Chapter 7

Once Moriko got home, she made sure everyone else, especially Kusano and Yuki, were asleep, then crept quietly into the kitchen, taking out the box of strawberries. She dipped a strawberry into the cream, then lifted it to her lips. But when the softness of the cream grazed her lips, she paused. He had kissed her there, right where the soft cream now touched. His kiss had been both passionate yet gentle, and Moriko was afraid to think of it. Especially when she realised that she was responding to his feelings. But...was he just uttering nonsense? Did she want to think about it? Yappari, she hated this silence. Finally consuming the strawberry, she kept the rest back into the refridgerator, going back into the room.

Kusano was sleeping very peacefully, his hands spreaded out with his legs. Moriko sighed at the sight. She wanted to tell Kusano, to cry in front of him, but this issue had to be kept from him. On normal circumstances, she could turn to Yuki, but... the topic was Nishikido Ryo. It was entirely out of the safe zone with Yuki having a crush on him. Moriko fell down onto her own bed, and the previous incident replayed in her mind. She sat up immediately. Initially, Moriko had been horrified by Ryo's actions, afraid that he would do more than kiss her, but thanks to the alcohol... But were it not for the alcohol, she wouldn't have to be this confused now!

Out of exhaustion, Moriko fell asleep, without her realising it.

--

"Ri-chan, Ri-chan!!!" Kusano called out, running down the corridor. "We're going for Karaoke this weekend again. I'm sure you'll want to come along ne? You missed it the last time!"

Moriko agreed before she thought about it, but later stopped to ponder on it. "We" ad "again"? That meant Mishikido-kun was going to be there. Even if he might not know what he had said and done that particular night, Ri-chan remembered very clearly, and se didn't want that tension between them when they met. She would rather they argue as usual. Mr. Big Nose and Miss Angry Forest, not Moriko and Nishikido-kun.

"Oni-chan, I'm off to school!" Moriko announced, securing her shoelaces. Kusano was the last to get out of the house as usual, and because he was a little later today, Moriko decided to leave for school without waiting for him.

"Oi, Ri-chan, wait a while!" Kusano shouted, hurriedly pulling his school uniform over himself ad bursting out the room, only to have forgotten his schoolbag.

"Nii-chan, if I wait any longer, I'm going to be late for school too!" Moriko complained, then ran out of the house. It was a chaotic day for the two noisy siblings.

--

Koyama appeared at the schoolgates again, even though the group of boys by now had left Moriko alone. While in the car, Koyama suddenly exclaimed, "Ahh!! Ri-chan, haven't you slept last night?! Your eyes look awfully tired!"

Moriko did sleep, although it was an uneasy rest. She craned her neck to look at the rearview mirror, getting a shock herself.

"Nevermind, you look like you have something to tell me. Maybe you'd like to go somewhere to talk?" Koyama offered to lend a listening ear. Moriko nodded. Finally, someone she would feel totally at ease talking to.

Koyama parked the car, giving the steering wheel a little pat, before both of them emerged from the large family car. He brought Moriko onto a bridge which overlooked the river, then held out the plastic bag in his hands. Moriko gave a questioning look, then put her hand into the bag, pulling out one of the two boxes. She laughed. "Takoyaki?!"

"I am still hungry~" Koyama said, taking out his share. "Itawakimasu~"

"But you're not going to get full with just this?" Moriko questioned.

"Sou desu ne, but I had the urge to eat this suddenly, so I just got it." Koyama answered. "Hmm, what do you want to tell me?"

Moriko frowned, leaning against the fencing, wondering how she should start. "I've got something to say about Nishikido-kun getting drunk." She suddenly said, deciding she might as well come to the point. She narrated the previous day's event, up to the point of her putting him down on the bed, her cheeks flushing to red very soon. She turned her face away from Koyama, embarrassed. Koyama stopped eating.

"Ryo-chan?!" he suddenly exclaimed. Moriko didn't move at all. Koyama sighed. "He is always like that ne. Keeping everything inside. And then he goes drinking to drown himself in even more sorrow."

Moriko hesitated, then continued, "Actually he kissed me. He said...He said he was attracted to me."

"HUH!" Koyama exclaimed even louder this time, and Moriko grew even more embarrassed.

Moriko's vision was already blurred, tears threatening to fall. She didn't like to cry in front of people, to show that she was this weak, but she was afraid. She finally burst into sobs, and Koyama put down his food, walking towards Moriko. He turned her figure then placed her in his arms, silently patting Moriko's head.

"Please don't tell anyone about this."

"Even Ryo-chan?" Koyama asked.

"Yes, even him."

Koyama looked at Moriko in his arms, crying. She was different from the noisy, talkative, energetic girl he usually knew her to be. She would've made a big fuss out of it and get angry instead of sad if...if she didn't have feelings for Ryo.

--

That Saturday came very soon. On Friday, Koyama had brought Moriko out to buy a new pair of earrings in advance, although she still had to wait a month before she could remove the old pair of earrings. Kusano had complained how jealous he was that Moriko seemed to have stuck so much to Koyama rather than himself, and would playfully pitch "fights" with Koyama during their time together at the Jimusho. Ryo still kept silent aside with Uchi. He had no idea how he reached home that night when he was drunk. Everything was like a dream that night.

Moriko set off with Yuki and Kusano to meet the rest of NEWS in the Karaoke room. Massu wasn't present, since he said he wasn't free that evening. This made Kusano diappointed yet gleeful at the same time. That meant he had a higher chance of holding the microphone.

While inside, Kusano suddenly spotted Moriko's ear studs, and exclaimed, "Are? Moriko, when did you pierce your ears??" He walked over to Moriko's seat, trying to get a closer look at her newly-pierced ears.

"Nii-chan, you are so unobservant! I had them pierced on Monday evening!" Moriko said.

"Ahh~ Really?"

"Ne, Kusano, I took her out to pierce her ears, didn't she tell you?" Koyama laughed. Ryo suddenly looked at Moriko's ear studs. Didn't they look familiar to him?! Something he had seen, in his hotel room... Perhaps that was just a dream.

"Ehh?! Hey Moriko who are you looking to for a brother now?!" Kusano protested, obviously jealous.

"It's not like that! I'm going to be her boyfriend ne!" Koyama joked, although he knew he should not say it in front of Ryo, but it was better to act as per normal. "Ne, Ri-chan?"

"You kissed?" Kusano demanded, playing along, but Ryo seemed to be taking in everything seriously, which only Uchi noticed. Uchi kept silent though, he did not want to bring up this issue here. Kusano grabbed hold of the mike, shouting, "Koyama Keiichiro! Did you touch my sister?!" Everyone covered their ears.

"Hiro nii-chan, you don't have to shout! Your usual voice is loud enough!" Moriko shouted.

Koyama ended up laughing. "Yes, we KISSED!" He said between laughs, looking at Moriko. Moriko, too, ended up laughing. She knew Koyama meant that little peck on the cheek, and that little kiss on the forehead. But it had been someone else who stole her first kiss...

Kusano pouted, swinging his arms around, complaining, "Ri-chan, you never kissed me before~" Moriko sighed at the childish sight of Kusano, then stood up and gave a little peck on his cheek, and Kusano looked triumphantly at Koyama.

The whole time, Moriko avoided looking into Ryo's eyes, while the singing session was still going on. She excused herself later on, heading for the washroom. When she emerged, as she was about to turn round the corner back to the room, she heard Uchi and Ryo speaking, so she stoped in her tracks.

"...what? I wasn't jealous! Really, why would I even like a spoilt child like her?" Ryo denied, although he knew he had almost never lied to Uchi before. But if he had confessed, it would only deepen and make firm the feelings for Moriko in him.

"I brought it up here outside so that you could be frank, since I know you wouldn't want the others to know about this. If you like her, then just come to terms with it!" Uchi said, noticing how Ryo didn't want to try to win Moriko's heart.

Moriko decided she would not want to walk in at this awkward moment, and silently retreated back into the empty washroom. She looked at herself in the mirror, her fingers resting themselves on the edge of the sink. She saw Koyama enter the next door men's toilet through the wide-open door. Spoilt child? What had he just said? Did he just lie? WHEN did he lie? That night or tonight?! Moriko was sobbing again, not even bothering to hide in a cubicle since the entire washroom was empty except for her. "Baka!" she scolded herself, for crying out. But she didn't want to return back there and control her tears instead.

Ryo finally got Uchi exasperated, and while Uchi went back into the room, he decided to head for the washroom instead. He paused in his steps, catching the sight of Moriko crying in the Ladies'. The fist instinct to him was that Koyama had hurt her when they were both out of the room. He rushed into the other washroom, where Koyama was washing his hands under the tap. Koyama felt himself being pinned onto the wall by Ryo, who started shouting at him. "What did you do to Moriko?! Why is she crying? Did you not treat her well enough?"

"Huh?" Koyama asked. "She's crying? Ryo-chan, I don't have that kind of feeling towards her. It's not what you think!"

"Well, then were you playing with her!?" Ryo demanded, furious now. He sent a blow onto Koyama's right cheek, and Koyama grew really mad now. He fought back, shoving Ryo onto the floor outside the washroom, then firmly holding him down.

"Baka!" he scolded. "Ryo-chan, you're a total baka!" Ryo was still furious, but he had not seen Koyama so angry before. "I only see Ri-chan as an imouto! She's crying because of YOU! Not me! Wake up and think back on what you've done to her!"

Ryo didn't say anything at first, thinking back. Those ear studs were familiar, weren't they? Koyama loosened his grip on Ryo, and Ryo lay there, thinking, Oh God, I did something to her. I told her!

He turned to see a stunned Moriko standing in the doorway of the Ladies', staring at Ryo. Both of them did not know when, but Koyama had suddenly disappeared. Ryo stood up, staring at his feet. "Gomen." he said simply.

"It's not sorry that I want to hear." Moriko said, walking away. But she gasped as a strong, almost hurting grip landed on her wrist, and she wa pulled back. Her second kiss went to him too, and Moriko struggled at first, but later relaxed under his firm grip, and responded to his kiss.

"Who said I was apologising for that night?!" Ryo said, after he pulled away.

"B-But why did you do that then?!" Moriko asked, her feet seemed to not feel the ground from the sudden dizziness.

"Did what? I said sorry since I hit your second brother by mistake!"

"Baka! I meant why you did THAT!" Moriko scolded, pushing Ryo, who nearly fell backward from the sudden push, grabbing Moriko along with him. Moriko's back was now against the wall, and she blushed, looking away.

"Did what? This?" Ryo asked, leaning in and lifting her chin so as to kiss her again. Moriko actually giggled, and Ryo gave her an annoyed look. "What?" he demanded.

But before Moriko replied, Uchi was heading this way, and catching the sight, Uchi laughed. "Ryo-chan, you're pretty fast!" he commented, laughing harder.

"Why did you giggle just now?" Ryo asked kater, his unending curiosity had him insisting Moriko tell him.

"Because you refuse to say 'love'." Moriko answered. Ryo's way of telling her he loved her, was by those passionate kises he had sent.

But that evening they did not consider what they were going to face...