A.N. Thanks, everyone, for your support and reviews, I appreciate it a lot!

Wednesday morning started the same as any other. Shuichi showered and dressed before heading to the coffee shop. The usual morning crowd came and went as expected. For Shuich, however, the day was anything but ordinary. He could hardly contain his excitement as he watched the clock tick by. He did not want to be over-confident, but he had been waiting for this day for as long as he could remember. He felt nothing but pride and he couldn't help but inwardly scream that he had finally gotten his foot in the door and would soon be living out his dream.

Yukata laughed quietly as she watched the dreamy expression on Shuichi's face. She had only know the boy for the past year, but he never failed to leave an impression on everyone he meets, and she was no exception. His outrageous hair and vibrant personality always seemed to make the work-day more...interesting. People often commented on his cheerfulness and she new that he was one of the reasons why so many became regular customers. He was truly a unique individual. He had told her about his meeting with some music company and, although she was happy for him, she couldn't help feeling a little sad. Although he told her that nothing was guaranteed, she had a feeling that this was the last day he would be working for her. She knew that she would miss him dearly.

Shuichi continued to serve customers and clean tables for several hours, managing to break only a few mugs (which was saying something, considering how clumsy he usually was). When he glanced up at the clock, his heart stopped as he realized it was already one-thirty. The tinkling of bells brought his attention towards the front of the shop and, sure enough, Hiro stood there with a big grin on his face.

Smiling back, Shuichi ran around the counter and pulled off his apron. He looked towards Yukata to find her smiling at him. "Sorry for having to leave so early, Yukata-san."

She shook her head. "No need. Just promise me one thing, Shindo-san."

He cocked his head at her, confused. "Huh?"

She laughed. "Promise that I will get front-row tickets to your first concert when you become a hit."

He smiled and walked over to hug her. "I don't even know if they will sign us yet, silly. I don't want to get ahead of myself."

"Nonsense," she ruffled his hair. "No one can say no to you. Now get your butt out of here before you're late."

Shuichi nodded his head before grabbing his messenger bag from underneath the counter and running over to greet his friend. "Hey, Hiro!"

Hiro smiled and playfully knocked him on the head. "Hey, buddy. You ready to go?"

Shuichi nodded and the two made their way outside towards Hiro's awaiting motorcycle. They climbed on and secured their helmets. "Hold on, Shu."

The bike roared to life and Shuichi wrapped his arms tightly around Hiro's firm waist as they tore off down the street.

XXX

As many times as he had seen the outside of the building, Shuichi had never really been inside NG productions before. It always seemed a forbidden paradise to him, somewhere he could only dream to be permitted access. Yet here they were, standing before the coveted glass doors leading inside. Shuichi felt as if his heart was trying to escape his chest and he tried to calm his nerve.

Hiro understood how his friend felt. He, too, was starting to think that this day would never come. He smiled, looking at Shuichi from behind. Even if it never did, I would still be here for you, right by your side. Clearing his throat, he spoke up. "You know, Shu, we're not gonna get very far if you can't even walk inside."

This seemed to snap Shuichi to his senses and he jumped. Without looking back, he started towards the doors. "Come on, Hiro, we don't want to be late!" Hiro laughed, but followed his friend into the building.

The building was very modern-looking. The floors were marble and the lobby was very open. A small lounge area was off to the side, encompassed by a few plush chairs and a couch. There was a large television against the wall tuned into the local music station. Shuichi wondered how many bands were signed to this particular label, seeing as how it was the most sought-after in Japan. It was then he realized that they would need to work harder than they ever had before to compensate for the competition.

Looking to the other side, he spotted a wide hallway just ahead of them that led to several elevators. Catching Hiro's eye, they both made their way to an elevator and waited for it to arrive. After what felt like an eternity to the boys, the doors finally opened and they stepped inside. Hiro quickly pressed the '3' and they rode up in silence. Neither of them felt the need to talk, as their nerves began taking their toll.

Reaching their floor, the quickly followed the sign that led to the studios. They found studio 2 with little trouble and stepped inside. There were already two people waiting for them, sitting at a small white table. The two men stood as the doors closed behind the two newcomers. Shuichi took a minute to study the two. The larger man had long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a white button-down dress shirt and a pair of khaki's. The man was obviously American, but that was not what surprised him. Rather, it was the holsters tucked beneath his armpits, complete with a gun, that worried him. Looking into the man's blue eyes, he felt some of his tension slip away. He did not see anything threatening there.

The other man was a strange one. He looked typically Japanese with black hair and dark brown eyes behind framed glasses. He wore a dark blue suit with a black tie and white undershirt. What was strange about him was how he seemed to constantly twitch. His hands were clasped in front of him as he wrung them together. He seemed very jumpy for reasons Shuichi could not put his finger on.

The blonde stepped forward and offered his hand to the two, a very American gesture. Shuichi graciously shook his hand before giving a small bow. "You must be Shindo-san and Nakano-san, correct?" Shuichi and Hiro nodded in unison. Pointing to the shorter man, he continued. "This is Sakano-san, your producer and I," he said pointing to himself, "am Claude Winchester, but you can call me K. I am your new manager."

"It's nice to meet you K-san, Sakano-san. We're really happy to be here," Shuichi offered politely. He looked around the room and noticed that someone was missing. "Where is Seguchi-san, I thought he would be here?"

"He is taking an important call right now. He is enlisting a new synth player for your group," K informed them.

Shuichi was taken aback. "A new member? But I thought that Seguchi-san liked us the way we were."

Sakano spoke up for the first time, and his voice sounded as nervous as he looked. "Yes, but Seguchi-san felt that your band was somewhat lacking. He felt that a new member would round your group out nicely. He has quite the talented ear for music."

Shuichi was flustered and about to retort when he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. Looking over to Hiro, the taller boy shook his head. "It'll be okay, Shu. They must know what they're talking about. Let's just see how it goes."

At that moment the door opened behind them and Tohma walked in, a calm smile on his face. "Well, I'm glad everyone made it on time."

Hiro and Shuichi gave a small bow. Shuichi, as politely as he could muster, looked Tohma in the eye. "Sakano-san told us we are going to have an additional member?"

Tohma nodded. "Yes, I would like you to concentrate your efforts on your singing and songwriting alone. I do not want you to be overburdened by being responsible for the arrangements as well. This will allow us to get the best effect from your voice."

Shuichi's shoulders slumped, defeated. What Tohma had said made a lot of sense, and he did not like it at all. It had always been him and Hiro, the two of them were a team. He could only think that an outsider would complicate things, but he did not want to argue with his future boss. "When do we meet him?"

"Tomorrow. He has classes in the day and is currently working on his assignments."

Shuichi was surprised. "School? Is he in college?"

Tohma continued to smile. "No, he is in High School. He is only sixteen."

Shuichi's mouth went slack. A little kid? He wanted to stick them with some little kid?!

Hiro sensed his friends' astonishment and felt the same way, although he hid it better. "You feel that he would benefit our band?"

"Yes. Although he is young, he is very talented. He is my cousin, after all."

It was Hiro's turn to look surprised. He realized that Tohma must have thought at least a little confident of their success if he was entrusting the group with his family member.

A throat cleared behind them before K spoke. "I'd hate to interrupt, but perhaps we should continue with this little audition."

Tohma nodded his consent. Hiro and Shuichi were ushered into the sound booth. K stood on the other side of the glass and pressed a button on the console, allowing them to hear him. "I know we don't have any of your music programmed on the synthesizer, so you will have to make due with the guitar alone."

The two nodded. It wouldn't have been the first time they had to do it without background music. Shuichi was relieved that they had practiced the same way in the past. Looking towards Hiro, who had already situated his guitar, he picked up the microphone. Hiro began strumming the strings and Shuichi allowed his voice to fill the small room.

XXX

"I can't believe it!" Taki bellowed, slamming his fist on the table.

Across from him, Ma and Ken glanced at each other, concerned about their friend's outburst. They were sitting at a table outside of a cafe across the street from NG Studios taking a late lunch when Taki spotted a familiar pink-haired singer along with his friend entering the studio, looking very pleased with themselves. They could only come up with one conclusion.

Taki clenched his fist and scowled. "I heard that Seguchi-san was enlisting a new group, but I didn't think it would be those hacks."

Ma-kun, who was looking increasingly worried, tried to console his bandmate. "You don't know that yet, Taki. Nothing was made official yet." When he received no response, he continued carefully. "Besides, even if it is true, why not give them a chance. We've been to the club when they were playing, and they aren't that bad."

Taki immediately got to his feet, slamming against the table as he did so. "Not that bad?! They have no right being at NG! I won't stand competition from a talentless bitch like him," he growled. Without saying another word, he began walking towards the crosswalk. Ma and Ken did not make a move. They looked at each other, but Ken simply shrugged his shoulders and continued to eat. Ma, who had always been the more rational one, simply sighed. He knew that there were many reasons why Taki was angry, but none of them were reasons enough for this degree of hatred.

Taki cursed under his breath as he waited for the light to change. His mind raced as he thought about Bad Luck's singer. Although he denied it even to himself, he felt a growing obsession with the boy. He was attracted to him more than anyone he had ever met, but that only fueled anger because he was consistently turned away. The fact that Shuichi had made it into NG without taking him up on his offer angered him beyond compare. He was determined to break the boy.

The light finally signaled him to walk and he stalked across the street. Reaching the other side, he did not pay attention to where he was going, and he ended up bumping into someone. Snarling, he whipped around intending on snapping at the person when he suddenly stopped upon seeing her. He looked at her, a confused expression on his face. "Ayaka?"

Ayaka was dumbfounded. "Taki?"

Both realizing their similar states, they began laughing. Ayaka reached forward to pull Taki into a tight hug. "I haven't seen you since high school! How have you been?"

Taki pulled back, a small smile on his face. "I've been good. You?"

Ayaka straightened out her blouse and smiled back at him. "I'm fine. I was just headed to NG to see my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?"

Ayaka blushed. "Yeah. Nakano Hiroshi. I started going out with him about a month ago. He's here for an audition."

Upon hearing that name, Taki bristled. "Yeah, I saw him walking in a while ago with Shindo."

Ayaka frowned. "I'm not hear to see Shindo." She spat the name as if it left a sour taste in her mouth. "I couldn't care less about that brat."

Taki looked intrigued. "You don't like Shindo either?"

She shook her head. "What I wouldn't give to make sure he keeps his paws off Hiro. I see the way they always hang off of each other. It's sickening. Now that they may be working together, I know that Hiro will pay even less attention to me." She scowled, venom lacing every word.

Taki allowed an evil smirk to form on his lips. "What do you say to a nice cup of coffee. We have a lot to catch up on. My treat."

Ayaka was taken aback at first, but upon seeing the expression on her old friend's face, she immediately understood. Stepping forward, she slipped her arm around Taki's and they began to walk. "I'm sure Hiro will be okay without me for now. After all, we do have a lot to talk about."

XXX

"Well, I think that takes care of everything," Tohma stated, shuffling the signed papers into a manilla folder.

Shuichi could barely contain his excitement enough to keep his feet on the ground. Trying to expell some of his energy, he danced from one foot to the next with an occasional bounce. Hiro rolled his eyes at his friend, but could not suppress the huge smile on his own face as he watched Tohma place their contracts on top of a small pile on the corner of his desk. "Is there anything else we need to do today, Seguchi-san?" Hiro asked.

Tohma sat down in his leather chair and rested his elbows on the desk. "For now, no. I will expect you to be here tomorrow first thing in the morning. You will be meeting with your third member and you can get a feel for him."

Shuichi snapped out of his daydream and bowed quickly several times. "Thank you so, so much, Seguchi-san! I can't believe we are finally here."

"Don't thank me yet, Shindo-san," Tohma stated, suddenly serious. "I expect only the best from my musicians, and I will not let my company suffer from the hands of people who expect success to be handed to them. I will be keeping a close eye on the two of you for quite some time, but I assure you that every band has to be evaluated carefully. There is a lot of hard work that goes into becoming a household name."

Shuichi felt the weight of Tohma's words and, although he sometimes didn't seem it, he took them very seriously. Even so, he had no doubt in his mind that they would make Tohma proud. "We won't let you down, Sir."

Tohma smiled, expecting the response. "Very good, then. I have other appointments today, so if you have no other questions, I will see you two in the morning."

Hiro and Shuichi shook their heads and made their way out of the office.

XXX

Shuichi was practically bouncing down the street as he made his way to the coffee shop. Although he was a little sad for having to quit his long-time job, he felt that Yukata somehow knew it was going to happen. She always seemed to have the utmost faith in him.

Reaching the shop, he entered and immediately spotted the tall woman behind the counter. Hearing the bell ring, Yukata looked up and smiled after seeing the boy standing there. She also noticed the radiant glow in his eyes, and she knew what that meant. He walked towards the counter and slumped into the stool in front of her. "Ask me if something good happened?"

Yukata couldn't help but laugh at the dreamy look on his face. She decided to play along. "Alright, Shu-chan. Did something good happen?"

He started to bounce in his seat like a five-year-old. "Not something good, something great! We got signed!"

Yukata fought back the twinge of pain that tugged at her chest. "I always knew you would do it, Shuichi. It was only a matter of time. When do they want you there?"

Shuichi deflated. Looking up guiltily, he met her gaze. "Tomorrow morning. There's a lot we need to get started with."

Understanding why he was sad, he reached forward and ruffled his disheveled hair. "Don't worry about the job, kid. There were a lot more people in this world cut out to be waiters than singers. You're special, Shuichi. Do what you need to do."

He lept up from his stool and leaned over the counter to give her a bone-crunching hug. "Thank you so much, Yukata-san."

"No need to thank me, Shuichi. Just don't forget about us 'little people' when you're big and famous."

He pulled back and regarded her seriously. "I would never."

XXX

Fujisaki Suguru. Sixteen years old. Five foot, three inches tall. Dark green hair, brown eyes. Cousin of the famous Seguchi Tohma. All in all, one cocky brat.

That said, Shuichi could not deny the fact that Suguru was a very talented musician. He sat on the uncomfortable metal chair, scowling, as the younger boy's fingers glided effortlessly over the keys of his instrument. He never felt the need to keep secret the pride he held in his own skills with the synthesizer, but hearing it being played by someone with such an ability...he could not compare to it.

He now knew why Tohma preferred for him to concentrate on his vocals.

After the song was finished, Suguru stepped back and regarded his small audience. Sakano-san immediately began spewing praise somewhere along the lines of 'of course, genius runs in the family'.

Hiro looked towards Shuichi, a concerned look in his eyes. He knew how particular his friend was with his music and was bracing himself for an outburst. He was surprised, to say the least, when Shuichi simply smiled and nodded.

Before either one of them could utter a word, K stepped forward. "Alright, everybody, enough fooling around. We have a song to rehearse, so get your butts into the sound booth.

Mostly out of fear of the eccentric American, the three wasted no time getting set up. Within fifteen minutes, they were going through their initial run of their first song, Rage Beat.

XXX

Tohma stepped out of his office a little after four in the afternoon. Although he did not let it show on his face, he was very eager to get down to Studio 2 and see how Bad Luck was doing.

His thoughts drifted, as they often do, to his brother-in-law. He could not stop his mind from replaying the image of the man Monday night at that club. He could not put his finger on it, but there was something hidden in that passive expression the man had when he saw the boy perform. He was certain that his attention was drawn to the singer, seeing as how he had not even been paying attention until that angelic voice came through. If he could only figure it out...

Tohma tried to push those thoughts away as he stepped out of the elevator once it reached the third floor. He was a very intelligent man, and would find the missing pieces soon enough.

Entering the studio, he marveled in the music being created. Even though the group was new, he could already tell that they were the real thing. He refused to voice this to them just yet. No need to make them overconfident.

He stopped outside of the glass window facing the sound booth. K stood next to him, his arms crossed over his chest. "Where's Sakano-san?"

K shrugged, not tearing his eyes away from the band. "Not sure. Probably doing...producer-stuff or something."

Tohma smiled and gave his attention back to the group. He watched as they stopped a few minutes later to make an adjustment to the arrangement before beginning again. Seeing Shuichi perform like this, Tohma realized how much like Sakuma Ryuichi he seemed. Maybe that was what caught his attention in the first place.

Tohma almost jumped when K spoke up. "I like this music, but there seems to be something missing."

After a moment's thought, Tohma had to agree. "This will do well as an initial single, but the lyrics seem to be lacking."

"That's just what I was thinking. But he is only a kid, after all. Things can improve with some reinforcement." Tohma did not miss the maniacal smirk on the man's face or the loving tap on his magnum. He could only guess what the man was truly capable of.

The gears in Tohma's head began to turn. Lyrics. He smiled, a plan surfacing. "Perhaps I have a less violent way to help push Shindo-san in the right direction." He ignored K's questioning eyes as he turned around to leave. "Don't go easy on them, K-san."

Hearing the finality hinted in the tone of Tohma's voice, he shrugged it off. "I never do."

XXX

"Yeah?"

"Eiri-san, so good to hear your voice again," Tohma smiled.

A sigh. "I just saw you two days ago, Tohma. What do you want now?"

"I would like your help with something, Eiri-san."

"What? I'm kind of busy here, so spit it out."

Tohma smirked, knowing the irritation was most likely caused by writer's block, which had been plaguing the novelist as of late. "I would like you to help with a new band. They could use your help with their lyrics."

"I just worked with one of your groups. Honestly, Tohma, I'm going to start thinking you're going senile if you keep hiring idiots who can't even spell."

Sensing no rejection in the statement, Tohma persisted. "Does that mean you will accept?"

There was a long pause before Eiri responsed. "When?"

"Come in on Monday and you can meet with them. They are already working on their first single, but I have a feeling you can help them with some others."

"Whatever." Eiri said before the phone cut off.

Tohma replaced his phone and smirked at no one in particular. If all went according to plan, he may just get to the bottom of this.

TBC...

A.N. Another chapter finished. Before anyone kills me, Eiri and Shuichi WILL meet in the next chapter. I just wanted to get a few things squared away before then. I apologize if this chapter was a little slow, but I needed to establish a foundation to Shuichi and Hiro with NG. Anyway, reviews are appreciated and I will have the next chapter out soon.