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Chapter 8 - The 5 paths

P.O.V Ruki

Two days later: November 6th

The days passed quickly, and soon the morning of the rehearsal arrived. It was scheduled for 9am at the PS Company building. Ruki was restless in his apartment, he hadn't slept much that night, it must have been the anxiety of the tour and the short time they would be in Japan, his busy schedule meant he couldn't get a good night's sleep. Insomnia was practically normal for him, he was already awake at around 5am, and to distract his mind he was sending messages on Twitter.

Sitting distracted on the bed, Koron climbed onto his lap, asking for a cuddle. Ruki strokes the animal's fur with one hand and, using his cell phone, begins to take photos of the little one and then posts them on Instagram. In a matter of minutes, the network is jammed with messages of love and requests for selfies.

- Look at you, you're very successful, you're very photogenic - Ruki says smiling with Koron on her lap. - Look how many messages, you're more successful than Dad.

Ruki shows the big-eyed boy the photos on her cell phone as if he were a person, Koron seems to understand and stares at the device.

- Behave yourself until Daddy gets back, be a good boy. - Ruki holds him on her lap to get up, puts him back on the bed and he stretches out as if he had understood and said he was going to be lazy all day.

Ruki looks at the time on his cell phone clock, thinking about what he's going to eat and the things he has to do today.

- Wow, it's already 7:30 in the morning, I'll prepare something to eat, I think I'll do some exercise today, take advantage of the morning and walk to the rehearsal building. Walking is good for your health, isn't it? - He asks, looking at Koron, who has already snuggled into bed and is looking sleepy.

He goes into the kitchen, turns on the coffee maker and makes an espresso, takes two slices of wholemeal bread with white cheese, sits down in the chair and rests his arms on the table, eating without taking his eyes off his cell phone, looking at his publications and some news. He looks up the party in the USA, but finds nothing about the place or the girls' deaths, as if everything had been covered up, which makes it even stranger that they happened that day and his friend turns up with a tattoo on his shoulder.

It had to be Kai and Uruha's idea, wanting to get to know the local customs and go to a party just like in the movies, it was obvious that it wasn't going to be any good, look at the mess they got themselves into, that nightmare we had on the plane was really scary, you couldn't even sleep straight through those days for fear of dreaming again. What was worse was the feeling of helplessness and not being able to do anything and having that dead woman in my arms.

It's likely that the woman who survived will have Uruha's child, but what's the point of getting pregnant and leaving? I hope she doesn't show up with a paternity test demanding alimony.

Speaking of him, I'd better call to make sure he hasn't forgotten his rehearsal, he's probably still asleep. I'll finish getting ready and call you from the PSC building when I get there. I walk to my room, take off my pajamas, put on jeans, a Nil T-shirt, a sweatshirt over it and comfortable sneakers for walking.

- Koron, you look nice, Dad's on his way. - Ruki runs his hand over the sleepy dog's back - See you later, puppy. - Ruki walks over and kisses Koron goodbye. Koron sighs and licks his black, wet nose.

Ruki heads for the apartment door, leaves and locks it, then heads for the elevator which takes him down to the first floor. As soon as the doors open, he goes downstairs to meet the building's security guard, who greets him, asks where he's going and offers to accompany him to the studio, which is not far away, just two blocks, I mustn't forget to call that lazy Uruha.

(...)

P.O.V Uruha

All is quiet in Uruha's house, only the sound of morning birds in the branches of the tree near the bedroom window, and the sound of water from the fountain in the backyard pond. The room begins to light up with a few rays of sunlight coming in through the gaps in the window, the queen size bed has the sheets and blanket thrown on the floor, curled up in the middle of the bed hugging a pillow Uruha sleeps peacefully wearing only black boxer shorts, next to him on top of the furniture his cell phone is on vibrate and shaking like crazy.

When he went to sleep that night after Yuu left, he left his cell phone on vibrate and wanted to be able to sleep undisturbed in the morning. He was going to spend that day with the brunette, after the night of wild sex that Yuu had dragged him through, naming the rooms in the house, there was nothing better than waking up to that beautiful man with the black hair and tanned skin sleeping with him in a cuddle, it felt wonderful, he was so happy to declare his love for him, and to know that it was reciprocated.

When she woke up the next morning, she sneaked out of bed and went to the kitchen to prepare something for breakfast - it was a good thing Yuu had bought some food, as she wouldn't have anything to serve. She put two glasses of orange juice, some toast, honey and jam she had brought from the hotel on a tray. He also cut up a papaya and prepared to take it to his room, but the brunette appeared in the kitchen, spoiling his surprise.

Yuu stared in amazement at the tray I'd prepared and regretted getting up, apologizing for ruining the moment. I told him it was even better because the way I'm clumsy, I could fall down the stairs on my way to the bedroom. He came closer and hugged me, sealing my lips, saying that he loved me very much for my clumsy way of being.

After breakfast, we enjoyed the day off sitting on the sofa just watching movies and series, the brunette only got up to make two lámen for lunch and we went back to the sofa, the world around us didn't exist. It was just the two of us together, spending a pleasant afternoon without any worries. At the end of the afternoon, he had to leave, taking his clothes from the trip in a bag. He'd only left his suitcase in his apartment on his way here, it would be better if we lived together, so he didn't have to leave.

But back to the present, the insistent noise of the cell phone on the dresser makes Uruha stretch out his arm looking for the device, which vibrates non-stop, still drowsy without opening his eyes, he imagines being Ruki, the only one who has insomnia and calling directly to call the others to work, since he doesn't sleep anyone else can't have that luxury either.

Uruha unlocks his cell phone to answer and leaves it on speaker, still drowsy.

- Moshi moshi, ah... Who is it? - Uruha answers yawning.

- What took you so long to answer, Takashima? - Ruki, already out of patience, asks.

- It's still early, Mom, just 10 more minutes. - Uruha is still sleepy, he wasn't even paying attention.

- I'm not your mother! It's Ruki, are you still asleep? - Ruki was already stressed on the phone.

- Ohayou Taka. Go to sleep man, I don't want to talk now. - Uruha slams his hand down on his cell phone and hangs up.

It doesn't take two minutes for his cell phone to vibrate again, now with a video call. Uruha ignores it, leaving only the audio, and now hears a nervous voice on the other end of the line.

- Moshi moshi.

- URUHA! Have you forgotten the rehearsal? Get out of bed now or you'll be late again. - Ruki can be quite annoying sometimes.

- Taka, is that you? Where's rehearsal? - I'm still trying to figure out where I am.

- Of course it's me, who else would it be? - The little guy says angrily early on. - Same place as always, the PS Company studio.

- What's all the fuss about? Let me check the time. - He takes out his cell phone and with some effort looks at the time - It's still 8:30 in the morning, Taka. The rehearsal isn't until 10am, so I still have time to get some more sleep.

- Rehearsal is at 9am, Uruha! Get ready and get over here. - Ruki must be climbing the walls.

- All right, Taka, you little stress! I'll be there in an hour, you can warm up without me. - I hear him grumbling and cursing on the other side.

- Your slowness is the reason I'm stressed. If you take too long, you'll see me, Takashima! - He hangs up the phone without letting me say goodbye.

Bad way to wake up, this project thinks it can boss us around, he's not even the leader of the band, lucky Kai took on that role, I couldn't stand Ruki giving orders.

Reita must have the blood of a cockroach to put up with the moods of this thick-voiced garden dwarf. Let me get up or he'll call again, he has insomnia and dumps his anxiety on others.

Uruha gets up, goes to the bathroom to do the bare necessities, gets in the shower for a quick shower to wake up and get through the day at the studio. Wrapped in a towel, he looks for a light, normal outfit, and ends up choosing a pair of slightly faded jeans with a rip in the knee, a studded belt, red boxer shorts, a white short-sleeved T-shirt and a leather jacket on top, his shoes are simple black mid-calf boots.

Uruha goes downstairs to the kitchen to prepare something to eat, but looks at the clock and it's almost 9 o'clock, there won't be time to eat. Uruha opens the fridge and sees some leftover tea, it should do the trick. He sees an apple on the counter and thanks Yuu for buying him some fruit. He gathers the fruit and bites into it until he enters the garage where his motorcycle is, finishes eating the apple and throws it in the trash nearby, presses the control and opens the garage door, starts the motorcycle, puts on his helmet and leaves for the PSC Company building before Ruki calls again.

I wonder if the brunette has woken up yet, has he left the house? What are the others doing? Has Ruki called them too? Or is it just me they're picking on?

(...)

P.O.V Aoi

Aoi's apartment is already lit up, he's getting ready, he got up early because he spent the previous day at Uruha's house, when he arrived at the apartment it was already evening and he hadn't even unpacked his suitcase.

Knowing that the next day he would have to go to rehearsal in the morning and he didn't want Ruki on his back, he preferred to unpack his suitcase at night, leaving his clothes for the next day separate.

All she did that night was take a hot shower and look for something to eat. All she found in the fridge was a packet of ramen and a soft drink, which she had left behind when she traveled with the band.

When she went to bed, she remembered the conversation she'd had with Uruha in the bathroom: her boyfriend was going to be a father, but she didn't know where to find the woman and her future child. Not to mention that mark tattooed on his shoulder, everything was very strange, we still don't know what it was all about, it was supposed to be just a party but those weirdos dressed as priests had to scare us, I've never seen them try to protect by grabbing and dragging people, it's their fault we ended up in that bonfire with those witches.

I'm still worried that they didn't do something else to us, we don't really remember what happened, it was only after the nightmare on the plane that our minds cleared up. The doubt that still hangs over my head is the witch's saying that we were given up as a sacrifice to fulfill a prophecy.

Did they just want to give birth to a child with our genetics or is there something else that could happen? I shiver at the thought of that black smoke suffocating me.

I was going to take the train to get to the studio, I'd already got ready, I was wearing dark jeans and Nike sneakers, I'd opted for a black shirt and a blazer, I was already in the kitchen having a black coffee and some cookies, the shopping I'd done I'd left at Uruha's house.

He finished eating, picked up his backpack and got ready to leave. It was already 8:30 in the morning, if he took any longer he would be very late, knowing Ruki well, he would have called to wake Uruha up, as he was a bit slow and took a long time to wake up.

I go out and lock the apartment, double-checking for security, then head for the elevator to make my way to the train station. Depending on how busy it is, I should be just a little late, I'm sure Ruki was up at the crack of dawn, he must already be in the studio working.

I'll call Uruha as soon as I arrive. Have Reita and Kai arrived yet? Or are they on their way too?

(...)

P.O.V Reita

In the monochrome apartment of bustling Tokyo there is the sound of running water, Reita is in the shower enjoying all the hot water in a bath with a lot of smoke, the bathroom looks like a sauna. Reita had woken up early to exercise, as she hadn't done for three days due to her trip back home.

In the apartment, she had set up a mini gym in one of the bedrooms, consisting of an exercise bike, a treadmill, some weights to work out her biceps, a mat in the corner of the wall, a bar fixed to the wall and a large mirror on one wall.

It may look organized, but don't be fooled, Reita is very disorganized and most of her things, clothes and shoes are scattered around the house. As soon as she arrived from the airport, she left her suitcase in the living room. She hasn't found the time to unpack it yet, so she just takes the essentials and leaves it in the same place. There was one time when he had to pack a new suitcase, just so he wouldn't have to take his clothes out to wash and wait to put them on to travel.

After his shower that night, he went straight to the kitchen to find something to eat. He found a beer in the fridge and a cup of noodles in the cupboard; that would be his dinner for the strange night that began when they had that nightmare on the plane. The events that took place at the party and then all that feeling of fear and dread at having that dead woman in his arms are still latent in his mind.

After all, what was the point of it all? Why did the woman refer to them as the chosen of the prophecy of Darkness? Where did this prophecy come from? Your friend showed up with that tattoo on his shoulder, which they only found out how it was done because of the nightmare that was actually a blocked memory.

The worst thing is that they tricked us by using our own music, gaining our trust and then performing that ritual around the campfire. He ended up going to bed worried, but the tiredness of the trip made him pass out in bed so he lay down between the pillows and the comforter.

Reita had just got out of the shower, wearing nothing but a pair of gray boxer shorts. He went into his room to find some clothes, there were a lot on the bed, but none that he liked at the moment. He found in his wardrobe a pair of baggy dress pants that he liked to wear on stage, comfortable sneakers, a T-shirt that clung to his body and showed off his well-defined chest. He was tired of the mask and opted for one of the stripes, as it would be better if he cycled to the studio so as not to be marked by the sun's rays.

He went to the kitchen, got some water from the fridge and put it in his bike bottle to hydrate himself on the way, his apartment was four blocks from the record company, he looked at his watch with the stopwatch on his wrist and it was already past 8:30 in the morning, he would soon be late, much to the dismay of Takanori, who had scheduled him for 9 o'clock in the morning.

Reita picks up her bike in the corner of the gym room, heading for the apartment's exit door, to eat at the PS Company cafeteria or maybe grab a snack that Kai might have brought. Reita goes out and locks everything properly, heads for the elevator, her bike fits inside, arriving on the first floor, she greets the doorman who wishes her good morning and good exercise, with the bike on the street Reita pedals towards the studio for rehearsal, before Ruki turns on the search.

P.O.V Kai

Kai's house is located in a wooded condominium near the center of town. It's a beautiful colonial-style wooden house, just like the ones you see in Japanese films and anime. Kai has already tidied up, he's in the kitchen, he's already prepared his breakfast, sitting on the velvet chairs around the marble counter with his cell phone in his hands he's distracted by social media, he already knows that Ruki is up early from the photos he's posted of Koron on instagram. Kai took the opportunity to post a good morning tweet for his fans, a selfie with his cell phone in his face, but he didn't have any make-up on, so he thought it would be better, he was still sleepy, he hadn't slept yet after the trip.

When he got out of the van that night a few days ago, his greatest wish was to make some home-cooked food, but when he got into the house, leaving his suitcase and belongings in the living room, he went to the kitchen and, having been away for more than ten days, didn't leave anything in the fridge that could spoil, the only thing in there was a jar of mayonnaise. He looked in the cupboards for a packet of ramen, but only found a powdered mug of soup that should satisfy his hunger. She heated the water and poured it into the porcelain mug on top of the soup powder, while she waited for it to cool, went to her bedroom, had a quick shower, put on her pyjamas and returned to the kitchen, picked up the now lukewarm mug and headed for the sofa.

He sat down on the sofa and, using the remote control, started looking for something to watch. He flipped through several international news programs, most of them from the United States. I was still scared, how could the death of four people not appear on any police report or page? It was all very well covered up, I can't imagine how powerful and resourceful these people from this strange prophecy would be, I'm sure they're from some sect.

He became more worried when, through that nightmare, they discovered how the tattoo had ended up on Uruha's shoulder, his friend would be his father without a shadow of a doubt, but the witch was gone and there was no trace of who she was, or why those witches died as if it were a sacrifice, he was still freaking out wondering if that black mist was still on his body?

He turned off the TV and went to bed. Tomorrow he would go to Konbini and buy some things to prepare some decent food. Now he was very tired and needed to rest.

The day before he had already prepared some lunchboxes to take to the rehearsal, and he had also prepared a breakfast for Uruha, because he knows that when the rehearsal is in the morning he doesn't have time to eat and always wakes up late.

The intercom rings and Kai gets up to answer it. It's the doorman telling him that Yutaka-san's cab has just arrived, so he thanks him and hangs up the intercom.

He was wearing dark jeans, a long-sleeved white blouse and a leather jacket. He had taken his sunglasses and black hat. He went to the fridge, took out the Obentos and put them in a cooler bag, also the one he had made for Uruha. Duly ready, he headed for the exit door of the house, taking one last look to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. It was after 8:30 in the morning when he got into the cab, now he had to hope that there wouldn't be too much traffic to the PS Company building.

P.O.V OFF

At the PS Company building, a very impatient Ruki was waiting for his friends to arrive for the rehearsal. It was already past 9:30 in the morning and none of them had shown up yet, not even Kai, who is always on time for these meetings.

He'd been to the door countless times, he was indignant at these delays, only Uruha used to go to this trouble, today the others were making fun of him too, he couldn't believe it, even his boyfriend hadn't called or given him a sign of life, he tried to call but only got a voicemail, I wonder where Reita was?

The first person to appear on the corner was Aoi, he had gotten off at the station closest to the building and was walking towards the building entrance, he had already seen Ruki and knew he was a nervous wreck. Then a cab pulls up in front of the building and we see Kai getting out with his Obentos in one hand and his leather jacket in the other.

Just behind the cab we see a motorcycle making an open exhaust noise park up, Uruha gets off taking off his helmet holding it in one arm and hitting his hair and glasses on the mirror, going to where Kai and Ruki are, on the sidewalk he spots Aoi and walks straight past them to meet his brunette.

Finally, on the sidewalk to the side, we see a bicycle coming towards the studio, with a blond man with frizzy hair and a noseband, everyone deduces that it's Reita and waits for him to reach them.

- It's got to be a joke, right? - Ruki is huffing with anger at the delays - Did you agree to be late just to annoy me?

- That's pretty clueless, Ruki," says Kai, laringe at the little boy. - "Everyone came from a different place, there's no way, only if we came by van to agree to be late.

- It's already 10 o'clock in the morning! - Ruki exclaims loudly. - What took them so long?

They look at each other and think of an answer to the question. They stare at the little boy in front of them and speak at the same time.

- It was the fault of... TRAFFIC! - They all answer together and start laughing.

- That's right. You want me to believe that you all arrived together. - Ruki puts her hands to her face and nods in denial - And that it was the traffic's fault?

- Exactly! - Reita says, pushing the bike inside - "Accept that it hurts less, Ruki" - she warns, leaving the little boy with no action to respond to her comment, following him into the building, along with the others.

- Let's get inside," says Uruha, taking Aoi's arm. - I'm hungry because someone kept calling and I didn't have time to eat.

- Here Uruha, I've made an Obento for you to eat. - Kai hands him the breakfast tray he made - I knew you'd be hungry.

Uruha takes the lunchbox made by Kai, thanking him, he loves the food his friend prepares, he's a great cook.

- Why does only Uruha get food? - Reita complains to Kai. - I've cycled this far, I'm hungry too.

- That's it! Everyone's going to take a break now. - Ruki grumbles and stomps off - No rehearsal today.

Reita seems to be jealous of the treat that Kai has brought for Uruha, the funny thing is that he's always complained that he doesn't like Kai cooking, now he's arguing that he wants to eat too.

- Share with him, Uruha! - Kai smiles.

- Why do I have to share with him? - Uruha asks with a sad face, hugging the pot. - You brought it for me.

- Uruha, stop being a child and share the snack - orders Aoi, seeing the pout her boyfriend is making. - Kai has already done a lot to bring you a snack.

Uruha looks at his boyfriend who has just scolded him, calling him a child in front of the others. He complains about going on another sex strike, but ends up calling his friend to eat.

- What a pain in the ass you are. I don't know how we're still friends," Uruha complains in a slightly annoyed tone. - Come on Reita, let's sit down and eat.

After so many years of living together and being friends, these two still behave as if they were still in high school at break time.

- It's not like they're adults. - Kai laughs, showing his dimples, and goes to sit with them.

- Maturity stayed in high school! - Aoi replies, taking a seat next to Uruha.

After a few minutes, Ruki comes back into the room and sees them sitting eating and complains again.

- Recess time is over. Can we rehearse now? - Ruki is at the side of the table tapping her fingers.

- As the leader of this band. I think it's time for rehearsal. - Kai says mockingly to Ruki, who turns red with anger.

Everyone starts laughing too, getting up and heading towards the studio. Reita hugs the little guy and kisses him on the cheek, saying that he needs to learn to relax a bit and not take everything in life too seriously, otherwise he'll get old before his time.

Final Notes

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Translated with DeepL