Track 01 - BathRoom

Links to pictures of how the characters (the Gazeboys and the girls) are on my profile

WARNINGS: -none-

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It was a slow day at the store. Superb-Mart was like the Japanese version of Wal-Mart and it sucked that two woman were at the slow end of the store. One blonde girl with black highlights sat as the cashier of the store. She was near the entry side of the store, to be precise. No one ever checked out there except when it is really busy. She was reading the latest 'Cure' magazine with The Gazette being the main article. She had a set of earphones around her neck with their latest single 'Filth in the Beauty' single blasted through them.
The other girl on the floor, her friend, was a box boy sadly. A spritely girl with bright red-hair in spiral curls. She was effortlessly carrying a stack of empty boxes through one of the aisles, returning to the front from the back store room. She placed one box each at the end of each occupied cashier, ready for the evening shift-workers to pack up. Then made her way down to her best friend, Ai, who was the one reading the magazine.

"Yo, what's up!" she said, tapping Ai's shoulder.

"Huh!?" Ai jumped and snapped up from reading to look at Megumi.

The artificial red-head looked at the now scared blonde with a look of mischief - she'd succeeded in scaring Ai. She was a bright red head. More auburn than anything. Megumi sighed as she wandered off. Her bright green eyes looked around the store. You'd have thought it was a ghost-town store - there were no customers in sight.

"Ugh ... No one is here!" Megumi mumbled as she sat on a big box of candy at the end of Ai's check-out stand.

She glanced around to check that the store manager wasn't anywhere close, before quickly pulling her cell-phone out. Gave her the chance to call their other friends Mika and Kikyo to find out where they were. Back to the cashier, Ai flipped through the magazine as she looked around.

"Megumi, if your going to call Mika, tell her to wait with Kikyo out the find somewhere we can see them" Ai said, as Megumi put the phone to her ear, "Make sure she has our tickets and fan-club passes."

Ai looked back ay the magazine. She wore black slacks, a black cami, and a low cut black sweater. Of course with the bright green apron they had to wear at this store. She was also sitting on a stool instead of standing. There was no way she was standing in the wedges she had on.

Back to the box boy err...girl, Megumi fixed her black skirt and grey v-neck sweater as she waited for Mika to answer. She was wearing black platform sneakers for a pretty short person. She played with her curly hair until there was a loud 'moshi-moshi' on the other end. It caused Megumi to grimace and pull the phone away from her ear. Ai looked at her as Megumi spoke.

"Mika, what's with the shouting, where are you? Is Kikyo with you?" she asked, loud enough for Mika to hear but not so the whole store echoed, "Ai says to make sure you have our tickets and fan-club passes. We won't get in without both".

"Yeah, Kikyo is right here and we're standing in the crowd outside the Yoshiatsu Dome. No sign of Gazette yet", Mika shouted back over the phone, and there was a little pause, "Yep, the tickets and passes are here. Just hurry up~!"

Suddenly the phone made a loud scratchy click, which meant that Mika had obviously hung up. Megumi jumped at the loud click in her ear and just made a weird face at Ai. Mika, Kikyo, Megumi and Ai were all going to another Fan-Club only concert of The Gazette. Mika and Kikyo were in charge of keeping their place in line, while Megumi and Ai were almost finished with their shift and waiting for Kira to come pick them up.

The store was dead. They couldn't wait to leave.

* * *
At the opposite end of the road that the store was located, a long black mini-van had slowly coasted around the corner. It came from a cross-street and started to head in the direction of the store. People walking along the side-walks couldn't help but stare and wonder why a large odd-looking vehicle was in their neighbourhood - it was the kind of car celebrities ride in.

On one side of the van, in the back row, a window was all the way down and a man with razored black hair to his shoulders and a lip-ring sat by it, while nursing a cigarette to his mouth. Four other men sat near him - one beside him with bleached hair and black roots was busy pretending to play the bass while listening to music through ear-phones. Another with blond and frosted brown dread-locks tied up high was sitting beside him, busy writing down new song lyrics. In the middle row was another black haired guy with faint brown high-lights - he had a lap-top sitting in his lap and was listening to music scores through large heavy-looking head-phones. Beside him was a rather tall, slender man with multi-shades of brown hair watching through large sun-glasses as the world went by his window. All of them were just wearing every-day clothes - jeans, t-shirts, jackets and of course big sun-glasses.

"This is ridiculous. I think we should just stop and ask for directions", the man by the open window growled, butting out his cigarette in the ash-tray on the door-handle, "Pull up at that store over there and I'll go in myself".

The driver hesitated before slowly pulled up on the side of the road directly across from the store and the frustrated man in the back opened the sliding door. Just as he was about to step out, the man with the lap-top pulled his head-phones down and grabbed his arm. He wasn't so into listening to the scores that he hadn't heard what the other said.

"Choto mate, Aoi. I don't think we should be stopping here and walking around without guards", he said, not letting go of Aoi's arm, "You may just get caught and we can't afford too right now".

"Kai is right, Aoi. If anyone see's us, all it takes is one person to call a screaming mob of fan's over to the car", Ruki said, scratching the back of his dread-lock ponytail, "We haven't got time to deal with fans right now. I'll just call the venue and ask them how to get there from here".

"Ah you worry too much. I won't be long", Aoi said with a grin and he twisted his arm free of Kai, "Give me five minutes ..."

Then Aoi stepped out of the van and shut the door behind him. As he crossed the road he adjusted his sunglasses and lifted the collar of his jacket up to hide his face. He doubted anyone would recognise him as-long as he kept a low profile. He jogged across the road and headed straight for the store. The tall guy beside Kai watched Aoi cross the road.

"I give him thirty seconds, he'll come running out being chased by fans", he said flatly, pushing his sunglasses further up his nose before he reached behind to hold a hand out to the bass-player, "Reita, five bucks he gets chased back to the van".

The bass player heard him and pulled one ear-phone out as he sat forward enough to slap Uruha's hand with a chuckle.

"Nah I doubt it. From here it looks like the store is dead silent. Worst that could happen is someone recognises him and asks for an autograph", Reita objected before putting the ear-phone back into keep practicing, "He can't be that obvious to give himself away".

* * *
Megumi had replaced her cell-phone in the belt of her skirt and left her sitting place at the end of Ai's cash-register. Being a little peckish and bored, she went to the snacks aisle just in front of her; she jogged half way down the aisle to grab a chocolate bar from the shelf. Megumi then ran back the way she came and back to Ai's register; at the same time fishing out some change to pay for the bar. She double checked her change before setting the coins down beside Ai's arm. She stopped reading her magazine long enough to quickly open the register and divide the coins into the right slots. She then swung back around on her seat to keep reading.

Megumi leaned on Ai's shoulder, and poor Ai jumped a little bit. Megumi laughed and started to read the interview with Alice Nine, who were also one of the articles in 'Cure'. Alice Nine's song 'Yami ni Chiru Sakura' came on over Ai's ear-phones. It was a burned CD with a whole bunch of different songs on it, made by her friend Mika for Ai's birthday.

"Oh, Alice Nine are in this month's issue too? Damn I should have bought it", Megumi said, leaning a little more on Ai's shoulder so she could get a better hearing of the song, "You know? You have really good taste in music."

"Thank you?" Ai said with a slight laugh.

Ai turned the music up and made sure the headphones were sitting so that both of them could hear it - many thanks to Ai's ear-phones having good sound. Just then another girl, who also happened to be a cashier at the store, walked up behind them. It was her day off though. She sat her head on the opposite shoulder to what Megumi was leaning on. Ai jumped and almost smacked poor Kira in the face.

Kira had shoulder length brown hair with multi-shades of frosted blonde highlights in it. The end of the layers curled upward. Eye-contacts made her dark hazel eyes, a slight shade lighter than normal. She was wearing a very fashionable outfit - a tight black knee-length skirt, a black vest that shows a small part of her stomach and her belly button ring. She also had numerous chains around her neck and bangles around her wrists. She also had 'leg-warmers', like what Uruha was famous for wearing, but in black. She had black heels on too.

"Welcome back, Ki~!" Megumi said heartily, pushing Kira's shoulder softly, "Did you have fun today?"

"I see you had a photo shoot today?" Ai asked, after composing herself from almost punching Kira's lights out, "How was it? Hope they didn't work you too hard".

"Yes, another shoot. It sucked too. It's always the same thing," Kira said unenthusiastically, slouching against the exit-side of the register, "But I can't complain, its good money and they're nice.

"Oh...That sucks. I work here if you haven't noticed." Ai retaliated jokingly as she turned back to her magazine.

"I do too but it's my day off! You're just jealous. It's close to your clock-off time anyway," Kira blurted, sticking her tongue out, "So soon we can go party at the Gazette gig. 'One Night Stand' ... such a suggestive gig title, but I love it~!"

Kira made an exaggerated shuttering expression, like someone had run their finger up her back. Megumi and Ai laughed at her. You could say they all had their little crushes on one of the guys. Kira liked Reita because he was such a 'guy', Megumi had a crush on Kai because he was so nice, Ai didn't admit it but she had a thing for Aoi because he was a dork just like her. Kikyo has a thing for Uruha because she loved his guitar skills and little Mika had it in for Ruki for several reasons - her excuse was there were too many to name.

* * *
Aoi pushed his hands into the pockets of his jacket just as he walked through the automatic sliding doors of the store. He stopped just inside the door and looked around, never removing his sun-glasses. There was hardly any people around and only three girls sitting around at one register just a few feet from where he stood. Perfect - surely no-one would recognise him while it was quiet. He bit his bottom lip and glanced around, again making sure no-one was watching. Finally he settled for a young girl who was reading a magazine and with earphones draped around her shoulders.

"Ahem ... err sumimasen, but could you please tell me how I can get to the Yoshiatsu Dome?" Aoi asked, approaching the girl, "I'm kind of in a hurry and was meant to be there half hour ago ..."

Aoi made a slight bow after speaking, as a kind of apology to them for interrupting. He then made a quick glance back to the van to check that the car hadn't been swamped by people yet. To his relief it was silent outside and could just see Ruki peering through one of the slightly open car windows. He then turned back to the girl and smiled.

~*~
Back inside the van, Ruki, as previously mentioned, was watching Aoi like a hawk through his large sun-glasses. Reita had got bored with bass practice and was also watching. Uruha had his elbow on the arm of his seat and resting his chin in that hand while also watching Aoi. However Kai was too busy still listening to his music scores and changing things here and there on his lap-top. Reita laughed to himself.

"Well so far so good, he's actually approached someone", Reita commented, now taking the ear-phones from around his neck and rolling them around his iPod, "But I agree with Ruki, it would have been quicker to just call the venue".

"You could say it's our own fault for not properly know where it is anyway", Ruki said, slipping his pen into the spiral binding of his note-pad, "It's a newly built venue last month, supposed to be half the size of Budoukan".

Kai let out a silent sigh, quickly typed a few keys on his key-board and pulled the head-phones down to around his neck. A mini-disk spat out of the side of his lap-top, which was quickly slipped into a protective pocket and then into his shoulder bag. Kai had just converted their gig songs for that night, ready to be uploaded to the click-machine that sat beside his drum-kit.

"Yoshiatsu Dome is like a sister live-house to Budoukan. Perfect for our gig tonight seeing it's only a small fan-club live", Kai said, packing up his lap-top and also slipping it into his shoulder bag, "Just a single level venue, much the size of the floor at Budoukan".

"Wow that's still fairly big. Just without the balconies. I can't wait to see it", Uruha said, dropping his arm and glancing back at Kai, "But it's a bit far-fetched having to go straight into doing a gig at a venue we haven't even practiced in yet".

* * *
The girls were so busy reading Ai's magazine and talking to each other that they hadn't really noticed when someone walked into the store. It wasn't until this person approached and started talking to them that they did. Megumi looked up even though he wasn't talking to her. He looked oddly like someone. When Megumi looked at Kira, Kira mouthed something to her. Suddenly it clicked.

"Hey, do you know of a Visual Kei band called 'the Gazette'?" Megumi blurted out, not really restraining herself from saying it, "You could be Aoi's twin, he's one of the guitarists~!"

Ai hit Megumi with her elbow, much as to say 'shut-up'. Megumi mumbled something as she looked away. Kira snickered as she looked away as well. Though Megumi did have a point - this guy had the same hair-style, the same lip-ring and strangely enough, the same lips. Kira started to wonder why she was comparing lips before mentally telling herself to grow up. Ai looked up at the guy and smiled.

"Um...yes. It's not very far from her. Three blocks down then take a left. Turn right at the second stop light then go a block. You're there", Ai said slowly enough so he understood, seeing he wasn't writing it down, "The only reason I'm know is because I'm going to the Gazette concert tonight. What about you?"

Ai was asking the guy on that last question, not really knowing why she was asking but there was no harm in asking. After all, he was going to the same venue they were. Megumi grabbed the magazine out of Ai's hands and looked at the front cover while Kira moved to look over Megumi's shoulder at the front cover too.

"You and Aoi could really be twins, your practically identical", Megumi said thoughtfully, looking from the magazine cover to the guy standing next to them, "You should cosplay him. You'd be really good~! Gee I wish Mika and Kikyo could see this."

"Shut up, Meg, your embarrassing yourself", Ai said flatly, yanking the magazine back from her to keep reading, "Though my guess is this poor guy gets that comment a lot, even if he has the same lip-ring".

"Sorry, Ai. Just saying, they look alike," Megumi said softly, making a slight pout but she then perked up, "Hey can I take a photo of you to show our other friends. I think they would agree with me~!"

"Don't just ask something like that Meg, it's rude. Not to mention he's probably embarrassed", Kira said under her breath before smiling at the guy, "Don't mind her, she just a major Gazette fan. We all are really".

Kira then leaned over to Megumi and smacked her arm lightly. If not previously mentioned, the only reason that Ai, Megumi, and Kira were dressed up like they were was because they were going to the Gazette concert right after work. They were to meet up with Kikyo and Mika at the venue. Usually they would wear normal clothing around at work but today was different. Once work was finished they would have hardly any time to change so pre-arrangements were made.

* * *
Aoi couldn't help but let out a choking sound when the girls mentioned he looked like ... well ... himself. He quickly pulled the collar of his jacket up a little more and then pushed his sun-glasses further up his nose. He had to think fast before these girls caught him out. As one of the girls mentioned, it was the lip-ring that had given him away. He smiled and shoved his hands into his pockets again.

"Yeah uh ... my friends and I are ... ah ... on our way over there now", he said, droping his head to stare at the ground attempting to hide his face, "We're uh ... just getting there early so we can find our seats. Yeah!"

Phew, good save. Maybe he should be an actor ... anyway he'd gotten what he came for - so they weren't far from the venue after-all. Maybe Ruki was right, they should have just rang the venue. In any case, he got a chance to stretch his legs at least.

"Sa, arigatou gozaimasu for the directions", Aoi said and bowed thankfully, "Let's hope we all enjoy the gig tonight, ne?"

At this point his jacket fell open a little to reveal a promotional T-shirt for their 'One Night Stand' gig, only released to the band members and staff so far. Aoi quickly closed his jacket and slowly back-up towards the door, with a slightly nervous look on his face.

~*~
Ruki was cradling the note-pad in his lap and slowly stroking it with his thumb as he was still watching Aoi. Reita was now leaning over the middle row of seats and chatting to Kai about the set-list of songs for that night. Seeing Kai was almost always in charge of the set-list, he had fished a roughly writing list from his shoulder bag and held it up to show Reita. Uruha occasionally glanced to his left to look at the list Kai had while also watching Aoi.
Ruki made an annoyed sound, which prompted Kai, Reita and Uruha to look at him.

"Aoi just bowed to the girls and I saw his jacket come open", Ruki said, explaining his reason for the sound he just made, "He's wearing the 'One Night Stand' promotional t-shirt for our gig tonight".

"So? A lot of people wear our gig t-shirts, it doesn't expose him", Reita said, sounding somewhat confused at the situation as he sat back against his seat, "Why is it a problem? Unless he shouts, 'Hey look at me, I'm Aoi from 'The GazettE'."

"The t-shirt he is wearing hasn't been released to fans yet. Only us and the staff", Kai explained a bit better than Ruki, now looking over the seat at Reita before turning back to the window, "By how the girls are dressed, they look to be going to our concert tonight."

"So that would mean they may wonder why he is wearing our t-shirts~!" Uruha said, looking surprised at Kai before turning back to the window and laughing, "Oh, he's busted now~! Reita you owe me five bucks".

When Uruha turned to smirk at Reita, the bass player made a face at him before they returned to watching; seeing if he came screaming out of the shop. Kai laughed at them but just kept reading the set-list to make sure all of the songs meshed well - a properly organised set-list meant a good concert. Ruki wasn't paying much attention to the others talking or the silly bet that was made. All he was worried about was getting to the venue on time.

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NOTES:
1) 'Filth in the Beauty': This song is to indicate exactly when in time my story starts; November 2006
2) Yoshiatsu Dome: This is not a real venue in Japan so I wouldn't recommend trying to find it lol
3) Kai's "click-machine": This is the computer-like metronome that sits next to Kai's drums and counts the beat of songs
4) 'One Night Stand' gig: Also not one of their Lives, so non T-shirts were made

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