Chapter 8


"Welcome to Yappa Kimigure Rock! Tonight we have Setsuka and Reino as our special guests! Everyone give them a warm welcome!" The crowd's cheering was deafening as the musical power couple entered the set.

"So Setsuka-chan, I gotta ask... How did you and Reino meet?" Shinichi gave a sly smile.

Setsuka's eyes lit up. "Well.. about a few months after I moved here to Tokyo with a friend, I met him in a little restaurant that I was working in. It was the August before my 16th birthday." She turned and smiled at the young man that had his arm draped on the sofa behind her.

His thumb grazed her back, "Best Birthday present ever." Reino commented.

"What was that?" Hikaru asked out of curiosity.

"We went on our first date on my 18th birthday, in October." Reino clarified.

Hikaru nodded. "Two months?"

Reino laughed, "She made me work." Kyoko playfully swatted him.

"So what do you think would be different if you hadn't met?" The relationship questions were one of Lory Takarada's ideas to let everyone know the joys of Love.

"I probably wouldn't be as happy as I am now." She answered after a lot of thought.

"I know I wouldn't be. I started getting really fed up and unhappy with my career path and life before we met." His answer came natural. "She's my muse." He smiled then kissed her cheek. Cheers erupted in the studio again.

"So.. if you don't mind, we are going to show a couple of clips of you two tonight." Yuusei announced as the lights dimmed.

The first clip was of their ghostly PV together and the second was of her strutting down the catwalk with Reino.

"Wow, those were great! Setsuka-chan.. I heard you wrote that song.. What was your inspiration?" Hikaru asked.

"Well, actually it was Reino. He, I guess, Brings me to Life." She answered honestly with a cute smile. "I felt kind of alone and empty before we met. He added a lot of substance to me, like in the video." she ended.

"Now, for the next question.. How did you handle the modeling part?" Yuusei asked. "A lot of young ladies in the audience would like to know."

"That.. took a lot of focus and practice. I just pretended that Reino was the only one there. It made it a lot easier than focusing on the cameras and the audience. After the initial walk the rest was easy since Reino was out in the audience near the front row and the cameras. It helped a lot that he was there for me." She explained.

"Reino, doesn't it bother you that she has so many male fans?"

"Not really, she loves me not them. I don't mind if they look, as long as there's no touching." He answered honestly.

"That's a really good way to look at it." Hikaru complimented. "So, are you going to sing for us tonight?"

"Yes, but first there's something I want to ask Setsuka first." He dropped to his knees in front of her. Her eyes grew wide. He opened his mouth to speak the words as a bright blinding light flashed through his aching head and he opened his blurred vision to the sterile room of a hospital.

He was covered in a warm gray blanket with an IV pumping needed nutrients into his weak, sore arm. He tried to speak, but it came out scratchy and harsh. He searched the room for the spirits that would usually accost him in such a place and found it strangely empty and devoid of the supernatural. The only thing that registered was the incessant beeping of a machine.

"Ah Reino-san, you're awake." The male orderly greeted him.

"...?" He started to speak.

"Don't try to speak just yet, it's been a while for you. You need to take baby steps." The kindly man informed him.

He nodded.

"Let me go get you doctor and we'll be right back, okay?" The orderly left, shutting the door quietly behind him.


"Alright.. Your vitals seem very good. You can move your limbs and you have feeling in them. All things considered. Take a few of these ice chips." The doctor handed him a cup filled to the brim with ice.

"What happened?" He asked in a hoarse voice.

"What is the last thing you remember?" The doctor asked testing his memory.

"I was on a talk show and I was about to propose to my girlfriend." He whispered.

The doctor moved to the nightstand and took a hand mirror from the door and handed it to him. "Try not to be shocked when you look, alright?" he said gently.

Reino lifted the mirror and looked at the image. A faint scar ran from the left side of his brow to his right temple. His long silver locks were now only about 3 inches long as if his head had been shaved at some point. "What happened!?"

"Calm down.. You were involved in an accident about three months ago and suffered severe head trauma. You have been in a coma. Your friends have been here almost every day talking to you and playing music for you, hoping they would get through to you." The doctor explained.

"Where's Setsuka!" He demanded.

"Reino! You're awake!" Miroku was relieved.

"Miroku.. Where is she? Where's Setsuka?" Reino begged.

"Who's Setsuka?" Miroku asked in confusion.

"Damn-it, this isn't funny. Where's Kyoko... My girlfriend!" He asked on the verge of tears.

"Reino.. She's not your girlfriend. Remember? She slapped you and told you to go away after you botched your confession." Miroku explained.

Reino sighed, "I guess that explains quite a bit."

"You know.. It's still not too late." Miroku comforted him. "Just try to show a little more tact around her next time. I'll help if you listen." He smiled.

Reino leaned back on his pillow and crossed his forearm over his scarred brow. "Yeah.. baby steps."


A/N: Honestly I do kinda like Reino, lol. I didn't mean to torture him so. Maybe someday I'll give him a real victory, because even though Sho is changing, a snake can only shed his skin and honestly Ren's lack of testicular fortitude is getting on my last nerve. Love you guys and thank you for reading my little tease.