YEP! THIS STORY IS NOT OVER

NEW SEGMENT, NEW STORY. Will this finally be the end for them?
I really don't think Hitsugi is ready for this.

"-And then after that, I have 20 minutes to make a 25 minute journey to the studio office!"

"Maybe it would be better to move the haircut to Thursday-"

"I don't have TIME to move the appointment!"

"Well you don't need to get your hair cut really..."

My head hurts. No, it burns. My head burns. It feels like my brain has been replaced with a bonfire and any minute it's going to burn through my skull. I don't like my hair at the moment so it could burn it all off, for all I care!

Ruki's banging, crashing, pacing and yelling. He's kicking the chairs and ranting without a single breather. He's fueling the fire I am sufferng. It hurts so much. He's circling the table, puffing away on a tailored cigarette. He had a coffee, but it now sits by the sink. I think it's long forgotten now.

He complains because he's so busy, but if he wasn't busy, he'd complain he was bored. I wish I was busy... Nightmare isn't such a rush anyway like it was a few years back. I have lots of lazy days. I don't want lazy days. I want to be like Ruki. I want a reason to get up every morning, I want sore fingers from playing and the overflowing feeling of success at the end of each day. I want to be tired from hard work, not fatigues from nothingness.
The Gazette are doing a European tour. I wish we were. The closest thing Nightmare has to a tour outside of our home country is a 45 minute stage at a Korean Anime Convention.

I want to go to England! I was to go to the market were all the crazy looking people and the sheesha bong bars are. I don't want to go to Korea... There's nothing wrong with Korea, it's just right next door, too close to home...

"I just want to sit down for 5 minutes!"

"Well, you don't have to leave for 10-"

"Jesus, Mitsuo, you know what I mean!"

Even so, the singers plonks down opposite me at the kitchen table. He flicks the cigarette ash in the ash tray. He never smokes inside. He must be stressed. Or maybe it's cold outside... I have no reason to go outside. I don't want a cigarette this early in the morning. So how should I know the temperature?

I wonder if I have a fever? I think I'm sick...

"You okay?" He asks flatly, no emotion or worry in his voice.

My reply is more of a grunt than a word. "Yeh"

He nods, and puts the cigarette out.

"Maybe I'll leave now... Try and be early"

"Maybe..." I mutter, aimlessly staring into my coffee mug.

Ruki sighs and stands again, picking up his bag.

"I'll see you tonight. Love you"

"Love you" I mutter as he leaves the room.

I carried on staring at the brown liquid until the slam of the front door causes my head to throb a little move. I fill my lungs with air and release it slowly in an attempt to relax. But I don't want to relax. My life seems so boring now.

I feel unappreciated. The band has a new manager. He seems to like them all but me. Yomi, Sakito and Ruka are oblivious to it, of course. Niya has noticed. He has a theory too. He knows the guy has a hate from drug users. Apparently he suspects me of being a stoner or something. The man is years late to accuse me of that. I want to look after myself.

It's only a small problem really, being hated by my manager. But it's another thing to the list.

As I had a day to myself and nothing to do, I decided to go to the studio. I'd practise a bit, maybe record a few personal demos.

My friend Kenzo and I have always spoke about doing a side project together. We're still not that close to actually doing it, but it'll closer. I decided I'd push him a little more to start something with me. Give me something to keep me busy in my free time.

Within the hour, I was washed, dressed, out the door, in the car, out the car, and finally in the studio. Problem was, I had a creative block. I found myself just standing in the middle of the studio completely clueless, guitar hanging from it's strap round my neck.

My head has never stopped throbbing, but I didn't want to wait my day. But now I was still wasting it. Just now I was dress, in a studio and had my guitar round my neck. I forced myself to practice a few Nightmare songs, mumbling lyrics underneath my breath, before locking the studio room and heading to the corner shops. I passed a few musicians I recognized. I didn't know any of them well enough for more than a nod or a 'hey' but I counted it as my socializing for the day.

I grabbed a box of cigarettes for the shop and headed back with a lit stick in my mouth. I stared at the ground in defeat as I strolled back to the studio. I decided to give up, collect my stuff and head home already. I clearly wasn't in the right mind set day. I turned a cover and walked up the bath to the entrance. As I say the steps come in to view, so did a pair of feet.

Before I knew it, I had walked head first into someone and fallen backwards, my cigarette flying off in an unknown direction.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

I looked up to see a girl about my height with a face decorated and steel just like mine.

"I'm really sorry!" She apologized again "I should have looked where I was going, I'm sorry"

"Nah" I pulled myself to my feet "It's cool. I wasn't looking either" i spoke in a nervous laugh.

The girl shuffled and cleared her throat, her hands gripping the strap on her guitar bag.

"Cool hair" she rushed, as his eyes admired my short black and red hairdo.

"Thanks. Nice braids" I smiled awkwardly.

She cleared her throat again before quickly dismissing herself with another apology.

I watched her speed off, clearly very flustered.

I couldn't help but hope she was alright. She seemed a bit too stressed for it just to be due to walking into someone. I forgot about her once I was driving home though.

GIVE ME FUEL AND COMMENT!

You know the question: What do you wanna see happen this time?