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Post by Suzuran "Suzu" Murasaki on Jun 29, 2015 17:35:59 GMT
Suzu certainly looked different when she was working. Loose jeans, a t-shirt with a long-sleeved shirt underneath. All hidden beneath an apron that sported 8-bit video game characters, mostly Nintento brand. Pokemon, Mario, Link, and few more obscure games, like the Mother series. Her father had given her an order to fill while he helped another customer. Suzu loved it here. The smell of food, working with her father and doing something productive.
Oh, she loved being an idol...but she couldn't share it with her family. She knew if they found out, they'd be disappointed. Dad had always wanted the girls to take over the shop together, though Yuri certainly took after their mother and Suzu doubted she'd ever want to take over the shop....besides, as neat and pretty as Yuri's bento looked, they were terrible when it came to taste. Suzu, on the other hand, was impatient and her bento were usually messy, but the taste was impeccable. Her specialty was hamburger-ben. The meat was always grilled just right, with the perfect amount of spices.
This particular hambuger-ben was pretty simple. Two peices of hamburger steak, broccoli, tomato, celery sticks, and corn, and then some rice with furikake. Suzu stretched as she waited for the meat to finish cooking. Her eyes darted to the clock. Che was stopping by today. Suzu needed some advice and Che was one of the few people she could actually consider a friend. They had met on the fencing team. Suzu was better on a horse than on her feet. Munro-senpai(Duncan) had once said her footwork needed more refinement. She needed to treat it like a dance.
Still, she had fun, and it was nice to spend time with Che. She just wished she could convince Che to join the Equestrian team. She pulled the meat off the grill and set the two peices into individual little paper wrappers. The finished bento was a little neater than her usual work and she was quite proud of herself. She walked up to the counter. "Hamburger-ben's ready!" she called, handing the meal over to the young gentleman in the arcade uniform. Oh...he worked down the street. What was his name? Suzu tried to commit the faces and names of their regular customers to memory, but it was terribly hard. Her father was amazing at it. What was it...? She couldn't remember. She greeted him as best as she could, though, and wished him a good day at work.
Her eyes scanned the area in front of the counter. No sign of Che yet.
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Ché Hayashi
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Post by Ché Hayashi on Jun 29, 2015 18:20:14 GMT
For Ché, Suzu had been the girl that had just always been around but never got to know too well. They met officially on the fencing team but during middle school they'd seen each other around. Ché liked her a lot! She was nice! And he was glad that they'd got to know each other better now!
She'd seemed pretty distracted just lately though and invited him over to talk. He was kind of worried at first, she'd been so distracted and he was concerned that something but have been wrong!
Entering the bento shop he looked around, trying to locate the shorter girl, smiling good naturedly as he stepped out of the way of a guy in uniform who was leaving quickly. The shop itself felt very warm and friendly and he located Suzu behind the counter quickly, holding onto his school bag and moving over to the counter.
"Suzu-Chan! I'm here!" He smiled brightly, raising a hand in greeting. He was wearing a white collared shirt and a black V-neck sweater as well as dark jeans and smart black shoes, "Sorry I'm late, Yoko-Chan wanted me to help set up for a tea party." He laughed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck, "So, what's up?"
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Post by Suzuran "Suzu" Murasaki on Jun 29, 2015 18:32:09 GMT
"Welcome to-Hi, Che!" she greeted, realizing who was at the counter.
Che's cheerful voice made Suzu smile as she turned away from the pot of rice she was making. She waved at him and turned to her father to ask if it was alright to take a break. Her father, ever capable, urged her to spend time with her friend. She pulled off her apron and hung it up, then slid out from behind the counter.
"Here, we can hang out in the apartment," she said, motioning to another door which led up a set of stairs to the upstairs apartment. It was fully furnished, but it was obvious no one lived here right now. Her father had been talking about renting it out to an employee, but he never hired anyone. He said he had all the help he needed from Suzu and Yuri. Somehow, Suzu doubted that. Her father did stay here during the busy season, though. That usually entailed festivals and the summer, when tourist numbers were at their highest, so the fridge and cupboards were usually always stocked full. Suzu, already wearing a pair of slippers that looked like the 1-Up mushrooms from Mario, headed inside to make some tea.
"Go ahead and make yourself comfortable," she said to Che. "It's small, but Papa usually only uses this place during the busier seasons." She filled the kettle with fresh water and set it on the stove. The sitting room and the kitchen were connected so Che would be able to see her moving about. There wasn't much in the way of snacks. Just the essential foods for meals. However, Suzu had a hidden stash of candy she often kept here in case she had company. She pulled out a step stool to reach one of the higher cupboards and pulled out a plastic bag. A few boxes of pocky, some fruit-flavored candies, and her favorite: sandwich cookies filled with strawberry filling.
Once the tea was fixed and the snacks gathered, she placed everything on a tray and carried it out to the sitting room, setting it on the coffee table.
She sat down and stared at her lap. Finn was the only person who knew...but she couldn't really go to him for advice about this. She had only just managed to convince him to stay quiet about it. Could she trust Che?
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Ché Hayashi
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Post by Ché Hayashi on Jun 29, 2015 18:52:21 GMT
After greeting Suzu's father and thanking him profusely for his hospitality, Ché followed Suzu up the stairs, taking them two at a time, grinning brightly. Once he got up to the apartment he bent down to take his shoes off as Suzu bustled off to make tea. Leaving his shoes by the door he padded over to the coffee table, sitting down and crossing his legs, digging around in his bag to try and find the stuff that he'd bought from the convenience store before coming over.
Once Suzu brought the tea tray over to the table he shifted so he was sitting on his knees to help her with the tray. Once she had also sat down he pushed the first cup towards her before taking the second one for himself and wrapping his fingers around it, breathing out contentedly.
"Oh!" He put his cup down quickly and rooted through his bag before pulling out three packets of Kit Kats, strawberry, raspberry and green tea, "I didn't want to come empty handed so I brought these!" He put them on the table, pushing them towards Suzu, then he smiled again. "Thanks for having me over!" Drinking from his teacup quietly he looked up, noting Suzu's desperation to look at her lap.
"You've been really quiet lately Suzu-Chan, is something the matter?" His brow creased in concern, "You can tell me if something's wrong."
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Post by Suzuran "Suzu" Murasaki on Jun 29, 2015 18:58:35 GMT
Suzu grinned at the candy. Che really knew how to feed her sweet tooth. For an idol, she was certainly not shy about snacking. Probably came from being the daughter of a Bento Shop owner. Still, her metabolism made up for her bad habit. She helped herself to some of the kitkats, trying not to meet Che's eyes. He was worried. It was obvious in his voice. Suzu shook her head.
"Nothing's wrong....neccessarily...it's just that...." she wasn't sure how to tell him this. She had to make him promise not to tell anyone. "Che....if I tell you this, you can't tell anyone. Especially Chen-senpai and Scarlet. If they knew..." she shuddered. Yu-ri and Scarlet had been the ones most desperate to find out who she really was. The way they studied her in Idol Club made her uncomfortable. She was sure Scarlet was close to finding out. Suzu always became more aware of her habits around Scarlet, afraid something might give her away.
"Are you familiar with the idol, Phantom Song?" She honestly didn't even know what kind of music he liked. She wondered if he even knew who Phantom Song was. She needed to confide in somebody. She was scared of her sister finding out. Of the Hostesses finding out. She bit her lip and waited for Che's answer, finally bringing her eyes to meet his, studying his face for a reaction.
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Ché Hayashi
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Post by Ché Hayashi on Jun 29, 2015 19:21:50 GMT
At the prospect of not being to tell anyone he looked even more concerned, placing his cup down on the table. "Why? Has something happened? Have they been mean to you?" He tapped his nails nervously on the edge of the table, waiting.
At her question he blinked and calmed down a little, it didn't seem to be a matter of life or death. He reached over for a raspberry KitKat and opened the packet quietly. Nodding with a smile, he broke the KitKat in half.
"Yeah! She's good! She's really cute too! She's doing a shoot next month for my mum's magazine I think..." He was quiet for a minute before snapping his fingers as if in realization, "Oh! I get it! Did you want her autograph?" He blinked a few times, smiling brightly, "I could try and see her but I don't know if I could get in..." He hummed, tapping his bottom lip for a moment before looking up, "Don't worry Suzu-Chan! I'll try and meet her for you!"
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Post by Suzuran "Suzu" Murasaki on Jun 29, 2015 19:28:08 GMT
"N-no! Of course not! Everyone at school's been really nice. I mean...Okamoto-senpai's kind of scary...but Kage-senpai says she's like that with everybody."
Suzu shook her head. "No...it's not that I want an autograph." She could just see it now. Che trying to ask her to sign an autograph for herself. The image was a little silly in her head.
"No...Che....you see...." The words caught in her throat. Would he believe her at face value, or would she have to prove it to him? She always carried her mask and wig on her. They were in her backpack which was sitting leaned up against the couch. She took in a couple of deep breaths and finally worked up the courage to say it.
"Che....I'M Phantom Song."
She clamped her eyes shut, waiting for him to be angry that she hid it from him. She forced herself to open her eyes and peek at him, waiting for the inevitable. Finn had been so happy to find out, but Suzu felt bad for keeping this a secret from her friends....and especially for keeping it from her sister.
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Ché Hayashi
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Post by Ché Hayashi on Jun 29, 2015 19:42:27 GMT
At the sudden confession he blinked. Once. Twice. Twice more.
"What?!" Ché was silent for a minute. He didn't know what to say for a minute, blanking completely. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and searched something on safari, holding his phone up and looking at a picture of Phantom Song, then Suzu. Then Phantom Song. Then Suzu.
"This is so cool!" He looked at Suzu, smiling widely, "I didn't even know! That's amazing!" His eyes shone, "How do you balance school work and other stuff?? You must be exhausted!" He was quiet for a minute before his face went slack and then realization crossed his face, "That's why you've been so tired!" He stared at her then looked concerned again, "Suzu-Chan, are you sure? You'll make yourself ill if you work too hard!"
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Post by Suzuran "Suzu" Murasaki on Jun 29, 2015 20:01:19 GMT
"It kind of just...happened. I was at the park with Hinagiku and she fell and I started singing and this producer just happened by. The next thing I knew, he was bugging me to be an idol." Her eyes grew a little sad. "I work it out. I'm in the Idol Club at school as Phantom Song, did you know that? Finn-senpai's the only other person who knows. He...found out by accident. My Producer understands that I want school and my family to come first so he tries to work my schedule around that."
"It's just...." she bit her lip. "You know my mom used to be an idol, right? After she graduated, she went on to focus on acting. She's never home." Her hands balled into fists. "She has four kids...who NEVER see her and a husband who works his butt off to make his own dream come true and she's NEVER around to help him."
She sighed and bit her lip. "Che....I'm scared of becoming like my mom. Of not being there for my family when they need me. I don't want to hide who I am...but Yuri would FLIP if she knew the truth. I think Papa would support me...but...I don't want to become my mom."
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Ché Hayashi
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Post by Ché Hayashi on Jun 29, 2015 20:19:33 GMT
"You're in the Idol Club as Phantom Song?" He frowned, "Isn't that risky? Won't people found out that way?" He ate one of the pieces of the KitKat quietly, "Surely using your alter ego at school is really risky!" He tapped his fingers on the edge of the table quietly, looking uncomfortable.
As Suzu continued to speak his gaze softened and he shifted to move closer to Suzu. Reaching over, he took one of her hands gently in his.
"Suzu-Chan... You wouldn't ever be like your mum." He shifted slightly, "Forgive me if I'm being rude but if you don't want to be like your mum then don't." He smiled, tilting his head, "Make time for your family and don't completely fill up your schedule with other stuff, leave time for them... kind of like how you're doing now."
He squeezed her hand gently, looking at his knees before looking her in the eye, "I think... I think this is really important and I can't tell you what to do... but if I were in your situation... I think my family's support would mean the world to me and it's something that I'd need the most." It was kind of true. "At least... that's how I see it."
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Post by Suzuran "Suzu" Murasaki on Jun 29, 2015 20:28:12 GMT
"Scarlet and Chen-senpai seem determined to figure out who I am...but Finn-senpai finding out was a complete accident and I won't let it happen again. I couldn't dare go as myself. I KNOW Yuri would find out if I did...and the whole school would figure it out the moment I started to sing. Yuri's only heard me sing a little. She's a huge Phantom Song fan, but she hasn't seemed to figure it out. Do you KNOW how hard it is to share a room with someone who has posters of you EVERYWHERE?" she laughed a bit at the end.
Che's reassurance was what she needed. She could change the course and not become her mother. Right? She just needed to learn to balance things better so she could be home more often. Her family's support...she wanted it more than anything, but she was afraid what Yuri would say if she knew. Yuri was already planning to become an actress. She was good at it, too...but Suzu had already promised to take over the Bento Shop, something she still planned to do after she graduated from her idol career. After all, Idols only lasted til they were twenty-one.
"Thank you, Che." She found herself not thinking as she hugged him. It was nice to have someone to confide in that was her own age. Finn always told her not to worry about things. He never really gave her sound advice. He would just say she was too young to be so worked up over something so simple. He was always so laid back.
Realizing she was still hugging him, she let go, her cheeks turning a bit pink. "Heh...so...I'm performing in the Idol Showcase at school. Will you come support me?"
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Ché Hayashi
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Post by Ché Hayashi on Jun 29, 2015 20:41:54 GMT
Ché laughed slightly at the mention of the posters, "That's gotta be weird! I couldn't sleep if there were posters of me on the walls!"
When Suzu hugged him, he smiled slightly and wrapped his arms around her, holding her closely. His arms itched slightly but he rested his chin on her shoulder and rubbed her back gently. "Don't worry about it... I think if you're worried you should just tell one family member at a time... Maybe tell your dad first and tell Yuri-Chan later..."
When she let go he grinned widely, ruffling her hair lightly, "Of course I'll be there! I wouldn't not come to support you! I'll cheer you on!" He grinned at her, "I'll be at that shoot for the magazine too, I'll be your personal assistant for the day!" He nodded to himself.
His arms were starting to itch again as he returned to where he'd been sitting. He scratched his arm absentmindedly, then grinned, "What are you performing?"
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Post by Suzuran "Suzu" Murasaki on Jun 29, 2015 20:48:10 GMT
She giggled. "I'll have to tell my Producer to shove off for the day, then," she said with a laugh. She looked thoughtful at his question. "I haven't decided, to be honest. I was thinking about performing Marionette no Kokoro," she explained. Marionette no Kokoro was probably one of her favorite songs. It made her think of Finn. She tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"I made a mention of wanting to do a song wih Yamazaki-senpai and Scarlet, buuuut I don't know if that's going to happen. I was also thinking of doing Shiny Smile. We get four song slots, so it's hard to decide." She grinned a little bit.
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Ché Hayashi
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Post by Ché Hayashi on Jun 29, 2015 21:07:58 GMT
"Sounds cool!" Ché smiled brightly, nodding, "I'm sure whatever you choose to do will be really great!" Leaning over, he opened a pack of pocky and held one out for Suzu, "Besides, you're a good singer anyway, so don't worry!"
His phone buzzed and he looked down surprised at a new Snapchat from Kaori. Checking it, he grinned brightly, then shifted, holding his phone up so Suzu would be in the shot, "Smile!" He took the selfie and put it up on his story before locking his phone, "Sorry, Kaori-Chan just sent me a message!" Putting his phone down he tapped his phone.
"So if Scarlett-San and Chen-Senpai are trying to find out... You need to be careful!" He nodded, to himself then looked at Suzu, "What do we do to stop them finding out?"
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Post by Suzuran "Suzu" Murasaki on Jun 29, 2015 21:16:42 GMT
Suzu blinked when he told her to smile. She did, tilting her head slightly in that oh-so-cute manner. She chuckled a bit. Suzu was never big on social media. She had one of those twitter things for Phantom Song but she only updated it once or twice a day, usually about upcoming shows.
"Chen-senpai doesn't know me well enough outside of Idol Club to really pick up on anything that might give me away...but Scarlet is a regular client of the Host Club. If anyone would figure it out, it's her. She probably knows a lot of my mannerisms. I just have to be aware of my habits so I don't do it in front of her....and make sure my wig is set right so my real hair is impossible to see." Her hair was a dead giveaway. She and her sister had dyed their hair at the same time, trying to keep people from confusing them. They weren't identical, but those that didn't know them well enough would often confuse them. The gradient in her hair was a dead giveaway.
"Besides...Phantom Song sings cute songs. I'm too cool for that kind of stuff....well...people tell me I am, anyway. Too much of a tomboy to be girly."
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