laugh. "And now I'll just put the other groups together. I've already heard some of the names, but please introduce yourself." Mika began: "Mika Aoki, 16 years old!" Her brother continued: " I am Yuhi Aoki, 21 years old!"" Aya Shinohara, 20 and this is my sister, "Aya pointed to Natsumi." My name is Natsumi and I'm 16. "" My name is Seiji Kishû and I'm 17! "" I'm his stepsister Hitomi Kishû, 22 years old. "" My name is Setsuna Arisugawa, also 17. "" I'm his sister Kyoko, I'm 20. "" I'm Ryo Todokato and I'm also 17. "" I'm Shingo Tarno and I'm 7. I'm Ryo's cousin. "" My name is Ken Fuyuno, I'm 19. "" Kai Ichigo, 18 years old. "" Do we have to introduce ourselves too, dad? "Asked Chiaki." Just do it. It would be quite helpful for the others. " "Well. Chiaki Mori, 19. "" Ai Mori, 15. "" Well, my name is Hiroshi Mori and I am 36 years old. I guess the room allocation will be as follows. Aya and Natsumi, Yuhi and Mika, Seiji and Hitomi, Setsuna and Kyoko, Ryo and Ken and me and the toddler. Don't argue, Arisugawa-san! "Setsuna's mouth shut and he growled insulted." Besides, you won't shirk because we're going to be doing some forest walks!"Mr. Mori's voice did not allow any contradiction. Everyone sighed, then began to carry their suitcases and bags into the house.

Mika slammed her bag on the floor and slammed the door with a loud thump. Yuhi, who had gone into the room before his sister, looked at her amazed. "Uh, Mika-chan, may I ask what your problems are." "Well, they are happy not to have to go to a room with you and then? Great!" Yuhi looked at his sister sympathetically and sighed . Then he started packing his things in a closet. "Tell me, Oni-san", Mika suddenly began in a completely normal tone and Yuhi looked up in surprise, "is it allowed to smoke in the house?" "No, there are house rules downstairs and it says that smoking and an open fire are here forbidden inside, "explained the brother. Now it was Mika’s turn to sigh.

"Aya, now get out of here! You can't claim the whole closet for yourself!" Protested Natsumi. "I have a few more clothes than you, sis!So I need more space too! ", Aya replied coolly." Oh, you can do me! ", Natsumi slammed the open suitcase on her bed, so that all her clothes flew out; a T-shirt made the acquaintance of Aya's head; then the girl ran out of the room with fluttering hair. Two seconds later she was back inside, went to her backpack , took out two objects that Aya couldn't really identify and quickly put them back in her pocket. "Nats ...", the 20-year-old began, but her sister had already left the room, "... umi ", Aya finished quietly, then she went back to stowing her things in the closet and then packing Natsumi's things back into the suitcase fairly neatly. She was going to pick another chicken with her sister, she was pretty sure of that .

Setsuna had already left the room that he shared with Kyoko after he had brought up his suitcase and pushed it under his bed.Kyoko would unpack it, that was how he knew his sister. Now he was sitting on a bench in front of the house and staring up at the evening sky when the door opened and Ai came out accompanied by her two roommates. Chiaki lit a cigarette at once. The four were just about to start a conversation when a loud rumble could be heard from inside. "Ouch!" "Oh! You have no eyes in your head!" Those were the voices of Mika and Ryo. Chiaki opened the door and saw the two of them sitting on the stairs. Mika rubbed her forehead and Ryo the back of her head. "What are you doing here?" Asked Ai, who stuck her head in next to her brother at the door. "We dedicate the house!", Mika explained and straightened up. "A strange way to inaugurate a house," Ryo said and also got up. "People, you are blocking the stairs! Make room there, please!", Natsumi stood on the top step and looked down at Mika and Ryo expectantly. The two went down the last steps and Natsumi followed them."We'll go straight back in," Chiaki told his sister and pointed to himself and Kai. The blonde girl nodded and sat down on the sun-warmed floor. Mika had also lit a cigarette, while Natsumi was still indecisively playing around with the unlit one. "You smoke too?" Setsuna finally asked when the girl put on the cigarette and her lighter clicked. Chiaki and Kai had gone back inside. "Hm," she said while the lighter clicked for the second time. Natsumi tried three more times before taking the cigarette out of her mouth and cursing the empty lighter. Mika held out hers. "Thanks," said Natsumi and finally lit her cigarette. Then she turned to Setsuna. "I'm an occasional smoker. Maybe one or two butts a month, very rarely three. A box lasts for almost four months with me," the girl grinned.

Seiji came out. "Well, do you fancy a walk in the woods?Without the big ones? "" Good idea, "said Natsumi, and added:" Aya is driving me crazy, I have to distract myself somehow! "" Is that why this stinking thing? "Ai asked sullenly." Among other things, "said Natsumi and blew the smoke into the air." Ha, at least you're not blowing on me! "The little blonde was happy. Natsumi smiled and said:" I'm not your brother, am I? "Ai nodded." So who's coming? "Asked Seiji." Me! "Shouted the rest of the group. Ryo nodded too." You must be a taciturn guy, "assumed Mika." I prefer to read than to talk big, "Ryo explained." I also like to read, but if I do, then only manga, okay, fantasy novels too! ", Natsumi grinned at everyone." I read crime novels, "said Ryo." Manga, "announced Ai." Horror novels and a lot of fantasy stuff, manga too, of course! GRAVI-RULEZ !!! ", Mika called. Natsumi and Ai laughed, but the boys looked at Mika a bit strange. ", The black-haired woman asked, puzzled, then continued lurking:" Do you have something against gravity?"" Well, "began Setsuna hesitantly," Shônen-Ai is not my thing! "Ryo and Seiji nodded." Hey! ", Ai shouted," Gravi is cult! "And the girls had already found something to talk about: Manga. But the three boys quickly got them back down to earth." We weren't done with finding out what these two men were reading! "Said Ryo." I read PS game walkthroughs! ", Seiji joked," No, actually I hardly read anything. I'm more busy writing or playing games. "" And you, Setsuna? "Ai wanted to know, then she looked at Mika." You, your cigarette smoke! "They were on their way in the meantime and Mika threw her cigarette on the forest floor." Hey! Turn them off properly! "Ryo demanded." Yes, oh Ryo-sama! ", Mika said and stomped on her cigarette butt for a long time." Good? "She wanted to know then. Ryo nodded. Natsumi had already finished smoking and also kicked her stump properly, much to Ryo's satisfaction."So, Setsuna, what are you reading?" "Nothing," came the answer, "I don't read anything except One Piece." "Ui! Not even Dragon Ball, or something?" ! "" How true! "The six became good friends quickly and their walk in the woods was very funny, with lots of laughter and lots of jokes.

"Man, I'm having a bad mood!" Said Ai and was the first to be in the house. She ran upstairs into the common room, shouting, "Hello!" and disappeared into the kitchen. The other five had followed her. Mika was the first to notice the two new ones. "Weren't only thirteen participants announced for the tour?" She wanted to know, puzzled. "Yes, actually, but these two registered quickly today and came up here on their own. The girl and the boy looked at Mika with a smile. Mika smiled back, she liked them straight away." Hi, I am Mika Aoki, 16 years old. And you are ... "the girl, who had wavy, hip-length light purple hair and dark blue eyes, got up and held out her hand to Mika.She said: "My name is Reika Yakumo, I'm 16 too! Hello!" The boy now also got up and held out his hand to Mika. "My name is Shinichi Daitou and I am 18 years old," he introduced himself. Ai suddenly stood next to Mika. "Your name is in all seriousness Shinichi? Wow! That's crazy!" "What's wrong with her?" Ai explained: "My favorite manga is Detective Conan and there is also a Shinichi! And he's so cool!" , that's it ... again! "The blond boy sighed. "What should I say, Ai?", Asked Natsumi, who looked out the kitchen door, "Should I adore my sister and Mika's brother just because they have the names of two of my favorite Ayashi no Ceres charas?" "What?" , Reika turned to Natsumi, "What's their name? Touya and Suzumi?" "Nah, I like them, too, but not as much as Aya and Yuhi!", Everyone laughed. Reika and Natsumi hit it off immediately, because when it came to manga, the two girls were on the same wavelength."Are there now two of the eight who wanted to come?" Ryo asked after a while. "No," said Mr. Mori, "Reika and Shinichi have only been known as tour participants since today. So we expect six more."

Time passed. Ai yawned and announced: “I'm going to sleep!” Natsumi agreed when Mika asked: “I'll have another smoke before I go to bed. Natsumi, don't you want to come with me?” “Yes, well, let's be nice ! ", Natsumi pushed Mika out of the common room and down the stairs. "What then?" "If you had told Aya about that earlier, she would have torn me in two, Mika! She doesn't want me to smoke, not even now and then. From my parents I can, but Aya doesn't care. "" Wait, we'll come with you! ", The two suddenly heard the voices of Seiji and Setsuna. “Setsuna too?” “I'm also an occasional smoker, you should know,” announced Setsuna. “Oh!” Natsumi yawned and looked at the clock. "Hurry up, I want to sleep," she asked, yawning again.The four sat on the bench in front of the house and Mika, Seiji and Setsuna smoked in silence. Every now and then Natsumi yawned and when the other three were finished they went to bed too. Before going to sleep, Mika thought that she should thank Yuhi rather than continue to curse him. She had made great friends on the first day of the tour.

Chapter 1 end