Chapter III: We leave off with not only poor Ryuichi's confession as to
the Record Label Success, but ever lovable Mister K en route to Tohma.
However, what does that whacked out American have up his sleeve? And don't
kids say the darndest things?
"Lighten up, Ryu-chan. Let's sing a song to get those nerves out of you," K suggested, changing Cds in his player. "If you're nice, I'll even let you listen to the Lamb Chops Soundtrack you insisted on me burning for you."
"K, it's not funny!" Ryuichi sighed and put a hand to his forehead. "Don't you get that he's not going to be interested?" K laughed manically and proceeded to swerve quickly around a car in their lane. Ryuichi closed his eyes and gripped to the bottom of his seat. "This'll be great headlines--front man for Nittle Grasper killed in Raging Car accident with Crazed American."
"You worry too much," K replied easily, putting a CD in the player. Immediately, Ryuichi scowled hearing the tune.
"Kumagoro is not amused," he muttered while K laughed manically before clearing his throat.
"Hakuna matata, what a wonderful phrase! Hakuna Matata, aint no passing craaaaze! It means no worries for the rest of your daaaaaayysss... Sing with me Ryu! It's our problem free philosophhyyyyyyy-" K broke off as Ryuichi unbuckled his seat belt and began rolling the window down. "Ryu, what are you doing?"
"No cure for suicide," he yelled as he tried to dive out. K grabbed the belt on Ryuichi's pants and jerked him back in, swerving the wheel so that their van went over the divider on the highway before he pulled straight again.
"Ryuichi, I'm warning you," he said, clicking the barrel of his magnum against Ryuichi's forehead, "Are you feeling lucky? Well do you, punk?" Ryuichi closed his eyes and reluctantly fastened his seatbelt as K smiled and continued singing.
Tohma fumbled with the latch on his door before it clicked open from the inside. Tohma smiled at the young, blonde boy who stood in the doorway holding a book in his hand. "You're late, Seguchi."
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Eiri-san." The boy beamed and trotted back into the main den with Tohma following closely behind, locking the door after he set foot inside. "How's that book I picked up for you?"
"I love it. It's so dark and mysterious," Eiri said with a laugh. He paused and frowned. "Seguchi, what's wrong?" Tohma shook his head and smiled weakly.
"Nothing, Eiri-san. Just a long day at work. Have you called your parents yet today?"
"No," Eiri muttered, putting his book down on the counter as Tohma took out his contacts and put his glasses on. "I hate them. I hate Japan."
"Eiri-san, you know the deal with you staying here is that you call your parents every week and then I wont be able to take you to America with us when we go on tour."
"You really will take me to America?" Tohma nodded his head then looked at his watch. "Eiri, I'll make dinner now. Why don't you call your parents and check in on Suguru, okay?"
"All he does is play that toy keyboard," Eiri protested. Tohma smiled and patted Eiri on the back.
"He's seven--never too soon to start learning." Reluctantly, Eiri picked up the portable phone and started dialing out. As Tohma pulled out the packaged rice, he looked out of his kitchen window only to see the dark van pull up. He gasped and dropped the box, letting the contents spill over the floor before he ran into the guest room.
"Eiri-san, Suguru," he whispered. "Follow me, we're going to the basement for a little bit." Suguru clutched his toy keyboard tightly, staring wide eyed at Tohma.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing... we just need to go quickly. Don't make a sound," Tohma whispered, taking each of the kids hands and leading them down the stairs. Once in the basement, the door began to boom with each pounding knock.
"Seguchi, I know you're in there! Open up!" K's distinctive accent barked through the door. Tohma closed his eyes. "Don't make me come in by force." Tohma looked at Eiri.
"Don't let go of Suguru's hand, okay? Not until I get back, alright?"
"Seguchi?" Eiri asked but Tohma put a finger to his lips.
"Not a word. I need to see what the gentlemen want." Tohma kissed Eiri and Suguru on the foreheads before he walked up the stairs and closed the door behind him. He held his breath as he pulled open the door only to come face to face with the magnum of the gun.
"Dear God, K!" Tohma cried. "What the hell are you trying to do? Make my head a donut?!"
"Oh no, I just wanted to bring you a gift."
"Homicide isn't a gift, thank you," Tohma retorted sharply. Ryuichi stepped out from behind K and chewed on Kumagoro's ear. With a gasp, Tohma stepped back. "Ryuichi, you look ill... what's wrong?"
"Besides you not letting me speak, me almost jumping out of a car, and having to sing along to the Lion King soundtrack with K?" Ryuichi responded sharply. Tohma looked at the ground, pushing his glasses further up on the bridge of his nose. Ryuichi sighed and took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, that came out harsher than it was meant to. Tohma, I... I did have an affair with Noriko before you. I had affairs with several other people in the music industry--you out of everyone should understand the importance of strategy."
"Yeah but what would you get out of hooking up with me? You already had Noriko. What more do you need me for than just a teaser?"
"You're an important part of Grasper, Tohma. Genius Tohma," Ryuichi lowered his gaze for a moment. "I didn't want to hurt our success, and I didn't want to lose our record deal."
"I don't understand."
"Tohma," Ryuichi paused and looked back at K who only prodded Ryuichi in the back with the mouth of his gun. "I'm seeing the President... in exchange for our deal." Tohma took another step away from Ryuichi. The president lied to him? Tohma clenched a quivering fist before relaxing it and opening his arms. Ryuichi dove into his embrace, letting Kumagoro slip out of his hands and fall on the floor.
"I'm so sorry, Ryu-chan. I don't care about the band, I won't let him do this to you!"
"Tohma, that's foolish. Few more tours and we'll be heroes, legends. How many Japanese bands even get to America?" Ryuichi kissed Tohma's cheek, then the tip of his nose. "I'll survive. It won't hurt me that much." Tohma smiled and kissed Ryuichi but K coughed interrupting them.
"Do you mind?" Tohma asked, until he noticed K's gaze wasn't directed at him and Ryuichi. Nervously, he let go of Ryuichi and turned around, only to make eye contact with Eiri holding Suguru's hand at the open door.
"E-Eiri-san... Didn't I tell you to wait downstairs?" Tohma formulated the words for an answer. Eiri put a hand to his mouth, trying to hide his grin when little Suguru giggled and pointed with an amused .
"Tohma's gay."
To be continued...
(Heh, I love little Suguru. Totally see him frank and brash about... well... everything! What shall happen next? Hope you enjoyed probably the funniest chapter.)
"Lighten up, Ryu-chan. Let's sing a song to get those nerves out of you," K suggested, changing Cds in his player. "If you're nice, I'll even let you listen to the Lamb Chops Soundtrack you insisted on me burning for you."
"K, it's not funny!" Ryuichi sighed and put a hand to his forehead. "Don't you get that he's not going to be interested?" K laughed manically and proceeded to swerve quickly around a car in their lane. Ryuichi closed his eyes and gripped to the bottom of his seat. "This'll be great headlines--front man for Nittle Grasper killed in Raging Car accident with Crazed American."
"You worry too much," K replied easily, putting a CD in the player. Immediately, Ryuichi scowled hearing the tune.
"Kumagoro is not amused," he muttered while K laughed manically before clearing his throat.
"Hakuna matata, what a wonderful phrase! Hakuna Matata, aint no passing craaaaze! It means no worries for the rest of your daaaaaayysss... Sing with me Ryu! It's our problem free philosophhyyyyyyy-" K broke off as Ryuichi unbuckled his seat belt and began rolling the window down. "Ryu, what are you doing?"
"No cure for suicide," he yelled as he tried to dive out. K grabbed the belt on Ryuichi's pants and jerked him back in, swerving the wheel so that their van went over the divider on the highway before he pulled straight again.
"Ryuichi, I'm warning you," he said, clicking the barrel of his magnum against Ryuichi's forehead, "Are you feeling lucky? Well do you, punk?" Ryuichi closed his eyes and reluctantly fastened his seatbelt as K smiled and continued singing.
Tohma fumbled with the latch on his door before it clicked open from the inside. Tohma smiled at the young, blonde boy who stood in the doorway holding a book in his hand. "You're late, Seguchi."
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Eiri-san." The boy beamed and trotted back into the main den with Tohma following closely behind, locking the door after he set foot inside. "How's that book I picked up for you?"
"I love it. It's so dark and mysterious," Eiri said with a laugh. He paused and frowned. "Seguchi, what's wrong?" Tohma shook his head and smiled weakly.
"Nothing, Eiri-san. Just a long day at work. Have you called your parents yet today?"
"No," Eiri muttered, putting his book down on the counter as Tohma took out his contacts and put his glasses on. "I hate them. I hate Japan."
"Eiri-san, you know the deal with you staying here is that you call your parents every week and then I wont be able to take you to America with us when we go on tour."
"You really will take me to America?" Tohma nodded his head then looked at his watch. "Eiri, I'll make dinner now. Why don't you call your parents and check in on Suguru, okay?"
"All he does is play that toy keyboard," Eiri protested. Tohma smiled and patted Eiri on the back.
"He's seven--never too soon to start learning." Reluctantly, Eiri picked up the portable phone and started dialing out. As Tohma pulled out the packaged rice, he looked out of his kitchen window only to see the dark van pull up. He gasped and dropped the box, letting the contents spill over the floor before he ran into the guest room.
"Eiri-san, Suguru," he whispered. "Follow me, we're going to the basement for a little bit." Suguru clutched his toy keyboard tightly, staring wide eyed at Tohma.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing... we just need to go quickly. Don't make a sound," Tohma whispered, taking each of the kids hands and leading them down the stairs. Once in the basement, the door began to boom with each pounding knock.
"Seguchi, I know you're in there! Open up!" K's distinctive accent barked through the door. Tohma closed his eyes. "Don't make me come in by force." Tohma looked at Eiri.
"Don't let go of Suguru's hand, okay? Not until I get back, alright?"
"Seguchi?" Eiri asked but Tohma put a finger to his lips.
"Not a word. I need to see what the gentlemen want." Tohma kissed Eiri and Suguru on the foreheads before he walked up the stairs and closed the door behind him. He held his breath as he pulled open the door only to come face to face with the magnum of the gun.
"Dear God, K!" Tohma cried. "What the hell are you trying to do? Make my head a donut?!"
"Oh no, I just wanted to bring you a gift."
"Homicide isn't a gift, thank you," Tohma retorted sharply. Ryuichi stepped out from behind K and chewed on Kumagoro's ear. With a gasp, Tohma stepped back. "Ryuichi, you look ill... what's wrong?"
"Besides you not letting me speak, me almost jumping out of a car, and having to sing along to the Lion King soundtrack with K?" Ryuichi responded sharply. Tohma looked at the ground, pushing his glasses further up on the bridge of his nose. Ryuichi sighed and took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, that came out harsher than it was meant to. Tohma, I... I did have an affair with Noriko before you. I had affairs with several other people in the music industry--you out of everyone should understand the importance of strategy."
"Yeah but what would you get out of hooking up with me? You already had Noriko. What more do you need me for than just a teaser?"
"You're an important part of Grasper, Tohma. Genius Tohma," Ryuichi lowered his gaze for a moment. "I didn't want to hurt our success, and I didn't want to lose our record deal."
"I don't understand."
"Tohma," Ryuichi paused and looked back at K who only prodded Ryuichi in the back with the mouth of his gun. "I'm seeing the President... in exchange for our deal." Tohma took another step away from Ryuichi. The president lied to him? Tohma clenched a quivering fist before relaxing it and opening his arms. Ryuichi dove into his embrace, letting Kumagoro slip out of his hands and fall on the floor.
"I'm so sorry, Ryu-chan. I don't care about the band, I won't let him do this to you!"
"Tohma, that's foolish. Few more tours and we'll be heroes, legends. How many Japanese bands even get to America?" Ryuichi kissed Tohma's cheek, then the tip of his nose. "I'll survive. It won't hurt me that much." Tohma smiled and kissed Ryuichi but K coughed interrupting them.
"Do you mind?" Tohma asked, until he noticed K's gaze wasn't directed at him and Ryuichi. Nervously, he let go of Ryuichi and turned around, only to make eye contact with Eiri holding Suguru's hand at the open door.
"E-Eiri-san... Didn't I tell you to wait downstairs?" Tohma formulated the words for an answer. Eiri put a hand to his mouth, trying to hide his grin when little Suguru giggled and pointed with an amused .
"Tohma's gay."
To be continued...
(Heh, I love little Suguru. Totally see him frank and brash about... well... everything! What shall happen next? Hope you enjoyed probably the funniest chapter.)