Chapter Text
2020
It was a rainy night in April, thunder rumbled in the distance, and in the darkness of the bar, a once high-profile regular sat slumped over the bar, empty glass in hand.
“One more,” he slurred.
The bartender sighed, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Izumi-san.”
“One. More.”
He sighed, refilling the young man’s glass, “alright, but I’m cutting you off after this.”
“You’re a shitty businessman,” he slurred, tipping back the glass of whiskey.
“No, I just care about the wellbeing of my patrons.”
The drunk man didn’t respond, too fixated on his phone, scrolling aimlessly through rabbitter.
“One more,” he said.
“What did I tell you?”
“Please…”
“Aren’t you drinking more than usual, Izumi-san?”
The drunk man lowered his head, his black bangs hiding his eyes.
“One year ago, I lost him.”
“Who?”
//
“Can someone wake Riku up? He must’ve slept in again,” Mitsuki called out from the kitchen as he served up breakfast for everyone.
“I’ll do it,” Tamaki offered, getting off his stool to go wake up the sleepy redhead.
“He’s still sleeping ridiculously late, huh?” Yamato commented.
“He’s been acting like this for two months now, something isn’t right,” Iori murmured aloud.
“Riku-kun does a lot for us as our center,” Sogo reassured him, “I’m sure he’s just exhausted from work.”
“But we had his workload decreased substantially multiple times!” Iori argued.
“Riku isn’t the type to keep secrets from us,” Mitsuki reassured Iori, placing his breakfast in front of him, “we just need to trust him when he says he’s fine.”
Tamaki burst into the kitchen, his face white as a sheet.
“R-RIKKUN…”
“Tamaki-kun?!” Sogo exclaimed.
“What’s wrong?!” Yamato added.
Iori’s heart dropped into his stomach.
“He...he…”
Iori flew out of his seat, pushing Tamaki aside and sprinting down the hall to his bedroom.
“Nanase-san!” Iori shouted, throwing open the door to his bedroom so hard the door handle smashed into the wall with a loud crunch as the handle broke through the drywall from the force.
Iori wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he definitely wasn’t expecting to see a bare bedroom. Blinking in confusion, he realized that everything that Riku ever owned was now missing.
“No…” Iori gasped, his face going white as his stomach flipped, “no no no no NO!”
Iori’s screams of anguish sent the rest of idolish7 running as well.
“What the…”
“Riku…”
“No…”
Mitsuki wrapped his arms around his brother in comfort, everyone at a complete loss of words.
//
“He was...my superstar.”
“I see, he was someone special, huh?”
The bartender only got snoring as a response, and he turned around to see him sleeping on the bar. He sighed heavily.
“Not again. Your brother is going to be upset if I have to wake him up again.”
Fifteen minutes later, the drunk’s older brother walked through the door, with a friend in tow.
“I figured I would need to bring backup,” he sighed, “Iori drank too much again?”
The bartender gestured to the sleeping man.
“Woa, he looks like shit,” the friend commented, pinching the drunk’s nose, “Ichi, wake up.”
“Don’t suffocate him!”
“Should I save his tab for tomorrow?” the bartender asked.
“No, I’ll pay for it,” the brother pulled out his credit card and handed it to him, “I’m sorry my little brother has been such a pain.”
“Don’t worry about it, just get him home safe.”
“Ichiii, I have beer,” the friend taunted.
Surprisingly, or maybe not, the sleepy drunk woke up.
“Beer?”
“Oh my god, he does look like shit.”
“Nii-san, Nikaido-san...when did you get here?”
“We’re taking you home, come on.”
Both men took one arm and supported him, though he was leaning to one side due to his brother being much shorter than him.
“Come on, let’s get you home,” the brother cooed gently.
“Oooookay.”
It took a lot of effort, but somehow they found a way to efficiently half-drag the drunk adult down the streets of Tokyo.
“Nanase-san…” he slurred.
The two supporting him looked at each other gloomily.
Of course, it was on this day one year ago that their beloved center disappeared.
PARALLELS BETWEEN ZERO AND NANASE RIKU.
ONE YEAR LATER: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO IDOLISH7?
THE RISE AND THE FALL OF TOP IDOL NANASE RIKU.
Riku sighed, tucking his phone in his pocket.
“Something tells me Zero and I disappeared under different circumstances,” he murmured to himself.
A loud protest from the bedroom reminded Riku of why he was in the kitchen after midnight to begin with.
“Ah, I’m coming!” he exclaimed, turning off the bottle warmer, shaking the bottle and testing the temperature on his wrist.
It wasn’t like Riku wanted to vanish, leaving behind his dreams, his friends, his lover, and even his own brother behind. If anyone had told Riku that idolish7 would end with his abandonment, he would’ve been horrified with himself.
But, he had a much bigger responsibility now.
Entering the bedroom, he gently picked up the stuffed rabbit that had been thrown to the floor and placed it back in the crib, where the wailing baby lay.
“Here I thought you were going to sleep through the night, you were doing so good,” Riku teased, booping him on the nose. Upon the sight of his father, he stopped crying and reached up for him, his big blue-gray eyes bright from crying.
Riku put down the bottle and scooped up his son before picking it up again once he’s steady.
“Come on, let’s get you your bedtime snack.”
Gently rocking the baby, who happily sucked on the nipple of his bottle, Riku gazed out the window at the rain outside.
“I wonder how your father is doing?” he asked aloud.
The baby didn’t acknowledge Riku’s voice, continuing to happily suck down his formula. Riku smiled fondly at him.
“I can’t believe you’re already six months old, time really does fly…”
Thunder rumbled in the distance, causing the baby to let go of the nipple in panic at the sudden noise.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” Riku reassured him, putting the bottle aside and bringing him to his chest in a tight embrace, “you’re going to be okay, daddy’s here.”
I will make you a superstar.
Riku clutched him closer, trying to will away the tears threatening to form.
“Everything’s going to be okay.”
//
It was well past three in the morning as Nanase Kasumi weaved through the empty streets of Tokyo. In the passenger seat, her youngest son had his knees pulled up to his chest, hugging them protectively as he stared at the passing streetlights.
“Riku...are you sure this is what you want?” She asked.
“I’m sure.”
“You can’t go back from this,” she warned, “the media will have a frenzy.”
“The media would have a frenzy either way.”
“And you’re not going to tell Iori?”
“No.”
“Or your brother?”
“Tenn-nii doesn’t need to know.”
She sighed, “I said I would support you no matter what you choose, but this isn’t something that should be taken lightly.”
“I know.”
Kasumi glanced in the rearview mirror at the boxes piled up in the backseat, gnawing at her bottom lip.
“Mom, I know you’re anxious, but I’ll be fine, and so will Iori.”
“I hope you’re right, sweetie.”
//
As sleep took over the child once more, Riku briefly wondered if he was okay, if he was happy, and if he was able to move on.
“Iori…”