Chapter 1 -Takeoff from Tokyo
"I need to see someone off at the station!"
Akihiko feverishly blurted as he locked eyes with Haruki. Even in his mad dash, Akihiko faintly registered the look of surprise in those amber depths and inwardly cringed when they shuttered with disappointment.
"I'll be right back!"
It was a promise, one he couldn't explain. He had nothing to offer the kind bassist who waited on him as Akihiko skirted from one bed to another in search of salvation and cared for him when he couldn't keep up the illusion. He wanted so badly to lift those downcast eyes but his tainted hands were not worthy. No, he had to do right by closing the painful chapter with Ugetsu first, then maybe, just maybe he could come clean enough to confess to someone as compassionate and caring as Haruki.
Haruki watched quietly as the drummer stretched the distance between them then pushed forcefully through the fire escape doors, a guitar riff from the next band vibrated off the warehouse rafters as if to emphasize the emptiness in his wake.
"I'll see you in a bit…"
There was no doubt in Haruki's mind there was only one person Akihiko would pursue with such passion. Midway through their performance, Haruki spotted the famous violinist amongst the sea of faces. Murata watched their performance with a small smile, a graceful finger over his lips in contemplation, his eyes leaving Akihiko briefly only to find Haruki's. When their gaze met, the bassist felt a bolt of electricity through his core. Even though the drummer never named his phantom, Haruki knew then.
Grace, beauty, genius. Traits Haruki never associated with himself, a small town nobody from Miyagi. As someone who constantly felt the need to prove his worth, it stung to know he wasn't enough. He could never compete with someone as fascinating as Murata. Haruki's gaze lingered on the door long after it closed.
The after party was a bustling affair. The organizers had outdone themselves staging tables draped in fine linen and servers brought out plates after plates of burger sliders and beer in tall glasses. It brought an air of sophistication to an otherwise industrial venue, a suitable backdrop for rock musicians, industry professionals, influencers, and fans alike to mingle.
"Thank you for your support," Mafuyu said softly for possibly the fiftieth time as a new fan gushed about their riveting performance. At first Uenoyama looked uncomfortable at the attention but he visibly relaxed when he saw their words brought a peaceful curve to his boyfriend's lips.
Haruki watched from the dimly lit side of the banquet hall. Beyond feeling a little put out, tonight should see the four of them celebrating their accomplishment together, but instead, Akihiko was out there confessing his love to his on-again, off-again boyfriend…
"Nakayama-san?" A smooth baritone intercepted his downward thought spiral.
He turned to see a suited man in his early 40s with a chiseled face and well groomed scruff. The stranger looked like a page from GQ magazine. Astute gray eyes studied him.
Haruki broke eye contact to stare at the offered hand and a business card casually held out in another. "Oh!" Haruki floundered, unable to decide which he should receive with both hands first. The stranger chuckled at his faux pas which only quickened a blush across the bridge of the bassist's nose.
"Thank you…" Haruki squinted at the gold letters, Mikumi Tsuda, Executive Producer of CORE labels. "Tsuda-san. How rude of me! It is nice to meet you."
Gray held amber as his new acquaintance smiled with practiced ease and warmth, "The pleasure's mine, please, call me Mikumi. That's what Shinto Furuya and Quinn Myoga call me."
Haruki's eyes widened as he recognized the names of Bewitched's idols. They are currently the most popular band dominating Japan's charts. He could imagine Take-chan telling him what a big deal this was, that this was an important contact for Given, that he should shake his hand… which he realized he still had to do! His face aflamed.
"S-sorry!"
Seemingly pleased at the recognition, Tsuda, no, Mikumi laughed. Despite his flush, Haruki found himself chuckling along.
"No no, that's perfectly alright. It's good to know our label is recognized. This is what I came to talk to you about. I understand you take care of promotions for Given?"
"Yes, I'm responsible for our band's logistics." Haruki's confidence returned as the conversation steered into familiar grounds. "Mafuyu writes and sings the vocals. Ritsuka plays the guitar. Akihiko plays percussion," Haruki's heart tugged at the mention of their missing drummer. "I play bass."
A server came by with flutes of beer. Mikumi took two tall glasses and offered one to Haruki. "I heard. I like your sounds. I've been scouting for new talents like Given to sign. How about we discuss this over beer?"
Eager to focus on something productive, Haruki sipped generously from his glass.
"I'd love to."
Akihiko did not return home that night. Haruki sulked as he absently flipped the business card between his fingers while the sun began to bask his living room with its first light.
Mikumi proved to be a valuable contact. He showed a great deal of interest in Given as Haruki shared his band's history and funny anecdotes. At some point during the night, Haruki felt a warm hand on his lower back that suggested to Haruki music may not be the only thing the producer was interested in. The potential idea made Haruki incredibly uncomfortable so he frantically steered the conversation back into neutral waters and Mikumi seemed to take it in stride and followed Haruki's lead. The rest of the evening continued without a hitch.
It wasn't that Mikumi was unattractive. The man was easy to talk to, he was refined and mature but deep down Haruki knew his heart was squarely occupied by a person whose heart was captured by another.
Such a mess! Haruki groaned. Akihiko would be together with Ugetsu by now. When he asked Take-chan to cut his hair, he intended to cut these traitorous feelings away. Yet here he was still pining like a fool. A damned fool.
The four walls of his apartment seemed to echo their agreement in their overwhelming silence. As the suffocation closed in on him, his fingers hastily texted a message to Mikumi to secure the opportunities they had spoken at length about.
Haruki was cooking breakfast when his phone buzzed with an affirmation to visit CORE's office on Monday.
Sunday was a sweet reprieve from their overnight popularity. Even though they didn't win the competition, their performance overwhelmed the internet. Haruki spent his entire Saturday writing thank you's to their numerous well wishers. Today was the first day the band reunited to celebrate over a picnic lunch in a local park. Uenoyama and Mafuyu arrived with grocery bags in tow, walking down an allee of maple trees. The emerald, bronze, and maroon leaves swayed gently amidst the midday breeze.
The honey blonde leader waved to them from his spread of picnic blankets. With homemade sandwiches unboxed, he helped unpack drinks from the two younger members. He received a message from Akihiko earlier that he was running late.
"Haruki." Speaking of the devil.
The bassist felt the air warmed before he turned to acknowledge the drummer's approaching form. He looked eternal the way the leaves swayed and fell around him. Haruki was torn between wanting to take a photo and reprimand himself for staring.
"Hey, was everything ok after the show?" Haruki asked as Akihiko took a seat next to him on the blanket.
"Yeah, all settled. How did the rest of the night go?" Akihiko twisted the cap off his bottle and gave the honey blonde a sidelong glance as he gulped and sighed. The bassist felt familiar butterflies in his stomach. Oh, stop it Nakayama .
"Well," Haruki cleared his throat to get their attention as he retrieved Mikumi's business card from his pocket. He held it up. "Guys… we got scouted by CORE records!"
3…2…1
"EEEEKK?!" Their reaction was contagious, Haruki grinned.
Uenoyama was the first to recover, his intense questions rode off his excitement, "What did they say?! Are they going to debut us?"
Mafuyu's eyes shone. Even Akihiko's took on an electrifying edge. Their reactions were as excited as they were sincere.
"Ah yes," Haruki looked down earnestly at his lap as he tucked a wayward strand behind his ears, "The producer's name is Mikumi Tsuda. I'm scheduled to meet him tomorrow to go over the details. If we're lucky, we may get signed for a single, possibly an album."
"Should we go with you Haruki-san?" Mafuyu asked helpfully.
Haruki shook his head.
"Tsuda-san said the first meeting will just be paperwork so my going will be fine. He says he wants to meet all of you properly over brunch next weekend. Does that sound okay?" The last part sounded unsure to his own ear. Now that the high of informing his bandmates was out of the way, Haruki's mind began to wander back to his earlier unease.
Akihiko seemed to pick up on this even if he couldn't possibly know the reason, "I can give you a ride in case you want an extra pair of hands."
Haruki was touched by the gesture but his unrequited crush stirred such intense feelings he was more worried the compounding turbulence would overwhelm him. "Thanks Akihiko, but I should be fine. It's only paperwork."
Skillfully Haruki changed topics by handing out sandwiches. He spent his morning preparing these. Eel and avocado for Uecchi. Shrimp croquette for Mafuyu. Katsu for Akihiko. The boys mumbled their thanks. Haruki thought he felt a light brush against his hand as Akihiko took his portion. Surprised, Haruki snapped up to see the drummer humming his thanks and shifting to lay down as though nothing happened. Shaking his head, Haruki wondered if his longing was starting to confuse reality with wistful thinking.
The band leader lost himself in a content flow as Akihiko and Uecchi fought over the last sandwich while Mafuyu's stealthy hand went unnoticed by the other two until it was too late. The rest of the afternoon breezed by between snickers and laughter.
"Come in," Mikumi's voice called from behind frosted doors.
Haruki pushed open the heavy doors with a soft click and took in the expensive decor. The minimalist modern furnishings and drape curtains with rich tones were impressive. The high ceiling with pendant lights and slim dark leather couch spelled wealth and promise of something greater, something that Haruki wanted to secure for Given.
"Tsuda-san, it was nice to meet you at CAC, thank you again for meeting with me."
"Haruki," his name sounded like a smile on the executive's voice, "Let's drop the formality. We practically forged a friendship in those 2 hours! You were the only one I spoke to the whole evening. Here", Mikumi gestured for the bassist to come closer as he grabbed a thick stack of paper and a pen from his desk. He stood to give it to Haruki when his knee hit the edge of his desk and sent the paper flying. "Oouf!"
"Ah! Here, let me help," Haruki instantly dropped on one knee and started collecting the scattered sheets. He collected about a third of the papers when he felt a hand over his. Haruki jerked away on instinct.
"Tsuda-san?"
"Call me Mikumi," the dark haired man corrected, a predatory glint in those gray eyes.
Haruki's cheeks began to flush, this seemed to perk Mikumi's interest further because he leaned forward to touch the bassist's bangs. Like Akihiko did. Only this alarmed him in a whole different way.
"Haruki," he started again as if the way it rolled off his tongue pleased him. "There's a million talents out there. Every day our office gets flooded with promo tapes and letters of interest, but I'm interested in Given. Do you know why?"
Haruki shook his head feverously, either in response or as an attempt to dispel this growing sense of dread, he did not know. Somewhere between the floor and the unsolicited touch, he realized he was backed against a wall.
Mikumi took his silence as encouragement to continue, "Because I also saw something else I liked, can you guess?" His eyes shone with hunger. "That something is you. I was so curious who could possibly catch stuck-up Ugetsu Murata's attention. I saw the intense way he looked at you that night. That boy is fickle as fuck but for once, I agree with his choice in men."
What?
"Well, I should say this is the second time I agree with his choice in men, because that's how we got together after all," Haruki struggled to keep up. "That boy had the balls to use me to get back at your pathetic buffoon of a drummer. Me! An executive producer in his twisted game of chess, and for what? I'll never know what he sees in him! Did you see the way he pulled Ugetsu out of bed? I did, you know why?" Mikumi's laugh was bitter. "I was right there in bed with him. How is he not satisfied when he already has me?"
Haruki's eyes widened at the connection.
"He asked me to go to the CAC as a makeup date but I saw the way he watched that gorilla." He spatted. "No one plays me like a pawn and expects to thrive on my turf. He's lucky he plays in orchestras, because if he played for a band, I would personally see to it that his band never even come close to a mic. Good riddance!" The businessman finished his rampage to regard the panic-stricken amber eyes in front of him. "Why… did you think anything came free in this world?"
Haruki stared.
"My offer for the band is real, it just comes with a sub-condition…" He caressed Haruki's face until his fingers gripped his chin. "Be mine. I'll bring you and your band unimaginable fame. In time, your popularity will grow. In time, you'll even have a choice to exit this, but I'll bet," a thumb trailed up to touch his lower lip, "By then, you couldn't imagine life without me. It's a gamble I'm willing to take." Lips enveloped his in a gentle but firm kiss. "What do you say?"
"I…" words didn't quite form right. In his foggy mind, he tried again, "I…"
"Hmm yes, you?" Mikumi prompted as he tugged a strand of hair behind Haruki's ears. Haruki squeezed his eyes tight and rambled within a short breath. Gods, why was he so short on air?
"I-I-I'm very flattered," Haruki knew he was stuttering. "But I-I think I can be way more useful to you if we keep things professional."
Mikumi frowned as if his excuses displeased him because it did. "Haruki, don't misunderstand me. What I'm proposing is not a one night stand. Despite how this comes across, my intentions are good. I'm proposing a proper relationship, we can take things slow. You're single, aren't you?"
Haruki bit the inside of his cheek.
"I read up on you. A former ex-boyfriend and an ex-girlfriend, but no one since you formed this band." He paused. "Haruki, I promise to be a good boyfriend, and", his voice dropped an octave and came within a hair width of his ear, "An even better lover."
Haruki desperately wanted to claw his ear off. This is bad, I need to get out of there! Overwhelmed by the mounting danger signs, Haruki stumbled to his feet and ran for the door. Mikumi made no move to block him. His relief and confusion was short lived when Mikumi's voice cut clear across the room just as his hand gripped the doorknob.
"I have footage of Kaji assaulting Ugetsu." Haruki went still as stone. "Poor deceitful Ugetsu didn't even have any clothes on when that brute barged in and tore him from our bed. Sure, they both got a few punches in but the media wouldn't care. The scandal will end Kaji's career before it begins."
Mikumi calmly opened his drawer and sauntered over with an iPad, animating the evidence. Haruki watched frozen as the lovers' violent spat played out in front of him.
"Contrary to what you may think of me, I'm a generous man. Delete this if you want, I have backed up copies."
Mikumi gently pried Hakuri's hand from the door knob and placed a hand on his lower back to spin him around like a watz. "So, what do you say? Will you go out with me, Haruki Nakayama?"
Haruki willed himself to stay still as he was kissed again. As it was, his feet could not move.
Author's note:
In the manga, Mikumi was the faceless guy in Ugetsu's bed when Akihiko stormed in to pull him away. I based his name on the judge character from Death Note and his personality on a cross between movie portrayals of John Reid, and Littlefinger from Games of Thrones. The rest is a sprinkle of OC magic, as Popov-san says, just add salt on it!
There'll be a playlist associated with each chapter. Check out this well done musical video on youtube by searching "Arcade Ugetsu and Akihiko" by Naoki.
Personally I've been hitting roadblocks with daydreaming, so I wanted to try my hand in writing again to test if the stories in my mind are still accessible. It's a relief to know yup, it's still there! Also, my apologies for putting you through my grammar-errors, I've promised myself the only way I can keep updating is to not overthink it. I've got six chapters drafted so far, just need to groom / juice up some sections. If anyone is interested to be my proofreader, I would be eternally grateful.
It's been a long time since I've penned anything, I'd love to hear from you :)
