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FIC: Unmasked, Part 1 of 25
Title: Unmasked, Part 1 of 25
Rating: NC-17 overall
Fandom: Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love)
Pairing: Kikuchi/Onozuka
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Word count: ~8,660
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), Family Visit: Okinawa (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), and Interlude. The series also includes two side-stories that are outside of the main timeline: Valentine's Day Surprise and Strictly Business.
Summary: Kikuchi and Onozuka film their steamy love scenes, but a careless remark from Kikuchi creates some unexpected tension between them.
Translation note: Visual kei is a type of music, sort of like glam rock, where the band members wear make-up, flamboyant costumes, and often dye their hair and/or style it outrageously. See X Japan as an example.
***
Onozuka and Kikuchi were hanging out in the latter's dressing room, supposedly going over their lines one last time while they were waiting to be called out onto the set. However, they already had their lines perfectly memorized, and Onozuka's thoughts kept drifting back to a conversation that he'd had with his uncle over the phone yesterday.
Asano had stopped by the inn, and the maid Risa had accidentally let it slip that Onozuka was related to Kaoru through his mother, not his father. Risa was a sweet girl, but she was a little ditzy, and it was fortunate that Kaoru had come along and stopped her before she gave away anything else. He had lectured her sternly in private, and Risa had apologized profusely and promised to be more careful in the future, but the damage was already done.
Onozuka supposed that the damage as minimal, since Asano still didn't know whom Onozuka's father was, but he knew that sneaky bastard wasn't just going to leave it at that. Asano might be a jerk, but he was a resourceful, driven jerk, and he was going to do everything he could to turn up any damaging gossip that could be used against his rival.
Onozuka frowned and Kikuchi asked, "Are you nervous about shooting our big love scene today?" His tone of voice was joking, but he smiled at Onozuka sympathetically.
"Why should I be?" Onozuka laughed, trying to set aside his worries. "We've had plenty of practice, right?"
"Yes, but we've never done it with a crowd of people watching before," Kikuchi said with a grin.
"Are you trying to make me feel better, or trying to make me more nervous?" Onozuka retorted, latching onto the excuse Kikuchi had so conveniently provided, even though he wasn't really nervous. Well...maybe just a little.
"Personally, I'm worried that I might get a little too into the scene, if you know what I mean," Kikuchi purred lasciviously, and Onozuka felt his body respond, as always, to his lover's seductive voice.
"Cut that out," he said crossly. It was one thing to flirt publicly and let people wonder whether or not they were lovers in real life, but it would be quite embarrassing to get a hard-on in front of the director and camera crew.
Kikuchi kissed Onozuka and whispered enticingly, "Maybe we should relieve the tension and take the edge off before we start filming...just to be on the safe side."
"Katsuya--" Onozuka started to protest, but Kikuchi silenced him with another kiss, and when he felt Kikuchi's tongue probing at his mouth, Onozuka couldn't help but give in, parting his lips with a muffled groan. Kikuchi pulled Onozuka out of his chair and pushed him up against the wall, unzipping both their trousers to free their erections.
Onozuka bit his lower lip to suppress a moan as he felt Kikuchi's hard length sliding against his own, and he gasped accusingly, "You're such a pervert, Katsuya!"
"So are you, your Highness," Kikuchi purred into his ear. "You can't deny that you're just as hard as I am." He continued moving slowly against Onozuka, who couldn't hold back a second moan and had to hastily press his hand to his mouth to muffle the sound.
Onozuka struggled to regain his composure and hissed, "Damn it, Katsuya, not like this! For one thing, we can't get our costumes dirty..."
"No problem," Kikuchi said, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket. It wasn't on the costume list or mentioned in the script, so the bastard had probably been planning this ahead of time. He wrapped the handkerchief around both their cocks, his hand moving in slow, firm strokes.
The cool softness of the cloth contrasted deliciously with the heated sliding of skin against skin and Onozuka whimpered, "Oh...oh...so good," fighting a losing battle to remain silent, or at least keep his voice down to a whisper. He started to lift his hand to his mouth again, but Kikuchi kissed him fiercely, sealing his mouth over Onozuka's and pushing his tongue between Onozuka's lips, muffling his groans just as effectively, but much more pleasantly.
Onozuka returned the kiss greedily as he wrapped his hand around Kikuchi's, urging him to move faster. Somewhat to Onozuka's surprise, Kikuchi complied without any resistance or teasing, and it didn't take but another minute until they both came, moaning into each other's mouths.
Onozuka leaned back against the wall, trembling slightly and gasping for breath as Kikuchi cleaned them up and discarded the now sodden and crumpled handkerchief. Then Kikuchi planted a gentle kiss on Onozuka's lips and said with a grin, "I don't know about you, but I feel a lot better now."
"You are an evil bastard," Onozuka replied, attempting to give his lover a stern glare, but he was too breathless and sated to put much effort into it.
"It's not like you haven't known that all along, so what's your point?" Kikuchi retorted, still grinning unrepentantly.
Onozuka laughed and shook his head, then sighed, "You're impossible."
"Impossibly handsome and irresistible?" Kikuchi asked, winking at Onozuka playfully.
"And modest, too," Onozuka added sarcastically.
There was a polite knock at the door and an assistant called out, "The director is ready for you now, Kikuchi-san, Onozuka-san."
"Well, this is it," Kikuchi told Onozuka, still smiling but instantly assuming a more serious demeanor. No matter how much he joked or played around during their breaks, he always turned into a dedicated professional as soon as they started working.
Onozuka suddenly remembered how he had been arguing with Katou and Miyasaka about Kikuchi, when he had first introduced his lover to his friends at the cookout. When Miyasaka had complained that Onozuka had won the role in the movie because he was Kikuchi's lover, Onozuka had insisted that Kikuchi "cares about his movies more than anything," to which Katou had pointedly retorted, "More than you?" Onozuka had brushed it off at the time, but Katou's words suddenly came back to haunt him now. He had learned from Ryoko that Kikuchi had left behind a lover in America when he had returned to Japan to make his comeback, and Onozuka doubted that he would fare any better if Kikuchi ever had to choose between Onozuka or his career.
"Yuu?" Kikuchi asked gently, giving him a concerned look. "I thought you were just joking earlier, but are you really nervous about doing this scene?"
Onozuka felt comforted slightly by his lover's concern, and he sternly told himself not to be so silly. After all, he cared about his own career just as much as Kikuchi did, and he wouldn't give it up for any lover, no matter how handsome or good in bed he was. Besides, he was hardly one to point fingers at Kikuchi, since he had already turned his back on his family, his own flesh and blood, in order to become an actor.
So he smiled at Kikuchi reassuringly and replied, "I'm not nervous about pretending to have sex with you, but I guess I'm a little nervous because it's such a crucial scene. This is a high profile movie and there's a lot riding on it for all of us, and I guess the impact of it just hit me all of a sudden."
Kikuchi gave him a shrewd look, and Onozuka wondered if Kikuchi realized that it wasn't nervousness about the scene that was bothering him. If Kikuchi did, he kept it to himself, and all he said was, "That's only natural; I was nervous when I had my first big role, too. But you should have faith in your acting abilities, Yuu--you were picked because you were the best one for the role. The decision to cast you was unanimous, and I can assure you, that's not always the case." Kikuchi laughed and added, "In fact, I know that Kitamura had to work pretty hard to convince the studio to allow him to cast me!"
Onozuka kissed Kikuchi and said sweetly, "Thank you, Katsuya. I'm all right now--I feel strengthened by your words."
***
Kikuchi still wasn't sure what had upset Onozuka, but regardless of whether his advice was relevant or not, it seemed to reassure Onozuka, so they headed out to the set, where Kitamura, Asami, Mizutani, and the producers were waiting, along with the camera crew. Mizutani didn't attend every shooting, but she had wanted to see the love scene acted out, since it was the most crucial point in the movie. Kikuchi had taken advantage of that, and had suggested to Kitamura that the producers should also be present to witness such an important scene. It was his method of payback, to get a bit of revenge against the senior producer, Hasegawa, for shunning him after the scandal, and even now still looking down on him for being gay.
The scene was being shot out of order: they had already filmed the closing scene of the movie in Okinawa, but since the love scene took place indoors--in Ryotaro's hotel room, to be precise--it could be shot on a soundstage in the movie studio, which was cheaper and more convenient.
It was the same scene Onozuka had read for his second audition, where Midori possessed Eisuke's body to make love to her husband. Kitamura planned to overlay images of Midori over Eisuke in the final version, which basically meant that the scene had to be shot twice: once with Kikuchi simulating sex with Onozuka, and the second time with Asami. Before they could actually begin filming, though, there would be a brief rehearsal in order to adjust the lighting and camera angles before the real thing.
"So how much of our clothes are we going to take off?" Kikuchi asked with a grin.
"Well, there's no nudity clause in your contract or Onozuka-kun's," Kitamura replied.
Kikuchi shrugged and said carelessly, "I don't have a problem with showing my ass onscreen. I was already exposed, figuratively speaking, in the scandal ten years ago. Somehow, a bit of physical nudity doesn't matter so much, compared to that."
Hasegawa frowned sourly at that reminder of the scandal, or maybe at the prospect of being forced to view Kikuchi's naked body. Kikuchi wasn't an exhibitionist--at least, not in the Iwaki and Katou sense--but he didn't mind flaunting his body to discomfort Hasegawa. Kitamura looked amused, which meant that he probably knew what Kikuchi was up to, but was playing along since he didn't like Hasegawa, either.
Onozuka blushed demurely, then said nervously but gamely, "I've never done a nude scene before, but if Kikuchi-san is willing to do it, I won't back down."
Kikuchi had to fight back a grin; if he hadn't had the Prince in his bed many times before, he might actually have believed Onozuka's virginal act. He had no doubt that his devious lover was going to win a Best Actor award of his own someday.
"I appreciate your dedication, Onozuka-san," Mizutani said with a smile. "But nudity isn't as important as the emotional connection between the characters--in this case, sex is merely a means by which Midori and Ryotaro, and Eisuke and Ryotaro express their feelings for each other. Although of course it's up to Kitamura-kantoku as to how explicit he wants the scene to be."
"I want the scene to come off as sexy and sensual, but not crude or pornographic," Kitamura replied, looking more serious now. "As you said, I want the emotions of the characters to come across, so I don't think that full nudity is required."
Hasegawa looked relieved, but Asami had the opposite reaction. "That's no fun!" she pouted. "I was looking forward to seeing Kikuchi-san and the Prince get naked!"
Kikuchi burst into laughter while Onozuka responded with one of his fake blushes, and Kitamura said dryly, "It's for your sake, too, Asami-chan. Since we're mirroring the scenes with Midori and Eisuke, you would also have to go nude if Onozuka-kun did."
"Well, I went topless in the Gigolo ads, and that wasn't so bad," Asami mused.
"Keep in mind that you didn't actually reveal all that much in the ads," Kitamura retorted. "If you go fully nude in the movie, you can be sure that some perverts will secretly tape the movie in the theater, or capture stills from the dvd when it comes out and post them on the internet."
"He does have a point," Kikuchi agreed.
"Seiya-san is being overprotective, as usual," Asami sighed with fond exasperation. "I suppose that I don't really want nude pictures of me turning up on the internet, but in that case, shouldn't he also be worried about you and Onozuka-kun, too?"
"Maybe he isn't worried about protecting my virtue because there's none left to protect," Kikuchi replied with a grin.
"I'm sure that it's also because you're special to the director, Asami-chan," Onozuka said sweetly. "Besides, didn't Akiha-san say that what's hidden is more exciting than something that's already been revealed?"
"I think the success of the Gigolo ads proves that he's right," Kitamura agreed. The director had the final word, and Asami, despite her joking complaints, wasn't really eager to do a nude scene, so it was decided that they would shoot mostly from the waist up (and with the help of a strategically placed blanket) in order to preserve the illusion of nudity. Asami would be filmed partially clothed at the beginning of the lovemaking scene, and with Kikuchi's body strategically shielding hers in the rest of the scene.
They had already rehearsed the dialogue in advance, but now they began physically choreographing the scene so that the cameras could be positioned at the proper angles to capture just enough and not too much of the actors' bodies. Since it was just a rehearsal, they kept their clothes on as they went through the motions, although Onozuka stilled feigned nervousness and embarrassment.
"I'm not really sure what I should be doing, so I'm afraid that you'll have to coach me, Kikuchi-san," Onozuka said shyly as he lay on the bed beneath Kikuchi. "I've never been in this position before, so to speak."
Kikuchi nearly burst into laughter, but managed to restrain himself to a small, nearly inaudible snort. He managed to get control of himself and said smoothly, "Well, since you're supposed to be Midori in this scene, you should make love to me as if you were a woman." He positioned himself between Onozuka's legs, and instructed, "Now wrap your legs around my waist."
Onozuka obeyed, but blushed and laughed nervously, "This is a little embarrassing."
"I know that it's a bit awkward, Onozuka-kun," Kitamura said sympathetically. "But don't forget that you're actually playing Midori in this scene, and you can't show any signs of nervousness if you want to convince the audience that you're Ryotaro's loving and devoted wife."
"I understand, Kantoku-san," Onozuka replied, and instantly, his demeanor changed. "Ryo," he purred seductively, wrapping his arms around Kikuchi as he gazed up at Kikuchi lovingly.
That look caused Kikuchi's breath to catch in his throat, and everyone else in the room instantly fell silent, although Kikuchi was only vaguely aware of their reaction. He knew that Onozuka's loving gaze was fake, but it was a very good imitation, and it made him wonder what it would be like to have Onozuka look at him that way for real. Which then made him feel a little uneasy, as he wondered if the roles of hunter and hunted might have gotten reversed somewhere along the way without him noticing.
But he didn't have time to brood about his relationship with Onozuka right now, so with long practice, he shunted those thoughts aside, tucking them away into a corner of his mind to be dealt with later, and focused his attention on the scene they were acting out.
"Midori," Kikuchi whispered tenderly, kissing Onozuka. He rocked his hips against Onozuka's, and Onozuka tilted his head back, eyes half-closed, and let out a passionate moan as his body writhed against Kikuchi's.
Then Onozuka broke character and turned his head to grin mischievously at the spellbound onlookers; even Hasegawa seemed impressed by Onozuka's performance, although he also looked slightly queasy at the same time.
"Is that good enough for you, Kantoku-san?" Onozuka asked sweetly.
Kitamura recovered quickly from his shock and laughed, "Yes, that's perfect, Onozuka-kun!" Then he grinned slyly and added, "You know, I can't tell whether you were acting just now, or earlier when you appeared to be embarrassed."
"Of course doing a sex scene is a little embarrassing," Onozuka protested innocently. "But it's my job as an actor to set aside my own feelings and become the character."
"Well, whatever the method or motivation, your performance was splendid!" Sato complimented him enthusiastically. "Don't you agree, Hasegawa-san?"
"Indeed," Hasegawa agreed, albeit a bit sourly. He did look satisfied in a grim sort of way--he might be a homophobic jerk, but he wanted the film to succeed as much as the rest of them did. It wasn't only the director and actors' careers that would suffer if the movie flopped: the producers would also be held responsible and the studio would be loathe to trust them with other projects in the future.
Asami made a show of fanning herself with the script, and exclaimed, "Wow, that was so hot! I'm going to have trouble matching your performance, Onozuka-kun! Weren't they great, Sensei?"
Mizutani's face had turned a bright shade of pink--it reminded Kikuchi of Onozuka's pretty blushes, although Mizutani's was more genuine. "Oh yes!" she agreed fervently. "Kikuchi-san and Onozuka-san perfectly captured the love and passion that the characters have for each other." She laughed sheepishly and added, "To be honest, they were so wonderful that I'm a little flustered--it's one thing to write down a love scene on paper, but to see it brought to life like that...it's, well..."
"Hot," Asami finished for her, grinning widely. "Sizzling hot!"
"Sometimes I think that you're enjoying this just a little too much," Kitamura said dryly, and Asami just giggled and batted her eyelashes innocently at him.
They soon finished up the rehearsal and moved on to the real thing. The first part of the scene, which they had read during the audition, involved Midori persuading Ryotaro to make love to her even though she was in Eisuke's body. The detective gave in after a few halfhearted protests, and Kikuchi swept Onozuka into his arms and kissed him passionately. Onozuka returned the kiss with equal passion, and for a moment, Kikuchi almost forgot that they were supposed to be working.
Following the script and Kitamura's instructions, Kikuchi laid Onozuka down on the bed and unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it aside but not completely exposing his chest, and planted a line of kisses along Onozuka's breastbone. In the mirroring scene with Asami, he would push the shirt aside enough to expose her cleavage without baring her breasts completely. The make-up department had applied a scar to Onozuka's chest beforehand, a remnant of the surgery that Eisuke had undergone, and Kikuchi kissed it tenderly as Onozuka let out a soft, eager moan.
After a little more kissing and moaning, the scene was paused and the cameras stopped rolling as Kikuchi and Onozuka stripped down to their underwear. On film, the scene would dissolve and advance in time slightly to show them in the midst of their lovemaking--partly to spare Asami from having to undress onscreen, and partly to save time and keep the movie to a reasonable length.
They climbed back into bed, and the director shouted, "Action!" and the scene resumed. Aside from the few remaining lines of dialogue--mostly calling out each other's names and "I love you"--Kitamura had given them freedom to ad lib the rest.
Onozuka moaned very convincingly as they writhed together on the bed, his arms and legs wrapped around Kikuchi's body. Quite frankly, sex scenes were usually very un-sexy in reality, however hot they appeared to be on the screen. It was difficult to get turned on--not to mention keep one's dignity--with all the bright lights and cameras, and the director and at least a dozen crew members watching while the actors pretended to perform intimate acts with each other, all while being naked or nearly so. And of course Kikuchi's previous love scenes had all been with women, so it wouldn't have made a difference even if the cameras and spectators hadn't been there.
Not that Kikuchi was complaining. It was part of an actor's job to turn fantasy into reality, and he always enjoyed a challenging role.
Aside from the producers and Mizutani, Kitamura had kept only the minimum amount of crew on hand needed to film the scene because he obviously didn't want anyone there just gawking at Asami. That still didn't make the atmosphere any more romantic, but Kikuchi found it easier than usual to forget about the cameras and onlookers, and to lose himself in the scene. And with Onozuka staring at him with love and lust-filled eyes, his body arching up against Kikuchi's as his lips parted in a passionate cry, Kikuchi found himself getting a little aroused, despite their earlier encounter in the dressing room to "relieve the tension."
If Onozuka noticed--and how could he not?--it didn't affect his performance; he continued writhing and moaning without missing a beat. "Ryo," he whispered breathily. "Oh, Ryo, I love you so much!"
The mention of character's name reminded Kikuchi to focus on his work, and he groaned in response, "I love you, too, Midori!"
There was more kissing and moaning and simulated sex, until Kitamura indicated that it was about time to wrap things up. So Kikuchi let his groans grow more urgent, culminating in a cry of "Midori!" Onozuka followed his lead, faking a spectacular (and spectacularly loud) orgasm--which was only slightly exaggerated compared to the real ones he had in Kikuchi's bed, Kikuchi noted smugly.
They collapsed on the bed in each other's arms, panting and gasping for breath. Kikuchi kissed Onozuka tenderly, whispering, "I love you, Midori." Then his eyes fell shut and he feigned falling into a deep and contented sleep.
Onozuka wrapped his arms more tightly around Kikuchi, and he whispered, "I love you, Ryo..." He paused for a second, then finished sadly, "...taro-san." Kikuchi couldn't see Onozuka's face, of course, but he knew that the camera would zoom in to the catch the look of sadness in Eisuke's eyes, because Eisuke had now returned to full consciousness and control of his body, and finally realized that he was in love with Ryotaro--who was still in love with his dead wife. The shift in name and the use of "san" was an added hint to the audience that they were now watching Eisuke instead of Midori, in case they were too dense to pick up on the more subtle cues.
"Cut!" Kitamura shouted. "Great work!"
"It was very realistic, wasn't it, Sensei?" Asami giggled, with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
"Er...yes, very," Mizutani agreed, looking even more flushed than before.
They did a couple of re-takes, not because the director was displeased with their performance, but so that the cameras could shoot them from different angles, to be edited and compiled later into the final cut of the film. Eventually Kitamura decided that he had all the footage he needed, and suggested that they take a short break before shooting Asami's version of the scene.
"Thanks, I could use a few minutes to cool down after that," Kikuchi said, giving Onozuka a wicked grin. "I think I got a little excited for real during that scene!"
Onozuka blushed and laughingly scolded, "Kikuchi-san, that's sexual harassment!"
"But how could I possibly resist your princely charms?" Kikuchi teased.
"Well, I guess you won't be having that same problem with me, Kikuchi-san," Asami said with an exaggerated sigh of regret.
"You're a lovely woman, Asami-chan," Kikuchi said gallantly. "I'm sure that if I were straight, I would find you irresistible."
"Oh, you're such a smooth talker!" Asami laughed. "You'd better watch yourself around him, Onozuka-kun!"
"Well, Kikuchi-san likes to tease me a lot, but I'm sure that he wouldn't really do anything, ah, inappropriate," Onozuka said demurely.
"Are you sure we're talking about the same Kikuchi-san?" Asami asked doubtfully, and Kitamura laughed.
"Come, let's give Kikuchi-san some time to cool down, as he asked," the director suggested. "You need to get ready for your scene, anyway."
"Behave yourself, Kikuchi-san," Asami admonished Kikuchi with a playful wink as she followed Kitamura off the set.
Hasegawa left with a look of visible relief on his face, and Sato and Mizutani followed, after complimenting Kikuchi and Onozuka on their performance once more. The crew members began dispersing, except for a young assistant who was standing by with robes for Onozuka and Kikuchi.
Onozuka slid off the bed and out from under the covers unselfconsciously, making no effort to hide his near-nakedness, which made an obvious impression on the assistant, who stared at him in awe.
"Thank you, Hikari-chan," Onozuka said graciously, taking the robe from her outstretched hand. He put it on and wrapped it around himself--although he took his time about it, Kikuchi noticed with a combination of amusement and irritation. He never tired of admiring his lover's beautiful body, but he didn't appreciate having to share the sight with the wide-eyed Hikari, who was obviously a fan of the Prince.
Kikuchi didn't really blame her--or at least, he knew that Onozuka was the one he should be annoyed with, since Onozuka was clearly baiting him. He cleared his throat impatiently, and the assistant snapped out of her daze and hurried over to hand him his own robe with a sheepish, "Forgive me, Kikuchi-san."
"I suppose that I can't blame anyone for being dazzled by the Golden Prince," Kikuchi said dryly, and Hikari turned bright red and mumbled another apology. "We'll be fine, thank you," Kikuchi added in a polite but obvious tone of dismissal, and Hikari took the opportunity to flee.
"You terrified another assistant, Kikuchi-san," Onozuka teased.
"She was ogling you," Kikuchi grumbled.
"She was admiring me," Onozuka corrected with a smirk. "Anyway, what does it matter? There are already the Gigolo ads with us posing half-naked, and when the film is released, people all over Japan will be seeing us having sex onscreen. It's a little too late to be worrying about covering up my body now." Kikuchi scowled, unable to dispute that logic, and Onozuka laughed merrily, then added with a mischievous wink, "But I'll go get dressed now if it bothers you that much."
It was difficult to resist Onozuka's charm even when he was being annoying, and Kikuchi couldn't help but return his lover's smile. "Fine, let's get dressed," he replied. For the benefit of any lingering eavesdroppers, he added, "And we can take advantage of the break to continue our English lessons."
"Thank you, Kikuchi-san," Onozuka said sweetly. "I really appreciate it. Your lessons are so...educational." He gave Kikuchi an angelic smile, and anyone who didn't know him well would never have guessed what a devious and manipulative bastard he was.
They gathered up their clothes and headed to Onozuka's dressing room. Along the way, Kikuchi noticed some of the crew members and studio staff whispering to each other as they passed by. "You haven't forgotten about the bet, right?" Kikuchi murmured.
"Of course," Onozuka murmured back, smiling cheerily and waving at a pair of whispering crew members, who reacted with guilty, sheepish looks and abruptly found some chores that needed their attention elsewhere.
"I think that the odds have probably just shifted towards us being a couple after that very sexy love scene," Onozuka said as he closed the dressing room door behind them, not sounding at all disturbed by that possibility. He sighed wistfully and added, "If I could figure out a way to do it anonymously, I'd place a bet myself."
"Conniving prince," Kikuchi chuckled. "But you know that the only way to win that bet would be to go public, right?"
Onozuka untied the belt of his robe and said with a casual shrug, "Well, I'm in no hurry to do that, of course." The motion caused the robe to slide off his shoulders and fall to the floor, exposing his body--a deliberate move on Onozuka's part, Kikuchi was sure. His suspicions were confirmed when Onozuka made a show of yawning and stretching, further displaying his body to Kikuchi's appreciative gaze.
"But no matter how careful we are, there's always the chance of being exposed by the paparazzi," Onozuka continued as he began to get dressed with deliberate slowness, in a sort of reverse striptease. "So if that's going to happen, shouldn't I at least reap some benefit from it?"
"I suppose so," Kikuchi agreed, wrapping his arms around his lover and pressing his lips against Onozuka's neck--which somewhat hampered Onozuka's attempt to put on his shirt.
"Katsuya!" Onozuka laughed. "You were already supposed to have 'relieved your tension' before we filmed the scene!"
"It's all your fault for being so damned sexy," Kikuchi protested, staring a little wistfully at Onozuka's neck. He would have loved to bite and suck at that smooth, lovely skin, leaving a mark that would proclaim to everyone that Onozuka belonged to him. But the director wouldn't be pleased, not mention that it would unequivocally settle the crew members' bet, and besides, Onozuka would never permit it.
So Kikuchi settled for planting a gentle kiss on Onozuka's throat, and he murmured, "You were, as Asami-chan likes to say, so sizzling hot that I couldn't help getting a little excited."
"I know," Onozuka replied dryly. "I could feel it. You're lucky that I won the role instead of Tanabe--he probably would have freaked out and cried sexual harassment for real."
"There's no way that Tanabe would have won the role," Kikuchi scoffed. "He was at the bottom of the list behind you, Miyasaka, Yoshizumi, and Asano." He kissed Onozuka and teased, "By the way, should I be a little offended that you didn't get excited during the scene?"
"Katsuya," Onozuka replied playfully, "I enjoyed doing the scene with you, and you know that I find your body irresistible--in private. But there's no way that I'm going to get hard with the director, producers, writer, and all the cameramen watching. Filming a love scene is kind of embarrassing, actually."
"Then you must be a great actor, because you seemed totally shameless," Kikuchi retorted, even though he'd been thinking along the same lines earlier.
"Why thank you," Onozuka said sweetly. "I'll take that as a compliment of my acting skills. But you know, I just realized that filming a porn movie must be harder than it looks, if you'll pardon the pun. In addition to stamina, the actors can't be self-conscious about doing it in front of an audience--they have to be able to get it up and keep it up while the cameras are rolling. Which I guess is why Katou and Iwaki had such successful porn careers, since they're such big exhibitionists!" He smirked and added, "You might have made a pretty good porn star yourself, Katsuya--you certainly have the stamina, and you seem to be a bit of an exhibitionist."
Kikuchi glared at Onozuka for a moment, then decided to turn the tables on him. "Since you just said that you can't get it up for the cameras, that means I would have to find another partner--or partners--for my porn career," he purred. "So I guess you wouldn't mind watching me have sex with other men?"
A look of startled jealousy and anger flared in Onozuka's eyes; it only lasted for a few seconds before Onozuka got himself under control and smiled sweetly, but that was long enough for Kikuchi to notice and feel a sense of smug satisfaction.
"That might be kind of hot," Onozuka said in a sweet voice that had a hint of frost beneath it, and Kikuchi grinned--Onozuka's nickname of "the Ice Prince" was particularly apt in this instance. "Maybe you should partner up with Katou--I had been looking forward to seeing you two star together, and I was disappointed when you had to drop out of the film."
Kikuchi had to accord his lover a bit of grudging respect for firing back ruthlessly at one of Kikuchi's obvious weak points: although he had moved on and called a truce with Katou and Iwaki, he didn't like being reminded of how his plans for revenge had backfired on him. Still, he couldn't let that attack go unpunished, of course.
"Maybe I should," Kikuchi purred, hiding his annoyance. "Physically, Katou is very attractive, if one can ignore his personality...and I've always had a thing for blonds." To his surprise, Onozuka looked not just angry, but for a brief moment, hurt and vulnerable. Kikuchi quickly regretted his careless remark, but it was too late to take it back.
Once again, Onozuka covered up his reaction well, resuming a look of princely composure, but Kikuchi still felt rather like he had just kicked a puppy. "I see," Onozuka said coolly, tugging at a lock of his bleached hair. "So if this were black, you wouldn't have given me a second look?" He smiled and said lightly, "Asano-kun is trying so hard to get your attention--someone ought to tell him that all he needs to do is dye his hair!" But although his tone of voice was joking, there was an accusing look in his eyes.
Damn, now I'm in trouble, Kikuchi thought, silently cursing himself for his thoughtlessness. Onozuka wasn't the type to react well to having his vulnerabilities exposed, and if Kikuchi wasn't careful, an apology might actually make things worse.
So he decided to pretend that he had only noticed Onozuka's anger, and said in a contrite but wheedling voice, "Aw, don't glare at me that way, Yuu--I was only joking. The color of the hair doesn't matter as much as the person it's attached to."
Kikuchi playfully rumpled Onozuka's hair, earning himself another glare, but Onozuka's tense posture relaxed slightly. However, Kikuchi knew better than to believe he would be forgiven that easily.
"Perhaps you should have stayed in America, Kikuchi-san," Onozuka said coldly, and Kikuchi winced at hearing himself demoted to his family name. "I'm sure it would be a lot easier to find blond lovers there."
"It's not about quantity, but rather, quality," Kikuchi crooned placatingly. "There is no one in America who compares to you, my Prince." He threw an arm around Onozuka's shoulders and was encouraged when he felt his lover relax a tiny bit more, and even more encouraged when Onozuka didn't immediately push him away.
"What about Daniel-san?" Onozuka retorted.
Kikuchi winced again and said with a wry smile, "I see that you had quite a conversation with my mother."
"It was your idea for me to meet her," Onozuka reminded him.
"Indeed it was," Kikuchi conceded, thinking that he might have been a little too clever for his own good, although it had seemed like a brilliant idea at the time. "Yes, I had a boyfriend in America, but we broke up a long time ago."
"Because you were moving back to Japan," Onozuka said pointedly, not looking at all placated.
"Partly, but it wasn't just that," Kikuchi replied seriously. "There were other underlying problems that the move brought out." Onozuka still seemed unconvinced, so Kikuchi clarified, "Cultural differences, and different priorities in our careers and personal lives."
"He didn't want you to go back to Japan, and you weren't about to give up your chance at a comeback for the sake of love," Onozuka guessed shrewdly, cutting a little too close to home for comfort--he'd hit the bulls-eye dead-center, actually.
"Yes," Kikuchi admitted with a sigh of resignation--and renewed admiration for his lover's cleverness, as troublesome as it could be at times. "We cared about each other, but in the end, we realized that it wasn't true love." Then, to break the tension, he smiled and added flippantly, "And anyway, Daniel wasn't blond."
"Oh?" Onozuka asked, still sounding a bit cool. "I thought you said that hair color didn't matter to you."
"It doesn't," Kikuchi insisted, tightening his arm around Onozuka. "I'd be crazy about you whether your hair was blond, brown, black, or pink."
"Pink?" Onozuka asked, his mouth twitching slightly as if he were fighting back a smile.
"Yeah, sure, like one of those visual kei bands," Kikuchi replied, and this time Onozuka really did smile.
"I think my hair would have to be longer and pouffier," he said, tugging at a strand of his collar-length hair and pretending to examine it critically.
"It's beautiful as it is," Kikuchi said, kissing Onozuka, who didn't pull away, but didn't return the kiss, either. "I'm sorry, Yuu," Kikuchi whispered coaxingly. "Please forgive that stupid comment I made." He kissed his lover again, probing gently at Onozuka's closed mouth with his tongue, and Kikuchi felt a little tremor run through Onozuka's body. Onozuka attempted to remain unresponsive, but after more gentle but persistent probing and teasing, he finally parted his lips with a small, muffled moan.
The sensation of Onozuka's tongue moving against his own reignited Kikuchi's earlier arousal, and he kissed Onozuka with more urgency as his hands reached out to caress Onozuka's chest...
Only to be sharply slapped away as Onozuka broke free of the kiss and said irritably, "I'm the one who'll be scolded by the make-up people if you mess up my scar." They were scheduled to film more bedroom scenes later in the day, so the fake surgery scar had not been removed, as it took a good deal of time to properly apply. The scar was actually a very realistic looking appliance crafted out of latex and painted to match Onozuka's skin tones. It was glued to Onozuka's chest, with make-up carefully applied around the edges to make it blend in seamlessly with Onozuka's skin.
"Sorry, I forgot," Kikuchi apologized. He leaned in to nuzzle Onozuka's neck and wheedled, "But we could be careful..."
"No," Onozuka said firmly. "Besides, our break will be over soon."
Right on cue, a knock sounded at the door and Hikari asked timidly, "Kikuchi-san, are you ready? The director is ready to resume shooting."
Onozuka smirked, and Kikuchi conceded defeat. "I'll be right there," he called out resignedly.
***
Onozuka followed Kikuchi to the set, although he would only be a spectator this time. He was still a little angry with Kikuchi, but he was mostly angry with himself for letting Kikuchi's stupid remark affect him so deeply. But that joking comment about liking blonds had caught Onozuka off guard and made him wonder if Kikuchi's desire for him was merely due to a fetish. It had hurt much more than Onozuka would have expected to think that Kikuchi might have been just as happy to have Katou in his bed if his pride hadn't been hurt by Katou and Iwaki's success--and if Katou hadn't been completely and obsessively in love with Iwaki.
And Katou wasn't even really blond, Onozuka thought to himself sulkily; his friend's hair was more of a light brown. He conveniently ignored the fact that his own hair wasn't naturally blond either, but rationalized that it was close enough to need only a little chemical help.
Onozuka knew that he was being ridiculous. He knew that Kikuchi had only been trying to provoke him as he'd done many times in the past, and Onozuka usually gave back as good as he got. Kikuchi had apologized and said that he was only joking, and rationally, Onozuka knew it must be true. If it was only Onozuka's hair that Kikuchi was interested in, surely he would have gotten bored and found another lover by now--even in Japan, it wasn't all that hard to find an attractive blond man, if one didn't mind that the blond hair came out of a bottle. Even if it had to be a natural blond, there were enough foreigners living in Tokyo that it shouldn't be too difficult to find one willing to bed a movie star. And surely Kikuchi wouldn't have given Onozuka a key to his apartment and introduced him to his family just because he had a thing for blonds.
Still, the idea that he wasn't special to Kikuchi kept gnawing at him, like a minor but persistent itch that wouldn't go away, and it irritated Onozuka that it bothered him so much when he knew that it shouldn't. So he was in a foul mood by the time they reached the set, and it didn't get any better once Kikuchi and Asami began filming their scene.
Because Kikuchi proved once again what a good actor he was: if he hadn't been exposed by the tabloids, no one would ever have guessed that he was gay, at least not from this performance. He unbuttoned Asami's shirt and and planted a line of gentle but passionate kisses down between her breasts, and Asami moaned eagerly.
As a teenager, Onozuka had watched Kikuchi's films many times over without being bothered by the steamy love scenes, but Kikuchi hadn't been his lover back then. This scene wasn't really any steamier than the one in Kikuchi's biggest hit, "Tokyo Countdown," but Onozuka found it too realistic for comfort, and he had to fight back a scowl as he watched Kikuchi and Asami feign enthusiastic sex on the same bed he and Kikuchi had shared just a little while ago. Once again, he knew that he was being ridiculous, but as irrational as it was, Onozuka couldn't help feeling jealous, and his jaw ached with the effort of keeping a pleasant smile on his face.
He stole a glance at Kitamura, curious to see whether the director was also jealous, remembering how Kitamura had snuck out of his room that night at the inn. Onozuka wasn't sure why Asami and Kitamura would need to hide a romance: they were both single and free to date whomever they pleased, so it wouldn't cause a scandal. It might even gain the movie some positive publicity--the media already liked to refer to Asami as Kitamura's muse, since she had played the female lead in all of his films to date. The reporters speculated that perhaps they were keeping their affair secret because Asami didn't want to alienate her male fans, in much the same way that Fujimoto approved of Onozuka remaining single because it maintained the illusion of him being "available" and fed his fans' fantasies that they could win his heart someday.
Even ignoring the incident in Okinawa, Kitamura was a little more protective of Asami than a platonic friend would normally be. However, maybe Asami wasn't lying about Kitamura's affections being only brotherly, because he didn't seem disturbed by the sight of Asami and Kikuchi having pretend-sex; he merely looked focused and intent, as he normally did when absorbed in his work. Then again, maybe he didn't feel threatened because Kikuchi was gay.
So why the hell is it bothering me? Onozuka wondered disgruntledly.
The scene seemed to go on for hours, but finally Kitamura was satisfied with the footage and called out, "Cut! Good job, you two."
"But I bet that you didn't get as excited with me as you did with Onozuka-kun!" Asami told Kikuchi, pouting playfully as she slipped into the robe that Hikari handed her.
"It's impossible to tell that from Kikuchi-san's performance," Onozuka said sweetly. He laughed and added, "That scene was so hot that I'm surprised the camera lenses weren't fogging up!"
"They almost were," one of the cameramen chuckled good-naturedly.
Kikuchi gave Onozuka a wry smile, then said, "I'm sure that there are no shortage of men who find you extremely exciting, Asami-chan, so please don't feel disappointed."
"That's okay, I still had fun," Asami laughed.
"I'm so glad that you found it entertaining," Kitamura said dryly, and Asami laughed again. The director glanced at his watch and added, "It's getting late, so let's take a lunch break and return in an hour to work on the next scene. Well, except for Asami-chan...you aren't in the next scene, so you can leave for the day if you want."
"Oh, can't I stay to watch Kikuchi-san and Onozuka-kun's scenes?" Asami pleaded with a wide-eyed puppy look that reminded Onozuka of Katou.
It was a request that Kitamura seemed to expect, because he just smiled patiently and said, "As long as Kikuchi-san and Onozuka-kun don't mind."
While Asami's exact relationship to the director was unclear, it was obvious that she was someone important to Kitamura, so there was no point in offending her. Besides, Onozuka was feeling a little more kindly towards her now that she wasn't rolling around in bed with his lover. So he grinned and replied, "I don't mind. We've all been practically naked together twice now, if you count the Gigolo shoot, and that creates a bond of sorts."
Kikuchi smiled provocatively and purred, "As an actor, I have no problems performing for an audience."
That voice aroused an involuntary surge of lust in Onozuka, even though he was still angry at Kikuchi. To get back at his lover, Onozuka smiled sweetly and said, "That sounds like something my friend Katou would say." He got his revenge when Kikuchi's look soured slightly, and Onozuka laughed and added, "But I suppose that all actors are exhibitionists when you get down to it."
Hasegawa looked disgusted by the whole idea, and when his cell phone rang, he answered it with obvious relief. He spoke briefly with the caller, then hung up and told Kitamura, "I'm sorry, Kantoku-san, but Sato-kun and I have a meeting with one of the studio executives. You seem to have everything under control here, and I'll be happy to report to the studio that the filming is going very well."
"Thank you, Hasegawa-san," Kitamura said with a straight face; he wouldn't have made a bad actor himself. "Please give the studio my regards."
"I will," Hasegawa promised, and he and Sato left.
***
Kitamura usually ate lunch in his office alone or with Asami, but Mizutani had stayed to have lunch with the cast, so the director joined them as well. Ordinarily, Kikuchi wouldn't have minded the intrusion, but today it hampered his ability to patch things up with Onozuka. He supposed that he would have to wait until they were alone and coax forgiveness out of Onozuka in bed--assuming that Onozuka wasn't angry enough to stand him up tonight.
Well, maybe it was better to give Onozuka more time to cool off anyway, Kikuchi reasoned, and forced himself to make polite small talk with the others. Onozuka was his usual charming princely self--he even flirted playfully with Kikuchi as usual, and Kikuchi was the only one who seemed to notice the faint hint of coolness in Onozuka's attitude towards him.
After lunch they resumed filming and worked on the follow-up scene to the ones they had just shot: the awkwardness of the next morning, where Ryotaro and Eisuke woke up in bed together. Ryotaro was embarrassed and apologetic, while Eisuke brushed it off, saying lightly that he only vaguely remembered what had happened the night before when Midori had possessed his body.
"It's all very hazy, almost like a dream," Eisuke lied cheerfully. "So please don't worry about it, Ryotaro-san." But when he turned away from Ryotaro for a moment, his expression turned wistful as the camera zoomed in for a close-up.
The next scene they filmed took place later in the script, when Eisuke came to Ryotaro's room pretending to be possessed by Midori because he secretly wanted to sleep with Ryotaro as himself.
"You know it isn't fair to Eisuke to keep using his body like this," Ryotaro protested reluctantly.
"Please, Ryo...I need you," Eisuke whispered. He placed a trembling hand on Ryotaro's chest and attempted to smile at Ryotaro seductively, but it came off as more nervous and pleading. It was a fine, subtly layered performance by Onozuka, who managed to portray Eisuke trying to imitate Midori without quite pulling it off. The more observant moviegoers would be able to understand what was going on, but it was all right if not everyone picked up on the subtlety, because that fed into the ambiguity of the scene: Kitamura had told Kikuchi that he didn't want the audience to be sure whether Ryotaro believed the lie or not until the very end of the movie.
Kikuchi and Onozuka kissed and undressed each other, with much more hesitation and awkwardness than in the first lovemaking scene. Kikuchi had also suggested a different position, both for variety and out of a sense of mischief; Kitamura had kept a straight face and said blandly, "I'll defer to your expertise, Kikuchi-san." Onozuka had given Kikuchi a quick, wry smile before putting on his innocent prince act, blushing and stammering in a sweet voice that it was a bit embarrassing but of course he would do his best for the sake of the film.
Kikuchi pulled Onozuka onto his lap, knowing how much Onozuka loved that position in real life, although the Prince did an admirable of job of acting like a near-virgin, blushing self-consciously as he rode Kikuchi awkwardly, then with less reserve and more passion as the scene progressed. Onozuka gasped and moaned as he stared at Kikuchi, his eyes wide and vulnerable and filled with a desperate longing.
That look was meant for Kikuchi's character, not himself, and it filled him with both desire and frustration as he wondered what it would take to get Onozuka to look at him that way in real life. The closest he had come to it was the time that Onozuka had been jealous about that groupie at the pub, but it wouldn't be wise or practical to go around flirting with groupies on a regular basis.
Ironically, the tension between Kikuchi and Onozuka worked to their advantage in the two scenes, since it echoed the tension between their characters, and Kitamura praised their performances when they were done filming.
"It was splendid!" Mizutani chimed in. "Which reminds me--you have a break scheduled for next weekend. Would you allow me take all of you out to a tea house as a reward?"
"A tea house?" Asami asked curiously.
"I've been taking tea ceremony lessons," Mizutani said brightly. "It started off as research for a novel, but I've really been enjoying it."
"My mother is studying tea ceremony, too," Kikuchi said pleasantly, sneaking a glance at Onozuka out of the corner of his eye. As wagashi was a traditional part of tea ceremonies, the idea probably didn't thrill him, but Onozuka still managed to smile graciously at the writer.
"That's very kind of you, Mizutani-sensei. I don't know much about it myself, but I'd love to learn."
"Thank you, Sensei; of course we'll all come," Kitamura said with a smile that was slightly more forced than Onozuka's, but fortunately, Mizutani didn't seem to notice.
"Wonderful!" she said cheerfully. "I look forward to seeing all of you there!"
Part 2
***
Afterword: The assistant, Hikari, is sort of an homage to a character with the same name from the J-drama Shiawase Ni Naritai! (I Want to Be Happy!)
Warning: Spoilers ahead...
In the drama, Hikari is a high school senior who has to drop out of school to support her two little brothers and seriously ill mother after her father dies and leaves them with a huge debt, not to mention loan sharks demanding repayment of that debt. She is almost impossibly cheerful and good-natured, and instead of being resentful, she keeps an upbeat attitude as she takes a job as a cleaning lady at a television studio. Hikari catches the attention of a female producer named Masako, who is struggling to keep her career afloat--as a woman working in a male-dominated business, she has to fight against sexism and is in danger of being transferred abroad if her next show isn't a big hit. Masako hires Hikari as an assistant, and despite a few stumbles along the way, she really blossoms and develops a real talent and love for her work. However, it's a demanding job with long hours, and with their mother in the hospital, her siblings are lonely and unhappy, to the point where one brother tries to sabotage Hikari's job by throwing away a roll of film that Hikari is responsible for. Instead of being angry with the little brat, Hikari realizes that her siblings need her, and she gives up her dream job to take a less demanding job as a supermarket cashier so that she can spend more time with her brothers. Masako's TV show was a hit, but didn't quite meet the ratings goals she had set, and ends up being transferred to a position in the US.
I suppose it's meant to be noble that Hikari sacrificed her own dream and put her family first, but from my American standpoint, I was pretty upset by the unfairness of it all--first that a seventeen or eighteen year old girl had to take on the burden of supporting her family, and then that she had to give up a creative, fulfilling career, again for the sake of her family. I'm not sure what kind of social services are available in Japan, but there don't seem to be any social workers to offer guidance or aid, and no concerned teachers worried about one of their students dropping out of school. (If there were, I suppose it would ruin the plot.) Hikari doesn't resent the sacrifices she's made, and she gets a happy ending of sorts: Masako does very well in her US job, and returns home a year or two later to oversee a joint US/Japanese production of a script that Hikari had written before she stepped down from her job. Masako takes Hikari to visit the set, and she gets to watch her characters and story come to life, but the ending still felt less than satisfying to me. Despite my frustration, though, it was an interesting look at the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making a TV show, and gave me a better idea of what a producer does.
My Hikari is only a minor character and I don't think she'll develop into a major one, but since I needed an assistant character for the story, I thought I'd name her after Hikari, since I did mostly like the show in spite of the ending. Also, the theme of devotion to one's family vs. personal fulfillment coincidentally mirrored Onozuka's conflict with his family, though it's not quite the same thing, since Onozuka wasn't his family's sole means of support.
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what a challenge for the two lovers to shoot a scene where they have to be really hot, without to make it obvious they are a couple.. well described. i love Onozuka's fake blushing ^^
seems the ice prince's friendship with Katou rubs off somehow.. now he's starting to feel like making a kinda doubt/jealousy scene, how long before he gets hysterical like Katou?
i dunno anything about the social help system in japan - though, i've seen in many mangas teens left alone with their younger siblings after the parents died, were sick, or similar hardcore living situations where no money and counselling was around. i suppose it must be based at least partially on real life. and in a way this seems very hard, but on the other hand, in the west, institutions and governmental childcare offices don't always do a good job placing kids under care "for their own good".. as a kid, i'd prefer to be half starving with my brothers than closed up in a orphanage, an institution or sent to bad foster parents!
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I've been reading a manga series called "With the Light," which is supposed to very realistic, about a mother raising an autistic child, and she is able to get help from social workers and government programs. It's a different issue from orphaned/foster kids, though, I guess.
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and generally, maybe japanese people, having high ethics and being very hard working and tough, wouldn't ask as easily for social help as they do in europe. they'd be proud to manage by themselves even in hardcore situations, while many western "poor" would be proud to have wrapped the social workers around their little finger..
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Wow! I feel like the women present during the shoot are yaoi fangirls. Kikuchi is evil for setting up his "relief" scheme in advance (even though it doesn't quite work.) And maybe Onozuka would be better off being more vulnerable in front of Kikuchi; it seems like they're both wondering how serious the other one is.
Great job, as usual, and I love the realism of your stories and the amount of research you put into them. I've been wondering for some time when Kikuchi and Onozuka would be outed or reveal themselves to be lovers; I'm beginning to have the feeling that it might be in this story.
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Thanks for the feedback--I'm glad that it feels real to you. As for K&O being outed...I'll just say that the title is a hint, although there will be more than one type of unmasking.
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Kikuchi makes me giggle, with his musing on whether he is the hunter or the hunted.
Will comment some more later, as I catch up on all I've missed.
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And Kikuchi's definitely getting in over his head, as you've probably figured out by now.