Ripples in Red Water
Chapter 3: Spilling Milk Part 1
A Character from the Past
By: Empathic Soul
Disclaimer: Gravitation is a wonderful anime. It is sadly not mine.
PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
Thank you once again to those who reviewed! I really love the reviews! Hehe! Helps me and makes me inspired to write the story again!
Introducing my favorite character! Hehe please read! This character is anything but PERFECT I assure you! And that is precisely why I like this character! Of course it's not my self-portrayal don't worry. I don't like fictions that go that way as well. Unless I really place myself inside the story, which would not be possible since it would ruin the entire plot.
Some parts here might twist the original story except the part of the Nittle Grasper Era. So please bear with me.
Thank you once again! Please read and review and as Ruruouni Sesshouhen remarked: Read with you heart!
Thank you!
The red head that came to NG last Wednesday exactly eight days ago sat on a business chair by his office at the top floor of Musica Studios. His layered red hair nicely combed and nor a single strand seem to fall out of place. On his desk, there were several papers left by his secretary to be signed and to be immediately submitted to the board of directors but he never touched them for the entire week.
His secretary had been so infuriated with him that he swore that she might try to push him off the window and watch his body wretch dead on the pavement below. It was so obvious. If looks could kill, she would have been easily accused of murder simply by using her deadly glare.
He looked at the silver nameplate in front of his desk and murmured to himself what was written in front.
"Sakuya Hale: the Vice President of Musica Studios."
A weird name for a Japanese, but can you blame him if his father was a foreigner? Well, his father died anyway. He took this business after Tsuji Akira left to retire only a year after the detainment of Shindou Shun. What was his reason? Well, all that Sakuya remembered was that the company was falling to its pits and it was a useless effort to try and bring it up. But that did not really bring Sakuya's motivation to maintain the company's integral position. And of course, he was quite successful.
The room felt stuffy and a little too closed for his comfort. He was never claustrophobic but today, like the rest of the days for the past week, he could not concentrate in what was happening. He's been working in his office for what seemed like forever, although it must have been five years or so. It wasn't even for ten and felt tired of it already. Five years---yes those five years felt too long to count…
And even felt longer to experience. He could still remember it clearly. The time when he arrived here after finishing his studies abroad.
A younger Sakuya came out from the elevator followed by two other people. He was just a fresh graduate from a prestigious foreign school and received his diploma with a couple or more medals plus he was a bit famous. Although not as famous as a certain someone, he was definitely one of those people that were talked about. Hence, he received a lot of offers from different companies—and yet…
"Mr. Hale, it's unbelievable that you decided to be the VP of this company instead of accepting all those other offers." One of the people beside him spoke. Sakuya turned his head slightly as he continued to walk to his office.
"It's not bad. This company is also good." Sakuya nodded not even giving them a brief glance.
"But this company is already falling, as the president said, if I may quote, "falling to the pits". It is really a wonder why you chose to run this company." A girl replied and he merely laughed.
"Every company has its ups and downs. It just depends on the management." Sakuya answered as he drew his key from his pocket and opened the door.
He paused.
"And besides, I do have my own reasons for doing this." Sakuya added. "I will see you in the meeting later."
He did not bother for any reply as he gently closed the door. A soft click came out and he elicited a sigh. He walked towards his desk and smiled a little. It was this precise desk that he could still remember running around when he was young. He sat on the table and at that instant he could actually see five children in the room.
On was about 10 years old, his blue hair framing his face. He laughed as a certain pink haired boy climbed on his back and another girl tug his hair. The boy was about 5 and the girl about 6. He was there pulling Shuichi down and another one who merely stood at the corner. His mother, the former VP of this company until she decided to migrate to Germany and marry this French guy and move to France, kept on scolding them for being noisy, while the president, Shinji Shindou and his wife merely laughed at the antics of the children.
"Wai! Wai! Big bro!" Shuichi screamed as he enjoyed the time being with his companions.
"Neh, me next, me next!" Suzu pulled on Shun's shirt.
"Okay, okay, Shu-chan, it's Suzu's turn…" Shun snickered as Shuichi refused to come down.
"No! No! Me! One more!" Shuichi pouted and pulled slightly on Shun's hair.
Suzu started to pout and begin with her tantrums. Sakuya gulped and started to pull on Shuichi. Shuichi looked at Sakuya and the latter spoke.
"Come, I'll carry you, let Suzu on this time." Sakuya leaned back to prepare for Shuichi to change sides.
"But…" Shuichi looked back to his brother who merely gave him a wink.
"I'll take you back after." Shun smiled.
"Promise?" Shuichi grinned hopping to Sakuya's back.
Shun nodded and proceeded to kneel down so that Suzu could climb onto his back.
It was those moments that he treasured the most and that was the reason why he was back here. He wanted to stay here not just to cherish those memories, he wanted to have those memories back. It was not as if he was the perfect boy in that prestigious school. Those other kids kept on bullying him, not that he let them, of course he managed to land a few hard blows on some of them enough to render them unconscious.
Of course he got suspended a couple of times, became the cause of headaches of his new family, and became the constant target of this certain person, but nonetheless they were rendered speechless when he graduated with flying colors literally a rainbow on his neck! Ha! So there, its always that those who are wild are those who are smart!
Or so he wanted to believe.
Sakuya sighed. Merely being here in the office brought back memories and he knew he did not really regret coming here. He would bring this company up and send it to being one of the top in Japan. He smiled.
However, there was something that bothered him for the past years. It was the fact that it was not just supposed to be him alone who should be managing this company. He shouldn't be the one doing all those business trips, paper works, and most importantly taking care of these employees. He might have gotten used of the job even though it was not part of the job description, but it was not simply meant for him.
That was why he left that special office above this floor always neat and orderly. He always saw to it that it was neat and clean even though it's vacant. That office is none other than the Office of the President of Musica Studios.
Many people have started to wonder why he did such a thing. They always asked him why he would not take the place of the president since he was more than qualified for the job. He could still remember. It was because of this one person as well as to why their company went into such a boom after that downward trend that Tsuji Akira left.
It was none other than the beginning band of Nittle Graspers. Of course they were not yet called that and all of were still in their separate career. Sakuya was the one who had the idea of having a band. So he decided on an audition. When it was the time for audition, he noticed three talents from three different bands.
The first one was Noriko. She was a synchronizer of this all-girl band. The vocalist was okay but she was off tune at times. And it was during those times that he felt a migraine attack his head. It was not really that nice to listen to. He noticed that Noriko herself was having a hard time adjusting to the change of pitch.
So he tapped the shoulder of his assistant.
"Mikael, take note of the name of that woman with lavender hair." Sakuya whispered and the addressed person nodded and scribbled in his notebook.
Then of course there came another keyboardist. It appears as if he was merely dragged into this because of his humongous frown. Well, not that he could blame him, the guy appeared to be from a prestigious family. It was not often to see anyone from that class to apply in a band, and a band with the lead vocalist as a person twice his height and weight with tattoos occupying more of his skin than it's actual natural color. In short, it was a tattoo man.
Sakuya listened for a while and noticed another thing. That keyboardist was also good. He tapped his seatmate again and whispered.
"What's the name of the keyboardist?" Sakuya asked noting the person beside him scanned the chart in his hands.
"Um…it's…Seguchi Tohma, sir. Shall I take note of him too?" Mikael asked and Sakuya nodded.
The next was the best. Sakuya finally met Sakuma Ryuichi. He was new and he looked lost. His band members were a little cruel to him as the pushed him to the stage. He was looking around as if clueless…
"Are, where are we na-no-da?" Ryuichi wondered and tightened his hold in that pink stuffed animal that he is embracing. "Kumagoro is scared na-no-da…"
One of his band members went to him and took the toy forcefully. Ryuichi gulped and saw the toy being thrown away into the crowd. The seats were similar to the auditorium so he did not particularly know where it went. Sakuya saw how rigid he suddenly began saw the drummer signal a start. It was then that Sakuya became amazed.
Somehow, he sounded like…
Like…
Like…
Shuichi…
Of course only better, matured with age, and with experience. But nevertheless they both had the same charisma and the same intensity whenever they sing. It was like seeing a mirror image of the same person. And it was amazing. Simply…
Fabulous
Sakuya tapped again. Mikael scribbled Ryuichi's name on the paper. When the song ended Sakuya stood up and everyone was quiet. Of course the other bands were also silenced. They watched Sakuya walk towards the microphone and smiled.
"Okay, I have made decisions. Mikael." Sakuya motioned for his partner and the assistant gave him the paper a bit hesitantly though.
"Sir, are you sure?" Mikael asked worried of the decision.
"Of course." Sakuya nodded with a smirk. He turned to the microphone once again. "My decision is to get the best artists among all of you and that includes individual talent. So that's precisely what I got. Individual talents to produce the best band of all."
Everyone was surprised with his decision as he merely smirked. " First of, I would like to call Ms. Nuriko."
Noriko came up the stage and was looking at Sakuya with wide eyes. Sakuya merely gave her a nod and then proceeded to the next.
"Seguchi Tohma." Sakuya saw the incredulous look on Tohma's face but nonetheless it was nothing much of any other expression.
"And lastly…" Sakuya left the microphone and proceeded to the first row.
Everyone was watching him closely as he bent down and got the small pink toy. He smiled when he saw Ryuichi suddenly grin. He went to the stairs and smiled at the vocalist.
"Here." Sakuya handed the toy over and Ryuichi jumped up and down.
"Yipee! Thank you na-no-da!" Ryuichi smiled and hugged the toy once again.
"And you will be the singer of my new band…" Sakuya smiled when he caught the attention of the three people he called. "Nittle Grasper."
It was a big boom in the business! Nittle Grasper hit the records, the billboards and even went to America on some trips. They were one of the main reasons why the company went back to business. But since then, the company never had a president. How can someone occupy that position when the person who should be occupying it is Shindou Shun, though now it belonged to the youngest, Shindou Shuichi, since the older one is probably in jail.
His face contorted with anger whenever that name came to mind. Yes, that man ruined lives that he could never even begin to imagine how. It was seven years ago that events he never thought happen, just happened. The worst day in the lives of Shindou Risa, Shindou Suzu and Shindou Shuichi
That man deserves to be placed in jail
Sakuya thought with so much anger. Even as seven years have passed he could still vividly imagine the face of Mrs. Shindou, Suzu, and Shuichi.
Shuichi was thought to have been dead when they reached the hospital. He could still remember that day. It sent chills down his spine as he recalled the moments of fear and distress that even he could not take at all. The boy was wrecked beyond description. His body was entirely blue and purple with red.
But the events had been more horrible than it appeared. If he hadn't been there on time, then the siblings would have really been dead. Even up now, it still creeps him out. It gave him nightmares and the question of why still evoked in his mind. It was why did Shun do this? Or rather, why Shun?
He asked the ambulance to hurry. As he looked at Suzu, who started to cry when Shuichi closed his eyes, he could not take it anymore. He pushed the driver to move faster and to hurry it up. He wanted to save Shuichi and he also wanted to save Suzu.
Even if Suzu was not in the same shape as Shuichi, mangled and near death, he knew that it would be the same if Shuichi would die. Suzu would be lifeless for the rest of her life since she knew that the one family left with her, her sole savior, died protecting her. Guilt will plague her mind and that would be the least of the possible turn-about of this situation.
Lest we think of suicide…
No, he rather not.
Sakuya glanced at the boy lying on the ambulance stretcher. He was barely breathing. It was so labored as if his lungs were trying hard to supply his body with the much needed air. It was grasping for oxygen so badly.
He winced while looking at the formerly enthusiastic and energetic boy that he had grown to know and even to take care of. That boy is now lying there in that stretcher fighting for his life—struggling with that single thread.
Why did this happen?
Why Shuichi?
Why Suzu?
Why Shun?
Why them?
After all that they had been through, why do they have to go through these events again?
Sakuya looked at Suzu who continued to cry amidst the protests of the medical assistants in the ambulance that she move away from the patient. She protested violently as they tried to pull her away saying that she never wanted to leave her brother alone, especially now that he is in the brink of death.
He looked so peaceful when he said those simple words to her though. Sakuya noticed that. After saying "I love you" to her, it was as if he managed to smile truthfully for once, the one smile that he never saw on Shuichi, unless he's with him. It was the smile different from his usual wide grinned toothy smiles or his puppy dog style smile, and the many other types of smiles that Shindou Shuichi has shown to the people that he cared for.
This one true smile showed what he thought and what he felt.
This one smile actually tried to say goodbye.
No…
NO!
Those were his firm and determined thoughts. The moment that they finally arrived at the hospital after ten minutes, the nurses immediately took down the stretcher while placing some towels on the wounds to prevent further bleeding.
Suzu ran inside while putting the cloak that Sakuya lent her to cover her exposed body. She followed the nurses to the emergency room and surprisingly, they were permitted to come inside. The nurses did not even bother to tell them the rules because the boy suddenly stopped breathing.
Suzu almost broke down looking at the nurses panicking but her face was more of surprise, fear, and something else. She stared ahead as the doctors placed the patient in cardiac arrest. They applies some things and then proceeded with the arrest only to find their attempts to be futile.
Shuichi was not coming back to life.
Suzu suddenly made a violent move that it was lucky for Sakuya to have good reflexes. He placed his arms around her waist and tried to stop her but she started screaming and tried to violently wriggle away from his tight embrace.
"SHUICHI! YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED YOU'D BE HERE FOR ME! DID YOU FORGET? YOU PROMISED DAD THAT YOU WOULD BE HERE TO PROTECT ME ALWAYS! WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY THIS TIME!!!" Suzu shouted and seem to be getting more violent for every passing minute.
The doctors tried it once more only to get failure as their result. Suzu continued her verbal assault as Sakuya tried desperately to make her calm down. He noticed the nurses starting to prepare tranquilizers for Suzu but he could not hold her back at all.
"WAKE UP SHUICHI!! DON'T LEAVE ME!!" She was weeping heavily now. Her tears continued to fall down her face then to the ground.
"Suzu, please stop this…" Sakuya whispered hoping to reach her. However, something inside him wanted him to rush to Shuichi and start to punch him until he wakes up.
"SHUT UP! MY BROTHER IS NOT LEAVING ME AND HE'S NOT GIVING UP IN THIS STUPID BATTLE AGAINST DEATH! DEATH WOULD NOT TAKE MY BROTHER AWAY!" Suzu glared at Sakuya who in turn simply did not look back into her eyes.
Shuichi…please come back…Sakuya thought…
Sakuya felt tears from his eyes start to fall too. It was just too horrible, to painful…too…
What was happening that day was so terrible that he knew this would etch a horrible memory in his mind. He wished that everything would be back to the time the Shindou's were happy, the time when Shindou Shinji was still alive.
But that cannot happen.
Even though deep in his heart, he truly wished and willed it to happen…
But at least, he wished now that Shuichi and Suzu be saved.
Please…do spare Shuichi…
Please
He's too young
Don't take him away…
He was barely aware of his embrace loosening until Suzu broke free from his grasp. She ran to Shuichi who still lay lifeless on the stretcher. The doctors have given up and already declared him as clinically dead, when they were surprised to see Suzu who started to hit Shuichi repeatedly on the chest. She had broken down…
Her defenses were out. She was crying so hard that her knees suddenly gave out on her as she fell on the floor weeping for her brother, her younger brother's death. Only her wails were giving the room sound. Everyone was quiet as they watched with pity in their eyes. But it was death who won.
"Please…God…bring him back…take me instead…please give Shuichi a second chance." Suzu weakly pleases and everyone felt tears sting their eyes as they watched the scene unfold.
That was the moment that Shuichi's body jerked as life suddenly returned to him. The boy's mouth suddenly opened as he gasped for air. It was as if he drowned. His chest slowly rose up and down showing signs of breathing.
Everyone in the room stared at him for a while when the medics suddenly snapped out of their trance. The doctors took out packets of blood as they injected it in his arm for blood transfusion. Nurses paced in the room bringing a respirator to help him breath. The EEG showed his vitals. The doctors shoved the two out of the room as they prepared for surgery. They had to operate the wrist where it was cut by Shun. Or else there would be more blood loss.
Miracle…
Yes, that was what it was as Suzu and Sakuya stood outside the Emergency Room still looking shocked at the turn of events. Shuichi was suddenly bought back to life. He was given a second chance.
Suzu looked back at Sakuya in a pleading gesture, hopeful. She asked one thing without much words. That expression was enough to know what she wanted to ask. And for the first time since they were in the Shindou mansion—Sakuya felt like smiling.
"He'll be alright." Sakuya coaxed and smoothened the girl's hair.
Suzu nodded and focused on the door waiting for the nurses to come out with the news.
And that was the turn of events. He was simply focused in his flashbacks when he was suddenly interrupted.
"SIR!"
TBC
Please Read and Review!
Thank you so much again to those who reviewed
Hehe, that's my favorite character! Sakuya Hale!
Thanks again to the reveiewers!
To my new reviewers:
Leigh Shindou: thank you for reviewing. As for updates, I make it a weekly basis. Some of the chapters may be shorter than usaul because they're cut out parts of one long chapter. Hehe, my original chapter contains a minimum of 10000 words each. So it was pretty difficult to write. Thanks for the review! And do write another for this one too!
Dana: there are more of that Shuichi and Yuki in the future. Though if there is too much fluff in the story then it might overcome the angst and lose the plot. But thanks for the review and I'll keep that in mind. Please write on this one as well!
Crimson Skies: Hi! Thanks for the support it is well appreciated and hope you read this chapter too! Please review again!
Yakari Taito: Hey! Thanks again for reviewing! Please do review again for the next, I am happy that you continuously read this fic! Thanks!
Kitty in the Box: Hallloo! Thank you again for reviewing! Your support is really appreciated and I like your reviews! Thanks and review again, oki?
iloveathrun: Hey! I love athrun too! hehe, read my other fic as well, it's entitled Lingering Thoughts a gundam seed fic. Also I would like to thank you for reviewing my story! Thank you so much! And here is the next chapter!
Reiannah: Wow! Nice review! Here's the strange man! Hehe, I'm really happy that someone noticed how I develop the plot. It is indeed darkness and light. It somehow encompasses what life really is in reality, darkness and light. And somehow people tend to remember the dark past more. So here I tend to do that as well. Though I want to stress the light is there, there is no darkness without any light right? Hehe, thanks again for the review! Please do continue to review my chapters and read also!
Kanilla: Thanks for the great review! I'm glad you liked um, Chapter 2c. Hehe, lost track of it because it's technically chapter 5 but not. Oh well! But the romance is necessary after too much angst. If I make it too heavy then it would be So I always need light chapters and there would be a lot of that in teh future. I hope you feel okay with this chapter as well. Thanks again and please do review!
Clari-chan: Hehe! huggles to you from Shuichi and a can of beer from Yuki! Hehe! Thanks for reviewing!
deppfan1016: Hey! Yeah, I kinda noticed that the past was kind of horrible! But believe me that the original chapters before I retyped it and uploaded it was much more vivid and more violent. Therefore, I decided to cut out some scenes. I was also surprised since I wrote this about a long time ago and it's only now that I read it again. And I say to myself three things:
1. Did I write this?
2. How was I able to write this?
3. Oooooooohhhh.
Hehe! But thanks for reviewing and please continue!