Nosy Neighbors

[Higgy, and his bandmates Taiki and Daichi “casually” take a walk around the company building to spy on the new band moving in.]

Taiki: Remind me why we don’t just introduce ourselves?

Daichi: It’s more fun to be nosy!

Higgy: Guys! Quiet. We’re getting close to their room.

Daichi: Isn’t that the room Ronnie usually puts his stuff in?

Higgy: [to Daichi] Do you not know what quiet means??

[Daichi sheepishly puts a hand over his mouth. The three of them approach the door.]

Taiki: [whispering] Now what do we do?

Higgy: We look.

Taiki: But we can’t all look at the same time, can we?

Daichi: I think Higgy should do it since he’s the shortest!

Higgy: [proud] Exactly.

[Higgy peers into the doorway and quickly ducks out]

Higgy: [to the other two] There’s 3 of them...I think I saw some instruments.

Band Member #1: [from inside the room] Hey, a free hat!!

Band Member #2: Guys? I think I found some….pencils?

Band Member #1: Kenji and the bosses must’ve left these here as a welcoming gift!

Band Member #3: Then why were they hidden under the bed? That seems a little unintuitive to me…

Band Member #1: Toby! Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth!

Band Member #2: What’s a gift horse…?

Band Member #1: It’s a horse that gives gifts, obviously!

Daichi: Heeey! They never gave us any presents when we joined!

Taiki: I think they just found Ronnie’s stash, Dai.

Higgy: Shhhh!

Band Member #3: I wonder when Nicky’s going to come back.

Higgy: [whispering] Nicky...? Who the heck is Nicky?

Stranger: [leaning over Higgy’s shoulder] I have no idea…

[The other three scream, startled by the newcomer. Taiki runs halfway down the hall, and Daichi ducks behind Higgy, who instinctively assumed a fighting stance from a movie he saw a while back. Smiling down at him is a tall, blond boy around his age, with longish wavy hair. Further in the back, Higgy’s band leader, Jamie, is cracking up at the spectacle. Their manager Kenji barges into the hallway, almost dropping some boxes he’s carrying.]

Kenji: Nicholas, are you causing trouble with the others?

Jamie: Nah, don’t worry about it, Kenji! He was just trying to see what they were up to. Speaking of which~

[Jamie saunters over to Higgy and the others]

Jamie: Were you guys spying?

Taiki: [from the back] Yes!

Daichi: Bro!!

Higgy: We were just...scoping out the new talent.

Kenji: That’s Benji’s job. [sighs] Anyway, that’s my brother, Nicky. He and his band will be moving into the building with the rest of you.

Nicky: [waving] Hii.

Jamie: [hooking an arm around Nicky] Me and Nick here were just getting acquainted until we saw you three doing who knows what over here. Why can’t you introduce yourselves like normal people??

Taiki: See? I told you!

Jamie: And you still stayed with them because…?

[Taiki looks away in embarrassment]

Jamie: [shaking his head] What a buncha troublemakers... You’re setting a bad example for Nicky here.

Daichi: Hey Nick, you’re huge!

Nicky: Yes!

[Nicky’s constant smiling unnerves Higgy.]