Chapter 6

Ryo froze, staring at the scene. And for some reason, he was clenching his fists in jealousy. Were they an item? When had Koyama started liking Moriko? He noticed them holding hands, Koyama leading Moriko towards the big Wheel, and he was overcomed with anger.

"...Ryo, what is it?" Uchi asked, putting a hand on Ryo's shoulder.

"Nothing." Ryo anwered very coldly, almost hissing. Dame yo, she's too young! Ryo scolded himself, now realising he had eyed too much on Moriko. She was only sixteen, an inappropriate age for him at this particular time. He walked away.

--

"Thanks for today!" Moriko said at the entrance of her house. "Although... The piercings still hurt!" She complained again.

Koyama laughed at her, gently touching the tip of her nose. "You really love complaining, Ri-chan."

Moriko stuck out her tongue like a little child, and said, "I feel happy today."

"Yokatta ne." Koyama said, and returned that little kiss on the Ferris Wheel, but he planted it on Moriko's forehead instead. "Ja, ganbare yo, Ri-chan!"

"Hai, Keii nii-chan!"

--

When Moriko opened the door, she nearly jumped to see Kusano folding his arms, sitting on the sofa. "Ri-chan, come over." Kusano ordered, and Moriko was shocked at the serious tone in Kusano's voice. What was it? Moriko sat down opposite Kusano slowly, looking warily at him. "What was it that you were scared of?"

"Huh?" Moriko went at first, then realised it was anout the phone call. "Ahh, were you angry nii-chan? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to throw my temper like that."

"I'm not talking about that, forget about it, I mena, I do the same to you sometimes, but anyway, what were you scared of? What has happened in school?" Kusano demanded, and at times like these, Moriko wouldn't feel at ease with her brother.

"It was nothing, I was just being paranoid. I just... heard some ghost stories from my classmates and got scared, that's all! That's why I didn't want to be alone!" Moriko answered very quickly, not daring to look straight into Kusano's eyes at all.

Kusano gave an exasperated sigh. "That was a very lousy excuse. You didn't flinch at all once when I scared you in the middle of the night with a ghost story!"

"Nii-chan, stop asking. If you want to know, the ghost stories were just too horrifying." Moriko shouted, storming through the house, slamming the room door behind her. She went under the covers, beating her pillow. Sometimes Kusano could question too much...

--

The next day, at the Jimusho, Ryo frowned the whole time while dancing to a genki song. NEWS finally had a little rest, and the gathered at a corner in the dance room, Kusano laying down and yawning.

"For goodness sake, Kusano, it's already afternoon, and you're still yawning?" Koyama reprimanded. "Did you sleep enough last night?"

"...actually no. Moriko is starting to get worrying." Kusano answered.

"Ri-chan?"

"She came home a little later than usual yesterday, and when I asked her why she sounded scared over the phone, she wouldn't tell me the truth."

"Ah, about her coming home late, I was out with her last night." Koyama answered. Kusano sat up immediately.

"On a date?!" Kusano exclaimed.

"Hai, a date. I wanted to cheer her up, since she looked so gloomy. I offered to fetch her home whenever I can..." Koyama continued. At that moment, his ketai rang, and he went aside to answer it. Ryo was secretly eavesdropping. "Ah, Ri-chan, hai~ Don't worry about it, I promised you to fetch you home. And if I weren't free I wouldn't do it." Koyama laughed. "I shall be your boyfriend escort again!" Ryo gritted his teeth a little at this. So they were a pair?

--

Moriko went out on her own to get milk from the supermarket, which was a bus stop away. She thought she saw a familiar figure as she got down from the bus. Ryo! Ryo was emerging from a nearby pub, drunk with red cheeks, his walking almost unstable. Out of instant concern, Moriko wentover to him, asking< "Daijoubu? Nishikido-kun?"

"What?" Ryo demanded, glaring at her. "Why do you call me Nishikido-kun now anyway? Don't you have a whole dictionary of awful nicknames for me?"

"You're drunk, Nishikido."

"I'm not." He stated, but like all drunks would reply, of ourse, they would say no.

"I think you really need to get home. I mean, back to the hotel. You still have work tomorrow." Moriko said nervously, watching Ryo walk past her.

"Urusai yo!" Ryo shouted.

Nevertheless, Moriko had to help him, to return the favour. He wouldn't want to be caught by the paparazzi outside, drunk and spouting nonsense on the streets. Moriko gently put his arm over her shoulder, but gasped as an odd sensation travelled through her as she felt her skin contact with Ryo. He smelt very strongly of alcohol, and staggered so much, Moriko felt his weight on her increasing everytime they took a few steps forward.

"Ah!" Moriko suddenly exclaimed, realising she didn't know which hotel Ryo lived in. "Ne, Nishikido-kun, are you awake enough to tell me where you live?" She asked worriedly, afraid that she would have to leave him stranded on the streets. But Ryo seemed to be mumbling to himself instead. Moriko put her hand into his pocket, then found his wallet. "Chotto matte yo, Nishikido, you're very heavy. I need to find out where you live first!"

"Don't... I don't want to go back to that room where I'd have to be alone..." Ryo mumbled.

Moriko sighed, flipping through his wallet. "Ah, found it."

--

Moriko felt her shoulders were going to break. He was not a plump person, but... On a five year younger girl, he felt really heavy. She dumped him on his bed, heaving a sigh of relief, sitting down on the edge of the bed herself, resting for a moment, crossing her legs to massage them. "You're awfully heavy!" she complained.

But she did not see Ryo sitting up, his eyes staring at her back in passion. She gave a scream as Ryo pulled onto her shoulders, her head hitting the bed. When Moriko reopened her eyes, Ryo was already on top of her, straddling her figure, his arms trapping her sides.

"Why... What is so attractive about you, Moriko... What is it that I like in such a young woman? You're so hard to get. You're just so young..." Ryo brushed his fingers across Moriko's cheek, but Moriko laid there, stunned. Ryo took away Moriko's first kiss. But as he pulled back to continue, Moriko saw his eyes close suddenly, and he simply fell asleep over her body.

Moriko lay there for very long, afraid to move. She could feel the heat from the contacting of their bodies, and she breathed irregularly from the shock. Finally, when she calmed down, she pushed Ryo's body away with shaking hands, heading for home.