i was screaming your name through the radio. | skk

Chapter 2: Let's Take This (Shit) Show On the Road 1

September, Six Years & Eight Months Since the Release of Corruption

"You are not to retaliate."

Dazai sighs, not bothering to look up from the game he's playing on his phone. "I understand, Kunikida." He keeps his tone flat.

"I'm serious, Dazai." Kunikida yanks the phone from his hands and leans down so he's extremely close. "Things with Port Mafia Records have been going relatively smoothly since that business with The Guild in August. We are not to put that in jeopardy, especially over some childish feud."

Dazai wants to protest that the feud is actually a lot more nuanced than it appears just to see Kunikida's response, but he resists the urge. "And I said I understand. It's like you don't trust me or something."

"You have trouble seeing things rationally when it comes to PMR, Nakahara in particular." Kunikida offers him the phone back, and Dazai takes it. He makes sure to give Kunikida an unimpressed look.

"I swear I'm not going to do anything."

- - -

Early March, Ten Months Until the Release of Corruption

Chuuya knows he's still fifteen, but he hadn't actually thought anyone really cared about that. He stays in a dorm room by himself in one of the buildings PMR owns with little supervision. He's free to do what he pleases for the most part. Sure, he spends most of his time at PMR, but he's never had strict hours (other than when Kouyou wants him to be somewhere).

Which is why it's kind of a fucking surprise that he's been assigned a tutor to accompany him on tour. Well, it's not a real teacher. It's Hirotsu. But still.

"It wouldn't look very good if Port Mafia Records supported truancy, Chuuya," Mori had said innocently. As if Mori had ever mentioned school to him once in the six months he's known him.

He'd been able to avoid it on the flight from L.A. to Singapore. Hirotsu had been content to silently read a book in his seat near the front of PMR's plane. Chuuya had, unfortunately, ended up sitting next to Dazai. They'd alternated between arguing, sleeping, and playing an ever-escalating game of truth or dare (which had really just been "dare," and after Dazai had almost ruined one of the bathrooms on the plane they had been separated for the rest of the flight).

Now that they've arrived and instead of sleeping like he desperately wants to, he's doing math in a hotel room while Hirotsu watches. Kouyou has gone on to do sound checks at the venue, and he doesn't know the rest of the PMR team that's come with them well. Dazai had disappeared when they'd arrived too, muttering something about finishing a song.

Chuuya hasn't regularly gone to school since he was thirteen. His foster families had never really given a shit if he went as long as no one called them about it. Then after he'd started living alone school hadn't exactly been a priority. The other members of The Sheep hadn't been much for school either, they'd spent most of their time ditching so they could work on their music.

He's far enough removed from The Sheep now to recognize that their music hadn't been...well, it wasn't anything to brag about. He hadn't cared at the time. He was just excited to be playing. Chuuya misses the feeling of being on stage, of the energy that comes from playing music with your best friends.

He doesn't like to think about Shirase and the others. He's still furious with them for thinking he'd sell them out. He doesn't want to miss them. But as usual, he doesn't get what he wants.