Rio happily skipped towards JUMP’s dressing room, looking forward in seeing one person in particular: Yamada Ryosuke. She looked at the strawberry tart she recently bought from a store not so away from the Jimusho and the image of Ryosuke enjoying the said treat flashed before her eyes. “He’ll be so thrilled to have this~"

 

Rio took a few steps towards the dressing room entrance when she heard faint voices talking. She can barely hear what the boys are talking about but that didn’t stop her from eavesdropping. She inched closer to the half-open door to try and listen closely.

 

“… Rio-chan…. She’s…. the way she makes me feel…. It’s…. annoying” Rio heard Ryosuke say which was enough to make her heart shatter into a million pieces. She felt her feet frozen from where she was standing, making it hard for her to even run away from the situation. She just thought how selfish she acted in front of everyone – pushing herself to them, not realizing that she is already causing so much trouble.

 

“I… I didn’t mean to annoy you. I’m sorry” Rio finally had the courage to speak. She looked down and just felt herself running towards the exit of the building.

 

--

 

 

“Have you seen Rio?” Ryosuke dialed and called almost everyone he knows just to have a chance to speak to the girl who seems to be hiding from him since yesterday. He just wants to explain. Rio seems to have misunderstood what he said in the dressing room the other day.

 

“No… She hasn’t contacted me since yesterday” Sayuri replied over the mouth piece of her phone. She noticed Ryosuke’s fast breathing rate on the end of the line as if he had run a full marathon. “I heard what happened yesterday. I think we need to sort this out. I’ll meet you in the Jimusho.”

 

----------

 

 

“No word from her still, huh?” Yuto tried to comfort the older boy who seems to be busy sulking in the corner. He offered a glass of his favourite strawberry drink, which he knew he couldn’t resist no matter how sad he is. He expected Ryosuke to at least take a sip, but the boy just stayed still on his place while shaking his head.

 

“I went EVERYWHERE. I went to her favourite café, favourite restaurant, favourite hangout places, favourite shops, her university and I even knocked on her apartment door, but no one answered. I stayed there for an hour but no sign of her” He cried in despair. “I miss her”

 

All the boys looked at him with pitiful eyes and just tried to think of a good idea to help Ryosuke. It’s indeed the first time seeing him this miserable. All of them tried to contact Rio but her phone seems to be off, making all of them worry even more.

 

-

 

“Wait! I know!” Sayuri almost shouted, making all the people in the room look at her direction, waiting for her bright idea. The girl smirked as if sure of that her plan will work… “I can help you… What we need to do is…” she collectively hurdled the group into a circle and whispered her so-called "genius plan"

 

--

 

 

On the other side of the universe, Rio sneakily walked towards the Johnny’s Jimusho building, hoping to take a glimpse of Ryosuke. “Damn it, Rio! You told yourself you’ll never bother him again” She scolded herself but found both of her feet still going towards the building entrance. She pulled her hoodie up and placed her mask over – determined not to be seen with her disguise.

 

“This is the last time.” She promised herself while tiptoeing near JUMP’s rehearsal room.

----

 

“What the hell are you doing, Rio?” Sayuri asked the sneaking figure of Rio roaming around the Jimusho with her failed disguise. This made Rio alert. As soon as she heard Sayuri’s voice, she hurriedly covered to avoid getting discovered.

 

“SHHHH!”

 

“Mind telling me why you’re sneaking around here with THAT outfit?” Sayuri raised one of her brows after seeing Rio wearing a black hoodie, black trousers, black cap and a surgical mask over her face – like a real stalker.

 

“Well… I miss everyone. I don’t have a family here in Japan and I don’t really have other friends, so I have nowhere to go!” She faked a sob after securing a safe place where she knew no one will recognize her. She then rested her forehead on her Sayuri’s left shoulder and continued her fake cry.

 

“You mean… you miss Yama-chan, ne?” The younger girl teased. “Don’t you think it’s better to let him explain. I’m sure there’s a misunderstanding”

 

Sayuri looked down on her friend who seems to be fighting the urge to cry for real. She heard Rio sigh in depression… “I don’t want to trouble him anymore” She paused. However, the urge of her wanting to see Ryosuke is just too much for her to handle. Girls’ crushes, eh? It’s troublesome sometimes.

“But for now, PLEASE! AT LEAST LET ME SEE EVEN JUST A GLIMPSE OF HIS BEAUTIFUL FACE!” She almost begged. See, Sayuri is the only person she can show her inner fangirl to. Besides, it was her who introduced the whole JUMP to Rio in the first place.

 

With this, Sayuri rolled her eyes and slightly shook her head, thinking how silly Rio can be when it comes to Ryosuke. She then tried to push Rio to her limits when she pulled a copy of Ryosuke’s photo from her bag… “Here! You can drool over this instead” Sayuri handed her Ryosuke’s photo, making the poor girl pout on her place.

 

“EHH? THIS IS SO UNFAIR!”

 

“You said you want to get over him, right? So, just settle with a photo” Sayuri grinned, obvious that’s she’s enjoying Rio’s torture. She looked at the girl with saddened eyes before seeing her nod slowly.

 

“Un, I’m sure you’re right”

 

—--

 

 

 

“Did you write the letter for her?” Sayuri fixed Ryosuke’s attire while the