Yaten's ears were ringing with the screams and the bass. Her body was slick with sweat and her breasts ached from the binding. She couldn't wait to get into her dressing room (his dressing room) and tear it all off, just let her body steam and let her curves reassert themselves. She'd never been so grateful to have a slight frame, but even that wasn't much help after three hours of solid performance.

"My God," Taiki said under her breath. "Japanese fans are the craziest, I swear."

"I know she's here," Seiya said, leaning against the wall, her chest visibly rising and falling. Beads of sweat trickled down her cheek and into the curve of her neck. Yaten thought to herself how many girls would have killed to be that close. "Otherwise, believe me, I'd get out of this country."

"Even if it means leaving her?" Yaten demanded, brushing the sweat off her brow.

Seiya didn't answer. "One more encore," she muttered, and they all swooped out again, smiling, waving, bowing. Their suits were still sharp, even if their bodies were not.

"SEIYA-KUN! TAIKI-KUN! YATEN-KUN!"

The lights blazed. Yaten felt her forehead become hot again just as it had begun to cool down, she felt the waves of adulation sweep over her, feeding her, cloaking her. But at the same time, this adulation was not for her. It was for him, Kou Yaten-kun. The one she put on and off each day. Her shield and her shadow.

Back into the dark, walking through the parade of bodyguards and groupies and organisers. Yaten kept her head down. Any moment now, she'd snap and bite someone's head off, add another legendary put down to the growing list.

"Here," Seiya sighed, pushing the door of their dressing room open. They stumbled inside and collapsed on the sofa together, a heap of sweaty arms and legs. Yaten found her face pressing against Taiki's collarbone, but she didn't care. The closeness eased her irritation, reminded her of who and what she was.

She sat up and yanked the tie off. "Bags I the shower," she said automatically.

There was a collective groan beneath her. She smiled at the sound, got up and moved away, shedding her clothes and Yaten-kun along with them.

The jacket and shirt came off first, leaving only the binding around her chest. Then the sensible shoes, the tailored trousers. She locked the bathroom door, pulled down her trousers, and then finally (finally) began to unwind the bandages from her chest. At first, there was nothing, she was numb, watching the marks appearing on her skin. Then the heat came back, making her flush and tingle. She unwrapped the last bandage and her breath hissed in her teeth as she finally took the pressure off her nipples, which were red and angry. Yaten ran her hands under the cold tap for a moment, then placed them on her breasts. The cold stung for a moment, then she sighed as it soothed her skin. Her rib cage was marked with bands of red. She had always been the thinnest; she couldn't imagine how painful it was for Taiki or Seiya.

"Kakyuu-hime," she whispered. "Please... please be here." She took her hands away from her breasts, wincing again. "I don't care what they say about freedom; I can't stand being a boy much longer."