Bronze: True Heart 8
by K.Huntsman
Shibuya Productions Recording Studio
Katsumi found himself staring at Arin Hanano's wrists. White, slender and graceful; they danced as the musician played fingers across the keyboard. Pretty. As pretty as the rest of the younger boy.
Katsumi knew he was out of it, but this once couldn't bring himself to shake it off as the music paused and Yoshiya suggested an alteration to the line. He hadn't slept at all last night, not since meeting that girl, Hanako Shouri, at the club. He wondered, hoped, that she would remember her promise to be in touch. Really hoped.
A laugh broke through his thoughts, and he looked up, seeing Hanano vacate the keyboard with a gesture for Yoshiya to take his place. The laugh reminded him of Shouri-san's sweet, sultry voice, and he watched as they started the song from the beginning again, Kouji and Arin weaving their voices together in the sad lyrics. Not bad. Not half-bad at all.
Furuhon bookstore, downtown Shinjuku
Molly frowned, studying the titles in the bookstore. As good as the Japanese bookstores were in downtown L.A., there were some things that she just couldn't find there. Like a certain book on onmyoujutsu she'd been looking for for a friend of hers in Cambridge. Untranslated, of course, but she owed him a favor or two.
She didn't see that one here, but she did spot a book of dragon-related Chinese myths that another friend of hers might like. She smiled and reached towards it, the only copy.
She started as her fingers met with that of the man next to her, who was reaching for the same text. "Ah...!" she said, startled, as he too paused and looked at her.
"I'm sorry; did you want that book?" he asked, golden-brown hair falling to one side of his face.
Molly blushed a little; he was very cute. Young. And not wearing a wedding ring. "Yes, I did," she said. "But if it's important, you can have it. I'm only looking for it as a gift for a friend. I can find another copy."
He pulled the book out of the case and lifted it. "It's a somewhat rare text, miss; I'll likely be able to find another copy easier than you can." He presented it to her with a slight bow. "For your friend, miss."
"Thank you," Molly said, bowing back. "... May I have your name, sir?"
He smiled. "Akihito Nanjou. And you, miss?"
"Akaiko. Maari Akaiko."
Shibuya Productions Recording Studio
Takuto listened with a distant smile to Kouji and Arin's voices weaving in sweet melody. He didn't come down to the recording studios too often, but his sister had found out that Arin Hanano was recording an album with Kouji, and had begged him to introduce her to the American. He hoped Arin wouldn't be too upset about it. Serika could forego the starry-eyed fan behavior if she tried, and he'd asked her to this time, not wanting to offend Hanano. He had hope Serika actually might behave normally, given that her Arin-fixation was not nearly as big as her Kouji-fixation.
Whatever it was the two musicians were singing was nice.
"Wow... that's going to be on their album..." Serika whispered, as entranced by the music as he was. "Incredible, isn't it, Oniichan?"
"Mmm," Takuto answered noncommittally. Unlike his sister, Kouji, Shibuya and Arin, he didn't know music. All he knew was what he liked.
"What's Hanano-san like?" Serika asked him suddenly, quietly. "All I really know is that he's supposedly a nice guy. He's so unlike Nanjou-san... Hanano-san is known to be practically a recluse!"
Takuto laughed. "Yeah, that's unlike Kouji, all right." He paused and considered. "Hanano's Japanese isn't very good, but he seems friendly enough, if a little quiet. Kind of a foil for Kouji, I guess."
"Did you know that he doesn't date any models or anything?" Serika asked, digging through her satchel until she found the magazine she was looking for. She opened it to the center. "Look, Takuto-oniichan! He always escorts his cousin whenever he goes to award shows! Isn't that sweet?"
Humoring his sister, Izumi took a look at the picture.
The world stopped spinning as he glanced at the photo, then glanced again.
Arin Hanano... was a girl?!
The two faces in the picture, Arin's and Akaiko-san's....
It wasn't visible, but it was. Arin's face was far too pretty, when brightened with that smile... eyes holding too many secrets....
He could see all the evidence he needed in the photograph and more.
Arin. Hanano. was. a. girl.
"Takuto-oniichan?"
Despite his head swimming, Takuto managed to concentrate and reply to his sister's worried tone in a casual voice.
It wasn't possible.
Was it?
Arin Hanano was a male singer. He was known as a male singer. Why would anyone wear a mask like that? Why would anyone pretend to be a boy if they were really a girl?
It couldn't be real; Takuto had to be imagining it. Maybe it was just a trick of the picture, a random photo where Hanano's feminine looks had chanced to come to the fore. Besides, if Arin was a girl, then why did the singer have a flat chest?
... Breasts could be bound, he assumed....
Takuto shook his head and tried to get that out. It was none of his business. Whether Arin Hanano was a feminine young man or a girl masquerading as a boy, it was none of his business.
And he nearly choked over the lyrics floating out of the studio.
"... The mask I wear upon my face, this mask of glass and grace, can you see who lies behind it? Can you see my face and find it? Can you catch my form and mind it? Can you catch my heart and bind it? For a face and a mask are two things apart; yet, within, they wear the same heart...."
It was a chance of lyrics. It had to be... right?
"Serika, do you think Arin's lyrics mean something to him?"
Serika looked up at him. "What do you mean, Oniichan?"
He shrugged. "Kouji's lyrics are relevant to his emotional state a lot of the time. I was just wondering if you thought Hanano-san's might be the same."
Arin let the music run chills down her spine. Incredible to be able to work with a group of musicians like these. Incredible that so many ideas meshed so well. And incredible that she could disguise her "true" songs with the rest....
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