Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ Fleeting Inspiration ❯ Whispering Phantom ( Chapter 5 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Anna Sartin 
Anime/Manga: Gravitation Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.16.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.8K | Visits: 971 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gravitation Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.16.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.8K | Visits: 971 | Status: Work In Progress
Fleeting Inspiration
by Anna Sartin
. . .
Chapter Five: Whispering Phantom
.
Eiri smiled smugly, reclining in a lounge chair by the side of the hotel pool. This time he'd made sure the book haunting him was nowhere around to ruin the rest of his day. He'd left it locked in the hotel room weighed down under an enormous potted plant sitting in the corner. There was no way it could follow him now!
He and Shuichi had gone for a soak in the hotsprings for awhile until Eiri decided he'd had enough of the heat and went to buy a cup of coffee (he still hadn't had the first thing to eat all day) and a newspaper. Now he was sitting in his swimming trunks flipping through the entertainment section, pleased to find a scathing review of what that bookstore had called "Mamoru Eto's latest masterpiece". He still couldn't get over that. Masterpiece? More like a disaster piece.
"Although humorous at times, Eto's new novel does not live up to his usual standards and has left many fans disappointed..."
Eiri grunted. Disappointed? Now THERE was an understatement if ever there was one.
The review went on to list many of the same flaws he himself had complained about both to Eto and in the email he'd sent to the author's website. The critical blonde flashed a self-satisfied grin at the picture of Eto in the paper as if to say "I told you so!". The photograph stared back at him indifferently. The writer frowned, displeased by its lack of reaction. It was supposed to feel some remorse, damn it!
At any rate, he'd found new respect for the reviewer. He'd been furious when she'd published an especially bad review of one of his own novels in the past. The truth was that he wasn't overly fond of that piece of work himself; he'd rushed it to meet his deadline and wasn't satisfied with the ending. But now she'd reassured him that there were still SOME sane people in the world whose minds weren't infected by Eto's garbage, and for that he was grateful. Someone out there still knew trash when they saw it.
"Yukiiiiiiiiii!"
Eiri looked up from his paper. About time the brat got out of the hotsprings; he'd been in there well over an hour. Or was it two? The singer's skin was flushed red from having been in there too long.
"Listen to this!" Shuichi yelled, running up to him. He held up a portable radio on which a familiar song was playing.
"Isn't that Shining Collection?" Eiri asked.
"Yes! And it isn't me or Sakuma-san singing it which means someone STOLE it!"
Eiri listened to the female singer on the radio belt out the lyrics he'd written about Shuichi. Whoever she was, she needed vocal lessons badly. The background music had been changed to make the song sound dark and creepy, which didn't suit the lyrics at all.
"Who is she?" the writer asked, annoyed that someone was murdering his song on air.
"I don't know the name of the singer, but the announcer said that the group's name is Whispering Phantom."
Eiri reached for his pack of cigarettes. "Whispering Phantom? Never heard of them." Why did the names of music bands all have to sound so weird?
"Me neither. How come they're allowed to sing your song without your permission?"
"They could have gotten permission from Nittle Grasper. Could you turn that off?" he asked, lighting up a cigarette.
Shuichi switched the radio off. "Sakuma-san wouldn't give anybody permission to do THAT to a song!"
Eiri had to agree. Listening to Shining Collection in that form made him embarrassed to admit he'd written the song. "I'll call Seguchi when we get back and find out what's happened."
"Okay..." The singer looked like he was about to cry. Or scream. Or burst. His face was beet red and his breath was coming out in short, uneven pants.
"Just calm down, okay?" Eiri told him, noticing that he was trembling. "We can get this all settled when we get home. There's no reason to overreact-"
"But there IS!!!" Shuichi cried, bursting into tears. "You wrote that song for me and some horrible person is ruining it!!!"
Great, the last thing Eiri needed was for his emotional lover to go off the deep end and spend the rest of their vacation crying like a chick. It would put the writer's nerves on constant edge for the next three days and kill any chance of relieving some of his tension. With everything else that had gone wrong so far he did not need this.
"Look," he said severely, his voice thick with annoyance. "we're supposed to be on vacation, remember? Isn't that why you dragged me out here? If I've got to spend the next three days stuck here with you and that piece of shit under the plant in our hotel room then give me at least one damn day to relax! Otherwise what the hell was the point in our coming?!"
His words were overly harsh and he knew it, but was it TOO much to ask for a little peace and quiet without SOMETHING popping up to ruin it?
"I-I'm sorry, Yuki..."
The writer turned his attention back to the newspaper.
Shuichi turned to leave, feeling even worse than when he'd come running in. Not only was his favorite song being massacred over the airwaves for all of Japan to hear, but now he was bothering Yuki. The last thing he wanted was to stress out his lover and cause him to start coughing up blood. Again. He'd secretly hoped that their vacation might turn into a romantic getaway, but there seemed to be little hope of that now. He walked along the edge of the pool, heading for the door. His body was still hot from the hotsprings, and he was starting to feel... lightheaded...
Eiri heard a thunk as Shuichi dropped the radio. It was followed a few seconds later by a splash. "The clumsy idiot fell into the pool," the writer thought to himself, continuing to read the paper for a few more seconds until he noticed strange gurgling sounds were coming from the water. Eiri looked over his newspaper. The radio was laying on its side by the side of the pool. The back of the machine had popped open and its four AA batteries were scattered around it. In the swimming pool bubbles were floating to the surface of the water in the spot where Shuichi had fallen in, but the singer himself did not rise to surface.
"Oh shit!"
Eiri dove into the water and grabbed his petite lover, instinctively pressing their mouths together and transferring all the air in his lungs to Shuichi's as he propelled them both to the surface. Once he had the boy out of the water and flat on his back he frantically began trying to resuscitate him. Water came flooding out of Shuichi's mouth and splashed in Eiri's face as the younger man began coughing up the chlorine-filled substance.
"Get help NOW!" Eiri screamed at a passing hotel employee, who saw at once the severity of the situation and began running as fast as she could in her four-inch high heels to call an ambulance.
. . .
Shuichi woke up several hours later to the sound of a heart monitor beating in his ear. An oxygen mask was strapped to his face feeding him air.
"Yuki?"
His blonde lover sat by the side of the hospital bed, holding his hand. His eyes were red and puffy. Had he been crying?
"I'm here. It's about time you woke up," the author answered, squeezing his hand.
"How come I'm in the hospital?" Shuichi asked groggily, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask.
"You were overheated from being in the hotsprings too long. You passed out and fell into the hotel swimming pool."
"I fell in the pool?" Shuichi asked sleepily.
"You almost drowned. Don't you remember?"
"All I remember is... lots of water. I couldn't breathe..." He smiled slightly. "I dreamed that you kissed me."
"Damn brat... I'm gonna kick your ass if you ever scare me like that again!"
"I'm sorry," Shuichi whispered. Eiri caressed his young lover's cheek and his eyes fluttered closed. The singer began to fall back asleep.
Eiri watched him intently, carefully studying the face of the man he loved. Little brat... He'd never been so afraid in his life. By the time the paramedics had arrived on the scene Shuichi had stopped breathing, causing Eiri to break down in front of the paramedics, the hotel staff, and all guests standing around watching the "action". God, how embarrassing...
Outside two nurses were chatting as they walked down the hall.
"Have you read Mamoru Eto's new book? It's SO funny!"
Eiri shot up from his seat and closed the door to the hospital room. Could his vacation possibly get any worse? He hadn't been away from home a full twenty-four hours and already the trip was a disaster. He switched on the hospital radio.
Whispering Phantom's version of "Shining Collection" was playing.
It was official, the powers that be were out to get him. He moved to change the channel, but changed his mind. The song was almost over so he let it play through to the end, renewing his determination to find the person responsible for this atrocity when he got home. The announcer's voice came blaring over the airwaves after the song came to an end.
"And that was Whispering Phantom's "Shining Collection", sung by their beautiful and talented young singer Lola Eto."
Eiri did a double take, staring at the radio as if it were a bomb about to explode in his face. It couldn't be... Lola Eto?!!
.
~End chapter five~
by Anna Sartin
. . .
Chapter Five: Whispering Phantom
.
Eiri smiled smugly, reclining in a lounge chair by the side of the hotel pool. This time he'd made sure the book haunting him was nowhere around to ruin the rest of his day. He'd left it locked in the hotel room weighed down under an enormous potted plant sitting in the corner. There was no way it could follow him now!
He and Shuichi had gone for a soak in the hotsprings for awhile until Eiri decided he'd had enough of the heat and went to buy a cup of coffee (he still hadn't had the first thing to eat all day) and a newspaper. Now he was sitting in his swimming trunks flipping through the entertainment section, pleased to find a scathing review of what that bookstore had called "Mamoru Eto's latest masterpiece". He still couldn't get over that. Masterpiece? More like a disaster piece.
"Although humorous at times, Eto's new novel does not live up to his usual standards and has left many fans disappointed..."
Eiri grunted. Disappointed? Now THERE was an understatement if ever there was one.
The review went on to list many of the same flaws he himself had complained about both to Eto and in the email he'd sent to the author's website. The critical blonde flashed a self-satisfied grin at the picture of Eto in the paper as if to say "I told you so!". The photograph stared back at him indifferently. The writer frowned, displeased by its lack of reaction. It was supposed to feel some remorse, damn it!
At any rate, he'd found new respect for the reviewer. He'd been furious when she'd published an especially bad review of one of his own novels in the past. The truth was that he wasn't overly fond of that piece of work himself; he'd rushed it to meet his deadline and wasn't satisfied with the ending. But now she'd reassured him that there were still SOME sane people in the world whose minds weren't infected by Eto's garbage, and for that he was grateful. Someone out there still knew trash when they saw it.
"Yukiiiiiiiiii!"
Eiri looked up from his paper. About time the brat got out of the hotsprings; he'd been in there well over an hour. Or was it two? The singer's skin was flushed red from having been in there too long.
"Listen to this!" Shuichi yelled, running up to him. He held up a portable radio on which a familiar song was playing.
"Isn't that Shining Collection?" Eiri asked.
"Yes! And it isn't me or Sakuma-san singing it which means someone STOLE it!"
Eiri listened to the female singer on the radio belt out the lyrics he'd written about Shuichi. Whoever she was, she needed vocal lessons badly. The background music had been changed to make the song sound dark and creepy, which didn't suit the lyrics at all.
"Who is she?" the writer asked, annoyed that someone was murdering his song on air.
"I don't know the name of the singer, but the announcer said that the group's name is Whispering Phantom."
Eiri reached for his pack of cigarettes. "Whispering Phantom? Never heard of them." Why did the names of music bands all have to sound so weird?
"Me neither. How come they're allowed to sing your song without your permission?"
"They could have gotten permission from Nittle Grasper. Could you turn that off?" he asked, lighting up a cigarette.
Shuichi switched the radio off. "Sakuma-san wouldn't give anybody permission to do THAT to a song!"
Eiri had to agree. Listening to Shining Collection in that form made him embarrassed to admit he'd written the song. "I'll call Seguchi when we get back and find out what's happened."
"Okay..." The singer looked like he was about to cry. Or scream. Or burst. His face was beet red and his breath was coming out in short, uneven pants.
"Just calm down, okay?" Eiri told him, noticing that he was trembling. "We can get this all settled when we get home. There's no reason to overreact-"
"But there IS!!!" Shuichi cried, bursting into tears. "You wrote that song for me and some horrible person is ruining it!!!"
Great, the last thing Eiri needed was for his emotional lover to go off the deep end and spend the rest of their vacation crying like a chick. It would put the writer's nerves on constant edge for the next three days and kill any chance of relieving some of his tension. With everything else that had gone wrong so far he did not need this.
"Look," he said severely, his voice thick with annoyance. "we're supposed to be on vacation, remember? Isn't that why you dragged me out here? If I've got to spend the next three days stuck here with you and that piece of shit under the plant in our hotel room then give me at least one damn day to relax! Otherwise what the hell was the point in our coming?!"
His words were overly harsh and he knew it, but was it TOO much to ask for a little peace and quiet without SOMETHING popping up to ruin it?
"I-I'm sorry, Yuki..."
The writer turned his attention back to the newspaper.
Shuichi turned to leave, feeling even worse than when he'd come running in. Not only was his favorite song being massacred over the airwaves for all of Japan to hear, but now he was bothering Yuki. The last thing he wanted was to stress out his lover and cause him to start coughing up blood. Again. He'd secretly hoped that their vacation might turn into a romantic getaway, but there seemed to be little hope of that now. He walked along the edge of the pool, heading for the door. His body was still hot from the hotsprings, and he was starting to feel... lightheaded...
Eiri heard a thunk as Shuichi dropped the radio. It was followed a few seconds later by a splash. "The clumsy idiot fell into the pool," the writer thought to himself, continuing to read the paper for a few more seconds until he noticed strange gurgling sounds were coming from the water. Eiri looked over his newspaper. The radio was laying on its side by the side of the pool. The back of the machine had popped open and its four AA batteries were scattered around it. In the swimming pool bubbles were floating to the surface of the water in the spot where Shuichi had fallen in, but the singer himself did not rise to surface.
"Oh shit!"
Eiri dove into the water and grabbed his petite lover, instinctively pressing their mouths together and transferring all the air in his lungs to Shuichi's as he propelled them both to the surface. Once he had the boy out of the water and flat on his back he frantically began trying to resuscitate him. Water came flooding out of Shuichi's mouth and splashed in Eiri's face as the younger man began coughing up the chlorine-filled substance.
"Get help NOW!" Eiri screamed at a passing hotel employee, who saw at once the severity of the situation and began running as fast as she could in her four-inch high heels to call an ambulance.
. . .
Shuichi woke up several hours later to the sound of a heart monitor beating in his ear. An oxygen mask was strapped to his face feeding him air.
"Yuki?"
His blonde lover sat by the side of the hospital bed, holding his hand. His eyes were red and puffy. Had he been crying?
"I'm here. It's about time you woke up," the author answered, squeezing his hand.
"How come I'm in the hospital?" Shuichi asked groggily, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask.
"You were overheated from being in the hotsprings too long. You passed out and fell into the hotel swimming pool."
"I fell in the pool?" Shuichi asked sleepily.
"You almost drowned. Don't you remember?"
"All I remember is... lots of water. I couldn't breathe..." He smiled slightly. "I dreamed that you kissed me."
"Damn brat... I'm gonna kick your ass if you ever scare me like that again!"
"I'm sorry," Shuichi whispered. Eiri caressed his young lover's cheek and his eyes fluttered closed. The singer began to fall back asleep.
Eiri watched him intently, carefully studying the face of the man he loved. Little brat... He'd never been so afraid in his life. By the time the paramedics had arrived on the scene Shuichi had stopped breathing, causing Eiri to break down in front of the paramedics, the hotel staff, and all guests standing around watching the "action". God, how embarrassing...
Outside two nurses were chatting as they walked down the hall.
"Have you read Mamoru Eto's new book? It's SO funny!"
Eiri shot up from his seat and closed the door to the hospital room. Could his vacation possibly get any worse? He hadn't been away from home a full twenty-four hours and already the trip was a disaster. He switched on the hospital radio.
Whispering Phantom's version of "Shining Collection" was playing.
It was official, the powers that be were out to get him. He moved to change the channel, but changed his mind. The song was almost over so he let it play through to the end, renewing his determination to find the person responsible for this atrocity when he got home. The announcer's voice came blaring over the airwaves after the song came to an end.
"And that was Whispering Phantom's "Shining Collection", sung by their beautiful and talented young singer Lola Eto."
Eiri did a double take, staring at the radio as if it were a bomb about to explode in his face. It couldn't be... Lola Eto?!!
.
~End chapter five~