A conversation on the Miami Metro Rail between two females who are best friends specking in rapid Spanish…

Female 1: I am not going.

Female 2: Lolita?!! Why the hell not?

Lolita: Tricia, you know the hell why not...”

Tricia: You mean to tell me that you are giving up the chance to go to Japan…, and work for JE?”*Tricia asked this question in a shocked voice* “I know the reasons why you don’t want to but, damn!! This is K-A-T-T-U-N we are talking about!!”  *Tricia pointed out emphasizing every letter of KATTUN’s name.*

Lolita: “Really, KT-TUN actually. Although we will get to see the A in LA in like three days. I cannot wait until tomorrow when we fly out for the June 20^th concert.”

Lolita smiled in joy thinking about her and her BFF spending 4 days in LA with the highlight being the ‘You&Jin’ Concert. The mention of Jin took Tricia’s mind off of the current related topic which was exactly what Lolita had hoped for.

Tricia: “He is so hot. I cannot wait. I am telling you right now, after the concert don’t wait for me since I will so be hanging out in Jin’s Hotel room ALL NIGHT.”

Lolita snickered at that. In your dreams she thought and was promptly smacked on her head.

Lolita:  “Oye, what was that for?”

Tricia: “Stop laughing at my fantasy. Do I laugh at the stuff that you read and write about on LiveJournal about a certain KAT-TUN member you have a MAJOR crush on?”

Lolita blushed at that, she was glad Tricia hadn’t stated that too loudly. She was 24 years old, shouldn’t she have outgrown this silly fan girl crush even if her crush was 24 almost 25 years just like she was. It wasn’t like she was ever going to meet him in person. Oh, wait, she could if she accepted the job offer her agent had secured for her as a stylist. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Should she pass this up? Or a better way to ask this was could she pass it up? She had her reasons for not wanting to take the job and they were extremely personally and painful.

Tricia knowing her best friend inside and out knew what her friend was thinking. As they were walking from the MetroRail stop to Lolita’s apartment six blocks away, she touched Lolita, who she affectingly called Lola, on her arm and said,

Tricia: “Take this chance. Maybe it won’t be like what you think, and think of it this way  you can find out seriously if Koki Tanaka is as sweet and awesome as he comes off in his J-manual and Cartoon-Kat-tun and his radio show” *Lolita and Tricia smiled at that*

That night Lolita sleep in her bed contemplating if on June 28, she would fly out to Japan after her trip to L.A., the last place she wanted to go in the world.

June 29, 2010

The door buzzer rang loudly throughout Koki Tanaka’s condo at the ungodly hour of 8 o’clock in the morning. Koki was tangled up in his bed sheets as his brain foggily registered the sound of the annoying persistent sound of the door bell. As he looked at the clock and took note of the time he placed a pillow over his head to shut out the sound of the buzzer.

Then his cell phone went crazy…What the HELL!!! Koki thought as he fumbled with the cell phone sitting up when he saw the name on the caller id.

It was his boss.

Koki: Hello? Good morning Johnny-san.

Mr. Johnny: Koki. Good you’re up! I just wanted to let you know that the new stylist that I hired for JE is stopping by your apartment…,NOW. She just arrived from Miami, Florida last night. You did remember that there is another interview and solo shoot this morning at 10 AM right?

Koki had totally forgotten. After rehearsal for the Dome concerts of the Tour KAT-TUN had been continuing to work hard during rehearsal and Koki hadn’t gotten home until 2 am this morning. And Johnny-san had mentioned that he had hired an additional stylist for the company to work with the bigger name Johnny’s, and an American, no less to help with reinventing the fashion flavor of the shows and the reminder of the WORLD BIG TOUR and other projects that are in the work for Johnny’s Entertainment.

KOKI: Yes, sir I remember.

Koki immediately jumped out of bed and moved to his closet to throw on a t-shirt and go answer the door buzzer, he had a feeling that was the new stylist.

He was right.

Johnny: Good. The Stylist is coming by and the two of you are to arrive at the Jimusho complex. I put her in a small apartment two blocks from your place; it will be easier for her if you two arrive together on her first day. Her name is Lolita Rodriguez.

Koki: I think she’s here.

Johnny: Good. Look I gotta go there are some press issues I need to address and work out with the status of Akanishi and KAT-TUN we will talk about this when you get here. See you in 2.

Koki made his way to the door, dead tired from the past few months’ drama and the drama that was about to come. The last few months had been eventful to say the least. Why did Jin have to leave and go back to Los Angeles? Koki understood the very justifiable reasons and Jin had knocked it out in LA but the scrutiny of the press was murder. And the internal uncertainty of the status of KAT-TUN was stressful for both members and the fans. Especially in light if Jin’s somewhat candid interview when he came back from Los Angeles.

“Was this the end of KAT-TUN?” 

“Can the group survive this desertion of one of the lead singers?”

Those where the types of headlines that were plaster all over Asian and Japanese rag magazines that sold like  crazy whenever the hint of KAT-TUN was mentioned. (And not to mention the fans speculation all over the internet.)  And even though Koki Tanaka loved being an Idol and a member of one of the baddest boy band groups in Japan, there were times that he wanted to disappear and hide for a very long time.

When Koki reached the door he took a deep breath and answered the intercom.

Koki: Hello??

Female: Ano…this is Lolita Rodriguez. Kitagawa-san sent me…did I hit the correct button?

Koki: Hai. Come to the Penthouse.

Koki estimated that it would take Rodriquez-san about 5 minutes to get to the door, so he hurried and brushed his teeth and quickly washed his face. It was obvious that he was going to miss breakfast. Just as he was finishing his teeth she rang his doorbell, which woke up Princess Sakura, and Prince Ray his babies who had both been sleeping peacefully up until that moment. How they had slept through the earlier commotion he did not know.

Koki went to open his front door, with his dogs following behind him.

The person at the door had their back to the door as they faced the hallway; Koki’s place occupied the whole floor, which was why he liked it. Peace. As soon as the door opened she turned around. She was about 5’6’’ inches tall with shoulder length curly/wavy black hair that was fighting the blowout she had done the day before. The tips where dyed a bright red that complemented her reddish brown skin tones. She looked to be African American, but being American that did not always mean she was strictly that. She was dressed in loose jeans that weren’t overly baggy and a white shirt that fitted her with the words “La Familia” scripted across the front with a fitted jean jacket with a feminine shape. On her feet where supper white kicks, that looked to be Nikes®. She wore no make-up on her face, yet her beauty was subtle and alluring. The first thought that came to Koki mind was that Jin was going to be all over her.

A shy gentle smile caressed her lips that seemed to make her eyes sparkle and drew attention to her full lush pink lips. Oh yeah! Jin was going to be all over her. Bowing slightly she introduces herself to Koki.

Lolita:“Ohayo, Rodriguez Lolita desu.”

And she bows slightly again to him. In just that short phrase Koki noticed that she spoke Japanese without an American accent at all. It was perfect Japanese.

Koki: “Ohayo, Tanaka Koki desu. Please come in. I was just getting ready for the shoot.”

Koki moved to the side allowing her to come into his place. Closing the door behind her he waited until she took off her shoes and put on a pair of guest slippers.

^^^^^^

Lolita Rodriquez could not believe that she was here…in Japan. She had decided with much trepidation to pursue her dream to the highest levels that she could and that meant that she had to take a deep breath and take a jump into unfamiliar water hoping she would swim and not sink. It wasn’t the experience of culture shock of Japanese culture. That wasn’t the issue she had had a culture shock when she went to college in the United States leaving behind everything that she knew from her small backwater village in Puerto Rico.

No, what scared her most was confronting her past; a past that strangely enough had deep ties to and in Japan.

Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun. 日本,Nihon. Lolita knew that eventually she would need to address her past, but she hadn’t really expected it to be this soon in life, she was hoping around age 90 or later too deal with this.

Well, technically she hadn’t dealt with it yet. That was coming later. But something was off. Her agent had offered her this job two weeks ago and one of the initial reasons for turning it down at first was she knew how long it took to get a work visa. A passport she already had, which she used frequently to visit Mexico and occasionally South America. For this job a passport did not cut it, the contract required her to be in Japan for at least six months. That required a Work Visa, something Lolita knew she did not have enough time to secure. Only to have Rick, her agent, present her with one in her name specifically approved for Japan. A recent picture included and everything.

It was like, a conspiracy or something. Something or someone really wanted her to be in Japan. This wasn’t the first time an opportunity to live here had been presented to her, just the most successful one in luring her to this fascinating place. It was strange how she had devoted so much of her life to learning the language, culture and pop culture for a nation that she vowed never to travel too, let alone live in.

Now here she was in Japan, in Tanaka Koki’s condo, one of the many settings of her wet dreams that included the owner of said location and she wasn’t excited. Maybe a little; okay a lot excited, after all he was her fantasy man.

“Oh, they are such cute dogs!!!” Lolita said as she kneeled down in front of the dogs that were eyeing her carefully. Sticking her hand out palm down so that they could sniff her in greeting, she smiled when they came and smelled her. Then suddenly she was covered in dog.

Koki who had went to the back to finish dressing came back to his living room a few minutes later to find a giggling Lolita flat on her back as Sakura and Ray were pushing each other out of the way fighting for  Lolita’s kisses.

Lolita: Okay, Okay…one at a time *continues giggling* I have more than enough love for the two of you little monsters.

Koki smiled at that comment, Lolita had pegged them correctly, and they were adorable little monsters.

Koki: Hey, Sorry about that. They like making new friends.

Koki picked up his two “children” and took them to the kitchen where he laid out their breakfast for them, happily distracting them from their new friend.

After he feed the dogs he came back from the kitchen and saw Lolita standing in the middle of his living room observing his space. Her stance was one of caution, and her posture was rim rod straight. From his unobserved location he retook inventory of her again.

On her feet were indeed white Nikes® that made her feet actually look impossible small. They looked like they were brand new they were so white and gleaming, dark wash denim jeans that were loose yet fitted to her thighs and waist actuating her hips and behind, which Koki  noticed was tight, small, and firm—definitely more than two handfuls though. (His hands were starting to itch). Even though the jeans fitted her comfortable she wore a red belt and hanging from the belt loops there was a intricate chain link that was clipped from one belt loop on the left side in the front and the other end looped to the same side on the back. Her shirt was a fitted tank and he noticed for the first time that her belly button was exposed. And the shirt had the Romanized letters “Familia” that resembled the English word for “Family” in red matching the belt. Her dark caramel skin glowed and the red tips of her hair accentuated that.  She didn’t look like any stylist that he had ever seen. Her style was simple, plain, totally not in your face no fashion risks here. She could easily blend into the crowd in unnoticed. Koki felt over exposed standing next to her.

He did realize that he liked the curve her body and the way her back curved above the back of her jeans at least the bit of skin that he could glimpsed. She was definitely y in an unassuming way. Why is that thought entering my mind so much? No more females for a while, especially after that debacle of a relationship with Erina Takamatsu. “That’s what you get with going with a model Koki. Why cannot you pick a normal female for once?” Koki heard his best friend Yuichi Nakamaru say in his head in relation to the situation that had been Erina. Koki inwarded sighed, that was the last thing he need this morning was hearing his best friend’s voice scolding him this early in the morning. Whether he was there in person or not.

After a few more minutes of observing her he cleared his throat catching her attention.

Koki: Gomen, it’s getting late, we should get going to the Jimusho.

Lolita: Hai, lead the way.

Koki grabbed his jacket that was hanging near the front door, both of them putting their shoes on and headed out the door.

As Koki lead her down to the car garage underneath the complex, he stopped short in front of a SUV that was definitely Koki in style. Being the  gentleman that he was he unlocked the passenger door and helped Lolita into the car and was able to  place his hand on the small of her back  touching her exposed skin and amazingly he felt a tingle  travel up his arm and along his spine. His eyes widen in shock at the sensation, but quickly tried to act nonchalant, as if everyday occurrence with females he came in contact when he experienced that unfamiliar sensation.

Before he knew it, they where on the road to the Jimusho. Feeling awkward since she has only uttered a total of 22 words max so far. She couldn’t be the quiet type if she was going to be working for JE.

Koki: So…, Lolita-san. Johnny-san said you were from America?

Lolita: Hai. I flew from Miami, Florida and that is where I currently live right now.

Koki: Are you not from there?

Lolita glanced over at Koki who had taken a moment to glance over at her.

Lolita: No, was born in LA but my father  is from Puerto Rico and shortly after I was born he returned back to the island and that was where I grew up until I went to university in the United States.

Koki: Where did you go? I mean what university?

Lolita: Columbia University. I majored in fashion design with a minor in Japanese culture and language. I just never expected I would work in Japan. That was never the original plan.

Koki thought that that was strange, that she would major in a culture and language that sounded like she had no real intention of ever using until now. Before he could ask her more about that they had arrived at the Jimusho.  Lolita had no problem exiting the vehicle and met Koki at the front of the vehicle.

Lolita: Pues*…, Arigato for the ride here. I have orientation on the first floor *She self consciously adjusted her messenger bag over her shoulder and didn’t quite meet Koki’s eyes* I think that I can find my way there. Arigato. * She bows to Koki at a 90 degree angle and quickly turns and enters the Jimusho.*

She leaves Koki in a bewildered state. In less than an hour Koki’s impression of her was that she was a strange girl. To quiet and on guard.

A/N:*Pues is a Spanish word for “well”, like the word “Ano”  is for “um” , it can be used as a filler word; Throughout this fan fiction I will be throwing in some Spanish since my main female heroine is Latina.

Chapter two will be posted on next wednesday/thursday 08/10 or 11/ 2011