Saranghae(I Love You) - By Imari Jade Page 0,1

face her. "Shaundra Morrison is Ichiro's wife."

She knew that much.

"Because of her affiliation with Aomori, Ms. Morrison experienced the wrath of the fan girls."

"Huh?" Cristal asked.

"Let me rephrase it. Aomori's fan club members do not like other women socializing with Aomori. Some of them can get pretty nasty, if you know what I mean?"

She wasn't a complete idiot. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Is clubbing not socializing?" Goro asked.

"Oh, so you seem to think they will come after me?"

Goro nodded. "Yes."

Cristal laughed. "I'm not afraid of a bunch of silly little girls."

"You should be," Masaaki replied. "Ms. Morrison was nearly killed when one of her own fan club members blew up her house."

Cristal gasped. "Just for socializing with Ichiro?"

"No, for messing around with Yori," Takumijo let slip.

"Huh? Why was she messing around with Yori?"

"Long story," Satoshi replied. "You'll learn all our dirty little secrets soon enough."

"Don't worry about me, Mr. Niigata. I can take care of myself."

"That's beside the point, Ms. Gentry. If you expect to stay in my employ, you are expected to follow the same rules as Aomori. From now on, I expect you not to go anywhere without taking a guard with you."

Cristal frowned. "What? I don't want some big doofus bodyguard tailing me. I have a life."

"Not for long, if you don't listen to Mr. Niigata. Or a job either," Masaaki told her.

Crystal frowned. Why did Masaaki have to go and add that last sentence? Japanese businessmen are so...men.

"You don't know how many people recognized these two while you were out clubbing. For all you know, right now someone may be posting your pictures on YouTube or spreading rumors about you having an affair with both Satoshi and Takumijo."

Cristal frowned. She hadn't thought of that.

"You are now a part of Aomori's life, which means you are privy to information that people would kill to get."

"I think you should have told me that during my employment interview. I thought I just had to write copy for their speeches and feed the media tidbits on the group's activities. I didn't think it came with strings."

"There are no strings, Ms. Gentry," Goro told her. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be these guys?"

"Well, no." She wasn't big or a doofus.

"They can't do things normal people take for granted, like going out clubbing, or taking a walk in the park."

"Or going out on a date," Takumijo said grudgingly.

"I think I understand." Cristal rose and bowed low to Masaaki and Goro. "I am deeply sorry for my part in tonight's little adventure. I assure you that it will never happen again."

She sat down.

Satoshi looked over at her and raised an eyebrow like he didn't believe her. She would have poked her tongue at him if she didn't think it was a childish thing to do.

"Make sure that it doesn't," Goro replied. "We're not in Osaka right now, and we have to be careful. Your father would be very upset if I let something happen to you."

So true. Her father was very protective of her and even balked when he'd found out she would be working for a J-Pop group. Aomori's reputation for causing trouble preceded them. Cristal rubbed her temple. The Shochu and beer had snuck up on her.

"Maybe the three of you should get some rest," Goro suggested.

"That sounds like a very good idea," Satoshi replied. "I think I'm still drunk."

Mr. Niigata rolled his eyes at the ceiling. "Maybe you should find a nice girl and settle down like Ichiro and Yori did.

Marriage seems to agree with both of them."

Satoshi's shoulders tightened. "Never." He rose and headed toward the stairwell that led to the upstairs bedrooms of their rented Korean mansion. "I love my freedom."

"And Shaundra Morrison," Takumijo teased. "Besides, who would marry him?" He's too stuck on himself."

"Bite me," Satoshi replied before disappearing upstairs.

Shaundra Morrison? Cristal asked in her head.

"It is very unwise to tease a scorpion," Masaaki told Takumijo. "See Ms. Gentry to her room. Mr. Niigata and I have some important business to discuss."

Takumijo rose, towering over both men. "Come on, princess. Time for nighty-night."

Cristal rose. If those words came out of Satoshi's mouth, she was be hightailing it in the opposite direction, but coming from Takumijo it sounded like something a brother would say to her. She walked with him to the stairwell, leaving Masaaki and Mr. Niigata alone. He took her hand and pulled her up the steps.

"Masaaki isn't serious when he says we're grounded, is he?"

"Yes," Takumijo replied. "Masaaki