Erasing the Failure (Gakukai)

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_----------*A few weeks after the car crash*---------

Kaito opened the passenger-side door of Luka's car and stepped into the garage. He followed her into the house, slightly nervous as to how the others would react to his return.

"Kaito!" a voice called. Gakupo rushed over from the stairs and wrapped Kaito in a tight hug. "It's great to see you home again!"

"Nice...to see you...too," Kaito whispered. His voice still wasn't getting any better, and it hurt to talk.

"Hey, Gakupo, get off him! I have something to say!" Meiko snapped, shoving the two boys apart. "You!" she shouted at Kaito. "Why didn't you drive that night? Idiot! You almost got me killed! I hope you get uninstalled for this!"

"Hey! Meiko! You shouldn't say that! He was hurt way worse than you were, plus you would've put up a fight if he tried to drive!" Luka protested. Meiko shot Luka an angry look and slapped Kaito across the face.

"I bet you'd like it if I died! Honestly! Some people really are demons!" she snapped. Turning on her heel to leave, she "accidentally" bumped into Kaito and shoved him against the wall.

"Jeez, Meiko!" muttered Luka. She took Kaito's hand gently and led him to the producer's office. "I hope she didn't hurt you. Anyway, Satoshi-san wanted to see you." Kaito nodded to her and walked inside the office, where the head producer Satoshi was waiting.

The office was a small but nice room. A wooden desk held files, papers, and a computer. There were two metal chairs in front of the desk, and a small bookshelf stood against the wall.

"Hello, Kaito. I'm glad to see you're doing better. Have a seat, " Satoshi said in a voice full of authority. Kaito nodded and sat down in the chair, slightly nervous at what Satoshi wanted to tell him. "So, I heard Meiko was driving that night. Is this true?" he asked. Kaito nodded again, unsure of where this was going. "So. She was drunk and you let her drive? You are such an idiot. I should get you banned from the club." Satoshi reached out and slapped Kaito across the face, leaving a red mark and pain. "I'm not going to, though. Just be careful. We can't afford to have Meiko get hurt like that again. Idiot. And practice your songs for the concert tomorrow night."

Kaito nodded slowly and stood up, leaving the office slightly teary-eyed. Satoshi's blow had more force in it than it ever had before. Without thinking, Kaito walked down into the basement's recording studio to practice. He had 1 solo song for this concert, "Footsteps of Time". Taking a deep breath, he started to sing....

"Wakare no kisetsu ni yureru hakanaki ichi ni ita

Ona...ji nukumor...i no kaze o dare mo ga sagashite aruiteru

Deai wa sora.....*cough*ni nagareru ononogu.....mono shita de

Kasanari......*cough*yaru tokei no hari......no you ni

Yuk....kuri to, yukkuri *cough* to, yukkuri to.......mawa...ri haji....meru...."

Just like before, he had to stop early. He couldn't sing with his voice like this. Tears sprang into his eyes and he sank to his knees, crying in his broken voice. The concert was the next day, and he couldn't afford to mess up like this. Eventually, his tired body gave up and collapsed, giving way to sleep. He slept on the floor of the studio, in a dreamless land.

Just after midnight, Luka walked into the studio to put away some equipment when she saw Kaito asleep on the floor. She immediately put down her microphone and picked him up, struggling to carry him up the stairs. When she got to his room, she laid him carefully on his bed and covered him with a blanket. "Sleep well Kaito-kun," she whispered as she closed the door.