"Whaaaaaaat?!"

Hiroshi Nakano had to wrench his mobile phone away from his ear. Clearly, his best friend was upset. He could sense the beginnings of a tantrum from the other end.

He was outside, at his apartment's veranda, appreciating the view as he talked to his friend. It was really quiet tonight, he mused.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Shuuichi Shindou cried.

"Calm down, Shuuichi. It's just..." Hiro paused, trying to look for appropriate words. He leaned against the wall. "It's just that I needed time to compose myself before telling you."

"But a month Hiro? You needed a month before telling me that you and Ayaka broke up?" Shuuichi pointed out. "I feel so useless as a friend." He sobbed.

"And you're starting to sound like Sakano-san, too." Hiro could almost see the crocodile tears that he smiled. Actually, he was planning to tell Shuuichi the day before his pink-haired friend and Eiri Yuki head for Mexico. But when Bad Luck's vocalist came in the studio that day wearing a Mexican hat and maracas in each hand, announcing that he would take two-week leave, he decided not to spoil Shuuichi's day. The picture was perfect with K threatening Shuuichi with his gun, Sakano wheezing in the background and Suguru Fujisaki complaining about slacking that he decided to tell them that he was taking some time off as well.

K pulled out his other gun and pointed it at him. Their producer fainted. Suguru's jaw dropped. Shuuichi beamed.

"I'd come to realize that I was being stupid a month ago but I couldn't accept it back then. And now that I finally have accepted that fact, it doesn't hurt anymore. Even if it took me a month to tell you, at least it doesn't hurt anymore." And it didn't. Never expected it wouldn't. He was rather glad.

It was the way she said goodbye over the phone that made him see the truth of their relationship. He was immobilized; his brain halted its activities for a few days, trying to comprehend his current situation. When his mind did finally function, it was only then that the frustrations flowed, the veil of shock lifting and anger settling in. He was so angry that he did not make any form of contact with Ayaka. And when she did one soft goodbye and it was over. He buried himself to work, busied himself by giving advice to Shuuichi and put up with their manager's "promotions".

But in all those times he knew that he would not be able to talk about the end of his relationship without breaking down.

Surprisingly, he felt somewhat stronger now. He could admit it out loud. But it was so damn quiet.

Shuuichi quieted down on the other line.

"Ayaka couldn't have loved me, you see." Hiro continued. "She's still hook on Yuki." It amazed him that he could say it now. A month to accept...did he really love her? Or maybe he didn't love her enough after all.

"That is what I'm afraid of." Shuuichi said tearfully.

Hiro's eyebrow twitched. "Oh, so that's it, eh? You were just pretending to be sympathetic because you're afraid that Ayaka will bug you!" he accused.

"You jerk! I wasn't pretending! Hiro, you're so mean!" And Shuuichi cried all over again.

Hiro sighed and let him.

"Really, Hiro, are you ok now?" Shuuichi asked seriously after the sobs had subsided.

The brown-haired guitarist was about to say an automatic "yes" but stopped momentarily. He knew his best friend wanted him to be truthful. It was the least he could do for him since he kept him in the dark for so long.

And it was just so quiet tonight.

Surprisingly, the answer he gave his best friend was the one that he would have given earlier. "Yes, Shuuichi. I'm fine."

Silence greeted him, as if the vocalist was trying to digest his statement. "So what are you going to do on your leave?" he asked after probably deciding that his friend's answer was satisfactory.

Hiro thought about it. "I'm going back to my parents' house."

* * *

"Hello?" Maiko Shindou answered the phone absently. She was sitting on the couch, studying the schematic diagram that their teacher handed earlier.

"Maiko~!" came an overly genki voice.

"Oniisan." Maiko smiled, the schematic diagram fell on the space beside her, forgotten. "How's Mexico? Or maybe you didn't have time to check things out?"

"You...you..." Shuuichi paused. "Actually, Mexico's fine. We did go sight-seeing if that's what you're trying to ask."

"Don't forget the dress!"

"Of course! I've bought myself one of those dresses too!"

Maiko could imagine her older brother wearing a huge smile with the word "genki" plastered behind him. She sweatdropped. "I don't think you should make cross-dressing a habit, Oniisan."

"Why not?" came the indignant reply.

More sweatdrops.

They talked more-about Maiko's position in the student council, Yuki, the project she was doing for her physics class, Yuki, songs and more about Yuki.

Maiko didn't think that she would drown with too much information about her favorite author. That was before. Nevertheless, she didn't stop her brother.

"Ne, Maiko, I want to ask you something. Let's say...let's say, well hypothetically," Shuuichi emphasized. "There's this guy who has a friend who told him that he broke up with his girlfriend. And that it has been a month since they broke up. Well, Guy no. 1 was saddened, you know because why didn't Guy no. 2 tell any sooner? Guy no. 2 assures Guy no. 1 that he is all right and Guy no. 1 believed him because he sounded sincere but it seem that there's something amiss. More importantly, Guy no. 1 doesn't know what kind of advice he should give to Guy no. 2 because it's always been the other way around, you know? What do you think should Guy no. 1 say?"

Maiko bit her lower lip, seeing things clearly, immediately. Her perception had always been accurate. Hiro broke up with his girlfriend? Even though she always fought with Hiro and she still thought it was improper for him to pay her brother a visit no matter how late it was, she felt sorry for the guy. He didn't deserve something like that, she believed.

Because no matter how she had denied it on the outside, she actually liked Hiroshi Nakano. She even considered him as a somewhat adopted older brother. With Hiro always hanging around their house, why wouldn't she? It didn't matter what she told her friends--she really thought Hiro was actually cool, putting up with her brother for the longest time and protecting him in ways she couldn't. And maybe, she reluctantly admitted to herself, she liked him more than she let on.

But he was Shuuichi-niisan's best friend. She punctuated the statement with a period. Things should not go beyond that.

Other than that, Maiko was fairly convinced that Hiro would be a suitable boyfriend to any girl. And now, somebody actually let him go.

"I suppose I would say that guy no. 2 should get out often or do things he likes to do before. Maybe start a new habit and go out with friends. I'm not saying this just to forget the girl but it's a matter of getting back all those personal times that he lost during the relationship. Eventually, he'll feel ready again." That sounded weird. Funny, it didn't sound weird in paperback.

"Oh. Thanks, sis."

Maiko could feel her brother's smile despite how far apart they really were.

"You know, Hiro's going to spend his vacation at his parents' house."

* * *

Hiro gave the phone one last weird look as he placed the receiver down. He shrugged and went back to the script that he was reading before he answered the call.

"That was Shuuichi, right?" Yuuzi Nakano walked down the stairs. He was wearing his trademark smile. "What did he say?"

"He told me to go out." Hiro replied in monotone, eyes scanning the current page. He briefly wondered where his best friend got the idea. He hoped he didn't discuss this with his lover. And then, there was a hand blocking the page he was reading. He looked up.

"So why don't you?" his elder brother asked, still smiling. He took the script out of Hiro's hand. "It's so quiet here that I think you're starting to get bored! Why waste your leave? You've already spoiled your morning, why do the same with your afternoon? Go out and have fun!"

"Oniisan, you just got a break. And I really want to help you with this, see?" That was true. But he had to admit that it was so quiet that it was starting to annoy him.

"Nonsense!" Yuuzi waved off his younger brother's reason. "Lying there and pretending to be dead isn't hard to practice! I only have one line and then I get to be killed. Piece of cake!"

Hiro shook his head, his lips twitching. Optimistic as ever. "Have you ever seen a smiling murdered guy?"

Yuuzi pondered for a while. "No. But I've had practiced before and still have plenty of time to while you have barely enough time for leisure." He placed a hand on Hiro's shoulder and spun him around. Hands poised at the back, he started to push his younger brother along the hallway until finally reaching the door. "So go out now! You've already holed yourself in here for five days. I'm sure that nice girl from next door won't mind accompanying you."

Next door? Hiro started to panic. "Maiko? But that's Shuuichi's little sister!"

"So?"

And he was pushed out of the door.

* * *

Maiko couldn't help but smile.

She was on her way home from school, from another productive day. She smiled, knowing her older brother would have groaned if she speak her thoughts. But if he did, she would have let the reaction pass--she was in a very good mood. Her right hand was clutching her school bag while on the other was a paper bag containing her precious regulated power supply, still unassembled but components already mounted on the board. And it took her five days to mount them.

The PCB she used was about two by three inches and it was a pain to drill holes (usually in millimeters in diameter) in it considering she used a manual drill. Etching was also quite difficult due to fact that she had to make sure that the paths she had created would not cross otherwise the whole thing might be short-circuited. But the most laborious process for Maiko would be soldering the components. She wasn't in "good terms" with the soldering iron.

She remembered darkly how her hair was almost burned by the soldering iron, the hole on one of her plastic boxes when it slipped out of her grip and the somewhat endless cycle of soldering and de-soldering the components.

But it didn't matter to her now! I don't have to deal with the soldering iron again!, And Maiko was smiling again.

Raising her paper bag to take a peek at her project, she discovered that there was a hole at the bottom of the bag. She paused from walking to check her things. Relief flooded in when she saw that the chassis and her toolbox were still there. One beat later, she realized something.

Her PCB wasn't inside the toolbox.

Maiko could feel the world ending, having been faced with the reality of repeating the whole mounting process again. But surely, it had been most probably dropped somewhere along the path she had taken. Hell, she was even prepared to trace her way back to the school just to find the missing board.

When she turned back, she saw a figure approaching her. From where she was standing, she could tell that despite the long brown hair, it was a guy. She recognized him.

It was Hiro.

She looked down on the path, remembering her lost PCB.

And then, she saw red.

* * *

Hiro was bored. Nothing interesting came across him today that he decided to go home. But he knew that when he did get home, he would get restless and would probably start bugging his older brother again.

He sighed. Nothing caught his attention anymore. It was annoyingly quiet that sometimes he thought that he wasn't breathing anymore. He even exhausted himself thinking hard about nothing of importance, staying up late for his amusement. It was odd, to say the least. Exhausting himself with brooding so he wouldn't think much in his sleep. Even so when he woke up the next morning the stillness would be there to greet him.

He wanted to shout madly in the middle of the street just for the fun of it. He wondered briefly how he could do that without subjecting himself to humiliation. But he let the thought pass. He went home instead.

When he started walking, the course was mostly empty. So when he felt another presence near him, he had to focus his vision.

It was a girl, light brown hair in pigtails, wearing that sailor uniform from his old high school. And she was looking at him, too.

Wait. It was just Maiko.

He hurried his pace, intending to catch up with her. A step and he heard a crack. Like there was something broken. He saw Maiko's face darken. Before he could even contemplate as to why her mood suddenly changed, she screeched.

"Hiroshi Nakano, you idiot! You completely destroyed my board!!"

Then, there was that look on her face like she was about to do something...drastic. And Hiro knew he was in for it.

Maiko threw things at him, randomly. The first one to hit him was, he recognized, a soldering iron.

So much for being quiet.

* * *

"Ne, what are you still doing here, Hiro? You've already done your part." Maiko pointed out, one Saturday afternoon. They were in the living room, sitting on the couch. The regulated power supply was on the floor, plugged, ready to be used. When Hiro accidentally stepped on her board, she made him produce her another one, echoing her design. Hiro readily agreed saying something along the lines "nothing to do anyway". Ever since then, he had been a constant presence in the Shindou household.

To Maiko's amazement, Hiro finished making the PCB in just a day. He explained that they had some sort of project that resembled hers before. "I had practice, you see. I did the soldering part on Shuuichi's project too." was all he said and Maiko already understood.

But Hiro did not only stay for the soldering. He helped with the assembling and the troubleshooting as well. He just didn't mind. Sometimes, Hiro did not only visit to help her with the project. When he didn't feel like working or when he felt that he had done enough, he would drag her out of the house, telling her that the student council had other sets of officers and homework could wait and they would eat ice cream or watch a movie. Last night, he took her to see his older brother Yuuzi's opening night. Both agreed that Yuuzi did look good, lying there "murdered" and unsmiling. They told him that and they meant well.

Although their days together were fairly decorated by ice cream and popcorn, they were mostly made up with dialogues. Their conversations would range from something trivial to something profound. Time would stretch without their knowing and sometimes, Maiko had to push Hiro out of the door because it was unreasonably late. Hiro was bright and she found it most pleasing that he could talk to her in the same level. Most of the boys or girls from her class couldn't cope up with her that it delighted her to finally find someone who could counter her.

Still, Maiko didn't think it was fair that she let Hiro do most of the work on her project. Sometimes, she would drive him away so she could finally work on her own. Every time she opened the door and found Hiro on the other side, she would say, "What are you still doing here, Hiro? You've already done your part."

And Hiro would reply, "I don't have anything to do."

Maiko knew the answer would be the same for this afternoon.

"Testing the power supply is rather crucial. It's when you see if your work has paid off." Hiro explained. "Besides, I don't have anything to do."

Maiko smiled thinly. Just as she had expected. She tucked in a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Her usual pigtails were gone. She wore her hair down more often than before. She found that she rather liked it down. Hiro liked it down, too. "It's my project, Hiro. I think I have a claim on that."

Hiro frowned, feigning hurt. "How can you say that? I'm even willing to sacrifice my electric guitar for your testing purposes." And he brought out the said guitar. Instead of plugging it to its adapter like he would usually do, he plugged it to Maiko's regulated power supply. He faced her, one hand on the switch, his face serious. "Are you ready?"

Maiko wanted to hide. She was scared of what might the outcome be. When she was doing the design on the PCB, she hadn't counted on the percentage that the whole experiment may lead to a doom. But what came out of her mouth was, "If your guitar will be damaged, I won't take any of the blame."

"It's your design." Hiro reminded her.

Maiko swallowed hard.

Hiro turned on the regulator. The indicator lighted up, telling them that the device was ready for use.

Maiko shut her eyes tightly and waited for the electric guitar to blow up but it didn't come. It worked. The corners of her mouth twitched when she didn't hear any sound relative to damage. Instead, she heard Hiro playing. It was a new tune to her, definitely not one of Bud Luck' s songs. Or maybe not yet. And then, the melody stopped.

She opened her eyes and turned them to the guitarist, questioning. "Why did you stop?"

Hiro looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "It's been quite a while since I could hear tunes in my head. It was so quiet inside. I'm just surprised that I can hear them now."

Judging from the contemplative look he had on his face, Maiko knew he was telling her something. Hiro had a way with words, describing his thoughts in a quite confusing manner. Subtlety, Maiko pronounced. If Hiro told her brother what she had been told, he would have said "Huh?" and Hiro would have to explain. But Maiko was perceptive enough. She may not know everything but she knew well enough to counter, "Just because everything is quiet inside doesn't mean everything's ok. It's quiet because it's empty." She smiled. "But I'm glad that you can hear your music again. I'm glad that you've finally broken the silence."

Hiro seemed to be stunned and Maiko wasn't at all surprised. They never talked this way before and during the time when they did not hang out with each other, they just didn't care to.

"Shuuichi told you about Ayaka, didn't he?" It appeared that Hiro was perceptive as well.

"Technically." Maiko edged.

"And you're the one who told him to tell me to go out."

"Well, yes." She admitted.

"And where did you get the idea?"

"Eiri Yuki. In one of his books."

To Maiko's horror, Hiro laughed. He laughed so hard that he had to embrace his guitar close to his chest to keep it form falling. "Yuki? I didn't know that the guy even has an ounce of sympathy in him. And I was scared out of my wits when Shuuichi told me that advice, thinking it came from Yuki."

It took a huge effort for Maiko to restrain herself from snatching the guitar away from Hiro and pounding his head with it. Instead, she said, "So I got it from him. But does it really matter to you? You're not doing it. You preferred to be stuck with your best friend's little sister, helping out in a high school project instead of going out with your friends."

Hiro stopped laughing all of a sudden. He was looking at her intently. For a moment, Maiko thought if she got him angry. Maybe whacking his head was better after all.

And then, Hiro spoke, his voice gentle and there was a smile on his lips. "But you are not just my best friend's little sister, Maiko. You're also my friend."

Maiko just had to smile back.

* * *

"A new song, perhaps?"

Hiro looked up from his guitar and saw Suguru stooped slightly as he was sitting, smiling hopefully. It seemed that he wanted Hiro to say yes. "Yes, I think." he responded.

Bad Luck's keyboardist walked towards his synthesizer and struck the chords Hiro was playing earlier. It appeared that he was studying the guitarist's hand as he played. "I think I could do something for the arrangements. When Shindou-san arrives, he can deal with the lyrics." And the youngest member of Bad Luck proceeded to work, trying out mixes that would best suit the song.

Hiro shook his head. Trust the kid to work immediately. He bet Fujisaki was itching to work while they were given a break. Sometimes, he thought the keyboardist worked too much. Why, it seemed that he was more workaholic than he and Shuuichi were combined.

"So I trust that you had a wonderful vacation?" Sakano was at the table together with Bad Luck's manager, sipping tea. K was polishing his magnum.

Hiro thought about his leave and how he had spent it. At that time when he had asked for a vacation, he meant to save his best friend's ass. He expected to sulk for two weeks. Contrary to what he had anticipated, he had quite a time. In a weird sense, he was so happy that he had stepped on Maiko's PCB that day. The memory brought a smile to his lips. Bad Luck's producer seemed to take it as a confirmation.

"Good. And I'm sure Shindou-kun did as well." Cascades of tears fell from his eyes. "But even if you did, that doesn't excuse us from our deadlines. And now we're running out of time." Sakano started to hyperventilate.

K regarded him. "You just worry too much. They can patch up for the loss time, you see." He inspected his gun with a critical eye. There was something in his clam voice as if to say, "I have a plan."

Hiro frowned. And he had been entertaining thoughts of surprising Maiko by appearing at the school gates and dragging her for ice cream. If he excused himself to leave early, that would mean an encounter with the magnum. But he would try. He didn't have to leave that early. Maiko still had that student council meeting and he knew that Shuuichi surely protest if they kept him from having dinner with his lover. Unless the novelist told him to work day and night which Hiro hoped Yuki wouldn't do.

"Laliho!"

The keyboardist stopped playing. Hiro glanced at the door.

Shuuichi burst in, bags in each hand.

There was a raspy "Shindou-kun, please work now." before the producer collapsed, head on the table causing his tea to spill.

"Not to worry, Sakano-san! There is nothing that this genius cannot do!" Shuuichi followed his statement with a maniacal laughter. The bags had been dropped as he placed his hands on his hips.

Hiro sweatdropped.

"If that were true, Shindou-san then maybe we should start working now. We have deadlines to meet after all." Suguru said dryly.

Shuuichi shook his index finger at the youngest member of the band. "You're so mean, Fujisaki. Be thankful I am cheerful today. Anyway, why do always pressure yourself? I mean you're just sixteen and you're acting like K, old and grumpy and demanding all the time--"

A bullet narrowly missed the pink-haired teen's ear.

"I mean you act so old and grumpy and demanding like other older people." Shuuichi rephrased, sensing that his life was in danger. "And to think that I even bought you a present!"

"Ehhh?"

Bad Luck's vocalist grabbed one of the bags and spun around the room, handing everyone the things he brought back from his trip.

Hiro found an over-sized Mexican hat on his head. He had to keep on pushing it up lest it would block his line of sight.

Shuuichi reached for something in his backpack. "Here!" he said, trusting sheets of paper to their manager. "I had such a nice time I couldn't help but write."

Hiro just had to smirk. "Looks like you had a lot in the past two weeks."

Shuuichi turned red. "Hiro! How could you talk like that? There's a kid here!" His violet eyes glanced cautiously at green-haired teen.

The "kid" pretended not to hear anything.

"And besides, I really had a wonderful time." Shuuichi said, a little defensive. "Especially during that time when Yuki took me out for dinner in that cool restaurant. They were just like pampering us, you know? Yuki was getting suspicious, thinking that it was a set up. I told him he's just being paranoid."

Hiro swore that that was a definite gleam in K's eyes. He had an idea why K was so calm despite the fact that they were really running out of time. But he pushed down his suspicion and noticed an unopened bag. It was bigger. "Ne, Shuuichi. To whom are you going to give those?"

"Hmm?" His best friend followed his gaze. "Oh! Those are for Maiko."

"Ok!" K said in English. "That's enough. Bad Luck, it's time to make another hit!"

Despite the fact that he answered an enthusiastic "Hai!" along with the others, Hiro couldn't help but be disturbed by the size of the bag.

But it was months later when he found out why.

Hiro was waiting for Maiko that day, leaning against his motorcycle, just outside the school gates. He fortunately remembered to bring his sunglasses. The last time he had waited for Maiko he was practically ambushed.

"Excuse me, aren't you Hiroshi Nakano from Bad Luck? Can I have your autograph?"

Hiro looked ready to bolt when he discovered that it was just Maiko. She was suppressing her giggle. And she was not trying very hard. "You...you're so ungrateful. After making me wait here longer than the usual this is how you repay me?"

"Sorry." This time, Maiko did manage to sound and look apologetic. "I didn't think that the council meeting would be held that long."

Hiro smiled and handed her the extra helmet. He watched her as she put it on.

"Congratulations, by the way."

Hiro blinked. "What for?" he asked as he climbed onto his bike. He felt Maiko sat behind him.

"For making another hit."

Hiro chuckled. "Maiko, the single isn't even out. How can you be so sure that it will top the charts?" For some reason, he stiffened as he felt Maiko's arm encircle his waist. He forced himself to relax.

"I just do." She was speaking softly, just beside his ear. "I believe in Oniisan. I believe in you. You needn't to be forced or to be asked to do so, see. It's just..." she paused to look for an appropriate term. "Natural."

It was just a simple statement, an encouragement. But Hiro was more than touched. Had anyone expressed this kind of naked trust to him before? And he surprised himself. He believed her.

He thought of that bag Shuuichi brought to NG that day when he came back from his trip and all the items inside that his friend marked for his sister. He had forgotten how close the two were and before, he didn't mind that at all. But now that he was falling for his best friend's little sister, he could only think of one thing.

Shuuichi is going to kill me.

* * *

There had been no other option. It was Saturday and naturally, the movie houses were packed. If it weren't for the fact that they had been waiting for this movie's release for almost a month, they wouldn't opt to watch the last full show. This time was Hiro's only break this week and Maiko did not want to watch it alone.

Maiko was leaning against Hiro's motorbike, which was under a light post. The movie house was just a few blocks away and the last full show would start after thirty minutes. Maiko eyed her empty soda can, which was whisked away by Hiro. She frowned as she watched her friend toss the cans into the trash bin nearby.

Hiro was in a rather contemplative mood this week.

She wondered if there was something troubling him. It felt like he did and he didn't want to tell. Her frown deepened. What was that about her being his friend as well again? "I'll show you, Hiroshi Nakano." she muttered, determined.

Hiro was nearing now and there was that determined look on his face as well. Maiko thought he was finally going to tell her whatever it was that was disturbing him. He placed his left hand beside her, on the bike's seat while the other was on the handle, loosely trapping her. He was a little close, Maiko decided, with him leaning like that and his eyes leveling hers. She thought she was handling it cool. But she couldn't, for the life of her, prepare for what Hiro said.

"Have you noticed, Maiko? It is the current that carries electrons to the load but it is the voltage that pushes the current to do so. However, the voltage will not exist if not for the current." Hiro said meaningfully, seriously. He was closer than Maiko thought he was.

Maiko chewed her lip in an uncharacteristic manner, thinking about the statement. "Co-relation. Co-existence." she had grounded out. With Hiro, no matter how simple or how technical he gets, there would always be something hidden subtlety behind the words. It was overwhelming and though she had an idea of what was about to be said next, she didn't want to assume. Sometimes, she hated being so perceptive. Why couldn't she be dense for once? Maybe if she didn't get it, Hiro would loose his nerve and forget the whole thing. She was frightened of what could happen next, of threatening her older brother's friendship with Hiro, of ruining her new friendship with him...

And yet there was this compelling force that told her to let things be, to let everything fall into place. Something akin to...

Gravity.

It was only then that she understood her brother's song not so long ago when Bad Luck first performed in Pelshana. She had always thought that the lyrics were good, kind of poetic in a sense but never got her brother's message across.

And now, it was finally happening to her.

So she clamped her mouth shut, preparing herself, letting Hiro's gravity pull her deeper.

"Over these past few months I spent most of my time with you, Maiko." Hiro paused. Catching a lock of light brown hair with his right hand, he tucked it carefully behind Maiko's ear. The hand rested on her left cheek. "Spent so much time that I wouldn't want to do things anymore without you by my side."

And there it was. Co-relation. Co-existence. It was a confession despite its subtlety. Her heart was beating rapidly that for a moment, she thought foolishly that she was going to have a cardiac arrest. But she didn't. Maiko just had to smile.

"I see." Her words fell into a whisper--Hiro was so close now. "That wasn't put graciously."

Hiro echoed her smile. He touched his forehead on hers. "I like you."

"I like you."

And then, he was kissing her softly.

* * *

Shuuichi was very happy today. Why, K gave them a day-off! Without being coerced to! He grinned. But it isn't fair, he thought, his grin disappearing. He knew K cancelled work today because his wife and son were here to visit. When he called his best friend, thinking they could hang out but Hiro declined.

"I'm going out with my girlfriend." was all he said when Shuuichi asked for an explanation.

For a moment he thought that the guitarist was kidding him and when Hiro assured him that he wasn't, he demanded to know who she was. This was the second time Hiro had been keeping secrets from him, dammit. Why did he have to be secretive about it?

"Maybe it's a dangerous secret?" Shuuichi wondered.

But Hiro said, "You'll find out soon enough."

After two hours of harassing Hiro over the phone, Shuuichi finally gave up, muttering that it wasn't fair that both Hiro and K had dates while he was stuck home with...

Yuki. Shuuichi's lips curved into that annoyingly broad smile as he tiptoed towards Yuki's office, intending to surprise his favorite author (though he hadn't read any of his lover's works) when the man came out, telling him to go shopping. Shuuichi pouted. It didn't work.

And so, here he was inside the grocery with a cart and his shopping list as his companions. He sighed heavily. But then, Yuki did say something about having time for him later. At the next beat, Shuuichi was smiling again.

"Let's see...what have I missed?" Shuuichi checked the items in his cart and his list. Everything was there including his usual supply of strawberry pocky even though that one wasn't on the list Eiri gave him. "Okay! Everything's all set!" he said as he pushed his cart towards the counter. While paying, he thought he saw Maiko. He looked harder. It was Maiko minus her trademark pigtails. He could recognize his sister, all right but he was caught off guard due to the way she wore her hair. He raised a brow, wondering what had made his sister change her hairstyle.

He craned his neck while absently handing his payment, trying to see the answer to his question. She was with a boy. Shuuichi did a double take. It wasn't just a boy--that was Hiroshi Nakano! From the way their shoulders were closely pressed, he could tell that their hands were entwined. And they were laughing, too, sharing something special together.

A million emotions washed over Shuuichi that he didn't know where to start. He didn't hear the cashier say "Thank you, come again." nor did he feel himself walk out of the store. He mindlessly retraced his path back to Yuki's house with only a confirmation in his head.

It was a dangerous secret.

And when he passed by a Bad Luck poster, he looked at Hiro's picture accusingly, one finger leveled at the guitarist.

"Hiro, you sister-stealing, child molester!"

* * *

"Hiroshi Nakano, you idiot!"

Hiro winced, rubbed his cheek gingerly. This was the second time that a Shindou branded him that.

They were in the conference room, their session was ended abruptly. Shuuichi was angry for a reason Hiro didn't yet know--but he knew that it was directed towards him judging from the number of yells and the punch he received from his friend the minute the vocalist walked in the studio--that they all knew they were going nowhere. Suguru stormed out, saying he couldn't work under these conditions and Sakano followed him, frantic. K ushered them into this room telling (more of like forcing) them to talk. As Hiro regarded the close door, he knew that K was listening to their conversation with that eavesdropping device of his. But with Shuuichi yelling his ears off, K didn't have the need for the said apparatus.

"When I said go out more often, I didn't mean with my sister!" Shuuichi slammed his hands on the table so hard that Hiro almost jumped out of his seat. "I thought I could trust you, Hiro. I thought you consider Maiko as a sister. But I definitely misunderstood everything. And not only that-you tried to keep it a secret from me! She's just a kid, Hiro. And that makes her an easy target. You've just been over a relationship, Hiro. Or have you forgotten?"

Anger brewed inside him. He could not believe that this was his best friend talking. Hiro knew that he had been at fault...but this was the exact reason why he had tried to keep it a secret for a while. "How could you just assume that I'm going to do to Maiko what Ayaka did to me? How could you belittle my feelings, Shuuichi? When I meant well." He rose, looking down at Shuuichi, trying to meet his eye. And in a breath, he confessed. "I'm in love with your sister."

Shuuichi's violet eyes widened and he gasped, obviously shocked with what had been said. For a moment, he didn't say anything and when he finally did, it came out as whisper. "No, you can't be."

"And why not, Shuuichi?" Hiro countered just as softly. "You had gravitated towards Yuki, why can't I towards Maiko?" Seeing that it was pointless to convince Shuuichi of his good intentions for his sister, he stormed out of the room. Predictably, K was on the immediate other side looking thoughtful. Hiro ignored him, wrapped up in his own thoughts.

This was the point that he was afraid to come across.

Hiro had to choose.

* * *

Somehow, Maiko knew that her older brother was aware of her relationship with Hiro. She could tell judging from the urgent voice on the phone saying that he would be coming over to discuss few things. It was inevitable anyway. So better face it now.

When the doorbell rang later that evening, Maiko thought it was Shuuichi. But it was Hiro instead.

There was no "What are you still doing here, Hiro?" this time. And no "I don't have anything to do." reply either.

The air was tense that Maiko thought it was suffocating. Hiro entered but didn't close the door. Somehow, it frightened Maiko.

Hiro was struggling, somehow. Maiko waited, praying for Hiro to just smile and forget about it. For once again, her perception did not fail her.

"Despite the fact that current and voltage co-exist, there is one thing that we missed." Hiro paused. "Resistance is inversely proportional to the current. That under infinite resistance, current would be zero."

"What resistance?" Maiko asked softly, not wanting to believe what she had heard.

As if on cue, Shuuichi appeared by the doorway. He glared at Hiro. Hiro glared back at him.

Nothing was said between them for Hiro choose that moment to leave and this time, he closed the door behind him.

But even if there had been a dialogue, Maiko wouldn't be able to understand yet alone be aware of it. She didn't notice the tears falling from her eyes nor did she feel her older brother's arms around her, trying to soothe her.

All she knew was that the door was already closed. And behind it, was Hiro so far away from her.

* * *

Eiri Yuki looked up from the book he was reading. He was at the end of the L-shaped couch while his lover was at the other end. Shuuichi had been very quiet for days and he didn't know why. He acted like he was in a slump. Not that he minded the newly regained silence in his abode but Eiri noticed that the boy stopped going to work. He would just moped and sulked and frowned a lot, his brows meeting as if he was in deep thought. It had been going on for days that he was surprised that no one from NG or Hiro came to talk to him. But the novelist did not press the issue. If Shuuichi would want to confide, then he would.

He could see Shuuichi inching closer but pretended not to notice. But he did put away the book he had been reading. The vocalist did not pester him for days that he actually managed to do some writing. At least he should show some gratitude. There was a mild disturbance at the back of his head. Something like a snort, mocking him. He pushed it aside when he found Shuuichi's head on his lap. He allowed himself to run his hands over the silky pink hair. Shuuichi sighed like a contented kitten and pressed closer.

"Hiro told me that he's in love with my baby sister."

Eiri's hand stilled for a second and then resumed its activity. It explained why Hiro wasn't here coaxing Shuuichi to return to work. But he didn't expect his lover to have a sister complex of some sort. Then again, Shuuichi always caught him off-guard.

"Maiko seems to be in love with him, too."

"So what seems to be the problem?"

Shuuichi shot up, in a blink of an eye, his hands replacing his head's position earlier. His eyes seemed to be blazing. "That's exactly the problem, Yuki! Can you imagine them acting nauseatingly sweet, holding hands, sharing the same ice cream, kissing and--"

"Doing the same things we do together?" Eiri asked lightly.

"Yuki, you're not helping!" And now, one of Shuuichi's hands was clenching a handful of his shirt. "Anyway, it's like incest, you see. Totally forbidden. Like eating meat when you're supposed to be a vegetarian or crossing the street when the light is red. I mean, isn't there a law that restricts a guy from dating his best friend's sister? And not just that! Maiko's still a kid! That's pedophilia! It's disgusting. Like coke with too much sugar, or ice cream with ketchup instead of hot fudge. Or wearing an orange shirt with maroon polka dots. It' just something abnormal, something really weird, you know? And it's just so out of--"

"I can't wait to hear what you think of our relationship." Eiri would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that he was a little affected by Shuuichi's rants. He willed his voice to sound uncaring, though. The brat didn't have to know.

"But that's different! Yuki, I love you."

"And you said that Hiro loves your sister and she him as well. Or were you just lying?"

Shuuichi fell silent, the hand that was gripping his shirt were loose now and there wasn't any pressure coming from the other hand that was on his thigh. He bowed down, his pink hair blocking his eyes.

Eiri placed a hand on his lover's head. "That's not really it." He didn't have to ask. And when Shuuichi lifted his head up, he saw tears rolling down his cheeks. No, it wasn't like those crocodile tears that he had when he whined or when he just felt helpless. They were tiny trails, coming out of the corners of his eyes, making them look glassy. For this time, Shuuichi was truly crying. Hands automatically went to the cheeks to brush away the tears. Because even though he would not admit it out loud, Eiri truly hate it when Shuuichi cried.

"Yuki," the perfect voice was now cracking with emotions. "My baby sister is growing up and I don't know what to do!" With that, Shuuichi collapsed onto Eiri's chest, sobbing his heart out.

And Eiri let him, offering nothing but his arms around his lover.

* * *

It wasn't like Hiro at all to skip work for several days. That was Shuuichi. But he just lost two important people and it felt like the world was coming to an end. Instead of holing in his apartment, he went to his parents' house. It would take time for K to locate it with Shuuichi refusing to talk about him. So here he was, in his bedroom, waiting by the window for his occasional glimpse of Maiko. She would be angry if she knew, that was definite. She was all logic, after all. She would probably berate him for throwing away everything for a momentary view of a girl. But not just any girl, he found himself correcting his earlier thought, she was Maiko.

Hiro smiled ruefully. So it still came down to Maiko. Before he didn't understand Shuuichi's obsession with Yuki. And now that he was feeling similar stirrings towards Maiko, he knew that it was not obsession at all. It never was. It was just a crazy feeling that everything was not right without her.

Everything was quiet here albeit a little out of place. Hiro was thankful that K seemed to have decided not to interfere with his problem. The last thing he needed was K's help.

He tore away his eyes from the window to look at his clock. Maiko was supposed to come home an hour ago but he still couldn't sight her walking along the walkway.

"If you're looking for Maiko, she'll be coming home late. The student council meeting is taking an hour longer than the usual." It was Shuuichi, entering his room. "Yuuzi told me to come up here."

Hiro just nodded, still unsure of the purpose Shuuichi's visit. He watched as he sat on his bed, opposite to him, to the window. He kept quiet, though. His intentions would still stand the same and it was Shuuichi who had to accept that.

"I thought about what you've said, Hiro and well...it's still shocking! I mean, you and Maiko...who would've thought?" Shuuichi chuckled a little at that and Hiro found himself smiling, too. "And so, my first reaction was due to the unnerving news. However, when I denied you the chance to prove yourself that was because..." The vocalist bit his lower lip and kept on blinking his large eyes as if to hide the evidence that he was about to cry. "That was because I thought you were stealing her away from me. We've always been close, you see. And I've always thought that I would be the only guy in her life.

"So when you said that you're in love with her, I thought, who are you to take her away so suddenly? Who are you to take care of her?"

Hiro sucked in his breath. He never thought that Shuuichi felt that way. And he had been selfish when he accused his friend of ridiculing his feelings. To Shuuichi, he wouldn't be the only guy in his sister's life anymore. He should have had thought first that that was difficult to admit.

"But Hiro, I'm a jerk! You've always taken care of me. Why did I ever think that you couldn't do the same to Maiko?" This time, Shuuichi did not restrain the tears. "I've always thought I could take care of my little sister but I keep forgetting that Maiko isn't so little anymore. That maybe she doesn't need her Oniisan's care anymore or not the way she used to. She's a lady, Hiro and she needs another guy's care that isn't from her older brother. And I think she chose you."

Hiro's lips formed into a smile. It was his first smile since that fight. He watched as his best friend approach him and when he felt a tug on his wrist, he allowed himself to be pulled and be pushed out of the door.

"So I think you should go and get Maiko from school because it's going to get dark soon." This was said with a smile.

"Thank you. You won't regret it." Hiro more of like promised himself rather than Shuuichi.

"Make sure that I won't! Or you wouldn't be able to recognize your face anymore." And there was that familiar laughter in Shuuichi's voice again.

Hiro knew everything would be all right after all.

* * *

Days seemed long for Maiko. She sighed heavily. Everything was in disarray. Council meeting was pretty much useless--she didn't understand a thing. She attended because it was a sensible thing to do. She attended her classes too out of obligation and got out of the classroom without absorbing a thing. When she thought about it, she didn't quite understand a lot of things these past few days. Including Hiro.

She knew that Hiro was home. She had seen him glance from his bedroom window. But she couldn't understand that despite the fact that he kept on looking at her, he didn't approach her. Like it was her due to approach him.

Walking out of the school gates, she allowed her mind to drift back to Hiro's last statement. It seemed that he was telling her something but that was just it. It just seemed that he was telling her something. Just an inkling. But she had not acted upon her intuition before, not in serious matters. And now was definitely not the time to practice.

It was a pity. Her perception chose this time to desert her as well.

Maiko sighed. And then, she spotted a tall man who seemed to be foreign. His long blond hair was tied up and he was wearing a gun holster and yes, there was gun in it. He seemed to be waiting for her too. She suddenly became afraid. But he looked like Bad Luck's manager.

As he neared, her suspicion was confirmed. It was K.

"Excuse me." he began in English. "I need your help."

Maiko's eyebrows shot up. If he was looking for an arbitrator for her older brother and Hiro's misunderstanding, well, she couldn't get into it. She was in it as well.

"Hiroshi has been skipping work." K switched to Japanese. "He cannot be found in his apartment so I assumed that he went home. That is, of course, to see you. Even though your brother has talked to him earlier, it seems that you're the only one who can bring him back."

"Excuse me?" To Maiko, this seemed crucial.

"You're the only one who can bring him back." K repeated. "It's up to you."

The clouds in Maiko's mind lifted. Maybe that was what Hiro was trying to tell her. Maybe that was why he kept on waiting for her. And maybe it was time to give him the answer to his unspoken question.

And so, after thanking K, Maiko quickly ran home. She dropped every logical assessment that she had before regarding her situation, letting all the maybes rule her senses instead. She thought too much about the predicament, analyzing every corner that she had forgotten that all she had to do was not to think at all. And so she dwelled on how she felt instead. Emotions made her uncertain and jittery but they made her realize something.

She was afraid of losing Hiro.

As she turned at a corner, her steps halted. Opposite to her was a young man with long brown hair. He momentarily stopped walking as well. They were close enough but not quite touching.

"I didn't step on anything." was all Hiro said.

"No, you didn't." A quirk of the lips. "What are you still doing here, Hiro?" she asked just like before.

"I can't do anything anymore." Hiro replied instead.

Maiko couldn't quite understand why her heart skipped a beat, couldn't quite place why this felt like choking. And she fed on those, driving her to speak. "I got it, Hiro." She imparted this in a voice so soft only Hiro could hear. And only Hiro. "I know what you were trying to tell me. The resistance isn't my brother--it's me. And no matter what my decision would be, whether I patch the dent in your friendship with Oniisan or continue with this, you will be there beside me all the way. Because no matter how high or how low the resistance gets, the voltage will change with the current. And," she smiled softly. "It wasn't put graciously."

Hiro echoed her smile as he reached for her hand.

They didn't exchange the words just like what the characters in a romance novel would do in the end. There was no need to rush. They already knew. And this was not a book. This was real.

And there was no tingling sensation when she squeezed his hand nor did she feel herself melting when he squeezed back. Only a warm, overwhelming feeling that this was right.

"So? What's the resistance?" Hiro asked as they continued their walk.

Maiko paused, searching for the perfect answer. And when she finally did, she looked up at him, the smile that disappeared during her contemplation earlier was back again.

"Zero resistance."

end