Two days later Senpai called me up to meet him at this address, an apartment complex?
Rubbing his wet hair with a towel, He greeted me from the balcony.
"Come on in, I'll meet you in the hall, we're going to the third floor."
"H-hai!"
Was he inviting me to his room?!
He emerged from a door and smiled at me. Together we went to a door upstairs, a question sign hung over my head as we stopped before a door. He knocked.
The door opened to reveal an unexpected face.
"F-fukuda-san?"
His hair was tied back in a ponytail today and he was dressed casually in a simple longsleeved white shirt and khaki pants.
"Ken-san and... Ito-san right? What brings you here?"
I began to panic, my mind went blank, "T-that..." I looked to Ken-kun who smiled. Ken-kun you traitor!
"You could call it an intervention on my kohai's behalf, we just came to talk..."
"Oh...okay," Fukuda-san stepped aside to let us in his expression a questioning one but other than thankfully there wasn't the reluctance or disdain that I imagined.
Looks like he had company over because there were a girl's shoes at the entrance. Ah! were we interrupting...?
A dark-skinned girl was seated inside reading something, an African?! I-Impressive Fukuda-san! A simple guy at first glance but worldly taste...
The girl looked up, her upturned eyes scanning us, unexpectedly she dipped her head in greeting and spoke in our language, "Hello..." her voice sounded silvery...wait what the heck is a silvery voice? the proper word was husky...but also soft. I think? Anyways, her voice was pleasant sounding! Yes!
I had been taken aback and nearly forgotten my manners, I quickly dipped my head, perhaps Ken-kun was as well because he dipped his head in greeting. "Hello!" We even spoke in unison.
"Sorry, Amara," Fukuda-san looked apologetic towards the foreigner. He apologized to her by just using her first name! W-wait but for foreigners, that's normal right? He addressed us. "This is my neighbor, friend, and classmate, Amara-san." facing us he added an honorific.
"You could have just kept it at Sensei..." Amara commented.
Fukuda made a face. "Ehhhh, but being called sensei..."
She responded monotonously without any emotion. "More than a friend that's what you are to me though."
Fukuda-san playfully held his chest, though he really did seem wounded.
"Are you still holding a grudge because I said you couldn't live without me?"
A flicker of panic registered in her eyes and she squinted at him from behind her textbook she sat upon the desk.
"Tmi!"
Oh! That was english!
" T...M....I...huh? what does that spell?" I wondered aloud.
Seeing me stare at her, Ken-kun texted me. I looked down at my phone.
["Tmi- an acronym for too much information, in other words, she doesn't want him saying too much stuff in front of us."]
"A-ah..." I can understand, I would also hate that. It's embarrassing. Bad Fukuda-san! But then... were the two of them romantically involved? They seemed close...
Perhaps wary of our silent exchange Fukuda-san faced us. "So what brings you here?"
My gaze lingered on Amara-san, a tiny nail and hammer seemed to be dangling from her ears, and she was wearing a fuzzy pink shirt. Her frizzy dark brown hair was divided into two puffs... cute rings adorned her middle fingers... ah! I've seen those before! They sell them at the street markets!
"...Ito-san?" Fukuda-san's tone sounded off.
I turned to see him and Senpai staring at me like I was being weird.
Fukuda-san's eyes flickered from Amara to me.
"Although I get that her beauty can be distracting, please pay attention, this concerns you after all..."
I got scolded. I felt a weird vibe next to me, Amara-san was glaring at Fukuda-san who kept talking to Ken-kun, was he pretending not to notice?
(Author's note: Amara was thinking something along the lines of "This dood...." )
Senpai explained the situation.
"A way to get the members to sing with emotion?" Fukuda-san echoed. "Wouldn't you be better off having this conversation with Kanna-san?" His tone sounded indifferent. Noooo Fukuda-san don't be like this please! I beg of you!
"I talked to her..." Ken-kun said, his expression seemed to have a lot of things he wanted to say but was holding back.
"Eh?" Fukuda-san and I spoke in unison.
"She was hoping for your involvement."
Fukuda-san seemed confused. "Why...?"
"She requested that you add some female guide vocals, the first song is just with your voice right?"
Fukuda-san nodded.
"She wants to give an example the girls can listen to in order for them to realize what they're singing is lacking."
Fukuda's expression froze for a while. Unnerving both me and Senpai.
"Amara..." When he finally spoke it was to Amara-san.
Her eyebrows moved up as she met his gaze. As if to non-verbally ask "What is it?"
"If I could have a moment of your time, please."
She distrustfully squinted at him.
"What's up with the sudden politeness?" She seemed suspicious.
He got up and beckoned her over as he walked over to his desk and pulled out a microphone.
"Ah, are you doing it now?" Senpai asked.
"I don't really know many females..."
"But there's that bitch in your group right? Her singing is good at least,"
Fukuda-san slowly turned around his deadpan expression, it was a bit comical, he said, "I...don't feel like asking her for any favors right now..."
I had a lot of questions, but his reaction just now told me a lot. So I held them in and folded my lips like a turtle.
Ken-kun blinked and nodded. I had never heard him swear before but he did so, so casually...
Amara-san seemed tense.
She was whispering. "I told you I can't sing." In English.
Fukuda-san surprisingly responded in kind. "You don't have to be good, just have fun. We're playing, just playing. This is just an extracurricular activity for fun."
"Liar." She turned the other cheek.
He clasped his hands together.
This only seemed to make her angrier. "Annoying..."
"Then, Lady Amara please, listen to this and mimic it in your own way," He ushered her to the chair and sat her down, and handed her a paper, the lyrics most likely.
The song played.