Hi people! Thanks for the reviews ^^, please keep them coming. I would like to remind all of you that the main pairing I will be focusing on is still Hachi x Nana, although with mentions of Nana x Ren. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

Two nights later, the members of Black Stones met up at Nana's apartment to discuss their upcoming album.

"Another notification letter from Gaia. If we don't have a new album out by the end of the year, our budget for next year, including marketing and production costs will be reduced by a third." Yabu said, standing and leaning against the wall.

"But music isn't something we can rush! We are trying to produce quality music, but we can't do that with all this commercialization...and..." Before Nobu could go on, he was cut off by Nana.

"How many songs do we have so far?" Nana asked.

"Well, you wrote one, I wrote two... so that's... three" Nobu answered.

Nana bit on her fingernails, clearly showing concern for the current situation. They only had three months left till the end of the year.

"In that case, let's do what we've got to do." Nana got up and pulled out her guitar. She handed it to Nobu, "Please try to come up with something."

Nobu was a little frightened. Nana's mood was unpredictable, but for the most part, she has been exceptionally calm and cold these days.

Nobu struck the guitar, a raucous, prolonged sound came out of the amplifier, sending vibrations propagating through the whole apartment.

"Turn down the volume, neighbors are going to complain." Nana reminded him.

Yet Nobu had to be the one to remind her that she no longer had any neighbors. They all moved out months ago. She was indeed, all alone.

"Ok, how about this?" Nobu played an opening riff.

"Nobu, we already have two songs with openings that have palm-muted strummings..." Nana sighed.

"Then this?" He tried again with a different style.

"No. Too slow, you're boring the audience to sleep."

"Alright, alright..." Nobu scratched the back of his head, "how about this?"

"Tremolo picking? Last time checked, we're not a heavy metal band."

"God, enough already, Nana! There's no way to please you. What the hell is wrong with you these days, constantly nitpicking? If we go on like this, we're not going to have an album out any time soon."

Nana didn't say a word. She extended her hand, "Then give me the guitar, Nobu."

Nobu glanced at her, infuriated, then passed her the guitar with much reluctance. Nana smiled. It was a friendly smile, actually.

"Set the mode to 'clean', Nobu. I want it on acoustic."

Nana started to experiment with the guitar, "How about a song... about an lonely old woman, in her deathbed, with her last breath writes a letter to a young lady she acquainted on the train many years ago, amidst the snowstorm, when the woman herself was just a girl..."

"The song will be given the title, 'Yours truly, Nana'. The first verse will be completely acoustic and soft, singing about the old woman's yearning for those wonderful recollections, and how she longs to see the 'young' lady again. The second verse will be the exact opposite, unleashing the pain and anger she had always withheld from waiting for her for decades... this part will be very climatic. Then a sudden drop, and ends with the woman's death, as her hand loses grip of the finished letter, falling onto the floor... with the last line, 'Yours truly, Nana' written on it."

"Nana... you're dedicating a song to Hachi?" Yasu finally spoke. Nobu remained silent. Shin seemed a little shocked but refrained from speaking.

"No. I'm simply writing what the mass would enjoy hearing from us; it's an appeal to emotion." Nana said monotonously, "and I just happen to incorporate some elements of my life into it."

"You talk of it as if it was so light, yet we all know what a heavy weight she carries in -"

"I'm going to stay up late tonight and write the lyrics, then the guitar tab. I will try to get it done by tomorrow," Nana added, "Now if you'll excuse me. I would like to go through this process unperturbed."

And Nana meant it. As the band's leader, she always had her way.

"Fine. You do that, and we'll be here tomorrow to check out your new song. You better make it good." Nobu said.

"We've all got your back Nana. You're not alone, remember that." Shin beamed sweetly.

"Thanks, everyone. By the way, Nobu... I apologize for my attitude earlier, I shouldn't have. You are a friend I cherish a lot, no matter what." Nana gave him a pat on the shoulder.

Nobu smiled back, "Good luck with the song then."

"Alright, then, let's leave her alone and let her inspirations guide her. C'mon, let's go." Yasu led the way, and Nobu, Shin followed him out of Nana's apartment. The door was shut.

Nana was again all alone in her apartment. Except she wasn't upset, or feeling down this time. In her eyes there was determination and aspiration. Beneath her hardened, black exterior, there was a burning red fusion core that she could no longer contain.

"Hachi, I'm going to make you listen closely, and I'll make sure that you'll never forget this one. Mark my words, I'll have it engraved on your heart, until the day you die."