I am soooooo happy now. I don't think I've ever gotten this much reviews for one chapter before. Thank you, guys!


clari chan:
Hello again! I'm glad you're still reading this fic. Your review was marvellous. Pardon my grammatical errors. I think being out of school is getting to me. I can't wait till the exam result comes out! That cup cracking thing was inspired by real Japanese belief. Yep, it's a bad omen. I'm so glad you like the OCs file too. I'm curious as to who you think are the criminals, though.

Kolie: My OCs work? Yay! Thank you! Thank you! I'm still debating whether or not I'd kill someone off in this story. I hope I won't have to kill Shu or Eiri. Your waiting for Track 8 is over. It's here!

Kitty in the Box: Aoshi, Arashi and Taki huh? Well… I dunno… MAYBE. Hehe, I like the way that chapter ended too. But I still think that chapter was to damn short! Oh well… Some people write shorter chapters anyway.

Hyper Chef: Thank you for the wonderful review. I'm glad you like this fic and the AU-ness of it. I'm so damn proud to know that this fic actually managed to trigger readers' emotions. Thank you! Please keep supporting me.

i love athrun: I'm starting to sense a review pattern here. They're cute! Thanks for your time and enjoy this chapter!

LilBlue-Hedgie: I just love torturing Eiri. Revenge for all those emotional torture he made Shuichi go through, heh! About the bad guy… Heheheh… That stays a big HIMITSU until the climax.

ichigo-chan: Arashi… I hate him even though I'm the one who created him in the first place. Don't worry. You'll know their 'shady schemes' soon!

Shuu's Lover: (look at name) Are you Yuki-san? Hehe, I'm just kidding LOL! You think the insider is Akai?... Well, I don't know… (grins evilly)

Ryuko-Chan: Hi again! Yep, Shu does have a heart. But no! You can't take both Shiroi and Koori! Take Koori but Shiroi is mine! Mwahaha!

MonkeyGurL: Heartbroken Eiri makes me smile. I'm cruel, am I not? You're right, it's a display of emotion on Shuichi's part. I'm glad you like the twins. Me too!

WhiteTopaz: Thank you! That chapter was quite hard to write and I'm glad you like it XD

Bram: Sowie! But the cliffie was necessary.

kriziamoon: I'm sorry for the excessive amount of OCs. I need them to get the story going. Thank you for your support!

Kimika: The update is here! Fast enough?

Shuichi: Glad that you like AitSWS and the OCs File! Thank you for your support.

A little correction! In Track 5: Resurrection, Aoshi was supposed to be 24 years old instead of 22. Okay? And this chapter is full of dialogues. Please bear with this fact… (sigh) The song 'Of Stolen Kisses and Silent Tears" in this chapter is MINE. It was originally written for my novel project, Castle in The Sky I: Rhymes of Life. Pardon the crappiness.

"Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment,
chagrin d'amour dure toute la vie."
"Love's pleasure lasts but a moment, love's sorrow lasts all through life."
- Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian in 'Celestine' -

TRACK 8: WOUNDED HEARTS, SALTY TEARS

Shuichi looked at the lyric he just wrote. His eyes were fixed on the first chorus of the song:

This dance never seems to end.
I'm tired of having to pretend.
With every step you take my way
that's every step I back away.
We just want something real
but it's just impossible.
So, we face the days
with stolen kisses and silent tears.

With sorrowful eyes, he looked at the second chorus:

Where is the end to this dance?
We're both tired of this pretence.
I know you want to come my way
and so I have to back away.
We just want something real
but it isn't ours to feel.
So, we face the years
with stolen kisses and silent tears.

Frustrated, Shuichi flung the notepad across the room, hitting a vase as a result. Said vase shattered as it landed on the hard, polished marble floor. The shards of broken glass glinted, as if they were voicing their sympathy towards the vocalist of the new hot band Bad Luck. He didn't even realise what he was writing. He should have known it would be about him and Eiri. The author had been his muse for quite a while now. Even when he's gone, his new songs were still about him. Why was it that he had to live up to his band's namesake?

"They want to see you suffer through the death of your loved ones and your friends."

If he kept Eiri around, the novelist's life would be in danger. He knew it hurt Eiri but he was left with no choice, or so he thought. Up until now, only those close to him knew of the nature of his relationship with Eiri. If the 'bad guys' found out… No, he didn't want to think about it! Worst, innocent lives other than Eiri would be dragged into this mess too. 'This is what happens if people get close to me,' he thought. 'I destroy everything I touch. Damn myself!' Eiri's pleading cries for him to explain what was going on played like a movie in his mind. Shuichi felt an immense guilt for breaking the older man's heart like that but he knew he was doing the right thing.

Yes, Shindou Shuichi was doing the right thing.

For Eiri…

For Eiri…

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Another bottle of beer met the same fate as its brothers; broken and shattered on the damp, hard floor. A very drunk Uesugi Eiri gulped down another bottle as an attempt to forget the stinging pain in his heart. His world was black – void of things he once favoured. His half-buttoned shirt was damp with spilled alcoholic beverage he was currently downing. Tears were continuously making their way down his cheek. His eyes were red and puffy. In other words, Eiri looked like a mad man. Mika, Tohma and Tatsuha had gone home a few hours ago after failing to talk some sense into him.

"WHY SHUICHI ! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?" he howled brokenly. His apartment was in a mess. Not that Eiri cared about that. The only thing on his mind was Shuichi. The fateful event two days ago was still fresh in his mind.

…………………..

…………………..

…………………..

Shuichi threw the suitcases out of the door without a word. He motioned for Eiri to go. "No, Shuichi…" Eiri shook his head in disbelief. "You can't do this to me. If you want me to go home, I would. But what do you mean 'this lover's game ends now'?" Shuichi merely rolled his eyes at that. "We made a deal a month ago, remember? Well, time's up! Now I want you out of that door and out of my life." If Eiri was paying attention, he would have noticed the sad look on Shuichi's face - the sad, apologetic look.

"What? You're kidding, right?"

"Do I look like it?"

"… Why?" Eiri strode forward in a few big steps and took Shuichi into his arms. "Why are you doing this, Shuichi? What did I do? WHAT THE HELL DID I DO THAT YOU CAN'T STAND ME? I THOUGHT YOU WERE COMFORTABLE WITH ME! Damn it, answer me Shindou Shuichi! Was it just a game for you?"

"… Yes."

"WHAT? LIAR! LIAR! YOU CAN'T MEAN THAT!"

Shuichi struggled to break free. "Let go of me, you jerk! Can't you see I want you out of that door?"

"You're lying!"

"Am not! You're just in denial!" Shuichi forcefully shoved Eiri out the door and slammed it in the novelist's face. His face contorted in anguish. He tried to ignore the sound of Eiri pounding the door with his fist. Eiri was helplessly crying, pleading for Shuichi to open the door and give him another chance. "Go away, Uesugi! I don't love you, I never will. I don't even like you! GO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Eiri's cry transformed into pleading sobs. He was no longer banging on the door but he just leaned his forehead against the hard wood and wept. "Please, Shuichi… Please don't do this to me. I love you! Please!"

The weeping continued…

The pleading continued…

But they were plainly ignored.

And Eiri's heart shattered.

…………………..

…………………..

…………………..

Yet another bottle was thrown across the room to meet the same fate as its brothers. Eiri buried his face in his hands and wept uncontrollably. "Why Shuichi? Why do I still love you even when you did this to me?" He cried himself to sleep, asking 'why' over and over again. He woke up to a splitting headache the next morning. Still, it wasn't the headache that woke him up. It was his dream.

In his dream, Eiri met a little boy who looked a lot like Shuichi. It took him a while before realising that it was Shuichi, little Shuichi. He looked like that picture on the TV, the one where young Tohma and Ryuichi had their arms around little Shuichi. The little Shuichi was crying in his dream. He kept apologising over and over again and Eiri didn't understand. The little child apologised and cried until the dream ended. Eiri was confused – no, make that 'utterly' confused. What did it mean? Why was little Shuichi crying and apologising in his dream?

Oh, wait…

Why did Shuichi look so sad when he shoved Eiri out of his apartment?

'Something fishy is going on. I don't know but I just know it!' With that thought in mind, Eiri was out of his apartment after a quick trip to the bathroom and his closet. He had to see Shuichi again.

He just had to.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ryuichi spit the drink he'd just sipped back out. He stared at Tatsuha as if the young man had grown another head. "Shuichi did WHAT?" Tatsuha, who was smoothing out Kumagorou's fur, sighed helplessly. "He dumped aniki. Threw his suitcases and the owner right out of the door." The plastic cup fell to the floor with a resounding 'clank'. Ryuichi couldn't believe his ears. Shuichi dumped Eiri? It was too sudden. Why didn't anyone tell him about this earlier? It happened three days ago, for God's sake! That explained why Eiri didn't visit him for the past couple of days.

Shiroi had visited him after visiting hour two nights ago. The Inspector told him all about his investigation and the threat note. He should have known Shuichi would do something like this. Poor Eiri. Life was so against them. Ryuichi wondered if they'd done something bad in their past lives to deserve this fate. "Aniki was a mess the last time we visited him – Mikarin, Tohma-nii and me. He just wouldn't stop crying and drinking," Tatsuha said, sympathy clear in his voice. Ryuichi decided to not say anything. He really didn't know what to do. When Tohma and Ryuichi asked Eiri to never give up on Shuichi, they didn't predict something like this would happen. All plans were now down the drain.

"Shuichi-san didn't go to work either," Tatsuha broke the heavy silence, drawing Ryuichi's attention back to him. What he didn't expect was the forlorn look on Ryuichi's face. "Ryuichi? What is it? Is your chest hurting?" Ryuichi shook his head and smiled. The concern in Tatsuha's voice was so obvious that he had to smile. "I'm okay, Tatsuha-kun. It's just that… " Ryuichi bit his lip from mentioning the threat. He had to find another words. "It's just that I don't understand what's going on around us now. Shuichi is slowly getting out of his personal hell and I'm pretty sure he feels for Eiri." A frown marred Tatsuha's handsome feature. "If he feels for aniki, then why did he dump him?"

'Because he wants to protect Eiri-san, Tatsuha-kun,' Ryuichi thought. Of course he couldn't say that out loud. Instead, Ryuichi merely shook his head indicating he had no idea whatsoever as to why Shuichi broke things off with Eiri.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Four days! Four goddamn days and still nothing! No leads whatsoever. Damn it all to hell!" Tenshi Shiroi yelled in frustration. They were going nowhere with their investigation. There were only fingerprints of Shiroi, Kuroi, Murakami and Akai on the threat note but Shiroi knew what they were there. Akai was the first person who found the note. Murakami touched it after Akai gave it to their father. Shiroi and Kuroi touched the note when Murakami gave it to them. The security cameras around the crime scene showed nothing suspicious either. The front guard told them no suspicious looking man entered the studio and no such man exited it either. This criminal was like a ghost or something. How could he enter without a pass to – wait a minute…

Shiroi's eyes widened as realisation hit him like high-speed waves. There must be more than one criminal in the studio by then. The sniper must have had an accomplice to get him into the studio without raising suspicion along the way. In other words, someone related to NG Records must be one of the criminals.

Joy… Shiroi didn't like where things were heading. He had a feeling this case won't end in peace. The current list of suspects was carefully laid out on his table. He loathed going through the list because half of them were his family members. Shiroi still didn't want to believe the one who delivered the threat note was an insider – a member of his family! He felt betrayed and trapped; suffocated from excessive doubts and questions of 'why', 'what' and 'how'. He needed to discuss matters with his twin.

But… Where was Kuroi?

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

PANG!

A loud slap resonated throughout the silent apartment. "Mika!" Tohma stepped forth and restrained his wife from doing further damage. Shuichi stood his ground as if the slap didn't affect him. If looks could kill, he would be dead by now. Seguchi Mika was wearing a deadly expression on her face, quite fitting to the red attire she was clad in. "Damn you, Shindou Shuichi!" She cursed, earning yet another reprimanding yell of "Mika!" from her husband. "I'm already damned, thank you very much," he spat sarcastically.

"Why do you have to treat Eiri this way? If you don't want anything to do with him in the first place then you shouldn't have lead him on! Are you happy now? Do you get a thrill out of breaking people's hearts?"

No answer from Shuichi. The young man clenched his hands in tight fists.

Mika continued, still seething in anger while being restrained by Tohma. "I've always known you were cold, Shindou, but I never thought you are so damn heartless as well. Eiri practically worships you and how did you repay him? By telling him it was only a game! How could you be such a bastard? Why do you have to break his heart this way?"

That was it. Shuichi couldn't take this anymore! "Tell me which do you prefer, Mika-san. A heartbroken Eiri or a dead Eiri? Tell me!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Just tell me! Do you want him dead?"

"Of course I don't want him dead! He's my brother!"

"If you don't want him dead, you should very well be glad I broke things off with him!"

The anger on Mika's face was then replaced with a confused frown. "What?"

Shuichi turned away. He didn't know how to tell Mika that some maniacs were going to hurt the ones close to him. Tohma turned his wife around and shook his head. "Please, Mika. I don't think it's time to argue about this. After all, it's their lives. Please understand. There must be a reason as to why Shuichi did this. I promise you we'll talk about this at home, okay?" Mika melted at her husband's gentle voice. She nodded once and stormed out of the apartment with a huff. As soon as her footsteps faded away, Shuichi fell to his knees. Tohma promptly pulled the singer into his embrace, whispering comforting nonsense to his ear. At first, Shuichi did nothing but then he started to shake with silent sobs.

"I really am supposed to be dead, am I not? All these bad things happen because I escaped death six years ago, right?" He cried brokenly.

Tohma shook his head. "Don't say that," the blond chided. "That's not true at all. You aren't supposed to be dead. This is just another cruelty of life."

Shuichi's sobs grew. He was clinging to Tohma for dear life. "I don't know anything about love but I like him, Tohma. I really do like him! If he stays with me, they'd kill him. I don't want that! He doesn't deserve that! "

By 'him', Tohma knew Shuichi meant Eiri.

"I like him so much that it hurts, Tohma-oniichan. I really do…" The old Shuichi was back again.

"… I know, Chibi-chan. I know…" A lone tear of sorrow found its way down Tohma's silky cheek.

On the other side of the front door, a shell-shocked Uesugi Eiri stifled a gasp of surprise upon hearing the vocalist's confession. All anger left him, leaving only questions of "Why?" Eiri couldn't stop the tears of relief trickling down his face. Shuichi did care. Shuichi liked him – maybe even loved him in his own ways. Eiri closed his eyes, not knowing what to do. An image of crying little Shuichi from his dream flashed at the back of his mind.

'Shuichi…'

"Was it just a game for you?"

"Yes..."

'Shuichi… You lied to me…'

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Nakano Hiroshi sighed for the millionth time that day. With Shuichi gone from work, no recording could be done. The only thing that stopped K from shooting a bullet through Shuichi's head was Tohma's assurance that the vocalist needed a break. Hiro didn't know what was happening. He thought Shuichi was comfortable with Eiri. He even caught the pink-haired boy smiling lightly as he listened to Eiri's rambling on the phone. Shuichi liked to pretend he wasn't listening to a single word his lover (or ex-lover, whatever) rambled on about but in truth, Hiro knew he listened to every one of them. Another sigh escaped his lips. Suguru, Sakano and K were nowhere to be found. Hiro presumed they were in the cafeteria, talking about Shuichi or their upcoming album. "I guess I'd better join them. Nothing to do in this studio anyway," he said to no one in particular. Putting his precious guitar back into its case, Hiro opened the door to exit the deserted studio.

But he was not prepared for what was behind that door.

DASH!

Hiro's world went black.

To Be Continued in Track 9: Pleas For Help

Woah! That's Track 8. I hope you can see the drama here. A traitor among the Gravi characters. Did you see that coming, hmm? It could be anyone… Even Noriko! Heh. So, what do you think happened to Hiro?

Anyways, here's full lyric to "Of Stolen Kisses and Silent Tears". Enjoy!

Love;
a wonderful feeling
laced with sorrow
and endless emotions.
So, why
does it end like this?
With both of us in tears
and so much pain.

In the shadows
you hide.
In the light
I fight.
Still, everyday I think
of your stolen kisses
and my silent tears...

This dance never seems to end.
I'm tired of having to pretend.
With every step you take my way
that's every step I back away.
We just want something real
but it's just impossible.
So, we face the days
with stolen kisses and silent tears.

The world
never seems to care
after all we've done
to be as one.
And life
is always playing
with our hearts
to break us apart.

In the distance,
I watch
as you run
to me.
So, I wait and think
of your stolen kisses
and my silent tears...

Where is the end to this dance?
We're both tired of this pretence.
I know you want to come my way
and so I have to back away.
We just want something real
but it isn't ours to feel.
So, we face the years
with stolen kisses and silent tears.

Maybe one day we'd be free
of these golden chains we're tied to...
Maybe only then would we see
if all of our dreams could come true...

Where is the end to this dance?
We're both tired of this pretence.
With every step you take my way
that's every step I back away.
We just want what is real
but it's not ours to feel.
So, we face the days
and all of our years
with stolen kisses and silent tears.