Author's Note:
I apologize for taking a little longer than usual to post. It's been a crazy week. Also, my beta reader was busy so she wasn't available to turn my crappy writing into less crappy writing. That being said, I apologize for any typos or run on sentences, etc. Please R&R and I hope you enjoy.
Usagi winced and playfully covered her ears as Jin and Naro attempted to hit the final high note on the k-pop song they'd chosen to sing for laughs. It had worked, the modest crowd was cheering, and even the stone cold Keito had cracked the faintest hint of a grin. They had been singing karaoke at Smash Hits for close to two hours, relishing in their slight buzz and unbridled joy at their first band outing.
"Usagi, you may have to forfeit your position as lead singer. Naro was killing it up there." Jin teased as he approached their table, red faced and out of breath.
Naro laughed the hardest, sweat matting his aurburn bangs to his forehead. She had to admit that the two brothers Jin had recruited were incredibly attractive. The pair shared the same strong jaw and chiseled facial features and their long locks gave them an extra edgy appearance. She could almost hear the fan girls screaming their names now…..
The young karaoke bar waitress wobbled towards them, trying to balance a large tray with two brimming shots of sake for each of them. Her name tag read "Unazuki" and her expression read "This is my first week on the job."
"Jin," Usagi barked, "This night is going to cost us more than our rent if you keep ordering shots!"
"No ma'am, these are from the dark haired lady in the corner booth." The busty strawberry haired serving girl pointed to the woman, who smiled and gave a curt wave. "She also wanted me to give you this, ma'am."
Unazuki slid a glossy black business card with glittering gold crescent moon in the center across the table to her. Usagi quickly flipped the card to it's other side, her curiosity mounting.
Crescent Moon Music Group, Luna Neko.
Usagi audibly gasped, before standing abruptly. Leaving the card on the table for her three confused friends to look at, she strode quickly towards where Luna Neko sat, alone.
"Hello there." The woman seemed amused. "Care to have a seat?"
Without speaking, Usagi sat. She had planned to demand to know the meaning of her gesture, was she interested in scouting her? But something about this woman made her want to be a more polite and subservient version of herself. She studied Luna quietly, waiting for her to speak. Pleasant smile lines streaked her forehead and cheeks, Usagi guessed she was maybe in her late thirties. Her curly black hair draped towards her waist, and she wore a sleek yellow dress with a black blazer that further displayed her professionalism and chic style.
"Your voice is incredible, my dear." She spoke, her blue eyes glistening.
"Thank you. Are you…."
Luna smiled as she trailed off. "Yes, I'm a scouting agent for Crescent Moon Music Group. I would love for you to come to the studio and sing for the managers. Did you get to be a great singer by doing karaoke or do you have a band?"
"I have a band. We play punk music." Usagi found her voice and confidence. "They're the gentlemen that were sitting with me." Usagi glanced over to the table where they sat. Naro and Jin waved over enthusiastically at her, while Keito sat tall, arms crossed.
Luna chuckled as Usagi sighed at them. "As long as they leave the singing to you, they should come along for the try out as well. How does next Friday at noon work for you guys?"
"WE'LL BE THERE!" Jin and Naro shouted across the bar in unison, showing no signs of shame for their eavesdropping.
Usagi couldn't hide her blush as she echoed them, "We'll be there."
Mamoru tossed his cigarette butt to the ground and snuffed it out with the sole of his black leather shoes. His brain whirled as he reached for another light, only to discover that he'd smoked them all.
"Dammit." He cursed under his breath.
He still couldn't believe she'd been at Smash Hits tonight. That was his go to karaoke bar. In Tokyo no less! Shouldn't she be in that shitty hometown of hers? And why hadn't she mentioned she was a singer? He ran a hand through his shaggy raven locks and picked up the pace towards the studio, hoping some late-night work would take his mind off that damned girl.
Scanning his badge, he entered the tall, glistening building where Gaia was headquartered. He gave a quick greeting to the night security guard before stepping into the elevator and pressing the button for floor 11. As the elevator approached his floor, he could hear the muffled sounds of angry guitar riffs.
Rei-chan. Mamoru lengthened his stride.
He found the dark haired beauty in the recording room, banging notes out into the dark room. A quick glance around the deserted studio told him that she'd come here to be alone. He knew Rei well enough to know he shouldn't interrupt lest he feel the wrath of her fiery temper, so instead he pulled up a wooden stool and sat patiently. Her passionate music reflected her pain - something was clearly eating her up inside.
She didn't notice him for another fifteen minutes, and she didn't stop playing for another thirty. Setting her vibrant violet guitar down gently, despite her visible frustration, she pulled up another wooden stool and sat beside him.
"Damn, I could go for a cigarette right now." She lamented, her voice shaking.
"You know Kanemoto wouldn't like that. And besides, I smoked my whole pack on the walk over here." He put a comforting hand on her back, and she looked up at him, tears forming at the corners of her strange lavender grey eyes.
"I don't want to talk about it," she said firmly. She stood and positioned herself in front of him, expectantly. Despite his best efforts, Mamoru couldn't keep his wandering eyes from glancing down at her lithe form. She wore a slinky dress in her signature color, fire engine red. Her makeup, slightly smeared from crying, was overly done - she must have come to the studio after being out at a club with the other girls. Obviously something had gone awry with the group as she was the only one who had made the midnight trip to Gaia. He made a mental note to ask one of the other girls what had happened later.
"Good, me either." He responded gently, pulling her into an urgent kiss. This hadn't been the work distraction he'd had in mind, but as she grabbed his hair in hotly response, he found himself thinking that this was probably better.
"Usagi, do you like these glasses with the little strawberries on them?" Jin called across the small store. They'd spent the morning doing some celebratory shopping for household decorations for the Junkyard Warehouse that they'd all started affectionately calling "The Yard".
"Gross, no. You know I'm allergic to strawberries." Usagi replied, sticking her tongue out at him for good measure. He sighed dramatically, setting them gently back on the shelf.
"Okay, so rugs, check, mini fridge, check, couch cover, check, chairs, check… what are we missing?" She read her list out loud, feeling proud at what they'd already picked out. The black shaggy rugs in particular were going to make the Yard feel leagues more homey.
Three days full of practicing and three nights of grimy work at the Forgotten Crown had passed and Usagi still couldn't believe they had an audition with a record label. Since her meeting with Luna she'd done a little research on Crescent Moon Music Group - although they weren't as big as Gaia or Cookie, the two big names in Japan right now, they had a few other promising indie bands signed at the moment.
~"Whoa ohhh, don't act so high and mighty."~
The loud ringing of Jin's cell phone interrupted her thoughts.
"Do you really have to have THAT as your ringtone, you traitor?" Usagi barked, but Jin had already answered the phone and turned his back to her.
"Uh huh. Oh really? Cool, yeah definitely, here let me text you the address of our place."
Usagi's irritation was immediately replaced with curiosity.
"Okay, see you soon!" Jin hung up the phone, a dazed look on his handsome face.
"Well, who was that?!" She pinched him hard, failing to notice his paling face.
"Some guy named Zumi. He said he's the best guitar player in the world and wants to try out for our band. Tonight."
Grumbling under her breath, Usagi straightened the last rug, finishing her minor renovations to the Yard.
"It looks good." Keito chimed in, with a rare praise. She smiled in agreement.
The few things she'd added had completely transformed the murky warehouse into a cool, albeit a bit rusty, hangout spot for the band. The mini fridge she bought was loaded with cheap beer, water, and snacks. Posters of their inspirations lined the walls, the biggest and center-most poster being that of the Black Stones. Both Naro and Keito agreed that Blast's edgy sound had influenced their own music, so they'd had no complaints in letting Nana be the star of the wall.
The cracked concrete floor was broken up by the shaggy rugs Usagi had insisted on. The four rectangular black rugs were in the four corners of the room, and a large, blood red rug brought color to the middle of the room. The tattered couch had a matching red cover, and modern light fixtures in geometrical shapes hung from the ceiling, creating a warm relaxing atmosphere.
Jin paced nervously in the "stage" area.
"What's wrong with you?" Keito prodded. "All that pacing you're doing is making me nervous."
He's talkative today, Usagi mused before explaining, "He's worried that this guitarist will be better than him."
She'd almost felt a little guilty that she'd been teasing Jin about finding his own replacement tonight. She still wasn't entirely sure why he'd agreed to let someone else try out - they'd found their perfect band - but Usagi figured he just wanted to make fun of someone confident enough to call themselves "the best guitarist in the world."
Perhaps it made her a bad friend, but she just couldn't bring herself to soothe Jin and tell him that she truly couldn't imagine someone outplaying him. It was true though, he was incredible. He practiced relentlessly on top of having a natural aptitude for music. She glanced over to her best friend, who chewed his lip anxiously, and felt a surge of pride.
This audition is just for show, she reassured herself.
"Hello."
The group jumped at the intruders voice.
"Sorry… I knocked twice but no one answered, so I let myself in. I'm Zumi." His voice was deep, but his features were almost feminine - a jarring combination. He wore a deep v-neck t-shirt that exposed a tanned, muscled chest. Long red blonde locks pulled back into a ponytail,
He looks like he stepped out of the same Men's Couture magazine as Keito and Naro…. Usagi crossed her arms, feeling oddly protective of Jin.
"It's fine." She replied coldly, not bothering to give him her name. "Let's just get this over with."
He showed no offense at her icy demeanor as he headed towards an amp to plug in the guitar he'd brought along.
"Shall I play alone?"
"Whatever you want, man." Naro, ever the diplomat, replied warmly, obviously trying to ease the tension. "I'm happy to provide some bass for you if you want."
Jin, as if in need of support, moved to stand close to Usagi. Their shoulders touched ever so slightly and she could feel his shallow breathing. Without thinking about keeping up appearances, she grabbed his hand and gave it a firm squeeze.
"I want him to play with me." Zumi pointed to Jin.
"Me? Uh…" Jin was taken aback.
"Yeah, you're the guitarist correct?"
"Uh, yeah. How did you know?"
"Well, the only other person here with calloused hands just told me he was the bassist."
Jin's mouth hung open a little at the astute observation, and Keito shifted uncomfortably on his feet. Who the hell is this guy?
Several moments passed and Naro let out a laugh. "Well, looks like we've got ourselves a brain." He quipped, throwing a playful punch at Jin. "Go on Jin, show him what you've got."
After a brief description of the chord progression, the two guitarist determined Jin would begin playing and Zumi would join in. When Jin's skillful fingers began to strum, Usagi felt herself exhale. No one could ever replace her Jadeite.
Zumi listened, eyes closed, for several more meters before finally jumping in. Instead of matching Jin note for note, he played a perfect harmony, his slender fingers moving deftly. Usagi had assumed that the two powerhouse players would compete for lead, but on the contrary, they were combining their powers to create a complete, fully perfect sound.
The two men continued to play, as yin and yang, two halves of one whole. Usagi wasn't sure how much time had passed when she felt Keito looming over her left shoulder.
"So?" He whispered, not wanting to interrupt the magic.
"Two guitarists..." Usagi replied, understanding his question.
He flashed another one of his elusive smiles. "It's not unheard of."