Chapter Seven: Birthday
It's Takagi's birthday (we presume, his eighteenth, though with Takagi it's impossible to know anything like that for sure) and amid a mountain of presents, he and Arai are having one of their usual bantering matches about who is more popular. Into the midst of this comes a student with a strange letter addressed to Takagi, sealed with an odd seal. It invites him to take a boat to Angel Island - and that he can bring his friends along - for a special birthday trip. He's not totally sure if he can be bothered to go - but Arai goads him into it, and they all head off to join this funny little boat to head off to this mysterious angel island place.

This chapter is really, really odd...until you know what's going on, then it's odd and funny ^_^. On board the boat, lots of odd things happen. A strange old man gives them a long and spooky tale about the history of Angel's Island, and Takagi keeps seeing people that he is sure he's seen before, he just can't place who they are. They're called to dinner two hours earlier than usual, and before they can eat, Takagi and Mikimaro discover that the kitchens are - er - quite a disgusting place, so they decide that eating is probably better left alone for the time being. They're sitting and talking (and throwing up, er...I think..Mikimaro...) when the lights go out and everything is plunged into black. Yuusuke volunteers to go to the front of the ship to look for a solution to the problem, and Nakamoto goes with him, saying its risky to go alone in all the darkness. Yuusuke agrees, and they go.

Moments later the lights come back on in the cabin, but Nakamoto and Yuusuke don't reappear. They wait for a while, but begin to worry - where have their friends got to? In the end, Mikimaro and Arai go looking for them, and Takagi is left on his own. During this time he has an odd encounter with a "woman" in dark glasses, who asks if she can lean on him for a moment, but apparently - er - bites him (as in, vampire bites him). Takagi manages to fight her off, retreating to the safety of the cabin. He decides to go look for his friends, too - finding Nakamoto and Yuusuke unconscious on the deck of the ship. As he gets to them, Nakamoto rouses up somewhat, telling him that he doesn't really remember what happened after they went looking for help. Then Arai and Mikimaro appear, but they're acting strange. Arai tells Takagi "Die!" And lunges at him, and Takagi fights him off, throwing him over the side of the boat. Mikimaro then attacks Takagi, but Takagi manages to snap him back to his senses. They get Nakamoto and Yuusuke to the cabin, however then Mikimaro goes strange a second time, and as if under a spell Yuusuke and Nakamoto also rise from their beds, telling Takagi to come with them into the darkness. Takagi is pretty freaked out by this point - well, you can't blame him!- when Arai (who's a little wet) also appears and joins in the zombie party.

Just at the point where Takagi is about to lose his wits completely, he finds himself surrounded by various people from the boat. Except they're not from the boat at all, but people from the school. The vampire lady is actually Kusanagi, the old man is the drama club leader Ugusuitani (or however his name is spelt, I never can remember) who was involved in the animated OVA. Sugita and Mikage are there also, and Takagi discovers that his friends have all been taking part in an elaborate play in honour of Takagi's birthday. (Apparently scaring him to death is a good present, it seems). Kawazoe is also there, because, of course, Kusanagi wants pictures of it!. At first Takagi is angry, but Nakamoto explains that they did it because he'd seemed bored lately and they wanted him to have a birthday to remember. (Er, well, I think he'll remember it...). Takagi says he's surrounded by mean people, but Arai points out that he's still happy about it, in the end. And they all share a drink and toast Takagi's birthday (I hope there was something strong in his, because I think he needs it...)

Chapter Eight: Internet
On a completely different note from the previous chapter, this one has a far more genuinely sinister touch to it. Someone is posting nasty rumours on the Seiryuu Academy homepage about the M boys - most specifically about Arai, but also odd bits and pieces about the others and about a teacher called Iwasaki-sensei (who is their Home Ec teacher. That must be a fun class...heh). It begins with a rumour about Arai and the teacher having an affair, but it soon becomes more directly personal - I have to admit, some of the things are pretty unpleasant. Takagi is accused of being a cross-dressing gay who (if I'm reading the nuances right) "sold himself" before he transferred into the Seiryuu Academy. Mikimaro's focuses on his secret mother (who everyone seems to know about anyhow) and erm...I don't really want to write what it says about him and Arai. Yuusuke's focuses on his bad marks and the fact he's an idiot even though he leads the basketball team. Nakamoto's is to do with his crush on Kyouko and the cats he loves so much (it says that he's a weirdo, too). Arai's, on the other hand...this time focuses on something Arai himself isn't aware of. That his father is friends with the school Principal and that no matter what bad things Arai does, he'll never be kicked out because of it.

This makes Arai wonder about his entrance to the Seiryuu Academy - and whether it was all fixed up like that, even though he rebelled so hard against going. This idea rather hurts his pride...

Over the course of the next few days it gets worse. Accusations appear on the site about Arai's relationship with Kawazoe (Erk), and also about his father and family situation. (When Mikimaro asks him if these things are true, he admits "partially", although he never divulges any further information to any of the M boys in that regard.) Eventually, Arai's had enough, and is resolved to get to the bottom of it. The M boys talk and Nakamoto says that the homepage is controlled from the School Council - the Kusanagi Palace. So Arai goes there to demand some answers from Kusanagi and Sugita. Oddly, he doesn't seem to have any problem mentioning Kawazoe to them - which may be a throwback to the drama CD, as Kawazoe and Kusanagi were old classmates and - in the drama CDs - Kusanagi seems to know a lot more about his interest/involvement with Arai than is clear in the manga.

At the Kusanagi Palace, Arai discovers that a photo album of Kusanagi's has been stolen. Remember a few chapters back he was taking illicit pictures? Apparently it's a much wider spread thing, and the theft of this book has provided the ammunition for the secret poster to spread all kinds of vicious rumours. Sugita is worried about what will happen if people in the school discover Kusanagi has such a "hobby", whilst Kusanagi just wants his book back. And Arai, fed up with their uselessness, tells them that he'll find the perpetrator himself. And his buddies tell him they'll help.

The boys sit and discuss the facts - realising that the book must have been taken during Kusanagi's recent birthday party, when lots of strangers were inside the Kusanagi Palace. At this point, Takagi realises the time and scurries off to his modelling meeting, because he's already running late. After having his pictures taken, he is in Matsunaga-san's office, talking to her about his ability to juggle his schoolwork with his work as a model, and he's looking through the stuff on her desk. Among it, he finds a picture from a year previously, and a familiar face catches his eye. He asks Matsunaga-san about it, and she tells him it was taken on a company holiday, a year earlier.

Back at school, Takagi storms the Kusanagi Palace and demands to know certain things about the night of the party from a slightly bewildered Sugita. On confirming his suspicions, he and his posse gather to confront their suspect...the teacher, Iwasaki!

As the course of the 'interrogation' goes on, it transpires that Iwasaki was once working as a designer for Arai Yoshiki, but that not only did she get dropped, she also wound up losing her marriage in the process. Bitter, she swore revenge and so came to the Seiryuu Academy with the intention of targetting Arai Tougo, believing it would hurt her old employer. (Arai bitterly observes to himself at this point that she was on the wrong tack, since Arai Yoshiki treats his son - in Tougo's view - as nothing more than a toy, someone he only turned up to see as a child when he wanted to give instructions about how things were going to be done).

So, thanks to the boy's investigation, the situation is settled and Iwasaki-sensei leaves the school. The security on the site is tightened, and Arai sets straight (heh) some of the issues by posting on the site that he's currently between girlfriends and looking for a girl with whom to hang out...! (Anyone think he's trying to cover up something...??)

Chapter Nine: Oretachi no Senritsu [Translation]
Yay, it's a Nakamoto chapter! (Ahem). And a Takagi one t'boot.

This chapter opens with Arai in the "Sugar Moon" bar, where he's turned up (before it opens) to chat to the "Master".

(Editor's note: In Japan, the word "Master" is used to denote someone who runs a bar or such like - it's taken from the English and written as such in Katakana. Consequently the man's name is not revealed in the text).

The Master asks Arai if he knows anyone who plays the piano, as his usual pianist has been called home for a few months to deal with some urgent family issues. Arai has a good think about it and remembers that both Nakamoto and Takagi play piano, although he settles on Nakamoto as the target because apparently of late his roomate has seemed somewhat out of sorts. (It's sweet, somehow, his concern...) He tells the Master that he might know one or two people, and that the next night he'd bring them along to the club so he could hear them out.

Back at the dorm, Arai puts his idea before Nakamoto, who is quite literally horrified at the prospect of playing in public. Even though he's learnt since he was a kid - and is consequently quite good - he's very shy of performing in front of strangers. He says that Takagi would surely be a better choice, but Arai tells him that he wants it to be him because he seems to need something to take his mind off whatever it is that's bothering him. Nakamoto is surprised by this, but eventually agrees to come along to the bar and meet the Master.

This he does the next night (very funny scene here with Arai handing him a motorcycle helmet and telling him to get on, and Nakamoto kind of staring at him blankly then asking..."HOW exactly...?") On hearing him play, the Master agrees that he's definitely good enough. For Nakamoto it's an unusual buzz, and as he and Arai discuss the fact afterwards, they are approached by a man bearing a business card - he calls himself Horikawa (I think, don't have the book in front of me to check) and he says he's involved in music production and would like to speak to them some more about music. He asks if Arai plays anything, and Arai admits that he played bass guitar for a while, but hasn't recently. They take his card, but are a bit suspicious of his motives, so resolve to ask Takagi about this guy when they get back to school.

So the next day, this is what they do. Takagi recognises the name from his days playing with his band, and offers to go speak to him and find out what the deal is. Nakamoto and Arai agree. (I have to admit that Takagi's actions in this part of the story sort of make me want to shake him, but anyhow, leaving that aside for the minute...) Takagi goes to the company and reacquaints himself with Horikawa. They discuss music and Takagi admits he's no longer actively involved in a band but that he'd like to be. Horikawa discusses with him the possibility of taking part in some local music competition, and indicates that he's "too good" a player to play with amateur people like Nakamoto or Arai but that he has better potential to play with another band. Takagi agrees to bring his guitar to the next meeting and they'll discuss things. (Bad Takagi...!)

Meanwhile, grades have been posted for the mid-term examinations and to everyone's shock, Nakamoto is eleventh in the rankings. Noone can understand this, because Nakamoto has always ranked top. Arai thinks its his fault for arranging the Sugar Moon job, but Nakamoto says that it's more to do with him and his father. Before he can say any more, however, at that moment he's called to the teacher's office because his father has appeared and wants to speak to him. A flaming row ensues, in which Nakamoto-sensei demands to know what his son is playing at, why he's dropped so far in the rankings after being top for so long, how he expects him to get good grades to follow in his footsteps - yada yada. This is maybe one of Nakamoto's best scenes in the whole of the manga, because it actually shows his true stubborn spirit underneath all of his logical, calm behaviour. Nakamoto-sensei criticises Arai and blames his influence for Nakamoto's faltering grades. Nakamoto gets angry at this and tells him not to speak badly of his friends. Nakamoto-sensei slaps his son across the cheek - sending his glasses flying - and tells him exactly what he expects of his son. To which Nakamoto flares up - like father, like son - and informs him that if it's anyone's fault, it's his father's and that the doctor's selfish attitude is forcing him into this corner. Then he storms out in high dudgeon, leaving the doctor and the teacher standing staring after him.

Takagi's meeting at the music company also doesn't go as well as he'd hoped, since he overhears Horikawa talking to his colleagues about him and using him in some capacity to guarantee his key act winning the Young Artists Contest. Takagi is indignant about this - he doesn't want to be a tool for someone else but to follow his own dream for his own love of music.(Whoops.).

Back at the school, Nakamoto has sought refuge with his cats, and is thinking over the situation, reflecting on Arai's concern for his recently being in a constant slump and his dropping grades - for which he blames his Dad. The nuances of his thoughts are a little difficult to read into - he's thinking about his stepmother Kyouko and an affair that's apparently the cause of his father and Kyouko moving towards divorce. (See the PLUS novels from vol 5 onwards for more about this situation) Arai finds him there and Nakamoto asks if it's time to go to work at the Sugar Moon. Arai tells him that today they're going to skip off and go for a ride on his bike instead. Nakamoto is startled, but Arai tells him that he needs it to clear his head, and Nakamoto agrees.

The story ends with Takagi and his musical dilemma. He's decided that he's going to approach his classmates in the hope they'll help him in his challenge. Knowing that Nakamoto plays keyboard, and discovering that Arai plays bass, he's determined to make this work and begs them - along with Yuusuke and Mikimaro - to help him take part in the Young Artists Contest. Mikimaro and Yuusuke are immediately excited about the prospect. Nakamoto says he's happy to do it - because he's recently been playing in the Sugar Moon, he thinks that so long as his part is keyboard, he'll be all right. Arai comments here on how he's changed, much to Nakamoto's discomfiture. Arai eventually agrees to help Takagi out as well, and so the concept of "M" is born...

(Apparently it's okay that Mikimaro and Yuusuke haven't seen instruments before - anything's possible in the world of manga, ne?)