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“We hear you’re going on tour with Aftermath Brothers again. Do you think this summer will be a blast for everyone like last summer was?”
“Yeah, well, I hope so.” Ryo sat in the chair across from the young woman interviewing him, a smile spreading across his face. One leg crossed the other while his hands rested in his lap. The question didn’t seem out of place for the interview, yet his mind wandered to the tour his band went on the previous summer, the memory of screaming fans out in the audience while the lyrics poured out of his mouth still feeling fresh in his memory despite happening over a year ago. “I’m definitely looking forward to the tour.”
“Well. I guess that finishes our interview.”
The smile remained on his face, a sigh escaping as his body relaxed from the interview ending. Ryo felt his phone vibrate and reached into his pocket for his phone. Glancing at the number, he didn’t think anything of the matter as being out of the norm for a pop idol in Japan.
“Anybody important?” The young woman craned so she might see the number, almost as if hoping for some kind of scandal to eat up, reminding him of the rumors floating around that he disappeared for a period of time on his bandmates.
“Just my manager.” He smiled at her, knowing full well his manager insisted that rumor didn’t end up being a part of an interview, particularly after the first few resulted in Ryo starting at the interviewer blankly, unsure of why anybody thought he’d disappeared on his band the previous summer.
“Oh? Is he contacting you about anything special we might want to know about?”
Ryo felt his mouth twist slightly, finding her amusing. “You know as well as anybody that certain parts of an idols itinerary remains private.”
He shoved the phone into his pocket, his eyes taking in how the young female’s mouth formed a circle, her interest privately perked. “Now I really wish I’d been allowed to ask you about that rumor.”
“It has nothing to do with that rumor.” The smile on his face almost faltered, yet he managed to keep his cool. Sometimes he imagined another version of himself quickly and easily losing his temper, a stark contrast from his own personal self. “I’ll be heading back to the dressing room.”
Once the dressing room door closed behind him, Ryo let out a sigh, the thought of a version of himself losing their cool at the person doing the interview. Closing his eyes, the lurching feeling in his stomach wouldn’t go away while he attempted brushing away the thoughts of another him which wouldn’t feel so restrained by the rules. When he finally opened his eyes, he looked down at his phone, opening the message.
Ryo startled.
“I know what you did last summer.”
Ryo’s eyes blinked. Pulling the phone into both hands, he messaged his manager back. “Nothing happened last summer. You specifically squashed the rumors, remember.”
“I didn’t squash the rumors. I simply prevented people from talking about you disappearing and not showing up for a few of the tour events.”
Ryo sucked in a deep breath. “I don’t understand. Nothing happened last summer. I would remember.”
“You didn’t want to remember.”
“What did I do?”
“It’s not a matter of what you did. It’s a matter of what he did.”
Ryo paused, thinking carefully of who his manager meant by he. His fingers flew, texting his manager, his mind going straight to thoughts of his older brother. “Are you talking about Takashi? That’s not possible as he’s been dead for two years.”
“Not him. There’s been a leak though and it will soon be all over the news.” His manager then said, “I’m sorry that it happened this way.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t.”
“Is there anything…” Ryo stopped speaking, carefully contemplating the fact he’d chosen not to remember what happened, the thought haunting him. For some reason the thought of another self, one which didn’t conform like he did pop into his head; he brushed this aside with the thought, “That was just an imaginary friend from childhood who I used to blame for things I did that I shouldn’t have. Every kid has something like that, right?”
“Ryo.”
“Why do I have the feeling I’m not going to like whatever it is that you’re not telling me?”
The other side of the call went silent, then his manager said, “I hope not. I mean… it’s complicated. No, you won’t like it. I mean, I wouldn’t if I were in your place.”
“Can’t you…” Ryo stopped. “What’s the rest of my schedule for the day like?”
“Don’t worry. There thankfully wasn’t much going on today, but what I was able to reschedule everything else. Get yourself home before the paparazzi start swarming.”
“Yeah.” Despite replying in the affirmative, he found himself filled with dread while heading back to his apartment. Stepping into the room, he looked around the place, mentally noting how alone he felt; going on tour with the band sounded even more appealing, yet something told him he needed to first get a handle on whatever it was that occurred the summer before reluctantly, he turned on the television.
When the leak finally aired, he recognized it instantly, given the fact he clearly saw himself in the video. What made his jaw drop, though, was the young man who looked like himself, who literally punched him in the face. The news of course remained on the television for only so long. In order to look at the video again, he found himself getting onto his computer, pulling out his phone and calling his manager at the same time.
“What was that?”
“What do you mean? You need to be more specific Ryo, rather than vague like that.”
“Says the person who was vague about the whole thing – the leak, you know.” Ryo swallowed, still looking at the video online, swallowing as he did so. He definitely saw what he saw on the video. “I just saw a video of me hitting myself.” His agent remained silent on the other side while he struggled with what he saw. “Well?”
“You still don’t remember?”
“No. I mean…” Ryo paused, then for some reason muttered. “I did have an inkling of another self of late – a self who happens to be not like me, kind of a doppelganger. I remember the imaginary friend I had as a child.” He let out a deep breath. “I’m still not following what…”
“It wasn’t an imaginary friend. He’s your twin brother.”
Ryo swallowed, looking at the picture. His throat tightened painfully. “What did I do to make him mad at me? And where has he been this whole time?”
“That’s a good question, given the fact shortly after that he’d disappeared into the desert near the garrison where your older brother worked, but then according to the rumor floating around, he’s also one of the four cadets who went missing from the garrison last fall.”
“Four? I thought there were only three.” Ryo found himself starting to look at the article, reading the claims he’d covered up the incident just like the garrison when he went into hiding, yet there was also an absurd rumor going around that his older brother – Takashi Shirogane was also alive. “Seriously, all of this is absurd.”
“You having a twin? Or that there is some kind of major conspiracy going on?”
“The latter.” Ryo took a deep breath. “I really have a twin?”
“You can ask your grandfather. He’ll verify this.”
“Then he knew about the incident last summer. What did I do to him?” Ryo pinched the bridge of his nose, frustrated with the fact he couldn’t remember anything, yet in the back of his mind, he did remember a twin. His stomach churned, wondering what happened.
“I…” His manager paused. “You’ll need to ask your grandfather that, as I actually don’t know much about the details beyond the fact you decided to take off and visit the garrison. You said something about being angry at your older brother, blaming him for something you didn’t quite explain. Perhaps sleep on it? And talk to your grandfather. You may also want to avoid the public. Actually, I have cleared your schedule for the next few days. I hope you don’t mind.”
“I don’t.” Ryo let out a sigh, before heading into his bedroom, flopping onto the bed deciding that, yes, sleeping on it was a good idea.
…
“Where are you going,” said a voice Ryo recognized as belonging to one of his band members.
“Nowhere in particular.”
“Yeah, but don’t forget we’ve got a meet and great today.”
“I know.” In the back of his mind, Ryo knew what he was doing was in fact important as he pulled the cap which would hopefully keep a fan of his from noticing him as he took the bus out to wherever he was going. It felt like forever as he passed through the dream trying to get wherever he was going; when he did finally arrive, he did indeed recognize the place as the garrison.
His mind, however, as he was in a dream, didn’t quite understand why he was there – not until he suddenly found himself in a conference room in the garrison.
In front of him was the doppelganger who looked like him, yet didn’t act like him. He knew the person in question was furious with him, their words biting into his psyche even though he couldn’t remember what was being said. Or at least, he didn’t get the words. In the dream, the words ended up not simply being heard, yet for some reason, he knew.
He knew he’d made a mistake and what that mistake was, but the sickening feeling wouldn’t go away as he woke up.
…
There was some truth to the rumor, in that he and Akira – Keith as he liked being called, didn’t get along. There was some truth to the fact it was somewhat his fault, given the fact he’d refused to go to the launch for the Kerberos mission; he’d refused knowing Keith would be there, feeling ignored regarding the existence of Akira for so long, not to mention empty because Takashi simply wasn’t in his life once he started working at the garrison. Keith was.
He’d realized who Keith was after the Kerberos mission failed – more specifically he realized how wrong he was, along with feeling frustrated that Takashi couldn’t simply tell him, particularly since everyone devalued the existence of Akira – Keith – ever since he was little. Keith existed, but Keith felt almost the same way.
By that, instead of worrying about a brother being replaced he felt – before Ryo could actually tell him the truth – that Ryo was trying to use him to replace Takashi.
That’s when Keith punched him and Ryo blocked it out.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to forget Keith specifically, but the fact he’d hurt Keith he did want to forget.
Of course, the news blew it way out of proportion, and – well, he asked his manager to issue a public statement asking the public to leave his brother alone.
Which may have made things worse, but then – there were the other rumors.
After all, the garrison hid the fact Keith went missing, another thing Ryo tried blocking out because of guilt. They hid the fact Keith was technically not a cadet anymore, something which also upset Ryo at the time. The really weird rumor was about some blue flying lion and Takashi Shirogane still being alive, along with rumors of aliens. There was the fact he said nothing, even forgot.
He forgot because Keith disappeared when the next garrison term started up and he wasn’t able to mend the bridges which didn’t feel like they were there in the first place. He still didn’t think that, when his phone rang. The phone number was his manager, so he expected to speak with his manager about whether they would still be going on tour again, Ryo and his band.
“Ryo?”
Ryo’s breath sucked in. “Akira?”
“I prefer Keith. Um…”
“Look, I’m sorry for…”
“I’m the one who should be apologizing. I knew…” Keith took a deep breath. “I knew when you approached me that you were…”
“I wasn’t trying to use you as a replacement for Takashi?”
“No. I… you knew?”
Ryo took a deep breath. “Apparently you knew as well?”
“Well. Kind of. I mean, Shiro did keep insisting he was my older brother, but…” Keith paused for a long time before finishing his sentence. “… I really didn’t wrap my head around it until now, not until…”
“Long after he’s dead.”
“Shiro isn’t dead.”
“A…” He stopped short, remembering the preference for another name. “Keith, you were telling me that when we last saw each other. You got really mad that I…” He looked at the ground. “Could we not talk…”
“No. Shiro really is alive. He’s just…” Keith paused again. “I finally told him. I finally stopped saying he’s like a brother, and told him that he is my brother and that I love him – I don’t yet love you, as I don’t know you yet…”
“That,” Ryo didn’t know whether or not to be amused by the last part, particularly when Keith didn’t make much sense. However, “I’ll go with that.”
“He’s not talking to me since then.”
“That doesn’t sound like him.”
“He’s not been like himself at all, truth be told. The others didn’t notice. I don’t know why, or how to explain it. He’s mad because it took me that long.”
“No, he’s not.” Ryo found himself relaxing for the first time since the story broke.
“Yes, he is.”
“No, Takashi isn’t like that.”
“Yeah, but what else could it be.”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t wherever – he’s really alive?”
“As alive as he can be, given everything that’s happened. He’s not himself.”
“That…” Ryo sighed. “Not being himself isn’t the same as not being alive.”
“Okay.”
“However, you’re trying to say some bad things happened to him. What was the last bad thing to happen to him?” He simply wanted to be helpful.
“Well, the last bad thing to happen I would say involved him trying to kill me.”
“Wait. What?” Ryo pinched the bridge of his nose, unsure if diving into his music writing would help him make sense of the mess unfolding on the phone.
“He didn’t mean to. He wasn’t exactly thinking straight.”
“Okay. I’ll take your word for that. But…”
“But what?”
“Don’t you think that’s the reason he’s actually avoiding you?”
“But I don’t blame him. He wasn’t thinking straight. And I know I was hurting him by saying he was like a brother to me rather than saying he was my brother.”
“Did…” Ryo glanced down at his hand. “Did the way you refer to him change at the same moment he tried killing you?”
“That’s how I got him to stop, sort of.”
“Yeah. I think that kind of correlates, don’t you.”
“I don’t know. I really stink at this whole understanding of relationships thing.”
“Good to know. If I were in his shoes, I’d be upset with myself, but hearing someone say that – I’d feel even more guilty for trying to kill someone I cared about. Get it? He cares about you.”
“Doesn’t change…”
“He’s not mad at you. He’s mad at yourself.” Of course, a thought crossed Ryo’s mind. “What am I saying. None of this can be real, but… Keith and I are talking.”
“Okay. I’ll take your word for it. You’ll come by the garrison to see him then? This manager person of yours says he’s arranging for you to come.”
“And you. Yes, I’ll come.”
“Okay. I’ll be going now.”
Ryo didn’t want the conversation to end. “Hold on…”
“Oh. Almost forgot. I met our mother.”
“What?” That came out of the blue.”
“She’s an alien by the way.”
Really out of the blue.
“Gotta go.”
The phone hung up and Ryo stared at his phone. “Is he insane?” He definitely hoped the media would leave Keith alone, yet knew they’d eat up the whole conversation if they knew. “My life got really weird really quick. Hopefully, this summer will go better than last summer did.”