![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
FIC: Unmasked, Part 15 of 25
Title: Unmasked, Part 15 of 25
Rating: NC-17 overall
Fandom: Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love)
Pairing: Kikuchi/Onozuka
Characters: Kikuchi, Onozuka, Yoshizumi, Asano
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Word count: ~7,270
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 learns about the host club visit, and seeks advice from Onozuka's friend Toshi.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14
***
Kikuchi frowned as he paused in the doorway of the studio cafeteria. Onozuka and Yoshizumi were sitting together at a table across the room, talking quietly in a familiar manner. "Those two sure look cozy," he muttered under his breath.
"Didn't you know, Kikuchi-san?" Asano asked bitterly, sidling up to him. Kikuchi nearly jumped but managed to restrain himself just in time; he had been so distracted by Onozuka that he hadn't noticed that Asano was within earshot--further proof of his obsession with his young Prince.
"Know what?" Kikuchi asked curtly, irritated with himself for letting his guard down.
"That Onozuka-kun seems to be staying over at Yoshizumi-san's place," Asano replied. "They left the studio together yesterday, and arrived together this morning."
"As I understand it, Onozuka-kun needed a place to crash for a few days while his apartment is being renovated," Kikuchi said coolly. "I'm sure that Yoshizumi-kun was merely kind enough to offer him a place to stay. I thought you'd learned your lesson about spreading gossip around, Asano-kun."
"I wasn't spreading gossip," Asano said defensively. "You're the only person I've mentioned it to, and only because you and Onozuka-kun are such...close friends."
"You're too kind, Asano-kun," Kikuchi replied sarcastically. He gave Asano a cold glare, and the young actor did not quite run away, although he turned and walked very quickly in the opposite direction in an attempt to preserve his dignity.
Kikuchi knew that Onozuka wouldn't speak to him directly--at least, not about anything of substance--so he retreated to his dressing room and began typing out an e-mail on his cell phone. It was a toss-up as to whether Onozuka would actually respond or not, but Kikuchi didn't really have any other options.
"Are you staying with Yoshizumi?" he sent.
Onozuka didn't reply immediately, but about ten minutes later he sent back a message that said: "Sure, he offered to let me sleep on his couch since I needed a place to stay, and Iwaki and Katou's house is way too noisy."
"You could stay with me, your Highness, and I wouldn't make you sleep on the couch," Kikuchi typed, then hesitated for a moment, wondering if such a flirtatious reply would only make Onozuka angrier at him. But he hadn't gotten where he was today by being afraid to take risks, so he shrugged and sent the message.
"You know that would cause too much gossip if the tabloids found out about it," Onozuka replied. "Yoshizumi and I are both good friends of Katou and Iwaki, so if the press does hear about it, I can believably pass it off as just crashing with a buddy."
It was a rejection, but Kikuchi hadn't expected to be taken up on his joking offer, and he was pleasantly surprised that Onozuka had only mentioned the tabloids as a reason and hadn't gone into any of his recriminations about Kikuchi's bad behavior.
But he really should have known that the Prince wouldn't forgive him that easily, because Onozuka sent another message that said: "Yoshizumi was a very good host, btw. He took me out to a cool nightclub that a friend of his manages, a place called Rusty Nail."
Kikuchi had never heard of such a club, but Onozuka's pointed reference to it immediately made him suspicious. He did a quick web search on the name, and the results turned up a cocktail drink, a song by a heavy metal band, a home renovation company, and...a popular host club in Shinjuku.
He swore out loud, then stormed into Yoshizumi's dressing room without bothering to knock. Technically, it was also Asano's dressing room, and the young actor looked up, startled, as Kikuchi flung open the door, although Yoshizumi didn't seem particularly surprised to see him.
"Get out," Kikuchi snarled at Asano, who promptly fled the room without any thought to his pride this time.
Kikuchi slammed the door behind Asano, and Yoshizumi asked calmly, "Is there something I can do for you, Kikuchi-san?"
"Yes!" Kikuchi snapped. "You can tell me why you took Onozuka-kun to a host club last night. Do you have any idea what would happen to the Golden Prince's reputation if the tabloids find out about this?!"
"And is it just the Prince's reputation that you're worried about?" Yoshizumi asked skeptically.
"Don't mess with me, Yoshizumi-kun!" Kikuchi growled, grabbing the other actor by the front of his shirt and hauling him up out of his chair.
***
Yoshizumi sighed wearily, feeling more put-upon than frightened by Kikuchi's threat. He avoided confrontations whenever possible, but he was capable of defending himself if necessary--thanks to all those action scenes in his historical dramas, he was in good shape and had taken a number of martial arts classes. He was by no means an expert, but he thought he could defend himself well enough to avoid serious injury if Kikuchi lost his temper enough to start throwing punches.
It would be very bad if things escalated to that point, though--cuts and bruises would cause gossip among the cast and crew even if they could be covered up with makeup. More importantly, a fight would disrupt the working harmony of the cast, even more than it already had been by Asano and Onozuka's feud, and Onozuka and Kikuchi's romantic problems.
Yoshizumi was beginning to wish that he had never offered to let the Prince sleep on his couch, or at least that he hadn't taken Onozuka to the Rusty Nail. The strange thing about it was that even though he'd verbally lashed out at Onozuka last night, Onozuka seemed to respect him more for it instead of being angry. He had apologized for his teasing remarks and was treating Yoshizumi more like a real friend instead of just another colleague or a friend of a friend. He'd even confessed a bit about his troubled relationship with Kikuchi, albeit obliquely--although it was a confession that Yoshizumi would have preferred not to hear. Getting in the middle of a lover's quarrel was a recipe for disaster and he wanted no part of it.
"I'm not the type to carry gossip to the tabloids and I think you know that, Kikuchi-san," Yoshizumi said, keeping his voice very calm and level. "The staff at the Rusty Nail are very discreet, and we were entertained in a private VIP room. No one saw us, and the club wouldn't be able to stay in business if the hosts made a habit of gossiping about important clients to the media. Which means that if you heard about our little outing last night, it must have been directly from Onozuka-kun."
Kikuchi was still scowling at him, but released Yoshizumi's shirt and allowed him to drop back into his chair. "You still shouldn't have taken him there," Kikuchi grumbled. "All it takes is for one person to see him walking into a host club, and it could be all over the tabloids the next day. I know better than anyone how easily a reputation can be ruined, and how quickly the public can turn against a beloved star."
Kikuchi's motives weren't solely altruistic, of course, but Yoshizumi sensed some genuine concern in his words, and he said placatingly, "Well, no one saw us, and word didn't get out to the press, so there's no harm done. Besides, Onozuka-kun is an adult--it's not like I dragged him there against his will, so he chose to assume the risk." Yoshizumi felt a brief touch of guilt, since he had sort of tricked Onozuka into going to the host club, but rationalized that Onozuka had chosen to stay after he figured out what type of club it was. "And if you're worried about what might have happened between Onozuka-kun and the hosts, don't be," Yoshizumi added with a cheerful wink. "They're strict professionals, selling the illusion of romance rather than the real thing, and customer and host are both aware of this. It's frowned upon in the business for a host to date a client."
It occurred to Yoshizumi just then that Kenzaki was breaking the rules for him, then instantly scoffed at that thought. He wasn't really a client, after all--he was a friend who stopped by the club occasionally as a matter of courtesy. And besides, he and Kenzaki were hardly dating! A few nights of casual (though very good) sex did not a romance make.
"Maybe so, but Onozuka-kun isn't just any client and hosts are only human," Kikuchi argued. "Surely even the most dedicated host might be tempted to break his principles for the Golden Prince!"
Yoshizumi tried and failed to hold back a smile at Kikuchi's sincere and earnest disbelief that anyone could manage to resist the Prince's charm. The infamous Kikuchi Katsuya was well and truly smitten!
"What's so funny?" Kikuchi demanded.
"I'm sorry, Kikuchi-san," Yoshizumi apologized, still smiling. "It may be rude of me to say this, but...there are a few of us who don't find the Prince completely irresistible, as charming as he is."
"I know that you like men, Yoshizumi-kun," Kikuchi said suspiciously. "You really aren't attracted to Onozuka-kun?"
Yoshizumi wondered how Kikuchi had guessed that he wasn't completely straight. Some sort of instinctive gaydar, perhaps, or maybe he had not been as discreet as he had thought when he had ogled Kikuchi in the ryokan's bath in Okinawa. On the other hand, Yoshizumi had never ogled Onozuka, so there was no reason for Kikuchi to suspect that he had a less than professional interest in the Prince, other than Onozuka's admittedly considerable charm and Kikuchi's own jealousy.
"Not a bit," Yoshizumi replied, and when Kikuchi still seemed suspicious, Yoshizumi added, "Onozuka-kun is certainly very handsome and charming, but he's a little too young and vain for my tastes." He laughed at the expression on Kikuchi's face, which was now torn between relief and indignation at Yoshizumi's slight towards the Prince. "Not incurably vain," Yoshizumi clarified to soften the blow. "He's a very clever young man who's just a little too impressed with his own cleverness, but I'm sure he'll outgrow it as he matures. To put it simply, Onozuka-kun is a charming and delightful boy, while I prefer men--and occasionally women, but the point is that there is absolutely nothing between me and Onozuka-kun other than friendship. As for being upset about him going to the host club...wouldn't it be more productive to have that conversation with him rather than with me?"
"Yes, but he won't talk to me!" Kikuchi groaned in frustration. "I'm lucky if I can get him to answer my e-mails, never mind talking face to face!"
Yoshizumi heaved another sigh, regretting again his impulsive offer to let Onozuka stay with him. It wasn't that he begrudged the use of the couch, but he wasn't quite sure how he had ended up having each of the two star-crossed lovers confiding in him, and he was distinctly uncomfortable with that role. Wouldn't Iwaki and Katou be much better at this?
"I think Onozuka-kun is a bit confused right now," Yoshizumi told Kikuchi. "You should probably give him some time to work things out for himself."
"I don't have time--" Kikuchi started to protest, then stopped himself and drew in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Yoshizumi-kun," he said stiffly, as if he were fighting to keep himself under control; his eyes still looked a little wild and frantic. "I shouldn't be bothering you with my personal problems."
"It's not a bother," Yoshizumi lied. "But honestly, all I did was offer Onozuka-kun my couch. We're casual friends at best, and I don't have any particular insights into your, er, problems. I think it's something that you and he need to work out with each other."
"You're right," Kikuchi said curtly, then turned and walked out of the room without another word, much to Yoshizumi's relief. He wished that Kikuchi and Onozuka would hurry and either make up or break up, and leave him out of the drama. This was why Yoshizumi tried to stay as far away from romance as possible...
***
Kikuchi went back to his own dressing room and slammed the door behind him, then leaned against the wall and tried to figure out how the hell he had gotten to this point. He had never put so much time and effort into pursuing a reluctant lover before--sure, he had charmed and wheedled a bit, but there were plenty of handsome and willing men out there, enough so that he'd never felt the need to waste time on someone who was playing hard to get. He had never exploded with jealousy like this before, had never before lowered himself to apologize to the point of groveling (figuratively speaking) as he had with Onozuka--not even with Kenji, whom he had cared about the most out of his few serious past relationships.
To be honest, it had never even occurred to Kikuchi that Kenji might leave him until the moment that Kenji had walked out of the hotel room that night. And while he had sincerely loved Kenji and hadn't wanted to lose him, Kikuchi hadn't really been willing to compromise in order to win him back, either. He hadn't apologized for having to keep their affair in the closet, because he'd seen it as a necessity of his career; nor had he been willing to risk his career for the sake of love. Even after the tabloid scandal had made it a moot point, he had been too proud and bitter to make more than a halfhearted attempt to reconcile with Kenji, preferring to revive his career in America rather than give up acting to settle down with Kenji, or even to beg Kenji to go with him to the U.S.
But he'd been young and arrogant then, and a little too caught up in the hype of his own stardom. He was older and wiser now, but more than that...he wanted Onozuka more than he had ever wanted anyone in his life. The thought of losing Onozuka was simply unacceptable; Kikuchi could no longer conceive of a life without his charming, devious, and infuriatingly stubborn young lover in it. He was willing to do anything to win Onozuka back, even put his newly rebuilt Japanese career on the line. It was true that he could no longer be outed, but he knew that if their affair was ever made public, Onozuka's fans might well turn against him if they believed that he had corrupted their prince (as opposed to the "pure" love of Iwaki and Katou). His comeback had already suffered one stumbling block due to his feud with Katou, and it probably wouldn't survive another, but it didn't matter--Onozuka was worth the risk.
And despite the blow to his pride, he would willingly--if not entirely happily--have bowed his forehead to the ground in apology if that would have earned Onozuka's forgiveness. The problem was that Kikuchi had screwed up royally this time, and their quarrel couldn't be mended with a simple apology, however extravagant.
He didn't know what to do, and was desperate enough to seek some outside help, so he dialed the number to Toshi-chan's clinic and said, "Hello, Sasaki-san? This is Kikuchi. I'm sorry to impose on you, but I need some advice regarding Onozuka-kun. Would it be possible for us to meet after work tonight?"
"Yes, of course," Toshi replied, sounding startled but flattered, as he had the last time Kikuchi had called for advice about Onozuka. "I could meet you after the clinic closes tonight. What time would be good for you?"
Kikuchi paused to consider the filming schedule and calculate driving time before replying, "I think I could make it there by around seven tonight, as long as shooting doesn't run overtime."
"That's fine," Toshi replied in his usual genial manner. "If you run a bit late, it's no problem. My wife and I live in the apartment above the clinic; the staircase is next to the back entrance. Why don't you come up and join us for dinner? Misa would love to meet you."
If Kikuchi hadn't been so worried, he would have been delighted at the prospect of meeting another of Onozuka's childhood friends. As it was, he was just hoping that Toshi could give him some kind of insight into Onozuka that might help his case. "Thank you, Sasaki-san. I'll see you tonight, then."
***
Traffic was heavy, and Kikuchi turned up at the Sasaki residence at about seven-thirty. Toshi greeted him at the door with a wide, cheerful grin, saying, "Glad you could make it, Kikuchi-san--come on in!"
"Sorry I'm late," Kikuchi apologized.
"Oh no, we just put dinner on the table," Toshi insisted politely, although Kikuchi suspected that they'd probably held up the meal for him. "Besides, it's hard to set an exact time with your schedule, right? This is my wife, Misa; and Misa, this is Kikuchi-san."
A woman about the same age as Toshi and Onozuka stepped forward to greet him. She was pretty, with long, dark hair, and had a good-natured smile, but there was a hint of shrewdness in her eyes as she gazed up at him. The wife wouldn't be as easy to fool as her husband, but Kikuchi was past hiding his relationship with Onozuka by this point, at least with Onozuka's trusted friends.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Kikuchi-san," Misa said with a grin. "I almost didn't believe Toshi when he first told me that he'd met you!"
Kikuchi raised an eyebrow and said to Toshi, "I don't mind, but didn't Onozuka-kun want you to keep our meeting private?"
Toshi smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Well...I did try to keep it a secret, but then Misa wanted to know why I had to stay late at the clinic the night that you and Yuu-chan came by, and then disappeared after work the next day."
That had been when they'd gone to get their blood tests, and then Kikuchi had called Toshi the next day for information after Onozuka hadn't shown up for their date. And that had in part led to the fight between himself and Onozuka over the accusations of deception when Onozuka had found out that Kikuchi had learned about his childhood and family estrangement from Toshi.
"Toshi can't lie to save his life," Misa said matter-of-factly, giving her husband an affectionate look. "Yuu-chan should've known that he'd spill the beans to me, but I promise that we haven't mentioned it to another soul."
"I believe you," Kikuchi said, and he did, because the information obviously hadn't been leaked to the press. "But I hope that Onozuka-kun wasn't upset with Sasaki-san."
"Oh, is Yuu-chan still trying to blackmail Toshi with those bachelor party photos?" Misa asked, rolling her eyes.
"He just threatens, but he's never actually followed through," Toshi replied, looking even more sheepish.
"You already knew about them?" Kikuchi asked, amusement easing his worry over Onozuka slightly. Here was someone who was a match for the Prince--no wonder Onozuka hadn't wanted Kikuchi to meet Toshi's wife!
"Like I said, Toshi's a bad liar," Misa laughed. "I learned about it ages ago. I might have been a little annoyed if I'd heard about it before or just after the wedding, but I'd mellowed out by the time Toshi got around to confessing. Besides, I know that going to the strip club was the other guys' idea, not Toshi's--in fact, Yuu-chan was probably the one who set it up."
"And you never told Onozuka-kun that she already knows?" Kikuchi asked Toshi.
"No, because then he'd probably find something else to blackmail me with," Toshi replied, and Kikuchi threw back his head and laughed.
"The Prince has been outsmarted and he doesn't even know it!"
Misa smirked. "Yuu-chan is clever, but he's not quite as clever as he likes to think he is."
"Indeed not," Kikuchi said, bowing with genuine respect towards Misa. As he straightened up, he handed her a box of sweets he'd brought as a gift.
"Thank you," Misa replied politely, then read the label and asked with mischief sparkling in her eyes, "They're not Nakata sweets?"
"No, given all the recent gossip in the tabloids, I thought it might be better to avoid the Nakata shops for awhile, even though I'm usually a loyal customer," Kikuchi said with a grin. "They're from a place called 'Mitsukiya' that was recommended to me by a tea ceremony instructor."
"I'm sure we'll enjoy them," Misa laughed. "But for now, please join us for dinner, Kikuchi-san."
Dinner turned out to be curry, simmering in a pot on the stove to keep it warm. Kikuchi chuckled, and Toshi asked in a puzzled voice, "What's so funny, Kikuchi-san?"
"It's just that my mother served curry for lunch when I brought him home to meet my family," Kikuchi replied, recalling that memory fondly.
"Then things really are serious between you and Yuu-chan," Misa marveled, and Kikuchi's smile faded.
"Not really," Kikuchi sighed. "That's why I called Sasaki-san for advice."
"Well, please have a seat, and we can talk about it over dinner," Toshi said sympathetically.
The curry was good--though not quite as good as Kikuchi's mother's, but then again, his opinion was probably biased. As they ate, he gave the couple an abbreviated version of his fight with Onozuka, explaining about Onozuka's resistance to his desire for a more serious relationship, and Onozuka's anger at him for misleading him. However, Kikuchi left out the part where he'd invited Miyasaka into their bed, and Misa seemed to notice the omission, even though she wasn't sure exactly what he'd omitted.
"Somehow I feel like you're not telling us the whole story, Kikuchi-san," she said skeptically.
"Misa!" Toshi protested in a hushed voice, looking horrified that she was accusing a movie star of lying, but actually, it made Kikuchi respect her even more.
"You're right," he admitted, with a wry, crooked smile. "I was jealous of Onozuka-kun's roommate, and I...ah...deliberately let him catch us in an intimate moment to prove to him that Onozuka-kun is mine." He sighed heavily. "Although I was jumping the gun a bit, because Onozuka-kun made it clear that he doesn't belong to me or anyone else..." Kikuchi paused for a moment, then added determinedly, "Yet."
"Are you talking about Miyasaka-san?" Toshi asked incredulously. "I know that they're good friends, but I don't think that Yuu-chan thinks of him that way, or vice versa!"
"Well, we've never met Miyasaka-san," Misa pointed out. "All we know is what Yuu-chan has told us about him. Although I didn't sense anything going on between them, either. Yuu-chan talks about him fondly, but to be honest, he seems a bit...well, maybe 'contemptuous' is too strong a word..." She frowned thoughtfully, then continued, "Patronizing, maybe? He has a slightly superior attitude towards Miyasaka-san--Yuu-chan's always calling him an idiot, though in an affectionate way."
That was an accurate description of Onozuka's attitude towards Miyasaka, although it still didn't reassure Kikuchi that Onozuka's feelings for his friend were platonic. "I think he is a little attracted to Miyasaka-kun, idiot or not, but the main problem seems to me that he's afraid of making a commitment and that he can't forgive me for lying to him."
"Like he's one to point fingers, considering how much he's lied to other people," Misa said, shaking her head disgustedly. "Sometimes I wonder if he even knows how to tell the truth!"
"Yuu-chan just likes to elaborate a bit," Toshi defended his friend. "That's probably why he became an actor, because he loves exaggerating and making up stories. Sometimes he gets carried away, but he doesn't mean any harm. He's always been a good friend to us."
"His lies aren't usually malicious, but he has hurt people with them, even if he didn't mean to," Misa said gravely. "He pretended that he was content to take over the confectionery, then blindsided his family by running away from home instead of telling them the truth."
"You're both childhood friends of Onozuka-kun?" Kikuchi asked curiously, and Misa nodded.
"We all grew up in the same neighborhood and went to the same schools together," she replied, then smiled nostalgically. "All the girls in school were crazy about him, even when we were little kids, but he never seemed interested in them. Which was normal enough in grade school, but by the time we got to high school, it made me wonder a bit." Misa glanced at Kikuchi and added, "It didn't really surprise me to learn that you and he were a couple."
"I remember that our friends would always try to get Yuu-chan to go on group dates with them," Toshi reminisced. "You see, the girls usually wouldn't want to come along unless Yuu-chan did, too, so the guys were always nagging him to join in."
"I always thought it defeated the purpose, since the girls were only interested in Yuu-chan," Misa said. "They'd fawn over him all night and ignore the other guys."
"But they kept hoping that they could console the girls that Yuu-chan rejected," Toshi replied. "He got dozens of love letters and confessions, but he'd always politely turn the girls down, saying that he was flattered, but it wouldn't be fair to seriously date anyone because his family was going to make an arranged marriage for him someday."
"It was obviously just an excuse," Misa said, rolling her eyes. "His parents were strict, but they weren't that strict. But the girls totally bought it, and thought it was tragically romantic that Yuu-chan couldn't marry for love, and they thought he was so noble for not wanting to lead them on."
"So he was already a prince even back then," Kikuchi said with a smile, intrigued by the stories about the young Onozuka. "What about you, Misa-san? It doesn't sound like you ever fell under the Prince's spell."
"Yuu-chan isn't my type," Misa replied, and smiled when Kikuchi raised an eyebrow. "Oh, of course I thought he was handsome--you'd have to be blind to deny it. But he was...well, not vain, exactly, but very aware of his looks and his charm and the effect he had on other people. I liked him well enough as a friend, but as boyfriend material, he was a bit too calculating for my tastes." She smiled sheepishly and added, "But I did give him chocolates every Valentine's Day because his White Day return gifts were sweets from his family's store, and they were always beautiful and delicious: flowers made of pressed sugar, or a little manju bunny, or a piece of mochi with a single pink cherry-blossom petal pressed into the top of it."
"A manju bunny?" Kikuchi asked, suddenly recalling Onozuka's odd reaction to Yoshizumi's mention of apple bunnies, back when they'd been enjoying the fruit basket that the American director had sent to Kikuchi. He wondered if they were related somehow.
"Yes," Toshi replied, "they were his little sister's favorite treat, so he made them a lot, and he gave away a batch as White Day gifts one year."
"They were so adorable," Misa said wistfully. "Almost too cute to eat!"
"He'd make apple bunnies for Shiori-chan, too," Toshi added with a grin. "She was crazy about rabbits, for some reason."
"Hmm," Kikuchi said thoughtfully, filing away that bit of information. Interesting... Onozuka had resented being forced into the confectionery business, but he had loved his sister enough to willingly make sweets for her. Either that, or he'd been playing the role of the ideal brother, as he'd played the role of the dutiful heir, but Kikuchi thought there was more to it than that. Onozuka had been concerned enough about his sister's arranged marriage to return home to see her, back when he and Onozuka had first started dating. And Onozuka had nearly cut off his finger when Yoshizumi had started talking about apple bunnies that other time.
"But I'm sorry," Toshi suddenly apologized. "We're reminiscing about old times when you were asking for advice about Yuu-chan."
"I enjoyed hearing those stories," Kikuchi reassured him. "Besides, maybe it will help to learn more about what Onozuka-kun was like--the real Onozuka, and not just the Prince. Well, the real Nakata Yuu, I suppose I should say." After all, even "Onozuka Yuu" was another role, a professional alias instead of his real name.
"I hate to say it, but the real Yuu-chan always runs away from his problems," Misa said. Her husband frowned unhappily, and she told him, "I'm sorry, Toshi, but you know it's true. He ran away from home six years ago and still hasn't gone back. He'll argue about trivial things, but the really important stuff...he deals with it by not dealing with it, if you know what I mean."
"I know," Toshi sighed. "One of the reasons why Yuu-chan and I are still friends is because I don't push him too hard. I mean, he knows that I think he should make up with his family, but I don't nag him about it too much because then he'd start avoiding me, too." He earnestly told Kikuchi, "It's not just that I'd miss him, although I would, but I feel like it's important for him to still have a connection to his old life, to know that he has a friend from his childhood that he can still count on."
And now Onozuka was running away from Kikuchi. "This doesn't seem to bode well for me, does it?" he asked grimly.
"I'm afraid not," Misa said apologetically. "Although the fact that he's running away from you probably means that you fall into the 'important stuff' category--if he didn't care about you, then he would have just broken up with you without going through all this fuss."
"That was my feeling, too," Kikuchi agreed. "I suppose I should be glad that I'm important to him, but I'm not sure how much that helps me if it means that he's never going to speak to me again."
"The more that you push Yuu-chan, the more he'll run away," Toshi said. "Maybe you should just give him some space?"
"I'm not sure that's enough," Misa objected. "Yuu-chan's parents have left him alone for the past six years, and they still aren't speaking to each other."
Kikuchi groaned out loud at the thought of Onozuka avoiding him for the next six years, and Toshi said hopefully but not very confidently, "Oh, but Yuu-chan's father isn't interested in reconciling either, and Yuu-chan knows that. Kikuchi-san actually wants to make things work with Yuu-chan, so maybe that will make a difference?"
Misa looked more doubtful. "I don't know about that. He doesn't get close to many people--he was like that even when we were kids, and he seems to have gotten even more guarded since he became an actor."
"Is that supposed to reassure me?" Kikuchi asked glumly.
"No," Misa replied frankly. "I could lie and say that everything will be fine, but that wouldn't help you win Yuu-chan back, would it?"
"No," Kikuchi admitted, with a faint, wry smile.
"The way I see it, you have two choices," Misa said. "One, you could tell Yuu-chan that you were wrong, that it would be better to keep things casual, and you could try to go back to the way things were before."
"But would Yuu-chan believe that?" Toshi protested.
Misa shrugged and replied, "It depends on how badly he wants to believe it. I'm sure he'd suspect that Kikuchi-san was lying, but if he wants Kikuchi-san enough, he might play along with the charade in order to save his pride."
"But you wouldn't really be satisfied with that, would you, Kikuchi-san?" Toshi asked. "Isn't the same problem going to come up again eventually?"
Kikuchi nodded. He might consider it as a short term solution, to buy some time in order to figure out how to win Onozuka over, but a casual relationship was no longer enough for him. Kikuchi was also afraid that if Onozuka suspected he was lying about keeping things casual, then Onozuka might test the bounds of their "casual relationship" by seeing other people, and Kikuchi knew he wouldn't be able to control either his jealousy or his temper if that happened.
"Well then, you could keep chasing Yuu-chan and hope that eventually he'll be too tired to keep running," Misa suggested. "Yuu-chan is so stubborn that most people give up rather than try to match wills against him, even his own family, but you seem pretty determined, Kikuchi-san." She gave him a speculative look. "It might be interesting to see how Yuu-chan handles someone as stubborn as he is, who can't be scared or driven off."
"Misa!" Toshi protested again. "You make it sound like a lab experiment! This is something important to both Kikuchi-san and Yuu-chan."
"Well, of course it is," Misa said mildly. "I'm not trying to trivialize it; I like Yuu-chan, as exasperating as he can be at times. But he needs to stop running from his problems, and maybe Kikuchi-san is the one who can make him do that."
"I've never known anyone to make him do anything he didn't want to do," Toshi muttered under his breath doubtfully.
"So, sheer stubbornness is what you recommend?" Kikuchi asked Misa. He appreciated the advice, but he'd been hoping for something a little more concrete.
"That's the only thing I can think of," Misa replied. "I'm sure that Toshi would be happy to plead your case with Yuu-chan if it would do any good, but since he ignores Toshi's advice about reconciling with his family, I doubt that Yuu-chan would listen to advice about his love life, either."
"True," Kikuchi admitted.
"On the other hand, you and Yuu-chan are working together on this movie," Misa continued. "That means he can't avoid you entirely. And even though filming is almost over, you'll still have to work on promoting the movie together, right? I mean, I don't know much about the business, but it seems like whenever a new movie comes out, the actors do a lot of interviews and press conferences for it."
"Yes, that's right," Kikuchi said, feeling a spark of hope. Even if Onozuka continued to evade him until the end of filming, they would still have to spend several weeks promoting the film before and after its release. However, Kikuchi hoped that he wouldn't have to wait that long for a reconciliation.
"Besides, it's not like you don't know where Yuu-chan lives, or his address or phone number," Misa said, giving Kikuchi an intent, measuring stare. "Of course he'll try to keep giving you the brush-off, but if you really care about him, you won't give up that easily--and I think Yuu-chan needs someone who won't give up on him. And if you are able to give up on him, then you don't really love him, and he's better off without you."
"Misa!" Toshi exclaimed, but Kikuchi chuckled a little in spite of himself.
"I like you, Misa-san," he said sincerely, raising his glass in salute. He much preferred bluntness to false politeness or sycophantic fawning, and he found Misa's outspoken and straightforward attitude refreshing since he encountered it so rarely in the entertainment industry. "I'm glad that Onozuka-kun has such loyal friends."
Toshi and Misa hadn't provided an easy solution to Kikuchi's problems with Onozuka, but he hadn't really expected them to--he had come to them more out of desperation than anything else. Misa's words at least heartened his resolve not to give up on Onozuka no matter what, and they also forced him to stop and consider things from Onozuka's perspective rather than his own. He had been thinking mainly about how their quarrel had affected him, and his feelings had been bordering on self-pity. But why should Onozuka trust him, a lover that he'd known for only a few short months, when his own flesh and blood had let him down? And Kikuchi finally had to admit to himself that despite his protests and justifications, he really had lied to Onozuka--deceiving by omission if not always directly. His father had been right when he'd said that a relationship built on secrets wouldn't last, and now Kikuchi had to find a way to win back Onozuka's trust. He wasn't sure how he would do it, but he promised himself that somehow he would prove to Onozuka that he wouldn't let his lover down this time.
Toshi and Misa seemed to sense his resolve, and let him mull over his thoughts in silence. After dinner was over, the conversation turned towards lighter subjects as the couple recounted more stories about their childhood days with Onozuka.
"Why don't you bring out the photo albums, dear?" Misa suggested, and Toshi brought out a couple of albums containing photos of the three friends and some of their other classmates dating back to middle and high school.
"Here we are on our class trip in Kyoto, and here's one of Yuu-chan playing Romeo in the school play during our first year in high school," Toshi said.
"All the girls swooned over him after that!" Misa laughed.
There weren't as many pictures of Onozuka as an adult, since they had gone their separate ways after high school, but there were a few photos of Onozuka on the sets of his various TV dramas, and of course Onozuka showed up in the photos of Misa and Toshi's wedding pictures, since he had been the best man. He looked quite charming in a suit and tie, raising a glass of champagne to toast the happy couple.
There were, of course, no pictures of the infamous bachelor party, although Onozuka presumably had them in his possession.
But Kikuchi's favorite picture was one of a teenage Onozuka, looking elegant and regal in a kimono as he handed a bowl of tea to a star-struck young girl. Misa giggled when she saw Kikuchi lingering over the photo, and she said, "Oh, I remember that--he got drafted into helping out the tea ceremony club during a school festival!"
"He wasn't actually a member of the club, but their advisor was a regular customer at the confectionery, which provided the sweets for the event," Toshi recalled. "So the club asked Yuu-chan to help out, knowing that he'd draw in all the girls, and his father ordered him to go along with it, saying that it would be good publicity for the shop."
"He looked like a prince even back then," Kikuchi joked, but stared wistfully at the photo, finding himself reluctant to hand the album back over to Toshi.
"Would you like to keep that one?" Toshi asked.
"Really?" Kikuchi said, startled by the impulsive offer. "I mean--yes, of course, if you don't mind."
"Sure, we already have lots of photos of Yuu-chan," Toshi replied.
"And you really seem to like that one, Kikuchi-san," Misa added with a mischievous smile.
"I do," Kikuchi admitted, laughing. "So I will take you up on your generous offer before you have a chance to change your mind."
He left shortly after that, photo in hand, and promised to send Toshi and Misa tickets to the movie when it opened. But he hadn't forgotten his newfound resolve, and when he got home, he took out his cell phone, figuring that he owed Onozuka a real apology--even though Onozuka might not accept it.
***
Onozuka was sprawled out on the couch watching TV, while Yoshizumi was in his room determinedly pecking away at his laptop. Things still felt a little awkward between them, but Yoshizumi didn't seem to hold a grudge over last night's incident, so Onozuka had cautiously asked what he was working on. "A screenplay," Yoshizumi had confessed a bit sheepishly, but said that he wasn't ready to show it to anyone yet.
He hadn't volunteered any further information, and Onozuka hadn't wanted to press him on it, but now he wondered what the script was about. A samurai drama, perhaps? Then again, maybe Yoshizumi wanted to try something new after working on period pieces for most of his career. Who knows, maybe he's writing a movie about a host club! Onozuka thought to himself, grinning.
The TV show, a murder mystery, was rather predictable--Onozuka had already guessed the identity of the killer before the show was half over. Still, the acting was good and the characters were appealing, and the cast seemed to have genuine chemistry with each other. And the predictability was probably purposeful--it made the audience feel clever to be able to solve the mystery before the detectives did.
Predictable or not, Onozuka had a soft spot for detective shows, mostly because Kikuchi had starred in so many of them, and he had idolized Kikuchi as a kid. He had yet to play a detective himself (although he had played a murder suspect in his last series), and he still sort of wanted to do it for nostalgia's sake, even though it didn't really fit his princely image. However, thinking about that now reminded him of Kikuchi and their current problems...
Onozuka's phone suddenly rang with Kikuchi's ringtone, as if summoned by his thoughts, and nearly startled him up off the couch. He didn't feel up to dealing with Kikuchi right now, so he simply let it ring, then checked the voicemail that Kikuchi had left.
"Yuu...I just wanted to say that you were right," Kikuchi said, sounding serious instead of cajoling, and uncharacteristically hesitant. "I was lying to you by hiding things from you, and I'm sorry. I want to be honest with you from now on."
And that was it. No pleas for forgiveness, no flirtatious innuendo, no angry questions about what Onozuka had been doing with Miyasaka or Yoshizumi--just a simple apology. It sounded sincere, but Onozuka knew from experience what a good actor Kikuchi was, and he couldn't help being a little suspicious.
"What are you up to this time, you devious bastard?" Onozuka muttered to the cell phone.
***
After Kikuchi hung up, it suddenly occurred to him that Onozuka would probably see his visit to Toshi and Misa as another form of deception, like the first time Kikuchi had talked to Toshi behind Onozuka's back. He wondered if he ought to call Onozuka again and confess the truth, but he didn't think it would really go over well via voicemail or e-mail. It would probably be better to have that conversation face to face--except that Onozuka wasn't speaking to him, other than the bare necessity required for work.
"This honesty thing is harder than I thought it would be," Kikuchi sighed regretfully.
Part 16
***
Afterword: I mentioned before that I suspected the Rusty Nail host club was inspired by X-Japan's song of the same title. However, in preparation for the scene where Kikuchi does the same thing, I did a web search on "Rusty Nail" and found out that it's also a cocktail drink, so that's probably a more likely inspiration for the name of a bar. (There are also several bars by that name, and some home repair type businesses. And the X-Japan song does make the second page of results, and it would probably be even closer to the top in Japan.)
As I mentioned in briefly in the afterword of Valentine's Day Surprise, White Day is a holiday in Japan where men give gifts to the women who gave them chocolates on Valentine's Day.
no subject
no subject
The next chapter will probably focus more on Yoshizumi and Kenzaki, and Miyasaka, but I do have big plans for the "win-Yuu-back crusade"!
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
*sits down, wailing* And I am still sickly and there is no more fic! Muuuuum!!!
(I think that equals: I loved it, the entire thing, and I look forward to read more soonish! Yay! I managed to read all of it, and it was lovely. Both the parts I read already, and the parts I read for the first time. I love where this is going, and I particularly hope that you are going to elaborate on the hinted relationships as well.)
no subject
And now I'm getting back to work on the next chapter!