Oh, Brother!

legit

Reina's POV
As Mom and Sho talked for a bit longer in the kitchen, I was too busy focusing all my known attention on searching up Shogo's co-ed group GetchaDream all over social media and YouTube. I was surprised to both know and learn that Shogo had debuted nearly a month ago under a small Kpop and Jpop company known as Bingo Entertainment. Although I've heard about the company before through an online mutual, I had no idea that they were debuting another group. Let alone, the group Shogo debuted in. I adjusted my posture on the couch, straightening my back, then typing up the group's name in katakana in my Notes app. I just had to know more. I don't know if it was my former crush on Shogo that caused me to act the way I'm acting right now, but something in me knew that I still felt some type of attraction towards him.

Later that night...

"So, you're telling me your childhood friend and ex-crush is now a member of an idol group?" one of my best friends Ueno Nozomi asked me as she FaceTimed me and our other best friend Yamakawa Mayu. "Tajima Shogo from GetchaDream? That's him, right?" Nozomi then showed me and Mayu GetchaDream's physical debut single Reaching For My Dreams/ After The Rain.

"Wait..." Mayu began. "Where the hell did you get that, Nozo-chan?" Now, we were both awfully curious about where Nozomi had gotten her hands on that single. "I heard there were only around 300 copies that were made!"

"Well, I know a guy..." Nozomi stated back in reply.

"A guy?" Mayu and I repeated in unison.

"Yeah, Takumi-san..." Nozomi stated, her voice trailing off as she remembered what occurred between me, Takumi-san, and Shogo-kun.

"Takumi-san?!" I yelled. "Wait, how did he get his hands on Shogo's debut single?" I was awfully curious how Takumi-san and Shogo-kun were somehow interconnected given the context of our conversation.

"Hmm... I'm not so sure I know the exact details just yet. However, it seems like Takumi-san is somehow working under Bingo Entertainment... I'm not sure if he's a trainee or a behind-the-scenes kind of person," Nozomi then inserted GetchaDream's debut single into her portable CD player. Listening to every lyric, Nozomi concluded, "Okay, they're pretty good! No wonder Bingo picked them to be in their label!"

I wasn't sure what to think of our FaceTime conversation. But one thing's for sure, if Takumi-san really is a trainee under Bingo Entertainment, then why would he keep such a secret from me?

"Ugh my mom's calling me!" Nozomi-chan stated, rolling her big Bambi-like dark-brown eyes in her mom's direction. "Looks like the bath will get cold if I don't hurry up and finish our convo. So, I guess this is bye for now, Besties!" We all waved our sudden goodbyes, yet I just couldn't find any plausible reason to sleep. Of course, I would be losing loads of energy at school tomorrow, but like that isn't what I usually do, anyways.

With a huff, I heaved myself out of my bed and sneaked myself out of my bedroom window. Climbing down the tree leading to the main road, I biked my way over to Ueno Park. I wasn't expecting to find him there, but he was, sitting on one of the swings. "Takumi-san?" I began, awfully curious as to why he was out here so late at night.

"Can't sleep, huh?" Takumi-san stated, motioning me to sit on the open swing next to him. I silently nodded in reply. "Well, me neither..." The two of us then shared some laughter, as if nothing in particular occurred between us.