(soundtrack above to accompany your reading)

"You guys got the goods?" A sole voice asked in a grumble.

"Yes boss!" The whole room responded enthusiastically.

A young, nervous lad with short hair spoke up first. "Um... well...we got a call from what sounded like a young woman earlier. A so called 'Makoto Shindo'?" She mentioned that she applied a couple of days ago...shall we take a look?" He was one of the nine men that sat around the table. In the dim lit room, the only thing that was visible was the table and the files that sat across it neatly.

Several corporate officials sat in big leather chairs, discussing potential candidates for a new intern position that had opened up about an hour ago. They couldn't wait to get their hands on the next big journalist gem that was out there. They needed more writers, more talent.

"Hm, I got a call from a young man who just graduated from the most prestigious college in Tokyo." Another man, said whipping out a thick file dramatically. He stroked his dark beard with a glint in his eye.

"Oh yeah? Well I happened to be the one who scouted Kido just a couple weeks ago, so maybe you should take a look at this file!" Called out a sharp looking man with glasses.

Suddenly the meeting room erupted in chaos and all 8 men that sat before the ninth began to argue.

The ninth man, who sat at the very end of the table in the fanciest chair of all, stood from his seat and in a loud, stern voice commanded: "Be quiet!"

The whole room fell into immediate silence. The president had spoken.

"You there, Kido scout, tell me about your candidate."

"Well sir, if you would take a look at the profile of...." The man in glasses cleared his throat as he presented a thick binder from his side. "John Smith!"

Everyone leaned in closely to take a look, after all it was rare for them or anyone to find a foreigner as a candidate.

"Hey, this guy is good and all, but wheres the part that says that he's fluent in Japanese?"

"Um well sir, you see, John Smith is a very big journalist in America- he doesn't quite-"

"If it weren't for Kido, I would be questioning your competency right about now...you soggy piece of bread!"

The president turned to the slightly shady bearded man with the thick file.

"Yes sir- well if you look here, this man just graduated from top of his class from Tokyo U."

"I see, and-"

"Look boss," The same glasses wearing, 'soggy piece of bread' mentions with a high pitched screech." -says here that the guy went back to school to study...it says here...'snake milking'?"

"Dammit Yakuza-looking weak-beard guy! I was counting on you!"

Finally the boss, looks over at the smaller of the men that sat the table. In his shaky hands was a folder, only containing one single page,

"Well twerp? You better not disappoint me...."

As all the men in the room stared daggers at the lone, tiny man, he gulped, taking out the puny Makoto file with a small yelp. "Yes sir!"

Suddenly, the lights flash on, temporarily blinding everyone in the room.

They all fixate their stare on the figure that stood by the door, a baffled woman, holding a tray with freshly brewed coffee. "I've brought the coffee you asked...."

Everyone froze in their seats, an awkward silence filled the room.

'What the hell were they doing just now?',was the only thing the woman's face displayed.

---------------------------------

"Achoo!"

I felt as if I sneezed my damn guts out.

"Woah there, you okay Mako?" Akiyoshi laughed at my tiny outburst. "Those allergies getting you?"

"Nah, someone's probably talking shit about me." I shrug, "Anyways this is...a... nice piece of art."

It was just a black line, sprawled against the white canvas. That's it. That's all it was. I stared at it from 15 different angles to try and make something of it, but I had yet to find something.

I didn't want to be rude, or act all high and mighty just because I'm an artist. If you really think about it just about anything these days is considered art, so...anyways, I couldn't let myself get negative during this trip, after all Akiyoshi had invited me out of all people.

Me, his trash step sibling who had him completely deceived. Lying to him about my age seems far off in the past, but I couldn't let my guard down yet.

He knows I'm a 25 year-old...but he still thinks I'm a guy...

I didn't care for genders. People usually thought I was a guy given my handsome androgynous looks, and boyish body and, honestly correcting people has always been a pain in the ass, plus it's not really of much importance what gender people refer to me as.

So anyone can call me anything, really.

I sighed under my breath, being careful not to let Akiyoshi hear it.

The museum was packed with what felt like hundreds of people, and the humidity from all the damn bodies in the building was giving me discomfort and some anxiety.

"To be honest, I'm not sure if I really get this art stuff." He admits bashfully, closing his eyes with a smile. "So tell me what you think about everything."

I squinted my eyes at him painfully, wanting to scream 'I don't get this either!'. It takes everything I have to suppress my urge, so instead, I smile and turn back to the black line and try to formulate some articulate bullshit on the spot.

"Well you see, the line could possibly represent the separation of boundaries..."

"Boundaries?"

"Yeah, like emotional boundaries, or... something."

"The reason why these pieces of art are so difficult to understand is because it's supposed to be from your point of view, not the artist's." I feel a small hand with long nails rest on my shoulders, I look back to find Yori, standing next to a flamboyantly dressed Kaede. "It's nice to see you again Mr. Zaizen."

Akiyoshi's face twisted into a confused looks, but then he quickly remembers her million dollar business smile and big voluminous head of black curls. "Oh! You're Makoto's friend...we saw you at the supermarket right?"

Yori smiles radiantly. "Yes! That would be me. Oh! And this person here next to me here is Kaede. He's also a friend of ours."

Akiyoshi looked straight at Kaede, a scrawny man standing at the same height as him.

Aki's eyes first land on Kae's bright purple streak that lay across his bangs, all the way down to his side relaxed side ponytail. It was quite the hairstyle.

"Pleasure to meet you Kaede." Aki smiled a bit awkwardly, a it intimidated by my flashy looking friends.

"Oh, no. The pleasure is all mine!" Kaede's eyes obviously check Akiyoshi out.

"Oh?! Will you look at the time!" I quickly took Akiyoshi's arm and began moving on to the next painting. "Time to look at something else."

"Jesus Mako, don't be in such a hurry! Kae learned a new trick and he's feeling a little sore!" Both of my friends follow behind us closely.

Damn!

We stop in front of an empty pillar, it stood at about the height of my pelvis, and it was white. I wondered if it was this supposed to have something on it?

"Oh! I'm going to out down my clutch for a moment so that I can go to the bathroom. Kae! Watch my clutch please?"

"I gotchu bitch." Kae waved his manicured hand, complete with perfect neon green nail polish.

We stood still waiting for her to come back when Akiyoshi finally speaks up for the first time since their introduction. "What a coincidence, I didn't think we'd run into your friends!" He comments innocently. "They seem like really interesting people."

"You...really think so?" I tilted my head wondering if that was really the case. I could feel sweat dripping down my neck with nervousness. I hoped that Akiyoshi didn't think badly of them.

"OH please don't honey, it's not art." We look up to find Kae putting his hands up to a lady that appeared to be...trying to take a photo of Yori's clutch?

It was black with gold accents, and it wasn't really anything too high class.

Both big bro and I watched in confusion as more and more people began to crowd around the pillar.

"Oh wow! How iconic!"

"It's dripping with meaning!"

"Wow! Now this is art!"

Yori's loud heels could be heard as she made her way back from the bathroom, moving the crowd out of her way she walked up to the pillar and snatched up her clutch like it was nothing before turning back to us. "Ready to move on?"

The crowd grasps and watches Yori with anger, awe, and amazement.

"What just happened?" Akiyoshi's eyes widen at the scene before him.

"I don't get this art." I finally admit, face palming as we all walk along with Yori.

A/N: Hmm...will Makoto get hired?

I guess we gotta wait and find out....