Sometimes Sorry Isnt Enough

7/28/2019 Sometimes Sorry Isnt Enough

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Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own athttp://archiveofourown.org/works/552720.

Rating: MatureArchive Warning: No Archive Warnings ApplyCategory: M/M

Fandom: GravitationRelationship: Shindou Shuuichi/Yuki EiriAdditional Tags: Alternate Universe, Original Character(s), Language, Drama,

Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Male SlashStats: Published: 2012-11-02 Words: 17969

Sometimes Sorry Isn't Enough

by chochowilliams

Sometimes Sorry Isnt Enough

One-Shot

Written by: chochowilliamsDisclaimer: I do not own Gravitation or the characters, places or names. Ido not make any money from the writing of this story.Summary: AU. It was something Shuichi never saw coming: fired from hisown band by his own band mates. When the new singer they hire doesnt

work out, they come crawling to Shuichi, begging him to return, but will he?Or will he leave them out to dry?Warning: AU, OCs, language, drama, angst, romance, hurt/comfort, M/MPairings: Shuichi/EiriInserts: Did Ya, BOA, The First Album, reference to events that transpiredin the manga

A/N: Comeuppance; its the greatest word in the English language. Enjoy asBad Luck gets theirs.

Guess you lose and its too late to try to come backWhat part of no dont you understand? Too bad There

you go down with yesterdays news in the trashcan Igot no time to be looking back Im past that And now

you wanna change, its too little too late

-Did Ya, BOA, The First Album
http://users/chochowilliams/pseuds/chochowilliamshttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/Alternate%20Universehttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/Original%20Character(s)http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Languagehttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/Dramahttp://archiveofourown.org/http://users/chochowilliams/pseuds/chochowilliamshttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/Male%20Slashhttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/Hurt*s*Comforthttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/Angsthttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/Romancehttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/Dramahttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/Languagehttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/Original%20Character(s)http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Alternate%20Universehttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/Shindou%20Shuuichi*s*Yuki%20Eirihttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/Gravitationhttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/M*s*Mhttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/No%20Archive%20Warnings%20Applyhttp://archiveofourown.org/tags/Maturehttp://archiveofourown.org/works/552720http://archiveofourown.org/


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Tuesday, June 8th - NG Productions Conference Room C - Tokyo

So, a male voice said into the silence, were all in agreement then?

None of the other three men in the room spoke. Each looked away in shameand guilt. Its for the best, each was thinking, but as the mantra repeated intheir heads over and again, they started to become less convinced.

Yuta?

Yuta started at his name. He glanced to the man standing at the head of thetable from the slick surface of the mahogany conference table that hisfingers were rubbing over convulsively. Those demanding dark eyes boreholes into him. They were making him very uncomfortable. He tore his gazeaway and stared down at his hands.

Were they doing the right thing? He wasnt so sure anymore. Maybe theyshould talk with him first before making a rash decision. They could bemisinterpreting this whole thing.

Maybe

Instead of voicing these doubts, Yuta gave a jerky nod of his head.

Yoh smirked. One down. Hiro?

With his jaw set, Hiro glared down at the table as if it had done him wrong.

How had it come to this? Hadnt the point of this meeting been to discusstheir upcoming tour? What was going on? Were they really going to do this?Why? How had this happened? Why was he agreeing?

It was ludicrous. It made no sense!

His head was spinning. His thoughts were a jumbled mess and he couldntseem to catch his breath. He felt sick.

When he opened his mouth, instead of telling Yoh to shove his baselessaccusations, all that came out was a sigh and before his mind could processwhat he was doing, he nodded. Then it was too late.

Relief swept through Yoh. Two down, he thought. Hed actually staredsweating there for a moment. Suguru?

Suguru stared across the room at the plague on the wall. From where hewas sitting, he couldnt make out what it was. He would give anything to befiguring out that mystery than sitting here.

What were they doing? Sure, hed threatened to walk out several times overthe years, but he hadnt actually been serious. Sometimes it was the onlyway to get the others to step up. This was insane!

Yes, Yoh had valid points, but still, was this necessary? Really? Truly?Instead of voicing his doubts, he too nodded.

Three. It was unanimous. Excellent. A smirk spread across Yohs face. He


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clapped his hands together. This was way too easy. Then its decided. As ifthis moment, Shuichi Shindou is no longer part of Bad Luck.

An Hour Later - NG Productions Studio 32

Yeah right, Shuichi laughed. Very funny. You Shuichi pointed to thefour other men in the room.

Before him stood Hiroshi Nakano--his best friend, lead guitarist and backupvocalist for Bad Luck, the man who helped him form the band back in middleschool.

Besides him was Suguru Fujisaki--music arranger, producer and keyboardand synthesizer player who was added to the band by Tohma Seguchi.

Sitting on the edge of the black leather sofa behind them with his headhanging over hands clasped between his knees was Yuta Hirasawa. Yutawas Bad Lucks new drummer. Theyd never thought about adding one, buta year ago, this homeless, unemployed musician walked in off the street andnever left. Somehow, Yuta managed to make his way to the studio Bad Luckwas using before security caught up to him. As security was escorting himbodily out of the building, Yuta managed to get Bad Luck to allow him toplay for them. It was safe to say that security wasnt needed afterwards.

Leaning against the back wall with his arms crossed over his chest and hisface turned away was Yoh Moriyama. Once part of the back up band for ASK,this twenty-five year old musician played the koto, the bass guitar and wasanother backup vocalist. Six months ago, theyd decided to look into thepossibility of adding a bass player. Out of all those who auditioned, Yohdstood out.

Both Yuta and Yoh had since become an integral part of Bad Luck.

want me to resign from Back Luck?

Yes, Suguru said. His face, as well as his voice, was empty of emotion.

The smile wilted and died. With it went the laughter and merriment of a jokeshared between friends. Instead, it became a joke gone too far.

Shuichis chest hurt. It felt as if he were back in middle school in one of hismost hated classes of all time: technology (or wood shop as some wouldknow it by), but instead of a piece of wood being held in place by a clamp, itwas him and the vise was getting tighter and tighter.

Shuichi glanced at his best friend, his bejeweled eyes pleading to be toldthat this was a cruel joke. Hiro?

Im sorry, Shu, the red-haired man whispered to his feet. His grey eyesrefused to meet those of his best friend. Those amethyst orbs would be hisundoing. I didnt want this, he thought to the man, but it was too late now


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for regrets. Nothing he could do would fix this.

For the first time in his life, Shuichi was at a loss for words.

This wasnt really happening, was it? No, it couldnt be. They did not just firehim from his own band. Right? It was ludicrous. Therefore, this was a joke.Because the alternative was

Banishing the burning sting of tears, Shuichi forced forth a chuckle, whichrubbed his achy throat raw. Cmon, guys. This isnt funny. His voice cameout in a croaked whisper, as if he were losing his voice.

Sorry Shuichi.

too cruel.

Shuichi glanced at Yuta.

Like Hiro, Yuta kept his dark chocolate gaze fixed firmly at his feet.

Butwhy? Shuichi couldnt seem to speak any louder or make his voiceany clearer. It took too much effort and energy that he no longer had.

Oh, come on, snapped Yoh angrily as he pushed away from the wall. Youknow damn well why!

Shuichi snapped his head around. He glared at the bassist. His hands curledinto fists of fury. Outwardly, he was ready to rumble, but inside, he wasdying.

Why?

Yoh pushed roughly passed Hiro and Suguru, who barked out angryprotests, and strode forward until he and Shuichi were standing toe to toe.With his hands at his waist, Yoh glared right back at the shorter, pink-hairedman. You are nothing but a joke!

Shuichis mind went blank.

Yoh! Hiro yelled, outraged at the unnecessary animosity and cruelty.

Being raped by Sourpuss and his gang of Neanderthals hadnt hurt thismuch. That was nothing compared to this. A single tear slipped downShuichis cheek.

Yoh spun around to face Hiro. Dont even start the high and mightyattitude, he snapped. You wanted this just as much as I did! Yoh glancedat Suguru and Yuta in turn. You all did!

Shuichi wasnt sure when hed started to shake, but now that hed noticed ithe could not stop. He stumbled backwards as the room spun dizzily around

him. He barely noticed when his back hit the wall.

Hiro was furious. No, he had surpassed that. There were no words todescribe how he felt. He couldnt make head or tails out of the surge ofemotions raging through him let alone figure out at whom they were


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directed. Was it Yoh? Himself? Yoh brought it up initially, yes, but he and theothers had agreed to it in the end. Theyd had the chance to voice theirdoubts and come up with a different solution. Instead, each one of them hadheld their tongue. They all played a part in this travesty. They were allguilty.

His hands itched to take hold of Yohs throat, but instead of lashing out, hepushed Yoh none too gently away from him. Yoh stumbled backwards before

regaining his balance. The alternative was committing an unfortunate act.Not knowing for whom this unfortunate act was unfortunate--him or Yoh--was the catalyst that had Hiro deciding that it was time to go. Hiro stoppedlong enough to whisper, Im sorry, to his best friend before he stepped outof the studio and vanished down the hall.

Suguru did not consider himself a violent man, but at that moment, he couldmake no promises.

When he first joined Bad Luck, he remembered thinking of Shuichi as a joke.

Hed thought--and still did--that Shuichi had the talent to become as big ifnot bigger than Ryuichi Sakuma was. Shuichi had what it took to take BadLuck farther than any Asian band had gone before. Shuichi had what it tookto push Bad Luck passed the limits that continued to waylay greats such asNittle Grasper. If only he were more serious, Suguru remembered thinking.But over the last couple of years, Shuichi has begun to change--mature. Hewasnt the same person he was before and the band began to blossombecause of it.

This latest stint had been too much though. He agreed with that much.However, this

Yoh wasnt completely at fault. Suguru knew he could have told him tobugger off, but he hadnt.

Throwing a not so friendly glare Yohs way, Suguru stepped passed Shuichi.He stopped long enough to whisper, Im sorry, before he too vanisheddown the hall.

Yuta stood up from the sofa and spared a quick glare at Yoh before hestrode towards the studio door. With one hand on the door and the other

curled into a fist he wanted to pummel into Yohs face, he whispered to theshell-shocked singer, Im sorry, before he stepped out into the hall andvanished.

His fellow band mates behavior disgusted Yoh. If they were so against firingShuichi, they should have been more adamant, but their arguments againstthis course of action had been too easy to shoot down. Theyd given up tooeasily.

No, their problem was not the firing of their precious singer, but in having todo it. There was a long history here after all.

He had absolutely no problem with getting rid of Shuichi.

With a smirk on his face, Yoh strode passed Shuichi to the studio door with alittle hop in his step. Dropping his head, he peered at Shuichi out of the


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corner of his eye and whispered in a hushed tone, Im not sorry, before hewaltzed out of the studio.

Staring with blank unseeing eyes at the soundproof and shatterproof glasswindow that separated the recording booth from the control room, Shuichislid down the wall. He brought his legs to his chest. As overwhelming as theurge to cry was, the tears just would not come.

What just happened?

The worst part was, he had no idea what it was he supposedly did thatwould make them do this to him.

Fifteen Minutes Later - En Route

He had no idea where the others were, nor did he care. His fearless leaderwas most likely still at the studio in a state of shock. Yoh snickered at theimage that popped into his head. Served the loser right, he thought with asneer.

Behind the wheel of his beige Honda, Yoh hummed along with the radio,bopping his head to the beat of Crazy by Heart.

He loved it when a plan went into action. He hadnt felt his happy--this free--since Bad Luck hired him as their bassist. Now that had been a stroke ofgood luck. On the other hand, maybe luck had nothing to with it as hethought back to the audition. Those hed been up against had beentalentless hacks. It hadnt exactly been a competition.

At a red light, he muted the volume of the radio and grabbed his cellphonefrom where it rested within the cup holder. His fingers danced over thekeys. Still humming, he tapped the wheel with his free hand, listening to theline ring.

It was still early, he realized with a quick glance at the time as the line

continued to ring. Well, he corrected, early for Yutaro at least. That partyanimal was up all night and asleep all day.

Finally, he was connected to voicemail. Hey Cousin, he greeted, its allset. Call me when you get this.

The light turned green.

Ending the call, Yoh returned his phone, raised the volume of the radio andmelted within the early morning traffic.

Life was great, but it could be better.

At the next red light, Yoh once again dialed down the volume of the car radiojust as Trance came on and grabbed his phone. He dialed the number hehad stored in his phone book for just this occasion.


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An Hour Later - Murakami Residence - Shikoku

The consistent buzzing and flashing light of his cellphone was what finallywoke Yutaro Murakami. Grumbling, he very nearly whacked said phone fromits perch on the shelf behind his bed as he blindly searched for it in thedark.

His resentment at being woken after a mere three hours of sleep melted ashe listened to his cousins message.

Propped up against his pillows, Yutaro lowered the phone with a smirk. Hishead dropped back, knocking it against the headboard as a chuckle workedits way up his throat and into the stillness of his bedroom.

Yoh did it. The bastard actually did it.

He shuffled through the address book for his cousins number and thenpressed send. Yoh, you son of bitch, he greeted the man. Looks like youwon the bet huh?

Three Hours Later - Shindou-Uesugi Residence - Tokyo

The phone was ringing.

Eiri leaned back in the executive leather desk chair hed splurged on lastmonth with an annoyed sigh. His teeth bit into the unlit cigarette danglingfrom his lips (hey, just because hed promised the baka hed quit, did NOTmean he had to give them up completely).

He was tempted to ignore the phone as per usual, but something was telling

him to get off his lazy duff and answer it. He was not sure what thatsomething was, but he had learned not to ignore whatever it was, sopushing away from the desk, Eiri stood up and made his way to the kitchenwhere hed left his cellphone (deliberately of course).

It was strange how silent the condominium was. Hadnt Shuichi returnedyet? From what Shuichi told him, Eiri had been under the impression thatthe meeting Shuichi had been called to that morning was going to be a shortone in order to clear up some minor details. In and out. Had he been wrongor had Shuichi stayed to do a little recording--even though they hadnt been

scheduled to record today?

He tried calling out his lovers name several times in the off chance, nomatter how slim, that he just hadnt heard Shuichi when he came home, eventhough he knew damn well that the day that happened was the day that hell


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froze over. If the answering silence was anything to go by, then Shuichi hadyet to return home. That in and of itself wasnt so unusual. It happenedmore often than not, but this time something did not feel right. There was apersistent nagging in the back of his mind. Something was wrong.

This had better be good, he thought as he picked up his cellphone that wasdancing across the slick surface of the counter, only realizing afterwardsthat he didnt check caller ID first. Hello? He was hoping that it wasnt

Mizuki. Hes been dodging her for the past week.

He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall above the kitchen doorway andfrowned. It was indeed as late as hed assumed it to be. Shuichi had beengone for a little over four hours now. Usually, if he was going to be gonelonger than planned he called. Actually, Shuichi called whether a call waswarranted or not.

Turn on the news, commanded the female voice in his ear without anypreamble.

Well, hello to do you too, Sister Dear.

Just turn on the goddamn TV, Mika barked.

Sighing, Eiri rolled his eyes. As bossy as ever. Yeah. Yeah. Whatever. If fornothing more than to shut you up, he thought.

He trooped to the living room. A quick search confirmed that the remote wasnowhere in sight. He would have to ask Shuichi what he did with it. Probablyleft it in the bathroom again, he decided. How or why, he really was not

interested in learning. He pushed the power button on the television set.

For those of you just tuning in. Our breaking news this afternoon comesfrom the entertainment world: weve received word that Shuichi Shindouwas fired from Bad Luck mere hours ago, the black-haired woman wassaying.

Whatever else she said was lost to Eiri.

Same Time - NG Productions Executive Office

The click clacking that filled the reception area stopped as Ayas handsstilled.

She blinked. It was a long deliberate movement, as if she were rousing froma deep trance. Lifting her gaze from the document she was typing up, sheturned towards the television anchored to the wall in the far corner of theroom.

What?

A representative for the axed singer had no comment for us this


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afternoon, the news anchor was saying. There is some speculation aboutwhether this sudden and unexpected decision was due to the rumors thatMr. Shindou was caught-

Aya did not remember hearing anything about this and everything wentthrough this office.

Tohma Seguchi ran a very tight ship. There had been only one leak since he

took over the reigns of what had been a floundering record label about adecade ago and that was when someone--most likely K and thankfully thatlunatic was long gone--outed Shuichi Shindou.

All announcements went through Tohma.

She really hoped this was nothing more than unsubstantiated rumors likeusual because if what they were saying on the news was true, there wasgoing to be hell to pay. Actually, she had a feeling there would be no matterwhether it was true or not. Tohma was not to be left out of the loop--ever; itwas something he despised above all else.

Her pulse was racing. Aya pushed away from her desk and stood up. It wasonly then that she realized that she was trembling and she had no idea why.

She knocked on the door to her bosss office, entering only when givenpermission.

What is it Aya? Tohma asked from behind his desk.

Sir, we may have a bit of a problem.

Tohma cocked an eyebrow at her. And what would that be?

The news just reported that, uhm...that Bad Luck

They what? Tohma prodded. What have they done this time? He wantedto sigh. If it wasnt one thing, it was another. Sometimes he wondered if itwas worth it to keep them on the pay roll.

According to the news reports, they fired Shuichi Shindou.

Tohma blinked his baby blues at his secretary. What?

He was certain hed heard her wrong. She could not have said what hethought he heard her say. It was ludicrous! If she came in here to tell himthat his cousin had (once again) walked out on the band, now that wassomething he would believe because it was something that happenedseveral times a week, but Shuichi no longer a part of Bad Luck? Never.

It was probably nothing more than the press twisting the facts to suit theirneeds yet again--making a mountain out of a molehill type of thing. The guyshave had several very public fights in the recent past that the tabloids have

used to their advantage, trying to sell papers with headlines such as BadLuck for Bad Luck.

Tohma was tempted to wave this latest news aside as just more of the same,maybe call in Bad Luck just in case, but just then his personal line started


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ringing. A familiar number popped onto the caller ID screen. He waved hissecretary out with an order to get Bad Luck on the line.

Yes sir, Aya said as she left the office, shutting the door behind her andwhispering, This is going to get nasty.

Tohma waited until the door closed firmly behind his secretary beforeanswering the phone.

Hello Eiri, he greeted his brother-in-law. I take it you saw the news?

Is it true? Eiri demanded over the line.

Tohma swallowed a sigh. Was he the only one who did not believe what they

were saying on the news? Then he blinked. Has Mr. Shindou not returnedhome?

No, was the curt answer.

That did not necessarily change things. Bad Lucks session could just berunning late, but then, if that were the case, then Shuichi would have calledEiri to inform him. Have you talked to him at all?

I tried calling his cell, but it goes straight to voicemail.

That still did not change anything. It also did not mean that the rumors weretrue, or so Tohma tried telling himself. He was getting a bad feeling. Couldthe news actually be true?

When it came to entertainers who have reached a certain level of success, itwas difficult to differentiate rumors from reality. Rumors have some basis inreality and from personal experience, Tohma knew that to be true. Whetheror not Shuichi Shindou was no longer part of Bad Luck, something hadhappened to warrant such a rumor to spread lightening fast.

Tohma knew that he was, by far, not the only one who could not imagineShuichi no longer as a member of Bad Luck--the second highest grossingband in the nation behind Nittle Grasper. The band was Shuichis life!

Apparently, Shuichi started the band back in middle school; it was just himand a secondhand synthesizer hed bought at a yard sale with his allowance.Not long after that, he met Hiro and invited him to join. Firing Shuichi waskin to Joe Smoe walking in off the street and telling Mick Jagger to hit theroad.

Tohma could not imagine anything Shuichi could have done that wouldwarrant him being released from Bad Luck.

Im not sure, he reluctantly admitted.

Fuck, Eiri swore bitterly. Did you know about this?


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Tohma did not blame Eiri for the accusation. It was no fault of Eiris that hismind would make what it perceived as the most logical conclusion. It didseem like something Tohma would do given Shuichi and his history. I knewnothing.

As much (and often) as he and Shuichi have butted heads, he never seriouslyconsidered dropping him from the label or the band.

Ryuichi has been suggesting for sometime now that Shuichi should release asolo album. Tohma had readily agreed, but neither of them had wanted it tocome about this way.

It was one thing if as a band, they decided to call it quits or take a temporaryhiatus, but something like this? It was a little too extreme, especiallybecause it made no sense.

Fuck!

Im sorry Eiri-kun.

Sometimes sorry isnt enough. Eiris tone had a bitter edge.

Tohma nodded. I will get to the bottom of this, he assured the writer.

Make sure you do. Otherwise I will.

After the conversation with his brother-in-law, Tohma drilled a rhythm onthe arm of his chair while the forefinger of his other hand rested silentlyagainst his lips.

He buzzed his secretary.

Sir? Her quiet voice spoke over the intercom.

What studio was Bad Luck scheduled to use this morning?

None sir, Aya answered right away. They booked one of the conferencerooms, C I believe, but Ive had some reports that the recording light forstudio 32 was on earlier.

Thirty-two huh? If he was not mistaken, studio 32 was the very studio whereBad Luck had auditioned.

Thank you Aya.

It could be nothing. Singers were always commandeering empty studios.Ryuichi did it all the time whenever he was in town; he would find an emptystudio and lay down some tracks or just use the quiet to meditate or eventake a nap. But it seemed like too much of a coincidence.

There was only one way to know for sure.


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Twenty Minutes Later - NG Productions Studio 32

Eiri stepped out of the elevator. The door slid shut behind him.

The silence hit him immediately.

He gave the carpeted hallway a quick sweep. Standing halfway down thehall to his left outside one of the numerous closed doors was a lone figure.

Eiri strolled towards him.

Tohma, Eiri greeted the man stiffly.

Eiri, Tohma greeted with a nod.

Eiri eyed the closed door behind Tohma. The red recording light above thedoor was glowing brilliantly. It was the only one on the floor activated. Hein there? he asked with a jerk of his chin.

Yes. Tohma glanced over his shoulder. It had only been a hunch, but it had

panned out. It was a good thing too. In Shuichis current state, there was notelling what would have happened to Shuichi if the singer had gonewandering off.

Eiri stepped around Tohma to the closed studio door. His hand closedaround the doorknob. He gave it a turn. It was unlocked. With a, Thanks,he pushed the door open and vanished within the studio.

Tohma wished them both the best of luck.

His cellphone buzzed against his leg. Yes Aya?

Sir, Bad Luck has arrived.

Tohmas grip on his cellphone tightened. Ill be right there. Time to get towork.

Eiri let his hazel eyes, as golden as the ring he planned on presenting to hisbaka, sweep about the studio.

Studio 32 was not as large as studios Bad Luck usually used. It was one ofthe smaller studios at NG. The only furniture was the black swivel chair atthe control board and a black leather sofa along the back wall. The samematerial that carpeted the hallway covered the floor of the studio.

All the lights were off except for a single one in the recording booth thatshone down like a spotlight at the pink-haired figure hunched over the baby

grand piano.

Eiri blinked at the instrument and wondered how they had ever managed toget such a large object in there.


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The carpet muffled his footsteps as he made his way across the control roomand into the recording booth.

An unfamiliar tune met his ears.

Hed nearly forgotten Shuichi played the piano. They did not have one athome and not long after Suguru joined the band, Shuichis keyboard broke.Shuichi never bought a new one. Instead, Shuichi used some sort of music

program on his computer to put together his songs.

This, though, was proof that Shuichi could do more than just play those sillypop songs of his. Eiri may not have been able to name the song off the top ofhis head, but whatever Shuichi playing sounded classical--Mozart maybe.

Hey Baby.

Obviously startled, Shuichi spun around. The last notes faded as his nimblefingers fell from the ivory keys. Amethyst eyes grew wide and started toglisten as they saw Eiri standing there. The first tear broke loose and

traversed down Shuichis cheek. Another soon followed in its wake. Shuichiopened his mouth, maybe to ask what Eiri was doing there, but a sob cameout instead.

Eiri stepped forward.

Slowly, Shuichi stood from the bench, the legs of which scrapped against thefloor as it was pushed away from the piano. Shuichi stepped around thebench and took a tentative step towards Eiri, then another and another.Each subsequent step was more confident than the one before. There was

also desperation now. All too soon, Shuichi was running across the studiowith tears coursing down his cheeks. He flung himself into Eiris waitingarms and clung to the man as if he were a life preserver in the middle of achurning ocean.

It was then that Eiri knew. It wasnt some silly rumor or a joke gone too far,it was real. This was actually happening. Its all right, he whisperedrepeatedly as he hugged Shuichi tightly. His throat constricted around hisown sobs. Someone was going to pay for this.

Half an Hour Later - NG Productions Executive Offices

Tohma took his time returning to his office where the remaining members ofBad Luck were waiting for him. Instead of going straight there afterreceiving the call from his secretary, Tohma went down to the cafeteria for acup of coffee (it was the best in the city) and then decided that since he was

there, he might as well have lunch, so he decided on a chicken Caesar wrapand a small antipasto salad. Half an hour had passed by the time he finishedlunch and had made his way back upstairs to his office.

Theyre in your office, Aya said as he entered.


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Tohma nodded his thanks. Not the least bit worried about the reception hewas likely to receive for his late arrival, he strolled across the reception areaand entered into his office with a flourish. So gentlemen, who would like tostart? he asked as he settled behind his desk.

Same Time - NG Productions Studio 32

Sitting on the cold floor of the recording booth in a shadowed corner, Eiriheld a trembling Shuichi within his protective embrace.

Shuichis tears had slowed and his sobs had lessened, but he continued tosniffle.

Eiri had never been good at comforting someone, or being comforted for

that matter. It was awkward. What was he supposed to say? What could hesay? What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to act? React?

Instead of opening his mouth and saying something that could possiblymake matters worse, hed remained silent and let Shuichi cry on hisshoulder. He could do that much. Occasionally, he whispered somenonsensical nonsense (sweet nothings as Shuichi would call them)interspersed with Im sorry as he rubbed Shuichis back (what he hopedwas) comfortingly.

He hated to see Shuichi so upset, whether he was the cause or not.

There was only one way to snap his usually hyperactive baka out of thisdepressive funk.

Hey, he said quietly. Its not that bad.

Shuichi tensed within his arms.

Think of this as--as an extended vacation.

Scowling, Shuichi untangled himself from Eiri. Vacation?

Ignoring the anger, Eiri smiled. He caressed Shuichis face. Yeah, hecontinued. We never did have a proper honeymoon. Stupid mini-Brat, hethought as Rikus face popped into his head.

The anger and resentment, the un-Shuichi-like bitterness melted away.Wonder replaced it. Oh, Eiri, Shuichi breathed. Really?

Eiri shrugged. Why not?

With a squeal, Shuichi threw himself at Eiri.

Eiri continued to smile as Shuichi hugged the life out of him. Yes, this wasmuch better than a sulking Shuichi.


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Fifteen Minutes Later - NG Productions Executive Offices

With his elbows on the arms of the chair, Tohma sat reclined behind his desk

with his fingers laced and his forefingers steepled against his lips. His browcreased in thought. He allowed the silence to grow.

It was too bad that there was no way for him to drop Bad Luck from thelabel. The band was still under contract. Unless he could buy them out oftheir contract, dropping them prematurely without cause would only dragNG Productions through the mud. He would come off as the bad guy.

Keeping his hands folded, he dropped them into his lap. So, he spoke up atlast to the four men before him.

The bassist Shuichi had hired, Yoh something-or-other, was sitting front andcenter with the ugliest scowl on his face. This was the instigator. You didnot need to be a rocket scientist to figure out this one. Tohma had had afeeling this guy would bring nothing but trouble to Bad Luck when Shuichifirst introduced them several months back.

Yoh used to be part of ASK if he was not mistaken, part of the back up band.Tohma remembered him. Yoh used to (and still does) have this attitude. Healways wore an expression that made him look as if he just realized hedstepped in something foul. Tohma hadnt liked him than and he did not like

him now. He had no idea what Shuichi had been thinking when he chose thispsychopath to join Bad Luck. There were any number of applicants he couldhave chosen for the position, some much better (talent as well as personalitywise) and most without the attitude and psychopathic tendencies.

Something was telling him Shuichi was regretting his decision now.

As for the others, Tohma was not sure what to think. He used to think betterof them. How could they have allowed things to spiral so out of control? Howhad they allowed Yoh to control them so much that he was able to get themto do something they never would have done otherwise?

It was obvious now that Yoh was the type of person who took charge. He didnot like being second best. With this new evidence, it was not much of asurprise that Yoh had been able to highjack the band.

He just wished there was something he could do.

There is no changing your minds?

Hiro, Yuta and Suguru had refused to meet his gaze during the entiremeeting and nothing changed now, though, they squirmed nervously. Theirguilt was like a foul odor.

Yoh, on the other hand, stared him straight in the eye. No, he said. Therewas a challenging gleam in his eye--a confidence.


16/48

Fine.

Yoh did not bother to suppress a smirk.

But I still expect the album to be finished for its August release, Tohmastated with a smirk of his own. This meant, of course, the recording had tobe completed by next month. There will be no extension. If it is not finished,it will be released as is, he continued, rising his voice over the anticipated

outcry.

What?!

Thats not fair!

Sir!

You cant do that!

Tohma held out a hand. I do not want to hear it! I can and will do as I

please. Now, he continued in a calmer voice, I expect a plan of action in themorning. Oh, this was too much fun. Sitting forward, he grabbed the file hehad been studying earlier.

Tohma, you cannot possibly expect us to finish the album in less than threeweeks!

Tohma looked across the desk at his cousin. I do.

But-!

Its just not possible, Hiro finished.

Tohma merely shrugged. Shouldve thought of that before you decided toplay musical singers a month before the due date. He shuffled through thepaper littering his desktop randomly as what remained of Bad Luck rumbledand filed out of the office.

The last to leave was Yoh who threw a heated glare over his shoulder atTohma.

Tohma smirked back. Never play a player.

That Night - Press Room, NG Productions

Good evening, Tohma greeted the sea of press before him as he steppedup to the podium. Cameras went off. Tonight, I am speaking to you as the

president and CEO of NG Productions as well as a friend to and the brother-in-law of Shuichi Shindou. He glanced down at the podium briefly,gathering his thoughts. The only sound in the room was the sound ofcamera equipment. Earlier today, Shuichi was let go as lead singer of BadLuck.


17/48

There was a strobe effect of camera flashes as a murmuring swept overthose gathered.

It was a decision the other members of Bad Luck--Hiroshi Nakano, SuguruFujisaki, Yuta Hirasawa and Yoh Moriyama--decided on. I had no knowledgeof or a part in their decision.

If he had, it never would have happened. Bad Luck was currently their top

act and that in large part was thanks to Shuichi Shindou. Why would hewant to break up his biggest moneymaker? It was kin to suicide.

Unfortunately, I did not become aware of the incident until after it hadleaked to the media.

Was there too much scorn in his voice?

As the founder, president and CEO of the record company, he should havebeen the first one notified. He never should have found out about theturmoil reeking havoc within a band under his label via his secretary whomhad only become aware of the events from the twelve oclock news. It waslike parents finding out from the news crew banging at their door thatsomething terrible happened to their child instead of by the authorities.Preemptive strikes such as the one that happened earlier caused more harmthan good. If he was correct in his assumption about Yoh, then it was notthat farfetched to consider that Yoh was responsible for the leak. Meaning,of course, that harm was exactly what Yoh had been after.

What was the reason behind the firing? one reporter called out.

That was a good question. He could hear all of Japan holding their collectivebreathes. Even after meeting with the remaining members of Bad Luck, hestill had no idea. Tohma had not been able to learn their reasoning. Even ifhe had, he was not sure he would share it with the Japanese public.However, it did not stop him from wondering what that reason was.

Creative differences, he decided on.

It was true enough. They had been drifting apart, creatively speaking, thepast couple of albums and that was what he told the gathered media.

How is Mr. Shindou handling the news? was another shouted question.

The truth was that Shuichi was as devastated as he would be if he learned ofthe death of a loved one. As well as can be expected considering his bestfriends fired him from his own band.

Where is Mr. Shindou?

A reporter that Tohma was quite familiar with asked the question. Theman worked for the notorious tabloid magazine Blazing that seemed to have

developed a certain fondness for Bad Luck. They were always stirring uptrouble.

Tohma narrowed his gaze on the young man. Vacation, he answeredsimply. I spoke with Eiri earlier-


18/48

Eiri Yuki? someone asked.

Tohma fought the urge to roll his eyes. Yes, he confirmed. Of what otherEiri could he possibly be referring? I spoke with him earlier and heinformed me that he plans on taking Shuichi on a well deserved and longoverdue vacation. I am not certain where they plan on going or how longthey plan on being gone for. Even if he did know, there was no way hewould announce it. I did not personally speak with Shuichi as of yet, but I

want him to know that he will always have a place here at NG no matterwhat he decides and I wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors.

Same Time - Moriyama Residence

Yoh was not a very happy bassist. He was sitting in the brown leather

recliner in the media room of his multi-million dollar penthouse condominiumwith a beer in one hand and the remote to the 60-plus-inch flat screen LCDHD 3D wifi capable television in the other. His grip on both tightened as hewatched the press conference.

Yes, he was happy--ecstatic even--to have the thorn in his side gone.

This monumental event had been years in the making. It may have takennearly a decade, but finally, he was able to avenge his old friend. That wasnot to say that these shocking turn of events never would have happened

because they would have one way or another. There was no doubt aboutthat. He just hurried them up a bit.

In that sense, he was happy, but in another, he was infuriated--pissed.

The damned media were making him out to be the bad guy. If Shuichi wasntsuch a--joke, then this could have been prevented. Why did they insist onignoring what was right in front of their eyes?

He would show them. Hed show them all! Bad Luck will be bigger andbetter than ever before. They didnt need Shuichi Shindou to succeed.

Turning off the television, he chugged the rest of his beer, set both theremote as well as the now crushed can aside and reached for his cellphone.He dialed his cousins number. Yutaro answered on the first ring. How sooncan you be in Tokyo?

A Week Later - Late Afternoon - Boston, Massachusetts

Shuichi glanced out the window of the limo at the building theyd just pulledup in front of and then turned to eye Eiri just as warily. This hadnt beenwhat Shuichi expected when Eiri said they were going to go on vacation.


19/48

Where are we?

Boston.

Shuichi rolled his eyes. He knew that much at least. The whole ofMassachusetts had countless historic sites. Itd been on his Bucket List for

years, but as excited as he was to be here, it did not explain where exactly

they were at the present moment and why.

As if hed read Shuichis thoughts, Eiri said, Its city hall.

And were herewhy?

Smirking, Eiri took Shuichis left hand within his own and lifted it to his lips.He brushed the back of Shuichis hand with his lips. Then he blew a gentlepuff of air along the same patch of skin.

Shuichi shivered in reaction.

Eiris golden gaze met Shuichis vividly amethyst eyes. His thumb found thegold band encircling Shuichis ring finger. He rotated it back and forth.This is why were here.

Shuichis breathing hitched. His eyes went wide. Eiri, he breathed. Youmean?

Eiri nodded.

This is why you had me get all gussied up?

Eiri snorted. It wasnt to go sightseeing. What was the point in wearing abrand-new Armani suit and Gucci shoes if you were going to follow PaulReveres famous ride?

Shuichi squealed and flung himself across the seat and into Eiris arms. Oh,Eiri, he whispered. I love you so much!

Eiri returned the hug. Me too, he whispered.

ButHow? Shuichi asked, pulling back enough so that he could look into

Eiris face without going cross-eyed.

Eiri shrugged. I have my ways.

Like Seguchi? Shuichi suggested with a raised eyebrow.

Instead of answering, Eiri kissed Shuichi. Cmon, he chuckled. We have anappointment to keep.

Shuichi didnt need to be told twice.


20/48

Same Time - NG Productions Executive Offices - Tokyo, Japan

Unfortunately, Tohma had been right.

Ryuichi had not taken the news of Shuichi demise from Bad Luck well. Hedranted, raved, and demanded that Tohma do something before Kumagorotook matters into his own hands. Unfortunately, as much as Tohma wouldlove to comply with those demands, there was absolutely nothing he could

do.

In retaliation, Ryuichi--who claimed itd been Kumas idea--decided he wasgoing to pull out of the duet he and Shuichi had planned on doing togetherfor Bad Lucks new album. Instead, Ryuichi agreed to voice the leadcharacter in a new paranormal/supernatural anime; it was described asbeing a cross between G Dray Man, Spiral and Gaunt. When he was offeredthe role originally, Ryuichi had turned it down. The look on Yohs face whenTohma was forced to break the news had been priceless.

Tohma wasnt too broken up about it. He had enough on his plate to worryabout the feelings of Yoh Moriyama.

Well, technically, Trance wasnt exactly new as in new to the scene. Theywere a legendary band that some compared to Led Zeppelin or the RollingStones. He hadnt even been aware Trance was looking into leaving theirlabel--his arch nemesis Sony, which, ironically enough, was the label NittleGrasper had originally been signed with--until he received a phone call fromthe bands agent the day after Eiri and Shuichi left for America.

Theyd been no need to think about whether or not he would sign a band

that hadnt released an album in over twenty years let alone negotiate acontract. What else could someone in his position have said other than, Hell

yes?

Hed readily given the guys everything they wanted and he would do it againin a heartbeat if it meant having such legends on his label. This gave Tohmaan excuse to rip into Sony--not that hed needed one in the past. Now, notonly did he have the band, but the rights to the bands music; the musicbeing worth Nittle Grasper and Bad Luck combined ten times over was anadded bonus. Of course, it allowed him to expand the label from the

pop/rock they were primarily known for as well.

If not for the little hiccup with Bad Luck, life would be great. Maybe if theywere all lucky, Bad Luck would fail miserably without Shuichi at the head ofthe ship and as a result, would end up firing whats-his-name Yusuke

YuichiYu-something-or-other. He wondered if Shuichi would return as thelead singer of Bad Luck if they asked. Tohma sure as hell wouldnt, but itwas an interesting dilemma to contemplate.

A Week Later - Early Morning - Uncharted Island - Caribbean


21/48

Unsurprisingly, Tohma Seguchi owned the island on which Eiri YukiUesugi and his new husband Shuichi Shindou were vacationing. It wasntsome dinky pile of sand either, but a good-sized plot of land. A lush jungle,tropical fruit, exotic and unique animals, white sandy beaches and watersbluer than the Mediterranean. The only structures on the island was amodest house-

You call this modest? were the first words out of Shuichis mouth when they

arrived.

No, Eiri had answered, thats what Tohma calls it. I call it a multi-milliondollar estate that could hold our condo ten times over.

-right on the beach and a boathouse the size of their condominium backhome with a dock able to anchor a luxury yacht, which was the only methodof reaching said island.

It was paradise. How Tohma was able to keep such an Eden to himself wassomething the newlyweds would never be able to figure out. It was anunsolved mystery fated to remain as such.

When Eiri woke that morning a week after they were married, it was to anempty bed.

Knowing exactly where to find his husband, he had to pause a moment toabsorb that, Eiri rubbed the sleep from his eyes and then peeled apart thenetting that was draped around the queen-sized bed. Grabbing the whiteslacks off the floor from where theyd been tossed the night before, hepulled them on then combed his fingers through his wild blond locks to tame

them. A hand over his jaw told him that he needed to shave, but that couldwait. Stretching around a yawn, he worked out the kinks then made his wayinto the en suite bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth.

As soon as Eiri stepped out of the house, he spotted Shuichi. The singer waslounging down on the beach.

The sun glinted blue against the deep black color of Shuichis hair; thechange still took Eiri by surprise even though its been a week.

Following the wooden plank staircase down to the beach, Eiri cursed as thebrilliant rays of the dawning sun nearly struck him blind. He wished hedremembered his sunglasses. Unfortunately, they were at home on thedresser.

Hey, he greeted Shuichi as he stepped up behind him. He noticed with

some disappointment that Shuichi was wearing swimming trunks and a tanktop. They were alone on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere; clotheswere strictly optional. He would have to remind his lithe husband of that. Atleast both were skimpy.

At the sound of Eiris voice, Shuichi ti ed his head back as much as the


22/48

chair would allow and flashed him a grin almost as bright as thatdamnedable sun. Morning!

Eiri grunted. Just because the sun was up did not mean it was morning. Hekissed Shuichi--the Spiderman Kiss as Shuichi called it when one of themwas upside down for the kiss. What time you get up? he asked pullingaway, much to Shuichis disappointment. Eiri would never admit it aloud-unless he was lost in the midst of arousal, but then hed just deny it when he

was more coherent--but he found Shuichis pout rather cute.

Just got up, Shuichi replied with that thousand-kilowatt smile.

Eiri cocked an eyebrow. How Shuichi could be so chipper so early in themorning was beyond him.

At least Shuichi wasnt moping around anymore. A sulking, depressedShuichi was worse than a cheerful Shuichi.

Eiri rounded the chair and nudged Shuichi over before climbing in with him.

Shuichi happily obliged, then wrapped himself around Eiri and sighedcontently.

Eiri kissed the top of Shuichis head. Love you, he murmured, tightenedhis hold on the smaller man. The sun glinted off the gold band on his leftring finger. It was identical to the two bands Shuichi sported.

Shuichis grin widened. I love you too, he whispered back.

Cuddling, the newlyweds lounged there on the beach without fear of fans orpaparazzi or anything else. They were able to relax and do whatever theywanted whenever they wanted for as long as they wanted and that wasexactly what they planned on doing.

The problems left behind in Tokyo werent even background noise.

Same Time - NG Productions Studio 15 - Tokyo

Out of the five of the men currently occupying the control room, only onewas enjoying himself.

Their producer looked like he was in pain.

Hes destroying my song!

Hiro was wishing K were still their manager. The psychotic American never

would have allowed this travesty to occur. K would have had Yoh forbreakfastor as a practice dummy. Putting up with one of Ks infamousrampages through Tokyo as if he were Godzilla would be better thanlistening to the crap that Yoh and Yutaro were passing off as music.


23/48

What had they done?

Physically, Suguru was sitting on the sofa besides Hiro. Mentally, he waselsewhere. He was rummaging around in the music catalogue in his mind,trying to put together some new music. Whether they were for future BadLuck projects was still to be seen. He was thinking not.

Look out Daisuke Asakura. Suguru Fujisaki is here.

Yuta was sitting at the opposite end of the sofa from Hiro. Slumped over thearm with his chin resting in his hand, he had his left ankle crossed over theright knee. His foot was jumping to the upbeat Eurodance tune, but histeeth were grinding and his ears felt as if they were bleeding as theylistened against their will to the screeching that Yutaro seemed to believewas singing.

This used to be my favorite song.

Unlike his band mates who wished they were anywhere but here, Yoh was

thrilled with the progress they were making. Breakaway was coming alongfantastically. This was definitely going to be Bad Lucks best album to date.If the public didnt eat this up, hed quit. He was that certain.

Standing behind their producer bopping his head to the beat, Yoh wasconducting his cousin--who was in the recording booth laying the vocals toTerminate--through a particularly difficult section. He did not need to bereminded that it had taken Shuichi two takes to get it. When Yutaro nailedthe line, after nearly a dozen tries, Yoh whooped.

Perfect, Yu, he congratulated his cousin.

Yutaro gave him a thumbs-up in return.

When he first heard his cousin sing one of Shuichis songs that they had nochoice but to use thanks to Tohma Seguchis ridiculous deadline, Yohd hadto admit to a little apprehension. Yes, Yutaros style was drastically differentfrom what the fans were used to from Bad Luck, but sometimes you had tomix things up to stay afloat.

This would work, but even if it didnt, it wasnt as if it was any skin off his

nose. Either way, he had accomplished what hed set out to do and that wasall that mattered.

Seven Months Later - Morning, Thursday, January 20 - Shindou-

Uesugi Residence - Tokyo

It was a whirlwind honeymoon.

Eiri and Shuichi spent a month on that little island in the Caribbean. Theycould have stayed there forever. The peace, the quiet, and the tranquilityhad been welcoming and soothing, but Eiri had planned to show his new


24/48

husband more than just some deserted island in the middle of the ocean.

They visited Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Mount Rushmore,Salem, and Gettysburg, went camping in Yellowstone and saw Old Faithful,went to Ground Zero to pay their respects and stayed to watch the Yankeesbeat the Mets.

They went skiing in Vancouver, went to Toronto to watch the Buffalo Sabers

mutilate the Maple Leafs, and then stayed to watched Rock of Ages and TheLion King.

They traveled throughout Latin and South America and visited MachuPicchu and Teotihuacn and everything in between.

They went to England to see Stonehenge.

In France, they visited wineries, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc deTriomphe and the Avenue des Champes Elyses.

They traveled through Spain, Italy, Germany, Egypt, Belgium, Denmark, andcountries that Shuichi had never heard of before but fell in love with.

It was perfect. Shuichi had never been happier.

Inevitably, the world tour wound down and one day Eiri announced that itwas time to return home.

It was after midnight when their return flight landed at Narita InternationalAirport.

Both were so exhausted by the time they arrived home that they did nothave the strength or the energy to do much more than stumble into theirbedroom before they fell face first into bed and drifted into a deep,dreamless slumber.

The next afternoon while Eiri was out running errands, Shuichi--whoddecided he wasnt up to facing the public as of yet--wandered through thehouse. He thought briefly of unpacking and starting on the six months worthof laundry, maybe separating the souvenirs, but decided in the next instantthat he didnt want to.

Shuichi ran a hand along the slick surface of the mahogany dining table ashe strolled aimlessly. The pile of mail--nearly as large as the laundry--caughthis attention. On top was a colorful flier. Had a new restaurant opened whilethey were gone? Curious, he grabbed the flier. At the bottom corner of theflier, there was the silhouette of a female dancer. In the middle were

disembodied hands spinning a record on a turntable. The flier turned out tobe not for a restaurant but for a bar called The Phoenix Nest that featuredlive bands on Friday and Saturday nights and a DJ on Wednesday nights.They also had karaoke every evening during happy hour from three to five.


25/48

Now there was an idea.

Raising his head from the flier, Shuichi studied his reflection in the mirrorhanging on the wall behind the table.

He couldnt avoid the inevitable forever. Eventually, he would have to facethe public.

Though, with his reemergence into society, the interrogation wouldpromptly begin. He would never be ready for the barge of questions he didnot know and didnt want to know the answers to.

Why were you let go from you own band?

How do you feel about Bad Luck using your songs and rerecording the songsyou struggled for half a year to perfect?

How do you feel about hearing your poignant confessions of the heart, songsabout your fears and nightmares, of the temptations you faced, of the mistakes

you made being sung by the man who replaced you?

How did he feel? It felt as if someone had ripped his still beating heart out ofhis chest and had squeezed it into pulp as if it were an overtly ripe tomatoright before his very eyes.

Despite the bitterness that continued to linger and fester and the frightabout the unknown the future now held for him, this was something Shuichicould not put off forever.

This bar seemed like the perfect stepping-stone. Baby steps. Wasnt thatwhat Eiri has been telling him all along?

Besides, maybe this first voyage into society wouldnt be so bad. It wasamazing how unobtrusive one could be when he no longer sported pink hairthat could be spotted from the International Space Station and wasnt beingforced to dress like a transvestite prostitute.

He could do this

Maybe

Hopefully.

Now all he had to do was talk Eiri into going out with him.

That Evening - The Phoenix Nest - Tokyo

Wataru Katsurayama stopped dead as he entered the bar. The bar wasjammed pack as it usually was during happy hour. He was certain thecapacity limit had been exceeded several times over. But that wasnt whathad him so entranced. It was the man on the small stage in the back singing


26/48

karaoke.

The man was on the short side with black hair that had been pulled backand dark wraparound sunglasses despite being indoors. Blue jeans and ablack leather jacket completed the outfit.

Wataru picked his way through the throng of customers and employees whowere all as equally enthralled with this man as he was. Who can blame

them? The guy was good! There werent many who could do justice to aTrance song. Many tried. Few succeeded. This man, whoever he was, wasone of those few.

The Trance song the guy had chosen was the first single off Trances finalalbum entitled, Fool. It was written by their drummer Akira after aparticularly nasty breakup with his longtime girlfriend. Their follow upsingle, Save Me, was the final song they ever released. Several monthslater, their lead singer, Satoru, was found in his bed by his housekeeperdead from an apparent drug overdose.

Its been twenty-five years since then.

And this man!

He had to speak to this guy, but before he could weave halfway through thecrowded floor, the song ended to enthusiastic applause. The singer, who--now that Wataru was able to get a closer glimpse of him--could not havebeen more than eighteen, was given a standing ovation. In the process, thekid was swallowed from view.

Swearing, Wataru shoved his way through the crowd, tossing hastyapologies over his shoulder for the toes he stepped on, but by the time hemade it to the stage, the kid was gone. He turned in a full circle, stretchinghis neck over the crowd, trying to pick him out of the crowd. The kidcouldnt have gone too far. The mission was doomed for failure from the verybeginning though. Everyone was stacked in like sardines and nearlyeveryone in the bar had black hair, half of those wearing black jackets.

Damn, Wataru muttered.

An older gentleman with grey streaks in his short-cropped brown hair and

carrying a clipboard was approaching the stage. The name on the tagpinned to the guys chest read, Hiroyuki, Manager.

Wataru approached him. Excuse me.

With a smile on his face, Hiroyuki turned towards him. Yes sir? How can Ihelp you?

I was looking for the kid that was just singing. You dont happen to knowwhere I can find him.

Well, he was right there, Hiroyuki said pointing to a now vacant two-seatertable in the front.

Wataru cursed.


27/48

He was here with a blond fellow.

Blond?

Hiroyuki nodded.

Are they regulars?

No. They said it was their first time. Said something about having been outof the country.

Wataru cursed again. He turned away, disappointed, but then whipped backaround when a thought hit him hard and fast. His name! Do you-?

Hiroyuki was already glancing down at the clipboard and flipping throughthe pages. He simply gave his name as Uesugi.

With that, Wataru felt his hopes burst. Thanks.

Hiroyuki inclined his head and stepped up onto the stage where heannounced the next entrant.

Wataru slowly meandered his way back through the throng. Uesugi, huh?He cursed again. This was going to be like finding a needle in a stack ofneedles.

The Next Afternoon - NG Productions - Tokyo

It was him! It was definitely the kid from The Phoenix Nest. There was nodoubt about it. It was the same black hair, same wraparound shades, samehooded black leather jacket, blue jeans, black boots and even the samesong. It was him. It had to be.

Either that or Wataru was dreaming and the latter would just suck,especially after missing his chance to speak with the kid last night.

Hey! Hey, you! Excuse me! Wataru called out to the younger man who waswalking away from him down the hall. Hey!

The kid slowed to a halt and glanced around to see whom it was that wascalling him. Finally spotting Wataru jogging towards him, the kid slipped offhis sunglasses. Purple eyes studied him as he approached. Yes?

Were you at The Phoenix Nest yesterday? he inquired hopefully.

Crossing his arms over his chest, the kid gave Wataru the once over before

answering. For awhile, he confirmed with a frown. Why?

Wataru wasnt going to be breathing a sigh of relief just yet. Just becausethis kid looked like the one he was looking for did not mean he was and justbecause the kid claimed to have been at the Nest was no proof either. You


28/48

sang right? Fool by Trance.

I did, the kid confirmed once again, eying him suspiciously.

Grinning, Wataru nodded, barely suppressing the urge to punch the air.This was the kid then. It was confirmed. I was there. You were really good.

A grin bloomed across the kids face. His arms dropped to his sides. Thank

you!

You have to be the only one whos ever done that song justice, Wataru saidtruthfully. And that was taking into account Gloria Lee who remade the songseveral years back. The only good to come out of that was the royalty Trancereceived.

The praise had the kid blushing. Thanks.

You a Trance fan? Wataru inquired curiously.

The kid shrugged. Not really. I mean there are a couple songs I like andthat was one of them. My father is the real fan. He rolled his eyes and thendropped his voice to a whisper. Hes a little obsessed.

Wataru chuckled. Oh, Im Wataru by the way.

Shuichi.

They shook hands.

Shuichi Uesugi? Nice to meet you.

For some reason that Wataru could not figure out, Shuichi blushed. Youtoo, Shuichi returned. And its actually Shindou, he corrected. Uesugi ismy husbands name.

Oh! My apologies.

Why would Shuichi put his name down on the karaoke list as Uesugi if itwas Shindou? The answer came to him swiftly. Shuichi hadnt wantedanybody to know who he was while out on the town last night; the kid hadbeen incognito. There were many who could understand that, he included,but who exactly was this kid that he would need to pretend to be someoneother than himself while out in public?

And what was it the manager said? Something about Shuichi having beenout of town until recently?

Wataru studied the kid before him anew. Shuichi did not look familiar in theleast. Though, as he quickly found himself lost within the depths of thosepurple eyes, he realized that there was something familiar about those eyes--eyes that resembled an amethyst in color, which was his mothers favorite

color.

Uesugi. Shindou.

When the answer hit him, Wataru felt like an idiot.


29/48

Youre not Shuichi Shindou from Bad Luck are you? Bad Luck was hisdaughters favorite band. Or they used to be. She claimed they sucked nowthat they had a new lead singer.

Shuichis face fell. The light faded from his eyes. No. Not anymore, Shuichisaid with a sad shake of his head. With that, he turned and started to walkaway.

Watarus heart was hammering. He didnt know why, but he could not allowthis man to walk away from him. Before he had time to think about it,Wataru strode forward and clasped a hand to Shuichis shoulder. Wait, hetold the younger man.

Shuichi glanced at the hand on his shoulder with a raised eyebrow untilWataru dropped it with an apology.

Could I buy you a cup of coffee or something?

Shuichi turned around to face Wataru. A smile played with his lips. Youknow Im married, right? He held up his hand, displaying his engagementand wedding bands, wiggling his ring finger for emphasis.

It took several long seconds for what Shuichi was implying to hit him. Whenit did, Wataru threw his head back and laughed. He shook his head. Iactually have something I would like to speak with you about if you dontmind, he clarified. A proposition.

Shuichi re-crossed his arms over his chest and glanced once again at Watarususpiciously. What kind of proposition?

Were in need of a singer.

It was Shuichis turned to blink in stupefied silence. It took several triesbefore Shuichi was able to say, We who? He looked at the man before himthrough narrowed eyes. Who exactly are you?

Im Wataru. Wataru Katsurayama from Trance.

Wataru watched comprehension hit Shuichi. It was a mixture of awe andwonder and confusion. Wataru chuckled silently. He bet Shuichi never

expected this when he woke that morning.

That Night - Shindou-Uesugi Residence

Sitting at the foot of the bed in the master suite, Shuichi pulled his legs uponto the bed and folded them beneath him. He plucked at a loose thread onthe quilt.

Its up to you, Eiri was saying as he stepped out of the bathroom in a pairof plaid pajamas bottoms. His wet hair was plastered to his head from thequick shower hed just indulged in. A towel was draped around his


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shoulders.

With a deep sigh, Shuichi fell over backwards, bouncing lightly on themattress.

That didnt exactly help and he told Eiri as much.

Its your decision, Eiri said as he tossed the towel onto the back of the

chair in the corner.

Shuichi propped himself up on his elbows and watched his husband--thatstill made him giggle and blush like a schoolgirl--throw back the covers andcrawl into bed. I know, but He wanted Eiris opinion.

Eiri pulled his pillows up against the headboard and laid back. Is thissomething you want to do?

Biting his lip, Shuichi sat up and unfolded his legs. Turning around, hecrawled up the bed where he proceeded to snuggle against Eiris side. He

wrapped an arm around Eiris waist and entwined their legs together.Maybe, he mumbled against Eiris naked chest.

Eiri rolled his eyes. Draping an arm around Shuichi, he hugged the smallman tightly against his side. Then do it, he whispered before he kissed thetop of Shuichis head.

Shuichi titled his head back. You think?

Eiri shrugged. Why not?

Smiling, Shuichi snuggled back down.

If anything, Eiri continued, youll be able to shove their misfortune intheir faces.

There was no need to explain about whom Eiri was referring.

Eiri, Shuichi scolded with a playful slap. He couldnt stop from laughingdespite the harsh words. It would be the sweetest revenge to see the lookson his former band mates faces when they found out what had become of

him in the year since they fired him.

Eiri chuckled.

The Next Afternoon - NG Productions Executive Offices

Tohma sat back with his fingers laced together before his mouth. He studiedthe men before him.

Wataru Katsurayama. Akira Shirodaira. Ken Honami. Isac Yamada. ShuichiShindou.


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Which one of these is not like the others, he thought in amusement.

Tohma wondered what would outrage the public more: the fact that whenTrance was at the peak of their career, Shuichi Shindou hadnt even been agleam in his parents eye or that Rage Beat was a far cry from Anxiety. Itwas like those kids from Hanson releasing Alice Coopers Billion DollarBabies as their follow-up after the success of MmmBop.

Talk about oil and water.

Tohma lowered his hands to his lap. Are you sure about this? he askedShuichi.

Tohma himself was a little apprehensive. That was not, by any means, aslight on Shuichis part. There was no doubt that Shuichi had the talent--andthe vocal range-- to be great in any music genre. The problem lay with thefans. Some were going to protest Shuichis addition to the classic rock bandmerely on principle.

Uncertainty flashed in Shuichis eyes and then was gone. It was so quickthat Tohma wasnt sure if hed actually seen it or if hed only imaginedseeing it.

Resolve hardened Shuichis features. He nodded. Yes, sir. Id like to try.

Wataru, who was standing next to Shuichi, beamed and clapped the youngerman on the shoulder.

Alright. Tohma stood up and rounded the desk. I wish you the best of

luck, he said, holding out a hand to Shuichi. Its not going to be easy.

Grinning, Shuichi clasped Tohmas hand. I know.

Tohma chuckled. This was why hed signed Shuichi to his label in the firstplace. He liked the attitude. Welcome to NG Productions once again ShuichiShindou. Trance is lucky to have acquired you.

Thank you sir.

Six Months Later - Early Evening, July 8th - Shindou-Uesugi

Residence - Tokyo

As he passed through the living room on his way from his office to thekitchen to start on dinner, the baka was due home in half an hour ifrehearsal ended on time, Eiri turned on the television.

-Jun, as youll recall, Mr. Yutaro Murakami-

He knew that name. Eiri came to an immediate halt. He spun around to facethe television.


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-a virtual unknown from Shikoku-

Eiri snorted. And Yoh Moriyamas cousin. Technically, Yutaro was the sonof Yohs mothers cousin, or something like that.

The day after Shuichi was fired, Yutaro was announced as his replacement.The guy looked like a reject from Marilyn Mansons band.

-was hired to replace Shuichi Shindou after the singer was fired quiteunexpectedly a year ago today.

Eiri snarled at the memory. Up until that very moment, hed done a good jobof pretending that today wasnt the anniversary of when Shuichis musicalworld had come crumbling down around him.

The bands first album with their new lead singer--aptly entitledBreakaway--that was released in August of last year, was a dismal failure.

Eiri chuckled. Served them right.

What made the album such a flop wasnt the music. Thanks to the genius ofSuguru Fujisaki, none of the tracks were recycled from previous albums in afailed attempt at recapturing what made them such a success in the firstplace. The album wasnt as drastically different from previous material as toalienate fans.

The lyrics werent what made the album an epic failure either. Most of thesongs had been written, or at least co-written, by Shuichi.

Nobody had been as surprised about that more than Shuichi had been.Apparently, since Tohma had absolutely refused to extend the deadline forthe albums completion, the new Bad Luck had been forced to use the songscomposed by their disbarred singer. Evidently, Yoh had been none toopleased about that. Here he had instigated a coup dtat only for the leaderof the old regime to be kept on as a creative consultant.

Eiri thought the whole affair was hilarious.

Shuichi, on the other hand, was still not sure how to feel.

Yes, he was given credit as the lyricist and thus received a royalty--as he stilldid from sales of their previous albums, theLive from Zepp Tokyo concertDVD from three years ago, the Gravity World TourDVD and the acousticalbumReboot released two year ago (which all sold more in the past yearthanBreakawayhad).

Yes, Shuichi loved the irony--the slap in the face this was to his old bandmates. The anger that was still simmering below the surface at thetreachery felt vindicated by it.

But despite it no longer being his problem, Shuichi couldnt help but bedisappointed that Breakaway hadnt done so well. He knew it wasntbecause of anything he did. The fans said it themselves. They praised themusical arrangements and the lyrics. What they hadnt bought was the newsinger. According to more than one fan, Yutaro Murakami, sounds as if hewas gurgling nails.


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To date, a mere one-hundred-thousand copies were sold worldwide, thereporter for the entertainment news program was saying.

Eiri snorted. Even that was being generous. One-hundred copies he couldbelieve. A thousand was stretching it. One-hundred thousand? Maybe in YohMoriyamas dreams.

Last night, Bad Luck was scheduled to make an appearance on Toru Maki.

As in the Late Late Late Night Show? Eiri chuckled. It was practically acackle.

They had been scheduled to perform their new single Time from their upand coming album, Changes, but their appearance was cancelled minutesbefore the taping was set to begin. They claimed Yutaro Murakami wassuffering from a sore throat.

Bullshit, Eiri sneered.

That was not to say that it was not a valid excuse. It was, or could be. Whileon tour, Shuichi often suffered from sore throats, even severe exhaustion bythe end. Several times, hed actually lost his voice. Still, hed press on.Shuichi could be on his deathbed and hed still make the scheduledappearance. In the case of one Yutaro Murakami, the excuse was nothingshort of a load of bull crap.

But he was spotted an hour later at a bar not far from the studio with acigarette in one hand and a beer in the other.

Typical. That was another reason why Bad Luck has been slowly spiralingout of existence. Their new singer was an idiot. Some would call him a Divaor Prima Donna, but even Divas and Prima Donnas knew not to make suchelementary mistakes as Yutaro Murakami made on a daily basis.

There are now rumors circulating that Bad Luck is considering letting Mr.Murakami go. Some are speculating that Shuichi Shindou will be asked toreturn.

Eiri laughed until he was crying. And he thought Sad Fuck making an

appearance on a late night talk show that only insomniacs watched wasperfect.

He couldnt wait to tell Shuichi.

Tokyo International Forum

Sweat plastered his shoulder length jet-black hair to his face. His musclesached with fatigue. His breath came out in huffing pants, his chest risingand falling sporadically, but his amethyst eyes were alive for the first time inmonths.


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Shuichi took a long gulp of water, his booted feet taping along with themusic that flooded the forum.

It was sounding good.

He started at the tap on his shoulder. It was Maya, his new managersassistant.

Phone call, she shouted in his ear above the music.

Shuichi nodded to indicate he heard and followed her out of the auditoriuminto the atrium. Once the doors shut behind him, the noise level droppeddramatically.

Someone handed him his cellphone.

Hello?

Hey Baby, greeted the suggestive voice.

Shuichis fame went aflame. Eiri! It seemed like they hadnt seen oneanother in forever, even though it had only been that morning. Shuichiexcused himself from the mob of roadies and technical crew and whatnot,made his way outside, and slid into the backseat of the limo in which he hadarrived.

Hows rehearsal going? Eiri inquired.

Great, Shuichi exclaimed enthusiastically.

He was more exhausted then he could ever remember being. There was somuch sweat covering him that he felt as if hed stepped into the shower withhis clothes on. His voice was hoarse and his throat ached. Performing withthe guys was intense and challenging, but satisfying in a way he had neverfelt before.

Though, he was still a little apprehensive.

What if they didnt like him? What if he was a total failure? What if-?

Youll do fine, Eiri said as if hed been eavesdropping on Shuichisthoughts.

Shuichi bit his lip. He wished he could be as confident.

Taking over as lead singer for a band that had been around for longer thanhe had been alive was not an easy or painless transition. Shuichi found hewas constantly wondering what Wataru had been thinking when heapproached him or what hed been thinking when he agreed to theproposition. Why him? What made him so special? There had to be hundredsof others out there better qualified. What if Wataru woke up one day andrealized hed made a mistake?

Trust me, Eiri said breaking into his thoughts.

Shuichi broke into a grin. I do. There was never any doubt about that.


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Then trust me now.

Shuichi could do that.

There was knock on the window, startling Shuichi. He rolled down thewindow. It was Maya again.

They want you inside, she said.

Ill be there in a sec.

Maya nodded and went back inside the Forum.

I may be a bit late, Shuichi told his husband as he rolled the window backup.

Sure. Ill keep dinner warm.

Thanks.

By the way, Eiri said as Shuichi stepped out of the limo. There was justsomething on the news you might be interested in.

Shuichi cocked an eyebrow. Really? His lips twitched just contemplatingthe possibilities.

Bad Luck just fired their singer and their bassist quit.

Shuichi could not help it, standing there in front of the International Forum

with dozens of people milling around, he burst out laughing. There was astitch in his side and he was finding it difficult to breathe, but just thethought of Bad Luck self-destructing after firing him was sweeter thancandy.

Oh sweet revenge, Shuichi thought.

Same Time - En Route

So things had not worked out. Big deal. It wasnt as if it was the end of theworld. He had accomplished what hed set out to do: destroy Bad Luck.

Yoh snickered over Bad Company playing over the car speakers.

Bad Luck deserved everything that happened to them.

So this weekend, the DJ said as the song ended, Trance, believe it or not,

is finally being inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

Bout time, Yoh commented as he slowed at a red light.

About damn time too, the DJ continued. They shouldve been in there


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years ago. I never understood why all these little upstart talentless bandswere being ushered in and the legends were being tossed by the wayside asif they were nothing but dog crap.

Yoh could not agree more. Trance was a legendary band overlooked for mostof their career. It was about time they received their due.

From what Ive heard, theyll be performing Perfect, the DJ was saying.

Yoh nodded. Perfect was Trances biggest hit, though, in his opinion, itwasnt their best song.

And a new song believe it or not.

Yohs eyes went wide. No. Shit, he breathed. Grinning, he slammed a fistagainst the steering wheel several times. Awesome!

Its been--what?--twenty years or something since the guys put out anythingnew? To have something new from the guys is just great. Im not sure if its

unreleased material or actual new stuff though.

To hear something new from Satoru would be awesome. He was a legendfrom the moment their first song came out. His sudden passing back in 85was a shock. I know it was to me. I remember he was in the studio like aweek before. We spoke about their new single, Save Me, and what thefuture held for them. He seemed fine. Healthy. Happy. Just married. Had ason on the way. Plans for a tour were in the works and then a week later itwas like BOOM.

Yoh nodded.

The light turned green.

When the guys were contacted several months back about being inducted, Iguess they were on the fence about whether to perform or not. If they didperform, should they perform without a singer and instead use prerecorded

vocals? Maybe leave the spot empty as a tribute to Satoru? Or should theyscout for a new singer? Maybe ask Eiji to fill in? I dont know if you knowhim, but Eiji Gokurakuin is Satorus younger brother. I heard him sing withhis own band years ago and Im telling you, he sounds shockingly like

Satoru. I-I-I had chills. No fooling.

Anyway, Trance was also contemplating not performing at all--maybeallowing other bands to perform their stuff instead.

Then not long after they received news about being inducted, theyhappened upon some guy in a bar that just happened to be singing one oftheir songs and this guy just blew them away and they hired him on thespot. I dont know. Guess well see if this guy is any good or just a putz.

Yoh snorted.

So in honor of Trance being inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame,here is Save Me from their 1984 album Save Me and remember to watch theInduction Ceremony next Friday at eight on the Music Channel.


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Grinning like a madman, Yoh blasted the volume as his favorite Trance songcame on.

Today was definitely a good day.

Same Time - NG Productions Studio 15

Now what?

For the past twenty-four hours, the remaining members of Bad Luck hadbeen asking themselves that same question. None of them had the answer.

The ensuing silence was the only answer Yuta knew he was likely to get.

We screwed up big time, didnt we?

Yup, was Sugurus answer.

That we did, agreed Hiro.

With a colorful string of, not to mention creative, swear words, Yuta rakedhis fingers through his long blond tresses. Bet Yohs laughing his ass offright about now, he muttered, leaning forward over his knees.

With his arms crossed tightly over his chest and his left leg crossed over the

right knee, Suguru snorted. His foot was bouncing impatiently in the air. Hisgaze was towards the far corner. Along with all of Japan. He soundedbitter.

The others winced.

His gaze riveted on his hands clasped between his knees, Hiro spoke intothe silence that had fallen. Maybe

Suguru and Yuta swung sharply towards the guitarist.

Maybe? Suguru prodded.

Hiro lifted his gaze. Maybe I can talk to Shuichi.

Suguru and Yuta exchanged a glance. It was part unease, part hopeful.

You think hed come back? Suguru demanded. Hed dropped his arms andwas leaning forward. There was fire in his eyes.

Yuta bit his lip. He wasnt too sure.

Theres no harm in trying, Hiro said.


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Short Time Later - NG Productions Executive Offices

Thats bound to be expected, Tohma was saying into the phone as hereclined in his chair behind his desk. He spun the chair around and gazedout the window at the hustle and bustle that was Tokyo. Id be worried if hewasnt.

Yeah, came the sigh. Have you heard them yet?

I have actually. I went down to the Forum the other day. You know theyhave the entire place on lock down? Youd think the Prime Minister, theRoyal family, or some foreign dignitary had rented the place for the day. Itwas like trying to break into the Palace. I almost wasnt allowed in.

There was a faked gasp of dismay. Those bastards.

Tohmas lips twitched. Glad I could amuse you Eiri.

Thats what Im here for.

So? Tohma asked with a chuckle. What about you? Heard him yet?

There was a snort in his ear. You kidding? Shuichis nervous enough as itis. If he knew I was there, theres no telling what would happen. Hed end uphaving a complete meltdown.

With a nod, Tohma hummed lightly. By the way, has Shuichi told Suguru,Mr. Nakano and Mr. Hirasawa yet? He turned from the breathtaking sightthe window offered.

Course not, Eiri answered in a duh tone of voice. I told him he should.You know, rub it in their faces, but Shuichis adamant. He wont sayanything before its time.

Tohma smirked.

Eiri still hasnt forgiven Bad Luck for what they did to Shuichi--not thatTohma could blame his brother-in-law. Some grudges could not be so easily

forgiven. Sometimes there was no turning the other cheek. Despite the goodrelations between the two, there were several past incidents for which hehadnt been able to bring himself to forgive Shuichi.

So he has no desire to tell them that he was hired as the new lead singerfor a legendary rock band? Tohma reiterated.

Nope.

Tohma snickered. First, it was Bad Luck saying they did not need Shuichi.Now it was Shuichi proclaiming not to need them.

Perfect.


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That Night - Shindou-Uesugi Residence - Tokyo

Itd been a year since Hiro laid eyes on his best friend. He didnt even knowif he had the right to call them friends anymore let alone best friends. Forthe past twelve months, he hadnt been a best anything, especially toShuichi.

As Hiro rode the elevator up to Shuichis floor, his stomach cramped withnervousness.

He still had no idea how Yoh managed to do what he did--talk all three ofthem into firing Shuichi. Their fans and critics alike had known that withoutShuichi there was no Bad Luck. Why hadnt they? While he was not sureabout Suguru and Yuta, Hiro could remember the doubts that had plaguedhim when Yoh brought up cutting Shuichi loose. Why had he ignored them?Why had he allowed Yoh to trample over them as if they werent worthy of

consideration? Why had he believed Yohs lies? It was obvious what Yoh hadbeen planning--probably long before he was even an official member of BadLuck--in hindsight.

His grip on the rail tightened as the elevator jolted to a stop. With his headbowed and his eyes squeezed shut, he breathed deeply to calm the nerves.He felt sick.

There was a ping and the doors slid open.

Taking a deep breath, Hiro forced himself to let go of the rail and step out of

the elevator. The doors slid closed behind him. He had nowhere to go butforward.

One foot in front of the other. It was more an effort than he thought it wouldbe.

Maybe this hadnt been such a good idea

It was too late now.

Summoning what little courage he had, Hiro strode confidently down the

hall--or as confidently as he could--towards Shuichis place.

While he was hoping that Shuichi was home, he was also praying thatShuichi wasnt at home. Was that cowardly? Probably.

Shuichi has been spotted out in public from time to time over the last sixmonths, but there was no news about what his onetime friend was up tonow. Was he singing again? Maybe acting? There were speculationscertainly, but nothing official.

Finally, he stood before Shuichis door. Taking another deep breath, Hiroraised his hand and knocked.


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At one point, Shuichi would have assumed any unexpected guest was Eiri--aslong as Eiri wasnt at home at the time of the unexpected guests arrival--butthat time was long gone. Now he just found unexpected guests a nuisance,especially since he was tired from rehearsal. All he wanted was to fall facefirst into bed and stay there for a week.

He wished Eiri were here to deal with this.

Eiri had gone to their favorite bakery to buy something for dessert. Noamount of prodding on Shuichis part had Eiri confessing what he was goingto buy. Eiri said it would be a surprise. Shuichi just thought Eiri wasnt surewhat he was in the m

Sometimes Sorry Isnt Enough

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