Chapter 9
"Sensei!!!"
He was running towards someone. Someone obviously taller than he was. The face was blurred, so he didn't know who it was.
"Eiri-san, did you get what you wanted?" asked the man.
"Yeah!! It was on sale, too!!"
"That's good. We have to get back now, though."
"Okay!!!"
Eiri-san? That was his name!!
Was this a flashback?
No one ever told him he went to New York!
Who was that strange man?!
***
Yuki forced himself awake. He looked at his surroundings, feelings his heart pounding quickly.
A dream, he thought to himself. It was only a dream...Wait, why was I in New York? As far as I knew I've spent my whole life in Japan! Maybe that was a hallucination? I don't know what's going on.
He lay back down, wanting sleep to consume him again...
The phone was ringing.
Yuki groaned as he raised his head. He took notice of the body in bed next to him, remembering some events from the night before. He smirked to himself, reaching out to pat Shuichi on the head.
Wait, the phone was still ringing.
He forced himself out of bed and headed towards the phone. Wrapping a robe around himself, he picked it up. "It's 6:30 in the morning."
"I'm sorry to disturb your beauty sleep," Tohma said on the other line. "But I called you last night and you never answered your phone."
"I'm fine, Tohma." Yuki started to light up a cigarette.
"You aren't entertaining any good 'friends', are you?"
Yuki puffed on his cigarette. "Why would you care?"
"I don't, Eiri-san. I just happen to know what's best for you."
Yuki raised an eyebrow, though obviously couldn't see it. "Is that so?"
"Of course. I know you better than anyone."
Yuki decided to test that thought. "Better than anyone?"
"That's what I said." Tohma was as cheerful as ever.
"Can you explain to me about New York?"
There was a soft gasp on the other line and Tohma was silent for a good five minutes. Then he answered, "Eiri-san, you never went to New York. Why, did someone tell you that you did?"
"No, I had a dream about it."
"Oh...Well, don't worry. It's only a dream."
"Do I have your word on that?"
"Pardon?"
"Well, it's been very confusing for me lately. I don't know if I'm being told truths or lies."
"Why-"
"You see, you told me one story about Shuichi and I believed it. However, Tatsuha and Shuichi told me a different story to yours. Which one should I believe?"
"You believe MY story!! I know what's right and what's wrong!! And I know what's best for you!! Mika-san and I know what's best for you!!"
Yuki took another puff. "Don't you mean what's best for the both of you?"
"Eiri-san-"
"Tohma, I'm twenty-two years old and an adult. I think I can tell the difference between what's right and wrong for me."
Before Tohma could answer Yuki hung up on him. Then he pulled the phone cord out of the wall.
When he returned to his room, Shuichi was awake and sitting up. "Was that Seguchi-san?"
"Don't worry too much about it," said Yuki, finishing off his cigarette. "Tohma won't try to pull anything at this point."
Shuichi sighed softly. "I hope so..."
Yuki sat on the bed. "I just hope he stops calling me. I don't want to hear anymore bullshit stories."
Shuichi perked up. "Does that mean you believe me?"
Yuki smirked at him but said, "I don't believe anyone yet. But once I get all my memories back, I think I can find a suitable judgment."
"But you brought me here!! Surely you believe something of me!!"
"I think we did have something going. Let's just see what I remember in the meantime."
"Okay..."
***
Unfortunately for Shuichi, Tohma didn't let it go lightly. He spent his day-off 'catching-up' on old times with Yuki. It left him with a sore ass, but it was worth it. Well, not too much for Shuichi, but enough.
"Hi!!!!!!!!!" he squealed as he met up with his band mates.
"We're still doing some final editing for 'Mizerable'," said Sakano. "But it should make its premiere next week."
"Great!!!!!!! I can't wait!!!!"
Hiro smiled a little. "It's good to see you cheerful again."
"Of course I am!!!!! The life of a singer is by the moment!!!!! I can't stay gloomy forever; I'll scare away our fans!!!!!!"
"If you live by the moment, why can't you ever finish a song on time?" muttered Suguru.
"O-kay!!!!" yelled K. "Today we do planning for advertising for the new song!!!! Demo CDs, t-shirts, screensavers!!!!!"
"That's a little too much," said Hiro.
"Shut up!!!! Let's get going!!!"
***
"Do you notice anything different about me?" asked Mika.
Tohma looked at her briefly before going back to his paperwork. "You've been wearing black for the past few weeks."
"True. Anything else?"
"No, not really."
Mika sighed in disappointment. She had stuck to her resolve to not tell Tohma. But since he was hardly taking notice to her, she tried to drop in hints. Unfortunately, he wasn't picking up on them.
Tohma dialed on his phone. "Hello, Sakano-san? Yes. Can you send Shindou-san up to see me? No, just him. Yes. And check to see if he's wearing any pins. All right. Bye." He hung up.
"Why do you want to see Shindou-kun?" asked Mika.
"It's music business, Mika-san."
Mika shook her head. "I have the feeling it's not. And to prove my point I'm going to sit here and listen to your meeting."
"Mika-san-"
"If it pertains to Eiri, I have just as much right as you to voice my opinion. He's MY brother, you know."
Tohma shook his head. "Fine. Go ahead."
Mika planted herself on the couch.
"I'm going to make sure I get my point across." Tohma pulled a cassette tape out of his drawer. "And no one's going to make a fool out of me." he started pulling the tape out of the cassette.
"What's that?" asked Mika.
"K-san blackmailed me with this. But I managed to get it in my possession. Now he can't use it against me."
Mika shifted on the couch. "What exactly are you going to say to Shindou-kun?"
"The usual. Stay away from Eiri-san or else."
***
Shuichi hesitantly entered Tohma's office. His heart was slamming against the wall of his chest. "Seguchi-san?"
Tohma gave him one of his smiles. "Hello, Shindou-san."
Shuichi took note of the tape strewn across the floor. And the fact that Mika was seated on the couch.
He realized why he was called down and turned to leave.
"Leaving already? Without hearing what I had to say?"
Shuichi stopped. "We have a busy day ahead of us. I can't stay-"
"You went to see Eiri-san," said Tohma. He slowly rose from his desk. "You went to see him and told him your story."
Shuichi turned around. "I had to!! You told him a false story about me!! I wanted him to hear the truth?"
"What truth? That he's fucking some boy who has the personality he had when he was a teenager?!"
"Tohma!!" cried Mika, her voice full of shock.
Shuichi backed up. "I wanted to...he cares about me-"
"Cares about you?!" Tohma laughed aloud. "There's no way Eiri-san would love someone like you!! Why don't you stop being delusional?! The more he sees you, the more he'll remember Kitazawa Yuki!! This is the last time I'll warn you!!!"
Shuichi clenched his fists so tightly that his nails drew blood. He was so angry!! And he was sick of being stepped on. He felt his anger boiling to the breaking point and he couldn't control it. He knew he shouldn't blow up at a person with so much power, but he was so angry. So he let his anger erupt.
"What are you going to do?!" he seethed. "Kill me?! You might as well do that because that's the only thing that will EVER keep me from Yuki!!!"
Tohma looked shocked.
Shuichi stepped forward. "Who the hell do you think you are, telling ME who I can and cannot see?! I would expect her." He pointed to Mika. "Yuki's sibling, to tell me to not see Yuki. I certainly don't need to take orders from someone who's not even related to him!!!!!
"You aren't God!!! You can't give commands and control everyone's lives as you please!!!! You say you don't want him to remember New York!!! Oh, and so manipulating his memories and feelings is any better?!?! I think it's high time you get off your high horse and stop playing God!!!!! What Yuki and I do is no one else's business but Yuki and mine!!!!!! So stop controlling him like he's a child and not a full-grown adult who is more than capable of handling his own business!!!!!!"
With that said, Shuichi left his office, leaving Tohma and Mika more than speechless.
He ran down the halls, feeling a weight being lifted off his shoulders. What he just did had to be the most stupid thing ever done. But it felt good to scream in his face. If he could do it over again he would.
He passed Hiro in the hallway. "Shuichi-"
"Gotta go!!" said Shuichi. "I think Seguchi-san's really pissed at me!!"
***
Mika stared at Tohma as he calmly returned to his desk. "What will you do?"
Tohma sighed softly. "K-san can't blackmail me anymore because I swiped his tape. I'm going to call a press conference."
***
"That was stupid."
"Yuuuuuuuukii!!!!!!" cried Shuichi, going all SD. "I had to!! I couldn't take it-"
"Tohma can fire you, you know."
"But-"
Suddenly the phone rang. Yuki answered it. "Yeah? Oh." He handed Shuichi the phone. "Nakano."
"Hiro?!" Shuichi grabbed the phone. "What is it?"
"You really are stupid," said Hiro.
"What?"
"Whatever you did, I sure hope it was worth it."
"I don't understand."
"You mean you don't know?"
"Know what?"
"Turn on your TV. It's showing on a lot of stations." Then he hung up.
Shuichi hung up the phone. "Yuki-"
Yuki had the television turned on. Shuichi approached it.
"...It just happened five minutes ago. We'll show it to you again."
The screen switched to the pressroom in NG studios. Tohma stood behind a podium.
"Thank you for showing up quickly," said Tohma. "But I needed to report this to everyone. Earlier today, Shindou Shuichi displayed improper mannerisms towards both my wife and myself over their new single 'Mizerable'. It was very clear Shuichi wasn't in his right mind at the time. Luckily, we managed to calm him down.
"As much as I respect Shindou Shuichi, I cannot ignore the vulgar behavior he showed to me. As an adult I would think he would be above such childish behaviors. Therefore, until further notice, the single 'Mizerable' will not be released. Furthermore, Shindou Shuichi is suspended from NG studios indefinitely."
"Sensei!!!"
He was running towards someone. Someone obviously taller than he was. The face was blurred, so he didn't know who it was.
"Eiri-san, did you get what you wanted?" asked the man.
"Yeah!! It was on sale, too!!"
"That's good. We have to get back now, though."
"Okay!!!"
Eiri-san? That was his name!!
Was this a flashback?
No one ever told him he went to New York!
Who was that strange man?!
***
Yuki forced himself awake. He looked at his surroundings, feelings his heart pounding quickly.
A dream, he thought to himself. It was only a dream...Wait, why was I in New York? As far as I knew I've spent my whole life in Japan! Maybe that was a hallucination? I don't know what's going on.
He lay back down, wanting sleep to consume him again...
The phone was ringing.
Yuki groaned as he raised his head. He took notice of the body in bed next to him, remembering some events from the night before. He smirked to himself, reaching out to pat Shuichi on the head.
Wait, the phone was still ringing.
He forced himself out of bed and headed towards the phone. Wrapping a robe around himself, he picked it up. "It's 6:30 in the morning."
"I'm sorry to disturb your beauty sleep," Tohma said on the other line. "But I called you last night and you never answered your phone."
"I'm fine, Tohma." Yuki started to light up a cigarette.
"You aren't entertaining any good 'friends', are you?"
Yuki puffed on his cigarette. "Why would you care?"
"I don't, Eiri-san. I just happen to know what's best for you."
Yuki raised an eyebrow, though obviously couldn't see it. "Is that so?"
"Of course. I know you better than anyone."
Yuki decided to test that thought. "Better than anyone?"
"That's what I said." Tohma was as cheerful as ever.
"Can you explain to me about New York?"
There was a soft gasp on the other line and Tohma was silent for a good five minutes. Then he answered, "Eiri-san, you never went to New York. Why, did someone tell you that you did?"
"No, I had a dream about it."
"Oh...Well, don't worry. It's only a dream."
"Do I have your word on that?"
"Pardon?"
"Well, it's been very confusing for me lately. I don't know if I'm being told truths or lies."
"Why-"
"You see, you told me one story about Shuichi and I believed it. However, Tatsuha and Shuichi told me a different story to yours. Which one should I believe?"
"You believe MY story!! I know what's right and what's wrong!! And I know what's best for you!! Mika-san and I know what's best for you!!"
Yuki took another puff. "Don't you mean what's best for the both of you?"
"Eiri-san-"
"Tohma, I'm twenty-two years old and an adult. I think I can tell the difference between what's right and wrong for me."
Before Tohma could answer Yuki hung up on him. Then he pulled the phone cord out of the wall.
When he returned to his room, Shuichi was awake and sitting up. "Was that Seguchi-san?"
"Don't worry too much about it," said Yuki, finishing off his cigarette. "Tohma won't try to pull anything at this point."
Shuichi sighed softly. "I hope so..."
Yuki sat on the bed. "I just hope he stops calling me. I don't want to hear anymore bullshit stories."
Shuichi perked up. "Does that mean you believe me?"
Yuki smirked at him but said, "I don't believe anyone yet. But once I get all my memories back, I think I can find a suitable judgment."
"But you brought me here!! Surely you believe something of me!!"
"I think we did have something going. Let's just see what I remember in the meantime."
"Okay..."
***
Unfortunately for Shuichi, Tohma didn't let it go lightly. He spent his day-off 'catching-up' on old times with Yuki. It left him with a sore ass, but it was worth it. Well, not too much for Shuichi, but enough.
"Hi!!!!!!!!!" he squealed as he met up with his band mates.
"We're still doing some final editing for 'Mizerable'," said Sakano. "But it should make its premiere next week."
"Great!!!!!!! I can't wait!!!!"
Hiro smiled a little. "It's good to see you cheerful again."
"Of course I am!!!!! The life of a singer is by the moment!!!!! I can't stay gloomy forever; I'll scare away our fans!!!!!!"
"If you live by the moment, why can't you ever finish a song on time?" muttered Suguru.
"O-kay!!!!" yelled K. "Today we do planning for advertising for the new song!!!! Demo CDs, t-shirts, screensavers!!!!!"
"That's a little too much," said Hiro.
"Shut up!!!! Let's get going!!!"
***
"Do you notice anything different about me?" asked Mika.
Tohma looked at her briefly before going back to his paperwork. "You've been wearing black for the past few weeks."
"True. Anything else?"
"No, not really."
Mika sighed in disappointment. She had stuck to her resolve to not tell Tohma. But since he was hardly taking notice to her, she tried to drop in hints. Unfortunately, he wasn't picking up on them.
Tohma dialed on his phone. "Hello, Sakano-san? Yes. Can you send Shindou-san up to see me? No, just him. Yes. And check to see if he's wearing any pins. All right. Bye." He hung up.
"Why do you want to see Shindou-kun?" asked Mika.
"It's music business, Mika-san."
Mika shook her head. "I have the feeling it's not. And to prove my point I'm going to sit here and listen to your meeting."
"Mika-san-"
"If it pertains to Eiri, I have just as much right as you to voice my opinion. He's MY brother, you know."
Tohma shook his head. "Fine. Go ahead."
Mika planted herself on the couch.
"I'm going to make sure I get my point across." Tohma pulled a cassette tape out of his drawer. "And no one's going to make a fool out of me." he started pulling the tape out of the cassette.
"What's that?" asked Mika.
"K-san blackmailed me with this. But I managed to get it in my possession. Now he can't use it against me."
Mika shifted on the couch. "What exactly are you going to say to Shindou-kun?"
"The usual. Stay away from Eiri-san or else."
***
Shuichi hesitantly entered Tohma's office. His heart was slamming against the wall of his chest. "Seguchi-san?"
Tohma gave him one of his smiles. "Hello, Shindou-san."
Shuichi took note of the tape strewn across the floor. And the fact that Mika was seated on the couch.
He realized why he was called down and turned to leave.
"Leaving already? Without hearing what I had to say?"
Shuichi stopped. "We have a busy day ahead of us. I can't stay-"
"You went to see Eiri-san," said Tohma. He slowly rose from his desk. "You went to see him and told him your story."
Shuichi turned around. "I had to!! You told him a false story about me!! I wanted him to hear the truth?"
"What truth? That he's fucking some boy who has the personality he had when he was a teenager?!"
"Tohma!!" cried Mika, her voice full of shock.
Shuichi backed up. "I wanted to...he cares about me-"
"Cares about you?!" Tohma laughed aloud. "There's no way Eiri-san would love someone like you!! Why don't you stop being delusional?! The more he sees you, the more he'll remember Kitazawa Yuki!! This is the last time I'll warn you!!!"
Shuichi clenched his fists so tightly that his nails drew blood. He was so angry!! And he was sick of being stepped on. He felt his anger boiling to the breaking point and he couldn't control it. He knew he shouldn't blow up at a person with so much power, but he was so angry. So he let his anger erupt.
"What are you going to do?!" he seethed. "Kill me?! You might as well do that because that's the only thing that will EVER keep me from Yuki!!!"
Tohma looked shocked.
Shuichi stepped forward. "Who the hell do you think you are, telling ME who I can and cannot see?! I would expect her." He pointed to Mika. "Yuki's sibling, to tell me to not see Yuki. I certainly don't need to take orders from someone who's not even related to him!!!!!
"You aren't God!!! You can't give commands and control everyone's lives as you please!!!! You say you don't want him to remember New York!!! Oh, and so manipulating his memories and feelings is any better?!?! I think it's high time you get off your high horse and stop playing God!!!!! What Yuki and I do is no one else's business but Yuki and mine!!!!!! So stop controlling him like he's a child and not a full-grown adult who is more than capable of handling his own business!!!!!!"
With that said, Shuichi left his office, leaving Tohma and Mika more than speechless.
He ran down the halls, feeling a weight being lifted off his shoulders. What he just did had to be the most stupid thing ever done. But it felt good to scream in his face. If he could do it over again he would.
He passed Hiro in the hallway. "Shuichi-"
"Gotta go!!" said Shuichi. "I think Seguchi-san's really pissed at me!!"
***
Mika stared at Tohma as he calmly returned to his desk. "What will you do?"
Tohma sighed softly. "K-san can't blackmail me anymore because I swiped his tape. I'm going to call a press conference."
***
"That was stupid."
"Yuuuuuuuukii!!!!!!" cried Shuichi, going all SD. "I had to!! I couldn't take it-"
"Tohma can fire you, you know."
"But-"
Suddenly the phone rang. Yuki answered it. "Yeah? Oh." He handed Shuichi the phone. "Nakano."
"Hiro?!" Shuichi grabbed the phone. "What is it?"
"You really are stupid," said Hiro.
"What?"
"Whatever you did, I sure hope it was worth it."
"I don't understand."
"You mean you don't know?"
"Know what?"
"Turn on your TV. It's showing on a lot of stations." Then he hung up.
Shuichi hung up the phone. "Yuki-"
Yuki had the television turned on. Shuichi approached it.
"...It just happened five minutes ago. We'll show it to you again."
The screen switched to the pressroom in NG studios. Tohma stood behind a podium.
"Thank you for showing up quickly," said Tohma. "But I needed to report this to everyone. Earlier today, Shindou Shuichi displayed improper mannerisms towards both my wife and myself over their new single 'Mizerable'. It was very clear Shuichi wasn't in his right mind at the time. Luckily, we managed to calm him down.
"As much as I respect Shindou Shuichi, I cannot ignore the vulgar behavior he showed to me. As an adult I would think he would be above such childish behaviors. Therefore, until further notice, the single 'Mizerable' will not be released. Furthermore, Shindou Shuichi is suspended from NG studios indefinitely."
