Shining's holding a party for the release of the first episode tonight! Aren't you excited, Tokiya?" Otoya leans over the armrest of the couch Tokiya is occupying, trying to grab the others attention.

However, today was not the day for that. Tokiya had been spending the morning so far reading the script for one of the episodes he's supposed to be filming today. After the filming, he has a photo shoot lined up for promotional purposes then a live interview as the episode airs. The day will be busy, so he has to use all the time he has sparingly. Otoya discussing an event at the very end of the night is not one way he plans on spending his time right now.

"Otoya, I can hardly think about the filming and the shoot at the same time. Here you are ready to discuss a party planned around the later hours of the evening? One event at a time, please."

Otoya frowns and backs off, heading over to where he's laid his guitar down on his bed. "I was just excited about it, that's all. Besides, it's the first episode! You've been filming this since only the start of the summer, and it's already going to air! That's crazy! How are you still filming while it's airing, though?"

"It's true they've moved up the premiere by three months, but that's due to how much we've accomplished in such a short span of time. We've been ahead of scheduling, so an earlier release only made sense to the crew behind the series. I had expected this to happen from the beginning. All we have left to film is this last scene. Once it's done today then it'll be up to the crew to get it ready to air for the public."

Otoya gasps in surprise. "You knew and didn't tell us?"

Tokiya just breathes a sigh. Otoya always had to know everything. It bothered him sometimes, but there was no going around it. They had been roommates for this many years, so it hardly affected him anymore anyway. "I didn't know definitely until maybe two weeks ago. They don't divulge information such as that to anyone other than the staff directly involved with its creation and promotion."

"Ohh..." Otoya seems to drift off as he picks up the instrument and begins strumming mindlessly, letting the conversation fall between them.

Tokiya sighs once more and goes back to reading his script. He has almost all of it memorized, but the nerves surrounding this one scene make remembering difficult. Injuries are always a constant worry when it comes to playing a part on a set such as the one he's been on. There have been a lot of smaller stunts that's required him to learn how to stage a fight. He's learned before, but it's been awhile since he's had to use any of those skills. Of course, he was given a refresher course, but he's still not confident enough to go through with the bigger ones yet.

The scene in particular they're filming involves him getting thrashed around quite a bit, too. He himself can't afford a slip up. An injury would keep him out of work for who knows how long depending on the severity of it. Maybe he could go to Syo and voice his concerns...

"Tokiya? Tokiyaaa..."

Tokiya's eyes flick up to meet Otoya's own staring at him from across the room. "Sorry?"

"I asked what time you were leaving?"

He hadn't even realized he's zoned out. Checking his watch briefly, he notices how late it's truly become. If he wants to talk to Syo and maybe rehearse quickly, then he better leave now. "Thank you for reminding me. I have an hour before I have to leave, but there's something I must do beforehand. I will be back much later tonight to celebrate, though."

Otoya beams at him as he mentions coming to the party. "See you there!"

Tokiya folds the script back up, dropping it into the messenger bag he's decided to bring for the day. He had packed everything much earlier when he had first gotten up for the day as it set his mind at ease. Grabbing the bag and a light jacket, he heads for the door of their shared space. He utters a quick goodbye as he walks out the door and begins his hunt for the shortest yet liveliest of them all. Noting the time, it wouldn't surprise him if Syo was in a practice space.

Deciding that will be his best bet, Tokiya heads towards the practice wing of the Master Dorms.

At the sound of music coming from further down the hall, Tokiya picks up the pace in his steps. He's sure he's right about Syo being here until he peers through the window and notices it's a different face than the one he had expected.

Ren catches him right away and begins his walk towards the door. Tokiya inwardly curses at himself for assuming it would be who he was looking for. Ren will keep him for much longer than he can afford if he stops him for a full conversation. He spins on his heels immediately, hoping to clear the space before Ren can even open the door.

He's very much wrong again.

"Icchi, where are you heading to?"

Tokiya pauses in his tracks and sucks in a deep breath. He turns slightly, so he can answer but not enough where his body is facing Ren entirely. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll be on my way."

He knows Ren better than to expect he'll just leave him alone. Ren is one to pry into a person's more intimate lifestyle rather than Otoya, who only asks for surface level material. Ren loves digging deeper than Tokiya would like.

"You aren't usually this rushed." Ren crosses his arms and leans against the doorframe of the practice room he's in. "What's got you running around?"

There's no use in avoiding the conversation, but he'll have to try to push for a shorter one. "I was hoping to ask Syo for a bit of his expertise."

"Oh?" Ren doesn't bother hiding his amusement. "What does the shortest one have that you don't? Actually what does anyone have that you don't already?"

The comment is callous. He frowns in response, clearly unamused himself. "It's none of your business. It was only a simple request."

Ren paces towards him slowly, closing the distance between them. Tokiya knows fully well how trapped he is now. "Well, now I'm curious. What were you hoping to ask him that's too personal to tell even me?"

Tokiya mentally gives up avoiding it, deciding on telling Ren outright so that the conversation may finally end. It's not that he hates the other. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Of course Ren always made fun of him, but there have been times they would hold rather interesting debates on topics the rest of STARISH usually avoided. It was refreshing to talk to him sometimes. The times like these, however, were ones in which Ren would simply ask as many questions as he can in order to annoy Tokiya, a feat that never took long.

"I was hoping to rehearse quickly if he was available to do so. I want to clear my mind of any worries before stepping on the set."

"So that's all it is? Even I could help you with that." That same amused expression stays plastered on Ren's face as he chuckles.

"Unfortunately, I was looking for someone willing to stay serious longer than one minute. This is a rather stressful shoot that involves a difficult fight sequence, Ren. I don't have time for jokes."

Ren frowns. "I thought you said you could trust me, Icchi. I'm hurt."

Tokiya flinches from his tone of voice. Usually Ren would feign false pain, but the hurt in his voice now is anything but. He stays silent as he observes Ren for a moment. There's nothing he can think of to say either as he wasn't expecting this to occur. "I'm-"

Ren lifts a hand to cut him off. "It's alright, Icchi. I can help you, though. Remember that movie I starred in recently? It required a lot of hours in the gym practicing fake fights. I'd like to think I know my way around them now. " He smiles gently at the other, beginning his walk back to the practice space he was just in.

Tokiya hesitantly follows, the feeling of guilt still weighing heavily on his mind but he tries to brush it off like Ren had as they walk into the room. Ren closes the door behind him and motions for him to set his belongings down against the wall where his own bag is. Tokiya follows the gesture and makes his way over to the center of the room. Ren rolls up the sleeves of his shirt to his elbow and stands in front of Tokiya.

He follows Ren's lead and pushes back his own sleeves, unsure of the outcome of what's to come.

"What kind of scene are you filming today? I guess I should've asked that first." Ren chuckles as he settles a hand onto his hip.

Oh right. "Well... I won't be throwing any punches myself. I'll only be taking the hits."

Ren's casual smile falters in its place, sending a growing sense of foreboding through Tokiya. "Taking them, huh? What's the scene, and who's it with?"

Having memorized the script almost in its entirety, Tokiya could practically recite it word for word. "My character tries to get his best friend back, to bring him back to the way he used to be when they were children. In a fit to avoid confronting the past, Watanabe's character-"

"Tanjiro Watanabe?" Ren's expression grows dark almost instantly. Such a quick flip in expressions sends a chill down Tokiya's spine.

"Yes, he plays the main character in the drama."

Tokiya knew of the actor only ever in name as he's never worked with him before. Known for his more aggressive nature, Tanjiro had been known to start plenty of fights on the sets he's called for, but there had yet to be an incident on the one they were working on together. Stories were stories, though. He had only assumed they were made up, seeing as how long they had been working closely together thus far.

Ren straightens out his posture in the very same instance he speaks. "Describe the action in the scene leading up to the staged fight."

Tokiya's beyond confused with the switch but assumes it comes from Ren's wariness about the actor. He supposes it's better to be safe than sorry, though.

"Despite the warnings he's given from the main character, my character approaches him one last time. In his rage and sadness, he throws my character up against the school building and tries to stop him from speaking."

There had already been a few action sequences that went perfectly on the first cut, so again he isn't entirely worried about this one playing out well. The risk for injury just so happens to be much higher now than in the past scenes they've filmed.

"Now tell me what exactly he's supposed to be doing to you." Ren hasn't let up in the slightest.

Tokiya thinks back to the scene and plays it through his mind before going through it out loud. "He'll be taking me by my hair and throwing my head back against the wall twice. That's the full extent of it. It's hardly anything dangerous, but I know Syo's been thrown around a lot. I merely wanted his opinion on letting fake pain like that show through."

Ren seems to run through the scene in his head himself. It takes another moment or two before he finally lets up, sighing as he straightens himself out. "I thought you said it was complicated?"

"It almost seems childish to ask for help now that I've spoken it out loud." Now it's his turn to laugh, shifting his weight uncomfortably to each foot as he does so. Ren must think he's being ridiculous now. "I'm sorry for wasting your time. It really isn't that big of a deal at all now that I'm reflecting on it. Thank you for helping ease my worries, though."

Or so he thinks until he sees Ren's expression fall once more. "Not at all, Icchi. In fact, I'm glad you said something. Would you like to run through it quickly? You did look to be distressed over it."

Tokiya plays with the idea in his mind now, throwing it back and forth as he tries to decide how to move forward. A quick glance down at his watch tells him he still has roughly fourty-five minutes before he has to leave, so it would be possible to run it through a few times...

"Only if you're alright with this cutting into your practice session." Despite how carefree Ren seems on the outside, he practices just as seriously as the rest of them. It came with their shared drive to better themselves and push their careers further.

"Anything for you, Icchi." Ren sends a playful wink in his direction. "I assume you have your script on you? I can't guarantee I'll remember his lines, but I can get through them enough to get you through the scene for rehearsal."

Tokiya nods as he spins on his heels for the script sitting in his bag. It doesn't take long before he's pulling it out and settling it in Ren's hands. Carefully, he watches on as Ren reads through the scene's script, eyeing the way he nods his head and whispers the words and directions under his breath.

Ren closes the script not too long after, nodding with affirmation to Tokiya as he hands it back to him and then takes a few steps back to give them both some room for the scene. "I think I've got the gist of it. Whenever you're ready, you can start the scene."

Tokiya nods back at him as he rushes to return the script to his bag and ready himself in front of Ren. He blocks out any distractions he fears are in the way, taking in a deep breath as he closes his eyes to center himself. When he's finally ready, he opens his eyes and begins.

"Wait!"

Ren's expression changes once more, this time darkening as he takes on the role of the lead. "I thought I told you to never come back." Ren slowly begins closing the distance between.

For a moment, Tokiya's breath catches in his throat with something akin to real fear. He's never truly seen Ren angry save for the one time in their days at the Academy, but even that was more hurt and betrayal than true intense anger. He imagines that this is what it would be like to experience such a strong emotion from him.

Getting himself back on track immediately, Tokiya backs up as the script indicates only to hit the practice room wall. Turning in a panic, he brings a fearful expression to his face as his character notices he's trapped. "You did." He swallows the lump rising in his throat before he turns again to face Ren.

"Why are you here then? I never wanted to see you here again!" Ren is now in his face, his words sharp and cutting as he shouts them at Tokiya in his 'rage'.

Tokiya's nerves immediately bundle back together as he anticipates the beginning of the staged fight. He should've known better than to doubt Ren, though.

In careful movements, Ren reaches forward to run his hands through Tokiya's hair before grasping a handful of it and pulling it back, so Tokiya's head is pressed against the wall behind him.

Tokiya pretends the action is painful, eyes closing tightly as he grits his teeth through his 'pain'. He wonders what the scene must look like from an outside perspective. Does it look nearly as gentle as it feels to himself?

"I asked you a question!"

Tokiya cringes into himself as indicated in the script, but it's almost real along with his slight fear of Ren's fake anger. It's impressive to say the least.

"You had to know..."

"Bullshit!" Ren pulls Tokiya forward with the same feeling of care before gently shoving him backwards.

Tokiya's head doesn't connect with the wall, but he leans it back as if it had, gasping for unnecessary air as if it's been taken from him. "I... did it... for you. Always..."

Ren's eyes light up with fear instead of the anger from before, letting go of Tokiya before breaking character entirely.

He's reaching forward to fix Tokiya's hair before he can do so himself. Tokiya is still thrown by Ren's acting skills, though. Had they really sharpened this much in the past few years? How hadn't he noticed sooner?

Ren looks to be worried when Tokiya zones back out of their scene, clearly still a bit dazzled by it. "Are you alright? I didn't actually hurt you, did I?"

Tokiya quickly lifts his wide eyes to Ren, shaking his head. "No, you didn't. Not at all, actually."

Ren breathes out a sigh before slipping into his signature grin and pulling his hands away from Tokiya's tousled locks. "Good. That's how the scene should go for you. If there's even the slightest doubt that something hurts you, don't be afraid to stop the scene entirely. There shouldn't be anything there to begin with."

He's already aware of this fact, but still he takes note of it. It helps to hear it come from someone else, who's done plenty more of these than he has himself. "I'll take your advice into care."

Ren settles a hand on his waist as he lets his shoulders drop into a more casual stance. "What time do you have to leave?"

Tokiya eyes his watch once more before gasping at the time indicated there. How had it gotten so late already? "Thank you for the reminder, Ren. I should be heading out now if I don't want to hold everyone up."

He can feel Ren's eyes on him as he turns around to pick up his belongings. Ren doesn't shift from his stance until he's about to head out the door.

"Actually, Icchi," Ren's hand is wrapped firmly around Tokiya's wrist in a motion he hadn't seen coming, "would it be alright if I joined you on your set today?"

It's not an unusual request as they had all done that for each other every now and then, but no one had yet to join him on the set of this drama. The staff had wanted to keep an air of mystery around the project still, so they hadn't allowed for too many guests to hang about. He couldn't imagine them saying no to Ren being there, though. After all, he was a member of STARISH. Surely, they had prepared themselves for at least one of the members of his band tagging along at some point.

Tokiya turned to give the slightest smile to Ren only to notice the worry lining his features. He furrows his brows as he catches the expression, though hesitant to voice the growing concern over noting it. "I don't see why not."

Ren relaxes as he pulls his hand away from Tokiya's wrist. "Thank you, Icchi. Why don't you call for the car while I grab my belongings? I don't want to be reason for your tardiness."

Tokiya nods before walking off towards the lobby to do exactly as Ren had said. It isn't much longer before the two of them are sliding into the backseat of one of the agency's company cars.

Ren fills the silence of the trip in with casual conversation, clearly trying to deflect the nervousness Tokiya believes is evident on his face during the entire trip.

He can still picture the worry on Ren's face from earlier. He wants to ask why he's so worried, but again he finds himself at a loss for words. They're all cautious when it comes to each others' wellbeing, so maybe he really is just overthinking it.

When they arrive onset, Ren slides into step behind Tokiya to let him be his guide through the studio doors. Tokiya drifts far ahead of him as he informs the director and producers of Ren's presence. None of them seem to care as he predicted. After thanking them and quickly moving along, he greets his co-stars before heading back to Ren's side.

It's clear that Ren is looking for something - or perhaps someone - but he pretends he isn't as he faces Tokiya once more with a gentler smile. Instead of putting him at ease, it only grows Tokiya's concerns.

However, again he chooses not to say anything as he continues to lead the way over to his own trailer. Only the leading actors got one, and even though Tokiya's role wasn't the biggest onset he still ended up with one. He thinks Shining probably played a role in him having one.

It isn't as large as some of the others are, but he doesn't need it to be. In fact, it's almost larger than he really needs it to be in general. Equipped with a small bedroom, kitchen area, and living/dining space, it holds all he could possibly need... if he was going on the road and living on set every day.

When he opens the door and makes headway over to the living area, he can hear Ren's low whistle from behind himself as he makes room for the other to enter as well.

"Why do you come back to the dorms when you have this to stay in?" Ren teases as he follows Tokiya towards the left side of the trailer and throws himself down on the couch resting against the back wall.

Tokiya only sighs as he reads through his schedule for the day of filming ahead of himself. "There's hardly a need for me to be here day in and out. I'm only a part of the subplot to this drama. I don't see a need to be away from the dorms for so long."

The next thing he knows, Ren is laughing so hard that he has to sit himself up where he's positioned on the couch. "I'd be touched if the real reason behind your answer wasn't actually to practice until you pass out."

Tokiya rolls his eyes at his obnoxious laughter but finds himself smiling anyway. He's grateful Ren's back in high spirits for now.

"Alright, alright. Enough laughing at my expense. I have to go to makeup, hair, and then wardrobe. You can hang out here before filming starts if you like."

"Awe, I can't watch you get ready?" There's an obnoxiously sad pout on his face as he answers.

Tokiya can only roll his eyes in response. "Of course not. I'll be back soon enough to bring you to the filming. You can wait until then."

"Yes, yes... I suppose I'll have to. I'll miss you... darling~" Ren winks at Tokiya, and once he notices the look of annoyance and slight flush to his cheeks, he's right back to laughing.

Tokiya all but bolts out of his trailer at the comment, finding himself victim to Ren's comments today more than usual. He chalks it up to Ren's odd mood shift from earlier being the culprit.

He can't help but let his mind wander back to their conversation about his co-star as he walks to the makeup department's trailer. Even as they begin working their magic on him, he's too lost to answer any of their questions wholeheartedly.

It comes as no surprise that everyone's heard of Ren's presence on today's set already. The questions about him being there are relentless, even when he's whisked away to the costuming department's trailer. Maybe he should've just had him come around with him instead. It would've been easier that way.

Luckily, the questions finally come to an end... when he's able to escape back to his own personal trailer. He's already exhausted, yet he's hardly done anything to deserve being this way.

"You've come back for me~" Ren is exactly where he was an hour and a half ago, still lounging across his couch without a care in the world.

The eyeroll count Tokiya now has going is up to three - or is it already four? - as he grabs his belongings he had set down on the coffee table in front of Ren.

"Let's go. I don't wish to be the last to arrive to the set."

"I doubt you ever are anyway." Ren laughs once more as he pulls himself up off the armrest of the couch to stand at his full height, stretching out his long limbs as he does so. "You should do that to your hair more often. The last time it was like that was for our Joker Trap setup."

Tokiya glances up at Ren from where he's hunched over to grab his script on the table, noticing the ever-present smirk adorning his lips.

He sighs as he picks up the script and settles it between his hands to read through it once more. No matter how many times he reads through it, he can't help the bundles of nerves that sit in his stomach.

"I rather like it as it always is. This would be too much to maintain all the time." Besides, the slicked back style hardly suits him like it does a few of the others. His usual look works best.

"The change is nicer than you think it is."

He didn't even realize Ren had moved closer to him until one of his hands begins playing with a few of the looser locks by his right ear. Tokiya's gaze immediately flits from the words on the pages before him to stare into Ren's own playful expression.

"Maybe I'm just more comfortable with my typical style. It all feels... too made up, is the phrase I believe I'm looking for."

Tokiya moves his head to the side, so his strands fall from Ren's touch. There's a small pout that seems to appear on Ren's face for the split second after he does so, but it's gone before he can even affirm its existence.

Only when his hand is gone does he reach up to smooth everything back to how it was before. Feeling all of the product at the ends of his navy locks, he can't help the frown that breaks through on his face. He knows exactly how much effort it's going to take to get it all out.

Ren must have an idea of what his thoughts are because he's right back to laughing lightheartedly in response. "Haven't you been on set like this for five months now? How do you still seem so dissatisfied?" He shoves a hand into one of his pockets as he leans away from Tokiya to give him more room to breathe.

Tokiya redirects his frown towards the other and away from his thoughts, his cheeks becoming tinged with his embarrassment. "Just because I'm used to it doesn't mean I enjoy it to any extent."

"I guess so." Ren's laughter fades into a grin as he walks past him towards the trailer door. "C'mon, you don't want to be late to being too early, right?"

Another eyeroll from the vocalist as he begins following Ren out the door.

Their positions shift back into Tokiya leading the way once they exit, though, with Ren not having any idea where they should be going. Once they push through the stage doors, Ren settles back into silence once more. When Tokiya glances over at him, he's right back to that same searching gaze from before.

It doesn't click what exactly he's looking for until Ren pauses in one direction and then narrows his eyes. Tokiya follows his gaze curiously to find it focused on the man they had been discussing earlier. Of course.

The uneasy feeling of foreboding is back in full force as he breaks away from Ren's side to join the producer talking to Tanjiro. His steps exude a confidence he really wishes he actually has and when he begins talking with them both through the scene, he pretends to be unbothered and focused.

But his eyes shift back to where he knows Ren is standing. His gaze is intense with its focus on the three of them, clearly staring past Tokiya and right at the target in question. It's impossible to shake the feeling that something is going to happen.

But he has to. He can't go into this scene like this or he'll really get injured. Taking a step away only after they've talked out the direction of the scene, Tokiya finds himself walking towards Ren whose managed to snag a seat from one of the many assistants running around.

Ren notices his unease quickly, standing up abruptly to push Tokiya down into it. He has his own chair somewhere in the area, but he finds himself really just looking for Ren's comfort. Or maybe it's just his sense of protection. Whatever it is, Tokiya lets Ren do so without so much as saying a word.

Instead, he closes his eyes and begins one of his many pre-show meditations.

Masato had taught him how to clear his mind during one of their more stressful performance together at the Neodream Music Festival. It's worked for just about every project since.

Yet somehow, it doesn't work at all now. Maybe it's the way he knows Ren's eyes are trained on him, or perhaps it's just the knowledge of the nature of the shoot today. Whatever it is has him breaking his meditation before he can really get anything out of it.

"It'll be okay, Icchi. You've done more than enough preparation for this." So it won't be your fault when something goes wrong, are the unsaid words Tokiya can practically hear chasing Ren's own.

He nods as he takes in one last deep breath, steeling himself for the scene that he's about to film.

Chanting Ren's words as a mantra mentally, Tokiya stands up from the chair and stares down the set before him. "Thank you for your help earlier, Ren."

The hand on his shoulder is all the answer he needs as he walks towards the set to begin. Before he can approach Tanjiro, he glances back at Ren one last time and receives a thumbs up in response as he sits himself back down in the chair positioned for himself.

Tokiya gives him a half-smile before turning back to the set and approaching his co-star. They throw words of good luck to each other and simple nod of their heads before the director makes an appearance by the camera crew.

"Let's get this show on the road! We don't have all day, folks!" The director claps his hands as he meets up with the rest of the staff to discuss the angling and camera work ahead of them.

Only after he meets up with the two of them to discuss what they'll be doing and how they'll be pulling the scene off is everyone ready to begin. Positioning themselves into their starting places, both actors ready themselves for the call.

"And... action!"

. . .

"Didn't I tell you to never come back?" Tanjiro marches towards Tokiya with precision in his steps.

So it begins.

Tokiya does as the script reads and backs himself up against the brick wall set up behind him with a matching pace to the other. He pauses once his back hits the wall, looking over his shoulder with a expression drowning in fear. He swallows deeply and turns to face Tanjiro again. "You did."

"Then why are you back? I told you I never wanted to see you around here again!"

For a brief moment, Tokiya's mind flashes to feeling of Ren's hand ever so carefully in his hair. It's the sensation he knows he should feel coming from his co-star, but it's not what happens in the slightest.

Tanjiro reaches forward and snags a handful of Tokiya's gelled-back hair, slamming his head back against the wall behind him. "Why can't you just leave me along?!"

For a moment, Tokiya's vision swims. There's a clear throbbing in his head, but he has to ignore it. It's only a staged fight. There's nothing real about his anger. The pain will disappear once we're off set and the adrenaline is gone. He's so sure of it that he almost convinces himself that it's the truth.

"I asked you a question!" Tanjiro portrays an image of anger so realistic it almost feels as real as the throbbing in Tokiya's head.

Tokiya flinches back against the spit flying in his face, pulled out of his thoughts to fight for his lines once more. What were they again? The pain radiating in his head distracts him briefly, but it must not be too long or else they would've called cut by now.

"You... you had to... know..." He forces out the lines he's stared at for many nights this past month, hoping they come out as they're supposed to be delivered. For dramatic effect, he even lets the pain appear across his face, hoping it isn't too much as he does so. After all, it would make sense if the scene happened in real life.

"Bullshit!" Tanjiro leans back, taking Tokiya with him before pushing the other back rather forcefully into the wall once more.

A small gasp escapes his lips the same moment he hears a crack behind him. Without a doubt, his head has surely made contact with the wall this time. There's no denying it, not after hearing the sickening sound that followed it. Tokiya thinks he's about to be sick.

But they're still filming. He can't stop now. It's almost over. They're almost done with it. "I did it... for you. Always..." The words are broken beyond a doubt as he chokes them out past the bile beginning to rise in the back of his throat, the ache in his head now tenfold what it was before. He just knows he's going to be left with a massive migraine after today.

Tanjiro turns around sharply, releasing Tokiya from his grasp to grip at his own head as is written in the script. "You're wrong!"

But the words come as an echo to Tokiya, his vision blurring at the sudden loss of support by the other. Before he can even realize it himself, he's sinking to the ground. His vision fades to all black as even more echoes chase after him from what he assumes to be the team on standby. He's out like a light before he can confirm the thought for himself.

.

. . .

.

When he wakes up, it's clear he's being cradled against someone. He should check to see who it is, but he can hardly tell past the blinding lights and the noise beginning to filter in to his ears. Suddenly, the only thoughts he has are how to turn them all off. His second thought is how to get rid of the bile sitting in his throat, though that's quickly followed with an answer as his system struggles weakly to even try holding it back.

"Tokiya! Tokiya? Can you hear me? Can I have everyone back away please!"

There's desperation to the owner's voice, but Tokiya finds it comforting. He knows the owner. But... how? Tokiya does his best to blink past the lights, needing answers for the chaos that clearly surrounds him and for why there's an excruciating pain running through his head.

"Tokiya, I'm going to need you to open your eyes for me. The ambulance is on the way, but I need you to try focusing on me. Focus on staying awake."

Ah... it's Ren. When Tokiya's able to pull his eyes into focus enough, he's able to recognize the familiar face despite the difficulty it takes to reach that conclusion.

"There you go, Tokiya. Focus on me and only me."

It's odd hearing his given name from Ren, but it helps pull him back into reality quicker. The arms he's cradled in are without a doubt Ren's own. As to why that's the case... not only can he not think of an answer but he also can't even remember where they are in the first place. Panic begins to settle in his chest as he suddenly finds himself grasping at straws to remember well... quite frankly anything. He's with Ren, and he knows his name as well as the nickname Ren always calls him... but why can't he remember where they are and what they were doing? Why is he in Ren's arm on the floor of what looks like a studio? Is it a studio? No, it looks more like a set.

The harder he thinks the worse the pain in his head is, but he can't help it. Why can't he remember anything?

"Tokiya, whatever it is you're doing I need you to stop it. Stop thinking. I know that's difficult, but you're only hurting yourself more." Ren looks to be just as desperate as his words are becoming, moreso than they were even a moment ago.

Tokiya wishes he could make that expression disappear entirely, but he can hardly move to begin with. Even when he tries to sit himself up, Ren's grip on him is iron to effectively trap him in place.

"How are you this stubborn even when you're like this?" Ren's words are followed with an exasperated sigh that sounds too much like one Tokiya would give himself.

"Ren...?" Finally! Tokiya finally manages to get a word out, though not without sickness rising in his throat once more. Disgusted with the very idea of releasing it once more, he does his best to swallow it back this time.

"Tokiya, stop. Don't say anything else until you're being treated by professionals. You don't need to hold back either. You'll only make it worse if you do."

But make what worse? The amount of questions he now has are overwhelming as the world around them pulls back into focus.

They're definitely on a set, but for what he's come up to a blank. Ren's distress is overwhelmingly apparent now. His normally bright eyes are clouded over with emotions ranging from pain and sadness to boiling rage and frustration. He could maybe try to pull for answers as to why he looks to be in pain or experiencing sadness, but the anger confuses him just as much as the space around them does. There's a lot of yelling behind them for whatever reason, but there's one voice in particular that's louder than the rest. Tokiya knows he knows the voice, but he just can't pinpoint why.

A mind-numbing wave of pain flashes through him once more, silencing his thoughts just as Ren had hoped for before. He's so frustrated that he can't remember anything and even moreso just seeing what Ren's going through. Being unable to do anything is what drives the feeling in deeper like a nail. His breath is uneven and shaky with how ill he feels currently, his eyes are begging to be closed away from the blinding lights, and his entire body just aches.

Tokiya is very unaware of the time that passes, unable to tell if it's an eternity that passes or five seconds before emergency responders are invading the space. Ren is pulled away from him, despite his pathetic attempts to struggle against it. As soon as they sit him upright, the sickness returns in full force, and he's once again helpless to stop himself. The responders don't seem to care in the slightest, though, with their focus solely on getting Tokiya to answer basic questions.

They stop altogether when one of the responders kneels down to whisper a few words in another one's ear. They exchange a few words that he can't seem to make out, so instead he puts his focus back on finding Ren through the sea of people being pushed away from the scene around himself. Ren's at the very edge of the crowd, closest to where Tokiya is currently. He can see that Ren's talking to one of the responders trying to push the crowd away, his expression even more disraught now than it was before.

When they lock gazes on each other, Ren's expression falls even more. Despite the many questions he needs to ask, he heeds Ren's warning and stays silent as he's placed on a stretcher and loaded up into the back of the ambulance. His neck is restrained in a way that keeps him immobile, and two of the responders sit in the back as they begin assessing what's going on while the ambulance begins moving.

The ride is so much more excruciating than the pain he's feeling somehow, but it's the poking and prodding and questions and noise that surrounds him during the entire trip that drives him absolutely insane. He knows they're just doing their job, but all he wants is to rest right now. Everyone seems adamant about not letting him do so.

Being in the hospital and situated into his own room opens the gates for an entirely different wave of poking and prodding that seems urgent in just about every sense. From the IV now in his arm to all the terms unfamiliar to him being tossed around from nurse to doctor as he's assessed once more by this new team.

When everyone has finally dispersed from his room, there's enough medication in him where sleep comes easy and finally without question.

This time when he wakes up, he's more aware of his surroundings. He knows now that he's in a hospital and how he had gotten there in the first place. He's still unaware of the incident that brought him to this exact state, but at least he's more aware now.

The next thing he's aware of is the nurse in the room administering more medication through the IV he's attached to, and he welcomes it wholly because the pain is still very apparent.

Finally, it's not she's gone from the room that he finally notices the two faces across the room from him. It's a bit difficult to make out at first what with his vision still not obeying him, but the hair colors make it the most obvious.

"Ren... Otoya..."

Both males bolt from their seats to rush over to his side, but it's Otoya who's taken one of Tokiya's hands into his own as he begins crying. "Tokiya! You're finally awake! I was so worried about you!"

The volume of his voice sends pain vibrating through his skull once more causing his expression to twist. Ren shushes Otoya almost immediately, whispering a few words to him that have Otoya gasping.

"I'm sorry, Tokiya." His voice is now thankfully settled in to a whisper. Clearly Ren was easily able to read his desires on his face.

"It's alright, Otoya." Speaking isn't quite as difficult as it was earlier, but there's still that frustrating feeling of illness that comes with it. There's also the newly added factor of all the medication he's clearly under that slurs his words from their usual precision.

"Everyone's going to be excited to hear that you're awake. When Ren called to tell us what happened, we were all scrambling to get over here as soon as possible."

Tokiya really wishes that Ren didn't let Otoya be one of the first visitors. He appreciates the sentiment and knows exactly why he was allowed in first, but the pain in his head begs for silence or at least easier conversation. This is still all too much for himself.

As if reading his mind, Ren pulls Otoya away towards the door. They whisper a few words back and forth before he eventually leaves the two of them alone.

Ren chuckles quietly as he watches Otoya bound out of the room, and Tokiya finds the sound of it to be oddly comforting. It's much better than the distressed look from before.

"Sorry. We voted Otoya to be one of the first to see you since he's your roommate. I made it known I'd be going in first with whoever else we chose, so it came out like this. No one argued against it, but clearly we should've thought a little harder." As if aware of his difficulty, Ren speaks not only qietly but also slowly.

Despite how hard it is to admit, it's unavoidable to acknowledge how slow his mind is currently working. It takes him a few extra moments more than he'd like to admit to really process anyone's words right now.

Tokiya closes his eyes briefly against the brightness of the room he's in, wving off the comment with a slow flick of the one wrist not pinned down by a machine. A small heart monitor hardly counted as being pinned.

"They're all really worried. Otoya was in hysterics up until twenty minutes ago."

At the mention of time, Tokiya's eyes fling open in curiosity. He's been unaware of that sense since he woke up the first time. Maybe that would've been a good question to ask any of the responders or nurses and doctors...

"It's only been an hour since then. I know you'll want the time of day and everything else that follows but not yet. You need to rest first and foremost."

How can he rest when there are all these unanswered questions, though? The pain he feels won't stop him now, especially not when there's medication to finally help ease its intensity.

Ren sighs when he catches Tokiya's expression, knowing there's no escape from it now. "Only what you need to know, though. I'm not going into any details right now. You hardly look like you can handle talking at a minimum. I won't take no for an anwer either."

Tokiya tries to bring a smile to his lips, thinking carefully as to where he needs to begin before he just starts talking. "What happened?"

The anger from earlier returns to Ren's eyes and his shoulders tensen up as the memory seems to flicker through his mind. Tokiya wishes for nothing more than to reach out and flatten out the creases that have now settled between his eyebrows.

"You were filming a scene for your drama when the actor working with you got violent. He gave you a grade three concussion."

The words are heavy and filled with a malice that Tokiya's never heard before. What he says though is shocking to say the least. He was injured on purpose? No, surely there had to be another reason for it... right?

Pushing that thought away for now, he focuses on his diagnosis instead. A grade three concussion. From what he remembers of Syo having received a lower grade way back when, he knows he's going to be on bedrest for a while. How long is he going to be out of working condition? What's going to happen to the drama he was apparently filming for? Why can't he even remember the drama?

A single question brings on so many more in its wake. Instead of asking anything else, Tokiya leans back against the pillows and closes his eyes in an attempt to ground himself... and hopefully push the sickness away this time.

Ren must understand what he's going for because he falls silent and must simply be watching on. They stay like this until a gentle knock pulls at their attention.

He can hear Ren moving away from the hospital bed to greet whoever's come to visit him now, but he still can't get himself to open his eyes just yet. He focuses on their hushed whispers, listening on as someone leaves the room and others enter it more.

Tokiya waits until he thinks he has a better grasp on everything - or at least a better one than what he had at first - before he opens his eyes to greet his other visitors.

Immediately, he's filled with guilt when he notices who they are. Clearly Ren had said something to Otoya about who to let in next because it's now Masato and Haruka who are here with him.

Once he's opened his eyes, the two of them slowly make their way over to the edge of his hospital bed.

"Ichinose-"

The two of them practically call his name in unison. They stare at each other before Masato gestures for her to go first.

"Ichinose, I'm so glad to see that you're finally awake. How are you feeling?" Concern lines her bright eyes. It's obvious she was crying earlier because there's a puffiness to them that has yet to subside.

When Tokiya tries to speak, the most he can manage now is a groan. The pain is finally getting to him again, and he doubts he'll be able to hold himself back anymore. Maybe he should've just motioned for Ren to stop anyone else from coming in. It's embarrassing for them to see him like this.

"Is there something we can get you?" Masato is the one who speaks up now.

He'll just wait until they're gone. Surely, he can last that long.

Tokiya shakes his head as a nonverbal no, grimacing when the action only brings him grief. How long is he supposed to stay like this?

Masato and Haruka share another look between them, but Tokiya can't find it in himself to pay attention or figure out what it means.

Masato turns to stare at him for a moment before beginning a search around the room. As he does that, Haruka leaves the room with hurried steps.

Tokiya scrunches his eyebrows out of not just pain but curiosity, his eyes following Masato as he flits about the room. When he finally finds whatever it is he's looking for, he's right at Tokiya's side setting down what he was looking for on the floor by his head. Masato crouches down to the level of his bed and looks up at him with the most concern he's sure he's ever seen set in his sapphire eyes.

Tokiya glances over as best he can to find the object set beside Masato as trash can. Now he understands. He groans once more as the implication has his head swimming.

"I'm... fine." The most he's sure he's able to get out without doing exactly as Masato clearly predicts. Is it that obvious on his face?

Masato's eyebrows only pull tighter together. "You don't have to be. We would only be more concerned if you pretended in such a state."

Tokiya groans one last time before giving in, being physically unable to pretend anymore than he already has. It's pointless anyway.

Masato helps him out best he can, ensuring his hair isn't caught in the way and quickly laying Tokiya back down to the position he was in beforehand. It's as he's helping Tokiya wipe any remnants away and then moving the barrel off to the side when Haruka comes in again with a water bottle in hand.

"I'm sorry for being so late, Hijirikawa." Uncapping the bottle, she rushes past him to bring it up to Tokiya's lips for him.

Tokiya feels absolutely pathetic like this. Between being cared for as if he'll break at the slightest breeze to being cleaned up after, it's hard not to feel like this. He doubts he's been awake longer than an hour, and all he's done is brush his friends off and make them take up the part of nurses. Ridiculous.

When Haruka pulls the bottle away, she gasps softly before reaching forward to wipe a gentle finger against Tokiya's cheek. "Ichinose?"

When had he started crying? He pushes his lips to form a smile that only ends up looking shaky at best. "I'm sorry. Thank you." Easy phrases to squeak out but not enough to discuss what's wrong in the slightest.

Now it's Haruka's turn to frown as she gazes back at Masato and then back to himself. "Please don't apologize. Nothing is your fault." Small tears begin welling up in her own eyes now.

He wants to apologize again for making her cry, but he knows she'll only scold him for that. He wants to reach up and brush those tears away, to ensure her that he's going to be fine... only he can't. He thinks that this feeling of frustration is never going to leave him, not when he's left like this.

Before anyone else can even try to say anything, what he assumes to be one of his doctors knocks at the door. Haruka pulls away from him to join Masato's side towards the back of the room, allowing the doctor to enter into the space more.

Tokiya sighs, sinking back into the pillows as he prepares himself for what's most likely going to look like a painful check-up.

"Good to see you're awake, Mr. Ichinose." The doctor walks up to Tokiya with a clipboard in hand, already jotting down a few notes as he checks all the machines he's attached to. "I have a few questions for you before I perform a quick check up. Is that alright?"

Once Tokiya nods his head yes, the doctor is quick to get right to work. When he finally finishes his short examination, he's left in more distress than he was in before but relieved to hear he's doing as well as he can be. It's hardly anything positive, but it feels so considering how miserable he must look.

He doesn't remember hearing Masato and Haruka leave, but it's obvious they took off between the visit and the nurse now administering medication through his IV once more. Taking in the silence for what it is, he closes his eyes and lets himself drift off before anyone else can enter.

Waking up this time sends him into confusion, but Tokiya chalks it up to the all-too realistic dream he's had of STARISH's last concert together. He can feel the tears on his face and before he can even attempt to rid himself of them, there's a hand on his cheek once more.

In a panic, Tokiya's head shoots up, scaring whoever it is into pulling away from him.

"Sorry, Icchi. I didn't mean to frighten you." There's a look of guilt on Ren's face as he pulls his hand back into his lap.

Ren is perched on the edge of his bed, the hand with the heart monitor on it now trapped between his own as he drops his other hand on top of his.

Tokiya should be comforted by his presence considering how much he's already done to help him thus far, but it's the darkened circles that are underneath his puffy eyes and the hunch in his shoulders that only brings guilt and concern to wash over him. The fact that he could see the sun setting through the blinds in his hospital room tells him he's been out for longer than an hour this time then begs him to wonder how long Ren had been like this. The concern only grows.

Ren chuckles halfheartedly as he shakes his head, his ginger locks following the movement. "Leave it to you to be hospitalized and somehow still be concerned over someone else's wellbeing."

For a moment, Tokiya panics that he had accidentally voiced his worries out loud, but then follows the thought that his emotions must be plastered like daylight on his face. Despite his many years of acting, it was always hard to hide his emotions when he was vulnerable like he is now.

"I'm glad I didn't have to wake you, though. Your doctor said I'd either have to wake you up periodically or he'd send a nurse in to do exactly that. You're in great care here, Icchi."

Tokiya glances down when he notices the grip around his hand tightening. Ren follows his gaze and laughs once more, albeit more awkwardly now as he lets go of his hands.

Tokiya almost wishes he hadn't done so.

"Sorry. You weren't sleeping soundly, so I got concerned." Ren reaches to scratch at the back of his head, tousling his hair more than it apparently already has been. "How are you feeling? Hijirikawa and the Little Lamb already told us what happened earlier. I know you only just woke up too, but is there anything you want or need?"

Tokiya grimaces because the first thought that comes to mind is the need to escape this hospital. When was anyone going to tell him he was going to be stuck overnight?

Ren smiles sadly, as if guessing for himself what Tokiya's answer is. "I'm sorry, Icchi. They did promise you'd be released tomorrow if that's any consolation. They only wanted to keep you here just to ensure you'd be alright. It's a higher grade concussion, meaning a lot could go wrong if anything slips past them. They're just doing the best they can."

Tokiya sighs at Ren's words, knowing fully well how right he was. However, there's something else that pulls at his attention more than his care here.

"Stop apologizing." It's the one word he's already heard over and over from Ren, and it's completely unnecessary. He hasn't done anything wrong in the slightest.

Ren flinches when he hears his words but laughs it off as if Tokiya's made it all up in his mind. "It's hard not to after witnessing your accident. I could've ran in after the first initial hit, but instead..." Ren cuts himself off, about to say something more about before he notices the confusion lining Tokiya's expression.

He still can't remember what happened leading up to his hospitalization. The words Ren speaks bring a foggy memory, but that's the extent of it. The most he's remembered is the shoot for the drama he was working on. He vaguely remembers Ren following him to the studio, but his memory freezes at the moment he looked away from the director to see the pointed expression on Ren's face.

That's when it all goes dark for him.

Tokiya's face twists in pain as he tries to recall those last few moments again, but he's distracted by it all when his hand is wrapped in warmth. Glancing away from the far away point in the room he's begun looking at for answers to now Ren's hands wrapped once more around his own, Tokiya finds his thoughts melting away once more.

"I didn't mean to bring it up. When you're ready, we can talk about it. For now, let's focus on your recovery. Why don't you try resting again? I'll be right here to wake you up throughout the night, so don't worry about anything happening."

Ren's softer smile brings one of his own to his face as he leans back into his pillows and lets sleep take over once more.

As Ren had promised, he's the one waking Tokiya up throughout the night to check in with him. The first time it happens Tokiya is too foggy to think it's reality until he hears Ren's tired chuckle in his ear. The second time it happens, he's a bit more aware of what's going on but his tired frustration leads him to another laugh from the other.

The last time he's woken up, it's not by Ren but rather Syo. Confused at the new face, Tokiya quickly glances around the room to see a few of the other members now hanging around. The rule was clearly only two at a time, so it had to mean something was happening if there was more than that this time. He hopes it means something good.

"Oh, you're probably looking for Ren. He's talking with the nurse in charge right now with Shining to get you out of here. He'll be back soon. Aren't you excited to finally leave?" Syo flashes him a bright smile, one that can only bring one to his own face as well.

He hasn't seen Natsuki, Syo, or Cecil for a few days. With his own busy schedule having overlapped over their own, it was difficult to see them even when they were all at the dorms. He feels almost guilty to see them now like this as he's being discharged when he could've seen them yesterday.

"Syo, I-"

"Don't even start." Syo backs away from his side and crosses his arms over his chest, that same infectious smile still sits there. "We got the rundown from the others. As long as you're okay then that's all that matters." He flashes Tokiya a quick thumbs up.

Tokiya relaxes back into the bed, feeling more at ease with hearing Syo's response. It never ceases to amaze him just how wonderful the people surrounding him are. How had he gotten so lucky in life?

A doctor as well as two nurses strolls into the room, breaking up the crowd that sits at the foot of Tokiya's bed. Trailing not too far behind them is the two missing parties from earlier: Shining Saotome and Ren. He hadn't heard or seen Shining, but from one of his passing conversations during the night when Ren had awoken him, he had told him that Shining had to prepare a statement along with Ryuya and Ringo to explain his condition. Apparently, the tabloids had a field day seeing the ambulance appear on his set when the accident occurred.

The nurses begin making quick and careful work detaching Tokiya from all the machines. The doctor himself asks him a few questions and then proceeds to explain his home instructions. It's a lot to take in, and the doctor is very quick to inform him that his friends have been informed as well as his direct roommates courtesy of Shining himself.

The entire process of him leaving the hospital is about just as lengthy as it was getting in. Luckily, Shining had already taken care of the waivers due to his current inability to sign them himself. He has yet to attempt reading but considering how ill he gets just from sitting up alone, he knows exactly what the outcome will be if he tries.

That being said, getting into the wheelchair they offer him is the next hardest task aside from being taken off every machine and answering every question being thrown at him. Both Ren and Otoya jump into action with the rest of STARISH positioned around them both to be at the ready should they be needed. His doctor stays in the room to ensure nothing happens as he's carefully and very slowly helped to the edge of his bed. He's breathing heavily before he's even moved into the chair itself. It's this distressing realization that makes him question how he's possibly going to get back to how he used to be before, a question he can't seem to stop asking himself anymore.

Eventually, they manage to get him into it, and soon enough they're piled into a few of the company cars set to bring them back to the dorms. Luckily, they had split up into two separate cars with Tokiya seated in the back along with Ren with Otoya sitting in the front. The others had piled into one of the larger vehicles.

Tokiya's grateful for the decision but finds that it hardly matters when he falls asleep against Ren's shoulder. It had been an exhausting day to say the least, and the thought of the long recovery process to follow only tires him out more. He doesn't know how they're going to get through it. STARISH will have to go on a break for sure with a focus on merely solo work for the time being. He'll have to take part in an interview or release a statement of sorts down the line as well...

But even as he begins drifting off against Ren's shoulder, he finds it difficult to stay focused on these harder thoughts. STARISH has always preservered no matter the situation, and this is one they'll get past just as they had with all others before. It's this confidence in his closest friends that has him falling into a dreamless slumber on his way back to the dorms.

He'll be ready for whatever's to come with them by his side.