Title: Disappearance
Main characters: Jinguuji Ren & Ichinose Tokiya
Summary: Who would've thought he had to go through another loss? Ren's happiness was taken away from him. Since then, all he ever knew was misery. The once-flirtatious singer had turned into a melancholic.
- Chapter One -
The sudden disappearance of his partner shocked Ren.
Upon hearing the news from Tsukimiya-sensei and Nanami Haruka regarding the disappearance of Hirijikawa Masato together with the other fellow members of STARISH and QUARTET NIGHT, they all felt the same thing – their world had turned dark.
Kotobuki Reiji's happy-go-lucky personality faded, Mikaze Ai appeared as emotionless as ever but his heart shattered into a million pieces, while Camus remained silent, shocked. Kurosaki Ranmaru was as speechless and shocked as Camus.
As for STARISH, Ittoki Otoya and Kurusu Syo were constantly questioning Haruka and Tsukimiya-sensei. Shinomiya Natsuki, Aijima Cecil and Ichinose Tokiya stood there and listened, eyes widened in complete shock, while Jinguuji Ren froze.
Though to everyone else, despite the rivalry between Masato and Ren, they all knew the two care for each other a lot.
"I've tried all ways to get Ren to talk but he stubbornly refuses to say a word," Syo said to his roommates Ai and Natsuki, as he paced forth and back in his room and swinging his arms in the air. "I mean, he used to always have something to say but now?" The blond sighed. "I have never seen Ren like this before."
Natsuki, who was sitting on his bed, nodded in agreement and crossed his arms. "Right? I'm really worried for Ren, for Masato, for all of us. It's been forty-eight hours since Masato went missing."
"Exactly," Syo responded.
Ai decided to speak up. He sat on his armchair, expressionless. "But even without Masato around, please bear in mind that you all still have individual works as idols."
Syo rolled his eyes on his senior. "You sound as heartless as ever." He sighed. "We know that, of course."
Natsuki continued, "But without Masato, it feels as though STARISH is disbanded."
The shorter blond plopped onto his bed and sighed, "Right?"
Ranmaru sat on his bed with his eyes fixed on Ren, who was lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling, crying on the inside. Ranmaru knew how badly Masato's disappearance had affected Ren on a regular basis. The boy felt he had lost so much, he could not even deliver his performance correctly.
Ren had not eaten for two full days and it worried Ranmaru. Despite his constant pleading, Ren refused to do anything. He had turned so many projects down due to this.
However, the rock star wasn't going to give up yet.
The senior rose to his feet and walked over to Ren's corner of the room.
"Oi, Ren," Ranmaru took a spot on Ren's bed to sit. "Let's go grab some lunch. You're going to need to fill that tummy of yours. You haven't eaten in forty-eight hours."
Ren released a casual sigh and shut his eyes. "You go ahead, Ran-chan. I'm not hungry."
"Lies. Come on, let's get you down to the cafeteria."
"Ran-chan, I said I'm not hungry."
"You are. You only don't have the mood to."
"Leave me alone, will you please?"
"No matter what, I can't. You're my junior and we're sleeping in the same dorm."
"Shut up." Ren blinked slowly and turned to lie on his side, turning his back on Ranmaru.
Ranmaru sighed and placed a hand on the side of Ren's arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'll bring you some food. I'll be back in fifteen minutes."
Without waiting for Ren's response, Ranmaru left the room and finally, Ren burst into tears.
Otoya and Reiji were out, busy with their respective projects while Tokiya was sitting alone in his room quietly, reading a book. Although he was reading the book, he only had one thing in mind: Masato.
[/Flashback]
It was that same day of the week when Masato and Tokiya always spend the day together. The two spend their Sundays together without fail and even though they had been doing this for many months, neither of the other guys knew about it. It was only between Tokiya and Masato.
Fortunately, it was a very bright Sunday and it was the perfect weather to take a walk in the park. Since it was Masato's idea to finally do something outdoors, Tokiya had no objections. After all, whatever they did together didn't matter. Tokiya had always loved Masato's company.
"Ichinose, are you finished?" Masato asked as he watched Tokiya, who was scanning the lobby of the academy for the last time.
"Ah. Let's go," Tokiya replied with a warm smile, as he turned to head for the exit.
Masato returned the same smile and Tokiya's heart melted. Masato's smile was too precious to him.
At the park, the pair strolled side-by-side, taking their time admiring the blue sky and the nature surrounding them. It was the most relaxing moment for the two friends.
"Ne, Masato."
"Hm?"
"Have you ever…"
Masato kept his eyes on Tokiya, who was wearing that genuine smile only very few people could witness.
Tokiya held his tongue and both his words and actions confused the other boy.
"Ichinose?"
Tokiya shook his head slowly. "Forget I said anything. I didn't know what I was going to say, either."
Both their eyes met then and both stopped in their tracks and faced each other.
Masato, however, knew something was on Tokiya's mind. His friend probably didn't know how to construct his sentence yet.
So Masato tried asking, "Is it something about how you feel about something in particular, Ichinose? Knowing you, you wouldn't start a conversation without having something on your mind."
Of course, Tokiya expected Masato to say that. After all, they spend their Sundays very often together and as time passed, they learned so much more about each other.
While Tokiya kept his silence, Masato tried once more, "I understand you aren't as loud as Ittoki and you don't always speak your mind when it comes to feelings, but I think it's best you—"
Tokiya chuckled. "Pot calling the kettle black, huh, Masato?"
"Um…" Masato wanted to desperately take his words back. He shrugged. "No, I'm just… I'm just saying."
"It's nothing to worry about, Masato, really. Actually, I just want to say how grateful I am to have met you and the others."
"It was Nanami who brought us together, though."
Tokiya nodded in agreement. "But out of all the other guys, the only one I am able to have serious conversations with is you and you're the kind of person I need in my life. So, I'm hoping you and I will remain friends for the rest of our lives no matter what we plan to do as individuals in the future."
Masato's eyes widened and zipped his lips shut, as he was caught off guard with his band mate's kind words. Though at some point, he had expected Tokiya to finally voice out his thoughts, he never thought the day would be that day.
Tokiya continued, "Masato…" The boy took his friend's hand in his and interlocked their fingers together, "Please stay."
Masato returned the smile and with his free arm, he draped it around Tokiya and pulled him into a hug – the one thing Tokiya was least expecting it.
In the other boy's ear, Masato whispered, "I am not going anywhere, Ichinose. I'll be your friend, for eternity."
Unfortunately, for Masato and Tokiya, it was unknown to them that that day was the last day they were able to spend their time together alone.
[/End of flashback]
Masato's disappearance was too much for him to bear but Tokiya wasn't aware that someone else had taken Masato's disappearance a lot harder than he did. Tokiya was too caught up with his own feelings, to the point he had turned numb. He started to keep his distance from everyone, including Reiji and Otoya. Tokiya also refused to speak. It was as though he had lost his voice.
Just as he closed his book and released an exhausted sigh, he heard a knock on the door. Instead of immediately answering the door, the brunet spaced out.
When another knock was heard, he snapped back to reality and finally rose to his feet, dragging his feet as he headed for the door. The moment he grabbed the door handle, he heard a voice on the other side of the wood.
"Ichi, are you in there?"
Tokiya was in shock. "…Ren?"
Ren knocked again angrily, using all the energy he had left. "Ichi!"
Tokiya pulled the door open and gasped at how frail Ren looked. "Ren…"
"Ichi… I…"
"Hush now," Tokiya took a large step forward and wrapped his arms around Ren's muscular frame. "Let's get you inside."
As Tokiya was about to drag the blond in, Ren's legs had given up on him. Tokiya wasn't prepared to carry all of Ren's weight and they ended up falling to the floor with Ren laying on top of Tokiya.
Tokiya grunted, trying to shift Ren off of him. "R-Ren—"
"I'm sorry… Ichi… I need… Hirijikawa…"
The brunet's heart broke.
He had forgotten how much Masato meant to Ren and Tokiya had selfishly thought Masato only belonged to him.
Ren slowly picked himself up. However, instead of standing, the blond shifted himself and sat by the wall, next to the door. Tokiya made it to his feet to shut the door.
"Ren…"
Ren looked like he had lost so much weight and his face appeared to be very pale. It was definitely a sight Tokiya had never seen before and it would take some time to get used to this. His band mate was always flirtatious and had always appeared to be healthy. Now?
"Ren, you need to eat…" Tokiya stood by Ren and went down on one knee.
Ren shook his head. "Ran-chan told me to eat many times but I don't have the appetite."
"At least, take Kurosaki-senpai's advice and eat, Ren."
"No."
"Is Masato all you need?"
Ren weakly nodded his head. "I need him to come back home…"
Tokiya's heart dropped to his stomach. Indeed, he too wanted Masato to return home. However, according to him, it wasn't to him Masato was going to return to; it was going to be Ren and Ranmaru. They're roommates after all.
To cover up his true feelings, as a good friend, Tokiya tried to persuade Ren.
"Ren, I know I am not one to talk…" Tokiya's heart shattered further. "But don't you think Masato would want to return home to see a healthy you? I mean, he wouldn't want to see you like this. Also…" The brunet was forcing himself to hold back his own tears as he watched Ren shed his continuously. "We all don't know the reason behind Masato's disappearance. The only thing we know is, he vanished without a word and we're only hoping for the day to come when Masato returns home."
Tokiya noticed the blond was staring at nothing in particular but he was sure that he was listening so he continued, "What if one day, Masato—"
"Enough, Ichi."
"Eh?"
Ren's gaze shifted to the floor and spoke in a whisper, "I'm done talking about Hirijikawa."
"But…"
"You heard me." Gathering all the energy he had left, Ren relied on his two used-to-be strong legs to stand, while Tokiya reached both his hands out to prepare himself in case Ren was going to fall again but this time, he didn't.
"Stand up, Ichi."
Tokiya did as he was told and waited for Ren's next words.
"Don't tell anybody I came to see you and talk to you. I am only confiding in you because Hirijikawa is missing and—"
Tokiya was partially offended. "So you're using me as a filler?"
Ren shot his friend with an unhappy look. "No. You're not a filler."
"You have others to confide in, don't you? You have Kurosaki-senpai to talk to."
"Listen to me, Ichi, one more word from you and you're getting it from me," Ren said through clenched teeth, leaning on the wall behind him for support.
The brunet zipped his lips shut and looked away.
"I came here to look for you because… Strangely, I feel like you'll understand what I'm feeling about Hirijikawa."
Tokiya was at a loss for words. What was he going to respond to that? Ren's words felt like hundreds of knives stabbing him in the heart.
- End of Chapter One -