This I promise You

Disclaimer: I do not own Graviatation nor any of its characters!

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Chapter 1: Am I paranoid? Or Is It A Promise Of Something Sinister?

*Shuichi’s POV*
Paranoid. They told me I should not worry about it, that he was probably just another obsessed fan. They reminded me that in the decade I had been in the music business I had had countless fanatic fan girls- and boys. Some had even been downright clinically insane. I knew they were right. I had seen it all by now. I had been chased, mulled, stalked in almost every way, shape and form from everyone from obsessed fans, right wing conservatives, angry parents who think I am corrupting their young children to the most obvious people, the damn media. I have seen my share of scandals, have several on going restraint’s…You name it, I have been through it. So, yeah, I could kind of see their point. I mean, this guy has done nothing even the most remotely threatening. I have not been receiving any phone calls at all hours of the night, nor have I got gotten any letters or packages from some unknown obsessed-oid. He has not been corning me, begging and threatening me to go out with him.

No, this guy had been the perfect gentleman and a very good friend and neighbor. Yasashii Rinjin was aptly named. He was the gentle neighbor. He never made any noise, never had his television or radio on too high. He never had any parties that got too loud and out of control. If any of his neighbors got too loud and rowdy, or bothered him in any way, he would very kindly go to them and ask them to please keep it down. He was the ideal person to have as a neighbor but that was my main problem. He was too perfect.

Did I say “neighbor”? Oh, yeah. This guy whom everyone was telling me I had nothing to worry about lives right down the hall from the apartment I share with my long time boyfriend and life partner, Eiri Uesugi.

Why then, do you ask, am I being paranoid of a man that was seemingly ideal? I have absolutely no idea to tell you the truth, but from the moment I stared into his midnight blue eyes and shook that warm, silkily soft hand when he moved that day about a month ago, the guy has just plain given me with creeps.

Stupid, right? Probably, but I cannot help it! This Yasashii Rinjin always just happens to appear wherever I am.

“What a coincidence,” he would laugh huskily.

Uh, huh.

Rinjin-san just happened to score tickets to every concert or appearance Bad Luck did? He just happened to have backstage passes to all of our concerts? He just happened to leave and return from work at exactly the same time I did every single day? Even when I overslept or had to go into the studio early? Or when I got home late?

“Come on, Shu,” Hiroshi Nakano, my best friend told me when I spoke to him about my creepy neighbor, “don’t be so paranoid. I think you’re reading too much into this.”

“But Hiro…”

“Maybe the guy has the hots for you or something and is just afraid of saying anything.” He shrugged. “Anyway, the guy hasn’t done anything, right?”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“Coincidence, Shu-han,” Eiri told me when I spoke to me, between puffs.

Coincidence? Bull-fucking-shit. If that is the case, then I have a bridge I would like you to look at.
Yasashii Rinjin-san made my skin crawl. He gave me the heebie-jeebies. Every time I came within three meters of the guy, I began to sweat profusely. My mouth dried and I had a hard time catching my breath. I would start panicking! For the life of me, I cannot explain why I always become like this around this guy! He really is nice and kind and gentle. He is a good friend, but…If I were a woman they would call it woman’s intuition, right? Well, my intuition is telling me he is up to no good and it is only a matter of time before the shit hits the fan, but until then, I am trying to heed the advice from Hiro and Eiri. I am trying to make myself believe that this “gentle neighbor” meant me no harm and that I was only being paranoid but I was soon to find out just how right I was…