" Toshiya, please! Listen to me!"

Turning a deaf ear, the bassist continued stuffing his clothes inside the bag.

" You cannot leave!" Kaoru pleaded, taking the bag and emptying the clothes back onto the bed.

" What? You want me to stay around so that I can see you fuck around with Shinya?!"

" No, Toshiya! I’m not fucking around with Shinya! That night was an accident!" Kaoru was exasperated. Picking up his lover’s clothes, he placed them back into the closet so that he could not pack and leave.

" How would I know if this ‘accident’ happens on regular basis, huh?" Toshiya asked, nearly in tears.

" No, I swear it won’t happen ever again!"

" I trusted you! But you cheated on me! I hate you!" Finally, the dam of tears broke loose as Toshiya wailed on top of his lungs at Kaoru. " I hate both you and Shinya! Hate, hate, hate!!!"

" I…" His words got cut off as the younger man rudely shoved him out of their bedroom. He stood outside the room, blinking as the door slammed in his face. "Toshiya?" Gingerly, he knocked on the door.

" Go away!" Toshiya shouted amidst his sobs. After he was sure Kaoru could not hear him, he began to cry, burying his face in the pillow.

He felt terribly helpless. He clutched at the blanket, twisting it viciously. It hurt so much…to know that the person he loved the most was not faithful to him. He wanted to run, to leave, never to face this pain…but he had no where to go.

***

The days passed quickly. Soon, it was time for Die to go back to work. Sighing he swung his guitar strap over his shoulders and pushed open the studio door. The first person he saw was Kaoru.

" You’re just in time. Look through this," he said, pushing up his black-rimmed spectacles as he handed a pile of documents to Die.

Die scanned the papers, frowning as he felt an instant headache overcome him. " Later ne…" he grinned sheepishly.

Kaoru rolled his eyes, taking back the documents before Die lost them.

" Kaoru?"

" What?" the other guitarist kept his eyes away from Die.

" I… about that day, I’m so sorry. Is Toshiya still mad at you?" Die took a seat next to the man.

" Don’t worry about it. Sooner or later, he’ll know anyway," Kaoru looked up and smiled as cheerfully as he could. "About this live…I was thinking of cancelling it since you’re not really in the shape to perform ne…" Kaoru quickly changed the subject.

***

" I’m so fed up!" Toshiya yelled suddenly, dumping his bass on the floor.

" Huh? What is it?" Kyo asked, stopping in the middle of the song. The sound of the guitars and bass awkwardly echoed even in the insulated room.

" I can’t follow that beat! It’s totally screwed up!" he exclaimed, glaring at Shinya before abruptly stomping away.

Shinya gaped. He was totally in-beat. There was nothing wrong with his drumming. But he knew what triggered Toshiya’s outburst at him. It wasn’t the first time anyway. It was either Shinya ‘screwing up the music’ or Shinya ‘ruining Toshiya’s rhythm’. Everything became his fault in Toshiya’s eyes. He knew why.

Kaoru stared helplessly into space as a few recording staff walked pass and pointed at them curiously. While Die and Kyo look at each other and shrugged.

" I’ll go see if he’s alright…" Shinya suddenly said, getting up from his stool.

Everyone looked at him as he traced the bassist’s footsteps. Everyone except for Die who busied himself tuning his guitar.

The drummer found Toshiya in the rest area, taking a glass of ocha. The black-haired man ignored him when he entered. Trying not to tremble to much, Shinya poured himself a clear glass of plain water. The liquid helped to quench his thirst but soon he found himself with a dry throat as he tried to speak to Toshiya.

" Toshiya-kun?" He placed the glass down on the table. " I’m sorry if you didn’t like my playing."

Toshiya gripped the cup of tea tighter despite that it was burning his palms. So this is what Kaoru likes? This sweet innocent facade…

" No, your drums were fine," Toshiya stated simply, narrowing his eyes. " It’s you that was disturbing my concentration."

Shinya ducked his head down, looking at the floor. " Toshiya, I’m sorry," he apologise, looking up at the bassist.

" Sorry? What are you sorry for?" Toshiya smirked sarcastically at him.

" I’m-…"

Toshiya turned around to face him, cutting off his words. " Sorry for seducing Kaoru? Sorry for stealing the only person that I love? Sorry for what?!" Toshiya snapped at him.

Shinya was forced to step backwards as Toshiya advanced upon him. " I…I didn’t seduce Kaoru!" he defended himself.

" Oh, no? So Kaoru seduced you? Is that it?" Toshiya asked.

When Shinya did not answer, he splashed the steaming tea at Shinya’s face.

Shinya cried out as the hot ocha burned his face. He held both hands to his face, feeling the water drip off him. " Toshiya…! No! It…it’s not like that!" His back hit the wall; he could not retreat anymore from Toshiya who stood menacingly in front of him, smiling sweetly.

" Oh, Shin-chan! Was that painful?" Toshiya mocked.

" Toshiya, please!" he whimpered, suddenly feeling scared at the crazy look in the other man’s eyes

" Are you begging me now?" he asked. " Are you afraid I’ll spoil your pretty face?" He ran a finger over Shinya’s cheekbone. "Then maybe Kaoru wouldn’t like you anymore…Oh, that would be terrible, wouldn’t it?"

Shinya bit his lips; tears wobbled in his eyes, threatening to spill any second now. " Toshiya, stop!"

His protest made Toshiya send a slap across his face, cursing, "Bitch!"

Just after that, Kaoru, Kyo, Die and a few other staffs crowded at the entrance. Seeing what was taking place, Die wanted to rush to Shinya’s side to see whether he was hurt or anything. But before he could act, Kaoru was already tearing Toshiya off Shinya.

" What the hell are you doing?!" he exclaimed at Toshiya who pretended as if nothing happened.

Turning his attention to the now-sobbing-quietly Shinya, Kaoru squatted down and comforted him. The younger man’s cheeks were wet and red. "Shinya, don’t cry. It’s okay now…" Kaoru said, wiping his face dry with a tissue. Shinya nodded weakly and let Kaoru dry his tears.

Die saw this and felt his torn heart shatter into a thousand pieces. Shinya did not need him; he already has Kaoru. There was nothing he could do to help.

Kaoru asked Shinya whether he wanted to go to the washroom or not. Shinya didn’t hear a single word as he saw Die turning around and walking away without even asking how he was.

  ***