Summary: What if Yuki were the rockstar? What if Shuichi were the novelist? Would the two have opposite personalities: Yuki being hyper and Shuichi being agressive? Would they meet in the same fateful way as they did that day in the park? Or, will the two forever live in ignorance of each other?
Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation or any of the songs (italicized). Gravitation belongs to Maki Murakami, the songs belong to their singers/groups/bands. The song in the last chapter belongs to Three Days Grace.
Chapter Three
"Show time, fellas." Yuki said, moreso to himself, as he studied his reflection in the dressing room mirror.
"There's going to be a huge turnout, I've heard." Suguru said, resting himself in the corner, trying to hide his nervousness.
"Hey, just makes you realize just how many people like new things." Hiro yawned, utterly bored at all the madness that had been going on.
There were cameramen, media, and masses of different people all looking for photos, interviews, autographs... Yuki wanted to ring his hair out. He wasn't nervous, by all means. He was stressed. He had spent the entire night before staring at the ceiling and wondering where fame would lead him. Would it lead to happiness? Would it lead him to love, the very thing he hated but wanted the most?
"Yeah, well, we'll see how it all turns out." Yuki turned away from the mirror.
He stood to his feet and walked to the window, looking out at the cars driving by. Life had been crazy since he had woken up that morning. Gun-crazy American manager bounds into Yuki's apartment with bullets flying... Not the best wake up call...
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"WAKIE WAKIE, YUKI-SAMA!!!! WE HAVE A LONG DAY AHEAD OF US AND I WANT YOUR FIRST CONCERT TO BE THE BEST YOU'LL EVER PERFORM! FIRST IMPRESSIONS LAST A LIFETIME!"
K practically dragged Yuki around his apartment to the shower, threw him in (clothes and all), and then dragged him outside to the minivan (gun crazy man in a minivan???), and sped his way to NG Studios with the windows down to dry the sopping Yuki off. When they reached NG they were greeted by restless media. They were asked ten million questions and it seemed like hours before the duo managed to escape their wraths and get into the safety of NG.
By the time K and Yuki (now dry) reached their recording room Sakano was already in an uproar. He was a nervous wreck because of this concert and was spinning off the walls in turmoil that Yuki and K were late. He was afraid something had happened to them and that the concert would have to be cancelled and that his career would be ruined and that the 'president' would fire him and would never fall for him..ever... (By this time Sakano knew he had said to much and just preceded to hang himself).
Suguru was sitting a corner of the room fiddling with his synthesiser while Hiro was in the recording room going over a solo in the silence of the room.
"Look at them," K said, admiring Suguru and Hiro. "Those two practicing... Something you blonde bimbo should be doing! Get in there with Nakano!"
K shoved Yuki into the recording room with Hiro. Hiro stopped playing his guitar and watched the sight with an amused look on his face. He seemed to enjoy all the antics that K pulls on Yuki, mostly because K never does much to Hiro.
"You look bright-eyed and bushy tailed this morning." Hiro said with a chuckle, going back to playing his guitar.
Yuki, knowing his looked as bad as he felt, just shrugged and went to the microphone. He sang with Hiro's guitar, warming up his vocals. It wasn't much of a release, considering he had a huge weight on his chest, but he tried to sing it off anyway. He wanted to sing away his insecurities, sing away his pain.
The rest of the day was a blur for Yuki. His mind kept straying elseware, anywhere but where it needed to be. He kept thinking about how he'd like to settle down with a good woman and have her pop out a few of his kids--mentally his slapped himself for thinking such a thing. He sighed millions of times that day, wondering to himself why he couldn't just accept his loneliness, but it wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. Being alone really was a lonely and gutwrenching prospect. It hurt. All he had was himself...and Hiro.
Hiro was moreso his lifeline. They had been best friends since elementary school, they grew up together, and out of anyone Yuki has ever met Hiro knew him and understood him the best. He could tell Hiro anything, even about how pathetic he felt for wanting a relationship. He loved having Hiro as his best friend...but having Hiro as his only friend...that was hard to cope with. Sure, he has Suguru and Sakano and K, but were they really friends as much as they were employees under the same boss?
"You okay, Yuki?" Hiro asked, noticing his best friend's downcast face.
"Huh," Yuki said, broken from his trance. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."
Hiro smiled lightly and gently punched his best friend on the arm. "Hey, give it some time, man. It'll come soon enough."
Yuki just nodded his head. He would have taken the time to think about what Hiro said, but K saying it was time to head to the arena where the concert was to be held, he was shook out of his thoughts and his main focus was to put on a great show.
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Yuki turned away from the mirror and to his bandmates.
"We can do this." he said with a smile.
"Of course." Suguru said, taking a deep, shaky breath. "Of course.."
Hiro stretched and stood to his feet. He approached Yuki and stared him in the face.
"Sing it like you mean it, bro."
"I mean everything I sing." Yuki replied, this time a little more enthusiastically sarcastic (is that even possible?). He rolled his eyes and stepped out onto the stage.
The cheers were earbleeding. They were a brand new band and they already had all those fans! The arena was ripping at the seams with all of those fans, it seemed!
"How're you guys tonight?"
The cheers grew louder.
"As you might know, we are Bad Luck. We hope that you will enjoy us. We are a new band, and our success lies in you guys." Yuki said. "Now, I think I should introduce you to the band. One the guitar over there is Nakano Hiroshi, and he's a GENIUS not only on the guitar but in school! Something I never was! Over there on the synth and keyboard is Fujisaki Suguru, he's a prodigy, I swear it. And as for me... I'm Yuki Eiri and I hope that you all enjoy the show."
That's when someone caught his eye..someone with pink hair...
This person intrigued him. It was like a magnet, his eyes were automatically pulled to the person... At first, he thought this person was a woman, with the hourglass figure and big, violet eyes. But, a quick glance up and down this person's body (as in seeing a flat chest and not exactly female crotch area) he realized that this person was a he. That didn't make him take his eyes off of the guy, though.. Instead he kept on staring.
The guy suddenly turned red in the face and looked away, but Yuki still kept his gaze on him. It was like the man with the pink hair, the beautiful eyes was the most amazing thing he had ever seen...
Yuki sang right at the man. His self-concious was screaming at him to stop and pay attention to the crowd, but his body had completely taken over and his eyes were glued to the man. He sang with the most emotion he thought he had ever sung before. This time it really meant something to him, like he was sending a secret message to the man through the song...
Pain, without love
Pain, I can't get enough
Pain, like it rough
'Cuz I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all
Hiro opened the music with a heavy guitar beat, followed by Suguru's syth creating a deep drum beat. They played music along for a couple of notes until Yuki's voice rang out clear, deep...right to the man.
You're sick of feeling numb
You're not the only one
Trust me and take my hand
And I'll show you a world that you can understand
This life is filled with hurt
When happiness doesn't work
Trust me, I've got a plan
When the lights go out you'll understand
Oh...
Did this guy even know the pain that Yuki was feeling? Did this guy stare at his ceiling night after night, did this guy share an empty bed? Did this guy even know what it felt like to be alone? Surely someone who looked as good as he did never spent any time alone.
Pain, without love
Pain, can't get enough
Pain, like it rough
'Cus I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all
You know, you know, you know, you know
I will wait here for you
I know, I know, I know, I know
That you'll thank me later
Pain, without love
Pain, can't get enough
Pain, like it rough
'Cuz I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all
Yuki began to second guess himself as the song ended. There was no way that the pink haired man would ever have any attraction to him, he was probably straight as spagetti. But wait...wasn't Yuki straight? Didn't he dream of a good woman, not a good man? What was going on? Why did he crave that pink haired man so? He pushed it aside in his mind. The man had been staring right at him the whole time he sang and he seemed intrigued. Yuki was going to put on the best show he could. Maybe then, Yuki could somehow reach out to him. No matter how impossible it seemed.
As the concert went on Yuki's mind kept racing over his attraction towards the pink haired man. After a while, he decided that he had to meet this guy. There was no way someone could stare at him the way the pink haired guy was without meeting him. He wanted to know why the man's jaw just hung open like it did as they locked eyes frequently thought the concert.
But, he didn't know the man's name...
There was a lot of Tokyo and a lot of people in Tokyo. It would be almost impossible to hunt the man down amongst the whole populace. But, Yuki decided he wouldn't give up. There was no way he was going to let a chance like this die.
The concert ended with a roar of applause. Yuki said his thank yous, wished the fans a goodnight, and headed backstage. As he approached the curtain he heard a shrill voice. He turned to see a young girl standing by the pink haired man...
"I know who you are!!! You are Shindou Shuichi, the novelist! OH MY GAWD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Yuki watched the pink haired man named Shuichi panic and quickly dash for the outside world, escaping the mass of fans who had heard the girl's shrill scream.
"Shuichi..." Yuki said lightly, letting the man's name roll off of his tongue. "I'll find you, Shuichi. I just have to..."