Tears were streaming down Ryutaro’s eyes. His heart was breaking into pieces. He stared as the coffin slowly descended into the earthly damp.

Ryutaro adored his father more than anybody else. He was his lord. He respected him, loved him and looked up to him.

He threw a white rose to his grave and waited until the coffin was entirely buried in the pile of dirt.

He looked beside him. His heart shattered more as he looked at his brother who is no more than twelve. He knew that his brother was as brave as their father but he was too young to undergo such painful experience. He felt his heart. So was he. He didn’t deserve this.

He looked at his mother. She was wearing a black dress and veil. No sound was coming from her thus making it ironic through the wails of those who were beside her.

Ryutaro sunk more as he watched her mother. He bet she was not seeing anything. Since the death of their father, she was so shocked that she stopped feeling. That was what he thought. She stopped talking, stopped eating, stopped seeing. He had tried waking her but of no prevail.

She was a soulless body.

Ryutaro hugged himself and watched his father’s coffin being buried. He was gone now. Totally.

Ryutaro felt helpless. He had no more father. His mother was mental case. He had a younger brother. He was alone amidst of all the people around him. He was…

Ryutaro sighed and looked at his brother coming in. “You’ll be late again if you don’t hurry up.” He said.

“Nii-chan, how ‘bout you? Aren’t you going to school? You aren’t in your uniforms yet.” Shintaro commented.

Ryutaro bit on his sandwich while putting more sandwiches in Shintaro’s bento. “I have an audition today so I won’t go to school.”

“Ahh… another one of your audition,” Shintaro sighed. He knew that his brother never dreamed on doing such a thing but it can’t be helped. “How about mother?” Shintaro asked.

“She was in obasan’s house. She’ll be fine there since somebody was looking after her.”

“Ahh… Did obasan took her home this morning?”

“Hai.” Ryutaro nodded. “Here.” He handed the bento to Shintaro.

Shintaro took it. “Arigato, nii-chan.” He said smiling at his brother.

Ryutaro nodded not looking at his younger brother. They didn’t really have a good relationship before, in fact, they were like cat and mouse. But the death of their father brought them closer together. They had to.

Ryutaro sighed deeply. It was his first time in such a big office. He had been sincerely preparing mentally for this. He needed this so much more than anything else. For his mother, for his brother, he would definitely make it.

That was what he was thinking when he was called inside.

There were three panels and a kid. A kid? He shook his head. What is a kid doing there?

He was asked to sit on one of the chairs to wait for his turn.

A girl was in front now. She was wearing a short skirt and a skimpy pink blouse. She danced cutely. Ryutaro tilted his head, and she was cute, too. He pouted at the thought.

When the girl was done, the judges in the panel gave out their comments.

“You are trying hard. Besides, you are not auditioning for a harem.”

Ryutaro looked at the person who said that. It was the kid. She was beside one of the judges.

“What the…” Ryutaro whispered. They are allowing a kid to say something that blunt? He asked himself in dismay.

“Catherine, please…” one of the judges pleaded.

“Hai,” the kid said and slouched at her chair.

“You may take your seat outside now. Please wait for our call.” One of the judges said pertaining to the girl who auditioned.

“Arigatou gozaimasu.” The girl bowed.

“Morimoto Ryutaro.” One of the panel judge said.

Ryutaro’s heartbeat quickens its pace. Gosh. He was nervous and his hands were cold, dead cold.

He stood up and went up front. He looked at the panel of judges before he moved his eyes to his fellow auditionees.

He sighed deeply.

“What would you show us?” one of the panel judges who is a lady asked.

“I’ll sing and dance.” He answered.

“Go ahead.” The judge said.

He really practiced for it. He sang cheerfully and danced gracefully.

When he was done, he looked at the judges.

He waited for their comments. He even looked at the kid.

Now that he was in front, he could see her clearly. She was not as young as she thought, probably in his age. She was also very pretty with a long hair, fair complexion and prominent nose though she was an annoyance.

“That was perfectly executed.” One of the judges said.

Ryutaro smiled at that comment. He felt a bit at ease.

“Nice.” The other judge said.

The last judge just nodded.

The judges looked at the young girl as if they were waiting for her not so nice comment.

The girl looked back at them as if she just became conscious. Ryutaro waited. Whatever she said, he was ready for it. She was not even that important.

“Anou…” the girl started and tilted her head to him. She pouted. “You’re cute and talented. Will you become my boyfriend?”

Ryutaro’s eyes opened wide in shock.

The judges looked at the girl for a while before one of them were able to break away from shock. “You may wait outside, now.”

Ryutaro bowed politely at them and hurried to the waiting room.

“What did just happen?” he asked himself.

The others stared at him after he stepped out. Most of them looked gloomy probably because they got a fairly hard time with the girl who just confessed to him.