A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed! And also to those who put the story on alert, though I'd be really happy if you tell me what you think and send a review as well (pretty please?) hehe.

i also recommend checking out a clip of the very busy Shibuya crossing which will be mentioned in this chapter. i just love the Tokyo atmosphere-- you'll see fashionable people everywhere! so i'd like to think that the characters in the story are stylish as well :)


LIGHTS AND MUSIC

2. Keep This Fire Burning (Outsiders [freemasons edit])

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Hillside Terrace Complex

Daikanyama, Shibuya

"I really missed doing this with you, you know?" She said as she loosely draped her arms around his neck.

He smiled smugly and kissed the side of her face and the spot below her ear. "I missed this too," he said.

"Mmm..." a delicious moan followed by a giggle, "that tickles, Reito!"

They were on the plush white sofa comfortably cuddling. As far as she was concerned, it was a little too comfortable for her current libido. With a little groan she grabbed his hands and put them on her waist in attempt to get him moving a bit faster, but Reito simply let his hands rest right where she put them. She frowned in their kiss and fidgeted.

He was laughing now. "You're squirming too much,"

A pout and a poke in the chest. "That's because you're being a tease, bastard."

Reito flashed a dashing smile and feigned innocence. "Whatever do you mean?"

A huff later, shoulders were grabbed to continue their little make-out session but things stopped abruptly as Reito's cell phone rang and echoed in the vast lounge room of the trendy space.

"Oh, it's Tate-kun! I have to answer this, excuse me Shi-chan."

A very flustered Fujino Shizuru let out an irritated sigh as she watched Reito disappear into the adjacent room. Just as she thought things between her and Reito were getting better (as the heavy petting was getting just a tad hotter), Tate Yuuichi had to steal her boyfriend away yet again with his constant phone calls. Shizuru thought it was insulting that Reito, her boyfriend of more than three years (and whom everybody called to be her "high school sweetheart"), would abandon his total babe of a girlfriend in the middle of their make-out session to answer a phone call from a guy. Though she supposed that it was better that it was not a girl.

Oh well, she thought with a shrug. We were getting boring anyway. She had invited him over to her apartment and had wanted to prove that they were still 'fun' despite how long they'd been a couple. She could hear Reito's hearty laugh in the other room. He's having fun, all right, but apparently not with me, Shizuru thought dejectedly.

It wasn't exactly heartbreaking for her. She was just sad and a little disappointed. Her relationship with Reito had been one of the few real things in her life. One of those things was her flat that she thought had been a godsend. She had acquired it over the summer after her parents finally let their little princess go her own way for college. No more absurd curfews, impatient chauffeurs, unexciting family business meetings, and her parents' tight watch over their daughter. They had raised her to be the perfect yamato nadeshiko, complete with all the trimmings of a company branch awaiting her when she finished college, and the inevitable omiai. The latter didn't bother her much since she had been arranged with Reito who was her childhood friend. Yet she knew that her seemingly perfect relationship with Reito was most likely coming to an end soon.

It was getting dreary these days. Both go to Tokyo U, memorized each other's schedules, and had lunch together everyday. Wasn't that supposed to be perfect? Yes, it was. But in Shizuru's life things always had a way of getting too perfect. To the point of dullness. Reito felt that way too, she surmised that much. In fact he could very well be the male version of her. Wealthy upbringing? Check. Patrician features? Check. A mastery of a classical instrument? Check. Tea addiction? Check. Reserved movements? Double check that; reserved enough to not even have sex with each other in the three years they had been together.

Despite all that, she had always felt it was good enough. It gave her steadiness in her life. He always supported her as she did him. Reito was her best friend whom she could talk to about absolutely anything. Relatively, they had the same misgivings about family, school, and the near future. They had almost everything in common. They had the same circle of friends. They could be siblings, really.

.

"Well?"

Shizuru peered at Reito nervously, expecting an angry reply. All she was met with was a pondering smile from the guy.

"How was it?" her boyfriend said with mischief. Shizuru couldn't believe her eyes.

"Reito? I'm telling you that I practically cheated on you that night at the club, and you're asking me how it was?" She said incredulously.

"Do you want me to be angry?" He chuckled. "I hardly call it cheating. You said she came on to you, isn't that right? And you were probably a little drunk," Reito said matter-of-factly. He took her hand in his.

"Only a little…" Shizuru mumbled guiltily. She could not believe what a good boyfriend Reito was.

He laughed lightly. "Hey, don't make it sound like you made such a big mistake. Yes, I am a little jealous," he added. "The only thing I'm sad about was how I didn't get to see it."

Shizuru gaped at him and slapped his shoulder. "Hentai!" she laughed along with Reito.

"It would be a different story though, if it was a guy. But I know you would never betray me that way, Shi-chan."

Shizuru nodded genuinely with a smile. Then her thoughts went back to the time when she went to see Reito's kendo practice. She saw him talking closely with Tate and his hand was on the other guy's shoulder.

" So, are there any accidental drunken kisses between you and Tate-kun that I should know about?" she teased without a hint of embarrassment.

"SHIZURU!" Reito went crimson.

Shizuru giggled uncontrollably at her own slyness.

.

Shizuru was shaking her head out of her thoughts as Reito entered the lounge apparently done with the phone call. He grinned sheepishly at her as he seated himself next to her on the sofa. She smiled knowingly at him.

"Don't tell me. You're going off to a date with Tate-kun again, I know that look," she teased him.

"It most certainly isn't a date! Tate-kun merely asked me a favor to spar with him tomorrow. He has a tournament next month," he said as he furrowed his eyebrows in a defensive manner.

Shizuru giggled. "Ara, so defensive! The little blush on your cheeks tells a different story though." She tapped at his tinted cheeks mischievously.

Reito playfully sulked. "Must you tease me with such absurd notions, Shi-chan?"

"Absurd? What's so absurd about a date with the handsome kendoka?" She laughed light-heartedly.

If Reito didn't know any better he would think that his girlfriend actually approved of it. He laughed along with her knowing that she would only tease him endlessly unless he changed the subject.

"Well then, what was that I hear from Haruka about Anh Lu inviting you for a night at Zhang later?"

Shizuru didn't even flush. "I turned her down. I simply can't stand a show-off like her." She pursed her lips.

Reito nodded in agreement. "She certainly is. You'd think she'd be more well-mannered given that her parents are just like ours," he said. "But you do have plans tonight, right?"

"Yes. I'm going to Zhang with Haruka. I suppose Yukino will come along too, if Haruka can persuade her. It's been a long while since we've been there," Shizuru told him, referring to the time they took Reito's brothers on a night out. "And you, Rei-kun? Will you come?"

Reito shrugged. "I believe I have to. Anh Lu might try to snatch you away."

Shizuru just smiled. "Then I have to keep an eye on you too. I remember Mai-san mentioning that Tate-kun will be there as well," she teased back.

There was an uncharacteristic silence. They usually bantered playfully and endlessly. And Reito was not the more silent one. When no immediate reply was heard, she eyed Reito questioningly.

"It is funny, Shi-chan," Reito started, surprisingly on a serious note as he turned his head to view Shizuru directly. He had a lopsided smile on his lips. "We have never had a fight. We never get jealous over other people. We get along too well," he said as he held her hand. There was no spark, no fire. Only warmth was felt between their linked hands. "I'm afraid I've never told you that I loved you, huh?" He laughed a little nervously as he averted his eyes. All the while, Shizuru's eyebrows lifted at her boyfriend's odd behavior. However, it was not long that it slowly dawned on Shizuru.

She nudged gently at his chin for him to look at her. Reito was a little surprised to see her smile knowingly at him. "Is this because I mentioned Mai-san?"

Reito gave a small, restrained smile as he dropped his gaze. He had not done anything wrong, no. Shizuru seemed to acknowledge this.

She slipped her fingers through his, silently assuring him that she knew, but that it was okay.

.

Shibuya Crossing

Haruka's Paradiso Girls CD was bumping through the speakers of her huge-ass Lexus SUV, and Shizuru smiled while listening to the lyrics that fitted Haruka quite nicely. Yukino pulled the car to a stop as the red light glowed ominously overhead. Pedestrians scrambled through the teeming junction. The stop would take a short while. Yukino agreed to be the driver for tonight. She was the one who most likely would not drink over the alcohol limit for driving. The fact that Yukino had agreed to come, however, was an accomplishment in itself.

Haruka especially had thanked her profusely for it.

"I promise I won't get too drunk, Yukino dear. I know clubbing isn't your thing but I'll make sure you'll have your fun tonight too," Haruka was given a well-earned blush from Yukino.

Profusely indeed.

"You better not go all Bubuzuke-onna on me tonight, Shizuru. You have the perfect excuse to drink and I won't have you drinking tea in that place," Haruka huffed.

Shizuru replied with a laugh. "I don't think they have tea in there." Haruka scowled at her. Shizuru continued, "I don't need excuses to drink, Haruka-chan. And what do you mean by that anyway?"

"Aren't you upset at all that Reito broke up with you?"

Shizuru sighed, more out of bother than of sadness. "He didn't break up with me, Haruka. We both ended it. We were getting monotonous, we both felt that way."

Haruka raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's the reason he broke up with you?"

"It was a joint decision, Haruka. Why does it seem like you want him to be responsible? I hope you weren't planning on confronting him." Shizuru mused. Confrontation went to a whole other level when it came to Haruka.

"I wasn't even thinking about it…" Haruka mumbled somewhat guiltily. She turned to face Shizuru again. "But I bet there's another reason why you jointly decided to break up."

Shizuru giggled at Haruka's doubtful tone. "I know it's hard to believe that after so long it just had to come to an end. But it was a peaceful end, I think."

"Why don't you just spill it, Bubuzuke." Haruka said knowingly.

Shizuru thought about it for a while.

"Well?"

"I'll show you when we get to Zhang. I think he's already there. He could probably explain it to you himself."

As the green light shone above Yukino put the car in motion again. Dodging a few scampering pedestrians, she said, "Who did he go with?"

"He went with Tate-kun."

Yukino glanced curiously at Haruka who suddenly had a peculiar expression on her face.

Shizuru stared outside the window at the numerous shops as they went past the Shibuya 109 building and sped through the street to the Dougenzaka Love Hotel Hill area.

She felt a pang of disappointment as she recalled that Natsuki had quit Zhang, and that she would not be seeing her tonight. It had been a while since she had been at the place but she never forgot their steamy (but rudely interrupted) encounter. She scowled at the thought of Nao Zhang.

"Why don't you take this…lady outside? We have to talk," Nao spat angrily at Natsuki, but she was careful not to offend Shizuru who was a VIP.

Shizuru adjusted her top awkwardly. Natsuki growled but before she could speak, Shizuru said with a lingering gaze, "I have to go now." And she walked out of the bathroom leaving the two inside. She stood outside the door cautiously, cheeks still warm from their actions a little while ago. She could hear them arguing inside.

"You sure know how to pick 'em, Kuga," Nao jeered. "You even forgot to manage the songs properly."

"I'm sorry, okay? I just forgot for a while, that's all." Natsuki sounded like she was gritting her teeth.

"No wonder you love the VIP lounge, huh?" Nao continued. "To score rich girls like her. I thought I was paying you enough for that." She laughed with sarcasm.

"Damnit, Nao! It wasn't like that at all!"

"Oh really? Perhaps I've been underpaying you…Shall I make it up to you?" The sound of heels clicked inside the bathroom and Shizuru could imagine Nao Zhang approaching Natsuki. A surge of jealousy grew in her chest.

"Would you quit that? Is that all you ever fucking think about?!" Natsuki raised her voice.

Shizuru could take no more. She stormed her way downstairs and went to look for her companions.

She snapped away from her thoughts as she saw the large building that was their destination. The only indication of it as a nightclub were the small, wrought-iron, stylized letters of ZHANG near the entrance.

After Yukino had successfully found a parking space in at the club's crammed parking lot, the three of them straightened up their outfits before heading towards the building. Its high walls had a bare white exterior and looked totally nondescript. As they paid the 3500-yen door charge, the large flashing LED screen on the wall beside the entrance caught Shizuru's eye.

PLAYING YOUR FAVORITE HOUSE TRACKS LIVE: DJ KUGA IS BACK AT ZHANG SUPERCLUB