Gomen gome gomen…. It took me 2 months (I think) to upload this. I can only blame it on my laziness and tendency to be easily distracted. So here's track 3 hope you like it.
Disclaimer: Gravitation characters and the story are not mine.
AN: I made an effort to proof read this myself but I can't guarantee that this is perfect. I'm used to reading good English not writing it ;;;
Edit I just edited the first 4 chapters and made some minor changes or added some minor thing. I noticed the mistakes that I made and made the changes. I would also like to apologize for it has been a while sine I updated this fanfic. I have chapter 5 planned out and on the works to be typed up and chapter 6 is partially planned. Thx for the readers of this fanfic (smile)
CONFUSED HEART, UNDECIDED HEART
Track 3: Revelation
Shuichi woke up, Yuki was shaking him.
"Huh?" part of his mind still on the dream he had. "Yuki? What's the matter?" Shuichi said sleep still evident on his voice.
"Who's Yukinari?"
"Huh?" Shuichi scratched his head. 'Where did that question come from?' He sat up raking his mind, searching for a Yukinari. Nothing, but somehow the name sound and feels so familiar. Giving up on his mental search, he shrugged. "Yukinari? I don't know anybody with that name. Should I know him?"
"I don't know, you tell me. I heard you mumbling that name in your sleep."
"Really? What did I say?"
Not wanting to remember those words or to tell them to Shuichi, Yuki brushed it away as he stood up. "I forgot, never mind. Besides, if you don't hurry up you'll be late."
A quick glance at the clock made Shuichi rush to the bathroom to get ready for work, actually most of the band's hours for that day were allocated for his birthday party organized by NG, by Touma to be exact. A few minutes later, he stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. He rushed to his walk-in closet as he dried his hair with another towel. Given a few more minutes, Shuichi will be ready for work.
Yuki is also dressed, sitting on the couch smoking his first morning dose of nicotine.
Grabbing his bag by the door and a big paper bag on the other, Shuichi called out, "Yuki! I'm gonna go. You'll be at the party later right?" Not waiting for an answer, he continued, "I'll be expecting you there."
Touma organized a birthday party for the singer. He said it's something he can do to celebrate Shuichi and the band's future. His future part he understood for the president knew something about last night but as for the band, the only thing that comes to mind is the success of the latest album or Touma planned something bigger for them.
"Shuichi, wait."
"Yes?" Shuichi's head popped back in.
"I'll give you a ride to work. I need to talk to Touma anyway." Yuki said his car keys already in hand.
The ride to work was uneventful since it is only a 10-minute ride to the NG building.
"Anou." Shuichi said before Yuki could unbuckle his seatbelt.
"Hmm?" Yuki turned to Shuichi who suddenly found the new ring on his finger interesting.
"Anou, I think you should know something about me. Nobody knows about this but a few people; my family, family doctor and Hiro to be exact." Taking a deep breath, Shuichi continued, "I had an episode a few years ago and lost a huge chunk of my memories. I have been working on normalizing my life since then. My family and Hiro helped me a lot but there are still some things I am unable to recall." Shuichi turned to Yuki by then and continued saying, "I am telling you this so that you can understand the favor I am going to ask from you."
"What favor?" Yuki asked though he already have an idea what sort of favor Shuichi is going to ask from him.
"I know the party later this day would be perfect to announce the big news but can we keep it to ourselves for the time being?"
"I understand, actually your parents and Maiko warned me about something like this. You would like to have all of your memories, or at least most of it, before moving on with me. Right?" At Shuichi's nod he asked, "How much time would you like?"
"I'll let you know. Thanks for understanding. I promise that even if I have my memories back or not, I'll keep my promise to you."
Yuki dropped Shuichi off at the rehearsal studio – where Shuichi started handing off one pink rose to each of the people inside, saying everybody gets one today – before heading up to the President's office.
Touma's secretary smiled up to him. "Is Touma in?" He asked, gesturing to the President's door.
"Just one minute," pushing a button on the intercom before her. She talked to it for a few seconds then glanced back to him. "You can go right in Yuki-sama."
He stepped into the office, Touma sat behind his massive desk reading some report; he looked up and smiled at his friend. "I trust that everything went well last night?"
Yuki sighed as he took a seat on the couch in Touma's office. "Yes, everything went well last night."
"Then why the big sigh and the long face?"
"He said yes but he asked for some time before we tell anybody else about it. He said he needs to do something first. Something also happened earlier this morning that bothers me. I suspect that the reason he asked for time is connected to it."
"What made you think that?" Yuki told Touma what happened earlier that morning and what Shuichi said in the car. "Ooh… I never knew about that. So, what do you want to do about it?"
Yuki was a bit surprised at Touma's question. He forgot how his friend can read him like a book. "Well, I – I mean we," Yuki corrected when he saw Touma's raised eyebrow, "don't have enough information. We can just first try checking records about this Yukinari person." Touma was about to point out something to his trouble friend when Yuki continued what he was saying. "I know there are a lot of Yukinaris out there but I trust your information gathering methods. I can hire a private investigator myself but there is a possibility that this piece of information will be leaked out to the media in one way or another."
Nodding his head, he assured Yuki. "Consider it done." The president tried to lighten his friend's mood by directing his mind to less serious things namely the party he prepared for a certain pink-haired singer and his band – especially since the person in question just burst into the office to drop off a pink rose, planted a long hot kiss on Yuki's lips then danced out of the office off to deliver more of those pink roses, sharing his happiness to the world, or the whole NG building at least.
--
The party was a huge success. It was to celebrate Shuichi's birthday and the success of Bad Luck's latest album. Shuichi couldn't be any happier. He's in the dressing room getting ready for an impromptu mini-concert. This is the second best day of his life – the best was yesterday of course. He have a future with Yuki to look forward to and his career is sky rocketing, for the lack of better term, what would a man ask for. Looking at the ring he swore he'll never take it off, he decided to put a close to that chapter in his life.
He was afraid to ask regarding the past before for he knew whatever it was it hurt him so much that he blocked it out but now he found the courage because he needs to. It was unfair for him to ask that favor from Yuki especially with what he did last night but thank God he understood. Tomorrow he'll go to his family to put back the pieces of his lost memory. He knows that all answers will be found with them.
"Shuichi-sama, are you ready? Hiro-sama and Fujisaki-sama are ready, they're waiting for you."
"Hai." He checked himself on the mirror one last time, making sure that the last of the pink roses he brought with him is still pinned to his shirt, then went out the door.
--
It's Saturday and Maiko is cooking something special for lunch; they have a special guest in the house. She doesn't see her family that much; she's so busy with work that she can only be at home a few days a month. She runs a very successful family business handed down in their family for generations. She answered the door when the doorbell rung.
"Shuichi, we're not expecting you. What–" she stopped when she saw Shuichi at the door. There's his smile but also the set of his jaw that she only saw when decided on something.
"Maiko, you're home. Good I have questions for you, also with mom and dad. Are they here?"
"They will be. Come in." Shuichi gave her a pink rose before stepping into the house.
"Ok then, let me just grab some papers that I need. My stuff is still in the attic right?"
"Yes, go right up if you want." Shuichi headed to the attic in search of the papers he needed and to find clues regarding his lost memories. His last option is to ask his family. He knows whatever happened also hurt them, he saw it in their face a few years ago after he woke up in the hospital.
--
"He's here. We need to cancel this." Maiko said as her parents and two guests came into the house, nervously twirling the pink rose she received from Shuichi.
A young woman with short blond hair crouched to the child's level. "Why don't you go play first, it seems lunch is still not ready." The little girl runs off to the direction of the small playroom.
"He's upstairs right now. Sorry about this but you need to go." Maiko said to their guest as soon as they are seated down around the table.
"No." Shuichi's father said. "Did you see the ring on him?" He asked before Maiko can protest.
"Yes, that's why–"
"Then that's enough reason for them to stay. Sooner or later he will find out, if not already – with all those things in the attic."
"Yes but, he saw some of them before but nothing happened."
"But now Shuichi have a strong reason to try finding out."
"Demo–" Maiko stopped when he heard the piano playing in the other room followed by a girl's squeal of delight. "Sugoi.!!" She doesn't know how to play the piano that good, there's only one good explanation for this… she can't believe its happening… She started to run to the music room.
--
Shuichi was leafing thru some documents when a few pictures fell out.
The first one is a picture of him, Hiro with another child; by the looks of it he's about 7 years old. They are smiling arms around each other with Shuichi in the middle Hiro to his right and the other to his left. They look so happy together. He remembered that day but only with Hiro; he doesn't remember being with another playmate. It has always been him and Hiro since they were small. Shuichi put the picture back in the box.
The second picture shows him being he's a bit older, maybe during junior high school or high school days. It's still the three of them. This time it's showing him closer to the girl than Hiro; it's not the way they were positioned in the photo but a feeling, or an aura between him and the girl, something you can only feel. It made him wonder who the girl is. If they were this close why can't he remember her? He might as well ask Hiro, Shuichi thought as he tucked the photo in his pocket.
He was going to check the other pictures when a ball rolled to his feet.
"Huh? Where did this come from?"
"Hello, can I have my ball back?" a young girl said from the door.
Confused, he tossed the ball back to her. "Who are you? It's the first time I see you here. I know my sister is taking care of you, right?"
"Auntie does that sometimes but I'm with mama, they are downstairs."
"By auntie, you mean Maiko my sister. She and your mom must be closer for her to let you call her that."
"Yeah, I've always called her auntie. We came here for lunch but I guess auntie did something wrong."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because they were always like that when something's wrong. They think I don't notice but I do, because I'm smart; as smart as my dad was." She said with pride.
"Let me guess they asked you to go play somewhere," with her nod Shuichi continued, "then why don't I keep you company while they fix whatever is wrong. What do you want to do?"
"Anou, do you know how to play the piano? The one in the music room? I want to try out the piece I found but it was hard. I can play piano real good but mama said I can play it once I reached dad's level. In fact, he composed it."
"I know how to play the keyboard and synthesizer. I can give it a try. Where's the piece?"
"It's in the music room."
"Ok, come on. I like challenges."
"Me too."
They walked hand in hand to the music room. She showed her the music sheet. He studied it for a minute and gave it all he got. The girl is sitting beside him, watching his fingers closely. After he finished the girl glomped onto him.
"Sugoi!! You played it exactly as my dad did."
"That's one challenging piece, but it's good; really good. Where's you're dad maybe he can work for us."
"He's gone. At least that's what mama says whenever I ask about my dad."
"So you never met him?"
"I guess I did, I have bits of memory more like a feeling I have been with him. If I did, I would have been very young. Can you teach me how to play it please? You're the first one to play it well; even my piano teacher can't play it."
"Ok, but first show me what you can do."
"Ok. Let me get the music sheet I used for my last recital." She stood up, retrieved her bag from the table and was going back to the piano when she spotted Maiko by the door. "Auntie, he's going to teach me the piece my dad made. Isn't it cool? Auntie?"
"Yes… maybe some other time. Your mom said you need to go somewhere."
"But I thought…"
Shuichi's phone rang, he answered it. After a minute he hung up, "Ok see you outside."
"Please go, Yukina. Your mom's in the kitchen." Maiko told Yukina.
"Ok," Yukina turned to Shuichi; "Mister promise me you'll teach me ok?" at Shuichi's nod Yukina went out the door.
"Wait," Shuichi handed Yukina a pink rose then after a moment, he gave her another one. "Give this to your mom too." Yukina gave him a questioning look which Shuichi answered, "Everybody gets a rose today." Yukina accepted his answer with a smile then headed off to the kitchen in search of her mom.
"That was impolite of you. They are your guests, they don't need to leave because of me." Shuichi checked his watch. "Let them stay, Yuki will be picking me up anytime soon anyway. I have what I came for. Give my regards to that kid and her mom." Shuichi said as he retrieved his bag before he headed out to the front door. He handed Maiko two more roses, "Give these to mom and dad."
"What about your questions?"
"Oh that? It can wait. I can always come back here. Go entertain your guests, from the smell wafting from the kitchen they are special."
"Yes, one of the dishes is your all-time your favorite. If you want you can stay… meet our guests?"
"Nah, I'll pass. Yuki is on his way to pick me up and he just cooked those for me the other day. He proposed and he said he got the recipe from mom, can you believe that?"
"Yes, I can believe it. I was there. He asked for their blessing and mine."
Shuichi needed to pick his jaw from the ground. "He did that?! He didn't say anything about that; he just said he talked to them, and you I guess.
"Obviously we gave it, if not then mom wouldn't have given her recipe to him. Remember her rule: 'Family members only'?"
"I still can't believe he did that. Now, I love him more than ever. Thanks Maiko."
"For what?"
"For that info and your blessing. Thank mom and dad too." With that Shuichi left, after seeing Yuki's car pull up on the driveway.
--
Monday morning they started early. K-san gave permission for Shuichi to go run a special errand and he can come in late, around noon (or maybe past lunch if they're lucky). They went straight to the registry to see on how they can get married. The woman asked for their full names.
"Uesugi Eiri" Yuki said.
"Shinichi Shuichi" Shuichi said, receiving a questioning look from Yuki.
"Shinichi Shuichi? I thought your last name is Shindou?" Yuki whispered in his ear.
"Yeah, that's what I thought. I just learned about this when we got back home the other day. Remember yesterday, I went to my old house, my parent's house, last saturday? On my birth certificate, Shindou is my middle name. I called mom and she said it's correct naturally I asked about it she just asked me to come by later for her to explain it fully." Shuichi whispered back.
"Ok let me see what we have here." The woman behind the desk said as she checked some files on the computer. After a few minutes she shook he head. "I'm sorry Shinichi-san, I believe you can't marry him."
"Why?!" Both Yuki and Shuichi asked.
"Because it shows here that you're currently married." The woman assisting them explained as she gave Shuichi a disapproving look.
TBC
review is very much appreciated