Chapter 10

Shuichi gaped at the screen. "Suspended? Indefinitely?"

Yuki turned off the television. "See?"

But...but I didn't do anything-"

"As far as Tohma's concerned, you've pissed him off enough to make him want to do this."

Shuichi jumped to his feet. "I pissed HIM off?! HE somehow knew that we were together last night!! I wasn't about to stand there and walk all over me. He walked all over me when we first got together; he walked all over when you-" Shuichi stopped himself.

"When I what?" asked Yuki.

Shuichi shook his head. Now wasn't the time to mention New York. "And he walked all over me when you were in the hospital. THEN he tried to walk all over me when he found out!! I just snapped!!! He doesn't have the right to tell me whether or not I can see you!! Only YOU can make that decision, Yuki!!"

Yuki sighed. "I told him that, too."

Shuichi froze. "Wait...you talked to Seguchi-san?"

"Yeah, this morning."

"And here you are, telling me how I pissed him off when you instigated it!!!"

"I didn't really instigate-"

"Yes, you did!! If you hadn't told him, then I would have a job now."

Yuki stood up. "Look, calm down Shuichi. Do you honestly think your band will stand for this? Certainly not your manager!! And I'm sure Tatsuha will be pretty pissed, as will Sakuma."

Shuichi sighed. "It's just not fair. The way he throws around his power like this..."

Yuki patted him on the head. "Though it may not look like it, the odds are in your favor. You have a lot of fans who will do anything to get your job back."

"..."

***

"It's only temporary-"

RING!!!! "Hello?! No, no. It's-"

RING!!!! "Hello? A car bomb?!"

Mika yanked the phone chords out of the wall. "There, that's better."

Tohma sighed heavily. "I honestly don't know how some of these psychos got our home phone number!!"

"Well, those psychos are Bad Luck fans."

"I know that, Mika-san."

Mika walked over to him. "Don't you think you're overdoing it this time?"

Tohma stood up. "Of course not!! Those idiots don't even realize what kind of a person Shindou-san is!!!"

"Tohma, I don't understand. Shindou-kun hasn't done any wrong-"

"You don't know that!! You don't know what provoked that attacked on Eiri-san!!! You don't know if Eiri-san remembers the New York incident-"

"Neither do you. Tohma, I've yet to hear any complaints from Eiri. Please, just let it go. I thought you said you'd do anything to make Eiri happy."

Tohma rubbed a hand over his face. "I do, I-" he stopped. "Have you gained weight?"

Mika stiffened. "What?"

"Well, even with all the black you're wearing your stomach seems wider."

Mika laughed a little. "Well, a little. Worrying over Eiri causes me to eat a lot."

Tohma sighed. "Okay. Just take it easy."

"I will." Mika was glad that Tohma finally noticed. But she knew at the present moment he had bigger things to worry about. Mainly staying on the fans' good sides.

***

"Goddammit!!!" yelled Tatsuha, crumbling up the newspaper. "He went too far this time!!"

Ryuichi was all teary-eyed and cuddling Kumagorou. "Why would Tohma do it? Why does he have to be such a meanie?"

"I honestly don't know, Ryuichi. But we have to do something about it."

"What?"

"I need you to talk to Tohma. He certainly can't indefinitely suspend you for voicing an opinion." Tatsuha's face lit up. "Especially if Noriko's there!! Ryuichi, try to see if she'll side with you!!"

Ryuichi nodded excitedly. "Noriko-chan will!! She usually sides with Tohma, but maybe she'll side with me!!"

"It's worth a shot!! I'll gather a lot of people outside NG studios tomorrow. You concentrate on Tohma."

"YAY!!!!!!"

The next morning...

Tohma glanced out his window. "How many is it now?"

Sakano fidgeted. "I-I-I think three thousand."

Outside the front of NG studios was a vastly growing crowd of irate Bad Luck fans. Almost all of them were wielding signs that said 'Bring back Shuichi' and Tohma guessed that some of them called his house last night with all those death threats.

Tohma shook his head. "This is really starting to irritate me...Wait, is that Tatsuha?!?!"

Sure enough, Tatsuha was down there, wielding a megaphone. He was shouting incoherently, but the crowd was cheering. Someone picked up a rock and threw it, smashing a window. Luckily, no one else followed suit.

Tohma sat down at his desk. "Things couldn't get any worse."

But they could. Sure enough, his door swung open.

"KUMAGOROU BEAM!!!!!!!!!!" Ryuichi threw Kumagorou, hitting Tohma square in the head. He had used all his throwing muscle into it, so it hurt.

Tohma rubbed his read. "Ryuichi-"

"Tohma's a meanie!!!!" Ryuichi started bawling his eyes out. "Why did you fire Shuichi?!?! Why?! Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?!?!?!?!?"

"Ryuichi, I didn't fire him. I just suspended him-"

"Tohma."

Tohma raised his head, managing a smile. "Noriko-san, thank goodness you're here..."

Ukai Noriko forced a smile and entered the room. She picked up the bawling Ryuichi. "I'll apologize for Ryu-chan."

"I'm not sorry!!!! He fired Shuichi!!!!!"

"Be quiet!" she snapped to Ryuichi, who abruptly stopped crying. She turned back to Tohma. "Sorry again."

"Noriko-chaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!! You said you would help meeeeeee! Why are you siding with Tohma?!"

"I DID say I would help you, but I didn't say I would side with you!!"

Ryuichi immediately started crying again.

Noriko sighed heavily. "I'm not taking any sides. But you should reconsider, Tohma. You always told us not to let our personal lives get in the way of work. Just because you and Shindou-san have problems doesn't mean you can exercise your power and suspend him. Look at how upset everyone is."

Tohma said nothing to this.

"And YOU Ryuichi. Just because Tohma's your friend doesn't mean you can tell him what to do. Or to meddle in his business. What's going on is between him and Shindou-san. You can't just take sides against one of your oldest friends."

"Buuuuuuuuuuuuut-"

"That's all I have to say. I'm not ordering you around, Tohma. But I think you should do what's best for your company." Then she left, dragging out Ryuichi.

Tohma sighed heavily. "What's best for the company..."

***

"Hey, Tohma's held another conference."

"Eh???" Shuichi looked up. But he wasn't excited. "What, is he going to fire me now."

Yuki shrugged. "Well just have to wait and see."

Tohma cleared his throat. "I called this conference to discuss the decision I made last night. About suspending Shuichi indefinitely and not allowing the release of Bad Luck's single 'Mizerable'.

"I've begun to realize that the decision I made was a little extreme. I am sorry for the anger I caused, but my decision was made out of anger. But due to the overwhelming negative response to my decision last night, I've decided to have a change of heart. I've decided to allow the release of Bad Luck's song 'Mizerable'."

Shuichi cheered loudly and started hopping around the room. "All right!!! My song gets to be released!!!!!"

"Don't celebrate just yet," said Yuki. "He still has to mention you."

Shuichi stopped hopping and sat right back down. "Right."

"That is all," said Tohma. He started to leave.

"WHAT?!?!" wailed Shuichi. "What about my suspension?!"

"What about Shindou Shuichi's suspension?" asked a reporter.

Tohma stopped. "Oh yes, that. It stays on, of course."

"NOOOO!!!!!!" wailed Shuichi.

"I know I must do what's best for my company. But his behavior is inappropriate, and I can't excuse it. I WILL lower his suspension down from indefinitely to four weeks."

"A MONTH?!?!"

"Like I said, I do what's best for NG studios. And the best thing right now is to release 'Mizerable'. Shindou Shuichi getting off light isn't. Now, if you'll excuse me..." he started off while reporters yelled more questions at him.

Yuki turned off the television. "That's that."

Shuichi stared at the television. "A whole month without work?! What the hell am I suppose to do for a month."

"I can think of something." Shuichi suddenly felt a warm hand under his shirt. "We still have some catching up to do."

Shuichi immediately decided that a month off wasn't a bad idea after all.

***

In a darkened dilapidated apartment, a pair of shaking hands held a newspaper. Upon the newspaper had a small article titled, 'Yuki Eiri does it again!! Another best seller!!'

Mayumi bit the bottom of her lip so hard that she drew blood. It filled her mouth and trailed down her chin.

"God-fucking-dammit!!!" she shrieked, tearing apart the newspaper. "He should be a basket case!!!! How in the hell can he still be writing books?!?!"

The pieces of newspaper fell to the floor. She was breathing heavily as she stood up; knocking over the stool she had been sitting on.

"He has that fucking fabulous apartment, and I live in this shithole!!!" she knocked over a table, objects on it shattering upon impact. "It's not fucking fair!!! He's never had to work a fucking day in his life and he's living large!!! I work my ass off and THIS is what I get?!?!"

Mayumi knocked over a few more things before she tired. She fell to her knees, struggling for air.

I should've killed him, she thought. Beating him senseless wasn't enough. I should've beaten his head in until his brains oozed out of his ears.

She got an idea.

"I'll go back," she said aloud. She slowly stood up. "I can't get a job anyway, so I have nothing to lose. I'll go back and see him again."

She went over to her closet, which lacked a door, and pulled, out her golf club. "I'll go and see him again. And this time, I won't leave until he's dead."