Chapter One: The Long Days of Summer

'Where Are They Now?' The screen graphic flashed across the television with the thunderous music and energy of a mid afternoon entertainment talk show. The graphic quickly faded away to two reporters sitting behind a anchor desk with a large window of Tokyo behind them. "Today we look at the band Route L, fifteen years ago they took Japan by storm, their names were on everyone's lips and their concerts were sold out months in advance." The female reporter spoke, as pictures began to fill the screen of the three band members of Route L at one of their concerts. "With millions of fans, and singles at the top of the charts, it seemed like the band was unstoppable."

The screen then changed to show the view of a horrible car crash the twisted wreckage of a limo having collided head on with a massive truck. "And then tragedy struck, two of the band members were on the way home, when a head on collision killed the group's keyboardist and scarred their guitarist." The screen changed to show Aoi Koga limping out of the hospital, crutches in both arms, his leg horribly mangled from the accident. "The only other surviving member was Takuto Kira who walked away from the accident unscarred..."

The television flashed out, a hiss of static hanging in the heavy humid midsummer air, daylight streamed through the dirty windows into the dusty room, the sunlight only serving to add to the heat of the room. "Takuto? Hey Takuto?" A voice called from the next room, a second later a young woman in her mid twenties appeared in the doorway, her hair soaked in sweat, her tank top clinging to her skin as she held out a empty milk carton.

Takuto's eyes remained focused on the now blank television, a thin line of sweat rolling down past his ear before dribbling off his chin, his long hair clung and matted to his face from the thick humidity in the room. "If you are going to miss work again today, you could at least go to the store and pick up some groceries." She tossed the milk carton at him in annoyance and retreated back into the next room to watch a exercise program on the other television.

With a low growl of annoyance Takuto pulled himself off the couch, the leather clinging to his skin creating a snapping sound as he pulled away from it. He reached down and picked up the milk carton before tossing it in the trash, next to where his janitor's uniform hung. He eyed it for a second, considering to go to work just to get out of the apartment and into some air conditioning.

"And be sure to pick up some fresh fruit too, the apples in the fridge have mold on them" She added giving him a slight shutter as he opened the door and stepped outside.

Amazingly enough it was cooler outside than it was inside, possibly it was the gentle breeze that ran across the stairs leading down from their second floor apartment, or it could be the stress he felt from watching the television program was finally leaving his body. There were times that he considered calling up Aoi, he had heard that him and his wife now had a daughter. By now she would be nearly the age he was when he joined Route L. But he hadn't talked to Aoi since the accident, since he had lost Wakouji. Even now he could feel the pain well up from that night.

"Hey Boy Band!" His neighbor called out to him from the small balcony each apartment had. Using his hands to shield his eyes from the sun he turned to look up at the overweight woman, who had called him that nickname ever since finding out about his past. "Would you stop feeding the strays? They keep coming around here because you feed them." She called out to him as Takuto gave a brief smile and wave.

"Sure Mrs Wakamatsu" He gave a polite response before rounding the corner of the apartment building which led to the busy Tokyo street. A gentle rustling came from the bushes next to him, and out popped a small furry head of one of the felines that he thought of as a pet of sorts.

"Sorry no food this time." He gave the small kitten a pat on the head. He glanced back over his shoulder, half expecting Mrs Wakamatsu to be standing behind him. "I'll bring you something from the store." He added with a smirk.

There was one thing that he enjoyed about the anonymity that regular life gave: he could now walk down a street without having to stop every ten feet for autographs. As a child he thought it was fun, almost like a game to be mobbed by fans looking for pictures and autographs. If it happened now he probably would find it annoying.

With his hands shoved into his pockets, Takuto kicked one of the many rocks that could be found in the gravel parking lot of the local grocery store, the back end seemed to get into worse and worse disrepair with each passing month. Then again, almost no one walked to the grocery store except for the few that lived in the apartment close by like himself, everyone else parked in the front and well kept portion of the parking lot.

One day he hoped to own a car of his own, or even a motorcycle that he could take out into the country side, allow the wind to whip through his ponytail as he traveled along the roads that hugged the mountains. But then he would need a pay check higher than one given to a local part time janitor.

Takuto stepped through the sliding doorway of the grocery store, allowing the cool rush of air conditioned air rush over his body, sending chill bumps all over him as the hot sweat that seemed to cling to every pore of his body suddenly turned cold. "Maybe I'll find a way to fix the air conditioning first." He laughed idly to himself and grabbed a shopping cart.

Milk, Vegetables, Fruits, a half loaf of bread for the cats, eggs, a small package of meat. Takuto mentally went down the check list in his head as he walked through the aisles, trying to do his best to extend the time inside the cool air of the grocery store. As he walked he noticed a young girl, no older than twelve walking through the aisle opposite of him. He would have paid no notice to her, but the light amount of lipstick on her lips, and the stylish way her thick brown hair was done up suggested that she was more than a everyday school girl. If he had to guess, he would say she was either a singer, or one of the child idols that appeared in so many magazines displaying products for sale. She and her mother had walked in earlier, flanked by two men who he would guess was body guards, as they seemed the same body type and look as the body guards that used to travel with the band.

Some time earlier he would guess, she decided to go exploring the store alone from her mother and the body guard was tasked with following her. "Reminds me of all the times I tried to ditch my own body guard." He half mumbled to himself after passing him, a smirk crossing his face as he remembered the wild days of his youth.

He turned the corner and nearly bumped carts with another man who was heading the opposite direction. "Sorry I didn't.." His words trailed off as he looked up into the man's eyes. They were shifting back and forth, his fingers clinched tightly to his empty cart, he wore a thick jacket something much too hot for this time of the year. It was the type of person his body guard had always warned him about during his youth.

'Maybe I am just being jumpy' Takuto thought to himself and apologized again, turning to head away from the aisle. He gave a quick glance behind and noticed that the girl was looking through the various products as her body guard hung back, texting on his cell phone. With every minute the young girl seemed to get further and further away from her preoccupied body guard, meanwhile the man from before seemed to have slowed to inching down the aisle his eyes focused directly on the young girl.

"Dammit.." He swore and let go of his cart, his body pivoting around as he raced down the aisle, the strange man having already passed the body guard and was within two or three footfalls from the young girl.

Takuto bent his shoulder down, and with a near flying charge hit the man square in the back before his outstretched hand could touch the young girl. His shopping cart went flying as the two tumbled to the ground, hitting the hard tile floor with enough force that his elbow screamed with pain. The perverted man was already scrambling out from underneath him, a hand already digging into the pockets of his jacket to pull out a weapon.

"No you don't!" Takuto grabbed his arm to reveal a handgun already in his grasp. With all the strength he could muster he pulled the arm harshly to the side, keeping it from pointing at the child. A shot rang out, striking a loaf of bread sitting on the shelf and sending the cowardly body guard scurrying off in the opposite direction, leaving the little girl to her fate.

Takuto turned his attention back to the gun, with one arm placed on the wrist he used the elbow of his other arm to strike the man in the gut. A gurgling sound came from the man's throat, a signal that he was about to lose his lunch. Pulling his arm around he balled his fist and struck the man on the bridge of the nose, sending him crumpling to the ground, the gun falling out of his grasp and tumbling a few feet away.

With a swift kick Takuto pushed the gun far out of the man's reach and backed away, giving his sore shoulder a long rub. "Tch, what kind of man are you trying to steal a little girl." He asked the unconscious man, blood dripping from his nose as security finally arrived. "Took you long enough." He shot back at the security guards as they started to handcuff the man.

"Are you okay?" He asked, turning his attention to the young girl who had remained frozen in place during the entire ordeal. Every muscle in his body told him to move on, be the unknown hero that may make the local news later that night.

Instead he knelt down next to her, inspecting her to see if the man had grabbed her or hurt her before he had gotten there. "Thank you for saving me." She finally spoke, her words coming out like a sweet melody of someone who had spent years perfecting their voice to sing.

He gave a sheepish smile and shrugged. "It was nothing." He replied and got up, satisfied that she was okay he finally turned to leave only to be stopped by the girls voice.

"I'm Kouyama Mitsuki" She called out after him after he had only taken a few steps.

He turned to see the young girl's mother rushing down the aisle, two body guards flanking her side, one of them having a cowardly embarrassed look on his face. "Mitsuki! Mitsuki! Are you okay?" The woman asked, scooping Mitsuki up into her arms, tears streaming down her pale face.

"I'm fine mom!" Mitsuki tried to push her mother away, a bright blush of embarrassment coming off her face. She turned back to Takuto, and pointed him out to her mother. "This is the man who saved me." She explained as Takuto matched eyes with both body guards before turning back to look at Mitsuki's mother.

"It was nothing really." He shrugged, trying to downplay the entire event.

At first Takuto thought there was something familiar about the woman, the shape of her face, her eyes, it was as if something from another life."No it was, please my husband is holding a dinner tonight, please come and let us repay you for saving my daughter." She pleaded as Takuto backed up in embarrassment.

He began to object, and then remembered Hikari's cooking and how hot and uncomfortable it was at their apartment. "Please!" Mitsuki stepped past her mother, a pleading look in her eyes with her hands clasped together.

"I guess..." Takuto took in a deep breath as Mitsuki's eyes lit up.

"Here, the dinner is scheduled for eight, please come, and thank you again." Mitsuki's mother handed him what looked like a fancy business card before turning and taking Mitsuki's hand. Mitsuki turned back and got one last look at him, a small grin across her face before she turned back and hurried along with her mother.

Takuto let out a long sigh and eyed the business card. "What have I gotten into now?" He wondered outloud.