Okay. I know what you're thinking. "Oh good, Derithimus/New Outlast has gone and made another story." And yes. I have...
...I hope you're not waiting for an excuse, because I don't have one. All I have is a problem.
But in all seriousness I was just updating 'A Second Chance' with the new character pairings and such, when I noticed that no stories on the site are registered as being a true Eiji X Yuna story, which is just heartbreaking, and since I'm on vacation I figured I'd take a crack at filling that particular hole in the fic zone! Enjoy!
Smile for You Chapter 1: The Moonlit Black Cats
"A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open those locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we're pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person, we're safe in our own paradise." – Richard Bach
"And that's it for the show! Thank you all for such an amazing night! Each and every one of you are awesome!"
Yuna could feel it as she finished the last few steps in her routine. The energy of the crowd hitting her with the force of a jet engine. It exhilarated her, it energized her. All these people all cheering for her and the two other girls that stood beside her. Cheers that drowned out even the humongous speakers which projected her voice around the massive stadium.
It was a high unlike any other.
With a confident smile, Yuna shot a ginger into the air, watching as a few strands of her silver hair flitted into the air along with it, dancing around her hand and down her costume covered arm like silvered water flowing down a rocky stream.
"Before we go, let us here you one more time! Who are your favorite girls this side've the world?!"
At this a chorus of cheers erupted through the stadium all chanting 'Moonlit Black Cats' as if caught in a trance.
"Thank you all! Goodnight!"
Even as Yuna slowly made her way offstage, leaving the two remaining group members to say their own goodbyes, she could still feel the euphoric glee that came to her at the end of a show. Knowing that thousands- no, tens of thousands of people had come just to see them sing... It was simply amazing.
Even through the precipice which led backstage Yuna could still hear the throngs of fans chanting for her and her friends. Singing and dancing on stage for hours was certainly tiring, but to have so many people so happy because of them...
Well, quite frankly, to her it was worth it.
"And there's the lead Moonlit Cat now!" The practiced and confident voice of a nearby news reporter, whom had no doubt been granted access backstage as a member of the media, drowned out the cheering of crowds for but a moment as Yuna glanced up to find several cameras zeroed in her direction. The female reporter quickly broke through the ring of lenses, nearly charging at the idol as she called out to her, "Wait! Miss Yuna! Could we get a word?!"
"Oh, absolutely!" Yuna quickly adopted a confident tone of her own as she gave the woman a kind smile, "You look gorgeous tonight!"
"We all watched you three on stage tonight; you were like machines!" The reporter asked, clearly ignoring the compliment as a microphone was shoved in front of the song enchantress' face, "What was it like up there?"
"Amazing! If you thought we had energy you should've seen what we did! You all were so pumped, we loved it!"
"Sounds like you had a blast! Do you have anything to say to your fans?"
"Only that I hope you all had as much fun as I did tonight, but from what I saw I don't think I'll have to hope too hard!" Yuna giggled.
She heard a loud cheer build in the background as the remaining two band members appeared behind her. The first a chestnut haired girl dressed in red and white and a dark blue haired girl dressed in a light teal skirt that served to excentuate her almost puppy-dog-like demeanor.
Yuna felt her lips twinge with the latest rush of glee to hit her brain. Even when doing something as mundane as answering questions for a live-streaming reporter, they had the support of their fans to carry them through.
"A huge thanks from all the Cats for such an amazing show tonight!" The chestnut haired girl, Asuna the oldest and tallest of the trio, was the first to speak up, "We were so excited to preform for you all tonight!"
"We can't wait to come back sometime soon!" The other girl, a petite little thing that was easily the shortest of the group, added with a whoop of her own, though she clearly held less gusto than her fellow members.
"Yep!" Yuna exclaimed as she laid a hand on each of the other member's shoulders, "Like Sachi here said, we can't wait to come back, and don't you worry because that'll be real soo-..."
Yuna wasn't exactly sure if she ever actually finished her sentence. All she could focus on was the sudden sensation of something slamming against her shoulder-blades with the force of a punch.
The pain didn't register at first, though that soon changed as she turned her head to what she assumed to be the source of the impact, only to come face to face with a man heavyset who looked to be in his early twenties, clutching at a piece of bloody black cloth so tightly his knuckles had turned ghostly white.
Was that... Hers?...
The next few moments were a chaotic mess. The sounds of a struggle echoed behind her as clear as a bell as she found herself suddenly being supported by her two band mates, who both looked as if they were less than enthused by the situation.
It happened so quickly she wasn't entirely sure it hadn't been her own mind playing tricks on her. A side effect of the dehydration she was no doubt suffering after dancing around on stage for so long.
No, no it couldn't have been. The man on the floor, pinned under several enraged venue security guards... He was looking at her, screaming a mix of expletives and compliments her way.
"S-sorry about that everyone!" Yuna forced out a laugh as she turned back to the cameras trained on her, using Asuna and Sachi to remain stable, despite the pain in her back attempting to push itself to the forefront of her mind, "Don't worry, we'll be back in town real soon, you can count on that! But until then, make sure the world can see those Moonlit Smiles!"
At this she tilted her head to the side, looping her arms around her two partners to point at her sideways smile, mentally willing herself to hold out against the pain for just a little longer.
Unfortunately a little longer was no more than a few moments. Another twinge hit her as the reporter gave her a wary glance. Ah, damn... There was definitely something warm running down her back...
"Did you have anymore questions?" Yuna asked as the realization hit her that this interview was over, further questions or no, "I'm sure if there are any more my two friends can answer-..."
"N-no! No, go on. Have a good night Miss Shigemura!"
"Thanks! You too!..."
Moments later Yuna was being half lead half carried deeper backstage, where the dressing rooms lay. Unfortunately the others couldn't keep up the admittedly impressive display of strength they had put on, and where forced to sit Yuna down on a nearby folding chair where the silver haired girl collapsed, blinking up at the ceiling as Asuna's voice assaulted her eardrums.
"Yuna! Are you okay?!"
"Uh, yeah... Yeah, I think so..."
"Check the wound, is it bleeding?!" It was Sachi's voice that time, and it certainly sounded less than calm.
Of course the girl couldn't be blamed, as calm was the last thing Yuna became as she suddenly felt someone lifting her hair away from her back, along with the fresh stinging sensation of cool air slapping against the open wound, which elicited a hiss of pain echoing from between her clenched teeth.
"Yeah, she's bleeding!" Asuna confirmed as she began to pull Yuna's hair into a messy bun, "Where's the paramedic?!"
"No!... No I'm fine! Really!" Yuna, now quite awake, desperately pleaded as she attempted to free herself from Asuna's grasp, only to relent when her friend gave her hair a soft warning tug.
"People who are fine don't have blood dripping down their back!"
"It's just a scratch!"
"Yuna?! Yuna?!" The panicked cries of her father powered over whatever Asuna had said in response to her latest protests, "Where's my daughter?!"
Oh, great. Just what she needed.
A moment later a middle aged man in a rather plain looking, though clearly expensive, brown business suit burst through the mess of people rushing to and fro as everyone attempted to locate the paramedics.
"Yuna! Pumpkin, are you hurt?!"
"No Dad, it was just-..." Yuna was cut off as a rather tall man covered from head to toe in red and white overalls burst through the crowd.
In only a moment he was by Yuna's side, examining the wound hastily.
"Miss Yuuki, can you keep holding Miss Shigemura's hair up?" The paramedic asked as he began fishing around in his bag.
"I'm just finishing up the bun-..." Asuna mumbled as she secured the matted hair in place with one of her own hair ties, "There! It'll stay out of the way now."
The paramedic quickly went to work on Yuna's shoulder, his fingers dancing around the wound as he wiped away the blood from her injury. It was clear despite the considerable speed at which he was working that he was attempting to avoid causing the girl any further discomfort.
"Did he use a knife or something?!" Sachi asked as she observed the paramedic work.
"No, it's a pretty rough laceration, and it's imprecise." Yuna felt the paramedic tapping the skin against her neck, "It was probably a key. It looks like he was trying to cut her costume, not her."
"You're saying some sick pervert hurt my daughter over a few scraps of cloth?!"
"Seems so Mister Shigemura..." The paramedic confirmed with a small sigh, "Don't worry, it's not a deep wound. It'll heal in a week or two, and she'll be able to hide it under her hair until it's cleared up."
With that the man went back to work in silence, leaving an aura of awkwardness to permeate the surrounding air.
It was thankfully Asuna who broke that uncomfortable silence, kneeling next to Yuna as the on site paramedic began wrapping the wound with an antiseptic bandage and gauze.
"Yuna?..."
"Uh huh?..."
"I know you hate the idea, but I think-..." Asuna found herself hesitating for a moment, already knowing the reaction she would no doubt receive, "...I think we need reconsider getting more bodyguards..."
"What?!... Asuna, it was one crazy fan!" And there was that reaction. Yuna's eyes quickly grew in panic as she glanced up to find her father nodding along in agreement.
"I have to agree with Asuna pumpkin... You three are the stars of the world right now, there's no reason to suspect something like this won't happen again, especially considering he attacked you on live TV, which means copycats will know you walk around with lax security."
"But Dad!-..."
"No buts. A personal bodyguard would've been able to stop an out of shape man like him without a problem. As it is, security has been far too lax..." The older man shook his head sadly, "Honestly you should've had personal guards months ago... It was my fault for neglecting the idea for such a long time."
Yuna's rather twisted expression clearly expressed the distain she held for the idea, "But it was one fan!..."
"Relax pumpkin... I think you'll like having someone like that around. You have been mentioning your lack of friends recently..."
"Bodyguards are hardly friends..."
Mister Shigemura clicked his tongue. His daughter certainly had a thing for interacting with her fans. It was what had driven her to deny the idea of a personal bodyguard months ago. She would always say a bodyguard was just another wall between her and her fans.
Somehow she found that to be a bad thing, and why that was Mister Shigemura would never know.
"How about this for a compromise... You'll get the final say on your guard. How's that sound? You can pick whoever you want, that way they won't just be another face in the crowd."
Yuna wasn't a fool. Her having the final say? Hardly. Her father wouldn't allow just anyone.
"I'm fine though..." She attempted to plead one final time, though this time it wasn't her father to reprimand her, but Sachi of all people.
"This time... You were lucky the normal venue security was so on top of things. That could've been bad-... Like really bad." The short haired girl murmured as she knelt before Yuna next to Asuna, adopting her famous 'puppy dog stare'. "Please Yuna? Is a bodyguard really such a big deal?..."
Yuna sighed. None of them were going to let this go were they? "Fine... I guess not."
"Let's find you three some bodyguards then... And don't worry Pumpkin, I promise you-..." Mister Shigemura began as he rested his hand on his daughter's uninjured shoulder...
"You'll get only the best..."
*Achoo!*
"Ew! Eiji, you ass!"
"Oh shut up. Can you just help Kazuto and I with this tire already?!..."
"Yeah, yeah..."
So what do you think? Should I continue this little side story here? Let me know what you thought, but until next time, Happy Writing everyone!