#Taiji Kanematsu

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Party Prep

Haru: *sings* Takin' out the trash...

Haru: Hello, pineapple coolers! I'm skipping my meds tonight, just for you.

Ryu: Uh, Haru... when the doctor said you're not supposed to drink with your medication, I think she meant to skip the alcohol and not the tablets.

Haru: That's no fun. Everyone should experience my unmedicated brain at least once.

Ryu: We already have. That's the problem.

Haru: Boo. You're literally like a parent, you know.

Ryu: I know. That's kind of my job around here. But, if you insist on not doing as you're told and you have a random panic attack in the middle of the night or you can't get out of bed tomorrow, don't say I didn't warn you.

Taiji: Don't worry about it, Ryu. I'll take care of him.

Haru: Yeah, Taiji will keep me from doing anything too stupid, and he's always got my back when I wake up for some weird, scary reason in the middle of the night.

Ryu: *to himself* Okay... calm down, Ryu. This is going to be a successful party. Haru's going to behave himself and everyone's going to have a great time celebrating Sarah's birthday.

Haru: *in the background* WOOO!!! PARTY TIME!!!

Ryu: ...

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Long list is long… 😅

Victor Okamoto-Nelson - nurse (former professional athlete)

Yuri Okamoto-Nelson - communications professional

Kenji Okamoto - businessperson

Rei Okamoto - businessperson

Grace Nelson-Britt - veterinarian

Julian Britt - veterinarian

Ellie Britt-DeLuca - nurse

Leo DeLuca - teacher

Stephen DeLuca - lawyer

Emilia (Millie) DeLuca - teacher

Fox Abbottsford - social worker

Takahiro Suzuki - early childhood educator, preschool owner

Kin Suzuki - horticultural designer

Keiko Suzuki - nurse

Clancy Abbottsford - police officer

Violet Abbottsford - chef

Campbell Abbottsford - mechanical engineer

Seiji Hinamori - master tailor

Sachiko Hinamori - rice farm manager

Davey Duke - personal trainer (former professional athlete)

Bonnie Duke - social worker

Lindsey Chen - structural engineer

Félix Blanchet - archaeologist, university instructor

Davian St-Jean - media producer

Sophie Blanchet - speech therapist

Katie Beaumont - psychologist

Olivier Blanchet - teacher

Chloë St-Jean - social worker

Artie Greene - lawyer

Emma Greene - financial analyst

Matthew Greene - lawyer

Audrey Harrison-Greene - interior designer

Zahir Omar - commercial architect

Dylan Middleton - software engineer

Derek Middleton - cook

Hennessy Daniels - aesthetician

Nikolai Pavlenko - figure skating coach

Mishka Vasiliev- stay-home parent (former pro athlète)

Vika Vasilieva - special education teacher (former pro athlete)

Natascha Pavlenko - physical therapist

Elena Pavlenko - master tailor

Mikhail Pavlenko - master machinist

Nikolai Pavlenko (Grandpa) - biochemist

Anya Pavlenko - photographer (former professional athlete)

Stanislav Kovac - figure skating coach (former professional athlete)

Milena Kovac - lawyer

Beth-Anne Jones - figure skating coach (former professional athlete)

Peace Adebayo - nurse

Sunday Adebayo - nutritionist

Eden Seong - figure skater, dance instructor

Charlie Seong - professional stylist

Evie Seong - special education teacher

George Seong - university professor

Sadie Seong - teacher

Richard (Dash) Garrison-Locke - lawyer, agent

Tatsuhiro Sakai - actor, model

Sakuharu Abe - rapper, composer

Sakuma Abe - journalist

Koko Imamura - baker, bakery owner

Aidan (Senjiro) Okada - singer, lyricist

Keigo Sasaki - singer, dancer, choreographer

Ryuusei Yoshida - rapper, producer

Taiji Kanematsu - singer, composer

Hwang Ji-Soo - security specialist (former soldier)

Sarah Fujikawa - band manager (former J-pop performer)

Sebastian Fujikawa - figure skater

Sofia Fujikawa - graphic designer, illustrator

Stephen Fujikawa - businessperson

Ginger Holmes - figure skating coach (former professional athlete)

Yang Dae-Hyun (Pixie) - entertainment journalist

Akari Okamoto - lawyer, agent

What’s your OC’s occupation?

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The Keg

Looks like Sarah discovered the keg...

Sarah: Taiji! Where did that keg come from? How did you boys even get something like that?

Taiji: Look, here comes Ryu with some popcorn.

Ryu: Want some lemonade, Sarah?

Sarah: I want to talk about this keg, Ryuusei.

Ryu: Would you rather have some of that instead?

Sarah: No. I want to know how you got it.

Ryu: Mr. Takaichi brought it. He said pineapple was your favourite

Taiji: He also said it's for your birthday. He's coming back later with food and party stuff. Ooh... and he just texted me to say he's bringing Sheridan, Maya, Jin and Charlie. And I guess you know Ji-Soo and Ji-Hyun are already here.

Sarah: Oh. Well... I suppose I can hardly be upset if Ryota.. I mean, Mr. Takaichi remembered my birthday and wants to organize a party.

Taiji: Yeah, he really likes you. He’d be disappointed if you got mad at us for helping him organize a thing for your birthday.

Sarah: If he’s coming back, I should probably go home and find something more appropriate to wear to a birthday party. Hmm…

Taiji: And the moral of this story is, never underestimate the power of a crush. Pineapple cooler, anyone?

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Sugar Valentine - Valentine’s Day Show!

Mt. Komorebi, are you ready?

It’s time to JUMP! and give a warm welcome to your very own Sugar Valentine!

The five boys run onstage, and in what has become their signature entrance, they form a line, join hands, and jump as high as they can. They're greeted by excited and enthusiastic cheering from their fans ��� their Valentines — who have come to see this special Valentine's Day performance.

Ryu: Mt. Komorebi, are you ready to…

All: JUMP!

audience: *loud cheering*

Senjirō: Here we come! We want to hear you!

Haru: Who do you love, Mt. Komorebi? Let's hear it! I want you to shout it loud!

audience: *screaming intensifies* SUGAR VALENTINE!!!

The members wait for the noise level to go down slightly before they introduce themselves to the audience, one by one.

Ryu: Hello, Valentines of Mt. Komorebi, and all our Valentines watching online! I’m Yoshida Ryuusei. You know me as Ryu. We’ve got an amazing show for you tonight. We put all our love into it, and now we’re sending that love out to you!

Keigo: Hey, everyone! My name is Sasaki Keigo. You know me as Kēki. I may be the Cake, but you’re the frosting. With all of your love and support, life’s so much sweeter. You’re beautiful and I love you!

Haru: Hey! How’re you doing tonight, Mt. Komorebi? Feeling good? I’m Abe Sakuharu, and you know me as Haru. I love you, my Valentines! You know what to do!

audience: *screaming* MARRY ME, HARU!!!

Haru: Yes!

Senjirō: Hello, Valentines around the world! I’m Aidan Okada. You know me as Senjirō. I’m really happy to be here tonight with all of you. Seeing your passion for what we do is special, and it means more than I have words for. I love you, Valentines, and I hope you enjoy the show!

Taiji: Last but not least, I’m your Baby Sugar, Kanematsu Taiji. Who needs stage names? You know me as Taiji, and I wanna hear you make some noise! Come on, Valentines, let’s make some noise!

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~ THE PERFORMANCE ~

The boys perform several of their most popular songs, as well as a special surprise; their as-yet-unreleased single, “One Thousand Paper Cranes”.

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~ AFTER THE PERFORMANCE ~

After the performance, the five members pose together on stage so their fans can take photos. This a is part of every show, and it’s a fan favourite feature of Sugar Valentine’s live stage events.

audience: We love you!

Happy Valentine’s Day from the boys of Sugar Valentine! We hope you enjoyed the show!

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Responsible Adults™

The boys and their entourage have arrived safely in San Myshuno, and everyone’s settling in at the hotel.

Even though it’s late, Haru and Taiji aren’t quite ready for sleep. They’re not supposed to be sharing a room, but they’ve decided they’re going to anyway. It’s more fun to have a friend nearby when they’re awake and more comforting when they finally tuck themselves in for the night.

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Haru + Notebook

@dandylion240 can you believe I managed to keep this one short?

__________

A notebook, Haru thinks, is an odd gift for someone who can barely read or write.

Part of him wants to be annoyed because Eden should really know better than to give him something he can't use, but he can't bring himself to be upset. Eden sent this to him all the way from Canada after all, and that on its own means something.

The notebook is bigger than normal. It's at least twice the size of the ones Ryu and Senjirō like to write their lyrics in, and maybe three times the size of Taiji's journal. It's bound on the edge with a thin metal coil. The front cover has a picture of chrysanthemums, Haru's favourite flower. He smiles when he realizes Eden obviously remembered that.

He's still contemplating what he's meant to do with the large notebook when Taiji strolls into their room. Taiji glances over at him, where he's sprawled on his bed with the book in front of him.

"Nice scrapbook," Taiji comments.

Haru scrunches up his face in confusion. "Nice... what?"

"Scrapbook," Taiji repeats. "Where'd you get it?"

"Eden sent it to me in the mail," Haru tells him. "Scrapbook?"

"Yeah, you know," says Taiji. "You put your memories in it. Photos, old movie tickets, birthday cards... stuff like that. Or you can draw pictures in it."

"So, it's not for writing?"

"Well, you could write stuff in it if you wanted to, I guess, but there probably aren't any lines on the pages."

Haru flips up the cover of the scrapbook and discovers that Taiji is correct. There are no lines. The pages are a rich ivory colour, edged with a border of delicate pink in the same shade as the flowers on the front.

He looks up at Taiji, intrigued. "How did you know?"

"Uh... because it says 'scrapbook' on the cover," Taiji says.

"Oh."

Haru closes it and studies the cover again. There's text in fancy white letters at the top. The font is pretty, but Haru has no hope of decoding it, and decides he'll just have to take his friend's word that it says 'scrapbook'. He can barely read Japanese, his first language, at the best of times. Unless he's feeling particularly mentally sharp, he doesn't even try to tackle English, and even then he needs it to be written in nice big unambiguous fonts.

"Did Eden send you anything else?" Taiji asks.

"Yeah. He sent me a card with a note."

"Want me to read it to you?"

Haru nods. He picks up the card that was in the package with the scrapbook, and passes it to Taiji.

Eden has figured out by now that unless he sends an email or text which Haru can have his iPad's screen reader speak aloud to him, any written correspondence will have to be read to him by an actual person. He's learned to keep handwritten notes polite and clean, so as not to embarrass Haru or make things awkward for his designated reader.

In the note, Eden explained all about the purpose of the scrapbook, and said that he's started compiling some memories in one of his own.

"At the end he says 'I love you'." Taiji concludes.

Taiji hands the card back to him. He runs his fingertips over the image on the front, and smiles when he recognizes it as one of the note cards Eden had bought in Harajuku that summer when they'd visited Tokyo together. He loved showing Eden all around his home city, and he can hardly wait for the opportunity to travel to Canada, so Eden can show him around his own hometown.

A book to put your memories in. That's what Taiji had said.

Haru opens the card and gazes at Eden's painstakingly precise handwriting. He can decipher some of the words, and could probably read them all if he put the time and effort in. He's not too worried, though. The important ones, he knows immediately on sight; the kanji for his own name, the one for love, and Eden's name printed neatly in English letters.

He doesn't have to think too hard to decide what the first page of his new scrapbook will contain.

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Starlight Rider II

The boys aren't entirely thrilled about having to rework their song to fit a western theme, but they do love the outfits.

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You okay, Taiji?

I’m not sure what he was doing in Senjirō & Keigo’s room, but he obviously wasn’t pleased about it.

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Social Time

Ryota hung around after the boys’ lesson. He said he was making an effort to be social.

Taiji and Haru are onto him, though. They know their Mr. Takaichi is an introvert, and the only time anyone applies the word “social” to him is to say he’s socially awkward. If he’s here to be social, they’re pretty sure it means he’s here to clumsily flirt with his crush.

The crush in question doesn’t seem to have a problem with it.

Sarah: *twirls her hair*

Haru and Taiji find the whole thing amusing.

Ryu, on the other hand, is trying to pretend he doesn’t see any of what’s going on between Sarah and Ryota. The whole thing gives him the same sort of feeling of secondhand embarrassment he gets whenever he sees his parents being affectionate in public. He vows to himself that he and Ji-Soo are never going to be that couple, the one people feel compelled to avert their gaze from so as not to make an uncomfortable social situation even more unconfortable.

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A Confrontation

Taiji: Hey, I need to talk to you for a minute.

Senjirō: About what?

Taiji: About Haru.

Senjirō: I’ve got nothing to say about Haru.

Taiji: That’s funny, because you usually have lots to say about him.

Senjirō: Is this about the fire in the laundry room?

Taiji: Yeah, but it's about a lot more than that. Call it a conversation about ethics.

Senjirō: A conversation about ethics? Seriously, what do you want, Taiji?

Taiji: I just want you to listen, for a start.

Senjirō: Fine. I'm listening. What's this really about?

Taiji: It's really about Haru. He doesn't like the way you and Keigo treat him, and neither do I.

Senjirō: If Haru doesn't like it, why isn't Haru talking to me about it?

Taiji: Because he doesn't like confrontation. It upsets him, even if the point of doing it is for his own benefit. But, I don't have that problem. I can handle confrontation, especially if it's to protect my friends or something else that's important to me. Or both.

Senjirō: What?

Taiji: Look, here's the thing. You and Keigo have to start being nicer to him. You don’t have to like him, but you gotta stop bullying him, ‘cause things are starting to get out of control around here.

Senjirō: You think I’m bullying him?

Taiji: I don’t know what else to call it when you’re constantly being mean to somebody. Haru can’t help being the way he is, you know. It’s not right for you to call him stupid and lazy, and to always make fun of him for everything.

Senjirō: I don’t do that.

Taiji: Actually, yeah, you do. And you’re hurting him, whether or not you care about that.

Senjirō: He doesn’t seem particularly hurt to me. He’s never said anything.

Taiji: No, because he’s trying to hide it because he’s scared.

Senjirō: Of what?

Taiji: You.

Senjirō: That’s ridiculous.

Taiji: Is It? You already take advantage of his weaknesses. What do you think he imagines you’d do if you found out about a few more?

Senjirō: I don’t—

Taiji: You’ve probably never been bullied in your life, have you? People like you are usually the ones doing all the bullying.

Senjirō: What do you mean, people like me?

Taiji: Rich people. Privileged people. Smart, popular, self-entitled people who think the world revolves around them, who freak out when even one tiny thing doesn’t go their way, or when they have to be near somebody they think is beneath them.

Senjirō: Excuse me?

Taiji: Shut up and listen, and I’ll break it down for you.

Senjirō: You—

Taiji: You want to know something about people like me and Haru? We’re not like you. We don’t come from ideal families.

Senjirō: My family isn't perfect either. There's no such thing as an ideal family.

Taiji: Ideal and perfect don't mean the same thing, you know.

Senjirō: My family isn't ideal, just so we're clear.

Taiji: Fair enough, but I'm guessing it's not nearly as bad as mine or Haru's.

Senjirō: I thought Haru's family was good. We've all met his grandparents, and they obviously love him and want the best for him.

Taiji: Yeah, but they're not his whole family, are they? His father abandoned his mother when she was pregnant, and she was so messed up on booze and drugs that she broke Haru's brain before he was even born, and then she died when he was a baby. And mine...? My father beat the crap out of me and my mother for the slightest thing he didn’t like, while he treated my sister like a princess.

Senjirō: Since when do you have a sister?

Taiji: Since forever. I just don’t like to acknowledge having one, but you’re missing the point. I was so scared of my father when I was little that I wished somebody would literally kidnap me and take me away from him. But, the point I’m making is, me and Haru both got dealt a shifty hand, and we both wished for a different life.

Senjirō: I'm sorry. That's awful, but what does any of it have to do with me and Keigo?

Taiji: It has to do with you because me and Haru both got our wish, but you’re ruining his. He’s awesome and talented, and he’s here because the people from Peak thought he had what it takes, but he’s constantly worried that he’s not really good enough.

Senjirō: Of course he's good enough. He writes half our songs, and nobody raps like he does.

Taiji: Maybe you should tell him that instead of putting him down all the time, then. He's constantly struggling with his self-esteem, mostly 'cause everyone said he'd never be able to do anything with his life. Like, he told me they said he'd never be able to go to regular school and learn to read and write, or learn to ride a bike or play an instrument, or even live independently. And yet, here he is, doing his best every day to be a functional adult, and here you guys are, mocking him whenever he doesn't do something the way you think a normal person should.

Senjirō: I didn't realize...

Taiji: Now you do.

Senjirō: I'm sorry.

Taiji: Tell that to Haru. Maybe grow up and take responsibility for something for a change.

Senjirō: Okay.

Taiji: Is that it?

Senjirō: What do you mean, is that it? What else do you expect me to say?

Taiji: Okay, then.

Senjirō: Are we done?

Taiji: No.

Senjirō: Why not?

Taiji: Because I don't know if you really get how important this is. I'm glad you said you'd talk to Haru, but it can't just be a casual 'sorry' or whatever. That's not going to be enough.

Senjirō: What are you talking about? Why isn't it?

Taiji: 'Cause if you just say sorry for the sake of saying sorry and don't actually change, we might lose everything.

Senjirō: That’s stretching it a bit, don’t you think?

Taiji: You need to understand what Sugar Valentine means to Haru, and to me. It's not just our job. I don't know what we'd do if Sugar Valentine wasn't a thing.

Senjirō: You'd find another job in the industry. We all would. It wouldn’t be that bad.

Taiji: Maybe not for you, but what about me and Haru? Yeah, I probably could get another gig, but I wouldn’t want to. Without Sugar Valentine, I wouldn't have Ryu or Haru or the rest of you in my life. For better or worse, you guys are my family, and I wouldn't want to give that up.

Senjirō: Interesting, for someone who complains about the fans, the fame, and the schedule and everything.

Taiji: I might complain about it, but I'd rather be here with you guys than anywhere else.

Senjirō: Right.

Taiji: Anyway, this is supposed to be more about Haru than it is about me. If things don't change with you, he might just quit and go home, and he might not have the confidence to try again. Then what would he do? You gotta see what you'd be sending him home to. Do you think he could register for university? Or how long do you think he'd last working at some shit job like a convenience store clerk or office cleaner?

Senjirō: Not very long, I guess.

Taiji: Exactly. Peak Entertainment gave Haru the opportunity to do something meaningful with his life, that he’s good at and really loves to do. You could say it saved him, in a way, and I feel like I can say it saved me too. If the talent scout hadn't picked me out at the youth music festival, I don't know where I'd be right now. The way my father is, who knows if I'd even be around? The truth is, this company and this group were my lifeline.

Senjirō: That sounds like exaggeration to me.

Taiji: It absolutely isn’t. If you don't believe me about my father, ask my cousin Violet next time you see him. He'll tell you. Same with Haru. Ask his grandmother next time she’s here.

Senjirō: I’d rather not talk to your cousin.

Taiji: Whatever. Talk to him or not. Believe me or don’t. That doesn’t change the truth.

Senjirō: Now are we done?

Taiji: I guess, but just so we're on the same page, I meant everything I just said. This is serious to me, you know, and I hope it's serious to you.

Senjirō: I got that you were serious.

Taiji: Good. Oh, and one more thing... If I catch you being mean to Haru any more, to prove how serious I am, I'll take you out behind the onsen and teach you something I learned from my father.

Senjirō: You wouldn't dare.

Taiji: You don't know what I'd do. I probably wouldn't, but I figure the uncertainty should motivate you to do better from now on.

Senjirō: Now who's being a bully?

Taiji: That's not bullying. I'm just telling you this isn't a game. Trust me, I don't want it to go any further than this, and if you can manage to act like a decent human for once, I promise it won't.

Senjirō: I'm going to tell Sarah—

Taiji: No. You're not. Neither one of us is going to tell anybody about this. We're going to deal with it on our own, like responsible adults.

Senjirō: Responsible adults don't threaten to beat each other up.

Taiji: I don't recall saying I'd beat you up. I didn't say specifically what I was going to do, or even if I was definitely going to do anything at all.

Senjirō: Whatever. Can I at least talk about it with Keigo? You said this has to do with him too, after all.

Taiji: Okay. Talk to Keigo. Make sure he knows what's at stake here, and both of you should think long and hard about it.

Senjirō: All right. I'll think about it.

Taiji: I'm going to be keeping an eye on you.

Senjirō: You can tone down the tough guy act. I’m not afraid of you.

Taiji: Maybe you should be.

Senjirō: You’re such an idiot.

Taiji: Yeah… I can see you’re off to a brilliant start with that attitude adjustment. Keep up the excellent work.

Senjirō: Go away, Taiji.

Taiji: I’m gonna leave the room, but I’m not going away. Like I said, I’ll be watching you.

Senjirō: …

[stargazer-sims]

In the end, I decided Senjirō & Taiji's original hairstyles still suit them best, so we went back to those. I gave Taiji a little colour update, but that's about it.

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San Myshuno Nights (part one)

Look who sneaked out of the hotel for a night on the town.

Taiji: Looking good, feeling good... Hey, is that a karaoke bar?

Haru: Yeah! Let's start there.

Taiji: Can you believe we got out without anyone noticing? I thought Ji-Soo would catch us for sure.

Haru: Leaving music on in your room was genius. If anyone walked by, they'd just assume we were in there. The playlist is probably over by now, but we're long gone, so...

Taiji: This is gonna be the best night ever! No Sarah, no Ji-Soo. Just a couple of guys cruising for adventure.

Haru: Dude, it's like you've never had any freedom before.

Taiji: I... kinda haven't, you know. When I became a trainee, I was only like, fourteen. I wasn't allowed to go out very often at night when I lived at home, and after I got signed by Peak... well, you know.

Haru: Yeah, I know.

Taiji: Plus, I haven't even been a legal adult in Japan for a year yet, and this is my first time in another country as an actual legal adult.

Haru: Well, in that case, we gotta make sure you have the best night ever.

Taiji: Thanks, Haru. This is gonna be so great!

Haru: Thank me later. Right now, we've got some serious partying to do.

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San Myshuno Nights (part four)

Haru and Taiji show off their impressively well-coordinated dance moves to an appreciative audience. Haru loves every second of the attention, of course.

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San Myshuno Nights (part three)

After their karaoke number, Taiji and Haru order drinks at the bar. Actually, it's Taiji who orders, because Haru can't read the menu or communicate sufficiently in English. The best Haru is able to do is point at the most colourful looking thing and tell the mixologist, "That, please!"

Haru pays for the first round, so Taiji doesn't really mind that he has to do the talking.

It's all going great until somebody comes up behind them.

Rebel: Look who's here! They s-say the world is a small place.

Taiji recognizes the stuttering voice, and doesn't really want to turn around. He hadn't expected they'd run into anyone they know, much less someone who knows them as well as Rebel, his cousin Violet's husband. In fact, he's not at all thrilled about this sudden development.

Taiji: Ah crap...

Rebel: Excuse me?

Haru: Hey, Rebel! The world is small!

Taiji: What are you doing here, Rebel?

Rebel: You m-mean, here in S-san M-myshuno, or in this bar specifically?

Taiji: Both?

Rebel: Oh. We're here to discuss a m-music video. Our agent arranged a m-meeting for us with a new p-production company.

Haru: Cool. We’re making a new video too. We’re gonna be cowboys. Sparkly cowboys.

Rebel: Sounds appropriately J-pop.

Haru: We don’t all want to look edgy all the time. Some of us like glitter.

Rebel: T-to each their own, I guess.

Taiji: Is Violet here too?

Rebel: Of course he is. You think I'd go out in p-public by m-myself? Like, what if I had to t-talk to somebody?

Haru: You seem to be doing fine to me.

Rebel: Because I know you, dumbass.

Taiji: Don't let Violet see me.

Rebel: Why?

Taiji: 'Cause I don't want it to get back to my father that I was out drinking.

Rebel: You think Violet doesn't know your father's an asshole? That's his uncle, after all. He won't t-tell him shit. Anyway, you're t-twenty now, right? You're allowed to be out drinking.

Haru: Technically.

Rebel: What do you mean by t-technically?

Haru: Sarah doesn't know we're here.

Rebel: Yeah, you know what? I think I'd be more worried about your m-manager than about Taiji's father. He's in a whole other country right now, so he can't reach you. Your m-manager? She can kick your ass tonight.

Taiji: Only if she finds out.

Rebel: Who's gonna t-tell her? Me and Violet aren't the social activity p-police. Go ahead and p-party like a rockstar, if you want. We might even join you.

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San Myshuno Nights (part two)

Much to their amusement, the boys discover that the karaoke playlist has one of Sugar Valentine’s completely English-language songs on it (they’ve only ever recorded two that are fully in English), so of course they choose that. They figure if they’re going to hide in plain sight, they might as well go all-out.

Taiji: Hey, everybody! We heard Sugar Valentine is in town for three shows this week. We love Sugar Valentine, and we’re gonna be there! So, to get into the spirit, we thought we’d do our best impression. This is, “Nobody Remembers the Words”. Are are you ready?

Haru: We love you, San Myshuno!

Not everyone in the bar seems to recognize the song, which doesn’t surprise Haru and Taiji. What does surprise them is that nobody appears to recognize them. Taiji catches a few exclamations along the lines of, “Wow, those guys really sound like Sugar Valentine!”

After their karaoke performance, he tells Haru what he'd overheard. Haru is genuinely shocked, but also thrilled that they're getting away with their ridiculous plan.

Here's hoping their luck will hold all night.

[stargazer-sims]

Off the Leash

The boys had a free day in their tour schedule, so they're all out sightseeing, shopping and enjoying the local cuisine. Haru and Taiji stopped at this restaurant with an outdoor terrace to have dessert and drinks before resuming their afternoon of adventure.

Haru: Is it me, or is there something up with these drinks?

Haru: All of a sudden, I can't stop thinking about Eden.

Taiji: How is that unusual?

Haru: No, you don't get it. I'm having really, uh... spicy thoughts.

Taiji: Again, how is that unusual?

Haru: Really spicy thoughts. Like, ‘hotel movies you have to pay extra for’ kind of thoughts.

Taiji: Thanks for not being explicit.

Haru: The struggle is real right now. But seriously, you’re not feeling anything?

Taiji: From my drink? Okay, now that you mention it, maybe there is something up with these drinks. Like, I'm feeling super confident all of a sudden.

Haru: How confident, exactly?

Taiji: Like I could do anything and get away with it.

Haru: Ooh... do you have something specific in mind?

Taiji: No, but if we brainstorm, I’ll bet we can come up with something good.

Haru: This day just keeps getting better.