The Singer's Secret
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So thanks again :D
Disclaimer's on the first page.
Chapter 5 - The Girl From Before
Few days later the boys were preparing for the big event in the afternoon. Their first autograph session. One of the most exciting thing about being famous is having fans. So, a meeting with their supporters is a real rush.
Luffy was nervous, no question about it. If something happens like the other day he wouldn't know what to do. Ok, now, he'd have his brothers nearby, but still. However, he knew it's part of being famous, so he collected every courage he had in him, and headed for the car outside after the three.
The journey there was quiet, the anxiousness and excitement were overflowing in them all. Luffy cornered himself with music listening. If he couldn't sing, then the closest thing to it was listening or writing it, but since his notebook stayed at home, he stayed at the music.
His face took on a blank expression all the way to the gigantic event house, which abruptly changed as he saw how big is that thing. They needed the space, because all of the remaining contestant will be here meeting with their fans as well, but still, it was ridiculously huge. Like a three or four-storey big house and wide as a 50 meters long swimming pool.
The thought that that many people will be here was frightening, and that was true for all of them. Who would've thought that they'll be that popular? They one of the possible winners, with one of the largest fan club the show has ever seen.
The curiosity about them was something else. People always wants what they couldn't have. That logic was true for them. They were mysterious, secretive, didn't give much or for that matter any information about themselves at some topics.
Plus, their music, which somehow always original, and totally the audience's new favourite song. There was always something hiding something deep down in the lyrics, and that made them more frustrated about finding out more secret about them.
And last but not least they were one of the hottest group of the contestants, the girls were screaming their hearts out whenever they stepped out in front of them.
So, like a trilling upbeat, they were waiting for the events to begin, as they walked in and had a seat at their respective table.
Ten minutes till they open the doors. Ten minutes and everything goes crazy. Luffy was scared by this point, he tried to keep up his composure, but failed quite bad.
Sweat formed at the side of his head, his legs were jolting up and down for a fast rhythm and he was fidgeting with his fingers. The three frowned at that, he was still so nervous just meeting one person, so let's not talk about meeting with hundreds of crazy fans.
They were seated next to each other, but with so much hole in between them, that it'd have gone to each had their own table. On the left edges sat Sanji, next to him Luffy, then Zoro and Usopp.
Five minutes till the opening. By now Luffy started humming, because the jittery feeling wasn't fading. Hearing this Zoro had to say something, it's not like he knew how to handle cases like this, he was afraid too -not like he'd admit it out loud- so on earth could he encourage him.
"Hey, Luffy! Just hold on a little, ok? If it gets too bad, we leave immediately." Was all he could say to reassure him. Seemed like it helped a little as his breathing slowed back a bit.
XYZ
After the opening, the crowd flew in, the noise was loud, the mass was almost uncountable as the people always came and went.
Young and old as well crowded the place. After a while the mob of fans overcrowding the space and made them al sweaty and hot, like it was some king of disco. Not like it bothered them, they were having the time of their life with their newfound idols in one place, live and within reach.
One of the girls came with a little more courage than she should have, she was plotting her next move the past two weeks, since they advertised this event.
There was a constant crowed at the One Piece's table. The love and their support were overwhelming, Luffy completely calmed down and enjoyed their incentive for them, their motivating exclamations. Here, he saw that it was totally worth coming here, his fear long gone and just the love remained. But every good has to end sometimes.
The overconfident girl stood patiently at the line for them. She's been waiting for a while, but she was excited, excited by the thought that in a few minutes she's going to be famous all around the world, maybe he even asks her out in the end, then marriage, then she'll be super famous forever. She shrieked quietly by herself at that thought, she was so living in an imaginary world…
So, as soon she got there, she genuinely passed the blonde first. He was cute and all, but she liked the shy, mysterious type better.
She stopped right in front of the raven-haired singer. He smiled at her, completely missing for her grim-intention signs. She acted so quickly that, not even the two next to Luffy know what was happening.
She faster than lightning grabbed his tie and leaned in while pulling him closer to her for a fierce kiss right on the lips. Somewhere not far in the line behind her stood a few of her friends waiting for the moment so they could shoot it.
As she got a hold of his tie everything went in a slow motion. His eyes widened, the ability to move or fight left him right away. The threat took over him, his fear took over his every inch, as the past memories flew through his mind, freezing him on the spot.
Usopp shouted out being the farthest, so powerless, as the green and blond-haired one a second later jumped up to prevent it, but the between their seats restrained them to make it in time.
The act would've been success if a certain orange-haired girl -who was right after the too contingent one- didn't yanked her back right before their lips met.
The whole place went quiet, even on the other station were quiet. Usopp's shout rang across the room attracting everyone's attention.
Luffy frozen where the yanking stopped, stared into nothingness before him, his face paled quite fast, his panic attack kicking in at the worst possible time as the commotion will be the next big news around the world, so he got to get out of there and fast.
Cameras clicked, flashes blinded everyone in the room who wasn't used to that, and the rumour of the day just started to spread and fast.
The three behind the table blinded by the many flashes at once, while Luffy was still standing frozen in time, the fear visible on him. His saviour with orange hair acted fast as she undid the perfect line of their table, grabbed Luffy's hands and dragged him out of there behind her.
Luffy's shock preventing him to process what happened, and even more to oppose against her pull. His mind went black after replaying every single detail about that night in his head.
She quickly hauled him to the closest stage door and pushed him through it, while the crowed started to chase after them, only the security didn't let them closer. His brothers burst through the door not long after.
The room was sound proof, so the chaos from the other side of the door was inaudible. The windows were blocked by a heavy, black curtain, so the only light in the smaller side room was from a weak lamp in the middle of the ceiling.
The girl pushed him in the middle, they had enough problem, no need unnecessary claustrophobia as a by-product from all of this. He was shaking, his was like he saw a ghost as his mind still working on practically nothing, and that could be hurtful.
She put her hands on his upper arms, lifting him a little, after he started collapse by the pressure. It helped him standing straighter, but he was still shaking like a leaf. He was staring in front him the air, his eyes unfocused and crazed. His cheek picked up a dark pink shade, like he had a fever started to act up, but at this point almost anything could happen.
His breathing quick and uneven, similar to chocking, heart rate increased, so by instinct he clutched his chest on top of his heart, she knew if he kept this up he'd pass out real soon, so she had to prevent that.
She raised her right hand from his shoulder and slowly cupped his chin to lift his head from staring at the floor, so he would look at her. His expression was so lost when he finally found her with his eyes. She fished out her most calming tone and started calming him, while her thumb was caressing his cheek.
The three chosen that moment to burst through the door, finally finding him, but this almost knocked him off his feel, so the girl had to straighten him up again ang start the procedure from the beginning, but before them, she quickly looked at them signalling with her gaze that stay quiet, she got this. For some reason the instantly understood what she meant.
She started it again, put her hand back to his cheek, caressing it, while searching out his eyes with hers. First just took deep, even breaths making him insensibly mimic her. His breathing evened out, as her touches relaxed him. then she started easing his thoughts by saying soothing things to him like 'It's going to be okay' or 'Just listen to my voice' and ect.
It went like this for a while, this was by far the worst relapse since the accident. Sanji, Usopp and Zoro was worried like hell, none of them knew how would they managed to calm him down after he was this far gone. They wore quietly watching as she slowly but finally was able to get him back to the point where he noticed his surroundings, as well as them at the back, when his eyes finally registered the girl before him, still didn't stopping her act, not till she was sure he won't go back there.
"He-ey, 'cough' it's you…" He said after a while, his voice hoarse by the hyperventilating, it dried his throat pretty bad, but it was the signal that he finally was himself enough to recognise the situation. Hearing his voice made Usopp immediately jump and run out of the room to get his water from his table.
As he got back, Luffy was looking around, but his eyes landed on the girl before him, who he just realised, was touching him, holding him until he got better, and he was grateful for that, but the thought was still frightening. Usopp handed it to him, a bit hesitantly, the worry radiating of off him, but from the two still at the back as well.
Luffy just nodded, appreciating his effort to get him the water, but surprise appeared on his face, he was looking at her, questionably. But to make it fair, who would've thought that they gonna see each other again, not to mention her savin' again'.
Gaping at her job they had to know who the hell is she really is, for some reason Luffy recongnised her, didn't he?
"So… how do you know each other?"
Luffy looked up at that, while toreing his gaze at her, his million and one question left him, as reality hit in. He started sweating but now for a totally different reason, he was embarrassed.
How could he let something like to happen? Then freak out like some insane psychotic. He always he was better than that, that he was getting better after the incident, and this a huge step back was just humiliating, especially in front of his brothers, now they gonna worry all the time again, and he do not want that!
The girl interrupted their staring contest by answering the group's question.
"The other day, we met accidentally, he bumped into me and had a similar panic attack, not this bad but not nice either." She started and by Luffy's slight glance at her told her, he was grateful for the cut off.
She became braver by his gratitude, and continued on with the story, having everyone's attention in the room. Luffy's tale popped up in their minds, but his lack of memory made it hazy, so maybe she'll tell them about it, how bad was that and the others.
"I realised he was chased by the crown a distance away, and he was just sitting there, looking all messed up already, I couldn't let that happen, so I pulled him up and dragged him away into an end to a close by alleyway, then waited for them to dissipate." Seeing that they still followed she carried on.
"It took a while, but finally they were gone, however as I saw him in that state I had to help, and when finally came back, he thanked then ran off…" she said the end a little annoyed, which made Luffy sheepishly scratch his head, looking down in a newfound embarrassment.
"I know that you Luffy, but al least you could've ask my name, which by the way is Nami, thank you very much!" Nami finished as a smug smile spread across her face.
"I-I... uhm… y'kn'w … just… o-oo... runin' n' stiff, but… I-I'm a-a, just, I'thin-, I DON'T KNOW! "Luffy started rumbling, his newfound embarrassment set his stuttering to a new level, and in the end his mind gave in, shouting his incomprehension.
His outburst surprised them all, that was the last thing he'd do in a situation like this, he was different with this girl, as he collapsed on the ground, sitting cross-legged and armed accompanied by pouting face.
"Okay I sorry, I just didn't know what to do, plus I didn't even know where on earth I was at the moment." He went on, as it seemed sitting down helped him lift a lift from his legs, so his mind cleared with it.
"As an apology, why don't you come over for a dinner to us and maybe we could give you a little concert too, for helping me… apparently twice already…" He made a face at that, but his newfound embarrassment gave him newfound courage, which surprised the three at the back greatly, they eyes almost budging out and they took a step back by incredibility, but wouldn't interfere it for anything
As Luffy looked over at them for acceptance and they just continued their almost comic, matching reactions, by nodding at the same time and carry on even after the two didn't even looked at them.
"Great! So… will you?" Now looking at Nami, waiting for her answer.
"Well, if it's a dinner than of course, I love those." She said and gave a grin at the end.
"Tonight, at 8 pm and here's the address." He took out an old piece of paper, and wrote down the address, then gave it to her. She, still grinning, took the paper, and as their hands touched his mind started clearing. She turned to the others and waved them too.
"Well, then see ya guys later! Bye!" Then she disappeared.
That last sentence repeated in Luffy's mind, his hand still held out as he gave her the paper. His hand started shaking, his eyes widening as his face took on an unnatural expression, then he suddenly shouted out.
"WHAT DID I DO?!" He didn't recognise himself, his brothers didn't recognise him with his sudden outbursts lately. After his shouting he clapped his hand to his mouth, afraid that he'd do more damage than he already did.
"Wfj difn'ft fo sfoffd fe?" Was all they heard from his clapped mouth. This Luffy was funny, not like their Luffy wasn't but this Luffy was more like himself before the incident, and it was moving to see him like that again.
That girl had something to do with it and they wouldn't stop -whatever is really going on here- for anything now.
"Luffy, we don't understand." Said Zoro calmly as he was the first to sober up, but a funny grin still pasted on his face.
"Oh right…" he started like nothing had happened.
"Well, why didn't you stop me? You just agreed to invite a complete stranger to our home? It that really okay?" He tried to express his not liking about this by now, his courage ran low by this point.
"You invited her, you wanted to express your gratitude. I couldn't, we couldn't have stopped that, you know it as well." Luffy was fidgeting with his fingers, understanding their where they were standing, but still.
"Can you continue the meeting here or should we go?" Was the next hard question, and it depended fully on Luffy's well-being, but seeing as he almost collapsed of exhaustion just by sitting on the floor was quite obvious.
"I can't even stand up right now… and if I have to guess, I'mma pass out real soon, s' let's jus' go~." He started but at the end of his sentence, his words started slurring and his body falling to his side.
Zoro dashed there just before his body hit the ground, they managed to get him on Usopp's back as a piggy-back ride to move him, then they all got going to the car outside. After confronting the organisers, they left through the backdoor, the crowd never sighting them again that day.
XYZ
A few hours later Luffy woke up in his bead. It was around seven o'clock in the afternoon. His head was still hazy from the recent nap.
He yawned and tried to rub the sleepiness out of his eyes with the back of his hands. He started thinking what was he doing that day, or how did he end up in his bed, and not soon into his thinking the memories flew right back at him. He froze, he had to know if it really happened, it might be just a bad dream, and he wasn't talking about the tried-to-kiss-him girl right now.
He ran out and was just about to ask, when he realised the others were all preparing, cleaning, Sanji was cooking too many things for a usual Saturday dinner. The table was made up, the floor was vacuum cleaned, things were relatively in their right place, and it gave it away, it wasn't a dream, he really invited a complete stranger and the others were totally into it.
"Wha- are we really going to do this?" Asked Luffy after nobody noticed him, gaping at them in disbelief, like some fish out of water.
"Yes, you invited her… don't you dare disappoint a lady like that, no matter how afraid you are!" It was Sanji's time to throw out the bait. After they got home and Zoro took him into his bed, they all agreed that as soon as Luffy woke up, he'd want to back out if this, so they have to make him, want to do this.
The idea was that Luffy is stubborn as hell, so use it against him. Saying he's scared of a puny little thing like a dinner party with a girl who saved him twice already is opposed Luffy's every little inch, so he would agree.
"I'm not afraid!" He stated just as stubbornly as they expected, plus giving it a little sissy, he was so not scared of a dinner.
"Then don't be an ass and get yourself together, you won't eat my cooking if you won't get ready till she gets here, which in approximately in forty-five minutes." He tried to search some escape opportunity in Usopp or Zoro, but none of them even looked at his way, they were totally ignoring him. Finally giving it up, he stomped away with a pouting face, the three let out they breath they didn't know they were holding.
Luffy keeping up the stubborn act till he closed his door, but as soon as nobody saw him, he leaned on it and slowly slide down against the hard door.
XYZ
It was about ten minutes till eight, the tension grew by the minute. Luffy took a shower, got his favourite fed cardigan which went great with his hat, a white shirt under and black trousers.
His hair messy as ever, he wouldn't try combing it 'cuz it'd just go right back at his formal position, his unruly hair usually looked great to his style so no worries from him, less problem by it.
He was watching himself in the mirror, the time went by just looking at those frightened eyes of his, when he suddenly roused to the sound of the doorbell. It startled him half to death. He was relying on the wall with one hand as the other was squeezing the skin above his heart, the bell almost gave him a heart attack. He took deep breaths, he couldn't be that pathetic to be scared of a friggin' doorbell if someone's coming.
He started quietly humming one of his songs to calm his nerves as he closed his eyes, clutched his straw hat on his head and with one last courage bomb to himself, he rushed out of the door, before he'd change his mind.
The others welcomed Nami, invited in, seated in the big dining table and started small talking. Sanji excused for Luffy's being late, but they all know, he was frustrated by this, thus everything that happened today, maybe they shouldn't have to force him into it.
But as that thought went on in his mind, Luffy dashed out of the bathroom, and halted at the end of the corridor which connected their four bedrooms with the living room where they had the huge dining table. His boldness faded as he stood there, the awkward silence didn't help either.
The four at the table just waited what his next move will be, by the previous experience, he became quite unpredictable if she was around, but funny as hell, so they wouldn't step in.
"I-… aaa… hi…?!" Luffy tried, which was only half-assessed for the first try.
"HI!" His second time ended with shouting, and a face-palm on himself of himself. He couldn't believe he was that pathetic… When finally, his senses came back to say how to do things normally, his embarrassment grew that he couldn't look up for the third try, just saying his 'Hi.' with his hand at the place where slapped himself.
The brothers tried to not choke on their repressed laughter, if was final, the funniest thing ever was that kind of embarrassed Luffy for sure. Nami just looked at him, amusement on her face, as a little smile appeared at the sight of him and of course the pre-show he just gave.
With still hand on his face, Luffy walked to the table and sat at the last spot he saw before he gave up on his sight for a while. As he came back, there was a noticeable blush spread across his cheek where his hand didn't hide it.
Noticing his lack of further talk, she tried to ease the mood by talking about herself, just little information only, like how did she know how to maintain the panic attack, that her sister had similar problems after their mother's death, and that her favourite fruit was mandarin and stuff. As she spoke, the boys sometimes butted in saying their own opinion about the topic. There was a lighter mood now, even Luffy started to ease up more-and-more.
The dinner went by like that. She got to know more about them, like that their every song was written by Luffy, and that every one of them a reflect of his mind, of his soul of some sort. They became friend with her real soon, they even changed phone number for furthermore plans. It was time for her to go, but before that, she really wanted to hear at least one song, it was like her own concert as they went to the garage and got in their places. He was seated in front of them on the couch in the garage.
Luffy closed his eyes, it won't be a big concert, but he took every performance with seriousness. He took a few deep breaths before nodding the others behind him the starting sing. (An:. They'll play: Thousand Foor Kruch - The End Is Where We Begin)
I'm an alien
Cuz I'm not of this world
I have a name
but I've been changed, and now I can't stay the same
and I'm a loser if that means I've been lost before
but now I found it, I'm surrounded
Cuz you can hear the way it sounded
Like angels singing with a million voices
The end is where we begin
It's crawling back when
We run away, run away
cuz the end is where we begin
Where broken hearts mend
and start to beat again
The end is where we begin
I'm a monster if that means I'm misunderstood
Cuz its alive and I can't hide it
The energy is rising
and I'm a traitor if that means I've turned on myself
I can't deny it, it's like a riot
and I can't keep it quiet
Like angels singing with a million voices
The end is where we begin
It's crawling back when
We run away, run away
Cuz the end is where we begin
Where broken hearts mend
and start to beat again
The end is where we begin
Hear me running
Hear me running, running
Hear me running, hear me running, ra-running
Hear me running, hear me
The end is where we begin
It's crawling back when
We run away, run away
Cuz the end is where we begin
Where broken hearts mend
and start to beat again
The end is where we begin
It's crawling back when
We run away, run away
Cuz the end is where we begin
Where broken hearts mend
and start to beat again
The end is where we begin
When they were playing, they were completely different from their former selves, it's especially true for Luffy. He's radiating off emotions, and almost a complete opposite off the Luffy he shows himself in front of you, it's really strange, but now as she knew more about them, about him, she saw there was that little thing behind his words, and now she knew they were his, his own, and it changed so many thing, so many prejudice she had of him before.
They told her about the songs and Luffy on one condition, if she won't tell it to anyone, they trusted her too much for their good. The night ends with their invite her to the show's next live performance, to cheer them on and all.
Luffy and the others were a true mystery and she got to know more, her journalist-self started to break free, and she just couldn't contain herself. She just need to bring to light more secrets about them, but for the first time in her whole life, it wasn't just for work, it was to know them more.
To Be Continued...
So here we are, another chapter's done!
See ya next time~