Chapter 17

"You… owe… me… HUGE!"

By the time Todo returned to the school with Yuuji in tow, Suiryu was there waiting for him. But he wasn't too happy with the notion about being dragged into a collaboration with a pop star he doesn't even know! Todo however, appeared to be on cloud nine. His face was plastered with the largest grin the gorilla could muster, at the same time, he was in a state of ecstasy.

"Takada-chan… is going to spend a day with me…" he said in a blissful tone.

Suiryu rolled his eyes as he took Yuuji back from him. "I warn you now, I don't dance to pop music!"

Todo snapped out of it. "Oh wait, yeah…"

Suiryu waved it off. "Well, you better spend the night here, you're coming with us tomorrow to discuss details of this music video or whatever she wants to do."

"Of course! I could be a huge help since I know your sound and I know hers…"

"God, how did Yuuji put up with you?" Suiryu muttered.

#

Meanwhile in a hotel in Tokyo…

"You never bothered to try, did you!?" She was at him hard. Takada-chan confronted her manager on his attempts to contact the band Ryomen Sukuna, but claimed he couldn't get through. She now believed that he was purposely trying to avoid the idea of a collaboration between the two.

"Takada, you need to understand, you have an image to maintain, if you associate with that… demon, it won't end well for you. Your career could be over after this!" he protested.

She was confused. "Over? Just because I did ONE song with another artist?" she demanded of him. "You need to see I have to grow as a singer, if I don't. I may as well call it quits here and now"

"NO!" he protested.

"Then stop interfering and be a manager!" she protested. "And for the dating thing, it's not a date. It's a condition." She snapped back. "I still abide by that rule."

She stormed to her hotel room.

The moment she vanished, her manager got on the phone. "It's me,"

"What's going on? We tried to call you earlier!"

"About that, our client is going to do a collaboration with Sukuna…" he said in an annoyed tone. "BUT, in doing so, he has to bring a certain someone alone with him…"

There was silence on the other end. "You mean, you will have access to the dragon?"

"Not only that, I could obtain him tomorrow… I just need the right opportunity…"

"Don't waste it and don't be stupid. This Sukuna knock off is smarter than he looks, he won't leave the demon vessel unguarded."

"Rest assured, I know. But, seeing who was tending to him today… I think it's safe to say it will be easy to take this dragon when everyone else is busy. He's a love struck fool for Takada."

There came a concerned sigh on the other line. "Very well, but make certain Takada-chan is looked after, she is one of the main reasons we obtain power! A natural at collecting and getting divine energy…"

"I will, I promise you,"

He hung up the phone shortly after, but a devious grin came over him. "We obtain the dragon, we get everything and can finally put that bastard Sukuna down for good!"

#

The next day

They met at a rather luxurious studio. Suiryu came along with Junpei, Eso, Todo and D'angelo. Tanso opted out of it, after all, they already have a drummer and he doesn't like pop music. Yet Suiryu noticed the look instantly of the blond manager who was trying to look beyond them. "Did you not bring your little brother?" he asked rather curiously.

Suiryu smirked as he stepped to the side. Yuuji was held protectively in his arms and braced to his chest, Choso had come to watch over him.

The manager froze. "Who…"

"Older brother," Suiryu said with a grin. "He insisted," as his smile grew rather demonic instantly.

Before the manager could speak, D'angelo clapped his hands. "Okay people, focus!" he shouted. "Where is Miss. Takada?"

She just arrived, but the moment her eyes came upon Suiryu, she was excited. "It's really you!" she squealed.

Suiryu smirked back at her. "In the flesh, so, what's the idea for this?"

She paused to the question. "Uh… I really didn't think that far. I never thought this would happen…" she said offhandedly.

"So there is no concept?" muttered Suiryu.

"Sure there is," called Junpei. "Let's take into consideration the different styles at our disposal. If anything we should write a song that involves the two. We can have Miss. Takada here sing about how she wants to be with Ryomen, yet when Ryomen sings back, it's how disinterested he is in the notion, but as the song progresses, you are both pulled into each other's world in a sense. I think for a big surprise is that you 'switch' mid song."

The room froze.

"What?" demanded the manager.

"Quite Mitch!" Takada snapped back. She turned to Junpei with interest. "Can you explain it a bit more?"

Junpei went into full details, they keep their usual sound for the first part of the song. It will be Takada trying to convince Ryomen that if he wants to be with her, he has to be a 'good boy'. In return, he sings back if she wants 'it good' she needs a bad boy. "Yet by mid song, you two start influencing each other…" he paused. "You need a metal look Takada-chan… and Ryomen here needs a pop look."

"Go to hell," he snapped at Junpei. "I won't dress or dance to pop… I will reluctantly sing it if I have to but I will make it sound like my own sound." He said in warning tone.

But then a pause came over Suiryu as he smiled oddly. "Let me call a stunt double…" he took out his phone and made a call.

Todo froze as his phone rang, Suiryu glared at him. "Take your call elsewhere, I got to make mine, it's more important than yours!"

Todo was confused but nodded as he excused himself. Suiryu on the other hand smirked, he has developed a new trick as of late thanks to the shadow clone from Fushiguro…