Alysha's POV:

Alysha stared at the two guys eating in front of her with the end of her chopsticks in , one eating soba and the other udon, with awe and recognition. She just realized that she was sitting with two handsome men! No wonder the waitress and the girls by the side table kept glancing towards their table to get a glimpse of the two gorgeous hunks that was busier in emptying the content of their bowls than aware of the surroundings, including her. Smiling to herself, she looked from one person to the other, admiring their looks.

'Vic looked really cute and princely-like yet cheeky at the same time while Jerry looked more mature, manly-like and obviously sweet. His dimple was a real addition to the whole package. But he really looks familiar... he looked like... like...'

"Kimura Takuya?" she said out loud, surprise and sudden acknowledgment in her tone.

Both Jerry and Vic looked up from their bowl to her, surprised by her sudden spoken words. "Huh?" asked Vic, putting down his chopsticks. Looking around the restaurant, he tried to find the person that was mentioned by Alysha, without noticing the large surprise eyes of hers was staring directly towards Jerry.

"Are you sure you saw him? I can't see him anywhere. Maybe I could get his autograph," asked Vic, finally looking back at Alysha. Noticing her gaze was focusing at Jerry, he turned over to his side to see a confused and uneasiness look pasted on Jerry's face. He understood at once about the whole situation. Alysha did not see the real Kimura Takuya but she actually was surprised to see the resemblance between the Japanese hotshot with Jerry's. Smiling, he waved his hand in front Alysha's face.

"Earth to Alysha, come in Alysha. Hello?"

"Huh? Oh! Sorry. I didn't mean to stare but I just realized that Jerry looked so much alike Kimura Takuya. He's the most popular actor here in Japan. I like all the dramas he acted. I'm sorry, Jerry."

Jerry, smiling and eased down, just shook his head. He got that kind of reaction a lot though when he compared his looks with Kimura Takuya, he never seemed to found the resemblance everyone told him about. "Don't worry. I got that a lot."

Putting down her chopstick across her bowl, she nodded her head in agreement. "Now I know why you acted so strange before at the airport. You were afraid people might think of you as Kimura Takuya. No wonder you wanted to rush out of the airport."

Jerry looked over at Vic, confused look in his eyes, but seeing Vic's mischievous smile and shrugged shoulders, he turned his sight back to Alysha and smiled, not agreeing and not denying at her comment.

"But, you don't have to worry. That dimple of yours really differentiates him from you. Both of you have good looks. Surely it's easy for your company to get the contract you aimed for. It's not that I think you guys have no talent in business, it's just that... I think... I better shut up now," declared Alysha, looking very displeased and guilty with herself.

Vic gave out a little laugh. Seeing Alysha looking like that made her look really cute in his eyes. "Don't worry. We're not offended. We were always assumed like that. But, to tell you the truth, in our business, we need both. The talent and the look. That way, we could get the trust and more contracts would come rolling in," stated Vic, matter-of-factly, in a way of telling her the truth.

"I guess you're right. I wouldn't want to give contracts to people who are not the least presentable. You guys are good," agreed Alysha, nodding, giving a thought of what Vic has just told her with her eye brows drawn together and her eyes looking intensely to the ceiling.

"Okay, enough daydreaming. Let's go. It's late. You've finished your meal, right?" laughed Vic at Alysha's reaction. Seeing her startled look and brief nod, he got up and went to the cashier to pay while Jerry, still smiling helped Alysha gathering her things and walked out of the restaurant while waiting for Vic.

Vic's POV:

Vic came out of the restaurant minutes later, rubbing his hands together and gave out a little shiver, he pulled out his gloves from his jacket pocket and put them on his now icy cold hands. Smiling, he walked over towards his two awaited friends. Standing beside Jerry, he whispered something to his ears. Alysha just watched the two friends exchanged smiles and the nodding from Jerry. She was curious but knowing that it might be something private, she looked away. Looking at her watch, it was already half past eleven. It was already late. She was thinking of a reason to excuse herself when Vic nudged her arm.

"Come on, let me send you home. It's already late and not appropriate for a sweet girl like you to be seen loitering around with two men."

Nodded, she looked over at Jerry. "What about Jerry? How is he going to go back to the hotel?"

"He's a big boy. He'll know what he should do to get back. He could just stop a taxi and asked the driver to send him back to the hotel. Isn't that right, Jerry?"

Smiling assuringly, Jerry added, "Don't worry about me. Just go home and have a good night rest. Thank you for everything Alysha. It's nice knowing you. Hope we'll meet again."

"When are you going back?" inquired Alysha.

"Probably the day after tomorrow. Why? You want to send me off?" asked Jerry, guessing her intentions.

Smiling, Alysha just nodded. "Don't worry, I'll picked you up to see him off at the airport," told Vic before adding, "We should get going now. See you at the hotel, Jerry."

"Bye Jerry. Nice knowing you too. Oyasumi nasai."

Not knowing what to answer, Jerry just nodded a little and smiled before turning around and headed towards the main road.

Alysha's POV:

Walking past the garden, side by side with a gap fit for one person at the middle, Vic and Alysha was in silence. They are just enjoying each other's company without uttering any words. The park was quiet and few vehicles were seen passing them by the roadside. Alysha was grateful that Vic would accompany her back. She would be afraid to be walking alone in this deserted situation, even though the crime rate at Tokyo was far more less than other big cities in the world. It still saw a bit scary and bone-chilling.

"Thank you for sending me back," Alysha thanked Vic out of the blue, her sight to the side, towards Vic's direction.

Looking to his left side, meeting Alysha's gaze, he smiled. "Isn't it a man's responsibility to make sure the safety of the woman he knows and cares?"

Smiling sheepishly at hearing Vic's answer, she asked teasingly, "Have anyone told you that you're such a gentleman?"

Stopping abruptly and made a thinking gesture, with his left hand on his chin, lips pouting and his eyes looking up to the sky, "Ehmm...let's see," was all he said.

Giggling upon Vic's impromptu act, she hit him playfully on his arm which made Vic laughed aloud and ran slightly to the front, away from Alysha. Turning his body backward to face Alysha, Vic walked against the nature's flow and stuck his tongue out.

Running towards Vic to catch up with him, Alysha, still giggling, managed to voice out, "I'll get you for that!"  Vic just kept on laughing and ran backwards without looking behind as fast as he could, zigzagging to avoid Alysha's grabbing hands. That was when he stumbled upon his own left foot and fell backwards on his back, hard to the pavement.

Bending down, Alysha clasped with her hands, "Are you okay? Daijoubu?" she asked, concerned with Vic's condition.

Instead of answering her or getting up, Vic closed his eyes with his forearm and made a crying sound, his lips curled up, forming into a playful smile.

Finding his act was a bit childish but amusing as well, Alysha put her hand inside her long coat pocket and took out a lollipop. "Hush now little kid... I have a treat for you. If you would get up now and stop crying, I will give it to you."

Moving his forearm apart away from his eyes, Vic winked at Alysha and snatched the lollipop in her hand. Getting up and wiped away leaves off from his pants and jacket, he wrinkled his nose at Alysha and grinned. Opening the plastic cover, he it in his mouth, watching Alysha with his battering eyes, trying to act innocently and cute with her.

"Stop doing that! You're not a little kid anymore, you know," giggled Alysha slowly, trying very hard to suppress it and walked away as if to show annoyance. She took another lollipop from within her coat pocket, kept away the cover back inside her pocket and it before putting the whole candy inside .

A few seconds later she glanced over to her right and saw Vic striding along at her side, smiling to himself, staring straight ahead with the end of the lollipop hanging outside of his lips.

Vic's POV

"This reminded me of Love Storm," Vic suddenly uttered out.

"Huh? Love Storm? What's that? A song?"

Vic snapped. He had incautiously spoken out about his previous drama. Getting a hold of himself, he looked over at Alysha and did the only thing he could think off, smile. In his mind, he kept thinking of the appropriate answer for hiding up his mistake.

"Well...it's just a drama I watched back home at Taiwan. The hero loves to eat lollipop. That's it. Nothing important, really."

"Hey, that reminded me of something. Jerry told me you had a nickname. It started with a Z...what was it again?  I can't remember."

"Jerry told you? He's such a blabber mouth. He's going to get it back at the hotel. Well, it's just a nickname that my grandma used to call me when I was a kid. It's Zai Zai. Most of my friends called me by that name."

Twitching her lips, Alysha pulled out her lollipop and it, "He doesn't really mean to tell me. It just came out of his mouth. Probably because he's used to address you by that name. What does it mean anyway? The nickname, I mean."

Grinning, Vic just kept quiet and then he shook his head, "Can't tell you."

"Oh, come on. Tell me, please?" pleaded Alysha, making a cute and begging face. Finally, giving up because of it, smiling sheepishly, he answered under a low tone and within one breath, "Little boy."

Puckering her eyebrow, and looked shocked, Alysha asked, "What? Can't hear you."

"Little boy. There, satisfied?" answered Vic, pouting and walked away in a slower pace.

"Vic!"

Turning around slowly, Vic saw Alysha, standing still and grinned, pointing her finger to her left, "My apartment is this way."  Feeling silly and embarrassed, Vic spun around and walked towards the way Alysha had pointed, acting cool about it, followed behind by Alysha with a soft giggle. Vic walked slowly for he didn't want to be wrong again and waited for Alysha to come up to him. But what he got only a tugged on his jacket from behind before he heard, "We're here."

Looking up to his right, Vic saw a five storey building, with grayish color paint that looked old and a bit spooky. "I know what you think. It may look old but the people living here are nice and friendly. The rooms are okay and the environments are pretty clean and safe. Like the saying says, don't judge a book by its cover."

"I didn't say anything," defended Vic, pulling a face.

Smiling reassuringly, Alysha just nodded, "Gomen nasai. I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that, your expression seemed to me like you're feeling uneasy with the view."

"Sorry to make you feel that way. I'm just concerned of your safety. That's all. I'm the one who's supposed to apologize. I'm sorry. Gomen nasai. Well, you better go in. It's late. Good night. O..O.. what was it again?"

"Oyasumi nasai. You should try to remember the greetings. Anyway, thank you again for escorting me back home. Well, mata ne," thanked Alysha, waving goodbye before she started to walk in the main entrance.

"Wait! Alysha, are you free tomorrow? At afternoon? I have some free time tomorrow, about one. So, I was thinking if you'd show me around Tokyo. I want to buy a new Discman and a camcorder. Please?"

Looking at Vic, smiling, she answered, "I guess I could arrange my schedule. Sure, why not. Maybe we could bring along Jerry. It would be fun."

'Jerry? I want to spend time with you, alone. Oh well... I guess Jerry have to be brought along then...' argued Vic in his mind, feeling a bit jealous that Alysha wished to spend some time with Jerry as well.

"I guess then I'll come over here with Jerry about 1.30. If we're late, the least, we would be at 1.45. See you tomorrow, Alysha. Sleep well. Bye," Vic bid goodbye, again, before walking away by the same route they came, towards the main road to get a taxi back to his hotel.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Vic walked in his room and slumped on his bed. He was tired. Luckily his shooting for tomorrow would only start at nine in the morning, so he had more time to sleep. He was about to opened his left shoe with his right foot, while still lying flat straight on the bed when a knocked was heard on his door. Lazily opening his eyes and got up, he sat on his bed and stared at the door, hoping the knocking was just his hallucination but the knocking was heard again, harder this time. Slowly, he got off of his bed and walked towards the door. Opening it, he came face to face with Jerry. Yawning, without greeting Jerry, he strode back towards his bed. Falling off on his bed, face first; he heard the door being closed behind him.

"I saw you came back from my hotel window. I have some questions for you. About Alysha... can we talk?"

Rolling to his side, he saw Jerry sat at the end of his bed. He's not really in the mood to have the midnight talk they usually have when they gather together, especially with all four of them, but the serious look on Jerry's face made him changed his mind. Finally giving up, he brought his self up to a sitting position and held tight his pillow in front of him with his chin rested on it.

"I know what you're thinking. No, she has no idea that I'm part of F4. Heck! She doesn't even know who or what F4 was anyway. I didn't lie to her if that you're accusing me of. She was the one who presumed that I'm a businessman and that goes for you too. She likes to assumed things, and I just kind of go along with it. It's nice to have a friend that likes me as I am... not because I'm Zai Zai of F4. It felt good to have a normal friendship with a new face other than you, Ken, Vanness and Adi. So, did I answered all the questions you had in mind?" explained Vic full length, without stopping.

Smiling broadly and teasingly, Jerry nodded, "You've answered all, except one. How long have you been close to her? And what are your feelings towards her? I sense something else than friendship just then."

The questions that came out of Jerry's mouth startled him. He didn't know how to answer them. Shrugging his shoulders and gave Jerry a sly smile, "I have no comment about that. I'm sorry," he answered, just like they always do to the reporters when they are not allowed to reveal anything.

Jerry gave a knock on his head with the pillow he grabbed from him before getting up and walked towards the door, "Good night Vic."

"Hey Jerry, I'm free tomorrow noon. I'm going out with Alysha and she wanted you to come along. So, come over to my room at about 1.15 tomorrow, okay? We'll fetch her together at her place," told Vic, just as Jerry was about to close the door behind him.

Nodding, Jerry just waved his hand at Vic and closed the door.