Give Me A Reason To Keep My Heart Beating (ONE OK ROCK FANFIC)

Life Is Like An Onion.

Toru's POV Continued

My head was spinning as I pulled on my jeans. After finding a pair of matching socks for once I noticed my phone flash a repeat message, I had missed the first time it had gone off so that message was probably about 10 minutes old by now. How was I so unobservant!?

"I'm about 5 minutes away, I hope you guys are ready! :) x" the text from Ambra-san was short but sweet. I was currently balanced trying to pull a sock onto my foot with one hand and read the english message with the other. There was a knock on the my bedroom door, I tumbled over as Taka opened the door.

"Ambra-san is coming up now." Taka laughed at the fact I was sprawled on the floor, half dressed including only one sock on, one sock off, soggy hair and clutching my head due to falling over and hangover combination. 

"Stall her! I'm soooo not ready for this!" Great, Taka had let her in using the intercom and she was on her way up in the lift now.

"You have a couple minutes. Dry your hair and get dressed, then you're all good right?" The door bell rang. "I'll just say you woke up late if she asks. Nothing about a hangover.." Taka said smugly, sauntering off to the lounge as the door swung closed.

"...I suppose that will work." I pulled my other sock on, and pulled the shirt I got my hands on out the wardrobe. My hair dried pretty quick at the aid of a hairdryer, so I was holding my phone up to check Instagram while doing it. I unlocked the screen and I re-read the text message Ambra had sent. A kiss on the end?! I shook my head in confusion but I had seen right. I guess it might be a habit like when I did, could she really have done that on purpose?

Ambra's POV.

"Ambra-san hajimemashite! (Nice to meet you.)"

"Hajimemashite, I guess you're Taka-san? What would you prefer me to call you? I only know your first name."

"I am, just call me Taka, I don't mind. Come on in!" I was ushered through the door way and slipped of my shoes. I placed my shoes neatly at the step into their home and followed Taka to a lounge area. Two guys sat on the sofa opposite the door has grins beaming as I sat down. Where's Toru? Oh well, it's probably best I get to know how much english these three can speak since I already know Toru is fairly capable basic conversation.

"Ambra-san, this is Kohama, Ryota and Kanki, Tomoya. Oh and this is Betty." Taka pointed at the scruffy looking schnauzer sat next to Kohama-san. 

"Nice to meet you!" They both exclaimed with excitement and in unison.. They were so happy it actually kind of freaked me out.

"Nice to meet you too. What do you both prefer to go by name wise? Kohama-san or Ryota or...?"

"Ryota please" He grinned from ear to ear.

Tomo looked as Ryota as he answered, and then came out with "Tomo!" again these two looked like they could finish each other's sentences. Were they behaving strangely or just on their best behaviour because they wanted to learn? I made myself comfortable and put my folders on the coffee table.

 "So how much english do you guys actually understand?" 

"I know more than them but only since I do most the interviews on american tour." Taka perches himself at the other end of the sofa.

"A little." Ryota was still smiling, but now fidgeting like the puppy next to him.

"EXCITED! EXCITED!" Tomo practically squealed, and Betty barked. I think we're going to have to work on Tomo the most the next sentence confirmed that! "Need learn more!" I heard a door close behind me.w

A  throat cleared quietly, before a hoarse voice came out with "Sorry I'm late Ambra". As if he needed to clear his throat, I could feel his presence in a room without even opening my eyes. He made me feel like my stomach was doing back flips.

"You aren't late Toru," I smiled weakly, "I'm just trying to get to grips with how much English they know."

"Taka knows the most, Ryota second, Tomo knows very little." Toru plonked himself in between Taka and me on the sofa, we were all a little too close for comfort. The two sofas were only made for four people all together, currently holding 5 people and a dog meant we were quite squashed. I knew I would have to get up at some point to show work sheets so it didn't bother me too much. 

"ok, so Toru and Taka I'm going to give you some stuff to look at while I work out how much Ryota and Tomo can do without help. Say as much as you can out loud, try and have conversations if you can. The more you practice the better and don't worry about sounding British or American. Just focus on the words." I gave a couple sheets of paper to Toru. 

"Ok, Toru can we practice while I make tea? Ambra-san would you like some?"

"Yes please." Some time passed when Toru and Taka came back, I had finally managed to get Ryota to understand the grips of 'there'/ 'their' and 'were'/ 'where'. I figured they might as well learn by reading and writing it down too. So I ended up drawing little diagrams for each word. Tomo was catching on too, although his attention span was short so we took turns on Ryota's problems and Tomo's. My little diagrams were evidently hilarious, Taka was peeking over my shoulder as he put the tray of tea cups down on the kotatsu*. He was holding back the giggles.

"Arigatou gosai'imasu Taka-san. I see you like the drawings.." I joked. Taka and Toru sat down and demonstrated what they had learnt. I corrected both of their tiny errors and helped them along with pronouncing the more difficult words. The most difficult bit was getting the correct sound for the vowels. For example, in japanese the 'i' sounds like 'ee' and 'e' sounds like 'eh', in english the vowel sounds change irregularly. I explained to Ryota and Tomo in very basic japanese what Toru and Taka had been looking at, and that if they turned the english subtitles on when they watched tv it might help them learn quicker and understand the pronunciation better.  Tomo was surprisingly quick to pick up what they were saying despite his squirming on the sofa. Ryota was having issues with it, but nothing we couldn't straighten out and Betty was just chill in' half perched on his lap. Everybody was suffering from information overload so I suggested "I think maybe a quick break and then we'll carry on for maybe an hour?"

"Sounds good, my brain hurts. Cigarette break Ambra-san?" Toru asked politely.

"Toru is that from learning too much, or your hangover talking?!" Tomo teased, I don't think Tomo realised I could understand the main parts of what they were saying. I could at least tell it was a joke and there was a hangover involved. Toru almost leapt at Tomo, I thought initially this was a fight breaking out, but I soon realised Toru was tickling Tomo. I let out a small giggle and they both froze in embarrassment. They had forgotten I was there! Toru's face drained of colour for a second as he put his hands to his head, the tickle fight had caught up on him.

"Probably the hangover." he hid behind his fringe. He rubbed his eyes as he got up and headed for the balcony, I followed pulling a packet of cigarettes out my pocket.

*Kotatsu - a type of coffee table with a heater/hot coals underneath and a blanket attached to hold in the heat.