At first the man she'd spoken of looked only confused, but then recognition dawned on his face.
"Hitomi-chan? Is that you?" Hitomi smiled widely and pulled from Misa's grasp.
"Do I look that different?" The three guys quickly gathered around her and started questioning her.
"When did you get back from America?"
"You're all grown up, Hitomi-chan! How tall are you now?"
"So are you a famous American singer yet?" She sheepishly answered those questions and more, but hesitated when one asked, "Hitomi-chan, I didn't know you were from Nikko. How long have you been friends with Misa Misa?"
"Ah, you see, Endo-kun, I never talked about my family being from Nikko... because I didn't want you to think I was some kind of hick." She laughed lightly, hoping her lies sounded more convincing to everyone else than they did to her. "I haven't seen Misa-chan in years, and she offered to let me stay with her while I was in town." They seemed to buy it, and Hitomi moved on.
"So how have you three been?"
"Not as good without you Hitomi-chan," Matsuyama replied, "Outside of school, we're mostly just doing back up instrumentals for singers like Misa Misa now. And when we do have our own shows, I'm stuck singing-"
"And we all know what a tragedy that is," Yanagimoto cut in sarcastically. They laughed and continued on for a few minutes until Matsuda interrupted.
"Uh, excuse me, but Misa Misa insists that we get to work now, so..." Hitomi turned from the other the males and grabbed onto Matsuda's arm.
"Of course, Mastu, I'm sorry for holding all of you up, I'm absolutely ashamed. By all means, let's go, I want to see what Misa-chan is like in a real recording studio!" The six of them shared an elevator, Hitomi now sticking to conversing with Matsuda as Misa had grabbed the attention of the other three.
"So how do you know them, Hitomi-chan?" he asked as they filed out on the fifteenth floor and walked at the end of their group.
"Oh, they lived near my parents and I before we moved to New York. What are the odds that I'd meet up with them accidentally?" She laughed. They were shortly in a large studio, Hitomi and Matsuda sitting in the back as the afternoon's work began for Misa. As Hitomi's thoughts strayed to the fact that Misa wasn't a half bad singer, L's voice through the earpiece snapped her attention back to the noise she'd almost completely toned out.
"Hitomi-chan is hiding something." L's voice was muffled, no doubt his mouth was full of cake or something, but it was matter of fact nonetheless. "Please let us in on your secret, Hitomi-chan." She kept her voice low, at first unsure what he was referring to now.
"Secret?"
"You seemed very close with Misa's backup band. In eighty five percent of cases, people in Japan are not close friends with their neighbors. Combined with the fact that the three of them know about your wish to become a singer, and the fact that they themselves are in the music industry, this leads me to believe that you have not told us something. Either you were attempting to make a name in music before moving out of Japan, or you did." She swallowed hard, a blush rising in her cheeks as he continued.
"Your reaction both now and when Matsuda asked you about your relationship with them confirm my suspicions." Now Matsuda spoke in a small voice, eager to agree with L, as if it was a matter of life and death.
"I did think it was a bit strange you knew those three... what is your secret, Hitomi-chan?"
"It's n-not so much a secret as-" But she realized putting it off like this was only hurting her reputation with the case. After all, Yagami-san, Watari-san, Raito and L already knew she'd kept a secret from them before, if she tried to hide another there would be no doubt about her suspicious nature.
"As what, Hitomi-chan?" Raito asked.
"As... well, a matter of almost ancient history. Mastuda-san made a lucky guess in the car, he was just a bit off. When I was in middle school, I was in a band with Endo, Yanagimoto and Matsuyama. In high school we started getting popular and changed our name to Naitomeru, Nightmare in English. My nickname as the uh, lead singer up until my parents moved to America was..." she paused and cleared her throat uncomfortably, "... Usagi-chan." Matsuda looked as if he would burst with excitement.
"Hitomi-chan is Usagi-chan? So cool!" Hitomi cringed, dreading the swarm of questions that were bound to come now.
"So, you were a visual kei star?" Raito asked. "I thought you wanted to be a pop idol as a kid."
"I wanted to sing, and my father didn't approve of the less than virtuous appearance of a lot of pop stars. I always liked rock music more anyway, so when I heard that three of our neighbors were going to start a band, of course I asked to join them. And we weren't exactly stars, Raito-kun, we just made a few singles, that's all."
"Apparently you had enough of a following to get on the radio four years later," Ide mumbled, his first words of the day.
"Can you prove it? Anyone can say they used to be in a band, and Matsuda may vouch for your voice sounding like this Usagi, but he could be biased by his... overzealous fandom." L's voice was still muffled, and Hitomi struggled not to sigh in frustration before replying.
"I assume you're already looking us up on the internet, Ryuzaki-san?" His silence assured her. "I should tell you, I never posted anything with my real name. It was a ploy we were trying, to seem mysterious. We only went by our, um, stage names. Short of pictures, I'm not sure the internet will provide you with any of the proof you're looking for."
"I see," L's voice mumbled. She could just see him in her mind's eye, crouched in his chair with his thumb almost in his mouth, his eyebrows come together in that look of utter concentration. Her thoughts continued along their own... less than virtuous path until Matsuda touched her shoulder.
"Uh... Hitomi-chan-" She blinked, back instantly.
"What?"
"Ryuzaki asked you a question, and you were kind of spaced out."
"Oh. What is it, Ryuzaki-san?" But L didn't get to repeat himself, as Misa's voice rang out across the studio.
"Hitomi-chaaaaaan! Why don't you come in here and sing for us?" Hitomi stood and moved to the glass separation.
"I don't know, Misa-chan. Shouldn't you focus on your work?" Misa waved her hand, dismissing the claim.
"Misa Misa has plenty of time for that! Besides, your friends were talking about how you used to sing in their band, and now I want to hear you!" Hitomi was ready to turn her down again when a thought hit her.
"Just a second, Misa-chan." Hitomi moved back to Matsuda's side and spoke to L. "If I go in there and sing, could you hear it well enough to compare to the actual tracks?"
"Yes, that should be sufficient."
"You know, I do think that this is a bit excessive. Shouldn't we all be concentrating on our real work, more so than my extracurricular activities as a child?" This time Matsuda actually spoke up before L or Raito had a chance.
"Well, Hitomi-chan, this kind of helps us with the case. I always thought that if you're stuck on something, then letting your mind take a little break can help you get some... uh, clarity, on everything." She blinked a few times at Matsuda's insight, then spoke again to L.
"All right, but promise me you won't all treat me like... like Misa." She heard someone choke back a laugh at that, and turned, heading into the booth. They others were already checking their guitars, but Matsuyama turned to Hitomi and asked,
"So do you actually remember any songs?" She grinned.
"How could I forget them?"
"So you should be able to catch on to whatever song we play then? Let's give it a try!" Hitomi's heart leapt up into her throat as they counted off and started playing, seeing Matsuda and Misa standing just on the other side of the glass, both looking more than a little excited. Closing her eyes as the guitar played and steadying herself with one hand on the microphone stand, she took a deep breath and let it out silently. With her first words, she opened her eyes, watching her own refection in the glass to distract herself from how soft and foreign her voice sounded after so long away from the song.
Needles are piercing through my skin
I'll tell you the feeling, what it's like
If life is just all about deception
It's all pain, a part of the fairy tale
But desire to play with God's own will
Should I trade the breath of my life for freedom?
(In the rain) I'm calling you, dear
(Find the way) Can't you see me standing right here?
(Feel my pain) Life's bleeding from fear
(Find its place) I will give it straight from my vein
Hitomi glanced over at Matsuyama, who had a concerned look on his face as he played. She flashed him an unsure smile, and he mouthed the word 'louder' to her before returning it. A playful wink relieved some of her nerves, and she turned back to the microphone in time to continue.
"Don't you ever let life pass you by"
They say as if it takes me somewhere
Just let me swallow the faith by injection
Let blood be rushing to my head, my love
I've played with this game before
To find a piece of my true self, I'm lost within!
(In the rain) I'm calling you, dear
(Find the way) Can't you see me standing right here?
(Feel my pain) Life's bleeding from fear
(Find its place) I will give it straight from my vein
I.V. in my vein to feel less its pain
Can you strip away the mystery of the world?
I'll let it suffer for its lie
'Till the shape of the shadows fades
'Till forever fades away
I'm calling you, dear.
Can't you see me standing right here?
Life's bleeding from fear.
I will give it straight from my vein.
(In the rain) I'm calling you, dear
(Find the way) Can't you see me standing right here?
(Feel my pain) Life's bleeding from fear
(Find its place) I will give it straight from my vein
Hitomi's eyes were still focused on the glass, watching with as much amazement as Matsuda and Misa how quickly and naturally she'd slipped back into her old self. If not for the obvious physical changes in the last four years, she could have almost sworn she was fifteen again. When Yanagimoto slapped her on the back and said something she didn't quite hear, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and turned away from the booth.
"That was great, Hitomi-chan!"
"You haven't changed a bit!"
"Well, that's not true," Matsuyama said. "Hitomi-chan has gotten better." He looked over to her. "Your voice has matured, Hitomi-chan. It sounds beautiful. You've taken the anger you had and used it... but you sound sadder. Tell me, has something happened to cause you to travel alone, instead of coming to visit with your parents?" Surprised by his guess, she felt her face redden a little with emotion, and she hung her head.
"Well, it has nothing with my visit, I'm here for reasons of my own, but my mother has been hospitalized."
"Hospitalized? Why?" Endo asked.
"She has what the doctors call severe clinical depression. She ah... tried to commit suicide after my father... died." After this she was blasted by condolences and hugs for the next few minutes, until she somehow found herself back in her seat next to Matsuda with a bottled green tea in her hand.
"Wow, Usagi-chan, that was so cool!" Her blush was renewed.
"Please don't call me that, Matsu, you know my real name."
"Right. Sorry, Hitomi-chan. Hey, are you really going to sing at their show tonight?" She looked at him dumbly for a moment.
"Did I agree to?"
"Yes, you did. Not a wise choice without consulting me first, Usagi-chan." Hitomi jumped, having forgotten L's presence in her ear.
"Well, Ryuzaki, it's not like she can not show up now. They're her friends, it'll seem suspicious," Raito commented. There was a tense moment of silence, then L sighed.
"She'll need supervision. Matsuda, you'll have to go with her. Keep the glasses on, I'll want to see everything." Matsuda looked about ready to blow a gasket from the thought of going to a concert for his favorite band, and Hitomi had to struggle not not laugh at the look on his face.
"What'll I tell them though?" He asked, shoving the glasses further up his nose. "I'm not her manager too."
"Don't worry, Matsu, tell them we're on a date if they ask." His face grew even redder as this proposition, and Hitomi was unable to hide her smile any more.
"I think I should go too, Ryuzaki," Raito proposed. "You yourself said earlier that Matsuda's love for Naitomeru could get in the way of work. If I went with them, I could make sure he stays focused, and both Matsuda and you could keep an eye on both Hitomi and me."
The rest of the afternoon at the studio was quiet, save Misa's singing, and upon their return to headquarters Raito was virtually dragged upstairs by Misa. Hitomi kept her eyes diverted from the screens of their apartment as a precaution, but she did glance over long enough to notice that L wasn't in at his usual post. Barely sparing a thought to what he'd disappeared for this time, she was soon distracted by Matsuda following her like an excited puppy. He was unable to speak of anything besides Usagi-chan, the band, the concert later that night, and so on, until something hit him in the elevator as the pair headed upstairs.
"Hitomi-chan, you said it would be a date... won't that upset your boyfriend?"
"What makes you think I have a boyfriend, Matsuda-kun?"
"Well, you must, right? I mean, your going to college, in New York, no less... and everyone knows how forward American guys are... plus it goes without saying that you're beautiful, and you're not involved with either Raito-kun or Ryuzaki..." She laughed, putting one hand to her mouth to muffle the sound somewhat. When Matsuda looked over, a little hurt by her reaction, she replied,
"I'm sorry for laughing, Mastu. It's just... you're flirting like that, and you forgot that everyone downstairs can hear you, didn't you?" He blushed, making Hitomi laugh again, and she continued, "Besides, Raito isn't completely irresistible, we're just friends. And thank you for the compliments." Hit eyes widened.
"You mean you don't have a boyfriend in America? Not at all?"
"Don't look so surprised, you'll embarrass me. Of course there's no one... no one important at least. That's why I thought it would be okay to ask you, Matsu." She smiled gently, stepping out the doors as they slid open on her floor. "I have to freshen up before we go, but it might be a little scandalous for you to stay up here with me. I'll be down in just a little bit, okay?" Matsuda started to speak, but she beat him to it. "And don't worry, Ryuzaki has the whole place on camera. Bye now!" She waved as the doors slid shut. But no sooner had Matsuda disappeared than a new voice startled her from the kitchen.
A/N: The credit for the song goes to Japan X, the song's name is I.V. what else... usagi=rabbit, in the process of writing more now that it's winter break and I've lost my job...but more and more ideas for new stories keep flooding my head... look for more soon, and more of my other stories too, the bleeding effect and red tide.