Oi, oi! Welcome back to STLF where we are now on chapter 8... sugoi! We actually made it this far! Can you believe that I originally intended for this story to be a one-shot, not a chapter series? grins Well, as long as you continue reading and reviewing, I will continue to update. Arigato for the awesome responses everyone gave for chapter 7... they made Reiannah so, so happy! does a happy dance Gomen but as I said before, the updates will be slowing down to only once a week or so.
There were many questions about the past few chapter so I thought it'd be a good idea to answer them so there wouldn't be too much confusion in the future. Hope this helps...
1.) Yes, NG Corps does label more than just Nittle Grasper and Bad Luck. But since those two bands are the top ones and having been successful for such a long period of time, they are the one who receive the largest shares. The other bands under NG are considered one of the investors and have to be satisfied with less than one percent. In STLF, Bad Luck has been successful for almost two years now. The only ones who can top them are Nittle Grasper.
2.) Yes, the rivalry is up 110%! Isn't this fun! But rest assured, Shuichi and Ryuichi will remain great friends... and it will be interesting on how good of friends I decide to make them....
3.) Money and power aren't everything... not for Shuichi and Ryuichi at least. And as we progress, it isn't what really drives Eiri and Tohma either. Keep reading to find out!
4.) And for the million-dollar question... can Bad Luck ever surpass Nittle Grasper? Well, I can't tell you everything that I plan, but I will say this... if Ryuichi, Tohma, and Noriko didn't believe that Bad Luck had enough talent to do so, why did they bother to come out of retirement?
Disclaimer: If you don't know by now, I guess I have to remind you. Maki Murikami owns Gravitation; I own pocket lint. Don't sue me cause all you'll get is said pocket lint. On the other hand... it is colorful.
Regular italicized writing indicates thoughtsBold italicized writing indicates conscience
Chapter 8: Loving the Competition
Ryuichi was slightly peeved at the recent turn of events. At first the news had been exciting and he had been delighted at Shuichi's good luck. He was still happy for him, but now a deeper emotion emerged from within the man-child's heart. It was close to jealousy, but not quite petty enough to be considered so. It was a resolute sort of feeling. Something that the Grasper had hidden behind his mask of lightheartedness.
That little shit thinks he can dominate me?! Does he think that all it takes is a little power and talent to rise above ME?!
Shuichi had awakened something inside of Ryuichi that had remained dormant for many years. It was the recognition of an equal. The God of J-pop had felt it when he had first met the younger singer, and even began to fear it when the pink-haired boy had appeared in his place on Music Fan.
Maybe the fear came from the Grasper's recognition of himself inside the novice singer. The recognition of the same drive that brought himself to the top. The drive and talent that had made him a legend. And the chance that Shuichi had the potential to become a legend as well.
Ryuichi growled in frustration.
That punk isn't going to surpass me... not without a fight.
I won't let him reach the top easily.
But even at my best, I can't keep him from shining.
The God of J-pop rubbed his temple, trying to sort out his emotions.
I want Shuichi to shine. But I want to shine too. I can't settle for second best.
But is his light brighter than mine?
The legend sighed, unable to answer himself.
I don't know... but I'll find out one-way or another.
{NG Studios}
"Amid these glassy stylish lies, my heart seems to want something."
Bad Luck was currently in recording session.
"With those smoke-illusory fingers, you've merely begun to call out to me."
It seemed Ryuichi's challenged had motivated Shuichi to an unstoppable point.
"Smashing Blue the world that stretches toward eternity."
They had been recording continuously for the past two and a half week.
"In memories, make me true. Fading, you are silent."
At the rate that they were progressing, their new album would be completed five months ahead of schedule.
"Speed that could break us, Smashing Blue."
Needless to say, Sakano had been euphoric the results of the new rivalry.
"Twilight is the time that begins everything and then races ahead."
Though he had been initially apprehensive of how his lead singer's promotion would affect their relationship with the President of NG, he soon realized this was business.
"Alright! That's a wrap! Great session! I think we can use that just as it is for the album." The sound technician cut the music and gave a thumbs-up of approval.
The pink-haired singer threw a startled glance at the technician.
"Matte! That was only the middle of the song! What about the second half?"
"The ending you did yesterday was fine. I'll put the two halves together and we'll release it like that." Shuichi grinned in surprise. They had finished the song in less than two sessions.
"Man, Shuichi! You made quick work of that!" Hiro thumped his best friend on the back, causing the singer to choke on his Ramune soda.
"Hai, I must say that even I'm awed at your dedication. Recording eight songs within a two and a half week period is an impressive accomplishment not just for you, but for anyone." The Bad Luck keyboardist grudgingly complimented the vocalist.
"YEAH! Let's see Nittle Grasper stay on top now! Within a week of this album's release, they'll be choking on our dust!" The exuberant manger pulled the trigger to his grenade launcher, blasting a hole through the ceiling of the studio. While everyone dove for cover from the falling wreckage, K continued to cackle in exhilaration, not moving from his position on top of a small coffee table.
Once the air had cleared and the debris stopped falling, Sakano poked his head out from under the coffee table that Bad Luck's manger was standing on.
"Uh, hai. I am very proud of you as well, Shindou-san. You have exceeded our highest expectations of you. We only need to complete a minimum of five more songs to complete the album." The vocalist beamed at the praise.
"I think that's enough for tonight. We'll meet up again tomorrow morning at 9:00 am." The manager lowered his massive and now smoking arsenal as he announced the next meeting time as well as dismissed the current session.
Everyone cheered as the long day of intensive work ended. Hiro turned to Shuichi.
"Oi, Shuichi! You need a ride home?" The pink-haired boy shook his head at his friend's offer.
"Iie... that's okay Hiro. I don't want to keep you from Ayaka any longer. I'm sure she's anxious to see you." A mischievous look settled in the violet eyes as the longhaired guitarist blushed at the connotation.
"Ah, well...." Shuichi smirked knowingly. He waved off his friend's attempt at an explanation with one of his own.
"Besides, K-san is taking me to get my license tonight." Hiro froze in shock at this new revelation. Images of Shuichi running over pedestrians and crashing into buildings filled his head.
"Uh... is that so? Um, Shu... is that such a good idea?"
"Shuichi is quite responsible in a car. His driving skills are not at all lacking." This came from their manager who had taken firm hold of the singer by his shoulders, leading him away to the exit.
"Ja né, Hiro! Next time you see me, I might be a licensed driver in one of Yuki's cars!" As the vocalist and manager proceeded to leave the studio, everyone else that had been left behind shuddered simultaneously. Shuichi driving was not very appealing.
"Okay, I'm leaving right NOW! I want to be off the road before Shindou-san get on it." Suguru quickly gathered his belongings and made his way to the exit as well. Hiro followed closely behind him.
"I second that thought. I want to live to see my girlfriend."
{Las Vegas, Nevada}
Yuki had shut himself up inside his hotel room for the past week, working nonstop on his new novel. Pausing only for the occasional bathroom break, a couple hours of sleep, or to order room service, the writer had not seen daylight in so long; he'd forgotten what it looked like.
The sudden inspiration had flooded his mind with countless ideas. He wanted to get them all down on his laptop before he lost any of it.
He had been so focused on writing, that he hadn't showered for over four days.
He did not smell like a romance novelist at all.
The writer sighed heavily, typing down the last few words in his line of thoughts. Hitting the save button, he pushed himself back from the desk. Giving his work a final glance, he shut the laptop gently.
I guess it's about time I cleaned myself up.
He stood up, took a moment to stretch, and then made his way over to the luxurious bathroom.
I wonder how things are in Japan.
Running the water to just above lukewarm, the novelist stripped down and stepped into the stream of running water.
Tohma is probably throwing a hissy fit by now.
Though he had always preferred extra warm showers, the weather in Las Vegas wouldn't allow him to do it in comfort. It was far too warm and humid for anything to be enjoyed hot.
And Bad Luck... I wonder how they are handling the change in power.
Why don't you find out for yourself?
Well... it's not as if I really care or anything.
Sure you do. You don't have to lie to yourself.
I guess I am just a little curious.
What harm could it do just to look it up on the computer?
Yeah, I could do that.
Refreshed after the brief shower, the writer wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way back to his laptop. It had already been hooked up to the Internet courtesy of the hotel. Without bothering to even sit down, he reached down and clicked on the Internet icon. Typing in the keywords 'Bad Luck and J-pop,' the search engine produced over 2.5 million results. The blonde man let out a soft whistle.
Damn! I didn't know that they'd become this big in the music industry.
Turning his attention back to the results, he scanned through until he found what he was looking for. With another click of the mouse, the screen flashed onto the laptop.
Skimming through the main page of that particular site, his eye caught the words, 'Recent updates on Bad Luck.' With another click, the novelist finally acquired the information that he had been seeking.
"Update 01/11: Bad Luck is due to release their new album November 1st. Title of album has yet to be determined."
"Update 01/17: Bad Luck will make a guest appearance on Japanese Morning News. Will be performing double platinum single, 'Bird'."
"Update 01/20: Bad Luck will appear on Hit Stage on the 24th. Will perform newly released single, 'Melancholic Seven Days' and many others."
"Update 01/25: Bad Luck's vocalist, Shindou Shuichi collapsed on-stage yesterday. No details on how or why."
"Update 01/26: NG Corps President Seguchi Tohma released a statement on Shindou Shuichi's condition. Collapse due to over exhaustion and stress."
"Update 01/30: NG Corps made a formal statement via one of their attorneys that there has been a change in how the shared are being held. Shindou Shuichi has mysteriously inherited an extra 12% share of NG Corps, thus making him an equal shareholder to the President of NG."
"Update 05/08: Bad Luck reports being ahead of schedule on the recording of their new album. New release date projected to be June 15th."
"End of Updates...."
So, they're ahead of schedule, ne? I wonder what motivated him so much...{Tohma's Office}
"I think it's a good thing for Shuichi to be so driven." Noriko put in her two cents to the discussion between Tohma and Ryuichi. They both turned to glare at her in unison. Throwing her hands up in surrender, she became silent once again.
"It's not the fact that Shuichi has the new shares that bothers me. It's that he thinks he's hot shit and can challenge me because of it! Nobody is cooler than me, dammit!" Ryuichi snarled in agitation. Tohma nodded in agreement, his usual smile of phony politeness marred by a dissatisfied twist in his lips.
"Shindou-san needs to put in his place. He seems to be in the middle of a power trip. It's not like him to recklessly oppose us."
"A little bit of power and his head blows up!"
"Well, Ryuichi... how do you want to handle this?" The President of NG posed the question in his most serious manner. The God of J-pop raised his eyes slowly.
"I can't... I won't allow Shuichi to just usurp me. Music... it's what I live for. If I can't shine onstage, I can't shine anywhere else. He's my friend, but when it comes to music, he's my rival."
"I understand."
"I think in my entire career, Shuichi is the one that I have ever feared as a rival. I know that his passion for singing is as powerful as mine. All he needs is to perfect his talent just the slightest bit and he won't be following me anymore. He'll be right beside me." Ryuichi lowered his eyes back to the floor. Noriko put her arm around his shoulder, trying to comfort him.
"Ryu-chan... what do you want to do?" The second keyboardist brushed the vocalist's hair away from his face.
"I... I want to exceed the highest expectations for Nittle Grasper. I... I want to give Shuichi a run for his money. But, I know that... he might catch up eventually. And... maybe that's a good thing. I actually... kind of... want... Bad Luck to reach us." Tohma raise his eyebrow at his friend's words, perplexed at the variation in desires. Noriko's eyes widened in surprise as well, unable to understand the change in heart.
"Ryuichi... you want Bad Luck to surpass Nittle Grasper?" The NG executive spoke the words in a tone of disbelief.
"I... I want Shuichi to shine as bright as he possibly can. He's so... beautiful when he shines." Behind the idol's eyes, an emotion akin to longing appeared. After another moment of silence, a Kumagorou hand puppet popped out from behind the singer's back, and the serious side of Ryuichi disappeared.
"Hai, hai! Shu-chan is the most pika pika person in the whole wide world besides Ryu-chan! Kuma-chan likes to play with a shiny Shu-chan, na no da!" And with those final words, the God of J-pop fled the room hastily before his friends could have a chance to question him.
Noriko turned to her fellow keyboardist in confusion at what had just happened.
"Okay, what the HELL was that?" Hands on her hip, the female Grasper demanded an explanation from executive of NG. An amused grin played at the corners of Tohma's lips, finally realizing what their vocalist had just proclaimed to them.
"It seems that our innocent little Ryuichi has just gotten his first crush." The President didn't know whether to be alarmed at the newest revelation or to be pleased that his friend had finally found an interest in love. The blue-haired woman's jaw dropped in shock.
"NANI?! You mean...?"
"Hai. It seems that Eiri-kun has a new rival for Shindou-san's affections. He had better take care of whatever business he has as quickly as possible. Ryuichi has a way of always getting what he wants."
"Kami-sama! What ELSE can go wrong?"
"Don't ask questions that you really don't want to be answered, Noriko."
"This whole situation seems to get more and more complicated. Did you know how Ryu-chan felt about Shuichi beforehand?"
"Iie, not really. Though I did find it unusual how interested he was with Shindou-san."
"So, where do we do from here? I'm so confused that I don't even know if Ryu-chan wants to crush Shuichi's career or advance it."
"Hmm... maybe he wants to do a little bit of both. Do me a favor, Noriko. Don't say anything to anyone about Ryuichi's 'crush.' Things are complicated enough as it is."
"Yeah, alright. So what's the game plan?"
"We will continue to rise in the music industry. And we will stay ahead of Bad Luck as long as possible. The rest is up to Ryuichi and Shindou-san. As interested as I am in their love triangle... it's not any of my business."
"You mean you're NOT going to be nosy and interfere? What a surprise... are you ill, Tohma? This isn't like you at all." Noriko placed a hand on the executive's forehead as if to check his temperature. Rolling his eyes in tolerance, the male keyboardist turned to leave the room.
"I have a lot of unfinished business to take care of. We'll figure more of this out later.
"Ja né, Tohma!"
{General}
What did I just say back there?Once Ryuichi had been sure that neither of his friends was following him out of the office, the singer had slowed his pace and made his way to a small playground. It was his quiet place, where nobody would recognize him, as everyone there was either too young or searching for his or her children.
Pushing himself slowly on a swing, he took a moment to reflect on what he had just admitted to his friends.
Well, it wasn't as if I made it too obvious... did I?Glaring at the pink bunny in his hands, the Grasper bit his lip in anxiety.
How could I have let that slip? I'm such an idiot.
The pink bunny watched him with laughing eyes, as if to agree.
"Kumagorou, what do I do now? If Shuichi finds outs, he'll hate me. He might even stop singing with me."
The stuffed toy continued to stare at him silently.
"I... I want to shine. But I want to shine... with... Shuichi. Is that wrong?"
Kumagorou didn't answer. Ryuichi shook his head sadly.
"Why does this have to be so complicated, Kuma-chan?"
The God of J-pop closed his eyes, holding his beloved companion to his chest.
"Why do I feel this way?" A single tear hit the sand beside the swing. Even gods cry.
TBC...
OMG- I can't believe that I made Ryuichi fall for Shuichi! Am I evil or what? So the question is... who will Shuichi choose in the end? Votes anyone? REVIEW OR DIE! MWUHAHAHAHA!!! Hai, I miss my reviews. So please let me know what you think of this new twist... onegai? The more reviews I get, the faster and better the next update will be! And I need more ideas too! Sankyuu! Aishiteru minna!
