Other Sotsugyou M stuffs :novels (original)

Volume 1 - Haisukuru Skuranburu

First Story: High School Scramble
Volume one of the original novels begins two weeks or so after Takagi has transferred into Seiryuu Academy. Mikimaro has pried information out of him for a report in the school's newspaper, and whilst discussing his 'rates' with the club captain, Sakata Toshiya, he is convinced to investigate something else. School elections for the council are up and coming, and it seems there was some dodgy dealing the previous year which allowed the president (in this canon, Yamaji Yoshikazu) to be elected despite being a first year. Sakata convinces Mikimaro that he must dig into it since the Newspaper Club are so busy with other things they haven't got the time to do it. Mikimaro is reluctant, but in the end agrees and decides to get Yuusuke, Arai and the new boy, Takagi, involved in the investigation.

They discuss it in Mikimaro and Yuusuke's room, amid concerns about whether or not the four of them can carry out this kind of investigation on their own. Takagi suggests that they should invite someone else to join - the "guy who sits and reads in homeroom". (Yep, he means Nakamoto, although he's too new to remember clearly everyone's names just yet!). Arai is unconvinced, although Nakamoto helped Mikimaro with his assignment in homeroom, because he knows that his roommate isn't someone who's easily talked into doing things. So, Takagi suggests they try an more sneaky tactic - that instead of asking him direct, they go to Arai and Nakamoto's room and discuss the matter again so that Nakamoto overhears. He's confident that this way will get Nakamoto on board (I told you these books focused on Takagi's smarts a bit more than the others!). Nakamoto is using his computer, which Takagi expresses an interest in, and though Nakamoto doesn't interrupt their conversation, he does stop typing to listen. Takagi is sure that they will convince him to come on board if they pursue this method...although he admits he doesn't know Nakamoto well enough to know for sure, yet.

It takes a while, but eventually Nakamoto does become involved in the plot and even dreams up a scheme by which they can obtain evidence of Yamaji's dodgy dealing. A reluctant Takagi is used as 'bait' to distract him and get hold of the sensitive data, which he does, passing it to Yuusuke. Yuusuke and Arai manage to bluff the disk changing hands, so that the Seitokai members end up hopelessly chasing Arai's bike into the distance. Meanwhile the actual disk winds up back in M custody as they discuss the best thing to be done with it.

On returning to Sakata's office, they realise that he's been using them rather effectively but that he has no intention of handing over the promised reward since as yet he hasn't got the story he wants. However, Nakamoto informs him that he should look into the information carefully and that he's sure that he'll enjoy what he finds (woo, Nakamoto is really reisei cool in this story...)

As they leave, it's observed that they make a good team, and Takagi makes the suggestion that they should start a band. Yuusuke and Mikimaro are all for it, although Arai tells Yuusuke that he's tone deaf and reminds Mikimaro that he needs to be able to play an instrument first (Mikimaro protests that he plays the piano, and therefore could play keyboard). Nakamoto also, surprisingly, does not object - which leaves Arai to be cornered into joining in the little project.

M is born. ;)

Worth noting is that Mikimaro has been given the piano - this is the original novel incarnation of the M boys, pre "PLUS", so I guess that means Nakamoto is going to take up the guitar...

Second Story: Ghost Panic
This is kind of cute, in a bizarre way. The boys are now third years and they've been playing together in their band for a while, although the sheen has started to pall a little on the less enthusiastic members of the group (strangely, Arai is a lot keener than he was at first, but Mikimaro and Yuusuke are starting to lose the impulse, whilst Nakamoto - omg Nakamoto - sits there with a book in his hand reading when he's not expected to play. (Also, thanks to Takagi's bright ideas about band stage etiquette, they're all now referring to one another by first names, except Arai who resents Takagi calling him Arai and won't call Takagi Shimon - he also still refers to Nakamoto by his last name.)

Anyhow, after one practice they head back to the dorm (on Nakamoto's invitation to share snacks from his stepma). Mikimaro starts talking about a story he heard about one of the kids in their dorm having seen a ghost in the back gardens over the course of a few nights. He suggests that they go and investigate. Takagi and Arai are all for it, Nakamoto is faintly bored by the idea, and Yuusuke is scared out of his little wits. Arai and Takagi tease Yuusuke so much about that he goes back to his room in a huff, at which point Nakamoto and Mikimaro both scold them. They decide he must've had a traumatic experience in the past with a ghost because his family own a hotel - yeah, okay then :P

So they go out and look for the ghost. Sure enough, they see her - though when she sees them, she shrieks and disappears (erm, isn't that the wrong way around?) Next band practice it's pretty much all that they can talk about, and they decide to go and see if they can find her again. Yuusuke and Nakamoto still aren't biting, however.

This goes on for a while. Then one night they're outside and they see a shadow flit between the buildings. Mikimaro recognises Nakamoto, and they follow him (only to find him talking to and feeding the cats). They're totally taken aback by this different, gentler Nakamoto none of them have seen before. They continue to follow him, and see him encounter their missing ghost. Unphased as ever, Nakamoto is not bothered, but the ghost speaks to him and so he speaks back. To cut a long story short, the ghost is a girl who died in an accident and who can't remember her name. She's a bit afraid of Nakamoto's friends to begin with, but is eventually convinced to stay. Oddly, Nakamoto knows her name, because he saw her when she was alive, coming to the school to watch the boys play basketball. (I forget her surname but her first name is Mayumi). She died over the school holidays and so is a relatively recent fixture. It turns out she's looking for a boy she liked when she was alive. Nakamoto, also being cryptically knowledgeable, believes this to be Yuusuke. The others don't really believe that it is, but they decide to get Yuusuke out to meet Mayumi, just to see.

Next day, Arai tells Yuusuke he's got a girl who likes him and wants to meet him. He fails to mention that it's the ghost, so Yuusuke is keen to come. Poor Yuusuke...he gets the fright of his life when he discovers that the crush is several months dead! Still, he's a man about it and sucks up his fear to talk to her - and though he';s ticked at his friends, he does admit later that it's a shame the girl isn't still alive, because she was really quite cool. (Now there's a nice, normal dating dilemma...)

At the end, Arai and Nakamoto are back in their room. Arai manages to offend Nakamoto by commenting on the fact that seeing him with the cats was the first time he saw Nakamoto smile. Nakamoto points out stiffly that he does know how to smile, and then goes off in a silent sulk. Arai wants to ask him how he knew so much about the girl, but realises it's pointless. Instead he just points out that it's thanks to him that they saw the ghost's happy smile. (aw).

Story Three: Friendly Alliance
The story begins in Mikimaro's room, where Takagi's gone to consult the keyboardist in the band (remembering in this canon Miki plays keys) on the arrangement for the song (since the pitch is wrong for Arai). Nakamoto is there, helping Mikimaro study, which surprises Takagi. While Nakamoto goes to get tea and cookies from his room, Takagi and Mikimaro have quite a sweet conversation about Nakamoto and basically how he's not used to having friends like this but that they're gradually thawing him out (Takagi says that bandmates are by definition friends, although you wouldn't believe it looking at him and Arai when together).

At some point Arai appears with the post and saunters in without knocking. The post's for Takagi, and it's a letter from Takagi's guardian Mitsuse Junichirou (Yeah, the guy who's his biological father only he doesn't know it yet). It's about a girl he wants to introduce to Takagi. Takagi is decidedly not keen. The girl - whose first name is Yumi - is also known to Arai through his father's work, and they all agree from the photo sent that she's really pretty (even Nakamoto!). But Takagi is less than enthusiastic about the matter.

A week on, and another letter appears in Takagi's pigeonhole. This one appears to be from Yumi herself. Arai, being the dutiful friend (heh) takes it along to him on the pretence of having information about the next band live (which he does dutifully deliver). Minor aside here - Arai asks if he can smoke in Takagi's room, since Nakamoto won't let him in theirs and there's a small discussion about it between them. The reason I mention it is that in the other canon, Arai decidedly does not smoke, and although Kawazoe does, and other friends like Mikagekouji Kasumi do, he's not into it.

Eventually, the topic comes round to the letter, which, without reading it, Takagi tosses away. Arai asks him why, but Takagi says it's up to him what he does with it and that's that.

A conference with Mikimaro, Yuusuke and Nakamoto is next, as the boys discuss what could be Takagi's reasoning for not wanting to meet a pretty girl. The boys decide (Mikimaro is especially keen, and so is Yuusuke) to meet up with Yumi themselves and see if they can get to the root of the problem. Arai has a date with another girl that day, so it's just the three of them - Nakamoto is pressganged into coming along by Mikimaro, who is the only one who's able to convince Nakamoto to do anything, it seems.

They go meet Yumi, who seems to be a fairly normal, if slightly trusting young girl of about their own age. She tells them quite readily that she's wanting to contact Takagi only because she knows no boys and wants to get to know some, so she asked her father to introduce her to some (!). Her father asked Mitsuse for advice, Mitsuse passed on Takagi's information - and so on. Yumi has never met Takagi and asks his friends what he's like, which confuses them. Mikimaro convinces her to come with them for tea and later dinner. She finds them funny and 'interesting' and says that her father knows she's meeting with some guys so won't care if she's late (!). Nakamoto finds that amusing, which, to be honest, so would I ^_^.

Later that evening Arai asks for all the details and admits maybe he should've gone too. They decide to get Takagi and ask to know why he's so against meeting Yumi, since she's obviously not a demon. He says that he just doesn't want to. Arai points out that he's stating the obvious - they know that, they want to know WHY he doesn't want to. Eventually Takagi admits that he's worried about Mitsuse's motives - that he's afraid that it's an engagement candidate being snuck into his line of sight and he's not sure what to do with it. Nakamoto sensibly tells him that the best thing to do would be to call Mitsuse and find out from the man himself. (He has good ideas sometimes, that boy). Mikimaro agrees - they press the fact that Yumi is not evil, and more, that even Nakamoto (who doesn't tend to speak much and certainly not to girls) chatted to her a lot while they were out (I think, in fact, he says Nakamoto talked to her most of any of them).

Takagi goes to call Mitsuse and asks about his motives. Mitsuse tells the same story as Yumi, and is surprised and amused by the idea of an engagement candidate (though with Mitsuse I guess you never can be too sure...)

Anyhow, Takagi's feeling very sorry for himself, and has been roundly laughed at by his buddies. So he calls Yumi and apologises for not making contact after having made Arai promise not to tell her his reasons for not doing so. They agree to meet up - Yumi is keen that the others come too, so they all gather in a coffee house that Mikimaro knows. They chat for a while and Takagi really feels like the outsider, even though he's the one who was originally supposed to be in contact with Yumi. And Yumi then apologises to him for the bother the whole thing has been to him. She says that she's realised that she'd like a guy like Nakamoto to go out with - someone smart, serious, calm and knowledgeable.

This causes great amazement and then amusement from the boys, who know that Nakamoto spends no time trying to impress girls and a lot of time reading books...