Spotlight Redlight (gacktluvr x WolfDog) (18+)

[gacktluvr]

"If you don't like 'em you don't like 'em, there's no helping it. Honestly I don't know what's in what vending machine, since I'm pretty new with this company. If you can find something you can eat, that would be our best option." Mamoru kept his hand on Shin's shoulder as they walked, letting go as he rushed over to the vending machine. The look on his face was an immediate giveaway that things weren't going as either of them had planned. So far today had been a bit of a mess, which weighed heavily on Mamoru's shoulders. This wasn't a good start to their relationship. If Shin lost faith in him, he wasn't sure how he could get that trust back.

 

He winced himself as Shin ran into the door frame, reaching out to rub his injured shoulder gently. He didn't follow him into the recording booth, however, lingering outside for several moments. He could already tell that things were going poorly, turning to head back upstairs. It wasn't that he wanted to leave Shin behind, but he had something more important to do right now. Watching Shin wouldn't do either of them any good, and he didn't anticipate he'd be gone very long.

 

As he came back he noticed the recording director standing outside, flashing him a wry, crooked smile.

 

"You look like you could use a cigarette." His hands were in his pockets as he came closer, peeking inside the booth to look at Shin and smile at him sweetly with a slight wave. "We had a rough morning, so do you mind if I kidnap him a minute while you're out here, do you?" He didn't even wait for an answer, heading inside and holding up his presents where Shin could see them. Several granola bars were in one hand while a bottle of water was in the other. "I wasn't sure what type you liked best, so I bought one of everything they had. Come rest your throat a moment."

[WolfDog12]

Shin was curled up in the back corner of the booth with a pencil and the sheet music but this time, he didn't seem to be writing anything. Usually, when he was this upset he could write anything and everything but right now he wasn't writing anything at all. Shin was still a complete mess, his face was red and wet with tears, he was sniffling like crazy and his eyes were red. He was just strained to the point of really wanting to hide under his bed or something. He just wanted to be as far from human contact as possible and the fact that he could seem to write anything was a seriously bad.

 

When Mamoru came back down the stairs, the song manager just waved him off when he asked to see Shin. The older male just didn't know what to do anymore and after flipping out on Shin, throwing papers everywhere and screaming the way he did, he just wanted to step back and hope that the other knew how to fix it since he clearly had no idea.

 

Shin looked up when the other offered some food and water, the young idol lowered his head again and dropped his paper and pencil and just pulled his knees against his chest and buried his face. "I messed up," he whimpered. Shin just started crying all over again. "Even my singing is just terrible!!! I can't do anything right today!!" His voice was starting to sound strained from his crying and now yelling into his knees. Shin wrapped his arms around his knees and head. His shoulders were shaking and he was having yet another breakdown.

 

Why was he such a disaster today? "I want to go home!!! I made him angry and I couldn't even dance properly this morning. I just can't do anything right!!!" Shin managed to get out his last words but he started to cough horribly afterwards. The song manager rushed in hearing this and could see just how bad the situation was.

 

"Get him home," The recorder said. "He's no use to me in this condition. Make sure he rests his voice, eats and gets some rest. I will schedule an extra session but I'm gonna have to leave him to you to get him back to normal. He'll never be ready for the tour if this lasts another day. It's a tall order so good luck. Many have dropped out by this point." This was another reason managers have quit so easily. No one knew how to deal with a kid like Shin.

[gacktluvr]

Mamoru knelt in front of Shin as the young idol curled into himself, setting his food and drink aside. "Shin-kun..." He listened as Shin cried, scooting forward so he could rest a hand on his head once more. "Everyone makes mistakes, sometimes. No one can be perfect all the time, so don't let it get to you." Gently he picked up the bottle of water he had bought for him, nudging it between Shin's hands carefully. "Take a drink, breathe, and calm down. If anyone expects perfection from you, they're the issue."

 

"Shin-kun...!" Mamoru jumped as Shin started coughing, tipping his head back slightly so he could look at him properly. Was he going to hyperventilate? "Look at me." He kept his hand on either side of Shin's face gently, searching his eyes to make sure he was alright. "Take slow breaths. In and out, okay? We're going to go back to your place once you've calmed down."

 

Glancing over at the recording specialist momentarily Mamoru was amazed to think that so many people had dropped out so soon. This was only his second day on the job. It was irresponsible to give up this quickly, instead of trying to figure it out. How lazy were these people Shin had been working with before? Not willing to do anything to try and help him...

 

"Drink slow and breathe. It's okay..."

[WolfDog12]

Shin was gasping for air between coughs but it seemed to be taking too long for him to calm down and he ended up dropping the bottle in his hand as Mamoru placed his hands on his cheeks and spoke, in a worried tone just trying to get him to calm down. Finally he was able to take in a deep breath and coughed a lot lighter as he began to calm down. Of course, it did little for his tears but at least his breathing was back on track.

 

Shin lowered his knees and placed on hand on his chest as he took several deep breaths before he was finally able to move on. The young idol reached for the water and slowly lifted it struggling with the cap for only a moment before he managed to open it. He then took a few sips before capping it again and leaning back against the wall just trying to calm himself right down. "I'm ok.... now..." He managed to say but his voice was rather horse and rough. He started closing his eyes and just letting himself try and drift off a little. It wasn't working though.

 

The young idol had certainly been through the ringer today and now he was ready to go home. He took another couple sips of water before he finally started to get to his feet. Shin swayed for a second while being a bit light headed but he recovered fast and was ready to start walking again.

 

"Go home kid, rest up and be ready for tomorrow," the recording specialist said as he walked out of the booth and began to pick up all the papers he'd thrown. "Don't sing, don't even talk until tomorrow, got it? Rest and try to get yourself back on track. If by tomorrow you still can't write or anything, don't even bother coming in. We can try to change your schedule around but you'd better snap out of it or the tour could be ruined." No pressure though. Shin was terrified to hear that but he bit his lip and nodded grabbing on gently to Mamoru's sleeve.

[gacktluvr]

Mamoru felt his own breathing return to normal as Shin finally seemed to snap out of it, heart racing. He was going to be okay, hands moving to gently grip Shin's shoulders as the panic started to recede from his eyes. Shin was starting to calm down, which was helping Mamoru calm down as well. He wasn't in any sort of danger as far as Mamoru could tell anymore, just trying to help keep him steady as he fumbled with his drink. He was silent as Shin composed himself, just sitting across from him in a show of support.

 

He stood alongside Shin, hands remaining on his shoulders. He noticed that little wobble as he stood, ready to catch him at a moment's notice. This whole place seemed dysfunctional to him, the ease with which they let Shin collapse on himself like this. That a star would ever end up in a situation like this was bizarre. To yell at him and pressure him into trying to do the things they wanted him to do...

 

It wasn't right, and Mamoru wasn't going to let them get to Shin like this any longer.

 

"I'll look after him, so from now on I'd like you to talk to me." His arm wrapped around Shin's shoulders to keep him close as he talked, a professional smile on Mamoru's face as he turned to the other occupant of the room. "I am in charge of Shin-kun's schedule and making sure he keeps it. If there's a problem I'd appreciate it if you discussed it with me...privately. I will handle any issues that arise."

 

Grabbing the food he'd set aside earlier Mamoru put them in his pocket once more, holding onto them for future situations. If they were leaving he could take Shin out for something more substantial, and he'd have these for quick fixes in the future. Slowly he walked together with Shin back to his car, opening the door for him and nudging him gently towards his seat.

 

"We'll go through the drive through wherever you want, so text me what you want. You need to rest your voice, so we can communicate like this. It's not my first choice, but it's better than nothing..."

[WolfDog12]

"Look, I'm not trying to offend you or anything, just keep in mind that you've only been with him a couple days and I've been with him for years so I've seen a lot of managers come and go trying to deal with that kid so you have to last at least a month to get me to accept you as an official. I can see you mean well and if anyone is going to last, you have the best chance but at the same time, I can't go getting attached. Honestly, the kid shouldn't either but Who am I to say who he can or can't be with. I just record his music, that's it," the recorder explained. He did have a fair point. It wasn't that he was being mean he just needed to make sure that everything was going to go well.

 

Shin stuck close to Mamoru as they walked out of the building and to the car where he was told to text his manager where he wanted to go for food but really, Shin didn't care. He just wanted something to fill his belly. "You pick," he typed into his phone and showed it to his manager. Shin could really go for anything at the moment so he would be just fine with Mamoru picking.

 

The young idol laid down in the back seat for now feeling his head pound a bit. He was a bit dizzy now from hunger and stress so he just had to relax a while. Shin had no idea what happened to his ipod at the moment and didn't even have it in him to look for it in the car or even in his pockets. For now he just laid there listening to Mamoru talk about where to go for food.

 

It wasn't until they got to where they were going to eat that Shin sat up and pulled up his hood and slipped on his glasses before typing his order. It wasn't safe to be out in public without a disguise and he'd nearly forgotten to put his on before they got to the window.

 

He typed up his order and sent it to Mamoru hoping it would be enough to fill his belly. He did order a bit more than usual and fished around his pockets to try and find his wallet. When he finally did, he reached forward and gave it to Mamoru wanting him to pay using Shin's money. The least he could do was pay since his manager was going so far out of the way for him all the time and had no problem dealing with all the people around them just so Shin wouldn't have to. Mamoru was a really kind man that took care of such a weak person as Shin.

[gacktluvr]

"I understand that I haven't been at this job very long, but adding strain and pressure on a performer right before a performance is troublesome in its own right. I'm trying to look after Shin-kun's health as best as I can here, so try to think of it from that perspective. Keeping Shin-kun from collapsing under the stress of this business is a big part of my job, so I'd like you to trust me with the business end of what happens here." He bowed politely before starting on his way, still putting on a professional friendliness.

 

"If it's my choice, I'm going to go ahead and try that sub shop again. It would be beneficial for me to know what you like. That way I can go ahead and order ahead in the future." It was unfortunate that Shin was once again curled up in the backseat, putting them right back where they'd started. "This place does have good reviews, too. I looked it up while you were working." He was mostly talking to try and fill the silence, unsure if Shin might get too lost in his head if it was quiet.

 

He was a bit taken aback as Shin attempted to hand him his card, turning to look back at him as they waited in the drive through. "Are you sure about this? I can handle something like this..." He took the card even as he asked, not wanting to turn down Shin's kindness. Even if he could pay for this, he didn't want to discount Shin's gesture. It would be disrespectful to turn him down like that, and so he turned to smile at him with a sincere 'thank you.'

 

Shin's card was returned to him together with his food once they were finally through the line, Mamoru's order sitting beside him on the empty seat. "I don't mind if you want to eat in here. You must be hungry." This car was due for a wash soon anyway, so even if Shin made a mess it didn't matter much.

 

He kept talking about nothing at all as they made their way back to Shin's apartment, filling the silence as best he could without stressing him out about work. Stuff about a great cake shop near his apartment and the bread store near the agency that he'd heard about online. Stuff about his own hobbies and likes was easiest to talk about, obviously. He finally fell silent as he pulled into the parking lot, turning off the car and looking back at Shin.

 

"You can finish eating before returning to your room. I'm not in any rush."

[WolfDog12]

Shin took the food as it was handed to him as well as his card which he slipped back into his wallet and back into his pocket. The other was satisfied with taking small bites of the sub while listening to his manager talk about just about anything on the way back to the apartment. He hadn't even come close to finishing half the sandwich by the time they made it to the apartment complex so Shin simply wrapped it up and despite Mamoru saying it was alright to finish, he rather be in his own room. Besides, it didn't look like Mamoru was planning on eating his sandwich yet.

 

After wrapping his up, Shin got out of the car and began to head up towards the door. He glanced back to see if his manager was following him or not before heading through the door and towards the elevator. Shin was rather good at resting his voice as he didn't like to talk much to begin with. Though, he was really upset about the idea of not being able to sing or something.... He still wasn't even sure if he could manage to write something... His brain was a bit messed up at the moment and that was leading to such a sad performance today. Heck, even the lady at the desk looked at him sideways wondering why he was back so early as well as why his nose was a bit red and that he was still wearing his hood and glasses.

 

Of course, Shin just headed straight for the elevator and went up to his apartment without so much as a glance in her direction. The young idol walked in and placed his sub on the counter for now and went off to the bathroom returning shortly with some vitamin C drops. It was one of the few medications he ever used. Though, it wasn't really a medication as it was like a cough drop but even better. He'd take some a little later, for now he just wanted to finish eating.

 

Shin actually sat at the table like a normal person to eat his sandwich. Usually he'd be on the couch or at his computer but he was satisfied here. The idol ate slowly but managed the whole sandwich. He was still wearing his hood and his glasses though... Clearly he didn't like how his eyes looked right now. Maybe he'd try to go for a nap later.... That would be nice.

[gacktluvr]

Mamoru quit talking as the two of them pulled into the parking lot of Shin's apartment, unsure what he should be doing now. Shin needed to go home and rest, so he probably shouldn't interfere in his recovery any more than he already had. He followed him out of the car, however, flashing his identification at the lady waiting for them at the desk before following after the other. He didn't have anything more that he needed to do at the moment, so he'd at least make sure Shin made it to his room alright.

 

The walk was a bit uncomfortable with the two of them both silent, but perhaps he was the only one who felt that way. Shin seemed perfectly at ease with the silence, as if Mamoru's presence was all but ignored. He was sure Shin was used to this sort of lifestyle, not being bothered beyond what was necessary for work. It was a bit sad to think about, since that meant he didn't spend time with friends or family, but if that was how he liked it then there was no sense in Mamoru feeling bad for him.

 

He followed Shin into his apartment almost like a shadow, offering a slight bow and a 'pardon the interruption' as he crossed the threshold of Shin's doorway. He just wanted to make sure Shin was taking care of himself, and then he'd probably go home for the day. There was no need for him to hang around if Shin was supposed to be resting.

 

"Do you want me to make you some tea while you eat?" he asked after Shin seemed to settle in, going to grab his things from that morning. "Once you're done eating you should try and rest up as much as possible. Hot tea tends to soothe the throat so I certainly don't mind making some." He gathered his things in as little time as possible, holstering his bag and standing near the counter. "I'll be heading home for the day, so you don't have to worry about me bothering you any more." He smiled as he spoke, ready to do whatever was needed of him before he left. If Shin wanted something to drink he'd be more than happy to fix it. Whatever Shin needed right now, he was willing to do for him. That included leaving so he could relax more easily.

[WolfDog12]

Shin looked up and was about to speak as his mouth opened slightly but when he looked up from his now unwrapped sandwich, he saw that Mamoru already had all his things packed up and was ready to head out the door. Shin felt back for wanting to have some tea when the other clearly wanted to get out of there so he simply shook his head 'no' and returned to the sandwich. He'd have appreciated the tea but no point in forcing his manager to make him something more. He'd already done so much for the kid already that Shin no longer wanted to be a burden... That's all he seemed to be today though.

 

The younger male started to eat his sub slowly and allowed Mamoru to take his leave so he could go home and get some actual rest. After everything that happened over the day he'd actually had to work as Shin's manager, he must be tired so no point in forcing him to stay longer than he wanted to. It was amazing he hadn't quit yet. Staying the night, waking him up, even going so far as to clean the apartment, Mamoru already needed a vacation or something. It was amazing.

 

After finishing his sandwich, Shin went to his room to try and do some songwriting to clear his thoughts before he slept.

 

---------------

 

The next day, Shin was still sitting on the floor in his room. He'd not slept a wink all night and he was surrounded by papers. All sheet music, all blank. He'd not been able to write a single note... not a single lyric. Nothing. He had nothing. When Mamoru came to pick him up the next day, Shin still didn't answer the door so the other had to let himself in only to find the young idol surround by blank pages of paper, bags under his eyes and spaced out trying to get something out of him.

 

Shin didn't even look over at the other as he approached.

[gacktluvr]

Mamoru certainly wouldn't have minded staying to help Shin, so long as he asked. He wasn't going to force his company on Shin right now, so once he got the 'no' he went ahead and finished up what he had been doing, leaving just his instant coffee behind. "I'll make sure to bring something to drink tomorrow, so rest up. Tomorrow is another day, so don't worry about what happened today." Smiling politely he waved as he left the apartment, trying to stay positive about tomorrow.

 

It would be nice to sleep in his own bed tonight, although Shin had been more than accommodating when he'd stayed with him. He shouldn't have taken the idol's bed. Perhaps that had been what threw him off. In the future, he'd be sure not to let the young idol push him around. His well being was what was most important, so arguing with him about sleep was preferable to letting him crash on the couch. No matter how insistent he was, Mamoru wouldn't budge in the future.

 

---------------

 

Mamoru was feeling much more refreshed after having spent the night back at his own apartment, freshly showered and shaved and with real coffee in his hands. While instant coffee was a decent enough fix while away from home, nothing beat the real thing. A cup from his favorite local coffee stop was joined by a nice hot tea in the other hand for Shin. Even if he hadn't wanted tea last night, it was still good for his throat even now.

 

He'd had to play an interesting balancing act in order to open the door to the other's apartment, coffee cradled in the crook of his arm as he held tightly onto Shin's tea. That was more important than his overpriced coffee, in all honesty. He didn't let go of it even as he fumbled his way into the apartment, setting his coffee on the table as he searched for Shin. He was still wary of entering Shin's room without permission, but if he was resting his voice there was no way for Mamoru to gain it.

 

"Shin-kun, I'm coming in. I brought you something to drink." He opened the door cautiously, not wanting to catch the other in a compromising position. He was honestly more surprised by what he found in there than he would have been to see him naked, tiptoeing carefully around the papers strewn around the room. He was halfway through the room before he noticed they were almost all blank, stopping next to Shin and holding the tea out for him to take.

 

"Have you slept at all? It looks like you were...busy..."

[WolfDog12]

Shin suddenly stood up, tossed the paper in his hand back, letting it flutter onto his bed as he stormed from the room to take a shower. He stripped his clothes as he walked, not even taking a look at the tea or at Mamoru. Shin was completely naked by the time he turned the corner into the bathroom and seemed to be moving at a quicker pace than the first time they met. Even the shower seemed unusually fast as Shin came straight out after trying to dry his hair as he walked right back towards his room. Mamoru may as well not have even been there with how he simply moved around the other without a word or even a glance.

 

Heck, Shin didn't even care how much of his body was being shown right now... and that would be all of it. The idol did get dressed though and ready to go and decided to skip breakfast. He seemed like he just wanted to get out of his apartment right away. It was very unusual for him but then, nothing about the way he was acting was normal. The poor male looked like he could pass out at any second and yet, he was functioning better than after a good night's rest. Terrifying.

 

Shin waited ready to go by the door as he waited patiently for his manager. It seemed he had taken notice the other was there. It wasn't much but at least the young idol was waiting and not storming off towards the car.

 

"I want to leave whenever you're ready," he stated flatly. There was something wrong with his voice. It was hard to pick out if someone wasn't use to hearing it but there was something different, something very wrong with it. It wasn't as smooth as it usually was. In fact, it had a more rugged edge behind it. Even his body wasn't right. It seemed like it was functioning right at first glance but now that he was standing still, Shin was swaying slightly, leaning just his arm against the wall for support. He was hiding it well but with how sharp Mamoru seemed to be, it wouldn't be surprising if he'd picked up on anything.

[gacktluvr]

Mamoru's cheeks darkened slightly as Shin marched around without regard to his own state of undress, looking away out of respect for the other. To say he was startled by Shin' actions was an understatement, left standing awkwardly in the middle of his room. He was a whirlwind of energy somehow, even considering the condition he'd been in upon Mamoru's arrival. It didn't look like he'd slept much at all, and Mamoru wondered if maybe that was his own fault. Or had he simply pissed him off by mentioning his lack of sleep. He hadn't meant to mock him or his progress (or lack there of) but he wasn't sure how to apologize without bringing it back up.

 

"I'm ready to leave as soon as you are, so that's fine by me." He did everything he could to act as if what had just happened was normal, clearing his throat to try and ease the awkwardness that lingered in his mind. He was still a little surprised by Shin's actions, and by the fact that he had stripped so easily in front of a practical stranger. It was concerning, but there was nothing he could do to change what had happened.

 

"You don't have to drink all of this, but I imagine you'll feel better if you have something to drink at least." Mamoru gently but firmly pushed the drink into Shin's hands, careful not to come off as too forceful. "It's just a plain cup of green tea, but technically tea has even more caffeine than coffee. It might help you wake up even more than my own vice." Today was mostly meetings, so there was nothing Shin needed to really push his body for. Hopefully he'd be able to stay awake, and power through all the boring bullshit that came with his position.

 

"It sounds like you haven't strained yourself, at least, but you still look pretty worn out. Are you coming down with something?" Stepping particularly close Mamoru reached out to press a hand to Shin's forehead, only an inch or so from his face as he tried to read his temperature versus his own. "Does your body ache at all? It may just be the shower, but you feel hot..."

[WolfDog12]

Shin put his hands up to try and reject the tea but it was pushed into his hands and he was forced to accept the offer. He didn't want to get into a pushing fight over hot tea. At least it was something he liked. The male held the mug for a while before taking a few sips. It was good. Now he wanted to curl up and sleep so something warm to drink wasn't helping him. Despite the amount of Caffeine, it really didn't keep Shin awake. He wasn't the type that Caffeine normally affected so he'd have to have so much he was shaking before his brain actually told him that he was awake and energized. Of course, that was dangerous so he never relied on it to keep him awake.... Actually, just the opposite, he liked to have some green tea before bed...

 

"I'm fine, let's go," Shin snapped but he spoke gently so it didn't really sound like he was snapping at all. In fact, it sounded more like he was planning to go on an adventure the way his voice rose slightly at the 'go' part. He was good at speaking in a way that made things sound better than what they were which was what made it hard for people to get mad... They couldn't tell if he was actually pissy or not.

 

As Mamoru stepped close, Shin instinctively backed into the door and a hand was placed on his forehead where he stood frozen for a moment starting to stress out over being so close to someone. His anxiety came in full force and he ended up shoving his manager off him after he spoke and moved into a corner of the hall, next to the door. Shin was breathing was heavy and his heart was beating so hard that he could feel it in his ears. "D-Don't touch me....." He warned. It was strange because he didn't mind before but now, Shin couldn't even handle being within arms reach of another person.

 

Shin seemed absolutely terrified at the moment, breathing heavily and basically scratching at the wall as if he was claustrophobic and trapped in a tiny room but after several minutes that felt like hours, Shin managed to calm himself down. Of course, he'd also dropped the tea to the ground, causing it to burst and spill everywhere. "S-Sorry," he whispered feeling terrible. Due to the nerves though, Shin got up quickly and ran to the bathroom without even taking his shoes off and ended up throwing up.

 

When he was finally feeling better, the young idol emerged from the bathroom and walked back towards the door. "Let's go..." he said in a shaking voice. Now he was looking forward to going even less but knew he had to do this. The world just seemed so big it would devour him and stepping outside his door was beyond stressful.

[gacktluvr]

"A-ah... You're right. I shouldn't be touching you..." Mamoru stepped back with his hands up as Shin freaked out, surprised by how violently he lashed out. Shin hadn't been the most stable of individuals to start with, but he had never reacted quite so strongly to anything before. Was he doing the right thing, trying to make Shin more comfortable with his job? He had thought that would be best for him, but Shin only seemed to be getting worse as time went on. He hadn't asked his previous managers if this was normal. Did Shin usually get worse each day after meeting someone new? Or was it his own fault?

 

"I'm...so sorry..." That usual cordial smile of his was gone, replaced with genuine concern. Is this why people quit on Shin so quickly? Was it that Shin was too much for them to handle, or were they also racked with guilt over what they did to this poor kid? If it would be better for Shin if he retired, he may have to consider it. But in the interest of looking after Shin, the only person he would allow to decide whether or not he belonged was Shin himself. He wouldn't give up on him, unless that was what Shin himself wanted.

 

"You don't have to apologize, Shin-kun. I'm the one that overstepped my bounds. You didn't do anything wrong." He dropped his hands back to his sides slowly, attempting his usual smile. He decided not to address what had just happened directly, wanting to put this whole aside in the past for now. Shin certainly didn't seem as if he wanted to discuss it, and Mamoru had made enough mistakes that morning. It was time for him to actually do something right, moving to his car and opening the door.

 

"You don't have to do much at this meeting, so just try and get through it. You don't even have to talk." Hopefully things would get better as time passed. All he had to do was sit in this meeting and listen as they worked out his schedule a bit more. He only needed to be there so he knew his schedule. No other input was needed, unless he wanted to add something.

[WolfDog12]

Shin stayed silent as he walked on. He simply had nothing else to add, moving like a zombie down to the car where he sat in the back seat curled up in a corner near the door but refusing to look out the window. Honestly he didn't want to leave but knew that he had to. At least there was a chance that the people in the meeting would understand his state and would try to make it quick so he could go home but then, they may also not care or be unable to shorten the time so he would have to sit there for hours trying to iron out the details.

 

As his anxiety about the meeting grew, they managed to approach rather quickly to their destination. When they did arrive, Shin wanted to run away so fast and hide under a bed. However, he worked to shut down all his feelings just so he could make it to the meeting. The poor idol still looked like a mess and dragged his feet all the way to the elevator and then into the meeting room. However, before he walked into the room, his boss stood there in the doorway and glanced over to see nothing but an over tired zombie wandering towards him. With a quick nod to the Woman he'd been talking to, she vanished into the room and the CEO turned to Shin, preventing him from taking a seat inside.

 

"I hope you're ready, Shintarou Kisaragi!" He shouted making Shin pull from him slightly. Why was he calling out Shin's stage name like that? Shin groaned slightly before the CEO continued. "It's going to be a long... drawn out... boring... slow... meeting..." As he spoke, his voice grew softer and Shin began to sway on his feet ever so slightly. Soon they were allowed in the room where everyone took a seat. Looking towards the idol and then sharing strange glances between each other. Everyone in the room seemed to know something Mamoru didn't.

 

As the meeting began, everyone took turns talking, starting at a calm volume seeing as there were some scheduling conflicts. Still, they all got quieter and quieter until it was a strain to hear anyone. At the same time, Shin seemed to fade more and more. Soon, he had to prop his head up with his hand on the table only to find himself unable to keep his eyes open. Within minutes, Shin's head was down on his arm, face first towards the table, out like a light.

 

One of the others there motioned for Mamoru not to wake him as everyone gathered their things and moved to the room next door to continue the meeting as usual. It seemed they were use to this kind of thing and didn't find Shin's opinion important enough to keep him awake. They would just let him sleep there seeing as they knew it was the only sleep he'd get for a while. "I figured this would happen around this time," the CEO muttered as he walked past Mamoru.

[gacktluvr]

Mamoru himself jumped at the sudden shout from his boss, catching Shin's back with a gentle hand between his shoulder blades. He just didn't wat him to stumble, especially as he started to sway between the other man's words. He didn't know what to say in either of their defenses, since it was obvious that something was wrong with Shin at this point. Perhaps they realized that he'd done something he shouldn't have, and he'd be forced to apologize yet again, but he wasn't going to interrupt their meeting with protecting his own job.

 

He was surprised at the calm manner in which business was conducted, especially considering all the changes he had wanted to make to the young idol's schedule. He thought for sure his meddling would be met with anger, but it was virtually ignored for the first several minutes. He, of course, noticed as Shin fell asleep, about to apologize for his behavior when the other participants of the meeting started to stand and motion towards him.

 

Hurrying to stand he draped his coat over Shin's shoulders gently before following after them. He hustled to follow after the CEO as they exited the room, walking beside him with a curious expression. "Is this...common?" he asked just barely above a whisper, not sure they were far enough from Shin to not wake him. He needed that bit of reassurance that he hadn't ruined everything. That Shin would come back from this alright...

[WolfDog12]

"Yes, though it hasn't happened in a while," the boss explained also in a quiet voice until they walked into the other room and the door was shut. Then his volume came up just a touch more to get past the light murmuring from the other participants in the room. "You must be doing something to get at him. Don't worry though, he just struggles with change and while he usually meets it with a closed heart or music, you seem to have rattled him deeply and caused him to panic. Now, that might sound bad but it's actually a good thing. He'll eventually start opening up to you more and be more open to suggestions. For now though, tread carefully. Push him, but should he ever mention quitting or anything even resembling wanting to vanish, back off and let him make himself crazy. He might lose sleep but he'll come to his senses eventually," the boss explained. For a CEO that doesn't care much for his talent, he knew a lot about Shin an was quite helpful. Strange though he didn't divulge this important information earlier.

 

This was a rather harsh test. If the manager was willing to get Shin riled up to this state and still be willing to keep going, he was worth teaching a few secrets. "Shin may hate every part of dealing with people but he loves to sing and he's good at it. Signings and stuff are just part of the job. Exposure may not be the best way to get him in particular on board but we as a company need these things and so even if you have to hold his hand, make sure he goes to his scheduled events," His tone was harsher now as he quickly put Mamoru's insubordination in clear terms. While the manager thought it all just slid, it hadn't and the CEO was more than willing to straighten things out. "I don't care what you do with him in your free time, but you may not change his schedule as you see fit just because he gets scared of people." He remained blunt and took his seat as the others had finished setting up.

 

The voices were much louder now as the different groups shouted back and forth on what was needed and when things would happen, trying desperately to get everything settled. They were still adding places for concerts on the tour so what was only to be a couple weeks had quickly turned to a month and it was still growing and getting worse to the point that it may even reach a year of touring. They hoped not but it was on the table for discussion... or fighting... it was rather hard to tell the difference with the way everyone was now.

[gacktluvr]

"Aa...yes, sure." Mamoru bowed his head as he was scolded, ashamed of himself for letting it come to this. While he didn't regret his actions--they had been taken with Shin's best interest in mind--he did regret that a discussion such as this was necessary. Especially in public, with other professionals around him. He would try to keep his boss's words in mind, but he was uncertain if he could truly force Shin to do something that caused him such agony. Hopefully the medicine he had gotten for him would help him handle the sorts of situations that this job called for, but he couldn't put all his eggs in one basket. He would have to continue working with Shin to try and find a more comfortable way for him to go about doing promotions and other public events. Perhaps a more solid persona could be the key to figuring this all out, but working on that side of things would take time and effort.

 

He didn't stop thinking about those sorts of things even as the conversation turned to business, writing down notes dutifully as he listened to the others talk. Shin's schedule sure was packed with events, all of which seemed to be public in nature. Things that Shin couldn't handle... It was a blessing that his tour would start soon and last a while, as it sounded like he was more confident in that part of the career. Hopefully they would be able to build a decent relationship before then...

 

"May I suggest something?" he asked after listening for close to an hour, the volume and intensity of everyone's words grating on his nerves. It had felt like a torturous, overwhelmingly long time, the back of his head throbbing with the beginnings of what he could only hope would be a standard headache. He could use a cigarette right about now, but since Shin disliked the smell it would probably be a long time before he got the relief he needed. He couldn't even take a break after this meeting...

 

"I'd like to shift focus a little bit, before the tour starts." His voice was loud and clear without yelling, and he stood from his seat to grab their attention. "I see a lot of public appearances on Shin's schedule here, which is fine from a publicity standpoint, but I'd like to see a bit more outreach. Meet and greets, signings, and the like mostly benefit pre-established fan bases. Since we're looking to add more dates and locations to the tour, I'd like to do more in grabbing the attention of new fans."

 

"I'd like to propose we get in contact with any of the major music magazines out there. We could schedule a brief interview and a photo shoot. Get the word out there to people who may not have heard of him before. I'd also like to add one or two television performances. There's a music festival being aired next week, and I've heard one of the bands was forced to drop out. I could call some of my contacts and see about getting our name added to the roster."

[WolfDog12]

At first no one seemed to even hear the new man as he spoke up, however, after a while, the group slowly began to quiet down and managed to shift their attention towards Mamoru so that he might pitch his proposal. Though, the way he started out gave him glares. To think he wanted to shift gears now when the tour was right around the corner and they had so many other things to work on, things for the tour that hadn't finished getting fixed or practiced there was so little time, no way they could shift gears now.

 

Still, despite the obvious irritation, the room remained silent as Mamoru spoke. People did want to know his input even if it was only to judge him and determine if he was even worthy of this status or if he should be sent away and a new manager found... Though, they were very quickly running out of options... After all, Shin wasn't the easiest to deal with and even these people, who hardly actually dealt with the idol himself, they knew he was a handful. Heck, just take today as an example as they all had to move rooms to let the exhausted idol sleep. Though, most didn't know why he lacked sleep, they were use to him falling asleep on them. Of course, that let to a couple thinking he was arrogant and thoughtless.

 

Thankfully, the conversation seemed to take a turn and Mamoru had some really good ideas. Though, the CEO found it strange he'd ask for more public appearances after canceling so many just before coming here. What was he trying to pull? "Yes, I would like to see him make a TV appearance and if you can bring that to fruition, then I'd be a very happy man. At the same time, keep in mind everything you learned dealing with the kid. The music festival will be aired live and if you think that sleepy brat's up to the challenge, then do it, but should he fail it will ruin him and you." The CEO seemed more concerned than angry and just wanted to make sure things went right. Heck, even when he used the term, "Brat" it seemed almost endearing.

 

"We will support you however we can but please don't let us down in the process. That festival would be most important and none of his managers previously could get him anywhere near there... Actually, he was going to be part one year but that.... well, let's not talk about that. Anyway," the CEO changed the subject real fast. "I think we have what we've been looking for so let's get this show on the road." He said finally concluding the meeting. "We have another meeting next week. Make sure everything is more solid by then so we have a foundation to go off of!"

[gacktluvr]

"Perhaps having him appear on the program would be a bit too much, but at the very least I could try and get the word out about his upcoming tour. I'm afraid I've only been working with Shin for a short while, and I've yet to see him perform, but I imagine he must have some fondness for the industry somewhere." Mamoru gathered his notes as the meeting seemed to be coming to an end, straightening them and tapping them flat against the table. "I think it would be best to work on widening his audience however possible, however. Signings aren't going to bring him any new fans, after all..." Perhaps he was being out of line, but he understood the importance of expanding Shin's fan base. That was his main goal right now. Whether Shin wanted to perform in a TV special or not was still up in the air, but the idea was out there. He would have to ask him once he was feeling better.

 

With a polite bow and an apology Mamoru left the others to their business and made his way down to the cafeteria, purchasing a drink for both himself and Shin before returning to the room where the budding idol was sleeping and touching a hand to his shoulder gently. He didn't want to startle him, but this room wouldn't be empty all day. Shin should go home and get a proper bit of rest.

 

"Shin-kun..." He didn't shake him, just letting the weight of his hand rest lightly on his shoulder as he spoke softly. "We're all done here, so let's head home..."

[WolfDog12]

"And that is where you will struggle. You will need to wait until you see him actually on stage preforming. Once you do, you'll see why everyone pushes him so hard, including himself," the CEO managed to add in as Mamoru was exiting the room. The other heads finished up a few other bits before they headed out as well just ignoring the fact that their main star was passed out at the table in the room next door.

 

As Mamoru returned to Shin's side and began to place a hand on his shoulder, he didn't really react at first. His exhaustion was holding far too strong. However, after a few minutes of the strange pressure and the voice calling out to him, the idol began to stir. He slowly opened his eyes and groaned before tucking in some more to just ignore what was going on and just sleep more until he remembered where he was a sat up with a start. He looked around but it didn't take long for him to register what had happened. "Again...." he whispered to himself as he yawned and rubbed his eye before turning to focus on his new manager once more.

 

He simply tilted his head in confusion as if waiting for the other to respond to a question he didn't actually ask. Though, it was pretty easy to see that he wanted to know why he was being woken. As the drink was offered, Shin looked at it for a minute before accepting and taking a sip. He really just wanted to lay his head back down and sleep more but he knew that wasn't always a good idea... He had to stop falling asleep on this damn table... Every time he had sleep issues he found himself passed out in a damn meeting.

 

Slowly the young idol rose to his feet and with a yawn, he turned to follow Mamoru home.

[gacktluvr]

Mamoru smiled as Shin took the drink he had bought for him, taking a sip from his own drink as he waited for the other male to wake up fully. "We're done for the day, so I thought you might prefer sleeping in your own bed. I don't know about you, but I find a mattress far more comfortable than a table." Slowly Mamoru tucked his things under his arm before motioning to his jacket that was still hanging off Shin's shoulders. "If you're cold you can go ahead and borrow that, but I'd prefer if you didn't drop it." He took another drink of his coffee before stopping, lowering it slightly.

 

"Ah, I got you a tea that's supposed to help sleep. One of those natural sleep aid remedies that's been on the rise lately." He started on his way towards the car once he'd given Shin his warning. It probably didn't taste like the green tea he was used to, but Mamoru had thought it would be best to get him something that wouldn't keep him awake. Something warm and comforting that would help him relax...that had been his idea.

 

"Our day starts at 8 tomorrow, so make sure you set your alarm to be up and ready in time. Other than that, the rest of today is yours. Do whatever makes you happy." Unless Shin asked him to stay Mamoru would likely be returning to his own condo tonight, so it was best to say these things while there were no distractions. He couldn't be positive Shin wouldn't fall asleep in the car, after all.

[WolfDog12]

Shin may have been walking behind Mamoru, but that didn't change the fact that he merely nodded as the other spoke. It was something that he knew wasn't seen but he really didn't want to be talking right now. He had to focus a lot on just listening to what was going on... The tour was just around the corner and here he was passing out in yet another damn meeting. Still, he had a little time... or so he thought without knowing of Mamoru's plans on trying to get Shin back to that music festival they aired live every year.

 

He glanced down and it was true.... the taste was different... He wasn't sure if he liked this as much but it really did give a soothing feeling so he was willing to see what it could do for him and hopefully, he'd be able to actually get a little sleep tonight. Though... it was pretty doubtful. Shin did look down at the coat around his shoulders and gently grabbed it and pulled it off with one hand before it managed to slip to the floor and handed it over. "I'm alright," he said softly and continued to make his way towards the car. He took another sip of the tea and continued forward though his eye lids were getting really heavy.

 

"I just want to rest for today," He said softly. Before stepping out of the building, Shin pulled the hood up on his lame hoodie and placed on some sunglasses just because. He may not be going far where people would recognize him, he just felt more secure like this, knowing people would have to really be looking to see him. Of course, he wasn't even dressed very nicely the way one would expect a famous idol to be.

 

"I'm sorry," he said almost inaudibly but didn't elaborate, nor did he say anything as Mamoru pressed to know what he was talking about.

[gacktluvr]

"Aa, I figure that's for the best. Rest is every bit as important as anything else we do in this industry." He honestly had no intention of forcing Shin to do anything he wasn't comfortable with, so he didn't want to talk about anything while he was tired like this. It would only make it harder for him to relax if he piled on the stress now, so he would neglect to say anything until he was certain Shin could handle it. If he couldn't manage to pull himself together for the music festival that was no big deal, truly. He thought it was a good idea, to try and get his name out there, but it would accomplish the opposite effect if it wound up drawing Shin back into himself. It just wasn't worth stressing him out over, in the long run.

 

"Hey, don't worry too much about it. These sorts of meetings are dreadfully boring, even for the most outgoing of people. I remember struggling to stay awake sometimes, too." He took his coat and slipped it on as Shin readied himself for the trip home himself, carefully juggling his coffee between hands.

 

"Is there anything I can do to help you relax? Any new games you want or comfort food you'd like me to pick up in the morning? I shouldn't be too terribly busy tonight so I've got time to run a few errands if you need me to. It's a lot easier for a washed up idol like me to wander about, so don't hold back if there's something you need me to get for you."