GOMEN NASAI MINNA! Waaahh! I am really and truly sorry for not updating in such a long time… I never meant to take so long! Demo, I've been caught up with a lot of things… my job, my car, and pending move… I know my readers don't care to listen to my excuses, but I do hope that all of you will accept my apology.
Unfortunately, the above-mentioned things are still occupying my time, thus updates will remain limited. My apologies for any delays on updates in the future.
If any of you ever feel like just bothering me or sending me questions, comments, etc. without having to review, feel free to e-mail me anytime. Those along with reviews are great motivators for me… thanks to Chelsea for her reminder… you're the one who inspired me to get my butt in gear!
And no worries- I won't abandon STLF… or any of my other fics… I promise! BTW- I WILL be updating DTHBLB sometime (don't know exactly when) as well as posting a couple of one-shots for Gravi.
As promised, our ever-elusive Uesugi 'Yuki' Eiri will be making a couple of appearances in this chapter. They're short, but they are kawaii… or so I think. You'd better be happy… I had to bribe him with a month's supply of cigarettes and alcohol.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation, nor do I own any places mentioned in this fic. The song "Glowing Bright" is the sole property of Fishy-chan… do not steal or else I'll hunt you down on her behalf! Besides, that's just rude.
Regular italicized writing indicates thoughtsBold italicized writing indicates conscience
Chapter 17: Give Me Something to Believe
Everything had calmed down around NG Corps. Media coverage returned to normal and it was business as usual.
The members of Bad Luck were preparing for their departure to the states. Everyone was busy packing and making arrangements for when they would be leaving… which was in two days.
Tohma had 'kidnapped' the pink-haired singer on this particular day. The President had mentioned something along the lines of 'Shindou-san has been neglecting his paperwork for far too long.'
Indeed, it would be a quiet day at the studio with Shuichi missing.
Shuichi's Office:
"WAAAHH! Seguchi-san… do I have to do all of this?" Shuichi ogled the multiple piles of paperwork towering high above his desk in incredulity.
Who knew so much bureaucracy was involved in being a CEO?
The ever-polite smile never wavered on the president's face as he nodded with sadistic pleasure.
"Oh yes, Shindou-kun… it must ALL be done. And by today, at five o'clock pm." The singer let his jaw sag in disbelief as he yelped out a reply.
"F-FIVE? Are you SHITTING me?" The blond blatantly ignored the question as he continued without a pause.
"The shareholder's meeting will be tonight at seven o'clock pm, and all reports and contracts must be signed by then. They're expecting a full oral presentation from you at the meeting, so I would highly recommend that you familiarize yourself with these documents as well as our most recent ventures." The pink-haired boy stared at the Grasper with uncertainty. Tohma interpreted the silence for understanding as he turned to leave.
"So then, I will be expecting the reports at five and you'll meet the shareholders at seven o'clock sharp, ne?" Another cheerful grin and he stepped outside the office. Shuichi stuttered as the President of NG retreated hastily from the room.
"Uh-uh… demo… uh-"
"Ah, and if you need any assistance, feel free to ask your secretary for help. Ja!" With that, the door shut and the vocalist was left alone with the piles of paperwork.
The singer wrinkled his eyebrows in bewilderment at the blonde's last remark. Not the 'bye' part, the part about…
"Secretary…? I have one of those?" The confusion changed slowly into an expression of elation.
Sliding down his chair with eyes full of mirth, the vocalist crawled along the floor until he reached the same door Tohma had just left through.
Reaching up from the ground to turn the door handle, Shuichi opened the door just wide enough to take a peak at the hallway.
And sure enough, there was a large desk to the left of the door. There a petite female with light brown hair and huge glasses sat at the station, typing away busily at her PC.
An enormous smile spread across the singer's face as he began scheming his way out of the paperwork.
The poor secretary, unaware of the evil being plotted against her, felt a chill run down her spine as violet eyes watched her every move.
New York, New York:
Yuki stared at the item he held in his hand.
'Gravitation,' by Uesugi Eiri.
Yes, the premier novel by a brand new author.
For this book wasn't written by Yuki Eiri. No, that author no longer existed.
A small grin formed at the corners of his mouth as the blond writer repeated the title over and over again in his mind.
It had a nice ring to it.
Mizuki-san would be furious once she found out he had published a book without her.
Ah, so was life. That's how the dice were rolled.
Sorry, Mizuki-san… no credit to you this time.
Yuki, or rather Eiri, chuckled quietly to himself.
By next week, every bookstore and library would have a copy of 'Gravitation' displayed in their windowsill.
Now this was worth his interest.
And then, within another six to eight months, 'Gravitation' would be translated to Japanese and sent abroad.
How fun.
Eiri gave another chuckle.
Indeed, this would be very interesting.
Shareholder's Meeting:
"And so the profit margin NG Corps has earned via sales from records, concerts, and memorabilia has risen exponentially in the past two years. Our leading bands are of course Nittle Grasper and Bad Luck, but our efforts in smaller bands have not gone to waste."
Nervous pause.
"My recommendation to the shareholders would be to continue our venture with these smaller bands, but not to highlight them as of yet. In my opinion, there's much growth needed before we can consider pushing them any further. Our best bet would be to continue as we are. This concludes my report, arigato for you attention." Shuichi bowed quickly before sitting back down.
Applause filled the room as the singer took a moment to catch his breath. Throwing an anxious glance at the President of NG Corps, the pink-haired boy crossed his fingers.
The presentation had sounded accurate and official enough, but he still was too sure if it would fly.
Did it make sense? He didn't know. Half the things he rambled about were simply words he memorized from an outline his secretary had given him.
Violet eyes full of apprehension, the singer looked at the President.
Tohma had been watching the vocalist thoughtfully throughout the entire presentation, and upon noticing the uneasy gaze; he smiled and gave a slight nod of approval.
Shuichi sighed in relief, as the clapping dwindled. He had survived his first meeting with flying colors!
The President of NG stood to round up the meeting.
"Arigato Shindou-san. We will consider your recommendation and discuss it at the next meeting. Ladies and gentlemen, I think that enough for tonight. I adjourn this meeting and wish you all a good day."
With that, the shareholders rose from their seats and made their way out of the room. The blond executive motioned for the vocalist to stay behind.
After everyone else had left, Tohma gave a small chuckle.
"Nice job, Shindou-kun. You caught on faster than I expected."
"A-arigato, Seguchi-san." Shuichi stuttered at the praise given to him.
"I assume you were well assisted by your secretary?" The older man's eyes twinkled with hidden meaning.
"H-hai." The pink-haired boy blushed at the reference made. Of course the executive would figure out who had really done all the work.
"Well, can't say I blame you. And I have no complaints. It was well done. Well, have a good night." The conversation ended abruptly and the President of NG Corps left.
Shuichi breathed a sigh of relief.
So ended the singer's first executive meeting.
One Week Later:
The members of Bad Luck along with a few select members of their entourage and technicians boarded the private jet owned by NG Corps.
They were finally leaving for the United States.
The previous night had been hectic. With lots of last minute details to be handled, it had been a tense evening.
Sakano had fainted twice and cried three times.
There were eight new bullet holes in Bad Luck's studio, courtesy of one K.
A nice coating of blood covered the floor tiles due to Shuichi's incessant bleeding.
Hiro snapped two of his guitar strings and ripped some of his hair out.
Fujisaki actually lost his cool and kicked a brand new keyboard.
Yes, it had been very stressful.
But at the end of the night, all was well.
Bad Luck's new album had been completed and a title finally agreed upon.
Now, there was only to release the album… once they were in the United States.
New York, New York:
Eiri was checking his e-mails.
Fifty-seven fan letters. Nine marriage proposals. Two complaints about his new book's 'inappropriate' content. One memo from his editor. One memo from his publisher. One death threat. Six advertisements. One Bad Luck update.
He deleted the fan letters. He deleted the marriage proposals. He saved the complaints to laugh at a later time. He saved the memo from his editor and the one from his publisher. He saved the death threat to laugh at a later time as well. He deleted the advertisements.
He read the Bad Luck update.
"The spokesperson for Bad Luck has release a sudden change of plans for the popular J-pop band.
As of June eleventh, Bad Luck will begin a three-month tour through the United States beginning in Los Angeles, California and ending in New York, New York.
This mini-tour will hit one major city every two weeks, so tickets will sell out quickly.
Call Ticketmaster for information pertaining to the concerts. Availability is limited so if you're a fan in the United States, get your tickets now!"
Eiri raised a single eyebrow at the last comment via e-mail.
A small grin wavered at his lips.
Now the question is… am I a fan?
A low chuckle broke the silence in the hotel room as he answered himself.
I'm not a fan of the music… just a fan of the musician.
A familiar voice added it's own two cents.
It's about time you admitted it!
Next Day:
"Mou, Hiro… I'm sooo tired!" The longhaired guitarist didn't bother to even turn in his best friend's directions. They had just arrived in the Los Angeles airport not even ten minutes ago.
The crew of Bad Luck hustled around the luxurious jet, trying to gather their belongings so that they would be able to exit promptly.
However, jet lag seemed to have immobilized the pink-haired singer, who was currently draped over a reclining seat.
Ryuichi, who had just awoken from a nice nap, showed absolutely no sign of jet lag whatsoever. Stretching for a moment, the God of J-pop snatched up the limp Kumagorou lying beside him and proceeded to glomp the weary boy.
"Shu-chan! We're here, na no da! Aren't you excited? The lights are so pika pika, ne Shu-chan?"
After a brief struggle for oxygen, Shuichi managed to take a deep breath. Wincing slightly at the force of the energetic embrace, the younger singer managed a small grin for his lover.
"Hai, hai Ryu-chan. Very excited indeed." The words came out with a hint of sarcasm, but if the God of J-pop noticed it, he paid it absolutely no mind.
"SUGOI! Kumagorou loves traveling, na no da! It's his favoritest thing to do besides eating ice cream! He say it's fun to visit pika pika new places! Don't you think so too, Shu-chan? Don't cha, don't cha, don't cha!"
The lead singer of Bad Luck cringed as the volume increase dramatically inside the small aircraft. However, the enthusiasm was contagious and the boy's lethargy was quickly shaken off.
"Hai! We're finally here! It's time to spread some Bad Luck, ne?" A mischievous glint awakened in the violet eyes, not unnoticed by the older singer.
"Not just Bad Luck, but some Grasper magic too, ne?" Ryuichi's tone changed dramatically to one of total seriousness… a sort of challenging tone.
Shuichi grinned back at his koibito, knowing that their competition still existed and both had something to prove.
Their war for dominance in the music industry was as strong as ever… no matter what, neither would ever settle for second best.
"Hmm… maybe. But everyone is expecting a fresh, young, talented Japanese band called Bad Luck… not some old, outdated, second-rate, has-been band called Nittle Grasper." The pink-haired singer's tone was both playful and taunting, but that didn't prevent the multiple veins in Ryuichi's forehead from throbbing at the jibes.
"N-NANI! Are you implying that I'm OLD? Why you little…!" The Grasper became impaired with a severe case of speechlessness to the point he began to turn crimson with indignation.
Shuichi merely began to laugh hysterically until he too turned odd shades of red and purple.
Ryuichi continued sputtering in a rage. Both were ignorant of the fact that they alone were the only ones left inside the aircraft.
After a few more moments of sputtering and hysterics, the silence around them became obvious. Pausing to take a look around, they both started giving each other puppy eyes.
"Mou… Ryu-chan… they left us!" A pout form across Shuichi's lips as they realized the situation.
Ryuichi's eyes began to fill with tears as over-imagined fear took root inside the Grasper's head.
"Wah! Shu-chan! How could they forget us, na no da? We're too kawaii to forget! And what about Kumagorou? He's especially too kawaii to forget, na no da!"
Bad Luck's vocalist narrowed his eyes in annoyance at the exclamation as he argued with his lover.
"Forget Kumagorou! I'm the kawaii-est of all! How could they forget me!"
The God of J-pop growled in displeasure at the comment as he raised his beloved plushie, ready to attack.
"Infidel! Traitor! How dare you taint the sacred name of Kumagorou! Your life is forfeit, na no da! Charge! Kumagorou Miracle Beam!"
And with that, the pink bunny flew from the older singer's hand, aimed towards the pink-haired boy's head.
The stuffed animal hit its mark, and upon impact, Shuichi raised his arms in surrender.
"Itai! Itai! I yield! Itai! Forgive me oh kawaii one! I beg for your mercy Kumagorou! Itai!"
However, Ryuichi wasn't one to stop his assault and merely resumed by snatching up Kumagorou repetitively and continuing to bounce the object against the boy's body.
"Hai hai! Thou shall bow down to the almighty Kumagorou… and his right hand man, pika pika Ryuichi!"
At the imperious comment, Shuichi dared to snicker and threw a teasing remark from behind his upturned arms, which barricaded him.
"Heh heh… don't you mean Ryuichi and ON his right hand, Kumagorou?"
The Grasper gasped in mock rage as he gathered the pink bunny into his arms, preparing to attack once more.
"Treason! Kumagorou Miracle Beam!"
"Itai!"
At the exit of the plane, a longhaired figure watched in amusement at the antics of his best friend and Nittle Grasper's lead singer.
After a few more minutes of watching the two make fools out of themselves, the man coughed loudly to make his presence known.
"Eh-hem. Am I interrupting anything important? Or can you continue this later?"
Both vocalists froze at being found out in the midst of such a ridiculous display. Turning to their single audience member slowly, they blushed crimson in embarrassment.
Shuichi tried to laugh it off and began scratching his head in an attempt at being nonchalant.
"Hehehe… ano… hey Hiro! We thought you guys had left us."
Hiro smirked at his friend as he gave an explanation as to why he returned.
"We did. I came back after realizing you'd probably get lost if we left you on your own. I know you can't speak English to save your life."
The pink-haired boy began to pout again, but before he could respond, the man-child beside him answered excitedly.
"Kumagorou and Ryu-chan know English very well, na no da! We've lived here for five years and come back to visit lots of time!"
Shuichi raised a single eyebrow at the declaration, slightly surprised at this new discovery.
"Ryu-chan, you can speak English… fluently?"
The Grasper nodded enthusiastically, as did the pink plushie upon his hand.
"Hai hai! Both Kumagorou and I can speak it perfectly!"
Hiro rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"For a Grasper fanatic, you sure didn't keep up on Sakuma-san's life in the U.S. He's very well known here- and most of his songs were in English too."
The pink-haired singer crinkled his nose at the veiled insult as he raised his chin to respond.
"Of course I knew his songs were in English, but I just thought they were translated for him."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Shuichi knew he had said the wrong thing.
Bad Luck's guitarist winced at the obvious lack of knowledge as Ryuichi gasped in horror. The younger vocalist quickly covered his mouth with both hands and stared wide-eyed at his lover.
The Grasper continued to gape at his koibito shock. Hiro turned his back on the two lovers, hoping against all hope that there wouldn't be any unnecessary bloodshed.
A howl of outrage and several screams of 'Kumagorou Miracle Beam' later, Hiro turned once again to face the two vocalists to find Shuichi huddled under a reclining chair and Ryuichi crouching beside the pink-haired singer, poking him aggressively.
Shaking his head in despair, the guitarist rolled his eyes and decided enough was enough.
"Alright, let's go. You can finish this later, ne?"
New York, New York:
A few clicks after the Bad Luck update, Eiri was perusing the Ticketmaster website. Within a couple seconds, Bad Luck's list of performances was displayed across his laptop. The smallest of grins tugged at the corner of his mouth.
There, in all his pink glory, was a photo of Shuichi in his concert apparel.
A devilish light in his violet eyes, the singer was dressed in skintight black leather from head to toe.
He looked delicious.
Full pouty lips slightly open as if he was about to speak. Wide sparkling eyes outlined in black eyeliner. Shocking strawberry hair ruffled as if a light wind was brushing through it. And his signature dimple in his right cheek.
He was breathtaking.
Staring at the image for a minute before continuing his search, the writer turned his attention to the concert listings and scanned them quickly.
Whistling softly, his eyebrow arched at the numerous entries. It was obvious that Bad Luck was determined to make its mark within the short period of time that they would be visiting.
In the three months that they would be in the United States, they were scheduled for a total of thirty concerts in six different cities.
The first four taking place in Las Angeles, California.
Eiri smiled widely as he scrolled down the list and reached the last city in the tour.
There were seven concerts scheduled for New York.
A low chuckle broke the silence in the dimly lit bedroom.
The blonde knew that he would be there for at least one of those seven concerts.
NG Studios:
Meanwhile, all the way at the other side of the globe, another blonde-haired man sat alone inside his enclosed office. There wasn't another living soul inside the NG building; after all, it was deep into the night.
Tohma sat in the darkened room, the only light being the reflection of the pale moon peering through the window.
He had been there for several hours now- he had received word of Bad Luck's arrival in the United States only a few minute before.
The executive did this often. It was his only place of total solitude in his ever-chaotic life.
And now more than ever, he needed to contemplate that life.
The previous day had been a whirlwind of activity in which there had been no time to digest the events of the past few weeks. After all that had happened, he had stolen away in his favorite retreat away from all the bright lights and noisy people.
Away from the spotlight.
A bitter grin twisted the handsome face as he rolled the thought around in his head.
It was funny, each member of Nittle Grasper had their own reason for bringing the band back together… perhaps his own had been the most selfish though.
He knew the truth behind Ryuichi's facade… and it broke his heart every time he peered into the chocolate brown eyes masked over in a false light.
Because from the very beginning, he hadn't been there when Ryuichi had needed him the most. He hadn't been the one Ryuichi had clung to.
He hadn't been the one to catch Ryuichi when he had fallen.
And he'd wanted to… so desperately. If only he had been the one to pursue Ryuichi on that fateful night. If only he had paid closer attention…
But no… it was far too late for any of that. Even now, he wasn't the one Ryuichi relied on…
It was Shuichi.
Tohma gazed at the pale orb high in the night skyline. On such a dark evening as this, it seemed as though the moon glowed even brighter than the sun.
Just like Ryuichi.
It the midst of all the darkness surrounding him, the vocalist always shone.
It was a shine that Tohma could never obtain.
The blonde had loved that shine more than anything, but circumstances prevented him from ever taking it for his own… for taking Ryuichi for his own.
Because from the very beginning, Ryuichi had always belonged to someone else.
Yes, Tohma loved Ryuichi.
But it was a love that would never be requited.
A few stray clouds drifted across the moon and the office was dark once more.
Closing his eyes, Tohma contemplated his marriage to Mika. On his desk were legal documents that would free him from his farce of a marriage.
She had asked for a divorce several months before, but as proud as he was, Tohma had refused to sign the papers.
She knew their union had been one of image and tradition, not of love. And after so many years of pretending to be happy, Mika had finally given up on trying to make her husband fall in love with her.
But to Tohma, agreeing to the divorce meant change. And more than anything, the blonde hated change.
Change was inevitable though… as was the divorce. As was Ryuichi falling in love with someone else.
So maybe it was time just to accept the change… and move on.
The bitterness dissipated from the Grasper's expression as he opened his eyes… his gaze drawn to the papers waiting on his desk.
With a reluctant sigh, Seguchi Tohma leaned forward and reached for the Mont Blanc pen lying next to the documents.
Las Angeles, California:
The blinding array of colors flashing across the stage at the Staples Center only added to the euphoric high Bad Luck was riding on.
The crowd was phenomenal… their first concert could only be defined as a hit. Sold out and filled to the last seat- thousands of people were roaring in the audience.
For their final song, Bad Luck had left the decision to Shuichi… and he wasn't about to disappoint them. After a few whispered agreements, Bad Luck made their final entrance on stage.
Using the few words he had memorized in English, the pink-haired singer waved the crowd to silence and made his announcement.
"Thank you everyone! This has been a sugoi- I mean an AWESOME concert! For our last song, we'd like to bring a special guest on-stage with us… you should remember him! He is none other than… Ryuichi of Nittle Grasper!"
The audience went crazy as the lights focused on the entrance of the Grasper. Throwing a victory sign high in the air, Ryuichi made his way to the center with a wink and a sexy smile.
"Are you ready? Let's end this party with a showdown!" The God of J-pop nodded to his lover to explain.
"As you all should know, Bad Luck and Nittle Grasper are head to head for the top spot! We'll leave it to you to decide who's going to get it! Here's our first debut of 'Glowing Bright', which will be our first single in the United States!"
With that, the lights dimmed until only two spotlight remained- one on Shuichi and one on Ryuichi.
As the soft but vibrant strains of guitar played, the heavy underlying beats of the keyboard only added to the tense atmosphere.
Raising his microphone, Shuichi began first.
"Brighter than the stars,
Brighter than the sun,
Brighter than the moon,
Shining…"With a nod, Ryuichi took over for the next verse.
"If I could shine brighter
Than the stars, the sun, and the moon
Would that be shining bright enough for you?"
A provocative tango began between the two vocalists as each seemed to dared the other to do better than they had. With long eyelashes veiling his violet eyes, Shuichi began once again.
"Cuz I'm looking at that streetlamp
And its glow is shining brightThen suddenly a rock shatters the glass
And it's swallowed by the night."
Biting his lower lip, Ryuichi cast a longing look at the dancing figure of his koi before raising his mic once again.
"It's light is gone forever
And the glass lies broken on the ground
In the sudden darkness I'm wondering
If I can be broken like that now."
At once, both singers froze. The music became silent for another couple of seconds. Starting again suddenly, both vocalists went into motion again, dancing a mirror image of each other as they sang in unison.
"If I could shine brighter
Than the stars, the sun, and the moon
Would that be shining bright enough for you?"
Shuichi began the next verse with a wink to his lover.
"Cuz I'm staring at that candle
Getting warmth from its hued spark
When suddenly a wind blasts through
And the glow is lost to the dark."
Sauntering down a small runway from the main stage, Ryuichi reached his hand out to the fans beneath him, barely able to keep himself on the stage due to a few overenthusiastic ones. After regaining his balance, the idol gave a short laugh and began his verse.
"All that's left is a wisp of smoke
And the slowly hardening wax
In the sudden cold I'm wondering
If my warmth can be stolen like that."
Still chuckling after watching the scene with his boyfriend, Shuichi waited for Ryuichi to return to center stage before starting the chorus.
"If I could shine brighter
Than the stars, the sun, the moon
Would that be shining bright enough for you?"
Still in unison, the two singers faced each other for the finale.
"But I know I can shine farther
And I know I can last longer
And I know I can't be broken
Cuz I've been down that road before."
Drawing closer and closer to one another, they were soon close enough to feel each other's breath. Exchanging a private look, they continued.
"So throw the sharpest rock you've got
And send blowing your fiercest wind
And when the lights do go out
We'll see who's left standing tonight!"
Jumping atop a ledge, Shuichi sang his verse as he raised his face to the sky.
"I'll shine brighter than the stars."
Following suit, Ryuichi did the same on a ledge at the other side of the stage.
"I'll shine brighter than the sun."
Shuichi licked his lips provocatively into the camera as he sang the last solo line.
"I'll shine brighter than the moon."
Jumping down simultaneously, the two vocalists met in the center of the stage to sing the final line in unison.
"Yeah, I'll keep on shining…"As soon as the last verse was sung, the stage blinked into total darkness. The roar of approval from the crowd rose into a crescendo.
After a couple minutes, the lights returned and only the three members of Bad Luck remained onstage. They bowed deeply as Shuichi grasped the mic and waved to the crowd.
"Thank you minna! You've been a wonderful audience! Thank you!"
They bowed again. Hiro and Suguru retreated to backstage as Shuichi made his final announcement.
"As you know, we will be touring through several major cities within the next three months, so you'll be seeing more of us along the way. In two days, our new album will be released. Please be sure to look for it! It's called "Vision"! Thank you once again!"
And with that, Bad Luck's first concert in the United States ended in complete success.
New York, New York:
All the way in New York, a certain author stared at his TV with an expression crossed between shock and sadness.
He had chosen to view Bad Luck's first concert live on Pay Per View… and now he half regretted it.
For if he hadn't, he'd have never known… about them.
About Shuichi and Ryuichi.
Because it had been obvious from their secret looks and the way they sang together… that they were... in love.
In love.
Eiri felt his eyes burn slightly as he continued to stare at the screen, even though all that was playing was the end credits.
A single tear fell across his pale cheek.
TBC…
Kami-sama… I hate the way I ended this chapter… it made ME cry. But then again, I'm a sap. Arigato minna for all your support… and gomen nasai again for not updating a lot. Bear with me… I'll get back into it! I love you guys so much! Onegai REVIEW!