DREAM WORLD
by Eri

(You may notice that this story isn't told by only one character, but a few different characters. Though mostly you'll see the story being told in Lesley's point of view. Anyway, enjoy or.. something. One more thing, to answer the question of one reviewer--- I'm not Japanese (or Japanese-American). I'm a 1st generation Filipino-American who used to live in Japan when I was a kid, plus I have a lot of Japanese (and Japanese-American) friends in real life, so I learn a lot from them, which inspired me to write something like this... ^^;)

Kenji Kozakura
CHAPTER 2 - Idol of an Idol

"Places, everybody! Places!"

"Baz?? Why do I have to partner up with him?? Why is Murase Saki-chan have to be Mizuhara Kai-san's partner again??"

"You already had a chance being partners with him on photo shoots and even with that drama series you and him recently made, Mika-chan! What's wrong with partnering up with Kitayama Noboru-kun? He's as classy and good-looking as Kai anyway--- now get to your place before I lose my patience!"

Japanese girls. Go figure. Why is it that most girls I ran across to these days have to be so overly vain? I guess I haven't had a chance to meet a certain girl outside Jack-in-the-Box. But the good news for me is that I don't have to be fought over by the Jivin' Jills again ever since Mizuhara Kai-kun joined the Jumpin' Jacks. I wasn't trying to say that being "on top among the rest" is bad or anything like that, but when you're in that position, you tend to be the most pressured by all these top agents and the so-called pop "elites" to be the best. Been there, done that.

It was time for another photo session for Popcorn pop magazine. Practically almost every single day there was always going to be photo sessions, interviews, even some guest appearances in major variety shows too. Baz, the head manager/agent (or whatever you call it) had this major plan of forming another pop vocal group consisting of Mizuhara-kun, my other two buds Hayashibara Tomohiro and Tokuda Jun, and myself. I was even surprised at first that Mizuhara-kun was going to be part of the group. He actually had other plans for him since he is now "on top among the rest," but from what I heard from other people Mizuhara-kun really wanted to be part of this new group for many reasons, I'm sure. Tomohiro-kun said that one of the reasons was because of me, but I was still a bit unsure as to what he meant by that.

I haven't really met Mizuhara-kun thoroughly ever since he joined. I mean, we talk sometimes but it was always about work and not about the usual guy stuff that normal guys talk about. He was only twelve when he first joined the Jumpin' Jacks (I was only eleven when I joined). He looked really quiet and shy, but his talent in acting, singing, and dancing was incredible. At a young age like that I was really impressed. And not just that, he even had the right look and style to even become a future teen idol. Before he came along I was "on top among the rest" and I had practically all the Jivin' Jills going all over me. It was really horrible, since I wasn't too interested in dating girls at that age anyway, plus I couldn't stand them being too vain to themselves as if this whole teen idol thing was more of a beauty contest than being part of the pop culture publicity to all the young people around the country. They were giving us future teen idols a really bad name in front of the public! Just kidding.

I wonder how Mizuhara-kun feels about this high position over everyone else? He didn't look like he was bothered by all the attention, but he wasn't vain or self-centered either. It was pretty funny that while he is working in photo shoots, in interviews, and shooting TV scenes that he has a lot to say, but when it comes to being an individual, he rarely says anything at all. It was either that he just likes to be alone, that he was introverted, or he was just plain shy with people. He was not afraid to present himself to the public but trying to communicate in private one-on-one was a totally different story. Just by looking at him I knew that he was definitely going to have a really bright future ahead of him. I have heard him sing in one of those teen-oriented variety shows and he was really good. His voice seemed to be a bit higher than mine but girls and other fans seem to love it, so I didn't think he needed to have vocal training after all. Jun-kun had a really deep voice for such a young age. He was the youngest among all four of us guys with me being the oldest (well, four months older than Mizuhara-kun and seven months older than Tomohiro-kun), but his voice was good enough to sing bass. Of course, I knew that right away because before Jack-in-the-Box, the three of us used to attend school together somewhere in Tokyo.

Tomohiro-kun and Jun-kun are actually related--- cousins. I happened to be Tomohiro-kun's best friend and the three of us eventually hung out together. We were even part of an all-boys' choir in our school--- well, that is--- we all went to a private all-boys school. We used to play around with our voices to see if we can imitate different kinds of tones. We even became the first trio to sing a capella style and we even sang together that way in one of our concert recitals. It was a lot of fun until Yoshiyuki Sakakibara, the head agent, discovered us. For some odd reason everyone called him "Baz"-- I guess that was his nickname or his stage name or something. I guess it was a privacy thing that they change names, but I don't want to sound really fake being in the entertainment industry, so I just stuck with my real name--- Kozakura Kenji.

At age eleven, which was the first time I joined, all eyes were on me. I almost ruled in every single cover page of every pop or teen-oriented magazine all over Japan. I even had the most pin-ups in these magazines too and the one who had the most interviews as well. I starred in a lot of variety shows and in TV dramas. In the beginning it was fun but later on when you get used to it, it really isn't what was cracked up to be. I panicked in complete stress one time that I even passed out during one of the teen-oriented shows that I was performing at. As a result I almost ended up quitting but Baz, Tomohiro-kun, and Jun-kun convinced me not to leave and that I needed to just calm down and take a rest. I did take an almost one-year break off of Jack-in-the-Box, but then the time that I was finally confident enough to go to work again, everything became less stressful for me yet in a way I lost my reputation at the same time. That was the time when the agency discovered Mizuhara-kun--- and he was the new "it" dude of the teenage pop culture. All of us eventually got to know him a bit and he referred to all the guys with their last names and a "-kun" at the end of it. All but me, that is. At that time, I was already twelve.

"Kozakura-san," I heard that familiar voice calling me from behind. We were currently taking a break from our photo shoot while I was lying down on the resting couch reading a book. I took my eyes off my book and saw Mizuhara-kun looking down right towards me. "Can I.... talk to you...?"

"What's up?" I got up from my seat as I invited him to sit down next to me. Though we're the same age, except that I am four months older, it felt really weird for someone my own age to call me with the "-san" suffix. It made me feel really old, but both Tomohiro-kun and Jun-kun told me that I was Mizuhara-kun's idol or something like that that he wanted to show a lot of respect for me.

"I need pointers at... some stuff... onegai?" He sounded really shy and nervous everytime he tried to talk to me. He was pretty much open to most of the guys but I always wondered why he always sounded really nervous every time he talks to me.

"Pointers?" I chuckled softly. "Ne, Mizuhara-kun... you've been here for a year now, shouldn't you get used to what's going on here...?"

"No, it's not that," he said. He scratched his head nervously and took a deep breath. "I haven't really... um... shared this with any one of my close friends, but..."

"But what...?"

"Yume o shinjiru ka, Kozakura-san? (Do you believe in dreams, Kozakura-san?)" Dreams, I thought to myself. Normally he would only consult me when it comes to work in the agency and in the studio or whatever, but asking about dreams is relatively new to me. I wondered what made him bring up this subject? Could it be that he has been dreaming every night about something important or strange or what...?

"Mochiron shinjiru yo... naze? (Of course I believe in it.. why?)" I replied to him, looking really curious.

"Um... well... I know this is really strange, but... you know how Baz and some other agents plus you, Hayashibara-kun, Tokuda-kun, and me were auditioning some Jivin' Jill girls to see who gets to be the female singer of this upcoming vocal group that we're going to be in the near future? Well, this may sound a bit crazy but ever since the first day of auditions I've been having all these... these strange dreams..."

"Yume-tachi o nanda...? (What dreams...?)"

"A girl--- I can't make up her face but her voice is what really... intrigued me."

"A girl?" I wondered. I know it is normal that guys always dream of girls, but Mizuhara-kun sounded as if this "girl of his dreams" may probably be the one who would be the female singer in our future group. "Who? Can you tell by her voice? You said you heard her voice..."

"Singing voice, Kozakura-san!" he exclaimed. "She was... singing to me... as if she was saying that I should be with her... or... I don't know, something like that..." He sighed for a bit and relaxed himself. "I can't get her off of my mind... I know I should be thinking about Saki-chan but---"

"Whoa," I interrupted him right away right when he mentioned Murase Saki's name. Let me tell you one thing that Murase Saki and I had a past together--- last year, to be exact. It was painful, but I guess in a way it was meant to be this way. Everytime I hear her name from someone else's mouth it just made me really cringe. "Murase Saki?"

"Aa... (yeah...)," he replied with a low tone. "I'm always partnered up with her all the time except for Totemo Daisuki Yo. I had fun working with Otaru Momoko-chan... it was too bad that she had to be partnered up with another guy again... maybe there wasn't any connection flow going on between me and her. I didn't know that things in here are going to be this way when it comes to the Jumpin' Jacks and the Jivin' Jills, you know...?"

"Welcome to Jack-in-the-Box, Mizuhara-kun," I smirked a bit. "I just want to warn you one thing about Murase Saki before you make an advance at her---"

"Me? Advance? No way!" he exclaimed in defense right at me. "I mean, Saki-chan's cute and all but she's a bit... I don't know... clingy!"

"You're beginning to be just like me then!" I patted the young star on the shoulder with a smirk on my face. "I'm not saying that she's bad overall, but... ugh, just thinking about her makes me feel..."

"I heard from Hayashibara-kun that you and Saki-chan used to be.... well... you know..." he scratched his head, thinking of the right word until he finally spat it out, "... together?"

I am admitting it now. That was one of the reasons why I did not want to be associated with Murase Saki again, but since Mizuhara-kun is sorta right behind my tail, I could not just shrug the thought of Murase Saki off of my mind. She used to be a really sweet girl when we first met when we first joined. I know we were still young and we were only eleven back then, but I guess the two of us mature quickly when it comes to love. Anyway, we were doing well together and I thought that maybe we would go steady together for real when we reach our teenage years but things completely changed since I passed out from stress. When Mizuhara-kun joined and became the new "it" guy, Saki dumped me for him, telling me that I was no longer popular and that it was all my fault that I passed out in the beginning. Boy, I never knew that passing out in stress was a huge turn-off for her.

The funny thing about Mizuhara-kun was that he rarely displayed any interest in Saki ever since they were paired up together. Good thing that I did not get jealous or anything when I learned that I was "dethroned" off of popularity by this guy. I needed to be dethroned--- I could not stand the pressure and the heavy burden that was placed on me by the others and the fans. I was in a way glad that Mizuhara-kun came along or otherwise I would have died already, but in a way I kind of miss the attention, but on the other hand, I still have my friends and even supporters no matter how I was ranked in public. That also included Mizuhara-kun himself. Another interesting fact that I noticed about Mizuhara-kun was that he seems to have an interest in a certain girl with a certain look or gesture. It is pretty hard to explain in detail, but every single girl that he dated for a few days looked like each other--- different look, different style, but the complexion is almost identical.

"Tonikaku, Mizuhara-kun... yume ni tsuite... (Anyway, Mizuhara-kun... about your dream...)" I decided to change the subject before I ended up ranting about Murase Saki again. I was sure that was not what Mizuhara-kun came to me in the first place anyway. "... all I can say is that--- sometimes dreams tell you what your future may be, so you'd better be aware of that... and I also think that maybe that girl you're dreaming about is the one who's going to be the female vocalist in our future group--- if not about a girl that you'll end up falling in love with when you get older or... something like that."

He lowered his head and sighed. I could not tell if it was a sigh of relief or a sigh of lucklessness, but nevertheless he sighed. "I guess you're right. Maybe the voice will tell me which girl should be part of the group." He looked up to me and changed the subject: "Have you gotten your interview or photo shoot yet with Popcorn?"

"Later this afternoon," I answered him. "You?"

"Thirty minutes," he sighed again. It looked like he was not in his usual happy mood today. I wonder what was bothering him.

"You don't look enthusiastic today, what's up?"

"Nothing, just tired," he answered. "I didn't have enough sleep last night because of the mysterious girl in my dreams." He placed his hand on his forehead and lifted his head up. "I still can't get it off of my mind."

"Take it easy, Mizuhara-kun," I suggested to him. "I don't want you to pass out or anything like that. If you're not feeling well, let Baz and everybody know. Besides, since you're the 'it' guy of the industry now, they'll listen to you. All the others have to beg and beg until these people finally realize that you really do need to rest. Don't make the same mistake that I did when I was eleven. It's not good for your health."

"Doumo, Kozakura-san... (Thanks, Kozakura-san)," he replied with a smile on his face. "This is actually the first time since I joined that someone warned me of the negative side of being a well-known personality..."

I was beginning to feel really old with him constantly calling me with the "-san" suffix. "My first name is Kenji, Kai-kun," I decided to refer him by his first name. Since the two of us are going to be in the same group anyway, we might as well get to know each other more and become good friends. If Tomohiro-kun and Jun-kun admire this guy, why not? It's not as if I am in competition with him anyway. I needed him to have my position at ease, you know?

"I didn't want to be too informal," he responded.

I chuckled a bit and shook my head. "We're the same age, Kai-kun! Everytime... everytime you call me 'Kozakura-san' it makes me feel really old, you know? Besides, it feels weird for me for someone like you calling me that way, you know...?"

I think I made him feel really embarrassed. He lowered his head, looking a bit embarrassed. Now I felt really bad. "Gomen, Koza--- Kenji-san... (I'm sorry, Koza--- Kenji-san...)"

"Kenji-kun," I corrected him, still grinning at the same time. I patted him on the shoulder so he would not feel really uncomfortable around me.

"Gomen... Kenji-kun... (I'm sorry... Kenji-kun...)"

"Hey, nothing to be sorry for, kid," I laughed a bit. "I don't get you sometimes, Mizuhara-kun. When you're getting interviewed or having guest appearances or do anything for the public, you're outgoing, but whenever somebody talks to you in private, you hardly even speak!"

"It's my job to be outgoing in public," he said, looking directly at me through the eye. "I'm not... I'm not really an open person in real life..."

I shook my head, a bit disappointed. This was supposed to be the guy who should be more favored by the fans than me?? You've got to be kidding me. "Dame da, Kai-kun... (That's not good, Kai-kun...) Are you crazy? Fans expect you to be open! Though most of these fans like you for the things you do in front of the camera or in the splash pages in print, there are a lot of others who like you for who you are as a person. I've never heard of a teen idol who's not open. How are you going to win more new fans with that kind of personality? You do know that there will be times that lucky fans will get to win some contest or something from some teen magazine and that they would get to spend the time with you.... that's considered a dream come true to them."

"I know about those fan contests but I never really experienced something like that," he answered. "My dad kept telling me that I need to improve on my 'social skills'... I didn't know what they meant by that, but---"

"You'll have to learn to like people... even if it's annoying at times, it's what an idol should be. People like you, and you should like them in return because of their love and support for you and your success. And when you end up meeting a fan person-to-person, you're gonna have to learn how to appreciate the fact that this fan really likes you very much. This isn't a job description that I'm telling you now, Kai-kun... this is for real! You, your self, and your personality is what is going to determine your popularity towards the public--- they want to see and know all those three factors to see if you really do deserve to be on top among the rest."

"Sou ka... (is that so...) I never really thought of that, Kenji-kun..." Jeez, I thought to myself. This is Mizuhara Kai-kun that we're talking about here... he's been an idol of all the idols for almost a year now and he still acts like a rookie...? Looks like veteran Kozakura Kenji-kun will have to teach this kid a thing or two about being a really good teen idol... or.. something like that. "Gomen ne... I just hope you're not really bothered by me acting stupid---"

"U~un!" I laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "You're still kinda new at this stuff. It's natural, you know? Guess I'll have to teach you a thing or two about some good 'people' skills---"

"Doumo ne, Kenji-kun! Arigatou! (Thanks a lot, Kenji-kun! Thank you!)" Poor guy. He looked really lost. It's okay, he was only thirteen and he was still a newbie at this. He'll get used to it.


Nighttime came and Baz called it the day. Every night the Jumpin' Jacks and the Jivin' Jills would always hang out at this so-called "exclusive" hangout for the Jack-in-the-Box celebrities only called Junior Jack's. Sometimes I always wondered why my world seemed to be revolved around the name "Jack." But anyhow, right after work, it was off to Junior Jack's for dinner, hangout, and fun times before we head home. Our local mail person Subaru (I don't know his last name, everybody just calls him Subaru or Subaru-san or whatever...) stopped the guys (Tomohiro-kun, Jun-kun, Kai-kun) and myself with four huge sacks of mail--- FAN MAIL-- to be exact. Most idols seemed really annoyed with fan mail, but personally, I like reading fan mail. I have to be honest that I don't like writing letters due to my horrible handwriting, but if everyone did have internet access, it would be easier for me to just email them or reply to them at the official message board or something like that. The guys and I decided to take these sacks of mail and read them one-by-one at Junior Jack's.

Junior Jack's is a really huge place. They serve mainly fast food but we could do special requests too and have something else that's not in the menu. It wasn't just a fast food place, but it was also an arcade place, a lounging place, and there's even karaoke every other day too. At times whenever the agency (studio, whatever) have special vocal guests, they would perform at the mini-stage. The guys and I are practically veterans at that particular stage, singing out for real rather than singing karaoke. I was really glad and thankful that I get to hang out in an awesome place like Junior Jack's and get to hang out with the coolest people around the country. The only thing that sucked about this place was that we're the only ones allowed--- the Jumpin' Jacks, the Jivin' Jills, the Jack-in-the-Box staff, the agency's executives, and invited VIPs. No fans or staff members allowed.

Kai-kun, Tomohiro-kun, Jun-kun, and I hung out at one of the lounging areas where there's lots of room for us to spread out all the fan mail we've got stacked in these huge sacks. There were other people--- mostly the cutest Jivin' Jill girls in the industry--- who were hanging out with us too, reading some of our fan mails just for enjoyment. As much as I despise having these girls around, the other guys didn't seem to mind.

"Oi, Kenji-kun," I heard Tomohiro-kun calling me nearby. It looks like he wanted to read one of his random letters first. "I'm reading first!" He opened one of his fan mails and started to read out loud: "'Everdearest Tomohiro-kun, I have been a huuuge fan of yours ever since you joined the Jumpin' Jacks, and despite the fact that Mizuhara Kai-san is the new center of attraction, you will always be my center of attraction on my list. I really think you're one of the most original idols among the Jumpin' Jacks. You're smart, talented, and by the sound of all the articles and interviews through magazines and talk shows, you seem to be a very down-to-earth person overall! I really do wish you more success in the future and may your career soar even higher, even if there are new faces who are stealing away the pop scene, and if all else, I do hope you find the right girl as you get older. Much much power to you always, Tomohiro-kun! ---Yamadera Hitoe, Saitama-ken'..."

"What do you know," Jun-kun smirked a bit. "That's the first fan mail that has a really positive message! I think you should write this Hitoe girl back, Tomo-kun!"

"If I have time, I'll write in return... though I've never replied to any fan mail before..." Tomohiro-kun said, still staring at that letter. "But yeah, I'll definitely keep this."

"I'll read next!" Jun raised his hand and opened a random envelope from his sack and started to read the letter: "'For the Eyes of Tokuda Jun-san only! Dearest Tokuda-san, I really think you're the coolest Jumpin' Jack ever to exist in front of the camera and in the magazines. I heard that you can sing too, but I've never heard you sing. When will you have a chance to sing so I can hear your wonderful voice in music? Also, I was wondering--- how exactly do you get in to the Jumpin' Jacks or even the Jivin' Jills? I really think that I have the potential to be a Jivin' Jill, but I don't think I'd ever stand a chance. Maybe in a way I wanted to be in that group so I get to hang out with really cool guys, especially you! Even if Mizuhara Kai-san or Kozakura Kenji-san are even more popular than most of the Jumpin' Jacks, I still think you're the coolest! I hope you get to reply to this letter, even if you don't really have the time. I do have an email address if you prefer replying...'" He suddenly trailed off and flipped on the other side of the paper. He grinned right afterwards, then continued on reading. "'... I heard that Jack-in-the-Box may be forming another pop vocal group that would have Mizuhara Kai-san and Kozakura Kenji-san in it... is it really true that you and Hayashibara Tomohiro-san are going to be in it? If so, what would be the group's name? I bet you four guys are going to be even more popular than you guys being part of the Jumpin' Jacks... and is it true that it's going to be an all-guy-one-girl group too? Have you found the girl member for your group? I really can't wait to hear the latest news about you guys! I'll be keeping in touch, even if you don't have time to reply! I wish you luck! ---Teramura Asako, Chiba...'"

"What do you know, Jun-kun and I have been getting intelligent fan mail lately! This is awesome!" Tomohiro smirked. "So... Kenji-kun? Kai-kun? Who wants to read theirs next?"

"I'll read one of mine next," I volunteered and picked up an envelope from my sack. I prayed to myself that it would be an intelligent fan mail like Tomohiro-kun and Jun-kun just got today. I opened a sky blue-colored envelope and took out an onion-skin-textured sky blue paper with a faded rose at the bottom corner. Looks like a love letter, I thought to myself.

The following letter was written on the paper: (translated, of course)

To Kozakura Kenji-san,

How do you do? I just want to say that you still rule all of the Jumpin' Jacks even if someone else (Mizuhara Kai-san) already took over your spot. I do have a few questions (they're not really personal) regarding the experiences and facts about being part of the Jack-in-the-Box family. Do the agents from the agency actually get out there and scout around the company for new talent? Or do they hold certain auditions whether they have potential or not to become part of the family? In addition, I also read somewhere in one of the pop magazines that Jack-in-the-Box often hire songwriters to write songs for the groups they establish. I'm an amateur songwriter and I was wondering how I can get a start in songwriting, and what qualifications are needed. I also read that you did some occassional songwriting on your own while you were being trained to become one of the top-ranking teen idols in the industry, so I thought that maybe I would ask you this question.

It would be appreciative if you do reply, but I also notice that you're probably too busy on your work to reply to fan mails. That's okay too. May you have a brighter, wider path to the future, Kenji-san!

Sincerely,
Kanagawa Nanase
Tokyo

Never have I received a fan mail that has questions regarding my profession in general. Poor girl, she seemed to be aspired to become a songwriter in the hopes of having Jack-in-the-Box choose her to write songs for the groups they established. For all we know she might make it here--- she might even write songs for us. It's fan mail like this that actually makes me feel inspired. I did some occassional songwriting to be honest, which is what I first wanted to do in the first place before I joined the agency. No one but my parents actually knew of this "hidden talent" of mine, not even Tomohiro-kun or Jun-kun. Who heard of a little male kid who can write songs and poetry in the first place? I'm not saying that it's bad, but you know that male pride thing that everyone's been ranting about. I admit, I do have that male pride. Now that it's been revealed, I awaited until the other three guys react.

"I didn't know you wrote songs, Kenji-kun," Tomohiro wondered. "All these years that I've known you and you never told me that you wrote songs..."

"My family is a bunch of poets and songwriters, so... I... kinda... picked up... on them..." I gulped nervously, scratching my head.

"I think that's awesome!" I heard Kai-kun speak from behind. This was actually the first time he spoke ever since we gathered together to read our fan mail. "We won't have to spend money to hire songwriters for us for our own group, you know? And.... there's not a lot of guys--- well, guy kids, that is--- who could do that... at least, I don't think..."

"Heh," Jun smirked at me. "Luckily we're no longer in school anymore, Kenji-san... otherwise you'd be the laughingstock of the whole campus..." I nudged him violently on the side of his arm with a glare on my face.

"Anyway, enough about me and my songwriting," I frowned and turned to Kai. "It's your choice whether you want to read a fan mail aloud to us or not, Kai-kun."

"I'll go ahead and read aloud," he said. He picked a random envelope--- a plain, white envelope with no name or return address written. Wow... that's a first for a fan mail. It'd better not be one of those threat or practical joke mail that I always see on TV... He opened the envelope and opened the folded paper. He skimmed the paper first, then blinked in surprise. "Nan da...??? (What the...???)"

"Nani?? (What??)" I blinked in curiosity. Why did he react the way he did after he skimmed the paper?

"Kore no tegami wa.... Eigo?? (This letter is in... English??)" He looked at the postage stamp to see if it was a letter from the overseas. "No... this letter is from somewhere in Japan... the stamp... Okinawa kara... (It's from Okinawa...)"

"Let me see that," I took the paper from his hand and skimmed it myself. The writing was in English--- all English--- real English--- not those random Nihon no Ingurishi-type of junk that you normally see in Japanese pop culture lately. In fact, it was even written in poetry form. The whole thing looked like a song... it was really beautifully-written. I stared at Kai-kun, thinking why he was making such a big deal out of this. So what if it was in English, I thought to myself. Maybe he was surprised that there were foreigners out there who admire him as well. I think that was a really good thing. I never received any fan mail from outside Japan or from a foreigner yet but I think that's great honor! "You're making a big deal--- because it's written in English...?" I scratched my head, looking really confused.

"No, it's not that!" Kai retorted and took the paper away from me. He glanced at it and continued: "It's just that... it's really weird that a Japanese fan would write a letter to me in a different language... was she trying to impress me or something?"

Tomohiro scooted himself next to Kai and patted him on the shoulder: "Kai-kun.... uhh.... not to say you're naive or anything like that, but... uhh... fans... would... do... ANYTHING... to impress you..."

"Why don't you just read it, Kai-kun?" Jun scratched his head with a small frown on his face. "I want to hear it--- even if I'm not that good in English."

Kai frowned at Jun in return and stared at the paper. He began to read aloud:

When I first saw you
I met you in a dream
A dream that seemed so real
So real that I just don't want to wake up

You were standing there, smiling at me
I returned that smile, unsure what you meant
But it didn't matter, no matter what the meaning was
You were there and so was I
Wondering and not knowing what should happen next

The smile and your eyes brilliantly shine my day
Brighter than the brightest sun, warmer than spring
Everytime I see your presence I tremble
Trembling and leaping like the beat of my heart

Right now I'm in my sleep, living in my dream
You and I are somewhere out the world
Sitting underneath the tree with our hands together
Together, watching the sunset turn to night
Please don't wake me up
Please don't make me wake up
And let me stay with you... forever.

This is ironic, I thought to myself. Kai-kun was just talking about dreams earlier today! "That was really beautiful... lucky guy!" I smirked a bit at him while Kai-kun glanced at me with somewhat of a worried look.

"Kowaii ne... (This is strange...)" Kai-kun murmured. "There's no name... and yet this whole thing.. it's like.. it's like.. it's speaking to me... you know?"

"I wish I had that kind of fan mail..." Tomohiro blinked, sighing at the same time. "Stuff in English sounds way cooler than stuff in Japanese..."

"You should definitely keep that mail, Kai-kun," Jun suggested. "It's one of the rarest fan mail a celebrity can ever get!"

"Sou da sou da! (Yes! Definitely!)" Tomohiro winked in agreement.

"Pity," Kai frowned as he folded the paper and placed it in the envelope. "She didn't leave her name--- but I do know that this letter came from Okinawa."

"She could be one of those American military brats or something," Jun wondered. "You know about the U.S. bases down there..."

"Either that or just your common Okinawan girl who can speak English very well," Tomohiro added.

"Whatever," Kai-kun shrugged. "I'll keep it anyway and tape it somewhere on the wall in my room or... something."

We read more of the fan mail in our own sacks, which is what we did the rest of the night until we were all tired enough to go home and hit the sheets. We went home together in Tomohiro-kun's family car. At that point Kai-kun was asking me if I can help him deal with his "people skills" problem. "You really do need this, Kai-kun," I reminded him. "It's very important."

"I know," he replied softly. "And then maybe I can pay attention to other people more!"

"You have to anyway," I answered. "And it's not because it's your job to do it--- it has to come out naturally from your own, Kai-kun. People want to see the REAL you, not who you are in the movies, TV, or in the magazines. They know that you're a wonderful person, Kai-kun--- so show them how wonderful you really are!"

"Thanks, Kenji-kun," he said with a small smile on his face. "I'll try to be more open next time."

"Good," I said. "Starting tomorrow, it's audition period for the Jivin' Jills--- and see which one of those girls will eventually be part of our group. You need to come up with some questions to that person after she sings her small number. We need someone who isn't just a good singer, but a simple, down-to-earth personality as well."

"Gotcha!"

"It's going to be an interesting period, Kai-kun... you just wait and see." The two of us smiled as we headed our way home after a very long night.


To be continued...