Sensual Phrase - Plot

Plot

Aine Yukimura is a seventeen-year-old high school student who writes sensual song lyrics on the side in hopes of becoming a song writer in the future. One day, two of her friends from school talk her into entering her best lyrics into a contest. Out on the side walk, she is bumped into and drops her lyrics in the street and is almost run over by a car driven by Sakuya Ookochi, the lead singer for Lucifer a hard rock band known for their sensual lyrics. Aine is clueless about who he is but falls for him anyway. While making sure she is not hurt, he gives her an all access pass to the Lucifer show that night. After she has left he finds her lyrics and takes them with him back to the band with a plan in mind. Aine goes to the show and listens from the back of the audience. As she begins to leave, she hears her lyrics sung by Sakuya and runs up to the front of the stage to see if he is the same guy from before. From this time forward, he sweeps her off her feet. At first she is told that Sakuya is never serious about women and she thinks he might be playing her. However, when he kidnaps her and convinces her become the band's lyricist, she thinks he's still playing her but it's all business and not romance. Sakuya goes as far as to transfer into Aine's high school to protect her and work with her. Initially, Sakuya sees her as a virgin he can tease but his emotions for her soon change into something stronger and more lasting. Seeing her talent and desiring the girl, he campaigns for Aine to become the official lyricist for the band. His manager initially objects, but when Aine continues producing excellent lyrics, he relents and she becomes their lyricist using the male pseudonym Yukihiko Aine to protect her identity and the band's image.

Aine and Sakuya's relationship starts off rocky due to their lack of communication as to their real emotions. Aine tries to hide her feelings for Sakuya thinking that he only sees their relationship as co-workers and nothing more. She believes that he wants her virgin imagination in order for her to continue writing hit songs for the band. When he rejects her sexual advance, this only furthers the belief that he doesn't see her as a woman, only as a co-worker. Although it's not in his nature to be subtle, he attempts to express his feelings for her through a ballad he writes entitled "Little Bird" or "Love Melody" only for her to continue misunderstanding him. It's not until he corners her after the filming for the music video "Drug" does he confesses his feelings. However, starting a romantic relationship and being the girlfriend of a high profile star is not an easy task. As the series progresses, Aine is frequently targeted by Sakuya's enemies including rival bands and obsessed fans.

In particular, Ralph Grazer, Sakuya's older half-brother, an American media mogel who heads an empire in the States and is branching into the Asian markets. Ralph heads to Japan with a grudge against Sakuya, who he has never met but has been pushed to met by their father, and uses blackmail to force Aine to work for him and to break up with Sakuya. This forces Sakuya to take a hiatus from the band and face his biological father, the man had who raped his mother. Sakuya travels to the States to learn the family business, thus giving him the knowledge and power to take Ralph's position as head of the media corporation. Sakuya returns to Japan and forces Ralph to sign a contract giving him his position back if he releases Aine. This tactic and Sakuya's love for Aine confuses Ralph who has always gotten what and who he wanted that he returns to the States to start over and relearn from his father. However, Ralph returns two more times within the manga, and not necessarily as Sakuya's enemy.

Lucifer continues to grow as a band, moving from an independent band to major hit, renaming itself to Λucifer, and preparing to do tours in America and Europe, while Sakuya and Aine attempt to balance their love and professional lives. Aine's feelings for Sakuya and her ability to write lyrics are tested. Hitoshi Takayama is hired as the band's producer to prepare them for international fame. At first, he thinks that Aine is nothing but a mouthy groupie who has no place in the building, let alone in Sakuya's life. As he gets to know her, he falls in love with her but hides his feelings by pretending to be homosexual. He attempts to break up, not only Sakuya and Aine, but Atsuro and Yuuka as he plans their six month move to England so they can set the stage for capturing European fans. Yuki soon puts a stop to this plan by letting Takayama know that the success band is due to their relationships with their families and lovers.

As the group continues to grow, the president of Λucifer's rival label, Kaito Yoshioka, who dislikes the band's success and decides to destroy Sakuya and break up the band through Aine. He brutally rapes Aine in an attempt to break Sakuya. She is found by their producer Takayama, who takes her to his home and tries to comfort her while helping her avoid Sakuya. She tries to commit suicide that night, leaving Takayama no choice but to tell Sakuya. Sakuya finds he has lost his desire to sing (and his voice) and leaves the band. Yuki realizes that the only way to protect the band is to sign with Ralph's label and move the band into the international arena. Meanwhile, Sakuya tries to kill Yoshioka, but is stopped by Ralph, who tells him he's not worth a nickel and reminds Sakuya that Aine needs him with her, not in prison. Ralph avenges Aine by having Yoshioka investigated for tax evasion and fraud, thus destroying his company.

Sakuya takes Aine, who is in a near catatonic state, into hiding to care for her. When she again attempts suicide, he cuts his own wrist telling her he will die with her if that's what she really wants. Aine snaps out of her depression and begins healing emotionally. Takayama locates Sakuya and attempts to lure him back into the band. Several attempts are made by Takayama and by Yuki to get Sakuya back. While they work to recover their relationship, Aine realizes Sakuya is avoiding music and is afraid that she will be hurt again because of him. She convinces him to return to the world they both love. Takayama's death in a car accident, which tramatizes and pushes Sakuya to rejoin the band and sign the contract. Ralph informs Sakuya that once he moves into their father's position that he wants Sakuya to take over the media end of the company, but Sakuya refuses stating that he would rather be a producer instead. After the death of the Takayama, Λucifer goes on to perform their final concert in Japan before moving the band to New York City. While they are overseas, Aine studies to take Takayama's place and become a producer. At the end for the series, Sakuya and Aine are married with a son. (See the one shot of Atsuro and Yuuka's wedding; also, the one shot 'King Egoist' in Love Celeb for the announcement of Sakuya and Aine having a second child.)