Author's note: OK, so the premise of this story is wildly implausible. There's no way that a kissing audition could take place in a high school setting…..especially with Japan! It's actually unthinkable that any of the characters would participate. I predict that in the second paragraph you'll already be shaking your head and saying "No Way!"

So this story is total fantasy on my part. I just felt like playing around with the concept of being blindfolded, finding out what the boys would do if they were given freedom to express themselves, and wondering if they could be identified through their actions. You might want to guess who kissed her and how, or wait until I give you the answer in a later chapter. I'm not actually trying to be that mysterious; it's just an exercise in seeing people from a different perspective.

I thought this was going to be short, like my other stories, but it's turning out to be a really, really long one. Very fun to write. Hope you enjoy it!

Kissing Audition

Nami Amou was a genius, if she did say so herself. Kahoko admitted to her one day that she wouldn't mind having a boyfriend, although she didn't have anyone particular in mind. After weeks of having witnessed her friend's obliviousness in the presence of so many male admirers, the feisty reporter was eager to conjure up a way to further her friend's interests. Being a keen observer, she knew all too well which boys had the hots for the redhead. She also had some insight into Kahoko's taste in men, as well as some ideas about which men might provide interesting experiences for the girl in spite of her natural inclinations.

One afternoon Amou told her friend about the plan. They would hold a Kissing Audition. Amou would choose the men from Kahoko's immediate entourage, contact them and set up appointments for each interested party. Kahoko would be waiting in a practice room, blindfolded. Each suitor would have 15 minutes with her. The boys shouldn't talk and she shouldn't touch them, because the idea was that the boys' anonymity would force her to make decisions based solely on physical interaction.

The process would be completely private for all parties. Appointments could be made for any time, so the men wouldn't be aware of who the other participants were either. Amou wouldn't tell Kahoko who the boys were until after she had made her decision.

Amou already knew who she was going to invite. Hihara, Tsuchiura, Kaji, Tsukimori and Etou. The latter two guys were inspired longshots. They hadn't shown any overt interest in the girl, but Amou's antennae were tingling about the potential for romance.

Out of all the guys that kissed her, Kaho could go on a date with whoever she wished.

During the 'meetings' Kahoko would have a beeper in her pocket. She would beep Amou (waiting in a room down the hall) when a boy entered the room and Amou would beep her when 15 min were up. Kaho could also beep at any time if there was a problem and Amou would come immediately. Amou also set up a pre-designed message so that if Kaho was particularly enjoying a certain boy's company she could request a time extension before the beeper went off.

After a couple weeks of relentless persuasion from the blonde, Kahoko finally agreed to do it. She was nervous as heck about the whole scheme, but Amou convinced her of how private the process would be. The boys wouldn't know who else was involved unless they talked to each other, and that was unlikely since all of them were so competitive. It would be a great opportunity for them to 1) kiss the girl they like, and 2) have her get to know them in a way that wouldn't otherwise occur. The fact that Kahoko was subconsciously hoping that Tsukimori-kun would participate, might be largely responsible for why she was going along with Amou's plan. The journalist didn't care what her friend's motivation was; she was in for a little education about guys.

Amou began contacting the men. She made sure they knew that the audition process was her idea, that she was in charge of choosing the guys, and that Kahoko was being gracious in agreeing to participate. Most of them were shocked by the idea, but intrigued. "Think of it as private time with Hino-san, and I'm just the one who's making the appointment so as to keep your identity a secret from her." Not wanting the boys to regard Kahoko as being 'easy' she told each of them that there was only one other boy that was participating. In most cases the men said that they would think about it, but as she predicted the call-backs began trickling in. The one exception was Tsukimori, who thought the exercise was a waste of time, in bad taste, and privately he didn't want to participate in anything that another guy was involved in. But the idea was like a slow poison that began consuming him. Amou figured that he would come around eventually. The big surprise was when Yunoki contacted Amou, saying that he was interested. He apparently found out from Kazuki. Who knew that Yunoki had any interest in Kahoko?!

Amou counseled all the men to be mindful of Kahoko's vulnerable position, that she would probably be nervous. If any of them misbehaved they would have Amou's considerable media clout to deal with.

She thought it would be best to split the boys up across 2-3 days. Too many guys at once might be confusing for Kahoko, but ideally the appointments would be close enough to make comparisons.

Day 1

The day of the first kiss arrived. Kahoko was originally really nervous until Amou psyched her into it by appealing to her sense of compassion. She said that the boys were probably more nervous than her since she would be making comparisons between them. Amou painted a convincing picture of the fragility of the male ego. This perspective worked on tender-hearted Kahoko. She pulled herself together and resolved to make the guys as comfortable as possible.

Amou had hand-stitched a stylish blindfold for her friend. The fabric was black with a couple red roses embroidered along the edge. She helped Kahoko put it on, and reviewed procedures with her. "…And in case you like several of the men, you should try to keep track of details so at the end you can make decisions about who to date. You should actually make some notes at the end of each day, because it could get confusing after 6 guys and 3 days." Amou taped a sign that blocked the door window, saying "Examination Testing in progress."

She was actually feeling quite jealous as skipped down the hall to wait. She would be hounding her friend with questions afterward!

Alone now, the redhead took a few deep breaths and accustomed herself to the noises of the room and the building…the clock ticking, the furnace coming on, birds and cars outside, music coming from other practice rooms. They all seemed louder with her eyes closed. She was standing with one hand on the piano as she faced the door. Into the melange of familiar noises came the new sound of footsteps…

Candidate #1

The door flew open and she heard quick breathing, as if the boy had been running. He put something hard and heavy on the floor. He didn't move from that spot for several moments and she heard scratching of skin and fidgeting of clothes as his breath slowed. Then footsteps across the carpet until he was in front of her. A hand softly encircled her upper arm, his thumb inadvertently brushing against her breast. With a sharp intake of breath he moved his hand instead to her shoulder.

Silence…waiting…until she felt a warm mouth on hers. One gentle kiss and he drew back…Another kiss, deeper before he pulled away again. Arms went around her shoulders and he pulled her closer. His lips on hers, softly pushing and probing. A hand at the back of her head. His tentative tongue, subtle sweetness, bolder now, his groan of desire. Hands falling down her back to rest at her waist. Forehead to forehead, lips again, pulling her waist against him…maybe not THAT close…petting her hair as he kissed her more gently. His sigh…gathering her in his arms. Long warm hug, his cheek against hers, hands stroking her back until the beeper went off.

He kissed her cheek, placed her hand back on the piano so she would know where she was, regretfully letting go of her, one last lingering look by the door before he opened it and passed through. He stopped outside the door and considered returning to her, but ultimately sighed and continued down the hall. It felt wrong to leave her and he knew that he would probably never be that close to her again, but it was out of his hands.

She never realized how much emotion could be conveyed, even with eyes closed and no talking. Whoever this guy was had really touched her with his honest feelings. It was her first kiss and she didn't even know who he was.

Candidate #2

Was it her imagination or had she heard the door open and close? He was so quiet in his approach that it was the mere stirring of air that alerted her to his presence. Into the charged stillness came the surprising sensation of fingers traveling lightly down her spine before his arms went around her from behind as he pulled her firmly against him.

One strong arm continued to hold her as his other hand pulled her hair aside so he could kiss her neck. It was a sensitive area for her, and his touch there made her quiver. Every nuance of his breath could be heard as he kissed and nibbled up her neck. Over to her ear where he slowly tongued her earlobe and drew it into his mouth so he could gently bite it. She too was breathing audibly now. With help from his hand which held her face in position, his lips continued along a path across her neck until he found her pulse. He pressed his mouth against the throbbing beat and remained for ten of her pulses as he slipped a couple fingers inside the neckline of her blouse. She gasped as he traced a slow path that flirted with the curves at the top of her bra.

Suddenly he spun her around to face him, and pinned her against the piano. With his legs on either side of hers, his hands cradling her face, and with as much frontal body contact as possible he began kissing her mouth. Soft at first, his lips were very, very persuasive and soon Kahoko was fully engaged in deep kissing the man. She slipped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer.

When the beeper went off, he tipped her away from the piano and pulled her into his arms. Tenderly, he kissed every part of her face. The last one was a sweet kiss on her lips. It felt like he cherished her…and then he was gone.

"Well, how was it? I want details!" Amou was looking forward to living vicariously through her friend. "How was #1?"

Kahoko thought back to the breathless boy. "Number one...he was very sweet and affectionate. I think he must really like me." Amou nodded. She of course knew who the guys were even though she wasn't going to tell Kahoko yet.

"Was he a good kisser?"

"I don't think he was very experienced, but what do I know? He kissed me quite a bit, and hugged me. It was nice. I'm pretty sure he likes me a lot. It seemed to be more about holding me than kissing me." She didn't really want to give Amou too many details. What she experienced with the guys seemed so personal. She didn't want to betray their secrets.

"Number Two?"

The violinist exhaled forcefully. "He was exciting...obviously experienced. He seemed to like to keep me guessing...At the end it felt like he liked me too."

Amou was intrigued and pressed for more details but Kahoko wouldn't share the particulars. How could she? What he had done to her was too bold to describe. She blushed as she kept mute, and Amou resolved to ask her about him again later.

Kahoko slept fitfully, reviewing the experiences of the day. She spent a lot time dwelling on how much of #1's feelings came through. And #2 was so exciting that she went over the encounter again and again, memorizing what he did to her. How gentle he was at the end really surprised her.

Stay tuned for Day 2