Author's Note:
I managed to write over 3,000 words this chapter and I'm pretty pleased with the length so this is my goal going forward. I have huge plans for this fic and I'm planning 40+ chapters so I hope you guys don't mind a slow build!
Big thanks to my two reviewers azciel and LoveInTheBattleField! Seriously reviews make me so much more inspired to write.
Also, this is another chapter that my beta reader / sister / writer extraordinaire was too busy to edit, so please don't hesitate to point out any typos. I found two in Chapter Four yesterday and had a mini panic attack.
Anyway enough gabbing, please enjoy!
Usagi awoke suddenly to a screaming pain in her neck. She stretched with slow cat-like caution, just now becoming aware of Jin's soft snoring at the other end of the surprisingly comfortable couch.
It was pitch black in the Yard, except for a strand of twinkling white lights she had hung in haphazard zig-zags above their performance area. The warm glow of the lights cast foreboding shadows from their equipment all along the walls, but Usagi had never harbored any fear for the dark. Despite the rough neighborhood surrounding them, the building already felt like her sanctuary. In fact, tonight marked the third night this week that the group had accidentally fallen asleep there; their band practices were now going well into the midnight hours as of late. Attempting not to wake the other three, who slept comfortably in sleeping bags they'd bought since Usagi had laid claim of the couch, she tiptoed to the warehouse's sole bathroom. Of course, the copious amount of alcohol they consumed at their band practices might have contributed to their increasing number of 'Yard sleep overs, and halfway there, her foot came down on one of the many empty beer cans that littered the cold concrete floor. A loud crunching sound followed by a string of whispered expletives. She darted the rest of the way to the bathroom.
Flicking the dim overhead light of the bathroom on, Usagi scrutinized her appearance in the room's only small cracked mirror. The dark circles under her eyes betrayed just how late she'd been up, desperately trying to put words to Jin and Zumi's new arrangement. She had a one on one meeting with Luna the day after tomorrow to finalize their contract and the pressure to produce was felt group wide. The two complete songs they auditioned with sounded great, sure, but they would need at least another five songs if they ever wanted to see a stage. Deep down, Usagi wasn't incredibly worried. They'd already made great progress and she was continually surprised how compatible they all were despite being such a diverse group.
Naro had been an instant hit with all the band members and he and Jin were basically inseparable. Jin had even convinced Naro to apply for a part time job as a Host with him for extra cash until the band started bringing in actual profits. Usagi had teased their close relationship mercilessly, hinting often that they should just get married already. Truthfully, Usagi couldn't help but like Naro, but frequently felt pangs of jealousy when Jin was too busy being at Naro's beck and call instead of her own. She wasn't accustomed to sharing.
Zumi was scarily perceptive and seemed to notice her sour feelings. He'd attached himself like a barnacle to Usagi and she found herself mothering him instinctively. The youngest of the bunch at seventeen, he wasn't the ideal Jin replacement but he did ease the jealously a little. Zumi's first impression often left people mistaking his confidence for arrogance, but the more Usagi learned about him, the more she realized that it was simply a defense mechanism to protect his sensitive interior.
The kid is too damn smart though, Usagi thought as she splashed her face with the lukewarm water from the sink, deciding that it wasn't likely to get any hotter. Last night he'd spent an hour educating them all on the history of American Classic Rock, which he claimed was his biggest influence. He'd also let slip, after a few beers, that he'd stopped going to high school at fifteen, making his wits even more mind boggling to them all. She sighed heavily, equal parts at the hopeless Zumi and at her reflection. Clearly she wasn't going to get any prettier at this hour, so she reached for her outdated flip phone.
6AM. Almost Sunrise. She eased the door to the bathroom open and grabbed her black leather satchel, deciding she would get her usual breakfast, coffee and cigarettes, and try to write a little more before the crew woke up.
The outside air was brisk as the Tokyo Summer gave way to Fall, but despite the goose bumps growing on her bare arms, she didn't feel cold. Kiseko was known for it's harsh winters and she'd developed a thick skin in her youth. Combat boot clad feet carried her eleven blocks south, to one of her favorite intersections that housed the gas station where she frequently restocked on her Black Stone cigarettes.
The intersection was unique because it marked the official end of the troubled neighborhood she'd come from, where the buildings were rust covered and deteriorating. The graffiti decorated shacks gave way to a flourishing neighborhood dotted with gardens and restored Victorian era homes. The clash of the harsh urban decay with all the glistening new development was confusing and brilliant, and Usagi felt that her walk there was almost symbolic.
She entered the near deserted gas station and made straight for the second hand espresso machine. As the steamy black liquid flowed into her paper cup, she let out a sigh. Tonight was the night of the Blast concert and she doubted she'd be able to nap later, so there was no harm in getting an early start on her caffeine.
She sipped the piping hot coffee and meandered towards the aisle that housed the boxed cigarettes. The high dollar brands were typically kept behind the cashier counter, but not her faithful Black Stones. So few people smoked them, Usagi often joked that the convenience store manager would probably be happy to have someone steal them.
Apparently someone else likes them, Usagi grumbled internally, as a tall man with long silky black hair stood in her way. She waited for as long as she could be patient, which is to say, a few seconds. It just wasn't her virtue.
"Ehem." She cleared her throat in an agitated fashion. The man barely glanced over his shoulder at her before turning back to the row of cigarettes. The nerve, she cleared her throat again and received no response. Losing her composure, she jabbed her finger into his back. At her touch, he turned to face her, his eyes dancing with mild amusement and - was that recognition? Glancing over his features, he wore square shaped sunglasses with large blue tinted lenses that did little to hide his eyes. She was fairly certain she'd never met this man before and yet…. he did look strangely familiar.
"Good morning gorgeous. Cigarettes?" He cooed, handing her a pack. She eyed him suspiciously, before pushing past him to grab a box he hadn't touched.
"Suspicious, I see." He put his hands in his jean pockets. She had to crane her already sore neck to look at him. He's impossibly tall.
"Who are you?" She asked, hating the weakness she heard in her own voice. He seemed pleased at her question. He muttered something under his breath but she couldn't make out the words.
"You may not know me, but I know you." He inched closer, "Though admittedly, not as much as I want to." She instinctively took a step backward, almost colliding with a display of snack foods, and at her response he seemed to drop the predatory act.
"Black Stone cigarettes eh? Are you a Blast fan?" His air of suaveness was completely gone and his new voice sounded serious and un-amused.
"I guess you could say that." She shrugged, noncommittally. Truth be told, she was mostly a Nana fan, but her pride as a singer wouldn't let her say the words out loud. The man in front of her reached for his pocket, and Usagi felt her muscles tense until she saw him pull out a small envelope.
"Blast has a concert in a small venue on the other side of the city tonight. I don't have any concert tickets as I'm not a fan myself, but there is going to be a small after party in the Gaia Music lobby. It's a VIP only event." He held the envelope out to her and she instinctively took it.
"Will you be there?" Usagi inquired not bothering to hide the fact that she hoped he wouldn't be. The man chuckled knowingly.
"I have other engagements, but I'm sure I'll be seeing you." With that, he turned to leave, flipping up the collar of the trench coat she just noticed he was wearing. Creepy.
She paid for her cigarettes and quickly left, making it almost four blocks before curiosity took hold of her and she opened the envelope. Inside there were six tickets….
Black Stones VIP Tokyo After Party
Hosted by Gaia Music Group!
*Please dress in semi-formal attire.
"Shit." Usagi muttered and reached for her phone. It was still only 7:30AM but she dialed Jin's number and pressed call. It rang three times before going to voicemail. She called again with the same results. Irritation growing, she searched her contact for Zumi's number. There was barely a ring before the line clicked on and she heard a disgruntled, "Usa?"
"Zoi," She murmured sweetly, using his new nickname. "Wake the boys up for me, would you? We're going shopping for formal attire."
"But Usa, it's a punk concert. What do we need formal wear for?"
"Plans have changed." She said ominously before hanging up.
The Black Stones rocked just as hard as Usagi remembered. Despite losing their original bassist to Trapnest, the band sounded at the top of their game. Nana was the very personification of cool, in a red dress with a thousand frills and a Vivienne Westwood jacket. Usagi's heart was brimming with excitement and music as she filed out of the concert hall and headed towards the glass doors that lead outside. Tonight's venue was at least three times the size of the small dive bar in Niseko but Blast had filled it to capacity. In a weird way, she was almost proud of the band for their success. She'd held Jin's hand and sung along, reminiscing fondly of the snowy night when they had decided to make their band pipe dreams a reality. If Blast could go from nothing to stardom, why couldn't they?
"Damn." Naro said, when the group had made it outdoors and could hear over the crowd. "That was incredible."
Keito nodded twice in agreement, "We've got stiff competition in that group. Their sound is the most similar to ours of all the mainstream bands in Tokyo right now. And that lead singers voice…" He trailed off, noticing the rage that seemed to be forming on Usagi's face.
"Well they're not really mainstream yet," Zumi added hastily, apparently picking up on Usagi's feelings as well. "Plus, Nana and Usagi don't really have similar voices, so even though our music sounds similar, our vocalists will distinguish us."
Usagi's heart burned at the thought. She loved Nana's voice, but Zumi was right, it was raspy and deep and very much unlike her own. How could she ever compete?
"Well, personally, I think Usagi-chan's is way better." Jin shouted back from the front of the group. He was in the process of guiding them to the locker room at his job at Eternity Host Club, where they would change into their formal wear for the Gaia after party. The inflection in his voice told her he was being sincere. Feeling overwhelmed at his honesty, she quickly jogged up to his side and locked her small arms in his. He likes my voice better. He really is my best friend, she thought warmly, nuzzling his shoulder slightly with the tip of her cold nose. He gave her a sideways glance before laughing at her weird display of affection.
"At singing anyway," He added, rustling her bangs. "Nana is probably better at basically everything else."
After a short but brisk walk, they were inside Jin's Host Club lobby and Usagi headed alone to the woman's washroom.
"I really need to find some girl friends…"She grumbled to herself as she pulled the dress she'd purchased from the thrift store out of her satchel. A total steal, the silky white fabric cascaded down to the tile in her stall and at the sight of it she grew increasingly nervous. She had originally picked out a basic black, cotton dress but Zumi had refused to let her purchase it.
"That dress won't flatter your figure at all! You'll be a wallflower!" He had cried, snatching the basic garment from her hands. What's wrong with being a wallflower, anyway? All she hoped to gain from this party was some industry exposure and the chance to meet one of her inspirations. Did you have to look stunning for a night like that?
According to Zumi, the answer was unequivocally yes.
Usagi could remember at time, before her mother remarried, where she had been the life of every party. She had gone everywhere surrounded by friends who adored her and she had cared about things like looking pretty and standing out. Those days were a distant memory now.
She slipped out of her jeans and sweater and into the luxurious white dress. She zipped up the tight silk bodice with some effort and then stepped out to examine herself. At her reflect, she let out a gasp. The dress flared out slightly at her hips and fell into draping layers of chiffon, showing off her fit figure. Strapless, the top seam had circles of gold threat sewed in a pattern along the top. It was simple but elegant, and certainly not the attire of a wallflower.
Now about that hair…
She combed through her waist length locks before deciding to style them into a hairstyle she used to wear frequently as a kid, nostalgia getting the better of her. When she had formed her hair into two elegant knots high above each ear, she pulled some of the hair from the buns loose and let it cascade down behind her in waterfalls. She kept her makeup simple adding just a hint of pink lip gloss, and then slipped into her gold kitten heeled shoes.
"Usa, are you almost done?" She heard Jin calling impatiently from the other side of the door. The men had all been incredibly excited at the opportunity to party with Gaia executives and couldn't believe she'd be so fortunate as to score tickets from the 'convenience store creeper'. Collecting her things she pushed the door heavy open and stepped out to meet her four sharply dressed friends. Four jaws dropped open in unison.
She winced, "That bad?"
Keito regained composure first. "No, the opposite. You look…..er…..nice." The blush that crept onto his face was extra noticeable against his white hair and matching white suit. Naro patted his brother on the back and winked at Usagi.
"Thanks Kunzite." She blushed a little herself. "Now, let's get out of here."
Gaia was only two blocks away from Jin's Host Club and Usagi was thankful. Her throbbing feet were already desperately missing the worn in leather walls of her boots. When the tall beacon that was the Gaia building came into view, Usagi could make out a line of elegantly dressed attendees waiting to get into the door. Surprisingly, her crew of misfits fit right in. Zumi had worn a grey fitted suit and a skinny tie and looked twice his actual age. Naro wore all black to contrast his brother, who was a vision in white. The three men had slicked back their hair into low ponytails for the occasion. At her side, Jin wore a dark grey suit with a bright contrasting green tie that complimented his jade eyes.
Flashing their tickets to the bouncer, they strode inside as if they truly belonged in this crowd. And after downing two vodka tonics on the house, Usagi felt like an insider as much as she looked like one.
The lobby of Gaia had been decorated lavishly in black and white flowers. Infinite red ribbons dangled from the ceiling, some stretching low enough to brush against the top of even short Usagi's head. The middle of the room was devoid of furniture and had become a makeshift dance floor where couples jumped to the sounds of remixes of Blast's popular hits. Usagi had spent most of the party thus far standing at the large bar that occupied the back wall, watching couples bump and grind under a large banner that read "Congratulations Black Stones" in a pretty cursive font. She'd caught a glimpse of Nana earlier but had just as soon lost track of her in the sea of extravagantly dressed people. Along the outer rim of the lobby, wispy red cloth created several private canopy areas for groups to drink and discuss at. Naro, Jin, and Keito sat in the closest enclave chatting suavely with two older ladies Usagi didn't recognize.
"They seem to be enjoying themselves." Zumi said, startling her a little. He stood, holding a mostly untouched glass of red wine. A new song began to play and the couples on the dance floor cheered enthusiastically. Several beats later she recognized one the lyrics of another Venom song.
"Just when I was starting to have fun." Usagi bemoaned.
"Well, you can't honestly be surprised." Zumi teased, ordering her another vodka. He really was getting quite good at knowing what she needed exactly when she needed it.
"Yeah, I'm an idiot for thinking that I could avoid hearing an over hyped girl band at a party for the Black Stones." Her words dripped with sarcasm, as she reached for her icy feel good potion. She took a long drink. When did the room get so, spinny?
"Usa, you know Venom is signed by Gaia, right?"
She choked a little on the vodka, surprised. She hadn't known or cared until now.
"In fact, I think the members were all invited. I'm fairly certain I saw the dark haired guitarist walk in fifteen minutes ago."
"Cool. I'm going to the ladies room." Usagi hoped she sounded more indifferent than she felt, as she headed towards the entrance - the opposite direction of the ladies room. A part of her hoped that Zumi had mistaken Rei for Makoto, the drummer she'd met at the Crown. She, begrudgingly, quite liked the woman and had hoped to see her again…. but in her heart she knew that Zumi was never wrong. She pushed through the strands of people as gracefully as she could in unfamiliar heels, looking for the raven-haired beauty of her rival band.
Just a look, she thought to herself. Just to prove that they are human too. Sliding behind a velvet rope, she made her way down a long hallway that seemed to lead to the building's elevators. From the distance, she could hear a man and woman arguing in whispers.
"How can you pull this shit with me? Now? At a time like this!?" The woman's voice echoed louder, making Usagi pick up her pace. When she finally reached the end of the hallway, she peaked around the corner, curiosity betraying her better judgment.
As luck would have it, the angry woman happened to be none other than Venom's Hino Rei. Her beautiful features were twisted in anger and tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes. She pointed an accusing finger at the man, who stood, looking dejected only a few feet from Usagi.
"I'm sorry." He whispered and he turned towards Usagi, to leave. She recognized him instantly. Her stranger.
"You!" Usagi was just as shocked to hear the word come from her mouth as the two victims of her spying. And she found herself standing mere inches from the handsome man she'd met in Niseko almost a year ago.