Boku Ga Mamotte Miseyou: Chapter 6
From zreyrex: sorry for the uber long wait between the chapters, been busy with trials for our national exam coming up in 23 days (x_x) hope you guys will like this chapter. Feel free to comment whatever's on your mind :D
Chapter 6: Mou tsukoshi dake ai wo
The man (who was usually in the dark jacket) smiled and sunk into the foamy hot water of the onsen. He had decided to treat himself to a day of relaxation. He had just won them their biggest victory so far.
"Don't be such a pain," Uchi rolled his eyes at his accomplice who was sulking in the corner farthest from him.
"When is he gonna get here?" Kusano asked, ignoring Uchi's remark.
"Who, Taiyo?" Uchi asked, wrinkling his delicate nose.
"Hey, guys!" The young man grinned, walking into the room in nothing but a towel that looked ridiculously small, given his tall frame. "Hey, Uchi-sempai-"
"Uchi-sama," Uchi corrected.
"Yeah, whatever," Taiyo continued, unfazed. "What are these for?" He held up a bright green shirt with "G.E.R.M.S" written across the front in white lettering.
"Oh, those are for you and Kusano," Uchi waved a hand dismissively.
"Why the hell," Kusano began. "Would we walk around with 'germs' written on our-"
"It's what we are," Uchi stared blankly at him, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We are the General Removal of Modifications Society."
Kusano slapped his forehead and sighed in exasperation. "Remind me why I'm stuck with you again?"
"Do you want them to be exposed or not?"
"I told you, all I want is for people to know the truth."
"Then that's why you're stuck with me."
"When's dinner?" Taiyo asked, getting into the water.
Kusano simply rolled his eyes and shook his head.
*****
Jama sarete mo nani wo ushinatte mo
Kimi wo mamori aisou to chikatta noni
*****
Judy knocked at the door.
"Come in," her uncle answered.
She pushed open the door and bowed politely to the occupants of the room. Her uncle smiled at her, but she had trouble meeting his eyes after all she had heard. Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice her reluctance as she took her seat beside him at the head of the granite table. It was already full of the senior management staff of Johnny's Entertainment.
"Am I late?" A voice asked from the door.
"No, no, come in," her uncle waved at the newcomer.
He was pale, slender and... for the lack of a better word, pretty. He was of medium height but his long slender limbs made him look much taller. He took a seat at the far end of the table.
"Alright, now that we're all here, today's first agenda is the young man seated over there," Johnny began. "I'm sure you all know Uchi Hiroki."
Judy jumped and stared at him intently. This was Uchi? He noticed her gaze and seemed to blush, hiding his face in a bow.
"Uchi-kun will be rejoining us as a talent on his own, under the juniors," Johnny continued. He turned to Judy. "He will not be joining NEWS or Kanjani8, at least not in the near future."
Judy nodded and mumbled something along the lines of "I understand". She spent the rest of the meeting staring at the man at the end of the table. She wondered what the other boys would feel about his return. They had never really talked about their hiatus and only in passing, quickly hushed comments had been made regarding Uchi and Kusano. She wondered what kind of "accidents" they could've had to result in a suspension from activity.
"I think that's all for today. Good luck!"
Judy could barely contain her sigh of relief when her uncle finally dismissed them. On her way to the door, she heard someone call out to her.
"Umm, excuse me," Judy turned around to find Uchi standing behind her. "I heard you're NEWS' new manager."
"I am," Judy replied. He bowed.
"I'm Uchi Hiroki, nice to meet you," he smiled brightly at her, extending a hand.
"Judy Xi," she smiled back, shaking his hand.
"Umm, this may seem uncalled for, given everything that's happened..." He stared at the floor. "But... how are they doing?"
"The boys?"
"Yeah," he smiled weakly. His eyes seemed shy, embarrassed and... guilty. Judy felt her heart sink for him. Whatever it was he had done, he most certainly seemed repentant. "How have they... been?"
"They've been good," Judy said. He seemed relieved. "Koyama graduated from Meiji, Yamapi, Shige and Tegoshi are all in university."
"I-I know," he smiled shyly. "I've been keeping up with the news." He chuckled at the pun. Judy couldn't help but smile. He seemed like a nice guy.
Judy's phone buzzed in her pocket, reminding her that she had to meet with NEWS to discuss the promos for their new album.
"I'm sorry, I have to go," she held up her phone. "Duty calls."
"Oh, yes, yes, of course," he smiled at her. He caught her elbow as she turned to leave. "Um, would you mind telling them I said hi?" He looked sad, unsure if she would comply. Judy felt it tug at her heartstrings. She suddenly felt sure NEWS would want to know he was back.
"Of course," she smiled. "I'll let them know."
He smiled at her in thanks and Judy set off at a brisk walk.
*****
Judy's heels clacked loudly on the tiles as she walked briskly to the NEWS dressing room. She knew she'd have the highest chance of finding them there.
She opened the door and heaved a sigh of relief. They were all there. Well, almost. "Where's Massu and Shige?" she asked to no one in particular. The words were barely out of her mouth when the door opened behind her.
"I'm here!" Massu answered around a mouthful of potato chips.
"Great," Judy grinned. "We just had a board meeting with Johnny and, well, the board, obviously and I've got something to tell you guys."
Their interest piqued, they all turned to look at her attentively.
"You guys," she paused for dramatic effect. "Uchi Hiroki's back in Johnny's. As a junior!"
Her enthusiasm slowly faded in the silence following her announcement. The members turned to Ryo. His eyes were downcast, his hands clenched. Judy suddenly wondered if telling them about Uchi had been such a good idea.
"Hello?" Someone knocked at the door. Kata peeked around the doorframe. She smiled. "How are you guys?"
"Kata-chan!" Judy smiled, grasping at a chance to lift the atmosphere. "What are you doing here?"
"Dropping off the concept art for the new album," Kata said. She walked over to Koyama and gave him a hug. Yamapi pretended to retch behind her back as the rest of the group stiffled giggles.
Judy and the guys gathered around Kata to get a better look at the new album cover. Kata slowly pulled herself out of the tangle of people, leaving the art on the table for them to pore over. Her brow was furrowed. She was about to slip out of the dressing room when someone caught her arm.
"What's wrong?" Koyama asked her, concern clearly etched across his face.
"It's nothing, really," she looked away. Kei pulled her into a hug.
"It's not 'nothing'," he said into her hair. He closed his eyes and willed her some ambiance.
"It's my sister," Kata said, after a moment.
"Reii-chan?" Koyama asked. "What about her?"
"She's hiding something," Kata grumbled. "And as usual, she won't tell me about it-"
"Hey, where's the old man?" Ryo asked.
Massu and Tegoshi shot guilty looks at each other. "Maybe he went to get something to eat?" Massu's grin was a little bit too innocent. "I know I would."
Just then, said "old man" (Shige) burst into the room, laughing so hard he was only just managing to keep himself upright, his arm slung around the shoulders of an attractive brunette. She had long black hair and similar coloring to Kata's.
"I can't believe they actually fell for the 'she's my sister' line," Shige gasped between guffaws. "You don't even look like me!"
"Which is more than fine by me," she retorted, pulling her thick-rimmed glasses off her nose to wipe her eyes. She laughed along with him until they caught sight of the other occupants in the room.
Kata's eyes blazed as she glared at the woman in Shige's arms.
"Kireii," she said, in a tone most suited to greeting one's opponent in a duel.
"Nana," she nodded curtly in return, acknowledging her adversary.
"Kato," Kata said through gritted teeth.
"Hi, I'm Tegoshi!" Tegoshi interrupted. Ryo slapped his forehead in exasperation.
"What are you doing?!" Kata snarled at her sister.
"Obviously not what you're doing," Kireii replied calmly, nodding at Koyama.
"That's not the point," Kata crossed her arms, her cheeks oddly pink. "That-" she pointed "-is Shige."
"So?" Keireii abruptly switched to English.
"What do you mean so?" Kata followed suit.
"It's a free country, Nana. I can do whatever I-"
"Wait, is this what you've been hiding?!"
"Why would I tell you," Kireii's hands landed on her hips. "When I knew you would act like this?"
"Because I knew Shige would tell you!"
"That's not an excuse and you know it!"
"STOP!" Koyama yelled but to no avail. He stared at Shige, hoping he would have a better grasp on their conversation than he did he was met with confusion that mirrored his own.
Kata and Kireii looked like they were about to inflict bodily harm on each other when Koyama quickly grabbed Kata's arm and Shige grabbed Kireii from behind.
"Calm down, you guys," he flooded the room with a wave of serenity. The girls stopped struggling to get free, but they were still glaring at one another. "Alright, now let's try starting over from the beginning..."
*****
Judy and Ryo walked along the corridor together. The moment the twins had started yelling, the rest of the NEWS members (starting with Yamapi) had picked up their bags and graciously trickled out of the room in an orderly fashion before heading their separate ways. Judy and Ryo found themselves heading out to the main entrance.
"Where are we going?" Judy asked as they stepped out onto the pavement.
"I was kinda hoping you'd join me for dinner," Ryo admitted, not looking at her. "I mean if you don't mind, of course."
"Dinner sounds good," Judy tried her best to hide her grin. "Where would you like to go?"
"I get to choose?" Ryo grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Judy nodded. "Okay."
He took her hand and led her through the crowds of people. Since there were so many people, there was no room for them to walk together so Ryo gently pulled her along, turning every once in a while to smile at her, almost as if to reassure himself that she was still there. Judy felt incredibly exposed - Ryo was wearing his street clothes, but there was always the chance that he would be recognized by a lucky paparazzi with a camera on hand. She hoped he was taking her somewhere fairly secluded.
"Here," he said, pulling her into an apartment building.
"Here?" Judy repeated, nonplussed.
"Well, you said I could choose," Ryo pressed the button on the elevator. "I choose to make you dinner."
"B-but what if someone sees us?!" Judy stuttered. "You're a celebrity, Nishikido -san, it wouldn't be appropriate-"
"Nishikido-san?" Ryo protested, wrinkling his nose. "Don't you think it's about time we dropped the formalities, Judy-san?"
"How is Judy-san any better?" Judy retorted. "Anyway, if someone sees us-"
"Judy," Ryo's voice was firm, but his eyes were on the elevator doors, too shy to meet hers. Judy felt her heart skip a beat. "We're going to my apartment. No one's going to see us."
Judy sighed. "Okay, you win."
"I always win," Ryo said with quiet certainty, a grin crinkling the corners of his eyes.
Twenty minutes later, Judy was seated at a smooth, polished wooden table eating the best spaghetti she'd had since she'd left home.
"I can't believe you can cook this well!" she exclaimed as she helped him with the dishes. "That was really good."
"It's basic, really," he muttered in an embarrassed sort of way.
"That was definitely not 'basic'."
He simply smiled at her, and she looked back into his eyes. They were so very, very dark...
Ryo was lost in Judy's eyes - their soft brown clouded by things, emotions he wished he could see or feel. And he'd been dying to kiss her since the first time their hands had touched. He leaned in to her face, slowly moving closer. He watched for her reaction, ready to stop at the slightest sign of protest-
Judy's phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket. They both froze, the reality and the implications of what they were about to do hitting them. They watched one another, both trying to gauge the other's reaction without making the first move.
Judy's phone buzzed again. She froze, and then hit the red button.
"To hell with this," she muttered as she pulled his lips to hers.
A/N: There was NO undressing involved in the next few minutes. Get your dirty minds outta the gutter :P
*****
He sure knows how to kiss a girl, Judy thought with a sigh (that could have easily been mistaken for a swoon). She took a sip of her coffee, her lips still swollen, thinking. Over the edge of her coffee cup, she saw Ryo watching her, almost as if he was afraid that she might suddenly bolt. She smiled back at him. "Whatcha looking at?"
"A luminous creature sipping coffee on my couch," Ryo flashed his million dollar grin. "No regrets?"
"Regrets?" she asked.
"I'm a genetically modified mutant," Ryo gave a wry smile. "Doesn't that bother you?"
"Should I be worried?" Judy asked. "To be honest, I'm more worried that they'll find out about us and we'll get screwed. In the corporate sense of the word."
"It really doesn't bother you?" he asked, sitting on the couch next to her.
"No," Judy shrugged. "Koyama and Shige have girlfriends. How is this any different?"
"Well, for starters, you know what we are," Ryo replied. "We can't tell Kata and her sister about us."
"There's no clause in your contract that says you can't."
"I'm pretty sure that comes under 'maintaining the confidentiality of the training'," Ryo pointed out.
"But what about the older bands?" Judy asked. "Some of them are married."
"That's why most of them are acting or in TV shows," Ryo explained. "They don't need the... treatment anymore. So they're given a different set of shots."
"But some of them have kids," Judy frowned. "Doesn't it become kind of a problem if their kid can - I don't know - fly or something?"
"Well, according to our sempais, all of their kids are still normal. So we figured the 'other' shots must be some kind of antidote or something," Ryo shrugged. "And the rest of us have to be extra careful with our... physical relationships." Ryo couldn't meet her eyes.
"Oh," Judy blushed. "So - uhm - is sex okay?"
"Well, it's no more risky than normal, I guess," Ryo answered. "We just have to be more careful than other people."
"Other people-"
"Come on, Robin! To the Batmobile!" Judy's phone buzzed in her pocket. Ryo hid his grin behind a pillow. Judy rolled her eyes at him and pulled her phone out of her pocket.
"Oh crap, I forgot we were supposed to have a dinner date!"
"Dinner date?" Ryo repeated in a tone that sounded suspiciously like jealousy.
"Yeah, I'm gonna be late," Judy gathered her things together. "I need to go. Don't forget - you're recording with Kanjani8 tomorrow, okay? Studio - 10am."
"Dinner date with who?" Ryo pressed.
"Don't be late for it, okay?"
Ryo didn't reply. Instead, he gave her The Look.
"Kata," Judy finally conceded. "Studio. At 10," she repeated, giving him a smile.
"Fine. Leave then," he crossed his arms.
"I am leaving."
"I won't walk you downstairs."
Judy raised an eyebrow at him as he walked her to the door.
"Cause if I do..."
Judy turned to look at him.
"I don't know what I'd do to you," he all but whispered.
Ryo bit his lip, his eyes dark and unreadable. Well, almost unreadable. Judy melted.
"Jaa ne," she said, slipping out the door and running down the corridor before the temptation to run back inside and lock herself in the apartment with Ryo got too strong.
As she reached the elevator, the button to go down lit up by itself. She turned around and saw him peeking out his front door. Ryo grinned and winked at her then disappeared, shutting the door behind him. She laughed softly to herself as she stepped into the elevator.
"Damn mutants," she muttered under her breath.
Chapter 6: Mou tsukoshi dake ai wo
The man (who was usually in the dark jacket) smiled and sunk into the foamy hot water of the onsen. He had decided to treat himself to a day of relaxation. He had just won them their biggest victory so far.
"Don't be such a pain," Uchi rolled his eyes at his accomplice who was sulking in the corner farthest from him.
"When is he gonna get here?" Kusano asked, ignoring Uchi's remark.
"Who, Taiyo?" Uchi asked, wrinkling his delicate nose.
"Hey, guys!" The young man grinned, walking into the room in nothing but a towel that looked ridiculously small, given his tall frame. "Hey, Uchi-sempai-"
"Uchi-sama," Uchi corrected.
"Yeah, whatever," Taiyo continued, unfazed. "What are these for?" He held up a bright green shirt with "G.E.R.M.S" written across the front in white lettering.
"Oh, those are for you and Kusano," Uchi waved a hand dismissively.
"Why the hell," Kusano began. "Would we walk around with 'germs' written on our-"
"It's what we are," Uchi stared blankly at him, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We are the General Removal of Modifications Society."
Kusano slapped his forehead and sighed in exasperation. "Remind me why I'm stuck with you again?"
"Do you want them to be exposed or not?"
"I told you, all I want is for people to know the truth."
"Then that's why you're stuck with me."
"When's dinner?" Taiyo asked, getting into the water.
Kusano simply rolled his eyes and shook his head.
*****
Jama sarete mo nani wo ushinatte mo
Kimi wo mamori aisou to chikatta noni
*****
Judy knocked at the door.
"Come in," her uncle answered.
She pushed open the door and bowed politely to the occupants of the room. Her uncle smiled at her, but she had trouble meeting his eyes after all she had heard. Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice her reluctance as she took her seat beside him at the head of the granite table. It was already full of the senior management staff of Johnny's Entertainment.
"Am I late?" A voice asked from the door.
"No, no, come in," her uncle waved at the newcomer.
He was pale, slender and... for the lack of a better word, pretty. He was of medium height but his long slender limbs made him look much taller. He took a seat at the far end of the table.
"Alright, now that we're all here, today's first agenda is the young man seated over there," Johnny began. "I'm sure you all know Uchi Hiroki."
Judy jumped and stared at him intently. This was Uchi? He noticed her gaze and seemed to blush, hiding his face in a bow.
"Uchi-kun will be rejoining us as a talent on his own, under the juniors," Johnny continued. He turned to Judy. "He will not be joining NEWS or Kanjani8, at least not in the near future."
Judy nodded and mumbled something along the lines of "I understand". She spent the rest of the meeting staring at the man at the end of the table. She wondered what the other boys would feel about his return. They had never really talked about their hiatus and only in passing, quickly hushed comments had been made regarding Uchi and Kusano. She wondered what kind of "accidents" they could've had to result in a suspension from activity.
"I think that's all for today. Good luck!"
Judy could barely contain her sigh of relief when her uncle finally dismissed them. On her way to the door, she heard someone call out to her.
"Umm, excuse me," Judy turned around to find Uchi standing behind her. "I heard you're NEWS' new manager."
"I am," Judy replied. He bowed.
"I'm Uchi Hiroki, nice to meet you," he smiled brightly at her, extending a hand.
"Judy Xi," she smiled back, shaking his hand.
"Umm, this may seem uncalled for, given everything that's happened..." He stared at the floor. "But... how are they doing?"
"The boys?"
"Yeah," he smiled weakly. His eyes seemed shy, embarrassed and... guilty. Judy felt her heart sink for him. Whatever it was he had done, he most certainly seemed repentant. "How have they... been?"
"They've been good," Judy said. He seemed relieved. "Koyama graduated from Meiji, Yamapi, Shige and Tegoshi are all in university."
"I-I know," he smiled shyly. "I've been keeping up with the news." He chuckled at the pun. Judy couldn't help but smile. He seemed like a nice guy.
Judy's phone buzzed in her pocket, reminding her that she had to meet with NEWS to discuss the promos for their new album.
"I'm sorry, I have to go," she held up her phone. "Duty calls."
"Oh, yes, yes, of course," he smiled at her. He caught her elbow as she turned to leave. "Um, would you mind telling them I said hi?" He looked sad, unsure if she would comply. Judy felt it tug at her heartstrings. She suddenly felt sure NEWS would want to know he was back.
"Of course," she smiled. "I'll let them know."
He smiled at her in thanks and Judy set off at a brisk walk.
*****
Judy's heels clacked loudly on the tiles as she walked briskly to the NEWS dressing room. She knew she'd have the highest chance of finding them there.
She opened the door and heaved a sigh of relief. They were all there. Well, almost. "Where's Massu and Shige?" she asked to no one in particular. The words were barely out of her mouth when the door opened behind her.
"I'm here!" Massu answered around a mouthful of potato chips.
"Great," Judy grinned. "We just had a board meeting with Johnny and, well, the board, obviously and I've got something to tell you guys."
Their interest piqued, they all turned to look at her attentively.
"You guys," she paused for dramatic effect. "Uchi Hiroki's back in Johnny's. As a junior!"
Her enthusiasm slowly faded in the silence following her announcement. The members turned to Ryo. His eyes were downcast, his hands clenched. Judy suddenly wondered if telling them about Uchi had been such a good idea.
"Hello?" Someone knocked at the door. Kata peeked around the doorframe. She smiled. "How are you guys?"
"Kata-chan!" Judy smiled, grasping at a chance to lift the atmosphere. "What are you doing here?"
"Dropping off the concept art for the new album," Kata said. She walked over to Koyama and gave him a hug. Yamapi pretended to retch behind her back as the rest of the group stiffled giggles.
Judy and the guys gathered around Kata to get a better look at the new album cover. Kata slowly pulled herself out of the tangle of people, leaving the art on the table for them to pore over. Her brow was furrowed. She was about to slip out of the dressing room when someone caught her arm.
"What's wrong?" Koyama asked her, concern clearly etched across his face.
"It's nothing, really," she looked away. Kei pulled her into a hug.
"It's not 'nothing'," he said into her hair. He closed his eyes and willed her some ambiance.
"It's my sister," Kata said, after a moment.
"Reii-chan?" Koyama asked. "What about her?"
"She's hiding something," Kata grumbled. "And as usual, she won't tell me about it-"
"Hey, where's the old man?" Ryo asked.
Massu and Tegoshi shot guilty looks at each other. "Maybe he went to get something to eat?" Massu's grin was a little bit too innocent. "I know I would."
Just then, said "old man" (Shige) burst into the room, laughing so hard he was only just managing to keep himself upright, his arm slung around the shoulders of an attractive brunette. She had long black hair and similar coloring to Kata's.
"I can't believe they actually fell for the 'she's my sister' line," Shige gasped between guffaws. "You don't even look like me!"
"Which is more than fine by me," she retorted, pulling her thick-rimmed glasses off her nose to wipe her eyes. She laughed along with him until they caught sight of the other occupants in the room.
Kata's eyes blazed as she glared at the woman in Shige's arms.
"Kireii," she said, in a tone most suited to greeting one's opponent in a duel.
"Nana," she nodded curtly in return, acknowledging her adversary.
"Kato," Kata said through gritted teeth.
"Hi, I'm Tegoshi!" Tegoshi interrupted. Ryo slapped his forehead in exasperation.
"What are you doing?!" Kata snarled at her sister.
"Obviously not what you're doing," Kireii replied calmly, nodding at Koyama.
"That's not the point," Kata crossed her arms, her cheeks oddly pink. "That-" she pointed "-is Shige."
"So?" Keireii abruptly switched to English.
"What do you mean so?" Kata followed suit.
"It's a free country, Nana. I can do whatever I-"
"Wait, is this what you've been hiding?!"
"Why would I tell you," Kireii's hands landed on her hips. "When I knew you would act like this?"
"Because I knew Shige would tell you!"
"That's not an excuse and you know it!"
"STOP!" Koyama yelled but to no avail. He stared at Shige, hoping he would have a better grasp on their conversation than he did he was met with confusion that mirrored his own.
Kata and Kireii looked like they were about to inflict bodily harm on each other when Koyama quickly grabbed Kata's arm and Shige grabbed Kireii from behind.
"Calm down, you guys," he flooded the room with a wave of serenity. The girls stopped struggling to get free, but they were still glaring at one another. "Alright, now let's try starting over from the beginning..."
*****
Judy and Ryo walked along the corridor together. The moment the twins had started yelling, the rest of the NEWS members (starting with Yamapi) had picked up their bags and graciously trickled out of the room in an orderly fashion before heading their separate ways. Judy and Ryo found themselves heading out to the main entrance.
"Where are we going?" Judy asked as they stepped out onto the pavement.
"I was kinda hoping you'd join me for dinner," Ryo admitted, not looking at her. "I mean if you don't mind, of course."
"Dinner sounds good," Judy tried her best to hide her grin. "Where would you like to go?"
"I get to choose?" Ryo grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Judy nodded. "Okay."
He took her hand and led her through the crowds of people. Since there were so many people, there was no room for them to walk together so Ryo gently pulled her along, turning every once in a while to smile at her, almost as if to reassure himself that she was still there. Judy felt incredibly exposed - Ryo was wearing his street clothes, but there was always the chance that he would be recognized by a lucky paparazzi with a camera on hand. She hoped he was taking her somewhere fairly secluded.
"Here," he said, pulling her into an apartment building.
"Here?" Judy repeated, nonplussed.
"Well, you said I could choose," Ryo pressed the button on the elevator. "I choose to make you dinner."
"B-but what if someone sees us?!" Judy stuttered. "You're a celebrity, Nishikido -san, it wouldn't be appropriate-"
"Nishikido-san?" Ryo protested, wrinkling his nose. "Don't you think it's about time we dropped the formalities, Judy-san?"
"How is Judy-san any better?" Judy retorted. "Anyway, if someone sees us-"
"Judy," Ryo's voice was firm, but his eyes were on the elevator doors, too shy to meet hers. Judy felt her heart skip a beat. "We're going to my apartment. No one's going to see us."
Judy sighed. "Okay, you win."
"I always win," Ryo said with quiet certainty, a grin crinkling the corners of his eyes.
Twenty minutes later, Judy was seated at a smooth, polished wooden table eating the best spaghetti she'd had since she'd left home.
"I can't believe you can cook this well!" she exclaimed as she helped him with the dishes. "That was really good."
"It's basic, really," he muttered in an embarrassed sort of way.
"That was definitely not 'basic'."
He simply smiled at her, and she looked back into his eyes. They were so very, very dark...
Ryo was lost in Judy's eyes - their soft brown clouded by things, emotions he wished he could see or feel. And he'd been dying to kiss her since the first time their hands had touched. He leaned in to her face, slowly moving closer. He watched for her reaction, ready to stop at the slightest sign of protest-
Judy's phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket. They both froze, the reality and the implications of what they were about to do hitting them. They watched one another, both trying to gauge the other's reaction without making the first move.
Judy's phone buzzed again. She froze, and then hit the red button.
"To hell with this," she muttered as she pulled his lips to hers.
A/N: There was NO undressing involved in the next few minutes. Get your dirty minds outta the gutter :P
*****
He sure knows how to kiss a girl, Judy thought with a sigh (that could have easily been mistaken for a swoon). She took a sip of her coffee, her lips still swollen, thinking. Over the edge of her coffee cup, she saw Ryo watching her, almost as if he was afraid that she might suddenly bolt. She smiled back at him. "Whatcha looking at?"
"A luminous creature sipping coffee on my couch," Ryo flashed his million dollar grin. "No regrets?"
"Regrets?" she asked.
"I'm a genetically modified mutant," Ryo gave a wry smile. "Doesn't that bother you?"
"Should I be worried?" Judy asked. "To be honest, I'm more worried that they'll find out about us and we'll get screwed. In the corporate sense of the word."
"It really doesn't bother you?" he asked, sitting on the couch next to her.
"No," Judy shrugged. "Koyama and Shige have girlfriends. How is this any different?"
"Well, for starters, you know what we are," Ryo replied. "We can't tell Kata and her sister about us."
"There's no clause in your contract that says you can't."
"I'm pretty sure that comes under 'maintaining the confidentiality of the training'," Ryo pointed out.
"But what about the older bands?" Judy asked. "Some of them are married."
"That's why most of them are acting or in TV shows," Ryo explained. "They don't need the... treatment anymore. So they're given a different set of shots."
"But some of them have kids," Judy frowned. "Doesn't it become kind of a problem if their kid can - I don't know - fly or something?"
"Well, according to our sempais, all of their kids are still normal. So we figured the 'other' shots must be some kind of antidote or something," Ryo shrugged. "And the rest of us have to be extra careful with our... physical relationships." Ryo couldn't meet her eyes.
"Oh," Judy blushed. "So - uhm - is sex okay?"
"Well, it's no more risky than normal, I guess," Ryo answered. "We just have to be more careful than other people."
"Other people-"
"Come on, Robin! To the Batmobile!" Judy's phone buzzed in her pocket. Ryo hid his grin behind a pillow. Judy rolled her eyes at him and pulled her phone out of her pocket.
"Oh crap, I forgot we were supposed to have a dinner date!"
"Dinner date?" Ryo repeated in a tone that sounded suspiciously like jealousy.
"Yeah, I'm gonna be late," Judy gathered her things together. "I need to go. Don't forget - you're recording with Kanjani8 tomorrow, okay? Studio - 10am."
"Dinner date with who?" Ryo pressed.
"Don't be late for it, okay?"
Ryo didn't reply. Instead, he gave her The Look.
"Kata," Judy finally conceded. "Studio. At 10," she repeated, giving him a smile.
"Fine. Leave then," he crossed his arms.
"I am leaving."
"I won't walk you downstairs."
Judy raised an eyebrow at him as he walked her to the door.
"Cause if I do..."
Judy turned to look at him.
"I don't know what I'd do to you," he all but whispered.
Ryo bit his lip, his eyes dark and unreadable. Well, almost unreadable. Judy melted.
"Jaa ne," she said, slipping out the door and running down the corridor before the temptation to run back inside and lock herself in the apartment with Ryo got too strong.
As she reached the elevator, the button to go down lit up by itself. She turned around and saw him peeking out his front door. Ryo grinned and winked at her then disappeared, shutting the door behind him. She laughed softly to herself as she stepped into the elevator.
"Damn mutants," she muttered under her breath.