The Lead Singer
The boys of Jyuuni spent most of the next day trying out the feel of their instruments. Shigure's house was a racket between the usual fighting and the unusual thundering of music. Momiji sat at one side, playing out several happy medleys. Haru was in the opposite corner, performing a rig shot. Kyou bounced up and down, twanging out an upbeat tune. Yuki leaned against a wall, strumming a soft melody. Tohru busied herself with bringing out tea and snacks for each person.
Finally, it came down to a major fight between the cat and the mouse. Each boy was already in their martial art stance and Kyou's hair was standing on end.
"Whaddya mean I will back you up?!" Kyou yelled.
"I mean, don't waste your time and let the real talent lead," Yuki mocked.
"Oh? And I suppose, you are the talent here?!"
"Exactly."
"HA! If anything, I should be the lead singer! I'm so much more manly than you little wimp!" Kyou crossed his arms.
"Wimp?" Yuki repeated in a subzero tone and Kyou was thrown across the room again.
"Kuso nezumi! How dirty was that? Catching me off guard!" Kyou gritted his teeth.
"You can't really blame me...how can a brainless idiot like yourself ever be on guard?" Yuki smirked. The other boy rolled up his sleeves in response and threw himself at the mauve-haired boy.
"STOP!!"
The startled Kyou skidded to a stop and stumbled, crashing to the floor.
Yuki sneered, "What kind of training did you do in the woods? Did you borrow "How to Trip Over Your Own Feet for Dummies" as reading material??"
The fallen cat snarled, "I was distracted, you stupid mouse. If I wasn't, I'll be feeding you to Ayame already."
The mouse yawned, "All talk and no action." The golden-haired boy jumped to his feet but before he could pick a fight again, the interruption from before called attention to himself again. "Honestly, children...are you planning to fight until you break your beautiful guitars again?" Shigure clucked.
"What are you squawking about? Why would we break - oh," Kyou noticed then that his fist was already clutching his instrument as a makeshift weapon. He looked over to the other boy and noticed that he too had obliviously lifted his shiny guitar up. "Oops." Both boys began looking over their equipment delicately and after they made sure there were no flaws, they began glowering at each other again.
"Baka neko, you almost made me break my guitar again," Yuki snapped.
"You lil rat -" Kyou was cut in by Tohru's worried voice. "What are you fighting over this time?" The two teenagers winced as they realized how their skirmishing had become so customary that even the normally ignorant girl had taken notice. Both of them couldn't bring themselves to tell her yet another petty reason for their brawl. But Shigure solved that problem.
"Ne, Tohru-kun, how can you not hear them when they were so deafeningly loud??" Shigure exclaimed brightly. "It was like this...*ahem*...
Kyou said: I wanna be the lead singer!! Wah! Wah!
Yuki said: Nuh-uh! I will! In your face, stupid cat! Hahahaha!
Kyou: Not fair! I will kill you so I can take your place! CRASH!
Yuki: In your dreams! CRASH! *sticks out tongue*
Both: We shall now proceed to whack each other with our guitars until we either get a concussion or we break Tohru-kun's beautifully designed guitars! Now here is where I, handsome Shigure, comes in and puts a stop to their childishness and saves the day, not to mention the guitars and the house!! Hahahahaha - "
The dog's tirade was stopped by the fists and kicks of the infuriated boys. "We weren't like that!!! Maybe for him but definitely NOT me!" both boys jabbed their fingers at each other and the tension was thick enough to cut. The mood was dispelled by Tohru's light giggling. The males softened and looked away self-consciously.
"Ah, there is only one way to settle this rivalry!" Shigure finally recovered and picked himself off from the floor.
"How?" Momiji asked.
"We shall have...," the inu paused for dramatic effect. "...a DUEL!!"
The neko and nezumi's eyes flickered in surprise and then filled with fire.
* * *
"Funny, when I imagined "duel", somehow I didn't think we'll be in this position," Kyou grumbled from his place.
Yuki snorted, "I'm surprised you even had the capacity to think."
"Whaddya say?" Kyou snapped.
"You heard me!" Yuki said while blowing the tendrils of his purple hair out of his face. "If you have a hearing problem, why don't you come over here and listen carefully?"
Kyou sneered. "I'm not that stupid! Don't try tricking me into letting you win!" The other boy growled and concentrated on keeping his balance.
"Um, Shigure, how is this supposed to help in choosing the lead singer?" Haru asked quizzically as he gestured to the two boys standing upside-down on their heads.
The dog yawned. "Well, nothing really. I just wanted to see the blood rush to their heads first." In a flash, the cat and the mouse flipped over and kicked the dog. "BAKA!"
* * * "Jeez, I was just trying to lighten the mood! Kicking the judge, shame on you!!" Shigure complained, caressing his sore stomach delicately. The boys glowered and Shigure made a hasty retreat behind Tohru. "All right! All right! No need to get hostile! Hehe, but you must admit, it was fun to have you doing things at my beck and call - ALL RIGHT!! NO NEED TO GET VIOLENT! I'll begin. *Ahem* Now, the first part of this will count for 30% ..."
* * * "This better not be another joke, you dimwit!" Kyou barked.
"Oh, I assure you, this is no joke...muahahahaha, this is to test your endurance, stability, diligence and oh yea, if you have a lot of breath...that'll also help!" Shigure grinned. "BTW, Kyou-kun, you should be more careful in what you're calling me...after all, I am your manager and one of the judge - EEP!" He ducked as a cup went flying at him. "*Ahem, glare* You may begin!! May God be with you!"
And so, the boys rolled up their sleeves, took a deep breath, and went to work. Ten minutes in, perspiration beaded on their foreheads and they gasped for air desperately.
"Damn *gasp* you! What *gasp* kind of *gasp* dumbassed idea *gasp cough* is this?" Kyou spluttered.
"Ba- *gasp* -ka! How *gasp* is this *gasp* a duel?" Yuki coughed. Tohru looked on worriedly and turned her concerned face to Shigure.
Shigure merely clasped his hands and smiled. "Blowing balloons is ingenious! One, I can test who has more breath and therefore, can sing louder and better! Two, I can see who can persevere longer and is more dedicated in becoming the lead singer! And three, I just LOVE balloons! Such cute decorations for the house, right, Momiji?" The boy nodded happily as he played with a blue one Kyou had just finished. The cow sat on his other side and flicked at a red one Yuki had done. In the end, both teenagers were limp on the floor and the whole room was filled with balloons. Momiji frowned, "What do we do? They had a tie!"
Shigure pondered carefully and exclaimed, "Well, congratulations! You both get the full 30 points! Good job, guys!!" The guys groaned and wheezed.
* * *
"OK!! Now, we shall move onto part 2! This shall count for 20 points!"
Kyou cracked his knuckles. "I'm ready! Bring it on!"
"This category shall be...IQ questions!" Shigure clapped happily.
"Wh-what? What does this have to do with being a singer?" Kyou demanded.
"Well, I do expect the leader of Jyuuni to at least have some wit so what better way to test this than with this contest?" the older man smirked. "And I did warn you, Kyou, that being a potty mouth to me will bring you no advantages!" The cat flushed and grounded his teeth. 'Damn, that stupid rat has the top grades in school...will he actually win this?!' Yuki smirked at him superiorly across the room and Kyou began clenching his fists.
"Alright, question one deal with classics, the infamous Sphinx's riddle which Oedipus solved: what has 4 legs in the morning, 2 legs in the afternoon and 3 legs in the evening? Kyou?" Shigure asked.
"What the hell? Uh, um, oh, I know! You!"
"...uh, explain your answer please."
"Well, in the morning, Tohru accidentally tripped and hugged you...and you poofed into a dog hence 4 legs!! Then, you later changed back into man thus 2 legs!!! Finally, in the evening Tohru changed you into a dog again when she slipped and I nearly broke one of your leg when you said something hentai again, therefore 3 legs!!!!"
"Very creative!" the dog clapped. "But no...Yuki?"
"Baka neko, if you paid more attention to Greek philosophy, you'll know it's symbolic of the human life cycle," Yuki yawned.
"DING DING DING!! One point for Yuki!!" Momiji cheered. The cat bristled and curled his lip.
"Question 2 will be regarding math: how would you go about in adding one line to make this equation true: 5 + 5 = 11? Kyou?" The cat stared at the man blankly. "Oh! I know! Put a line through the = sign!! This must be right!"
"That could be considered true ..." Shigure began; Kyou pumped his fist into the air but faltered when the man continued breezily. "...but that is the most immature way to answer. Sorry, can't accept it! Yuki?"
The mouse stared languidly at his fingernails and said briskly, "Just add a line to the 5 so it turns into the number 6...duh."
"DING DING DING!! Yuki gets another point! Kyou nada!" Momiji cried out. Kyou gritted his teeth and snapped, "Just get on with it!"
"Alright, this last question will be worth double the points! Kyou, if you get this, you'll be tied with Yuki...if not, I'm afraid you won't get the position!" Shigure grinned. "OK, are you ready?" Both boys tensed up and prepared themselves.
"Alright, this question will be based on one of the most beloved, heart- wrenching, poignant book of all time written by the most insightful, popular, handsome, cool best-selling author this era has ever seen! Yes, can it be? Yes it is! It is my very own prized novel, Summer's Tender Love, which I had labored over for 2 weeks pouring my heart and soul, sweat and blood into it...and which Mit-chan held a knife to my neck during the whole difficult time period. Sigh, without her affectionate care and help, I would have never been able to finish this! Oh, Mit-chan!!!" Shigure held his hand to his forehead dramatically.
"Are you kidding me?!" the "contestants" screamed. "This is the last question?!"
"Ah, yes it is! Now, shall we begin? Ahem, Yuki, in the last passage, what happened to the main characters?" Shigure asked intensely.
"Oh god...Summer's Tender Love? Huh, uh, I'm guessing fall came and the characters had no choice but to part from each other?" Yuki guessed warily.
"Nope, I'm sorry. Kyou?" Shigure asked solemnly.
'YES! YES! That stupid nezumi didn't get the last question! I must get the right answer or...' He looked over to the attentive Tohru, who gave him an encouraging smile. 'I MUST WIN! *GULP* Oh god, please protect my sanity and morals as I venture into the doorways of hell... *Take a deep breath, Furrow eyebrows, Concentrates* I MUST THINK LIKE SHIGURE! I MUST THINK LIKE SHIGURE! I MUST THINK LIKE THAT PERVERT! I MUST THINK LIKE I'M THE WORLD'S LOWEST SCUM! I MUST THINK...like I'm the world's greatest best-selling author with a loving high school girl at home to cook and clean for me and two little amusing cousins to tease and ...' Kyou's glazed-over eyes flew open and he blurted out, "The boy took the girl out for a picnic and underneath the shooting stars, they couldn't control their raging hormones and swelling passions and so they threw themselves at each other and had crazy bunny sex! AH! Young love!" Then, the cat blinked and he was back to normal. He covered his face with his right hand...'Oh god, did I really say that? Ugh! Shigure's way of thinking is pure disgusting.'
Shigure's awed exclamation cut through his reviled thoughts. "Sugoi! Kyou, that's completely right! Wow, we really think alike, don't we, ne, ne?" The man nudged the irritated teenager and he was sent sprawling.
Kyou spat, "Ugh! Don't remind me! I can't believe I actually succeeded in thinking like you, yuck!"
The mouse said dispassionately. "Doesn't surprise me. You both probably evolved from the genes of lower life forms." Kyou shot a livid look at the unfazed nezumi.
"Hey, where's my cheering section?" the cat glared at Momiji.
"Oh. Ding. Ding. Ding. Yay. Kyou's tied with Yuki," Momiji stated.
* * *
"Well, since both of you are tied... I guess we have no choice but to move on to the final stage, the most important one which will be worth 50%," Shigure announced after waking up from his knockout by Kyou.
"What is it now? A race of eating pies?" Yuki asked suspiciously. "Bobbing for apples?"
"Nope! You guys will sing!" Both of the younger males stared at him in shock. "What? What?"
"Since when did you have an idea that's so normal?" Kyou solicited. The dog sniffed.
* * *
"First up! Kyou-kun!!" Momiji declared. They had created a makeshift stage in the living room, with a mike in the center and the "audience" sitting behind the table.
Kyou licked his lips nervously, adjusted the mike, and placed his fingers carefully on his guitar. Then he looked up and focused his eyes on the one person who made him feel comfortable: Tohru.
* * *
Tohru leaned against the doorway and felt her heart pound when Kyou fixated his molten red eyes on her. He strummed a few soft, steady lines and she watched as his tanned fingers flow across the strings with poise. Then, he began.
'Wake up in the morning,
birds were singing...
I roll over in my bed
Already, already, already
my heart's being led
towards youuuuuuu!'
He switched from his gentle caressing of the strings to a more powerful, rapid tune. He continued in his rich baritone and his scarlet eyes gleamed at her.
'I run down to you
try to find you
but get lost in my
heart's beating.'
'I want to see you
want to hold you
but find me lost
in my own feelings.'
His words flowed together and melted into her heart. All she could see was his soft ruby eyes gazing intently at her. His deep, resonant voice rang out clearly through the room and his high-speed yet passionate song seemed to echo from his very soul. Is it possible for a pair of eyes to change into so many different tones of the same color in a matter of seconds? It seemed to be true for Kyou. Right now, his eyes had deepened into a fiery crimson and all too song, the song had ended and he was slightly panting from his fast, fervent song. She smiled brilliantly and clapped hard.
The cat grinned roguishly in response. 'Beat that, nezumi.'
* * *
Yuki brushed several strands of hair out of his eyes and positioned his fingers on his guitar. Like his rival, he settled his heliotrope eyes on Tohru. Even though on the outside, he looked as cool as a cucumber, inside he was a mass of nerving wrack. And then, the girl smiled and he forgot himself.
* * *
Wahhhhh, Yuki looks so royal and attractive! His amethyst eyes pierced into hers and she flushed. Is it possible to turn blind from looking directly into intense shades of red and purple? And then, he began.
While Kyou had chosen a fast-paced song, Yuki picked just the opposite. Yet although the music was slow, the singer sang with equal furor as his orange- haired cousin.
'Snow drifting down
The petals flowing by
Warm sun hiding away
I wonder...
Will you do the same?
Don't go...
My sun in my heart. .
Don't leave...
My joy when I'm in sorrow
Don't...
Yuki's soft, lilting voice held his audience captive. As he crooned tenderly into the mike, he gave off a powerful aura of obscurity and serenity. Although he didn't have the same bass pitch as Kyou, his silky, soothing tone more than made up for it.
Flowers wilting away
Morning becomes night
Beautiful autumn becomes cold winter
I wonder...
Will you do the same?
As Yuki drew to a close and quietly strummed the notes of the last stanza, Tohru could almost feel her heart break. She blinked back her tears and smiled fiercely, clapping furiously.
Yuki rewarded her with a true gentle smile. 'I haven't lost yet, baka neko.'
* * *
"Amazing! Brilliant! Marvelous!" Shigure wiped his tears from his face. "Now, not only do I have incredible singers, they're also great songwriters... of course, your skills are nothing compared to my natural talent...but they're adequate!" ^_^
"Ah, shuddap. Who won?!" Kyou asked impatiently.
"Well...hmmm...ah...well...," Shigure pondered deeply.
"WHAT?!" Kyou yelled.
"Well, I've decided that ... to protect my well-being, I'm going to leave this decision to Tohru! Ne, my precious flower? Who do YOU like?"
"EH?!! Me?! Ah ... well, um, I actually like ..."
* * *
Hey guys, thanks for reviewing but now I'm addicted. I NEED MORE COMMENTS! Hehe.. anyways, hoped u enjoyed this chapter and remember: the more u review, the more encouraged I get in updating the next!! Hehe...
BTW, the "songs" up there are actually written by me and my brother... I got lazy halfway through and got my dear sweet bro to pitch in with Yuki's song!! U saw how I slacked off with Kyou's song with "his words flowed together" hehe... but anyways, I'm not a songwriter so pleez don't judge me too harshly for them ^_^
And as always, "For Something New, Please Review!" O god, I think I really ate too much sugar today...
~Maeven~
The boys of Jyuuni spent most of the next day trying out the feel of their instruments. Shigure's house was a racket between the usual fighting and the unusual thundering of music. Momiji sat at one side, playing out several happy medleys. Haru was in the opposite corner, performing a rig shot. Kyou bounced up and down, twanging out an upbeat tune. Yuki leaned against a wall, strumming a soft melody. Tohru busied herself with bringing out tea and snacks for each person.
Finally, it came down to a major fight between the cat and the mouse. Each boy was already in their martial art stance and Kyou's hair was standing on end.
"Whaddya mean I will back you up?!" Kyou yelled.
"I mean, don't waste your time and let the real talent lead," Yuki mocked.
"Oh? And I suppose, you are the talent here?!"
"Exactly."
"HA! If anything, I should be the lead singer! I'm so much more manly than you little wimp!" Kyou crossed his arms.
"Wimp?" Yuki repeated in a subzero tone and Kyou was thrown across the room again.
"Kuso nezumi! How dirty was that? Catching me off guard!" Kyou gritted his teeth.
"You can't really blame me...how can a brainless idiot like yourself ever be on guard?" Yuki smirked. The other boy rolled up his sleeves in response and threw himself at the mauve-haired boy.
"STOP!!"
The startled Kyou skidded to a stop and stumbled, crashing to the floor.
Yuki sneered, "What kind of training did you do in the woods? Did you borrow "How to Trip Over Your Own Feet for Dummies" as reading material??"
The fallen cat snarled, "I was distracted, you stupid mouse. If I wasn't, I'll be feeding you to Ayame already."
The mouse yawned, "All talk and no action." The golden-haired boy jumped to his feet but before he could pick a fight again, the interruption from before called attention to himself again. "Honestly, children...are you planning to fight until you break your beautiful guitars again?" Shigure clucked.
"What are you squawking about? Why would we break - oh," Kyou noticed then that his fist was already clutching his instrument as a makeshift weapon. He looked over to the other boy and noticed that he too had obliviously lifted his shiny guitar up. "Oops." Both boys began looking over their equipment delicately and after they made sure there were no flaws, they began glowering at each other again.
"Baka neko, you almost made me break my guitar again," Yuki snapped.
"You lil rat -" Kyou was cut in by Tohru's worried voice. "What are you fighting over this time?" The two teenagers winced as they realized how their skirmishing had become so customary that even the normally ignorant girl had taken notice. Both of them couldn't bring themselves to tell her yet another petty reason for their brawl. But Shigure solved that problem.
"Ne, Tohru-kun, how can you not hear them when they were so deafeningly loud??" Shigure exclaimed brightly. "It was like this...*ahem*...
Kyou said: I wanna be the lead singer!! Wah! Wah!
Yuki said: Nuh-uh! I will! In your face, stupid cat! Hahahaha!
Kyou: Not fair! I will kill you so I can take your place! CRASH!
Yuki: In your dreams! CRASH! *sticks out tongue*
Both: We shall now proceed to whack each other with our guitars until we either get a concussion or we break Tohru-kun's beautifully designed guitars! Now here is where I, handsome Shigure, comes in and puts a stop to their childishness and saves the day, not to mention the guitars and the house!! Hahahahaha - "
The dog's tirade was stopped by the fists and kicks of the infuriated boys. "We weren't like that!!! Maybe for him but definitely NOT me!" both boys jabbed their fingers at each other and the tension was thick enough to cut. The mood was dispelled by Tohru's light giggling. The males softened and looked away self-consciously.
"Ah, there is only one way to settle this rivalry!" Shigure finally recovered and picked himself off from the floor.
"How?" Momiji asked.
"We shall have...," the inu paused for dramatic effect. "...a DUEL!!"
The neko and nezumi's eyes flickered in surprise and then filled with fire.
* * *
"Funny, when I imagined "duel", somehow I didn't think we'll be in this position," Kyou grumbled from his place.
Yuki snorted, "I'm surprised you even had the capacity to think."
"Whaddya say?" Kyou snapped.
"You heard me!" Yuki said while blowing the tendrils of his purple hair out of his face. "If you have a hearing problem, why don't you come over here and listen carefully?"
Kyou sneered. "I'm not that stupid! Don't try tricking me into letting you win!" The other boy growled and concentrated on keeping his balance.
"Um, Shigure, how is this supposed to help in choosing the lead singer?" Haru asked quizzically as he gestured to the two boys standing upside-down on their heads.
The dog yawned. "Well, nothing really. I just wanted to see the blood rush to their heads first." In a flash, the cat and the mouse flipped over and kicked the dog. "BAKA!"
* * * "Jeez, I was just trying to lighten the mood! Kicking the judge, shame on you!!" Shigure complained, caressing his sore stomach delicately. The boys glowered and Shigure made a hasty retreat behind Tohru. "All right! All right! No need to get hostile! Hehe, but you must admit, it was fun to have you doing things at my beck and call - ALL RIGHT!! NO NEED TO GET VIOLENT! I'll begin. *Ahem* Now, the first part of this will count for 30% ..."
* * * "This better not be another joke, you dimwit!" Kyou barked.
"Oh, I assure you, this is no joke...muahahahaha, this is to test your endurance, stability, diligence and oh yea, if you have a lot of breath...that'll also help!" Shigure grinned. "BTW, Kyou-kun, you should be more careful in what you're calling me...after all, I am your manager and one of the judge - EEP!" He ducked as a cup went flying at him. "*Ahem, glare* You may begin!! May God be with you!"
And so, the boys rolled up their sleeves, took a deep breath, and went to work. Ten minutes in, perspiration beaded on their foreheads and they gasped for air desperately.
"Damn *gasp* you! What *gasp* kind of *gasp* dumbassed idea *gasp cough* is this?" Kyou spluttered.
"Ba- *gasp* -ka! How *gasp* is this *gasp* a duel?" Yuki coughed. Tohru looked on worriedly and turned her concerned face to Shigure.
Shigure merely clasped his hands and smiled. "Blowing balloons is ingenious! One, I can test who has more breath and therefore, can sing louder and better! Two, I can see who can persevere longer and is more dedicated in becoming the lead singer! And three, I just LOVE balloons! Such cute decorations for the house, right, Momiji?" The boy nodded happily as he played with a blue one Kyou had just finished. The cow sat on his other side and flicked at a red one Yuki had done. In the end, both teenagers were limp on the floor and the whole room was filled with balloons. Momiji frowned, "What do we do? They had a tie!"
Shigure pondered carefully and exclaimed, "Well, congratulations! You both get the full 30 points! Good job, guys!!" The guys groaned and wheezed.
* * *
"OK!! Now, we shall move onto part 2! This shall count for 20 points!"
Kyou cracked his knuckles. "I'm ready! Bring it on!"
"This category shall be...IQ questions!" Shigure clapped happily.
"Wh-what? What does this have to do with being a singer?" Kyou demanded.
"Well, I do expect the leader of Jyuuni to at least have some wit so what better way to test this than with this contest?" the older man smirked. "And I did warn you, Kyou, that being a potty mouth to me will bring you no advantages!" The cat flushed and grounded his teeth. 'Damn, that stupid rat has the top grades in school...will he actually win this?!' Yuki smirked at him superiorly across the room and Kyou began clenching his fists.
"Alright, question one deal with classics, the infamous Sphinx's riddle which Oedipus solved: what has 4 legs in the morning, 2 legs in the afternoon and 3 legs in the evening? Kyou?" Shigure asked.
"What the hell? Uh, um, oh, I know! You!"
"...uh, explain your answer please."
"Well, in the morning, Tohru accidentally tripped and hugged you...and you poofed into a dog hence 4 legs!! Then, you later changed back into man thus 2 legs!!! Finally, in the evening Tohru changed you into a dog again when she slipped and I nearly broke one of your leg when you said something hentai again, therefore 3 legs!!!!"
"Very creative!" the dog clapped. "But no...Yuki?"
"Baka neko, if you paid more attention to Greek philosophy, you'll know it's symbolic of the human life cycle," Yuki yawned.
"DING DING DING!! One point for Yuki!!" Momiji cheered. The cat bristled and curled his lip.
"Question 2 will be regarding math: how would you go about in adding one line to make this equation true: 5 + 5 = 11? Kyou?" The cat stared at the man blankly. "Oh! I know! Put a line through the = sign!! This must be right!"
"That could be considered true ..." Shigure began; Kyou pumped his fist into the air but faltered when the man continued breezily. "...but that is the most immature way to answer. Sorry, can't accept it! Yuki?"
The mouse stared languidly at his fingernails and said briskly, "Just add a line to the 5 so it turns into the number 6...duh."
"DING DING DING!! Yuki gets another point! Kyou nada!" Momiji cried out. Kyou gritted his teeth and snapped, "Just get on with it!"
"Alright, this last question will be worth double the points! Kyou, if you get this, you'll be tied with Yuki...if not, I'm afraid you won't get the position!" Shigure grinned. "OK, are you ready?" Both boys tensed up and prepared themselves.
"Alright, this question will be based on one of the most beloved, heart- wrenching, poignant book of all time written by the most insightful, popular, handsome, cool best-selling author this era has ever seen! Yes, can it be? Yes it is! It is my very own prized novel, Summer's Tender Love, which I had labored over for 2 weeks pouring my heart and soul, sweat and blood into it...and which Mit-chan held a knife to my neck during the whole difficult time period. Sigh, without her affectionate care and help, I would have never been able to finish this! Oh, Mit-chan!!!" Shigure held his hand to his forehead dramatically.
"Are you kidding me?!" the "contestants" screamed. "This is the last question?!"
"Ah, yes it is! Now, shall we begin? Ahem, Yuki, in the last passage, what happened to the main characters?" Shigure asked intensely.
"Oh god...Summer's Tender Love? Huh, uh, I'm guessing fall came and the characters had no choice but to part from each other?" Yuki guessed warily.
"Nope, I'm sorry. Kyou?" Shigure asked solemnly.
'YES! YES! That stupid nezumi didn't get the last question! I must get the right answer or...' He looked over to the attentive Tohru, who gave him an encouraging smile. 'I MUST WIN! *GULP* Oh god, please protect my sanity and morals as I venture into the doorways of hell... *Take a deep breath, Furrow eyebrows, Concentrates* I MUST THINK LIKE SHIGURE! I MUST THINK LIKE SHIGURE! I MUST THINK LIKE THAT PERVERT! I MUST THINK LIKE I'M THE WORLD'S LOWEST SCUM! I MUST THINK...like I'm the world's greatest best-selling author with a loving high school girl at home to cook and clean for me and two little amusing cousins to tease and ...' Kyou's glazed-over eyes flew open and he blurted out, "The boy took the girl out for a picnic and underneath the shooting stars, they couldn't control their raging hormones and swelling passions and so they threw themselves at each other and had crazy bunny sex! AH! Young love!" Then, the cat blinked and he was back to normal. He covered his face with his right hand...'Oh god, did I really say that? Ugh! Shigure's way of thinking is pure disgusting.'
Shigure's awed exclamation cut through his reviled thoughts. "Sugoi! Kyou, that's completely right! Wow, we really think alike, don't we, ne, ne?" The man nudged the irritated teenager and he was sent sprawling.
Kyou spat, "Ugh! Don't remind me! I can't believe I actually succeeded in thinking like you, yuck!"
The mouse said dispassionately. "Doesn't surprise me. You both probably evolved from the genes of lower life forms." Kyou shot a livid look at the unfazed nezumi.
"Hey, where's my cheering section?" the cat glared at Momiji.
"Oh. Ding. Ding. Ding. Yay. Kyou's tied with Yuki," Momiji stated.
* * *
"Well, since both of you are tied... I guess we have no choice but to move on to the final stage, the most important one which will be worth 50%," Shigure announced after waking up from his knockout by Kyou.
"What is it now? A race of eating pies?" Yuki asked suspiciously. "Bobbing for apples?"
"Nope! You guys will sing!" Both of the younger males stared at him in shock. "What? What?"
"Since when did you have an idea that's so normal?" Kyou solicited. The dog sniffed.
* * *
"First up! Kyou-kun!!" Momiji declared. They had created a makeshift stage in the living room, with a mike in the center and the "audience" sitting behind the table.
Kyou licked his lips nervously, adjusted the mike, and placed his fingers carefully on his guitar. Then he looked up and focused his eyes on the one person who made him feel comfortable: Tohru.
* * *
Tohru leaned against the doorway and felt her heart pound when Kyou fixated his molten red eyes on her. He strummed a few soft, steady lines and she watched as his tanned fingers flow across the strings with poise. Then, he began.
'Wake up in the morning,
birds were singing...
I roll over in my bed
Already, already, already
my heart's being led
towards youuuuuuu!'
He switched from his gentle caressing of the strings to a more powerful, rapid tune. He continued in his rich baritone and his scarlet eyes gleamed at her.
'I run down to you
try to find you
but get lost in my
heart's beating.'
'I want to see you
want to hold you
but find me lost
in my own feelings.'
His words flowed together and melted into her heart. All she could see was his soft ruby eyes gazing intently at her. His deep, resonant voice rang out clearly through the room and his high-speed yet passionate song seemed to echo from his very soul. Is it possible for a pair of eyes to change into so many different tones of the same color in a matter of seconds? It seemed to be true for Kyou. Right now, his eyes had deepened into a fiery crimson and all too song, the song had ended and he was slightly panting from his fast, fervent song. She smiled brilliantly and clapped hard.
The cat grinned roguishly in response. 'Beat that, nezumi.'
* * *
Yuki brushed several strands of hair out of his eyes and positioned his fingers on his guitar. Like his rival, he settled his heliotrope eyes on Tohru. Even though on the outside, he looked as cool as a cucumber, inside he was a mass of nerving wrack. And then, the girl smiled and he forgot himself.
* * *
Wahhhhh, Yuki looks so royal and attractive! His amethyst eyes pierced into hers and she flushed. Is it possible to turn blind from looking directly into intense shades of red and purple? And then, he began.
While Kyou had chosen a fast-paced song, Yuki picked just the opposite. Yet although the music was slow, the singer sang with equal furor as his orange- haired cousin.
'Snow drifting down
The petals flowing by
Warm sun hiding away
I wonder...
Will you do the same?
Don't go...
My sun in my heart. .
Don't leave...
My joy when I'm in sorrow
Don't...
Yuki's soft, lilting voice held his audience captive. As he crooned tenderly into the mike, he gave off a powerful aura of obscurity and serenity. Although he didn't have the same bass pitch as Kyou, his silky, soothing tone more than made up for it.
Flowers wilting away
Morning becomes night
Beautiful autumn becomes cold winter
I wonder...
Will you do the same?
As Yuki drew to a close and quietly strummed the notes of the last stanza, Tohru could almost feel her heart break. She blinked back her tears and smiled fiercely, clapping furiously.
Yuki rewarded her with a true gentle smile. 'I haven't lost yet, baka neko.'
* * *
"Amazing! Brilliant! Marvelous!" Shigure wiped his tears from his face. "Now, not only do I have incredible singers, they're also great songwriters... of course, your skills are nothing compared to my natural talent...but they're adequate!" ^_^
"Ah, shuddap. Who won?!" Kyou asked impatiently.
"Well...hmmm...ah...well...," Shigure pondered deeply.
"WHAT?!" Kyou yelled.
"Well, I've decided that ... to protect my well-being, I'm going to leave this decision to Tohru! Ne, my precious flower? Who do YOU like?"
"EH?!! Me?! Ah ... well, um, I actually like ..."
* * *
Hey guys, thanks for reviewing but now I'm addicted. I NEED MORE COMMENTS! Hehe.. anyways, hoped u enjoyed this chapter and remember: the more u review, the more encouraged I get in updating the next!! Hehe...
BTW, the "songs" up there are actually written by me and my brother... I got lazy halfway through and got my dear sweet bro to pitch in with Yuki's song!! U saw how I slacked off with Kyou's song with "his words flowed together" hehe... but anyways, I'm not a songwriter so pleez don't judge me too harshly for them ^_^
And as always, "For Something New, Please Review!" O god, I think I really ate too much sugar today...
~Maeven~
