Lost in Translation (open to Karasumori Tumbling)

[Azuma Wataru]

OOC: I wanted to create a new thread and since there was none where they are overseas, i decided to make them go to Australia. Since i live there and know how its like.. so its kind of easier. Enjoy!


It was Wataru's first time overseas. And it was not in an Asian country.

The tumbling team had miraculously won the chance to travel to Sydney to practise their skills and compete in a friendly competition. It was all thanks to their Kashiwagi sensei that they had this chance.

Wataru had to convince his mum to allow him to go. He had to convince her alot. She was worried that he wasnt able to cope with the environment and that he could not look after himself. He told her, It's only for two weeks. But in truth, he was also worried about leaving Japan. He was concerned that his mum would be lonely because he was all she had. Also, was the restaurant going to survive with only his mum? Would old man shigeo finally going to confess to her? However, the excitement in him overpowered his distress. It was a once in a lifetime chance and he was certainly not going to miss it.

He was like a elementary school boy waiting to go on a field trip. It is going to be so fun! He thought. Well, he was going with the tumbling team after all. Too bad he didnt have a camera to bring along to take silly photos with everyone.

When they got off the plane, the first thing Wataru noticed was that everyone he saw was almost not asian. Everyone was speaking english. Tall, blue eyes, blond hair, freckled skin and white white teeth. The typical Australians.

When they were travelling to their hotel, it was already getting dark.

The hotel they were staying in was not very spectacular or anything, but it was reasonably nice. There was 2 single, fluffy white beds with a soft soft pillow. But there was no tatami mat and this made Wataru feel a but uneasy. It was all very foreign. The bathtub was also very shallow and different from the ones in Japan. He was sharing the room with Ryosuke because no one else seemed to want to stay with a yankee. Especially not for 2 weeks. But he was glad to be sharing the place with Ryosuke because he was so used to him.

Because of the time difference, Wataru was not sleepy even when it was at night. Late at night. He was lying on the bed with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling. Being on the plane was tiring and uncomfortable. His legs were feeling funny because the seat was so crampy and the length of his legs were too long. He also felt a bit quesy but he there was no way he was going to tell his teammates. The legendary Azuma Wataru getting sick on the plane? No way. He couldnt picture that, and he wouldnt want to see their reactions when they found out.

Wataru rolled over and faced Ryosuke's direction. He couldnt see though, cause the light was off. He didnt know if he was asleep or not. Breathing in deeply, Wataru decided to go out and explore the nightlife of Sydney. Quitely, he felt slipped out of bed, put on his jeans and t-shirt, sneakers, stuffed his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans and closed the door quietly behind him as he left the room. Walking would definitely soothe his legs and make them feel more 'natural'.

Travelling in the escalator Wataru tried to style his hair a little. Rolling around the bed made his red hair more neat for some reason. The hotel was almost empty when he exited, with only a few staff still on duty. It was not as cold here, maybe because it was autumn. Another wierd thing was that the streets were almost deserted. Completely different from the night in Japan. There was no nightlife at all and seemed rather boring. He was walking around the Hotel area, not wanting to get lost or go too far. After all, he did not have a mobile that would work in Sydney.

The streets were lonely and dark. Not much streets lights around. Hardly any shops were open. Then he found the 7-11. As he entered, Wataru was somehow excited. I wonder what will be different from the 7-11 in Japan. Would they be selling weird stuff? Like Kangaroo meat? He couldnt contain his curiosity and walked casually into the store. There was only one shopkeeper. He was kind of thirsty so he walked over to the drinks freezer and grabbed a green bottle, covered with english words. All he could manage to understand was the word 'energy'. Unscrewing the cap, he gulped it down.

"Ugh. What is this? It's so bitter." Wataru couldnt help saying this to himself. The drink was bitter and not pleasant tasting. He didnt know it was a strong energy drink filled with guarana.

Suddenly, the shop keeper started to storm towards him, pointing his finger angrily at Wataru and the drink. Wataru had no idea what was going on. The old man was shouting something with an annoyed expression.
Uh. Oh no. What have i done? This was Wataru's first reaction. He didnt know what to do. Or what to say. He was not good at english at all. Wataru was a JAPANESE yankee after all.

What he didnt know was that in Sydney, people usually drink or eat their food AFTER they have paid. Not before.

Right now, Wataru felt worried and lost. He started talking Japanese to the old shopkeeper. "What did i do? I don't know what you are saying old man." Wataru was frowning and scratching his head with one hand and the other,still gripping the energy drink. The old man? Well, his hands were on his hips and he had a much bigger frown. He was also very angry by the tone of his voice.

Luckily, someone had walked into the store. And it was someone he recognised right away.

"Help meee!" He pleadingly asked the figure that has just entered the store. "I don't know what this old man is talking about".

[Kiyama Ryuichiro]

OOC: lolz, I unintentionally made Kiyama kinda bilingual in another thread... @_@ Anyhow, I don't know much about Australia but I'll try!... and parentheses are English here~

Kawashigi Yutaka was made of magic.

At least, that's what Kiyama had decided. Not only did the man manage the most unruly homeroom class in the school (and possibly the entire city), but he had a hand in helping the once dying boys gymnastics club to thrive. Somehow, he'd managed to charm the bitchiest teacher in the school. In his spare time, he even made herbal medicines from the weeds in his front yard. But this last thing, it was special. He didn't know whose strings were pulled, but Kashiwagi had yanked them good and scored the team a trip to Australia to compete... or something. The poor, and in many ways, still ridiculously lacking Karasumori High boys team. Kiyama still didn't understand all the details, but he was thankful for the chance to leave the stuffy confines of his hometown, if only for a few weeks.

Sydney actually reminded him a bit of some of the big cities in Japan in a few ways; it was on the sea, and unexpectedly diverse in areas. Yeah, Kiyama was probably as excited as some of the others... but given his style of staying quiet and taking in everything he could, it was really hard to tell.

The excitement was so great, that against his better judgment he'd decided to walk around on his own, and take in some of the sights. He'd been walking for quite a while when he got a serious case of the midnight munchies, so he took a detour to the closest place that was still open at that hour.

Not being in Japan, he didn't expect a greeting when he pushed his way in the to convenience store... but he was greeted. Except it was a lot more like yelling, half of it actually in Japanese. Curiously, Kiyama peered around the aisles to see an old man -- the store attendant? -- giving a piece of his mind to none other than Azuma Wataru. Why should it surprise him that Wataru would be out this time of night... was he that eager to be the first one to start trouble? Did he forget that out of the Karasumori lot's probably terrible English skills, that his was undeniably the worst? It took a lot for Kiyama not to throw up his hands and walk right out of the shop, but he caught a glance of Wataru's eyes. Not only did the yankee look confused and upset, but he genuinely looked a little scared.

And, well, Wataru caught a glimpse of him, too. "Help meee!" He pleadingly asked the figure that has just entered the store. "I don't know what this old man is talking about".

Muttering to himself, Kiyama stuck his hands in his pockets and approached the pair.

To be completely honest, he didn't exactly understand what the old man was saying either. His mouth was going a mile a minute and the unfamiliar Australian accent he had did nothing to help his comprehensibility. Finally, he held a hand up to halt the conversation, and pointed to himself and Wataru. "(We are Japanese. He cannot understand you.)"

The man spoke quickly, even after Kiyama had asked him to slow down several times, and from the inflection and rate of his speech, he couldn't help but get the feeling that he was being more dramatic than the situation called for. But somehow, after another grueling five minutes of the man's explanation, Kiyama was able to understand that the man thought that Wataru was stealing because he was drinking from the drink he hadn't paid for yet.

"(He didn't understand,)" Kiyama explained, pretty sure he was right. He then turned to Wataru and nudged him in the side. "Say 'sorry'," he whispered. "Saah-ree." He turned to the clerk again. "(Don't worry, he will pay. It won't happen again.)"

That seemed to appease the man, though he still leered at the two boys with a suspicious eye. In turn, Kiyama gave Wataru a look of his own, honestly irritated that he'd managed to cause trouble in such so quickly after they'd arrived.

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

ooc: WOOT! I love the idea of this thread!!! Thanks for starting it! (And for making me your roommate! That's so awesome! ^^)


Ryosuke was dreaming about Australia, which hardly seemed necessary, considering he was now in it. The Karasumori Tumbling Team had gone to the fantastic country and earned all kinds of awards for their obvious talent, awards which had encouraged all kinds of beautiful Australian women to congratulate the team. Ryosuke was currently in his glories, because he had three beautiful girls--a blonde, brunette, and redhead (in the more natural sense, compared to his best friend's dyed hair)--on his arms. Somehow they were speaking English and he actually understood, even though the best English he could manage were phrases probably real English speakers didn't even use anymore, like "Be quiet!" or "That's preposterous!"

Oh the wonder that was dreams....

Ryosuke had enjoyed the flight (he'd stayed awake to watch the take-off and the landing), and he'd even enjoyed traveling through the Australian setting to their hotel. The hotel was like the more modern ones in Tokyo--very Western in style, with large, comfy beds and much larger rooms and bathrooms. Ryosuke still didn't really understand how Western folk got washed and all that, but he figured he could try. He was open-minded enough.

But he'd seen the beds in the room and hadn't wasted a damned second. He'd been on it like a cat on catnip, and not much longer after, he'd conked out. They'd arrived sort of late to the beautiful country anyway. He figured he'd sleep the rest of the night away, catch an early shower in the morning, and be dressed and ready to see what Australia had to offer.

A quick, "Night!" to Wataru, and Ryosuke was out like a light.

It was only now, after his dream about probably unlikely victories and equally unlikely women, that Ryosuke snapped awale. The first thing he realized was that something was wrong, and reaching out to turn on the room light and looking across at the other bed, he noticed Wataru was no longer there.

Bathroom, maybe?

But Ryosuke could see through one of the mirrors in the room that the bathroom was unoccupied. The light was off and the door was open.

Now, there were plenty of reasons why Wataru could have gotten up and left. Jetlag, boredom....There were quite a few nice facilities in the hotel for it being not quite so "fancy" as it could have been. It was very possible Wataru had gone off to the lounge or maybe the swimming pool or even....to do some laundry.....

Ryosuke sidled to the edge of the bed and swung his legs over the side, yawning. Now that he was awake, he didn't feel quite so tired. In fact, knowing that Wataru was no longer in the room, Ryosuke actually felt kind of lonely. They were in a foreign country, after all. And he and Wataru had accepted a room that was kind of far from the other guys'. He wasn't even sure he knew the room numbers of the other team members, otherwise he'd probably go make a point to crash whatever party they were having, even if they were sleeping. He didn't much like being alone.

Ryosuke saw his black cell phone lying on the nearby night table and immediately reached out, grabbing it up in his hands. He would call Wataru!

The "No Service Available" sign quickly put out that flame.

Ryosuke threw his phone down onto the bed and puffed out his cheeks. What to do, what to do. He liked what he'd seen of Australia so far, but he felt quite a bit lost now, being here on his own. It felt embarrassing even to think about, because it certainly meant he was dependent on others, didn't it? But he couldn't help it.

Ryosuke climbed out of the bed for good, slipped on the sandals he'd brought with him for the beach, then headed out the door. He racked his brains, trying to think of what room Kashiwagi was staying in.

Wait....Go to the teacher's room? Hell no!

Ryosuke made a quick turn-around for the elevator, thinking he'd go search the depths of the hotel for his best friend, and that was when he noticed the hotel information sign.

The pool was closed, the laundry room was closed, the restaurants were closed, and just about everything else worthwhile, with the exception of the public restrooms in the lobby, seemed to be closed.

Ryosuke pouted. Well, then it seemed unlikely Wataru had gone off anywhere else in the hotel, except--perhaps--to another room. Maybe Nippori's....Maybe they were playing some games or something. That was sure to be fun...and here he was missing out. Maybe he could go to a convenience store and get something to eat, then figure out where to go from there.....

Yeah, that seemed good.

Ryosuke made another beeline for the elevator, his plans in motion, when he heard one of the doors in the hall open and just as quickly shut. He turned around quickly, almost a little spooked, but more curious as to whether Wataru might have left to return for their room.

But it wasn't him.

[Azuma Wataru]

"Help meee!" He pleadingly asked the figure that has just entered the store. "I don't know what this old man is talking about".
Wataru recognised who it was despite the person dressed in casual. Kiyama. He felt grateful.

Kiyama approached the distress Wataru and angered old man.
"(We are Japanese. He cannot understand you.)"
Wow, Wataru thought. Kiyama spoke english alot better than he did. He looked at Kiyama with respect and admiration now. Kiyama seemed extra cool at this moment. Don't get this the wrong way..Wataru just thought of Kiyama almost like an older brother. He always appeared tough, independent and good at fighting.

"(He didn't understand,)" Kiyama explained, pretty sure he was right. He then turned to Wataru and nudged him in the side. "Say 'sorry'," he whispered. "Saah-ree." He turned to the clerk again. "(Don't worry, he will pay. It won't happen again.)"


Wataru had definitely understood this. He quickly apologised "Sorry!" and gave a slight bow. Then, he rummaged through his wallet and handed over some money to the shop keeper. It was undoubtedly, more than enough. The look Kiyama gave him clearly showed he wasnt happy. Wataru was a trouble maker. A BIG one.

Wataru didnt even think of getting change from the old man and he half stormed out of the shop.

Breathing in the fresh air again, he said loudly "What a day! First day here and i'm already causing trouble..." He felt rather embarassed now that Kiyama had to rescue him from the awkward situation.

Wataru thought how he was going to survive the other weeks and if he would be able to get around at all. He needed someone with him at all times...atleast to translate. Although he had bought a pocket book that said 'learn english in 7 days', Wataru hadnt even looked onto the 3rd page. It was now lying next to the bed ontop of the short drawer which seperated his and Ryosuke's bed.

He turned to Kiyama. "My bad ne? And umm.. thanks man. I owe you one." The wind blew and this suddenly made Wataru a little cold. "So what are you doing out here at this time of the night?"

[Kiyama Ryuichiro]

Immediately, Wataru bowed, apologized and fished some cash out of his wallet, shoving it into the clerk's hands. In spite of himself, Kiyama couldn't help but smirk at the flustered yankee.

But his smile quickly disappeared when he watched the redhead stomp out of the store. Kiyama face-palmed; the boy had neglected to count his money and didn't bother to collect his change... really?

...It was going to be a long two weeks.

Sighing, Kiyama followed the store attendant to the register and got Wataru's change. He took a last look at the racks of snacks -- he'd actually gone to 7-11 to get food for himself, not to save Wataru... who'd disappeared in the last few minutes. He probably should get to finding him again, before he managed to get himself into some other crazy mess.

So he jogged out of the store and saw that Wataru luckily, hadn't gotten too far. He quickly moved to catch up to the other yankee.

He got there in time to hear Wataru sigh and say "What a day! First day here and i'm already causing trouble..." Raising on eyebrow, Kiyama looked off into sky. Really, did he want to get deported? But the redhead looked up again, suddenly looking sorry. "My bad ne? And umm.. thanks man. I owe you one."

At least he sounded apologetic. And Kiyama knew that his apology was sincere, as he also knew it probably wouldn't be the last time he would hear one like that before they left the country.

The redhead started again, with a slightly different tone. "So what are you doing out here at this time of the night?"

Kiyama bit his lip. "Taking a walk, checking out the sights... the usual, I guess." He paused to think for a moment. His answer wasn't really flippant... most evenings after school and practice he usually did spend his free time strolling around town; he'd probably be doing the same thing even if he was still in Japan. The life of a yankee...

He took out his sell phone to check the time, then made a face. Kashiwagi wouldn't be happy to know of their late night escapades, and they would probably have to get up earlier tomorrow morning, anyway. He turned to Wataru and asked, "you think we should get back to the hotel, or what?"

[Mizusawa Taku]

ooc: OUTFIT!!!

ic:
Mizusawa had been very excited to go to Australia. It was amazing that he was on this trip because of the tumbling team (he couldn't think of a better reason for a trip, especially when it involved doing something he loved), but he also had never gone this far from home before, and he was seriously enjoying it. He'd had family vacations of course, but none outside of Japan, and none with the team. The fact that they were able to progress to international competitions was something he hadn't even imagined possible when he'd first joined the team.

Everything really had worked out.

The plane ride hadn't been all that long, although it was long enough that he fell asleep half-way through and felt groggy when it was time to get off. He'd joined the team in heading to the hotel and picking out roommates, and was unsurprised to find himself paired with Yuuta. The two had known each other the longest, so it seemed only right. Still, he couldn't help wondering who would end up with Hino--or if, ironically, Hino would end up with Kiyama.

Because they had arrived late, mostly everyone had headed off to their rooms to get a good night's sleep. That was the first place Mizusawa was headed, especially because he was still drowsy from the plane ride.

So, after unpacking an outfit for the next morning and bidding Yuuta good night, he changed into his pajamas and crawled into the bed beside his roommate's.

For the first few hours, he'd slept pretty decently. He was literally out like a light, so far into REM sleep that he had several blurs of dreams. And then, just as suddenly, he woke up. There was no reason for it. He hadn't been awoken by a noise or anything, and beside him, his roommate seemed to be asleep. The room was dark, and the only sound was the breathing of both boys in the room, as well as an occasional car passing by outside.

Mizusawa looked at the clock on the bed stand between the beds and saw that it was extremely late. Groaning, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Why had he suddenly woken up? He still felt tired, too, but not enough to go back to sleep. Groaning again, he bit his lip. Had he had a bad dream without realizing it, then subconsciously woken up because of it? That seemed plausible. He racked his brain for a moment, trying to recall his dreams.

But nothing was coming to mind.

Still, he knew something had awoken him, because there was another feeling lurking somewhere inside of him, a feeling he couldn't quite place at the moment. Whatever it was, it was making him feel anxious.

Knowing it was a lost cause the moment it started, Mizusawa laid down again, closing his eyes and trying to will himself back to sleep. But of course it didn't work. He lay still for about 15 minutes or so, before he finally decided to go out for a walk--something to take his mind off of just laying there.

So, he'd quietly changed into street clothes, grabbed his room key and quietly locked the door behind him. He was moving down the hall for the elevators and was only a few paces away from them, when he turned a corner and saw another person in front of him.

He jumped, having not expected to see another person out so late at night, and especially not just standing there. He realized a moment later who it was, but it didn't make him feel any better.

Ryosuke.

Things had been a bit uncomfortable between him and Ryosuke for a while now, after what Ryosuke had walked in on. He had begun to talk more to the other boy, but it seemed Ryosuke was a little slower to forget what he'd seen. Now, every time he saw the bigger boy, he was reminded of that night not too long ago and--while it held fond memories for him, memories he'd never want to forget--he always felt embarrassed. Even now, he felt his face flush when he caught sight of the other boy.

Quickly looking away, he mumbled an "Evening", before moving for the elevator to press the down button. There was another moment of silence, and then he added, without looking at Ryosuke, "So...couldn't sleep? Where are you off to at this hour?"

Small-talk was definitely better than no-talk at all.

[Azuma Wataru]

OOC: sorry about this crap post kinolee... >< i tried my best

"So what are you doing out here at this time of the night?"
Wataru had asked this to Kiyama and although he knew that the majority of the yankees loved a midnight adventure, he couldnt be sure if Kiyama was like that. He was different after all, in a good way. Wataru liked how Kiyama was always so composed and kept his cool, not jumping to conclusions and a great buddy. This was almost the complete opposite to Wataru.

Then came the reply, "Taking a walk, checking out the sights... the usual, I guess." It was kinda obvious that alot of people would do that if they were new to a country. For a moment, Wataru was thinking of what a coincidence it had been for Kiyama to walk into the exact same store and be there just in time to help him out of the mess. But after more thought, Wataru remembered how there were almost no other shops open in this time of the night. Maybe Kiyama was feeling a little hungry or thirsty...

Wataru noticed Kiyama taking out his mobile and looking at it almost with a worried look, then turning to Wataru, Kiyama questioned"you think we should get back to the hotel, or what?"

Oh right. It was late. Wataru almost forgot thanks to the midnight chaos that they had early practise the next day in the morning. And they were certainly not going to be late. He didnt want to drag the team behind or want to listen to Yuuta nagging him.

"Oh, yeh. Lets go" He gave Kiyama a slight smile and started to walk back to the hotel. The streets were still dark but somehow, they didnt seem as lonely and frightening as they had been just a while ago. Waiting for the traffic lights to change, Wataru suddenly had the urge to ask Kiyama something he had always wanted to know.

"Ano... actually, there is something I wanted to ask you a long time ago." Wataru bit his bottom lip nervously and continued "are you actually interested in girls?"

Crap! The way it came out sounded really weird thought Wataru. Then beginning to panick a little, worrying that his friend might take offense he added, "Ah, its just that I never hear you talking about girls or about you dating any."

A sudden memory flash crossed Wataru about the incident with Mizusawa when they had been on their first training camp.

Brushing it aside, Wataru said "You know, I think Ryosuke knows alot of good girls he can introduce to you.

Wataru sighed and put both his hands in his pant pockets as he continued to stroll forward. "Hmmm... I wonder how Mari-chan is doing.."

[Kiyama Ryuichiro]

Oh man, don`t worry... It`s me that's the cop-out post MASTER! And sorry about the confusion and how long this took! >_>

After a moment of thought, Wataru looked to Kiyama. "Oh, yeh. Lets go"

So the two started back towards the hotel. For a while, the going was quiet. This wasn't something that bothered Kiyama in the slightest -- he would be more free to pay attention to his surroundings. But those kinds of moments were rare with Azuma Wataru; and when they came up, they almost never lasted too long. This one would come to an end as the two approached a crosswalk.

"Ano... actually, there is something I wanted to ask you a long time ago. Are you actually interested in girls?"

What.

Kiyama stared at Wataru, narrowing his eyes, and for a minute, the other yankee seemed flustered again. The redhead then continued with, "Ah, its just that I never hear you talking about girls or about you dating any."

Wow, talk about left field... Kiyama thought. That question had come out of nowhere. He opened his mouth to do what any red-blooded teenage boy would do in that situation -- defend his sexuality. But he faltered, for some reason not managing to form any words.

So he turned back to the light and bit his lip. Were they always so long down under, even when it was that late and there were virtually no cars on the road?

Kiyama stifled a sigh. All that kind of stuff -- dating, relationships, all of it -- comprised topics that made him so nervous he avoided them at all costs. Comparing him to Wataru, for example, he didn't seem as clumsy... But his people skills left much to be desired, even when he was dealing with them on a friendly level. Why aspire for anything more? He thought suddenly felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He hated feeling incompetent, so he really didn't even try to connect with people anymore. He was never that good at it anyway, and that one time he managed--

Breathe.

Really, it wasn't something he thought about much before. It might have been because he was among the pickiest boys in Japan, that selfish preoccupation with his own problems, or just that an opportunity never came up, but... yeah.

It was then that Wataru added, "You know, I think Ryosuke knows alot of good girls he can introduce to you. "

Heh.

And then the boy sauntered forward, shoving his hands in his pocket. "Hmmm... I wonder how Mari-chan is doing.." almost as an aside.

If Azuma Wataru and Tsukimori Ryosuke were shining pillars of heterosexuality he was supposed to aspire to be...

Speaking of which, despite the countless tales and the claiming that he had a girl for every day of the week, Kiyama had never actually seen Ryosuke with a girl. He'd always found that suspicious... like he'd be particularly eager for advice from the blonde, anyway.

Kiyama blinked, noting that the light still hadn't changed. It was ridiculous. Finally, he turned to the boy standing next to him with a smirk.

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in you or your Mari-chan... whom I'm sure will manage a few days in your absence."

He looked up to finally see the light flashing green. Took it long enough.

"I'm not really sure if I want to follow Tsukimori's recommendations when it comes to girls, either." He shrugged before starting to cross the street, his pace faster than before. "It's nothing to worry about, yeah? Now let's get going," he called back to Wataru, hoping that would be the end of the subject.

[Azuma Wataru]

"You know, I think Ryosuke knows alot of good girls he can introduce to you. " Wataru was still wondering whether he should have brought up the touchy subject but it was already too late. And for some reason, he felt that adding Ryosuke's name in the conversation would somehow lighten the mood a little.

"Hmmm... I wonder how Mari-chan is doing.." Yep, Wataru slipped into his world once again. But it wasnt for long this time when Kiyama called him back.

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in you or your Mari-chan... whom I'm sure will manage a few days in your absence."
Wataru was immediately relieved to hear that he wasnt interested in Mari-chan. Another competitor other than Hino? No thanks, let alone this WAS Kiyama. If anyone could beat Wataru in 'cool-ness', this was the man.... Well, this was what Wataru thought.

The light finally flashed green.

"I'm not really sure if I want to follow Tsukimori's recommendations when it comes to girls, either." He shrugged before starting to cross the street, his pace faster than before. "It's nothing to worry about, yeah? Now let's get going," he called back to Wataru, hoping that would be the end of the subject. Kiyama was definitely a quick walker.

Wataru smiled and jogged a little to catch up to Kiyama. "Yeh, Ryosuke has bad taste in girls ne?" Trying to remember the last time he saw Ryosuke with a decent girl was hard... he hadnt seen his friend with another girl in a very long time. Sure, Ryosuke is always texting and on the phone talking ever so sweetly but it was rare to see him actually show off his girlfriends in real life. Maybe he was worried that the team would critise his taste in girls.

Crossing the road, it was now close to the hotel. Just one more turn around the corner and they would arrive. Wataru couldnt get over how weird the crossings were in Australia. The sound it made was completely different to the ones in Japan. The symbol of the little man was also different. Luckily, the colours green and red were the same and universal, otherwise..who knows what would happen to the silly red head in attempt to cross the road.

As they were turning around the corner, Wataru still did not feel sleepy. Hoping Kiyama would have some advice, he asked "Ne... I'm not sleepy at all! What should I do? And tomorrow we have morning practise!" Being unable to sleep was very painful to Wataru. He hated the feeling of being tired and restless yet, unable to drift into sleeping land. Especially when the next day was training, he knew that sleep would help alot.

"I bet everyone else is sleeping like a pig now.. How annoying!" The hotel was just in sight now and once again, the lobby's lights appeared to be dim. Or was it just because they were still kind of far from the hotel? For some reason, it looked extra shabby..

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

Ryosuke actually blanched when he recognized Mizusawa making his way down the hall towards him, then quickly turned his head slightly so that the other boy wouldn't see his expression. He definitely wasn't the best at hiding his feelings, and now was no exception. He was groggy, a bit concerned, lonely, and now kind of awkward too. He couldn't understand why he let what had passed between him and Mizusawa and Hino stay on his mind like this, but he couldn't help it. It was just...there.

But he already seemed to be doing a bad job of covering up his feelings anyway, which came to light as Mizusawa moved forward and pressed the elevator button, something he'd obviously forgotten to do in his sudden moment of shame.

"Evening."

"Evening," Ryosuke responded, interesting himself in the same listing of rooms in the hotel and their hours of service, trying to look as though it was all news to him.

"So...couldn't sleep? Where are you off to at this hour?"

Ryosuke sighed inwardly. Why did he had have to ask questions? Why couldn't they just.....not talk? He didn't really trust himself to speak, and he didn't want to tell Mizusawa that he was looking for Wataru. He didn't want to give him the wrong idea.

"Uhhh.....gonna get a drink, I guess. I think there's a machine downstairs." He turned his attention to the glowing numbers over the elevator entrance, waiting semi-impatiently for the elevator to reach their floor. It was just three stops away now.

"So...um....you? I mean, where are you headed?" Actually, Ryosuke was wondering who Mizusawa was sharing a room with in the hotel. He hadn't thought to ask one of the other guys before, though he knew he wouldn't have asked Mizusawa on his own anyway. "I guess a lot of us can't sleep then. Wataru's not in our room either."

He realized his voice had been positively oozing some sense of loneliness with his last words, and he quickly shook his head, feeling ashamed. "I mean, you know Wataru. He probably hot-wired a car or something to go for a ride."

That was.........not much better.

Ding!

The elevator signaled its arrival at what Ryosuke considered the perfect time. In a matter of minutes, he would be off the elevator and away from Mizusawa, away from the chance of causing either of them any more embarrassment.

The doors opened.

But someone else was already standing inside, someone who made Ryosuke only whiten further.

ooc: Feel free to godplay me getting on board! *salutes*

[Hino Tetsuya]

ooc: sorry, because it's Hino's entrance I kinda left it pretty much where you did Marysa, I hope you can work with that Alex >.<

[Outfit: i74.photobucket.com/albums/i244/BOE_4eva/nishioutfit.jpg coz seriously, Hino's simply gotta own more clothes!!!]

Hino was not a stranger for travelling overseas, by no means. But he had never been to Australia before, and he would have to say it would be one of his least favourite places to be. Not so much for the country itself, it was a nice country, and he was certainly happy that here the people didn’t bother him as much as they did back in Japan.

No, his dislike had grown from his increasingly bad sickness. He felt the longer he stayed there, the sicker he got. He decided he would blame it on the food. When he was in Japan, his mother would cook for him, and she knew just what foods he was sensitive too and knew exactly how to prepare everything to perfection. But here there was nothing like he ate at home, just low class fast food chains and tacky restaurants as far as the eye could see. He couldn’t even stand to eat the Japanese food, as it tasted like it had been prepared for an animal not a human being.

His illness had been getting gradually worse as the time went on, his stomach had been cramping, he’d been getting dizzy and those things combined were giving him headaches. Oh how he longed for Japan.

He stood slowly from where he had been laying on his hotel room bed. He needed some fresh air… maybe that would help. He didn’t have the energy to change his grey night shirt, taking his sweatpants off in exchange for some dark denim and throwing his day jacket back on. He wasn’t in any mood to pay too much mind for his appearance.

He exited and locked his room and headed down the corridor for the elevator.

He had to admit, just walking around was clearing up the pain in his stomach, now he just needed to rid himself of this incessant dizziness. He kept himself at a short distance from the wall so if he were to feel faint he would have something to lean on.

Hino rounded to corner to the elevator and pressed the down button. It didn’t take long to arrive at his floor and the doors slid open with a quiet woosh sound. He stepped in and pressed the ground floor button before leaning against the far wall of the thankfully empty elevator.

With half lidded eyes he watched the numbers ever so slowly go down, and down… and down.

And stop.

Hino frowned. And looked to where he had pressed the button for which he thought was the ground floor. Maybe he had been mistaken.

Oh… he sighed to himself realizing that someone else would be joining him from a different floor. He blamed his deficiency of sleep for his lack of brain power.

He stood up straight when the doors began to slide open as to assure he would not look like a walking zombie to the new comers.

When the guests came into view Hino took in a shallow breath. His timing couldn’t have been any more perfectly terrible.

“Oh…” Came his uncontrolled reaction. “Tsukimori-senpai… Mizusawa-senpai…” He collected himself quickly. “Why are you both up at this time?”

[Nippori Keiji]

Nippori scrubbed a hand over his face in frustration as he still couldn't get to sleep. It had been a few hours now and nothing, not even ten minutes. So much for counting sheep... That hasn't done anything to help me, he thought to himself, dropping his hand to lie back down beside him on the bed. He had reached a few hundred before he had lost count and started again...about three times, at least.

Of all the animals, why sheep? he wondered absently, before he sighed and finally sat up, his determination to sleep well before practice in the morning wearing thin. Getting up off the bed, he dressed in a pair of camouflage-print khaki trousers and an old black t-shirt as well as his black hoody.

Putting on a slightly scruffy pair of sneakers, he lifted his room key from where it was on the bedside table and left his room. Where to go, where to go... he wondered, glancing up and down the empty hallway. Frowning a little, he cursed himself for not asking what rooms everyone else was in, especially Aniki and Ryosuke. He could have done with some company.

He hesitated a moment at the end of the corridor, before heading for the stairs instead of the elevator. Walking down the stairs would be more tiring than standing in the elevator, that was for sure. He was tempted to run up and down one of the flights of stairs until he was exhausted, but that probably wouldn't have done his legs very much good by the time morning came around.

Nippori had another, more personal, reason for wanting to just sleep. Because then he would stop thinking so much about his family and how they would get on without him there bringing in a second paycheck. He wasn't going to say that he didn't want to be here, because he did, but having to leave for two weeks and leave his family by themselves... He didn't like it. At all.

He had told his dad and sister as much when he had told them about the trip. His dad had told him not to worry about it, and to keep his paycheck for the month. Nippori had refused at first, but eventually they had come to an agreement that he would keep some of it, so that at least the other part was going towards his family.

His little sister had been just as stubborn as their dad, telling him to go to Australia, to have fun and to not worry about anything. He had almost laughed at her. Him not worry? Like that was even possible... She had told him to do what he often told her to do, to go have fun and be with friends. She had practically kicked him out the door that day when it had been time to leave to go to the airport.

A small, fond smile tugged at his lips despite his worry. He couldn't not worry about how they would cope, but his sister had been hell-bent on getting him to go after all he had done for her, and she had said as much to him. She had said she could see he wanted to go, to be with his friends and to practice tumbling, and she didn't want to be the reason he didn't go.

Almost down at the lobby by now, Nippori sped up his pace a little, taking a few steps at a time. He wasn't sure where he was going to go, or what he was going to do, but he figured he'd decided when he reached the lobby, which he did after a few more seconds. As he rounded the corner of the stairwell to walk through the lobby, however, he tripped and ended up sprawled on the lobby floor.

"Itai," he groaned before looking around to see if he had tripped over anything. Oh... It appeared he had just tripped over thin air...or his own feet. Either or. Sighing, he sat up and ran a hand through his messy hair, which, thanks to his attempts at sleeping, was out of its usual quiff and was lying semi-flat.

As he was just starting to stand up, rubbing his chest as he did because the fall had left him a little winded, the door of the hotel opened and a couple of people came in.

[Mizusawa Taku]

"Evening."

The other boy didn't look at him. But that was okay, Mizusawa thought to himself, because he wasn't really looking at the other either. He could just seem him out of the corner of his eye.

"Uhhh.....gonna get a drink, I guess. I think there's a machine downstairs."

The tense atmosphere between the two of them was so clear that he wondered if he should just leave and take the stairs. Or no, since they were on a higher floor, maybe just leave for a moment and wait for the next elevator to arrive. But he didn't move.

"So...um....you? I mean, where are you headed? I guess a lot of us can't sleep then. Wataru's not in our room either." There was a pause, and then he continued. "I mean, you know Wataru. He probably hot-wired a car or something to go for a ride."

The sound of Ryosuke's voice again actually surprised Mizusawa. He had been so sure he would be getting the silent treatment from the other boy, unless he was the one asking the questions. So hearing a question from Ryosuke sparked something of a hope in Mizusawa's heart, that Ryosuke might finally be getting over what he'd seen.

He felt his shoulders untense a little. He shrugged. "Like everyone else, I couldn't sleep. I guess I'm just excited to be outside of Japan, maybe." As excited as he really was to be in a completely different country from Japan (and one that seemed to be beautiful, as far as he'd seen), he knew that wasn't what was bothering him. Something else...something he couldn't quite pin down...Was stuck at the back of his mind, nagging him to remember.

And then the elevator signaled its arrival. Mizusawa was still looking at the floor, his brow furrowed as he tried again to recall what was bothering him.

But he didn't have to wait long.

Because the moment he looked up, it hit him. Like a ton of bricks, he saw the one person that had been the sole cause of his insomnia. The one person that his mind had evidently been trying to pretend he didn't care about. Which was clearly not the case.

“Oh…” Came his uncontrolled reaction. “Tsukimori-senpai… Mizusawa-senpai…”

Hino.

Mizusawa's stomach flip-flopped, and he took a step back for a moment, having not expected to see the other boy up so late, especially considering Hino was such a stickler when it came to making sure he was getting enough sleep for his performance and everything. But not only that--he was also wearing a dark jacket and dark pants, both of which brought out the younger boy's eyes, and appeared extra flattering on him. Sexy, if Hino could ever be such a thing. Mizusawa felt his mouth grow dry at the sight of the younger boy, another feeling slowly beginning to creep its way into his senses as he felt a small stirring in his loins.

One glance behind him and he remembered Ryosuke was there too. Oh boy, this was going to be awkward.

“Why are you both up at this time?”

Mizusawa didn't meet the younger boy's eyes, just hurried onto the elevator to stand in the corner farthest from Hino. He didn't even think to check and see if his floor was pressed. "I..." He tried to think of a response. "Couldn't...sleep..." Considering he now knew Hino was the reason why he couldn't sleep, it felt weird admitting that.

He reached out a hand to hold the "open" button for Ryosuke, trying to give himself something to do and, once Ryosuke was on, quickly let go and hit the "close" button, retreating back into his corner.

Now that Ryosuke was on with them, things were ten times more tense than ever before. In fact, it felt almost suffocating to be on the elevator with the two of them. Mizusawa could feel his heart beating furiously, knowing Hino was such a short distance across from him, his body desperately trying to recall what they had done together that night not too long ago. He fought to remain calm, despite the overwhelming feelings, and pressed a hand against the elevator wall, trying to steady himself as a sudden wave of dizziness seemed to hit him.

Closing his eyes, and hoping no one would be looking at him, he spoke, trying as a last resort to make the tense feeling go away. "B-big hotel, right?" He swallowed hard, having enough thought-capacity left to wonder why exactly he was overreacting like this.

ooc: So...is the elevator supposed to break down with them in it? Cuz then I'd just feel bad. XD

[Kiyama Ryuichiro]

OOC: Dun-nuh dun-nuh dun-nuh dun-nuh dun-nuh dun-nuh CRAP POST[/batmantheme]

"Yeh, Ryosuke has bad taste in girls ne?"

Kiyama almost let out a sigh of relief at Wataru's comment on the blonde yankee's dating habits; better Ryosuke's than his, he figured. Plus, he kind of agreed. He couldn't imagine Ryosuke's selection being all that great, even by his own standards, if he claimed to be going out with so many of them at the same time. Didn't that scream some type of problem?

"Ne... I'm not sleepy at all! What should I do? And tomorrow we have morning practise!" Wataru whined.

Kiyama didn't attempt to hide an annoyed face. "You caused all that trouble to get an energy drink, and then you complain about not being sleepy?" he grumbled, quickening his pace even more just to spite the other boy. Still, the redhead continued.

"I bet everyone else is sleeping like a pig now.. How annoying!"

Kiyama rolled his eyes. By now, they were approaching the hotel again... then he considered that Wataru was saying was probably true. He would have to make sure not to wake his roommate when he got back. Then he realized that he didn't really feel like sleeping himself. The day had been long and tiring, but he wasn't sleepy.

Being tired but not sleepy was one of the most irritating feelings in the world, especially when you knew you had to get some sleep. He suddenly felt empathetic for the other yankee.

The two walked into the automatic doors of the hotel lobby.

To Kiyama's surprise, the first thing he saw was Nippori Keiji stumbling around, hair unkempt, and looking very disoriented. He wondered if his room had one of those tiny wine coolers, and if he had the means to get into it... but on second thought, the place they were staying didn't seem like that nice of a place.

And this was Nippori Keiji, who was always stumbling about, and he definitely wasn't the type to drink. Kiyama furrowed his brow for a minute. Why didn't he know anyone that was normal?

He dismissed the thought and waved a hand to the younger boy, chuckling. "Nippori, you alright? It's strange, for some reason, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

[Azuma Wataru]

"I bet everyone else is sleeping like a pig now.. How annoying!"

Wataru was feeling tired. His eyes were dry and red but he knew that this was not the sleepy feeling. Just fatigue. Then he was thinking that when he entered his room, Ryosuke might be snoring his lungs out. Fast asleep. He also wondered if there was a possibility that Ryosuke would have rolled off his hotel bed and onto the floor. It was a common event.. well atleast for Wataru when he sleeps on high, fluffy beds.

Pushing the door opening and keeping it open for Kiyama to walk in, he had already noticed someone else in the lobby that clearly was not a staff working there.

It was Nippori. And he looked as silly as ever. Did he just fall over? The Nippori that Wataru had knew was just like this. Silly, clumsy and just plain old Nippori.

Kiyama was the first to make a comment and he seemed to be laughing at the poor boy. But.. It WAS funny. "Nippori, you alright? It's strange, for some reason, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

Thinking of what Kiyama just said, Wataru had to agree. IT felt like ages since he's last seen him and that feeling was weird. Shaking the thought off, Wataru walked over to Nippori and steadied him placing his arm over Nippori's shoulder. Wataru was alot taller than Nippori so it was easy to do.

Wataru looked at Nippori with a concerned face. Jokingly, he said "Jeeze.. what are we going to do about you? Clumsy as ever eh?" Wataru smiled and continued "What are you doing down here? Oh, can't sleep too?"

Wow, so people were sharing the pain that Wataru was feeling. The pain of being not able to sleep. Well, maybe because Wataru was Nippori's 'aniki' after all.


OOC: LMAO... aniki =D