Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ Yuki ❯ Meet ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: Gravitation does not belong to me. Ne, I doubt Gravitation would be as good if I owned it anyway. I'm not making any money out of this either and am just borrowing its characters….

A/N: First off, let me begin by thanking my faithful readers (CTFA and anime_earth) and those who reviewed this fanfic so far. *_* My driving force~! <3 THANK YOU! *^^* Moving on, here's chapter seven - the hardest-to-write chapter so far. I really had a hard time getting the stuff for this chapter out. I think it's because I had a whole week to think about it without the chance to actually write it all down so by the time I sat down, it was just all a mess up there. I don't really like this chapter very much, but it get's the job done, I think. I'm not very good at writing conversations, that's a fact, let alone conversations between more than two people, so I'm very sorry! Also, no Eiri here though, I should be bringing him in next chapter, where stuff happens and the first solid truth is revealed… I think. By next chapter, I'll probably have them all gathered up and ready for the main parts…. Wow, now, come to think of it, it's just now that it's all starting to pick up… *_* Long-awaited (I hope? *_*) meeting between Yukito and Eiri should be next chapter :-) So stay tuned? ^^ Drop a review (yes!) and make me feel loved… it'll help move the plot faster that way ^^;; (Still unedited, btw ^^;;)

Oh yeah, from here on, it seems the chapters will be longer - please bear with me people! I'll work hard... >.<

Seven: Meet

'You know, has it ever occurred to you…. what will finding the truth about the whole thing do?'

Rage slipped one gloved hand into her coat to check the small handgun she kept in her arm holster. Once she was sure it could be drawn easily, she gave her bodyguard a nod and stepped out of the car. With one hand over the roof of the car, she stared at the structure before her defiantly, ready for whatever it had in store for her. That was, if it even had anything in store for her. Despite the possibility of having to use the handgun, she sincerely hoped there was something, anything to find in there.

"Bill," she told her bodyguard, "You know what to do if I don't call in twenty minutes."

"Hai."

"Good. I'm going in - try to be inconspicuous, okay? Don't come rushing until something's really up."

"Yes ma'am…. I'll just park the car somewhere-"

She nodded again and leaned down to give her bodyguard a small smile before closing the side door and putting her shades on. Shoving her hands into her pocket and ignoring the almost-freezing morning temperature, she began the short walk to the building entrance.

Maybe the precautions she was taking was a bit too much, too ridiculous - it was just a concert hall[1] after all - but if you knew just who you were crossing with, and what lengths that person was willing to go to then you'd be careful too.

'Ohya,' She stopped and stared at the entrance just a mere few meters away. A year and a half ago, Shuichi had gone through the same doors, with that smile and the intention of delivering his best performance so far all the while completely oblivious to what the night had in store for him. 'What are you hiding for Seguchi Tohma?'

---

Tohma had a calm smile on his face as he sat, cross-legged, watching the Principal from across the room. The Principal took his thick-rimmed glasses and began wiping it with a piece of cloth before speaking.

"Seguchi-san, can I take your word on that?"

Tohma waved his right hand and his eyes narrowed into slits, "I always keep my word, you know that, don't you? But I can't force them-" the NG President leaned forward and, resting his elbows on his lap, clasped his hands together. "-It's up to them to decide whether they'll perform on the twenty-fifth or not."

"I understand. So, when are they coming, Seguchi-san?"

"Today."

"I see. I'll arrange a hosting then, Seguchi-san. Do you… have any idea who I should assign to them?"

Tohma thought for awhile, or feigned to do so anyway, before standing up from his seat and pocketing his hands. "No… no one in particular." He headed for the door and placed a hand on the knob. "Pick whoever you like, Mr. Principal. It doesn't really matter now, does it?"

---

Hiro closed his eyes, losing himself in the beat of the song that was pounding in his ears. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get his mind off what Rage told him at the cemetery a little more than a week ago. He knew K and the others noticed, though they never said anything, knowing he was capable of sorting things out himself. He didn't need anyone's help when it came to these things but right now he felt like he needed to tell someone, anyone, or else he would be driven insane.

Rage had given him a call last night, or rather left him a message, telling him she'd found a lead of sorts - something that was left out amazingly in the investigation staged a year and a half ago. Her words rang in his ears clearly: "They never said anything about the surveillance camera - There was nothing except the pathetic excuse- 'It was out of order that night' and nobody pressed for further details on that -- I'm going to check that one out first."

He ran a hand through his hair and leaned his head back on the headrest, frustrated. He, in turn, had left a simple message on the XMR Manager's machine right after listening to hers and it consisted of one simple question that spoke volumes.

'You know, has it ever occurred to you…. what will finding the truth about the whole thing do?'

"Hiro, are you okay?" Ryuichi's voice cut through his thoughts and he blinked several times, realizing somebody had pulled an earphone from his ear, before turning to the singer seated beside him. Ryuichi's blue eyes were filled with concern - that much Hiro could tell at one glance.

He smiled. "I'm okay, Ryu-chan. Don't worry." 'Maybe.'

"That's good - Noriko-chan and me were a bit worried. You weren't saying anything, nah!"

Hiro shifted his weight and peered over the front seat to see Noriko nodding at him. "You were quiet, Hiro… and you haven't even asked where we're heading."

"Right." K nodded, tilting his head slightly to show he was listening to them.

Hiro grinned - it lacked the usual impish quality, but that was because he was tired - and folded his arms. "So where are we headed then, Nori?" Hiro asked casually, using the nickname he'd learned to call her in after a year of being band mates. It seemed almost unbelievable he was actually part of Nittle Grasper now.

"K - how about you do the explaining?" Noriko suggested, turning to their blonde manager.

"No Problem."

---

Yukito let out a quiet whimper, waking him from a restful sleep. He ran a hand through his hair and frowned immediately at the warmth, which could only be sunlight, on his face. Somebody had parted his curtains - not that he minded really, he did have to wake up sometime soon, but that didn't mean he liked it.

He opened one eye and the first thing he saw was the calendar, placed right beside his glass of water and the antique lamp Ai bought for him last year. The first thing to come to his mind was the fact that it was a Monday and drowsily, he checked what the date was. He stared at the number seventeen, a red circle drawn on it, and tried to read tiny, almost unreadable, words written in English beside it.

"..G..Germany…?" he read out loud, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

'Germany? What on eart--'

His eyes widened the moment realization hit him and he jumped out of bed. "Germany! Germany! Anne and me - the flight! What ti-"

"Yukito, calm down."

The voice came from the doorway and he turned his head to that direction. Freesia was leaning against his door, her arms folded across her chest.

"But the flight!" Yukito cried before calming down and continuing in Japanese. "The flight - Ai… We were supposed to be leaving for Germany this morni-"

"A change of plans." Freesia was shaking her head and chuckling as she responded in Japanese. "Ai told me to tell you when you wake up. She was the one who turned your alarm off too, by the way. Tohjoh-san of Kyoto called in early in the morning, calling for her."

Yukito heaved a sigh of relief as he plopped down on his bed. "God, that was scary, Freesia."

The European woman laughed - "Ai would never leave you like that, Yuki."

"I know."

Yukito smiled as he closed his eyes. "You think I should go to school today, Freesia? They think I'm on the plane to Germany right now, after all."

"That is your choice, Yuki." She paused and rolled her eyes, remembering something. "I forgot to mention. Seguchi-san dropped by an hour ago and left this-"

Yukito opened his eyes and looked to Freesia's direction. The European woman produced a rectangular object from behind her, wrapped in plastic, as it seemed to reflect some of the sunlight on it.

At first he stared and then he caught the words in a clear, crisp white font written on it. "NITTLE GRASPER." He read out loud, slowly before sitting up and staring at Freesia in disbelief.

"Nittle Grasper's….latest….album?" Yukito asked slowly in clear, English - phrasing each word very, very carefully.

"Yes." Freesia confirmed, smiling at him. "And to quote Seguchi-san : 'The Limited Edition which won't be out on the shelves until next month.'"

"No kidding?!"

"No kidding, Yukito." Freesia threw the album across the room to Yukito who caught it expertly.

"Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, Yuki. And, Anne wanted me to tell you she might not be back until the end of this week, so do not worry."

Yukito nodded, taking in what Freesia said about his fiancée and watched the European woman walk away, disappearing into the hall and going out of his sight.

Once he could no longer hear the sound of her shoes thudding dully on the carpet, he resumed staring at the album Tohma had given him, no, personally left for him. Sometimes, he just had to wonder why the thirty-five-year-old NG President was so kind to him.

'Maybe I'm going to go to school today after all.'

He stood up and headed for the bathroom.

---

"So, let me get this straight - Tohma wants us to see if we want to perform at their Music Festival?"

The American nodded in confirmation and Hiro's eyebrows creased in confusion. "Why can't he just tell us to do it... or not?"

"I don't know." K said simply, "I think, he didn't want to... but got pressured, anyway."

Hiro arched an eyebrow, and he folded his arms. "Pressured? Seguchi and the word Pressure don't mix together."

Noriko laughed. "That's true - but I think Tohma has reason to let us choose. A lot of labels are supporting and sending their best acts to take part in this Festival - It's not a small thing and it's actually going to get aired on TV. NG would appear to be high-and-mighty if it didn't participate… something like that…"

"Right." K nodded.

"Not right." Ryuichi interrupted suddenly. "I don't think Tohma's reason is that."

Hiro turned to Ryuichi's direction and noted the serious look on the singer's face. Somehow, he couldn't get what Rage said about the little investigation she did before and the same name the two of them came up with.

Noriko sat back, "Hmm… why not, Ryuichi? I don't think I see anything els-"

"Tohma doesn't care about the media… much." Ryuichi pointed out. "You remember before, right? Noriko?"

Noriko paused and looked up. "Oh..Right… But still!"

Ryuichi didn't say anything more and became quiet suddenly. Hiro would have said something about that, or asked, if K hadn't cut through the silence with an announcement of their arrival to their destination.

---

"So you're the famous Nittle Grasper?" The balding man who seemed to be somewhere in between his late forties and early fifties regarded them with a warm smile.

Noriko nodded, crossing one leg over another and casually leaning back on the sofa. "Yes. Tohma asked us to go here - he said you have things scheduled and set up for us already?"

K was leaning against the wall, arms folded, and Hiro could almost imagine those slender fingers tucked inside his arms itching for the smooth metal of his magnum. Ryuichi, on the other hand, was seated right beside him, watching the Principal with what seemed to be scrutiny. Hiro rarely saw the brown-haired singer like this, and it was, as always, unsettling.

The Ryuichi seated beside him wasn't the childish Ryuichi offstage, or the serious musician onstage - he was something else and it reminded Hiro somewhat of Seguchi Tohma, truthfully.

"I have - Seguchi informed me earlier." The Principal told them, "A student will show you around the campus and explain the facts about the Fes-"

"A student?" K questioned in English, arching an eyebrow. The Principal gave him a nod.

"It was supposed to be three - but the other two members of their band is-"

"Isn't that a bit... risky though?" Noriko cut in, "You are aware of the possibility of Grasper refusing to perform on your Fes."

"I am well aware of that, but I have faith in my students."

The door opened and a tall dark-haired man stepped into the room. "You called for Ruka?"

"Yes, yes. Takagi-sensei - ask him to go in."

Shortly after the principal's request, a tall redhead, hands dug into his pockets, sauntered into the room. "I'm hosting alone?" the redhead asked before turning to the members of Nittle Grasper and regarding them with a slight nod and then turning to the Principal with a questioning look. "Shouldn't Takumi be doing this? I know all about the 'they might refuse' deal and I'd hate to be the one to bear that burden, thank you."

"Well, at least he's honest." Noriko remarked sharply.

"You'll have to do with the other two members of your band… unavailable at the moment." The Principal explained, coughing. "You don't have much of a choice either, Izumi."

Ruka groaned. "Alright, alright - I'm doing it. Don't go blaming me if they refuse-"

He walked to the spot right in front of Hiro before bowing down and introducing himself.

"The name's Ruka - Izumi Ruka. I'm… I'm going to be your host-" he spun on his heels and began walking away. "Follow me."

"Ruka!" Takagi cried in disbelief and Ruka rolled his eyes.

"What now?"

Noriko laughed as she got up and then motioned for her band mates, and Manager, to follow the red-haired student out of the Principal's office.

Once they were outside, their host stopped and grinned at them. "I hope you don't like formal tours because I don't do that crap. Takumi and Yuki do that bu-" He was cut off when his mobile phone began ringing to the tune of Don't Stop the Music [2].

Excusing himself, Ruka checked the caller ID and blinked at the name on the screen.

Fujiwara Yukito

"Aren't you in Germany right now, chibi?" Ruka muttered, arching an eyebrow and forgetting about Grasper momentarily.

---

"Where the hell are you and what in hell are you doing?!"

Yukito laughed at the first thing he heard from his friend and ignored the mild curses, said jokingly of course, that followed afterwards before answering simply. "I'm on my way to school - in my car, driving..." He glanced at the speedometer and, without missing a beat, added "…at 80 km/h. I should be there in no time."

Back on the rocks, back on the rocks, baby

Koutetsu no PURAIDO wa

"Yuki, shouldn't you be on a plane to Germany with Ai right now?" There was a pause and then Ruka asked slowly, "What's that I hear blaring from the speakers, chibi?"

"Ai couldn't go, she's in Kyoto right now and... oh… that? Um.. Back on the Rocks[3]? You know I like playing these kinds of songs when I'm driving--" He turned sharply around a curve and slowed down slightly to readjust the mobile phone ear piece [4] in his left ear.

"Chibi, you do know we all think you're on a plane right now, right?"

"Uh... yes?" He stepped on the gas pedal, before muttering, "Eighty-five…Ninety…."

"Then why the hell are you going to school then? I'd stay at home and not go to school until next week-You're excused, weren't you, chibi?"

"You don't want me to go to school?" Yukito caught a glimpse of a red car behind him through the rearview mirror and smirked.

"No.. it's not that, look, you don't need to go to school right now…really."

"I wasn't really planning to, you know? But, see, I got Grasper's latest album an-" He turned sharply to his right, noticing the car had come up to his car's side, and arched an eyebrow. The window on the other car rolled down and a familiar face framed in a shock of pink hair [5] waved at him before giving him a series of hand signals. He grinned mischievously, understanding what that series of signals meant. "Ruka, have to go, I'll be there in a few minutes-" He hung up, and then removed the ear piece in his left ear. He rolled his own window down and turned to the pink-haired driver in the other car.

"Race?" He yelled, his voice just barely above the music. The driver from the other car grinned before replying in the same manner.

"You're on Yuki!"

The windows rolled up and both drivers stepped on their gas pedals, intent on outdoing the other.

---

"Sorry for the wait." Ruka said, pocketing his mobile phone. He walked up to them, one hand raking through his red hair. He let out a laugh then before telling no one in particular, and perhaps more to himself, "A few minutes? He's going to hit poor unsuspecting pedestrians in the process… I swear, he's going to get someone killed soon…"

"It wasn't long." Noriko replied, walking up to the redhead, her hands folded above her chest, "Though if you make us wait any more like that, then you can say goodbye to us playing on your Fes." She smiled and craned her neck to Ryuichi's direction. "Isn't that right, Ryuichi?"

"Right." The singer was leaning against the wall, arms folded. A confident smile was playing on the singer's lips, almost taunting. Hiro was watching the exchange from his place beside K who was too preoccupied with his magnum to really notice.

"Look." Ruka began, "The other student assigned to you guys had a change of plans - you can wait for a few minutes, can't you?"

Noriko shrugged and placed her arms on her hips. "Just a few minutes? Sure, we can - as long as that few minutes doesn't stretch to thirty."

"I can be sure of that." Ruka's eyes narrowed suddenly, remembering something. He rolled his eyes and spun around, heading towards a classroom.

"Some students are having rehearsal right now in here." He said, hand on the doorknob, "but this classroom has a great view of the campus front - that way you'll know just when Yuki arrives."

"Eh?" Hiro arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Let's just say our keyboardist has a car and he transforms into some kind of demon when put behind the wheels - that simple enough?"

Ruka gave the brunette guitarist a smirk before turning sharply at the faint sound of engines roaring. He motioned for them to come closer to the window and only moments later after doing so, two very-expensive-looking sport cars came into view - one bright blue, one red, both headed towards the campus at a very high speed.

Within seconds, the both cars were at the gate and the red car came in first with a burst of speed right at the last second. The blue one, its path having been taken by the red car, swerved suddenly and drifted into the campus loudly before coming into a screeching halt a mere several feet in front of the main building's entrance.

The red car came into a stop meters away from the blue one, and its pink-haired driver jumped out. Shouting "I win!" repeatedly in thriumph, which could be heard up to the third floor, it became evident the pink-haired owner of the red car was a vocalist.

Meanwhile, a brunette stepped out of the blue car, backpack slung over his right shoulder and something in his left hand. The pink-haired teen rushed to give the brunette a glomp and moments later Ruka's mobile phone sounded.

"I'm here!" Yukito said cheerily with a grin over the phone.

---

Rage peered into the creak on the door, a hand inside her coat, ready to draw the handgun in there. When she entered the building, she had been expecting some kind of resistance and was more than ready to lie about her company wanting to check out the concert hall for a planned tour but found the guard in charge of the door unconscious behind the door. She saw Ohya-she recognized the man, having looked into the place's records beforehand-seated and visibly sweating on one of the sofa There was someone else in the office and, looking closer, she realized it was a young woman.

"Ohya-san," the young woman was saying, her arms on her hips. "Hand over the videotape."

"I told you! There's no such thing-"

"This is a friggin' high-profile concert hall. How am I supposed to be believe there's no footage of it?"

'Footage?…. The surveillance camera…? She's after the same thing?' Rage thought, placing a hand on her lips.

"….Trust me.. there's no such thing… the cameras were out-of-or---"

"That's what they say." The young woman took a step forward. "Seriously, Ohya-san, I know there is one."

There was no response and the young woman continued, her voice extremely confident.

"Ohya-san. I'll tell you what - I have the report finished already… They're going to be airing it tonight. My story… and that's with or without the videotape." There was a pause. "What do you think will it do to your career if they found out about you and Seguchi-san's little agreement?"

A pause - Rage held her breath.

"That's classified as corruption, you know?"

"It's not - Seguchi-san made sure he talked with the Po-" Ohya clamped a hand over his mouth, shaking, and the young woman laughed.

"You do realize I'm taping this?"

"God.. please. No."

"Hand over the videotape and I'll make sure your name is saved."

"Nothing about this conversation gets out?"

"I'll zip my mouth, Ohya-san. You have my word on it."

Ohya stood from his seat, and disappeared from Rage's line of sight while the young woman appeared. There was a familiar-looking ID around the young woman's neck and she had stark black hair that reached down to her shoulder. She was wearing a knee-length coat, which she kept only partially buttoned up and black jeans. She was holding a gun in her hand.

The sounds of drawers being opened brought Rage's attention back to what she came there for and moments later she saw a blur of black flying to the woman's direction. It was the videotape; Rage realized.

"Thanks, Ohya-san. I'll keep this in mind-" the woman said, giving the old man a bow.

Rage realized moments too late that the woman was leaving. She scrambled in search of a hiding place, but before she could find one, the door burst open.

"Stop." She heard the woman say in flawless English. "Your hands, I want them up."

She didn't have to look behind to know a gun was pointed at her back.

---

[1] What do you call those places anyway? I… don't know. *_*

[2] It's from Initial D - Vocal Battle and is sung by Seki Tomokazu. Lovely song… can't get it off my mind so it's there ^^;; I know, I'm such a freak…

[3] From Initial D - Vocal Battle again…*_*

[4] It's that earphone-like device, with an attached mic somewhere in the line you plug to your mobile phone so you can talk without pressing the darn thing against your ear. ^^;; I don't know what you call it again, so : 3

[5] I couldn't help. You'll know later… ^_^

Oh, and, ^^;; I keep forgetting to do a seperate one for Mediaminer.org (too lazy) but thanks to the two people who reviewed.. too..XD (KuraiMoon and Riley Maxwell) Waah...XD

www (dot) deviantart (dot) com/view/3940717/ -- simple, colored scribble with Tohma and Yukito in it….

And, finally, I love License to Shrill by Melody Mist and I want more Breaking Away by hopemia. *_*

^_^