A/N: Sorry for the big delay! This writer's block is moving things a bit too slow for me...but, well, it happens. Wanted to finish this story before Halloween, so here it is! Next chapter were moving to a familiar scene but things are going to get a bit more serious...sorry to say, it will still be a while before that dam breaks.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

30 / Intermission of the Dead

Sakura was waiting for her brother by the gate; she was wearing his jacket, it was a little too big for someone her size but it hid her appearance well as she waited. The little poodle dog was by her side, tongue hanging out, drool all over. Romero barked a few times as Genji got closer, seemingly happy to see him back again.

"Hey," Genji said, as he got closer, handing the box to the smiling zombie, who took it gratefully. "Couldn't get that strawberry cake. They're rather popular in the morning. Got a special discount on this carrot cake, though...so there's that."

"Oh! Well...I'm sure the girls won't mind…"

"So...what's your plan?"

"Huh?" Sakura's already turning to walk inside, Romero marching along with her, not a care in the world. "What do you mean? We have practice today, remember?"

Genji chuckled. "No, no...not that idol crap...I was talking about that Suzuhara kid."

"Oh…" Sakura seemed to think about before shaking her head. "Not much we can do about him...Kotaro's just pretending that nothing happened…" Genji scoffed behind her.

"Hmph, typical…"

"And even then...what can we do about it?"

Genji smiled a bit. "Well...there is something, actually...I ran into him after I got myself a cup of coffee."

"Did you?" Sakura's eyes widened a bit before she smiled sadly. "Is he alright?"

"If you're wondering if he's still sane, yes...he didn't look crazy to me."

"Genji…"

Her brother just shrugged. "He was fine. We talked. I tried bribing him…"

"Wait, wait...you what?" Sakura blinks at her brother. "Wha-what to do you mean you tried bribing him!?"

"What?"

"What do you mean 'what'!? Genji! I can't believe you!"

Genji just brushed his sister's anger off by waving his hand. "It's fine. He wouldn't take it."

"That's not the point!"

"I did try to hire him, though," Genji went on, ignoring Sakura's last remark. His sister turned to stare at her brother again, blinking with sudden confusion.

"Huh? Hire him?"

"Yeah, I figured since he wouldn't take the bribe," Sakura glared at him as he said that, "I thought it would be easier to just hire him...make him useful and keep him close, that sort of thing."

"Kotaro...Kotaro wouldn't want him around…"

"Who cares what he wants," Genji grumbled, glancing to the side. "What's his plan the next time someone else finds you out next? Hide under the bed? Dig a hole? Or pretend that nothing's happened because so far he's doing a damn good job at it and no, don't you tell me otherwise."

"Genji…"

"No, Sakura, no," Genji glares at the big mansion in front of him, as if it was somehow at fault for everything. "What's his deal, exactly? He brings people back from the dead and then makes them idols? What's he trying to pull? You...yo and those other girls," he sighed. "You and those girls...what's he on about? What does he want...and no, the whole "save Saga" charade is getting old and we both know that's never happening...didn't happen in the past, won't happen now." Sakura watches her brother as he goes on and on, letting his frustrations known.

She really doesn't know what to say, what to tell him.

Sakura still wasn't so sure if Kotaro's goal was just to "save Saga"; even back then, when her memory was gone and she had found out she was dead, Sakura had not really cared much about his plan to make her an idol. The plan was pretty stupid. They had started with that death metal concert, most of her friends out of their minds, shambling about, Sakura the only one with the mental capacity to understand what a terrible idea everything was and standing with her, seemingly out of his mind as well, was Kotaro Tatsumi, a man who wanted to take them to the top. Then, Sakura had seen a glimpse of her past in that concert and had figured that she should just go along with Kotaro's plan to recover her memories, not thinking about anything else but getting her memories back.

(and yet they did her no good...she had just found out her luck had never truly left her rest in peace)

"Look," Sakura says after a while. "I know you don't trust him...but…"

"I don't." Genji interrupted, sounding a bit angry. "I'm surprised you girls even got as popular as you did, with that moron's attitude." Sakura tried not to tell him about how they suffered for that popularity. "How do you know he's not just pulling you along for something else?"

"How do you know he will?" Sakura challenged causing her brother to cross his arms and huff in annoyance. "I get it, Genji...trust me, I do. I thought he was...a bit shady, at first but despite his strange brand of selfishness and nonsense, Kotaro's an alright guy…" Genji rolled his eyes.

"Oh, really?" Her brother shook his head and sent her an accusing look. "This was always your problem, you know? Seeing the good in people…" Sakura turned away, unsure of how to respond to an undeniable truth of the past. "How did that help you before? Huh? How did that help him…?" Genji's talking about someone else now but Sakura doesn't mind; below her, Romero is pawing at her leg gently, wandering what seems to be wrong.

"...it usually didn't," Sakura answers at last, staring at the box in her hands before glancing at the mansion." But...it was always worth it, right?" She's smiling again. It's a sad, almost nostalgic smile.

"Sakura…"

"Genji...Kotaro's fine."

Genji just let out a breath, uncrossed his arms and muttered, "Still hate him, though...that won't change…"

Sakura actually laughed at that. "I know…"

Bring...bring...bring!

The young man blinked, mildly confused from where the mysterious sound was coming from before taking the phone out of his pocket. Sakura watched him as he answered the call. "Kurosawa here," he answered, glancing at his sister before his eyes widened slightly. "Huh…it's...it's Suzuhara."

"Hmph…! Will Franchouchou have the rest of Saga down here by the end of the year!? Hmm!? HMM!?"

Three days later, and Kotaro Tatsumi was beyond annoyed.

If it wasn't bad enough that someone else had found them out, that someone else was currently sitting next to Genji Kurosawa.

"I mean," Ryu "Renoir" Suzuhara began rather nervously. "I...I can leave if it's bothering you…" He instantly regretted making a sound as Kotaro got in front of his face.

"NOOOO! Why would it be bothering me!?" Genji moved his head in front of Kotaro's before pushing him, not so gently, away from Renoir. The older man huffed before he went around marching to and fro in front of the girls, mumbling to himself. "And I ask again! Will Saga be here by the end of the year!?"

"Maybe," Genji responded, sounding bored. "If you revive Emperor Hirohito to act as their hype man, you might have some problems…" The rest of the girls, minus Tae and Sakura, who was glaring at her brother, let out a small round of giggles. Kotaro suddenly stopped marching and turned to Genji before going for the dried squid in his pocket and throwing it at Genji's face. The dried pieces of squid hit Genji in the face, rather pathetically, but that got the desired reaction. A glare. Tae, for her part, jumped onto the tasty snack that had now fallen on the floor. Renoir glanced at the zombie, a bit perturbed. Sakura was busy holding her brother back to care what her friend was doing at the floor.

Kotaro was mildly satisfied at his handiwork as he went on and on about the upcoming concert, smirking at Genji as Tae gulped down the last of the squid.

/…..

"I still can't believe you would do such a thing!"

"What?"

"Why would you throw that live squid at Tatsumi, Genji!?"

Yugiri tried her very best not to laugh as she helped Sakura and her brother move a few boxes towards the mansion.

The girls had just finished an early concert an hour ago; Sakura, Yugiri, and Genji had been tasked with moving the boxes of merchandise inside. The concert had been rather small, very few people had bought stuff. Saki had conveniently forgotten to bring in the box of shirts much to Kotaro's consternation. Still, most of the merchandise sold well, not enough to run out but just enough for at least another concert before they ran out.

"Tae almost tore his eyes out, Genji!"

"He still has his eyes, he's fine…"

"That's not the point!"

Lord Kotaro should have actually expected some sort of reprisal from Genji sooner or later but throwing a live squid at their manager's face had been a sight to behold. Saki certainly couldn't keep a straight face when she told the story after Sakura had asked why Kotaro's face was all red.

Early in the morning, a few hours before their concert was to start, Saki, Ai and Lily were outside, having a chat while Tae wandered about doing her thing. Kotaro was on the phone nearby, chatting, pleasantly to some organizer. Sakura, Junko and Yugiri were inside preparing some sandwiches to take with them as Kotaro had made it clear they wouldn't be taking any breaks nor making any stops back home, so the sandwiches were basically their lunch. Genji and Renoir had gone to get some bottled water for the girls on the van and had returned when Kotaro had finished his call.

As Saki tells it, Genji had just gotten out of the van, a black bag in his hands before grabbing something from inside and just flinging it at Kotaro. Their manager didn't have time to react as the squid, a still squirming, living squid, stuck to his face. Sakura's brother immediately said to the girls that he and Renoir would get a taxi to take them to the venue and had left, followed quickly behind by the poor Suzuhara boy who just stared in shock as Kotaro struggled with the squid on his face.

Saki, Ai and Lily just stared at Kotaro as he tried to get the squid off but then, Tae came to his rescue, tackling him to the ground to try to pry the thing off, biting hard and scratching.

The three girls stared at the scene for a bit before Saki let out a loud laugh, followed by Ai and Lily, who couldn't help but laugh at the silliness of it all. By the time Sakura and the others got out, the live squid had been eaten and Kotaro's face had been a mess of red.

"He started it, though…"

"Genji! Really!?" Genji just walks inside the mansion, completely ignoring the reprimand. Sakura just glares at him and then sighs. "Seriously…" Yugiri smiles.

"I am rather surprised though that Lord Kotaro did not see this coming," the courtesan commented, as she and Sakura walked side by side. "Considering what he did yesterday…"

"I'm willing to bet…" Sakura grumbled next to her. "I can't believe he did that…"

"Hopefully this doesn't turn into a habit," Yugiri said. Her companion shook her head.

"Genji was always a moody kid...we both are...in certain ways but to throw that live squid at Kotaro's face like that…"

"Ah," Yugiri said. "If he's anything like his big sister, he won't do anything he would regret." Sakura was just silent and the courtesan wondered if she had said something wrong before her friend smiled.

"His big sister will be glad if he's nothing like her…"

Yugiri couldn't help the worry that grasp her cold, dead heart as Sakura said those words. It reminded the courtesan of the few days were Sakura would just sleep the day away. Reminded her of the time she forgot about them. And the courtesan wondered if she had said something that had brought those dark thoughts back again.

Neither said more as they walked inside, already hearing the laughter and talk of the others.

A/N cont.: You guys don't know how long I waited to write that particular part :)

Also, there's a small reveal this chapter...hopefully you can spot it!

See you next update! And Happy Halloween!