This is the last chapter that I had worked on over the summer. This will be the last update unless I have until I have cemented the muse for this story to my hip or I have any info for you guys. As of this point, I now announce this story on…HIATUS!
So this is Chapter. 11 folks! Have fun!
Summary: What if Shuichi was a girl and it wasn't Eiri she met that fateful night, but Ryuichi and he liked her music? Also what if she was having a rough life at home? Will Ryu help her out?
The second half of Quiz de Pon is now underway. Shuichi is about to show she has a brain. Watch out other contestants, a pink haired menace is coming to win it all!
Disclaimer: All characters in Gravitation belong to Maki Murakami. All songs belong to their respective artists.
Blah = thinking
Blah = English during dialogue
-Line Break-
"Last of all, it's time for 'Dash de Pon'!" The host said excitedly. "Each team must choose one representative to go to the ramp to run. When the ramp light is lit you can answer!"
Shuichi started tearing up and wailing. "Hiro! What are we gonna do?! I don't know any of the answers!" she cried childishly, keeping the act up. She had to make everyone feel safe around her to take them by surprise.
"Don't give up!" Hiro stated, going along. His face twitched with the urge to laugh.
"You wanna sing don't you?!" Suguru asked, her face set in a worried expression, though she was having a hard time keeping herself from going into hysterics. Sakano was behind the camera's crying again, having woken up halfway through the first part. K just stood beside him with an apathetic face, having better control over himself than the three on stage.
"Because she seems so fast, Shindo is representing BAD LUCK. But the intelligence level is lower…" the host trailed off. The audience as well as the other contestants started laughing as Shuichi stood on the ramp. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smirking evilly. These people don't know who their dealing with. "And now, the next question. In English, inu is dog. What is neko?"
Shuichi started running as if her life depended on it, shocking everyone with the speed she possessed. The buzzer went off a moment later as she stopped to catch her breath. "Wow, you're fast! Do you really know the answer?"
"CAT!" There was silence as everyone tried to digest what she just said. Did she just…answer the question…right…? After a moment, Shuichi turned towards the frozen host. "Well?" she demanded impatiently.
"Oh, right…uh – hold on," he stuttered looking down at the card in his hand. "Uh…That's correct!" Sakano's crying stopped as he stared at the band with hope gleaming in his eyes. Maybe there is a chance of us winning this!
-Line Break-
Two people walked into the quiz show's producing room. They watched as the producer wacked one of the lackeys on the head repeatedly, yelling something about who would sing on a quiz show. "It's about numbers, got it?! NUMBERS! It's their last chance at victory! They're straight out of high school! That last question she answered was just a fluke!"
"So you're gonna rig the game and deceive Shindo?" The people operating the room looked towards the door. There, unbeknownst to the show's producer, stood Tohma Seguchi and Ryuichi Sakuma. "That's uncalled for," Seguchi continued with a frown. Ryuichi's eyes narrowed in agreement behind his sunglasses.
"What the hell? Only authorized personal are allowed back here!" The same lackey that got wacked tried to tell him who they really were, but got pushed aside. "I don't care who they are! They're not supposed to be back here!" He turned back to Tohma as he started talking again.
"You should watch your mouth when you don't know who you're talking to," he advised sternly. He took off his sunglasses, surprising everyone with who was actually talking. "Somehow, you don't seem all that wise, though. So you'll never succeed…"
"To-Tohma Seguchi?!" the producer exclaimed. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! "What are you doing here? I-I mean…please forgive my rudeness earlier…" he apologized, bowing a couple times. Ryuichi started snickering at the stupidity of the man before him.
Tohma sighed. "Didn't you hear me? I said it was insignificant." He started walking towards the monitors, talking all the while. "During the live broadcast of the show, the guest's proposition of exchanging the prize money to be able to perform one song should be taken seriously." Ryuichi watched as his friend stopped to look at the monitors before turning back to the producer. "There's no outrageous scandal for foolishness like this. In front of the TV, the viewers expect the underdogs to win, correct? You want the ratings. And the audience is expecting an 'interesting ending'." The famous Tohma Seguchi smile adorned his face as he continued. "And from what I just now saw, that might happen."
Confused everyone crowded around the projection monitors to see what he meant.
-Line Break-
"Now, the current scores! Team Yuki Matsuri is tied with team BAD LUCK at 30,000 points each! Team BAD LUCK's Shuichi Shindo appears to have tricked everyone into thinking she had no brain! When in reality, she's probably as smart, if not smarter, than her teammate, Hiroshi Nakano!" The surprise on the other contestant's faces was priceless. Shuichi grinned evilly, knowing she had them up in a corner. That'll teach them to make assumptions about her IQ!
"Next question! From the American book Holes; repeat a part of the song the main character's ancestor was supposed to sing when letting the woman drink from the creek in the mountain. And you must say it in English!" Everyone started running, but since Shuichi was light on her feet, she lit the lamp first. "Yes! Shuichi Shindo!"
Shuichi took a moment to catch her breath before answering in flawless English. "'If only, if only,' the woodpecker sighed, 'the bark on the tree was as soft as the sky'."
"CORRECT!" Applause came from the studio audience, cheering for the 'underdogs' to win. "Next! What's another name for the American men's basketball team?" BEEP!
"Shindo!"
"The Dream Team!"
"Correct!"
Behind the cameras, Sakano had tears streaming down his face again. Only they weren't tears of sorrow, they were tears of joy. They might actually win! "So it wasn't a waste to come down here after all!" K just stood there with a knowing smile as Shuichi answered question after question right. No, more like a deep satisfaction…
"Alright!" the host exclaimed. "The last question will be worth double the points! Everyone, this could be your comeback!" Shuichi smirked as she got into position to start running. Here we go! "Now then, the question!"
Back in the booth, Hiro and Suguru watched on in excitement as Shuichi kept answering the questions. Now it's down to the final one, and they couldn't let any of the other contestants answer. They knew anyone could win if the last question was answered correctly. "Run Shuichi!" the two yelled out. Shuichi turned back and saluted them with a smile. Thanks guys.
Looking down at the card in his hand, the host recited what was written on it. "Subtle sensitivity and transparent feelings, making use of this literary style is the author's forte…in the book Cool by last year's Naoki Prize Candidacy recipient!"
Shuichi halted before she even started moving. Prize candidate for what…? Love stories are his strong points…then… Shuichi thought back to the day her and Hiro first stepped foot in NG Studios.
*FLASCHBACK*
Shuichi finally calmed down enough to see that someone was already talking to Seguchi. Her brows scrunched together as she took him in. Short blonde hair with eyes of the same hue. He wore a casual dark colored suit with dark dress shoes. An earring swayed slightly on his ear, finishing off the look.
For some reason, she felt as if she should know him.
*END FLASHBACK*
Shuichi felt like smacking herself. Now she remembered where she saw that man before. He was her favorite author. Looking around, she saw that the other people were close to answering. So she started started running, running with the power and speed of a cheetah. In less than five seconds, her lamp lit up, signaling she was the one to answer.
"Whoa! Shindo has amazing acceleration! And she has lit the lamp! Give us you're answer!"
Everyone watched with baited breath as Shuichi stood gasping for air. After a few moments, she looked towards camera with a determined gleam in her eyes. "EIRI YUKI!" The sound of a bell going off followed her answer with confetti flying everywhere. Shuichi jumped off the ramp and ran to her band mates, grabbing them in a hug. "We did it, we did it, we did it!" she chanted, jumping up and down.
"Congratulations on you victory," they heard. Turning around, they were surprised to see Ryuichi Sakuma and Tohma Seguchi standing beside their manager and producer. In Ryuichi's hand was a microphone. "Here is your prize," he said with huge smile. He walked up and placed the mic in the pink haired singer's hands.
Tohma walked up then, turned all three teens back around, and pushed them towards their respective instruments set up on stage. "Now go and sing for 1,000,000 yen worth's of screams."
All three looked at each other before turning back to the head of the company with smiles. "You got it!" Shuichi stated.
-Line Break-
Ask stood there staring at their TV with shock. Their producer was there. On the quiz show. Helping their competition. Taki started to see red around the edges of his vision as Bad Luck performed. He would get those twerps. More importantly, he would get that pink haired midget. No matter the cost.
-Line Break-
And chapter eleven is in the bag! Hope you enjoyed, and hopefully by now you know the drill. R&R!
Ja ne!
Shizu-fan!