Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ Fleeting Inspiration ❯ Calm Before the Storm ( Chapter 11 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Fleeting Inspiration
by Anna Sartin

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Chapter Eleven: Calm Before the Storm

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Yoshi Eto turned out to be a very pleasant half-Japanese young man about Shuichi's age. As they conversed over dinner that evening Eiri and Shuichi learned that Yoshi and his sister Lola had both recently arrived in Japan from America after graduating high school.

"Are you two twins?" Shuichi asked.

Yoshi laughed, slightly embarrassed. "No, I just got held back in school a couple of times. I wasn't exactly what you'd call a model student."

Shuichi laughed. "Me neither. My family always complained I was a total embarrassment!"

"Same here. My dad's always lecturing me about ruining the family reputation and Mom claims that the hospital must've given her the wrong baby because no child of her's could be that stupid!"

"My mom said the same thing!" They both laughed. Eiri just rolled his eyes.

"Grandfather paid for us both to move out here after graduating and even helped me open this restaurant," Yoshi continued. "Man, were my parents ever pissed! Dad wanted us to go college, but who the hell wants to go to school for another four years when you can start your own business NOW?"

"Especially when you can get away your nagging parents in the process," Eiri said, remembering the days when he'd enjoyed having the entire Pacific Ocean between himself and his father.

"Exactly!"

Eiri wasn't about to admit it, but he rather liked this kid. In some ways he reminded him of Shuichi, in others he reminded him of himself in his younger days. He could definitely relate to the young man's desire for independence.

"My sister's got it even better," Yoshi said, taking a sip of his tea. "Grandfather paid to have all her little high school friends flown here so they could start a band. He paid some record label a fortune to let her make a CD."

Eiri smirked. So that's why Seguchi had let Whispering Phantom join N-G. Tohma was a shrew business man, he'd probably squeezed a king's ransom out of Mamoru Eto. Or maybe Eto had offered him a king's ransom. Either way Tohma wasn't about to pass up a small fortune.

"The thing is, they're awful!" Yoshi continued. "I used to have to listen to them play in our parents' garage back home. I love my sister but she can NOT sing. Plus none of her friends can speak Japanese so I don't know why the hell they bothered coming here."

"Why didn't they just start a band in America?" Shuichi asked.

"Foreign music doesn't exactly fly over there, you know? Besides, Grandfather wanted us here. That's why he did all this for us, to get us to move to Japan. He's been trying to get Dad to move here for years. He thinks if he brings us here it'll force Dad to give in. It won't work, though. Mom hates it here, she can't even speak Japanese."

"Do YOU like it here?" Eiri asked.

"Yeah, but... I'm still a little homesick. My girlfriend got admitted into some university in Europe that I can't even pronounce and I really miss her. Plus I don't really seem to fit in here. My uncle thinks I'm an idiot, my cousins made fun of me as soon as I got here for graduating with my little sister and I really, really hate Japanese food."

"Is that why you opened an American-style restaurant?" Shuichi asked.

"Yeah, but it doesn't hold a candle to my mom's cooking. Sometimes I miss that even more than my girlfriend!" he laughed wistfully. He got up to answer the phone ringing in the next room.

"He's nice," Shuichi said to his lover when their host had left the room. "I like him."

"Even if he is HER brother?" Eiri asked playfully.

"Yeah. He ordered Japanese food for dinner for us even though he hates it. It's a shame their grandfather didn't give HER the restaurant and HIM the contract with N-G!"

"His singing might not be any better than his sister's," Eiri pointed out.

"Well at least he knows when something sucks!"

Eiri scoffed. "You mean like those stupid costumes we had to wear earlier?"

"Hey guys! They found your luggage!" Yoshi yelled, running into the room with the phone. He handed it to Eiri.

The blonde learned that their luggage hadn't been stolen at all. Someone had taken it into the hotel, and the hotel had been trying to contact them all day. Unfortunately the contact number on Eiri's suitcase was his broken cell phone (Eiri was seriously cursing his stupidity for throwing it out the window) and Shuichi's luggage tags listed their home number. Nobody had answered the phone at home, thankfully. If his annoying brother heard even a fraction of what had transpired during past few days Eiri would never hear the end of it. He'd already sworn Shuichi to secrecy about wearing that stupid milkshake costume. (Actually, he'd threatened to kill the pink-haired idiot if he ever told anyone about it.)

"How are we going to pick up our stuff?" Shuichi asked after the blonde explained the situation to him. "We don't even know where the car is!"

"Why don't you stay here tonight?" Yoshi asked. "We can figure out how to get your stuff back in the morning."

Having no better ideas at the moment, Eiri agreed.

. . .

The next morning Yoshi drove them to the hotel, where Eiri encountered a new problem.

"I'm sorry, Sir, I can't release your luggage to you without identification."

"My identification is IN the suitcase!"

"We can't open suitcases without the owner's permission."

"I'm giving it to you! Open the damned suitcase and check the I.D. so we can get out of here! If I don't get my car out of the impound lot by noon today I'll be charged double!"

"Sir, I can't open the suitcase unless you can verify your identity."

Eiri groaned and turned to his companions as if to say 'Now what?' Shuichi sighed and went to the counter next. He could at least claim his property. Yoshi suggested calling his uncle and seeing if there was anything he could do.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Eiri turned around to see who was addressing him.

"Oh my god it IS you!" a young woman shrieked. "It's Yuki Eiri!"

Oh shit.

"Yuki Eiri, the author?" someone else asked.

"Where, WHERE?!"

Before he knew it the blonde was surrounded by people begging for autographs. He eyed the door, wondering if he could make a run for it. Not an option. He was cornered. He smiled politely while cursing inwardly at Shuichi for packing his sunglasses in his suitcase.

Yoshi just stared, amazed. "Are you famous or something?"

"Yuki-sama, sign my bra!" a teenage girl screamed, ripping open her shirt.

Yoshi's eyes bugged out of his head. "I'll... take that as a yes."

Eiri groaned. "Ladies, please..."

"Back off!" Shuichi yelled, charging through the crowd. "Yuki is mine!!!" He growled at the semi-exposed teenager like a dog warning another dog away from his bone.

"Oh wow, it's SHUICHI SHINDO!!!" several people in the crowd screamed. The singer was instantly tackled by a legion of squealing fans.

Eiri rolled his eyes. That idiot...

"Help!!! Yuki, HELP ME!!!"

Yoshi immediately moved to rescue Shuichi from the pile of bodies now cutting off his air supply, while Eiri eyed the crowd of people thoughtfully. He had an idea. "Excuse me ladies, but would any of you happen to have one of my books?" he asked, smiling at the adoring crowd.

"I have them all, Yuki-sama!"

"Me too! Every one you wrote!"

More people yelled the same, others started listing the titles they'd purchased. Eiri motioned for the crowd to settle down. "I mean do any of you have one with you, right now?"

"I have one in my hotel room!" someone yelled from the back.

"Could you let me borrow it for a moment?" Eiri asked the woman. "I'll sign it for you."

She took off like a bat out of hell, heading for the elevator. In the meantime Eiri pacified the crowd by answering random questions (Why the hell did anyone care what shampoo he used, anyway?) and asking what they'd like to see him to write next. When at last the woman came running back waving a hardbound copy of "Cool" he took it from her and glided over to the service desk where his luggage was being (with)held. Naturally his sea of admirers followed.

"You want proof of my identity?" he asked the woman behind the counter. He opened the book to his photo and name on the back flap and shoved it in front of her face. "Here!"

After receiving an apology from the embarassed hotel cleck and reclaiming his property, Eiri signed and returned "Cool" to its overjoyed owner. He then gave a small speech to the crowd and excused himself, saying he had an important matter to attend to. The crowd respectfully dispersed, and Eiri headed to the door with Yoshi and Shuichi. He eyed his lover's disheveled clothing, which now sported several rips and tears. Honestly, a small crowd of women was not that difficult to control. Women were easy to manipulate; all you had to do was smile at them and make sure you kept the upper hand. Didn't the brat know anything?

Shuichi opened the door for them and immediately slammed it shut again.

"What's your problem?" Eiri asked, annoyed. He didn't have time for the brat's stupidity, he wanted to get to the impound lot before noon. He opened the door himself, and was greeted by a sea of people chanting his name. Obviously someone had run off and told their friends that Eiri Yuki was in town and the rumor had spread like wildfire. He steeled himself, preparing to go out into the storm. This would NOT be that difficult. Women were not hard to manage. He'd show Shuichi a thing or two!

He took one step outside and several people grabbed at him at once. Others threw things in his direction. What might have been a pair of panties hit him in the face and a book went sailing over his head, hitting either Yoshi or Shuichi behind him. He tried to take a step back but some idiotic woman grabbed his tie, cutting off both his oxygen and his escape. Wait a second... he wasn't wearing a tie! So what the hell was around his neck?!

Yoshi grabbed the author from behind and pulled him back inside, slamming the door shut. "Never a dull moment with you two, is there?"

Eiri just growled, pulling off the pair of pantyhose around his neck.

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~End chapter eleven~