Author's notes ~ In the previous chapter, mysterious sad birthday girl is actually Ray, she just gave him a fake name so he wouldn't fan boy and make things weird. =P Anyway, in this chapter, we 'finally' at long last introduce Kuu/Hinata. YAY! And I put in yet another gratuitous shirtless Kai scene. X3 And with that chipper note... I now retire to my bedchambers.
Thanks for the support everyone. *bows.*
Warning: There are suicidal themes and blood in this chapter.
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Mendol: A Man's World
Chp. 2 Pt. 3
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Riku and Kai fidgeted nervously on the couch. Kai especially because Shachou was next to him, glaring daggers at his damp and disheveled appearance.
'I don't want to die today...' Kai smiled nervously, sweating bullets as the woman next to him narrowed her eyes darkly at his profile. He was going to get punished for this, he was sure.
"So these are the ones you talked about on the phone?" On the couch across from them the man known as Sarukawa Keiji leaned forward with interest, his bespectacled eyes appraising.
Riku and Kai stared back, a bit skeptical despite their nervousness. The man looked kind of like a middle-aged gigolo, with a dark purple crushed velvet suit, a garish red tie with printed gold and teal kitty cats of all things and thinning, badly dyed red-brown hair.
Saeko smiled graciously and gave him a polite bow. "Yes, that's right, Mr. Sarukawa." She turned to look at them and narrowed her eyes at their girlishly crossed legs. She started coughing loudly, hissing at them between coughs.
"*Cough**Cough*Legs*cough*uncrossyourdamnlegs*Cough*Cough*!" Her eyes promised murder as she glared at them from behind a gloved hand.
The two boys gaped slightly at her but immediately let their legs fall apart as they fixed their posture.
Sarukawa-Shachou gave them an odd look as Saeko laughed, the sound shrill and patently fake as she threw the boys a dark, exasperated look.
"Greet him," She hissed through her teeth.
Riku blinked, his eyes widening for moment like a student who had been unexpectedly called upon in class. "Er-" He rolled quickly off to couch to his feet, squaring his shoulders and popping his neck in what he hoped came off as a manly stance.
"OSU! I'm Riku of Persona!" He pronounced, his voice deep, loud and manly.
Sarukawa-Shacou jumped slightly, not expecting such a robust greeting from what had seemed to be a tall, gentile kind of fellow. A disbelieving smile began to play on his lips.
"OSU!" Kai stood to his feet, bumping his chest with his fist as he looked down at the president with eyes that flashed with challenge. "And I'm Kai."
"... Why are you wet?" He asked curiously, taking note of the man's slightly disheveled appearance.
Kai blinked, blushing to the roots of his hair. How was he supposed to answer? That he was attacked by a toilet and washed like a dog at the roof of TV Tohto? Never! He'd rather die!
"Ano..." He started, looking away, desperately trying to think of an excuse.
After a few moments Sarukawa Shachou shook his head, giving a dismissive wave of his hand as he reclined back on his seat, his eyes smiling with surprise and amusement as he put the tips of his fingers together.
"Well, the two definitely fit the mold you were talking about... And they're handsome, but they act cutely, almost like schoolgirls." He chortled, amused at his joke and not noticing as the color drained from Kai and Riku's faces, both looking away in concert.
Saeko gave another gracious smile, motioning for her boys to take their seat as she leaned over the table. "We wanted to come greet you, since you are the head of Monkey Pro. our parent company, afterall."
"So, in other words, you have a request for me?" He drawled as he looked down, smirked and slouched over the arm of the couch as he crossed his legs.
Saeko cleared her throat as she rolled to her feet, her eyes half-lidded as she walked slowly to Sarukawa-Shachou's side. The sexy sway of the black clad woman's hips immediately caught the President's attention.
"Well... The truth is," She purred, her voice smooth as silk as she came to a stop behind him. "I'd like to have these two on "The Indies!", a corner in Music 10."
The man looked at her incredulously, his voice a bit indignant. "Are you serious?" He scoffed. "There's no way I could do that!"
She slinked onto the armrest of the couch, coming dangerously close to him, her eyes dark and sultry. "But surely you could..." Her hand found its way to his thigh, slowly snaking its way upwards as the man shuddered, his brain starting to shut down. "You're the don of the music world, and you have Ray..."
His breathing was slightly erratic as he tilted his head up to take in the woman's scent, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Riku and Kai looked at them, slack-jawed.
Keiji, who did a slight double-take when he noticed they were still there, grunted impatiently and waved them away in annoyance. "You two, leave! Get out!"
"O-OSU!" They chorused. The two didn't need any more encouragement than that as they bolted to their feet and fled the room, red faced.
As the door shut behind them, Keiji sighed in pleasure, a goofy smile on his face as he wrapped his arms around Saeko's slim shoulders. "If you want me to budge it. will. cost. you." He sing-songed, leaning into her but almost falling on his face as she got up and walked directly to his desk, turning around a picture sitting prominently in the front.
"I was a big fan of yours," She mused mysteriously, looking down at the three young musicians in the black and white photo with no little amount of nostalgia. "Twenty years ago when you were Monkey of Animal Crush... And had that sexy way of playing the guitar."
Keiji grinned as he stood up and pantomimed playing a guitar, sidling up next to her and running his fingers over her shoulders. She turned her eyes away, sheer discipline forcing her face not to reflect the disgust that flared within her.
"So... Why are you pushing these two so hard?" He asked huskily into her ear, curiosity getting the best of him. The President of Kamonohatsu Entertainment rarely, if ever, invested her time in talents she didn't believe in, which was why her company remained small, but successful.
She broke away from him abruptly, turning her eyes to the picture once more. "I believe... They are the next Animal Crush." She said, her voice strangely heavy.
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The next three days were a trial by fire. With Saeko at the reins, they hurriedly recorded their first single and practically took up residence in TV Tohto's dance studio in preparation for their debut. It was grueling work, but it was necessary. Every year there was a motley representation of artists from almost any genre imaginable present at the Indies. The groups or artists that stood out had a real chance of merging into the mainstream, which was exactly the point of Saeko going out of her way to get them a slot. In other words, they HAD to stand out to be successful.
Kai and Riku groaned in pain, sidling up to a pillar as they listened to the roar of the crowd as they cheered on the band currently playing. "Three days..." Kai sighed, rubbing his sore calves as he turned nervous eyes out to the large gathering of people outside.
"Three days..." Riku repeated, gingerly ripping a band-aid off his face that was a result from an embarrassing dancing incident two days earlier. He had really thought face plants only ever happen in anime... "Of song and dance training from hell..."
"We'll be killed before we even get on stage..." Kai bemoaned, looking at the ceiling. It felt like they hadn't been able to rest at all in the past three days.... But fortunately the recording crew had been the absolute best, staying with them through the entire process until they finally had a polished product. And what a product it was. Even the quiet and brooding Tae Kyung had chanced a smile when they heard the finished recording. The single would be a formidable weapon if performed to the best of their ability. That, and their custom tailored stage clothes.
Mariko had taken their measurements the same day they were booked for the Indies and designed the costumes herself. Riku was outfitted with a custom tailored black suit with the jacket left open coupled with a tight white dress shirt with the collar unbuttoned and a loose black silk tie. Kai's outfit was a sharp turn-around from the look he had captured at the studio, with a suit similar to Riku's paired with a dress shirt and a black blazer that had bold white edging on the lapels and a loose, black and white striped tie to bring the look together. Silver, music themed accessories pinned to their lapels completed the costume.
Riku gave a tired, appreciative smile. Shinoda-san was a fashion genius, and thanks to her, they finally looked like real professionals.
"Saeko-chan!"
The group looked up at the two men approaching them and Kai and Riku exchanged a shocked glance, recognizing them immediately. Those were the two producers that were present at their failed auditions. Knowing that they would never be recognized like this, the two relaxed as Shachou and Marilyn greeted the men pleasantly, thanking them for putting the show together.
The two boys excused themselves to furtively peek at the crowd from behind another pillar. "I'm so nervous now..." Riku said, trepidation in his voice as he gazed out over the large, raucous crowd cheering on a hard core rock group that had taken the stage. His heart jumped to his throat and he breathed deeply as Kai put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"We've done all we could right?" He said with confidence that didn't quite reach his eyes; moving slightly out of the way as a stage tech brushed passed them. "Hehe... We should probably get back stage now, we're up soon right?"
Riku once more cast his gaze out to the crowd, his heart pounding as the MC announced the next group. They
were up soon...
"Let's go." He said determinedly, his hand forming a fist as he made his way toward the stage. Kai's eyes flashed in excitement as he hobbled after his band mate, his legs still feeling like jelly.
They found that getting to the stage was harder than it sounded. There were people everywhere performing the various jobs required to make the Indies a reality. All this hard work was done for the crowd cheering outside and Riku smiled appreciatively, once again looking at the crowd, only to stop in his tracks.
"It can't be..." He breathed, his eyes falling on a lanky young man with greasy, garishly blond hair milling about the edge of the crowd with his camera. "J-Jiro?"
Kai followed Riku's line of sight and blinked. "You know him?"
Riku shuddered, his face set into an expression of annoyance. "He was my neighbor, he's been proposing since pre-school... He's stupidly persistent."
Marilyn walked up behind them and peeked over their shoulders curiously, having eavesdropped slightly on the conversation. "Your fiance?!" She asked excitedly, her selective hearing only catching the word 'proposing'.
"No..." He said, rolling his eyes. "He left home three years ago to be a photographer... I wonder what he's doing here?"
Jiro, having no idea that he had an audience, blinked and fiddled with his camera. Riku watched as the gawky young man grumbled and attempted to get the thing back online, turning around and bumping clumsily into Producer Kaga and the other man Saeko had been speaking to earlier. The two seemed annoyed at Jiro, saying something that seemed to sufficiently intimidate the man before stalking off.
"Well..." Marilyn touched Riku's shoulder and gave him a cheerful smile, distracting him from his friend. "Do your best out there today. I'm rooting for you guys."
With that, she left to find the president, leaving Riku with his thoughts. "Huh... Where's Kai?" He mused, looking around and catching his blond band mate a couple feet away, staring at the crowd like a deer caught in the headlights as they booed a group of performers off stage.
"I... I can't do this!" He yelped, turning away from the stage and looking at the ground, the negative energy of the crowd turning what had simply just been nerves into full on stage fright. "I'm going back... I can't do this performance!"
Riku gulped, trying to steel his own wavering confidence as he took the short young man's shoulders in his hands. "Let's go-" He was cut off by producer Kaga coming up behind him with the stage director in tow, tut-tutting as he tapped his clip board with a pen.
"What are you doing?! Get out there!"
The MC, trying to placate the crowd after the particularly bad performance, called out the next group in a rush. "Music 10: The Indies would like to introduce the amateur unit PERSONA! Give them a warm round of applause!"
In no time at all, Kai and Riku found themselves on stage, microphones in hand as the crowd stared and clapped. It was a cloudy day, and as they stood there they could feel rain drizzling around them... Even nature wasn't welcoming their debut.
Riku quickly steeled his jangled nerves, gritting his teeth. "OSU! I'm Riku of Persona!" He proclaimed, hitting his chest with a fist.
"I'm K-K-Kai!" Kai stammered out, clearly a nervous wreck. His stage fright was severely affecting Riku and the confidence the man had had before drained like rain out of a gutter.
Marilyn gestured at them desperately from backstage. "Your lines! Talk! Talk!"
They caught sight of her and somehow that alone seemed to ground the boys slightly. They had a job to do!
"We are men amonst men!" Riku said, plastering on a (patently fake) confident smile. "That's why we will always greet the crowd with an 'OSU!'" He struck a fist into the air. "When we do, we want you to reply with a 'MESU!' Let's try it out! OSU!"
Kai blinked out of his stupor and also struck a fist awkwardly into the air. "O-OSU!"
The line was supposed to draw the crowd into the performance and make them laugh, but because of their lack of confidence, it had simply come off sounding horribly corny. There was a mixture of boos, expressions of discontent and silence from the crowd. They were dying out there.
"Aigoo... that was bad..." Jeremy lamented from his place in the crowd, the shockingly blonde Korean man nibbling anxiously on some rock candy. "It's just the nerves... It'll be okay, I mean, even
I almost puked at my first performance, right Tae Kyung?"
Tae Kyung grunted, his eyes studying the two critically as his lips pursed together in discontent. "You did puke. On me." He deadpanned, shuddering inwardly in disgust, he had had to disinfect for three days after the incident.
Jeremy had the decency to blush, knowing that Tae Kyung was notoriously fastidious, so that particular incident was probably scarring. "... Sorry." He mumbled under his breath as he turned to look at Cammi and saw her biting nervously at her handkerchief, almost ripping the poor scrap of fabric in half.
"My poor babies!" Cammi exclaimed, looking at them worriedly as Shuichi shook his head behind her. They were too talented for this crap!
Marilyn ran over to Saeko with worry lacing her voice. "President, this is bad! What are we going to do?! Maybe it's too soon?"
Saeko smiled serenely, narrowing her eyes at the stage. "If they can't handle a crowd like this, then even as men they won't make it in the Idol world..."
Riku cleared his throat as his face flushed red with embarrassment; as they say, the show must go on. "A-anyway, this is Persona with 3-"
A scream in the crowd cut them off and they both looked up to see a flash of pink running past the outskirts of the audience.
"Stop her!" A security guard bellowed, thundering after her with three other men.
"Denpa?!" Kai and Riku chorused, getting a good look at the girl and immediately recognizing her as their 'comrade' from the audition!
"Don't come any close or I swear I'll do it!" Hinata cried out, coming to a stopping in front of the stage and holding the blade of the box-cutter to her throat. "I want to die... In fact... I will die soon..." Tears ran down her face and it was then that people in the crowd started screaming as they got a full frontal look at her. "But if I die... It'll be here, in front of HIM!"
She had already cut her wrists and blood was running freely down her pretty pink dress.
Kai and Riku's eyes widened, feeling like their hearts had fallen into their stomachs. Bile rose to the back of Kai's throat at the sight and Riku held onto his shoulder for support.
"Denpa..." He said lowly, fear and worry lacing the tones of his voice. He wanted to run out to her, but at this point she was was dangerous, unstable and unpredictable... What could he do?
"I wanted to be an Idol for so long... I've auditioned over a hundred times..." She said softly, her voice low and broken but then suddenly becoming rigid with anger. "I finally thought I had caught a break... But in reality I was manipulated by Music 10 Producer Kaga!"
The producer looked furious as all eyes seemed to turn to him but guilt kept him from saying anything.
"He took advantage of my feelings and did something terrible to me..." She said, her voice almost hitching on a sob, the physical pain nothing compared to the betrayal she felt.
Kai and Riku looked at each other, their hearts clenching in sympathy for the girl as they threw glares in the producer's direction.
"What are you talking about?! I didn't do anything!" Producer Kaga exclaimed, waving his hands in front of him in a placating gesture.
"Don't lie! I'll never forgive you!" She screamed out, her eyes red and angry as blood ran freely down the arm that held the blade to her neck. "When I die here, you'll be ruined! You and your company!"
Producer Kaga's stomach turned at that... She was right, at this point, his career was probably already done for, but his personal creation, the Indies, would also die with that girl. The scandal would be ruinous!
"Someone call 911!" He bit out. If the girl lived, there would at least be a chance for recovery even if his ethics were called into question. The stage techs around him immediately started dialing their phones.
"This is bad... She'll die if we don't do something!" Kai said, looking at Riku desperately.
Riku's face eased into a determined expression and he stepped forward.
"Angel!" He called out, to which Hinata turned around, feeling lightheaded as she looked at the tall young gentleman approaching her.
"What... Did you say?" She asked softly.
"You... Are an angel on Earth," He said softly, his rumbling baritone voice earnest and gentle as he jumped off stage. He didn't care how ridiculous he sounded.. He 'needed' to get through to her.
Kai joined him, nodding vigorously in agreement and looking at the girl seriously. "Yes, a sweet angel on Earth."
"Why...?" Hinata asked, choking on her tears. All her hard work had been for nothing, her dreams had been crushed. The producer had hit her, tried to rape her, and she had barely escaped... But as if the physical abuse hadn't been enough... He had called her worthless, said the only thing she was good for was a good lay. She had only ever wanted to make people happy...
Riku was getting desperate as he watched the color drain from her face along with a disturbing amount of blood staining her skirt; realizing that if he didn't get through to her soon she would die.
"I know you're an Earth angel!" He proclaimed, as if it was the only truth left in the world.
Kai growled and stood his ground next to his band mate the sight of blood still dripping from her wrists sending a surge of adrenaline through his body. "Yes, a pure earth angel!" He said determinedly, his fists closing anxiously.
"But," Riku said gently, approaching her slowly, his band mate following suit. "If you really are an angel... Then wouldn't you want to make people happy?"
"Yeah," Kai said seriously, his eyes flashing with concern. "It's not an Angel's job to make people unhappy!"
"R-really...?" She asked, black spots starting to appear in her vision as she swayed slightly. "Even... If I'm... Eighteen...?"
"Even if you're older than eighteen!" Kai said, nodding his head furiously, feeling alarmed when he saw her start to get unsteady.
"You're still... An earth angel!" They shouted together holding their hands out to her. Hinata smiled weakly at them.
The box cutter clattered loudly on the ground as the girl crumpled forward.
"Denpa!" Riku cried desperately, catching her before she hit the ground and holding her tight against him, her blood soaking his shirt. Kai came up next to them, threw off his blazer and quickly tore off his shirt, ripping the expensive piece of clothing to bits and using it to tie her wrists, trying to stem the bleeding as hot, angry tears stung at his eyes.
"I'm so sorry this happened..." Kai said, roughly swiping at his eyes with the back of his hand as she looked at him with a soft smile. This was all she needed... Someone who believed in her. Someone to tell her that she could do it. Kai's heart warmed slightly at the sight of such a genuine smile, it somehow reassured him that she was going to be okay. She leaned listlessly against Riku as Shachou approached them from the side.
"Get back to work," She said stonily, gathering the poor girl in her arms. "I'll... Take care of her."
"No way!" Kai growled, waving a fist at the woman. "We're going too! We gotta make sure she's okay... She's our friend!"
Riku nodded in agreement, looking at Shachou seriously, his face set in a frown.
She gave them both a cold look as she stood up with Hinata in her arms. "
I said, I'll take care of her..." She lowered her voice. "She'll be fine... Just finish the performance."
Before they could protest further, Shachou left, the crowd parting for her and the security team that followed.
"Hey!" Kai shouted at her back, the situation not sitting well with him.
"C'mon... I'm sure she'll be fine..." Riku, ever the voice of reason said as he sighed tiredly. He was covered in blood, his nerves were shot and he really, really just wanted to get the day over with. He did NOT picture this to be the way he would make his debut at all. "Let's do this thing."
Kai nodded solemnly.
The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as the two young heroes took their place back on stage. Kai blushed as he noticed that somehow, he was shirtless again but still wearing his tie. To add insult to injury he had forgotten his blazer on the ground in front of the stage.
Not that the crowd seemed to mind that much...
"It's like God wants me to be wet and naked all the time..." He hissed, feeling raindrops hitting his bare skin and blushing hotly as girls pointed and giggled at him.
"At least you don't look like a vampire..." Riku grumbled, making a face at his blood drenched shirt as he put the mic to his lips.
"OSU!!" They heard a chorus of voices shout from the back of the crowd and were shocked to see the entire studio crew there cheering for them, the crowd soon following suit by repeating the chant and striking fists into the air.
They both blushed but then glanced at each other, nodding, the crowd's enthusiasm was absolutely infectious.
"This song is dedicated to all angels on Earth!" Riku spoke into the mic calmly and confidently, no longer afraid. They had to do this, to fulfill their dream, to get back to their real selves!
"This is Persona with '3 Seconds'!" They said together as the song began. The music permeated the venue and seemed to infuse people with excitement as the crowd began to rush the stage and dance, clapping with the music.
"These guys are so... Cool!" Jiro breathed, looking up from his camera. He had gotten a front row seat to the drama, how Persona had tried to save the girl's life and he had taken the pictures to prove it. No more cup noodles for him! 'Even if I die... I won't eat another one!' He thought determinedly, his eyes starting to mist.
On the outskirts of the crowd Sarukawa Keiji was looking ruefully at the two performers on stage as a tall young woman clad in a pair of baggy jeans and a simple black hoodie stopped next to him. A statuesque, well muscled female bodyguard fell in line behind her; she was also dressed casually. Producer Kaga had called Sarukawa when the unfortunate incident had happened and the President of Monkey Pro thought it best to make a personal appearance. Unfortunately that meant dragging his number one talent, who was in his company on route to a photo shoot, out to the Indies with him. He'd probably never hear the end of it...
However, when they got there the scene had already been cleared and there was even a performance going on. A really good one apparently because the large crowd encircling the stage was going crazy with excitement.
"Who are they?" The woman asked, taking off her sunglasses as her eyes locked onto the performers on stage. She gasped slightly when she saw the blonde performer, recognition alighting in her eyes.
He looked down at her and smiled widely. Though she was in disguise, she was still stunning. What else could be expected from the number one Diva in Japan?
"Saeko's new talents... This is becoming interesting isn't it Ray?" He asked, crossing his arms as he looked back to the men on stage, he was pleased that the performance had been saved since the Indies were under the Monkey Pro umbrella. The company didn't need any more scandals. However, the fact that it had been Persona that had saved the day didn't sit well with the man. The incident bore good tidings for Kamonohatsu Entertainment, but also possible competition for Monkey Pro. He
hated competition. "I don't think I've seen a crowd quite so excited at the Indies since, well I'd say about four years ago..." He winked down at her meaningfully.
Ray nodded slowly, finding herself unable to tear her eyes away from the two young men performing on stage. In particular her eyes stayed locked onto the blonde performer, and she blushed when she saw that he was shirtless except for a tie. As she watched she found herself mesmerized by his powerful voice, the way his sinewy muscles moved under his sun-kissed skin as he danced and how his eyes flashed with confidence behind his sweat soaked blond bangs... It was him. She had no doubt about it. The man she had met on the roof.
"Arrange for me to meet hi-them," She said abruptly, just barely correcting her slip as she put her sunglasses back on.
The bodyguard made a little noise of surprise and Keiji blinked. The diva was notoriously private, always maintaining that her work should speak for itself and demanding no less than perfection from herself and her staff at all times. Time was money, and she wasn't the type to waste either on industry newbies.
"You... Want to meet them?" He ventured, making sure he heard correctly. She looked at him expressionlessly, her silence saying it all.
"A-Alrighty..." He said, rubbing the back of his head as he watched Ray turn and leave, her bodyguard trailing after her.
Persona would never know who was there watching them.
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They were both breathless as they walked through the hallways of TV Tohto, heading to the dressing room that had been provided for them in return for the boys' quick and decisive action with the suicidal girl. They had saved the company from an even bigger scandal and singlehandedly rescued the Indies from becoming a tragedy of the worst kind. To boot their performance was amazing and though the venue was small, they had both felt like their bodies were on fire.
Not to mention the fact that afterwards they had been approached for interviews, late-night appearances and to top it all off, Producer Kaga was put under investigation for ethics code violations and would probably lose his job.
Marilyn smiled at them, proud of her boys. Unfortunately, her mind was elsewhere... More specifically occupied with the location of her beloved Shachou, who had disappeared with Hinata before the performance.
"Persona's the best!" They cheered, still feeling like they were walking on air as they burst into their dressing room. They were so excited that they didn't notice Shachou standing in the middle of the room.
"Ah! Shachou!" Kai said excitedly, running up to the president and stopping in front of her. "Ano... I was wondering... Could we meet Hinata in the hospital?"
Riku smiled at Kai and also looked to the president imploringly, to which the woman simply scoffed.
"No need," She said coldly, the two boys flinching slightly at her answer. But before a red-faced Kai could blow up at her, a voice called out from the other side of the room, sounding tired, but chipper.
"Let-me-join-too."
They both blinked as they saw a slender boy approach them from the other side of the room, his long dark hair swept back into a ponytail. He was wearing a white hoodie sweatshirt and blue basketball shorts. But what struck them most was his face; it was boyish, smooth and pretty, and with that familiar, happy grin, they instantly recognized him.
"Denpa?!" They shouted, shocked at his newly male appearence. "You... You too?" How the heck had Shachou escaped the security guards to do this for her?!
He looked at them, shame written on his face as his eyes misted up. "Shachou... Saved me, and now... I'm like this."
"Oh Hinata..." Kai said softly, wanting to reach out and comfort the boy but thinking better of it as Hinata stepped back to look at them. "I know it's strange... But we'll get through it."
Hinata looked first at Riku then turned to Kai. "Asahi-chan... Nami-chan..." He said softly, looking at them with a meaningful stare as they looked back at him in shock. "I knew it was you guys... When you mentioned angels... And being eighteen. After all, we failed the same audition. I thought it was strange that these guys knew that much about me... But then, Shachou..." His voice wavered a little bit, deciding not to finish the sentence. "Let's just say I understand..."
The three cursed boys looked at each other, an accepting smile forming on all their faces, wordlessly conveying the same message:
Persona was now a three person group.
Saeko gave them all an amused smile and walked into the middle of their little circle, grabbing Hinata about the shoulders.
"From now on... Your name will be 'Kuu', embrace it," She said, for the first time her expression softening to look almost human. "Consider yourself a part of our little family..."
"Inuyama-sama..." He breathed, his voice thickly laden with gratitude for the Inugami. Saeko 'tsked' him and wagged a finger in his face.
"Shachou," She corrected. "Will be the title you call me by while you're here."
Marilyn sighed at the president and smiled proudly. Saeko, despite outward appearances, had a soft heart, but also a keen eye for talent. She had no doubt seen something special in the depressed and suicidal Hinata, and hopefully, being in Persona would bring that something special to shine in front of everyone.
"As expected of the president!" Marilyn cooed, nuzzling up to Saeko's shoulder. The president nodded at her, smirking proudly. This boy would prove to be the last tool needed to reach her ultimate goal.
Kuu turned around and beamed at his two band mates, catching them off guard. The boy who had been within an inch of death was now acting as though nothing had happened, and to top that off, was so excited he was practically bubbling.
"Yay!" He said, grinning as he struck his fist up in a girlish cheer, motioning for the two other boys to join him.
"..." Kai and Riku looked at him with a deadpan expression.
"C'mon, YAY!" He pouted and cheered again.
"..." They sighed conjointly. "... Yay."
He pouted and nudged them both on the shoulder. "Like this." He struck his fist in the air once more. "YAY!"
Kai and Riku looked at each other and shrugged, half-heartedly lifting their arms up. "Yay!"
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TBC =)
Topic: A Man's World - chap 10 [AKB48 x Mendol] 3/11/2011 (Read 47093 times)