However, when did we become really close? I really don't remember. We became close friends unknowingly, and then, we started hanging out often. The first time hide and I performed together, I think it was probably on 'Explosion', at that time, I used to put fire in a pot. One day, the fire was too big, and the place was too small. All the audiences went out for safety, my face, hide's face, everyone's face was all black afterwards.
There are many mysteries revolving hide. One mystery that still remains today is: for some unknown reason, hide would not like anyone see his top naked. When we were backstage, we usually hung out together, so how could we not see the top part? But, really, I've seen the bottom half, but really have never seen the top half. *laughs* He's always changing secretively in a corner somewhere.
"hide, do you have chest hair?"
Even though we were joking, but in a live, when Toshi would say 'take it off', hide would never take it off. He'd always say 'take it off', but he'd never do so himself. He really does follow his own rules.
Even when we went swimming, he still has to wear a shirt. That scene is really weird and somewhat suspicious.
Talking about swimming, hide nearly drowned in my swimming pool at my LA house. *laughs*
hide was drunk and three roddy (some dude) into my swimming pool, and then, I threw hide into the swimming pool. My pool is actually quite deep.
And then, he would scream "I can't reach the bottom... I can't swim anymore..." and swim at the same time.
.... it was not really swimming, more like drowning....
Oh yes, also our 'food fight'.
hide always thought that if we go to a really expensive, high class restaurant, then everything'll taste good there. The most important part is, his taste buds are a bit off. Whose taste bud is actually correct? There was once a magazine that used this question and went into a 'argument' state. hide's reasons was: if you mix together all these tasty food, then there'd be no reason for them not to taste good! Even if it was kidney and tofu mixed together, which are in no relevance to each other, he'd still say it tastes good.
I say "That's really strange."
For example, I like to eat pudding and sea urchin, but they definitely wouldn't taste good mixed together. No matter how tasty the food is, if you eat it with something that doesn't have any relevance to eachother, it won't taste good.
Ah, but, after hide's drunk, he wouldn't know what he'd be eating, he'll just eat everything and anything. So... in the end, we don't know if hide is good at drinking or bad at drinking.
I think he wasn't that good. He would get drunk easily and then start destroying.
But, I'm the only one that could stop hide.
I'd always get our manager's call, "Yoshiki, hide is going crazy again, please come over."
Then, I'd go over to where hide's drinking.
"hide-chan."
He would respond really quickly.
"Hai?" And then he'd stop and ask me. "Ah, what did I do?"
Not only is his taste bad, but his eyes are bad too, he always said 'I can't drive in the night.'
When we were in X, hide and I were the only ones that could drive. When we were still Indies, hide and I took our turns driving. But, he can't drive at night! But... when we're travelling from place to place, it's usually at night. Therefore, it was always me that drove, and we used to argue much over this topic. *laughs*
And then, there was this period of time where hide was crazy about 'hat'.
I don't remember which concert, but after the live, we got back to our hotel, and the fire alarm went off.
"What happened?" When I ran outside, hide was holding the fire extinguisher and yelling "My hat is missing!"
After that, I cared for hide's hat like I would for a musical instrument. Before a live, I'd ask "hide, is your hat with you?"
When we were in Shibuya once, I asked him, "Where is your hat?"
"It's here. Oh yeah, let's make a song about hats." And then he started singing "My hat, it's like this and like that..." and walked on at the same time.
Strange person.
That's right, there're endless things we could talk about. But if we continue like this, even a month wouldn't be enough. But, out of everything, the most vivid memories are still the ones that hide and me, and the members and the fans all shared. The memories are too beautiful, that's why it's even sadder. But, they gave the me today, the strength to live on every single day. To those fans that created all these memories with us, and of course hide as well...
Thank you, really, thank you.
