Roll The Dice - Celegiri and Saiouma

If I had my hand,

Chapter 7
💙If I had my hand🖤

Shuichi stepped out of the car slowly. The parking lot was packed and he had to be careful not to hit the car next to them with the door.

Maki stepped out of the passenger's side (Shuichi had been demoted to the backseat) and quickly led the detectives to the entrance of the concert.

As it was the first time Shuichi had heard of Maizono, he had assumed she was a small, upcoming popstar. So when Maki had brought them to one of the biggest concert halls in Hiroshima, he was surprised.

He was also surprised by the sheer volume of fans and casualness of the concert.

The venue was lit up with blaring blue and pink lights that made it hard to see. People hollered and danced to what Shuichi assumed was the opening act, most of them at various levels of intoxication. He had been to a concert before, and they were usually much less like a party and more like a recital.

A lot of people seemed to be wearing neon and glow-in-the-dark accessories and clothing, which Shuichi soon realized was a good idea, as he quickly got separated from Kirigiri when he stepped inside.

Looking around, he tried to catch a glimpse of his colleagues lavender hair to no avail. He suddenly felt overwhelmed and jostled as the people around him practically threw him through the crowd. By the time he reached the edge, he was out of breath and probably had a drink or two spilled on him.

Shuichi tried to look for Kirigiri again when he spotted checkered fabric disappearing through a door at the back of the hall. He wasn't sure why, but his gut told him to follow it.

Squeezing his way past a group of squealing girls, he made his way to the door. Just as he reached out to grab the doorknob, someone gripped his wrist. He glanced up to see Maki glaring at him.

"Maki!" He sputtered in relief, "I-I was looking for you and-"

She didn't respond, just gripped tighter and started walking, effectively cutting him off in surprise. Her hold was painful, but he didn't dare complain. She probably wouldn't hurt him, but it didn't make him any less scared.

They quickly found Kirigiri standing against the wall. She seemed engaged in a conversation with a big, muscular man. She looked over at the two of them and rolled her eyes, waving them over.

Shuichi strained to hear what the man was saying over the music.

"I'm sorry ma'am, Ms. Maizono is getting prepared and has to be on stage after the next song." He stated, "I can't let you in."

Maki raised an eyebrow, interjecting into their conversation, "She's a cop, let us in."

"And I'm a bodyguard, little lady, this is my job."

Shuichi held her back by the arm as she made several threatening gestures at the guard. Kirigiri fished in her pocket before pulling out her badge.

"I am, in fact, a detective investigating a crime." She spoke calmly, but deliberately, "And I've noticed a lot of your guests here are in possession of alcoholic drinks, even though I've yet to see a permit to sell said drinks." The guards posture shifted as she continued, "I wonder how the media would react to Maizono illegally selling alcohol. Not to mention the amount of drug dealing and abuse I've witnessed since arriving."

The two stared eachother down for a minute before the guard grumbled under his breath, gesturing for Kirigiri to let herself in.

The backstage wasn't small, but it wasn't as big as Shuichi had been expecting. Multiple tables with quick-change costumes sat towards the back of the area, all colourful and bright. Staff stood around, some watching the performance onstage, and some messing with costumes. To their right, a door marked "Maizono" stood, presumably Maizono's dressing room.