Other Sotsugyou M stuffs :novels (M+)
Oretachi no Kiken na Natsu
Nakamoto smiled coldly, looking at his grandmother with icy eyes.
"I submitted blank papers for all of last term's exams."
Right, lets see if we can straighten things out. Kazuma is gone (Sei...no....YOKATTA! Ahem). But this story brings a whole bunch of new challenges for the boys, beginnning with...Mikimaro's toothache ^_^.Yep, he's been eating sweets and he has a lot of cavities. But he's afraid to go see the school medical consultant because Zaizen's a pervert (we established that already, right?). Of course, Yuusuke doesn't know all the facts about this yet, until Arai drops them on him (and rather pushes the boat out, sending Yuusuke off in a temper to defend Mikimaro's honour with Zaizen. Fortunately Arai only did it because Zaizen was away for the day, so no bruises were suffered and no blood spilled).
School term is finishing for the summer break and they've taken their exams, but the five M boys have not yet submitted their final future plans for after their graduation. Consequently they have meetings arranged with parents and Sakurai-sensei to try and resolve those things. (You know, I feel really sorry for poor old Sakurai-sensei. The guy suffers a lot of trouble...) The boys are surprised to find Nakamoto's name included, since it's long been expected that he'll go to the top Tokyo University's medical school and follow in his father's footsteps. (But Nakamoto has other ideas!)
The boys go have dinner and have a long and detailed conversation about food, specifically Shepherd's Pie. Don't ask ^_^. It's a nice scene though because it shows the friendship between them and one of Takagi's soft moments (as he shares his portion of pie with Mikimaro, who's too late to get any). GIZOKU also appear briefly in this scene, with Gorou and Ryouta making a noise about food as they come into the dining room. The M boys discuss these first years as Kusanagi's protegees, though their actual names aren't given at this point.
Nakamoto arranges for Mikimaro to go see his family's dentist at the hospital his Pa is the chief of. Mikimaro is doubtful because he's scared of dentists, but since Nakamoto's been kind enough to make a gesture like that, he doesn't feel he can refuse (after all, Nakamoto is awkward with people, ne?). He asks Nakamoto to go but Nakamoto, based on recent family events, really doesn't want to. Arai suggests Yuusuke should go and Yuusuke is fine with it. So they go together. The dentist is a young woman by the name of Sakiya Nagisa who even Mikimaro is struck by the prettiness of. He finds his fears fading in the light of her gentle, teasing treatment. (Is anyone else disturbed by Mikimaro showing any interest in a female...?)
Takagi has a brief mental meander about what to do regarding his future, his modelling, his birth father...and then we're back at the dentist with Mikimaro-kun. He's having another cavity filled, because it turns out he has a lot of them. Nagisa's younger brother is there, wearing shades to hide his identity and looking shifty. (Wait for the punchline on this one...I promise it's worth it.) He grins at Mikimaro as he leaves, and Mikimaro comments that Nagisa seems to have a good relationship with her brother. Nagisa admits that it's not that way - and that though he's in the medical profession like she is, he won't even tell her where he's currently working. (Oh yes. You have to have guessed it by now...LOL! But if not...read on...)
Nakamoto and Arai are in the dorm, and having a chat about the meeting. Arai is unamused by the fact his father's decided to come, whilst Nakamoto admits to Arai what he's done regarding the exam papers. The two spend a couple of pages claiming that it's the other that has changed, but in the end Nakamoto admits he likes Arai now and wants them to be friends. And Arai agrees.
Mikimaro is also worried about his meeting, not sure if he will have any family come. As we saw in the manga, his birth mother is the actress who he hasn't properly met, and his adoptive parents have divorced, making his family situation a bit sticky from all angles. His adoptive mother has other obligations and is unable to make it, leaving him to attend on his own.
I'm going to run a quick summary through the boys' meetings since there's a lot of the book still to go yet *lol* :) Mikimaro sees Sakurai on his own, decides that he's best going to Seiryuu University and Sakurai tells him to work his hardest at achieving that goal. Katou's there with his mother (who notices Mikimaro is depressed) and she seems very patient because Katou has no idea what he wants to do...then he springs on her the idea of the NBA and she just calmly tells him "Well, make sure you tell the teacher that, dear...". Takagi's is essentially a school board meeting since Mitsuse is that important a bod and even the headmaster is involved. Mitsuse reveals that he wants Takagi to go to Tokyo University - even if it's to study music. Actually, he seems ok with the music idea so long as Takagi goes to the "right" university. And Sakurai isn't convinced that Takagi can do that, although he acknowledges that the boy is a good student and not lacking. Mitsuse very nearly reveals his connection to Takagi in his frustration - of course, Takagi already knows it ^_^. As they part, Mitsuse and Takagi talk a little and Mitsuse asks if he hates him. Takagi says not, but that he never sees him. It seems Takagi is warming a little to the father idea, especially after seeing Yoshiki with Arai as they head for their session. Arai and Yoshiki have one of their disputes, while Sakurai tries very carefully to be tactful about Arai's behaviour in and out of class. Arai admits he has no idea what he wants to do and could care less at the moment. It winds up with Arai walking out in a temper, stalking right past Nakamoto and his gran without seeing them. Nakamoto's scary-ass gran says that Arai seems like a rude boy :P
Nakamoto's session is just as chaotic for poor old Sakurai, since it turns out first of all Grandma didn't know Nakamoto's grades slipped him to eleventh place on the last ranking. And then Nakamoto drops it on them - Grandma and Sakurai - that he put in blank papers for all of the previous term's exams. Grandma is rather shellshocked by this (hah!) and Sakurai asks him why - and if anything had happened. I really like the way Nakamoto is in this scene, so I (roughly) translated a little bit of it from the *very* end of chapter three:
"I never would have expected someone as diligent as you to do this, Nakamoto-kun. Did something happen?" Oretachi no Kiken na Natsuより |
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Right. Okay. Moving on from here...let me see.
So Arai's in one of his sulks and he's wound up driving his bike aimlessly around Tokyo. I say aimlessly because it's fairly obvious where he's going to end up. Yep. Kawazoe's place. Anyhow, when he gets there a woman answers the intercom and at first Arai thinks he's got the wrong apartment. But he hasn't, and he's told to come on up. He's introduced to the woman whose name is Yuriko (I forget her surname) and there's some conversation. Arai is surprised at feeling jealous that Yuriko calls Kawazoe "Haruka-san". He also has a choking fit (picture below) on hot tea which makes him feel really embarrassed and without his usual poise. Yuriko suggests they all go for dinner but Kawazoe tells her he needs to have a "boys" chat with Arai, so Yuriko leaves. Before she does, however, she asks Kawazoe to tell Arai about her reason for being there and Kawazoe tells Arai Yuriko is his fiancee. Which echoes round Arai's poor head like a bullet! Once Yuriko is gone, there's an awkward silence, which ends in a shouting match since Arai's feelings are messed up and he's not quite sure what to make of it. What seems to get to him most is that Kawazoe's mother seems to have emotionally blackmailed him into the engagement and Kawazoe has let her. In any case, Arai tells him that he likes him and that he can't believe he'd be so easily manipulated. Kawazoe counters by asking him to spend the summer break at his apartment and maybe even help out with his work. Arai agrees. Yeesh this boy is confused :S
Last day of classes comes and they all discuss their plans. Mikimaro is happy that Nakamoto and Takagi will both be staying in dorms. He's less happy that Arai will be staying with Kawazoe, and Arai sort of tells him by accident. Yuusuke is going home, as usual.
So once Yuusuke has gone, Mikimaro invades Takagi's room and they have a rather odd sort of chat, really. Takagi is not the kind of person who opens up and Mikimaro still feels he's a sort of "mysterious" figure (No kidding!). Arai is heading off to Kawazoe's, but he hesitates before he goes and asks if Nakamoto will be okay on his own. (It's really quite sweet, Arai even gives Nakamoto his mobile number and tells him - if anything happens, call me. Which startles Nakamoto - Arai is genuinely worried about him and his current situation!
Mikimaro toddles off to have his final cavity filled and he expresses regret at it being the last time he'll see Nagisa. She invites him to come to her place for dinner (like that normally happens when you go to your dentist...) and that her brother wants to meet him. Mikimaro agrees. At this point we discover his interest in her is semi maternal (phew, I thought Miki had gone strange on me then!). Anyhow, he agrees to go.
More about Arai and Kawazoe at this point as Arai arrives at the apartment, usual kind of stuff. Kawazoe managing to tip water over Arai or some such thing...yah, you get the picture ^_^ Some nice descriptions of the room Arai is going to stay in...and Kawazoe's apartment. ^_^. Not much more to say on that really.
Mikimaro goes to Nagisa's house and is surprised to see her "out of work" appearance. She's glad to see him, however, and invites him in. Her brother isn't there yet, so they talk for a while and Mikimaro discovers that she's a divorcee, which surprises him also. He thought she was younger but she is actually 31. Eventually her brother "Haruki" does turn up, and Mikimaro is trying to work out where he's heard that name before. Then, when her brother enters, he realises where he has. Her brother is...yep, you guessed it. Zaizen Haruki, the perverted school doctor. Mikimaro is freaked out and wants to run for it, but also doesn't want to be rude to Nagisa who obviously has no idea that her brother is such a bad person ^_^. After all, this is the first time she discovers Zaizen works at the school Mikimaro goes to! They sit down to dinner (Nagisa is a good cook) and though Mikimaro is on edge he decides it must be okay because Nagisa is there too. How innocent he is. Then, strangely, he begins to feel very sleepy. So sleepy that before long he is fast asleep on the table. Nagisa is confused, but puts it down to his recent stress at school. Zaizen...offers to take him back to school when he goes and Nagisa agrees. Oh dear. :P (If you hadn't already guessed, Mikimaro's sleeping is no accident. Yep. Zaizen put a drug in his tea and sedated him!!!!) So Zaizen has Mikimaro in his power..!
Back at the dorm, Nakamoto is a bit off-kilter with Arai away, forgetting that he's gone and talking to him without realising he isn't there. Then there is a knock at the door. It's Kyouko, who's there to tell him that she's decided to separate from Masakazu and that she wanted to tell him in person...
Meanwhile, Arai's been out shopping for bits and pieces. He comes back to the flat to find...Yuriko on top of Kawazoe. Erm, ok, it's not as bad as that sounded *lol* but he's still pretty struck by it. When Yuriko has gone, Kawazoe says that he's glad Arai came when he did and intervened ^_^ or some such thing. Poor Arai's head is being very messed about. I almost wonder if Kawazoe's doing it on purpose because Arai's had so many girls without thinking about his feelings - but that might be my own fertile imagination)
The book ends there, although instead of saying "End" it says "To be continued". So will Mikimaro escape Zaizen? Will Nakamoto get to tell Kyouko his feelings? Will Arai work out what his feelings actually are? Answers in book seven...
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At the back of this book in the author's notes Arisugawa-sensei mentions that Nakamoto is the most popular of the M characters with the fans at this point. I guess it explains why I like him so much then...
She also mentions that Kawazoe was originally a character from a BL story (I think originally printed in Asuka's "C.I.E.L" comic, but I haven't 100% tracked it down. That's just from a reference in the manga). In any case, he was only meant to be a guest character in the M universe. But somehow he got to be a bit more than that *LOL* :)
GIZOKU also officially appear in this story, although in cameo ;)
Illustrations (scans) from Volume Six
(Click on image to view bigger)
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 Like father, like son? Takagi and Mitsuse |
