Okay, I know this is supposed to be a funny story, but this chapter had to be written. I promise from here on out it'll get funnier k?
" Hiro, can I ask you something?" wondered Suguru as he lay on Hiro's bed going over the notes that he had made on him to prepare for the game show.
" What's on your mind?" asked Hiro as he sat in a nearby chair strumming his guitar.
" You said Tohma told you about the show earlier when he asked if we would be on it…"
" Yes…" Hiro said, as his gaze lay fixated on his guitar.
" Well then why were you so shocked when you saw the commercial for it on TV?"
Hiro stopped playing his guitar and looked up at Suguru. " Well, you see I didn't think I'd see a commercial for it because, well, when Tohma asked me about it he said there was a catch…"
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"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! I'M TALKING ABOUT THE GOD DAMN COMMERCIAL I JUST SAW ON TV!" Tohma was pacing back and forth in front of the television clutching the remote tightly in one hand and screaming through the phone he held in his other hand. " I THOUGHT WE HAD AN AGREEMENT! OUR APPEARANCE WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE SHOWN ON TELEVISION. YOU WERE ONLY GOING TO PRETEND TO TAPE IT REMEMBER? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE WHO BREAK CONTRACTS WITH ME? DO YOU? I'M GOING TO MAKE DAMN SURE YOU NEVER WORK IN THIS CITY AGAIN!"
Tohma hung up the phone only to have it ring again. " WHAT? Oh Eiri, I'm sorry I thought you were someone else…"
Tohma held the phone a few inches from his ear as Yuki continued to scream at him. Apparently Yuki had also seen the commercial on television and was not very happy with Tohma at the moment. " Yuki I…yes I know but…I'll handle it, don't worry! I said I would handle it!"
With that, Tohma threw the phone at the wall. "Dammit!"
As the phone fell to the ground he heard a small whimper come from the doorway. He turned to see Kai standing there, her eyes glassed over and tears streaming down her face.
" Kai," Tohma said as he walked towards her.
" GET AWAY FROM ME!" Kai screamed as she ran out the door slamming it behind her. Tohma felt his knees buckle and he collapsed onto the floor. He had done the one thing that he had never wanted to, he had hurt Kai. Tohma walked over to the couch and lied down. He knew she'd return soon and then they could take it over and he could explain everything to her. But for now, he knew that he would just have to wait till she returned.
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Tohma woke early the next morning. He couldn't believe that he had actually fallen asleep. He got up and started searching the house for Kai, but she was nowhere to be found. His stomach tightened in fear. She hadn't come home last night, had something happened to her? He picked up the phone and dialed the number of the first place he could think she would have gone to.
" Hello?" came a sleepy voice from the other end of the phone, but Tohma could still recognize it.
" Suguru? I thought I was calling Hiro's house…"
" Oh uh…hold on," replied Suguru awkwardly.
" Hmm, hello?" said yet another sleepy voice.
" Hiro?"
" Uh-huh…"
" Hiro, why is Sugu…never mind, is Kai there?" asked a frantic Tohma.
" No, she left last night…hello?"
Tohma hung up the phone and dialed another number.
" I don't have time to talk…" said the voice on the other end.
" Eiri wait! Don't hang up! Is Kai there?"
" No, I was about to call you to ask if Shuichi was at your place…" said Yuki.
" Why would Shuichi be here?"
" He overhead me talking to you last night and he ran out of here crying. When he didn't come home last night I assumed he had gone to Hiro's, but he's not there so I thought maybe he had gone to see Kai."
" Stay there Eiri, I'll be right over," said Tohma grabbing his coat and running out the door.
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" Hello Hiroshi," said the older woman as she answered the door.
" Hello Mrs. Shindou," said Hiro as he walked inside the house followed by Suguru.
" They're upstairs," said the woman as she walked into the kitchen.
Hiro and Suguru headed up the stairs of Shuichi's old house and walked to the end of the hall. Hiro slowly opened the door and mouthed the words to Suguru for him to stay there. As he walked inside Shuichi's old bedroom he saw the two of them lying on Shuichi's bed clutching pillows soaked with their tears. He sat down on the bed between the two and lifted Shuichi's head onto his left shoulder and lifted Kai's onto his right. He held them in his arms and couldn't help but think how very alike the two of them were. They both had fiery tempers, but at the same time they both could turn into emotional messes when something went wrong with the ones they love. He felt almost like their big brother holding them so tightly, comforting them.
CRASH.
Hiro jumped and squeezed Shuichi and Kai tighter. He looked towards the hallway to see K standing ominously in the doorway and Suguru getting up from floor rubbing his head, having been used as the object that K used to knock the door down.
" Get up you three," said K brandishing a handgun in their direction.
" No, now please leave," said Hiro in a rather threatening tone. He gasped as Yuki and Tohma appeared behind K in the doorway.
" I said get up," K repeated as he cocked the gun. Hiro got up from the bed leaving Shuichi and Kai and walked over towards Tohma, pushing K out of his way. He grabbed Tohma by the collar and pulled him towards him so they were face to face. He clenched his hand into a fist and raised his arm, ready to strike Tohma. Yuki grabbed Hiro's jacket to pull him away, but Hiro swung his arm towards Yuki instead and barely missed his face.
" You bastards!" cried Hiro as his eyes welled up with tears. " I told you what I would do if you ever hurt them…"
Suguru stared up at Hiro in awe; he had never seen this side of him before. Seeing Hiro being so protective aroused Suguru a little. He wished that one day Hiro would be that protective over him. His thoughts were interrupted as he noticed Shuichi walk over to Hiro and place a weak hand on his shoulder.
" It's okay Hiro," said Shuichi through his tears. Hiro stared into the eyes of his friend and then glanced up at Kai and watched as she nodded in agreement with Shuichi. Hiro stepped back and walked over to Suguru to make sure he was alright. He still, however, maintained his focus on his friends, making sure that they were okay.
Tohma walked over to the bed and bent down to face Kai. He took her hands in his own. He felt his heart ache as he stared into her once beautiful eyes that were now puffy and blood-shot from having cried so much the night before.
" I'm so sorry pumpkin," he said as he turned his head away from her so that she couldn't see the tears that were beginning to arise around his eyes. She reached up and brought his gaze back to her and slid her hand gently up and wiped his tears away.
"Why the hell didn't you come home last night…" asked Yuki, trying to sound angry but failing miserably. Shuichi looked up to see relief in Yuki's eyes. He couldn't believe that Yuki had been worried about him, and he felt a little guilty for making him worry so.
" Eiri and I were talking this morning, and we've decided that we'll go on the show with you," said Tohma as he held Kai in his arms. He was so happy that nothing bad had happened to her that night. Shuichi looked up at Yuki in shock. Had he actually agreed to this? Tohma kissed Kai and when he drew back he rested his forehead against hers.
" Please. I want to do this for you," he said his voice straining.
Yuki nodded in agreement with Tohma as he turned away from Shuichi. Shuichi, however, wrapped his arms around Yuki's waist and squeezed him tightly.
" Thank you Yuki! Thank you!" he cried out in excitement.
" Tohma…" Kai said, as she looked her lover in the eyes.
" Yes pumpkin?" Tohma replied.
" I love you,"
Tohma pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. " I love you too Kai."
Hiro smiled a little, knowing that his best friends were alright now. Suguru reached up and put his hand on Hiro's shoulder making Hiro jump. " They're really lucky to have you."
" What?" asked Hiro in confusion.
Suguru blushed and added, " I mean uh, they're really lucky to have a friend like you who would stand up for them, you know?"
Hiro smiled then turned his face away quickly, but Suguru could have sworn that Hiro had been blushing.
