A/N: Okay I should be wrapping up this story about now…This little chase has gone on long enough…A couple more chapters to go… (okay I can't remember anymore roman numerals lol so....)

Thanks: Vera-Sama, Goddess of the Bishounen, seshygilr04, Notta Writer, Shos-lady, Guren, and Julia.

Chapter 14

Against their parents' wishes the three spies set off towards NG Recording Company, intent on prying the surveillance video from the grips of the guard's sights. Ichigo entered first, walking on her high spike-heeled black knee-high boots and a black skirt with a white body-suit with sleeves. Ichi had to say for herself that she looked like an absolute knock-out! She was sucking on a blue sicker, staring at the layout behind her celebrity sunglasses. Her hair was in a high-ponytail and she was twirling it absent-mindedly. The blonde was doing her best at looking sophisticated and mature; someone worthy of a clerk's notice as a budding star. She strutted up to the front desk, her hips swaying and she extracted the sucker from her mouth and looked down her nose at the man behind the counter. "Yes, may I help you?" he asked. It had been the initial thing to have Sho as the diversion, but the wuss had chickened out at the last minute and insisted his best friend do it instead, whipping up the clever disguise. "Yes," She spoke placing a fake document on the table. "Sora Hina to see Seguchi-san…" The man took it, looked at her credentials at made a 'hmmming' sound. "I'll check…" She nodded stopped swirling and watched as Sho and Kari made their way to the surveillance room.

"Yes, Seguchi-san…..There's a vocalist here to see you…."

Ichigo winced but continued to wait.

She made certain it wouldn't go as far as meeting Tohma himself.

"Yes, it's a young lady by the name of……Sora Hina…."

She watched him through her fake lashes, slightly pouting her glossed lips. The girl-woman looked out of her indigo contacts, grasping the hem of her skirt and tapping the toe of one of her polished boots. She caught the stare of a man with spiky, black hair. She winked at him, feeling disgusted with herself but nonetheless, it made her fit in. The clerk finally hung up, looking serious. "Seguchi-san says he's never heard of Sora Hina before." He slid the resume back over to her. "He suggests you removed yourself immideately." Here it came; Ichi's time to turn on the act. "WHAT!?" she shrieked. "How DARE you! Do you know who I am!?" She did her best to look insulted and flustered. "Well-well…" Apparently this man was not use to having 'celebrities' yell at him. "I suggest you call your boss and talk to him again! My agent got me an appointment with him and I am NOT leaving till I see Tohma Seguchi!" "I'm sorry, Hina-san…That just isn't done.." "Isn't done! Young man, I am a star! NG should be lucky to have a vocalist such as myself on its payroll! So if they don't want such talent as mine, I'll take my business elsewhere—and the President will have no one to blame except you…"

Secretly she knew it didn't make sense, since oji-san Tohma had been certain she wasn't scheduled for a visit, but this newbie would be too concerned with his job to even notice that. "No, no, no…Hina-san! Don't be rash, I'll recheck! Perhaps the Shacho was mistaken!" He started dialing up again, trying not to get fired. She smirked. This is too good. They don't even recognize me. I could be an assassin with a gun in my purse, and go in a pop him and they wouldn't be the wiser. Bakas! She continued to stare as she tossed the sucker in the trash. The man spoke in furious tones to the president yet was respectful at the same time. "Yes, Shacho. I understand, Shacho, but the young woman is very insistent her manager scheduled her in for to day….." A pause; her oji-san giving his calm brisk reply. "Yes, yes…I'll send her right up. Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" The man turned to Ichigo and nodded. "Shacho-san will see you. Second floor." "Thank you…." Kuso! I can't see oji-san! That's not even remotely an option! I have to do something! She saw the spike haired young man still watching her and took the opportunity.

"Hey, honey!" This was for her family.

Kari and Sho were watching the man eat a cup of ramen. "I'll take over this…hopefully; the news will not have reached his ears yet." Kari said stalking forward with quiet confidence. Sho nodded, but still had no hope of Kari's influence so he did the only thing he could…he pulled the fire-alarm. It set off loud and shrill ringing throughout the whole building setting the wholepopulation into motion. Their target, the guard, came out of the room and started heading for the stairs. Sho emerged from behind the door and Kari just gaped from her place next to him. "What did you do that for!?" She was very irritated with Nakano. "It wouldn't have worked…This seemed like an easy way to get what we want." He walked into the room. "Your way would have involved a hell lot of questions…." He immediately began scanning the tapes stacked in the shelves. "How do we know which one it is?" Kari approached the shelf looking at each one. "Well?" he queried. "I have established the days father could have been indiscreet….She took some off the shelf; she'd gathered four tapes exactly. "We will have to look through these four…"

"And?"

"And once we establish which one it is…We'll remove it from the premises, we cannot take more time than need be…."

They immediately popped the first tape in and began their search.

Thirty minutes later, and into the second tape they found the scene they wanted: a dark office with the moon shining brightly through the large windows of Tohma Seguchi's office. Two figures sprawled over the desk in a compromising position. "Bingo!" Kari murmured, ejecting it and placing the rest of the tapes back in proper order. Sho took the alleged tape and stuffed it in his backpack. He snuck out of the room and poked his head out into the hall. "Coast is clear so far…" He hurried to the stairs. "Let's go…" "Why didn't you think of the fire-alarm thing earlier..?" The younger person asked, running alongside him. "Hmmm. Good question…" "And?" "And I'll give you an answer when I think of it" He pushed open the door and started to gallop down the stair, vaulting over a railing and landing at the bottom. "Nakano, you show off!" Kari said gritting her teeth. "Haul it, Seguchi! You're too slow!" "You try running in a skirt, Nakano…" "Girls…" He sighed and poked his head out through the door. People were filing into the building once more. "We go when more people enter…So we won't look out of place." "Roger."

Sho saw Ichi waiting on the sidewalk outside, taking to some guy. His temper flared. Who the hell is he!? He started forward, walking towards the front door. He was a man on a mission. "Nakano..Wait!" He pushed open the door and snapped, "Hey, buddy!" The older man turned and gave him a skeptical glance. "Stay away from my girl!" Ichigo's eyes widened and the guy lurched back slightly. "And who would you be?" he sneered. "I said, she's my girl…What the hell do you think that makes me!?" Ichigo was meanwhile shooting him the deadliest eyes. She barged over and grabbed him by the ear. "Excuse us…" She said in a breathy voice to her new friend. Ichi then slammed Sho into a telephone post and hissed, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUE DOING!?" "OW! Ichi, that hurts!" "IT' SUPPOSED TO!?" She growled fire in her eyes. "Take it easy, Ichigo!" "Not until you stop acting like you own me! It's just creepy." "Fine…Now let go of my ear…You're hurting me." The blonde let her friend go and walked back over to the man she'd been with. She noticed her cousin off to the side, "Kari-chan, this is Izo Etsuko. He's with the band Electric Shock." She smiled at him. "He's gonna be the opening act for my okaa-san's band, isn't that SO cool?"

Kari: "Hello, Etsuko-san…"

"Please…" He smiled. "Call me Izo."

"All right…Izo-san."

"That's as far mellow as you're going to get her." Ichigo snickered. "I suggest you take Izo-san."

He nodded.

"So….You're Seguchi-san's kid huh?"

"That's right."

"Let me tell you, it'll be a privilege to play on the same stage as him and Sakuma-san."

"Hmm, that's odd. It seemed like awhile ago…You were trying to put them out of business."

"Friendly competition, kid." Izo replied giving a dismissive hand gesture. "OVA Records wanted to see our 'power'; our presence if you will…"

Kari didn't say anything further.

"Anyway, it was nice meeting you!" Ichigo beamed taking hold of his hand.

"Ichigo.."

She looked over her should at her cousin, dropping Izo's hand and started off. "Well…gotta go!" She ran off waving, Kari following her.

Sho stayed in his place against the pole and glared at the other man. "Just watch yourself…" He muttered pushing off.

Ichigo shut the door to her room and stared angrily at Sho. "That's the second time you've pulled that crap!" She snapped on her television and motioned for the tape. Sho didn't say anything; he just looked in a very pissy mood as he extracted the video from his back pack and placed it on her desk, not saying a further thing. "Play the tape, Ichigo! We don't have time for such childishness!" Kari snapped. Ichigo blew a raspberry and was about to insert the tape when…. "Do you really want to do that!?" A woman's voice asked. Ichi turned, eyes blazing. She was already ticked! Who was this!? "Who are you?" she asked coldly. "Someone who thinks you're going to make a big mistake." The woman with silver hair and magenta eyes answered. "I said who are you?" Ichigo repeated, she was in no mood for intruders. "A friend….of your tou-san's." "Oh really?" The blonde arched an eyebrow. "Yes, I came by to visit…" "And why didn't we see you?" "I was using the powder room." She grinned as she said this, closing Ichi's door and leaning against it. "You name?" Kari asked, kneeling on her cousin's bed.

"Rumiko Saori." The older woman nodded her head in greeting.

"Rumiko…Sarori…." Ichigo mumbled. "Now where I have that name?"

Rumiko sighed. "I am one of NG's labels…"

"Ah ha! So you're not a friend of my tou-san's."

"Correct. In that I have lied."

"Why? What would make you lie? Why not tell the truth?" This was Sho.

"These days…things are complicated."

She motioned to the bed. "May I sit.? My ankle hurts badly." She hobbled over and sat down.

"Baka!" Ichigo hissed. "Why would you put yourself in discomfort?!"

"Ichigo, I know you seek answers…I've been listening for awhile…But do you really need them that bad…They may hurt the very people you're trying to save…Don't you think Tohma Seguchi has suffered enough?"

"You're a friend of my fathers?" Kari voiced.

"A long time admire…" The woman corrected.

"Even when my mother was still around."

"Yes, unfortunately…"

"But do as you wish…It's your choice…"

With that, she left.

Yoshiki Kitazawa nibbled at her lip, contemplating the offer Tohma Seguchi had laid before her awhile ago. Was all that money really worth being quiet for? Then again…who were these people who wanted to know? The tabloids? For the tabloids of course she'd keep her mouth shut. The news people were prying anyway. She nibbled on a rice ball and flexed her bare toes. She then got up and began to paint her fingernails; they had been next on her list. Yoshiki began to paint them a bright red to match her toes. She smiled when she saw the glossy product of her efforts at the end. She took the spray that dried her nails fast and did so. When she was confident her nails were completely dry, she walked to her television and turned it on. The woman switched it to the music channel and there learned about Shuichi Shindou's up-coming farewell concert. She herself was excited, she'd already gotten tickets. She didn't exactly know why she had done this….but it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Yoshiki paced some more and decided that it was best that she wait awhile before accepting the man's offer. "I've just got to see who these people are."

Mika Seguchi sat on her futon in her father's home. She didn't plan to go back to Tohma; she didn't plan to go back to him at all. She'd thought she could take how he'd lusted after her younger brother…Yet she couldn't. They had a child! How could he tomcat around when we have Kari? She thought eyes full of sorrow and anger at the same time. There was suddenly a knock at her door. "Who is it?" she asked drying her eyes. "It's me, Onesan…" Her younger brother Tatsuha called from the other side of the door. "May I come in?" "No…" He came in anyway, closing it behind him softly. "I told you no." "And I ignored you…" "Shouldn't you be out, stalking Ryuichi…?" "Why would I have need to stalk my honey when I can go to his house freely?" "Then go…" He looked at her, studying her. "You really mean that? Look why don't you patch thing up with Seguchi-?" "It's over, Tatsuha! Now get out! Tohma's shown me how he feels!" "Mika….." "OUT!" "Fine…Maybe I will go find Ryu-chan…." He stretched. Beats sticking around here. "I'd better go before pop sticks me with shrine duty…."

The door closed after her younger brother and Mika just sat there with tears streaming down her face.

K approached the apartment.

She's home…I'm sure of it this time.

He'd noticed the goons that had delivered her back to her home were Seguchi-san's personal 'valets'. He's up to something…. He flipped open his phone and began to dial Ichigo Uesugi's cell phone number. The former CIA agent put the device up to his ear, standing in Yoshiki Kitazawa's doorway, and listened to it ring. "Talk to me!" said the blonde's voice loud and clear. "Ichigo-san, it is I, K—and I have BIG NEWS!" "That's good! Very good! Spill it!" "Yoshiki-san is in my sights and-" "GOOD! Now don't let her give you the slip this time!" "Will do." "Report back to me when you have gained access to Yoshiki-san's apartment." "Roger." He hung up and pressed the buzzer to her apartment. He waited awhile, then… "Yeah! Do you want something!? Or are you more goons from Seguchi-san? I wanted some time to think this over!" K backed up and looked up at her. "No! You perhaps don't remember me…." "K! K-san, is that you!" Heh, heh…She does remember me. "So…" She hung out the window. "What are YOU doing here?" "I come on behest of young people seeking to know the past…" "Well that didn't take long…"

"Pardon?"

"It didn't take long for the other party Seguchi-san spoke of to show up. You're pretty good, K-san!"

"Yes! I am GREAT aren't I!"

"I said, good…Don't push it."

"……"

"So you've come for information concerning my brother…"

"Yes, of course!"

"Come on up…." I'll think about telling you…

K met the woman at her door and entered, glancing down at her polished bare feet. "Come in…K-san…"

Kentered the small apartment and immediately brought his phone back out. "A second if you will?" He dialed Ichigo's number. "We need three more to start this party…"

"Talk to me!" Ichigo said like normal when she'd answered.

"I'm in. Come down here." He gave her the address.

"We'll be down there as fast as you can say Blind Game Again…."

K nodded and hung up his phone. "They're on their way."

"Let's hope this prying into the past is worth it…K-san."

Her eyes bore into his as she said this.

Next Chapter: The Art of Deciding

A/N: DONE! FINALLY! Hope you like it! Review!