"You going to be okay then?" Toshiya put Shinju's bag down with one had and gently let Shinju out of his other arm so that she could sit down.
"Yeah, I'll be fine Totchi. I'm just looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, and taking a bath."
"Uh!" Toshiya shot him a stern glance. "The doctor said no baths for at least a week!!
"Aw but-"
"Do you want to get the stitching infected? I can tell you it won't be pretty! Only showers until next week!"
"Fine then." Shinju raised an eyebrow.
"Yes well, I don't want you messing up your fantastic new genitalia. So this means no overworking yourself, no baths, no itching or unnecessary poking and no stupid stunts because you are bored, got it?"
She sat back on the sofa sulkily.
"Yes 'mother'."
"Well 'mother' may or may not have bought you ice cream and left it in the fridge for you." Toshiya chuckled as Shinju's face lit up.
"Really?"
"Yeah of course. You've been through a lot, and you'll need something to cheer you up, moping around this place all by yourself."
"Thanks Toshiya."
"No probs, Shin-chan. You're sure you're going to be okay?"
"I think I can manage sitting around on my backside eating ice cream, don't you?"
Toshiya raised a sceptical eyebrow.
"Well, I suppose�" He leant forward, gave Shinju a peck on the cheek and left the apartment "Have a good day, I'll check on you later."
Shinju sighed and slowly got to her feet. She waddled over to the fridge, got out some ice cream and found a spoon. After shuffling back to the sofa, she plonked herself down, switched on the television and relaxed.
*
"Ah, Tanaka-san, Mishima-chan, how's it going? And where is Hideto?" Toshiya sidled into the salon to find Miki and Yuri already waiting there.
"Oh! So formal Totchi. I'm good thanks."
"I'm okay. But as for Hideto." Yuri shrugged. "He called out from the back room that he would be with us soon. But yeah. That was like ten minutes ago. Dunno what he's up to."
Toshiya nodded and took a seat next to Miki.
"So, how are things?"
"Fine."
"But you haven't-"
"No."
"Well are you going to?"
"Yes. But just not yet, okay?"
"Whatever Miki."
Yuri stared at her feet. She had grown used to Miki and Toshiya's seemingly psychic connection, but it was still quite disconcerting at times. She was afraid they were going to have another one of those conversations where it was impossible to follow, as neither of them ever seemed to finish their sentences. Thankfully, she was saved.
"Well, well, Ladies and gentleman, how are we all this fine morning?" Hideto stood beaming in the doorway, a cigarette somehow held in his perky grin.
"OH my GOD!" Toshiya gasped loudly, his face a picture of absolute shock. "Hideto got LAID!" Miki and Yuri shrieked with laughter and Hideto flushed. "Congratulations, man! I was afraid you'd never get around to it and remain a bitter and un-sexied old man for the rest of eternity."
"That bloody insight will get you into trouble one day, Toshiya." Hideto smirked.
"Ooh so that's a confirmation is it?" Miki chortled, looking gleefully from Toshiya to Hideto.
"I'd say so." Hideto glared at Toshiya's response and indicated that Yuri should come and sit down in a salon chair.
"Now children, being that it is me you are entrusting your precious locks to, I suggest you think carefully about what you say. Unless you're going for the 'something died on my head' look, which I hear COULD be coming in this summer. Or you could be a good girl like Yuri here who will end up with her usual fantastic looking highlights."
"Just thought I'd mention it, for celebration purposes." Toshiya winked and picked up a magazine to read. Gently fuming, Hideto started on Yuri's hair.
*
Yoshiki rolled over and decided he should get up. It was evident that Hideto had already arisen, and he himself had things to do. He hoisted himself out of bed and began to wander around the apartment, putting on his clothing as and when he found them. His mobile listed forty-seven new messages, but he didn't really feel like reading them.
He pressed the AutoDial for his secretary.
"Hello, you've reached the office for Hayashi Yoshiki, how may I help you?"
"Suki-san? It's me."
"Oh sir! Where have you been? You've had us all so worried!"
"Don't worry, I've never been better."
"But?"
"But, there are going to be some changes. Don't worry, nothing bad."
Suki's voice was stable, but fearful.
"What do you mean sir?"
"Well, I'm moving. I shall be working from home now."
"And have you told management?"
"No. I will, but I want to get things sorted out first. The truth is I need to take a step back from work and take some time for myself. I'm not as young as I used to be, you know. This will just mean everyone gets to step up the command chain a bit. It's time that senior management learnt how to fend for themselves a little, because there's a time when they will have to manage the entire thing for themselves."
"So what exactly will be your involvement, sir?"
"Well, you can contact me by phone as always, but I shan't be in my office as frequently. I will be showing up for important meetings, conferences, promotion gigs and any recording sessions that I deem it necessary for me to be present for."
"Right. So� what do you want me to do, exactly?"
"Uhm� Please can you have all my filing packed up from my office and brought down outside of the house? And my laptop. I'll want my drum kit packed up and my piano moved out as well. And rent me a pick-up truck for the day? I'll come round and collect it. I'll schedule a meeting with management some time later in the week."
"Okay sir. Are-"
"Oh and some flowers. Order some flowers and have them put with the stuff I'm picking up, please."
"No problem. Any specific type of flowers, sir?"
"Pink ones. Doesn't matter what kind� but they have to be pink."
*
Yoshiki found the stairs that led downstairs and wandered casually down them.
"Hideto, I've just called my secretary, she's got it all sort-" He looked at the room of strangers before him, and glanced over to a reddening Hideto. The lanky young man sitting down called out-
"Oi Hideto, not bad."
Yuri giggled and Miki flashed a grin before chiming in.
"Yeah you can still bag them."
"I'm sorry, I didn't realise people would be down here... I'll go back upstairs."
"No, no!" Toshiya protested. "Please stay. We've always wondered what Hideto does, or rather who, in his spare time. Say� you look familiar! What's your name?"
Yoshiki looked down in embarrassment but took a seat anyway.
"Yoshiki."
The jaws around the place dropped.
"Hayashi Yoshiki?" He nodded. "THE Hayashi Yoshiki?" Another nod confirmed things.
"Way to go Hideto!"
By this point, Hideto was standing silently, a comb in one hand and a bottle of bleach in the other. He wasn't quite sure what to say.
"Well I do believe we've shocked him into silence!" Yoshiki chuckled. "Now that's an achievement."
"Hey, hey!" Hideto quickly snapped out of it. "I don't need you starting, along with this rabble." He pouted dramatically, causing Yuri to chuckle again.
"I'm sorry." Yoshiki stood up, walked over and pecked Hideto on the cheek. Hideto blushed profusely.
"Ick, old people kissing!" Yuri sniggered.
"Hey don't be knocking kinkies with old people" Toshiya chided. "I've been hit on by older than him when I was younger than Miki. Older women aren't a bad lot, you know. Don't know about the guys though."
Miki grinned widely.
"Oh they're not so bad. Boss-sama is several years my senior."
And Yuri seemed on her own again. She sighed.
"Look, can I ask you to keep it quiet though?" Yoshiki spoke gently. "Neither of us really need the scandal it would cause."
"Sure."
"Yeah whatever. Just pleased to see that Hideto is finally getting some."
"Quiet you" Hideto gave Toshiya a warning look. "You're next in the queue."
*
Miki was tired now. She had spent the afternoon helping Yuri find some new performance clothes, and then bought some things to make the Boss dinner with. She had said she would stay in and cook him something tonight, instead of them going out to a restaurant.
She fussed around the kitchen, putting pots on the stove and making decisions on slight recipe alterations. He was probably in his workroom, she had heard his voice when she came in. When everything was simmering nicely, she decided to go and use the bathroom.
Miki exited the kitchen, but not sooner had her hand touched the door handle to the bathroom, than the door opened. Sakura stood on the other side.
"Oh, it's you!" She muttered. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Oh, the Boss invited me. However, I think soon enough, the question is going to be what are you doing here?"
There was something about Sakura's smile that Miki hated even more than usual.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I'm here because Boss-sama thinks I'm up for a promotion. Looks like he is finally recognising the real talent in the place. He's just gone to fetch the papers. Now in ALL innocence, I went to use the toilet, little did I know I'd find out something of great value to me."
"And that would be what, Sakura? That you really do have your head stuck up your arse ninety percent of the time?"
"Haha Miki. Though I doubt you'll be smiling for long. No I was talking more along the lines of your little expectancy." Miki's face whitened immediately, one hand clutching tightly on the back of the sofa.
"I� I don't know what you're talking about!" She stuttered, head reeling from the shock. What was she supposed to do now?
"Then you really are even denser than I thought. You shouldn't leave things lying around, you know." Between her thumb and forefinger, Sakura held up one of the used pregnancy tests.
"The hell? You call throwing something away in MY rubbish, in MY bathroom leavings stuff lying around?"
"Yes well! You should-"
"You were going through my trash? How desperate are you Sakura?" Miki stared in disbelief. Was she really hated this much?
"Hah! If I were in your shoes, I don't think I'd be in position to call others desperate. I take it that the Boss doesn't know? Whose kid is it anyway? I bet-"
"None of your fucking business!" Miki screamed. "Sakura, just get out of here, will you? You've done nothing but give me shit since you got here!"
"I'm not leaving before you do Miki! If I ever go down, I'm sure as hell dragging you with me!"
"Just you try it!"
They were both yelling so loudly that neither of them heard the door open and close quietly.
"Oh believe me, I will! Don't think you're so high and mighty fucking the Boss that you can't fall! You stand in the way of everything I want. You're SO goody-goody and SO fucking nice! You think you're so great because of that! Well here's a news flash for you: you're old, you're ugly and you're goddamn fat. I am better than you are. I will get this job, I will get this apartment, I will get Boss-sama and I will get your stupid arse out of here. If I have to push you out of it myself, I will. All the girls are talking about it. You don't look so good anymore, having to take breaks, turning up late because of 'stomach ache'. You know I thought you'd be a more challenging adversary. I thought I'd have to work to remove you from the situation! But you gave me this. You're so stupid that you gave me this! And-"
"Sakura!" Both girls nearly jumped out of their skins at the sudden appearance of the Boss.
"I� I�" Sakura stuttered, suddenly caught off guard.
"Would you two care to explain things?" he was most scary because at times like this, he was still so calm and quiet. Sakura was unsure of how to react. "Perhaps the promotion was not such a good idea."
"No! Just because she� because she-"
"Because I don't think that is the sort of behaviour that I want at Not Kabuki. I don't think it's appropriate. At all. Is there some part of that reasoning that you find unjustified?"
"Well now just because I look the bitch, she looks like a saint! Don't think she�s entirely innocent, that whore is-"
"You're out." The quiet tones took on a new strained quality, as if this was testing his patience. "You don't talk about Miki like that. You don't talk about any of my Not Kabuki girls like that. But especially not Miki."
Miki's head span. The world seemed to be going at a hundred miles per hour and she couldn't keep up with what was going on. She heard Sakura-
"But she's fucking preg-"
"Shut up Sakura!" She whispered hoarsely, her grip on the sofa tightening. "Just shut the hell up!"
"But-"
"I think it's best that you started to pack up your things Sakura. I will write you a cheque for your earnings, and give you a good reference. But I don't want you working here. You won't find it hard to get more work. But you've got to leave."
"I-" She stopped herself. "Fine. Keep the fat bitch, see if I care. I'm leaving." Sakura stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Miki was breathing quickly in sharp, shallow breaths.
The Boss moved closer to Miki and made eye contact. He touched her arm softly.
" Now then. I�m sorry, I lost my temper. Would you mind telling me what that all was about?"
Miki stared back, and pursed her lips. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Then the world span faster and everything went black.
"Miki?" he caught her before she hit the floor and let her down gently. "Miki! Answer me Miki!" When she didn't respond, he touched her face. Miki replied by vomiting violently. However, her conscious state remained the same. He placed her into a makeshift recovery position and dialled the emergency line. "Hello? Hello! She- she won't wake up! Breathing? Y-yes� Yes she is. Just send an ambulance! You can't let her- she can't die."
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