The Strength of Three Part 3 - Break Through

Sakano fainted, and K was so in shock I think he actually forgot about his gun because he didn't fire a single round. All I could do was stare. The world seemed to be tilting and twirling like a top lately. Nothing was making sense anymore. When K remembered himself and started his usual threats, Sakano recovered enough to beg both of them for sanity. Through it all Shuichi was unmoved. There would be no tour, no new single. Just one final album and one Farewell Concert.

When I realized Hiro was saying nothing, I looked over only to find his eyes on me. It actually took to that point for the shock to wear out enough to realize the cause was me. I had said I was leaving, so Shuichi had decided to end the band. It didn't make any sense to me at the time. When K ordered us out to lunch until we regained our sanity, I'm sure he was grateful he'd cleared our schedule for the week before our conert tour was supposed to begin.

It was supposed to have been a media blackout to hype up the fans. Instead, it had ended up a protective cover for everything that was happening.

Shuichi was on his way toward the main lobby when he was slammed over the head by a pink plushy bunny. He turned to find Ryuichi Sakuma, lead singer of one of Japan's top bands ever and his long-time idol, crying while chewing on his plushy bunny. "Ah, I take it you've heard?"

"So it's true?" He asked, and - receiving a nod - gave off a wail as he glomped the other singer. "But-but-" He paused to sniff. "I was looking forward to your next single and I already bought tickets for one of your tour stops."

Shuichi patted the older singer on the head as though he was a child. "Without Fujisaki it wouldn't be worth it. Hiro and I can't shine on our own."

Ryuichi drew pack, sniffling. "No shiny?"

Shuichi smiled sadly. "No. Bad Luck's magic is the three of us. So it's better to go out with a bang together than have Hiro and I fall on our faces trying to keep it going.

Ryuichi looked up then, his gaze intense. "So, you understand the power of a group now?"

Shuichi stared for a second at the sudden change. But he was used to the other idol's mood swings at this point, and slowly nodded - his own face serious. "Yes. I do."

"Does Fujisaki, though?"

Shuichi paused, thinking back to the first day Fujisaki had run out. To the familiar look in his eyes he could not place. Why was it so familiar? He wondered again.

"Join me for lunch?"

Suguru turned to Hiro, startled by the request. "Why?"

Hiro rolled his eyes. "Does there have to be a reason? You need to lighten up."

"I just broke up our band and you want to have lunch - doesn't that seem suspicious to you?"

"Actually, Shuichi broke up the band. And he had his reasons."

"You seem to know all about this." Suguru pointed out.

"We discussed it last night. We tried practicing alone."

For some reason he didn't understand, it was actually upsetting to hear they'd practiced without him. He'd said he was quitting, thouigh, so why wouldn't they? Why did it hurt to think about? "And so?"

"It wasn't the same anymore." Hiro shrugged. "It was because you weren't there."

"You mean because you didn't have a keyboardist." Suguru passed it off.

"No, because of you. We're a team now. The music we make, we make as a group. Take one of us away and it's not the same. We need eachother."

"...You're wrong. You don't need me." Suguru snapped out, and stormed away. Hiro watched him go, but didn't follow.

"In the dreams yet to come Are the dreams yet to die.
Sugar-coated promises.
Who needs paradise?

"In the coldness of the day,
The sun shines empty rays.
No warmth on the crowded streets,
Only the sound of running feet.

"Wishes are a worthless escape.
Shatter the echoing silence.
Shadowed by the moonbeams,
Fill me with your fire."

Bad Luck was practicing in their usual practice room, but off to the side K and Sakano's reaction was stony. Every now and then one of the band would shake their head. It was obvious the results of the song were not good.

Finally K shot a round into the wall. "Enough!" He ran a hand over his face. "What is this? Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Anyone know what happened to the group I was managing three days ago!"

When silence followed their manager's complaint, Suguru shook his head. "Let's just quit for today." The group stared.

"Isn't that Shuichi's line?" Hiro attempted to lighten the mood.

"We aren't getting anywhere." Suguru snapped at him.

"Never stopped us before." He shrugged off the venomousness in the keyboardist words.

"Fine! Let's try it again then." He turned back to the music.

"Are you even trying?" Shuichi snapped at him. "It's like you're going through the actions without meaning it." When the words were out and Suguru turned his eyes on him, it all came together. The reason he'd had so much trouble recognizing the look in Suguru's eyes was he'd only ever seen it reflected in the mirror. Defeat.
Performances after Yuki had gone to New York were as packed as ever. The crowd seemed to not notice that the words were hollow in his throat. The crowds hadn't noticed, but Ryuichi had...

"Ryuichi?" The singer had kept walking, as if he hadn't heard him.

"This is song..." His idol's gaze was intense.
"His eyes...something in his eyes...I should know what's wrong." He'd told Yuki the day of Suguru's first outburst...

"There's no passion in your music..." Shuichi told Suguru, meeting his gaze. "What happened to the fire in you? I always wanted to be as good as Nittle Grasper, didn't you once say you wanted the same? Before our first concert, didn't you say you wanted to beat them? You inspired us all that day. What's happened?"

"I..." Suguru backed away. For a moment he looked torn, and opened his mouth to speak. But then he closed it, shaking his head. "I said I was quitting! I don't have to answer to you or anyone else at N-G! Leave me alone!" He turned and ran out of the practice room.

"Suguru!" Shuichi called after him. Turning, he spotted Suguru's music folder still next to the keyboard. "He forgot his stuff even." He picked it up.

"It's just no use." Hiro told him. "He's not talking."

Shuichi paused, then grabbed up his backpack. "There has to be a way to reach him." He replied, then rand out the doors as well, shouting after the keyboardist. "Suguru! Suguru"

He had no success at finding him and he turned dejectedly back to the studio, wondering if it was a waste of time. As he crossed a busy section of the streets someone knocked into him, and the music folder was knocked from his hands. Some of it's contents were spilt onto the ground as it had never been zipped closed. Giving off a wail he retrieved the scattered papers and retreated to an empty park to sort them. As he was trying to arrange the contents that had fallen out neatly he found himself holding a tabloid. Blinking he turned it over, spotting the headline. 'Bad Luck's Suguru Fujisaki - Musical Prodigy or Charlatan?'

Shuich hesitated, then opened it to the page and started reading.

'When now rival band Bad Luck took the country by storm, it's keyboardist - Suguru Fujisaki - was credited with the group's music remixes. Fujisaki, not so coincedentally, turned out be Seguchi's cousin. Nothing like a blood relative to help get one foot in the door.

'Bad Luck began as a high school band made up of classmates Hiroshi Nakano and Shuichi Shindo. The two were signed by N-G Studios then-newest producer Sakano after graduation, and continued performing as a duo even during the start of the band's career. One has to question the late addition of Suguru to the mix. What prompted the band's line-up change? Fujisaki's supposed musical talents or his relation to the head of the production company?

'Bad Luck's music was always accompanied by synth - provided by a studio musician, and Fujisaki was originaly added as a back-up member to the group. Shortly after his addition guitarist Hiroshi Nakano was said to be leaving the group, prompting Fujisaki's promotion to full membership. In a media-sensation conference, Nakano denounced his intentions, and Suguru's addition as their third member was confirmed. Coincedence or publicity stunt?

'Futhering the debate is the fact that Suguru has no record as a studio musician or having been in another band before his placement in Bad Luck. The scenario surrounding his addition seems as contrived as his mixes, which are little more than weak imitations of rival band Nittle Grasper. His lack of originality is only compounded by a lack of personality - coming across as nothing more than the band's workaholic wallflower both in interviews and on stage. He certainly is one of the key weaknesses that continues to prevent Bad Luck from reaching Nittle Grasper's heights.'

Shuichi, shaking with anger, went to tear up the tabloid, but stopped - remembering it wasn't his. "Why would he keep such trash?" He wondered aloud, studying the front cover. His eyes then spotted the date. "That's when...!" He stared.

A tabloid? A tabloid had caused all this? As he put it back int he folder, he spotted a cd half out of a pocket of the folder. "Paradise Remix, but he said..." Biting his lip, he took the CD - pulling out his walkman from his own bag. Ignoring the growing sense he was invading Suguru's privacy, he popped the CD in and hit play.

He recognized the difference immediately from how Suguru had been playing in their practice. The passion in the music was palpatable. His eyes slid close, his body swaying to the beat as he began to sing the lyrics.

"In the dreams yet to come,
Are the dreams yet to die.
Sugar-coated promises.
Who needs paradise?

"In the coldness of the day,
The sun shines empty rays.
No warmth on the crowded streets,
Only the sound of running feet.

"Wishes are a worthless escape.
Shatter the echoing silence.
Shadowed by the moonbeams,
Fill me with your fire.

"In the dreams yet to come,
Are the dreams yet to die.
Sugar-coated promises.
Who needs paradise?

"Daydreams are a cloudy retreat,
Broken by falling stars.
All I need is all you are,
Fill me with your heat.

"In the dreams yet to come,
Are the dreams yet to die.
Sugar-coated promises.
Who needs paradise?"

It did seem familiar, he realized as the ending music faded, then remembered Nittle Grasper's new song. There were similarities...but there was also a marked difference. Tohma and Suguru had somehow been inspired by the same thing, and the end result was similar song remixes but each with their disctinctive personalities ingrained in the music. "He read the tabloid, then came in and heard us all praising Nittle Grasper's new song..." Shuichi's eyes slid close.

"So you understand the power of a group now?" Ryuichi had asked him.

"Yes. I do."

"Does Fujisaki, though"

"No..." Shuichi looked at the folder he held, his emotions in turmoil. He knew what was wrong, but it didn't do any good. Hiro was right, Suguru wasn't talking. But when did he talk to them? The only real connection they shared was through their music. He froze again, then grabbed a spiral notebook out of his back and began writing.

To Be Concluded.

So I made a mistake, and the truth was revealed in this chapter. It was an honest mistake!

The song lyrics for Paradise were written by me! So no stealing them without permission, 'kay?

Stay tuned, because we're nearly at the end! One more chapter to go!

Salmon