Chapter 2
The man that joined us.
The day was chilly bright. Tetsu woke up to the rising roar in his stomach. He checked the futons by his and noticed Hyde was sound asleep, biting on his pillow and curled into a ball under a mousy brown blanket with white stripes. On the other side, Ken’s futon was still rolled up.
Tetsu got up and walked towards the main room rubbing his eyes and yawning, he expected to see Ken, who had not arrived yet.
A week short from their big chance... barely enough time to meet the new drummer and practice for their upcoming debut album. And just when they had to be well rested and sound, Hyde was moody and whiny, and Ken was more worried about his multiple love affairs than about the band.
Tetsu walked towards the kitchen scratching the back of his head and yawning again, and he opened the refrigerator door.
“Nothing?!?!” He wondered puzzled. “Where’s the food gone?!”
There were only a small carton of milk and a few leftovers on a yellow plastic dish.
“Oh, man! What are we gonna do?!” Tetsu gulped in despair. He knew they did not have enough money for more food.
He suddenly felt a light weight on his back, and heard a loud yawn.
“What’s for breakfast, Tet-chan?” Hyde mumbled leaning his head on Tetsu’s back without opening his eyes.
“Nothing.” Tetsu snapped, fury mounting on.
“How come nothing?” Hyde replied yawning again.
“See for yourself!” Tetsu answered, and taking Hyde by the shoulders he put him in front of him.
Hyde barely opened his eyes, tried to focus on the refrigerator and a few seconds later his eyes went wide open like plates.
“Wha-wha-what happened to the food?!”
“You tell me!”
“I only had a snack at around 2 AM... There must be rats here or something...” Hyde concluded making a worried face.
“What rats?! You ate all the food!!!” Tetsu yelled partly in despair and partly in anger.
“No! There was something left!” Hyde corrected him.
“Yeah? And where is it? There are no rats here with all of Ken’s cats!”
Hyde pulled out the dish with leftovers, and smiled.
“Here it is!” Hyde said in a matter of fact way. “Don’t be so nervous, fearless leader...”
“This is barely enough for one person... and I mean one person that eats normally, so that leaves you out!”
“I’m hungry, Tet-chan!” Hyde protested softly.
“You ate all the food!” Tetsu replied madly, pointing his finger at Hyde.
“No, I didn’t!”
“Yes, you did!!!! Oh My! How can you be so selfish?!” Tetsu exclaimed rolling his eyes and clasping his hands.
“Boku ha... boku ha... boku ha...” Hyde was at a loss of words, suddenly all the memories from the day before rushed into his head. “Tet-chan will kick me out now, for sure!” he thought to himself.
“I’ll go downstairs and I’ll buy you a super breakfast, Tet-chan!!” Hyde rushed to say and he ran towards the bedroom to put on street clothes.
“You are such a spoiled brat, Haido!!!”
“I’m sorry!! I’m sorry!! I’ll buy you a super nice breakfast!!” Hyde apologized desperately bellowing from the bedroom.
“Oh, really? How much money do you have?”
Hyde was startled. He had nothing but a few coins. He looked inside his bag and counted them biting his lower lip. “Tetsu is... uh... kinda smart...” He thought in anguish. “Uhhh... I have some money I’ve saved.” He lied, shouting from the bedroom. “I’ll buy you breakfast, please don’t be afraid, I’ll buy you a good breakfast!!” He tried to calm Tetsu down while rushing towards the door.
“Just... just... don’t bother!” Tetsu was very mad, but he could hear Hyde closing the door as he ran out of the house in a hurry.
Hyde walked around the neighborhood looking for a place where he could buy cheap breakfast... 500 yens (around $6.-) not being enough to afford much. And he would have to stay hungry, if he wanted to make Tetsu happy. He would even steal if it were necessary... he was ready for anything.
“Hey, pretty girl!” An old man shouted lustfully at Hyde. Hyde didn’t realize he was talking to him, and kept running past him.
“Hey, pretty... wanna have tea with us?” Two guys stopped Hyde, who was very surprised at their words. He looked around and noticed he was the only person standing there.
Suddenly he came up with a plan. He grabbed a piece of paper and motioned at them to give him a pen. He wrote a note to the lusty guys smiling evilly at him.
“I’m weak. I can’t speak. I’m starving and so is my sister. I will do anything you want if you buy us breakfast.... please.”
Both guys looked at each other and smiled wickedly, their faces showed the lasciviousness creeping up their bodies.
“Ok, pretty girl, go get your sister.” They said. We’ll be at that cafe you can see from here.
Hyde nodded and ran back towards the apartment.
Hyde entered the apartment running and bumped into Tetsu.
“Dress in something girlie now!! Put on your makeup now!! And don’t speak!!”
“What?!” Tetsu replied puzzled.
“Just do as I say!! We got ‘sponsors’!! Try to look like a girl!!” Hyde screamed and gestured wildly while putting on some make-up on himself.
“Haido are you crazy? Hunger got to your brains or what?”
“Do as I say, Tet-chan!! And don’t speak!”
“Dakara...” Tetsu protested, but Hyde dragged him into the bedroom and made him get dressed and set in almost no time. Then he dragged him outside the apartment.
“What the hell....?”
“Shut up! Or, if you are gonna talk, do your funny falsetto thing!”
“Are you gonna turn us into prostitutes?!”
“No, baka! I’m gonna get us breakfast! After we eat, we beat ‘em to a pulp.” Hyde replied. Tetsu still didn’t understand anything at all.
Hyde rushed towards the cafe where the two guys were waiting for him. He saw them and waved, then he smiled and dragged a puzzled Tetsu with him.
He wrote a note on a paper napkin.
“Thank you so much! My name is Hide-chan, and she is my sister... Te-chan. I told her you would invite us to have breakfast! You are so kind!”
The guys exchanged looks. Both “girls” looked very pretty. Hyde smiled a gorgeous smile at them and Tetsu looked at both guys and Hyde rather puzzled, but decided to smile, after Hyde kicked him on his ankle.
They had breakfast. Hyde ate so much a whole family could have been fed out of it.
The two lecherous guys introduced themselves as Junnichi and Takashi. They talked about themselves, they were college students and in a baseball team, both of them kept giving meaningful hints about sex to Tetsu and Hyde. Tetsu wanted to run away, but Hyde was keeping his hand pinned to the chair, and smiled all the time at the lustful young men.
After breakfast was over, Takashi stared grinning at Hyde wickedly and asked “So, Hide-chan... you said you would do anything we wanted if we bought you breakfast...”
Hyde nodded and smiled.
“That includes your sister too, of course.”
Hyde nodded smiling again. He had had the best breakfast in months.
Tetsu began to get nervous. He didn’t have the slightest idea of what was in Hyde’s mind... and he feared to ask.
“I guess we’ve been thinking of something we’d like you two to do.” Junichi said.
“Oh?” Tetsu said in the thinnest voice he could make.
“Why don’t you two come over to our place, and we have a nice party all four of us... in bed? You said anything...”
Hyde nodded smiling. Tetsu was about to run out crying desperately in horror, but Hyde pulled from his arm and winked at him.
One of the guys put his arm around Hyde’s waist, and Hyde smiled at him snuggling up to his arm. The other guy put his arm around Tetsu’s shoulder, and Tetsu had to clench his teeth and count to ten not to deliver him a punch. Both couples went out of the cafe.
“So, Hide-chan... You said you are weak, that’s probably why you can’t talk... isn’t it?”
“I can talk.” Hyde said in his most masculine voice, and heavy Osaka-ben.
Both guys were startled and Hyde smiled at them. Tetsu suddenly caught on the plan.
“Yeah, he can.” Tetsu added nodding and spat on the floor.
“Wait... wait... you are guys?!!” Both guys released them.
“Yeah. Sorta...” Hyde said smiling and pouted stroking himself under his waistline. “But we are ill... See how skinny I am even if I eat a lot? It’s because of my illness... it’s so contagious...”
Both guys ran away from them as both Hyde and Tetsu laughed their heads off. Their feet were barely visible from the speed they made.
“Hey! Didn’t you want sex?” Hyde yelled laughing at them.
“Haido, you can be such a son of a bitch!” Tetsu laughed.
“I promised you breakfast!” Hyde smiled and walked happily alongside with Tetsu while rubbing his stomach quite pleased, grinning evilly.
“Those two jerks, I knew they would react like that.” Hyde commented in a matter-of-fact way.
“I just can’t believe you, man!!” Tetsu laughed with him.
“Yeah... wish I had kissed them... they would be totally freaking out by now!” Hyde laughed.
“You shouldn’t do this too often, though... someone might not mind...”
“Un. Wakatta...” Hyde said chuckling.
“Un... ya, anyway, Haido, let’s go to the rehearsing studio, we have to meet the new drummer there.”
“Oh, sure, Tet-chan.... Oh, wait... I left the keys at home!”
“Oh, no... Not again!” Tetsu shook his head in disbelief and rolled his eyes.
“I... I’m so sorry Tet-chan!” Hyde couldn’t believe he had forgotten this little detail and ruined his plan to win Tetsu over.
“Stop apologizing! And let’s split. You go home and I’ll go to the studio, we gotta find Ken! He has the only set of keys left.”
“Yokatta.” Hyde nodded and ran towards their apartment. He arrived exhausted and sat by the door, waiting for Ken to arrive.
Tetsu knocked on the studio door and Ken opened. Sakura was already there.
“Ah! Sakura-san!” Tetsu greeted and they shook hands.
“I’m sorry for the delay! I’m not usually this late...” Tetsu began apologizing.
“Oh, it’s OK. Don’t worry...” Sakura smiled friendly at him. He was a tall, dark-haired young man. His looks were stunningly good, and his smile was friendly yet perturbing. Tetsu was pleased... his looks were just what he wanted. Girls would rave for him.
“Where’s Haido?” Ken asked.
“Home. He’s waiting for you. Forgot the keys.” Tetsu said leaving his coat on a hanger and walking towards the spare instruments place.
“Uh... but I’m here...” Ken scratched the back of his head puzzled.
“Yeah, let’s make him wait for a while. It’ll serve him right as a lesson.” Tetsu sighed. He wanted Hyde to become more responsible.
“Haido-san is the vocalist?” Sakura asked shyly.
“Yeah.” Tetsu answered. “Don’t worry. He’ll be here in a while.”
“Ah. OK. Well, we can start practicing if you want...” Sakura suggested smiling calmly.
“Mochiron!” Tetsu smiled.
Practice started. Sakura had heard a demo Tetsu had given him when he invited him to join his band, so the drummer had a slight idea of what the songs went like.
Meanwhile at the apartment’s door.
“Ken-chan!! Open the damned door!!! Ken-chaaaannnn!!!!” Hyde bellowed furiously kicking at the door and hitting it with his fists.
“I’ll kick your sorry ass until you just can’t feel it anymore if you are there fucking with a girlfriend!!!!!” Hyde yelled on top of his lungs, his face red in fury.
No answer. No sound.
“Yokatta.” Hyde mumbled overly annoyed, and sat on the floor waiting for Ken to arrive.
He lit up a cigarette, and smoked nervously clenching his fist and slamming it on the floor now and then.
“Why did I forget the keys? Why? I almost had Tetsu within my grip! Now I’ve done it all for nothing! He will still kick me out!”
He stared at his wristwatch. “OK. I’ll wait for half an hour. After that, I’ll head for the studio.”
After 2 hours (his sense of time can be distorted) Hyde appeared at the rehearsing studio, fuming, his face was red in anger and it looked like he was going to kill anything that dared cross his way.
“Waaahh!!! Tet-chan warui!! You didn’t come for me...” Hyde yelled as he slammed the door open with fury, making the glass panes tremble when he saw everyone practicing. He suddenly stopped as he caught sight of the tall, dark-haired man sitting behind the drums. The sight of the good-looking drummer even made him momentarily forget his upcoming fears of being thrown out of the band on that very same day.
“Uh... Sakura-san?” Hyde asked.
“Hai. Anata ha?” Sakura asked behind the drums.
“Haido.” Hyde smiled. “I’m the vocalist.”
“Ah. Hajimemashite.” Sakura bowed.
“Hajimemashite.” Hyde bowed. His eyes couldn’t focus on anything but Sakura’s manly features. “He is stunning...” Hyde thought. “Girls will rave for him. Good choice Tet-chan.”
“You are always so late, vocalist-san?” Sakura asked, unable to concentrate on anything but Hyde’s gorgeous looks. Hyde was startled.
“Ano... ya... sore, sore...” Hyde blushed. He felt as if he had gone back to being a kid scolded at school.
“Yes, he is. And later too.” Ken commented casually while arranging the guitar pedals in front of him with his right foot.
“Chigau! Urusai! I’m late cuz I’ve been waiting for you!” Hyde glared at Ken and pointed at him while he yelled.
“Waiting for me? I arrived in the studio 20 minutes before the settled time!” Ken answered amused.
“Just shut up and give me a cigarette!” Hyde protested leaving his coat on a couch and walking towards Ken. Then he pulled from Ken’s shirt and took the cigarettes box by force from it.
“Whoa! What a temper...” Sakura commented looking at Tetsu.
“Ah... daijobu, daijobu... he can be calm and sweet... sometimes.”
Hyde blushed. “I’m sorry.” He said, and lit up a cigarette, then handed the box back at Ken.
“You sing and you smoke?” Sakura asked Hyde, who was catching everyone’s attention, as usual, but mainly Sakura’s.
“Uh... I’ve smoked since I was 15, so I think you are too late for advice.” Hyde replied trying to hide his face from Sakura.
“Such a good looking little thing, with such a rotten temper...” Sakura commented as Ken and Tetsu chuckled staring at each other.
Hyde blushed as he arranged the microphone, his back towards his band mates and his cigarette still between his lips. He could feel the heat mounting on his cheeks.
“If you have anything to say about my voice, do it after you hear me. I dare you to reprove of me.” Hyde snapped, overconfidently.
“OK, gang... it’s gonna be ‘Floods of Tears’ the song we’ve been practicing before Haido came and put up his diva act...” Tetsu began smirking at the others, who smirked back. Hyde turned briefly to glare at Tetsu.
“Give us four, Sakura and we go.” Tetsu said winking at Hyde.
“OK.” Sakura replied staring at Hyde, whose back was still stubbornly turned to them.
The song started, and as soon as Hyde’s voice made it’s way into the air, Sakura was hypnotized by it.
Indeed, this small guy had a gift, a wonderful voice... so full, so beautiful... so firm and strong.
After the song ended, Hyde turned grinning evilly at Sakura.
“So? Go ahead, man... disapprove me.”
“You sing very well, and you are gorgeous. Your attitude sucks, though.” Sakura snapped, and Ken and Tetsu almost fell to the floor parting in two with laughter.
As the practice finished, Hyde had already packed his things and was standing by the door looking outside in anger and biting on his thumbnail. He hated to be picked on like that.
“So... Sakura... What do you think? Are you staying with us?” Tetsu asked, while putting the bass guitar he had used inside its case.
“I’m not promising anything. I’ll see what I’ll do. Of course, I’m OK with recording the album. I promised you I would, and I am a man of word. I just don’t know if I’ll go on from there. It’s still too soon.” Sakura said politely.
Tetsu nodded. He felt that, most likely, Sakura would leave them too.
“Not only will I get you to kiss my feet, Sakura... You will stay with the band and make Tetsu’s dream come true...” Hyde mumbled, fuming by the door, unheard by the others, repeating his words almost like a litany to himself.
chapter 1 | chapter 3 | chapter 4 | chapter 5 | chapter 6 | chapter 7