Track 4 – Three

Le Konchu is slated to play fourth out of five bands. The main act for the sallow, Wednesday evening's gig was 'Yellow Kung-fu Jacket Thieves' — a group that Temari never heard before. According to Shino, they were big among college students and young adults because of their comedic lyrics about relatable things.

She did not expect a full house on a Wednesday evening in an invite-only venue. During her indie days, Temari never had a gig in a crowded, large venue in whatever band she was part of.

Shino did not join his band mates, Yakushi Kabuto and Inuzuka Hana, in the gloomy table behind theirs. Kiba, Hana's brother, accompanied Le Konchu for ninety-eight percent of their gigs because Hana was his sister and Shino was a long-time friend of his. Hana, who used to be known as a pleasant and friendly person, as described by Shino and Kiba, began to exhibit a much sentimental and dismal disposition. Her younger brother could only blame the newest member of the band whom Hana dated inspite of his idiosyncrasies. After weeks of dating him, Kiba's sister became moodier and more violent than before.

"It all started ever since she dated Number Three." Kiba mouthed at Temari as he concluded his story about how Hana started out as a hobbyist musician and ended up becoming an emotionally unstable and sensitive girlfriend of the trio's third singer and second keyboardist. "If I am their proper manager, roadie or whatever, I would have sacked the guy."

An audible 'humph' came from Shino which made Temari say a 'huh?' while laughing. It was only Kiba who took the matter of the suspicious bandmate added to Le Konchu's lineup four months ago of importance.

"Temari your boyfriend disagrees with my sentiments even though it is for his band's well-being. I can't believe that it's actually you who understands me. Convince him for me, will you—"

"I don't see the point of using other people to voice out your opinions, Kiba. Why is that? Because it's only you who thinks that way."

Shino never showed his eyes and his lower face in public which Temari had the privilege of seeing last Sunday afternoon when it accidentally rained. He gave Temari his baggy jacket to keep her from getting soaked. When the rain continued to pour in the middle of the park, he had to remove his shades since he couldn't see anything. His emotive, dark gray eyes and unexpectedly smooth skin stunned her. She knew he was a looker but the suspense made it more surprising.

"Let's hear your side of things." Temari asked her boyfriend for two weeks.

"Kabuto singing style and playing suits our band. I think that is what is essential to keep a band going. Le Konchu did not have as many followers before he joined us. Your opinion is trivial Kiba. I think you're being oversensitive because of what has happened to your sister."

"Kiba, he has a point." Temari playfully, stuck her tongue out to him.

"Biased." He said.

"But…" Temari continued. "Kiba has a point too. If the band members' relationship among each other is having a sort of strain, I think it's high time to reevaluate things."

Shino looked at Kiba through his round, sunglasses. "He's not part of the band, Temari."

"I'm your unofficial booking agent, manager and everything else. Don't just belittle my role!" Kiba screamed at him.

"I'm fine with him and Hana is obviously fine with him. There's no point stirring things up Kiba." Shino gave Kiba his final say.

"You lost this time." Temari told the tanned brunette. "But I understand what you were talking about. I've been in countless bands Kiba so I know when one member won't last."

Kiba's eyes widened. Hopeful that Temari would give the same assumptions about Kabuto. "What do you think about Number Three?"

"I will give you my input after their set."

What Temari appreciated most about Shino was that he did not drink or smoke. In spite of his quirky way speaking, verbal tics, and odd interests, he provided great company to Temari. She valued that their current relationship didn't require as much emotional intensity as most starting couples do. He understood that her job required her to work beyond normal hours and respected her for that.

What could I ask for? Sakura is right when she advised me to give him another shot.

The time for Le Konchu's turn to play arrived. The artist was looking forward to seeing them live again since the last time she watched them was over a year ago. Shino was the first to come up on stage with his Musicman Stringray with a red body and white plate strapped around him. He had the largest pedalboard amongst all the bassists for tonight's show. He was the most fastidious bassist Temari had seen in her entire life. He paid attention to every change in the level of phasing, modulation, delay, distortion and volume for his instrument. But it does not impair him during live shows. In fact, Shino can navigate through his pedalboard with ease like it is an extension of himself.

Kabuto's Korg Workstation was being set-up by the in-house sound engineer. He was nowhere in sight. So is Inuzuka Hana. That somewhat bothered Temari. The drummer should start setting up unless she doesn't care about her rig. After Shino had started performing scales, Hana came out with her cymbal set and snare drum which another tech carried for her. Kiba's sister set the whole kit up while Kabuto was still nowhere.

When the drummer and bassist of Le Konchu were prepared, it was only then when Kabuto appeared. The crowd reacted positively; Temari perfectly understood why Shino wanted to keep him on. He had a dark charisma similar to Uchiha Sasuke but much sadder. After Hana's drum cue, the band played their usual opener, 'Circuitry'.

Kiba, who continued to be sulky, remained seated on the table but Temari dragged him out of his chair and went by the foot of the stage.

He shouted because he could barely hear his conscience. "Why did you have to do that Temari?!"

"Because they're fucking good! Kabuto may be an asshole but he's a professional. Maybe he is currently dating Hana because he really likes her. His fucking music is awesome. Now, I agree with Shino. You're overreacting!" Temari also needed to scream back at him.

"But my sister changed!"

"Did you consider that it might be her fault?"

"I did… but if he didn't come around this would not happen!"

"Take this from a girl! It doesn't matter what kind of guy she dates! She'll react the same way, one way or another!"

"It's not like that! I dated girls and they don't turn depressed! Do you think this guy is her first boyfriend?!"

"Maybe it's just a phase?! An emo phase?!"

"Heck no! My sister is way too old for that!"

Temari enjoyed the rest of their performance. It has been a while since she was able to listen underground shows and felt a long forgotten catharsis that she had been longing. The sound of uncared amplifiers and third-rate sound systems emitted was the music she was used to hear and play. The processed notes she has been exposed to since she had left the scene, had gone paler as it had become what was normal for her. She thought that attending these gigs will keep her sane during her sour times.

The crowd showed avid appreciation for Le Konchu's set. Even Temari had loved it even if shoegaze, post-punk music would not make the cut for her day-to-day playlist. Shino had refused to attend the afterparty since he had classes in the morning. He wanted to accomplany Temari back to her unit, but she refused his offer since his unit was two blocks away from the venue while she lived in the other side of the district. Kiba promised that he'll look after Temari since he will be alienated by the pair of lovers he rued to have 'happened'.

Listening to Kiba during the cab ride earned him her sympathy. The last thing he needed to hear was her unsolicited counsel. Since Kiba was still in University and dependent on his mother, Temari took the initiative to pay for fare, including Kiba's way back. She did not expect Kankuro to be awake and keenly waiting for her when she had arrive around midnight. With a terrible frown on his face, he paced back and forth in her living room. As much as Temari wanted to spend some time with her elder brother, she is dreading his regular presence in her apartment for a week for his overdue vacation. His holiday was moved to the second week of September because of urgent matters in his job.

The brunette Sabaku gave her an earful because she was out at night but that was the least of her concerns. Both of them were exhausted from their lives. Lashing out at each other was one of their means of releasing accumulated anxiety. That common attribute of theirs can be traced from their paternal genes which Temari did not notice until she was in her late teens.

She went to bed earlier than Kankuro, who was still lecturing her about the role of women and whatnot. As the door of her room closed, her head replayed the moments she had shared with Aburame Shino.

Shino was not the first man she dated or boyfriend. He was not even the first musician she dated. Although, he would have to be the most peculiar. Most of her past lovers were either business or political science majors except for the one before Shino, who happened to be a fairly known hard rocker in Sand City. She got sick of how phony her previous involvements were and for this reason, she put off dating for a while. What she appreciated most about Shino was his eccentricity. He was true to himself without regard to anybody or anything else. He did his own thing, attesting that he is an authentic nonconformist.

Two weeks of dating the aspiring entomologist proved that he was an individual of his own and for that, the artist admired him deeply. He openly shared his quirks to Temari no matter absurd it would appear to other people. She appreciated by how open he was to her. There is not a boring moment whenever she's around him despite his aloof nature. She appreciated that he never makes demands.

Normal couples would dine together, see a movie or take a walk in the park. This couple, on the other hand, would be too queer to do any of these three activities. They would attend gigs and watch other bands play during the weekday. On their first two weekends, the pair had gone to an aeronautical museum and a private library ran by a monastery. An outsider might find these too old-fashioned or too geeky but Temari had not have so much fun in ages. Both of them had a love for solitude and this common attribute is keeping them together.

But she could help but compare her current relationship to Kankuro's. She saw how different her brother treated his inamorata among everybody else. With Shino, she could see any difference with how he treats her from how he treats Kiba. Temari shook her contemplations out of her head. Overthinking things in the unholy hour would keep her awake until sunrise. If she is on the same level as Kiba in Shino's life, it is something to celebrate about anyway.

Temari left for the studio right after having a noisy and argumentative breakfast with the freeloader in her apartment. Kankuro had been snappier than normal and Temari was also too occupied to bug him about it. Since Monday, the artist and her band had started recording for their second album. For the past three days though, all Temari did was watch how the rest of Kamatari's members recorded their parts. Watching Gai verbally motivate everyone through his words and presence kept her vigilant during the sessions even if Temari was simply a spectator for the time being.

Since it was Shira's first time to record for a studio album, he was the first one to reach his breaking point. Hearing comments for improvement every two seconds the record button is pushed will drive anybody mad. Although he doesn't know how to play a single instrument, the Green Beast would throw in ideas that no musician would understand. There's a chance though, if he was a musician himself. Gai does not know how to sing, play any instrument or write on a music score. He would relay his suggestions verbally which even Kakashi have a hard discerning. But through intuition, some people eventually comprehend him. Temari, at this stage, has fully adapted to his style.

For the first Thursday studio recording, Shira had another taste of the Green Beast's philosophy.

"Shira… you lack the power of... 'THE SUN'!" He told the guitarist during their first attempt to record.

"What do you mean boss?" The confused guitarist had to ask.

"Brightness, energy, vibrancy…." Gai did shameful poses which he thought were the coolest thing on earth. "Did you see that, great rival?"

Kakashi, who was reading an obscured book, barely had any comments except when he thinks the group is not going anywhere. Since Gai was there, the act of direction was there but the direction for the destination is too vague for the Temari and Kamatari to understand.

"What were you talking about?" The A&R peeked from behind the book he was holding.

Gai complained. "Too cool…" The hyperactive producer began stomping on the floor out of frustration.

"What did he say Shira?" The grayhead knew that he won't get anything out of the tight-bodysuit wearing music producer. Asking Shira was more plausible.

"His exact words were 'Shira you lack the power of the sun'. I did not get it." He said apologetically.

"Nobody gets what Gai says…" He paused to think. "There's a rapid drum and bass succession in the intro. What are you gonna do for that part?"

"During the first and second bars, I will just make some feedback on the guitar. I would only do a harmonizing riff once these two bars are repeated."

"Can you play that again for me please?"

Shira played the riff he came up with which Temari considered as her favorite intro among all the demos they had made and she doesn't see why neither Gai nor Kakashi was favoring it.

Temari had to explain. "Kakashi, it would sound well if I play the riff with the lead guitar."

"Is that so? Let's hear it then. When did you change it up?"

"Last Tuesday's jam."

"That was unsupervised." Kakashi looked at her.

"It was. But we played it for Gai yesterday and he liked it." Temari responded. "Do you want us to play together with the drum and bass track? That would help you guys realize the power of 'The Sun'."

One of the techs began setting up Temari's Wilshire inside the studio. Kakashi asked Gai about the change Temari and Kamatari did for Crack Bottle which the latter had explained that how they played it during the rehearsal sounded a lot better because of the 'dirt'. The A&R argued that for the sake of production, recordings should be 'cleaner' which Gai disagreed to.

"Should we play?" Temari mouthed through the glass.

Both men gave their approval. On cue, Aoba played the backing track which Temari heard perfectly well in the audio technical headphones.

The two guitarists played the riffs in tandem with the drum and bass. Temari's mix of power chords and single notes beefed up the harmonized riff Shira did. The final output sounded post-hardcore even though Temari only wanted to have a heavier sound for the intro and the guitar solo. Kakashi signaled for them to stop.

"Great. Let's continue where we left off." The A&R said. Temari believed that having Kakashi in the studio was integral to the success of the album. Their producer had a lot of ideas in his mind but she could not follow his vision. Although it was only the third day for the album's production. Temari did not want to sweat it out. Not yet.

After clearing up the little miscommunication during the intro section, Shira was able to finish recording all his guitar parts including the layers, fills and doubling under two hours. That afternoon, it was Temari's turn to begin recording her guitar parts. At first Temari was reluctant at the idea of having the lead guitarist play before the rhythm guitarist but after watching session earlier, she would have to agree with her bosses' decision. The lead guitar section sounded great even without the rhythm and adding one make the song sound phenomenal.

The middle Sabaku spent the rest of her midday break on the rooftop. It was her secret place in the four-storey studio. It crossed her mind that it was the perfect place to smoke since it provided great ventilation. She stopped thinking about it deliberately since it was associated with the bad news Shikamaru shared with her during her meeting with Captio and Reza. She had only signed the contract the Friday before and was surprised by the amount of money and royalties she would be receiving from it. Even her parents would be full of shock when they found out about it. The seven-figure contract was something that she would earn in ten lifetimes if she was not a major label recording artist.

Temari looked for a place to seat and cussed when she did not find any. Instead she leaned against the railings and looked down. There was not much to see as always. Instead of staring into empty spaces, she dialed a number she had been frequently calling. After a couple of rings, Shino answered.

"Hey." She said.

"Hi Temari, did you have lunch?"

"I haven't. I'm not hungry though. Besides, I'm gonna sing later. What about you?"

"I got a sandwich on my way back to campus. I had to pick up a specialized book I ordered from a store."

"What is it about?"

"A Complete List of Hemipterans* in the Union."

"Would you mind educating me about Hemipterans?"

"Hemipterans are insects which we commonly refer to as 'bugs' but there's a confusion on that. Why? Because people think that all insects are bugs. If properly defined, bugs are insects which have sucking mouthparts. They are also capable of communication."

"I guess cicadas are considered as hemipterans."

"Yes, they are."

"Lucky guess."

"Anyway, are you free this Saturday?"

"I'm sorry I can't. I have to drive Kankuro to the airport." Even if she did, Temari would still have made it in the concert. However, she wanted some 'me' time. The toxic atmosphere of the studio had taken its toll on her and they had barely finished recording one song.

"Is that so? See you this Friday then."

"Of course. I can't miss Beck**."

"See you." Shino said.

Temari was expecting him to hang up but he didn't she felt obliged to stall the conversation because she found it rude to just turn off her handset. "I was thinking… does Kiba sing?"

"Kiba? He does for a hobby."

"Why don't you get him as your singer?"

"I thought you liked Kabuto."

"He's skilled but Kiba has been watching Le Konchu on the sidelines way longer than me. He'd be the first guy to notice if something is wrong. And he's been pointing that out to everybody except of course, Kabuto and Hana."

"Kabuto has been with us for a few months. We can't sack him because one guy doesn't like him."

"I would have to agree on that. But don't you think it's better to talk to Kabuto about it? You're the only one who doesn't take it against personally. Kabuto won't react badly if you discuss it over a cup of coffee or tea."

"I never considered it that way. Are you speaking from experience?"

"Yes. You know I've been in too many bands since I started playing gigs. If you're just gonna ask him, I won't sack Kabuto right now but you should consider that Kiba isn't one to make an issue out of nothing. I thought he was overreacting last night but he isn't. Kiba's simply concerned about the state of your band…"

"Too much for Kiba. I want to hear your opinions on the state of our band."

"It's functioning but I think… it's not at its healthy state anymore."

He remained mum on the topic. Shino shifted topics immediately. Somehow, it ticks off Temari. For that call, Temari found it disrespecting. "Do you think Kiba can sing?"

She took a deep breath. It wasn't a rude way to cut her off. He was only being 'Shino' - straightforward and confident. "Consider it as a possibility. His speaking voice is great. With proper projection, he can use it well."

"Maybe I'll have you evaluate him. Uhm, Temari, I need to drop by the library. What time should I call you later?"

Shino does not have classes for the rest of the afternoon on Thursdays.

"I'm not sure. I'll text you when I'm done here."

"Alright then. I'll hung up."

Beep.

Any normal person would find it ill-mannered but Temari knew it was in Shino's nature to act that way.

Two weeks had passed and Temari became familiar with his presence. Shino knew a lot about music. His playlist of Indie, Post-punk and Britpop bands was a great place to start finding new songs and artists to listen to. Temari began appreciating Coldplay with 'Don't Panic' and 'In My Place' even though she was not immersed in pop rock. It was the genre of music that made you feel good and she didn't want to evoke such feelings when she was much younger. Punk made her feel free and rebellious which was great to release all the anxiety she carried everywhere. But sometimes, listening to other music is essential to allow oneself to feel other forms of emotions, she thought.

Temari said to herself, maybe it was Shino's peculiarity that attracted her to him in the first place. Even though it mean cutting her off in the middle of an explanation, dropping a call all of a sudden and wearing shades all the time. She apologized to him mentally about having doubts about him in the first place. Feeling the light gust of wind on her face, Temari closed her eyes and hummed randomly.

She spent the night in Shino's apartment, confined within the four corners of his room and on the surface of his bed and under the comfort of his sheets. She stared on his room's white ceilings. She could have walked over the window and looked over the gloomy, evening street but Shino had fallen asleep with an arm wrapped around her. Any form of movement might wake him up and she had said too much unspoken words inside her head since last evening that were against him.

Temari wanted to take everything back even if Shino never heard any of it. The only thing she could think of at that moment was through contact. He never forced her to sleep with him but he had been discreet in his requests which Temari declined until now. Actually, for that evening, it was Temari who took the initiative.

Focusing on the pleasure and not the person made Temari feel even more disgusted at herself. She had shared a bed with him because she felt guilty about her inner doubts on Shino which had snowballed.

Her agitation kept her awake. She shifted her weight on her left to face him. The man in front of her never did anything to deserve her lack of appreciation towards him. She made a fool out of him. It was at that moment Temari realized that she will never fall in love with Shino. She never had fallen in love to begin with. All the attraction she felt towards the opposite sex were all limited to the physical.

What Temari brought to his life was nothing, she thought. He made her less sullen and more alive as a person. But what had she done to Shino?

Nothing at all... 'And he did not deserve any of it' an inner voice in her said.

She apologized to him again, this time, loud and clear.

* - got the info from wiki

** - Beck as in Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad.