Missing Pieces

It had been one of their usual rehearsal days since the band had made their comeback over a year ago. Tohma was being his usual over-achieving self with the new CD deadline coming up which he made for them, Noriko had just tried to take it one step at a time without having Tohma criticize her every step of the way, and Ryuichi was enjoying himself with Kumagoro at his side. He, of course, had no input in anything until he sang it so he just stayed in the corner until he heard his name called or that it was time to go home for the day.

But soon he had gotten bored listening to the two of them disagree so much it started hurting his head. Looking at the Kumagoro he asked, "Wanna go explore for awhile?" He asked quietly then putting the pink bunny to his ear listen for the response. "What, what do you mean you don't wanna!" He listened again not worrying over whether or not the other two would hear, since they too were in their own argument. "We have not!"... "Liar! Well I'm not taking you with me anyway! You're being too mean!" He said as he put the bunny down on the floor and got up quietly out the door without the other two noticing.

Free at last, the boy wondered what to do with his newly found power. Should he go to the left or right hallway? Covering his left hand over his eyes and pointing with his right he turned around twice then uncovered his eyes (slightly peeking beforehand) and left it was!

He was getting ready to run into the hall and out another door. Then he heard something that caught his interest, voices. A boy about 18 or so had been telling something to the lady at the front desk. "Look, I was told I could give this to him personally." He said with a little anger in his voice as he held the note in his hand, but the woman at the desk didn't move.

"Well, I'm sorry mister, but he is very busy right now and doesn't have time for..." She then examined him up and down, "fans." Then went back to her magazine she had been reading before the boy had disturbed her. "What, I'm his freaken' brother-in-law, Uesugi Tatsuha! Not some stupid fan! Come on!" He then got frustrated, 'Besides, I'm a Ryuichi fan not Tohma...' he thought to himself so the woman wouldn't hear. She then said without even bothering to look, "I'm sorry but unless you're here for business that was discussed a head of time, I not letting you in." Then looking at him again said, "Fan or no fan." She then returned to reading.

He put his hands on the counter once again, "Can you check or something?" He said looking over to the lady and trying to put in some charm. "I could try to look but what kind of power do you think I have here anyway? Just the kind that takes phone calls, visitors, and people like you." She said as she snapped at him one more time before looking at the magazine.

He propped his elbows on the counter. 'The things I do for my sister sometimes... I should get paid for this...' He thought to himself as he wondered sometimes why he even bothered to visit her when she gave him these sorts of assignments.

'This will be my new playmate!' Ryuichi thought to himself, 'Kuma-Chan's being too mean to have any fun with!' And as luck would have it he was by the front door, his means of escape and the one place he couldn't go without being caught. When a pause finally came in their conversation, Ryuichi came crawling close enough for the boy and not the other lady to hear.

"Umm..." he called out from the doorway he was in. Tatsuha looked over. 'Oh my Buddha! It's really him, my icon, my love, Sakuma Ryuichi! Oh thank you for letting this moment be mine! I knew all this waiting would one day pay off!' He became so into his thoughts that Ryuichi was wondering if that was really the best thing to do since the boy had only been making odd faces since he said anything.

Tatsuha finally went over to see what it was that he could do to please the pop star. "Can you get me out of here?" He asked him hoping for an answer that didn't involve "No".

He looked over at the lady who was reading her latest magazine once again. What could he do other then say 'yes'. "I got an idea." He told the singer quietly as he said out loud in a unusual abnormal tone, "Well then I guess I'll be going now!" The lady rolled her eyes not even bothering to look up as he pulled the singer to freedom as he headed past the turn and to the door out of the NG studio and on the street.

'Free at last with the love of my life! Oh I knew if I waited I would be rewarded one day!' Once again Tatsuha was making faces that Ryuichi was a little confused about but understood. "Now my love where shall we go?" He asked pulling his hands in his own. Ryuichi said the first word that came to mind, "CANDY!" Tatsuha smiled, 'That's my darling, always wanting the simple things in life!' "Then candy it is!" Tatsuha then pulled the boy by the hand and looked for the nearest candy shop he could find.

After a few hours of getting lost, finding the candy shop, they also found a toy store and costume shop (which were both found while looking for the candy shop). 'You'd think I'd know my way around here!' Tatsuha thought to himself as they were looking for the candy shop. They then decided it would be best to head back. Suddenly another thought came up, 'Tohma and Mika will kill me both! But it was worth it to spend a few hours with the love of my life!' He looked over to Ryuichi who was holding an ice cream cone that Tatsuha had bought for him.

But it seems there were other plans for the two as Ryuichi headed to the pet shop across the street. He was unaware that the "walk" sign had changed while he had been running to: "no walking" however, Tatsuha did. "Ryu-chan, stop!" But as the child-like man did a car trying desperately to stop hit the singer and had him on the ground. "RYUICHI!"

'What had I done?' Tatsuha thought to himself as he sat in the waiting room of the hospital. It had been a few hours and he would be sent home to feel the wrath of his sister and the evil yet unseen glares of his brother-in-law. It had been almost a week and the only thing he could do was come to the hospital on his summer break with his family in Tokyo.

Tohma had taken care of everything including the driver of the car, all the media troubles that would come up in the next few weeks, and the lady at the front desk. Tatsuha on the other hand couldn't think of anything else but Ryuichi's health. 'Why did I...' and 'If only I'd...' filled his head, with his family being no help either. Tohma, refused to talk to him, and his sister would only scold him for his foolishness.

Suddenly a figure that could be none other then his sister, Mika, came up to him. "Tatsuha, come on it's time to go home, you've been here long enough... Tatsuha-" but before she could get down on him a nurse came up to them. "Ano, I know I shouldn't be doing this but Sakuma-san should be fine for visiting hours. I know you're not family... but, you seem like concerned friends." And before anymore could be said Tatsuha was down the nearest hall to the room that held Sakuma Ryuichi inside of it.