Fragmented Unity [Chapter 31]

[Sancho]

The chapters are not that long like other stories but WOW!!! You still manage to make it awesome!!! I really enjoyed it. Probably the unique style of the story. Looking forward for more HPriest

[JFC]

"Aichan!"

The girl followed Aichan. It is obvious that she knows her. Aichan stops, still being angry and sad about the outcome of her conversation with Risa. She looks at the girl.

~Koharu...~

HA! Mah guess wuz right!

Wonder what Koharu's been up to?

"No stress, no success...right?", she smiles.

~I know, I know...~, Aichan notices Koharu's effort to cheer her up, ~what about you?~

"Being a voice actor?"

...

"It's fun. I miss the singing, but sometimes I am allowed to sing the opening or ending. This keeps me connected to the music business."

~It's a shame that your solo career didn't work out.~, Aichan mentions.

"No,no..it's alright. I like the job.", Koharu smiles.

~I see.~, Aichan smiles the first time during the whole conversation.

Ah, so she's still doing the voice-acting thing.   Voice actors can have pretty long and varied careers.  Too bad about her singing career not flourishing as well, but hey, at least she's working.

Aichan walks to her studio, with a couple of cookies from the café for the way. First she keeps smiling, but after a few meters Risa pops up in her head again. She looks at the building the studio is inside and sighs. Life has to go on and she can't blame Risa.

~I should finally realize that I lost a good friend for good...but am I really able to do it?~

A pigeon lands in front of her. She takes her last cookie to feed it.

~Risa..~

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! 

DON'T GIVE UP AICHAN! DON'T GIVE UP ON RISAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! 

[HPriest]

Chapter 14 - The Diner



*Here, your breakfast.*

Miki looks at the waitress and nods. It is not difficult to realize that she is somewhere else with her mind. She looks through the window in the front of the small diner. The door on the other side of the street is the door to the apartment of Aya and her. Aya probably still lies in her bed. Their relationship isn't really harmonic anymore. It could be that they spent too much time together over the last years. With the change of the agency they suddenly were surrounded by unknown people. During this time they became pretty close.

Last night they didn't talk much, but Aya at least was happy that Miki came back. There are a lot of those ups and downs. Miki knows that it can't continue like this and blames her alone for all the problems. She understands that she has to make a decision, a decision that would also affect their future as GAM.

Right now Miki weighs out the positives and negatives. Did they drift apart too much? Would a break-off good for them? This would probably also lead to a disbanding of GAM, a project they invested in so much time and effort. Does she even want to break-off?  Miki is completely undecided about the whole thing, but they also can't continue like this.

She continues to sit and think in this diner for a while without even touching the breakfast in front of her. After some more minutes, she suddenly grabs her mobile from the table and calls someone.

"Miki?", the voice of Yossie responds.

~Can we meet now?", Miki says without greeting. It looks like she is in a hurry. Maybe she finally made a decision and wants to act quickly before she changes her mind again.

"Now?"

~Yes, it is important.~

"Okay..."

~In 20min at the fountain in the mall.~

"I'll be there."

~See you.~, she hangs up before getting a see you from Yossie as well.

Yossie is clueless about what's going on with Mikitty. Luckily she just changed her clothes before the call and is ready to get to the mall immediately.

Mikitty jumps up and heads for the door. She almost forgets to pay. The waitress has to call her back. In all the mess Miki pays way too much and doesn't want to wait for the change. She walks to the door again and opens it, when she suddenly bumps into somebody. Miki raises her head and can't believe her eyes.

~You....~

[Kreuz_Asakura]

YOU WHAT????!!!! 
I'll have to wait for the next chap, I suppose

So Miki want to break-off with Aya?!!!  I hope that Aya could understand her reasons ans this doesn't affect her future as GAM...
And why she called Yossie so suddenly? Will Yossie play a very important part in her decision?  or she only want to ask her some advices?    And who's that person at the end? I don't think is Yossie... that's would be really fast  Maybe Ai-chan or Aya? or still better Gotchin!!!!  I dunno why a I think in her 

Waiting for the next chapter!!! 

[HPriest]

yea sorry..I wasn't sure whether I should continue or save it for an own chapter. ^^

now I can keep the 'excitement'/'tension' high. 

[JFC]

Last night they didn't talk much, but Aya at least was happy that Miki came back.

MIKI CHOSE AYA!!!

There are a lot of those ups and downs. Miki knows that it can't continue like this and blames her alone for all the problems. She understands that she has to make a decision, a decision that would also affect their future as GAM.

Wait, what? No! Miki, please don't be contemplating what I think you're contemplating! 

After some more minutes, she suddenly grabs her mobile from the table and calls someone.

"Miki?", the voice of Yossie responds.

~Can we meet now?", Miki says without greeting.

Why does Miki have to choose?   

She walks to the door again and opens it, when she suddenly bumps into somebody. Miki raises her head and can't believe her eyes.

~You....~

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO???? 

[arina_shinh]

WHOOOO???!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait for the next chapter of Aya-Miki-Yossie....

[HPriest]

Chapter 15 - The 'Hot' CM



Sayu has been up for a while already. She took a shower some minutes ago and now sits on her bed. There is something she is looking at. Sayu seems to be deep in thought. What she is looking at is nothing else than the drawer; the drawer where she put in the picture last night. She didn't take the picture out, but it's still in her mind.

In the background you can hear her fax working, but Sayu doesn't care or doesn't even notice. She is not moving a bit, when suddenly her mobile rings. Her thoughts or daydreams have finally been interrupted. A bit confused she looks around the room and hears her mobile. It's lying on the table. Sayu stands up and picks up the phone.

"SAYUMI? Where have you been?", her manager is on the phone.

~I...~, Sayu stumbles, still being a bit dizzy.

"Forget it. I faxed you the details for a sudden offer. Get there...NOW!"

~Uhh...~

"And this time....do it right!", the manager hangs up.

Sayu slowly puts down the phone and looks at the fax. She sighs and walks over to it to read it. It seems to be some kind of commercial. The actual model became ill and now they want her to take over her part.

~It's a promo CM for a new single of Takahashi Ai. The theme is "hot". It will be a short and hot scene together with her and..~, Sayu stops reading.

First she only overflew the fax, but then one thing caught her attention.

~Aichan?~, she asks herself and reads it again.
~It's Aichan!~

Sayu puts down the fax and look at the drawer. First it looks like that she has concerns, but then she smiles and picks up the fax again to read the address. Quickly she puts on a jacket and rushes out of her apartment. At the street she stops a cab and heads for the studio where the CM is going to be shot. Sayu notices that her heart is beating faster. She really seems to be excited about this.

Back in her apartment we can see her mobile still lying on the table. She probably forgot it. It suddenly starts to ring and to vibrate; an incoming call. At the display we can read the name of the person who is calling her. It is....Eri.

However, a few minutes passed and Sayu arrives at the studio. She steps out of the cab and pays the driver. Her nervousness increases when she look at the building. Sayu walks inside. The shooting is supposed to be in the 3rd floor and so she decides to use the elevator. A few other people get into the elevator with her. She stands completely in the back of it. It doesn't take long and they arrive at the 3rd floor. All the other people in the elevator seem to be of the staff, because they all get out on the same floor. Sayu looks around.

~So many people...~, she tries to find Aichan.

Sayu is already used to a lot of people around her, but would have never imagined to see so many people around for a CM that only is 20 seconds long. This is when she realizes, ~Aichan made it~. Aichan doesn't seem to be anywhere and so she decides to ask someone.

#Takahashi Ai? Who are you, the model? YOU want to meet Takahashi Ai?#, she gets as response, followed by some laughter.

Sayu is speechless and slowly gets pissed. The person keeps looking back to her and laughs. She pouts and turns around. The set is almost done. Sayu stops and looks at all the people, when suddenly somebody shouts at her.

#ARE YOU THE MODEL? WHY AREN'T YOU CHANGED?# - Sayumi looks at him and is a bit scarred by the tone.
#WHY ISN'T SHE CHANGED? HELLO?#, he keeps shouting through the room.

Then suddenly some woman grabs her from behind and drags her into the dressing room.

>I am the stylist, we have been waiting.<, she introduces herself. We have seen this person before. It's the same woman that talked with Aichan before.

>Just ignore him. The other model canceled so sudden, he is almost exploding.<

~I see...~

>You are lucky, you only have to work with him once.<, the woman immediately spreads a friendly aura.

Sayu can feel the friendliness and becomes calmer now. She isn't pissed anymore. After some more minutes, they are done with the clothes. The woman tells her to wait for the hair and make-up, but Sayu takes the chance to ask her about Aichan.

>You mean Aichan? She is upstairs...she also hates all the mess before the shootings.<, the woman smiles.

~Is it possible...to meet her?~, Sayu asks a bit shy, already knowing the answer.

The woman looks at her and finally realizes that she is THE Sayumi. Something seems to be on her mind. However, she decides not to ask about it. Instead she looks at her watch.

>You know what...<, she says.

~Hmm..?~, Sayumi is surprised.

>When you go upstairs now, you might find her in her room. She prefers to be alone and enjoys the silence before the shootings.<

~But..~

>I will tell the make-up and hair stylists to wait....hurry!<, the woman smiles.

She escorts Sayu up the stairs and points at the room of Aichan. It's at the end of the floor.

>Don't worry. Usually people don't come up here before of a shooting. They are all too busy. However, please hurry.<, the woman says and walks back downstairs.

Sayu slowly starts to walk towards the room. She doesn't really know what to say. They didn't keep any contact at all. Her concerning quickly turns into happiness. There is nothing to worry about, both had their jobs. She now walks faster, but stops again. Something smells burned. "H....", Sayu also hears something, but isn't too sure what to think about it. "HE...", it sounds again.  She reaches for the handle to open the door, when...

~Itai!~, the handle seems to be very hot.

"HEL...", it's becoming louder.

However, she was able to push it down a bit and so the door slowly starts open until Sayu finally can see..

~Fire......?~

"HELP", Aichan screams from the other side of the room.

~Aichan...?~

"S...Sayu?", Aichan looks at the door.

~Fi......FIRE!!~, Sayu screams for help.

----------------------------------------------------------

Sorry, turned out to be a bit longer than usual.

[JFC]

Sayu seems to be deep in thought. What she is looking at is nothing else than the drawer; the drawer where she put in the picture last night. She didn't take the picture out, but it's still in her mind.

A picture taken back during "the good old days", perhaps before the scandal?

Sayu slowly puts down the phone and looks at the fax. She sighs and walks over to it to read it. It seems to be some kind of commercial. The actual model became ill and now they want her to take over her part.

~It's a promo CM for a new single of Takahashi Ai. The theme is "hot". It will be a short and hot scene together with her and..~, Sayu stops reading.

First she only overflew the fax, but then one thing caught her attention.

~Aichan?~, she asks herself and reads it again.
~It's Aichan!~

I wonder if any of the other girls have been keeping in touch with Aichan and/or have been following her career. We all know Aichan isn't exactly the most extroverted person in the world; so it's not like she'd be the one calling any of them up to hang out or do something together.  Considering that Risa completely stopped talking to her, did the others do the same?

Back in her apartment we can see her mobile still lying on the table. She probably forgot it. It suddenly starts to ring and to vibrate; an incoming call. At the display we can read the name of the person who is calling her. It is....Eri.

Eri?

Sayu takes the chance to ask her about Aichan.

>You mean Aichan? She is upstairs...she also hates all the mess before the shootings.<, the woman smiles.

~Is it possible...to meet her?~, Sayu asks a bit shy, already knowing the answer.

The woman looks at her and finally realizes that she is THE Sayumi.

...


>When you go upstairs now, you might find her in her room. She prefers to be alone and enjoys the silence before the shootings.<

~But..~

>I will tell the make-up and hair stylists to wait....hurry!<, the woman smiles.

She escorts Sayu up the stairs and points at the room of Aichan. It's at the end of the floor.

YAY!

~Fire......?~

"HELP", Aichan screams from the other side of the room.

~Aichan...?~

"S...Sayu?", Aichan looks at the door.

~Fi......FIRE!!~, Sayu screams for help.

ONOES!!! AICHAN!!!

[Kreuz_Asakura]

What the..!!!!
FIRE!! FIRE!! Someone help Ai-chan!!! How is that this happened? Is someone trying to hurt Ai-chan?
Oh no! Sayu forgot her mobile and she can't answer Eri 

[inDeceit]

Sweet, an update :]

Wow, hot, literally.
Quick! Save her, Sayu!! >__< what's fire doing upstairs anyway?? why isn't there a fire alarm in the building? 
and she missed Eri's call D:

[lil_hamz]

A pigeon lands in front of her. She takes her last cookie to feed it.

~Risa..~

She gently pets the pigeon and walks inside the building.

I don't know why, but I burst out laughing at this part The thought of Gaki-san being Ai's pet pigeon was kinda funny

Fire? @@ Does someone want to murder Ai? Or is it purely a coincidence? Anyway, it's good that KameiShige are still in contact and most of the girls are on friendly terms with each other, except for TakaGaki. I wanna know the reason behind that sooooooooooo bad

[HPriest]

Chapter 16 - The News



Miki is late, but she finally arrives at the mall.
Somebody must have held her up, she looks a bit distracted..
The fountain is in the center of the mall. Slowly she walks through the mall to take a breath. She must have ran the last kilometers. And then she finally sees her, Yossie.

~Huh?~

It looks like Yossie is talking with somebody. Yossie is standing in front of the other person and so Miki can't see who it is. Slowly she approaches them and overhears something that is making her stop walking any closer.

"Yeah, tomorrow I am leaving for the training camp..."

Yossie is leaving? Tomorrow? Miki doesn't know what to do. She breaths in and walks closer.

~You are leaving?~, she asks and surprises Yossie.

"Huh? Oh, Miki! Yes, I told you, didn't I? Oh, by the way..see who I just met.", Yossie steps to the side.

~Mako...chan?~

>Hai!<, she smiles.

~Why...?~

>Holidays!<, Mako grins at Miki.

~I see... Anyway, you are leaving...tomorrow?~, Miki turns to Yossie again.

"Uhm...yes.", Yossie looks a bit confused.
"I told you about the training camp."

Miki stares at the fountain and mumbles ~..but you didn't tell me when..~.

"What did you say?", Yossie wasn't able to hear her mumbling.

~Nothing, I have to go now.~, Miki puts on a forced smile.

"Already? Hey!", Yossie calls after Miki, but she only waves back without turning around. Miki doesn't want to let her see the sadder disappointment in her face, she wants to get out of the mall as quick as possible.

>What was that?<, Mako asks since she has been away for a long time.

"I don't know, I don't know.. . Hey! Want to go for a drink? It's my last day in Tokyo for a while.", she claps on Mako's shoulder. There is no reason why Mako should deny this offer and so they both go for a drink.

---

Eri keeps trying to call Sayu, but she just doesn't pick it up. First she thinks that it's odd, but then she says to herself that Sayu probably just forget her mobile somewhere.
If she knew how right she was...
Anyway, she looks around her room. It's been a long time since she has been in Tokyo. Her room brings back memories. She has a poster of Morning Musume at the wall and a little pin board with pictures. On the top of the cupboard she finds some older albums with old purikura pictures. Eri has a few of them in Europe, but there are so many that she hasn't been able to take them all with her.

~Ahh...Nacchi and Yuko have been joking about some sort of comeback yesterday. Maybe it wouldn't be that much of a bad idea. ...me and my wishful thinking..~, she keeps looking at the old pics with a big smile on her face.

---

Miki enters a bar, sits down on a bar stoll and orders a drink.
A man sits down next to her.

>Hey..<, he starts to talk to her.

Miki looks at him and sighs, "You again, Shouji.".

>We weren't able to finish our conversation at the bistro..<

"What conversation? What are you doing here anyway?"

>Just passing by...<

"Sure..", Miki laughs.

>Look, you never told me your reason for the breakup.<

She grins and drinks the glass at one gulp. "My life....is a complete mess."

>..I can help you to sort it again..<

Miki looks at Shouji with a desperate and exhausted look. Could she really be considering...

---

Yossie and Mako are at a cafe and drink some non-alcoholic drinks. They have a nice talk and it isn't really sure why, but Yossie happens to look at the big screen standing in the mall.

#..Explosion in the recording studio. Popular singer Takahashi Ai has been caught by surprise when her dressing room suddenly caught fire and later resulted in a big explosion. It has been learned that another girl, popular idol Michishige Sayumi, has been able to rescue her just before the fire reached the gas bottles standing in a room next to her. Both have been taken to the hospital, but Michishie Sayumi seems to have no serious injuries. Police is currently investigating the cause of the fire, but so far everything looks like a bad accident. ...#

~AICHAN! SAYU!~, Yossie jumps up.

>Huh? What?<, Mako didn't notice the news and kept talking to Yossie.

~S...sorry, but I have to go now.~, Yossie rushes out of the café. She quickly picks her mobile to call Miki.

---

>Your phone is ringing.<, Shouji tells Miki.

~I know..~

>You don't want to take the call?"

Miki looks at the displays and sees that it's Yossie, ~Nope..~.
She prepares to gulp down the next glass, when she spots the TV in the corner of the bar. Miki sees the same news. First she is in a little shock, but then suddenly decides to take the call.

~Yossie!~

"Aichan and Sayumi..!"

~I know.~

"I am going to the hospital now."

~I am on my way.~, Miki hangs up the phone and once again leaves Shouji in a hurry.

---

Eri keeps looking at the old purikura and decides to turn on the radio for some music. Every station is currently reporting about the accident and so she happens to hear them right after she turned on her radio. First she doesn't realize who they are talking about, but when she look at a purikura of Aichan and her...

~Did they say...Ta..Takahashi Ai? Hospital?~

She looks at the purikura again. Then she quickly closes the album and gets off her bed.

---

Yuko and Nacchi are currently in the car to drive Nacchi to the next train station. The car radio is going and interrupts the current song for the shocking news. Yuko and Nacchi both look at each other, there is no hesitation at all. Yuko turns around and heads for the hospital

---

Koharu is on her way to the studio where she records all the animes. On her way she passes a lot of shop windows and an electronic shop happens to have a lot of TVs running in his shop window. Usually Koharu passes them without even caring what's going on, but the name of Takahashi Ai definitely caught her attention.

~Aichan?~
~Where is the hospital?~ Due to the shock she needs some time to orient herself again, but then she heads for the right direction to get to the hospital as quick as possible.

---

Reina is in her bathroom, doing her hair. She overslept and is too late for work. The TV is running in in the living room and that isn't too far away from the bathroom. However, she doesn't really listen to it.

~Done!~, she smiles and winks at herself in the mirror.

It's a wonder how she can be so calm, knowing that she is way too late for work. Slowly she walks into the bedroom and looks at the mess. Reina also has a very lively sleep. The blanket is living next to the bed and pillows are everywhere, but not on the bed. She sighs and decides not to clean it up. Reina now walks into the living room and grabs the glass of orange juice standing on the table. She made it earlier already. The news are still running, but they not describing the accident anymore. Instead they keep talking about the brave girl that rescued her. Reina still doesn't know who "her" is, but then..

#Michishige Sayumi really has been at the right place for the right time..#

~Sayumi? What's that?~

Reina now reads the news ticker at the bottom.

#Michishige Sayumi saved Takahashi Ai just in time. Takahashi Ai still in critical condition.#

She almost spills her orange juice. Then it looks like she suddenly pushed the trigger for the "rush-mode". There are no calm movements anymore, within seconds she changes her clothes leaves her apartment. All she forgot was to shut down the TV, but that should be her least concern right now.

---

Kei heard a pair talking about the explosion while waiting for the next train. There is another audition she wants to go to. However, the name of Aichan made her curious and so she decides to ask the pair about. They give her a quick summary and Kei gets a shock. There is a train passing a station near the hospital, but it's on the other side of the station. She looks at the plan and realizes that she has to hurry. Kei almost trips while rushing down the stairs, but a handsome guy catches her. However, there is no time for a flirt. She continues to run to the train and becomes a bit sad about the missed opportunity with this guy...but she has other priorities right now. The doors of the train are already closing, but she is able to jump inside just in time. Kei sighs and takes a deep breath.

~I made it.~, she smiles.

---

Risa arrives at home. Her mom suddenly rushes at the door to Risa.

>You are already here?<

~Y..yes?!~

She then runs back to the living room again and quickly turns off the TV.

~Is everything alright?~

>Ehehehe...of course..don't worry..<

Risa sighs and goes upstairs. She actually has no TV in her room, but also isn't in the mood for TV anyway. Risa decides to finish reading the manga she started yesterday. While reading the manga, she makes an emotionless face. There seems to be no enjoyment or pain while reading at all. She just reads it...without wanting or not wanting to read...she just reads it...

Her mom obviously heard the news, but somehow thinks that it's better for Risa not to know.
Risa would be the only one not knowing about Aichan's condition.
How long will the mother be able to hide the news?

---------------------------------------

Note: I assume that the news mentioned the name of the hospital, although they might not say it in reality. The hospital will remain unnamed in the fic. I simply didn't want to check for the names of hospitals in Tokyo. I hope the multi-scene style hasn't been too confusing. If you find a typo, time or grammatical error..sorry..didn't double-check the text. ^_^

[Kreuz_Asakura]

Yay!!! They are going to reunite again the only bad is that it have to be in this situation poor Aichan and Risa! Her mom don't told her anything

Yossie is leaving and Miki is sad, mmm...suspicious, but I hope Yossie cancels her trip
Ahh...this is getting exciting

[JFC]

Miki is late, but she finally arrives at the mall.
Somebody must have held her up, she looks a bit distracted..

Wait, we still don't know who that person was that Miki ran into as she was leaving the diner.

It looks like Yossie is talking with somebody. Yossie is standing in front of the other person and so Miki can't see who it is. Slowly she approaches them and overhears something that is making her stop walking any closer.

"Yeah, tomorrow I am leaving for the training camp..."

Yossie is leaving? Tomorrow? Miki doesn't know what to do. She breaths in and walks closer.

Well, where's the training camp going to be? If Miki's worried that she won't see Yossi for a while, it probably isn't that bad unless training camp is being held in a different country.

~You are leaving?~, she asks and surprises Yossie.

"Huh? Oh, Miki! Yes, I told you, didn't I? Oh, by the way..see who I just met.", Yossie steps to the side.

~Mako...chan?~

>Hai!<, she smiles.

Hi Mako!

"I told you about the training camp."

Miki stares at the fountain and mumbles ~..but you didn't tell me when..~.

"What did you say?", Yossie wasn't able to hear her mumbling.

~Nothing, I have to go now.~, Miki puts on a forced smile.

"Already? Hey!", Yossie calls after Miki, but she only waves back without turning around. Miki doesn't want to let her see the sadder disappointment in her face, she wants to get out of the mall as quick as possible.

Okay, what's going on here with Miki? I thought she had chosen to be with Aya, so what's up with her being like this after finding out Yossi's leaving? I mean, sure they're close friends and all, but it's not like she's never going to see or speak to her again.

Miki enters a bar, sits down on a bar stoll and orders a drink.
A man sits down next to her.

>Hey..<, he starts to talk to her.

Miki looks at him and sighs, "You again, Shouji.".

>We weren't able to finish our conversation at the bistro..<

Oh for fuck's sake, what does HE want? 

>Look, you never told me your reason for the breakup.<

Wait a sec...Miki dumped him? That must mean that the choice she had to make wasn't Aya VS Yossi, it was Aya VS Shouji! That means that Miki and Yossi were never romantically involved here, they're just really good/close friends!

She grins and drinks the glass at one gulp. "My life....is a complete mess."

>..I can help you to sort it again..<

Miki looks at Shouji with a desperate and exhausted look. Could she really be considering...

Oh GOD I hope not!  DON'T DO IT MIKI!!!

Yossie and Mako are at a cafe and drink some non-alcoholic drinks. They have a nice talk and it isn't really sure why, but Yossie happens to look at the big screen standing in the mall.

#..Explosion in the recording studio. Popular singer Takahashi Ai has been caught by surprise when her dressing room suddenly caught fire and later resulted in a big explosion. It has been learned that another girl, popular idol Michishige Sayumi, has been able to rescue her just before the fire reached the gas bottles standing in a room next to her. Both have been taken to the hospital, but Michishie Sayumi seems to have no serious injuries. Police is currently investigating the cause of the fire, but so far everything looks like a bad accident. ...#

Please let them be ok, please let them be ok, please let them be ok, please let them be ok, PLEASE LET THEM BE OKAY!!!

>Huh? What?<, Mako didn't notice the news and kept talking to Yossie.

~S...sorry, but I have to go now.~, Yossie rushes out of the café. She quickly picks her mobile to call Miki.

Hey, why the hell didn't Yossi tell Mako? She's friends with them too, she should be going with them!

>Your phone is ringing.<, Shouji tells Miki.

~I know..~

>You don't want to take the call?"

Miki looks at the displays and sees that it's Yossie, ~Nope..~.
She prepares to gulp down the next glass, when she spots the TV in the corner of the bar. Miki sees the same news. First she is in a little shock, but then suddenly decides to take the call.

~Yossie!~

"Aichan and Sayumi..!"

~I know.~

"I am going to the hospital now."

~I am on my way.~, Miki hangs up the phone and once again leaves Shouji in a hurry.

Please let them be ok, please let them be ok, please let them be ok, please let them be ok, PLEASE LET THEM BE OKAY!!!

Her mom obviously heard the news, but somehow thinks that it's better for Risa not to know.
Risa would be the only one not knowing about Aichan's condition.
How long will the mother be able to hide the news?

What the hell is Risa's mom thinking? Is she that mad at what Aichan did to Risa that she will keep this news from her?  Granted, Risa's pissed off at what Aichan did and by the looks of it, she has every right to be. However at one point in their lives they were best friends, and this situation now with the accident is something that goes beyond whatever grudges Risa has for Aichan. 

Even if they haven't been keeping in touch that much with Aichan, all the other girls are going. Why? Because regardless of where their lives are now, they still have a history and a bond together. They were like their own family to each other, and family always sticks together.

[arina_shinh]

Great! They're going to reunite!!

  What's the reason for Risa's mum not to let Risa know aichan's condition?

Gyah, I thought YoMiki were something, but then maybe they're just close friend... I can't believe Yossie just let Miki go like that and then she go to have a drink with Mako? Can't she see that Miki needs her right now? Miki want to meet Yossie because she wanted to say something, right?

Great update!!

[HPriest]

Chapter 17 - The Rain



Drop...drop..raindrops are dropping on the windowsill.
Risa is lying on her bed, calmly, listening to some music.
Drop...drop..
The raindrops are increasing now, disturbing the slow tact of the music. Risa sits up and looks at the window. It is ajar. She looks down on the bed, being too lazy to go and close the window. The radio is next to the bed. Risa only turns up the volume and lies down again. A gentle breeze going through the room, but it quickly increases. The wind is getting noisy by trying to find the way inside the room. Then a strong blast hits the house. The window gets pushed completely open, the door rumbles and something falls down somewhere else in the house.

~FINE!~

Risa finally stands up and closes the window. She looks out of the window. It really became stormy, but there is no intense rainfall.

~Thunderstorm...?~

She stops the CD and switches to the radio. Some station is probably reporting about the weather and it doesn't take long for her to find one.

#The first signs of typhoon have now reached the metropolitan area of Tokyo. Heavy rainfalls and strong winds are expected for the next hour. Please only leave the house for urgent matters.#

Risa already forgot about the typhoon. They have been forecasting it this morning. So much for her relaxing evening. She walks back to the window, while the station already switched back to music. It is really nice to watch how the rainfall is increasing, although it may be dark outside. Risa can see it in the light of the nearby lantern. A rainy night always has a melancholic feeling to it. She is getting close to the window with her head and her breath starts to mist up the window. Even though it might be a bit melancholic, rain also reassuring effect on her. However, it is also brining up some old memories. The whole day she tried not to think about it, despite the encounter with Aichan. At the graveyard.., Risa didn't want to cry, but she couldn't hold it back when seeing the grave. Her breath is still misting up the window and Risa starts to write at it; "A" ... "i" ... "k ... "a", "Aika". She has to fight with her teas again, but one tear made it's way down her cheek. With her hand she wipes away the tear. Risa keeps looking at how the name disappears from the window; "Aika" ... "Aik" ...

#We just got the information that the condition of popular singer Takahashi Ai has been stabilized now. Earlier, her dressing room caught fire and ended up in an explosion. According to....#

... "Ai" ... Risa hears the news while reading the name at the window, ... "A" ... it disappears.

~Aichan?~

Risa doesn't know what to do, her eyes hectically look around the room. What did just happen? What did he say? She rushes downstairs, trying to get the confirmation from her mother.

~Mom! Did you hear about this? Aichan?!~

> Mmh..well..I think so. <, her mom doesn't know what to say.

~ Where is she now? Do you know? ~

> Well... <

~ MOM! ~

> Y..yes, I know. <, she gives in.

Risa doesn't care about whether she hid the news from her or not. She only wants to get there as soon as possible. Her mother is giving her the name of hospital and Risa rushes to the door. Quickly she gets into her shoes and rushes outside. There is no time for a jacket or an umbrella. Her mother notices that she forgot the umbrella and tries to run after her, but Risa doesn't care. Only with a T-shirt and jeans, she runs to the hospital the fast she can, despite the bad weather and approaching typhoon.

Her mom stands on the street with the unopened umbrella in her right hand... > Risa... <

[JFC]

She stops the CD and switches to the radio. Some station is probably reporting about the weather and it doesn't take long for her to find one.

Well, Risa's bound to hear about the thing with Aichan now that she's switched to the regular radio broadcasts.

Risa doesn't care about whether she hid the news from her or not. She only wants to get there as soon as possible. Her mother is giving her the name of hospital and Risa rushes to the door. Quickly she gets into her shoes and rushes outside.

Well, we know that the others are going to be there too, so it begs the question, "How will they react when Risa shows up?"  We know that she's been deliberately avoiding speaking to Aichan, but has Risa completely cut off ties with the rest of them? Do the others know the whole story, or do they solely blame Risa for what happened to Aika?

There is no time for a jacket or an umbrella. Her mother notices that she forgot the umbrella and tries to run after her, but Risa doesn't care. Only with a T-shirt and jeans, she runs to the hospital the fast she can, despite the bad weather and approaching typhoon.

Thunderstorms aren't exactly the best weather to be out in, let alone typhoons.  Hopefully it doesn't get too bad and Risa's able to make it to the hospital unharmed.   To paraphrase an old saying, you're hurt the most by those you love the most.  Even though she's mad at Aichan for whatever she did/said, deep down we see that she still does care about her. If she didn't she wouldn't be rushing to the hospital now.

Maybe now Risa will actually be willing to hear Aichan out.

[HPriest]

This time the symbols like ><,~~ and ## won't represent the same person all the time.
It should still be easy to follow the (mainly) monologs.
As always, sorry for typos or other kind of mistakes.

Chapter 18 - The Unity...



Yuko literally smashes the car into the parking lot. At the very last moment it comes to a halt. Nacchi and Yuko don't waste time and get into the hospital as quick as possible. The rain is intense already, the typhoon close. At the desk they ask where she is. The nurse tells them the way and adds something, but the girls don't hear here. They are already on their way, when they suddenly see Sayu sitting on one of the chairs. She only seems to have some patches on her. Yuko and Nacchi stop and go to Sayu. She looks at them and smiles. Nacchi sits down next to her and asks about the current status. Sayu then explains that Aichan is out of danger, there are no serious injuries; Sayu herself only has some bruises; Yuko and Nacchi are the first visitors, but the visiting hours are already over; they are allowed to stay here at the entry of the hospital.

Yuko is angry, they are not allowed to check on Aichan? Sayu adds that Aichan is sleeping anyway. This isn't enough for Yuko. She goes to the desk again. The nurse says that she told them about this rule already when they entered the hospital, but Yuko doesn't want to hear the rule again, no, she wants to check on Aichan. In a very heated discussion with two nurses and one doctor, Yuko can finally achieve the right to check on Aichan, but only one person at once. The typhoon doesn't let them go home anyway.

During her discussion she didn't notice the arrival of Eri, Miki and Reina. They didn't want to interfere, Yuko can be scary when she wants someting. Instead they watched the whole show silently. Yuko becomes a bit embarrassed, realizing that they watched her. She knows that she sometimes overheats, but tries not to show it too often. Together they walk back to Sayu and Nacchi. Yuko already brought them up to date on their way. It doesn't take much longer and the rest of the girls arrive, all except of Risa. The girls keep looking at the entrance, but are not really surprised not to see her here.

Reina is curious and asks Sayu about what actually happened. All the girls had the same question in mind, but didn't want to bother Sayu with it already. Reina always has been straight forward one in the group. Sayu doesn't mind talking about it.

~[...]
However, I was able to push it down and so the door opened a little bit. Then I could see the fire inside her room. I didn't know what to do, when I suddenly heard Aichan from the other side of the room. She recognized my voice as well and was screaming for help. Helplessly all I could was screaming for help as well. I had to cover my mouse and nose, the smoke was unbearable.The way to the stairs were blocked and so the elevator was the only way to get up- or downstairs. The fire alarm didn't work as well and so I tried to look for an extinguisher, but I noticed something else, something terrible, gas cylinders. They were not too far away from her room. Not knowing whether are full or empty, I had to react quick now. First I tried to move them away from the fire, but they were already hot. It was impossible to carry them away. In the rooms that were open, I tried to find a coat or blanket. In the background I could hear the screams of Aichan. At this time other people finally noticed the fire. They came from upstairs and smelt the smoke. The time was running out and the elevator had been gone already. I finally found a coat. One man was trying to help with a bucket of water, but the fire was too big already. Then finally, the fire alarm went on. The fire must have reached another working sensor. I was busy drenching the coat with water. I covered myself with the coat and went back to her door. "Are you serious?", the man asked, but I can't remember what I answered. Covered with the coat, I jumped into her room. It was hard to see anything in there. I kneed down and searched for Aichan. She was lying near a window, she probably wanted to open it, but realized that it would have made it worse, since the door was closed..I don't know. I picked her up, she was still conscious. Now I realized that one coat wasn't enough. I wrapped it around her and tried to get under it...at least a bit..you know. There wasn't really any space for two people and so I kept most of myself uncovered. Aichan wasn't really able to jump anymore and so I had to almost carry her out of the room....~

> Sayu.. <, Eri looks at Sayu with tears.

Everyone realizes how honorable her action was and ask themselves, if they had done the same. However, it is hard to answer this question when you are not in such a situation. Deep inside themselves, they know that they would have done the same without any doubt. Sayu continues.

~Luckily we were able to get out of the room nearly unharmed by the fire, even myself. I was exhausted, the smoke..the fire...probably the smoke..was the reason. The man walked over to us and helped me up.~

> And then? <, Kei asks.

~Yes, I was so dizzy already that I forgot about the gas cylinders. All I can remember that I suddenly heard a bang and then.....then I felt...........HIM!~

> Him? <, Miki asks.

> The man? <, Reina adds.

~Where is he?~

> What? Why? <, Koharu is confused.

~He...yes, that's it..he must have covered me. This is why I have no major injuries. Where is he...?~

Sayu suddenly runs to the desk. The other girls stay at there, they have to stomach the whole story first. In the background you can hear Sayu frantically asking for information at the desk, but this is more of a problem then she thought; it's night, she is no relative, visiting hours are over. Sayu keeps on asking, when she suddenly collapses. The other girls notice quickly get to her.

# We told her that it was no good idea walk around already. Even a slight smoke intoxication is nothing to be careless about. #, the nurse comments.

She organizes her a free room and the other girls stay in there as well. This way they won't be too noisy. The girls decide about who is going to visit Aichan first. Miki goes first.

It's dark inside Aichan's room. She still is sleeping and Miki tries not to make any noise. The moon is shining through the window and Miki can notice a smile on Aichan's sleeping face.

> This girl..unbelievable.. <, Miki smiles to herself.

Yuko keeps on thinking about the whole situation and stuff. She notices that everyone is tired and tells them to try to sleep. They all deny that they are tired, although they yawn like they haven't slept for days. Yuko doesn't want to force anyone to sleep and so she continues to think while starring at one point.

She walks over to the window and watches the rain. It's really intense outside. They probably wouldn't be able to leave the hospital, even if they wanted to. It starts to hail. The grassland harrow in front of the hospital even turns white.

> Damn...it would be sheer suicide to walk around outside right now.. <, she says to herself.

Soon her time is over and she walks back to the room where the other girls are. She notices that almost everyone is asleep. Yuko is the only one awake and notices Miki whispering to her from the door. She look around and smiles. Everyone tried so hard to stay awake.

> I will go next. <, Yuko tells Miki.

~ Okay, I will go to the bathroom. ~, Miki says.

Yossie suddenly comes to the door as well. Yuko thought she was sleeping, but Yossie says she wasn't, although her face says differently. Yossie only wanted to say that she wants to go next. Nobody disagrees and so she goes back to her chair and closes her eyes, opens it again, tries to keep them open, but in the end she falls asleep...again.

Yuko enters Aichan's room. The typhoon keeps on raging outside, but Aichan still is asleep. Yuko sits down and sighs. She starts to talk out loudly, even though Aichan can't listen.

> ..just yesterday I thought about a reunion. It only was a joke, ....of course. However, it was a nice feeling....imagining to see everyone together again. Not everyone..I know, but .. most of them. And now this...everyone is here, together, but I don't want a reunion for such a reason...not for such a price... <, Yuko keeps on repeating, making long pauses between the sentences. Aichan might not be listening, but Yuko just had to tell her feelings out loud to somebody.

Miki is in the bathroom, sitting on a toilet. She still has her pants on and she isn't there to use the toilet anyway, no, she is there to smoke. It's still a secret for most of the people around her and so she is hiding in the bathroom. Miki wasn't able to go outside because of the typhoon. She is only smoking one cigarette. It was a very stressing day and she needed it. Once finished, she flushes it down the toilet and tries to get rid of the smoke. For her breath she has chewing gum with her. She walks out of the bathroom and turns to walk back to the room. Nurses and doctors are rushing through the hallway with a bed and she has to move to the side to let them pass her. It's no surprise to see an emergency during a typhoon.

> Really, it's sheer suicide to be outside right now. Huh? <, Miki stops, thunderstruck..
> Wasn't this.....Risa? <

[Kreuz_Asakura]

AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! Risa!!!!
Wow!!! Miki smoke well, people often say that they smoke because of the stress (that's what my dad say)
Poor Yuko, her wish was granted, but not in the way she wants
  Good job Sayu!!! you were really brave