The older boy groaned his annoyance as Keigo watched him get up from the floor and back on to the bed. "You didn't have to shove me off the bed, you know? A light push and a "I'm not interested in you" would have been enough."

"It's not like that..." The younger shook his head. "It just... Caught me off guard, that's all."

"So, I take it you liked it?"

"Well... I didn't hate it..." Biting his bottom lip, he turned away from the other, a question burning into his mind to be voiced out. But, he was afraid of the answer.

"You're being distant now... Not cold, but, distant."

"Sorry." Keigo apologizes. "I'm just... Thinking of something."

"Mind sharing?"

"Um... Did you kiss me because... You like me?"

"Didn't I say that before kissing you?"

"I thought you meant as just a friend."

"No, I meant way more than..." Kentaro couldn't finish the sentence because this time it was the younger boy pulling him into a kiss. Not a sweet one like Kentaro had given him, but a passionate one. When the two pulled apart, both were smiling brightly, finally knowing each other's true feelings.

Their friends noticed their attitude changes at school too. Kento and Takuto were annoying the oldest of the three even before their classes started. After they had started, they were passing notes to him to some more. Shori, Ryuya, and Myuto had noticed Keigo's change in attitude as soon as they walked into the class. He was lookimg a lot brighter compared to the past week. As they were sitting in class, the three were passing notes to each other, concocting scenarios about what might have happened last night. When their teacher told them to pay attention for the fourth or fifth time that morning, they just decided to ask the older boy at work.

"Shori, have you replaced us?" Fuma asks him at lunch, which makes the younger blink at him with surprise. He had to wonder why his friend would think that. As if the older boy could read his mind, he answered. "You've been hanging out with Ryuya and Myuto a lot. I've never seen you hang out with them before! Not only that, but you've also been hanging out with Kento's friends from the university."

"We all work together and... We got closer." Shori shrugs like it's nothing.

"At least give some time to your friends who have been with you since you were a child."

"Sorry..." He replies. "I'll hang out with you guys during the weekend, how does that sound?"

"That would be nice." Fuma agrees. Shori smiles at him, promising not to have any other plans for the weekend so that he could actually hang out with them.

After school the boys met up at the entrance, with Kaito as the newest member of the group. "I've always wondered this..." The new boy starts, getting the others' attention. "Where do all of you work? We just know you work together, but we don't know where."

"The restaurant where Chicken Basket performs." Jinguji answers his friend. "We usually work on weekends since we're students, but the people working today couldn't make it so they got us instead." The second part was a lie, but Kaito didn't know that. Only the other Chicken Basket members actually knew that.

"Jin, no offense, but... I know better than to believe what you say." The others laugh as Jinguji gives his friend a shocked/hurt look, placing his hand where his heart was.

"He's telling the truth." Shori nods.

"Okay, Shori I can believe."

"You're such a bad friend." Jinguji grumbles with annoyance as the rest just laugh at him and Kaito apologizes for doubting him, adding afterwards that he shouldn't be apologizing since most of what Jinguji says can't be trusted anyway. Jinguji just ignores him the rest of the way because of that commentary.

When they got to the restaurant, they introduced Kaito to the manager before going into the staff room to get ready to perform. They had talked it out with their manager and convinced him to let Chicken Basket perform, but then the boys would change back since Kaito knew most of them and would question otherwise. Whenever Kaito wasn't working though, they would perform and serve orders as Chicken Basket. That was their plan until they could come up with something better. So now, they were getting ready to perform. "Hey, Kentaro. What happened last night?" Shori asks curiously. The older boy blinks at him questioningly.

"What do you mean?"

"Keigo... He seems a lot happier." Shori points out. "You too. You're not in a sour mood like you were for the last week."

"Nothing happened. At least, nothing you have to know about." With that said, the oldest was the first one out the door.

"Takuto?" Shori asks but gets a shrug as an answer.

"He didn't tell us either, but Kento guessed that they "became one" as he worded it."

"Honestly speaking... I thought that too..."

"You really are Kento's boyfriend..." Takuto groans, facepalming. Shori laughs with embarrassment but nods as an answer before they were ushered out of the staff room by their manager and told to perform. As they approached the center of the restaurant, they noticed Kaito already working. Hoping that he wouldn't notice their familiarity as he passes them, they start their performance.

Unlike their other performances, they quickly left for the staff room instead of the kitchen. Once they were changed into waiter clothes, they went into the kitchen to help Kaito with the food. Kaito blinks at them questioningly but they ignore him, so he decides to interrogate them once the customers are gone. Without their disguises, they really weren't that popular, but the girls were still pleased to be served by a handsome group of guys.

"Where were you guys?" Kaito asks after the customers were gone. "I didn't see you around for a while."

"Oh... We had things to do in the back." Aran answers, knowing that Kaito wouldn't believe Jinguji.

"What about Chicken Basket?"

"What about them?" Everyone asked.

"Where did they go? Don't they usually serve food to the customers after their performance?" Kaito asks, knowing from experience. Aran looks to the rest of the boys for help.

"They probably had other places to be. You know they're much more popular than they intended to be, right?" Fu asks as Aran sighs when Kaito seemed convinced.

"Too bad, I wanted to work with them, you know?" The rest just look uneasily at each other, silently questioning each other if they should just tell Kaito about their secret. But, they had a mutual agreement not to tell anyone. Especially the people they liked, in case they would be judged by them.

"Who's your favourite member, Kaito?" Aran couldn't help but ask. The others were curious though too, since everyone they've talked to as either a Chicken Basket member or themselves, have all said they have a favourite member.

"In Chicken Basket?" Kaito blinks at his friend. "I would say Yuri... Something about her just... I don't know, I like it." The rest just look to Aran who has a huge smile on his face. They all just shake their heads at him but can't help but to laugh, making Kaito question why they were laughing. Jinguji explained it was an inside joke between the nine of them, so Kaito obviously wouldn't get it. Kaito blinks at him as the others nod in agreement before they head off one by one. Aran and Kaito were the only ones left at the end and they decided to go together instead of splitting up like the rest.

"Is it true? That Yuri's your favourite?" Kaito nods as an answer.

"She's cute." He shrugs. "Don't tell Kishi though."

"As if I talk to Kishi..." Aran grumbles to Kaito.

"Speaking of... Why is that? Do you not like him?" Of course he didn't expect everyone he knew to get along with each other, but Aran and Kishi were different. Aran was one of Kaito's best friends, even out of school. And Kishi was his boyfriend. So, of course he wanted them to at least acknowledge each other.

"It's not that..." The other shakes his head. But, he didn't dare say the last part that he thought in his head, about him loving Kaito.

"Then?"

"It's nothing... I just don't talk to him, is that so bad? I mean... I don't talk to a lot of your friends." Kaito nods in agreement.

"He's my boyfriend though." Kaito points out and Aran stops walking, making Kaito stop and look at him with confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry, I forgot that my mom asked me to pick up some medicine for her... You can go alone, right?" Kaito nods as Aran turns to go the other way, in the direction of the nearest pharmacy.

The next day in class, Kaito notices that Aran is in a bad mood. He tried to ask him what was wrong, but he wouldn't talk. Not to him anyway. He was definitely talking to their other group of friends. Jinguji notices this too and asks Kaito what he had done to make Aran upset with him. But, Kaito can't think of anything that he might have done so he tells the other everything that happened last night. After hearing the story, Jinguji can only facepalm before he approaches Aran. "Why don't you just confess to him? I mean... You clearly aren't going to get over him, so why not confess and just get rejected so you can move on?"

"Will you confess to Genki then?" Aran asks. The other boy has no words for the question. He wanted to confess, but if things were awkward, it wouldn't be the best for their friendship. "We're both going to have to wait a little."

"I guess so..." Jinguji nods in agreement.

Weeks went by with Kaito not knowing about his friends being Chicken Basket. But, Chicken Basket did help him a few times. When the guys said that they would ditch work, Kaito didn't know that they were actually coming as Chicken Basket instead of themselves. That was their better plan. And that's also how he got closer with the group, especially Yuri, since she was his favourite. Actually, Kaito and Yuri got a lot closer than they were supposed to. Of course, Aran knew that if the others knew about this, they would surely kill him. So, they agreed to keep it their secret.

One night though, Chicken Basket was hanging out with Kaito after the customers had left for the day. They were just having light conversations really, just wanting to hang out before they all headed home. But then, there was a knock on the door. "Seriously... Can't people read the sign? This has happened twice in the last two months that we've worked here!" Jinguji frowns, getting up from his seat to go see who it was. Much to his surprise, he saw his friends there. Sighing, he opens the door for them and smiles sweetly. "Is there anything I can help you boys with?" Kishi looks past him to Kaito.

"We're just here to pick him up." The older boy answers.

"We're sorry for coming after hours though. It must be a burden on you girls." Genki smiles apologetically. Jinguji just shakes his head and lets the two boys in.

"Kaito, your friends are here." Jinguji calls out as the three of them approach the big group. Kaito looks over to Yuri before looking in Kishi's direction.

"Actually, Sera... Boyfriend and friend." He corrects, motioning to each one of the boys as he says it. Not llike Jinguji didn't already know that, but he had to pretend he didn't.

"Oh, so this is the boyfriend we've heard about." He smiles to Kishi, unaware of the death glare that Aran is sending towards his friend. 

"He's talked about me?" The older boy asks as Kaito nods. "Well, thank you. It's nice to know that I'm loved." After that was said, Kishi suggested to go since Reia was waiting at the bus stop for them. Kaito nods, saying bye to Chicken Basket as they go into the staff room to change, Jinguji staying to make sure the door his locked after the boys leave. Unfortunately for him though, the hair of the wig he was wearing got caught on to the necklace that Genki had on. He had been standing next to the older boy as the earlier conversation went on, but he hadn't noticed that the wig had gotten caught. Genki had noticed and told the others to wait, trying to get the hair off his necklace. Aran came back after a few minutes, wondering what was taking Jinguji so long.

"Sera, what are you..." Aran asked, approaching Genki and Jinguji before he noticed that Jinguji's wig had gotten caught. "How long have you been trying to do that?"

"A few minutes." Jinguji answers and Aran leans in close to him to whisper in his ear.

"Just take the wig off."

"I can't!" Jinguji snaps at him. "If I do, they'll find out."

"You have to, unless..." Aran looks at the mess of tangled hair that they had to deal with. But then, Jinguji had an idea.

"Scissors, do we have any?"

"Sera, we're a restaurant, not a hardware store..." Aran frowns. "So, no... We don't."

"Ugh..." Jinguji groans, both out of frustration and because Genki had pulled a little too hard on the wig. Though he didn't feel it, he had to fake it.

"Sorry." Genki apologizes, trying to get the hair untangled a little more gently. Jinguji just shakes his head, seeing that Aran was right about taking off the wig. So, he does, much to Genki's surprise. "Jinguji?"

"Jinguji?" Kaito and Kishi ask from the door, coming over to the group of three. Seeing the hair that Sera usually has and the outfit that Jinguji is wearing, they put the pieces together. Kaito then looks to Aran.

"If Sera is Jinguji then... Does that mean all of Chicken Basket are the others? Amu, Aran, Shori, Kentaro, Takuto, Ryuya, Fu, and Myuto?" Kaito questions. Jinguji looks over to Aran questioningly. Aran just shrugs, knowing that the three boys had already found out about Jinguji's secret and that Kaito knew his co-workers very well.

"Yeah, you got that right..." Aran sighs, taking off his wig too. Kaito was speechless.

"Aran, you... I..." The boy facepalmed, making everyone but Aran confused. Aran just looked away with shame. Kishi looked from his boyfriend to Aran and back to his boyfriend before pointing out.

"You look as if you cheated on me with him while you were working here." Both Aran and Kaito didn't say anything and the three finally caught up.

"You did what?" They all demanded from the two of them.

 

---

 

A/N: I'll leave it there. And that's not the only trouble that the boys get into. They'll get into more with the others too.