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FIC: Family Visit: Okinawa, Part 2 of 5
Title: Family Visit: Okinawa, Part 2 of 5
Rating: NC-17 overall
Fandom: Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love)
Pairing: Kikuchi/Onozuka
Characters: Kikuchi, Onozuka, Yoshizumi
Word count: ~7,640
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Unexpected Opportunities, Comeback (Part 1 and Part 2), Forgiveness, Firsts, First Date (Part 1 and Part 2), Going Steady (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Audition (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Cookout (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Press Conference (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Sanctuary, The Prince vs. the Groupie (Part 1, Part 2), Family Visit: Tokyo (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Gigolo (Part 1, Part 2), Yoshizumi's Night Out (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), and Interlude. The series also includes two side-stories that are outside of the main timeline: Valentine's Day Surprise and Strictly Business.
Summary: The cast and crew arrive in Okinawa, and Onozuka gets a surprise visit from a family member.
Part 1
***
Once they got to Okinawa, they stopped only briefly at the hotel to check in and drop off their luggage before heading over to the location site. The crew for the tourism commercial had already set up and were waiting for Asami and Onozuka. That had been Kitamura's idea, that the commercial could be filmed while his own crew was setting up further down the beach, so that as little time as possible would be taken away from the movie shoot.
Word must have leaked out about the filming, because a crowd of onlookers had gathered to watch. Security arrangements had been made in advance: the filming area had been roped off, and guards had been hired to make sure that no unauthorized persons slipped through. The crowd seemed excited by the presence of the actors and cameras, but were well-behaved for the most part. A few enthusiastic fans called out to the actors, who smiled and waved at them politely, and a couple of teenage girls shouted, "We love you, Onozuka-san!" However, when the director of the commercial was ready to begin filming, the crowd obediently quieted down as instructed.
They started off with some shots of Onozuka and Asami on the beach: strolling hand-in-hand, picking up seashells, building a sandcastle, and just lying back and relaxing out in the sun. They were clad in a wholesomely sexy manner, if that wasn't a contradiction in terms: swim trunks for Onozuka, and for Asami, a bikini that showed off her figure but wasn't indecently skimpy. This was, after all, a government-sponsored commercial.
They then moved into the water, frolicking in the shallows, with Asami squealing in laughing protest as Onozuka splashed water on her. She fled out further into deeper water, and when Onozuka pursued her, caught him by surprise and dunked his head under the water, crowing with triumphant laughter.
Onozuka surfaced, spluttering and laughing, then threatened playfully, "I'll get back at you for that, Asami-chan!"
"They make a cute couple, don't they?" Yoshizumi said cheerfully to Kikuchi as they watched from the shore.
Kikuchi gazed at Yoshizumi with narrowed eyes as he wondered if the other actor was baiting him. Unlike Asano, Yoshizumi never made insinuating remarks about Kikuchi and Onozuka, but Kikuchi sensed that there was a shrewd mind behind his outward good nature. At least half of the cast and crew were convinced that Kikuchi was sleeping with Onozuka, so the possibility had to have at least crossed Yoshizumi's mind as well.
However, Kikuchi didn't believe that there was any malice behind Yoshizumi's teasing, either, and in any case, there was no point in giving him the satisfaction of rising to the bait.
"Yes, they make a very attractive couple," Kikuchi agreed pleasantly--and truthfully. Asami's dark hair and bubbly personality contrasted nicely with Onozuka's golden good looks and princely composure. Kikuchi wouldn't be surprised if the tabloids started speculating about a possible romance between the two once the commercial came out. That might actually shift the paparazzi's attention away from himself and Onozuka, which would make things much more convenient for them, but somehow Kikuchi didn't really like the idea of seeing his lover connected publicly with someone else. Which was ridiculous, because he knew that Onozuka wasn't attracted to Asami.
Kikuchi sighed. He was beginning to have an idea of how Kenji must have felt when he'd had to watch Kikuchi "date" women in public in order to maintain his reputation. Maybe this was some sort of poetic justice for his callousness towards his lover back then.
"If Asano-kun were here, he'd ask if you were jealous," Yoshizumi said with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
"I have no reason to be jealous," Kikuchi replied honestly, although of course that didn't actually stop him from feeling jealous. "Not of Asami-chan, anyway." Kikuchi heaved a more exaggerated sigh and added, "Although perhaps I should be jealous of Onozuka-kun--ten years ago, they would have asked me to star in the commercial instead of him."
"He would have been in high school, or maybe even middle school ten years ago," Yoshizumi pointed out logically. "Besides, you said that you hate doing commercials."
"But no actor likes being eclipsed by a younger star," Kikuchi countered. "Although it's inevitable in this business, and I don't hold any grudge against Onozuka-kun." He gave the other actor a mock glare and added, "And by the way, thanks for reminding me that I'm an old man, Yoshizumi-kun."
"It's all relative, Kikuchi-san," Yoshizumi laughed. "Rather than thinking of yourself as old, you should say instead that Onozuka-kun is young...though not young enough to be jailbait, fortunately!"
"It's true that we couldn't have played lovers ten years ago," Kikuchi chuckled, though it wasn't just Onozuka's age that would have been a problem--the industry and the public would never have accepted a gay love story at the time. As much as Kikuchi hated to admit it, Katou and Iwaki's popularity had made it possible for him to film this movie with Onozuka now. He still felt a twinge of bitterness at the thought, but his resentment had lessened now that he had a leading role in a good movie, along with an attractive young co-star and lover.
The thought of a teenage Onozuka intrigued Kikuchi, too--he must have been cute as a kid. Kikuchi grinned as he recalled Onozuka's confession that he used to have a poster of Kikuchi on his bedroom wall, and he wondered if Onozuka ever really had jerked off to the poster, or at least to fantasies of Kikuchi in his mind. Onozuka insisted that he hadn't, of course, but to misquote Shakespeare, Kikuchi thought that the Prince doth protest too much.
"Does something amuse you, Kikuchi-san?" Yoshizumi asked.
Kikuchi's grin grew wider and he replied, "Yes," without elaborating further; Yoshizumi just laughed and shook his head.
Eventually, Onozuka and Asami finished shooting the commercial and headed over to join the film crew. As they walked by, a reporter in the crowd of onlookers called out, "Onozuka-san, Suzuki-san--the two of you make a lovely couple! Could it be that an on-set romance is developing between you?"
"First you guys have me paired off with Kikuchi-san, and now I'm supposed to be dating Asami-chan?" Onozuka jokingly protested. "You guys are making me out to be a two-timer!"
The crowd laughed, and the reporter joined in as well, but persisted, "So you're saying that you aren't involved with Suzuki-san?"
"As I said at the initial press conference, I have no time for a relationship right now," Onozuka replied with a smile, then continued on his way.
"Good work," Kikuchi told his co-stars. "I'd certainly want to take an Okinawan vacation after watching that!"
"It must be the scenery that appeals to you, Kikuchi-san," Asami said slyly, giving Onozuka a pointed glance.
"Yes, indeed," Kikuchi replied, letting his gaze drift up and down Onozuka's body appreciatively. "The 'scenery' is quite appealing."
Onozuka blushed and laughed, "Kikuchi-san, joking comments like that can start tabloid rumors, you know!"
"So who's joking?" Kikuchi retorted with a grin, giving Onozuka an even more lascivious look.
However, the bantering stopped when Kitamura and Mizutani came over to join them. The director said, "We're ready to begin shooting the first scene as soon as you're ready, Onozuka-kun. Why don't you and Asami-chan shower and get changed?"
"Yes, Kantoku-san," Onozuka said obediently, but then a disturbance among the onlookers caught their attention. A security guard had stopped a man trying to get past the ropes, and the man seemed to arguing with him, and was gesturing in the direction of the actors.
"A paparazzo?" Yoshizumi wondered. "Or maybe just an overenthusiastic fan?"
Kikuchi noticed that Onozuka had blanched, and was turning away hastily, saying, "Well, I'm sure that security can handle it. I'd better go get ready--"
"Yuu-chan!" the man shouted, waving his arms in the air, as if to catch Onozuka's attention. "Yuu-chan, it's me!"
"'Yuu-chan'?" Asami asked with a grin as Onozuka groaned and buried his head in his hands.
"Do you know that man, Onozuka-san?" Mizutani asked curiously.
"If I said 'no,' would anyone believe me?" Onozuka replied glumly without looking up, his voice slightly muffled by his hands.
"No," Yoshizumi and Asami answered cheerfully in chorus.
Meanwhile, the man was still insistently calling out, "Yuu-chan!"
"I don't think that ignoring him is going to make him go away," Kikuchi observed in an amused voice. "You might as well let him through before the reporters decide to start interviewing him."
Onozuka looked up with an expression of alarm on his face, then hurried over to the barricade and told the guard, "It's okay, he's with me."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Onozuka-san," the guard immediately apologized. "I didn't realize--"
"It's not your fault," Onozuka assured him. "I didn't realize that my uncle would be visiting the site today."
He shot a brief glare at his uncle, who gave him an unrepentant smile as he ducked under the ropes. "When I heard that your movie was filming here today, I decided to drop by and see you, since you haven't even bothered to call, let alone come by to see us."
"I just arrived this morning, Uncle," Onozuka grumbled as they made their way back down the beach. "I was going to visit when I had some free time."
"You could have at least called or e-mailed to tell us you were going to be in Okinawa, brat," his uncle scolded, rumpling Onozuka's hair affectionately, as if he were still a child.
"You don't seem to have had any problems finding out about it on your own," Onozuka grumbled, smoothing his hair back down.
"Onozuka-kun, aren't you going to introduce us?" Asami asked eagerly.
Onozuka heaved a dramatic sigh of resignation and replied, "This is my uncle, Onozuka Kaoru. Uncle, this is my lovely co-star, Asami-chan."
"I'm a big fan of your movies," Kaoru said cheerfully, holding out his hand. Asami shook it, grinning delightedly.
"Thank you so much," she cooed, then gave Onozuka a reproachful look. "You never told us that you had family in Okinawa, Onozuka-kun!"
"I just was trying to protect my family's privacy," Onozuka protested.
"Your uncle doesn't seem to want any protection," Yoshizumi pointed out cheerfully.
Onozuka shot a glare at Yoshizumi before turning it on his uncle and threatening, "I'm going to tell Aunt Ayano that you were flirting with a beautiful actress!"
"I was just being polite!" Kaoru defended himself. "Don't make trouble, you little brat," he growled affectionately as he pulled Onozuka into a mock chokehold and tousled his hair again.
"Uncle!" Onozuka protested in an aggrieved voice as Asami giggled.
After thoroughly mussing Onozuka's hair, Kaoru released his nephew, who sulkily tried to comb out his hair with his fingers. "Oh, stop preening, you peacock," Kaoru chuckled. "I'm sure that your fans will still adore you, even with messy hair."
"It kind of makes him even more appealing, in a way," Asami said thoughtfully, gazing at Onozuka with an appraising look. "It gives him a sort of boyish charm."
"It makes you want to run your fingers through his hair," Kikuchi agreed, and did just that. Onozuka gave both of his co-stars a stern glare in response, but they just grinned at him unrepentantly.
"And if you were going to be filming here, you could have recommended our inn to your coworkers," Kaoru scolded. "I'd have given them a family discount."
Onozuka took a deep breath, then exhaled and said with exaggerated patience, "It doesn't work that way, Uncle. The studio made a promotional agreement with the hotel that we're staying at. I'm just a young up-and-coming actor; it would be impertinent and unprofessional of me to try to convince them to make a contract with my family's business just because I have a role in the movie."
"Fine, fine," Kaoru sighed, sounding disappointed but not surprised. "But you can at least come over for dinner tonight, can't you?" He smiled at Onozuka's companions and added, "Your friends are welcome, too."
"I'm sure they have other plans," Onozuka said hastily.
Kikuchi grinned wickedly and said casually, "Actually, I don't."
"So you run an inn, Onozuka-san?" Asami asked curiously, taking a closer look at Kaoru. He was wearing a blue happi coat emblazoned with the logo "Onozuka Ryokan" in bold characters.
"Yes," Kaoru replied proudly. "It's a family business--my late father, Yuu's grandfather, ran it before me. Our motto is 'We treat you like family'!"
"So are you the 'young master' of the inn, Onozuka-kun?" Asami teased.
"Of course not," Onozuka replied, a bit more curtly than usual; no doubt the "young master" comment cut a little too close to home for comfort. "My cousin Masaki will inherit the inn."
"Masaki is my son," Kaoru explained, then added proudly, "He's going to college on the mainland. He's studying business, to help make the inn more profitable, and English, in order to attract more foreign tourists. I speak a little bit, but not very well."
"He sounds very dedicated," Asami said with a smile. "It truly is a family business."
Mizutani pulled a small travel guidebook out of her purse and flipped through it. "Ah, it's listed here!" she exclaimed. "The entry describes it as 'a small local inn, reasonably priced, with a warm family atmosphere.'"
"That is reasonable," Asami agreed, leaning over the writer's shoulder to glance at the guidebook. "Are these rates current, Onozuka-san?"
"Yes, and please call me 'Kaoru,'" Onozuka's uncle replied. "That's what everyone calls me; when I hear the name 'Onozuka-san,' I look around expecting to see my father!"
Asami laughed and said, "Well then, Kaoru-san, I wouldn't mind staying at your inn for at least one night!"
"You really don't need to do that," Onozuka hastily protested.
"But I want to," Asami insisted sweetly. "The rates are quite reasonable, so I don't mind paying for a night's stay out of my own pocket. It'll be fun--we'll be working hard during the day, so this is a chance to relax and enjoy a mini-vacation."
"I'll give all of you a family discount since you're working with Yuu-chan," Kaoru offered enthusiastically.
"Well then, how can I refuse?" Asami said with a grin. "That makes it practically free!"
"Won't we get in trouble with the hotel?" Onozuka objected desperately. "We have a promotional arrangement with them!"
"Well, the arrangement was that they would get a product placement in the film and a mention in the credits," Kitamura pointed out calmly. "It might cause some trouble if we publicly took lodgings elsewhere for our entire stay, but it shouldn't be a problem if a few of us go to a ryokan for one night."
"It's more of a family visit, really," Yoshizumi rationalized. "It's perfectly natural for Onozuka-kun to visit his uncle--and bring a few friends with him."
"Then it's decided!" Asami declared. "We'll come over to your inn tonight, Kaoru-san."
"'We'?" Onozuka asked, although there was resigned note in his voice that indicated that he knew further protest would be futile.
"Well, I'm certainly going, and I assume that Seiya-san is, too," Asami replied.
"It sounds like fun," Kitamura said casually. "What about you, Sensei?"
"A 'warm family atmosphere' sounds very appealing," Mizutani agreed, giving Onozuka an apologetic smile.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Kikuchi said, grinning widely.
"Me either!" Yoshizumi chimed in cheerfully.
"But don't forget that we still have to work tomorrow," Kitamura cautioned his actors. "We have to be up and back at the beach in time to begin shooting on schedule."
"Yes, Kantoku-san," Asami said meekly, although her eyes were still sparkling with mischief, and the other actors nodded in agreement, except for Onozuka, who just sighed glumly.
"Then it's settled," Kaoru said with satisfaction. "I'll have your rooms ready by the time you're done shooting."
"I can hardly wait," Onozuka muttered sarcastically under his breath.
***
They finished shooting by late afternoon, then caught a taxi over to the inn, where they were greeted by Kaoru, his wife Ayano, and Onozuka's grandmother Chiyo, along with two maids and a man who was introduced as the inn's manager. "Welcome to our inn," Chiyo greeted her guests, bowing and smiling at them warmly, but with an air of dignity befitting the elder Mistress of an inn.
"Thank you for looking after Yuu," Ayano added politely.
"Not at all," Kitamura replied. "Onozuka-kun is a very capable actor and a great asset to the movie."
Onozuka blushed slightly and smiled modestly, ducking his head to feign embarrassment. His grandmother gave him a wry look; being family, she was no doubt well aware of what the real Onozuka was like.
"I'm a big fan of yours, Sensei," Ayano told Mizutani shyly. "I have all your books. I was very excited to hear that Yuu was going to be acting in your movie."
"You should ask her to sign your books," Asami urged.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose," Ayano protested hastily.
"It's no trouble at all," Mizutani assured her. "And I'll be sure to send you a copy of the movie novelization."
"You wrote a novel version as well?" Ayano asked excitedly.
"Yes, I adapted the screenplay into a novel for my publisher, but it won't go on sale until the movie is released," Mizutani explained. "I'll see to it that you get an advance copy."
"Thank you so much; it's very kind of you," Ayano replied with genuine gratitude, but a subtle glance from her mother-in-law reminded her of her duties, and she slipped back into professional mode. "I'll show you to your rooms and let you get settled in. Our other guests are all still out sightseeing, so you'll have the baths to yourself if you'd prefer some privacy."
"A hot bath sounds great," Kikuchi said, then grinned slyly at Onozuka. "Are you coming, Onozuka-kun?"
"Ah, no, not right now," Onozuka replied with a nervous smile. "I want to say hello to everyone and visit with my family for a bit."
"You can stay in Masaki's room, since he's away at school," Kaoru told him.
"What, I don't get treated like a guest?" Onozuka jokingly complained.
"Of course not; you're family," Kaoru replied with mock-sternness. "In fact, I was thinking that you could lend a hand in the kitchen."
"A mini-vacation, huh?" Onozuka grumbled good-naturedly to Asami.
Onozuka headed upstairs with his grandmother, and Kikuchi noticed a "Staff Only" sign posted next to the staircase, which probably meant that the Onozuka family's living quarters were upstairs as well. Kikuchi mentally filed away that information for future reference, just in case he wanted to try sneaking up to Onozuka's room in the middle of the night, although it would probably be easier for Onozuka to come to his room. He also wanted to try catching at least one of Onozuka's relatives alone in order to try and coax some information out of them about his secretive lover.
"Please follow me," Kaoru told Kikuchi, Kitamura, and Yoshizumi cheerfully. Kaoru and the maids led the men down the hall to their rooms, while Ayano and the manager escorted the women down another corridor, and Kikuchi was relieved to see that Asami's room would not be near his. He liked her and he didn't think that she meant any harm, but she took a little too much mischievous pleasure in speculating about the nature of his relationship with Onozuka, and it would be better if she didn't catch Onozuka sneaking into his room late at night.
The younger maid, who was around Onozuka's age, was clearly star-struck and chattered about how nice it was that Yuu-san had finally come for a visit and how exciting it was to have movie stars staying at the inn, until the older maid scolded her and told her not to pester their guests.
"It's all right," Kikuchi said with a smile, and borrowed a line from the Prince. "Our success is due to the support of our fans, so it's always nice to be recognized. We often complain about being hounded by the media, but every actor fears the day when they are no longer recognized and no one cares who they are."
"Actually, I'm happy to be anonymous if it means that the paparazzi will leave me alone," Yoshizumi said cheerfully.
"Oh, but you're not anonymous, Yoshizumi-san!" the older maid insisted. "I'm a big fan of historical dramas, and I've seen you in many of those!"
"Now who's star-struck?" the younger maid teased.
The rooms were typical of this type of inn: sliding doors and tatami flooring, with a low table set in the middle of the room. Normally a hot water dispenser and packets of tea were left out for guests to help themselves to, but perhaps because they were celebrities, the maids brought them pots of fresh-brewed tea.
Kikuchi sipped from the cup that the young maid, Risa, poured him; the tea had obviously been made from real leaves and not tea bags. "It's delicious," he said sincerely, and Risa beamed at him happily.
"You can get back to work now," Kaoru told her, gently shooing her away, and the maid reluctantly left.
Once Risa was gone and they were alone, Kaoru grinned and said, "Thank you for sending me that e-mail with the time and location of your film shoot. That little brat Yuu didn't even tell us he was coming, although I heard in the news that the movie would be filming here."
"Well, to be fair, he told me that he was planning to visit his family while he was here," Kikuchi chuckled. "I'm sure that he just wanted to surprise you."
"And thanks to you, I got to surprise him instead!" Kaoru laughed, then regarded Kikuchi with a more thoughtful look. "It's odd, though...Yuu-chan hardly ever talks about his family with outsiders. He must really trust you, Kikuchi-san. I suppose it's because he idolized you when he was a kid--he even used to have a poster of you on his wall back home in Kan--" Kaoru hastily cut himself, stumbling over his words before he awkwardly amended the sentence to, "Er...back in his old bedroom at his parents' house, I mean."
"I know that Onozuka-kun is from Kanazawa," Kikuchi replied calmly. He laughed and added, "And I'm flattered that he had a poster of me on his wall, although I'm sure he'd be embarrassed if he knew you'd told me that!"
Kaoru's eyes widened in surprise and he exclaimed, "Yuu really does trust you, then, if he told you that!"
"Well, actually it was his friend Sasaki-san who let it slip that Onozuka-kun grew up in Kanazawa, although Onozuka-kun doesn't know that I know," Kikuchi admitted. "He did very reluctantly tell me that he's estranged from his parents, but only because he and Sasaki-san were arguing about it in front of me."
"Sasaki?" Kaoru asked. "Oh, right--the neighbors' kid, Toshi-chan. You're really full of surprises, Kikuchi-san! Yuu hardly ever mixes the personal and professional parts of his life. He's never introduced us to his acting friends before or vice-versa."
"I'm sure he wouldn't have, if I hadn't arranged the meeting," Kikuchi said with a wry smile. "Please don't tell Onozuka-kun that I tipped you off about the location--I'm sure he'd be angry with my meddling."
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me!" Kaoru promised, with a wink and a mischievous smile that suddenly reminded Kikuchi of Onozuka, although there was little physical resemblance between uncle and nephew.
"Perhaps I shouldn't be meddling in things that are none of my business, but..." Kikuchi paused to sigh wistfully.
Kaoru leaned forward, his curiosity obviously piqued, and prompted, "But...?"
"I'm very close to my own family, so it makes me sad to see Onozuka-kun estranged from his," Kikuchi explained. "When I was younger, I used to fight with my father a lot, and I always thought that he'd disown me if he knew that I was gay. That turned out not to be the case, but I can sympathize with Onozuka-kun not getting along with his parents and being afraid to reach out to them. So I'd like to help him reconcile with his family, if that's possible."
All of this was true, but Kikuchi had carefully planned out this speech in advance with the calculated motive of winning Kaoru's trust, and it seemed to be having the intended effect: Kaoru was gazing at him with a look of sympathy and approval. Hopefully, this would make it easier for Kikuchi to coax more information out of him about Onozuka, and in the long term, perhaps it would help Kaoru--and the rest of the family--to accept Kikuchi as Onozuka's lover, if and when their relationship ever became public.
When, Kikuchi told himself firmly, refusing to accept any other possibility. He didn't really care if they ever came out to the general public, although he would enjoy flaunting his lover because he wanted everyone to know that Onozuka belonged to him. But he did want their relationship to become serious enough for Onozuka to introduce Kikuchi to his family, as Kikuchi had introduced Onozuka to his. It was a good first step, Kikuchi supposed, that Onozuka had introduced him to Miyasaka, Katou, and Iwaki, since they seemed to be almost a surrogate family to Onozuka. But that still wasn't enough for Kikuchi: he wanted to share every aspect of his lover's life, including--no, especially--the parts that he kept hidden from everyone else.
"I'd like that, too, but Yuu is so stubborn," Kaoru sighed regretfully. "Just like his old man, actually, although I'm sure they'd both protest that they're nothing alike."
"Your side of the family is accepting of Onozuka-kun's career at least, from what he tells me," Kikuchi said.
"Yes," Kaoru replied. "I didn't know that he wanted to be an actor until he ran away from home, but in hindsight, I wasn't surprised. He loved going to the movies more than anything--in fact, I took him to see a few of your films when he was a kid. And he'd be able to quote lines from a movie or TV show after only seeing it once. His heart was never in the confectionery business, maybe because his father always put so much pressure on him." Kaoru shook his head regretfully. "It's a mistake, I think, to force your child into a job he doesn't want, just for the sake of family tradition."
"So it would be all right with you if your son didn't want to take over the inn?" Kikuchi asked curiously.
"Well, I'd be a little disappointed," Kaoru admitted. "But I'd never force Masaki to take over the business if he didn't want to--our motto is 'we treat you like family,' and he can't provide a warm, friendly atmosphere for our guests if he doesn't genuinely love his work. If he was just going to go through the motions, then I'd rather let one of my employees take over the inn when I retire. Besides, it's not easy running a small family business like ours these days--it's long hours and hard work for not much money. Masaki might be better off working as a salaryman for a big corporation, but he says that he wants to carry on the Onozuka tradition."
Kaoru smiled proudly, and Kikuchi said, "He sounds like a good kid."
"He is, but so is Yuu," Kaoru replied. "I wish that my brother-in-law could accept that Yuu has worked hard and become a success as an actor." Then he smiled and said in a tone of slightly forced cheer, "But you're here to relax--I shouldn't be bothering you with my family problems, Kikuchi-san!"
"It's not a bother," Kikuchi assured him. "I'm fond of Onozuka-kun, and I'd like to help him in any way that I can."
"Thank you, Kikuchi-san," Kaoru said gratefully. "Please look after him and give him your guidance. He won't follow my advice, but perhaps he'll listen to you, since you're his childhood hero."
"Ah, that makes me sound like an old man," Kikuchi sighed, then laughed and reassured Kaoru that he was only joking when the innkeeper stammered out hasty apologies.
Kaoru looked relieved, but apologized one last time and said, "The baths are at the end of the hall just past the entryway, if you'd like to bathe while it's still empty. Dinner will be served at six-thirty this evening in the main hall, or we can serve it in your rooms if you'd like more privacy."
"I can't speak for the others, but I'd like to meet your other guests," Kikuchi replied. He wanted to learn as much as he could about Onozuka's family, and that included seeing them at work, mingling with their guests.
"That's great!" Kaoru said, grinning happily. "I'm sure that our other guests will be excited to meet you, but I'll make sure that they don't bother you too much."
"It's fine," Kikuchi assured him. "After all, as the Prince reminded us earlier today, all our success is due to the support of our fans."
"The Prince?!" Kaoru exclaimed, bursting into uproarious laughter. "Sorry, I know that's what the media calls him, but to me, he'll always be that little brat Yuu-chan!"
Kaoru left the room, shaking his head and still laughing to himself. Kikuchi smirked and wondered how many more stories about "Yuu-chan" he could coax out of Onozuka's relatives.
***
Meanwhile, Onozuka followed his grandmother upstairs to the family's living quarters and deposited his things in his cousin's room. He didn't really have much to unpack, since they were only staying overnight, and had brought a small duffle bag containing a single change of clothes and his copy of the script. They would go straight to work when they left the inn tomorrow morning, and although Onozuka had already memorized his lines, he figured that it couldn't hurt to go over them one more time.
"Come pay your respects to Grandpa," his grandmother told him when he was done, and Onozuka came out to the living room, then dutifully knelt in front of the family altar and lit a stick of incense.
"I've got my first big role in a motion picture," he said to the smiling photo of his grandfather. "I hope that you'd be proud of me."
"Of course he would," Chiyo said gently. "He was very proud of you--he used to tape every one of your TV appearances, no matter how small. We're all proud of you, Yuu."
"Uncle Kaoru is maybe a little too proud," Onozuka complained. "Couldn't you have stopped him from showing up at the film shoot?"
"You know how your uncle is," Chiyo replied. "He got very excited and insisted on going over. Anyway, it's your own fault--if you'd told us in advance that you were coming here and arranged a visit with us, he might not have gone down and interrupted you at work."
"I was going to stop by when I had some time off from filming," Onozuka defended himself. "Uncle made a big commotion on the set and invited the director and writer and my co-stars to the inn. What if the press gets wind of this and they find out whom my parents really are?"
Onozuka realized his mistake when his grandmother gave him a stern glare, but it was too late to take the words back. "It would hardly be the end of the world, Yuu," she said briskly. "It would cause a bit of fuss, but it won't hurt the confectionery in the long run. If anything, the publicity would probably bring them added business."
"Somehow, I don't think that Father would appreciate it," Onozuka said sarcastically.
"Perhaps it would be a good thing if the family 'secret' were to be exposed," Chiyo persisted. "At least it would force you and your parents to acknowledge each other's existence. I said that your grandfather was proud of your work, and that's true. But he would be even prouder if you would bow your head and make peace with your mother and father."
"They're the ones who don't want anything to do with me," Onozuka replied sullenly.
"You know that's not true," Chiyo retorted. "Your father is just too proud to make the first move, and your mother is too loyal to go against him. I'm not saying that Kouhei can't be a stubborn, pig-headed man, but he's still your father, Yuu. You were the one who ran away from home without talking it over with your parents, so it's up to you to swallow your pride a bit and reach out to them."
Onozuka just stared at her mulishly, and his grandmother took out the folded fan that was tucked into the sash of her kimono and smacked him over the head with it. "Ow!" he protested.
"You're too old to be behaving like a child, Yuu," Chiyo told him sternly. "I've seen how charming you can be on the screen--can't you use just a little of your actor's charm on your father?"
"He knows me too well to believe it," Onozuka muttered sullenly, rubbing his head.
"Well, there is that," his grandmother conceded. "However, at this point, no one really expects you to give up acting and return to the confectionery, not even your father. He won't forgive you right away, of course, but you could at least open the lines of communications with him. He'll come around eventually."
"In a hundred years, maybe," Onozuka replied skeptically.
"You owe it to your sister to at least make the effort on your part!" Chiyo snapped. "She is taking up your role as heir, after all!" Onozuka winced guiltily, but remained stubbornly silent, and his grandmother sighed in resignation. "Well, I've said my piece," Chiyo said, indicating that the lecture was finally over, much to Onozuka's relief. "You'll do as you please, the same as you always do." She muttered under her breath something that sounded like, "Just as pig-headed as your father," but Onozuka pretended not to hear, for fear of starting another lecture.
"I'll go down to the kitchen, to say hello and lend a hand," he said in a conciliatory manner.
"Kaoru was only joking about putting you to work, you know," Chiyo told him. "You can go join your friends in the bath."
"Ah, no, that's all right," Onozuka said hastily. The mere thought of Kikuchi naked in the bath--his lean, muscular body slowly sinking into the hot water--was enough to make Onozuka's blood heat, and he wasn't sure that he could keep from getting a hard-on when confronted with the reality of it. Which would be fine if they were alone, but extremely embarrassing in front of Kitamura and Yoshizumi. So Onozuka decided that it would be better to avoid temptation and settle for a shower alone. A cold shower, he silently amended, when his grandmother noticed his flushed face and gave him a suspicious look.
"I see my coworkers on the set every day," Onozuka said aloud. "I haven't been here for awhile, so I'd like to take the time to say hello to everyone. I'll join the director and the others for dinner tonight."
"All right," Chiyo said, choosing not to dispute his words, and Onozuka turned to leave before she could change her mind. "By the way, Yuu," she called out as he headed for the door.
"Yes, Grandmother?" Onozuka asked sweetly, trying to keep the wariness out of his voice.
"Don't be angry with Kaoru, but I think perhaps he was hoping that your presence might draw a little publicity to the inn."
"Why?" Onozuka asked, feeling more puzzled than angry. His uncle didn't approve of Onozuka's estrangement from his parents, but he had kept the family's relationship to the actor Onozuka Yuu low-key up until now. "Is business not good?"
"Well, business has been slow recently," Chiyo admitted. "The economy is bad, and a vacation at an inn is a luxury, not a necessity."
"If things were that bad, you should have told me," Onozuka said, concern replacing his earlier annoyance at being lectured. "I'm not a big star like Kikuchi-san yet, but I'm making a good living, and I have some money saved up..."
"Things aren't so bad off that I need to borrow money from my grandchild!" Chiyo said tartly. Then her expression softened and she added in a gentler voice, "But thank you for offering, Yuu. We aren't making much of a profit, but we're at least breaking even and making enough to pay expenses and the employees' salaries."
"Then I suppose it's all right if Uncle Kaoru wants to play up our stay here," Onozuka said with a resigned sigh. "But please try to keep Father's name out of it. And don't be too proud to let me know if things get worse. I may not be the heir, but I want to see Grandpa's inn carry on, too."
"It's a hundred years too soon for a brat like you to lecture me," Chiyo scolded, swatting him with her fan again, but it was more of an affectionate tap on the head this time. Onozuka just grinned and ran out of the room as his grandmother shook her head and said fondly, "Stubborn little brat."
***
Kitamura and Yoshizumi were just climbing into the bath when Kikuchi arrived, having been slightly delayed by his conversation with Kaoru. He quickly stripped, scrubbed, and rinsed off, noting with relief and approval that neither Yoshizumi nor the director seemed uncomfortable about sharing the bath with a gay man. In fact, Kikuchi was almost certain that Yoshizumi was covertly checking him out, although every time that Kikuchi turned to look at him directly, Yoshizumi managed to be innocently chatting with Kitamura as if he wasn't even aware of Kikuchi's presence.
So...Yoshizumi was gay, or at least bi. It was a pity that he hadn't met Yoshizumi before he'd met Onozuka. Not that Kikuchi would ever want to trade his prince for anyone else, of course, but if he'd met Yoshizumi first, they could have had the pleasure of a brief fling, and it wouldn't have counted as infidelity if it had been before he'd started dating Onozuka.
But it was only a fleeting regret. Kikuchi liked Yoshizumi's mischievous nature and the way that he was always aware of more than he let on, but it wasn't the kind of passionate attraction that he felt for his beautiful, devious prince.
Kikuchi stepped down into the bath, wincing slightly as he lowered himself into the water, which was almost painfully hot. But it didn't take long before the heat turned pleasurable, soothing the tension out of his body.
"Ahhh," Yoshizumi sighed contentedly. "There's nothing like relaxing in a hot bath after a long day of work."
Kitamura nodded in agreement, and Kikuchi said, "It's one of the things I missed most when I was living in America. That and the food."
They soaked in companionable silence for a few minutes, until Yoshizumi commented, "I guess that Onozuka-kun isn't joining us."
"What a shame," Kikuchi said, making a show of sighing regretfully, although his feelings were actually more ambivalent. On one hand, he never tired of feasting his eyes on Onozuka's lovely body no matter how many times he'd seen it before, and there was something titillating about the idea of sharing a public bath together.
On the other hand, Kikuchi didn't really want to share the sight of his prince's body with anyone else. Kitamura wasn't so bad, because Kikuchi was certain that the director was straight and had no interest in Onozuka beyond his acting skills. However, it seemed that Yoshizumi probably liked men, and Kikuchi didn't like the idea of another man gazing at Onozuka lustfully, even though he was reasonably sure that Yoshizumi wouldn't actually proposition Onozuka, and even if he did, Onozuka wouldn't take him up on it...would he?
Kikuchi mentally scoffed at the idea, but a hint of uncertainty nagged at him. They hadn't actually made any formal commitments to each other, and Kikuchi had deliberately let Onozuka think that he wasn't interested in a serious relationship for fear of scaring off his commitment-phobic prince. But surely by now Onozuka must realize that this wasn't just a fling, even if he wasn't ready to admit it out loud just yet. After all, most people didn't go around taking casual lovers home to meet their parents.
Besides, Kikuchi reassured himself, his fish was too securely hooked to be tempted by another's bait. He smiled as he recalled how jealous Onozuka had gotten when that groupie had propositioned him in the pub, and how Onozuka had sulked all day after the surprise meeting with Kenji at Kojiro's apartment. No, Onozuka was his and his alone, and it wouldn't be long before Onozuka realized that, too.
"Maybe he's afraid of you, Kikuchi-san," Kitamura said slyly.
"What on earth could he be possibly be afraid of?" Kikuchi asked, feigning shock. "I've been a perfect gentlemen towards Onozuka-kun, I assure you."
"Of course," Kitamura agreed skeptically. "If being a 'perfect gentleman' means that you flirt with him incessantly, that is."
"I was just getting into character, that's all," Kikuchi defended himself.
"Well, gentleman or not, Onozuka-kun doesn't strike me as the type to be easily intimidated," Yoshizumi chuckled. "If he's willing to do a sex scene with Kikuchi-san, I don't think he'd worry about sharing a bath with him."
"That's true," Kitamura conceded.
The men's bath was next door to the women's bath, and they could hear a burst of bubbly laughter through the wall--Asami's, of course, followed by the softer sound of Mizutani's laughter.
"What do you think the women are talking about?" Kitamura wondered.
"Probably us," Yoshizumi replied cheerfully, and Kitamura looked a little uneasy.
"And why do you look so worried, Kitamura-kantoku?" Kikuchi teased the young director. "You claim that you aren't dating Asami-chan, so there's no reason why the women should be gossiping about you--or are you worried that they're critiquing your directing skills?"
"Asami and I are just friends!" Kitamura protested defensively.
"When you deny it that vehemently, it only makes the tabloids think you have something to hide, you know," Kikuchi said. Kitamura spluttered out another denial, and Kikuchi laughed, "It's a good thing that you're a director and not an actor!"
"I know my limits," Kitamura grumbled, flushing slightly. "And shouldn't you treat your director more respectfully?"
"You knew that I had a bad reputation when you hired me," Kikuchi replied unrepentantly.
Yoshizumi took pity on the director and said, "Don't worry, Kitamura-kantoku. Knowing Asami-chan, she's probably gossiping about Kikuchi-san and Onozuka-kun."
"Yes, that's true," Kikuchi agreed good-naturedly. "I wouldn't be surprised if she were in on the bet about whether I'm sleeping with Onozuka-kun or not!"
"She placed two thousand yen on you and Onozuka-kun being a couple," Kitamura informed him with a grin.
"Is that all?" Kikuchi asked, pretending to be angry. "I'm a little insulted!"
"Well, the extras and assistants can't afford more than that," Yoshizumi pointed out practically. "As I understand it, all the participants throw in two thousand yen, and the winners will split the pot."
"What are the odds for and against?" Kikuchi asked curiously.
"It seems to be split pretty evenly down the middle," Yoshizumi replied.
"If the tabloids catch Kikuchi-san and Onozuka-kun together, that would be obvious enough proof," Kitamura said. "But how do you prove a negative? How do the people betting against them plan to prove that they aren't a couple?"
"It was agreed that if either of them starts dating anyone else, that would be considered proof that they aren't together," Yoshizumi said.
"Everyone is taking way too much interest in my sex life," Kikuchi sighed. "I only wish that it was as exciting as everyone seems to think!"
Neither Yoshizumi nor Kitamura seemed completely convinced by his protests, maybe because Kikuchi was relishing the thought of a secret tryst with Onozuka tonight. It would be a little dangerous, with Yoshizumi and Kitamura in the rooms next door to his, but that danger made the idea even more exciting. Besides, even if they did happen to overhear something, neither man was the type to sell the information to the tabloids.
Once they were done with their bath, the three of them dried off and donned the blue and white striped yukata provided by the inn. "I bet that Onozuka-kun looks really cute in a yukata," Kikuchi said with a wicked grin.
"Comments like that are what started the rumors in the first place, Kikuchi-san," Kitamura said dryly.
"I'm a notorious gay actor who was involved in a major scandal," Kikuchi replied with a shrug. "The tabloids would be still starting rumors regardless of what I did or didn't say. I might as well have a little fun with it." He grinned again and added, "Besides, I really do want to see Onozuka-kun in a kimono!"
"You're incorrigible," Kitamura laughed, shaking his head.
Part 3
***
Story meta and cultural notes: Uncle Kaoru is modeled somewhat after the character Kameyama Kaoru (played by actor Terawaki Yasufumi) in my favorite detective J-drama Aibou. The TV Kaoru is a detective instead of an innkeeper, but I picture Uncle Kaoru having the same brash and cheerful personality. Also, Terawaki is about the right age for the uncle, whom I picture in the forty-something range.
The other inspiration for the inn is the J-drama "Asakusa Fukumaru Ryokan" about an inn in Asakusa run by the Fukumaru family. It's a small, family-run inn that's struggling to attract customers and stay in business, but Fukumaru Daikichi, the owner of the inn, keeps a positive attitude and prides himself on treating his guests like family. This includes meddling in their personal lives sometimes--the locals call him "nosy Dai-san" because he can't help prying into other people's affairs, but his nosiness is well-intentioned and borne out of a desire to help. His attempts at meddling--trying to reconcile an estranged husband and wife, for example--often make things worse at first, but he always manages to make everything turn out all right in the end. It's a very warm and funny show, and that's where I got the idea of the Onozuka motto of "we treat you like family," and Uncle Kaoru probably has a bit of Dai-san's good-natured nosiness.
A ryokan, by the way, is a traditional Japanese inn with sliding doors, tatami flooring, communal baths (sometimes but not always hot springs baths, depending on if there is a natural hot spring in the area), and futon bedding. And, of course traditional Japanese cuisine (or in this case, Okinawan cuisine). The Wikipedia article says that most guests eat in their rooms, but I remember the Fukumaru Ryokan having a public dining room, so I went with that, since I wanted the actors to mingle with the other guests.
A butsudan is a Buddhist altar or shrine to honor deceased family members. It seems to be a common item in Japanese households--at least in the world of TV dramas, maybe because it provides a convenient dramatic device where a character can talk to a deceased loved one, in the way that a character in an American show might visit the grave of a loved one and talk to them as if they could hear. A butsudan is described as "a wooden cabinet with doors that enclose and protect a religious icon," and can be simple or quite elaborate (such as the examples shown in the above link). In some TV shows, there is no cabinet, merely a picture of the deceased set up on a table or shelf with a bell and incense burner and maybe a memorial tablet. In the long-running J-drama "Kinpachi Sensei," the title character often talks to the photo/altar of his late wife, proudly telling her of their children's accomplishments or lamenting her absence when they do something that troubles him.
A yukata is a cotton kimono commonly worn during summer festivals, or after bathing at a traditional Japanese inn. As an example, Iwaki, Katou, and Yoshizumi are all wearing yukata after the bath scene in "Scramble Race" in Book 9. Have I ever mentioned that I love men in kimono? ~_^
Regarding the cast and crew's bet about K&O, two thousand yen equals approximately twenty US dollars, depending on the exchange rate.
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happy holidays.
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