Eh...I WILL NEVER GROW TIRED OF TELLING YOU GUYS THAT I LOVE YOU! HAHAHA...THANKS FOR YOUR PRECIOUS TIMES!。・ﾟﾟ･(≧д≦)･ﾟﾟ･｡。・ﾟﾟ･(≧д≦)･ﾟﾟ･｡

chappy ten and eleven are the same...it's just that there seem to be a problem of some sort...lol

Phantom

He was sure that someone was calling his name softly. His closed eyes could sense something nostalgic. His nose searching for that sweetness. And his ears wanted more of that lullaby filling his soul.

Warm. That was what Misaki thought as he continued his journey onto the clouds. They gently carried him forward. Towards something bright and secured. He was so sure that if he raised his hands above him, there would be someone to grasp them tightly.

And so, breathing in, Misaki lifted his right hand into the white space. He waited. He waited for the hand. But nothing came.

He woke up with his hand in the air. A thin clear tube attatched on his wrist. And when he looked around, he was alone in that unfamiliar, white room. No one beside him to ask if he was fine. Nobody to smile at him after he opened his eyes.

He was expecting otherwise. His dream had been so real that he thought he could carry it out from his imagination.

Usami Akihiko had never left Misaki's side the entire time he was there. And he wasn't intending to. And yet, his plans changed by just a simple phone call.

He stood quietly from his chair and went towards the window. The sun was already giving off its hot rays, the birds feeding on to the crumbs the children had tossed from their rooms.

"Yes?"

"Good morning Usami-san. This is Riki of Zone Management. I am really sorry I wasn't able to answer your calls yesterday. The entire Zone was busy with facing the media about what happened at the fans day. I hope you understand."

The man's jaws started working as he gripped his phone tighter. "It's fine."

"Ah-I just called because you might want to know about this."

The birds that was calmly eating on the ground started flying off one by one into the sky. And they completely disappeared behind the other hospital buildings surrounding the area. Usami waited for them to come back but they didn't. That was the time he replied a curt "what" before turning his head to look at the still sleeping boy on the bed across him.

"About Io..."

"Io? Why, is there something wrong?" Usami asked, a little worried now. He remembered the kid told him he'd come back, but he didn't. He just thought that perhaps Io was caught in some important matter so he didn't check on him anymore.

"We rushed him to the hospital near Zone just now. The only thing he said was he wanted to help look after Misaki, but he fainted and fell on the stairs. He injured his leg, " there was a pause as if the man was emphasizing something. "He said not to tell you because he doesn't want you to worry. But I think you should know anyway."

Usami's feet started moving towards the door. Not saying any thanks to Riki, he hung up and inserted the phone back into his pocket. He was all ready to go when he froze by the door just as he was about to turn the knob.

He turned his gaze at Misaki's face for a while. He didn't want to leave. But he just couldn't ignore Io as well. He'd been with Misaki the entire night and nothing wrong had happened. It should be fine, he thought.

Moving towards Misaki's bed first before leaving, he fixed the pillow under Misaki's head and pushed back some of the strands that was on the boy's forehead.

"Misaki? Misaki?" he called in a very soft voice. "I'll be back..." he whispered as he looked at Misaki's calm expression before finally leaving the room and closing the door gently.

"I really hate hospitals..." Misaki whispered to himself as he turned his head towards the single window in that room.

He had spent most of the year going in and out of the hospital because of his brother. But he still hated it. The smell was the main reason. Every hospital reek of death and sickness that couldn't be hidden by the strong scent of cleansers and alcohol. Visiting in a hospital was fine. He had been used to it. But being the patient himself was something else.

"I don't want to be alone in a hospital...Nii-chan..." was his lonely words only the flowers set in a vase heard it. And not long after that, a young nurse entered his room to check on him and feed him.

The young lady gently took Misaki's arm for blood pressure. She had beed seriously looking at the readings when she started looking concerned for her patient that mid morning. And then she leaned closer.

"Hey...Takahashi-kun, why are you crying? Does something hurt?"

With closed eyes, Misaki shook his head slightly. He silently allowed the nurse to do whatever she had to do to keep him clean and fine.

Outside a private room, Riki-san was there pacing the hallway. Forwards, backwards, he was so agitated that it was pissing Arisaka off. The hallway of the third floor of some exclusive hospital was empty exept for the occasional nurses and doctors making their rounds at each of the rooms. The bright lighting was giving off a fake feeling of happiness and the clicking of Riki's shoes against the tiled, spotless floor was making the stylist soon to explode.

If he could choose, he would rather go to Misaki who was currently in some community hospital away from his brother. However, Riki had ordered him to stay just in case.

"In case of what? I am not a babysitter."

"Mind your tongue young man. The press would be here within an hour so there is someone who should at least make Io look presentable before the media," was Riki-san's reply with a frowning face he looked like a bulldog to Arisaka. Fat, small, ugly.

"Ah, at least Misaki's not alone. That guy is there anyway...whoever he is..." Arisaka thought to himself and he felt his jaw dropped suddenly seeing the man he was just thinking of appear not far from him.

Usami Akihiko was walking in fast yet firm strides towards them.

"What the fuck?" Arisaka cursed following with his death gaze, the guy wearing a black polo which the sleeves had been rolled up to the elbows.

"How's Io?" Usami had asked.

Smiling broadly, the big man's reaction then changed into something worrisome. "Ah, I'm glad you came Usami-san. Io would definitely be glad."

Arisaka just stared at Usami's back as if drilling a hole on it.

Glancing at Arisaka, Usami then looked back at the short, fat guy before him.

"What did the doctor say about Io's condition?"

"The doctor is still inside," Riki-san answered, running a hand on his face. "I told him he should rest first but he insisted on going to Takahashi's hospital. Look what happened to him! He fainted instead!"

Not sitting on the seats fixed at the sides of the hallway, Usami remained standing with his back resting against the padded walls of the hallway. Riki-san kept on pacing. And Arisaka was just in a bad mood.

All three of them turned towards the door that opened where a man in his sixties appeared. He looked kind and gave off a fatherly air around him.

"Riki-san right?" the doctor confirmed. "The patient is fine. Just a minor foot injury. He's running a fever though. An after effect of his fall. Plus...I think the boy had some trauma. He was all jumpy and nervous the entire time. It's best to have him go into counselling. I've seen the news. He might have been very shocked and it just hit him at quiet a slow rate."

Arisaka rolled his eyes at the shit he was hearing. "Trauma?" he repeated inside his head. "He wasn't even the one that got stabbed yet he was having a trauma? Come on...cut the crap Doc."

"Akihiko-san?!" Io exclaimed the moment the composer appeared by the door of his hospital room.

His eyes wandered from the tall man, to his manager to his stylist. His happy gaze quickly faded and the young man looked away. Ashamed to show his foot being raised to promote blood flow.

Usami slowly walked towards the bed and patted Io on the head. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. You shouldn't have left Takahashi Akihiko-san."

Smiling gently, Usami sat on the red, soft chair at Io's bedside. "I'll keep you company for a while."

Io looked at Usami for a moment. He had so much to tell the composer but he just burried them inside him. The thought that it was him Usami Akihiko chose was enough. True. He was nervous and jumpy. But it wasn't because of some trauma or anything. The young man was still debating whether to do it or not. And seeing the gentle lavender eyes looking at him he finally had come to his conclusion.

"I don't want to lose this attention. I don't want to lose him to Takahashi Misaki..."

"Akihiko-san," Io began when Riki and the stylist went out of the room to get something. He was waiting for that opportunity. He was already lying, why not make full use of it? "If...if I told you that..." Io looked down on his fidgeting fingers. "...I like you...what would you do?"

Io remembered very clearly how the composer just stopped and froze in that sea of screaming people. How slowly he felt Usami's tight hold on him loosened as the silver haired man without a second thought left him standing there. He felt like he was standing on a time hole. Everything just stopped moving. Him, everyone, aside from Usami who had gone to the bleeding Misaki on the groud.

He had never felt so insecure towards anybody. But that moment, he deeply wished that it was really him that got stabbed. By that he would get all the man's attention.

He had felt like he was Usami's center of attention the past days, but after the hotel incident, Io felt like Misaki was slowly taking over the attention he craved.

He was worried. He was desperate. To have a lot of flings was his past time. But to have Usami Akihiko became his dream. If only into lying he could get what he wanted, then lying he would do.

"I know this is weird. Both of us are males...but when I fell down the stairs...your face flashed before me."

Usami just listened.

He may be lying about most of the stuff in his current life. But the tears he started shedding before the guy he liked were real. "Please, don't just like that voice," Don't like Misaki... "Please like me instead...AKihiko-san, like me."

Misaki didn't budge when he heard a soft knocking against the door. He just fixed his swolen eyes towards the window and watched the clouds pass by. Watched them change shape. And watched them dissolve. He didn't even notice the bouquet of Gladiolus on the table a little higher than his bed.

"Misa-nii!"

At the familiar voice, Misaki abruptly turned towards the door and hurt himself in the process. The anesthesia was starting to wear off. And every simple move he did sent him grimacing from pain.

Cheeks puffing, teary and blushing, Sora ran towards the side of Misaki's bed and sobbed loudly.

"Sora-chan? Why are you crying?" he asked, trying to pat the girl's head as he looked at the tall, blonde man that just entered his room.

"Sorry, I know you should be resting, but Sora had been wailing since yesterday after she saw you on the news. Sorry."

Misaki smiled and chuckled softly. The very act sending waves of pain on his entire left abdomen. But he didn't show any hint of what he was currently feeling. Not when Sora who was angry at him came crying worriedly for him.

"This is my fault because I got angry with you, isn't it? Misa-nii...I AM SO SORRY!" the girl cried, wetting Misaki's bed sheet.

The father walked towards his daughter and tried to lift her up from behind. "Sora-chan, baby you shouldn't be crying wildly in your Misa-nii's room. He needs rest and peace."

"No!" Misaki suddenly cut in. I've had enough of that quietness..."It's okay Sir. I am happy to see Sora-chan."

"I'm a bad girl. I'm so bad Misa-nii...get well sooooooooooooon. Pleeeeeeeeease!"

Finally calming down, the girl climbed up to the chair and sat like an obedient child. She promised her father she would behave while he was gone. He had some things to do at the reception area for the time being. And so leaving Misaki and Sora-chan alone, the two stared at each other's faces in a long while.

"You look so cute today Sora-chan. I'm smitten," Misaki tried to joke. But the girl wearing a simple one-cut white dress just smiled and leaned closer to touch his face. With her short fingers, she traced Misaki's forehead and nose and began sniffing again.

"Misa-nii you look awful."

"Ah-really? Sorry," Misaki started to wonder how awful was awful. Sora-chan was never the type of girl to exagerate when it came to her observations. At least that was what he had realized from the time they've been playmates.

"I promise Sora-chan won't insist anymore what Misa-nii doesn't want me to insist. I'd never bother you ever again. So please get off this bed tomorrow okay?"

Wanting to laugh but couldn't, Misaki gazed at the pure, blue eyes staring at him with such worry. A liar like himself doesn't deserve this girl's kindness.

"Sora-chan, I'm sorry that Misa-nii lied back then. I just have a very strong reason to lie. But I didn't want to hurt you or anyone."

The girl bit her bottom lip, as if she was thinking if she should say whatever was in her mind or not. "Misa-nii. You once told me lying is bad. But why? Why is that Io shrimp using your voice? Why are you lying to Aki-chan?"

The last question was like an arrow that plunged into his chest. He could just smile weakly while averting his emerald eyes from the huge blue eyes that were expecting an answer.

"Soon I'll tell you why Misa-nii is lying. But for now, just remember Misa-nii doesn't want to lie himself."

"Misa-nii, whether you want to lie or not, you are still lying," Sora looked and sounded so mature that Misaki was rendered speechless. "If Aki-chan learns it, he'd be very hurt and wouldn't want to be friends with you anymore. Aki-chan told me that trust is one of the hardest things to put back once its broken. Misa-nii, Sora-chan won't mention it to anyone. No one believes in me anyway. But Misa-nii I don't want you and Aki-chan be enemies. Don't lie anymore?"

Tired, Misaki smiled weakly. There was no winning against a child.

"Listen to me, okay?" Misaki pushed himself a little upwards to comfortably look at the girl. "Misa-nii had been doing a lot of thinking. Maybe on my birthday, I'd try to be more honest..."

"Your birthday? But Misa-nii...isn't it the sooner the better?"

Or if Sora-chan was a little more mature, she could have meant 'the first one to make the move usually wins and the one that waits, gets cornered'.

Hidori was carrying in an envelope some paper works from the hospital where Misaki was currently staying. He was trying to call his friend Usami Akihiko to give some update about how he already paid the bills and worked on Misaki's transfer to a private hospital just like what the silver-haired man asked for him to do. But he couldn't get through the man's phone.

"Ah, I'll just tell him personally then when he comes back," Hidori noted mentally.

He walked while thinking why there were so many people that were acquainted to them being brought to the hospital. Misaki, then Io from the flash reports he'd seen.

Whistling, Hidori then made a left turn at the Wing B of the hospital to see if Misaki was still alive being pestered by his daughter. Coming nearer to the room, he noticed there was someone standing by the door of Misaki's room.

"It couldn't be Usami..." Hidori increased his pace.

He couldn't hide the scowl on his face that formed when he came face to face with the man. Hidori glanced first at the door, which was left ajar. He thought he had shut it properly. He could even hear his daughter singing from inside the room. And then he looked at Ijuuin Kyo's smiling face at him.

"What are you doing snooping off here? Ijuuin?"

The dark-haired man looked at the door for a moment then back at Hidori. "You're daughter is as lovable as ever."

"I know, you don't have to tell me. What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed to visit an acquaintance?" Ijuuin asked as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Narrowing his eyes, Hidori glanced at the glass panel where he could see Misaki patting his daughter's head. "Acquaintance of Takahashi-kun?"

"Yup," Ijuuin answered merrily.

"If that's the case why are you outside? Just go in already."

Ijuuin who was as tall as the pissed blonde walked passed him waiving his hand lazily in the air. "I don't want to ruin the bonding of those two cute creatures. Maybe next time."

Hidori followed Ijuuin with his gaze. He wasn't really comfortable being around that guy. Something felt so sly about him. And when Ijuuin's form made a turn and was gone, that was the only time Hidori entered Misaki's room, plastering a face that as cool as ever.

Ijuuin walked slowly as if he was taking a leisurely walk in a park. He came with just the want to see the boy who criticized him and checked if he was doing fine. Feeling the hot rays of the sun as he trudged towards his car in the parking lot, he looked up at one of the windows of the hospital building. Sure it was Misaki's room.

"Who would have thought that I'd bring home an interesting secret with me?"

Ijuuin entered his car and quickly drove off just like how phantoms disappeare after realizing something interesting. However, these kind of phantoms come back to get that interesting thing after careful planning.

chapter end notes:

hello everyone! thank you for your kind words! you might notice that this chapter is a little shorter compared to the usual over 4k words...lol...that's what happens when i try to update two stories! buwahahah forgive me...but you girl..you know yourself...you've been reading my mind! hahaha

(ﾉ´-ω-)ﾉ⌒ ｷﾀ━━━(^∀^)━━━!

-shuusetsu