichiro confessed. "But I might not be so lucky at the bookstore with all those men and women discussing romance books."
Both Satoshi and Yori laughed.
"Go on and laugh. They don't pinch your cheeks or try to feel you up to see if you're a boy or a girl."
"You're going to learn to appreciate your looks one of these days,"
Satoshi told him. "So what if you're as pretty as a girl? I know you're a boy."
"You do not count," Ichiro stated matter-of-factly. "It's embarrassing."
"Ms. Morrison doesn't seem to care. In fact, I think she likes everything about you," Satoshi told him.
"Do you think she would go out with me?" Ichiro asked.
"I don't know. You'll have to ask her."
"Shaundra isn't in Tokyo to date," Yori replied as he moved around in his seat. "She is working and, besides, she has kids our age." For some reason, that didn't bother him.
"How do you know so much about her?" Ichiro asked suspiciously.
He couldn't bear to look into Ichiro's big blue eyes and tell the truth.
Damn Ich for being so needy. "I've talked to her a time or two."
"So you think I should not ask her because she is too old for me?"
Yori groaned to himself. Why me? Just tell him how you feel about her and get it over with. The sooner the better. Yori chickened out. "No, I'm not saying that. Go on, ask her out. What do you have to lose?"
"His virginity," Satoshi answered for him.
Ichiro's entire face turned red again.
Another little part of Yori died inside.
Harper handed the authors their proofs that had been delivered to him from Flowing Magazine. Everyone sat around the table in a small conference room inside the Dome Hotel where they had moved to earlier that day.
Shaundra pulled hers out of the envelope and looked at them.
Everything was there except the cover shot with her and Yori. "Something is missing," she told Harper.
"Oh, you're talking about the cover shot. Flowing is not going to release it until the concert this weekend. Jay is being very secretive about it too. I don't think Mr. Niigata has seen the proofs yet either."
Dorothy pulled her photos out and squealed. "Shaundra, you just have to see these. I look thirty years younger."
Funny, Shaundra thought as she looked at her proofs. So did she. The wonders of modern photography. The two women exchanged proofs.
Shaundra smiled at Dorothy's rock photos. The women wore wild-looking wigs. Even the guys looked great in their sixties fashions and wigs.
"Oh my," Dorothy exclaimed. "You look so beautiful in this picture."
Shaundra looked up. "Where?"
"Right here in this classical photo with Ichiro and Yori, and look how they're gazing at you. Honey, you're in serious trouble."
"Let me see those," Harper ordered.
Dorothy passed the photos around to him.
"Shit," he said as he looked through them. "What did you say to them to have them look at you like two predatory wolves?"
"I didn't say anything to them. I just walked into the room and found the two of them there in white tuxedos. Your friend, Jay, posed us and then told us to smile at each other."
"He said smile, not undress each other with your eyes. Those two are positively leering at you." He looked at the other proofs. "And look at how short that mini-skirt is in this photo. It's shocking."
"It's no shorter than the one you brought for me to go out clubbing in."
"Maybe I made a mistake by choosing that particular outfit."
"Let me see those," Riley replied. "They must be something special if Harper's this riled up."
Harper passed the photos to Riley. "I'm not riled up. I just don't like the way those two are looking at Shaundra. God, she's old enough to be their mother."
Shaundra ignored his last comment.
Riley whistled. "Baby, you're hot. Look at those legs." He showed Jackson the soul music photo.
"I'd do her if I was into women," Jackson confessed.
Riley looked at the other photo. "Wow, I see what you mean. They want you so bad."
Dorothy spoke up. "All three of you guys are just being ridiculous. So what if the pretty little Asian boys have the hots for Shaundra? She's single and beautiful. What did you expect to happen when you put a lamb into a lion's den? Those are virile young men. Of course they're going to go after her. They can smell a nice woman a mile away. " "Thanks," Shaundra said to Dorothy. "But so not helping. Harper, they're only pictures. So what if they're sensual-looking? They're going to sell a lot of magazines and that's wonderful promotion for KiNii."
"I'm more worried about what Mr. Niigata is going to say when he sees them."
"What can he say?" Shaundra argued. "Those are his wolves. You don't think they looked like this when he discovered them years ago? No, he made them look and act like this." She really didn't see anything wrong with the photos. They were perfect for that type of magazine. The photos made it back around to her and she looked at the classical ones again.
Maybe she'd missed something. This time, she looked the entire picture over and not just the beautiful clothes. Shit, Harper is right. Both of them were looking at her like a piece of prime meat. If she didn't already know how they felt about her, this would come as a complete shock.
"Under no circumstances are you to be alone with either of them,"
Harper told her. "In fact, the less they see of you, the better."
"I am not a child, Harper. I know how to control two twenty-four or five-year old men. I have two sons of my own."
"Your sons don't look at you like that. And I must say, I'm quite surprised at Ichiro."
"Why are you surprised at Ichiro and not Yori?"
"Because I saw that look in Yori's eyes every time he danced with you. Up until now, I thought Ichiro was gay. Hell, he looks more like a woman than you two ladies. Boy, was I mistaken." "Should I be offended?" Dorothy asked as she put away her photos. "I have more breasts than Shaundra and Ichiro, so technically, I'm more woman than he is."
Shaundra rose from her seat and walked over to the window. "This conversation is getting ridiculous." She looked out the window, spotting the Tokyo Dome where Aomori would be performing in a couple of days.
She didn't know if she looked forward to that or not.
"What's next on the agenda?" Jackson asked Harper.
Shaundra returned to her seat.
"We're going to visit the Dome Mall, soak in a hot spring and then get massages."
"I'm for that," Jackson replied. "I hope I get a cute little male masseuse with nimble fingers."
"Will the other four authors be joining us?" Dorothy asked.
"No, this is just a special treat for us. Remember, they're from here and they do this type of thing all the time."
Shaundra moved her neck around. She could use some loosening up, too, and the hot springs sounded so inviting. "What time are we leaving?"
"In a few minutes," Harper answered. "We won't need a driver since everything is in walking distance. So, if any of you want to change shoes, do so now."
Shaundra didn't have to worry about that. She was casually dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and tennis shoes. No one else responded either.
"Okay," Harper said as he collected the packages of proofs from them.
"Just let me call Jay and tell him that you all approve of these." He picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Yes, this is Harper. Everyone loves their proofs, especially the classical ones with Ms. Morrison and those two punks. Remind me to strangle you the next time I see you, buddy."
The last thing Shaundra heard before Harper hung up the phone was Jay laughing.
"You look pretty good in a tux and tails," Satoshi told Ichiro as they looked through the proofs the photographer had sent to them.
"Thanks," Ichiro replied, going through his. "So does Yori."
"Well, Yori looks good in anything he puts on," Satoshi admitted.
"He's built like a model."
"Hey, what about me?" Takumijo asked as he posed seductively.
"Stop fishing for compliments," Satoshi told him. "You already know you're a stud."
Ichiro kept staring down at the photo of himself, Yori and Shaundra Morrison. "I don't know if I like this one."
"Why not?" Takumijo asked, walking over to see it.
Ichiro handed it to him.
"Oh!"
"What are you guys doing?" Yori asked as he entered the room.
Ichiro got out of his chair and rushed out of the room.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Depressed," Satoshi answered.
"What for this time?" Yori asked.
Takumijo handed him the photo.
"Oh!"
"Same thing I said. What is the matter with you, Yori?"
Yori continued to stare at the photo. "I didn't know it would come out like this."
"You two guys are looking at her like you want to devour her. I expected to see that expression on Ichiro's face, but not yours," Takumijo replied, quite upset. "Have you lost your mind? You know Ichiro likes her."
Yori flipped through the other photos. "The photographer posed us."
"Yes, but he didn't put that look in your eyes," Satoshi teased. "I'm shocked. What is Amaya going to say when she sees these?"
"Maybe she won't see them."
Satoshi laughed. "This is getting better by the minute. Of course she's going to see it. Her folks are fashion designers. She's going to rip your head off. Both of them."
Yori groaned. "It's not that bad."
"Poor Ichiro ran out of here in tears," Takumijo said, adding his two cents. "You've done some low things before, Yori, but I never thought you'd try to steal a woman from Ichiro."
"You have it all wrong," Yori argued. "It's just a photo. Ichiro can have Ms. Morrison. I have no plans of getting in his way."
"You better not. He's been writing some kick ass songs since he met her. I'm beginning to like her, too, for that reason."
Satoshi chuckled, even though the situation was far from funny. Those two idiots were in love with the same woman. This could only end badly for all of them.
"Don't you think you should apologize to Ich?" Takumijo asked.
"For what? I haven't done anything wrong."
"Then just go out there and talk to him. It's his first love and he's hurting."
"Shit," Yori replied. "You guys need to stop babying him. Ich is a full- grown man. If he wants Shaundra, he better grow some balls and asked her out."
"He won't do it as long as he thinks you're interested in her,"
Takumijo replied.
"Okay," Yori finally agreed. "Anything to get you off my back." He stormed out of the room, leaving Takumijo and Satoshi alone.
"This is going to end badly, isn't it?" Takumijo asked.
"Oh yes," Satoshi agreed. "And we're going to suffer the repercussions."
Why me? Yori thought as he made his way into the other room. This was one of those times he hated being the leader. What am I going to say to him? He couldn't put his own feelings into words yet. He dug his hands into his pocket and sighed. Why was life so difficult? Just do the right thing, a tiny voice whispered into his head. Yori frowned. One of these days he was going to punch that little voice of reason right in the mouth.
He entered the room and stopped. Ichiro was seated slump-shouldered on a cement bench in the garden facing the wall. Guilt and envy gnawed at Yori's gut. Ichiro was his friend...his baby brother. "You really like her, don't you?"
Ichiro raised his head quickly and turned around to face him. "I don't know what you mean."
Yori pulled his hands out of his pockets, walked over and sat down next to him on the bench. "Don't lie to me, Ich," he said angrily. "If you like her, why don't you ask her out for a date like I told you before?"
Ichiro lowered his head. "I'm afraid she'll turn me down. After all, I am just a boy to her."
Yori sighed, raised his hand and ruffled Ichiro's hair. "Haven't you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? You're six feet tall, gorgeous, and definitely not a boy any longer."
Ichiro pulled away from him. "But I look like a girl."
True, but it would not help things if he agreed. "If that's your problem, then do something about it." I can't believe I'm saying this. "Cut that hair and update your wardrobe. You're muscular and have a nice behind.
Women go for that. Shaundra won't be able to resist you." Shit. What am I saying? Ichiro dried his eyes. "You think so?"
Yori put his hand on Ichiro's shoulder. "I'm sure of it. I'll even take you shopping."
Ichiro rose and took a step away from him. "I saw the way you looked at her. You like her too."
Yori lowered his head so he didn't have to meet Ichiro's accusing stare. "I'm engaged to Amaya."
"Don't lie to me, Yori. I might be young but I am not stupid." He shook his finger at him. "I knew something was wrong. That's the secret you have with Satoshi."
Yori hopped from the bench, walked over to him, grabbed his shoulders and gave him a stern shake. "Let me repeat myself. I am engaged to Amaya."
"But if you weren't?"
Yori's voice broke and he fought to keep from sounding as broken hearted as he felt. He let go of Ichiro's shoulders and walked away before the tears stinging his eyes flowed. "Then we wouldn't be having this conversation. Come on, they're waiting for us. We have an appointment."
Yori opened the door and Satoshi and Takumijo nearly fell in. "Everything is fine," he told them. "Let's go."
