A chapter which is incredibly short, falls apart in one place (urgh), aaaand I have too many author's notes at the end. D:
Disclaimer: I still don't own it, foo's!
Chapter One: Unwritten
Mars Reiko didn't wake up until sometime in the middle of the night. With nobody else in the room, the slightly older woman could only curse her misfortune. She had wanted to have her manager subtly hint that maybe she should choose a different hospital. It wasn't as though she was heartless enough to be the person who kicked someone who had gone into cardiac arrest twice in the past two days out of her room. Think of the bad press.
Not that bad press would matter. That death sentence hanging above her head certainly didn't make her feel as though it would, in any case.
A soft groan sounded from the darkened half of the room, to which she responded with only a sigh, putting aside the magazine she'd been reading and the glasses that had helped her achieve this feat. Of course, she generally wore contact lenses to hide her far-sighted nature. It wouldn't do to have the fans know she needed glasses just to read, after all. Not when she was supposedly writing her own music.
She'd found herself comparing them as the other woman laid unconscious on her bed. Their style, their talent. And, once again, she was bitter. Of course Reiko-san just had to show up and steal a good half of her fans. That was how the industry rolled – but it didn't mean she was going to stand by and take it.
Minako had the decency to feel positively ill when she realized she had experienced a small amount of pleasure when the other girl had been rolled into her room in the middle of cardiac arrest, of all things. So the media didn't know yet exactly how severe the other's condition was. She'd been idly reading the charts at the end of her bed for as much information as she could get in between the nurses' visits. Most of it was medical jargon she couldn't have understood even if she had gone to medical school, she was sure – but there were bits and pieces that made sense.
Which would be how she knew now that the other idol had done this twice in two days. That something was wrong with her heart, and that she was probably just as shit out of luck in the music business as she was. Heart and brain – the two places they'd both seemed to perform from being attacked and killed by things inside of them that they couldn't even stop. Hah. The irony killed her, really.
"Nn..."
"Calm down, Reiko-san. You're in a hospital, you went into cardiac arrest," the Aino deadpanned, arms folding across her chest as she stared down her new 'roommate' so to speak. Apparently, there wasn't a single other room in the hospital for her. She understood that the hospital staff had been faced with the dilemma of whether to put a major idol in with a crazed fan or rivaling idol, and had probably made what they believed would be the safest choice. From a medical standpoint.
They obviously did not fully comprehend just how idols could be.
"H-hospital..." The other slowly sat up, her shadowy figure slightly illuminated thanks to the light above Minako's bed. The fact that the curtain that would have separated them wasn't drawn left her able to stare, watching as the other slowly seemed to digest this information before glancing her way. Everything on her side of the room had awkward shadows playing off the angles of her face, the bed, the insides of her elbows.
Meanwhile she was engulfed in the light, perfectly visible to the other woman.
"Aino Minako-san. Fancy meeting you here." It would have been as monotone as her own statement earlier, had there not been some small amount of surprise that skidded into the statement. Minako made a half-disgusted face, waving a hand in the other's direction.
"There's hardly a need to be so formal, given that we're to be sharing this hospital room until they're able to clear out another one of the supposedly 'single' rooms." Kindness. This was a small peace offering, though carefully masked by hard eyes and a cold demeanour. Her mouth was set in a hard line as she stared at the rivaling idol, who only seemed to nod and look about the room. "What's wrong with your heart?" she asked thoughtlessly, none too keen on dancing around the issue here.
Unfortunately, the question was ill-received. The other woman's eyes snapped back to her, narrowed and stayed that way. It was a glare, which she took with a haughty little smile. "Oh, don't act like there's nothing wrong. People don't go into cardiac arrest twice in forty-eight hours without having some kind of problem. Unless you've just been straying that far from your usual diet, in which case I would suggest maybe cutting down on the fast food."
Playing with her was easy, she found. Easy, and possibly a little... a little fun. So she would have a source of entertainment before she died! Excellent.
"I don't need to tell you," Reiko stated simply, not disappointing in one bit. She smirked, shrugging and picking up her magazine again.
"Fine then. I suppose I'll just read your charts again once I can read up on some medical terms."
"You did what!"
"I haven't done anything yet. I still need to figure out where I can look up the words that I saw earlier - "
"That's the part I'm talking about! Don't you realize that those are confidential?"
"Oh?" Minako seemed to think it over, tapping her chin before stroking a stray piece of caramel behind an ear and shrugging. "Sorry, I wasn't aware."
"Do you have to be so... so... I don't remember you being this cruel!"
Well, that one made her pause. The Aino blinked, staring carefully at the other woman then. Analyzing her and seeing nothing but something akin to actual outrage on her face. Maybe a spark of something else, but nothing that would indicate she was lying. "Okay, I'll bite. When have we ever met before?"
"You don't remember me, then." The words almost sounded sad, though she was more than willing to wager they weren't at all. She shook her head a bit, and stared harder. She couldn't see past the person she had come to know as the idol who had single-handedly brought her career down a peg or two as she catapulted to fame.
"I'm sorry. I suppose I don't. Care to enlighten me?"
A brief silence, and then, "It isn't important. I'm going back to sleep." And that was that, for the time being.
***
November 4th
She wasn't entirely sure when, exactly, she had fallen asleep – but Minako was more than aware that she had, particularly when a television set in her own room woke her up. Someone watching... a new report about some concert, from what she could tell. Mars Reiko. Great. Because she honestly hadn't heard enough of her music lately.
"Renowned pop artist Mars Reiko collapsed during a concert at Furuhata Hall this week. The idol was in the middle of her third hit, 'Unwritten' when she apparently went into cardiac arrest. Sources indicate that she has been hospitalized, however representatives of the young idol have yet to release a statement."
The television flickered from the woman's face to the clip of the other girl, bouncing across the stage as she went through a practiced dance routine, singing the poppy tune with little effort.
"Feel the rain on your skin.
No one else can feel it for you,
Only you can let it in.
No one else, no one else,
Can speak the words on your lips.
Treat yourself in words unspoken,
Live your life with arms wide open,
Today is where your book begins,
The rest is still – ah..."
And then it was just that news anchor again, staring with the same apathetic eyes at a camera subjecting her to millions of viewers across Japan. "Mars Reiko is not the only idol to fall victim to what the media is calling the 'Curse of Fame' these days. Earlier this season, Aino Minako was admitted to the hospital for - "
"Haven't we all seen this news clip enough for one lifetime?" The person watching the television jumped with a small yelp, turning to look at the apparently freshly-awoken Mars Reiko. Minako cursed, knowing she should have known better than to assume the other woman had been watching herself on television when her staff had been flitting in and out throughout the day, providing her with the things she would need for her hospital stay.
Laptop, keyboard that plugged into laptop, guitar... really, it all seemed a bit excessive for a dying girl. Didn't they realize she wouldn't be coming back to them? Not with a heart like that, anyway.
Still, Reiko's own manager seemed content with her choices, filing her nails nonchalantly off to one side as her employer woke up. Saitou popped away from the television set after hastily snapping it off, looking sheepishly between the two idols then. "Ah, you're both awake now! Minako-chan, your new roommate is all over the news. Apparently the media caught wind of her being hospitalized for a heart condition and did that thing they do!"
"I believe you were the one all over the news before Reiko-san's condition worsened," the other manager stated deftly. Minako decided that she didn't like her. She seemed cold and unfeeling, not even flinching as her client winced upon being reminded that the press was crawling all over (and taking advantage of) the news of her illness.
She felt a brief flash of pity for the other woman then. Her own manager would never have let someone say things to hurt her, not without giving them quite the stern look. It almost made her wonder why she was even there – until she stood and gave a short nod to her charge. "Well, I assume you've been given all that you will require to continue your work here?"
Reiko began to nod, and Minako bristled, staring at the other idol's manager with narrowed eyes. "Work?"
Both seemed surprise to hear her speak, as though they had forgotten she had the capability. Apparently still bitter from last night, it was the girl with the thick, layered and tapered hair who answered her, not the bun-sporting manager. "Yes. When I recover, I fully intend to go back to doing what I love. Don't you?"
Did she? Hmm... valid question. If she were able to recover, certainly. But the chances of that were...
She stared at the crowd as it began to spin, trying her best to make the short walk from the limo to her hotel building as the press tried to come towards her. Questions, questions, so many questions, and she couldn't honestly make out a single one.
"Saitou-san..." she looked at him desperately, watching as the man nodded and tried to get the crowd to back away. It was, unfortunately, a bit too late. The flashing of their cameras hurt her aching head even more. It felt like she was splitting open, skull-first. She fell like a ton of bricks.
When she woke up, everything was white. It smelled like something that had been sterilized a few too many times. Hospital.
"Aino-san... it's good to see you awake," a young doctor informed, updating her chart and placing it at the bottom of her bed before looking at her with poorly veiled concern. "I'm sorry to immediately jump to such serious topics as soon as you wake up..."
"How long?"
"No more than a year. No less than eight months. It would be enough time to continue performing, but I'm going to strongly recommend against it."
"Is there anything that can be done?" That was Saitou.
"I'm afraid most options were exhausted in the months that the tumour was growing. The longer you wait, the more risky everything becomes. There is one possible surgery... but the chances of success are near zero."
Death sentence.
She shook herself from the memory, noticing that most people in the room were staring at her expectantly then. Sighing, she gave a bat of her hand. "Why bother focusing on an uncertain future?"
"Why spend so much time in the past?" the other snapped back almost serenely, settling into the plethora of pillows behind her.
"Tch, Mars-san. Did I say I was focusing on the past? I'm concentrating on the present." A lie to hide that she had been so easily pinned. She wouldn't lose in another way to the woman on the other bed. The idol there just shrugged as she tugged her laptop closer to her.
"Suit yourself."
The silence that followed was almost deafening, Reiko's manager talking to her in a rush. She demanded three new songs by the end of the month and claimed it was slower than they'd expected, of course, but in light of her illness... blah blah blah... insensitive bitch.
Saitou did his best to seem like he wasn't eavesdropping, staring at the muted television with his index finger and thumb gently resting on his chin, as if in deep thought. If it weren't for the flickering of his gaze, Minako herself might have bought his act.
When Mars was alone again, the room seemed to brighten. "You have a very... interesting manager, Mars-san," the Aino's own offered, looking at her with a bit of a coy grin. "You know, if you ever get tired of that kind of treatment, I certainly wouldn't mind having another idol..."
"Saitou!" she chastised, shaking her head vehemently. She would not be replaced by a girl who was doomed to die a month later! He chortled, batting a hand (rather gaily, she remarked) in her general direction.
"Hush. She wouldn't be a replacement for my Minako! I'm just thinking about maybe a few duets and such." He stroked his chin here, nodding once in thought. "Ah yes. I can hear the screaming fans now."
"Not interested," came the dull reply from across the room, and the pair of them looked at a shrugging Mars Reiko. She promptly grabbed her macbook and hauled it onto her lap. Fingers flew as the beginnings of rapid-fire typing began, the clearest indicator that this attempt at playful conversation was over.
Minako rolled her eyes, not needing to say that the same went for her as she shot Saitou a look.
It was all it took for her to forgive him upon seeing the man look guiltily at his shoes, poking his index fingers together with a barely audible sigh. Of course, this would be hard on him as well, and she had come to realize that her 'roommate' was going to be less than compliant. "Saitou-san," she began, trying to keep up a very nonchalant air as he looked at her hopefully.
"Yes, Minako-chan?"
"Could you... possibly bring Artemis here later today? I'd very much like to see him," she admitted, looking hopefully at her manager and watching him melt like butter on toast. Of course he was putty in her hands, and of course it was especially malleable putty with her in her current state.
"Of course. I'll see to it that he comes by later."
"Thank you, Saitou-san," she offered, feeling herself grow drowsy as she nestled back against her pillows once again, eyes closing. A headache was coming on, and she had learned it was best to rest through them (if you possibly could) rather than try to endure the agony awake.
She felt a hand on her head, giving it an affectionate rub as some words were spoken, undistinguishable in her mind as the caramel-eyed woman drifted into a realm of nothingness. No joyful dreams, no aspirations... and, most importantly, no pain.
x0x
Ah, sorry for this one being so short, especially compared to the 'prologue', but if I hadn't cut it here when I was rereading, it would've been unholy long (just trying to make sense of the story from what all I have typed and such).
Not much else to report, other than that you should expect another chapter of More Than You Think You Are shortly! My writer's block has been alleviated, and I'm fully expecting to make a return to in spite of it being exam time. I'm allowing myself two hours a day for writing and calling it 'studying for English'. xD I mean, what else do I do in that class beyond write stories and essays?
My point exactly.
hysteria ; Thanks! ^^ I've been trying to work on characterization (what with character development and all) and plot in this one! If I'm doing a good job, it's always nice to know. ^^ Also, if I'm doing miserably. _
ShinyMushroom ; Daw. x3 I'm sure I'm not the first to do it... that in itself was a pretty obvious idea, I think. xD I'm hoping nothing comes across as too corny or overdone in this fic, since I like to pride myself on being at least semi-original. ^^; But we shall see in due time, I suppose! In the meantime, thank you!
DreamingOfMyGirl ; Thanks muchly! =D
Balticbard ; Thank you very much! ^^ That review brightened my day when I saw it.
dielsl ; Hee hee. x3 Suspense! *makes magic hands* But thank you! ^^
youte ; I know, it's so sad that people never seem to update once they get started... =/ But I'm doing my best to stick firm and keep both my fics alive and moving! ^^ I fully intend to see both of them through to the end. And, if they go well, who knows what the future has in store? ;D And thank you so much!
Jyuami ; Well that was a WITS-sized review right there! =D I love the long reviews! ^^ So, first of all, thank you for taking that much time just to drop me a line about the story! I'm very glad you liked it! Yes, knowing each other... you'll certainly see that soon enough, I think. x3 But I'm not going to say any more on that topic, lest I start handing out spoilers left, right and center!
I was hoping people would like the 'oh my God, idols drop like flies!' introduction. xD I personally thought it set a very dramatic mood right from the get go. ^^; And I'd tell you more about Rei's heart condition if I wasn't intending on keeping it a mystery for a reason. ;D I did some research before starting this fic, looking into various things that can go wrong with someone's ticker (and particularly the genetics involved in such a thing), and all I can say is that the term 'domino effect' definitely applies there.
Hope you continue to enjoy the fic!
Yuri-desu ; Thank you! ^^ I hope you keep on enjoying the fic!
setyourselfonfire ; Is your name, by any chance, derived from the song 'Your Ex-Lover is Dead' by Stars? Because I absolutely adore that song! ^^ Anyway, enough of my gushing/speculating! Thank you so much for the review! Hope you'll continue to read and enjoy!
WITS ; Eheh, knew I wouldn't be able to slide one in here without you noticing. ^^; Yes, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! D: I know we discussed, but... but... baw! I swear it won't get me side-tracked, promise promise! ^^
And hey, you know me. I love all the scouts. ;D I'm sure they'll get to appear soon enough, in various roles. ;D *knows things, yes yes* Ah, I'm such a terrible, spoilerific authoress! D: Though that one wasn't too bad, so I do suppose I'll let you have it. xD I am contemplating a sad ending, I must say. I've got about four different endings in my head (and I'm about to the end with the writing now). So I'm stuck in this fic – way down the road, thankfully. And I've got plenty of time to decide, what with the zillions of pages I have in my files for this one. Hoo boy, do I ever!
WITS! Le gasp! Stop thinking the naughty thoughts about them and hospital beds! I'm sure they're both innocent little idols who would never - ... oh hell. *notes M rating* I had replied to that PM you sent me, though I noticed that you noticed and now I have another one! I'll get on that during my study breaks, indeed I shall!
Thank you for being such a consistent reviewer, love. 3
Krampus ; So, so, so... I'm always a little bit starstruck when you review because you're Krampus and I pretty much squeal like a little schoolgirl whenever I notice you've provided a new chapter to your fic. So having you review both of mine lately sent me into a state of shock and gleeful squees. ^^; Thanks so much, Miss Pirate! XD I know I should have been more wary of the side-stories, but I just couldn't help myself. D: At least you all know it's already all nice and pre-written, so it shouldn't steal any of the time from writing More Than You Think You Are (anymore). ^^;
DavisJes ; Ah, I was a bit worried that the choice to use English songs might throw a few people off. I've decided to go along with it anyway, if only because I'm a firm believer that everybody expects C'est La Vie, Sakura Fubuki, etc. And it's an English fic, so I figured I may as well go for a song that even those of us who aren't die-hard fans would understand. ^^ Thanks for the insight, though!