Lifeless cyan eyes lingered on Reiji's mind as he continued to stare at the chaotic waves that crashed mercilessly against the cliff he was standing on. The brunet froze after losing sight of Ai, but what haunted Reiji the most were the words that replayed inside his head like an old broken record.

You couldn't save my life. You couldn't save me.

"NO! STOP IT!!!" Reiji exclaimed while clutching locks of his hair, then suddenly, everything became dark and a feeling of eeriness radiated into the atmosphere.

You couldn't save your friend. You couldn't save anyone!

"SHUT UP!!!"

Tears of anger and frustration streamed down his face just as the brown-haired idol fell on his knees. It wasn't the first time he got all the blame for the almost death of his friend but it certainly felt like it. It didn't help that he, too, cursed himself for the unfortunate events that took place. The former cheery idol glanced at the ocean – which was now still – and saw his reflection smirking at him.

You waste of space. You couldn't save your friend, you cost your kouhais their dreams...this is all your fault!

"S-Stop..."

You go walking around this world as if you did no wrong. Who are you trying to fool? The only one you're fooling is yourself!

"..."

...

You're nothing.

You should be nothing.

"I'm nothing." The brunet whispered to himself. "I don't deserve to exist."

After making such statement, Reiji shakily got up and took a deep breath. He was of no use to the world and to those around him so why bother living?

'The world wouldn't miss me anyway...'

Reiji mentally counted and once he reached zero, he prepared to jump. However, just as he was about to, a hand grabbed hold of his and his eyes snapped open.

"Reiji! Damn, I was worried sick!" Aine exclaimed as he hugged the brunet.

Reiji looked around his surroundings. It was definitely dark and it was raining. The only source of light was the one emitted by a flashlight that Aine brought.

'It was just a dream?' The dazed idol thought. He must have been exhausted from running that he collapsed without warning and fell asleep.

"It felt too real..." The maracas sempai mumbled, recalling the nightmare he had about losing Ai. The image of his bandmate falling down from the cliff remained fresh in his memory and he felt a pain in his heart that constantly stung.

Noticing his friend's unusually silent behaviour, Aine broke the embrace and looked into Reiji's eyes.

"Let's go back, okay?" The cyanette began and gave a reassuring smile.

The brunet nodded and soon the two of them were heading back to the professor's house. Their walk was quiet, saved for the sound of rain. Reiji glanced at his companion and noticed Aine wasn't wearing anything to protect him from the rain.

'He just left with a flashlight?'

Reiji slumped down his shoulders. It was bad enough that he had Aine worried, but now his bestfriend searched for him in this weather?

'Way to go, Rei-chan...you just endangered Aine of hypothermia.' The brunet thought glumly.

"Are you alright? I'm sorry I didn't bring an umbrella. I never thought it would rain." Aine began.

"Don't be!" Reiji abruptly exclaimed. "If anyone should apologize, it should be me. I'm sorry I took off without warning. I'm such an ass! I'm sorry...."

Aine stopped his tracks and faced the shorter male with a serious expression. "Reiji...you're not acting like yourself."

The clown sempai attempted to evade, yet another, paradoxical situation. "I don't know what you're talking about. Besides, I'm pretty unpredictable so who knows what I'll do next?"

However, the idol's attempt rendered useless for Aine saw right through him. "Your lies don't work on me, Reiji. You might as well tell me the truth."

Reiji sighed in defeat. "It's hard to explain."

"I still want to hear it." The other insisted.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then I'll try to understand!"

"NO YOU WON'T!" Reiji snapped. "You won't, okay!? You wouldn't understand and you never will so stop being so fucking persistent!!!"

In a flash, Reiji found himself pinned against a tree with his shirt collar being clutched by Aine. Cyan eyes glared at grey; Reiji didn't blame the other for being mad.

"You want me to stop? You're being ridiculous." Aine glowered but eventually, his eyes softened and his grip on the other loosened. "Reiji, I'll never stop asking you until you tell me because you're my bestfriend, and anything that bothers you has the same effect on me."

Aine let go of Reiji and looked away. In many ways, the cyanette ought to be Reiji's brother by soul, but there were some things that deemed unexplainable and incomprehensible.

"You're not being the usual you ever since that day Kei found you lying around the maze garden. I feel like you're weirded out with my presence, like I shouldn't even be alive right now." Aine supplied.

Reiji felt like he could crumble anytime soon due to how dead right the cyanette was. Aine wasn't supposed to be by his side for the sole reason that he was in a coma for years. Furthermore, Reiji shouldn't be in this time zone even if it were to save his bestfriend. Hell, the brunet never expected that saving someone's life would cost other's theirs. Whether Ai truly was an android or not, the youngest of Quartet Night had so much in stored for him and not just some shitty job as an embodiment of idol perfection.

Aside from Ai, Reiji had his two kouhais to worry about. Otoya never entered Saotome Gakuen and got a lousy job as a pizza delivery boy. Tokiya probably paraded around as HAYATO but Reiji knew that the dark haired kouhai of his hated it. In addition, if his two juniors weren't enrolled in Saotome Gakuen, that meant Starish never existed.

"You're spazzing out again." Aine pointed out. "You almost never do that. Well, not until the past days."

"Nothing makes sense anymore." Reiji mumbled, which his companion heard.

"Funny...you sound like me back when I – " Aine halted his sentence and in a hushed voice, continued, "...when I tried to take my own life away. Reiji, you're not thinking it, are you?"

Reiji was silent. Maybe the recent events did have a psychological effect on him albeit unconsciously. He wasn't completely aware of what his odd behaviour could lead him to but now,

Do I want to die?

"Reiji, please tell me you're not thinking it!" Aine pleaded in desperation. "Please..."

"I-I don't know!" The brunet stuttered. "I just don't know..."

The cyan idol pulled the other in an embrace. "Then don't do it. Don't even think about it."

The two males stayed that way for what felt like an hour even though only seconds passed. Like rain, Reiji's thoughts were falling on the strangest and darkest corners that promised no light.

"I don't know what's making you upset but I hope it'll go away. Everything's going to be alright." Aine began. "I understand how you feel. I've been there, and I lost myself."

The taller of the two gave the brunet a small smile. "But you found me. Remember what you told me during the day of your audition?"

'The world's not that bad.'

"I still hold on to that. I hope you will too." Aine continued before releasing the other. "Reiji, you saved my life and I'm grateful. Now, I want to save yours so don't give up."

The right words were unable to form after Reiji listened to his friend. The tables had definitely turned for this time, it was Reiji on the verge of losing his meaning to live and Aine was doing his best to rescue the brunet from himself. If this was how lost and hopeless the taller idol felt, Reiji wondered how was he able to convince his friend to continue living – if only he could do the same for his own being.

Having nothing else to say, the brunet nodded his head despite the lack of clarity. Soon, the two were on their way until they reached the house where a worried professor had been waiting for their return.

"Boys! Come inside quickly!" The professor called.

The idols complied and then changed into dry clothes. They stayed in the living room while the professor served them tea to warm themselves after running under the rain.

It was silent until the professor spoke. "You boys got me really concerned, y'know? I already considered calling the police when an hour passed and the two of you haven't returned yet."

"Gomenasai." The two teens chorused.

"I feel like a parent of two boys now." The professor said before he chuckled. "At least you're in one piece. Go get some rest after this, alright?"

With that, the professor left the other occupants of the room. Aine looked at Reiji, who seemed to be in a world of his own, for the brunet was staring into nothingness once again.

"Your room's ready." Aine began thus bringing the other back to reality. "It's just a few feet away from mine so if you need anything, don't hesitate to knock on my door."

'You're such a good person, Aine.' Reiji thought. "Okay. Thank you."

Aine smiled warmly at Reiji before standing up. "I'll be taking my leave now. Oyasumi."

"Oyasumi." Reiji stayed in the living room for a few minutes more before heading to the guest room prepared for him. As soon as his head hit the soft pillow, his eyes closed and he drifted to sleep.

...

The day's not the same without you. It's a lot quieter.

...

Reiji looked at his surroundings but only to see none. It was pitch-black and not a single ray of light in sight – had he gone blind? Or was the brunet dreaming again? Come to think of it, Reiji had been dreaming more often lately although unpleasant. Nightmares were more suited as a label to the show his mind had arranged – a horrible, suffocating, black and white display of incomprehensible emotions.

"Hello! Anyone there?" Reiji called out and those words echoed back to him. The brunet had no idea where he was, much less know if this was even real, and who knew what lies ahead.

'Only one way to find out.' Reiji thought and started walking around the dark area. He didn't crash into anything and Reiji wasn't sure whether he should be thankful or alarmed. Feeling uneasy, the brunet decided to run in hopes of bumping into something rather than just being alone in a strange place.

Minutes passed – or at least Reiji thought so – and the clown sempai still found no source of destination or anything related. It was like he was running in circles or running in a pavement with no end and it was frightening.

"Aine! Kei! Hibiki! Anyone!?" Reiji cried out as he continued to run in darkness. "Answer me please!"

Just then, Reiji felt himself falling from a great height and as he fell, voices filled the background.

When do you think he'll wake up?

Idiot...this is his fault!

He should have been more careful. Look at what happened.

Is he even alive?

The brunet was plunged into an unknown body of water and he felt himself drown not in liquid, but in his thoughts of guilt and self-blame.

I couldn't save him.

This is all my fault.

I'm useless.

I'm a bad friend.

I should be the one in a miserable state, not him.

I don't deserve to live.

I should just die.

'No...' Reiji struggled to fight his inner demons. His dark side was getting the best of him and Reiji was doing everything to snap out of it, however, his efforts were in vain as he slowly lost his conscience.

...

This isn't the end.

"Reiji..."

Upon hearing his name, the clown sempai opened his eyes and was honestly surprised to find himself in his room. He looked to where the source of the voice was and saw Aine sitting on a stool near the bed.

"Aine?"

"I came to check on you. You were panting heavily and moving about in your sleep. I got worried and tried to wake you up." Aine explained.

"Gomen. I had a nightmare." Reiji said. "It was really bad. I'm sorry for worrying you. I'll go back to sleep now."

"You've been getting bad dreams lately." Aine smiled gently. "I'll keep watch on you."

Reiji became wide awake for a split second upon hearing Aine's statement. "Eh??? I've already caused you enough trouble! You should get some shut eye, Aine!"

"I think I'll sleep better knowing you're safe and sound." The cyanette exclaimed. "I'll stay here with you."

The brunet sighed. "You're not gonna change your mind anytime soon, huh?"

"Nope. I'll look after you until you're fast asleep." Aine grinned. "Oyasumi."

Reiji returned the grin. "Oyasumi."

Soon, sleep began to take over. Perhaps having Aine around would drive away his bad dreams like a dream catcher.

He felt safer already. How right Reiji was.

~

Curtains that covered the glass window were pushed to the side hence allowing the gentle rays of the sun to enter the once dim room. The visitor, a well-known idol, then placed sunflowers on a vase across a sleeping individual before pulling a chair next to said individual. On the bed was another great idol named Reiji Kotobuki, who was currently in a deep slumber.

"Hey. Can you hear me?"

No response from the other but of course, this was expected.

"I hope you can, although I am somehow relieved you can't."

Locks of cyan hair fell forward as the idol leaned towards Reiji, studying his breathing and fearing it might stop in any moment.

The cyanette continued his speech. "Why? Hmm, I wonder as well. Maybe because I feel like a coward for not telling you before. I just had to wait until a time where you can't hear me nor see me."

Would it make a difference if he said those things while his dear friend was conscious? Perhaps, but it would be much more difficult.

"Everything I wanted to tell you render useless...but I'll tell it all to you anyway."

The cyanette held the other idol's hand before he resumed speaking. "I'm glad to have met you. I'm thankful that I was given the privilege to call you my bestfriend. I must be such a fool to have taken that privilege for granted...and left you when you needed me most."

The one speaking felt a painful tug in his chest. It had been a long while since he felt that way for someone else, and not just self-pity.

"I'm a failure...a bad friend" The cyanette whispered. "You don't have to forgive me. I don't deserve to live anyway."

The room went silent that one could hear a pin drop. If the brunet was awake, the place wouldn't be so quiet. The cyan-haired teen momentarily stood up and looked out the window. The sun was brightly gleaming and the sky was of a wonderful blue hue with a few clouds present. This day seemed perfect and Reiji would've loved it.

The idol turned his attention back to the former. "The world's heck of an ocean that we're both drowning in and it makes me wonder," The cyanette approached the sleeping brunet before finishing his sentence. "Who really needs the saving? You or me?"

...

The silence was overwhelming.

'I wish I could take back what I did and start things all over again. If only time spun in reverse, then maybe things wouldn't have ended like this.' The cyan-haired idol thought miserably. "But...being saved doesn't change anything if we were to lose each other."

He gave Reiji's hand a light squeeze. "Watch over me and I'll watch over you. That's a promise."

At the end of his statement, the door was opened by a tall male with blond hair and ice blue eyes.

"Hello, Camus-san."

The earl was unfazed by the other's presence though he did acknowledge the cyanette with a nod.

"Came to see him?" The blond asked.

"Only for a little while." The cyan-haired idol replied. "I'll be leaving now."

"Very well." Camus said as he took a seat across Reiji's bed. "Will you be back?"

"Who knows?" The teen in question smiled. "Oh, and Camus-san? I know Reiji can be...unbearable sometimes but please look after him."

Camus gazed at his fellow bandmate. In the eyes of others, he seemed to be talking with Ai but of course, this wasn't the case.

"You have my word, Aine."

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DUMDUMDUM! Hello dear readers! I am finally back and here is chapter 10! Ohohoho...answers will finally be revealed in the next - and last! - chapter! Yeah I noticed this story ends in just a few chapters but I can't exactly balance school and wattpad like a pro unless I wanna quit one...and I ain't quitting the two!

Everyone, thank you so much for reading this story and for your continuous support! I know I haven't replied to all of your comments but rest assured that I read them and it made my day :) Yosh! I will do my best!

Oh, and UtaPri 4~ Hurhurhur...I wonder how that'll turn out. Don't you wonder as well?

Tune in for the last chapter~! See ya!