Volume 1 Track 2 "And then what? And then what? He finally overpowered you with his manliness! And then you surrendered all resistance and let him XXX, and then XXX, and then you got XXX, didn't you? Waaaahhhh!" -- Maiko

SUMMARY

Second encounter: to see you again

Shuichi is standing in the middle of the road, face to face with the stranger he never thought he'd see again, traffic at a standstill all around them. Over the blaring of horns, the stranger impatiently tells Shuichi to get into the car.

At the stranger's house, Shuichi gets interrogated about his suicidal actions. "You almost made me wreck my precious car," the man tells him. In response, Shuichi demands an explanation about the way he was spoken to that night in the park, but the stranger claims to have no recollection of the incident.

At last, in the silence, Shuichi confesses, "I just... I just wanted... to see you again." The stranger looks taken aback, then smirks. "I see. You're upset that I criticised your work. Little songwriter." He goes on to say that those lyrics were so bad, it would be impossible to forget them.

At Shuichi's outrage, the man says, "I wasn't deliberately trying to offend you. I was just telling the truth. Believe me when I say you've got no talent at all." He finishes by warning Shuichi not to throw himself in front of that car again - "because next time, I'm going to run you over." A devastated Shuichi is left thinking, "He's so heartless!"

"I am not gay!"

Shuichi relates his tragic tale of woe to his willing listeners, Hiroshi and Maiko. Maiko especially is imaginative about the possibilities, having perhaps read too much yaoi manga. She and Hiro get right into the scenario, playing out their version of what might have occurred. ("Now, be nice and do what I tell you, and I'll be gentle with you." "Please... no... I'm afraid!") Shuichi, however, is not impressed.

Maiko wants to know the guy's name. Shuichi confesses that he didn't ask. Maiko yells at him for being an idiot. Shuichi admits, "I really wanted to ask his name... but I didn't think he would tell me." There is a wistful look on his face.

Hiro and Maiko stare at Shuichi, jaws dropping, as they realise that Shuichi is undeniably attracted towards this stranger. ("What am I going to tell our parents?" Maiko laments. "My brother isn't normal!")

Clearly stressed, Shuichi tells them to cut it out. "Stop acting like I'm gay or something! I mean, the way I feel about... the way I feel about... ARGGHHH!" Shuichi snaps and begins hurling furniture around the classroom, sobbing loudly. Hiro and Maiko whisper to one another in worried tones.

Third encounter: an invitation

Still in a restless mood, Shuichi is all too ready to needle Maiko about the romance novels she is obsessed with, as well as their author, her beloved Eiri Yuki. But Shuichi is in for a shock when he discovers that the photo on the jacket of the book matches the stranger he met! ("That man... is a writer?")

When Shuichi arrives on Eiri Yuki's doorstep, the man seems unsurprised to see him again. He easily admits he is an author - and of romance novels at that. In any case, Shuichi shoves an invitation into Yuki's hands - to see Bad Luck at the livehouse, the day after tomorrow.

Yuki scans the invitation, but then says, "Sorry, I've already got a prior engagement. A very demanding woman wants me to go out with her." He makes the suggestion that Shuichi is trying to use the music to disguise the awful lyrics. Shuichi gives an embarrassed laugh.

Yuki seems intrigued by Shuichi's audacity, and decides to attend the performance after all. But Shuichi is feeling uncomfortable with the situation. "This woman you're supposed to be seeing - is she your girlfriend? It... it doesn't matter if you come or not, I'm still going to do my best." Shuichi wonders if he is just using Yuki to lift himself out of his own depression, and feels ashamed at the idea. "You don't need to come. So don't come!"

Livehouse

On the night of the livehouse concert, Bad Luck is performing first, followed by another up and coming band, Ask. The latter has attracted the attention of N-G Production, run by Tohma Seguchi of Nittle-Grasper. In fact, Tohma and his assistant Sakano are both in attendance tonight.

When Bad Luck steps out onto the stage, the audience starts cheering wildly. The music starts up, Shuichi opens his mouth to sing - and hesitates. As he stands there, paralysed, Hiro yells at him in alarm. But Shuichi is in his own world. "The truth is," he thinks, "the truth is... all along, I was hungering for his support. Because I'm about to fail my dream... Because, deep down, I'm not strong..."

And then Shuichi sees, over the heads of the murmuring audience, standing at the very back of the room, the silent, watching figure of Eiri Yuki. Shuichi sees him lower his sunglasses and flash a small but dazzling smile across the crowd. In his mind, Shuichi imagines the words: "Don't be afraid, you'll do well for sure. Good luck."

"Didn't I tell you not to come?" Shuichi says in wonderment. And then, feeling suddenly confident, he throws himself into the song, leaving Hiroshi to follow as best he can.

"This isn't fate...
It's gravitation..."

After Bad Luck's performance, Yuki slips away. But Shuichi is approached by another mysterious stranger - a man who introduces himself as Tohma Seguchi. Shuichi nearly passes out when he realises that this is the Tohma Seguchi, of the one and only Nittle-Grasper. Tohma smiles and says, "There's something I wanted to see you about. Just you."

NOTES

• Not only is Maiko a huge fan of Eiri Yuki's romance novels, but so is Mrs Shindo.

QUOTES

"I... I just... I just wanted... to see you again..." -- Shuichi