Sakano rushed into the studio, sweat drops sliding down his face.
"Where the hell is Shuichi?! It's been two days!"
Hiro and Suguru were talking amongst themselves but stopped after being interrupted. After seeing a pained expression on Hiro's face, Suguru immediately stood and walked over to Sakano, pushing him back out into the hallway.
"What gives?! Where the hell is that kid?! Doesn't he realize that he's hurting the band?! More important, me! Seguchi-san will trash me if he finds out!"
Suguru shut the door to the room Hiro was in and eyed Sakano harshly.
"Stop saying it so loud! Hiro's already in enough pain with this situation as is!" Suguru cruelly whispered. "Two days now he had to live with this being half his fault! He doesn't need you to waltz in creating a scene!"
"What's going on here?"
Sakano's sweat drops grew into rivers down his face as Tohma Seguchi approached them with a grin on his face, as he usually did, disregarding any types of situations. Sakano groveled at Tohma instantly, dropping to his knees and pulling on the end of his boss's shirt, wrinkling it in his clenched fist.
"B-Boss, please, don't fire me! I'm doing everything I possibly can to find Shindou-san! I know that the Battle of the Bands competition is in a few days, but he'll be back, I'm sure of it! He'll do anything to rip ASK apart!"
The blonde didn't lose his grin. He waved his fingers through his short hair, and then pulled Sakano up to his feet.
"Don't worry, I'm not blaming anyone. We could always create a replacement for Shindou if it comes down to that."
Suguru's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"S-Seguchi-san, you can't mean that! Shuichi's going through a difficult time right now! He'll be back!"
Tohma's eyes shifted onto the young teen.
"Suguru, surely you don't have to be so formal with me. We're the same flesh and blood after all."
Suguru nodded.
"But anyway, I'm sure he is with that relationship of his he's got going on. Anyone would know that Eiri is one of the hardest people in the world to get along with." He sighed. "That poor boy just had to find out the hard way."
"Yeah, and now he's missing. I'm afraid that if we don't find him soon, Hiro's not going to be far behind."
Sakano ran in circles around Tohma and Suguru when he had heard of this.
"My life is ruined! Damn Shindou-kun for ruining me! Everything was going great too! Why does he have to be so—"
"Sakano-san!" Tohma verbalized in one of his stricter tones.
Sakano froze where he stood, eyes wide and still in his running position.
"S-sorry, boss," he said, followed by a whimper and a gulp.
The two resumed their conversation while Sakano hid in the corner, sobbing.
"Well then," Tohma continued with a sigh, "you were saying?"
Suguru looked behind his shoulder to see that the door was still shut in the room that Hiro occupied.
"Hiro told me that he yelled at Shuichi for being the way he is," Suguru started, soft-spoken. "With Eiri-san and all, and now he's saying it's his fault he's missing. If things keep going the way they are now and Shuichi doesn't show up, Hiro's not going to have the interest to continue, I just know it."
Tohma let out a short exhale.
"Thanks for talking to me Suguru. At least now I know a little something on what's going on."
Suguru nodded briefly.
"Tohma-san, I know you're close to Eiri-san. I know this is a lot to ask for, but could you just talk to him...for the band's sake. For Shuichi and Hiro's sake."
Tohma's eyes sealed onto the young teen for a long while before speaking.
"Suguru, I don't believe it is Eiri-san that needs to be spoken to. From what you told me, this is Shuichi's doing."
Suguru paused, then nodded quickly.
"You're right Tohma-san. So I guess there's nothing else to do but wait and see how things go."
Tohma smiled at his cousin, patting him on the shoulder as he walked past him and entered the room Hiro sat at. It was a bit of a shock to him to find Hiro with his head down on the table and in his hands, sobbing. It wasn't embarrassing loud, just something to show off how bad he felt.
"Hiroshi-san."
Hiro flinched and wiped his eyes immediately.
"Oh...Seguchi-san! S-sorry, I didn't hear you come in."
Tohma chuckled warmly.
"Don't worry about it, Hiroshi. I'm sure you have a good enough reason for this kind of behavior."
___________________
Hiro spent the rest of the afternoon speaking with Tohma on the situation. Shuichi was gone for two days straight now. Even his parents were noticing his absence and threatened to call the cops if he didn't return soon. They even called up Hiro's house and yelled at him in his voice mail for five minutes directly, saying how he shouldn't keep him over there without them knowing. Maiko was no help in that situation. Even though she knew for a fact that her brother wasn't at Hiro's. She was doing her part in searching for him, only to come back empty-handed. At the end of their conversation, Tohma agreed to keep their entry in the contest still valid, sending a huge wave of relief to Sakano and the others. Hiro spent a good few more hours in the studio thinking maybe, just maybe, Shuichi would come there and not blow this opportunity.
It was quickly approaching sundown and Suguru patted Hiro on the shoulder comfortingly.
"I think it's time to leave," he said in a soft voice. Hiro nodded slowly in response, standing.
"Hiro, if you don't want to be alone tonight, you can stay with me at my house."
Hiro swallowed and shook his head.
"No thanks. I have high hopes that Shuichi will come looking for me at home."
Suguru slipped him a hug, wishing him luck.
"Where the hell is Shuichi?! It's been two days!"
Hiro and Suguru were talking amongst themselves but stopped after being interrupted. After seeing a pained expression on Hiro's face, Suguru immediately stood and walked over to Sakano, pushing him back out into the hallway.
"What gives?! Where the hell is that kid?! Doesn't he realize that he's hurting the band?! More important, me! Seguchi-san will trash me if he finds out!"
Suguru shut the door to the room Hiro was in and eyed Sakano harshly.
"Stop saying it so loud! Hiro's already in enough pain with this situation as is!" Suguru cruelly whispered. "Two days now he had to live with this being half his fault! He doesn't need you to waltz in creating a scene!"
"What's going on here?"
Sakano's sweat drops grew into rivers down his face as Tohma Seguchi approached them with a grin on his face, as he usually did, disregarding any types of situations. Sakano groveled at Tohma instantly, dropping to his knees and pulling on the end of his boss's shirt, wrinkling it in his clenched fist.
"B-Boss, please, don't fire me! I'm doing everything I possibly can to find Shindou-san! I know that the Battle of the Bands competition is in a few days, but he'll be back, I'm sure of it! He'll do anything to rip ASK apart!"
The blonde didn't lose his grin. He waved his fingers through his short hair, and then pulled Sakano up to his feet.
"Don't worry, I'm not blaming anyone. We could always create a replacement for Shindou if it comes down to that."
Suguru's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"S-Seguchi-san, you can't mean that! Shuichi's going through a difficult time right now! He'll be back!"
Tohma's eyes shifted onto the young teen.
"Suguru, surely you don't have to be so formal with me. We're the same flesh and blood after all."
Suguru nodded.
"But anyway, I'm sure he is with that relationship of his he's got going on. Anyone would know that Eiri is one of the hardest people in the world to get along with." He sighed. "That poor boy just had to find out the hard way."
"Yeah, and now he's missing. I'm afraid that if we don't find him soon, Hiro's not going to be far behind."
Sakano ran in circles around Tohma and Suguru when he had heard of this.
"My life is ruined! Damn Shindou-kun for ruining me! Everything was going great too! Why does he have to be so—"
"Sakano-san!" Tohma verbalized in one of his stricter tones.
Sakano froze where he stood, eyes wide and still in his running position.
"S-sorry, boss," he said, followed by a whimper and a gulp.
The two resumed their conversation while Sakano hid in the corner, sobbing.
"Well then," Tohma continued with a sigh, "you were saying?"
Suguru looked behind his shoulder to see that the door was still shut in the room that Hiro occupied.
"Hiro told me that he yelled at Shuichi for being the way he is," Suguru started, soft-spoken. "With Eiri-san and all, and now he's saying it's his fault he's missing. If things keep going the way they are now and Shuichi doesn't show up, Hiro's not going to have the interest to continue, I just know it."
Tohma let out a short exhale.
"Thanks for talking to me Suguru. At least now I know a little something on what's going on."
Suguru nodded briefly.
"Tohma-san, I know you're close to Eiri-san. I know this is a lot to ask for, but could you just talk to him...for the band's sake. For Shuichi and Hiro's sake."
Tohma's eyes sealed onto the young teen for a long while before speaking.
"Suguru, I don't believe it is Eiri-san that needs to be spoken to. From what you told me, this is Shuichi's doing."
Suguru paused, then nodded quickly.
"You're right Tohma-san. So I guess there's nothing else to do but wait and see how things go."
Tohma smiled at his cousin, patting him on the shoulder as he walked past him and entered the room Hiro sat at. It was a bit of a shock to him to find Hiro with his head down on the table and in his hands, sobbing. It wasn't embarrassing loud, just something to show off how bad he felt.
"Hiroshi-san."
Hiro flinched and wiped his eyes immediately.
"Oh...Seguchi-san! S-sorry, I didn't hear you come in."
Tohma chuckled warmly.
"Don't worry about it, Hiroshi. I'm sure you have a good enough reason for this kind of behavior."
___________________
Hiro spent the rest of the afternoon speaking with Tohma on the situation. Shuichi was gone for two days straight now. Even his parents were noticing his absence and threatened to call the cops if he didn't return soon. They even called up Hiro's house and yelled at him in his voice mail for five minutes directly, saying how he shouldn't keep him over there without them knowing. Maiko was no help in that situation. Even though she knew for a fact that her brother wasn't at Hiro's. She was doing her part in searching for him, only to come back empty-handed. At the end of their conversation, Tohma agreed to keep their entry in the contest still valid, sending a huge wave of relief to Sakano and the others. Hiro spent a good few more hours in the studio thinking maybe, just maybe, Shuichi would come there and not blow this opportunity.
It was quickly approaching sundown and Suguru patted Hiro on the shoulder comfortingly.
"I think it's time to leave," he said in a soft voice. Hiro nodded slowly in response, standing.
"Hiro, if you don't want to be alone tonight, you can stay with me at my house."
Hiro swallowed and shook his head.
"No thanks. I have high hopes that Shuichi will come looking for me at home."
Suguru slipped him a hug, wishing him luck.