The Pained Smile

By: Mikuro Kurayami

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Chapter 1: Tohma's tea party

It wasn't that often when Seguchi Tohma invited anyone in his house for no utter reason other than for a chat and tea. Actually, the chatting was left with a handful of the invited guests: his wife Seguchi Mika who was being her usual nagging self to her brother; the said brother of his wife, the famous romance novelist who frowned and placed his hand on his forehead out of sheer annoyance, Yuki Eiri and Tohma's young cousin, Bad Luck's synthesizer Suguru Fujisaki who amusedly watched the other guests in the far end of the Seguchi's well-manicured garden.

There was a racket going on with the other four whom Fujisaki watched.

"Ne Hiro... gomen ne..." The 18-year-old, candy pink-haired Shindo Shuuichi explained sheepishly to his best friend. "Sakuma-san wanted a lot of players for hide-and-seek so I had to drag you with me. I don't think Yuki would be the type who'd play hide and seek and Mika-san seems to be busy talking with him"
'More like giving him a sermon' Hiroshi told himself and grinned at Shuuichi in a supportive manner. "Nah, its okay... we don't want to disappoint Sakuma-san anyway. Besides, who else in the world has the privilege to actually play hide and seek with two Nittle Grasper members?" he stared at the other two comically "... if we actually get to play at all that is."

In the meantime, the said Nittle Grasper vocalist was whining and creating the racket. A reproachful-faced Noriko was glaring menacingly at him totally ignoring the pitiful dog-eyes he was giving her. "Nee... Noriko-chaaaaan~!!" The 31-year-old Sakuma Ryuuichi ceaselessly tugged on Noriko's arm. "Onegaii~!!!"
"Ryuu-chan, for the nth time, I do not play hide and seek!"
The whining grew louder. "But I really, really, really want to play!"
"Nagano-kun and Shindo-kun are here to play with you already." The purple haired woman pointed out giving them a helpless look. She didn't want to play such a childish game but Ryuuchi's eyes were making her heart melt out of pity. No matter how much she hated it, she always had a soft spot for the brown haired man.
"Ba~ka..." Noriko intoned playfully, not fully submitting into his childish desires... not yet anyway.
"O...BAA...SAN."
The color on the female keyboardist's face began to drain. "What. Did. You. Say?!"
Ryuuchi gave her his most angelic smile. "Obaasan..." he repeated in a more playful tone. He glanced at Kumagorou and gave the pink stuffed animal a feigned scolding look. "Nee Kumagorou, we shouldn't let Noriko-obaasan play with us. She might break her kneecaps or something, na no da."
"ALRIGHT! THAT'S IT!!! I'M GONNA SHOW YOU THAT UKAI NORIKO DOES NOT HAVE OSTEOPOROSIS!"
Suuichi and Hiro both shared huge sweatdrops on their foreheads.
"Guess we'll be playing after all ne?"
"Yeah... he,he."

However, Nittle Grasper's vocalist did not share their sentiments. He laughed knowingly and pranced around happy that his plan worked perfectly. He had always wanted to play tag with Suuichi before but they were busy with the album making and the tour. Now that the Japan tour was over and both bands were temporarily on vacation, this was the perfect time for him to play. But of course, Kumagorou suggested that it would be boring to be looking for two people only so he let Shuuichi's friend into the game too. And now Noriko has agreed. Kumagorou wanted everyone to play... including Yuki Eiri. Sakuma Ryuuichi told him that the blond, gray-eyed man was "KOWAII" and was busy talking with Tohma. Besides, it was Shuuichi whom he wanted to play with anyway.

He actually didn't like Tohma's brother in law at first because he had a mean smile and plus the fact that Kumagorou was afraid of him. But then Tohma told him that Suuichi loved him a lot so Kumagorou thought that he wasn't such a bad guy after all. Still, Ryuuichi was afraid of Yuki... although he had liked him more now.

Fujisaki laughed as soon as he saw Noriko finally give in to Ryuuchi. "Now we'll get to see some action."
"Why don't you join them Fujisaki-kun?" Mika asked, momentarily drifting her attention away from her little brother who was also watching the game. Or more specifically, Shindo Shuuichi playing. Not that he'd openly admit it anyway.
He simply laughed. "I told Sakuma-san I have muscle pain on my thighs. I slept on one position last night and when I woke up I had the worst case of cramps."
Mika nodded. "I see. Well at least they're enjoying now. Including Noriko-san."

They all saw the game from their position. Noriko dived into a bush just as the" it" for the first round, Hiro, opened his eyes and started the search. It was easiest for him to spot Suuichi with his pink hair sticking out of the garden gnome he was hiding behind from. He also immediately saw the Kumagorou above him hanging on the branch of the tree nearest to him. He had a hard time looking for the two others, Ryuuichi and Noriko who both knew the garden more than Hiro did which gave them and edge with the number of hiding places they could choose from. A female shriek of surprise and Ryuuichi's manic laughter spelt the end of the round. Ryuuichi poked Noriko from behind which made both of their hiding places disclosed to the "it". For the next round, it was Noriko who was "it".

"Noise..." Yuki grumbled as he placed his teacup on its saucer.
"Oh Eiri, its not like you didn't play hide and seek with us before" Mika told her brother.
His left eyebrow arched "When I was 18?"
Tohma laughed. "Now I feel older."

"Oi!" Fujisaki protested. "I just turned 17 a week ago." He diverted his attention towards the game once more, this time more intently at Sakuma Ryuuichi who was whispering something to his stuffed toy. "Now that I tend to see Sakuma-san more often than before, I've always wondered about him and that stuffed toy..." he let his thoughts trough his mouth and let everyone know about it.

"Do you know something about it Tohma-san?" Mika too seemed interested to know. She had been secretly itching to ask the same question before but then she decided against it until someone else was concerned in it too. Besides, it was one charm that Ryuuichi had and no other band singer did. Plus, it drew in hordes of fangirls.

"I suppose you all would have to know it anyway." Tohma said after a brief silence. All eyes were on him as he took a sip on his tea and placed it back on the saucer. "We all know that he seems childish for his age. It's a psychological defense mechanism called Regression." "What happened to him? Some childhood tragedy?" Mika asked once more.
Tohma agreed. "That's right Mika-san. Do you remember the famous electronic company Hisashi?"
Yuki and Mika nodded. Fujisaki didn't because he was probably too young at that time.
Tohma knew this and he explained further. "There was a time when the Hisashi electric company was the number one exporter of electronics in Japan for a long time. It was a monopoly really, everyone wanted Hisashi products because of its undeniable high quality and durability which is still undoubtedly better than all the recent products being sold nowadays. Hisashi electronics was owned by no other than Ryuuichi's father, Sakuma Hisashi.

" Ryuuichi was the only child of this powerful tycoon. He and his wife had no time to spend with their child as all rich parents were. They showered him with gifts and toys just to keep them from being guilty for 'neglecting' their child. They were too busy with themselves and were always away from the house. His parents, however, kept him in the house all the time and didn't want himself exposed to other people. They quarantined him like he had a disease for ten years. They hired a tutor for his education. At that time, Ryuuichi had no one else to talk to. No one except his toys. He was very playful as a child as far as his grandmother can remember. She was the one who told me about Ryuuichi's condition. At first she thought that it was normal for children to talk to their toys. But then at age twelve, he should have matured a little bit... but he didn't.

"And then came the downfall of Hisashi. A barrage of exporters came from Korea, China and the US bringing in more products. It was the age of westernization. Other electronic companies began emerging. The company became bankrupt and closed. This not only damaged the family's economical stature but the weak bond that held them together. Ryuuichi's mom fled with an older and richer businessman as his mistress. Hisashi was depressed and so he shot himself. At the same day, it was known that his mother was murdered speculatively by the businessman's wife although no evidence was found.

"The wake of his parents were held at the same time but Ryuuichi hid himself in his room with his toys like usual. His grandmother came up to him and told him that he should be downstairs to meet those who were visiting his parents. He was silently sitting cross-legged on his carpeted floor, Kumagorou on one of his laps. On his hand was a photograph..."

Ryuuichi finally noticed that she was there and glanced at her with tearless eyes
"Obaasan...?"
"Ryuu-kun, what is it?" she asked gently.
He glanced back at the picture and pointed at it. "Who are they?" he asked innocently. His voice and eyes read that this was no joke.
His grandmother moved closer to take a look. She then closed her eyes and sobbed uncontrollably. It was a picture of his parents.

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Author's notes: Finally! I can make something decent other than Hunter x hunter fanfics =P This is my first time to make a Gravitation fanfic ever! This wasn't supposed to be a multi-chaptered fic but then I didn't want Tohma to narrate it all. Well... I hope I didn't make any character OOC here T___T Warning though, next chapter will have Evangelion-like ramblings. Comments, reviews and hugs for Ryuuichi-sama are greatly appreciated. ^^ Oh yeah, I lay my hands off Gravitation because unfortunately Maki Murakami already owns it.