Part 1

Dir en Grey had just finished a day’s practice. While Kaoru was checking the switches…

" Kaoru! Kaoru!"

He turned around and saw Kyo with an impish grin on his face. The vocalist beckoned him to follow him as he walked to the couch.

" What is it?" Kaoru asked.

" Do me a favour ne?" Kyo offered him a cigarette which he politely refused.

" What?"

" You see…" Kyo began telling Kaoru his dilemma.

" What?!!! You want ME to take care of your 16 year old cousin?!!!" Kaoru stared, not believing the shorter man’s request.

" Come on, Kaoru-chan! Just for a week! Eh…Mikiko is coming to Tokyo, she’s staying with me. So you know…I want to spend some private time with her!" Kyo winked.

" What about my private time with Toshiya?!" the guitarist fumed. "No, I just can’t say yes."

" Awww…he’s not gonna live with you guys! He’ll be staying in a rented apartment. You just have to keep check that he hasn’t burnt down that place and that he goes to school and stuff like that!"

" Then why don’t you do it yourself?? Hm?" Kyo raised a suspicious brow at the vocalist which had streaks of blond hair interlaced with his original dark brown strands.

" Ano…" Kyo scratched his head for an excuse. "Mikiko is kinda fussy and, you know girls, they like you to spend every second with them! Ah, Kaoru! Tell me you will! Please I’m begging you!!! Just baby-sit him for a week until Mi-chan returns to Hokkaido ne???" Kyo flashed his puppy-dog eyes at him.

***

Now, waiting at the airport, Kaoru wondered how he got suckered into babysitting Kyo’s cousin for him. Kaoru frowned deeper as he checked his watch. Damn, I’m sure Kyo gave me the wrong time!

Just as he was contemplating on how he would rip Kyo’s head from his body…

" Kaoru-kun!!!"

Kaoru turned around to see who it was and nearly fainted. Kyotaro, Kyo’s cousin, looked exactly the same as him except maybe a bit taller and wore a loose shirt with big bright floral prints and a whole load of junk at his feet.

***

" Mmm, Kaoru-chan…" Toshiya mouthed seductively as he trailed a finger from the older man’s Adam apple to his chest.

" Hn?" Kaoru opened his eyes. "What?"

" You know…we haven’t…" A deep shade of red appeared on Toshiya’s cheeks. "…for quite a long time now."

Toshiya draped his arms around Kaoru and closed his eyes, requesting for a kiss.

But he got none. "I’m too tired now, Totchi…"

" Getting old ne?" the bassist teased.

" Some other time ne?" Kaoru merely smiled and off the bedside lamp and prepared to sleep, leaving a very disappointed Toshiya clinging on to him. "Good night."

" Good night."

In a few seconds, the younger man heard Kaoru’s soft snoring.

Or am I losing my sex appeal???

Toshiya pouted and pondered over the matter until he drifted off to sleep.

***

" Hey, are you sure you’re allowed to bring that to school?" Kaoru asked as he drove Kyotaro to his new high school.

" You mean, walkmans ain’t allowed in Japanese schools?! Wow, that’s stone age, man!"

Kaoru winced inwardly.

One week…Just one week.

***

" Where’s Kaoru?" Toshiya asked as he stepped into the dressing room. Shinya was changing behind a white curtain and Die was too busy trying to peek at Shinya to answer him.

" He had to leave early," Kyo said, a lollipop in his mouth.

" Oh." The bassist pouted and began stripping off his costume which was making him hot and sweaty.

" Why don’t you just watch Toshiya’s strip show and stop trying to see me change?!" Shinya fumed at Die when he finished dressing.

" It’s different," Die simply answered.

At the same time, somebody cell-phone rang. Everybody began checking their phones.

" Okay, it’s mine." Kyo pressed the green button on his multicoloured phone. "Moshi moshi!"

" Ah, Mi-chan!" Kyo shooed his friends away as he made way for the exit for privacy.

***

When Kyo said ‘made sure he went to school’, Kaoru didn’t realise it meant fetching the kid back and forth from school.

What’s worse, the kid was a typical juvenile! What’s worse than that was the kid had the same sadistic streak as Kyo and had taken to entertaining Kaoru with his gory details of horror stories during the whole drive.

" …and you could actually see her coughing out her bloody intestines! And the cool thing about…"

Maybe I should introduce him to Toshiya…

Kaoru couldn’t be more relieved when he pulled in front of Kyotaro’s apartment.

" Well, see you on Monday, kid!"

Kyotaro flashed him a toothy grin and bolted into the apartment.

Kaoru released the sigh trapped in him ever since an hour ago. He drove off, looking forward to spend a restful evening at home with Toshiya by his side. At the traffic lights, something on the passenger seat caught his eyes.

" That idiot! He forgot his school bag!"

But Kaoru was too lazy to drive back all the way to return it. He shrugged,

I’m gonna see him on Monday anyway.

***

Toshiya stood in front of the full length mirror, inspecting himself. Kaoru was fast asleep on the bed.

I think I still look attractive!

Toshiya frowned.

Maybe I’ll go get some new clothes!

Toshiya cheered up as he worked out his plan for a more ‘attractive’ appearance for Kaoru.

***

Kaoru yawned as he removed his guitar strap from his shoulders. Thirsty, he went to the rest area for a drink and found Kyo having a smoke there.

" Hey, Kaoru! Why the bags?" Kyo pointed at his eyes.

" Thanks to you and your Kyotaro!"

" Aw, don’t be mad at me! He’s a devil, I know!"

" You know? Oh, I see…that’s why you didn’t wanna baby-sit him ne??" Kaoru sent a killing glare at the vocalist.

" Well, eheheh…" Kyo backed away from Kaoru’s dangerous mood.

***

Toshiya was walking down the narrow corridor with shopping bags of lingerie and other things.

" I’m so tired of him!"

Toshiya stopped and backtracked. He sneaked behind the closed door, straining to hear. He thought he heard Kaoru.

" Come on, he’s not that bad." It was Kyo.

" Not that bad?! How would you know? You’re not seeing him everyday!" It was unmistakably Kaoru’s voice.

Toshiya bit down on his lips.

Are they talking about me?

" I don’t think I can stand him much longer!"

Kaoru..?

His new resolve crumbling around him, Toshiya broke into tears and ran out of the studio.

***

" You owe me, Kyo!"

" Yeah, I know. I promise I’ll treat you out for dinner okay?" Kyo patted his bandmate’s back.

" You’d better. I should’ve known your cousin wouldn’t be better than you!"

"Hey, insult me now, huh?"