Bound by Blood
Track Three: ain't afraid to die
Background for the Story: Yoshiki and Shinya are cousins. Shinya is present day 17 years old and Yoshiki is 19. ^__^
ummm... here:
"..." - dialogue, what is really said
~...~ - thoughts, what the people think
//...// - flashback, what they remember
**...** - what Shinya hears come out from people's mouths
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
X Japan came to the competition wearing black outfits. Dir en Grey came to the competition wearing white outfits. Neither were dressed in tuxedos or anything too formal, but spiffy-looking enough were the two bands. Shinya looked at his cousin, Yoshiki's hair was short! His beautiful long hair still framed him though...
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you for coming to this year's XXXXX (the name of the competition)!!" While X Japan listened professionally to the announcers, Dir en Grey looked over their blonde companion's shoulders watching him scribble in the last of the lyrics for their newest song.
Anxiously, Shinya watched other bands go up and each play two of their best songs. Finally, the announcer called, "Dir en Grey! Raison D'etre!" The five members launched into synchronite chords and rhythms, each playing their own part perfect. Shinya watched the expression of happiness on his cousin's face, but instead of a gentle smile, a smirk seeming to play across his lips. Shinya pulled in more air and tried to concentrate.
After Raison D'etre was finished, the crowd cheered and clapped for a short while before Kyo stood to announce the next song. "Next song is ain't afraid to die!" Staff members rolled a piano on stage, Yoshiki watched as his cousin sat on the bench. ~This will be a great song, won't it Shinya?~ The older pianist thought to himself.
Shinya's heart nearly stopped as his fingers pressed gently down against the white and black keys of the grand piano. His eyes shut, his soul opened. In such a state, Shinya was completely open to the world. He brought in short, yet unlabored breaths through slightly parted lips.
The crowd was shocked by the beauty of the song, wrapped in its tender chords and the ending which mirrored completely the beginning. Yoshiki was near tears.
Dir en Grey left the stage. The last number was called, X Japan.
Rusty Nail. A beautiful song, Shinya admit to himself. ~I wonder what's their last choice?~ Shinya thought anxiously hoping that today would be the first day he could ever defeat his cousin in at least one thing. Then, Yoshiki locked eye contact with his cousin for a split second, sending reassurance through his eyes, but Shinya saw micheviousness. Shinya held his arms together, feeling a slight chill.
Yoshiki first sat at the piano, readying his recorded drum part since he couldn't be in two places at once. Shinya held his breath and naerly died at the first chord of Forever Love. Shinya nearly broke down. Even though ain't afraid to die was a beautiful composition, it had little chance of beating that...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Don't look like that," his cousin had come over to 'taunt' him after X Japan's last number was called. "That was a great piece and I'm sure you have more of a chance than us to win." Shinya met him with a well-prepared glare. ~Who is he to think he should tell me everything will be okay when he's the one who's making me suffer?~ Shinya glared all the more, the worried Yoshiki asking then, "Is something wrong?"
Shinya decided not to answer and instead looked up at the lady who was about to announce second place runner-up and first place. She looked excited. "Tonight's competition was wonderful wasn't it?" The crowd answered in broken up "hai's" and other such. "The judges had quite a hard time between these two acts, but finally we made our decision! Runner-up: DIR EN GREY! FIRST PLACE! X JAPAN!" Amongst the cheers and jeers of the crowd, a different sort of scream mixed in. A cry near tears, close to an almost scream that was loud enough to drown the happy crowd. The entire hall was silenced and all eyes turned on Dir en Grey's drummer.
"Is something wrong? Shinya?" Yoshiki bent down to the now kneeling Shinya, who covered his ears with his hands and cried. Yoshiki had pure concern on his face, but Shinya could only see contempt. "You..." Yoshiki was shocked at his cousin's spoken word. "You..."
The audience gasped, bodyguards ran out. Shinya grasped his hands tightly around Yoshiki's neck and shoved him up against the wall, stranggling him. "Why couldn't you ever care about me? Why do you always have to lie about it? You don't care! Why couldn't you let me win just once?? JUST ONCE!? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BE SO PERFECT?! Even if I don't deserve it, even if it'd just be a lie, WHY COULDN'T YOU LET ME HAVE PRIDE IN MYSELF EVEN ONCE???" Shinya was in tears as was Yoshiki when the guards pulled the crazed DeG member away.
"Are you OK?" Toshi ran to Yoshiki's side and helped him stand, the drummer nodding furiously while coughin and struggling to stand with the aid offered to him. The looked in the direction of his sobbing cousin who was being taken away. "I don't understand..." Yoshiki looked up at his best friend all teary eyed. "What just happened back there?"
To Be Continued
To the next part