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Hoitash wrote:Now, you’re turn

Your

DanjaDoom wrote:ooohhhh gurl, I like where this is goin'.

Good to hear

demonix wrote:

Hoitash wrote:Now, you’re turn

Your

Thanks, and fixed. Now to defend myself from Silentcook's 2X4 of Doom.

Hoitash wrote:Thanks, and fixed. Now to defend myself from Silentcook's 2X4 of Doom.

Just promise you'll try to fix whatever he's complaining about, and be sure to use a lot of extraneous adjectives--the kind that one usually reserves for court battles.

Helbereth wrote:

Hoitash wrote:Thanks, and fixed. Now to defend myself from Silentcook's 2X4 of Doom.

Just promise you'll try to fix whatever he's complaining about, and be sure to use a lot of extraneous adjectives--the kind that one usually reserves for court battles.

It was the your/you're thing.

just curious enough to ask, how long till the next chapter is here?

Hanako Nakai wrote:just curious enough to ask, how long till the next chapter is here?

Wednesday, good sir/mizz/mole person, so tomorrow, barring Acts of God and the like.

Thanks for reading, glad you're enjoying it !

Hoitash wrote:

Hanako Nakai wrote:just curious enough to ask, how long till the next chapter is here?

Wednesday, good sir/mizz/mole person, so tomorrow, barring Acts of God and the like.

Thanks for reading, glad you're enjoying it !

Nice, will be reading it once it it posted

Hanako Nakai wrote:just curious enough to ask, how long till the next chapter is here?

That's quite enough.

“Orks iz made for rokkin’!” -Unknown

Previous Chapter

Chapter Sixteen (Hisao): I Wanna Rock n’ Roll All Night


Under normal circumstances, three college age students in black pants and dark blue band shirts pacing like caged animals might make other people nervous. Fortunately, at least another dozen such groups were doing the same thing in the hotel lobby, grumbling and muttering about their girlfriends the entire time. I was mildly surprised to see several foreigners intermixed with those waiting, and the muttered grumblings that I could overhear sounded vaguely like English, Spanish, and even German. The collective anxiety of men waiting for their partners to finish doing their hair was thick in the air and spanned all cultures, of course. All the while the staff looked on nervously, aware that one lost clip, one snapped comb, was all that stood between normalcy and a mass riot.

“Emperor’s bowels what’s taking them so long?” Kenji snapped as he checked his oversized pocket watch for the umpteenth time, “We’re gonna get trampled at this rate trying to get in.”

“Try and relax,” I said as I chugged my third cup of coffee. Or maybe it was my fourth. Either way I crushed the cup and cursed my lack of diligence; caffeine wasn’t exactly good for my condition, and I was letting my anxiety about Hanako override my carefully garnered self preservation instinct, “I’m sure they’re on the way.”

“Indeed,” Kwan said, pointing to the opening elevator –the noise of the lobby must’ve drowned out its ding.

Kenji and I turned to face the elevator, and the sight that eventually came into our vision was certainly worth the wait.

“How do we look?” Emi asked, bounding ahead of the other two and twirling for show, “we’re awesome looking, right?”

I stroked my chin in mock thought; awesome certainly applied. Emi had done her hair up in her old twin-tail look, streaking the light brown with lines of pink. Her shirt was a purple off shoulder, midriff baring tank top that showed the straps of her black bra, and the outfit was finished off with a short black skirt and socks that covered her prosthetics.

Behind her, Lilly gracefully made her way towards us, Hanako slowly guiding her forward. Lilly was wearing a black vest over a pink band shirt, with a purple skirt that stopped just short of her knees. Her hair was braided and intertwined with pink and purple ribbons. It was a classy look that fit her well, and I could say something similar about Hanako’s outfit.

Hanako’s hair was brushed and partially covering her face, which was normal for her when she was out in public, but also added a chic look to the ensemble. Her head was bowed low, which made it difficult to make out the face-painted band logo on her left cheek. She was wearing a slightly oversized pink band shirt that was off the left shoulder and went past her waist, where it overlapped her much more form-fitting black pants. As we examined the outfits, Hanako, blushing furiously, slowly raised her head up, just enough to look at my face.

“H-how do we look?” she asked.

“Incredible,” I declared, “and awesome.”

Emi grinned and winked at me before glaring at Kwan, placing her hands on her hips as she asked, “Well?”

Kwan smirked, “What he said.”

“Yes, you all look very nice,” Kenji interjected, “Miki’s fine, so can we get moving now, people?!”

“Calm down, Setou,” Emi said, “we’re ready, so let’s move out!”

“That’s the spirit!” Kenji declared, “Let’s get the fuck outta here, the next bus leaves in ten minutes!”

Without another word Kenji started marching for the sidewalk, Emi and Kwan right behind him. Hanako, still looking at the floor and clearly tense at the number of people around, cautiously guided Lilly outside, and out of the crowded lobby.

I walked over to Hanako’s other side and kissed her cheek above the face paint, “that look really suits you, you know.”

Hanako nodded stiffly, still looking down and forward. She was smiling widely the whole time, though.

Fortunately, in an effort to decrease congestion, crowding, and possible fights with meth-addled metal-heads, several special lines had been established just for the concert, taking people from specific locations to the event, or relatively close, depending on how long the route was. The nearest stop to us dropped people off right at the front gate, which I presumed was an intentional perk of the raffle prize; the chosen hotel, that is.

The crowding of the lobby gave way to the hustle and bustle of the city, as people went to and fro about their business. The constant stream of people was only marginally larger than normal, and only marginally more focused in direction as a result of the concert. Such was the size and scope of the city. Still, it was easy to pick out at least the more ardent concert fans. The ones who took it seriously like Hanako and Emi, at least. There were also a few more people in their late teens and early twenties out than normal, even for a weekday evening during the summer.

With the sun beginning to set and the massive crowd going about its business, Hanako slowly began to relax as she became one amongst many, one more amongst the Legion. She slowly lifted her head, her shy and demure anxiety cautiously giving way to a calm determination. It was the same determination that had helped forge our relationship. The determination to deliver an oral exam for her writing class freshman year. The determination to love a man who might leave her a widow with several decades of life for her to live alone.

I couldn’t help smiling as she guided Lilly behind Emi, Kwan, and Kenji, the two other women getting their fair share of gawks and ogles. When a gaggle of girls a few years younger than us paused to compliment Hanako’s outfit, her sheepish thanks made my cheeks ache from smiling so widely.

“My my,” Lilly said once the girls had passed, “You seem rather popular tonight, Hanako.”

“Naturally,” I stated, “the people of such a large and cultured city should know quality when they see it.”

Hanako blushed and kept her face forward as she muttered, “E-Emi helped.”

“I had great material to work with, though,” Emi declared from ahead of us.

If Hanako’s face got any brighter, she’d be confused for a traffic light by passing cars. The color didn’t leave her face until we reached the bus stop, milling around with a vast crowd of concert goers as they waited for the next bus to arrive. While we waited, I found myself looking around, wondering vaguely if I’d see anyone I recognized. I hadn’t bothered to contact anyone I knew before Yamaku when I was with my parents, and I hadn’t heard from any of them since I had left the hospital. Well, that wasn’t entirely accurate; Mai had found me on Facebook, and I exchanged occasional comments or posts every once in a while with her and a couple other old friends. I hadn’t met any of them in person since the hospital, and they hadn’t brought it up.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, honestly. They had moved on with their lives, as had I. Still, to have it cemented so clearly over the last few years made me worry how easily my life could be stripped away from me if I wasn’t careful. That had been one reason I had finally caved to Emi’s exercise routine. I had lost one girl because of a heart attack; I would not lose another.

“You okay?” Hanako asked, dragging me from my reverie.

I looked at her, smiled, and nodded, “Yeah, just thinking about how lucky I am.”

Hanako smiled and looked away, blushing lightly again. At that point the bus arrived, so my mind avoided wandering off again as we lined up to get on. Fortunately the six of us managed to get on the same bus, and Hanako carefully led Lilly to a seat, taking the accompanying window seat with cautious relief. Even as Hanako tried to make herself look smaller and less noticeable in the crowded bus, she seemed to vibrate with an enthusiasm and energy I normally attributed to Emi.

Speaking of which, Emi lost no time complaining about the buses lousy suspension once it droned to life and started clanking its way to the concert. The rickety ride was making her legs click more than normal, and several people were glancing her way, which she ignored.

“How far to the concert?” she asked.

“Five to fifteen minutes,” Kenji replied, “depending on traffic.”

“The concert starts soon,” Hanako stated, “d-do you think we’ll be waiting long to get in?”

“Probably,” Kwan said, “we’re arriving at a decent time, but it’s a popular concert.”

“I’m sure we’ll make it,” Lilly said, “these things take time to set up, and they won’t start until the sun has set further in any case.”

Kenji nodded, “she’s right. We got time.”

“If we don’t,” Emi said as she glared at Kenji, “I’m tying you to the bumper and dragging you back to Sendai.”

I sighed and checked my watch. Technically speaking, the concert wasn’t starting for a while yet. Presuming ten minutes to get there, five to get in line, we still had a decent amount of time to get to our seats. In theory, at least.

The bus eventually stopped in front of a bus drop-off cul-de-sac in front of a large baseball stadium rented for the occasion, and slowly hissed as it lowered closer to the curb. Hanako’s and Emi’s energy was starting to rub off on the rest of us, and we anxiously shuffled off the bus.

Outside of the concert was a horde of chaos. Merch booths surrounded by crowds of eager fans, and everywhere gaggles or herds of people making their way inside. And glowsticks, glowsticks everywhere, being sold by wandering vendors trying to shout to be heard over the crowd. Emi ended up buying a bunch as we made our way inside, handing them out for everyone when we reached the line inside.

“Tickets?” Kenji asked, turning to Hanako.

Hanako reached into her pocket and pulled out the tickets from her wallet, handing one to each of us and carefully clutching her own.

“Okay, folks,” Kenji started, “this is it. The time of judgment is upon-”

“Will you give it a rest, Setou?” Emi asked, “Yank that stick from your sphincter and have some fun.”

Kenji sighed and rubbed his right temple, “Woman, this is no time to relax. We are surrounded by people, any number of whom could be Illuminati moles. Never mind all the women! They're fucking everywhere, man! On top of that we’re stuck in a line, making us perfect targets! So, no, Shortie, I will not relax. I will remain vigilant and wary, like all true Japanese people must in these times of upheaval! For only those who are stout of heart and sure of mind will be able to survive the trials ahead and lead this nation onward to greatness!”

“I think sure of mind leaves you out,” Emi quipped.

“Easy,” Kwan stated as Kenji prepared his retort, “No reason to get riled up.”

Emi sighed and grinned wearily at Kwan, “you’re right. Sorry, Setou.”

“No problem,” Kenji grunted.

“I’m just glad we’re here,” I interjected, “that road trip was far more trouble than it should’ve been.”

“It was worth it, though,” Hanako muttered.

I grinned and nodded; seeing Hanako so excited and happy would be worth fending off a whole army of monkeys.

Part II:

The line slowly meandered forward, and each of us dealt with the wait in our own way. Kenji darted and twirled himself in all directions, expecting an attack from Templar ninjas or Illuminati auditors at any moment. Emi bounced and vibrated in place with enough energy to light a bulb, her boundless energy only kept in check by a reassuring handhold by Kwan, whose passive calmness matched Lilly’s. Hanako was anxiously looking around at the merch booths, perhaps deciding what to buy when the concert ended. I let my eyes wander where they wanted, which was usually at Hanako or a passing vendor.

It seemed to take forever, but eventually we reached the ticket area. The inside was relatively quiet compared to the outside, the echoing buzz of anticipation drowning out the noise of the outside as people meandered towards the ticket booths, repurposed for the concert. They and the inside looked like any baseball stadium’s inside would; lots of glass and open space with signs and advertisements everywhere. The posted ads were mostly for the concert and the group’s tour, and the digital signs were ticking down the time until the concert’s start, or special deals with the vendors.

“Almost there,” Hanako muttered to herself.

Once inside, the line divided from one massive throng into four more orderly lines along the booths. The buzz grew in anticipation, and I felt Lilly bristle nearby from discomfort.

“Hey, Lilly,” Kenji asked, “you want a pair of earplugs?”

Lilly turned towards Kenji’s voice, “It might not be a bad idea.”

Kenji reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pack of orange plugs. Grabbing Lilly’s hand, he placed them firmly in her grip and stepped back, almost tripping over Kwan in the process.

“That way you got ‘em if you need them,” he said.

Lilly nodded, “thank you.”

“S-sorry for not thinking of that,” Hanako said, “I’ve been a bit distracted.”

“We all have,” Lilly stated, “I would have thought of it myself, but I’ve been thinking about George. We decided I can call him before the concert begins so he can listen, since I know he wishes he were here in person.”

“That’s dedication,” Emi declared.

Lilly smirked and nodded, “George can be very… passionate about his interests.”

“Side effect of being an otaku,” Kenji muttered.

Lilly nodded, “It would seem so.”

Emi smirked and looked like she was going to say something, but Kwan placed a hand on her shoulder, and after a brief glance at each other, Emi shrugged and remained silent. At least someone could rein her in.

We reached the ticket booths without incident and handed our tickets over to the teenager who looked about ready to collapse from exhaustion as he took them. He wearily ripped them apart and handed us back the stubs, managing to rally a bit of energy as he told us our seat row and numbers. We thanked him and continued out to the seating. The crowd had coalesced again, and didn’t thin out until we exited out into the stadium itself.

The stadium looked a lot like any stadium, really; a massive oval construction filled to the brim with seats, and a large, flat, open area at the center. After that, the differences ended. A large stage had been placed towards the back of the field, and the seats behind and around it had been blocked off to ticket goers. People were herding themselves towards the seats or making a ruckus on the floor in front of the stage. Our seats were in the level lowest to the floor and directly across from the stage –raffles had limits, it seemed. At the moment the stage was loaded with unlit spotlights, while roadies crawled over it as they put on the finishing touches and final preparations for the show.

“We’re down there,” Kenji said, pointing vaguely in the proper direction of our seats.

“Yup,” I said, the scope of the scene before me making me a little dumbstruck.

I glanced at the girls to see what they were up to. Hanako was leading Lilly towards the steps, her expression flustered as her face paint garnered a fresh wave of praise, mostly from younger girls with similar designs painted somewhere on their body. Emi was beaming as she and Kwan trotted ahead down the steps to our left, and Kwan looked wearily excited, which was about how I felt. I rubbed my chest absentmindedly for a moment as I stepped behind Hanako and Lilly. My heart was fine for now, but who knew what the band’s rhythms would do to it.

I sighed and mentally shrugged; no help for it. As I took my first step on the stairs I nearly slipped as Kenji startled me with a pat on my shoulder.

“You okay, man?” he asked, looking concerned, “That walk today was a major trip, and you didn’t eat a whole lot at lunch.”

“Misha said she was taking us out afterward,” I said, remembering the dinner we had had before the concert, which had mostly been tea and snacks; we had had a decent lunch to make up the difference, “and yeah, I’m fine. If I become not fine, you and Hanako know what to do.”

Kenji grinned and nodded, “Sure thing. We got you covered.”

I smiled as we reached our row of seats, “Thanks, man.”

Emi was first in to our seats, Kwan right behind her. The seats were standard stadium fair, made of dark blue plastic and placed on a metal rod to swivel up when not in use. She eyed the seat warily, probably expecting it to be uncomfortable, then turned to look at the stage. Thanks to the bleacher like arrangement of the rows themselves, she could see over the head of the guy in the seat below.

“Nice seats,” Emi declared, sitting down in the chair to wait.

Kwan nodded in agreement, taking the seat to her left. Hanako guided Lilly to the seat next to that, then sat herself. I took a quick glance around out of curiosity, taking in the massive crowd as it mingled, pooled, and dispersed to find its seats, then sat next to Hanako. Kenji took a moment to slowly scan the crowd, the stage, and the ceiling, before he took the last seat.

I checked my watch and stated, “We don’t have to wait long, fortunately.”

“In that case,” Lilly said, and she pulled out her phone from an inside pocket of the vest, “would anyone like to say hello to George before the concert starts?”

“You know,” Kwan said, not bothering to lean forward, since he could see Lilly from over Emi’s head, “if one of the attendants sees that, they might get ticked.”

“Cell phones are the new lighter,” I explained, “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“That’s the hope, at least,” Lilly said as she finished dialing. Putting the phone up to her ear, she asked, in a slightly raised voice, “Hello, George. Yes, we’re here, would you like to say hello?”

Lilly paused and handed the phone to Hanako, “h-hey, George. Yeah, it is. S-sorry you couldn’t be here…”

Hanako and George chatted for a bit, then Hanako handed the phone to me, “hey, George, how’s Vancouver?”

“Overrun with out of work actors doing Sci-Fi Originals,” George stated, his Japanese afflicted with his accent as usual, “so same as usual. And everything’s getting geared up for the Olympics, of course –turning the whole place into a freaking zoo in the process, naturally.”

“I don’t doubt it,” I concurred, “You sure you wanna just listen in on the concert?”

“Hell, yeah. I’d give my signed School Rumble second season DVD set to be there –not the first season, though- but I had to come home.”

“Understandable. Hope you enjoy it, then,” I said.

“Oh, I will. That goes for you, too, man. How’s Kenji doing?”

“Let’s find out,” I said, handing Kenji the phone.

Kenji eyed the phone warily, but reluctantly took it, “George, how goes the Freemason infiltration? You’re kidding! Shit, I need to redo so many charts now. No, man, it ain’t your fault. The truth must be revealed. Yeah, they’re not the same without you. We’ll have to do a marathon when you get back. No, just the first two. I like Samuel L. Jackson, too, but the first two are the best. I don’t care how drunk I get, you’re not getting me to do that again. Try your best, man. Hey, looks like things are starting, so I’m gonna hand you back over to Lilly, okay? Cool, you, too. Remember, man, constant vigilance in the face of the angry night!”

As Kenji handed me the phone and I in turn handed it to Hanako, she caught my eye and raised an eyebrow at me. I just smirked and shrugged; George and Kenji got along well, partly because they had similar taste in movies. Hanako smiled and returned the shrug, carefully handing the phone to Lilly.

“Yes, I’m here,” she said when she had received the phone, “yes, it appears to be starting.”

The stadium, which had been lighted to help people find their seats, had gone black. Almost instantly, a hush rippled through the crowd, even on the floor. The stage lights remained dark, but on its blackened surface figures could be seen moving about. Slowly but surely, pockets of glowsticks began to erupt in the crowd, and it wasn’t long before the entire concert was awash in the eerie glow of the stick’s chemicals.

Emi had handed out our sticks while the lights dimmed, and we carefully cracked them on. Once the whole crowd was awash in their glow, the stage erupted in light, and the band was fully visible.

Lilly just managed to put the earplugs into place in time, as the entire stadium erupted in a roaring cheer that could probably have been heard in Nagasaki. At once the mass of fans stood up and cheered. The cheering seemed to go on and on, but eventually it settled to an anticipated murmur.

“Hello, Tokyo!” the lead vocalist, a tall woman with long bleached blond hair, yelled into her mic, “thanks for showing up, especially to our international audience; hope the trip wasn’t too much of a pain in the ass!”

The small pockets of tourists and non-natives burst into a cheer at their recognition, then quieted down.

“Great to hear!” the vocalist declared, “Let’s get this show started, you all know me…”

After a brief introduction of the band, which caused a new series of cheers, the band started singing. As soon as the rhythm slammed into me, my hand reached for my chest.

THUMP.

I waited cautiously, anticipating another upset heartbeat. It didn’t come. My heart’s pace continued at its irregular beat, and I grinned.

The concert went well, my heart deciding to behave despite the blast of bass and rock assaulting it. Kenji managed to loosen up, cheering politely with the crowd, and I think I saw him smile once. Emi was in her element, going into full nutso fan mode. Kwan was just as enthusiastic, if more constrained than his hyper girlfriend. Lilly was reserved as usual, though her lack of sight and guardianship of the phone probably had something to do with that. She cheered and yelled with everyone else though, despite the beating her eardrums were probably taking. I got into the mood like everyone else, and of course, so did Hanako.

Hanako lost herself in her enthusiasm, and in the music itself. No, make that she found herself in them. She was nearly as aggressive and vocal as Emi, and it hadn’t taken long for her long silken hair to turn unruly, flying in every direction as she cheered along with the crowd. She ignored the unruly hair completely, enjoying the music and only belatedly readjusting her hair at the intermission, when she finally noticed that her hair had gotten loose and exposed the right side of her face.

“Holy shit,” Emi declared, taking a seat to rest.

“Indeed,” Lilly said, slowly sitting down as well.

“Uh-huh,” Hanako stated, her mouth agape and the most incredible smile plastered on her face.

“Jumpin’ Jesus on a pogo stick!” George shouted from the phone, “That kicked so many different kinds of ass!”

“Not bad,” Kenji conceded with a respectful nod.

“We’re only halfway through, folks,” I reminded them, and moved to take my seat.

I was prevented, however, by a pair of hands over my eyes and a shout of “Guess who~!”

Part III:

I knew who it was, of course. I felt like humoring the woman, though, so once I had recovered from the shock I replied with, “Namie Amuro?”

“Nope~!” at that point the hands were removed and I was bodily turned around, “I fooled you, Hicchan! I did, I did~!”

Shiina “Misha” Mikado was standing behind me in the row above us, stooping down so she could reach me and oblivious to the odd looks other people were giving her. With a series of fluid movements she leveled my seat, took a step on it, and stepped down next to me with a surprising amount of grace. She then proceeded to hug the air from my lungs.

“Misha!” I gasped, “Air!”

“Sorry, sorry~!” Misha yelped, and stepped back, which gave me a chance to fully examine her while I caught my breath.

California had been good to her; though never really overweight, she had become slimmer and more toned, which allowed her already generous curves to better stand out and explained her increased dexterity; she spent a lot of time at the beach, according to her Facebook account. Her bright pink hair was down in a plait behind her back, and she was dressed in a violet off the shoulder band shirt and a short black skirt.

Lilly turned towards the new commotion and smiled wryly, “I take it Misha found us?”

“Yep, yep~!” Misha declared. She turned on her heel to face Hanako and Lilly, and proceeded to grab Hanako in a bear hug, “Hanacchan, you look incredible~!”

Her voice was just as booming as ever, filled with a boisterous, childlike delight that was wonderful to hear at the same time it made your eardrums throb in pain.

“Th-thank you, M-Misha,” Hanako gasped out, “p-please l-let me breathe.”

“Sorry, sorry!” Misha yelped again, stepping forward to give Lilly a much gentler hug, “hey Lilly, I hope you know how great you look.”

Lilly smiled as she returned the hug, “So I’ve been told. Thank you, Misha. Emi deserves a great deal of the credit in that regard.”

“Emi-chan!” Misha broke off from Lilly and grabbed Emi in a hug that lifted her off the ground, “You look so kickass!”

“Thanks,” Emi choked out. Before she could beg to be let go, Misha eased her down and let her go, “You look pretty damn good yourself.”

“Thanks~!” Misha chirped, grinning widely as her eyes moved toward Kwan, “you must be Mr. Kotobuki.”

“Call me Kwan,” Kwan said, bowing lightly at the same time Misha leapt forward to hug him, which probably put his head in a softer place than he had anticipated.

“Hello~!” Misha stated, “You must be a great guy if Emi’s with you~!”

“Thanks,” was Kwan’s muffled reply.

He was let go as well, and Misha spun around to eye Kenji, who eyed her back as she said, “hello, Mr. Setou.”

Kenji smirked and nodded curtly, “you can call me Kenji… Shiina.”

Misha grinned and nodded, “okay~.”

I relaxed a little since the two were playing nice, and my eyes drifted to where Misha had come from, “were you behind us the whole time?”

“Yes and no,” Misha replied, “I’m a couple rows back with my friends from UCLA~.”

“Are you sure they’re okay with you joining us tonight?” Lilly asked.

“Yep, yep~!” Misha replied, “I see them all the time –I haven’t seen you guys in a year.”

“Uh, guys,” George piped up, “what’s going on?”

Lilly chuckled lightly and answered her phone, using hushed English as she explained the situation.

“Lilly’s boyfriend,” I explained to a confused Misha, “he’s in Canada right now for the summer.”

Misha nodded in acknowledgment before calling to the phone, “Hi, George! I’m Misha~!”

“George says hello,” Lilly said before returning to English.

“Intermission’s almost over,” I stated, glancing at my phone for the time.

“Okay~!” Misha stated, “I’ll be back when the concerts over~!”

We all said goodbye as Misha scrambled back up the rows, dexterously weaving around the people and seats.

“Huh,” Kwan said, “interesting.”

“That’s one word for her,” Kenji said, “but she does mean well… I guess.”

“You okay?” I asked, motioning to check his forehead for a fever.

Kenji grunted and dodged my hand with surprising agility, “Lights are dimming.”

He was right; the stadium lights had been partially lit during the intermission, and were now turning off again. A moment later the stage lights burst on again, bathing it and the surrounding area with light as a new round of cheers erupted.

And so the concert went. The music was great, the band was great, the crowd refrained from any serious antics, and Hanako obviously had the time of her life. So I call that a win all around. When the applause for the end finally died down, the stage lights turned off and the stadium lights came on dimly to replace them. The crowd burst into a buzz of murmuring and chatter as it slowly dispersed. As I stood up I looked behind me and saw Misha once again maneuvering her way down to us from row to row, dodging people and seats with the skill of a seasoned concert patron.

“I thought they didn’t like it when you did that,” Kwan mused.

I shrugged, “they don’t, but Misha’s never been one to let those kinds of things get to her.”

“Ta-da~!” Misha announced as she descended the final row so she was on our level again, “I’m baaaack~!”

“So it would seem,” Kenji quipped, “Hisao said you had a place in mind for us after the concert?”

“Unless anyone wants to head back to the hotel?” I asked, for the sake of politeness.

Everyone else shook their heads as Emi stated, “Hell, no! I’m way too jacked up now!”

“Indeed,” Lilly concurred, “oh, I should say goodbye to George.”

“I-is it far, where we’re going?” Hanako asked Misha.

Misha grinned and shook her head, “Nope, only a few blocks! But we gotta hurry, because I wanna buy some merch on the way out~!”

“Same here,” Emi and Hanako said.

“Well, lead the way, then,” Kenji stated, “just try not to get us lost.”

“I won’t, I won’t!” Misha declared, “I know the way like the back of my hand~!”

With that, Misha made her way into the crowd of exiting concert goers. With a resigned sigh, Kenji followed her. I turned to the others, who shrugged, and I followed Kenji while Hanako took Lilly’s arm in hers to lead her back up the steps and outside. Kwan and Emi held up the rear, though Emi quickly jostled her way ahead.

“Hisao?” Hanako asked me as we worked our way up the steps, “could you guide Lilly? I wanna go ahead and shop, so the rest of you won’t have to wait as long.”

I nodded, “Sure. Lilly?”

“Thank you, Hisao,” Lilly said, and Hanako let go of her arm and I replaced it.

“Thank you,” Hanako said with a smile, “I’ll get you something nice, Lilly.”

“You needn’t bother,” Lilly said, but Hanako was already wading ahead to join Emi and Misha.

“She seems to have enjoyed herself,” Lilly mused as we reached level floor.

“She did,” I declared, “I love seeing her that happy…”

I sighed, and Lilly perked her head toward me, “is something wrong?”

“Not really,” I muttered, “I just want to make her that happy as much as I can, is all.”

Lilly smiled and nodded, “I believe that is called ‘love.’”

I nodded in agreement, “I guess so.”

“Uh, guys,” George’s voice barely reached us from Lilly’s hand, “I’m still here.”

+++
Next Chapter

And party every day! C’mon, all y’all know how it goes.

I really like writing Misha –the first fan fic I wrote here on the forum should be a clue in regards to that. I’m not sure why, except perhaps my empathy for her loneliness. And the fact that she’s a much more complex character then she first appears. Oh, and my attraction to lesbians, which I’m sure would be very interesting to a bored therapist or psychology graduate in need of a thesis topic for his dissertation. But I digress.

I envision the band as The Pillows meet AC/DC, maybe with a dash of Dragonforce or Meatloaf tossed in for seasoning.

There are two more chapters, so things are gonna wrap up quickly after this. The concert was the penultimate event (though you probably came for the road trip hijinks, even though this was possibly the longest chapter) but I gotta wrap things up in my usual sloppy and ham-fisted way (Tolkien I am not. At my best I’m a drunk Simon R. Green, at my worse a sober Dean Koontz.)

Next time, drinks, food, and the perils of the Russian Civil War! Wait, what?

You heard me.

Thumbs up, although it's obvious that it looks incomplete.. Been a success so far, I must say..

Hanako Nakai wrote:Thumbs up, although it's obvious that it looks incomplete.. Been a success so far, I must say..

Thanks .

I am worried this chapter is too clunky because of all the description, and it does come across kinda meandering, but I do what I can, and thanks for reading.

Keep writing and never finish, the ending is always the worst part ;-;! I look forward to it

Shail wrote:Keep writing and never finish, the ending is always the worst part ;-;! I look forward to it

I'm not too fond of endings myself, but all good things must come to an end, there is a season for all things, etc, etc.

There's something to be said for closure, too. Besides, an ending is just the start of a new beginning!

Apparently I'm turning into a fortune cookie theologian in my old age...