whoops, another shot at humor. hn, kind of had the idea for this story last night, for i was awake for the earlier part of the morning hours because i had tummy ache, because i ate too much barbecue, because i'm such a pig. ehehe. let me know what you think of it.

Chapter I

"K-Kaji-kun! Please, please get up! I'm begging you—"

"I won't stand up until you've decided, Hino-san. It's just a 'yes' or a 'no.'"

"I—I—please, get up!"

Hino Kahoko sweated bullets as Kaji Aoi knelt in front of her. The last thing she wanted now was attention, especially with the possibility of Amou Nami lurking around with her universally-feared camera. She wanted to say 'no' but the Drama Club wanted to raise funds, and since Kaji-kun made it crystal clear that he wouldn't accept the role if he didn't have her for his partner, Kahoko was pretty sure that the club people would kill her if she refused. With him around, blending in with the background was just about impossible.

"If I agree to play Romeo, will you be my Juliet?"

"Y-your Juliet?! Gah! Kaji-kun—"

"Where? Kaji-kun and Hino-san did you say? Where are they? Where?!"

Kahoko sweated even more profusely as she recognized the voice. Noooo—she could not afford to have a picture with Kaji-kun kneeling in front of her again. Goodness knows how she had endured his fan-girls' occasional backstabbing revenge including several cases of unfair and derogatory gossiping and tripping on the corridors, undeserved as they were.

She heard several footsteps; loud ones that raced back to the empty classroom.

"YES! YES! I AGREE!!" Kahoko cried rather impulsively and then with a sudden burst of energy pulled Kaji up. Quite surprised, he tripped over her violin case and instinctively reached out to balance himself out. He propped both arms against the wall, pinned Kahoko on the process, and his face stopped an inch short of hers.

Flash.

---

"Okay—so I have it all covered—sense of touch, taste, hearing, touch, no—I mentioned that one already—so sight, smell, hearing—no, wait—"

Tsuchiura handed Hihara-senpai a pencil and a sheet of paper.

"You better write them down so you won't forget."

"Gee, thanks."

Tsukimori Len sighed as he cleaned the edges of his bow. The three of them were cooped up inside the spacious conference room while they waited for Yunoki-senpai, Fuyuumi and Shimizu to arrive. It was the first afternoon of the ensemble rehearsals for the School Festival.

School Festival.

That's two months from now, and then he would leave for Vienna shortly after the end of term. Everything was exactly as planned.

"Okay, so there's the sense of smell, touch, hearing, sight and taste," announced Hihara-senpai loudly. "Gee, I keep on forgetting things these days. What else?"

"Sense of equilibrium," provided Len in a moment of sympathy for the trumpet player with a little sense of social boundary.

"Huh, that's new."

"I'll tell you something that's new," jeered Tsuchiura from where he sat as he worked on his newly arranged scores, "and I bet Ice Cube here doesn't know what it is."

"Ugh, I so hate psychology. God, I hate memorization. What's that, by the way?"

"Sense of humor."

They burst out laughing. Fuyuumi entered the room at that moment, and, seeing her senpais snorting like a pair of adolescent pigs, she hid behind the curtain. Len frowned and he deeply regretted that he ever spoke up. Stupid plus stupid isn't exactly the best combination. He scowled darkly and turned his back on them.

"It's not at all funny."

"See what I mean?"

"Gahahaha!"

"I know what you lack," Len replied sourly. "Common sense."

"Oops, it's a good one. But still—hahahahaha!"

"Idiots."

The door opened, and Kanazawa-sensei appeared, followed shortly by Yunoki-senpai and Shimizu-kun.

"Oho, you boys seem to be having a good time."

"Tsukimori was being…funny."

"Bwahahaha!"

"What a pair of misfits."

"Was that a joke? Never mind—settle down, settle down. Fuyuumi, unroll yourself off that curtain, for Kami's sake, you'll choke. Okay, so I'm here for some announcement. Change of plans."

"Change of plans, sensei?" asked Yunoki-senpai. "Is the ensemble canceled?"

"No, actually, Director Akihiko heard of the General Education Department's plans for the school festival. They're planning to stage a play."

"A play, Kanayan? What kind of play?"

"Uh—Tsuchiura?"

"I'm not sure," shrugged the pianist. "It's 'Romeo and Juliet,' I think."

"Where do we fit in here?"

"You'll play. Y'know, background stuff."

"But Romeo and Juliet isn't a musical!"

"Didn't you hear me say 'background stuff,' baka."

"Pfft."

Len folded his arms in front of his chest, arrogant medieval duke-style. "Why would we serve as musicians for a General Education Department production? It would be better for us to go ahead with the ensemble. It's a Music Department effort."

"Ha…" muttered Shimizu sleepily.

"Hmm, I'm from the Gen-Ed Department, but for once I agree with Ice Cube here. People aren't inclined to watch plays, anyway."

"Who's playing the lead role?" asked Hihara-senpai.

"Kaji. The transfer student."

"And I say we go on with the ensemble," added Yunoki-senpai darkly. Len frowned. 'Can't afford a little competition, so it seems.

"Alright, then," replied Kanazawa-sensei resignedly. "I'll inform the Director of your decision. I'll instruct Hino to pre-record the music, then, since you—"

"Kanayan, did you say 'Hino?' You mean Kaho-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"Why—is she the music director or something?"

"In that case I'd like to help her, Kanayan! Heh heh."

"What a traitor."

"No, she plays Juliet."

"Oh, I see—YOU MEAN JULIET?!?! LIKE ROMEO AND JULIET?!?"

"Uh huh."

"LIKE KAJI-KUN AND KAHO-CHAN!!?!?"

"Whoa, relax, relax, Hihara-senpai."

"Seems like a major emotional turnabout here," chuckled Kanazawa-sensei as he shuffled his papers gingerly. "Who's in favor of joining the play?"

Four hands shot up, excluding Yunoki-senpai's and his.

"Oho. Majority vote wins, then."

Len sighed in defeat. It's going to be a long, long two months.

---

Next Chapter:

"I swear, we weren't kissing—it was an accident—"

"Can you imagine what your punishment this time would be, Kahoko? I will punish your children and grandchildren and their children and grandchildren—"

"What, you're still alive by then?!"

---

edit: thanks to gorgeousgossipgirl for sharing the 'common sense' bit. it was pretty smart. kansha! ^-^