Roadshow
Chapter 6:
I Need You Tonight
Tsumugi Kotobuki blinked. She was in the lounge and saw her friends turned to stone from watching Timpani and Blumiere have sex for the umpteenth time minutes earlier, save for Nodoka, who returned to the control room. Mugi took a deep breath. "Hey everybody, we have to get back to recording, you guys; we only have 10 minutes!"
Mio Akiyama woke up. "Damn, what just happened?"
"I don't know," Ritsu Tainaka said, "but it sure looked wild to me."
"My first taste of lemon in a while," Yui Hirasawa whispered. "And it felt good on my lips."
"Sempai, quit exaggerating," Azusa Nakano deadpanned. "That was so wrong."
"I'm glad I'm still alive after fapping my life away," Jun Suzuki grunted. "I think I popped my own cherry."
"You're fine, Jun-chan," Ui Hirasawa added. "You're fine."
"So, fellas, let's head back to the room, shall we?" Ritsu said, marching in goosestep fashion to the main room. Ui and Jun rejoined Nodoka inside the control room.
"Oh, my Yamaha Hipgig," Ritsu squealed, giving her tom-toms a shine. "My pride and my joy, complete with the finest Zildjians money can buy."
"Hey, isn't that the lecherous couple inside the control room, Ricchan?" Yui asked, pointing to Blumiere and Timpani, who cleaned themselves up from the hoity-toity mess a while ago.
"You're right, Yui, it's them. Well detected, Private Hirasawa."
"Everyone, these two apologized for their behavior in front of you, and they wanted to her one song from our recording," Sawako Yamanaka said.
"We want to hear your music, so do entertain us," Blumiere said, clapping his hands.
"Please proceed," Timpani added.
"Let's go ahead and do 'Samidare 20 Love'," said Mio. "This time, I will have Jun play on her bass."
"I see, we're going to have a cameo," Ritsu smirked, twirling one of her sticks. "Send her down here."
"You brought your bass with you, right?" Sawako asked her.
"I have it here with me," Jun said, pointing to the case.
"Marvelous. Go ahead and get set."
Jun broke out her Yamaha Sbv500 and plugged it in to one of the amplifiers in the main room. This allowed Mio to take lead vocals. "You know how to do my part, right?" Mio asked her.
"Practiced it," she said.
"Okay, let's see how you do. Ritsu!"
She counted down. "One, two, three!" Jun played the lead-in riff in the same manner as Mio, but added a few special licks here and there to add some style. Ui watched as Mio let her emotions out, her vulnerability and longing for love reaching its high as the layered guitars, the keyboards and their soothing overlay, and the rhythm of Ritsu drumming were at work. One unit. Flying through the heavens at supersonic speed.
"Fantastic showing," Blumiere said. "I enjoyed watching you ladies play."
"Thank you, thank you," the band said.
"We're going to go ahead and take our leave," said Timpani. "It's been a pleasure talking with you."
"We hope to see you at our show on Friday," Yui replied.
"We'll be in the suites! Cheers, ay!"
"There goes one happy couple," Tsumugi said to the girls as Blumiere and Timpani headed for the exits, holding each other's hand. Jun carried her bass back to the control room, where she zipped it up. She would remain there for the rest of the recording.
"Too happy," Azusa deadpanned. "If I were to give it a flavor for their relationship, it's straight-out lemon."
Yui quickly scarfed down a bottle of water. "We have room for three more songs before we're done recording. Let's go ahead and do 'Genius,' yeah?"
"I love this song," Ritsu said. "The cadence and backbeat is perfect. And it sounds so American, like you're driving on a highway."
"Precisely. I composed the music so that it would fit this type of feeling. Eheheheheheh."
"Good job with the composition, Yui," Mio said.
"Shall we proceed?" Mugi asked them.
Azusa punched the air. "It's Genius time!"
Ritsu counted down. "One, two, three, four!" Azusa's chords gave way to Yui's lead-in and Ritsu inviting the others to join in. Then Yui's lead vocals, mixed with the background vocals of the others, finished it off.
They may have not realized this, but the casino was playing their music over the loudspeakers. It seemed like the locals were very receptive to their songs. The denizens at the craps tables were snapping their fingers, the women handing out cocktails were shaking their moneymakers, and the old men at the slots were nodding side to side.
"How's that, Sawa-chan?" Ritsu asked Sawako.
"Typical HTT," she said, looking at her schedule of events remaining for the day. "Smooth, sweet sounds, without compromise or worry."
"What, we worry? We got it all under control."
"That's right, Sawa-chan," Yui said. "Captain Ricchan here has all the fine details for your personal dissemination."
"Personal what?" Sawako asked, an eyebrow raised. "Never mind."
"Anyone up for a little 'No, Thank You!'?" Mio asked.
"Up for it," Ritsu said.
"This song makes Mio-chan everyone's waifu," Yui said.
She wagged an index in her face. "No, no, no, Yui. Mio is MAI waifu. I thought you should already know that."
"Ehhhh?"
"I love this song," Tsumugi said.
Azusa snapped her fingers. "Anytime you're ready, Mugi-sempai, let's do it!"
"Okay." A few presses of the keys led to Yui driving the others into the number. Once again, Mio was on lead vocals. Sawako looked at her watch. 10:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. They were still on schedule to make Shibuya for lunch without any delays. Jun was bored and decided to close her eyes and let the music talk to her. Ui looked on, smiling as Nodoka spent some time reading a travel version of some exam study notes.
"One more number, and we are calling this a recording and we are heading out to lunch," Miss Sawako said, her stomach grumbling. "Sounds like a plan?"
"Yeah!"
"For this number, I want you to do a cover of a song that you like."
"Can we do 'City With No Children'?" Tsumugi asked, placing her hands together.
"Arcade Fire?" Mio asked her. "From that album 'The Suburbs', right?"
"Mmm-hmmmm."
"I got that album on my iPod," Azusa said to her. "I think we can play it."
"That's also my favorite song," Yui said, "although I also like 'We Used To Wait.'"
"Should be playable. But we're going to be going cold-turkey on this, so if we're a bit rusty, we understand. Ready? One, two, three!" A few strikes of the tom-toms, and Mugi's airy keyboarding meshed with Yui and Azusa's progressions. Tsumugi was on lead vocals. For someone who didn't speak English as a primary tongue, Mugi sang as if she was an American-born citizen.
"The summer that I broke my arm
I waited for your letter
I have no feeling for you now
Now that I know you better
I wish that I could have loved you then
Before our age was through
And before a world war does with us
Whatever it will do
I dreamt I drove home to Houston
On a highway that was underground
There was no light that we could see
As we listened to the sound of the engine failing
I feel like I've been living in
A city with no children in it
A garden left for ruin
By a millionaire inside of a private prison
You never trust a millionaire
Quoting th sermon on the mount
I used to think I was not like them
But I'm beginning to have my doubts
My doubts about it
When you're hiding underground
The rain can't get you wet
But do you think your righteousness
Could pay the interest on your debt?
I have my doubts about it
I feel like I've been living in
A city with no children in it
A garden left for ruin
By a millionaire inside of a private prison
I feel like I've been living in
A city with no children in it
A garden left for ruin by and by
As I hide inside of my private prison."
"So," Miss Sawako asked the girls. "Who's up for lunch?"
"Me, me, me!" the girls exclaimed.
"I'll have the staff move your instruments back to the SkyVilla."
"Miss, we got it all under control," said one of the mixers, motioning the staff to move the instruments back to their cases before moving them on carts to the SkyVilla.
"Now I know you girls have been hungry for some of the good stuff back home so we are going to a Japanese restaurant. You were talking about that place called Shibuya, right Mugi-chan?"
"Yes, Miss Sawako?"
"We're going there. Let's head over to the bus, it's waiting outside."
"All right! My stomach has been growling like a lion," Ritsu said as Sawako handed copies of the recording to the two local radio DJs interested in playing their songs. The last copy she had with her would, as promised, be kept in the school archives. So she placed that in her handbag.
"Has it been growling, Ricchan?" Yui asked. "I haven't been hearing it growl. I've only heard it meow like Azunyan."
"Sempai, quit teasing me!"
"You're such an adorable little baby," she replied, giving Azunyan a peck on the cheek.
"Mou!"
"At long last, something we have always been used to," Mio sighed as they left the studio and made their way for the exit.
"Had fun with the recording?" Jerry asked the girls as they got on board.
"I've never seen so much awesome equipment in my life," Yui said.
"The control room was huge!" Jun exclaimed.
"Overwhelming, even," Nodoka noted.
"But we had so much fun inside the studio," Azusa said.
Mio took the experience in perspective. "I think this is what we're going to have to get used to when we head out there, you know? When we do go on tour and we are recording artists...we're going to have to record in studios on a frequent basis."
"Did you realize how hot it was outside?" Ui asked the others. "It's a literal dry heat." On the bus's radio, "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry was playing.
"Why is it that we are seeing people taking photos of us along the route?" Ritsu asked the others, stretching her arms. Lines of fans were taking photos of the bus. "And Yui, why are you waving at them?"
"Why not, Ricchan?" she asked. "Isn't it fun?"
"But there's too many of them!"
"We're rock stars, Ricchan. You have to accept your fate," Tsumugi said sympathetically.
Ritsu stomach began to growl. "Damn. I am really, really hungry. Hey Mr. Jerry, how much longer before we get to the restaurant?"
"We'll be there in 10 minutes," he said.
She slumped over, sighing. "I want to die."
"Quit being overdramatic, you," Mio groaned, petting her ladyfriend's head.
Ritsu purred. "This heat makes me want to die, Mio."
"So now we have two cats inside this HTT party bus," Tsumugi said. "Uh, Mr. Jerry, can you play some techno music."
"Sure can, Miss." A tweak of the knob, and the station was playing some electronica."
"I didn't know that you liked techno music," Azusa asked Tsumugi as the bus continued along its way.
"Inside my library of records, aside from classical and popular mainstream J-Pop, I have an ever-expanding collection of techno, eurobeat, happy hardcore and house records. This song I already have: it's DJ HassanReal's 'Sniper Alley'."
"Oh."
"This can get repetitive, seeing all these people outside taking photos of us," Jun said.
"Is that what they call 'paparazzi'?" Yui asked.
"Onee-chan, paparazzi shoot people of celebrities in secret," Ui said.
"Ehhhh? So if I sneak a camera in your bedroom and you are napping in your panties and I take a photo, would that count?"
"Yes, that is one way of putting it." Ui blushed, smiling. She wondered if Yui would ever do something like that.
"What are you planning to pull on your sister?" Ritsu asked suspiciously.
"Ricchan, have you ever been shot by these people called 'paparazzi'?"
"Don't know. If I was, I wouldn't know for sure until I see my face in the tabloids."
"I thought that was the name of a Lady Gaga song."
"Good heavens, where has your dirty little mind gone to, Missy?"
"My own corner. In the shade."
"Agggh!" Ritsu hid her face between Mio's cleavage again. "Save me, Mio! Yui is...Yui is..!"
"All right, Yui, that's enough," Mio groaned.
"Eh, I did it again."
"Yui, you're just like a kid," Nodoka said. "You say the darndest things."
"But don't kids say the darndest things because their minds are not developed to answer questions correctly and big-shot TV personalities capitalize on this inability with gusto?" Azusa asked the others.
"You're good at breaking fourth walls," Sawako said. "You deserve a medal." Tsumugi handed her a half-dollar.
"What's this?" Azusa asked.
"A half-dollar," Mugi replied with a giggle.
"How much is it worth?"
"Fifty cents."
"That's it? I thought this was going to be more."
"According to the exchange calculator," Nodoka said, "a half-dollar is equal to just over 40 yen."
"If there was a cheap sweets shop on the Strip, we'd all be going," Tsumugi said.
"We have one where we live," Ritsu said, "but I don't think they have any on the Strip. Too expensive."
"We got plenty of cash, Ricchan," she said, waving her wad.
"Put that away."
"Hey Ui, can you slap me with your cash?" Yui asked.
"W...why?"
"Just do it."
"Okay." Grabbing her wad of bills, she slapped Yui hard in the face with it.
"Ohhhh U~~~~i~~~~!" That caused a rush of hormones to reverberate around Yui, and Ui realized that her lips were locked by her sister. As she put the money away, the two of them we hugging and kissing for a bit.
"So what I'm getting is that it takes a cash slap by the younger sister to trigger a kiss of affection by the older sister?" Mio observed, scratching her head. "If that isn't one of the weirdest forms of wincest I have ever encountered, I don't know what is."
Azusa raised an eyebrow. "Sempai..."
"Oh god, head feeling light, head feeling light, feeling now warm and fuzzy," Jun squeaked, a trickle of blood coming down her nose.
"Here you go," Tsumugi said, offering Jun some tissues. Her nostrils were also plugged.
"Ah, saved by the rich girl."
"It must be really dry outside, huh?" Ritsu determined, laughing bitterly. "Right? Ow!" Another headbump.
"You know Ui, cash slaps from you turn me on so much," Yui whispered to her, placing a finger on her quivering lips.
"Onee-chan...I..."
"Don't say anything more."
"Onee..." And the kiss continued as the sisters ran their fingers through each other's hair.
"Maybe I should cash-slap Yui-sempai before we're about to sleep," Azusa said to herself, realizing that she had lost the game in emphatic fashion.
Mio sighed and looked at the skyline of the Strip. "This is where America comes to play, huh? It doesn't take very long to be desensitized to all this, I would imagine."
"If you're here long enough," said Jerry, "the city devolves into a regular American town in a hurry. You get to see how everything is done behind the scenes, and nothing surprises you. That, I think, is the real Las Vegas. A medium-sized American town with the capability to entertain and attract the world."
Mio took stock in what Mr. Takeda was saying as the bus made its way to Shibuya, a Japanese restaurant on the Strip. This was located inside the MGM Grand Hotel.
"Welcome to Shibuya," said one of the waiters at the entrance. "Did you reserve a table for a special lunch today?"
"Sawako, table for nine," she said.
"Yamanaka, correct?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Follow me."
"Let's go, girls."
"Wow, look at the decor," Yui said. "It does look pretty nice."
"Isn't it, sempai?" Azusa asked.
"By the way, I don't see anyone else inside the restaurant," Nodoka said. "The lights and music are on, but there isn't anyone else."
"Generally, this restaurant opens in the late afternoon," Sawako said as they took their seats by a teppanyaki table in the center of the restaurant.
"Late afternoon?" Mio asked her.
"Yes. It's generally a dinner-only restaurant. I called the staff and asked them to cook a special set meal for us because of our status. Also, this reduces the possibility of paparazzi taking photos while we eat. The escorts are guarding the door."
"I see what you did there, Sawa-chan," Ritsu said, grinning. "Do we have the menu?"
"Yes, and actually, since we are a group of nine, the restaurant was kind enough to give us the Ladies Night Out version of the menu without the cocktails, since you all are under 21. There's plenty of sushi and sashimi to be had."
"Is there rice?" Yui asked, ears perked.
"Yes, there is rice. And I've asked them to place slices of takuan on the bowls."
"Holy cow, are you serious? My dream...to taste Mugi's eyebrows! It's coming true?"
"What?" Tsumugi blinked.
"Did you know that your eyebrows resemble takuan, Mugi-chan?"
"Oh, that? Yeah, I know! Weird, no?"
One of the waiters brought plates of sashimi, salad and other tidbits to the band.
"Itadakimasu!" they all said.
"What's this?" Ui asked, looking at one of the pieces of sashimi.
"Kanpachi," Sawako said. "Made with black truffle oil and yuzu. Try it."
Ui took a bite. "Whoa, this is good."
"Delicious!" Yui said, her face melting with contentment. "Ui, is this heaven? Are we home again?"
"Not really, onee-chan, but I am glad to see that look on your face."
"U~~~~i~~~~..." The younger sister giggled.
"I love the tuna tartare in this one," Tsumugi said before nibbling some kani salad, which was made with three types of crab, cucumber, nori and lotus.
"I think I got some ideas as to what I want to cook when I head home," Ritsu said.
"Well, I'm done with my plate," Jun said. "What's next?"
"You sure are quick," Nodoka added.
"Jun, slow down," Azusa said with a frown.
Another of the runners brought the band some bowls of soup. "Ladies, this is the restaurants tendon udon," Sawako said. "This is made with Kobe short ribs and foie gras."
"Foie gras?" the others asked, shocked.
"Holy cow, are you serious?" Mio asked. "My weight..."
"Don't worry, we're going to Mount Charleston later today to burn all of this off."
"Yummy," Tsumugi said. "This is pretty rich. Actually, this is quite similar to what is served at home."
They all turned to her as if to say, "As if we wouldn't expect anything less..."
"I don't like to rush anything like this," Tsumugi went on to say as the others continued to work on their udon. "My parents always told me to savor all the ingredients in your dish as you go. Think about all the work these chefs put in to making these creations...ah?" She realized that just about everyone else finished their soup. "And they also told me that if that doesn't work, just go the way of the common folk and treat it like lunch." Mugi quickly downed her udon.
"Now for the heavy portions." Sawako snapped her fingers, and the runners brought some lobster and scallop with uni butter sauce as well as some short ribs with foie gras.
"More foie gras?" Mio asked, blinking.
"Ooooh!" Yui was enthused as the nine of them dined on the surf and turf on display.
"What you are eating today are the restaurant's signature dishes, the best on the house," Sawako said. "Oh, and here come the rice bowls, complete with your favorite, Yui-chan."
"Whoa!" Just as promised, there was the takuan on top of the beds. "Oh man, this is like Christmas, New Year's and my birthday all sushi-rolled into one!"
"And speaking of rolls," Sawako said as the waiter brought a large plate, "here is a selection of all the rolls, nigiri and sashimi available. Try to share this, you guys; there's enough for everyone." She saw the girls fighting over who got what, grabbing the pieces with their chopsticks. "Do you girls even know your manners. STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING!"
They all turned to her. Sawako grabbed the plate of sushi. "I will go to each and every one of you. Take one. I will go around again and again until there is no more left. Okay."
"Yes, ma'am," they said, hanging their heads.
"Thank you. You guys can't be giving me a hard time; I'm going to have to reel you in for the rest of the week."
"Boy, Yui, you are so lucky," Ritsu said. "You got the Hanabi Roll."
"It's a bit sour, though," she replied. "I don't like ponzu, but they put it in anyway. Otherwise it's not bad."
Mio was munching on a Shibuya roll. "I think this sushi is going to be the fuel we need to get up the mountain."
"You can't fight a war, let alone win one, if you're hungry, Mio-sempai," Azusa said.
"No, you can't." Instead of cocktails, the band was drinking some barley tea, since it was hot outside.
"Now, I asked the chefs to bring every dessert available so that you can try it," Sawako explained to them. "I know how much you enjoy dessert, so I asked them to send in the house. Here it comes."
"Oh my God," Mio said as she saw the waiters bring some green tea cake, mango sashimi, kinaco tiramisu, chocolate lychee cake, some calpico pannacotta, crème brulee, and every form of mochi ice cream available.
"This dessert is so delicious, I feel like I have wings to fly!" Yui squealed.
"It's all right, Yui-sempai," Azusa whispered.
"Scrumptious," Jun said. "This is too awesome."
"Very good selection of food," Nodoka remarked.
"Good stuff, no? The calpico pannacotta is out of this world," Tsumugi said. "It's fabulous. Some of the cake served here is better than what we have at our meetings. A big step up."
"Ehhhh? Mugi-chan's snacks are always delicious, too," Yui said with a frown.
"Don't feel like you've lost the game, Mugi," Mio said.
"You're right," Mugi said, the sparkle returning to her eyes as she made the face of a sunfish. "I will never lose at making awesome!"
Mio whipped out her camera and handed it to one of the waiters. "Excuse me, sir, can you take a photo of us?"
He nodded and took a photo of the nine girls at the restaurant with Yui wearing the takuan on her eyebrows while flashing her victory sign.
"Man, that was a fun meal," Ritsu said as they got on the bus after returning to the hotel to grab their backpacks.
"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" Mio said. "I'm so full..."
"Mio-chan, so we're heading to Mount Charleston, right?" Yui said.
"Yeah...Mount Charleston...hah..." Mio fainted.
"She's scared of heights," Ritsu said, stroking a marble impression of her ladyfriend.
"Don't worry," Sawako said as the bus made its way up the I-15. "Generally, you would be going up the North Loop and walk to the top, but that's going to take 8 to 10 hours round trip, so we're going with one of the easier hikes."
Mio broke out of her stone shell. "Easier hikes? Oh please tell me it's going to be easier, Teacher!"
"Her mood changed just like that," Ritsu deadpanned.
"Mio-sempai, you'll be fine," Azusa said.
"It's always fun to go on a hike together," Tsumugi said as the bus passed by houses in the Las Vegas Valley. "This doesn't happen often."
"Oh, how I love the call of nature," Nodoka said. "To find that we are going on a hike to go with our week here in Las Vegas is always a treat."
"Jun-chan, are you ready go up a mountain?" Ui asked her.
"You bet!"
"Sawa-chan," Yui said, "I want us to go up the mountain! Please, Sawa-chan?"
Sawako sighed. "Okay, but we're only going to go as far as the meadows in the middle of the trail. Afterwards, we're going back."
"There are meadows in the middle of the trail?"
"I smell an awesome photo opportunity!" Ritsu exclaimed.
"Dammit..." Mio was still clutching her knees and hid her face deeper inside her purple hoodie, the tears starting to mist a little. How would she survive a hike like this? Could she conquer her fear of heights? She quivered, her heartbeat and pulse racing a little.
Azusa put some sunblock all over herself. Even though Mount Charleston was cooler, the sun was still beating down, and she knew that she would be getting a tan soon.
Yui went back to listening on her iPod, playing some random AC/DC songs. She got lost in the music for a while until the bus got to the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, and the Cathedral Rock Picnic Area, where the bus was parked. The group was already given special permits to go access the trail in advance, since this was under the jurisdiction of the USDA Forest Service.
"All right, ladies," Sawako said. "Are you all ready?"
"Yeah!" everyone said. Everyone that is, except for poor Mio who was hiding behind the bus cowering.
Ritsu went over to get her. "Oy, Mio, you're holding everybody up here," she said.
"Ritsu, I don't wanna, I'm scared."
"Mio, it's only a hike, you don't have to worry about anything."
"But what if I fall? I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die!"
Annoyed, Ritsu grabbed Mio's hand. "I'll hold your hand if I have to."
"Ritsu..."
"Hey, what are you two doing?" Sawako said, the other six following her. "Let's go!"
"Right!" They both dashed over to begin the hike to the meadows.
"Oh my gosh, my legs are like, burning here," Yui said, sweating as they passed by Echo Cliffs. "Ui, do you have something to drink?"
"All I have is water," she replied.
"That's not gonna be enough," Yui moaned.
"What, you're getting tired already?" Azusa said to her.
"Azunyan, I enjoy sports, but I don't like getting tired easily."
"I think I have just the answer." Tsumugi handed each of the girls a tall 16-ounce can of lemon-flavored Rock star Recovery.
"Lemonade?" Yui asked, sticking her tongue out.
"I know you don't like sour stuff, Yui-chan, but if we're going to get to the meadows and back, you're gonna need to drink this."
"This is actually good," Jun said, downing the entire can.
"So it's an energy drink and a thirst quencher all wrapped into one, huh?" Ritsu asked Tsumugi.
"Yes, and the company is actually based in Las Vegas, so you are actually drinking a local product."
"How did you get this?" Nodoka asked her.
"While you guys were getting ready to pack your backpacks for the hike, I went downstairs to the gift shop and bought a few cans with the money I got. I didn't want something that was high in sugar, but I didn't want something that would cause gas problems, so I decide to purchase Recovery because it's low in sugar and easy to drink."
"That's Mugi for you," Mio said, impressed. "Always a life-saver."
"Ladies," said Miss Sawako, "keep your cans in your bags and throw them away at the picnic area before we take the bus home."
The group passed by Spring Fork and the Overlook, walking past an avalanche chute filled with aspen.
"See that mountain over there?" Sawako asked the group. "That is the second highest peak in Mount Charleston, Mummy Mountain."
"Sawa-chan, why is it called Mummy Mountain?" Yui asked the teacher. "Are there mummies buries inside that thing?"
"Probably the peak looks like a mummy lying on its back."
Jun stroked her chin. "Now that you mention it...it does look like King Tut..."
"Why King Tut?" Nodoka asked her.
"Because King Tut is the most famous mummy of them all. He's got all the bling, right?"
"You watch too much Indiana Jones, Jun," Azusa deadpanned.
"I do not! Wait, I have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark 500 times over...so..." They all looked at her with suspicious. "Oh, the hell with you all!"
The girls continued hiking past Griffith Peak and the junction for that trail before reaching their destination. "Here we are!" Sawako said with a laugh. "The Meadows!"
"Whoa," Mio whispered. "This place is like the Elysian Fields in a way."
Nodoka nodded. "The place where the souls of the heroic and virtuous mingle as one: Elysium."
Tsumugi unpacked her backpack and brought out some candy, Pocky packs, chips, water and instant tea packets. "Shall we have some tea to rest our legs?"
The girls were sleeping in the grass, some hugging each other. "I'll take that as a yes."
After waking each and every one of them, Tsumugi served some green tea in bottles to go with the rest of the food. "Mugi-chan, thanks for the food!" Yui said, munching on a few Pocky sticks blissfully.
"This is the Nevada I never knew about," Mio said, her face blushing with joy. "The pure side of Nevada."
"Are you better now?" Ritsu asked her with a kiss.
"Babe, I am feeling great. Thanks, Ritsu."
"Ladies and gentlemen, her fear of heights has been blown away. Now we can get down the trail without any problems!"
"Wait. We're going down the trail?"
Ritsu pinned Mio to the ground, the breathing of her long-haired ladyfriend hitched with fear. "You will be all right. I will not let anything happen to you!"
"You tell her, lovergirl," Jun said lazily, working on her Pocky stick as if it were a hayseed.
"Look at those clouds," Tsumugi said to Yui and Ui.
"Aren't they beautiful?" Ui asked her sister.
"They remind me of you, Ui."
"Onee-chan..." Such touching remarks.
"I like this breeze coming in," said Azusa, smiling and giggling. "Refreshing stuff.
Because they were 11,000 feet above sea level, the temperature was cool enough for the girls to sleep in the grass for a bit. This allowed Miss Sawako to spend about 30-40 minutes taking photographs of the girls relaxing in the grass, their eyes closed and their peace of mind secure. It was as if they were taken away from the fast pace of city life, from the lifestyle of touring and performing at concerts, from their academic journeys.
They looked like little angels sleeping innocently, the cherubim and seraphim gazing down with looks of awe.
Youthful pureness. Though compromised by the sexuality of their nature, the consciousness of their figure, and the idolization of millions, these were young women with pure hearts, sleeping in the meadows outside of Las Vegas. Some of these angels would go on to Japan Women's University, one other to another college of her choice, while three more would remain Sakuragaoka students for one more year. In the meantime, they were all getting some downtime from a busy week in Las Vegas by letting Mother Nature give them some respite.
Sawako took shots from all different angles: from the innocent to the obscene, covering all the bases and all the views with the skillfulness of an underpaid paparazzi. She giggled at the sight of the choice of underwear that all the girls opted for. Yui went for pink with a red bowtie. Mio's was blue stripes and Ritsu's was yellow stripes. Tsumugi went for lace, while Azusa went for pink floral prints. Ui's was solid white, Jun's was solid green and Nodoka's was purple with side ties. Sawako nodded. "With all these photos I could be up all night," she snickered.
Yui woke up. She opened her eyes, and looked around. "Hold on a minute," she said to herself. "Why am I back at the school? I thought I was with my friends and Sawa-chan. What is going on?"
She looked around the classroom. No one was in sight. She checked the next classroom. No one in sight. She checked the office. No one in sight. Then she checked the music room.
Yui gasped in horror.
Ton-chan had died in his tank from being underfed and neglected.
"No...no, this cannot be happening! What the..."
Tears were forming in her eyes as she looked at the note on the tank.
She needed to know. "What the heck is this?" she whispered.
The note read: "Yui Hirasawa. Come to the entrance gate immediately."
As she made her way to the gate, a group of police officers approached her and grabbed her. "What are you doing?" she exclaimed. "Let me go! You can't arrest an innocent person like this!"
"You're not innocent apparently," Miss Sawako said, arms crossed, and a look of pain on her face.
"Sawa-chan..."
"They are sending you on a flight to China to face trial."
"Then where are the others?"
"They are attending church right now to pray for a miracle."
"A miracle?"
"To save your life."
At that moment, the police drove Yui to Narita Airport, where a group of escorts were waiting to send her in handcuffs to a plane headed for Guangzhou, cruelly close to Hong Kong, where the death penalty had been abolished since 1993. By the time she entered the courtroom, she been on a plane, then whisked away by a People's Armed Police car, still in handcuffs, the look on her face evoking desperation and despondency.
"Yui Hirasawa," the judge said through an interpreter, "the Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China finds you guilty of smuggling 9,001 grams of heroin into the country. Because this is over 50 grams, you are given the death sentence and will be executed in one hour by lethal injection. Dismissed." Apparently, Yui had left a suitcase lying around in the airport, and though it really wasn't hers, it had her identification card and the heroin inside, implying that it belonged to her.
This was too much for Yui to bear, but she had to remain strong. After the hour past, she was led to the execution chamber and lay on the gurney. A syringe was placed in her arm, and she was minutes away from her young life, which had so much promise and so much hope, end in the cruelest of fashions to a society that martyred her on the spot. She let her thoughts speak her last words as she breathed her last.
Ui, can you hear me?
Please tell me you can.
It's me, your sweet onee-chan.
I love you so much.
I want you to know that I will be all right.
I will watch over you.
Tell everybody that I am fine. I will watch over them as well.
And tell them that the music we shared together will go on, even though I won't be there to play it, sing it or hear it.
I was careless, and I'm paying the price for being too human.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry...
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Yui whispered, the tears streaming down her face as she curled in a fetal position on the grass, teeth grinded, arms clenched, the others watching with looks of concern and shock. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."
"What do you have to be sorry about, Yui?" Ritsu asked her, hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised.
"R...Ricchan? Am I in heaven? Am I dead?"
"Onee-chan..." Ui could see the pain in her eyes, and rushed to her in an embrace. "Onee-chan!"
Yui was sniffling, and a trail of snot could be trickling down as she sobbed through her tears. "Ui! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die without saying goodbye to you! I don't wanna say goodbye to everyone like this! I don't wanna! I don't wanna!"
UI hugged her tight as she felt the tears stain her shirt. "It's all right, onee-chan. We're still here with you. We're here. It's over now."
"Ui..."
"Hey Ui, what happened to her?" Mio asked.
"Is Yui-sempai all right?" Azusa wondered.
"She had a bad dream," Sawako said, her arms crossed sympathetically.
"What was it about?" Tsumugi asked her.
"Have you heard of the phrase 'drug mule'?" Nodoka asked them.
"What's that?" Jun needed to know.
"A mule or courier is someone who smuggles something with him or her (as opposed to sending by mail, etc.) across a national border, including smuggling into and out of an international plane, especially a small amount, transported for a smuggling organization. The organizers employ mules to reduce the risk of getting caught themselves, while often profiting most. The mule typically gets paid an amount which is small compared with the profit, but large for somebody with little money, so that it seems to him or her an easy way to make money."
"Oh."
"Sometimes the goods are hidden in e.g. the bag or vehicle of an innocent person, who does not know about this, for the purpose of retrieving the goods elsewhere."
"I see."
"In the case of transporting illegal drugs, the term drug mule applies. Kinder Surprise and Easter Egg are both common slang terms for drug mules."
"Nodoka knows all," Ritsu replied.
"I only know what I know."
"All right ladies, we'd better get back to the hotel," Sawako said. There would be no group photo this time. Yui was too distraught to take it with them. When they went down the trail, she was emotionless. When they were on the bus ride back, she was emotionless, and Ui noticed her eyes were empty, with the tears still coming down.
Once she got to her room in the Sky Villa, Yui collapsed on to the bed and cried in her pillow. "I don't want to be executed for something that isn't my fault! China, you can't do this to me! I can't protect Ui! I can't save her! You can't do this to me, China!"
Ui, after bringing Gitah to the bed, went over and hugged her still-troubled sister. "It's all right, it's all right. Don't waste your tears, onee-chan. I don't want to see you like this."
"How is it all right, Ui? You would be overcome with emotion too if a country as heartless as China took me away from you! You would!"
"Onee-chan..." Now the tears were coming down Ui's face. "I don't want that to happen to you." She was scared that this would happen to her. She knew that there had been stories of foreigners on death row for drug trafficking, and Yui had her own interpretations of the process.
Miss Sawako entered the room. The others went downstairs to do some practicing. "Is she still troubled by that?"
"Yes, she is," Ui said.
"I don't know where she would get the logic that she would be sent on a plane, and then have her case sent straight to the Supreme People's Court without going through the Intermediate courts first. And then there is a two-year grace period before that. On top of that, the possibility of someone placing her id card in a stray luggage with a lot of heroin is nearly impossible, and the person doing it would likely get caught."
Yui was still crying from her traumatic experience. "Ui...Ui..."
"Onee-chan..."
"She'll be all right," Sawako said. "She's just exhausted from what we had to do today. We had a recording and did some hiking. A little down time could get her right."
"Are you sure?" Ui asked her.
She winked and placed a finger to her lips. "Don't worry. She'll be herself soon." Sawako got up and put on her purse.
"Where are you heading off to?"
"Downstairs. I'm going to watch the others practice and then I will show them how to play poker."
"Can I join? I want to learn how to play the game, too!"
"I'll see you downstairs, Ui-chan!" And she took off.
Ui looked at Yui with a melancholic expression on her face. Yui was still in her shirt, tie, blazer and skirt, although she was barefoot and her shirt was slightly unbuttoned, revealing her midriff. She unzipped Gitah and placed the Gibson Les Paul Heritage Cherry Sunburst next to her so she could hug it like a dakimakura. Then she partially covered her with the comforter before giving her a kiss.
"Onee-chan...please wake up from your bad dream...please..." And she took off.
As her empty eyes lost track of time and space., a few more tears came out as she subconsciously clutched Gitah, her safety blanket. "Gitah, I'm scared..." she whispered. "I have so much to live for...so much...to live for...save me..."
As her exhaustion finally overwhelmed her, Yui immediately lost all consciousness and fell into a deep sleep.
END CHAPTER 6