Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, all rights to the characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Part Two: Composition
The pub was nearly empty, sans Inuyuji and Kameko. The pair stood upon a small stage, that was located near the back of the space. To the right was a large bar, with a shelf behind the countertop, that was lined with bottles of various colors, shapes, and sizes. They had already begun to set up their equipment, having decided to not wait on him to show up to help with the task. Yuji's, nearly golden, hazel eyes landed on him. A scowl was deeply etched on his face as his annoyance with his best friend rose to the surface. "It's about time you decide to grace us with your presense. You really shoud go back to being more prompt, like you used to be." Masahiro found it odd how often Yuji would talk about him as though they had known each other since childhood. The two had met in college and had quickly formed a very interesting bond.
The musician eyed him skeptically, a sarcastic comment rested on the tip of his tongue, but he decided to answer in a more straight forward manner. "I honestly don't know what you mean, I've always been the type to run late, you know this." Kameko patted her husband's arm in a comforting manner, as his golden gaze averted back to setting up the drum set. "Keh, I suppose you're right. I guess I'm just getting my memories a bit mixed up." The sad undertones in his voice were ignored, simply because they weren't understood, so Masahiro decided to give his reason for being a bit behind schedule. "Besides, I would have been on time today, if I hadn't bumped into this girl. Boy, did I send her sketches flying. I had to stop and help her pick them up, would have be rude of me to do otherwise. Am I right?"
For whatever reason, Yuji was always far too interested in any of the girl's he ever even spoke to. As strange as the fixation was, Masahiro chalked it up to his friend only wanting him to find a love as true as he had. From what he gathered, Yuji and Kameko had been married right out of highschool. "Oh yeah? So you met a girl?" Masahiro frowned slightly as he recalled the meeting he had encountered with the artist. "Yeah, an odd girl, but a girl nonetheless. She thought I was someone else." Both his friends took on a much greater look of interest as he relayed this bit of information, but both opted to stay quiet and not pose any questions. Kameko bit at her bottom lip, a habit which often showed that she was over thinking. "Well, that isn't all that odd. People often do that, you know?"
Yuji had already returned to his work, feigning disinterest, he didn't need to appear too eager for his friend to give more details. Masahiro sat down and opened his guitar case and carefully removed the instrument. He placed it beside the chair and began to straighten out the money he had made down by the Vltava river. "Sure they do, but even after getting a good look at me, she still called me by some random name. Yeah...Miroku, if I remember correctly." Had he not been so wrapped up in the task of counting the small sum he had received, he would have noticed the way his friend's spine had gone ridged. The drummer cleared his throat in hopes of keeping his voice steady. "Guess you really reminded her of the guy. Did you happen to get her name?"
Masahiro thought back for a moment before he responded. "No, I didn't ask for her name, I was running late by this point, but I did invite her to our set. Not sure if she'll actually come, but if she does you'll see her then." He stuck the cash inside a hidden pocket within a pouch in his backpack, before he grabbed his guitar and got to his feet. He figured they had talked enough about the woman, it's not as though he knew anything more about her. "Enough of that. We've got practice to have before we can go on tonight, besides, I have a new song I want to try out on you guys and this place has a piano."
The night was still young and although she wasn't sure if she wanted to go, Sango found herself asking Katsuo if he wanted to go listen to some live music at a pub. Since she didn't often frequent such establishments, her friend's sky blue eyes filled with curiosity as he looked at her. "What brought this idea to your mind?" She quickly relayed the story of what had occured earlier that afternoon and although he seemed entirely disinterested with the idea, his tune changed when she mentioned that he reminded her of the love she lost. She had always found Katsuo easy to talk to, he was her closest friend and most trusted confidant. She often spoke of Miroku to him, but she would do so in a way that made it sound as though the man had died. Mainly because he had, even if he had lived a full life, he was long dead by now, and the thought only made her heart ache.
She needn't say a word, his ever knowing blue gaze could read the pain that was etched on her face, so he placed an arm around her shoulders in a condoling manner. "If you want to go and do something different, then you know I'm in. So if you wanna go, then get dressed and let's go." He offered her one of his big grins, it always had a sorta wolfish quality, and had an uncanny ability to charm just about any girl he came across, Sango included. Yet even though both were single, nothing romantic ever bloomed between them, not that Sango hadn't tried. Much to her chagrin, he would shut down any advances she made, with claims that he didn't want to complicate things and ruin a great friendship. She returned his smile with one of her own, before jumping up and bounding into the bathroom. Perhaps Masahiro shared more than Miroku's face. She was eager to get to know him better and find out for herself.
The two had some trouble finding the local pub and by the time they had the sun had already set. The front of the building was lit up with a neon signs that boasted it's name, which she couldn't read, and what she thought was an open sign. Inside was abuzz with voices, music drifted out into the streets, and although the atmosphere was a relaxed one, Sango felt oddly nervous. Inside, the space was larger than it appeared to be from the outside. The tables that were placed along one side of the building were already taken, people danced in the center of the room in front of a small stage. Instruments waited unused for the band that would soon be playing them, for the moment the songs came from a small jukebox that was to the right of a crowded bar.
Sango stood close to her friend, as she scanned the area around her more closely, in search of the very familiar face. The music came to an end, as the jukebox played it's final song, and the noise died away considerably. She heard him long before she saw him, she could recognize the melodious laugh anywhere, and though she knew it wasn't really his, it still made her heart skip a beat. Katsuo could see the many different emotions flash across her features, first joy, then disappointment, followed by sadness. "Hey Sango, are you okay? You look as though something is bothering you." She glanced over to catch his eye, which were filled with a quiet concern, he always knew when she needed him. "He just looks so much like Miroku, he even sounds like him. His likeness is wonderful yet painful at the same time, mainly because I know it's not really him."
Sango couldn't help but be a bit comforted when she saw the small reassuring smile her friend offered her. "I know how you felt about Miroku, but don't let the past keep you from the future. Masahiro may not be your first real love, but that doesn't mean he can't be your last. Get to know him for who he is, you may be happy with what you find." Katsuo always was good with words, he seemed to know exactly what to say to her to make her feel better. "You know I love you, Katsuo. You're the best friend a girl could have." His smile brightened and his blue eyes danced with a silent laughter. "I know you do. I wouldn't want things to change between us for anything, because I love you too. So are you gonna go over there and tell him hello or at least let him know you came?"
The artist hesitated, a look of uncertainty marring her otherwise flawless features. "Maybe we shouldn't be here. I mean, he's not Miroku, I don't know what I was thinking. It's not fair to Masahiro, to expect him to fill in the space that Miroku left behind." Katsuo shrugged his broad shoulders , his clear blue eyes filled with a quiet concern. "Come now, Sango. You can't close yourself off to the possibility of love, just because you got hurt once. I mean, you haven't tried dating at all since your stay in Shikon Square." Sango smiled wryly, the photographer often spoke to her as the caring big brother type. "That's not true. I tried to start something with you, but you shut me down. Remember?" He chuckled softly, not the slightest bit hurt by her playful yet entirely true jab. "True enough, but I'd hate to risk the bond we already share. I like what we have and I know you do too. After all what would you do without my wonderful advice?"
Sango didn't want to admit that had things gone sour between them and they grew apart because a relationship didn't work out between them, she would regret ever dating him in the first place. "Don't make me admit that I was wrong. A lot of people wind up marrying their best friend, so it wasn't far fetched to believe that we could have such a relationship. You got any advice for me now?" Her friend eyed the musician carefully, as though he was trying to read the man's character before giving her any form of advice. Another of his classic smiles crept onto his ruggedly handsome face, then he turned to her and his blue eyes shimmered softly. "I say you go over there and say hello. Take it this way, you can never start a new journey if you're standing still, you gotta make a move. So, move."
It was in these moments that Katsuo reminded her of someone else she had met in Shikon Square, and the thought would always make her smile. "I sorta love that you talk like a fortune cookie, reminds me of someone I met along my travels, and because of that alone, I'll go say hello." She parted ways with her friend, he went to find them a couple seats, and she to go and talk to the musician with the painfully familiar face. The man stood with two others, a beautiful woman with a soft expression and a man with long dark hair and nearly golden hazel eyes. Once again the pang of familiarity struck at her heart. She couldn't understand why the faces of the past kept haunting her. She knew how absurd and impossible the whole notion was, but how could she ignore what was right in front of her.
She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, they weren't them, she knew as much, and yet her heart could only hope. "Hey Mir...Masahiro." She stumbled over his name. How could she see anyone other than Miroku? Whether he caught the mistake or not, he chose not to let it show. Instead his indigo eyes landed on her, as he gazed at her through the lenses of his glasses, and that boyish smile, she knew all to well, graced his lips. "Oh, hey. Glad you could make it. I hope you brought your drawings and if you like my songs enough, you might even consider letting me know your name." His friends eyed her in near wonder, had she been paying attention to them, then she would have questioned why they seemed to be holding their breaths. Instead she could only feel the blush as it colored and warmed her cheeks. This man had the same affect Miroku had once had on her and she couldn't understand why. "I don't have to hear you play to be willing to share that much with you. It's Sango."
As soon as she spoke her name, Masahiro could feel the headache return full force, and with some effort he kept himself from wincing. "Sango. That's a lovely name." He watched as delight lit up her deep brown eyes, it was as though hearing him speak her name filled her with joy. His assumptions were right. Her name sounded as melodious to her when he said it, just as it would whenever the butler spoke it. Why did this man have the same affects on her? Why did he feel like the piece of her she had been missing? It left her wondering if he felt it too, not that she could ask, for she feared it would be far too strange a query. "Thank you. I'm really looking forward to hearing you play. So I'm gonna go find a seat." She offered him another smile, before she slipped back into the crowd. Her heart pounded in her ears and though she appeared steady, her entire body shook as she scanned the pub for Katsuo.
AN: I hope the wait for this sequel wasn't too long. I will try to finish this one quicker than I did The Artist, but I tend to get super busy as my personal life is crazy at times. Please leave a review, they really do make my day, and I will shot you out in the next chapter.