Hiro couldn't fight the groan that fought to escape from him.
One week. They had one week left to their vacation but they might as well have said it was over. Especially with the way Shuichi and Suguru were arguing.
What exactly they were arguing about, Hiro wasn't too sure. Something about lyrics and arrangements - the usual argument, it seemed, and something he had long since tuned out. It was something that they always did when they were in the studio and usually worked out between themselves. He just thought it strange that they were fighting like this. It had been their idea to get together and practice before they went back into the studio.
And something else felt off about their bickering. It felt more . . . relaxed, somehow, like they had already agreed on whatever it was and were simply going through the routine for the mere sake of it. He stopped strumming his guitar to pay better attention to his bandmates only to find they'd already fallen silent. Both wore contemplative expressions on their faces and they were both huddled over the same piece of paper.
"Okay, you two, what's up?" he inquired, setting his guitar down. As he spoke, two sets of eyes glanced at him.
"Nani?"
"You're too quiet for just having had an argument," Hiro stated, folding his arms some. "Not to mention the whole thing seemed a little fake to me. What gives?"
At that, Shuichi and Suguru looked at each other and smiled, as if they were sharing some secret that they weren't about to share with Hiro. His eyes narrowed for a moment then he shook his head.
"You two are impossible!" he declared. "Go ahead. Keep your secret then."
Shuichi started to laugh as he set down the paper he and Suguru had been looking over. The keyboardist even managed a faint snicker.
"It's nothing big, Hiro," Shuichi assured him, his violet eyes glimmering. "Besides, the argument wasn't one of our usual arguments."
"Oh? What is it then? Don't tell me you two are having an affair together," Hiro teased, noting that Suguru's eyes narrowed at the suggestion. Shuichi only laughed again.
"Wouldn't you like to know," he teased back before shaking his head. "No . . . it's about how we want to present one of the songs."
"Really?" Hiro found this intriguing. "And how is that?"
"I was thinking we should keep our usual approach," Suguru supplied. "The usual techno thing. Shuichi, on the other hand wants it to be more rock. Our singer, apparently, has been listening to Gackt and HYDE again."
"We could still make it sound rock," Hiro murmured, leaning back in his chair. "I mean, there isn't anything you can't do on that synth of yours, Suguru."
"We could do that," Shuichi murmured, his tone thoughtful but not too thrilled about the idea. Hiro raised an eyebrow at him.
"I take it you had something else in mind?"
"A backing band," Suguru replied.
"A backing band?" he echoed. Shuichi nodded.
"Yeah," he sighed, "but it probably wouldn't work. I think all of NG's session musicians are already involved in some sort of project and to hire people off the street . . ." Shuichi shook his head. "It probably wouldn't work anyway."
"I'm sure we could talk to Tohma about it, though," Suguru finally said. "I'm sure he could find a way around the dilemma."
"Does that mean you're okay with Shuichi's idea?" Hiro inquired. It was the keyboardist's turn to nod.
"Yeah. It does. Besides, the one song practically calls more more than two musicians. I mean, I'm sure we could have Shuichi learn something but it still wouldn't be enough," he explained. "The song is just too . . ."
"Too what?" Hiro prompted when the two had been silent for longer than what he thought necessary. If anything, Shuichi was still often quick to supply an explanation even when one wasn't needed.
The two glanced at each other once more then Suguru handed Hiro the lyrics sheet. He quickly read over it, his eyes widening.
"Wow," he murmured. "That's . . ."
"Yeah, we know," Shuichi sighed again. "And that's the problem."
"Indeed."
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It just wasn't his day. Something sinister was out to get him. He just knew it.
K read the new rules and regulations for the competition that Tohma wanted to enter Bad Luck and fought back the urge to throw the papers. He knew that, as long as he held the papers in his hand, he wouldn't do something rash.
Like pull out one of his guns and start shooting up his office. The last thing he needed was to have Tohma suspend him. The former Nittle Grasper had done it once before and K had no doubts that he'd do so again.
Still, he couldn't help but be irritated. The competition committee had decided to tack on another rule for a band's eligibility. It felt like they were purposely singling out Bad Luck just to keep the trio from competing.
'Okay, Claude,' he told himself. 'Think. There's got to be a way around this. You just have to find it.'
He stared at the rules for several more moments before giving up on that angle. Whatever it was he was searching for wasn't in the rules themselves. They were out.
"Out," he murmured. "Hrmmm . . ."
K leaned back in his chair, trying to rack his brains for a possible solution. He knew that he could call Judy, find out exactly what she had coming up in the next few months. It would be strictly business, sure, but it would also give him a chance to hear his wife's voice. Something about her chipper tone always managed to cheer him up and feel that anything was possible.
He smiled as he thought about how Judy would react to him calling her. She'd be happy . . . no. She'd be more than happy. She'd be ecstatic.
'Guess that settles it then,' he smirked to himself, leaning forward once more. 'I call her.'
K had just started to reach for the phone when, as if on cue, it rang. Blinking, he answered.
"Claude, you're not going to believe this!" his wife gushed before he could even say hello. "I've landed the most amazing part!"
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Sakano rubbed his eyes then gazed blearily out his hotel window.
The last week and a half had been hell. There had been no two ways about it.
'Not entirely true,' he told himself, heaving a sigh and putting his glasses back on. 'The American staff has been more than accomodating. And so has the backing band.'
If he were honest, he was simply tired. He hadn't really allowed himself a moment of true rest and sleep since he landed in New York. His days had become filled with commuting to Philadelphia and talking with the backing band Tohma had picked for Bad Luck and with organizing the studio for the band's impending arrival. He was constantly on the go.
"Hey, producer man," a female voice said. "You look exhausted. How about you crash for a while?"
Sakano glanced at the one who had spoken then offered the now-brunette-haired woman a wan smile. It still surprised him how fluently she spoke Japanese. His native tongue seemed like a second language to her.
"I can't," he murmured. "There's too much to do."
"Like what?" she shot back. "The studio's booked, right? We're just waiting for your boys to get here to begin recording the music. Get some sleep. It won't kill you."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Sakano muttered. "I don't think the Shacho is going to be too thrilled to hear about your . . . side activity."
"That's for me to deal with," she smiled, her brown eyes sparkling. "Not you. Now get some rest before I have my husband knock you out."
For a moment, he could only stand there and gape. She stared back, her eyes glinting, almost challenging him to continue. Then he sighed and threw his hands in the air.
"Fine. Just remember that I was the voice of reason here."
"Sure," she winked. "Whatever you say. Now get some sleep. There'll be some food waiting for you when you wake."
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Sakano alone with his thoughts once more. Finally, he conceded defeat and crawled into the bed his hostess had so graciously offered him.
'I just hope she knows what she's doing,' he thought as sleep claimed him.
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'I can't believe this,' Eiri thought, gazing at his computer screen in surprise. 'I really cannot. How the hell did this happen?'
On the screen were the words "The End." In five and a half weeks, he'd managed to complete an entire novel.
And Shuichi had been on vacation the entire time.
'Maybe I should have him stay home like this more often,' he smirked. He quickly saved the document and closed the program down. It would still be a while before Shuichi came home so it gave him plenty of time to run some searches on the internet.
'Whatever secret it is you have, Tohma, I'm going to find out,' Eiri vowed to himself, logging on. Immediately, his email alert rang out.
Briefly, he considered ignoring his mail in favour of heading to one of the many online search engines but then quickly opted to open another browser window. Scrolling through results would be just as boring as scrolling through his email so he might as well get both out of his way. Then one of the emails caught his attention. An email from someone whom he hadn't heard from in many months, it seemed like. He clicked on it and felt his jaw drop as he read.
Hey, lover boy. Got a proposition for you. Reply back ASAP.
me
Shocked to be hearing from her, he clicked on "reply" . . .
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Tohma raised an eyebrow as he listened to K. The American had seemed a little put out by something when he'd entered his office but had also gotten straight to the point.
Again, the committee seemed intent on foiling his plans for Bad Luck. They were trying everything they could to keep his band out. They'd wanted additional band members and now this. His band had to have a song on a soundtrack. It couldn't be for any movie, though. It had to be for an American movie. Again, they would be foiled.
This time it was thanks to Judy Winchester, and to one of the backing band's members.
"I say we have one little busy bee on our hands," K commented, finally allowing himself a smile. "What do you think, Seguchi-san?"
Tohma offered a tiny smile in return.
"So it would seem. How lucky for us."
"Very lucky," K nodded. "I'll have to shake her hand when we finally meet."
"As will I."
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"Eiri, I'm home!" Shuichi called out, dropping his backpack in its usual place by the door. He slipped out of his shoes then quickly scanned the apartment and listened for the tell-tale signs that his lover was working away. There were none.
'Not this again,' he thought with a soft moan. 'I hate it when he does this.'
"Eiri?" he tried again, hoping the novelist wasn't in one of his "Let's hide and be quiet on Shuichi" moods. He wasn't really in the mood to play. Well, he was but not that game. Anything but that game.
"In my office," came the bland reply. Shuichi immediately let out a sigh of relief then made a beeline for the study. When he got there, he saw Eiri sitting at his laptop, staring at it.
"Writer's block?" he ventured cautiously. Slowly, the blond-haired man shook his head.
"No . . . it's finished," came the airy reply. "Come take a look at this."
"What is it?" Shuichi asked, padding over to him. Eiri merely pointed at the screen.
"Take a look," he repeated.
Curious as to what could have shocked his lover so much, Shuichi did as he was told, his own eyes going wide as he read.
"You're kidding me!"
