Chapter 5“

After dinner, Maki excused herself and went to take a shower after a long day of hard work on her part at Kawaiko. The rest of the guys were in the kitchen.

Shin Dong and Hee Chul were cleaning the table and gathering the dishes for Si Won and Sung Min to wash in the spacious sink of the kitchen. Ye Sung and Kyu Hyun were in charge of drying those dishes.

“You, cakey maknae.” Hee Chul called, bumping an elbow into Kyu Hyun’s stomach as he walked to the sink. “Did you get the memo?”

Kyu Hyun glanced at Hee Chul and thanked Ye Sung for giving him a towel to dry the dishes with.

“Hyung, mollya. If you could just tell me what the memo is, I might know what you’re talking about.”

“Aissh…” Hee Chul shook his head. “We’re so screwed. Why didn’t anyone brief him up before he met Maki?”

“Ya, Lee Teuk was supposed to explain everything first. Don’t blame us.” Ye Sung growled.

“Aigoo, just tell him already.” Sung Min said. “He needs to know about it or else things will go awry later on.”

Shin Dong nodded in agreement. Si Won was simply minding his own business and washing the dishes. Alone.

“Cho Kyu Hyun,” Hee Chul called. The oldest member present set a hand on Kyu Hyun’s shoulder. “You must listen to me carefully.”

Kyu Hyun flashed a worried look to the other members but they avoided his eyes and turned to help Si Won. Even so though, their ears were open and their lips ready to retort should it be necessary.

“Yeh, hyung.”

“You cannot, under any circumstances, fall in love with Horikita Maki. Do you understand this concept?”

Kyu Hyun stared at his hyung for one moment, a long silent moment that had Hee Chul self-conscious of his face. Did Hee Chul have some rice on his face? Some smears of sauce?

“Weah?” Kyu Hyun finally asking when Hee Chul began wiping his lips.

Hee Chul cleared his throat and straightened himself.

“She’s taken!” Sung Min half-whispered half-yelled into Kyu Hyun’s ears.

“She’s a lesbian.” Shin Dong nodded his head, calmly taking the fact as something totally logical.

“Eeeh?” Si Won almost dropped a soapy dish.

“Maki is scared of men.” Ye Sung added.

The maknae’s attention was diverted elsewhere. Hee Chul didn’t like that.

“Aniya, aniya.” Hee Chul grabbed maknae Kyu Hyun’s shoulders and shook him. “Don’t listen to them. Listen to me.”

Kyu Hyun nodded his head.

“Yeh.”

Hee Chul took a deep breath.

“Horikita Maki is…” Curious as he was, Kyu Hyun waited patiently and anticipated hyung’s answer. “Horikita Maki is…” Anticipating hyung’s answer was killing him and the fact that the other members–excluding Si Won–were acting like goofs and making him want to laugh wasn’t helping. “She is… taken!”

“Hyung!!”

Ye Sung whacked Hee Chul’s head.

“You! You’re so useless.”

“Bwoh?”

“Caknae seems angry now.” Sung Min shakes his head. “Are you, caknae?”

“Caknae?” The guys asked.

Sung Min nodded.

“Cuddlecakes plus maknae equals caknae.”

“…….”

“Anyways!” Shin Dong exclaimed with a boom. “You got the memo now, right Kyu Hyun?”

Kyu Hyun shook his head.

“Okay, so let me get this straight. You guys are telling me not to fall in love with Maki because of why…? I mean, I’m not in love with her or anything but your reasons are beyond my logic.”

Hee Chul shook his head and clicked his tongue.

“Cho Kyu Hyun, we’re your seniors therefore, we need no logic.”

“Butterscotch hyung,” Kyu Hyun called. “You tell me.”

“Ya!” Si Won hissed. He threw his wet hands into the air and swung it around at the guys, spraying water everywhere. “Am I the only one washing the dishes here?”

“Aigoo… Harasso, harasso.” Hee Chul mumbled to himself and walked up to the table to get some dirty dishes. “We’ll help you.”

Sung Min gave a helping hand to Si Won while Shin Dong dried the plates that Si Won had just washed. As for Ye Sung and Kyu Hyun, they were still taking.

“Cho Kyu Hyun, the reason why you cannot fall in love with Maki is very simple. She is married to the one who she calls Angel.”

Kyu Hyun’s jaw dropped. The four other members could literally see a change in demeanor in maknae’s body. He usually carries himself rather nervously in a contradicting confident way. To put it in simpler term, he was confident but he’s worried that he’s too confident and was afraid he will mess up because of that. That’s before Kyu Hyun heard the news of Maki’s marriage to Angel. When he heard though, his shoulders slumped slightly and the smile on his face at his hyungs’ goofed up manners vanished.

“A-Angel? Lee Teuk?” Kyu Hyun inquired.

Ye Sung nodded.

“Yes. Why do you think Maki knows us and we know her? She is Angel’s wife, our sister-in-law. I mean, we were trainees and celebrities. Do you think we can just randomly meet people and go to their houses? No. And have you not ever wondered why Angel pays Maki’s expenses while we occasionally leech off of him?”

“I…” Kyu Hyun was going speechless. “I thought that was a joke, her being married to Angel.”

Ye Sung and the others shook their heads.

“Nope, no joke.”

“But how does that work? I mean, they literally never see each other at all and I have yet to see them speak to each other without ripping throats and scratching brains.”

Ye Sung, Sung Min, Shin Dong, Hee Chul, and Si Won mentally cringed at Kyu Hyun maknae’s description of Lee Teuk’s and Maki’s relationship.

“Yes, you can say that.” Ye Sung replied. “But marriage is marriage. Whether a marriage between a man and a woman is peaceful or wild, that can only be defined by the two of them. We cannot interfere. That is the nature of love.”

“What wise words you have, yangban Ye Sung.” Si Won went to his knees and bowed to Ye Sung. The washing dishes task had been completed already with Sung Min’s help. When he got up to tower over Ye Sung, he delivered the last blow. “But… have you ever fallen in love before to even say that?”

“Love…?” Ye Sung looks at Si Won and stumbled backward, holding on to his heart as if in pain. “You just had to hit where it hurts.”

Si Won grinned and patted Kyu Hyun’s shoulder.

“Regardless of how they treat each other, the fact that they are married isn’t a joke. And besides, to Maki, we are only baggage.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sung Min made a face.

“Aigoo, you don’t understand?”

“She married Lee Teuk and along with him, she got 12 more guys. We’re the baggage here. So Kyu Hyun.” Si Won swiveled to look at the maknae. “Understand that, okay?”

“Ye–Yeh…”

Kyu Hyun, dazed at the new information, nodded to his hyung and stumbled out into the living room. Shin Dong, Si Won, Hee Chul, Sung Min, and Ye Sung exchanged glances and followed him. As they entered from one side of the apartment, Maki returned from the other side dressed in a white baggy shirt and baggy pants.

“You guys are staying for the night?” She asked Kyu Hyun.

Kyu Hyun stared at Maki. Unable to process the news that just entered his ears, he looked away from her and flew onto the sofa of the living room. She raised an eyebrow at this and glanced at the guys when they approached.

“Yes, Maki. We’re staying for the night.” Si Won replied. “I don’t know about the others but tomorrow morning, I have to catch an early flight to Hong Kong. You know, promotions.”

“Oh, is that why there’s a suitcase in my room?”

“Yup. Sorry about entering without asking.”

“Kwanchana.” Maki smiled. “You guys go ahead and sleep. I have to go buy some things first.”

The guys began protesting.

“What is this, buying things in the middle of the night?”

“Andue, you cannot go. You are a girl!”

“Someone has to come with you.”

“What is going on?”

“Maki, you are silly. Go to sleep? Never.”

“Chotto matteyo!” Maki shouted, flailing her arms around to get the guy’s attentions.

They fell quiet and apologized.

“Gomenasai.”

“You guys are over-reacting. It’s just 8 o’clock.”

“But Snoodlebug, what do you need to buy?” Ye Sung asked. “We can go buy it for you. Just tell us what it is.”

Maki laughed nervously.

“I need to go buy some toothpaste and spare toothbrushes for you guys in the morning. We ran out.”

“Oh, we don’t need that.” Shin Dong rejected the offer. “We usually don’t brush our teeth in the morning anyway.”

“Ya, you don’t but I do.” Hee Chul smiled, exposing his pearly whites. “Why do you think I have such beautiful teeth?”

“Cheeky Monkey oppa, can I go now?” Maki asked, her voice dripping with admirable sarcasm.

“Yes, you can but Kyu Hyun must with you.”

At the mention of his name, Kyu Hyun who was mediating on the sofa, raised his head up.

“Eh?”

₪••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••₪

Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle.

Step, step, step.

The trip to the convenience store was awkward. Usually, Kyu Hyun would make jokes and such. But not this time around. He seemed to be thinking profoundly about something very important to the point where his eyebrows were creasing together into a unibrow. Maki would have laughed over it had it not been for the seriousness of the atmosphere.

“Are you alright?” Maki asked.

“Yeh, Maki-sshi.”

She raised an eyebrow at his reply. Why was he being so formal?

“Is something wrong, Kyu Hyun? You’re acting odd.”

Kyu Hyun raised his head up and looked at Maki. His sports cap shadowed his face as he smiled.

“I guess I need some time to adjust to this news bomb that hyungs were on me.”

“What news?”

“You being married.”

“Marriage?”

Maki stopped walking. Because of this, Kyu Hyun turned back to look at her expecting some sort of remorse for lying to him. But to his dismay, she was holding her stomach and going red faced with uncontrollable giggles and snickers that grew up volume.

“Weah, why are you laughing?” Kyu Hyun asked.

“They really got you this time, didn’t they?” Maki asked through fits of laughter.

Kyu Hyun blinked.

“What are you talking about?”

Maki took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

“Let me guess. They told you I’m married to Angel?” Kyu Hyun nodded without fail. “And you believed that?” He nodded again. “Why?”

“Because Ye Sung hyung and Hee Chul hyung were all seriously scary when they warned me not to fall in love with you.”

Maki reached out her hand and gave Kyu Hyun a good flick on the head.

“Apudah.” Kyu Hyun cried out.

“Paboh, why would I be married to Angel?”

“I-I-I don’t know. That’s what the hyungs told me.”

“Aissh, anata wa baka!”

Maki gave an exasperated sigh and stalked away from Kyu Hyun. Recognizing that she was walking away, he quickly followed. To catch up, he reached out and grabbed her hand.

“Chotto, you mean you’re not married?” He asked as their feet fell in line with one another.

“Aniyo! I’m 18 and still living life. He’s 23 and a workaholic. We are nothing alike. Do you take me as foolish to marry someone like Lee Teuk?”

“The other members sai–”

“Do you take their words over mine, Kyu Hyun-sshi?”

He grinned.

“Horikita Maki is a snoodlebug so of course she would never lie.”

“Correction, I would never lie without intentions. Not that I would never lie.”

“Harasso, harasso. Mianhaeyo.” Kyu Hyun winked at Maki and pulled her along. “Kaja, let’s go buy those toothpastes.”

“Of course.”

“Ne, Maki-no. Are you free Friday night?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Nothing, just asking.”

Maki glared at Kyu Hyun but dismissed it. The two quickly walked to the convenience store down two blocks.  Throughout the entire walk, Kyu Hyun kept stealing glances at Maki as he conversed with her, a silly grin on his face.

Well, I haven’t posted in a while, but I’m still working on several translations. Here is Ningen no Shoumei episode 6. Episodes 7 and 8 are in the works, so don’t worry, we’ll have those ready soon. I hope you’re all enjoying the series so far, and there are other projects in the works, but I won’t comment on those right now, since nothing is definite.

Download it here

CHAPTER 4“

It’s been a week since Maki started work at Kawaiko. Like expected, it was much more amusing than staying at home and watching soap operas after soap operas of tragic Korean dramas while waiting for them.

A week and she did so much work that her body ached and her legs had blisters from standing all the time. But she began to recognize the purpose of her coming to work every single day. It was to see the smiling faces of Kawaiko’s customers and listen to their life stories through glimpses and mutters here and there. It was cute.

“Maki-chan, when is your boyfriend coming?” Aya inquired, nudging Maki as she was washing some cups of coffee.

Maki sighed. Aya has been reiterating this question for the past week since she saw Kang In picking her up from her interview. What the hell, she needed her some peace too. Supposedly, privacy was something she had to give up should she want to keep this job.

“Aya-san, I told you. He’s not my boyfriend.” Maki said, once again rejecting such a preposterous statement. “He’s just a close friend.”

“Hai, hai, if you say so.” Aya smirked. “Go over to table 2.” Maki glanced at the table. “Oh yeah, remember when I taught you how to make a caldo and freddo?”

“Hai.”

“That woman will definitely ask for one of that. Aren’t you glad I taught you them already?”

“Mochiron desu. [Yes, of course.]” Maki smiled. Aya was definitely like a teacher to Maki. In such a short time, Maki had learned the basics as well as some very complicated coffee-making skills. “Arigatou gozaimasu. [Thank you.]“

“Aigoo, I love having you around. You remind me so much of my sister!”

Aya gave Maki a big bear hug and shoved her out from the counter. She herself went to the kitchen to check on the baked goods. At the table, a man and a woman was sitting opposite of each other, giggling and talking about nonsensical things. They were flirting with each other and Maki liked how cute they looked.

“Are you guys ready to order?”

“We would like to get a chocolate fudge cake and two noisette.” The woman smirked. “You should know what it is, right? I’m looking forward to what you will say when you bring these noisettes out. Surprise me.”

“Might I ask would you rather prefer a caldo or a freddo?”

The man besides his girlfriend raised an eyebrow. He clearly didn’t know anything at all about the question she had posed.

“It’s winter but I want a freddo.”

Maki nodded and returned to the counter. There she began making the noisette that the woman had ordered. For a learner like herself, the noisette was a little hard to make but she trusted herself and Aya’s skills enough to do it the right way. The woman’s order was Caffè Macchiato Freddo, a form of espresso where a small amount of milk or its foam is spooned on top of the drink. Since it was a freddo instead of a caldo, Maki needed to watch the temperature of the milk being added. One degree less or more can make a really big difference.

“Here comes your chocolate cake and Metallic Caffè Macchiato Freddo!” Maki rushed over with a tray in her hand and set the plate of cake and drinks on the table. “Usually espressos only come in varying degrees of brown. But for your special girlfriend,” Maki wrinkled her nose at this and gave a pout but the expression disappeared immediately. “I’ve specifically added a deep purple color for your freddo but don’t worry. It’s no artificial flavorings or colors. Taste it and you’ll find a faint blueberry flavor.”

“Maki, I’m here!”

Eun Hye entered the shop and waved her hand to Maki. It was only when she noticed the guests did she gave a slight bow of embarrassment and ushered herself to the counter where she clocked in. Maki suppressed a smile and returned to the counter.

“What a grand entrance you made there, Ms. Yoon.” Maki jested.

“You just had to make me embarrass myself, didn’t you?” Eun Hye gritted her teeth. “You could at least warn me we had customers.”

“What the–You’re a manager and I’m just a worker here, Yoon Eun Hye. Besides, you’re the one you burst in without looking.”

“Aigoo, whatever, whatever.” Eun Hye checked her watch. “Ya, it’s time for you to get off now.”

“Yeh. Kamsamhamnida, Eun Hye-sshi. See you tomorrow.”

Aya poked her head out from the kitchen.

“Matene, Maki-chan.”

“Matene.”

Maki bowed to her co-workers, to the two guests, and walked out into the street. The sun was setting. From the corner of her eyes, Maki immediately saw someone standing on the other side of the street with his arms over his head and waving to her. Dressed in casual pants and a shirt, the sunglasses he had on showed no casual side at all.

“Maki-no!” The man shouted.

Maki stared at the man and a smile broke on her face.

“Cuddlecakes!”

From the other side, the man made a face. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the name. It was just odd people were giving him odd looks. He put a finger to his lips and gestured for Maki to come over. But before she could do as such, he looked both ways and rushed across the street to reach her side. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug.

“It’s been so long!” Kyu Hyun said.

“It’s been only a week or so, what are you talking about?”

The two of them pulled away from the hug.

“Aniyo, it’s been long for me.” Kyu Hyun lowered his head. “I missed you.”

Maki blushed and looked away.

“Don’t joke with me.”

“Maki, do you have time this Friday night?”

The two of them began their walk home.

“Nani? Weah?”

“Aniyo, I just want to spend some time with you before promotions makes me all michessyo.” Maki giggled when Kyu Hyun did the swirly hand sign. “You’re laughing? You know it’s true.”

“Kaja, let’s go home. The guys are waiting.”

Together, the two of them began their walk home hand in hand.

“Cherry Bum Bum!”

“Butterscotch!”

“Sweet Cloud!”

“And your ever so charming Pootu reporting to you here!”

Maki burst out laughing at the comical way the four of them introduced themselves, all with their own flair and appeal. Not yet even inside and they were intoxicating her with happiness already.

“What is this, a party?” She asked.

“Anyonghaseyo.” Kyu Hyun greeted his hyungs.

“Yaaa, so you did make it here alright.” Butterscotch Ye Sung commented.

“Hai, Cuddlecakes picked me up.”

“Come, join us.” Shin Dong called them over.

Taking off their shoes to exchange it with some slippers, Maki and Kyu Hyun entered the house. As they entered the living room, Maki plopped down on the armchair next to Pootu Si Won with Kyu Hyun sitting on her other side. Having Shin Dong, Si Won, Ye Sung, Kyu Hyun, and Sung Min there all gathered in the living room and watching some late episodes of X-Man while eating snacks of all kind was a sure sign of parties.

Like a magnet, the four of them moved dishes around to accommodate Maki. Si Won, a gentleman that he was, bowed his head to Maki and rushed into the kitchen to find some spare chopsticks and a dish to share food with her.

“Waaah…” Maki stared at the various dishes on the coffee table. “Isn’t this an overkill? Jajangmyun, kimbap, noodle tteokbokki, and Choco Pie?”

“It’s not an overkill at all. We’ve been really busy.” Sung Min smiled. “And you have been too, right Maki? How is work?”

“She’s been pretty busy.” Kyu Hyun commented with a pat on Maki’s shoulders.

“Omo, look what the cold weather dragged in.” Someone said.

Shin Dong, Maki, Ye Sung, Kyu Hyun, and Sung Min turned their heads around to the kitchen to see Si Won walking out with Maki’s signature blue chopsticks and a dish in his hand. Following right behind him was Kim Hee Chul licking a winter melon ice pop.

“Anyong, Doopey.” Maki greeted with a wave of her hand.

“Ya, don’t call me Doopey. I prefer your old name for me.”

The other guys snickered.

“You like Cheeky Monkey more than Doopey?” Shin Dong asked.

“Yes, so what?” Hee Chul commented. “Cheeky Monkey has more…”

A pause.

“More what?” Maki urged.

“Umph! you know?”

Everyone burst out laughing at Hee Chul thrusting his hips forward. As he reached the sofa, he pushed Ye Sung off his seat and replaced the boy.

“Ya, hyung!” Ye Sung pushed Hee Chul back. “Give me back my seat.”

“Aniyo, just get another one.”

The two of them, despite having too many people in the space surrounding the coffee table where the food was, began a small fist fight.

“Oy, what are you guys doing?” Shin Dong inquired before kicking Ye Sung on his side. “It’s too crowded in here for that.”

Maki, who was protected by Pootu Si Won and Cuddlecakes Kyu Hyun, only laughed to herself. Sitting between the two of them was like sitting around a wall, nothing could affect them nor could they affect her. It was like the fight wasn’t even happening.

“Maki-no,” Kyu Hyun called. He picked up a piece of kimbap, dipped it into some soy sauce, and offered it to Maki. “Have some kimbap.”

“Oh, komowayo.” Maki opened her mouth and bit into the kimbap. “Mmhmm, oisshi.”

“Snoodlebug,” Si Won twirled some jajangmyun noodles around his chopsticks and offered it to Maki. “Jajangmyun?”

“Arigatou.”

“Ya, ya, ya!” Cherry Bum Bum Shin Dong shouted, garnering the attentions of everyone around the living room. “Kim Hee Chul, are you hyung to not share the last bit of ice cream and a seat?”

“Weah? Are you mad?” Hee Chul retorted. “You know I only come here to get ice cream.”

“Doopey, Cuddlecakes said that you’re so strict with their diets that you won’t let them get sweets.” Maki raised an eyebrow. “Why are you eating ice cream?”

Hee Chul grinned.

“Because I’m like that. And Maki, you should stop with the name calling. I seriously don’t know who anyone is. It’s confusing. Who’s this Cuddlecakes?”

The boys laughed and Maki blushed.

“Cuddlecakes here at your service, Doopey-sshi.” Kyu Hyun bowed to Hee Chul.

“Mian, I just have a habit of naming people by their personalities.”

“So why am I Butterscotch?” Ye Sung frowned. “I hate butterscotch.”

“Me too!” Hee Chul and Ye Sung glared at each other. “And why am I Doopey? I don’t take drugs you know.”

“Sure you don’t.” Ye Sung commented.

“Yo–”

“Thanks for naming me Sweet Cloud, Maki.” Sung Min blushed. “It fits me perfectly.”

“Me too, I like Cherry Bum Bum.” Shin Dong smiled and blushed along with Sung Min. “But why cherry?”

Silence suddenly filled the air as the question echoed and bounced off the walls. Hee Chul, Kyu Hyun, Si Won, Maki, Ye Sung, and Sung Min stared at the clueless Shin Dong. Around them, crickets sang.

“Weah? Why aren’t you guys telling him?” Ye Sung broke the silence.

“Butterscotch!” Maki said.

Hee Chul cleared his throat.

“Shin Dong, I’m going to say this once and only once so listen carefully.” Doopey Hee Chul said. “The reason why Maki probably called you Cherry Bum Bum was because… Because…”

“Because of what?”

“Shin Dong.” Sung Min called. “You know how you have a habit of taking your clothes off when you sleep?” Shin Dong nodded, still clueless. “Well… Last time we had a sleep over here, Maki was kind of traumatized by that. Thus, the Cherry Bum Bum.”

Shin Dong gasped.

“Is this true, Maki? Is this the reason why my name is Cherry Bum Bum? You saw my butt?”

Maki blushed and turned her face to Kyu Hyun. Cuddlecakes pulled her into his chest, patting her back as he soothed the fits of laughter she was trying to oppress. He wasn’t called Cuddlecakes for nothing.

“It’s better than Boinski.” Kyu Hyun whispered into Maki’s ear.

That did it. Maki burst out laughing like a mad woman.

“She’s going wild.” Si Won made a face.

Hee Chul shook his head and just licked his ice cream.

“Boinski was our name for you, Shin Dong, before Cherry Bum Bum.”

“Weah?” Ye Sung asked with some Choco Pie filling his mouth.

“Because he’s always bouncy.”

“Aigoo, aigoo, aigoo!” Shin Dong feigned weakness and fainted on top of Sung Min. The flattened Sung Min cried out and pushed the man away, with no avail. “My heart!”

“Your butt!”

“Medic! Medic!” Ye Sung called out.

Several minutes later, the commotion in the living room calmed down. Now that they were all gathered in the spacious and roomy area of the kitchen, everyone got a seat to which they dotted. Maki sat at the head of the table, thanking everyone who propped some noodles or chicken or assortments of food to her bowl of rice. Yes, you heard correctly. As if jajangmyun, kimbap, tteokbokki wasn’t enough, the boys heated some left overs from the night before and rice to go along with it.

“So update me on things, guys.” Maki said. She put down her cup of tea and smiled at the five boys in front of her. They were fighting over food and everything. Were they really men? Maki smiled at the thought. Yes, they were men. “Pootu, what are you doing these days?”

“Yaa, ask me first.” Ye Sung frowned.

“Why does it have to be you first, hyung?” Sung Min retorted. “Si Won is busy too!”

“Don’t care, I’m going first.” Ye Sung grinned. “Maki, Kyu Hyun, Ryeo Wook and I are working ourselves to death. You better treat us good.”

Maki nodded and added some slices of kimbap into Ye Sung’s empty bowl.

“Yeh, here’s some kimbap.” She glanced at Kyu Hyun and handed him some chicken. “You too, Cuddlecakes.”

“Arigatou.” Kyu Hyun grinned.

“Of course you’re going to be busy.” Shin Dong commented. “You guys are debuting as K.R.Y.”

“Really?” Maki inquired. “When?”

“November 5th on Music Bank.” Ye Sung grinned. “A week from now.”

“Why is everything in November? I have to go to China to promote A Battle of Wits.” Si Won frowned. “Weah, I want to stay here.”

“Oh don’t say that, Pootu.” Maki smiled. “You’ve worked hard on this project with Andy Lau. You should go have some time off in China.”

“This girl doesn’t know the labors of promotions.” Hee Chul shook his head. After finishing the ice cream, the man was now licking the ice cream stick. What kind of hyung is that?

“But you can’t blame her.” Si Won made a gesture that said it’s alright and grinned. “Maki, what do you want me to bring back from China?”

“Just buy her some tea. She loves tea.” Ye Sung suggested. “Especially the bitter ones. It just makes me cringe every time I see her drink it.”

“Aniya, buy her authentic Chinese silk.” Sung Min reached over and caressed the skin of Maki’s wrist. “It will feel good on her skin.”

“Don’t touch her like that, you pervert.”

Ye Sung, who was sitting on Maki’s right side, reached out and pulled Sung Min’s hand away from Maki. Kyu Hyun made an X with his chopstick and growled at Sung Min. He was on Maki’s other side.

“Aissh, it seems that all of us will be busy this November.” Hee Chul leaned back against his chair and sighed. “Ki Bum wanted me to pass the message. He’s busy filming the drama Snow Flowers these days so he can’t join you.”

“And I! I have to host M! Countdown along with Heartstone and Angel too.” Shin Dong added.

“How is Angel? Is he doing alright?” Maki asked inquisitively.

The guys nodded.

“Better than alright, he’s in love!” Hee Chul nudged Shin Dong. “Bum Bum, tell her about it.”

“That is…” Shin Dong frowned, glared at Doopey Hee Chul, and scratched his head. “How am I to tell her… about that? It’s just odd.”

Hee Chul made a face and flicked Shin Dong’s nose.

“Just tell her about it.”

“Harasso.” Shin Dong bit his lip and nodded his head to Maki. Kyu Hyun frowned at this. What was the secret? “Several weeks ago, Lee Teuk hyung met this woman and was suddenly interested in her, though I can’t really see why. He said it was love at first sight. They’re going out now!”

“Waah, he’s actually going with someone?” Yee Sung grinned. “That guy, aigoo, he didn’t even tell us. What are we, freaks?”

“You are a freak, what are you talking about?”

“This guy….” Ye Sung hissed at Hee Chul.

“Shin Dong, why is it odd for you to tell Maki this good news?” Kyu Hyun inquired. Although he knew that Lee Teuk hyung and Maki didn’t get along and that whenever they’re together, they’re like cats and dogs. But it was rare for them to be together so there’s nothing to worry about. “We’re all friends, right?”

“Err….” Shin Dong made a face and glanced at Ye Sung and the others. “Didn’t he get the memo?”

“I think he did.” Ye Sung replied and then gasped and peered at Kyu Hyun. “I hope you did.”

“Weah? What memo?”

Kyu Hyun looked at his hyungs and made a face. He was confused. What memo were they talking about that involved Maki and Lee Teuk?

“Aigoo, aigoo…” Shin Dong began fainting again but this time, Sung Min wouldn’t have it. Sweet Cloud became a heavy burden as the man kicked Shin Dong as he fell towards him. “Arggghhh, my butt!”

“My bum bum!” Sung Min, Si Won, and Hee Chul chorused back.

“Ah, Snoodlebug.” Ye Sung tapped Maki’s shoulder. “Are you like Angel, are you going to find someone as well?”

Maki stared into Ye Sung’s eyes and he at her. For a moment there, they shared a silent connection that the members noticed but said nothing of. Indeed, the details of K.R.Y being Maki’s fan club was true because in Super Junior, Ye Sung and Ryeo Wook were the closest to Maki. Kyu Hyun was only a newcomer. He didn’t quite understand the inner workings of Maki’s life. He only knew that Lee Teuk made her weak. The reason flew over his head. Ye Sung knew. He knew definitely and the question he posed challenged it.

“I can’t tell you that.” Maki said, lowering her head as red colors flushed her face.

“Omo!!”

Shin Dong, Ye Sung, Hee Chul, Kyu Hyun, Sung Min, and Si Won all gasped.

“What is the meaning of such an answer?” Ye sung put a hand to his chest. “Are you really going out with someone?”

“Nugu? Do I know him?” Hee Chul stood up from his seat and cracked his knuckles. But no matter how intimidating he looked, with an ice cream stick bulging from his mouth eased everything down. “Let me kick his butt before he does anything indecent to Maki.”

“Yes!”

The five remaining boys shot up and slammed their hands on the table.

“Yes hyung. Let’s go beat him up.”

“You guys are over-reacting. Keumanh!”

Maki called out, first pulling Si Won down before Kyu Hyun followed. Like a chain effect, Kyu Hyun pulled Shin Dong down and Si Won pulled Ye Sung and Sung Min under. Now it was only Hee Chul who stood fighting a lost cause. Seeing this, he growled and sat down.

“I better meet this guy soon or else I will hunt him down and stalk his butt.”

“Wakatta, wakattayo.”

Si Won picked up his chopsticks.

“Let’s eat guys.”

As they restarted their meal, Maki caught Ye Sung‘s stare and turned away from him. She didn’t see Kyu Hyun watching the exchange.

CHAPTER 3“

“Aigoo, doesn’t she have any shame?”

“Don’t you guys have anything else to do but gossip about your neighbors?”

“Have you seen her clients? They’re all good-looking men. What’s so special about her?”

“You’re just jealous.”

She was used to it. After a year’s worth of gossip, she was used to the mutters and debates the neighbors would spout behind her back. Ignoring the hard gossip she was hearing from these people ever single time one of the boys was home, the young Japanese woman entered the house and locked the doors.

“Tadaima. [I'm home.]” Maki called out, taking off her shoes and putting slippers on.

When her eyes spotted the low table near the door, she raised an eyebrow. It was unusually high today and there were two pair of shoes? Eun Hyuk’s shoes were here.

“Okaeri.” Voices called from the kitchen.

Maki frowned. Why is it that the men of Super Junior always gather around the kitchen? Yes, when they’re around, she would always make food for them to eat. But come on! Can’t they do anything more productive then just sing, dance, eat? She looked down at the several heavy bags of vegetables, meat, and assortments of condiments and frowned.

“Ya! Aren’t you guys going to help me carry these things in?”

“Coming, coming.” Kang In sang.

A second later, two people of two different sizes rushed out from the kitchen and took all the bags that had burdened Maki up until this point. Heaving all the bags into the kitchen, Kang In and Eun Hyuk began complaining.

“Aigoo, aigoo~!” Kang In complained as one bag from his right hand slipped accidentally. “What did you buy, Maki?”

“It’s so freaking heavy.”

“Betsu ni. [Nothing.]“

Maki giggled at the way the two them were such an opposite of each other. While Eun Hyuk was lanky and carried the bags with such difficulty, Kang In was very much overweight but wasn’t at all heaving.

“Maki. What do you plan on making for us today to celebrate?”

“Celebrate?” Eun Hyuk asked. “Celebrate what?”

The two men set the bags on the counter and began sorting the items out from the dry, the fresh, and the frozen.

“Ano…” Maki blushed. “I got a job!”

“Eeeeh? Really? Where?”

The woman smiled and spun around in a delirious but cute dance.

“Kawaiko, that 24/7 pastry/café shop two blocks from the main road. I met some unnie that were really cute and helpful. They were fun to talk to.”

“Maki will grow her wings soon.” Kang In’s voice rung invisibly around the four white walls of the kitchen.

“Maki~!” Eun Hyuk flicked Maki’s forehead as he went on his walk to the refrigerator to store in the carton of milk and bottle of orange juice. “Are you saying that we’re no fun to talk to?”

“Aigoo, ii kagen ni shinasai. [Don't be like that.]“

“Are you even old enough to use that tone with us? We’re your elders, not little kids.” Kang In scowled playfully. “But what are you making? I’m really hungry you know.”

Maki looked at the items she had bought in a hurry and smiled.

“Yoroshii, I got the menu in my head.” Sorting out some things like a package of chicken thighs, thinly sliced steak, raw fish, green onions, and soft tofu. “Mul bibim guksu (spicy cold noodles), soondooboo chigae (spicy tofu stew), bulgogi (grilled meat), sashimi, and kimbap. What do you think of it?”

“Good.” Kang In licked his lips. “Get going! I want to eat.”

“Wakatta, wakatta.” Maki made a face, grabbed a knife, and showed it to her oppa. “Leave the kitchen to me!”

Maki walked to the refrigerator and took out some soup stocks that she prepared a while ago. With her back turned to the two men, they began a face illusion contest to see who could make the most grotesque face.

“And… And we will help you.” Eun Hyuk stuttered. “R-Right Kang In hyung?”

Kang In made a face of pure horror and shook his head no but Eun Hyuk nodded his head yes. The dongsaeng’s eyes glowed with a scary terrible tinge of evilness.

“Andue….” The gallant Tarzan muttered.

“Right, Kang In hyung?” Eun Hyuk repeated again.

“D-Dah-Dahyunaji.”

Maki turned to look at the two men.

“Eeei, Kang In oppa. Why are you sweating so much? Are you sick?”

Eun Hyuk snickered.

“Aniyo.” Kang In smiled. “Just…” The smile on his face faltered. “Scared.”

“Scared?” Maki made a face of disgust. “Super Junior Kang In, why are you scared of helping me?”

Kang In closed his mouth shut and wouldn’t say anything.

“Come on, hyung.” Eun Hyuk urged. “Why are you scared?”

“Shikoro, brat.”

“Super Junior Eun Hyuk, I call him Heartstone because he’s always crying and getting tricked by you all!” Maki knocked Kang In upside the head. “And you! You’re Tarzan because you’re always taking care of your brothers and all. You’re the tough wild gorilla man.”

Kang In frowned as Eun Hyuk burst out into hysterical laughter.

“Gorilla man! Gorilla man!”

“So what is it Gorilla man, why are you scared of cooking with me?” Maki took a step forward. Kang In, in turn, took a step back. The back of his knee collided with a low table and he almost tripped. “Should you and Eun Hyuk switch names? He’ll be Tarzan and you can be Heartstone. How about it?”

At the mention of his name, the man who has laughed all this time went pale.

“Me, Tarzan?”

“Should I be offended by this?” The Gorilla man asked.

Maki stared at the two people in front of her and then burst out laughing.

“Okay a, okay a.” She said, throwing her hands around the two boys to appease their teasing anger. “Just kidding.”

“You better be.”

Both Eun Hyuk and Kang In pushed one side of Maki like she was a domino piece. She gave them a smile and they in turn dazzled her eyes with their own bright ones.

“Okay, beautiful ikemen boys, let’s start dinner.”

CHAPTER 2“

Ueto Aya frowned when she saw the familiar man walking past their shop once again for about the gazillion times since she started the afternoon shift. Those who are regulars at Kawaiko would know that the pastry boutique was open 24/7. It has been an hour since she overtook Hikaru and the other staffs. This man has also been walking around for the entirety of almost an hour. What the hell was he doing? Was he looking for something or does he not have a place to go to? She shook her head. Judging from his tailored black suit, he didn’t look like a person without a home. He couldn’t be one of those husbands telling their wives they’re going to work when they actually don’t have work, right?

“Please watch your step, sir.” Yoon Eun Hye’s voice brought her out of her reverie and she looked up to see one of their customers walking out of the shop. “Have a great night!” Eun Hye shook her head and poured a cup of black coffee for herself and then one for her co-worker. “What’s up with you today, Aya? You’ve been spaced out. What, you didn’t get enough sleep?”

The barista handed the cup of black coffee to her friend while sipping her own.

“Ya, Eun Hye.” Aya huddled closer to her friend and whispered into Eun Hye’s ears. “Don’t you think that guy’s a little weird? He’s been around here for too long.”

“Aigoo, the street’s a public place. He can be anywhere he wants. Don’t be too suspicious of it.”

“Look, look. He’s staring at us!” Aya hissed, nudging her friend so that she would catch her attention. “Look!”

Eun Hye felt annoyed at the wariness of her friend but glanced outside nonetheless. What she saw was a man in his mid-twenties in what looked like a black Dolce & Gabbana suit. His looks were nothing special and overall, he was a little bit on the fat side if anyone knew what she meant. The spiky style of his hair didn’t match up with his entrepreneur looks and looked a little fevered. Who wouldn’t be?

Although it was over six o’clock in the afternoon, the man had been there for over an hour. Autumn is cruel at times, especially for a man whose been strolling about for an hour in a full black suit without any other outer garments! Well, the oversized shades should help but it might be little.

And Aya was right. It did seem like the man was staring into the shop as if looking for trouble. But it couldn’t possibly be so.

“The windows are tinted, don’t you remember? We can see him but he can’t see us.” Eun Hye pouted her lips and mulled over her thoughts. “He looks sick. Maybe he doesn’t have any where to go. That’s why he’s just walking around?”

“Never mind him.”

“Ya, ya, ya. You’re the one who told me I should watch the man.” Eun Hye rolled her eyes as she dumped the rest of her black coffee into the sink behind the counter. “Just continue running the business and we’ll be fine. Besides, you have me here! And Chae Young unnie is upstairs talking to the newcomer.”

“He’s coming in! He’s coming in!” Aya hissed. “He’s reaching for his jacket. He’s got a gun.”

“Act normal!”

Eun Hye and Aya braced themselves against an imminent storm that had just entered Kawaiko. Just like Aya had described, the man had reached his hand into his jacket. But instead of a gun like they had expected it was a handkerchief which he used to wipe the sweat on his face. The two girls silently gave sighs of relief.

Eun Hye was the first person to get over her fear. She smiled and nodded to the only guest. There was something wrong with the picture here. Usually, her late-night guests didn’t come until after seven. They usually come here before they start their shift. She has never seen this guest before. But business was still business.

“H-Hi!” The man waved a hand, clearly uncomfortable at the atmosphere.

“Welcome to Kawaiko.” Eun Hye smiled. “Please choose a seat. The menu is there by your table. I’ll come to you as soon as I can.” She glanced at her manager. “Go to the back and start up the stoves. I’ll handle the guy.” Aya nodded and took off towards the kitchen. Eun Hye walked over to the guest at table 5 of the retro lounge for the youngsters with a Kawaiko note pad in hand and smiled at him. “Are you ready to order sir?”

“Just give me an espresso.” He said monotonously.

“Coming right up.”

Almost fifteen minutes later into the man’s stay, two women descended from the white twisting staircase on the Retro side of the boutique.

The first woman was a beauty, no doubt. The floral printed chiffon smock dress she had on swirled in indigo glaciers against the thighs of her ripped jeans as she sashayed down the steps. Simple elegance could only be mundane when describing her. Her pale ivory complexion bestowed a heavenly rose blush upon her face, signifying her youth. Her dark jet long hair was tied in a chignon. Wisps of hair trailed down the nape of her neck towards the clasp of her dazzling Swarovski necklace.

The second woman was a bit shorter than the first and much plainer in comparison. But she had a simplistic beauty, something that couldn’t be explained by words alone. Her slightly round face, big round black eyes, and dramatic long lashes helped shaped the simple concept for she had no make up on whatsoever. Her short shoulder length black hair was held up in a loose bun by a single artificial rose, her bangs shading the right side of her forehead. Just like her concept of beauty, she didn’t need elaborate attires to stress anything. To her, a simple striped shirt and tattered jeans was fine.

“Alright then, Maki.” The first woman said, turning to Maki. “I will see you next Monday at 6 in the morning.”

“Yeh. Kahmsamhamnida, Chae Young unnie.” Maki bowed to Chae Young. “I will definitely be early.”

The two of them laughed, not minding the guests that were there. But then again, there was only one guest.

“Don’t come too early or no one will open the door for you.” Chae Young joked.

“Yeh.”

“Chae Young?” Eun Hye called out from the counter. Aya perked up at the call. She was making some coffee. “You’re hiring her?”

“Aya, Eun Hye, please welcome your new co-worker.” Chae Young patted the girl’s shoulder and send her forward a step. “Meet Horikita Maki dongsaeng.”

“Annyeonghaseyo.” Maki greeted, bowing to the two girls by the counter.

“Anyong.” Eun Hye winked.

“Konnichiwa, Maki-chan. Ogenki desu ka? [Hello, Maki-chan. How are you?]” Aya said.

“Genki desu, arigatou gozaimashita. [I'm good, thank you very much.]” Maki replied back fluently.

Aya squealed and jumped up and down in amusement.

“Yaaa, this is so nice. I finally have a friend here.”

“Yup. Now you won’t feel lonely.” Chae Young smiled. “You will be leaving now, Maki?”

“Yeh.”

“Alright, good bye. See you later.”

After exchanging several different pleasantries in 2 different languages, Maki bowed to her co-workers and walked out of the boutique. Unknown to her, the only guest in the boutique had also followed her out. Half way down the street, the man sped up his walk and steadied his steps to match that of Maki’s.

“Anyong, Maki.”

The girl turned to look at the person besides her. As her eyes recognized the man who was behind his oversized glasses, she smiled.

“Tarzan oppa, anyong.” Maki winked.

“Hey!” The man hissed. “Didn’t I tell you to stop calling me that? I’m not Tarzan.”

The girl could only laugh harder.

“Suminasen, oppa. But you do look like Tarzan when you’re half-naked. Just…” Maki frowned. “Just add the muscles.”

“Ya, ya, ya. I’m your elder. Respect me or suffer the consequences!”

Even with that threat, the both of them knew it was empty as any other threats that Tarzan had tried to make before he became Tarzan.

“How did you know I was there?”

“I went to the apartment but no one was there. Luckily some ajumma told me that she saw you in that Kawaiko store so I went to see. It took me forever to gather my courage and enter, you know. I was afraid they would recognize me. You know, being girls and all.”

“You’re so full of yourself.”

“It comes with the job.”

As the two of them crossed the street towards the San Dong apartment complexes, they paused their conversation. But a moment later, they began to speak again.

“I thought you guys are busy with your U promotions and everything. Why are you so early tonight?”

“Ah. SME is very busy trying to debut Super Junior K.R.Y. That’s bad news for them but good news for us.”

“Weah?”

“Of course it’s good news. Your K.R.Y fans, mainly ‘Cakes, Pie, and Butter, are finally out of our way. We as your devoted silent fans can hog you to ourselves now.”

“So that thing about K.R.Y being my fan club is true?”

“Dahyunaji!” Tarzan replied. “But enough about Suju. How was your job interview?”

“I got in!” Maki squealed, throwing her hands up in the air for a dramatic effect. “I’m going to start working next week.”

“Omo! We should go and celebrate.”

“Ottokeyo?” Maki’s eyebrows wrinkled. “I’m a little bit short on food. Gomene? [Sorry.]“

“We can always go buy more.” The man stopped walking and turned around. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Chotto matte yo, baka. [Wait a minute, you idiot.]” Maki grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Don’t you know who you are anymore?”

The Tarzan pouted.

“What do you mean? I’m Kim Youngwoon.”

“Iie!” Maki shouted. “It’s Kang In of Super Junior and because that’s your name, you can’t go shopping with me now. Harasso?”

“Harasso, harasso.” Kang In cringed at his friend’s temper and patted her shoulder. “You sound so much like Angel.”

Maki grinned.

“I learned from the best, oppa.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. So I guess I’ll come up to the apartment and wait for you?” She nodded. “Aigoo, mianhae Maki. I’m making you do all the work when I’m supposed to take care of you.”

“Daijobou.”

Kang In stared down at his dongsaeng and made a teary face. A second later, he spread his arms out and gave Maki a big huge bear hug that squeezed the living hell out of the frail girl and shook her hair out of place from the way he swung her from right to left.

“Maki, mianhaeyo! I will definitely buy the food next time.”

“O… O….” Maki heaved, flapping her hands around like a fish that was fished out of the water. “O… Op…” Her face was getting pale but using her last breath to speak out and save her life, Maki slammed a fist into Kang In’s back. “Oppa!”

“Then I will leave you to your job.”

Kang In let go of Maki, patted her shoulder, and walked into San Dong Apartment complex. The girl who was left outside gasping for air turned to look at his shadows as he pulled away, panting like a rapid dog that had run laps for several hours on end.

“Is he… Is he…” Maki looked at the sky. “Is he human???!”

Singing the hit single U by himself as he ran up the stairs to Maki’s apartment, Kang In let himself in without noticing the mess that was outside of the hallway. As always, a group of ajuhmmas were standing by the corner talking and talking and talking. Inside the apartment, Kang In took off his jacket’s suit and glasses to put it on the low table. That was tradition, of course. Before, Maki had twelve low table lining up there so that each member would get a private space. But after the addition of Kyu Hyun, she just resorted to having one low table for the person who visited for the night.

Kang In raised an eyebrow at what he saw on the surface of the low table. Someone’s jacket and shoes were already there. How? It was his day. He usually came after Kyu Hyun. When he turned on the lights, he immediately recognized the style of the shoes and the jacket.

“Eun Hyuk?”

A head popped out from the kitchen area. A charming young man with hair that flew around like a bird’s nest gave a small faint wave to Kang In and returned to whatever it was he did before. Puzzled at the reaction, Kang In dropped his jacket, sunglasses, and shoes on top of Eun Hyuk’s things and entered the kitchen. Eun Hyuk was sitting in Maki’s chair blankly stirring tea with his spoon even though the tea that Maki usually taught them to make didn’t need sugar.

“What are you doing?” Kang In asked.

“Hyung.” Eun Hyuk looked up at his team-mate.

The Tarzan took one gaze at his dongsaeng and hid in a gasp.

“Kwanchanayo? Weah? You’re crying?” Eun Hyuk shook his head and smiled but nonetheless, his tears still fell anyway. Kang In pulled a chair up to Eun Hyuk’s chair and sat down besides the man. “Heartstone, what’s wrong?”

“Maki.” Eun Hyuk called in his raspy voice. “Maki is really suffering, yes?”

“Why would you say that?”

Slowly, Eun Hyuk took out from the pocket of his hoodie a voice recorder and set it on the table next to Kang In. He pressed play and the recorder began playing. Though there were no background music to back up his voice, Eun Hyuk’s singing flowed through with melodious notes. One-third way through the singing, loud voices started to appear.

“Who does she think she is, surrounded by those men?”

“She’s all looks. She’s really gross as a person.”

“They say she’s fragile. So absurd, don’t you think?”

“Who innocent-looking these days are innocent? She’s a cuntbag.”

Harsh laughter was heard in the background. At this point, Eun Hyuk had stopped singing and was silent.

“Yaaa, isn’t that a little harsh?”

“Harsh? Kwanchanayo? Maki is so annoying. She keeps acting all nice when we’re around. What a two-face bitch.”

Kang In pressed the stop button on the voice recorder.

“Weah?” He hissed, clenching his fists together underneath the table. “Weah? Why haven’t we heard any of this from her? All this time we were staying over watching her and we… We haven’t heard a thing.”

“It’s because we always come late. That’s why we never heard anything. But hyung…” Eun Hyuk shook his head once again. “Being secluded in this apartment with nothing to do everyday but wait for us and listen to these comments because of us… No wonder she wants a job to get away from here. From us.”

After a moment’s silence, Kang In nodded his head in approval.

“Heartstone, Maki will grow her wings soon. Soon… She will become an Angel without her Angel. Who will be with her then?”

“I don’t know.”

CHAPTER 1“

The man’s eyes are shaded by oversized sunglasses that prevented his facial features from being discerned. No one could recognize his face nor could they read the meaning within those eyes to see what he was thinking. As he approached that door, his beanie-wrapped head swiveled about two hundred times per minute as if he knew someone or something was going to pop up behind and scare the hell out of him. He should have been used to this already, he knew. But he wasn’t.

Yet nothing stopped them from going home. It was a comfortable place and the company was perfect. As he and not anyone else besides him, he loved the company the most. He paused in front of him and set his fingers on the wooden door. Lingering there, his fingers drummed the surface softly as if he was delivering a message. For a moment, silence approached him and he pulled away when he recognized its presence. The heavy door creaked open and he entered, looking out at the hallway behind him one last time.

A flicker of light passed his vision and for a second, his sunglasses failed to disguise his visage.

The door closed behind him. Immediately, as if he had itched to do so, the man took off his glasses. Setting his beanie, his sunglasses, his folded jacket, and shoes on the low table, Cho Kyu Hyun put on a pair of slippers by the door and began exploring the house.

“Noona?” His low voice called out, the sound resonating within the small interior of the apartment.

Someone appeared from the threshold of the bedroom.

“Omo, Kyu Hyun.” Maki said, hurriedly putting on a cardigan. “You’re here.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m here at your beck and call.” He frowned. “Did you think I wouldn’t come?”

Maki shrugged.

“I don’t know. It’s over eleven o’clock. I didn’t think you’d make it.”

“Noona, I would never miss an appointment with you. We only get them twice a month. Didn’t w—”

“Wakatta, wakatta.” Maki interrupted. She side-stepped and walked into the kitchen. “Are you hungry, Cuddlecakes?”

Kyu Hyun grinned and nodded, turning around to follow noona. As the maknae, she always spoils him.

“What did you make for me this time? Please tell me not sushi again.”

“Iie, it’s taro mochi.” Maki replied. “I don’t want a repeat after that time.”

Kyu Hyun blushed and cowered his face.

“Sorry for messing up your bathroom.”

“It’s late tonight so I didn’t want to make anything that will upset your stomach. Mochi is light so it is a good treat.”

“Noona, you’re sweeter than the mochi you make. Hee Chul hyung is always strict with our diet so he would never let us have sweets.”

“That’s because he’s—”

“Doopey~~!” Maki and Kyu Hyun sang together.

For a moment, their conversation was put on hold as Maki began unrolling the individually packed mochi cakes from the dish she had set on the counter and Kyu Hyun prepared the green tea. Originally from Japan, the young woman knew a lot of the Japanese traditions and had gladly taught him the way to a tea ceremony. Granted, they didn’t have the time, space, or the equipments for it but it was enough. After everything was prepared and ready for eating, the two of them moved to the table by the kitchen and sat down.

“Ne, Cuddlecakes.”

“Yeh?”

“Why do you keep calling me noona?” Maki inquired as she poured him a porcelain cup of tea. “You do know that I’m younger than you are right?”

He nodded.

“I’m eight months older.”

“Hai. So use the right honorifics.”

“But noona, I call you noona because you’re ma—”

“So you want me to feel old?” Maki butted in.

Kyu Hyun shook his head.

“Aniyo, I didn’t mean to offend you. I just…” He made a face and silently popped a mochi ball into his mouth. “Mianhae.”

“Daijobu, daijobu.” Maki winked. “Just call me Maki.”

“Maki noona.”

“Maki.”

Both looked at each other.

“Maki noona.”

“Maki!”

“Ma-Ki-No-!”

Maki grabbed a mochi ball, shot up from her seat, and pushed it into Kyu Hyun’s open mouth.

“I am not Makino.”

“Ma-K–”

“Say that one more time and I’ll strangle you.”

Kyu Hyun raised an eyebrow.

“What ever happened my sweeter than mochi Maki?” She shrugged. “But seriously, did you hear anything from Butterscotch yet?”

“About what?” Maki sipped her tea.

“Aigoo, news early flash for you then.” Kyu Hyun got up from his seat and bowed to Maki. “In about two days, SM Entertainment will announce Super Junior’s first subgroup formation, Super Junior K.R.Y.”

“Chotto matte, K.R.Y?” Maki frowned, made a face, and then frowned again. “Kyu Ryeo Ye?”

“Bingo!” Kyu Hyun winked and then sat down again. “The company thought that we were a great team and managing only three at a time should be easier. So that’s what they did and that’s how K.R.Y came into play.”

She smiled as she imagined the three members singing together.

“Your vocals blend well together. It will be a success, I’m sure.”

Propping himself on his elbows, the maknae of Super Junior put on his lazy grin.

“Maki, the others didn’t want me to tell you this but I’m going to tell you anyway. You won’t kill me, will you?”

“I don’t know, it depends. If it doesn’t go in my favor, Cuddlecakes will be Sorrycakes.”

“My cake body…”

Kyu Hyun put a hand over his torso and sunk into his chair. Maki smiled.

“So what’s this secret you’re hiding from me?”

“It’s a known fact that Butterscotch, Wookipie, and I are the closest to you Maki. So in forming K.R.Y, we’re saying we support you all the way!”

“So na!” Maki shouted with an appalled look on her face. “You guys are so arrogant!”

“We get by.”

The two of them laughed.

“Did I tell you I’m looking for a job?”

Kyu Hyun’s eyes turned to Maki.

“A job? Really?”

“Mhmmm. I feel bad having you guys visit and drop things off for me, using your money to buy Christmas gifts, and pay for this apartment. So I’ve been looking for a job.”

“Aniyo, Maki. Angel hyung is the one who pay for everything. We’re leeching off of him as well. So don’t feel bad.”

Maki turned away from Kyu Hyun and sipped her tea. The attention span of her eyes focused only on the floating tea leaves within her cup.

“Angel has been with me for a long time now. But no matter how long, he will leave some day. I need to prepare for it.” Kyu Hyun lowered his eyes and fell silent. “You’ve seen him. You’ve talked to him. You live with him. You understand him, right?”

“I won’t justify for Angel’s actions because I am not hyung. I cannot categorize a human being. But in my opinion, one cannot presume to know what life is or what it might hold. Therefore, you should do what you see is best for you. Life is only that much.”

“So yes?”

“Yes to job. But you must save your time for us too!” Kyu Hyun showed his pearly whites to Maki and gave a huge nod who in turn squealed with laughter. “What?”

“Dabo, your teeth are purple.” The maknae put a hand over his teeth and blushed. “You’re so cute.”

“Arigatou.”

“But Wookipie is cuter.”

“Maki.” Kyu Hyun growled. “It’s not the same. Don’t compare me to Ryeo Wook.”

“Wakatta, wakatta.” Maki glanced at the LED lights of her microwave. “Omo, it’s almost midnight.”

Kyu Hyun raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, it is.” He turned to her. “We should go to sleep.”

“Do you want the bed or the couch this time?”

The two of them got up and began cleaning.

“Of course the couch. I got to protect you remember.”

“Yes, Princekyu.”

Kyu Hyun turned and watched silently as Maki began washing the dishes. He quietly retreated to the living room where he set up the couch. Throughout his preparation, he couldn’t help but shake his head. Not everyone gets their Genie. Not everyone has a path. Maki needs to make her own path. Even if it leads her away from here, it’s her own way.

He respected that because he knew her. She’s unbelievably strong.

It’s only Angel who makes her weak.

Genre: Romance /// Drama // Angst

Started: 10 – 19 – 2009 . – . – . Finished: _ _ – _ _ – _ _ _ _

Poster Credits: Mamucisko & Eirallina

PROLOGUE“

“Every month.” The neighbor’s gossiper chattered in the hallway. “Every month I tell you. She always had a different man coming in and out of her house every single month like it’s no freaking deal.”

“But she seems like such a sweet girl.” One of three spectators argued. “I mean, look at her. So innocent. She helped me carried some groceries upstairs.”

“Yes, she helped my In Su with her homework too.”

“But can you really trust her?” The woman with the curly black hair, the obvious leader of the gossipmongers, held her hand up. “A man enters her apartment every afternoon and doesn’t leave until early in the morning. If they come in publicly then fine. But they sneak in when they think no one’s watching. Isn’t that suspicious? And this girl doesn’t have a husband nor a boyfriend. I’ve never seen her family at all. Who is she, I don’t really know. But I know she must be a pro—”

“Mrs. Ju.”

The three alarmed ajuhmmas turned around and put on fake smiles as a young woman approached them. She seemed to be in her early twenties with short black hair that had bangs swept down from her forehead to her right ear. Her unusually odd facial features automatically classified her as a non-native Korean but she must get by due to her familiar “Asian” visage. Her delicate physique was deeply emphasized by the gingham dress shirt that she wore along with some skinny jeans, each pleat and folds accentuating her curves and figure.

“Omo, Maki.” The woman whose daughter’s name was In Su said, quite surprised at her appearance. “Annyeonghaseyo.”

“Annyeonghaseyo, Mrs. Hong, Mrs. Dae, Mrs. Ju.” Maki bowed her head to her elders. “What are you doing here hanging outside in the halls?”

The ajuhmmas laughed.

“Oh nothing, my dear. We’re just here to inform you that the rent money is due tomorrow.”

“Yes, thank you for reminding me. While you’re here, let me get the money for you. Please wait a moment.”

Maki gently side-stepped the ladies and rummaged through her keys before finally letting herself into her apartment. As soon as she was out of earshot, the 3 ajuhmmas began their talk again.

“She doesn’t even go to work!” Mrs. Ju hissed. “How can she manage to pay every month?”

“I refuse to believe that she’s a slut.”

“If she is a slut, shouldn’t we evict her out?” Mrs. Hong frowned. “I don’t want her near my children or my husband.”

Inside the apartment, Maki was standing just out of sight of the door. She heard everything but did nothing. The women did not understand her dilemma so it was impossible to say anything.

This place was their home. Even if they were busy because of schedules and promotions, this place was their home. She had to keep it for them. And for herself.

The following is a work of fiction. The events and characters are fictional and the celebrity names/images merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrity is in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends.

© Eirallina Tran 2009. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of Eirallina Tran.

Story Started On: October 19, 2009

Story Finished On:

High School Farcical
Part One

by Ender’s Girl

With a precious few exceptions (like Nobuta wo Produce), high school-based J-dramas seem to be nothing but an endless wasteland of sheer inanity, where people are one-dimensional buffoons and situational plausibility gets pimped out for cheap laughs. In this world, school IS a joke. Literally.

I give you Exhibit A:

Groundhog Day with the Gokusens

The Cast:
Nakama Yukie, Utsui Ken, Namase Katsuhisa, and a truckload of Johnnies, Johnny-types, Johnny wannabes, and Johnny rejects… plus the seasonal posse of Angry Young Rebels aka Yankumi’s Core Group

In a Nutshell:
Young math teacher Yankumi + her homeroom class of toughies and teenage dirtbags = Too much violence, waaaaaay too much playing hooky, but not enough algebra. (Stand and Deliver this ain’t.)

(SpoilLert: Ehhhh… the whole damn nutshell IS the plot.)

[Recommended companion track: “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus]

I finally gave Gokusen a try because of all the hype surrounding the series/franchise/commercial juggernaut. And I suppose anyone would’ve found the story *marginally* enjoyable… if they were FIVE years old, that is. Sitting through the Gokusens I kept feeling like frikkin’ Bill Murray in Groundhog Day: You’re forced to relive the same episode over and over and over again, watching various permutations of the same rehashed situations: The baaad, baaaad boys of Class 3-D are mean to Yankumi! Yankumi gets tough on them! The boys get into various scrapes/fisticuffs with the Criminal Elements of Society! Yankumi saves her “precious students”–because Yankumi is really… a Yakuza scion trained in the age-old art of a$$-kicking! So the boys inevitably end up learning Valuable Life Lessons! Like… Obey your elders! Choose your battles wisely! Learn to appreciate your teachers! Finish high school, and reach!your!potential! Follow your heart! (Hahaha)

Really, they could’ve done ALL OF THIS with just one SP and achieved the same result–instead of 3 seasons, 2 SPs and a feature film.

But for purposes of comparison: Gokusen 1 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Gokusen 2.

Gokusen 1 is definitely less frenetic and less cartoonish than G2, and loads more enjoyable. (And the 3-D classroom of G1 looks so… normal, unlike that pigsty from G2. *shudders*) I actually found myself emotionally involved at some level–the Kumai boy’s (Waki Tomohiro) story in particular. And Nakama Yukie has great chemistry with Matsumoto Jun as Sawada Shin, G1’s Alpha Male of the Angry Young Rebels. Nothing sexual or anything (she’s his frikkin’ teacher, duh), but their scenes make the viewer wish for some post-graduation romance, haha. NOW I understand why there are like, 1 million YankumixShin shippers out there (…and why the Kame haters increased by 1 million when the movie came out this year, lol).

And it’s interesting to see MatsuJun and Oguri Shun in their career-making roles (this was way back in 2002, after all)… even more interesting to see how they looked before the advent of eyebrow threading and orthodontia, lol.

<Now this is the part where my three regular readers get whittled down to two. (Run away!!! Run away!!!)>

Yes, I watched Gokusen 2 for Kamenashi Kazuya, yes Kame that sick little skank from KAT-TUN, because I’m a Kame Kompletist, and that’s what you DO when you’re a Kompletist, you watch all his dramas no matter how Krappy, and don’t even get me started on the Krappiest of them all, Gokusen is decent compared to the other things I’ve seen Kame in, oh my eyes, my eyes… /end of run-on sentence. Well, the only thing I liked about Gokusen 2 was… Kame. (Surprise, surprise.)

But was it just me, or did he actually have some chemistry with Nakama Yukie, as well? Heh heh heh… Not in a YankumixShin way, of course, but… Kame’s character (Odagiri Ryu, this season’s Alpha Male of the Angry Young Rebels) is the only one in his class who doesn’t treat Yankumi like she’s their teacher/buddy/bodyguard/knight in shining armor. I actually like how the Yankumi-Ryu dynamic is developed in this drama.

Oh, and I liked the music of the second season, particularly that horribly infectious “No More Cry” by D-51 as the theme song, and “Kizuna” (hehehe) by Kame as the insert track.

Awwww, looky, someone’s feeling left out ‘coz E.G. didn’t mention him, not even once…

I think the best thing about the Gokusens would be Yankumi’s interaction with her granddad (Utsui Ken) and their Yakuza homies (Anan Kenji, Uchiyama Shinji, Kaneko Ken–hilarious, all). Entertaining stuff, if hardly realistic. The producers/writers obviously wanted to make the Yakuza angle as benign as possible, considering the school kids and tweeners who (presumably) made up the lion’s share of the TV audience. Yankumi’s gramps is portrayed as this kindly old man who couldn’t hurt a fly, but all the time I was thinking, “He’s a frickin’ MOB BOSS… how many people has he had killed, anyway?” But then pretty much everything else in the Gokusens is trivialized, so it’s easy to see why the writers glossed over this, er, little detail (Yakuza! = Organized! Crime! Syndicate!). Durrrr…

And as for Gokusen 3… hahahahahahha I’m not THAT shtooopidddd…

(But I’ll be watching Gokusen the Movie once the DVD is released, so I guess I AM. Doh!)

Exhibit B:

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e / For You in Full Bloom

The Cast:
Horikita Maki, Oguri Shun, Ikuta Toma, Mizushima Hiro, a dog, and more truckloads of Johnnies, Johnny-types, Johnny wannabes, and Johnny rejects

In a Nutshell:
Girl travels halfway across the globe to help Serious Sporty Guy “find himself,” but first needs to pose as a guy to get into Serious Sporty Guy’s all-boys school. This other dude, Funny Dorky Guy, completes the requisite love triangle.

(SpoilLert: None!!! Because I am Kind and Generous…)

But first, let’s sing…

The Hana Kimi Tiny Toon Adventures!

We’re tiny, we’re toony,
We’re all a little looney,
And in this cartoony,
We’re invading your TV!

We’re comic dispensers,
We crack up all the censors,
On tiny toon adventures
Get a dose of comedy!

I really don’t have to continue writing about Hana Kimi because that song from the Warner Bros. animated series sums it up beauuuutifully. But I will anyway, hahaha.

So why did I slog through this high school farce-o-rama? Because Oguri Shun is Love.

Repeat after me: Oguri Shun is L-O-V-E. Love. Okay, so maybe he isn’t classically handsome–but then this is Japan, so who is, right? Lol. (The only classically handsome J-actors I know would be Karasawa Toshiaki, Fujiki Naohito, Tsumabuki Satoshi, and (a pre-anorexic) Tamaki Hiroshi… Yep, that’s about it… Oh no, not you, KimuTaku, I never found you classically handsome, sorry… Nope, not even in Good Luck!… Back of the line, buddy! Lol) Back to non-classically handsome Shun: But there’s something about good acting that makes a character (and the actor playing him) so… compelling to watch. Towering over everyone else, Shun may look a bit too… mature to be playing a high school student on Hana Kimi (*ka-ching!* understatement of the year! hahahahaha), but but BUT I never would’ve found this drama tolerable without him in it. Yep, without him as Sano Izumi aka The Serious Sporty Guy, I would’ve chucked my DVD out the window right after Episode One.

Amid the crazy, meandering stupidity of Hana Kimi, Shun brings a certain… gravitas, and a core of believability to the story. I’ve seen him in pretty good productions (Hana Yori Dango, Stand Up!) as well as pretty awful ones (the abortion that was Yuuki, and now, Hana Kimi), but I was blown away by his performance in each one. He really seems to understand, as in really understand what each character is about–no matter how well, or how poorly written that role is–and he has that gift (yeah, the one soooo few actors have, lol) of inhabiting a character and making it his own, despite crappy writing/direction or mediocre co-stars. Shun can make whatever character he’s playing feel like a real person, whether the material is hardcore comedy, or more serious fare.

It also helps that his character on Hana Kimi is (writing-wise) the meatiest of the lot: the whole character arc of Sano Izumi is developed (i.e. his internal conflict, his motivation, his worries and insecurities, his family baggage) and so you really get to witness his personal journey throughout the drama. But then this is Shun, so even with the character of Sano being the best-written on the entire drama, a lesser actor may have messed it all up just the same, lol. And yeah, I’d totally believe his character was this record-breaking track star–with that super athletic body of his? *wolf-whistles, lol* Baby baby baby. You can (high)jump me anytime, lolz. (PLUS, sporting that jet-black hair, and walking around in those to-die-for Nike track suits, Shun certainly looks his cutest among all the dramas I’ve seen him in. Oooh-la-la!!!)

Then there’s Ikuta Toma aka “The Johnny That, er, Johnny Forgot” (lol), as Nakatsu Shuichi, the Funny Dorky Guy who develops feelings for Horikita Maki’s character–which naturally convinces him that he’s gay, which naturally generates more laughs for the story. I thought that Toma’s “dark” (lol) turn on Hana Yori Dango 2 was rather laughable, but he really surprised me on Hana Kimi. Providing the comedic foil to Shun’s straight-arrow character, Toma is freaking hilarious as Nakatsu Shuichi–typically J-com, but never completely over the top. And I like that as an actor, Toma doesn’t balk at making fun of himself, and is refreshingly unselfconscious despite all the outrageous situations his character finds himself in. Nakatsu doesn’t realize right away that Horikita Maki is a SHE, and it is this (erroneously based) Gay Awakening of his that provides the drama’s funniest moments. (Nakatsu’s 5,866 nosebleed scenes were highly amusing, and I was LMAO during the scene when he goes all moony over Ashiya Mizuki (Horikita Maki) at the okonomiyaki parlor, and the camera zooms in on his expression, with water dribbling from his mouth and love cataracts glowing in his eyes.) At least I had fun watching Toma, even if the rest of the comic acting from the cast felt so fake.

But oh dear, Horikita Maki: the weakest link of the three. I was HOPING to see a Girl acting like a Boy (same kind of role that Amanda Bynes NAILED!!! in the 2006 film She’s the Man–aka Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” for the MTV Generation, heh), but it was sooooo frustrating to watch Maki Not. Even. Trying. Or. Acting. Like. She. Was. Trying. What we have instead is a Girl who still acts like a Girl but has everyone thinking she’s a Boy because: 1) the boys at Osaka High are THAT dumb, and 2) the writing decreed that nobody would ever find her out until the last episode. Durrr. Maki doesn’t even lower her voice, or walk like a dude, or adopt other mannish mannerisms–things Amanda Bynes did in She’s the Man, with delightfully hilarious results. She’s the Man was so entertaining (despite being–yessss, another high school rom-com) because Bynes attacked her role with an almost gleeful gusto, and wasn’t afraid her Disney/Nickelodeon-weaned image would take a beating by appearing in a gender-bending role, or by deglamorizing herself to the point of being unrecognizable. The whole film is really about the comedy of errors that ensues as Viola (Amanda Bynes) tries her darnedest to fit into the all-boys school, despite getting into a lot of hairy near-scrapes, compounded even more by the maddening proximity to her super-stud of a roommate, Duke Orsino (Channing Tatum).

On the surface it may not seem fair to pit Hana Kimi against She’s the Man. “Comparisons are odious,” as the saying goes. But they ARE inevitable. And cultural differences aside, the only valid point for comparison between Maki’s turn on Hana Kimi and other gender-bender roles would lie in the believability of the performance: did the actress play a girl playing a guy to a convincing degree? Horikita Maki = not in my book. What made me want to tear my hair out was watching this insipid, half-a$$ed effort from her that would’ve been pleasantly watchable–if her character hadn’t pretended to be a guy from the start. She’s SUCH a girl here, and what astounds me even more is how the writing loves to make her character dress up in ladies’ formalwear (e.g. the pageant, then later the dance contest), then later makes a big deal of her being outed as a girl, when everything about the drama (the writing, Maki’s unconvincing acting) somehow conveniently forgets how bloody important it is for Ashiya to act as boyishly as possible, and not give even the barest hint that she’s actually a girl!!! Argh!!! *self-destructs*

Granted, Japan is crawling with bishounen types, so mannishness (even in men) may not be as idealized as in other cultures. But Maki didn’t even play androgynous convincingly, IMO. She obviously got poor direction from The Director, who (with The Writer) ought to take the brunt of the blame for the whole phony treatment of Hana Kimi. The effectivity of a performance (or lack thereof) is really the net effect of the writing, the direction, and the actor’s own interpretation of the role. Which is why it’s SO important for actors (especially those serious about TEH CRAFT!) to view their portrayal as a collaborative process. And this can only be achieved if the actor and director truly understand how the character was written and share in the same creative vision. But if all the lead star ever does is mouth her lines and hop when the director says “hop,” and never really goes deep into her character, then that’s another story altogether, heh.

What’s best about Hana Kimi: Oguri Shun, Ikuta Toma, the Nike track suits, and the dog.

And the worst? Everything and everyone else. Especially YOU, Maki, you… GIRL.

***
Photo credits: crunchyroll.com, dramawiki.com, hallyudorama.com, kitine.wordpress.com, soompi.com, ampf.vox.com

So as many of us know, Winglin was down last weekend.  That totally messed up my teaser-posting plans.  XDD  But that’s okay, I’ll just post tomorrow for Saturday, and then on Sunday a week later.

I’m going to finish watching Kurosagi today.  I think I’ve become a YamaKi fan.  XDD  [Or at least I am becoming one.]   I have two episodes left…what’s going to happen?!  *finishes typing this so I can watch*

I’ve also been listening to SS501’s “Love Like This” from their REBIRTH Album/Mini-album/something.  I like it so much~~~  I only found out about it because my brother was showing me the Oricon charts for the week[?], and I saw ‘SS501′ under the KPop list and made him click it.  XD  But I really like all the songs on REBIRTH!  But I think “Love Like This” is my favorite one.  I feel like writing a Korean-fanfic with that title just because I like the title/song so much [but I have no idea what I'd write for it].  XD  Oh well.

I’ve added Perfect. Just Too Perfect. onto my list of recommended fanfictions.  I really liked reading that one~  It was just so…I don’t know how to describe it.  XD   It stars Yamapi & a fictional character.

& I think that there are signs of Yamapi becoming my favorite NewS member.  XD  I never really had one before……but he’s just….awesome!   [I thought he was a little odd, but funny in Nobuta Wo Produce.  He was/is absolutely one-of-a-kind hilarious in Kurosagi, though~  XDD]

His song “Daite Senorita” is awesome too~  You should totally go check it out.  XD

And a friend of mine just reminded me that today is Aaron Yan’s birthday!!!!  I can’t believe I actually forgot… >_<  It’s like when I forgot about Daiki’s and Ryosuke’s birthdays earlier this year…. ;_;  I’ve just been too busy….  [Haha, it was his birthday; no wonder I had such an awesome day at school~  Well, awesome enough.  XD]

Awww he’s 24 now~  I absolutely love his voice; and I hope I get to hear it in a new song some time soon!  I love all the solo moments and his solo songs!  I think that one of the ones that stand out/stood out the most to be was “願意不愛你 / Yuan Yi Bu Ai Ni / Willing to Not Love You”…it’s such a sad song, but it’s so good!  So…touching….

Now…to watch Kurosagi~~

• Episodes: 12 + Special
• Original Broadcast: 2007-Jul-03 to 2007-Sep-18

Hana Kimi is a drama based on a manga by Nakajo Hisaya

It tells the story of a girl, Ashiya Mizuki, played by Horikita Maki, who disguises herself as a boy to enroll in an all boy boarding school, and all of the misadventures that happen. Her main reason to travel to Japan all the way from California where she was raised was because of the guilt she feels over Sano Izumi’s accident that caused him to leave the high jump.

She pretends to be a boy as she shares a room with Sano, and mixed feelings come out as she is befriended by everyone there and treated as one of the boys. Some start to question their sexuality as feeling for her grow, as they believe she is a guy.

The different dorms are hilarious. One is filled by students who love the arts, running around in capes, the other is for the buff karate kids, and the last one, with Sano and Ayisha, is the sports loving dorm. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at some of the antics and contests between the dorms and how they react to one another.

To me, who stole the show were Nakatsu Shuichi, played by Ikuta Toma, as Sano’s best friend and who falls in love with Ashiya while thinking she’s a boy, and Kayashima Taiki, played by Yamamoto Yusuke, just for being the strange aura seeing student.

Perfil

Nombre: 堀北真希 (ほりきた まき)

Nombre (romaji): Horikita Maki

Profesión: Actriz

Fecha de nacimiento: 6 de Octubre, 1988

Lugar de nacimiento: Tokio, Japón

Altura: 160 cm

Signo zodiacal: Libra

Grupo sanguíneo: B

Agencia: Sweet Power

Dramas

Atashinchi no Danshi (Fuji TV, 2009)

Innocent Love (Fuji TV, 2008)

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (Especial) (Fuji TV, 2008)

Tokyo Daikushu (NTV, 2008)

Atsu-Hime (NHK, 2008)

Koi no Kara Sawagi Drama Special (NTV, 2007)

Galileo (Fuji TV, 2007)

Deru Toko Demasho! (Fuji TV, 2007)

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (Fuji TV, 2007)

Seito Shokun! (TV Asahi, 2007)

Teppan Shoujo Akane!! (TBS, 2006)

Densha Otoko DX (Fuji TV, 2006)

Kurosagi (TBS, 2006)

Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi (Fuji TV, 2006)

Nobuta wo Produce (NTV, 2005)

Densha Otoko (Fuji TV, 2005)

Akechi Kogorou VS Kindaichi Kousuke (2005)

Ningen no Shoumei (Fuji TV, 2004)

Kaidan Shin Mimibukuro (TBS, 2004)

Division 1 (Fuji TV, 2004)

Doubutsu no Oisha-san (2003)

Keitai Deka Zenigata Mai (TBS, 2003)

Densha (2003)

Películas

Doraemon – Nobita to Midori no Kyojinden (2008) Doblaje

Kurosagi (2008)

Tokyo Shonen (2008)

Always – Zoku 3chome no Yuhi (2007)

Argentine Hag (2007)

Chakusin Ari FINAL (One Missed Call FINAL)(2006)

Keitai Deka THE MOVIE (2006)

TRICK Movie 2 (2006)

Haru no ibasho (2006)

Always – 3chome no Yuhi (2005)

Shinku (2005)

HINOKIO (2005)

Gyakkyou nine (2005)

Yogen (2005)

HIRAKATA (2004)

Sekai no Chuushin de Ai o Sakebu (2004)

Shibuya Kaidan 2 (2004)

Shibuya Kaidan (2004)

Seventh Anniversary (2003)

Cosmic Rescue (2003)

Premios

11th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (2007 – 2008): Mejor actriz por Hanazakari no Kimitachi e

54th Television Drama Academy Awards (2007): Mejor actriz, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e

49th Television Drama Academy Awards (2006): Mejor actriz de reparto, Kurosagi

47th Television Drama Academy Awards (2005): Mejor actriz de reparto, Nobuta wo Produce

Integrante del popular grupo ARASHI, Sakurai Sho y la actriz, Horikita Maki protagonizarán una nueva versión del drama legal Tokujo Kabachi!!. Éste se basa en el manga del mismo nombre, sobre un notario público practicante llamado Tamura Katsuhiro que posee un gran sentido de justicia y tiene un buen corazón. Su misión es tratar de ayudar a quienes necesitan de sus servicios. Además, conoceremos a Sumiyoshi Misuzu, otra notaria que se caracteriza por independiente y misándrica. Aunque estos dos se llevaban como perros y gatos, los dos crecerán profesional y personalmente mediante sus experiencias.

El mismo está programado para estrenarse el 17 de enero de 2010 por TBS, como parte de Nichiyou Gekijou, los domingos a las 9PM. El reparto incluye a Endou Kenichi, Asano Yuuko, Takahashi Katsumi, Nakamura Masatoshi.

<3

• Name: 堀北真希 (ほりきた まき)
• Name (romaji): Horikita Maki
• Nicknames: Maki-maki, Homaki, Makinpo, Horikitty, Pori chan
• Profession: Actress
• Birthdate: 1988-Oct-06
• Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
• Height: 160cm
• Star sign: Libra
• Blood type: B

———————————–

kawaii~! <3 i just face melted… ><

It’s been a while since we’ve released anything for this series but we’re still working on it. So here’s episode 5 of Ningen no Shoumei.

Download it here!

Kyaah! Matsujun’s got a new drama and mind you, it has a star studded cast!

Okay, we still have to wait quite long because the airing date is on Spring 2010 and this drama is actually very, very short. It will just air for 3 consecutive nights.

Yes, just three! But it is a major television drama. When I saw the sneak peek and saw the cast, I was like “WOAH!” Every time a new actor was introduced, I got surprised all over again. I couldn’t believe they could put those actors there.

The drama is titled, “Wagaya no Rekishi.” The story takes place between 1945 and 1964, chronicling the lives of the seven members of the fictional Yame family.

Here’s the star studded cast.


* Shibasaki Kou as Yame Masako (Orange Days, Good Luck!)
* Sato Koichi as Onizuka Taizo (Suppli, Pride)
* Matsumoto Jun as Yame Yoshio (Gokusen, Hana Yori Dango, Bambino)
* Sato Ryuta as Yame Muneo (Rookies, Bambino, Utahime)
* Horikita Maki as Yame Namiko (Kurosagi, Nobuta wo Produce, Hana Kimi)
* Eikura Nana as Yame Fusako (Proposal Daisakusen, Mei-chan no Shitsuji)
* Nagasawa Masami as Ichinose Yukari (Dragonzakura, Proposal Daisakusen, Last Friends)

Salah satu pengisi kekosongan kegiatan ketika liburan adalah nonton DVD, betul tidak?? hehe..Yang kutonton juga mostly J-Movie dan J-Dorama. Aku jarang banget nulis baik tentang doramanya maupun artisnya (kcuali Hongo Kanata), jadi sekarang mulai membiasakan diri bikin review (seperti post sebelumnya) supaya yang apa kutonton nggak hilang gitu aja. Kali ini aku ngomong-ngomong tentang aktor dan aktrisnya dorama2 jepang yang menurutku maennya bagus. Dibagi jadi 2 aktor-aktor lama (jam terbangnya udah lumanya tinggi) dan aktor-aktor baru.

Aktor Lama

YamaP

 1. Yamashita Tomohisa / YamaPi 

Dorama : Proposal Daisakusen, Code Blue, Nobuta wo Produce, Buzzer Beat, Kurosagi [bold : recommended!]

YamaPi ini menurutku aktor yang jepang banget..kalo pas lucu, lucunya itu macem yang di komik-komik gitu. Lucu bisa, sedih-sedih bisa, keren bisa (@Kurosagi), selengekan bisa (NwP). Perannya dia selalu berkesan lek buat aku. Lawan main favorit menurut banyak penggemar tuh si Horikita Maki. Katanya chemistry nya dapet banget. Kalo ada 2 orang ini, rasae dorama itu patut ditonton. 

Kame

2. Kamenashi Kazuya/ Kame

Dorama : NwP, Kami no Shizuku, Mr. Brain, Tatta Hitotsu no Koi

Dorama dia yang kutonton cuma 2 judul pertama di atas dan bedanya sungguh terlihat. Di NwP Kame maen jadi anak SMA, klo di kami no shizuku dia maen jadi orang kantoran. Hebatnya, Kame berhasil maen 2 peran itu dengan bagus..pas ngeliat kame pake jas kantor aku mikir (wahh..kame udah gede..hahaha). Pembawaane udah ga kyk anak boyband gitu walopun dia juga masi di KAT-TUN. Kalo Kame, mungkin lebi cocok peran yang serius2..nggak kyk YamaP.hahaha

Maki-chan

3. Horikita Maki

Dorama : NwP, Atashinchi no Danshi, Hanazakarino Kimitachi he, Seito Shokun

Hate to say, but yes she’s one of the best japanese actresses alive..Benere aku setuju sih sama Bella, perannya dia nggak pernah terlalu dalem sampe memberi kesan tersendiri (tp mungkin ini juga dipengaruhi sentimen pribadi..yaitu, kalo dia maen sama Hongo Kanata, pasti Kanata nya diceritain suka sama Maki  ahahahah). Maennya bagus, tapi menurutku kok karakternya gak dalem jadi di tiap dorama ya taune “o, itu maki”. Kecuali dia maen di dorama yang karakternya agak esktrim kyk NwP sama Seito Shokun.  pas aku nulis ini, adikku lewat dan bilang, “wow..she looks like you”. HUAHAHAHA aku dibilang mirip Maki. 

Aktor Baru –> ini aktor-aktris yang menurutku bakal maju terus perkembangannya

Takeru

1. Sato Takeru

Drama : Kamen Rider Den-O , ROOKIES, Bloody Monday, Mei-chan no Shitsuji, MR. Brain

Aku baru nonton satu dorama nya aja udah berani bilang klo Takeru ini promising actor..hahaha. eits aku nilainya juga nggak dari ntn doramanya lho. Ada setumpuk JUNON di kamar yang siap memberi info ttg film-film baru aktor2 ini. Dilihat dari dorama ke dorama lain, semua judul yang kutulis di atas itu LAYAK TONTON. Kayaknya Takeru bakal jadi aktor bagus nih..peran yang diambil dia beragam sih dan kayake orange emang pekerja keras gitu, jd simpati aku.hahaha…

Koji

2. Seto Koji

dorama : Otomen, Atashinchi no Danshi, Koizora, Abarenbo Mama

dibalik mukanya yang super manis kayak cewek, serta bajunya yang aneh bin norak, ternyata ada Seto Koji yang pinter akting ( XD kyaaa ). Pikirku pertama kali liat orang ini, “hah? cek norake se..” dan “no, no ,NO..!”  Pas belom ntn filme sih aku bilang gitu, tp ternyata boleh juga nih si Koji. Mukanya manis banget pasti bahagia ngeliat layar kaca terus-terusan…hahaha. Jadi pengen ntn Koizora > perannya dia di sini agak garang2 gimana gitu.

Nanami-chan

3. Sakuraba Nanami

dorama : Futatsu no Spica, Akai Ito, Tokyo Shojo

Kawaii yo ne~~ Imut soro orang ini, masi kecil juga..baru mau 17 tahun.hahaha (sok wes 18 rek iva..>.< ). Maennya bagus, gak lebai,

*SPOILER ALERT*

Atashinchi no Danshi aka Homeless

 Dorama yang rilis bulan April ini emang pantes ditonton. Genrenya kalo menurutku Comedy-Family. Isinya banyak bicara tentang perlunya sebuah keluarga buat seseorang. Jadi, banyak scene-scene yang kental kekeluargaannya.

Minato Chisato (Horikita Maki) selama 2 tahun dikejar-kejar penagih hutang sampai dia harus pindah dari satu tempat ke tempat laen >> homeless dan ada nomadennya juga.. Hutang ini bukan dia yang buat tapi papanya. Sudah gitu, si papa ini kabur dan di surat hutangnya ada tertulis nama Chisato sebagai pelunas hutang. Nah lho..ga pusing ta kalo papa anda kabur meninggalkan hutang 1 juta yen untuk kamu lunasi??

Namanya takdir, suatu hari ketika Chisato lagi dikejar-kejar sama penagih hutang ini, ada orang naek helikopter yang nolong dia. Utangnya dilunasi.! wow wow..tapi nggak dilunasi gitu aja, Chisato mesti tanda tangan kertas yang isinya dia suatu hari harus melunasi utang itu.

Eh, ternyata yang di tanda tangan ini adalah sebendel perjanjian yang dia ga ngerti sama sekali dan terpaksa dijalani untuk bisa ngelunasi hutangnya ini. Salah satunya adalah jadi istri si pelunas hutang, yaitu pemilik perusahaan mainan Miracle, Ohkura Shinzo, selama 30 hari sampai dia mati.

Dilakonilah peran istri sampai hari kematian Shinzo..but but but…cerita baru dimulai di sini… ga cuma jadi istri selama 30 hari, tapi dia juga harus jadi Mama bagi 6 anak Shinzo selama 3 bulan. Masalahnya, 6 anak ini semuanya adalah anak adopsi, dan ga akur sama bapaknya dan sodara2nya sedangkan syarat yang mesti dipenuhi sebagai mama ini perlu rasa persodaraan tinggi untuk diselesaikan > kalo ga selesai : bayar 1 juta yen.

(lihat foto dari kanan ke kiri) Six Sons :

1 : Ohkura Fuu (Kaname Jun) > seniman, punya rahasia paling dalem di antara lainnya > playboy

2 : Ohkura Takeru > kerja di delivery service, punya geng motor, paling rame

3 : Ohkura Sho (yang maen Osamu Mukai >> paling cakep menurutku  XD ) > kerja sbg host di club, ada rahasia mengejutkan

4 : Ohkura Masaru (Yamamoto Yusuke) > artis/model, phobia cewek

5 : Ohkura Satoru (Seto Koji) > magician yang mengurung diri, bajue norak2 (baik di film maupun di luar film…hahaha tp emang gayane rasae)

6 : Ohkura Akira > kecil2 maen saham, selalu tidur jam 9 tepat

Dalam 11 episode, banyak hal terjadi di antara mereka yang konyol, aneh, manis…dari berantem sampe makan malem bareng…bagus kok dorama ini..banyak pesan2nya juga.

” if you take one step, the world will change” - Chisato