22:53:41 Kazuhiko steps up to the stage and switches the song to "One Life" by the Pillows. Clearing his throat as his friends watch and starts singing with the music, "Aoikeshino hanabiraga kazemonaku yuretetara . . ." He enjoys coming to the Karaoke Club. A medium-sized building filled with individual rooms--each room equipped with its own karaoke machine and miniature stage and a semi-circle of seats before it. It's easy to sing in this closed environment, because you're typically friends with everyone there, in your own karaoke room. Tonight, Kazuhiko and his friends just decided to hang out and celebrate after getting through a particularly nasty test at school. It's good to sing out the day.

23:07:12 Haruka's high-priced sneakers beat the pavement along with half a dozen other pairs. The boy from Osaka was quick to make friends --particularly the unsavory kind. But he got on well enough. Even though the sun had dipped behind the massive skyscrapers jutting up from the heart of Tokyo, the sky was still emblazened with the last dying embers of light. But even so Haruka wore his usual pair of sunglasses. The group roared and snickered as they took up the sidewalk. "Hey hey," One of the many points to the neon-lit "Karaoke Club" logo streaming across the front of the low building. This part of town had plenty of things to do; several clubs like this as well. "C'mon c'mon." They hollared, the drunkenly rowdy bunch quickly to squeeze themselves through the front doors.

23:13:16 [Kazuhiko] " . . . nichijyouno yamini kurumari jiyuuni shibararete . . . " typically, Kazuhiko probably wouldn't be caught in a karaoke bar. His shy demeanor was true to his nature and public displays weren't his forté. But he was with friends that he'd been with since grade school, so he felt perfectly comfortable. Although many didn't know, Kazuhiko really enjoyed singing, and was actually quite good at is. Some of his friends suggested he sang at public parties or events, but he really didn't feel comfortable with those kinds of things--too many unknown faces watching. For now, he could enjoy himself. Today had been good.

23:22:36 Haruka let himself be carried in the rush down the hall. Unlike some activities, which make you pay before having fun (bowling, for example), sessions here were paid for after. It made a game in the game; it was a whole lot of fun trying to find new ways to sneak out without paying the bill. The group showed themselves down a hall lined with doors and large sound-proof bay windows looking into the seperate rooms. "Heeey Haruka-kun! Ya gots tah sing that song ya do," One of his classmates hoot. Feeble, drunken agreements chime in. "Naaaah," Azusa deters the conversation. "I wanna hear Hatsumi-chaaan's beautiful angel voice!" Haruka ignored them. He didn't have anything better to do, so .. Shoving his hands into the pocket of his plaid pants, his attention wanders. One by one they file into their booth. Until something catches Haruka's eye across the hallway.

23:27:49 [Kazuhiko] " . . . bokuno tameikino seida oboetenaikedo kitto sousa," Kazuhiko finishes the song with these words. As his friends applaud his performance, Kazuhiko grins and looks around the room. His gaze drifts to the large window on one side and he freezes as his gaze meets . . . His. Suddenly time has stopped and it's as though he and Haruka were the only ones in existence. A million thoughts rush through his head in a flash, but to what him seems like eternity--what's he doing here? why? can he see me through the glass? let him just pass by . . .

23:35:31 Haruka watches the microphone in the sophomore's loosened grip sink to Kazuhiko's side. Was this coincidence really so shocking? "Haruka!" Azusa sticks his head out into the hall. "We're gonna shut the door." He warns. "Fine, go ahead." Haruka snaps. "Mouuuu," with a click the latch signals its close. Icy blue eyes look back to the window, piercing through the glare of the overhead florescent lights. Heh. He closes his eyes for a moment of pause before reaching forward for the handle of Kazuhiko's door. His gangly frame stood in the doorway. "On a date or somethin' Magami-kun?" A narrow smirk causes the two boys making up Kazuhiko's audience to shirk back on the circular couch.

23:41:23 Kazuhiko 's face flushes, "Tenjou-san . . . " at a loss for words, Kazuhiko looks towards his comrads. They shrug unhelpfully in response, in a 'he's your problem' kind of way. Cornered. "I . . . just . . . " he swallows "You know . . ."

23:46:42 Haruka was entertained by the way Kazuhiko remained on the stage like he was too afraid to come down. "You think you sing pretty good?" He leans a shoulder against the door frame, lifting his chin so that he could peer through his blue-tinted lenses that have slid down the bridge of his nose. "Why don't you seranade me, then? C'mon, let's hear it. I want to hear your voice, whispering like the choir in heaven." It was a clumsily poetic thing to say, but hey, the Japanese had the habit of speaking that way. His eyes were solely focused on Kazuhiko now, waiting to see if that carnation pink on his cheeks would fire up an acidic red.

23:51:08 Kazuhiko shakes his head uncertainly. "No . . . really . . . " he hurries off the stage, "I . . . uh . . . was just going to go, actually." He looks to make a move to squeeze by Haruka, but decides against it. He looks back at his friends, "Guess I'll see you guys later, ne?" They nod,. Kazuhiko smiles meekly at Haruka, "Ano . .. if I could just get by . . ."

23:57:52 Haruka thought about doing something mean. Yeah, that generally. But glancing at his friends (who he didn't doubt would go down without a fight) he decided not to waste his time. Besides, he didn't want to look like a real villian. He was just another misunderstood student. Muahahaa. "Hai," He consents, letting Kazuhiko scurry by. As his two companions stand to shuffle out also, Haruka gives them a threatening look and shuts the door in their face. "I'll show you out." He waves his hand at Kazuhiko, who opens his mouth to protest, silencing him. A hand drops heavily on the boy's shoulder. Now he really should feel trapped.

00:03:35 Kazuhiko almost dies when Haruka shuts his friends inside. And then he realizes that death would have been sweet when he feels Haruka's hand on his shoulder. He feels his face burning brightly. "I . . . don't need to be shown out . . ." he tries to shake off Haruka's hand and head towards the door on his own. Tries.

00:12:06 Haruka didn't expect Kazuhiko to openly oppose him that way. Haruka led a surprisingly good life for one of his attitude, so he wasn't normally a violent person. Instead of getting angry, he bemusedly jogs after the boy that slipped out from under his grasp. "Boku .. " he begins, but ends up smiling behind his sunglasses at the woman receptionist behind the counter as they approach. "What booth?" She asks. "Oh, well .. " Haruka rubs the back of his neck, looking down at Kazuhiko, who's most likely turned away or turned toward her. "You see .. I didn't have a session this time. Go ahead and pay, Magami-kun. You weren't really gonna walk out, were you?" He chitters a laugh. "Naaah, stuffy Magami-kun'd never do that! His Okaa-san might take away his dinner that night." Haruka snickers, dropping an inescapable arm around Kazuhiko's shoulders. "Ne?" He grinned for their lovely audience.

00:17:16 Kazuhiko only murmurs in response to Haruka and attempts to smile as though the two are friends . . . he fishes out the proper yen for the time he was in the with the others and pays the receptionist, "Domo arigatou! Oyasumi nasai!" the lady smiles and bows politely. He looks up timidly at Haruka, as though expecting him to say what he wanted to do next, or perhaps release his hold on him.

00:27:43 Haruka looked toward the door, letting the weight of his arm slip away from Kazuhiko's narrow shoulders. The loop of chain dangling from pantloop to back pocket clinks against the side of his leg as the uppclassman bends down to whisper alongside the boy's ear. "I'm not letting you go tonight. Put it out of your mind." A flat palm against Kazuhiko's back urges him toward the door. "Let's go." He waves at the receptionist. "Arigatou."

00:33:35 Kazuhiko has a terrifying "daymare" involving Haruka and him naked . . . love hotel . . . O.O;; OMG. Let's just say the color of his face by this point is equivalent to a deep sunset. That or the darkest blood red pooring into his face. Whichever. Kazuhiko feels himself go faint and prays that it's not the prefecture infamous for its love hotel-lined streets. "Ha-hai," he capitulates to Haruka's urging, fearing the worst. Outside the bar it's a crisp clear night. Typically, Kazuhiko would enjoy the serenity of such a night, but not now. He wonders what his options are for running again. Looking around at the sidewalk full of people, he doesn't find it likely. He decides that, for now, he'll wait and see. Maybe it won't turn out so bad . . .

____
Tokyo
____

00:39:57 Haruka and Kazuhiko step outside the karaoke club onto a busy sidewalk. The foot traffic was intense this time of night, with rowdy teens and workers off from overtime. He looks up and down the street, uncertain as to his next move. "Saa .." He rolls his shoulders back. "What's your favorite color, Magami-kun?" Random-ness. o.O

00:42:29 Yuuki glances around. She is wearing the prestigious Hikuro Academy school uniform--a dark blue color with slate-grey pants: which is the boy's uniform, but she appears to not care. She has her hair pinned up in a long ponytail while her bangs obscure her eyes. A group of giddy, swooning girls crowd around her as she walks--apparently she is their latest role-model. The features of her face are calm and cold. At first glance, she is often mistaken for a boy--namely for her flat chest . . is it bound down, perhaps? The girls she strolls the sidewalk with giggle hyperly about how lucky they are that Yuuki is spending time with them.

00:42:37 Kazuhiko blinks in confusion at Haruka, "Color . . . ?" he attributes this new (and odd) question to the faint smell of on Haruka's breath. He smiles nervously, "Aa, well I guess I like orange. And blue. Why . . . why do you ask?"

00:46:39 Kazuhiko notices the swooning girls repeating an oddly familiar name "Yuuki" . . . Kazuhiko blinks in realization, "Saa . . . I know her . . . that's Yuuki-san . . . I've noticed her in the district test scores . . . she's usually just few places behind me." he mutters mostly to himself.

00:51:49 Haruka also seems distracted, but he'd attribute his weirdness to the he toasted with his friends earlier. "Aa.. " The wake of noisy girls takes his attention for a moment, as well, but he couldn't pick out who Kazuhiko might be talking about. "Psst." He turns his head to the side. "That's Hikuro Academy right? What a dump."

00:52:56 Kazuhiko furrows his brows aggitatedly, "Te-tenjou-san . .. . really . . . Hikuro is on the level of Teisho, you know . . . "

00:54:40 Yuuki twitches her eyebrow as she starts walking towards Kazuhiko them with the swooning girls around her asking for her time of day to spend time with them. She really was that much of an over-achieving student. She stopped walking seeing him. "Aa...I recognize you.." she spoke in her smooth sweet melodic like voice which was very eloquent, "You're Kazuhiko."

00:58:54 Haruka, clearing the top of Kazuhiko's strawberry-blond head, narrows his eyes at who's approached them. It was obvious Yuuki either didn't notice or was pointedly ignoring him, which could piss Haruka off real quick, to be brushed aside that way. But the glare was lost behind the dark tint of his sunglasses. "Magami Kazuhiko." He cuts in authoritively. An arm drops over one of Kazuhiko's shoulders, leaning over the younger boy enough to catch Yuuki's eye. "Kazuhiko-kun and I are close friends," He bluffs. "You got a problem with him?" Straight to the point.

01:01:27 Kazuhiko looks down, embarrassed. "Don't . . .mind him . . . Yuuki-san. . . Yes, I'm Magami Kazuhiko. I've noticed you on the district lists. Hajimemashite." he nods his heads in place of bowing, as Haruka leaning over him prevents him from fully being able to bow.

01:01:59 Yuuki chuckles "You must be Haruka." she smiles, which made the girls around her swoon, "It's been a long time Kazuhiko-kun." her deep blue eyes sparkle with amusement. She still spoke in her usual melodic voice.

01:04:20 Yuuki bows to them both. "Hajimemashite...I'm Misumi Yuuki."

01:05:11 Haruka lifts an eyebrow but returns it to place. It was a little strange someone from an Academy across the prefecture would know him, or at the very most, speak to him with his given name. "Don't talk so friendly." But being a transfer student, he wouldn't know word spread further in Tokyo than you'd expect. "You'll call me Tenjou-san." It was a respectable request. "Tenjou Haruka, from Osaka."

01:06:56 Kazuhiko blinks at Yuuki. "Eeto . .. have we met before? Although I have seen your name frequently, I don't believe we've met in person." he tilts his head.

01:08:50 Yuuki smiles at Haruka "Very well then...I will call you Tenjou-san.." she looks at Kazuhiko "You don't remember me do you? Then I do not think it is wise of me to say how I know you." she says mysteriously, just as she is suddenly pounced on by the swooning girls asking her requests to buy them something since she came from a wealthy family. She sighed but looked at the two, "You've seen my name frequently, like I have yours."

01:09:55 Haruka looks from Yuuki to the swarm around her. Tch. It was all a good reminder why he disliked them so much. He remembered that the group he originally came with, before splitting off with Kazuhiko, was still inside the karaoke bar. If they came out any time soon you could expect a scene. A very lewd one.

01:12:07 Kazuhiko frowns at Yuuki, . . . he thinks. "Tenjou-san . . . ikou . . . kudasai . . . "

01:13:40 Yuuki slowly moves the swooning girls away from her as she gives them each some money to go off and buy something while she stood there. Once the girls were away she looked at the two "You are probably wondering why I'm all the way out here away from the academy."

01:15:21 [Haruka] "Ee," a hand turns Kazuhiko's shoulders away from the others. "This way, Kazuhiko-kun." He didn't like the students from Hikuro very much. But then everything rubbed him the wrong way the first time around. He begins walking with the flow of others moving steadily down the sidewalk. "I'll take you home tonight."

01:16:38 Haruka pauses and looks over his shoulder at Yuuki. "Don't be so interested in getting close. We don't care. It's late at night; why would you at your Academy?"

01:18:10 Kazuhiko glances briefly at Yuuki before being led away by Haruka. He blinks and looks up at Haruka as they walk away, "Taking me . . . home?"

01:18:38 Yuuki stood there watching them leave "Sayonara Kazuhiko-kun...perhaps in your past you may remember me." she turns the other way walking off, still wearing the prestigious Hikuro Academy uniform meant for the guys, but she didn't seem to mind. Her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, at first glance she looked like a guy--perhaps her chest was bound. Looking over her shoulder at Haruka she says, "I'm not at Hikuro because it is the three week break before finals."

_____
Juuban
_____

01:22:01 Kazuhiko walks along silently for a short while, "Tenjou-san . . . back there. . . you called me 'Kazuhiko-kun' . . ." he looks up at the taller . "Naze ka? And . . . isn't it a little early? I had planned on staying out longer . . ." he looks up at the sky.

01:29:15 [Haruka] "Ee, that's because .." He walks alongside Kazuhiko, his mop of shaggy brown bangs hanging in front of his eyes, watching the lines in the sidewalk disappear under their feet. "..I don't want so many people thinking that .." What was it .. he wanted to say exactly? Both hands slid into his front pockets, the vibrant red of his plaid pants resisting the gloom of the night. "I can't have so many people thinking I'm not friendly." He looks up the street, nodding to himself definitively. "So you'll be calling me Haruka now."

01:32:27 Kazuhiko nods, "H-hai . . .. Haruka-san . . . " he suddenly stops. "Aa . . . Ten---er--Haruka-san . . . why don't we go somewhere else instead of my house? It's a Friday night anyway . . . " he stumbles on his words and fails to think of any actually reasonable excuse for them not going to his house.

01:35:21 [Haruka] "What, you have more plans or something?" He stops walking, turning this over in his mind. By this time Kazuhiko must have stopped walking and turned to look at him. "Is it your boyfriend?" It was difficult to tell if he was joking; the sunglasses he continued to wear seemed to suck any expression away from his face, leaving those cold blank lenses the only thing to return your stare.

01:39:56 Kazuhiko smiles haphazardly, "No, of course not. What are you talking about, Haruka-san?" he tries to laugh. Nervously. "I just . . . . thought maybe we could . .. " he takes a deep breath and prepares himself for what he's about to say. He reminds himself that overall, this will be better in the long run--at least Haruka won't know where he lives. Hopefully. " . . . hang out?" he tries smiling casually, but doesn't know if he's succeeded. He finds it very difficult to look at Haruka with those shades on.

01:44:59 Haruka says nothing for what seems like an uncomfortable length of time. Then with the scuff of his sneaker soles he turns his back to Kazuhiko, as if he were ready to leave him on the streets of Juuban. "I don't hang out with underclassmen."

01:46:32 Kazuhiko sighs with relief. "Yokatta . . . " he whispers to himself. "Jaa . . . I guess I can just go home by myself then, ne?" he rests his hand on the nape of his neck.

01:49:42 Haruka looks over at Kazuhiko, twisting at the waist. The sunglasses slide away to reveal energetic blue eyes. "Sooo you must live around here." He grins, getting Kazuhiko to say more than he could have by asking directly.

01:51:25 Kazuhiko's eyes go wide. "Eh . . . ?" He blinks. "Well . . . not . . . here . . . but . . . " he stutters stupidly for a little while.

01:55:12 Haruka scrunches his shoulders up, letting his hands hang limp over his wrists in something of a pesudo-self-defeated shrug, which was complete bullshit with that sly grin on his face. "Well it would be highly irresponsible of a cool junior like myself to let someone so skinny and helpless roam the streets at a time like this." He says dutifully. "Besides," He slides up to Kazuhiko's side, squeezing the back of his neck with a hand. "Don't you want to show me your room?" He leans close. "I bet it has a computer along with that pricey laptop of yours." Heh heh.

01:59:18 Kazuhiko looks down off to the side. Defeated. "Well . . . okay . . . " How can such a perfect day get so perfectly ruined? Tenjou Haruka at the house of Magami Kazuhiko. And to make things worse, his parents were away on business and his sister was staying with a friend. Perfect. He drags his feet along the sidewalk the next several blocks to his house--a large attractive two-story with a single car garage.

02:09:21 Haruka takes in the property as Kazuhiko slowly trudges up its walk. His own family made a decent income and were able to send him an ample allowance (he lived alone in a studio apartment), but still managed to be impressed. "Are your parents lawyers, or doctors?" He whistles, stepping onto the small stoop close to Kazuhiko. The porch light clicked on, bathing them in a soft yellow glow. "Kazuhiko-kun." Haruka is suddenly gripping the underclassman's elbow, and looking intently into that boy's eyes. His own were doubtful, as if he had planned on saying something. He lets go. "Nothing." And hops down to the walk. "I'm not really going to impose, so you can relax know." He shows Kazuhiko a thin smile. "Your face is too easy to read." He lifts his other hand. "Ja."

02:13:42 Kazuhiko blinks in confusion again. So innocent, so naïve . . . "Eh . . . ?" he stands on the stoop looking at Haruka. "Ah, well . . . my mom is an artist and my dad works for one of the major printing companies in Tokyo. So my dad travels to the International divisions of the company a lot, and my mom follows to paint. Um . . . " he looks inside after opening the door. "Do you . . . want to come in?" he offers politely.

02:17:25 Haruka only stands there with that smile, though inside he was stunned by Kazuhiko. Or maybe .. that boy was just stupid. He turns away, waving his still-suspended hand. "Oyasumi, Kazuhiko ..kun .."