Chapter 3

"Ja, itekimasu!" Kusano said, waving to Moriko at the door.

Moriko gave an ultimate glum look, not bothering to wave back. Kusano and Yuki were going out together. Moriko, unfortunately, wasn't feeling well, and had to stay home instead. What a way to spend a Saturday! What's more, Yuki and Kusano were going to meet up with the other members of NEWS for a Karaoke session. Moriko closed the door behind her, dragging her feet to the kitchen to get herself water and medicine.

--

"Eh!!! It's MY turn to choose a song, it's not fair, that's bullying!" Kusano whined, shaking his shoulders. "Ahh, Massu, don't you think so too?!" Kusano looked to Massu for help, since he was the only one not ganging up with the others. But Massu just continued leaning against his seat and sipping on his own drink, smiling contentedly. He had just finished singing his selected song. "Ne, Ryo!!" He changed his target now, but Ryo just laughed at him.

"Ahh, I'll pick this song!"

"No, no, pick that one so that we can all sing!"

The argument continued, until Ryo shouted, "Urusai yo! Let Tego-chan decide himself!"

"Hai, hai!" Tegoshi gave a wide grin, then did a 'Tegoshi desu' action again.

"Ah, are? I forget to bring my ketai out..." Kusano suddenly put his hand in his pocket, but found it empty.

"Hmm, it's alright, you can use ours." Koyama offered.

"Ie, I'm just worried Ri-chan might call. Ah but Yuki brought her ketai out ne?" Kusano asked, turning to Yuki. Yuki wasn't paying attention, for some reason that Kusano did not know, but she immediately averted her gaze back to her nii-chan. She retrieved her ketai from her bag, but...

"Ah, battery flat." She frowned. "Ne, Moriko nee-chan should be alright... Oka-san will be home quite soon I suppose. She's not a kid anymore, Hiro nii-chan, daijoubu yo!"

"Hmm you're right. Maa, just hope that little girl will be sensible enough to look through the phone book!" Kusano answered.

--

"Ah-choo!" Moriko sniffed. She was running a fever and also a cold at the same time. It felt uncomfortable. "Ahh, no more strawberries in the fridge..." Moriko commented, frowning. She decided to call Kusano, since he was out, to get new supplies of strawberries so they could eat them for dessert the next day.

She sat on the sofa, waiting for Kusano to pick up his phone, but oddly, there was phoe ringing in the house. Moriko ran to their room, and now realised it was 'NEWS Nippon' playing on the ketai on the table. And that was Kusano's ketai. She groaned. "Ja, Yuki then..." she told herself. The oeprator message replied her attempt, and then Moriko sighed. What terrible luck today ne! What's more, Kusano's contacts in his ketai were locked by a password, and there was no way Moriko could find out any of NEWS members' ketai numbers to contact...

At the same time, Moriko felt her body feeling hotter and hotter, and she grew frustrated. She told herself she wouldn't lose to the fever. She went over to the phone book beside the home phone, and flipped through the phonebook. The first name that caught her eye was Koyama's name, and so she dialled his number, but...

--

Koyama clapped as it was his turn to sing. "Ahh which song shall I pick?" He asked himself. In the end, 'Cherish' caught his eye. And as the music played... His ketai, placed on the sofa, was forgotten.

--

Moriko was feeling very unlucky at that time. Everything she did was not going her way. Next number. Nishikido Ryo. But she didn't want to call him at all. Demo... She was feeling that she needed the bed now, and she did not have the energy to look further. Mr. Big Nose then.

--

Ryo spotted his ketai vibrating on the table, and saw it was Kusano's home number. Moriko? "Hai, Nishikido-kun desu." he said into the ketai.

The first thing he heard was a faint mumbling of "kimochi ga warui! (I feel sick!)" Then, he heard the caller say, "Ah, Mr. Big Nose, is Kusano there? He forgot to bring his ketai..."

"He's at the washroom now." Ryo replied simply.

"Ahh, if you are SO kind enough, please transfer this message to my nii-chan... Ask him to get supplies of strawberries. And also, you are free to scold him for not bringing his ketai..." Moriko said into the receiver.

"Hai, I will, you two are just too childish." Ryo muttered, and Moriko clenched her fist.

"THANK YOU." Moriko said very sarcastically. "Ahh atsui na.. Ja-- Ah!"

Ryo sat up at Moriko's sudden shout. He heard the breaking of glass and the phone being hung up. Kusano wasn't back from his toilet break yet... Neither was Yuki present. She had gone out to get drinks. He got up abruptly. No matter how much they were at "war", Ryo was worried about Kusano's imouto. That was scary. She was obviously alone at home, and what's more, she was sick.

"Ano, please tell Kusano to rush home after he comes back from the washroom! Tell him something has happened to Moriko!" Ryo instructed, grabbing Kusano's house keys from the table, then rushed out the room.

"Chotto-" But he was already out.

--

Moriko rested her head on the sofa, yawning, and constantly muttering complaints about her rising temperature. Some time later, when she fell asleep, she heard the bursting open of the house door, and, without lifting her head, Moriko said, "Nii-chan, you shouldn't just burst the door open like that.. We'll need a new door soon if you keep doing that. Okairi. Hey, you never even said 'tadaima'..." She opened her eyes. It wasn't her nii-chan.

"You gave me a scare!" Ryo said, leaning against the door. "I thought something happened to you!"

"Eh?" Moriko asked, then realise that he had heard the glass breaking. Ryo was also actually a caring person... "Ahh, that.. gomen!" Moriko said, swaying as she stood up slowly, apologising sincerely.

"Ne, Miss Angry Forest can also apologise?" Ryo asked, folding his arms. "That was such a scare! You knew I heard it in my phone! If you were alright at least tell me before you suddenly hang up the phone! Is this some kind of joke to get back at my comment the last time?!" he scolded.

"Hello! I apologised, can't you see I wasn't faking anything?! Don't be so petty!" Moriko argued back. "Why are you so anxious anyway?"

Kusano rushed in at that moment, caught in the middle of the quarrel. "Daijoubu, Ri-chan?!" he asked, running first to her.

Moriko looked at her brother, sighing. "Ne, oni-chan, even you-" But she hadn't finished her sentence, and dropped right into Kusano's arms, breating in deep breaths.

"Ri-chan! Hey, don't scare me!"

"Daijoubu yo.. I just need the bed, that's all..." Moriko said, and lifted herself up, carring herself to the bedroom. They heard a sigh of relief as Moriko dropped herself onto the bed. Demo... She had laid on Kusano's bed instead.