Hiro left the hospital, trying not to think about Shuichi. He was all right
and alive, that's what counted. It looks like he will have to go through
someone else to call his best friend now.
"Wait...what am I saying? It's just a phase. He'll be fine in a couple days." The next morning, Hiro went to the studio like he had every morning to practice for the Battle of the Bands, hoping that Shuichi would be there today.
Hiro didn't want any other place to go but the studio to see his friends. It was no doubt Shuichi went back to Yuki. The same things were going to keep happening, unless Hiro by miracle smashed some sense into the man's head.
Right when he came into view of the studio, there were reporters lined up as far as the eye could see. How did they find out about Shuichi so fast? How did they know he had a virus?
Hiro jogged over around the back and entered that way. Going down a few flights of stairs, he entered Bad Luck's room, expecting to see Shuichi, but only saw Suguru sitting partially in the dark. Frowning, Hiro clicked on the light. Suguru gasped and yanked his head to the sound behind him. Hiro was puzzled when he saw streams of endless tears running down his face.
"What's wrong? Where is everyone?" Hiro asked.
Hiro was a little bewildered when Suguru got up and threw his arms around him, soaking his chest.
"Oh Hiro...I don't know why he did it! He was so happy! There was nothing wrong with him, he was perfectly fine!"
Was he talking about Shuichi?
"Suguru..."
The look on his face told Suguru that he had no idea what's going on.
"You mean...you haven't heard? The damn media is all over this like it's some sort of cheerful get-together!"
Hiro was maximum clueless. He sat patiently and waited for Fujisaki to get his grip on things.
Suguru was about to speak again when he heard Ryuichi's voice from all the way at the other end of the hall. Ryuichi, yelling? That didn't make sense.
Suguru crying didn't either. "What's going on?"
Suguru handed him a clicker for the TV they kept down there.
"Find out. It's all over the place. I can't stand to see anymore of this."
Suguru let out a few more sobs before he exited the room and slumped against the wall, sliding to the floor, holding his hands to his face.
"Why? Why?! What did I do to deserve this?!"
_______________________
Hiro clicked the power button on the controller and was taken to a news station. He stood behind the couch and turned it up loud enough so he could hear it.
//Hello, we are back with the exclusive shocking report. This morning, the keyboardist and very famous member of the past band, Nittle Grasper, Seguchi Tohma was found dead just near the Tokyo bridge. There are no witnesses to confirm what truly happened to Seguchi-san, but we do believe it was suicide-"//
Hiro clicked off the TV and allowed the controller to slip out of his hand and crash onto the hard ground beneath him, nearly cracking.
"Why?" he asked aloud.
"Are you happy now?" Suguru asked from the doorway.
Hiro turned to him.
"Suguru..."
"Yes, my cousin killed himself. He committed suicide and I was so blind and didn't see it coming."
Hiro's head was already full of unanswered questions that he knew might possibly never be answered.
"I always knew he was stressed out. No one ever took him seriously when he said he needed a break or he would just die, no one ever did. But here we are now, everyone, including millions of fans of Grasper, in total heartache because they worked my cousin to the bone without a break or even a word of praise."
Hiro sighed and lowered his head. He's gotten really good at not being able to hide his emotions anymore.
"Is that why?" he asked in a barely audible voice. "Does everyone else know?"
"Everyone's upstairs, trying to rid the reporters."
"Is Shuichi here too?"
Suguru shook his head.
"No, but he did come back last night. He was energetic as ever. He even asked how Tohma was. Little did we know that he was already dead. And you know what I said?" he asked, crying once more. "I said that he was fine and that he left early because he got into an argument with Ryuichi, but everything was to be fine. It wasn't! Goddamn it, why?! He may have been stressed, but that's no reason to kill yourself!"
Hiro let out a strangled sigh.
"I'm sorry Suguru. It shouldn't be this way."
Suguru flew at Hiro, wrapping his arms around him and cried loudly. It was Suguru like no one had ever seen. He must have been real close to Tohma to get this sort of reaction out of him.
"I don't think I'll ever have the strength to perform again! Everything just seems to be falling apart!"
"I know," Hiro whispered, thinking about how his world was going down as well with Shuichi. "I know."
"Wait...what am I saying? It's just a phase. He'll be fine in a couple days." The next morning, Hiro went to the studio like he had every morning to practice for the Battle of the Bands, hoping that Shuichi would be there today.
Hiro didn't want any other place to go but the studio to see his friends. It was no doubt Shuichi went back to Yuki. The same things were going to keep happening, unless Hiro by miracle smashed some sense into the man's head.
Right when he came into view of the studio, there were reporters lined up as far as the eye could see. How did they find out about Shuichi so fast? How did they know he had a virus?
Hiro jogged over around the back and entered that way. Going down a few flights of stairs, he entered Bad Luck's room, expecting to see Shuichi, but only saw Suguru sitting partially in the dark. Frowning, Hiro clicked on the light. Suguru gasped and yanked his head to the sound behind him. Hiro was puzzled when he saw streams of endless tears running down his face.
"What's wrong? Where is everyone?" Hiro asked.
Hiro was a little bewildered when Suguru got up and threw his arms around him, soaking his chest.
"Oh Hiro...I don't know why he did it! He was so happy! There was nothing wrong with him, he was perfectly fine!"
Was he talking about Shuichi?
"Suguru..."
The look on his face told Suguru that he had no idea what's going on.
"You mean...you haven't heard? The damn media is all over this like it's some sort of cheerful get-together!"
Hiro was maximum clueless. He sat patiently and waited for Fujisaki to get his grip on things.
Suguru was about to speak again when he heard Ryuichi's voice from all the way at the other end of the hall. Ryuichi, yelling? That didn't make sense.
Suguru crying didn't either. "What's going on?"
Suguru handed him a clicker for the TV they kept down there.
"Find out. It's all over the place. I can't stand to see anymore of this."
Suguru let out a few more sobs before he exited the room and slumped against the wall, sliding to the floor, holding his hands to his face.
"Why? Why?! What did I do to deserve this?!"
_______________________
Hiro clicked the power button on the controller and was taken to a news station. He stood behind the couch and turned it up loud enough so he could hear it.
//Hello, we are back with the exclusive shocking report. This morning, the keyboardist and very famous member of the past band, Nittle Grasper, Seguchi Tohma was found dead just near the Tokyo bridge. There are no witnesses to confirm what truly happened to Seguchi-san, but we do believe it was suicide-"//
Hiro clicked off the TV and allowed the controller to slip out of his hand and crash onto the hard ground beneath him, nearly cracking.
"Why?" he asked aloud.
"Are you happy now?" Suguru asked from the doorway.
Hiro turned to him.
"Suguru..."
"Yes, my cousin killed himself. He committed suicide and I was so blind and didn't see it coming."
Hiro's head was already full of unanswered questions that he knew might possibly never be answered.
"I always knew he was stressed out. No one ever took him seriously when he said he needed a break or he would just die, no one ever did. But here we are now, everyone, including millions of fans of Grasper, in total heartache because they worked my cousin to the bone without a break or even a word of praise."
Hiro sighed and lowered his head. He's gotten really good at not being able to hide his emotions anymore.
"Is that why?" he asked in a barely audible voice. "Does everyone else know?"
"Everyone's upstairs, trying to rid the reporters."
"Is Shuichi here too?"
Suguru shook his head.
"No, but he did come back last night. He was energetic as ever. He even asked how Tohma was. Little did we know that he was already dead. And you know what I said?" he asked, crying once more. "I said that he was fine and that he left early because he got into an argument with Ryuichi, but everything was to be fine. It wasn't! Goddamn it, why?! He may have been stressed, but that's no reason to kill yourself!"
Hiro let out a strangled sigh.
"I'm sorry Suguru. It shouldn't be this way."
Suguru flew at Hiro, wrapping his arms around him and cried loudly. It was Suguru like no one had ever seen. He must have been real close to Tohma to get this sort of reaction out of him.
"I don't think I'll ever have the strength to perform again! Everything just seems to be falling apart!"
"I know," Hiro whispered, thinking about how his world was going down as well with Shuichi. "I know."