5'TH NOVEMBER , TOKYO..
"Ladies and Gentlemen!", the young hostess greeted her audience and the cameras with a smile. "Welcome to your favorite show 'Tokyo Tabloid' with me, Hana! As usual, we have three important things to share with you- gossip, gossip and more gossip!"
The audience cheered and whistled as the cameras faced them and fell silent as Hana continued to speak. Today, we have an upcoming drummer, and a member of Sho Fuwa's band, Kyo Takaki as our special guest! Ladies and gentlemen, give a huge round of applause for our guest tonight!"
There was a polite round of applause as a nervous looking young man stepped up onto the main stage beside the hostess. He managed to give a small smile and waved awkwardly to the audience before Hana ushered him to the couch at the centre stage. He sat down, his hands shaking slightly.
"Well Kyo san,", Hana said flashing him a brilliant, well practiced smile. "You have some very interesting news to share with us today haven't you? "
"Er.. yes..yes..", Kyo replied his eyes darting nervously everywhere. One would feel almost sorry for him. He looked positively terrified!
"Well.. Will you tell the audience what was this 'important piece of information' like you said when you contacted us?" , she pressed him.
Kyo took a deep breath and took the plunge. "As you all know, I'm a drummer in Sho Fuwa's band.", he paused. " I..I however have a confession to make. I've been leaking Fuwa's latest compositions to V..Vie Ghoul in exchange for a large sum of money."
There was a stunned silence at first, as the audience slowly registered what the young drummer had just admitted. The silence was followed by angry cries of outrage. Hana watched them, clearly enjoying herself. She put on a look of pretend horror and disgust as she leaned closer to Kyo for her next question. "now Kyo san,", she said in a grieved voice," that wasn't a very...nice thing to do was it? Betraying the very band that gave you your big break?"
Her words had the desired effect as Kyo's face turned red with rage. "FUWA ALWAYS TREATED ME LIKE SHIT!" , he yelled defensively. "In fact, it's not just me! It's also the rest of the band members! So he got lucky with a few hit albums! That doesn't give him the right to treat us like dirt! He's nothing but an arrogant PRICK! Vie ghoul were the ones who offered me a big break into showbiz if I helped them regain their old number one spot! They offered me money, fame and everything I-", but the rest of his speech was drowned out by shouts from the audience like 'scum!' and 'backstabber!' .
Hana licked her lips in pleasure as she always did when she anticipated mayhem. She smiled and stood up, facing the audience with her arms raised to gain their attention. "Please do calm down everyone.", she said smoothly. " We all know Kyo made a mistake. It may seem selfish now, but don't forget ,he realized his mistake and had the guts to actually confess to all of you. And as far as I am concerned, that is not the character of a 'scum'."
There was a murmur of general agreement from the audience when she said this. Hana smiled wryly to herself. Audiences, she thought, are so easy to manipulate. One simple word from my side and they are immediately on Kyo's side..the question is how are they going to react to what I have to say now?
She turned to Kyo, who was trembling like a leaf. A cruel smile curved on her lips as she put forward her next question.
"By the way, Kyo, there is something I'm sure is of great interest to all of us.. Why did you confess at all? Everything was going perfectly according to your plan... Your pay was good and had you not confessed, you might soon have been rich, and famous.."
Kyo began shaking even more violently when he heard this question. "I..I guess you can call it guilt?", he joked nervously. "I was greedy, I admit it, b..but er..I realized I was wrong and decided to..er tell everyone the truth a..and how sorry I was.."
Hana gave him a sweet smile, which was more like a leer. "Now, now, are you sure that's exactly why you decided to confess? Don't be afraid Kyo. You've been so honest and truthful so far..a little more honesty can't hurt can it?"
Kyo remained silent. His face had the obstinate look of a cornered victim ready to fight to death. "I already told you the truth. I really felt guilty about what I was doing! That's the whole truth!", he said stubbornly.
Hana's smile widened. She loved torturing weak minds like this. The more they resisted, the more fun it was to crack them..
She leaned forward and whispered, dramatically," Are you sure no one asked you to confess?"
Kyo gave a start when he heard her words but waved it away." No one knew what I was doing. Who would make me confess?", he asked defensively, now on his guard.
"Oh, I don't know!", Hana said cheerfully." Maybe a friend, an acquaintance, or..a blackmailer on the phone..?" she paused to enjoy the dramatic effect of her words.
She wasn't disappointed . Kyo gave a small jump, his face now as white as sheet. "H...how did you know?", he blurted out.
Hana gave a triumphant smile. " So it is true! I have my ways of knowing Kyo san!", she said with a small laugh. She turned to the cameras and audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, there is another interesting fact that I would like to share with you."
Her audience was definitely interested as they listened to her attentively.
"Yesterday evening, we received an anonymous call from a woman. She said that the information that Kyo wanted to reveal information to the press out of pressure. She had blackmailed him into doing so as she had a certain..er..'compromising' video of him which might possibly destroy his career. However, she had changed her mind about keeping her side of the bargain and sent us the tape anyway. "
The audience was very quiet now. Kyo had aged a hundred years in just a few minutes. His eyes were wide and mad looking and his mouth opened and closed feebly like a fish out of water." You..you can't!", he protested hoarsely. "She promised.. not to show..."
Hana turned to him, feeling a sadistic pleasure coarse through her. She was itching to release the tape immediately, but wanted to prolong the pleasure of torturing this weak minded young man..."Do you know who this black mailer is Kyo?", she asked kindly." Can you possibly disclose our informant's name?"
Kyo gulped as he nodded." Who is it?", she asked, barely controlling her excitement.
Kyo opened his mouth and closed it again, his eyes once more darting here and there looking for a way to escape.
"Don't be afraid Kyo!", Hana urged, with a touch of impatience." Who was it?"
Kyo hung his head with an air of defeat. "I'm not very sure if it was really her..", he mumbled."it's i..impossible..but I don't know who el-"
Kyo stopped short as he stared straight ahead at nothing in particular. His eyes were wide with a terror that knew no bounds. Suddenly he let out a terrible scream as he clutched his throat and fell to the floor, writhing.
The audience watched with fascinated horror. His face was starting to turn purple when a group of crewman rushed on stage to wrench the hysterical man's hand off his throat. Somehow, the feeble young man seemed to have developed superhuman strength to resist their combined efforts. His face slowly turned blue and finally he stopped moving...
A tall, powerful looking young man switched off the programme and turned to glare at the Vie Ghoul band members before him. "Well?!", he barked scathingly." This was your 'brilliant' plan to defeat Fuwa? Your 'brilliant' plan just blew up in our faces didn't it? The next time I hire a band, I'll look for one with brains!"
Vie ghoul glared at their agency's boss mutinously. After the talk show, the mysterious tape had been released. It turned out to be a sex tape of Kyo and a married woman. The boss had every reason to be furious. The woman in the tape was his wife.
"We didn't know this would happen boss.", Miroku said shortly. "I'm sorry about your wife but-"
"Sorry?!", the boss exploded, banging the table with his fist. "Oh, you'd better be sorry. It's not just the agency, but also my married life that your stupid band managed to spectacularly drag into the limelight! Vie ghoul! Hmmmph! You should be called the beagles!"
Reino suddenly chuckled when he heard that. The boss turned to him with narrowed eyes." Something funny about what I just said Reino?", he asked, his eyes narrowing.
Reino smirked as he replied," Oh, nothing sir. Just remembering a funny memory.."
Miroku glared at him. Will you get serious?, he mouthed to Reino. But Reino merely shrugged. The boss looked incensed by his attitude. "Well you'd better keep hanging onto that memory pretty boy, because what I have to say next is not so funny!", he snarled." You- are- fired! The whole lot of you! Out!"
"Fired?", Miroku spluttered indignantly. "You can't fire us! It's not our fault your wife was messing around! We have a contract!"
The boss's eyes gleamed dangerously. "Damn the contract Miroku!", he spat. "I'm terminating your contract now! Your band is finished! After this stunt, I don't think you'll have a single fan left in Japan!"
"You can't do that!", miroku said furiously." You can't just terminate a contract! You'll never get away with it!"
"Oh can't I just?", the boss asked, for the first time smiling with satisfaction. "Don't underestimate the power of money Miroku! I could have the whole lot of you murdered in my office and still get away with it! Now get the hell out of my office before I do just that! Out!"
Miroku looked as though he was going to protest some more but Reino and the other band members took firm hold of his arm and steered him out if the room before he could say something stupid like," Yeah kill us! Like we care!"
The moment they were out of the building,miroku shook them off violently. He was absolutely livid. Their musical career was finished! And all because of that stupid pipsqueak Kyo! Lucky for him he's dead or else I would have killed him in the worst manner possible!, he thought grimly.
"Don't blame Kyo alone for what happened Miroku.", Reino said shortly. "You know that even you lot are to blame."
Miroku turned at him angrily. "What do you mean that it's all our fault?" , he spat." This plan worked before. So how is it our fault?"
"it is your fault.", Reino corrected him." I warned you guys again and again. it was stupidity to try the same trick twice. We were lucky once, but luck can change..."
"Never mind the philosophy bit! Why didn't you back us up back then? And how can you be so cool about what just happened?", miroku yelled back." What do we do now Reino?"
Reino shrugged indifferently. "I don't know miroku, and frankly speaking, I just don't care.", he said expressionlessly. You lot are free to do what you like, but I've had enough. I'm tired of this life, tired of trying to defeat Fuwa, tired of the whole fucking show business! I'm returning to my quiet life, and be left free to do what I like for a change. So goodbye!"
And with that he turned and left behind forever a very stupified vie ghoul's band.
Reino walked around the city, bored out of his mind. He had absolutely nothing to do! Music had been boring, Fuwa had livened up his rut for a while and Kyoko had totally aroused his attention. But what's left now? He thought sourly as he remembered that stupid headline nearly and year ago which announced that his favorite toy was now dating that..that beast Ren Tsuruga! What the hell does she see in him anyway? He thought irritably.
Reino suddenly stopped walking as a thought occurred to him. Speaking of supernatural..
He pulled out a pearl chain from his pocket and smiled at it reminiscently . Thanks to this chain he had often caught little spirits, harmless ones and even vengeful ones..like Kyoko's grudge spirit.. Shame! He thought regretfully. I should never have let it go.. It was a nice pet.. But I can have some more fun with this chain..
Reino was psychic. He had powers and he knew it. Many of them were yet to be unlocked..Powers which would make him invincible..unbeatable..and give him the ability to control and even defeat spirits..a feat he could not accomplish unless he wore the chain around his neck. And this chain which he always kept in his hand was the key. The key to black magic, white magic and control over spirits..
He entered his apartment lost in his thoughts. Why not? He finally decided. It would be a refreshing change and he would be doing something that he enjoyed..Torturing...
He put on the chain as a permanent acceptance of his powers. He vaguely remembered his mother's warning to keep well away from black magic, never to use the spirits for his own good.. But he ignored her warning. Just because she had died a painful death, didn't mean he would face the same fate.
Reino suddenly felt his body go rigid. To his horror, the chain tightened around his neck, choking him. He struggled for breath but it only tightened harder, marking his neck permanently. Just as suddenly it had tightened, the chain loosened. Reino fell to the floor coughing and wheezing as he panted for breath. But his relief was short lived as he felt a small growing pain within himself.
The pain grew bigger and bigger with time, making him wish he were dead, until he felt a tremendous explosion inside him. He fell on his knees coughing out blood and screamed in pain as he felt repeated explosions within himself. The air around him crackled as he felt an increasing sense of power with every growing pain.
THE SAME NIGHT IS A PRIVATE HOSPITAL IN TOKYO..
The nurse covered Kyo's body with a sheet as the doctor wrote a report.
NAME: Kyo Takaki
AGE: 23
CAUSE OF DEATH: Suicide (Strangulation)
SPECIAL REMARKS:
1)Left wrist crushed. Cause unknown. Suspected due to be a heavy object.
2)Nail marks noted on same wrist.