Roses are Red

Heartstrings

Recappy From the Last Chappy: "I . . . missed you, too . . . ." She understood, now. Everything, and felt foolish for her actions earlier, nervous and unsure. Her face turned red from embarrassment. She had broken down in front of Sasuke . . . for a misunderstanding. Acted tense and paranoid in front of Sasuke . . . for a misunderstanding. Revealed most of what she really thought of Sasuke . . . for a misunderstanding.

Oh well, she thought. Maybe I would've ended up telling him later, anyway . . . . I'm just glad that I have my dad back. Grinning, she held Yuuta tighter. "Dad."

Chapter Twenty-Two: Heartstrings

"Your manager sure knows how to hire total idiots," Krystal commented bluntly to Yuuta the next day as the two of them walked down one of the streets. Down this street, there was a planter that she balanced on with her arms spread wide, keeping up best she could with him. "'Cause seriously . . . . That one guy first knocks you unconscious . . . and then he totally destroys your guitar in a matter of three seconds."

"Accidents happen," he said simply. In order to avoid being recognized, he was in a disguise that included a beanie to cover his hair and slightly larger than normal square sunglasses to hide his eyes. A grey jacket and faded jeans completed the ensemble, allowing him to look like an every day, normal pedestrian. "The only problem is that now we're losing preparation time."

"That's true." What's with the nonchalant tone? You were totally pissed back there! Like releasing evil spirits . . . . She stumbled and Yuuta grabbed hold of her hand, aiding her in keeping balance. They continued walking. "By the way, how come no one else was sent to get you a new guitar? Or, why couldn't you use one of the spares?"

"Thought you'd ask that," he smiled. "Bryan knows I have a certain pet peeve about it, so he doesn't bother dissuading me, despite that it annoys him. I can't perform with someone else's guitar or one chosen by someone else. Doesn't feel right."

"Oh, I see." At the end of the planter, she hopped down, but did not let go of his hand. She was grinning from ear-to-ear. This was, after all, the first father-daughter time she had been a part of in a long had been missed. "You know, you look really shady in that outfit," she added.

He shrugged. "It's a small price to pay to avoid being jumped by fans or flamers. I love my fans, but there are times when they can be a little inconvenient." They reached the shop. Yuuta opened the door and allowed her in first. "Especially when we're pressed for time."

Inside, guitars of many shapes, sizes and type lined the walls. Krystal looked around in amazement, as she could see the other instruments and musical equipment everywhere. The cashier woman-a young adolescent with dark-colored hair and eyes dressed in a blue kimono and a green shop apron-greeted them and told them about the sale on accessories they were having as she read a manga. Yuuta thanked her and then headed to the guitars. Krystal began roaming.

The first one Yuuta considered was acoustic, made of dark woods and polished with a mahogany finish. He tested the strings and then tuned it, using his own set of standards in order to see if it was the right one for him. Five minutes was all it took until he decided not.

Next, he sidled along carefully, eyeing each one. Some looked to have potential, but ultimately, did not work for him. Then, he came to the end. Not having found one to his liking, he scanned the store again, and saw that there was one more inside a glass casing at the center of the room.

She was beautiful, standing proudly in her casing. The six strings glistened against the dark brown, almost black, stem and the umber at the top. The body of it had slender curves and was partially colored the same as the stem but had highlights near the center. Written in deep rosette, similar almost to a magenta shade, was "Honor" at the bottom right curve. He grinned, having a strong feeling about this one, and asked the girl to get it out of the case for him.