“We will leave you here so you could get acquainted with each other.” Jmee said and stepped aside. “Catherine.” She called.

Catherine looked around as if looking for the person her sister called. She still had her hand on Ryutaro’s arms.

“Catherine…” her sister called again.

Catherine glared at her sister. “Do we have to?”

Jmee glared back.

Catherine pouted, stomped her feet and followed her sister. She turned around to wave at Ryutaro. “Bye bye.”

When the girls were already gone, Ryosuke slumped on the floor to everybody’s amazement.

He motioned them to take a seat. “Let’s make a big circle,” he said. The other boys followed suit. “Ohayou.” He greeted when all of them were already seated. “I know that some of you know me and Yuri. Since all you are new here, we will lead but then we still need to choose our leader after wards.”

The boys nodded.

“Yosh!” he exclaimed. “Watashiwa Ryosuke desu, 18 years old. I currently have a very beautiful, y and wonderful girlfriend who is very…” Ryosuke weren’t able to finish his sentence since Yuri elbowed him. Ryosuke grinned at them. “Gomene.”

“I thought, you are not allowed to have a girlfriend in the industry?” Ryutaro asked.

“Not in public, of course. You have to keep it a secret and be very careful with it.” Ryosuke answered.

“Sou ka.”

“I am telling you this because, since we are already a group, we have to do everything for each other’s sake and I trust that you would keep this a secret and cover for me if possible.”

The others nodded.

Ryosuke smiled at them. He didn’t know what came into him but he just blurted that out. He knew that he shouldn’t trust strangers but whenever he looks at this set of boys, he felt that he could really rely on them.

“Watahiwa Yuri desu.” Yuri said. “I am 17 and I know that I am cute and a lot of girls drool on me.”

The boys laughed at him.

“Do you have a girl friend?” one of them asked.

Yuri looked at Ryosuke. Ryosuke looked back at him. Yuri looked around; they were all waiting for his answer. Yuri sighed. “Anou…” he started. “Ehh…” he growled in frustration. “We are dating but we are not…” he said looking around. “You know, Machida Kyoumi?”

The boys stared at him. “The Machida Kyoumi? Hontou?” It was Keito who asked.

“Hai.” Yuri nodded.

“You’re dating?” Keito asked again.

Yuri pouted. “Sort of.”

“Hah?”

Yuri put his face in his hands cutely.

“They have a complicated relationship.” Ryosuke told the group.

The others nodded in understanding.

The boy beside Yuri patted his shoulder. “Do you like her?” he asked.

Yuri’s eyes opened wide.

The others laughed. “Okei, we get it. We get it.” The boy said. “Watashi Daiki desu. Keito is my brother. I am here because Okaasan asked me to check on my baby brother.”

“I am not a baby anymore.” Keito commented.

“I don’t have a girlfriend, in case you would ask and I am 19.” Daiki continued.

“I’ll find you one.” Yuri proposed. “I know a lot of cute girls.”

Daiki laughed.

“You are 19, so you are our nii-chan.” Ryosuke commented.

Daiki nodded.

“Watashiwa Keito desu, 18, and no girlfriend,” he said looking around. “I play the guitar. I am not that good in dancing but I am willing to learn.”

“Watashiwa Yuto desu.” The thin boy beside Keito started. “I am also 18. I am good in dancing but not in singing. I need to have a longer voice lesson. I don’t know why I am here since all of you seemed really talented. I know that Ryosuke and Yuri are both singer, dancer, and actor so I am wondering if I could really come up to the expectation.”

“Don’t worry we’ll help you.” Ryosuke said.

Yuto smiled shyly.

“Watashiwa Yaotome Hikaru desu. I am 20. I was just asked to come here after the play were I played side by side with Yamada-san.” Hikaru looked at Ryosuke under his lashes.

He saw Ryosuke smiled at him so he looked away.

“Hontou ni?” Keito asked. “You must be really good.”

Hikaru looked at the guy and smiled.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Yuri asked.

Hikaru looked at the younger one. “None.” He answered.

“Oh. You’re friends with Ryosuke-kun’s girlfriend right?”

A pang of hatred soared in Hikaru’s bone at the mention of Ryosuke’s girlfriend. He looked away and nodded.

“Watashiwa Morimoto Ryutaro desu. I am 16. I joined Hikari’s because I need to support my brother and my mother.”

“Why?” Ryutaro asked.

“Because my father just died. My mother is undergoing depression. I need to have her threated. My brother is younger than me, I need to support his education.” Ryutaro answered. He was looking at his crossed feet as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Ryutaro felt hands patting his shoulders. The others looked at him intently. There is not a single pity in their eyes, only amazement and pride.

“As what I can see here, you are our youngest and yet you are very brave.” Ryosuke said. “Nice one.”

Ryutaro smiled and nodded.

Yuri stood up and went to him. The cute boy hugged him so tight. “I am so proud of you.” Ryutaro heard him say.

Ryutaro smiled not knowing what to do. The famous Chinen Yuri was hugging him. A lot of girls and maybe even guys would definitely envy him.

The others pried Yuri away from Ryutaro and Ryosuke even literally dragged Yuri to his place in the circle.

“Why can’t you do that to Kyoumi?” Ryosuke asked.

Yuri looked at his friend in anger then sat crossed legged on the floor.

The others were still laughing when Yuya started. “Watashiwa Yuya desu. I am 21. I don’t really know why I am here. I auditioned just because I lost in a bet.”

“Hah?!” the boys exclaimed.

Kota laughed at the reactions. “He lost in a Tekken 6 game with his girlfriend and she asked him to audition.”

“She is not my girlfriend. She is not even a girl.” Yuya exclaimed flustered.

“His fiancé, then.” Kota added.

“Yuya nii-chan, don’t worry, if you are not gifted in Tekken 6 at least you are gifted in singing.” Yuri commented.

Yuya was shocked at how Yuri addressed him but felt great at the same time. He already felt comfortable in the group.

“Watashiwa Kota desu. I am also 21. I am older than Yuya by months.” Kota smiled at the group.

“Why did you join Hikari’s?” Ryosuke asked.

Kota looked at the guy beside him. “It’s a long story but I guess you’ll find out soon.”

“Tell us… tell us…” Yuri insisted.

“I think not yet. I still have to talk to the president about that.”

The others nodded and didn’t pry on.

“So do you have a girl friend?”

Kota laughed and shook his head.

“Eh, hontou?” the others asked.

Kota nodded his head.

“Watashiwa Inoo Kei desu.” The last guy said. “I am 20, I play the keyboard and I sing.”

The others nodded.

“You two seemed close.” Pointing at Kei and Kota, Ryosuke commented.

“Uhn, we worked in the same group before.” Kota answered.

“Hontou?”

The two nodded.

“Where?”

“In Korea.”

Ryosuke’s eyes opened wide in enthusiasm. “Hontou ni? Lucky!”

“By the way, do you have a girlfriend Kei-chan?” Yuri asked.

Kei shook his head.

“But there is this girl who just proposed to him.” Moving forward, Kota revealed.

The others got interested while Kei was blushing wildly. “Kota!” he tried to cover Kota’s mouth. Yuya and Ryosuke grabbed him. Yuya pinned Kei’s hands in his back so that he could do so while Ryosuke held Kei’s shoulder to stop the guy from launching forward.

“You know Jmee…” Kota started.

Kei shouted. Yuri covered the guy’s mouth with his handkerchief.

“The president’s daughter… she confessed to him.” Kota continued. “Kei was on the bridge. He was about to jump because of depression and then Jmee came and stopped him and she said, ‘I love you so don’t jump.’”

The other boys howled in envy and embarrassment.

“Then what happened?” Hikaru asked.

“Then he froze.” Kota finished.

The guys roared in laughter. Yuri, Ryosuke, and Yuya let go of Kei who was super red in embarrassment.

“Why do you have to tell them that?” he asked Kota angrily.

“Because it was really funny.” Kota answered resuming his position in the circle.

Kei looked angrily at his friend while rubbing his wrist which was tingling being pinned together by Yuya.

“That’s fine, man. I even envy you.” Hikaru commented.

“Hai.” The others agree.

“By the way, why did you plan to jump on that bridge?” Ryosuke asked.

Kei looked at Kota who nodded at him. “I was depressed back then. I was called talentless by our producer that is why I planned to kill myself.”

“I am glad you didn’t.” Yuri commented. The others nodded.

“Me too.”

“By the way, speaking of Jmee, the other girl, that Catherine, is she your girlfriend Ryutaro-kun?” Daiki asked.

Ryutaro snapped. His face twisted as if the girls name was cursed. “Iie. I don’t even know her.”

“But why is she clinging to you like that?” Hikaru who was beside him asked.

Ryutaro felt a chill. “Because she is crazy.”

“Shhh.” Kota hushed their youngest. “She is the president’s daughter, so you couldn’t say that but then I agree with you.”

The rest laughed with them.