Spotlight Redlight (gacktluvr x WolfDog) (18+)

[WolfDog12]

Shin still felt really bad for falling asleep on him. Mamoru wasn't use to this behavior the way the others were and it really did irritate some of his past managers. Though, Mamoru was nothing like the rest so he really needed to keep that in mind and let things go. For now, he'd focus on getting home and sleeping. He really didn't want to sleep in his bed so he'd probably have to take the couch for the day. Hopefully Mamoru didn't mind him doing so.

 

"I'm fine," he muttered. He didn't mean for it to sound like he didn't like the offer to help but he was just worried that Mamoru might put Shin before his other work too much and fall behind. However, when they got to the car, before getting in, Shin stopped to check his phone. He stood there just ignoring anything around him for a solid 5 minutes before he seemed to pause on a page, scanning over it some before putting the phone to sleep and stuffing it back in his pocket.

 

He got in the car without a word and just sat there, cupping his tea in both hands and quietly sipped at it. He was barely able to stay awake sitting there but he seemed to actually be trying to do so. He wanted to make sure that once he got home he could just pass right out without letting his brain start running and driving him crazy. However, they barely made it out of view of the company before Shin was passed out in the passenger seat, curled up like a child, sleeping soundly. By the time they made it back to his apartment, Shin woke himself and he looked around letting out a yawn but he already started to look so much better. He was the type that could run on little sleep.

 

"Thank you for the help," he said softly managing a smile towards Mamoru.

[gacktluvr]

"If you insist, I won't bother you. Just let me know if you think of anything before I come get you tomorrow." His voice trailed off as he noticed Shin looking at his phone, not wanting to disturb him. "Do you still have my card? I wrote my personal cell on the back so you can get always reach me." He was half talking to himself, still careful about bothering Shin when he was obviously more interested in something else. Hopefully he was responsible enough to keep the card that Mamoru had given him. It wouldn't do if their line of communication only went one way. Mamoru was perfectly capable of reaching Shin whenever he wanted, but Shin needed to be able to contact him as well.

 

For the most part Mamoru kept his attention on the road as he made his way towards Shin's apartment, reaching out to take the tea from the other's hands as they stopped at a crosswalk and placing it into his cup holder instead. He didn't want Shin spilling it and hurting himself, but other than taking care of the idol's well-being he didn't bother him. He was glad to see him sleeping so easily: He clearly needed the rest.

 

"It's not a problem, Shin-kun. I'll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early." He smiled back at the other, putting the car into park. "Don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything, and take care."

[WolfDog12]

He nodded while he continued to scan his phone. He still was able to pay enough attention to Mamoru to know what he was talking about and to be able to respond even if it was only a vague nod. "I have the card in my room," His reply almost seemed out of place with how long the pause in the conversation was. They were already in the car as it got put into gear. "I saw the number and saved it to my phone just in case," he added, opting to speak a bit more just to make sure that Mamoru was fully aware that Shin had every means to communicate with the manager.

 

Shin woke when they got to the apartment and he looked like he was just going to get out when he remembered the tea and looked around before grabbing the cup from the cupholder and nodding a goodbye. "Oh.... What time will I be getting out tomorrow?" He asked actually having forgot his own schedule. That was something very different for him. Usually it was Shin that knew what was going on.... Mostly because he'd gone through so many managers that it was just easier if he remembered for himself. However, he didn't know now and seemed rather awkward after he'd asked, looking down and shifting between his feet.

 

He waited patiently for the answer but didn't give a reason why he was so concerned with finding out. It wasn't that he didn't like his work, and it wasn't that he wanted to get home early... he never did.... and him sliding his hand in his pocket to grip his phone didn't help his case either.

[gacktluvr]

"Your schedule tomorrow is...not exactly set in stone. At the earliest you'll be getting done about noon or so, I believe. You'll be working on blocking and choreography for your upcoming tour while we hammer out the final set list. We'll probably be adding another song or two, but since we're cutting it so close to the start it will likely be a breather. A slow song you won't have to learn any moves to. Do you have any favorites you might want to perform?" He looked over the documents he had on hand from their meeting, laying them on the steering wheel.

 

"Anyway, you'll probably work on some blocking and then do a practice run. If it goes well we should be out of there by noon. Is there something you needed to do?" He closed the documents as he glanced over at Shin once more. He didn't want to pry into whatever it was had Shin so concerned, but he couldn't deny that he was curious. "We can stay as late as you feel you need, of course, if you were worried you might not get enough practice..."

[WolfDog12]

Shin nodded and didn't seem overly upset by getting out by noon... That still gave him enough time. That was where Mamoru could almost see a smile come to the idol's lips but it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared when they started talking about a new song getting added. He leaned in the window of the car to look over the documents as well, giving them a scan over and pointing to a couple different ones. "These would be the easiest and my fans really love these in particular. They are the catchiest with a strong story. Though... I also have another new one in mind I can bring up tomorrow... I just have to get it on paper," he explained. Shin's brain was always in music and he had yet another song rattling in his head just begging to break free.

 

As soon as Mamoru asked if there was something in particular Shin wanted to do, he retreated from the car again getting nervous all over. "No... Nothing in particular...." He was lying.... and badly at that. For someone who was able to act great in front of his fans, he was a terrible liar. "Anyway, good night. I'll see you tomorrow," he said stepping back and trying not to let Mamoru get any questions in. This was a secret that Shin didn't want to say... He felt embarrassed.... for some reason and didn't want to go into it.

[gacktluvr]

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind. If you can have that song ready tomorrow I would love to hear it, but I won't pressure you. Especially if you wear yourself down practicing." Mamoru had made marks next to the songs that Shin had pointed out earlier, glad to see him opening up a little bit. It may not have been on a personal level, but seeing him thinking honestly about his career and giving his own ideas was definitely progress. He cared about his career, even if they'd gotten off to a rough start.

 

Giving a wave Mamoru didn't even try to ask what was going on tomorrow, smiling as Shin stepped back and setting his folder in the now vacant seat. "Good night, Shin-kun. Sleep well and I'll see you in the morning." It was unprofessional of him to try and pry into something Shin clearly wanted to keep secret, and so he wouldn't. They were still relative strangers, so it was only normal that they'd still keep secrets. So long as it wasn't damaging to his career, Mamoru wouldn't pry.

[WolfDog12]

Shin nodded again... his lazy way of agreeing or answering things. He stood there for a while, and waved to see Mamoru off before making an about turn and heading into the building to return to his apartment. Once he did, the young idol eyed the couch for a minute... his desired resting spot... but there was something else more pressing. He turned towards his room, carefully avoiding the papers all across the floor and finding a small open spot near his bed where he could gather up other papers and got to writing.

 

Shintarou pulled off his glassed and placed them aside, not caring about his hood still being on as he got right to work. Before he knew it, It was around dinner time and Shin was finally ready to break from his work. He'd gotten the song written down and the notes almost smooth. He'd begun to practice but something was still missing to him so he stood and carefully made his way back to the kitchen to turn on the water to boil. After doing so, Shin sat on the couch just a while to wait for it to start boiling. However, next thing he knew he was waking up to the kettle whistling harshly at him and he had to jump up to turn it off... Guess he hadn't recovered his sleep yet...

 

The male yawned and continued to make his instant noodles before propping on the couch to watch a movie. After he put the food down and the movie ended, Shin was already in a far too comfortable position and dozed right off for the rest of the night.... He never set an alarm.

[gacktluvr]

If there was ever a time Mamoru's compulsion for being early was absolutely necessary, now was it. He was starting to notice a pattern as the spare key clicked into place, turning it together with the doorknob to step inside the younger male's apartment. "Shin-kun?" Mamoru's voice was a bit loud as he removed the key and closed the door behind him. He had fully expected the other to be curled up in his bed, starting towards his room and knocking on the door. Perhaps Shin wasn't an early riser like he was. Some people preferred to get places early--Mamoru being one of them--while others preferred not to wait outside their comfort zone.

 

"Oi, Shin-kun. It's time to get ready for work..." He may not have been willing to enter Shin's room when they'd first met two days ago, but he didn't have much time to wait today. He had slept there himself yesterday, so he wasn't quite so hesitant this time around. His face went pale at the sight that greeted him, however, the room dark but clearly unoccupied. Panic was quick to set in, considering the way Shin had behaved the previous afternoon.

 

"You can't be serious..." he spoke to the empty room, standing shock still for a moment before grabbing his phone and rushing to dial the other's number as he left the empty room behind and started to look for any signs of where the idol had gone. He didn't even notice the figure curled up on Shin's couch until the first several notes of his ringtone had filled the room, not even bothering to hang up as relief washed over him.

 

It seems Shin simply hadn't had the energy to make it to his room...

 

...Why had he assumed to worst?

[WolfDog12]

At first, Shin didn't even stir to the voice calling out to him as he remained perfectly still on the couch, curled up like a cat in his hoodie, the sleeves over his hands and everything. When Mamoru knocked on his bedroom door, Shin still remained unmoving, breathing softly. Since he wasn't in his room and the living room was on the complete opposite side of the apartment, he didn't even hear the knocking. However, when his phone, that happened to be perched right on the small table next to him, started ringing, he groaned and shifted some wanting to go right back to sleep but knew exactly what the call was before he'd even opened his eyes or got his brain working more.

 

The young idol slowly sat up, his hood slipping from his head as he did so, exposing amazing bed head. It was strange since he barely moved when he slept but when he did, it was enough for his hair to end up in a position that stuck by morning... So, the right side of his hair stood straight up. Shin began to open his eyes, rubbing and blinking them as he tried to readjust to the change in light. When he finally did, he gave Mamoru a half awake look over and noticed rather quickly that he seemed in a panic... After all, he didn't hang up even standing there staring and the phone eventually went to the voicemail.

 

Shin turned and looked at his phone... He hadn't set an alarm... and his battery was nearly dead at this point... Good thing the battery lasted long enough for the call.... Shin scooped up the phone as he got to his feet and walked it to the charger until he could get ready. "Sorry.... I didn't set my alarm... I'll be ready soon," he said and disappeared into the bathroom only to come out less than ten minutes later having showered and with a towel around his waist. He walked to his room and found something comfy to wear again. He didn't care for fashion when it wasn't necessary. So, he went with another sweatshirt that was a size too big and some sweatpants.... he changed the sweatpants into jogger pants so they at least weren't as baggy. and within 15 minutes, he was ready to go... His phone not even at 50% yet but he plucked it off the charger and walked back to Mamoru's side.

 

"Sorry for the wait," he said.

[gacktluvr]

"A-Aa...no..." Mamoru hung up as the call disconnected, glancing up at Shin as he disappeared into the other room. Without really thinking about it Mamoru collapsed to sit where Shin had been laying just moments earlier, dropping his own phone on the table and running fingers through his hair with a deep breath. In, out, in, out... Perhaps he needed to adjust his thinking when it came to Shin. The two of them weren't all that similar, really, and that was fine. But he'd need to try and come to terms with the fact that Shin would do things completely incomprehensible to him...

 

"It's...fine. I should have figured you might not remember." He glanced over at Shin with a weary smile of his own, still a bit shaken. "You were pretty exhausted, and it's not like we're running late." He was trying his hardest to reassure Shin while still calming himself. "It's not a big deal at all..." Was he saying that more for Shin or for himself? He wasn't quite sure...

 

"Do you think you can dance like that?" 15 minutes had been enough time for Mamoru to pull himself together once again, working with his fingers to try and fix his hair once more. "Grab a change of clothes, too? And your charger, if you want. It can't possibly be done charging already right?" He wasn't sure how low the battery had been, but if Shin had been so concerned as to put it on the charger it must not have been very high. "You should probably take your medicine before we leave, too. Gotta make sure you adjust to taking it..."

 

He sounded unusually tired, the emotional roller-coaster of that morning having worn down his business persona for the time being.

[WolfDog12]

Shin looked down at his outfit and knew this really wasn't the most conducive for dancing, but most of what he wore on stage wasn't much better and he still had to dance. The smaller male shrugged and turned back to his room to grab a prepacked bag for dancing. He always had one ready in case he was running late. As he returned to the living room, he grabbed his charger as instructed and stuffed it in the bag before turning back to the kitchen.

 

Hurrying over to the kitchen to take his medicine, Shin did as he was told and quickly returned to Mamoru's side once more. It was clear he seemed oddly eager to get to work. His hair wasn't even fully dry. Sure it wasn't dripping but it was damp enough to still stick to his face, the bed head now flattened with the weight of the water.

 

"I'm all ready now," he said trying to get them going. The sooner he got to work and got done what he needed to, Shin would be able to return home... where he could immediately go back out to the store but then he'd be home for the night and he was just too excited. Honestly, Shin had so much more energy today than he had all week and even seemed to be in a much better mood as well. He did stop for a minute to really look Mamoru over. "Are you alright?" Shin asked. The young idol was completely unaware that Mamoru had gotten stressed out over Shin's... "Disappearance" when he really was just sleeping on the couch the way he usually did. Honestly, there were more nights of him on the couch than in his actual bed.

[gacktluvr]

"Hm?" Mamoru tilted his head to the side for a moment before showing Shin a sincere, tired smile. "You seem really excited. You know I'm the type of person that always comes around early, right? You didn't need to rush or anything." He stood from where he'd flopped down on Shin's couch, picking up his phone and tucking it into his pocket. "I'm a professional in my own field, you know." His hand moved towards Shin's hair as if to dry it before pulling away. He remembered that way Shin had reacted to being touched unexpectedly yesterday, and he wasn't about to risk that again.

"Be careful you don't get sick, alright? I'll always be here early enough to wake you for wherever we need to go, so don't feel as if you have to rush." It was only a quarter after seven, and the office wasn't nearly so far away that they wouldn't make it on time. Early, even, at this rate. "We'll probably beat the instructor there, but I'm ready to go if you are." His hand dropped back to his side as he started back from the door, opening it up and waiting to follow the other out. Whether they left now or not was completely up to Shin. Mamoru would do whatever would make him the most comfortable.

[WolfDog12]

"It's... not really about being excited...." he attempted to explain but didn't want to say what he was looking forward to later on. It wasn't that he was embarrassed.... Shin just.... well he didn't like people butting into his personal life too much for starters but then there was more to it. He quickly shook the thought as he saw Mamoru lift his hand towards Shin's hair and he retreated slightly as the other then realized his mistake and stepped back again. It was comforting to know that he knew when to keep their distance.

 

"I can at least dry my hair a little," he mumbled. Clearly he wanted to get there and get the day over with but if the instructor wasn't even going to be there then what could he do. So, off he went back into the bathroom to dry his hair a little more. After a minute he returned again with somewhat dry hair that was now sticking up in every direction. He clearly just rushed a towel over it and that was it but at least it was now only slightly damp. "I also couldn't get that song finished... there's just something about it I'm not happy with," he explained but seemed to shift from his heels to toes a couple times while wondering if he should go and bring the sheets with him today... Probably not. Tomorrow then.

[gacktluvr]

"Haha, sorry. I didn't mean to make assumptions." Mamoru should have known better than to say something like that, but his guard had been lowered with what had happened earlier. He may have presented himself as a well put-together individual, but the persona he'd played in his early years had been a bit more absent-minded. While he couldn't say that was the 'real' him, it was certainly one aspect of his personality. Missing the point and being a bit out of touch...that was a part of himself he usually tried to keep out of his professional life. "I'm glad to see you excited about work, so I guess it just sorta came out."

What Shin looked like right now wasn't what was important. He would be working in the dance studio for the day, so no one would be able to see his current appearance but those who already knew him. In another few hours he'd likely be taking another shower at the studio, tired from long periods of exercise. That was the type of business they were in. There were days you had to look your absolute best, and days where just crawling out of bed was enough.

 

"There's no need to apologize about not finishing, you know. There's no rush, so take your time until you're happy with it. We probably won't be looking at releasing any new singles until after the tour, so getting it done before then is working ahead of schedule. I'll be glad to give it a listen whenever you feel comfortable with it, and we can try and schedule you some recording time if you need."

[WolfDog12]

Shin was finally seeing a different side to someone... Usually that wasn't the case. It just was really odd for such a closet kid... He had to brush the thought, looking down a little before grabbing his dance bag and walking towards the door. He wasn't sure anymore how to reply to Mamoru so he just did the awkward thing that he did and just didn't respond, keeping his head down and moved to the door, grabbing it and holding it open for his manager to exit.

 

The smaller male followed, making sure the door was locked before they headed to the car and from there, to dance class. Shin was quiet for the ride but the way he tapped at his leg and began to mouth words, lyrics really, he was still working on that song he started even now. He was going to keep working as much as he possibly could. Shin was doing the best that he could to keep distracted but this was also something he did on instinct as he was use to trying to avoid people and situations.

 

It didn't take them too long to get to where they needed to be and Shin slid out of the car, grabbing his bag and taking a deep breath before heading inside. Oddly enough, he did slow and glance back to make sure that Mamoru was still following behind him before continuing forward towards his class. Once he was in there, the teacher needed only take one look at the other to know his mood and got right to work without so much as a greeting. Shin, as usual, worked really hard, focused and moving as he was told. It was pretty cool to see him work like he was already on stage, moving to the beat, singing just as well. For someone with a lot of issues, he also had a lot of talent in this field.

[gacktluvr]

Mamoru was starting to get used to the silence, no longer feeling as uncomfortable with it as he had before. He was used to dealing with large groups, but honestly he'd be a bit worried if Shin managed to be as noisy as a group of teens. Shin had done plenty to try and adjust to Mamoru's way of doing things, so he could give a little bit as well. He didn't need to talk to feel comfortable, smiling to himself as he noticed Shin hard at work in the seat beside him. It always made him feel good to see Shin working. Not that he wanted Shin to overwork himself, but knowing that he enjoyed what he did was a relief. He hadn't had a chance to see him perform yet, but he knew it would be well worth it. He was a hard worker, and seemed passionate.

 

Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to linger once they'd actually arrived, giving Shin a smile and a wave as he turned to check on him. While Shin worked on his choreography Mamoru would be going over location details. Venues, hotels, riders... He would make sure to finish by noon, of course. If not he'd be more than willing to pack it up and finish from home. It wouldn't do to make the talent wait for him. He worked for Shin, not the other way around. Thankfully it hadn't come to that, giving Mamoru a chance to grab a snack for the both of them before returning to the dance hall.

He'd entered quietly before Shin was finished practicing, sitting down near the change of clothes Shin had brought with him. It really was impressive, seeing him hard at work. He must have been practicing his choreography for a while now, to look so smooth and confident in his movements. At this rate the tour would be a huge success. He couldn't help but feel...proud. Proud of Shin for working hard, for taking things seriously, and for overcoming his own discomfort. It was a little overwhelming, watching him with a gentle smile.

[WolfDog12]

When Mamoru walked in, Shin was just getting prepped to start a run through of one of his stage performance for one of his new songs. He looked pretty tired at this point but he got some water and walked to start position. The teacher had one of the disks of his back song and threw out some key points for him to watch out for before starting the music. Shin's whole being seemed to change in that moment. He seemed strong, confident and could take command of the stage! Shin was down right captivating.

 

He sang and moved across the floor, his teacher smiling and nodding at points as Shin moved, singing and hitting at every point. It was amazing and now it made sense why Shin had the physic he had, as well as the stamina to be able to hit all these dance moves and sing at full force at the same time. It was different from those that sang, walking up and down the stage, it was a performance, captivating and moving.

 

By the time he came to an end, the teacher was clapping and Shin was panting but he smiled towards the female and thanked her for all her hard work. She said he was finally ready to get on tour and they would learn just a couple more things on the road in accordance with the different stages. Happy to hear this, the small artist gathered his things and finished his water bottle, placing the small towel he had packed, around the back of his neck. Shin was in nothing but a T-shirt and shorts now, pushing his hair back, it sticking to the rest, and not even falling in front of his face anymore. The sweat-soaked... everything walked over to Mamoru bowing towards him. Shin still looked hot and confident but his eyes looking close, were a bit distant and nervous.

[gacktluvr]

Seeing Shin like this was...to say it was a surprise would be insulting, so instead Mamoru would call it 'impressive.' This was the celebrity that all of his fans got to see, wasn't it? He couldn't blame them for being entranced. This sort of confidence was a good look, his own heart racing at how much more mature he looked in this instant. Any fan would fall for him as he was now. He was sure Shin was aware of that, and perhaps that played a small part in his insecurities. It was hard, separating your persona from your daily self. Accepting that both were a part of you and that most of your fans would never really know or care about the hidden you...

 

Well, fans were different from friends and coworkers. That was why they were fans and nothing more. Their opinions mattered most to the business, not so much to the people they adored. Gratefulness was always something an idol held in their hearts, but to mistake that for affection could drive a person mad. Was it that barrier that made Shin dread meeting them face to face? He hoped he was coming to understand things better, rather than veering further from the truth of the matter.

"I'm impressed." Smiling Mamoru clapped, giving a slight bow in return to Shin's polite welcome. "Are you finished for the day? Go ahead and take a shower while I speak with the instructor, then. I promise I won't take long."