Chapter 6

"We're finished!!" cried Sakano.

Shuichi laughed a little as he took off his headphones. "Sorry it took so long."

"No, it's fine," said K. "We've got an awesome song here on our hands!!!!" he started laughing maniacally while fire burned in the background.

Everyone sweatdropped at him. Shuichi directed his attention elsewhere. "I want to thank you for your help, Nayuta-san."

Nayuta Ami smiled shyly. Though she was only seventeen she was rather good at the violin. Her light brown hair hung loose to just above her shoulders and her light green eyes seemed to illuminate in the dark. "Don't mention it, Shindou-san. I'm glad I could help you with my violin. I don't consider myself a great player, but K-san seemed insistent on me helping out. I'm just a high school student, I'm sure there are better violinists out there."

"I think you did fine," said Suguru. "I yelled at you a lot when it came to being in sync with the synthesized music. Most people would usually quit after a while."

"I have a habit of not giving up easily."

While Suguru and Ami went off in a conversation about music, Hiro took Shuichi aside. "It looks like since you can't reach Yuki with your body you will reach him with your voice."

"I don't understand-" began Shuichi.

"Shuichi, I'm not musically inept. Even if I was, any idiot can see the hidden meaning in this song. It's your only way of reaching out to Yuki."

Shuichi sighed heavily. "Is it that obvious?"

"A little. But since Seguchi-san is a musician himself he might pick-up on the hidden meaning also when you present the song to him. I just hope he doesn't."

"Even if he does, it's a really good song!! We all put a lot of time into it!! He can't just turn it down because HE doesn't like it!!"

"Actually Shuichi, he can. He's the Sachou of NG studios."

"..."

"Okay everyone, saddle up!!!" yelled K. "Time to go present our song!!!"

***

"'Tadaima wa "amai toki itazura da" to,'" Shuichi's voice sang on the demo CD.

Shuichi fidgeted slightly next to his band mates. Both Hiro and Suguru looked confident enough. K looked VERY confident, Sakano was ready to piss himself, and Ami looked a little nervous.

Tohma listened to the blaring song on the stereo with an unreadable expression. He was seated calmly at his desk, his hands folded on the surface.

A few minutes later, the song wove to an end. Sakano turned it off.

Tohma rose to his feet. "I must say I'm impressed with you violin skills, Nayuta-san."

Ami perked up. "Really, Seguchi-san?"

"Yes. I'm glad you're doing so much with your talent at such a young age."

Shuichi and his band mates exchanged glances. Why was Tohma avoiding talking to them?

Tohma then cleared his throat before Ami could speak more. "I must speak with Shindou-san alone. I'll ask that you all wait outside."

"But Seguchi!!" cried Suguru. It wasn't like Tohma to exclude the whole band from a conversation about the new single."

"Please," said Tohma, still polite but with a little more force.

There were collective sighs amongst the group as one by one they filed out of the room. Hiro gave Shuichi's shoulder a squeeze before leaving the room.

Leaving Shuichi alone with Tohma.

Shuichi fidgeted again as Tohma walked back to his desk and sat down. Tohma said nothing to him, just stared at him with hard eyes.

Shuichi coughed. "Seguchi-san-"

"I must admit," said Tohma. "For someone like you it was very smart. I almost didn't pick up on it until those lyrics 'Todokanai kono omoi dake toiki ni nosete' were sung. Then I knew."

Shuichi paled. "I-"

"Do you think I'm stupid, Shindou-san? Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice the true meaning of this song? It's not even a song; it's a message!! A message directed at Eiri-san!!"

Shuichi gulped. "I-"

Tohma stood up. "You tried to see him, didn't you?! You went against Mika-san and I and tried to see him!!"

"I-"

"And it failed because he doesn't want to see you!! And so you're trying to get this message past me so Eiri-san can hear it!!"

"I-"

Tohma went over to the stereo and took the CD out. He turned towards Shindou-san. "As long as I am Sachou of NG studios, this message will not be heard." Then he threw it across the room as hard as he could. The CD collided with the wall and a chunk of it shattered on impact.

Shuichi stood there with his mouth gaping open. Tohma calmed down a little and went back to his desk. "I won't tell you again, Shindou-san. Stay away from Eiri-san. Don't pull such cheap stunts like this again, or more drastic measures shall be taken." He sighed heavily. "You may go."

Shuichi approached the desk. "B-B-But Seguchi-san-"

"I SAID, you may go."

Shuichi tried to speak, but couldn't manage any words. Slowly, he turned around and left Tohma's office.

***

"What the hell are you trying to pull?!" growled Tatsuha.

Mika narrowed her eyes at him as she sat on her bed. "I don't hear from you in a long while and that's how you greet me?!"

"Why is it that Aniki doesn't remember Shuichi?!"

Mika shrugged her shoulders. "That's amnesia for you."

"That's bullshit for you!!"

"Tatsuha, don't talk to me that way!! Whatever is going on is none of your business!!"

"Like hell it's none of my business!!! I'm part of this fucking family too, you know!!! You and Tohma-san seem to forget that fact!!!"

Mika shook her head. "Tatsuha, you're still a teenager. You're not old enough to make family decisions."

"Don't you throw that excuse to me!!!" Tatsuha started pacing. "Don't act like you know exactly what's best for all of us!!!"

Mika glared. "I was sure I knew what was best for you, but I guess I was wrong. But Tohma and I do happen to know what's best for Eiri."

Tatsuha let out an angry yell and rounded on her. "I hardly call manipulating his memories to be what's best for him!!!! Who the hell do you think you are, trying to decide his life!! He's an adult and perfectly capable of making his own decisions!!! You and Tohma don't know what's best for Aniki!!! You only know what's best for yourselves!!!"

Mika shoved him away. "Do NOT talk to me that way!!! You have no idea what-" she stopped suddenly.

"What?!" barked Tatsuha.

"I'm going to throw up." Mika ran for the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. Tatsuha followed her.

"Is it anemia?" he asked, feeling concerned. He was still angry about what Mika and Tohma were doing, but if Mika was sick...

Mika forced herself to her feet. "I don't know. I might go and see a doctor about it. It's been happening so often."

Tatsuha shook head. "Maybe it's your body's way of telling you to stop all this."

"Tatsuha, I don't-"

"Just this once, can't you just focus in on what Aniki wants instead of what you think is best for him?"

Mika couldn't find a reply. And silence filled the room.

It was then that Tatsuha's cell phone rang. "He answered it.

"Hello? Oh, hi!! What?! Sure, what is it? You want me to do THAT?! Of course I will!! Okay, bye!!"

"Who was that?" asked Mika.

"Work. They want me to come in early, so I have to go. Bye!!" he quickly left.

Mika slid to the floor. "Bye." Her words were spoken to an empty room.

***

"I can't believe he rejected the song," said Ami. "After complimenting me on my music..."

"I can't believe he broke our demo CD," said Hiro.

Suguru shook his head. "This isn't like my cousin at all. He never ever flies off the wall like that over a song."

Shuichi sighed sadly and gazed out the window.

K came to stand next to him. "You're losing faith. That's not like you."

"Well, what can I do? I put my whole heart into that song so Yuki could hear it, and now it'll never be heard."

"You forget you have me as a manager."

"Eh?" Shuichi stared at him.

"Oh, I have some 'friends' who owe me a favor."

"I don't understand-"

K looked at his watch. "At 5 pm we'll be tuning in to ERAS radio station. You'll see."

"But the demo CD-"

"Don't worry. I have some trusted people on it. Besides, did you honestly think that was our only demo?!"

"..."

At the ERAS radio station...

"Um, excuse me."

The security guard looked up. His face brightened. "Hey, you're Sakuma Ryuichi!!!"

"HAI!!!!" cried Ryuichi. He held up Kumagorou. "Say hi to Kumagorou, no da!!!!!"

Within the next five seconds a very large crowd surrounded Ryuichi. Some were asking for autographs, others asked him to do tricks with Kumagorou.

And due to the immense security lapse, a certain someone was able to sneak in.

Tatsuha clutched a package tightly to him as he hurried down the halls. He silently prayed that no one would catch him.

Then he saw the door leading into the booth. He ran towards it, readying the package.

"Piss on this, Tohma-san," he muttered, placing the package in front of the booth door and he gave the door a good pound. Then he took off running back the way he came.

"Mission's over, Ryuichi!!" he yelled over the screaming crowd. "Time to go!!"

"But I want to play with all the people, no da!!!" whined Ryuichi.

Tatsuha sighed in exasperation, realizing he would have to pull him out of the ever-growing crowd of people.

"All's fair in love and war," he muttered, starting his new mission.

***

Yuki looked up from his laptop. The phone was ringing.

Sighing softly, he pushed himself away from his desk and headed towards the phone and picked it up. "Hello?"

There was a long pause. Then a voice with an American accent said, "Tune into 1312 ERAS radio station now." Then he hung up.

Yuki stared at the phone for a long minute before hanging up.

Music, huh? Why not?

He headed towards his stereo and turned it on. His apartment was awfully quiet. And though he was supposed to have been living by himself, the silence was getting to him. He needed...noise.

There was some kind of song playing, though it was drawing to a close. Then, just as the song came to a close, the DJ hit the mike.

"Attention!! Special alert!! ERAS have just received an anonymous package with a kick-ass song!! It's a brand-new song from the very popular Bad Luck!! It's called 'Mizerable', and it sounds great!! Even though it does, according to the note with the demo CD, this is an unofficial single as the head of NG studios has rejected it!! We'll play it for you after this quick commercial break!!!"

Then a stupid commercial was played. Yuki raised an eyebrow as he took a seat on his couch.

Song? Bad Luck?

The name Bad Luck DID ring a bell. Yuki didn't know where, but it sounded familiar.

After five minutes, the DJ was back.

"Okay as promised, the premiere of the unofficial, unapproved Bad Luck song, 'Mizerable'!!!!"

The song opened with a melancholy violin, which immediately sprung into a lot of synthetic sound. Then it calmed and the singing started:

Ki zukanai furi wo shite

(Pretending not to notice)

Chiisana mado kara tooku wo mitsumeteta

(I gazed far outside a small window)

Sora ni hirogaru tenshi no koe

(The voice of an angel fills the sky)

Kaze ni dakarete

(Embraced by the wind)

Then the music started picking up.

Hitomi ni utsuru zawameki wa nannimo kikoenakute

(The noise reflected in your eyes can't hear a thing)

Tadaima wa "amai toki itazura da" to

(Now it's just "a trick of sweet time")

Sora ni tsubuyaita

(I whispered to the sky)

Then the music really started picking up.

Mawaru, mawaru... okizari ni sareta jikan no naka de watashi wa ima

(Around and round... In the time left behind, I am now)

Les miserables

Ai shisugita anata ga kabegiwa no mukou de

(I loved you too much and you are now on the other side of the wall)

Sotto waratteru

(Laughing softly)

Then the next line was sung very softly.

Todokanai kono omoi dake... toiki ni nosete

(My feelings will never reach you... I'll put them in a sigh)

Then the music picked up again.

***

"YOU SENT THE SINGLE TO A RADIO STATION?!?!" shrieked Sakano. "Sachou's gonna kill us!!!"

"That's why we're mobile instead of being at NG!!!" declared K.

Yes, they were mobile, in K's van. All of them crammed in.

"Does that mean he'll kill me, too?" asked Ami.

"I doubt it," said Suguru. "You were part of the song, but you aren't part of the band."

Shuichi sighed. "I hope Yuki hears this."

"I'm sure he will," said Hiro, patting his shoulder.

***

Tsumetai kaze wo abinagara

(Bathed in the cold wind)

Kurikaesu yoru ni omoi wo egaiteta

(Imagining these feelings night after night)

Sotto kuchizusamu merodi wa

(The melody I hum softly)

Toki ni kizamarete kieru

(Is etched in time and disappears)

Nido to modorenai kanashimi wa wasurerarenakute

(I can't forget the sadness that will I can never go back)

Ima mo yureru omoi ni somaru koto dekinai karada ga

(Even now I can't dye myself with these swaying emotions and my body)

Kowaresou de...

(Is about to break...)

Then the music broke off into a collect of a violin/guitar/synthetic music solo.

***

"Yeah, we did it!!!" cried a slightly bruised Tatsuha, hugging an unscathed Ryuichi. The injuries of course that were obtained while rescuing Ryuichi.

"Shuichi's got a great voice!!" cried Ryuichi. "I hope Tohma likes this song!!"

"He'd better!!" said Tatsuha. "Every car we've past is blaring 'Mizerable'!! He'd better accept it if he wants future support!!"

***

Hitorikiri no kanashimi wa doko ni yukeba kieru

(Where can I go so that the sadness of being alone will disappear?)

"Wa ta shi ni a su wa a ru no..."

("I h a v e t o m o r r o w...")

Mawaru, mawaru... okizari ni sareta jikan no naka de watashi wa ima

(Around and round... In the time left behind, I am now)

Les miserables

Ai shisugita anata ga kabegiwa no mukou de

(I loved you too much and you are now on the other side of the wall)

Sotto waratteru

(Laughing softly)

Les miserables

Fukaku ochite iku wasure kaketa yume no naka de watashi wa ima

(Falling deeply into an almost forgotten dream, I am now)

Les miserables

Ai shisugita anata ga kabegiwa no mukou de

(I loved you too much and you are now on the other side of the wall)

Sotto waratteru

(Laughing softly)

Todokanai kono omoi dake... toiki ni nosete

(My feelings will never reach you... I'll put them in a sigh)

Then the song trailed off in a mixture of violin and synthetic music.

Yuki unclenched his head with his hands. Not too long before another headache hit him and he collapsed onto the floor. But as the song was ending the pain receded.

"That was 'Mizerable' by Bad Luck!!" cried the DJ. "It's still unofficial, and that was the only time I could play it!! Do whatever you can to get NG studios to reverse their decision!!!"

Yuki crawled over and shut off the radio. His mind was clearing up.

Bad Luck. A band with three teenagers who made the scene.

Flashes filled his mind, along with voices.

"You have zero talent. Give it up."

"I just want to know more about you!!"

"This little game ends now."

Some odd song overshadowed each voice.

The Rage Beat. Blind-Game Again. Smashing Blue. Spicy Marmalade. Each one a song from Bad Luck.

And the lead singer...

He knew now. It was that same voice. It was the pink-haired boy Tohma had warned him about.

But how could someone with such a great voice cause him pain?

He knew. The pink-haired boy and the one Tatsuha had told him about were one in the same.

"Shuichi..."

Here's my long list of notes:

Note1: Yuki hasn't gained his memory yet, he just now remembers Shuichi by hearing his song. The intervals between the song were to show reactions (you won't see Tohma's yet).

Note2: I didn't write the song. The song is called 'Mizerable', yes. But it's by Gackt. It inspired me to write this story. I highly recommend downloading it. And if you find it difficult to place it with this fanfic, try to imagine Tomokazu Seki (the voice of Shuichi) is singing and not Gackt.

Note3: The lyrics, along with their translation, can be found at http://www.animelyrics.com.

A lot of disclaimers for the middle of the fanfic. But it's not over yet.