Business AU - Chapter 5
Title: Ceasefire
Universe: NewS/ Business AU
Rating: PG-13
Character/ Pairings: NewS, OC, other Johnny’s
Disclaimer: I’m too poor to own anyone.
Summary: Supah doopah late continuation of Pandemonium:
Exhausted and bruised, she let the comforting darkness take over. Will everything be better the moment she wakes up? Or will it turn out for the worse?
Prologue and Chapter1
Chapter2
Chapter3
Chapter4
Everything was placid, except for the gentle and constant dripping of liquid. She couldn’t tell it herself, but there was something amiss in her room. For one, she have never felt unfamiliar at her suite; and two, she could smell the strong antiseptic as it found its way to her nose. Yes, there was indeed something very different.
She opened her eyes slowly, making her eyes adjust to the light. Everything presented itself in a blur. She squinted her eyes again to clear her vision. And again. And again.
Her room suddenly became small, the furniture was not the same, and even the color of the walls was different. Logic told her there could only be two probable reasons. The first being that her room was massively redecorated overnight and second was that this was not her room.
Being that the latter option was more feasible, she tried to remember the last events that took place.
Then someone walked in.
“Oh, you’re finally awake.” A stout nurse said as she checked some chart resting near her bed.
She smiled feebly in response. “Where am I?” Lia asked softly.
The woman smiled in return and answered, “You are in the hospital Ms. Montez. Don’t you remember what happened to you? You were brought here on a Friday night.”
Friday. She remembered it was the night of the Fashion event. Her eyes widened as the memories come flooding in. Her confrontation with Leah; Shige and Ryo fighting; the ruckus that occurred as other group mates came in; the darkness and silence that shortly came after.
“It seems you did not suffer amnesia then.” The nurse surmised.
“How long have I been here?”
“Three days.”
I have been sleeping for that long?
Panicked, she tried to sit up; only to fall back immediately as nausea took over.
“Please don’t push yourself. You suffered a minor concussion. You need to rest for a while.” The nurse said sternly.
“You don’t understand. I have a lot of work to do and a situation to repair before it goes out of hand. I cannot afford to stay and lie around. Tempting really, but no, I’ll pass.” She tried to explain.
The nurse smiled and replied, “Trust me, I understand. Ms. Montez, you’re stress level was very high when you were brought in. I know you work for K&A and that it is a lot to handle. But if you continue abusing your body, we might not be able to repair the consequences. That is why it was advised by your doctor that you stay here for a week. We need to make sure that you did not suffer any internal complications.”
She sighed. She knew that she couldn’t get herself out of here sooner if she would argue with her. She merely nodded in faint acceptance.
“Those boys have been waiting for you to wake up. Too bad they’re not here since it’s a Monday. I’m guessing they are at work right now. I’ll call up your office to let them know the good news. I’m sure they will be relieved.” The nurse informed her as she did another check on that machine whose nodes are connected to her.
“You mean they have been around when I was sleeping?” Lia can’t help but ask in clarification.
“Of course. They had been causing such a commotion at your state. Especially those two boys - they were thisclose to killing each other.” She informed Lia.
Lia did not need to ask who those two boys were. At this rate, she had caused a huge complication that affected the entire team. How can she be such a pain? She hated herself for causing trouble. She hated the fact that she was so weak and even fainted in front of them. She closed her eyes again as she felt another wave of nausea take over.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
She had this creepy feeling that she was watched. Slowly, she opened her eyes to check her suspicions.
Lia fixed her gaze as she tried to make out whatever was in front of her. She whimpered when two very big eyes blinked back.
“Lia-chan! You’re awake!” she heard the surprised voice of Massu as he continued to blink in front of her.
Soon after, Tegoshi’s crying face and Koyama’s worried expression loomed in front of her.
“Lia! Daijobou desu ka?!”
“Lia-chan! I’m so happy you’re awake!”
She heard them scream practically next to her ear as they went about hugging her. No. Make that squishing her head and knocking out the air from her.
“Guys… I… can’t… breathe…” She tried to sputter as she gasped for air.
They finally let go and stood back.
“Gomen ne. We just got too emotional back there.” Kei started to explain.
She grabbed a fistful of her bed sheet as she tried to sit up straighter from her already elevated bed.
“It’s okay guys. It is me who should be apologizing. I must have scared you all by that whole fainting incident.” She smiled at them.
They all smiled in return. However, she can’t help but notice that something was amiss.
“Is there a problem?” She asked nervously. She hoped she had not created more trouble this time around. She hasn’t even started fixing the Ryo-Shige war in the first place.
Kei sat at one of the chairs beside her as he sighed heavily.
“Ne, how come you didn’t tell us what’s going on?” He finally asked her. His tone of voice hinted sadness.
Lia raised her eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean exactly?”
Massu was the one who replied to her question. “You didn’t tell anyone that you were overworked as it is. We didn’t know that you have so many projects to handle all at the same time! We didn’t know Lia-chan. We didn’t know… because you never told us.”
She diverted her gaze away from Massu’s sorrowful face. It was so hard not to weep just by looking at him. Somehow she felt like she had just stepped on a helpless puppy.
“You don’t trust us, do you?” The woeful face of Tegoshi soon followed.
“No! Of course not!” She exclaimed. Had I ever insinuated that I didn’t trust them? She asked herself.
“Then why Lia-chan?” The one-lidded eyes of Kei looked at her for a straight answer.
She sighed deeply. Damn. These three are so good at making you feel remorseful that they can turn hardcore psychopath criminals to confess.
“I’m really sorry for not telling you guys. I just don’t want to burden anyone with my jabbering. I don’t want to add up to your list of problems.” She muttered softly.
Somehow she realized how pathetic things are going. She claimed that she didn’t want to burden them. And yet here she was, lying on the hospital bed, being confronted by the more sensitive members, while the other half were out there probably ripping each other off.
Right Lia, You are SO NOT adding up to their list of problems. If her head was not bruised right now, she would have smacked it herself.
“Ne, Lia-chan. You have self-reliance issues don’t you?” Tegoshi asked as he sat near the edge of her bed.
Just like her, the other two focused their attention on him.
“You are the eldest in your family. Naturally, you are the more responsible one. You refuse to ask for anybody’s help even when you need to. Even to the point of exhaustion, you stubbornly adhere to the belief that you can do it on your own...” Tegoshi explained, making use of his psychology training.
She saw the two other men’s confused expression. She can almost see the big red question mark on top of their head.
“So… that means… I’m independent?” She offered as a simpler statement.
Tegoshi nodded in agreement. Both Koyama and Massu nodded in the classic ‘Ah, now I get it’ look.
She can’t help but smile at their reaction. “I guess so.” She had to agree that she never did depend on anyone. She was looking out for the men in her family since she was young.
Koyama stood up suddenly. “That maybe true. But now that you are with NEWS, you are no longer the eldest, I am!”, he proclaimed ever so proudly, with matching clenched fists held up and glint in his eyes.
This time the TegoMass duo clapped in an obvious teasing way of appreciation. Well, at least she was hoping they were just teasing the one-lidded professional.
Kei snapped out of his glory state and looked at her. “It’s fine if you rely on us. We are a team. We help each other out; no matter how little the problem may seem to you, if you need us, we are here to offer a hand.” He smiled at her.
“Kei-chan is right. We can’t do everything on our own. I guess that’s why we are put on this team. We all have different expertise that requires us to depend on one another at a certain level. So learn to trust us okay?” Tegoshi commented.
“We are more than just your co-workers Lia-chan. We’re your friends!” Massu added.
She had to smile at the three’s mushy-ness. Awww. So cute.
“Really guys, thank you. And I understand that now. But you do have to lay off on the sweetness. I’m about to have a tooth decay.” She smirked ever so teasingly at them.
After realizing that they were being a tad bit sentimental, they all burst into laughter.
When the laughter had died down, she went ahead to ask the prodding question in her head.
“So… where are the other three?” She tried to ask nonchalantly. As expected, their moods suddenly changed.
“I don’t need to be a mind reader to notice that something is wrong guys. Please tell me I’m not yet too late to repair the damage I have caused.” She suddenly felt scared with their silence.
“Eto…Ryo and Shige are not really on the best terms. They can’t be at the same room without erupting to a fight. And well, Yamapi is being the peacemaker. Or at least trying to be.” Massu finally responded.
“Those two really got it all wrong! I am fine. Seriously! I just happen to hit my head and fainted. Or fainted and hit my head. Whatever. I don’t remember which came first. Bottom line is - I AM FINE.” She exclaimed.
“We tried telling them that. But those two are emotional right now. We doubt if their sense of judgment is any better.” Tegoshi replied as he shook his head in exasperation.
“Don’t worry about them. Just concentrate on getting better. I have faith in them.” Koyama said to placate her.
“But you don’t - “
“I’m sorry to cut off your little chit chat here. But visiting hours are over. You have to leave now to give her time to rest.” The nurse declared at the door.
Lia looked at them as they went to grab their coats. They muttered something about seeing her tomorrow and her taking it easy. She wanted to protest that she had enough sleep already. She bade them good bye as she looked at their retreating backs.
There is so much more that they aren’t telling. Her instincts told her so. And well, if they won’t say anything, she would have to find out herself. She needs to get out of here fast.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Lia woke up as she felt the warm sunshine seeping through the blinds. It was then that she noticed that someone was sitting in the chair with his head bowed down. She didn’t need to see his face to know who he was.
“Hey Shige, your hair looks kinda weird from this angle.” She commented as a way of greeting.
Shige looked up.
“Lia! Thank God you’re awake! Are you feeling well? Does anything hurt? Do you feel nauseous? ” He asked all at the same time.
She rolled her eyes at his overreaction. “Will you relax? Of course I’m fine. I was suffering from sleep deprivation Kato-san. I was not in a coma.”
He was silent for a moment.
“That was rather informative.” He said blankly.
“It’s the only information to tell. Besides, I need to put the message underneath that mass of hair gel and across your thick skull: I am fine and dandy. Thank you very much for asking.” She answered teasingly.
“Good. And it’s always nice to know that the minor concussion you suffered doesn’t seem to have any effect on your head. You can still make witty comebacks. And to think I may have actually missed that.” Shige can’t help but smile.
“Ha! Once I’m back at work you’ll be getting so many witty comebacks that you would beg me to stop talking.” She pouted a bit. She can’t believe she was acting so childish.
“Ha yourself! Bring it on Ms. Montez!” He challenged.
They were both grinning now.
“How come you are here? Don’t you have work?” She asked him. The wall clock read 10:16 am.
“I had a courtroom trial earlier. I just dropped by to see how you were. Kei called me up last night to tell me you’ve woken up.”
“Word gets out fast.” She noted. “Argh! Do you have any idea how boring it is in here? Resting doesn’t seem to suit me. I want to get out of this place.”
“In that case, you need to recover fast. Your workload is waiting for you. I think it is in the process of approaching Mt. Fuji’s peak.” Shige commented.
Her eyes widened in fake horror. “Oh no! I’ll be trapped under paper work. Quite literally this time.”
He chuckled at her reaction. It felt good to hear him laugh.
Tthen she remembered the nagging question in her head.
“Ne, Shige…” She started “…I heard Ryo and you are still fighting.”
By this simple statement, he became stiff and reluctantly nodded.
“You know, he’s not to blame.” She offered. She was not taking either side. She knew that none of them were at fault.
When Shige’s facial reaction did not change, she continued. “I know you guys bicker a lot. It’s noisy and unnerving at times. In some instances, it even bordered to being disturbing. But when I saw the both of you close to having a fist fight, it scared the living daylights out of me.”
“It’s my entire fault Shige. If only I resisted my reflex to slap Barbie, this wouldn’t have happened. If only I -”
“It’s not your fault Lia. And contrary to what you may be thinking, I don’t hate Nishikido-kun…” He paused for awhile. “… If I were to be honest, I am just frustrated with myself.”
With this, she raised her eyebrows. “What? Why?”
He looked sheepishly at her. “Because I didn’t listen to you! I knew that you were trying to find some release by ranting. But I was too engulfed with work that that I immediately dismissed your disagreement with Leah as a cat fight.”
“It was very easy to vent out my frustrations to Ryo. Afterall, he was the one being protected. But he’s just being so stubborn! I don’t know what has gotten into him.” Shige said, obviously ranting out as well.
“If there is anyone to blame, it should be me.” He concluded.
Lia narrowed her eyes and looked at the young lawyer with much vehemence. “I am so close to slapping some sense out of you. It’s not your fault. It’s not Ryo’s fault. Period. Stop the fight and resume to good ‘ol banter.”
“I’m afraid it’s not that ea-“
“Do you know how I feel now that you guys are fighting? I feel like a loser who’s destroying the group. A nuisance of sorts. A bad omen. Perhaps Leah was right when she said I was the start of K&A’s downfall.” She can’t help but snap back at him. She was just as frustrated as he was. Perhaps even more.
He looked shocked at her outburst.
“Lia, we fight a lot even when you were not yet here. Think of it as fighting on the next level. An upgrade.” Shige offered. It was then that she knew that Shige really sucked at making analogies - they make you feel worse.
“The current version is fine as it is! I can understand if you guys hate me now.” She scowled.
“We don’t hate you. We are not close-minded Lia. Stubborn, yes. But unfair, no.” He assured her.
Lia smiled ever so innocently. “Then promise me that you would call it a truce between you and Ryo. It’s the only guarantee that I have that you guys won’t be diminished to an even lesser number of members.”
Sighing and reluctant, Shige knew that he had just fallen for the trap that Lia maneuvered. “Alright. I will.” He promised. ”Just stop looking at me with that puppy-dog-eyes!”
“Yey! Thank you!” She managed to say while laughing at Shige’s command. She made a mental note to thank Tegoshi for that technique. “So now we have established that it’s not Ryo’s fault, not mine nor yours.”
He smiled back. “Correct.”
“In that case, we blame it all on LaLeah aka Barbie.” She concluded.
“And why are we blaming her?”
“It’s called displacement. Besides, I just feel like bashing her. So yeah, I’m being immature. I still blame her for this mess. What else? Hmm. I also blame the construed view of physical beauty on her. Come on. Share something you want to blame her with. It’s fun.”
Shige looked at her as if she had grown another head.
“What? I’m stuck in the hospital with nothing else to do. This is the closest thing I have to entertainment.” She shrugged her shoulders in defiance.
Shige shook his head. “Fine. I blame poverty and inequality on her. She is the cause of the widening gap between the rich and the poor. The reason why the rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer.”
She stared back with mouth agape. “Wow. Nice one. See? We can find a lot of things to blame on her. My turn, I blame global warming on her. She is the cause of the melting snow caps, the resulting high tides and tsunamis, the cause of unbalance in the seas, the drought of the land and the death of millions.”
Shige wasn’t about to get upstaged.
“I blame the rising of oil prices on her. The reason why commodities - “
And just like that, Leah Dizon became responsible for all of the world’s misfortune.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
The next three days passed by quite typically. Her teammates were there to visit after work. She still hadn’t seen Ryo or Yamashita. And they were very careful not to mention anything about them. The rest of the day was spent with some random hospital staff - from nurses, medical technicians and even doctors - asking her things. Of course they started out by asking a couple of questions about her. And well, the topic would inevitably shift to one of her group mates. Heck! They even remembered the other two who was only seen at the hospital when she was brought in.
So far, the tally had Yamashita in the lead, with Tegoshi closely trailing.
“Our tests came out negative. You’ll be discharged tomorrow Ms. Montez. I can assume you are ecstatic.” Her doctor informed her. Thank God she was happily married and not enamored by the pretty boy looks of the members.
She nodded. “Yup. No offense but hospitals aren’t really for me.”
Her doctor smiled. “None taken. Though I think a lot of our staffs will be saddened. Rarely do we get visits from such handsome and accomplished men.”
Lia had to laugh at her doctor’s speculation. “I’m sorry about that. I guess they tend to attract a lot of attention.”
“It is I who should be apologizing. Our professionalism would waver whenever those boys are around. I can understand that a lot of pressure is on your shoulders.”
You have no idea. She simply smiled in return.
“Well, I would have your medications ready at the nurses’ station. I’ll check on you again before you leave.” Her doctor said as she bid her good bye.
Finally! I can get out of here. Just a few more hours. Be patient. Wait, I am a patient. Harhar Lia. Corny. You really need to get out of here. Your sense of humor is being affected.
She was still silently talking to herself when she heard the door opened.
“Did you forget something doctor?” She asked as she faced the person that just came in.
She gasped in surprise. “Pi! What are you doing here? It’s past visiting hours already.”
The young leader strode towards her bed, with his coat slung on his left shoulder.
“I have connections.” He smiled feebly at her.
Oh-oh. This doesn’t seem good. Her senses warned.
“Is something wrong?” She asked.
“Does something need to be wrong before I can come here?” He asked back. He did have a point. “Nice to see you by the way.”
He went to grab the chair and sat facing her.
“I heard you will be discharged tomorrow. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to visit sooner. I needed to take care of some… things.” She could feel his tiredness. She suddenly felt so small. She was so sure she had something to do with the additional burden he has to carry.
“It’s okay. I should be the one apologizing. This has blown out of its proportions Yamashita-san. I promise I’ll do my best to repair the damage.” She said as she bowed her head.
“Lia, you are not responsible for anything. Both Ryo and Shige are grown men. They can handle their own affairs.” Yamashita pointed out.
Somehow she doubted that those two are mature when it comes to issues like this.
“I have a question to you though. Ryo said you admitted to slapping Leah. Why did you do it? You don’t seem like the violent type.”
She had never told anyone why she hit Barbie. She remained silent.
“I can only think of three possibilities Lia. One, she slapped you first and you retaliated.”
He kept her gaze locked at her.
“Two, she insulted you.” Well, she did. But not the reason for slapping her. She thought to herself.
“Three, she insulted one of us.”
She made the mistake of averting her eyes. Yamapi quickly caught on.
“Then it’s the last one then.” Yamapi declared. “And I would assume it was Ryo that she was badmouthing then.”
He looked gloomy. He rested his back on the chair, closed his eyes and muttered. “Ryo. Baka.”
After what seemed like an eternity, he opened his eyes and moved in closer. “I’m sorry about this. Ryo is under a lot lately. Not to mention emotionally unstable. He’s not really the type to jump into conclusions.”
She stared back at him. He was acting more than the leader of NEWS, he was being a good friend. That much was evident in his eyes.
“How is he?” She inquired. It seemed like the most reasonable thing to ask.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t seen him lately. When I did, he was either avoiding me or getting into another fight. He seems to be so angry these past few days. I can’t understand why. He won’t talk to me or anyone else.” He breathed another sigh.
She wasn’t sure how to react. Ryo has never been known to have a sweet temper. And if Yamapi can’t get past him, how was she supposed to talk to him?
“I don’t know what to say.” She finally voiced out was she was thinking.
“There’s none to say. I know you are just caught in between this mess. Don’t worry too much. Our group has been through a lot. We can definitely surpass this one.” Yamashita smiled, his optimism still evident despite everything.
“Hai. I believe so too.” She grinned widely at him.
Yes. That’s true. She needs to place more faith in these six guys. They share a bond that is strong enough to beat the odds. That much she was sure of.
He motioned towards the bandage on her head. “Does it still hurt?”
She shook her head slightly.
“As a leader, it is my responsibility to look after everyone. I think I failed this time around.” He said remorsefully.
What was he talking about? I thought we have already established the fact that we are all grown-ups?
“That’s not true. I’m not a child to be taken care of. I was kinda sorta looking for something melodramatic. The fainting thing was really just to boost viewer ratings.” She teased him. She had enough of all the sorry, I don’t blame you and I’m fine statements.
“Still a bit silly. Good to know you ARE fine.” He chuckled.
“For the nth time, it’s because I am fine. I’m flattered with all the concern but really, there’s no need for that. I’m fine. I really am.” She explained again.
“Perhaps you need to stamp an ‘I’M FINE’ sign in red ink on your forehead. That way you just have to point at it when people ask you.” He offered as a solution.
“Sometimes your simplistic way of thinking moves me to tears.” She told him blankly.
“Aww. I didn’t know I have such an effect on you. I’m touched really.” He said while placing a hand on his chest for added feeling. She remembered pulling off the same stunt before on Yamashita.
They both ended up laughing.
“I think you need to go home now. No matter what your connections are, there are still hospital policies that we should follow. You wouldn’t want them to think that K&A does not know how to abide to those.” She said while remembering that it was already late.
“Who says I’m breaking them? I’m not here to be a plain visitor.” He said as he stood up from his chair and went to the couch near the window.
“Uhm, then what are you doing here?” Her head needs to catch up from whatever is going on. Perhaps that concussion thing really did something to her brain.
“I’ll be the watcher for tonight. And I’ll also be accompanying you tomorrow when you will be discharged.” He said matter-of-factly.
Ah… so that’s why… Wait! He’s sleeping here? What the -?
“Pi, that’s not necessary…” she started. She never even had a watcher in the first place. She had managed to persuade the other four members to stay at JE since they have to work the day after.
“I know. But I want to. Besides, I owe you one, remember?” He assured her as he propped his feet.
She furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief. Yamashita was already making himself comfortable on the couch.
“Savor the moment that you can leisurely rest like this. Once you get back at K&A, you will be under the servitude of the clients again.” He teased her.
She had to smile at his teasing. It was so true. “I know.”
“This is one brilliant excuse to take even a few hours off tomorrow. See? You being hospitalized can actually be a good thing.” He added with a wink.
Had another person told her that, she might have taken offense. But since it was Yamashita, it seemed like she was doing charity work for the poor man’s battered soul.
“Glad to be of help.” She replied with a smile.
With his eyes half-closed, he said. “Good night, amazing Lia.”
She rolled her eyes at his teasing. “Sleep tight Pi.”
- - - - - - - - - - - -
That Friday, the rest of the team welcomed her in her suite, as Yamashita accompanied her from the hospital. There were flowers and gifts all over her living room. Massu informed her that there were even get-well foods in the fridge. Lia got what he was trying to say and told him that the can eat as much as he wants to. She’s not up to eating anything (plus she has no clue what get well foods are in Japan). Massu happily agreed and proceeded to raid the fridge.
When she was tucked in her bed (and ordered to stay and rest) and her things were settled (more like thrashed to the nearest closet), they bade her good bye and went off to work, promising to come by later to check on her.
She tried to sleep. But since she had been doing that for a week, it became boring. She read the cards (that Kei and Tesshi had collected from all the flowers and foods) from her team and clients. She turned on the television. She read the morning paper. Twice.
She was already going to die of boredom. She could almost picture the headlines:
“K&A Associate dies from resting too much! Other Associates given more work to prevent such state!” A matching picture of her looking like one of Sadako’s victims would be placed on the cover.
Nope. I can’t let that happen. Her morbid way of thinking was getting on her.
She made the decision to get some fresh air instead. She soon made her way out of the room and into the lobby as she pondered where to go next.
She heard someone call out her name.
“Ms. Montez. It’s good to have you back.” a boy that that looked oddly familiar greeted her. Then she remembered where she had seen him
“Ah! You are Shoon’s friend. It’s Hikaru, right?” She responded.
He nodded in acknowledgment.
“Trying to sneak out, aren’t you?” He asked her with amusement, a grin slowly appearing on his face.
Oopps. I am caught. She laughed nervously. “Me? Of course not! What made you think that?”
“’Coz you were just released from the hospital.”
She looked at him, confusion evident on her reaction.
“I heard from the other NEWS members as they went back to K&A. Being in the Front Desk allows me a lot of opportunity to observe people.” He went on to explain.
Oohh, Gossip source. She thought as a brilliant idea came to mind.
“Well, in that case, do you think you can fill me in on the events these past few days? Especially since I’m not here during that time.” She leaned on the lobby desk in a hush whisper.
“Really Ms. Montez, do you think I’m the type to rattle out on my senpais?” He looked offended. Or at least he seemed to be. Until he too leaned closer. “What’s in it for me?”
She laughed at his feigned righteousness. “I’ll make sure you will be assigned as a trainee in the assignment of your choice.” She knew her offer was big enough for him to spill.
He pondered for a moment, before the grin turned into a full fledged smile of excitement. He extended his hand, which Lia clasped in return. “Deal.”
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Whoever said that knowledge is power is one freakin’ genius. Lia thought as she made her way to the K&A office.
After hearing from Hikaru that her groupmates have been doing overtime to help finish off her deadline (even Ryo was going home late to do his share, though the juniors knew that he was off hiding in one of the meeting rooms), she knew she just had to return the favor by putting a stop to all this conflict and misunderstanding.
And so with the help of other juniors that Hikaru knew, she had managed to orchestrate a plan to ensure that they will all be at the NEWS office at the same time she would be there.
She prayed that her plan would go well. It will be a battle of wits the moment she would set foot in that room. You can do it. Just breathe. You have to do it. She tried to calm herself down.
With hands on the doorknob, she took one big breathe and opened the door.
“Konbanwa.” She said with smile fixed on her face as she made a mental count to ensure they were all there. Six. Perfect.
“Lia! What are you doing here? You should be resting!” the concerned voice of Koyama was the first one to greet her.
She decided to ignore Kei and instead said, “I’ll explain later. Everyone. Meeting room. Now.”
They looked at her in confusion.
“I said NOW.” She repeated. Her eyes looked at them sternly.
Good thing that her teammates were smart enough not to argue with her when she looked ready for the kill. They scampered off to the meeting room, although they can’t help but mutter to themselves.
When every last one of them was seated at the long table, she also went inside and locked the door behind her.
“Lia, you don’t need to be here. I’ll inform Director Tackey that you need to rest some more.” Yamashita tried to influence her to go back.
“That won’t be necessary Pi. I was the one who called for this meeting.” And I just happen to use Director Tackey’s email account. She decided to omit the last sentence.
“Eh? What for?” came Tegoshi’s equally dazed reply.
She beamed at them. “Two things. First of all, to thank everyone for their concern and support.”
“In that case, I shouldn’t be here. I vaguely remember that I happen to do neither of that for you.” Ryo snapped.
She smiled sweetly at him. “You are such a liar Ryo. I have proof that just like the rest of the team, you have been helping out with my documentations while I was in the hospital.”
Ryo looked pale.
“He… He did that?” Shige asked bewilderedly.
“Ne, Ryo is so kind!” Massu declared.
“I am not. You are the one who’s lying.” Ryo pointed out to Lia as his cheeks started to grow red.
“Ah Nishikido-kun. You seem to forget that there is such a thing as security cameras.” Lia replied with a huge grin on her face. She enjoyed seeing Ryo cornered.
Ryo opened his mouth to comment. Then closed it again. At least he knew when to give up.
“Fine. So I’m helping out. Happy now?”
“I am. Very much so. Is it safe to assume that you don’t hate me then?”
“Whoever said I hate you?” He scowled.
How dainty of Ryo to answer a question with another question.
“Oh, wild guess? Probably since you almost tried to rip her head off when you found out she slapped your beloved idol?” Shige quipped in.
“I wasn’t going to rip her head off! I was furious, yes. But I’m not such a monster as to hurt a girl.” Ryo pointed out. She would have never thought that Ryo has a gallant side.
“Which brings us to my next objective. Why are you so angry Ryo?” Lia interrupted.
Ryo was silent.
“Yeah, now that I think about it, if you were really mad with Lia, you wouldn’t be working overtime to help her out. You’re not the type to forgive easily Ryo-tan. So if it’s not Lia-chan you’re infuriated with, then who?” Tegoshi said, finally putting the pieces together.
“Obviously, me.” Shige said matter-of-factly.
Ryo looked at him with his furrowed brows.
“As much as I would like to see you deprived of hair gel for the rest of your pathetic life, I don’t hate you. You are a waste of energy hating.” Wow, talk about ferocity.
“It’s us then?! Could you be angry with us? Whatever happens to our member ai?” Koyama looked distraught and on the verge of crying.
Ryo groaned.
“Stop it! I don’t hate anyone in the group! Not Lia. Not Shige. No one else but me!” Ryo blurted out in defiance.
Silence.
“You hate yourself? W-Why?” Massu’s scratched the back of his head in utter confusion.
He kept silent.
“Can you just trust us enough to know that we’ll listen?!” Yamashita coaxed his friend.
Ryo sighed and bowed his head.
A good ten seconds passed before he opened his mouth to speak, all eyes fixed on him.
“I’ve been a jerk.”
Lia fought the reflex to nod her head in agreement. From her peripheral vision, she could see that she wasn’t the only one who struggled.
“And stupid.”
This time it killed her to keep a straight face. She bit her lower lip hard to ensure that she wouldn’t ruin the moment by laughing out loud.
Can Ryo be more right with his conclusions or what?
“Go on. Tell us why you think that way.” Tegoshi pushed on. He was obviously used to this whole sharing thing.
“Leah’s pregnant.”
Shige choked on air. Kei choked on his spit.
Ryo’s going to be a dad?
“And I’m not the father.”
Massu’s eyes bulged out. Yamashita’s mouth fell to the floor.
“And she got married on the tenth.”
Tegoshi and Lia shrieked ‘Huh?’ in perfect unison.
“Yeah. I know. I’m a loser.” Ryo concluded as he buried his face to his hands.
No one knew that he was that deep in s***hole.
Likewise, no one also knew how to react. Are they supposed to console him? Pity him? No, Ryo would get more distressed if we did. Cheer him up? Hey Ryo, don’t be too sad. At least you don’t have to marry her. Wrong thing to say. Definitely wrong.
“That bitch…” Lia said aloud. She clasped her mouth as she realized she blurted out her thoughts.
Ryo managed a chuckle. Then a laugh.
“Right-on!” He grinned.
With this, the tension in the room fizzled out. The other members laughed heartily with their broken-hearted-ego-stepped-on friend.
“Who wants to drink? My treat.” Yamashita declared that lightened the mood even more.
“I’m in!” came the ecstatic voices of everyone else in the room.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
“Minna, s-su-suki desu.” Shige admitted his undying love for the team. His tears unstoppable from the strength of his emotion.
Lia laughed with the rest of the gang as she made a mental note to blackmail Shige with it the next morning.
“Baka! You should not profess love so quickly!” Drunken Ryo told Shige (more likely to himself). Displacement anyone?
“Look! The dumplings are shaped like a fork!” Massu squealed in delight.
Kei brought the small plate nearer to his nose for inspection. “These are chicken feet. Hick. Not dumplings. Hick.” At least he got that right.
“Who cares what they are? They all end up in the same stomach anyways!” the pink-faced Tegoshi concluded.
They were that intoxicated that they spill out crazy nonsense by the minute. She smiled as she watched Ryo and Shige banter about anything comprehensible. Massu continued to make weird observations, which Kei answered in a weirder fashion. Tegoshi would end up making everyone agree with his crazy notions.
It was Yamashita who looked nearest to being sobered up. His alcohol tolerance deemed higher than anyone else. “You. How did you know all this?” He pointed towards the five men getting noisier with alcohol.
She smiled at the scene before her - everyone looking silly in their intoxicated state. Everything was now back to normal. The misunderstanding long forgotten.
She could tell Yamapi the long list of juniors she had promised to give their choice assignments. Or the security breach she just had to do. But she wouldn’t want to break the mood. Instead she imitated his signature wink and said, “Well Pi…”
“…I have connections.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: You have every right to be furious at me for making this cliffhanger, well, hang for a looong time. (In all fairness, I did make this a long update^^)
But hopefully, you’d understand. I have been through hell and back these past few weeks. I have even pondered to stop writing. But I know my greatest supporter wouldn’t approve of it. So here I am, struggling to make myself stronger and make her proud.
I’m in dire need of love. You know how to make me feel better. ^_^
Universe: NewS/ Business AU
Rating: PG-13
Character/ Pairings: NewS, OC, other Johnny’s
Disclaimer: I’m too poor to own anyone.
Summary: Supah doopah late continuation of Pandemonium:
Exhausted and bruised, she let the comforting darkness take over. Will everything be better the moment she wakes up? Or will it turn out for the worse?
Prologue and Chapter1
Chapter2
Chapter3
Chapter4
Everything was placid, except for the gentle and constant dripping of liquid. She couldn’t tell it herself, but there was something amiss in her room. For one, she have never felt unfamiliar at her suite; and two, she could smell the strong antiseptic as it found its way to her nose. Yes, there was indeed something very different.
She opened her eyes slowly, making her eyes adjust to the light. Everything presented itself in a blur. She squinted her eyes again to clear her vision. And again. And again.
Her room suddenly became small, the furniture was not the same, and even the color of the walls was different. Logic told her there could only be two probable reasons. The first being that her room was massively redecorated overnight and second was that this was not her room.
Being that the latter option was more feasible, she tried to remember the last events that took place.
Then someone walked in.
“Oh, you’re finally awake.” A stout nurse said as she checked some chart resting near her bed.
She smiled feebly in response. “Where am I?” Lia asked softly.
The woman smiled in return and answered, “You are in the hospital Ms. Montez. Don’t you remember what happened to you? You were brought here on a Friday night.”
Friday. She remembered it was the night of the Fashion event. Her eyes widened as the memories come flooding in. Her confrontation with Leah; Shige and Ryo fighting; the ruckus that occurred as other group mates came in; the darkness and silence that shortly came after.
“It seems you did not suffer amnesia then.” The nurse surmised.
“How long have I been here?”
“Three days.”
I have been sleeping for that long?
Panicked, she tried to sit up; only to fall back immediately as nausea took over.
“Please don’t push yourself. You suffered a minor concussion. You need to rest for a while.” The nurse said sternly.
“You don’t understand. I have a lot of work to do and a situation to repair before it goes out of hand. I cannot afford to stay and lie around. Tempting really, but no, I’ll pass.” She tried to explain.
The nurse smiled and replied, “Trust me, I understand. Ms. Montez, you’re stress level was very high when you were brought in. I know you work for K&A and that it is a lot to handle. But if you continue abusing your body, we might not be able to repair the consequences. That is why it was advised by your doctor that you stay here for a week. We need to make sure that you did not suffer any internal complications.”
She sighed. She knew that she couldn’t get herself out of here sooner if she would argue with her. She merely nodded in faint acceptance.
“Those boys have been waiting for you to wake up. Too bad they’re not here since it’s a Monday. I’m guessing they are at work right now. I’ll call up your office to let them know the good news. I’m sure they will be relieved.” The nurse informed her as she did another check on that machine whose nodes are connected to her.
“You mean they have been around when I was sleeping?” Lia can’t help but ask in clarification.
“Of course. They had been causing such a commotion at your state. Especially those two boys - they were thisclose to killing each other.” She informed Lia.
Lia did not need to ask who those two boys were. At this rate, she had caused a huge complication that affected the entire team. How can she be such a pain? She hated herself for causing trouble. She hated the fact that she was so weak and even fainted in front of them. She closed her eyes again as she felt another wave of nausea take over.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
She had this creepy feeling that she was watched. Slowly, she opened her eyes to check her suspicions.
Lia fixed her gaze as she tried to make out whatever was in front of her. She whimpered when two very big eyes blinked back.
“Lia-chan! You’re awake!” she heard the surprised voice of Massu as he continued to blink in front of her.
Soon after, Tegoshi’s crying face and Koyama’s worried expression loomed in front of her.
“Lia! Daijobou desu ka?!”
“Lia-chan! I’m so happy you’re awake!”
She heard them scream practically next to her ear as they went about hugging her. No. Make that squishing her head and knocking out the air from her.
“Guys… I… can’t… breathe…” She tried to sputter as she gasped for air.
They finally let go and stood back.
“Gomen ne. We just got too emotional back there.” Kei started to explain.
She grabbed a fistful of her bed sheet as she tried to sit up straighter from her already elevated bed.
“It’s okay guys. It is me who should be apologizing. I must have scared you all by that whole fainting incident.” She smiled at them.
They all smiled in return. However, she can’t help but notice that something was amiss.
“Is there a problem?” She asked nervously. She hoped she had not created more trouble this time around. She hasn’t even started fixing the Ryo-Shige war in the first place.
Kei sat at one of the chairs beside her as he sighed heavily.
“Ne, how come you didn’t tell us what’s going on?” He finally asked her. His tone of voice hinted sadness.
Lia raised her eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean exactly?”
Massu was the one who replied to her question. “You didn’t tell anyone that you were overworked as it is. We didn’t know that you have so many projects to handle all at the same time! We didn’t know Lia-chan. We didn’t know… because you never told us.”
She diverted her gaze away from Massu’s sorrowful face. It was so hard not to weep just by looking at him. Somehow she felt like she had just stepped on a helpless puppy.
“You don’t trust us, do you?” The woeful face of Tegoshi soon followed.
“No! Of course not!” She exclaimed. Had I ever insinuated that I didn’t trust them? She asked herself.
“Then why Lia-chan?” The one-lidded eyes of Kei looked at her for a straight answer.
She sighed deeply. Damn. These three are so good at making you feel remorseful that they can turn hardcore psychopath criminals to confess.
“I’m really sorry for not telling you guys. I just don’t want to burden anyone with my jabbering. I don’t want to add up to your list of problems.” She muttered softly.
Somehow she realized how pathetic things are going. She claimed that she didn’t want to burden them. And yet here she was, lying on the hospital bed, being confronted by the more sensitive members, while the other half were out there probably ripping each other off.
Right Lia, You are SO NOT adding up to their list of problems. If her head was not bruised right now, she would have smacked it herself.
“Ne, Lia-chan. You have self-reliance issues don’t you?” Tegoshi asked as he sat near the edge of her bed.
Just like her, the other two focused their attention on him.
“You are the eldest in your family. Naturally, you are the more responsible one. You refuse to ask for anybody’s help even when you need to. Even to the point of exhaustion, you stubbornly adhere to the belief that you can do it on your own...” Tegoshi explained, making use of his psychology training.
She saw the two other men’s confused expression. She can almost see the big red question mark on top of their head.
“So… that means… I’m independent?” She offered as a simpler statement.
Tegoshi nodded in agreement. Both Koyama and Massu nodded in the classic ‘Ah, now I get it’ look.
She can’t help but smile at their reaction. “I guess so.” She had to agree that she never did depend on anyone. She was looking out for the men in her family since she was young.
Koyama stood up suddenly. “That maybe true. But now that you are with NEWS, you are no longer the eldest, I am!”, he proclaimed ever so proudly, with matching clenched fists held up and glint in his eyes.
This time the TegoMass duo clapped in an obvious teasing way of appreciation. Well, at least she was hoping they were just teasing the one-lidded professional.
Kei snapped out of his glory state and looked at her. “It’s fine if you rely on us. We are a team. We help each other out; no matter how little the problem may seem to you, if you need us, we are here to offer a hand.” He smiled at her.
“Kei-chan is right. We can’t do everything on our own. I guess that’s why we are put on this team. We all have different expertise that requires us to depend on one another at a certain level. So learn to trust us okay?” Tegoshi commented.
“We are more than just your co-workers Lia-chan. We’re your friends!” Massu added.
She had to smile at the three’s mushy-ness. Awww. So cute.
“Really guys, thank you. And I understand that now. But you do have to lay off on the sweetness. I’m about to have a tooth decay.” She smirked ever so teasingly at them.
After realizing that they were being a tad bit sentimental, they all burst into laughter.
When the laughter had died down, she went ahead to ask the prodding question in her head.
“So… where are the other three?” She tried to ask nonchalantly. As expected, their moods suddenly changed.
“I don’t need to be a mind reader to notice that something is wrong guys. Please tell me I’m not yet too late to repair the damage I have caused.” She suddenly felt scared with their silence.
“Eto…Ryo and Shige are not really on the best terms. They can’t be at the same room without erupting to a fight. And well, Yamapi is being the peacemaker. Or at least trying to be.” Massu finally responded.
“Those two really got it all wrong! I am fine. Seriously! I just happen to hit my head and fainted. Or fainted and hit my head. Whatever. I don’t remember which came first. Bottom line is - I AM FINE.” She exclaimed.
“We tried telling them that. But those two are emotional right now. We doubt if their sense of judgment is any better.” Tegoshi replied as he shook his head in exasperation.
“Don’t worry about them. Just concentrate on getting better. I have faith in them.” Koyama said to placate her.
“But you don’t - “
“I’m sorry to cut off your little chit chat here. But visiting hours are over. You have to leave now to give her time to rest.” The nurse declared at the door.
Lia looked at them as they went to grab their coats. They muttered something about seeing her tomorrow and her taking it easy. She wanted to protest that she had enough sleep already. She bade them good bye as she looked at their retreating backs.
There is so much more that they aren’t telling. Her instincts told her so. And well, if they won’t say anything, she would have to find out herself. She needs to get out of here fast.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Lia woke up as she felt the warm sunshine seeping through the blinds. It was then that she noticed that someone was sitting in the chair with his head bowed down. She didn’t need to see his face to know who he was.
“Hey Shige, your hair looks kinda weird from this angle.” She commented as a way of greeting.
Shige looked up.
“Lia! Thank God you’re awake! Are you feeling well? Does anything hurt? Do you feel nauseous? ” He asked all at the same time.
She rolled her eyes at his overreaction. “Will you relax? Of course I’m fine. I was suffering from sleep deprivation Kato-san. I was not in a coma.”
He was silent for a moment.
“That was rather informative.” He said blankly.
“It’s the only information to tell. Besides, I need to put the message underneath that mass of hair gel and across your thick skull: I am fine and dandy. Thank you very much for asking.” She answered teasingly.
“Good. And it’s always nice to know that the minor concussion you suffered doesn’t seem to have any effect on your head. You can still make witty comebacks. And to think I may have actually missed that.” Shige can’t help but smile.
“Ha! Once I’m back at work you’ll be getting so many witty comebacks that you would beg me to stop talking.” She pouted a bit. She can’t believe she was acting so childish.
“Ha yourself! Bring it on Ms. Montez!” He challenged.
They were both grinning now.
“How come you are here? Don’t you have work?” She asked him. The wall clock read 10:16 am.
“I had a courtroom trial earlier. I just dropped by to see how you were. Kei called me up last night to tell me you’ve woken up.”
“Word gets out fast.” She noted. “Argh! Do you have any idea how boring it is in here? Resting doesn’t seem to suit me. I want to get out of this place.”
“In that case, you need to recover fast. Your workload is waiting for you. I think it is in the process of approaching Mt. Fuji’s peak.” Shige commented.
Her eyes widened in fake horror. “Oh no! I’ll be trapped under paper work. Quite literally this time.”
He chuckled at her reaction. It felt good to hear him laugh.
Tthen she remembered the nagging question in her head.
“Ne, Shige…” She started “…I heard Ryo and you are still fighting.”
By this simple statement, he became stiff and reluctantly nodded.
“You know, he’s not to blame.” She offered. She was not taking either side. She knew that none of them were at fault.
When Shige’s facial reaction did not change, she continued. “I know you guys bicker a lot. It’s noisy and unnerving at times. In some instances, it even bordered to being disturbing. But when I saw the both of you close to having a fist fight, it scared the living daylights out of me.”
“It’s my entire fault Shige. If only I resisted my reflex to slap Barbie, this wouldn’t have happened. If only I -”
“It’s not your fault Lia. And contrary to what you may be thinking, I don’t hate Nishikido-kun…” He paused for awhile. “… If I were to be honest, I am just frustrated with myself.”
With this, she raised her eyebrows. “What? Why?”
He looked sheepishly at her. “Because I didn’t listen to you! I knew that you were trying to find some release by ranting. But I was too engulfed with work that that I immediately dismissed your disagreement with Leah as a cat fight.”
“It was very easy to vent out my frustrations to Ryo. Afterall, he was the one being protected. But he’s just being so stubborn! I don’t know what has gotten into him.” Shige said, obviously ranting out as well.
“If there is anyone to blame, it should be me.” He concluded.
Lia narrowed her eyes and looked at the young lawyer with much vehemence. “I am so close to slapping some sense out of you. It’s not your fault. It’s not Ryo’s fault. Period. Stop the fight and resume to good ‘ol banter.”
“I’m afraid it’s not that ea-“
“Do you know how I feel now that you guys are fighting? I feel like a loser who’s destroying the group. A nuisance of sorts. A bad omen. Perhaps Leah was right when she said I was the start of K&A’s downfall.” She can’t help but snap back at him. She was just as frustrated as he was. Perhaps even more.
He looked shocked at her outburst.
“Lia, we fight a lot even when you were not yet here. Think of it as fighting on the next level. An upgrade.” Shige offered. It was then that she knew that Shige really sucked at making analogies - they make you feel worse.
“The current version is fine as it is! I can understand if you guys hate me now.” She scowled.
“We don’t hate you. We are not close-minded Lia. Stubborn, yes. But unfair, no.” He assured her.
Lia smiled ever so innocently. “Then promise me that you would call it a truce between you and Ryo. It’s the only guarantee that I have that you guys won’t be diminished to an even lesser number of members.”
Sighing and reluctant, Shige knew that he had just fallen for the trap that Lia maneuvered. “Alright. I will.” He promised. ”Just stop looking at me with that puppy-dog-eyes!”
“Yey! Thank you!” She managed to say while laughing at Shige’s command. She made a mental note to thank Tegoshi for that technique. “So now we have established that it’s not Ryo’s fault, not mine nor yours.”
He smiled back. “Correct.”
“In that case, we blame it all on LaLeah aka Barbie.” She concluded.
“And why are we blaming her?”
“It’s called displacement. Besides, I just feel like bashing her. So yeah, I’m being immature. I still blame her for this mess. What else? Hmm. I also blame the construed view of physical beauty on her. Come on. Share something you want to blame her with. It’s fun.”
Shige looked at her as if she had grown another head.
“What? I’m stuck in the hospital with nothing else to do. This is the closest thing I have to entertainment.” She shrugged her shoulders in defiance.
Shige shook his head. “Fine. I blame poverty and inequality on her. She is the cause of the widening gap between the rich and the poor. The reason why the rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer.”
She stared back with mouth agape. “Wow. Nice one. See? We can find a lot of things to blame on her. My turn, I blame global warming on her. She is the cause of the melting snow caps, the resulting high tides and tsunamis, the cause of unbalance in the seas, the drought of the land and the death of millions.”
Shige wasn’t about to get upstaged.
“I blame the rising of oil prices on her. The reason why commodities - “
And just like that, Leah Dizon became responsible for all of the world’s misfortune.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
The next three days passed by quite typically. Her teammates were there to visit after work. She still hadn’t seen Ryo or Yamashita. And they were very careful not to mention anything about them. The rest of the day was spent with some random hospital staff - from nurses, medical technicians and even doctors - asking her things. Of course they started out by asking a couple of questions about her. And well, the topic would inevitably shift to one of her group mates. Heck! They even remembered the other two who was only seen at the hospital when she was brought in.
So far, the tally had Yamashita in the lead, with Tegoshi closely trailing.
“Our tests came out negative. You’ll be discharged tomorrow Ms. Montez. I can assume you are ecstatic.” Her doctor informed her. Thank God she was happily married and not enamored by the pretty boy looks of the members.
She nodded. “Yup. No offense but hospitals aren’t really for me.”
Her doctor smiled. “None taken. Though I think a lot of our staffs will be saddened. Rarely do we get visits from such handsome and accomplished men.”
Lia had to laugh at her doctor’s speculation. “I’m sorry about that. I guess they tend to attract a lot of attention.”
“It is I who should be apologizing. Our professionalism would waver whenever those boys are around. I can understand that a lot of pressure is on your shoulders.”
You have no idea. She simply smiled in return.
“Well, I would have your medications ready at the nurses’ station. I’ll check on you again before you leave.” Her doctor said as she bid her good bye.
Finally! I can get out of here. Just a few more hours. Be patient. Wait, I am a patient. Harhar Lia. Corny. You really need to get out of here. Your sense of humor is being affected.
She was still silently talking to herself when she heard the door opened.
“Did you forget something doctor?” She asked as she faced the person that just came in.
She gasped in surprise. “Pi! What are you doing here? It’s past visiting hours already.”
The young leader strode towards her bed, with his coat slung on his left shoulder.
“I have connections.” He smiled feebly at her.
Oh-oh. This doesn’t seem good. Her senses warned.
“Is something wrong?” She asked.
“Does something need to be wrong before I can come here?” He asked back. He did have a point. “Nice to see you by the way.”
He went to grab the chair and sat facing her.
“I heard you will be discharged tomorrow. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to visit sooner. I needed to take care of some… things.” She could feel his tiredness. She suddenly felt so small. She was so sure she had something to do with the additional burden he has to carry.
“It’s okay. I should be the one apologizing. This has blown out of its proportions Yamashita-san. I promise I’ll do my best to repair the damage.” She said as she bowed her head.
“Lia, you are not responsible for anything. Both Ryo and Shige are grown men. They can handle their own affairs.” Yamashita pointed out.
Somehow she doubted that those two are mature when it comes to issues like this.
“I have a question to you though. Ryo said you admitted to slapping Leah. Why did you do it? You don’t seem like the violent type.”
She had never told anyone why she hit Barbie. She remained silent.
“I can only think of three possibilities Lia. One, she slapped you first and you retaliated.”
He kept her gaze locked at her.
“Two, she insulted you.” Well, she did. But not the reason for slapping her. She thought to herself.
“Three, she insulted one of us.”
She made the mistake of averting her eyes. Yamapi quickly caught on.
“Then it’s the last one then.” Yamapi declared. “And I would assume it was Ryo that she was badmouthing then.”
He looked gloomy. He rested his back on the chair, closed his eyes and muttered. “Ryo. Baka.”
After what seemed like an eternity, he opened his eyes and moved in closer. “I’m sorry about this. Ryo is under a lot lately. Not to mention emotionally unstable. He’s not really the type to jump into conclusions.”
She stared back at him. He was acting more than the leader of NEWS, he was being a good friend. That much was evident in his eyes.
“How is he?” She inquired. It seemed like the most reasonable thing to ask.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t seen him lately. When I did, he was either avoiding me or getting into another fight. He seems to be so angry these past few days. I can’t understand why. He won’t talk to me or anyone else.” He breathed another sigh.
She wasn’t sure how to react. Ryo has never been known to have a sweet temper. And if Yamapi can’t get past him, how was she supposed to talk to him?
“I don’t know what to say.” She finally voiced out was she was thinking.
“There’s none to say. I know you are just caught in between this mess. Don’t worry too much. Our group has been through a lot. We can definitely surpass this one.” Yamashita smiled, his optimism still evident despite everything.
“Hai. I believe so too.” She grinned widely at him.
Yes. That’s true. She needs to place more faith in these six guys. They share a bond that is strong enough to beat the odds. That much she was sure of.
He motioned towards the bandage on her head. “Does it still hurt?”
She shook her head slightly.
“As a leader, it is my responsibility to look after everyone. I think I failed this time around.” He said remorsefully.
What was he talking about? I thought we have already established the fact that we are all grown-ups?
“That’s not true. I’m not a child to be taken care of. I was kinda sorta looking for something melodramatic. The fainting thing was really just to boost viewer ratings.” She teased him. She had enough of all the sorry, I don’t blame you and I’m fine statements.
“Still a bit silly. Good to know you ARE fine.” He chuckled.
“For the nth time, it’s because I am fine. I’m flattered with all the concern but really, there’s no need for that. I’m fine. I really am.” She explained again.
“Perhaps you need to stamp an ‘I’M FINE’ sign in red ink on your forehead. That way you just have to point at it when people ask you.” He offered as a solution.
“Sometimes your simplistic way of thinking moves me to tears.” She told him blankly.
“Aww. I didn’t know I have such an effect on you. I’m touched really.” He said while placing a hand on his chest for added feeling. She remembered pulling off the same stunt before on Yamashita.
They both ended up laughing.
“I think you need to go home now. No matter what your connections are, there are still hospital policies that we should follow. You wouldn’t want them to think that K&A does not know how to abide to those.” She said while remembering that it was already late.
“Who says I’m breaking them? I’m not here to be a plain visitor.” He said as he stood up from his chair and went to the couch near the window.
“Uhm, then what are you doing here?” Her head needs to catch up from whatever is going on. Perhaps that concussion thing really did something to her brain.
“I’ll be the watcher for tonight. And I’ll also be accompanying you tomorrow when you will be discharged.” He said matter-of-factly.
Ah… so that’s why… Wait! He’s sleeping here? What the -?
“Pi, that’s not necessary…” she started. She never even had a watcher in the first place. She had managed to persuade the other four members to stay at JE since they have to work the day after.
“I know. But I want to. Besides, I owe you one, remember?” He assured her as he propped his feet.
She furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief. Yamashita was already making himself comfortable on the couch.
“Savor the moment that you can leisurely rest like this. Once you get back at K&A, you will be under the servitude of the clients again.” He teased her.
She had to smile at his teasing. It was so true. “I know.”
“This is one brilliant excuse to take even a few hours off tomorrow. See? You being hospitalized can actually be a good thing.” He added with a wink.
Had another person told her that, she might have taken offense. But since it was Yamashita, it seemed like she was doing charity work for the poor man’s battered soul.
“Glad to be of help.” She replied with a smile.
With his eyes half-closed, he said. “Good night, amazing Lia.”
She rolled her eyes at his teasing. “Sleep tight Pi.”
- - - - - - - - - - - -
That Friday, the rest of the team welcomed her in her suite, as Yamashita accompanied her from the hospital. There were flowers and gifts all over her living room. Massu informed her that there were even get-well foods in the fridge. Lia got what he was trying to say and told him that the can eat as much as he wants to. She’s not up to eating anything (plus she has no clue what get well foods are in Japan). Massu happily agreed and proceeded to raid the fridge.
When she was tucked in her bed (and ordered to stay and rest) and her things were settled (more like thrashed to the nearest closet), they bade her good bye and went off to work, promising to come by later to check on her.
She tried to sleep. But since she had been doing that for a week, it became boring. She read the cards (that Kei and Tesshi had collected from all the flowers and foods) from her team and clients. She turned on the television. She read the morning paper. Twice.
She was already going to die of boredom. She could almost picture the headlines:
“K&A Associate dies from resting too much! Other Associates given more work to prevent such state!” A matching picture of her looking like one of Sadako’s victims would be placed on the cover.
Nope. I can’t let that happen. Her morbid way of thinking was getting on her.
She made the decision to get some fresh air instead. She soon made her way out of the room and into the lobby as she pondered where to go next.
She heard someone call out her name.
“Ms. Montez. It’s good to have you back.” a boy that that looked oddly familiar greeted her. Then she remembered where she had seen him
“Ah! You are Shoon’s friend. It’s Hikaru, right?” She responded.
He nodded in acknowledgment.
“Trying to sneak out, aren’t you?” He asked her with amusement, a grin slowly appearing on his face.
Oopps. I am caught. She laughed nervously. “Me? Of course not! What made you think that?”
“’Coz you were just released from the hospital.”
She looked at him, confusion evident on her reaction.
“I heard from the other NEWS members as they went back to K&A. Being in the Front Desk allows me a lot of opportunity to observe people.” He went on to explain.
Oohh, Gossip source. She thought as a brilliant idea came to mind.
“Well, in that case, do you think you can fill me in on the events these past few days? Especially since I’m not here during that time.” She leaned on the lobby desk in a hush whisper.
“Really Ms. Montez, do you think I’m the type to rattle out on my senpais?” He looked offended. Or at least he seemed to be. Until he too leaned closer. “What’s in it for me?”
She laughed at his feigned righteousness. “I’ll make sure you will be assigned as a trainee in the assignment of your choice.” She knew her offer was big enough for him to spill.
He pondered for a moment, before the grin turned into a full fledged smile of excitement. He extended his hand, which Lia clasped in return. “Deal.”
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Whoever said that knowledge is power is one freakin’ genius. Lia thought as she made her way to the K&A office.
After hearing from Hikaru that her groupmates have been doing overtime to help finish off her deadline (even Ryo was going home late to do his share, though the juniors knew that he was off hiding in one of the meeting rooms), she knew she just had to return the favor by putting a stop to all this conflict and misunderstanding.
And so with the help of other juniors that Hikaru knew, she had managed to orchestrate a plan to ensure that they will all be at the NEWS office at the same time she would be there.
She prayed that her plan would go well. It will be a battle of wits the moment she would set foot in that room. You can do it. Just breathe. You have to do it. She tried to calm herself down.
With hands on the doorknob, she took one big breathe and opened the door.
“Konbanwa.” She said with smile fixed on her face as she made a mental count to ensure they were all there. Six. Perfect.
“Lia! What are you doing here? You should be resting!” the concerned voice of Koyama was the first one to greet her.
She decided to ignore Kei and instead said, “I’ll explain later. Everyone. Meeting room. Now.”
They looked at her in confusion.
“I said NOW.” She repeated. Her eyes looked at them sternly.
Good thing that her teammates were smart enough not to argue with her when she looked ready for the kill. They scampered off to the meeting room, although they can’t help but mutter to themselves.
When every last one of them was seated at the long table, she also went inside and locked the door behind her.
“Lia, you don’t need to be here. I’ll inform Director Tackey that you need to rest some more.” Yamashita tried to influence her to go back.
“That won’t be necessary Pi. I was the one who called for this meeting.” And I just happen to use Director Tackey’s email account. She decided to omit the last sentence.
“Eh? What for?” came Tegoshi’s equally dazed reply.
She beamed at them. “Two things. First of all, to thank everyone for their concern and support.”
“In that case, I shouldn’t be here. I vaguely remember that I happen to do neither of that for you.” Ryo snapped.
She smiled sweetly at him. “You are such a liar Ryo. I have proof that just like the rest of the team, you have been helping out with my documentations while I was in the hospital.”
Ryo looked pale.
“He… He did that?” Shige asked bewilderedly.
“Ne, Ryo is so kind!” Massu declared.
“I am not. You are the one who’s lying.” Ryo pointed out to Lia as his cheeks started to grow red.
“Ah Nishikido-kun. You seem to forget that there is such a thing as security cameras.” Lia replied with a huge grin on her face. She enjoyed seeing Ryo cornered.
Ryo opened his mouth to comment. Then closed it again. At least he knew when to give up.
“Fine. So I’m helping out. Happy now?”
“I am. Very much so. Is it safe to assume that you don’t hate me then?”
“Whoever said I hate you?” He scowled.
How dainty of Ryo to answer a question with another question.
“Oh, wild guess? Probably since you almost tried to rip her head off when you found out she slapped your beloved idol?” Shige quipped in.
“I wasn’t going to rip her head off! I was furious, yes. But I’m not such a monster as to hurt a girl.” Ryo pointed out. She would have never thought that Ryo has a gallant side.
“Which brings us to my next objective. Why are you so angry Ryo?” Lia interrupted.
Ryo was silent.
“Yeah, now that I think about it, if you were really mad with Lia, you wouldn’t be working overtime to help her out. You’re not the type to forgive easily Ryo-tan. So if it’s not Lia-chan you’re infuriated with, then who?” Tegoshi said, finally putting the pieces together.
“Obviously, me.” Shige said matter-of-factly.
Ryo looked at him with his furrowed brows.
“As much as I would like to see you deprived of hair gel for the rest of your pathetic life, I don’t hate you. You are a waste of energy hating.” Wow, talk about ferocity.
“It’s us then?! Could you be angry with us? Whatever happens to our member ai?” Koyama looked distraught and on the verge of crying.
Ryo groaned.
“Stop it! I don’t hate anyone in the group! Not Lia. Not Shige. No one else but me!” Ryo blurted out in defiance.
Silence.
“You hate yourself? W-Why?” Massu’s scratched the back of his head in utter confusion.
He kept silent.
“Can you just trust us enough to know that we’ll listen?!” Yamashita coaxed his friend.
Ryo sighed and bowed his head.
A good ten seconds passed before he opened his mouth to speak, all eyes fixed on him.
“I’ve been a jerk.”
Lia fought the reflex to nod her head in agreement. From her peripheral vision, she could see that she wasn’t the only one who struggled.
“And stupid.”
This time it killed her to keep a straight face. She bit her lower lip hard to ensure that she wouldn’t ruin the moment by laughing out loud.
Can Ryo be more right with his conclusions or what?
“Go on. Tell us why you think that way.” Tegoshi pushed on. He was obviously used to this whole sharing thing.
“Leah’s pregnant.”
Shige choked on air. Kei choked on his spit.
Ryo’s going to be a dad?
“And I’m not the father.”
Massu’s eyes bulged out. Yamashita’s mouth fell to the floor.
“And she got married on the tenth.”
Tegoshi and Lia shrieked ‘Huh?’ in perfect unison.
“Yeah. I know. I’m a loser.” Ryo concluded as he buried his face to his hands.
No one knew that he was that deep in s***hole.
Likewise, no one also knew how to react. Are they supposed to console him? Pity him? No, Ryo would get more distressed if we did. Cheer him up? Hey Ryo, don’t be too sad. At least you don’t have to marry her. Wrong thing to say. Definitely wrong.
“That bitch…” Lia said aloud. She clasped her mouth as she realized she blurted out her thoughts.
Ryo managed a chuckle. Then a laugh.
“Right-on!” He grinned.
With this, the tension in the room fizzled out. The other members laughed heartily with their broken-hearted-ego-stepped-on friend.
“Who wants to drink? My treat.” Yamashita declared that lightened the mood even more.
“I’m in!” came the ecstatic voices of everyone else in the room.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
“Minna, s-su-suki desu.” Shige admitted his undying love for the team. His tears unstoppable from the strength of his emotion.
Lia laughed with the rest of the gang as she made a mental note to blackmail Shige with it the next morning.
“Baka! You should not profess love so quickly!” Drunken Ryo told Shige (more likely to himself). Displacement anyone?
“Look! The dumplings are shaped like a fork!” Massu squealed in delight.
Kei brought the small plate nearer to his nose for inspection. “These are chicken feet. Hick. Not dumplings. Hick.” At least he got that right.
“Who cares what they are? They all end up in the same stomach anyways!” the pink-faced Tegoshi concluded.
They were that intoxicated that they spill out crazy nonsense by the minute. She smiled as she watched Ryo and Shige banter about anything comprehensible. Massu continued to make weird observations, which Kei answered in a weirder fashion. Tegoshi would end up making everyone agree with his crazy notions.
It was Yamashita who looked nearest to being sobered up. His alcohol tolerance deemed higher than anyone else. “You. How did you know all this?” He pointed towards the five men getting noisier with alcohol.
She smiled at the scene before her - everyone looking silly in their intoxicated state. Everything was now back to normal. The misunderstanding long forgotten.
She could tell Yamapi the long list of juniors she had promised to give their choice assignments. Or the security breach she just had to do. But she wouldn’t want to break the mood. Instead she imitated his signature wink and said, “Well Pi…”
“…I have connections.”
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A/N: You have every right to be furious at me for making this cliffhanger, well, hang for a looong time. (In all fairness, I did make this a long update^^)
But hopefully, you’d understand. I have been through hell and back these past few weeks. I have even pondered to stop writing. But I know my greatest supporter wouldn’t approve of it. So here I am, struggling to make myself stronger and make her proud.
I’m in dire need of love. You know how to make me feel better. ^_^