“Yamachan, thanks for helping me to clean up,” Keito said while arranging his bed. It was a morning on their days-off.

Ryosuke shrugged, signed that he did not mind. He spotted a pile of magazines in a corner in Keito’s bedroom.

“Ne, Keito, why do you have so many magazines? Did you even read it?” He picked some of the magazines and noticed that most of them were old. It’s weird because people usually put the old magazines to be picked by trash-collecting-service. “Did you collect them or what?” Ryosuke showed Keito the magazines in his hand.

Keito chukled nervously, “Sounds like that.”

Ryosuke crossed his arms on his chest and kept staring at Keito. Keito knew his gestures very well. It meant that Ryosuke did not believe him and he would not budge until he got the right answer. Keito sighed in defeat. ‘Yamachan is so scary when he has the serious mode on,’ he thought.

Keito faked a cough, “Well, actually, I bought them because of you.”

Ryosuke raised his eyebrows, meant that it was not enough answer.

“I mean… there were times… when you and the others were so busy that… I hardly knew how you all were doing. So… so I bought the magazines where the members featured in.”

Keito expected a scolding after his explanation, instead he received a beaming face and wide grin from Ryosuke.

“Yo… I didn’t know that you miss us so bad,” Ryosuke laughed but upon seeing Keito’s rather sad expression, he stopped. “Sorry for making you lonely, ne. But do tell us when it happens again. I don’t want to hurt anyone without me knowing.”

Keito nodded.

Ryosuke smiled, “Yosh! Let’s back to work then.” He gave Keito a friendly hit on the back. The two of them separated way to their respected clean-up job.

While piling up the old magazines, he spotted a certain edition where he and his co-stars in Furuhata Chuugakusei SP featured in. He picked it up and browsed for their page. Reading the old interviews brought him to the memory he had with them.

***

The drama shooting was on lunch break. Staff brought a bento to a certain boy who sat alone at the set. They were shooting the scenes around the forest that time.

“Yamada-kun, your lunch.”

The said boy gave him a small smile while taking the bento, “Thank you.”

He absentmindedly picking the food and plugged it in his mouth, chewing while thinking about something else. After the break he would do a certain scene with his co-star, a girl. He sighed, remembering how nervous he was anticipating the scene. Right, it was not the first time he had to act with a girl. In fact before this drama he had so many scenes with Shida Mirai, a well-known young actress and had more experiences than him.

His co-star in this Furuhata Chuugakusei was also the same as her. But it was different. Well, he was not good communicating with girls and the reason he could act well with Shida-san was because of her cheerful and talkative self made him easy. He glanced at his far right side. He could see the girl, one year younger than him, sitting and eating her lunch among the staffs and other casts without mingling with them. Of course he felt uneasy with her, he thought. Fukuda Mayuko, the girl cast, was so quiet and stiff. It’s not that he dislike her or anything, it was just he did not know how to communicate with her properly.

He tilted his head when he heard someone approached. The coming person gave him a grin. He was Tamoto Soran, played the role of his friend in the drama, a good nature boy. He smiled in return. At least, there is him, he thought.

“What are you doing?” Soran asked while deliberately sat beside him.

“Ah, just thinking about something,” he never put off his smile.

“Ne, Yamada-kun, is this about the coming scene with Fukuda-san?”

Ryosuke stiffened. “Ho-how do you know?”

“Easy. You looked like in deep thinking, you glanced at her many times, and there is the scene you’re going to do after this. Put two and two together and you get it.”

Ryosuke blushed slightly because he was caught on red handed. He sighed. It’s better to consult with his senior apparently. “Actually I am nervous, Tamoto-kun.”

Soran glanced at him. “You don’t need to worry, Yamada-kun. Fukuda-san is a very good actress.”

Ryosuke frowned, “It’s not her. It’s me. This is the first time I will do this kind of acting, you know.”

Soran stared at him then chuckled, “Oh, that. I see. Hmm, to think that you will hug a beauty, no doubt that you will be nervous.”

Ryosuke pouted, “Tamoto-kun, don’t tease me, please!”

Soran stopped laughing. “Talk to her.”

“Eh?”

“I said talk to her, Yamada-kun. You haven’t discussed it with her right?”

Ryosuke shook his head. “I can’t.”

Soran stared at him, “You can’t?”

“I mean, I am not good with girls, you know. I… I don’t know how to talk to her.”

Soran stared at him in disbelief. Well, he did not expect that the boy who became a teen idol after his role in Tantei Gakuen Q would be this shy. He glanced between Ryosuke and Mayuko, thinking what he should do to help the boy. Then an idea appeared in his head.

“Come with me!” Soran almost dragged Ryosuke with him.

“Wh-where?” Ryosuke was surprised.

“Talk to her of course!”

Ryosuke’s eyes widened, “WHAT?!”

His shout earned people's attention, including Mayuko who looked at their direction, still in her impassive expression. Ryosuke gulped. There was no turning back this time.

***

Keito noticed that Ryosuke was engrossed in reading a magazine, so he approached him and peeked.

“Ah, Furuhata! That was five years ago!” He exclaimed made Ryosuke jumped a little.

“Do you want me to have a heart-attack?” Ryosuke protested.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to,” Keito apologized. “What did you read?”

Ryosuke shoved the magazine which he had finished reading to Keito. He continued to pile the other magazines up.

“Oh, there’s a comment from Fukuda-san about you here,” Keito stated more to himself.

“Yeah,” he answered absentmindedly.

“You never told me about your experience when shooting with her,” Keito reminded him.

“Don’t want to.”

“Guess you just don’t want to spill the fun,” Keito .

“Oiii!”

Keito had run to the other side of his room when Ryosuke tried to grab the magazine from him.

Keito waved the magazine to him and grinned, “I think I will save this for future advantage.”

Ryosuke sighed, “Whatever.”

Even though he ignored Keito’s teasing, Ryosuke could not help to admit that he was not totally wrong: that there was a fun he did not want to share with anyone. He still remembered the interviews very well and the particular part that he liked so much.

For Yamada-san, it seems like he has a younger sister my age, so perhaps it's because of that that he felt like a really nice older brother for me. The way he talks is also gentle. Tamoto-kun is really cheerful, and is on good term with Yamada-kun. The three of us would talk about school. (credit to aimuse.blogspot.com for the interview translation)

He remembered the scene which caused that interview answer to be said.

***

Ryosuke waited nervously after difficultly telling Mayuko about his worry of their coming scene. Mayuko went silent. Ryosuke glanced at anywhere but her, catching Soran who was grinning amusingly at his direction, and made him annoyed. Soran had left him alone after dragging him in front of Mayuko.

“Do you have girlfriend, Yamada-kun?” Mayuko’s sudden question caught him off guard. He turned to face her.

“Ge-girlfriend? N-no.” Ryosuke stuttered slightly. “I’m not allowed.”

“EH?! Why?” For the second time Mayuko surprised him with her reaction. He saw a genuine curiosity and disbelief showed on her face.

He scratched his neck, “That is my agency’s rule.”

“Really? There is that rule?”         

“Ye-yeah. Why?”

Mayuko shook her head, “Nothing. It’s just a bit unfair in my opinion.”

“Eh?”

Seeing his expression, Mayuko pouted, “You don’t think so?”

Ryosuke smiled nervously, “No, I think it makes sense since we will so busy with practices and concerts, so it’s just to make sure that we give full attention to the jobs.”

“But what if you fell in love someday?” Her eyes sparkled with innocence; remind him of his own little sister. It amused him. Mayuko was not like what he expected before and it made him more comfortable around her.

“I don’t think it will happen in near future, Fukuda-san,” he smiled genuinely this time.

Mayuko shrugged, “Who knows!”

“Ne, why did you ask that?”

“To assist you in next scene,” she said it casually.

“Oh?”

She turned to him, “Then, do you have any woman close to you except your mother, Yamada-kun?”

“I have an older sister and a little sister. My little sister has the same age as you actually.”

“Eh? Really? That’s great, Yamada-kun!” She clapped enthusiastically. “Then, when you do the scene, just imagine that I’m your sister. It will be much easier, don’t you think?”

“Is that so?” He was considering her suggestion. “I think I can’t do that.”

“Eh? Why?”

“Because I never hug my little sister since she turned eight years old,” Ryosuke stretched his arms. “You know, she would bite me whenever I tried to hug her. It’s so sad that my little sister grows too fast,” a pout appeared on his face.

Mayuko could not help to giggle, “Is that so? I’d really like to know her.”

“What about your elder sister?” She added.

“She wouldn’t help, too.  I think it will be easier for me to think that it is you, not them, who I have to hug.”

Mayuko blushed a little, letting out a nervous laugh to hide her embarrassment, “Right,then ganbarimasho, Yamada-kun!”

He chuckled, “Hai, ganbarimasu!”

***

Ryosuke admit that indeed after that incident he, Soran and Mayuko had been able to talk comfortably around each other and the topic they mostly discussed was school. He had much fun during the Furuhata filming.

Helping Keito to clean up took all of his day and the sun had set when he arrived home. He bumped onto his sister in the living room.

“Be careful, Nii-chan!” Mika scolded him.

Usually he would said a brief sorry and went away to avoid having banter since he was very tired, but somehow looking at his little sister reminded him of his incident with Mayuko and it amused him. So, instead of doing the usual, he grinned mischievously then deliberately pinched Mika’s cheeks.

“Oi, Nii-chan!” Mika tried to free herself.

Ryosuke dashed as fast as he could. He chuckled in his room.  

 “Oi, Nii-chan, come back here!” Mika yelled from the first floor.

“Sorry, Mika-chan!” he shouted back.

Ryosuke was amused at his little sister boyish attitude. A lady would not shout, he thought. But she would not be his little sister if she acts like a lady. He chuckled once more.

After he took a shower, he laid on his futon then checked his cellphone. He looked at the screen and raised his brows when he saw two new messages, but a bright smile bloomed when he saw the senders’ name.

I just read about your solo debut. Congratulation! I’ll make sure to grab one when it’s out. Do your best as always, Yamada-kun! –Mayuko.

Solo debut? Yamachan! Congratulation! My sister is talking much about it. I know I can borrow my sister’s but could you spare me a free CD? Kidding. Well, congratulation again! I’m happy for you XD  – Soran.

He sent them message of his gratitude and that he appreciated their support before he put his phone on the nightstand.

Ryosuke reflected his life for a moment. He knew he did not good at making friends, but he did love the few friends he had. And about his solo debut... He had a lot of worries concerning his solo debut. He knew that many people did not like it. But for him, as long as there were people who supported him, especially his band mates, he would do his very best, not only for himself, but also for their sake. And to have other people outside his agency cheered on him, ‘It’s the best way to end the day’, he thought before falling asleep.