Title: concerning love
Fandom: The iDOLMASTER 2
Characters: Producer, Kisaragi Chihaya. With a dash of Shijou Takane and Ganaha Hibiki and a side of other characters that make an appearance.
Rating: K+ ish.
Disclaimer: I do not own NBGI Idolmaster 2 blahblahblah that stuff.
Note: There are spoilers for iDOLMSTER 2 if you planned on playing it and didn't want to be spoiled.

Prologue—What the Producer has to say

Our story was never a love story—it never was meant to be one. I've heard plenty of stories from other Producers—where one was able to get his idol to become more feminine; where one was able to get his idol to believe in herself; where one went through a series of events for her—they all ended up like love stories.

Mine, however, was different. My story was one of building trust between an idol and her Producer; my story was one of not keeping secrets from each other; my story was one of learning how the other works.

Love—it was something that just came—and we both didn't know until our story was at its turning point.

It was his first week at the new Production group he would be working with—that he met her. That morning the Producer had a long chat with his boss, President Takagi Junjirou, and was asked to pick one of the girls to produce. The Producer stared at the group picture of everyone for a while, and occasionally flipped to profiles, before he chose one. The President stared at his choice and nodded approvingly.

The President said The Producer had a good eye, and gave him directions to where he would find Kisaragi Chihaya.

He searched high and low, before he heard a voice by the riverside. When he turned around, his eyes widened a little at the source of a voice. They followed an upright, standing figure by the river banks, arm extended, and the flowing, brilliant blue hair that blew lightly in the wind. The voice that came from this girl was amazing and he realized what President Takagi meant by having a good eye.

The Producer rushed to where the girl was standing, calling out to her. And when he came up a few feet behind her, he was slightly hunched over, breathing heavily. The long sprint from where he stood before to the river bank was a lot further than he had thought. He weakly called out to her again, and she turned around slowly—an irritated and exasperate look on her face.

He shrank back a bit at that look as she carefully addressed him. He casually asked if she was Kisaragi Chihaya, and she acknowledge that known fact before she asked who he was cautiously while shifted uncomfortably. The Producer immediately straightened out, adjusted his tie carefully, and pulled out his ID card, handing it to Chihaya.

She inspected it carefully, turning it over in her hands, but when she fully realized it was a 765Productions id card, her eyes widened in surprise. She looked at him, and asked if he was her Producer.

He laughed lightly and nodded his head. He said he would be the one producing her. She straightened herself out after that and introduced herself formally, smiling softly.

The Producer didn't know how much that smile would warm his heart as they started this journey together.

That night, after their chat in the café with the promoter, and her vocal lesson, Chihaya revealed her dream. The Producer knew she was serious about singing, and that night she revealed why she was so serious. She wanted her voice to be heard everywhere—ideally she wanted everyone around the world hear her. He was a bit awestrucked at this dream; it was such a big dream, and he promised he would make it happen.

In fact, he said it wasn't just her dream anymore, it was their dream. Her dream was his dream now.

She was confused, not use to having a second person there for her, but eventually warmed up to the Producer and his encouraging words.

Little did they know, that they wouldn't be on this journey to the new dream they embraced, alone.

When the President revealed to the Producer he wouldn't just be producing Chihaya—he would be producing a unit of three idols, the Producer was caught off-guard. In all his producing career, he never had to produce a unit—sure he took care of the occasional duo and sometimes had a third person there as a guest but he never produced a unit from beginning to end. He stared at the sheet and the profiles once more, pondering on who would complement Chihaya the best.

He eventually chose the Okinawan born idol, Ganaha Hibiki, and the mysterious, Shijou Takane.

The President congratulated him on his choice, and told him that Ganaha and Shijou would be meeting with Chihaya in a few minutes—and that he should also get going to meet his newly formed unit.

The Producer nodded and excused himself. He realized that it was going to be a long and difficult journey, but with everyone here and together—he was sure that Chihaya's dream would come true.

The Producer was surprised at how well Hibiki and Takane worked with Chihaya—and how well Chihaya got along with them. Hibiki was always energetic, and could put a smile on Chihaya and Takane's face when times got tough. The Okinawan was also skilled in dancing, so she often led the dance lessons and gave tips to Chihaya and Takane to further the groups' progress.

For visual lessons, it seemed that Takane had a much easier time than the other two. As mysterious as Takane was, it must've added to her appeal, because she knew almost all the expressions in time with the song they were producing. Hibiki seemed to always mess up here and there, and Takane would pull on her cheeks into the right pose. The Okinawan freaked out at first but quickly got used to this. Takane was more forgiving with Chihaya—but that was because Chihaya didn't mess up as much as Hibiki did.

And to finish it all off, Chihaya led Vocal lessons. She was more experienced with singing than the other two, and was able to catch when pitches were too high, or when pitches were too low. She helped the other two progress in their singing capabilities.

The Producer was proud of his unit, and proud of how all three of them worked well together. He didn't think that their dynamic would break—that no one could beat them.

Oh how wrong he was in the tenth week of their production.

After their devastating defeat against friendly rivals, Ryuuguu Komachi, and their Producer, former 765Production idol, Akizuki Ritsuko, the Producer and his unit hit an all time low. It was heart-wrenching for him to see his unit like this. That dynamic he loved so long ago, seemed to be destroyed.

It was indeed a hard time for his unit—their morals destroyed by one of their rivals. They didn't get along like before—in fact, Takane and Hibiki bickered a lot more. Sure, they had friendly banter before, but now their bickering seemed to escalate into arguments. Chihaya could only watch feebly from the side—she tried to qualm both sides, but was met with bitter rejection.

The Producer finally interjected in the evening. He lectured both Hibiki and Takane that they shouldn't be arguing over little things, and that if the unit wanted to surpass Ryuuguu Komachi, they needed the strong group dynamic they had before. While both parties didn't say anything in retaliation, they left that night—feeling a little bit more spirited than before.

That night, Chihaya approached him, thanking him for all of that. He gave her a smile, it was no problem, he was their Producer, and they were going to go through all of it together. She agreed full-heartedly, and took him by his hand, saying she had somewhere to take him.

He was surprised at this particular boldness Chihaya exhibited, but went along with her that night.

She brought him to a place like a small underground club. It was weird at first because he figured Chihaya wasn't one to go to clubs (not to mention she wasn't old enough) but he found out that it wasn't a club. It was a place where local bands could come and perform, and anyone could come out and watch.

He tried to ask her more information on who was playing, but she told him to be patient, and watch for what was coming.

And then he was blown away by the amazing performance that a female singer and her band performed that night. The energy was contagious and her performance on stage was stunning. She certainly had the crowd captivated—the cheers loud when they wanted to be—and quiet when she was singing a somber song. The Producer enthusiastically asked Chihaya if she felt the same energy he could feel—but he found her so entranced in the performance, that she didn't make any response to say anything to him.

After the live, they walked along the narrow path on the park—Chihaya a few paces quicker than his, with a slight hop in her step. She turned around, smiling widely at him. She asked him how was the live, and he told her how good it was. Her smile didn't waver, relieved that he enjoyed the live.

She soon revealed that it was this female, that she closely watched in performance, was the one she wanted to become. Producer nodded, he wasn't surprised that Chihaya idealized this female. However, he saw her smile waver, as she started to ask him if being an idol was truly the right path for her. The Producer was taken back at first, but prompted her to explain what she meant.

Chihaya started to say she wasn't cute—she didn't have the same appeal as the other female-singer had on stage. Chihaya only had her voice, and that was the only thing she knew she had. The Producer chuckled softly and placed a hand against her shoulder. Chihaya was Chihaya, and the singer was the singer—everyone had their strengths and weaknesses.

Chihaya seemed to understand, and Producer just reinforced his idea by saying he believed in her.

He would always believe in Chihaya, no matter what happened.

The evening lecture with Takane and Hibiki seemed to work, because the amazing dynamic the Producer witnessed before their defeat came back—stronger than ever. They worked hard over the next few weeks, and all that hard work paid off when their newest single launched into second place in the charts. President Takagi congratulated them for all their hard work, and excused them early for the evening.

The Producer went on an evening stroll that night—it made him forget about all the troubles that everyone went through, and it gave him a short break from life in general. He mused about other things then his Production, until a shuffle in the bushes and a quiet mutter dragged him out of his thoughts. He blinked, he could recognize that voice from anywhere—and he called out for Chihaya to come out.

At first there was nothing, except for a small cat that ran out of the bush, and scampered away—and then emerged the songstress he called for.

She blinked and realized it was the Producer who called out to her. She seemed to be troubled by something, muttering about how the role of being leader was… doing something to her. The Producer couldn't figure it out, and tried to pressure her into telling him. She was skilled in rejecting him however, and was quick to brushing him away from whatever she was trying to hide. She kept shuffling oddly and clearing her throat every minute—and the Producer noted that for future reference.

He eventually asked her if it was something to do with her voice. He noticed when they were first started talking, that there her tone seemed to be…off. Chihaya was surprised at how well he could figure out, and reasoned that she might be catching a cold. Producer immediately jumped on that, and wanted Chihaya to rest—but as stubborn as she was, she didn't want that. She knew that their rematch with Ryuuguu Komachi was soon, and they had to train hard in order to beat them.

The Producer admired her fighting spirit, and finally submitted into not letting her rest. He would continue his lessons as they would, and they would progress further into their debut.

Chihaya was relieved, and happy that the Producer trusted her. She promised she would tell him everything from then on—and the Producer made her look him in the eye and reiterate that.

And even though she promised that—there was still something that she was hiding, and the Producer knew, but wouldn't pursue it.

The rematch with Ryuuguu Komachi came and went with ease. The unit's excessive training and promotion paid off for an easy win against Ryuuguu Komachi in their rematch-festival. Ritsuko was quick to congratulate both Producer and Chihaya after the unit's performance on stage.

Ritsuko praised Chihaya's capability as a leader. Chihaya's dynamic with the other members was wonderful and she knew how to lead them on stage. In fact, Ritsuko mumbled about how she regret not having Chihaya part of Ryuuguu Komachi She wished she had Chihaya's dynamic and leadership in the group—it would make them unstoppable.

She quickly dismissed that thought, Chihaya was fine where she was—and then she rounded on the Producer. She claimed the Producer had it so easy with Chihaya around, and that he was taking such a big advantage on the young girl. Chihaya—always one who believed Ritsuko was surprised, and started to demand an explanation from the Producer.

The Producer's eyes widened, suddenly stuck in a predicament that he never even thought of. He tried to tell Chihaya that it wasn't true at all, but Chihaya being Chihaya… He was left alone after Ritsuko interjected—saying that now wasn't the time for a lover's quarrel.

It was the first time Producer saw Chihaya's face flush a bright pink, as she quickly retaliated on Ritsuko's statement. She said their relationship wasn't like that, but Ritsuko being as sneaky as ever was able to embarrass Chihaya some more. The songstress's blush was even brighter than before—as she tried to dismiss the thought of her and the Producer in any romantic relationship.

The Producer on the other hand, didn't say anything about it. He was just surprised at how riled up Chihaya got and how sneaky Ritsuko was with words. But Ritsuko also quite business orientated, brought up a proposal of their unit and Ryuuguu Komachi coming together to put on a live. It was a wonderful idea, and fans would pile in a lot more with 765Production's most popular units on stage.

And when the Producer thought things would be going easier, he didn't know of the misfortune that a certain brown-haired male idol brought when he came over to laugh at them.

The Producer and Chihaya kept in close contact now. She often texted him, and he would respond promptly. They never really went out together though, but one night, Chihaya wanted to show the Producer something. The Producer, not knowing what she wanted to show him, agreed to their small outing for the next day.

This small outing of theirs was postponed when Chihaya phoned in the morning and apologized to him that she could not make it. He didn't mind at first, but when he noticed how much she coughed over to phone, and how she wheezed a lot—he was worried. Despite her assurance that she was fine, the Producer didn't listen to her, and immediately went to check up on her.

She was surprised when she found him at her door, but let him in to her small apartment. The Producer excused his rather brash behaviour, but told her how worried he was. Chihaya tried to reassure that she was fine, but she fell into a coughing spell that took a minute or two to pass on. The Producer sighed, patting her shoulder gently, he reasoned that he was her Producer, and he had the right to know if something goes wrong with his idol, and that he had to take care of her.

He then told her to come closer so he could feel her forehead and she nearly jumped in surprise at how straight forward he was. She shifted uncomfortably, embarrassed at their closeness but eventually complied. He gently pressed the back of his hand firmly against her forehead, and with his other hand, pressed it against his own—trying to get a feel on whose temperature was warmer and if the warmth was normal or not.

He missed the large blush that was across her face—which wasn't due to her illness.

The Producer eventually removed his hands from both of their foreheads, and firmly stated she had the flu, and that she needed to take the week off from work. He then said he would take care of her for the day, to make sure she would drink and eat properly while she was sick. At first she didn't want any of that—she wanted to be independent—but eventually caved in, grateful for the Producer's help.

They settled down for the afternoon and when he sat himself down next to her bedside, a teddy bear that sat in the corner of the room caught his eye. When he asked her about it, there was a faint, ghostly smile on her face as she said it was her younger brother's. The Producer blinked, he didn't know that Chihaya has a younger brother…

Or well, he soon found out she had a younger brother.

She described her younger brother as a free, happy spirited boy. He always listened to Chihaya's songs—no matter how bad they were nine years ago, until he passed away in an accident. Shortly after her brother passed away, her parents got a divorce, and that was when Chihaya became the only one left in the world.

The Producer frowned; he didn't like how she masked all of that with a small smile. He could see the pain in her eyes as she recounted her past—and how easily she pushed it all away made something inside him break. She didn't want to end their time together on a sour note, so they had tea together, and spent the rest of the afternoon talking about other things.

Later that night, the Producer mused about how Chihaya said she was the only one in the world—and that he vowed that he would change it, no matter what.

Weeks passed by, and the Producer's unit gained popularity quite fast. He got an overwhelming amount of fan-letters in the evenings, and fans came out to almost every event that was held all over Japan. The amount of fans that especially showed up for joint-lives between Ryuuguu Komachi and the unit was massive, which boosted sales and job offers for 765Productions.

Even the gaining popularity of rival production 961's Amagase Touma could not top the already hit singles that 765Productions produced. He was, however, a foreboding figure when it came to festivals. Ritsuko's Ryuuguu Komachi was crushed by Amagase Touma, destroying any hopes that Ryuuguu Komachi had to be nominated into Idol Academy, the most prestigious award ceremony for units and idols.

The Producer remembered the night Ritsuko told him about Amagase Touma. He distinctively remembered the brown-haired male, who gloated about his success as a single idol, and spat on the term "unity". The Producer hated guys like that, and that day, he told himself that if their paths crossed, he would be sure to take him on. But Ritsuko's warning made him rethink that idea.

And the day came, when his unit and Amagase Touma would face off. The male-idol came up to them as arrogant as ever. He gloated about how he single handedly defeated Ryuuguu Komachi, and challenged their group. If the Producer's unit won, then Touma would respect their unity, but if they lost, then they were to stay out of his way.

In other words, don't participate in the Idol Academy awards.

The Producer jumped with an insult, it was a stupid idea, and he wasn't ready to give up everything that their group worked on since they came together. Before Producer could have done anymore, Chihaya came forward—and agreed with the proposal. Touma stalked off laughing and claimed they would lose just like Ryuuguu Komachi had. The Producer glanced at Chihaya, but she just apologised—she didn't want to lose to an arrogant man like this.

He took a breath; all he could do was believe. He believed that they would win, and that they would get this guy who thought he was number one to know his place.

When Producer heard a large crash and saw people fleeing the area, he assumed the worst. He pushed pass the heap of people before he heard his name being called—Chihaya, Hibiki, and Takane emerged from behind their stage. He met them halfway; his hands immediately touched Chihaya's shoulders, and inspected her carefully. He constantly asked if she was okay, that he missed Hibiki's snicker and Takane's soft laugh.

After some teasing and reassurance she was alright, Producer pulled away—relieved that everyone was fine. Touma re-entered the scene and immediately called their bet off. He said that they were lucky that the lightning strike happened—or else they would have been humiliated at the Festival. The Producer answered with his own—that if the Festival continued on, their group would have definitely won.

That fighting spirit was broken however, when they found out Touma was only performing at half of his capability. His right speaker was not working properly—yet he was able to gain a large crowd with minimal effort. As Touma stalked away, laughing behind their backs, doubt wavered throughout the group again. Takane and Hibiki were having their doubts on their skills as a group, and that they just might lose to someone like him…

Chihaya leapt in however, their unity was all they needed to win. She referenced heavily on the last few weeks—their hard work topping the charts; their unity and teamwork earning them several victories over other rivals. With a hesitant glance at the other two, Chihaya quietly added that she couldn't even dream of coming this far just on her own.

As Hibiki started to tear up a little and hugged Chihaya tightly, while Takane had a gentle smile on her face, the Producer watched from the side, his eyes tentatively on Chihaya. It was at that moment that he realized how much Chihaya had grown up over the last few months; how much she had matured; how much she grew as an idol and as a person.

It was at that moment he realized how beautiful she was.

When the Producer's unit was chosen as one of the first units to be nominated into the Idol Academy, everyone was overjoyed. Celebrations were already in place—Hibiki wanted to throw a party at her place, and everyone from 765Productions was invited. Everyone in the office left early, save for the Producer, the President, Desk Office Clerk, Otonashi Kotori, and Ritsuko. They had to talk about the success of the Producer and his unit into Idol Academy.

Including the Producer's departure to Hollywood after the Idol Academy awards were finished.

It was an honour to go to Hollywood to study under some of the greatest producers in the world, he knew, but… It was just a bit heartbreaking for him. Even though it had been just more than half a year, he didn't want to leave his unit like that. Even if it was a short time he knew all of them—it felt like he had been producing them for years.

And he didn't want to leave Chihaya like this. Not when he didn't fulfill their dream yet.

In the end of it all, he could only comply with his superior's wishes, and bow respectively as he took his leave.

It was then that he saw a figure looming around the office, trying to get out as fast as they could before they were seen. The Producer was swift however, and caught them right outside the front door. And when he saw who it was, he froze in his tracks.

Chihaya just screamed something at him, before she ran in the other direction. Instincts kicked in, and Producer chased her.

It could have been all a coincidence, but Producer had his suspicions that Chihaya must have eaves dropped in the meeting he was in earlier.

But he literally couldn't get an answer from her as he caught up to her. She desperately tried to say something to him, but only incoherent sounds came out of her mouth. He was taken back, it had something to do with her voice again, but it wasn't this bad last time. He eventually deduced that she wanted to see a doctor, and took her to the hospital.

He had to wait at least an hour before a nurse emerged from the room, and asked him if he was with Kisaragi Chihaya. He nodded vigorously, and she brought him into the medical room. Chihaya looked up at the Producer and called him over. Her voice had returned to normal, the Doctor must have given her some medication.

The Producer carefully asked if she was alright, and she nodded and apologised for everything that had happened. The Doctor who took care of Chihaya came up, and the Producer introduced himself to him. The Doctor explained that the reason for Chihaya losing her voice was triggered from an emotional even happening—usually, he reasoned, it was due to some trauma or stress.

The Producer went to ask Chihaya if it was about his conversation at the office earlier, but she said that she had been stressed lately—with all the work that they had been doing and the fact she was leader, it was a bit hard to handle. He frowned, she should have told him; she should have relied on him to help her out.

The miscommunication is what led to their promise—no more hiding anything from each other from that day on. That alone, made the Producer feel even closer to Chihaya than before.

And he went home believing that everything was going to be fine after some rest.

During the Idol Academy nominations ceremony, Producer had to excuse himself after seeing 961Production's newly created, Project Jupiter, take the crowd by a storm. He stared out at the water from inside the ship window and thought hard about everything that happened—and everything that may go down. He couldn't let Jupiter win—he wouldn't let Jupiter win.

961 President, Kuroi Takao came across the deep-in-thought Producer, and sneered at him. He immediately lashed out at the 765 Producer—the Producer was going to lose the Idol Academy, and everyone would see 961Pro far more superior to the puny 765Productions. He would crush 765Productions, he vowed on it. The Producer tried to retort against President Kuroi, but the latter brought up how easily Touma, by himself, almost defeated their unit in the Festival a couple weeks back.

The Producer's jaw had locked, and he could only take the lashing. That was, until a third voice intervened. At that exact moment, someone grabbed his hand, and held it firmly.

Chihaya told President Kuroi off—that their unit would win, they would defeat Jupiter in the next festival that was going down. The Producer was surprised at Chihaya just showing up to where he and Kuroi were "talking". And even though she showed a strong front, under the hateful glare of the 961 President, Chihaya was still scared. He felt it; Chihaya's hand shook even though it held onto his. Before President Kuroi could get any further, Producer backed Chihaya up, and enclosed his hand around hers, giving it a gentle, yet firm squeeze.

The President knew it would be a waste of his time arguing with them for the whole night, and just left, laughing in the same matter as Touma had done before. They both sighed in relief as the heated battle was finally over. When they both came to realize their closeness, they both backed off—avoiding eye contact with each other at first.

The conversation eventually swept into something they were more comfortable with. They knew that Jupiter was going to be hard to beat, but they would do everything they could to make it happen. Chihaya believed that the bond that held the unit together was the best, but near the end, her sentence faltered—referring to something that was going to happen to the Producer.

It was then, that his suspicions were nearly right but as he questioned it, Chihaya quickly called it off. The Producer knew, it was time to tell them about his departure.

He told Chihaya to get Hibiki and Takane, and meet him outside. It was time that they knew what was going to happen after Idol Academy Awards were over.

They didn't want him to leave, he didn't want to leave, but it was all fruitless wants. Everyone knew he had to leave, there wouldn't be another opportunity like the one he had. His suspicions were also answered—Chihaya apologised for over hearing the Producer and President Takagi's talk about going to Hollywood.

Eventually, they faced reality, and said that they would do their very best in the next few weeks to make him proud of producing them.

That night, it puzzled the Producer. The Doctor told him that Chihaya lost her voice due to some emotional trigger or stress. It was way too coincidental that she lost her voice right after she heard the news he was leaving.

As he stared at the night sky, he wondered if the news of his departure really affected Chihaya that much.

A few weeks after Idol Academy Nominations, Chihaya called Producer out. She wanted to show him something earlier, but didn't get the chance because she fell ill—so she figured now would be a good time to go out. The Producer was curious on what she wanted to do, and let her lead the way.

They walked to a grave site and Chihaya stopped at one particular tomb. The Producer glanced over her shoulder, and knew who it was. Her eyes were melancholic but she still smiled as her hand gently swept across the smooth stone. The Producer couldn't say a word so Chihaya thought it was time that he knew something.

The night that she lost her voice was the second time it happened. She went through a similar trauma the day her younger brother passed away. The Producer was surprised at first but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Chihaya suddenly asked the Producer to promise her something—that if she loses her voice again, if something turns for the worst that he would be by her side.

The Producer was in minor shock, and hesitated to even say something. He eventually said he would—except, he didn't know how long he could keep this promise for, because of his departure to Hollywood.

They both went silent as their conversation headed in a negative direction, until the soft chirping of birds rang in the air. Chihaya's eyes lit up with joy as she spotted a swallow in the sky. She tugged on the Producer's arm a little and pointed out the bird that flew around in the air. The Producer was surprised—at both the appearance of the swallow and Chihaya's enthusiasm.

The swallow swooped lower and landed on the Producer's shoulder. The Producer was startled and his first reaction was to get it off but Chihaya's soft voice told him to hold still. The Producer's limbs went rigid as Chihaya came in close, her attention focussed on the swallow on Producer's shoulder that she missed the tinge of red that was across the Producer's face.

Chihaya pet the swallow for a few minutes and made quiet noises towards the small bird. Producer couldn't help it and jerked his shoulder a little and made the small bird take flight. Chihaya laughed quietly, she said the swallow liked her more than the Producer.

The Producer chuckled quietly as they watched the small bird land on her Brother's tombstone. The Producer said that maybe the flock of swallows that were around held her younger Brother's spirit, and that they constantly watched over her.

She agreed happily and they spent the rest of the afternoon watching and listening to the swallows' songs.

Two weeks before the Idol Academy Awards, 765Productions received word that 961Productions had challenged them to a festival—one titled FIREBALL. It was a week before the Idol Academy Awards, and Producer had to make sure they were ready for both the Festival and the Awards ceremony. The Producer that week left the office late.

And it surprised him on his way home that he came across Chihaya. At first he thought she was waiting for him and when he went to greet her cheerfully, she was coughing. The Producer was worried, what was going on…?

When she turned around, she apologised, and started to collapse. The Producer spent no time in thought as he leapt forward, and caught Chihaya in his arms. He cradled her gently, her head against his shoulder as she wheezed heavily. He called out to her, desperate for a response.

She only panted, her head rolling inwards towards the Producer. He brought one of his hands up and touched her forehead. He recoiled his hand at the first touch—her forehead was on fire, it was worse than the one time she caught a fever. He knew he had to bring her to the doctor again and she could only weakly apologise to him.

He gathered Chihaya up in his arms and called for a taxi. When he got into the cab with Chihaya, he could only clutch onto her hand tightly and give reassurance that he would be with her for the rest of the night.

He wouldn't leave her alone; he would make sure she knew that there was someone there for her.

The Producer didn't like the grave look the Doctor had on his face after an hour of taking care of Chihaya went by. At first the Producer was relieved when he heard that Chihaya was going to be okay but when he asked about how Chihaya was going to be in the future—everything he knew turned upside down.

Chihaya wouldn't be able to sing anymore.

There was an inflammatory infection in her voice box, which was the prime cause of her fevers and her voice being hoarse and sometimes lost. But now, it went too far, that it caused permanent damage to Chihaya's throat. The Doctor said that it started at such a young stage if it had gotten this far in damage. He added that talking would be even hard for her.

The Producer shook—it was wrong, she shouldn't be suffering this. The genius songstress that Chihaya was sometimes called… has to stop singing at the peak of her young career… Their dream of her song being around the world… It was over…

Everything was just so cruel and unfair.

Chihaya had emerged from a different part of the hospital, her voice returned. The doctor left the two alone and Chihaya immediately apologised to the Producer. The Producer at first thought she overheard the Doctor and his conversation, but he was wrong, she knew all along.

Chihaya had kept it a secret from him that she suffered all these years.

Even after they promised not to hold any secrets from each other, she withheld all the pain she went through, she withheld from telling him the truth about her fevers and her lost voice.

And when she wanted to tell him what she wanted to do—he grabbed her by the shoulders, his hands clutched onto them desperately as he told her to stop it—to cut it out… He didn't want her to suffer anymore. It came out a lot harsher than he intended but all his feelings were pooling up now. Chihaya's eyes widened in surprise at the Producer's actions and she could only mumble an okay and nod her head.

The Producer at that moment realized that it wasn't Chihaya's fault for not telling him earlier. All the times they spent together, Chihaya had tried to tell him, that she had a bit of a secret that she couldn't tell anyone but he always changed the topic to something in relation to the Idol Academy awards. He indirectly encouraged her to go on, to sing the best she could, and bear the pain. His hands slowly loosened on her shoulders and fell to his side. His eyes fell towards the floor as he apologised to her—it wasn't her fault, he was to blame as well.

A gentle hand touched his cheek and it brought the Producer's gaze from the ground to the songstress standing in front of him. She told him not to blame himself for all that had happened. She requested after to not disband the unit just to preserve her health. She wanted to keep going, even if her voice was almost at its limit, she could handle 2 or 3 more times at singing. He wanted to say no, but the look in her eyes kept his lips shut.

Her gentle touch quelled his feelings and he realized as they went home that night, Chihaya meant more to him than just a simple idol he was producing.

The victory over Jupiter the following week ended up in the disbandment of the boy-idol group. President Kuroi vowed his vengeance over 765Pro and disappeared shortly after. With Jupiter disbanded, no one really opposed the unit's success at the Idol Academy awards.

Their success was larger than the Producer thought though—as the group received all the special awards for each given area and the most prestigious award—The Idol Academy Grand Prix. It was the one award everyone vied for, and their unit came on top. They got the chance to perform on stage and when the Producer watched their performance, he could only smile fondly. It was truly, the greatest performance he had ever seen.

Later that night, everyone gathered outside of the Idol Academy. They were exhausted but a lot of their energy came from the success that they swam in. It turned melancholic, with Idol Academy Awards over, they knew in a short while; the Producer was going to leave. He was going to go to Hollywood for a year, and the group would be left alone—either to continue as a unit, or break off into solo careers.

But, the Producer made a promise. He said that when he returned from Hollywood, he would go back to producing them again. They were confused at what meant but when the Producer said that he was forever their Producer—tears welled up in everyone's eyes. The Producer didn't know how to react, as three girls that he got to know over the year, started to cry.

Hibiki pulled him into a bear-like hug and wailed loudly on his shoulder. The Producer could only laugh quietly and pat the Okinawan idol. When Hibiki let go of the Producer, Takane came, as she too gave the Producer a small hug. They weren't together for long, as Producer said he would miss both of them.

And when he looked over them to address the leader who was left—she was gone.

He wasn't worried though, he had a hunch on where she went.

He found her by the riverside—very similar to the one when they first met. He gently called out to her and she turned around, a gentle smile across her lips. He stood by her side as they watched the riverside together. He reminded her that she needed to see the Doctor first thing tomorrow and she nodded, then slowly hesitated but eventually shuffled closer to the Producer.

The Producer blinked but welcomed Chihaya's closeness. He heard her mumble how warm he was as she huddled closer to his body. He was embarrassed but made no move to push her away. He wanted to know why she came all the way out here. She admitted that the wind was nice, but actually came out to prep her for the bad news to come.

She was preparing herself to know the fact she couldn't sing anymore.

Chirping sounds echoed from the sky as a flock of swallows came across them. Chihaya laughed softly and commented on how their song sounded beautiful. The Producer stared at the swallows in the sky as well, their songs must be painful to Chihaya—it would remind her of the beauty in songs, and the beauty in singing them.

And when he looked down beside him, she cried silently. Singing was such a big part of Chihaya's life, and now it was being torn out of it. The Producer gently wrapped a comforting arm around her small shoulders and Chihaya pressed her face against his side. She just wanted to sing again.

It was silent after that, save for Chihaya's gentle breaths. When Producer looked at her again, he saw that she fell asleep. He sighed quietly, it was an exhausting day, and she deserved all the rest she could get. He stared up at the sky and spotted a swallow that flew by.

The swallow also reminded him of the beauty of singing, and he started to reflect on the cruel fate that was placed on Chihaya. His thought however, was intervened by a childish-boy voice—that he swore came from the swallow.

The bird flew by, as he heard the voice asked if it really was okay for his big sister to not sing anymore.

It didn't clue into the Producer that a bird was talking to him, but his thoughts were heavily on what it said to him. Was it okay for Chihaya to not sing?

No. No it wasn't.

And he cried out to the swallow that flew by again—that he was in love with Chihaya.

He loved it when she sang; he loved it when she was happy.

He loved her.

He heard a somewhat stifled laugh and the swallow questioned his confession. The Producer was taken back and had to compose himself as he reassured the bird that he was serious. He was in love with Kisaragi Chihaya and there was no doubt behind it.

The swallow flew away and left some mysterious words.

Then leave everything to me. Just make sure to take care of 'Sis, alright Big Bro?

Everything that happened after the night Producer admitted his feelings (although, not to the recipient oddly enough) took him by surprise. He brought the passed out Chihaya to the hospital and fell asleep in one of their many chairs in the waiting lounge. When he came to, he heard Chihaya's voice shouting out his name.

He groggily stood up and nearly dropped the blue-haired girl as she leapt into his arms. She pulled away after their brief reunion and greeted him happily. She broke out one of the happiest news he heard in his life.

She was well. All the problems that she had before were gone.

She could sing again.

The Producer was in shock and he couldn't believe Chihaya at first. The Doctor ran in and demanded to know what the Producer did with Chihaya the night before. Because it was true, the inflammation miraculously disappeared from Chihaya's voice box. Chihaya could sing again because there would be no more problems.

The Producer shouted with glee, it truly was the happiest moment of his life.

It was the first time that the Producer saw Chihaya so overjoyed. They left the hospital as the Doctor finished examining her one last time. When there were no more signs of complications, they took their leave.

He watched her a few paces in front of him, twirling and skipping about. He laughed a bit, it was just so uncharacteristic for Kisaragi Chihaya to be… this happy. She apologised to him when she spun on her heel to face him. The fact that she could sing again made her the happiest person in the world. The Producer didn't blame her at all though, he too was happy that she could sing again after all.

Chihaya said that her voice was very important to her and the fact that she wasn't going to lose it anymore just filled her with joy. She added after that, that there was something a bit odd now. She felt as if there was another voice embodied with hers—a voice she was so familiar with. The Producer blinked, it couldn't have been….

She also added, with a small blush, that she heard something from the previous night. She didn't know what that somethingwas, but she knew, it made her happy and the fact it was the Producer who said it. The Producer was confused, the conversation he had with Chihaya the night before didn't contain anything worthy….

Unless she meant...

Before he had any chance to explain himself, Chihaya just laughed at the look on his face. She said that she really liked that feeling, and that his voice was something she was going to hold dearly. She started to shift uncomfortably and played with her hands a little. She opened her mouth to say something, but incoherent words spilled out.

I-I uhm… I… L-L.. Lo…

The Producer's eyes widened in surprised, this couldn't possibly mean…

And before he could hear anymore, Chihaya ran away as she apologised she didn't have the courage to say it. The Producer blinked in surprise as Chihaya fled the scene, and he chased after her—both of them laughing along the way. He didn't get far though, as he stopped halfway through to stare up at the sky. Something just caught his attention and reminded him that it was going to be one of the last times he would be together with Chihaya for a while.

Chihaya came back after he stopped and tried to follow his gaze towards the sky—but spotted nothing. She asked what he was looking for and his gaze just came down to stare at her. He made an odd request, that he wanted her to wait for him to return, he selfishly requested for her to wait one year for him to return.

Chihaya paused then nodded firmly. She would always wait for him, always.

One whole year passed after his departure from Japan. When the Producer landed in the airport a lot earlier than he was expected to, he sighed in relief. It was great to return home, America was a bit overwhelming for him, and on top of that, it took him two hours to clear customs and get his bags. That was one of the reasons why he hated international traveling.

He knew what he had to do right away and took a cab to the cemetery that he was at a year ago.

The first thing he did at the grave stone of Chihaya's younger brother was apologise for leaving after promising that he would take care of Chihaya. He reflected upon the year he was gone, how hectic it was in America, and how much he missed everyone back in Japan.

He didn't hear the soft footsteps that were approaching as he talked to the gravestone.

The Producer moved on to what he learned in America, and what he could do with that knowledge. He wanted to apply it to what he started… And he wanted the permission of the younger brother to…

Before he could give his reason, Chihaya rushed in—in disbelief of the man that stood at her Brother's grave. The Producer nearly jumped out of his skin as Chihaya came in from nowhere, and the two didn't exactly get off on the right foot.

She demanded to know why he didn't tell her—or anyone else for that matter, why he came back a lot earlier than what he said before. And when he gave a pathetic answer, she snapped at him. Chihaya also looked away from him, if the first thing the Producer did was come out to talk to her younger brother…

She accused him of liking her younger brother more than her.

The Producer looked away a little, he didn't understand what Chihaya was saying… But he rejected her accusation—of course he liked Chihaya more than her Little Brother… He had to get permission from her Brother though.

She demanded to know what.

And he finally let out—that he wanted to take Chihaya to Hollywood with him.

He wanted to fulfill the dream that they shared together from one year ago.

She was frazzled at first, but then was touched on how much he went out of his way just for her. All the anger she held earlier was dismissed, and she forgave him right away. There was one thing on her mind though, as she stepped closer to him, and asked if there was something that he was missing.

The Producer was confused, not sure what she was getting at. She glowered at him and asked what he should say after a whole year of being apart. It clued into the Producer finally and he just chuckled nervously. He grabbed her hands gently and held them out in front of them. He cleared his throat and looked lovingly in the pool of dark brown eyes.

I'm home, Chihaya.

Epilogue—what the Producer has to say after

The next few years were some of the toughest—not because Chihaya and I were "in a relationship" but because it was constantly put to the test when we were debuting in Hollywood. Chihaya was constantly worried, as she heard all about the bad drama that revolved around Hollywood actors and such. I reassured her that we weren't going to end up that way.

We went through too much together to break up or have an affair with some other person. You could cheesily say our love was pure. Personally, I would put it that our devotion for each other was just too strong to be tampered by other individuals.

In a few years after her big debut in Hollywood, Chihaya became internationally known. Her songs touched those as far away in Europe, to all those in Australia. It was amazing at how much fan letters and praises we got over those years. Her international tour just finished up and we are headed back to Japan from America.

I find that love was such a strange thing. Her and I were not very familiar with it, but just us being together over the years helped it grow and nourish between us. The ring on her finger proved to be what love had physically developed into. As I stare at the sleeping blue-haired beauty next to me, and the ring on her hand that is entwined with mine, I can't help but think:

I just can't wait until we get back home.

Authors Notes: And after many months of FFN just sitting around and rotting, Picup comes back with some massive piece XD;

Thanks for reading "concerning love", it truly is one of my favorite (if not, is) written pieces I've done in such a long time. It was also refreshing to get back into writing, seeing as I had almost no time to do so during my University life. It was also great because it reflected my interpretation (a little, I also somewhat knew what was going on) of what happened during Chihaya's storyline and a bit of her communications.

That, and it expresses pretty much why I'm in love with Chihaya/Producer pair. XD

I've been through a lot when writing this out. I always had an idea in mind to do something like this, and it always seemed like a hassle to start. As I got passed the first two parts it seemed to come more naturally. I paused a lot in between though, especially before the time the Producer lashed out on Chihaya, I heavily anticipated on writing the part, but had to break before actually writing it. And because this was based on my True End play through with Chihaya, I saved all the videos and the communications I went through with Chihaya for reference. I rewatched a couple of the scenes to get more of an idea on what happened and what could happen.

And the title? I hate titles. Good friend Laburey and I went back and forth with titles for the story, and eventually, out of frustration, I looked up Chihaya's MA2 and her request song, 愛について caught my eye, and I derived concerning love from there.

This is also a bit of a promotion piece and a big thanks to Laburey for her efforts in translating Chihaya's true end that can be seen here: laburey*webs*com/ims2chihayasending*htm (just replace the * with .)

Big thanks to both her and Kash0P for doing this massive video!

And another thanks to Laburey for reviewing the story and giving feedback and the title help.