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FIC: Unmasked, Part 18 of 25
Title: Unmasked, Part 18 of 25
Rating: NC-17 overall
Fandom: Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love)
Pairing: Kikuchi/Onozuka
Characters: Kikuchi, Onozuka, Asano, Yoshizumi
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Word count: ~5,720
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 springs a surprise on his manager, and filming on the movie wraps up.
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, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17
***
Kikuchi stopped by at his agency's office on the way to the studio the next morning to sign some paperwork. Thanks in large part to all the publicity surrounding "Love Reborn," his popularity had been climbing slowly but steadily--nowhere near his former level of fame ten years ago, but there were a few new endorsement deals being offered by companies who thought hiring an infamous gay actor would give them a certain hip cachet. And some of his old movies that had been out of print were being reissued on dvd, the studios hoping to take advantage of the public's renewed interest in him.
It was all completely cynical and had more to do with making a quick buck (or in this case, a quick yen) rather than anything to do with him personally, but that was fine. Kikuchi had lost any idealistic notions he'd had about the business more than a decade ago, and he intended to take advantage of the opportunities being given to him, no matter what the motivation was behind them.
As he put his signature and seal on the contracts, Kojima asked, "By the way, have you found a date for the Academy Awards?"
"I thought I'd fly solo this year," Kikuchi replied. "There's not much point in trying to convince the media that I'm dating a beautiful actress or model."
"Well, of course not," Kojima replied impatiently. "But there are any number of young actresses, singers, or models at the agency that could benefit from the exposure of being your date at such a prestigious event."
"Not interested," Kikuchi said, waving off her suggestion dismissively. "I played that game for years because I had to, and it contributed to the break-up with my lover at the time." His mouth twisted in a mirthless smile. "Which in turn led to the scandal that drove me out of the country, and I have no desire to be reminded of those days. Besides, isn't a little creepy for me to be squiring around some little idol who's nearly young enough to be my daughter?"
"If you were actually sleeping with her, perhaps," Kojima replied dryly. "Although that doesn't seem to stop any of your straight colleagues, like Tamura Masamichi," she added, referring to a veteran actor who had recently caused a major scandal by leaving his wife of twenty years for a twenty-two year old starlet. Kojima suddenly frowned, as if a thought had just occurred to her, and she asked suspiciously, "You're not planning to take a male date to the Awards, are you?"
"No, but if I were, would there be something wrong with that?" Kikuchi asked sharply. "It's not like the entire country doesn't already know that I'm gay."
"It's just that you and Onozuka have been flirting quite publicly during the filming of your movie, and the public seems to like the idea of you being together," Kojima explained, a little more patiently. "Or at least they enjoy speculating about the possibility that your fictional romance might be real, regardless of whether there's actually anything going on between you or not. If you started dating someone else, then that would ruin the illusion and the public might turn against you for being unfaithful to the Golden Prince. I'm not saying that you can't date anyone else, but try and hold off until the movie's had its run. Of course, if you were to take Onozuka as your date, that would be a different story..."
"I'm afraid that Asami-chan has commandeered him for the evening, so I'm out of luck," Kikuchi said sourly. He knew that she wasn't interested in Onozuka romantically, and was in fact rooting for him and Onozuka to get together, but he still didn't like the idea of his lover going out on a date with someone else.
"Well, I didn't think that Fujimoto would let him do anything that outrageous, anyway," Kojima replied. "He has more to lose than you, image-wise." Kikuchi held his tongue, for fear that he might say something that would give himself away, and Kojima shrugged and sighed, "Go stag for the evening, then, if you insist. The agency won't get any extra publicity out of it, but at least it won't do you any harm, either."
As she gathered up the paperwork, it occurred to Kikuchi that his manager was an attractive woman, although her looks were downplayed by a very no-nonsense, businesslike attitude. Dark-rimmed glasses and the way that her hair was pinned up in a very simple and practical knot on the back of her head gave her a severe appearance, along with the plain black or gray business suits that she always wore, the skirts never shorter than knee length. She didn't look dowdy, but it was clear that she was aiming for strict professionalism, and there was absolutely nothing flirtatious about her dress or manner. It made sense--Kojima was an ambitious woman, and she couldn't afford to be taken lightly by her male colleagues and superiors if she wanted to advance her career.
"Actually," Kikuchi said with a grin, "I think maybe I will take a date, after all." He took out his checkbook, then wrote out a check to Kojima and handed it to her with a flourish.
She gave him another suspicious look that quickly turned to shock when she saw the amount on the check. "Wh-what is this for?" she stammered, and Kikuchi grinned wider, pleased to have caught his always cool and collected manager off-guard. Kojima attempted to regain her composure as she said sternly, "You know that the agency handles my salary, and any commission that I get from your earnings is automatically deducted by them. You've never paid me directly before."
"It's not a paycheck," Kikuchi told her with an air of exaggerated patience. "It's to go buy yourself a dress with."
"Excuse me?" Kojima asked, looking utterly flabbergasted.
"A dress," Kikuchi repeated patiently, thoroughly enjoying himself. "To wear to the Academy Awards."
"What?!" Kojima exclaimed, causing the other people in the office to turn and stare at them. She flushed and lowered her voice, hissing, "You can't possibly be serious!"
"Why not?" Kikuchi asked.
"I'm your manager!" Kojima replied, glaring at him in frustration as if it should be obvious. "I work behind the scenes; I don't need the publicity. If you want to take a date, it ought to be one of the agency's clients who could benefit from it!"
"I'm an actor, not a publicist," Kikuchi retorted. "It's part of my job to do publicity for my own films and TV shows, but the agency can promote its idols on their own without my help. If I can't take a boyfriend, then I'd prefer to take a friend over a stranger, or at least a respected colleague." Kojima stared at him in confusion and Kikuchi gave her a charming smile. "I know that I'm a troublemaker, and that the agency saddled you with a problem client because you were low on the totem pole, expecting me to be a burden to you. I let you down when I got kicked out--ahem, I mean, left Katou's movie over creative differences--but you still worked hard for me and brought me jobs, and now my career has prospered beyond the agency's expectations, and maybe even my own." He lifted her hand to his lips and bowed over it, saying, "Let this be my way of thanking you for everything you've done for me." He winked at her mischievously and added, "An unofficial bonus, if you will, for all your hard work."
"I see that the ten years you spent in America haven't affected your charm or your silver tongue," Kojima said tartly, reclaiming her hand. "I appreciate the thought, Kikuchi-san, but it's completely unnecessary."
"Aw, come on," Kikuchi cajoled. "Haven't you ever wanted, just once, to be part of the glitz and glamor instead of working behind the scenes, unnoticed?"
"No," Kojima replied without hesitation. "If I'd wanted that, I would have gone into acting instead of management. The public is fickle, and actors and actresses come and go, except for a very lucky few. The real power rests behind the scenes."
"Nevertheless, humor me," Kikuchi said, unoffended by the implied slight on his profession. He knew that she was right, and he'd always liked her bluntness. "Surely it can't be that much of a burden to put on a pretty dress and go to a fancy party?" She gave him a sour look in return that seemed to say that yes, it was a burden, and he coaxed, "It will give you the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the most powerful people in the industry."
That actually caused her to pause and consider the idea more seriously, and Kikuchi pressed his advantage. "Humor me, Kojima-san," he urged. "Consider it an actor's whim if you must. Besides, if you're there, at least you'll be able to keep an eye on me and make sure that I don't do anything scandalous--like get drunk and hit on some handsome young actor." It was an empty threat, since Kikuchi didn't intend to do anything to jeopardize his chances of reconciling with Onozuka, but Kojima didn't have to know that.
She heaved a sigh of resignation that told Kikuchi he'd won. "Even if I agree to your crazy idea, this is too much," Kojima said, waving the check at Kikuchi.
It was a very generous amount, but Kojima deserved that and more, and Kikuchi could afford it, thanks to the fees he'd earned for the film and the Gigolo contract. "You have to look good if you're going to be my date," Kikuchi told her with a grin. "And it's not even half of what some of the actresses will be spending on their outfits, but I'm afraid I can't afford to buy you a custom-made, one-of-a-kind designer dress." Of course, the top actresses would be loaned designer gowns and jewelry for free in exchange for the publicity, but Kikuchi couldn't manage that, either--not for an unknown manager, anyway.
"So you'll have to make do with that mere pittance, but you should still be able to get something respectable with it," Kikuchi continued, then flashed another grin at her. "If you don't spend it all, you can keep the change."
He got up and walked out of the office as Kojima called after him, "Kikuchi-san! We haven't finished discussing this yet!"
***
Kojima glared at her client as he gave her an insolently charming smile and a casual wave before closing the office door behind him.
Another manager named Hara chuckled, "I feel for you, Kojima-san, but I'm glad he's your client, not mine! No offense, but I'd hate to have Kikuchi-san asking me to be his date to the awards show!"
"You wouldn't look good in a dress," Kojima retorted, without too much heat. Hara was a decent sort, and he didn't condescend to her because she was a woman the way some of the other male managers did.
"Fair enough," Hara laughed good-naturedly. "I don't suppose that I'm very appealing compared to the Prince, anyway!"
"I envy you, Kojima-san," a young female assistant named Inoue sighed. "I'd love to be able to attend the Academy Awards and meet all the stars!"
"You might be disappointed if you actually met some of them," Kojima warned. The girl was new, and still a little starry-eyed about the business--something that she'd rapidly outgrow if she was going to last here. "Stars can be temperamental, vain, demanding, and often outright rude."
"Kikuchi-san seems nice enough," Inoue said. "He always says hello when he passes by, and he actually remembers my name, which is more than I can say for most of the other actors I've met here."
Maybe the girl would last, after all, Kojima mused, raising her opinion of Inoue slightly. "He's not so bad, even if he enjoys stirring up trouble sometimes," Kojima admitted. And well, it had been a long time since she'd had an opportunity to wear anything but a business suit, and an even longer time since she'd been on a date. Of course, a date with a gay actor wasn't really a date, Kojima thought to herself wryly, but still...if nothing else, it was a good opportunity to make some valuable connections, as Kikuchi had pointed out.
She checked her planner and saw that she had a couple of free hours before her next meeting. Enough time, surely, to deposit Kikuchi's check and do a little shopping. "I'll be out of the office for the next hour or so," she informed Inoue.
"To buy a dress for the Awards?" the girl asked eagerly.
"Yes," Kojima said resignedly, still not sure whether she ought to thank Kikuchi or curse him. "To buy a dress for the Awards."
***
Filming wrapped on the final day of shooting, a bit anti-climatically, with a low-key scene from the middle of the movie, where Ryotaro, Eisuke, and Jun were all having dinner together. Most of the other actors, like Asano and Tanabe, had finished their scenes on previous days, but had stopped by the studio to celebrate the end of filming with everyone else. Asami and Mizutani were also on hand, watching from the sidelines as Kitamura shouted, "Cut! That's a wrap--congratulations, everyone!"
The cast and crew burst into cheers and applause, and Hikari and another assistant brought out the bouquets of flowers that were traditionally handed out to the director and principal actors when filming was completed. Asami presented bouquets to Kikuchi, Onozuka, and Yoshizumi, along with a hug and a peck on the cheek for each of them. Onozuka had been chosen to present Asami's bouquet to her, which he did with a courtly bow, and she laughed and curtseyed playfully, saying, "Thank you, your Highness!" Then they both laughed and Onozuka gave her a more casual and sincere hug.
The other actors had already received their own bouquets earlier after their last scenes had been completed, so Mizutani presented the final bouquet to Kitamura. She handed it to him with a formal bow instead of a hug, but she smiled warmly and said, "You did a wonderful job bringing my story to life, Kitamura-san, and I can't wait to see it on the big screen!"
Kitamura looked a little embarrassed by the praise, and replied politely, "Thank you, Sensei. It was an honor to work with you, and I hope that I did your script justice."
"Okay, now it's time to party!" Asami declared gleefully, and the cast and crew cheered again.
They headed over to the nearby pub, Ueda's, where a sign hung on the door that said, "Closed tonight for a private party"--the studio had rented out the place for the evening in order to accommodate the entire cast and crew. Even so, it was a bit of a tight squeeze, but no one seemed to mind as they were relieved and a little giddy over the film finally being completed. The mood grew even more boisterous as the food--and more importantly, the alcohol--flowed freely. The pub staff were kept busy running back and forth with orders, but they seemed almost as happy as the crew, and for good reason. The rental fee, along with the food and drink orders, would far exceed their usual take on even their best nights, and they seemed excited to be mingling with the actors, even though Onozuka and the others had come by several times before during the course of filming. For his part, Onozuka did his best to oblige them with a bit of playful banter for the men and a bit of casual flirting for the women. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kikuchi frown at the flirting, although he turned away a moment later to laugh at a joke that the assistant director was making.
Several crew members had huddled together to have a whispered conference over in the far corner of the room. Curious to know what was going on, Onozuka excused himself from his table on the pretext of going to the restroom, and quietly snuck over to eavesdrop on the conspirators.
"Filming is over and we still can't agree on who won the bet," the props master grumbled.
"There's no proof one way or the other," one of the cameramen agreed.
"I don't know," a make-up artist said thoughtfully. "The atmosphere between them is kind of chilly, if you catch my drift. I think they may have broken up."
"Which means that they aren't a couple!" the key grip declared triumphantly--apparently he was betting against Kikuchi and Onozuka.
"But if they've broken up, that means that they were a couple, which means that our side did win the bet after all!" one of the lighting technicians argued.
"I think it would be sad if Kikuchi-san and Onozuka-san broke up," Hikari sighed, and one of the other assistants teased her, "I thought you liked Onozuka-san--shouldn't you be happy if he's single now?"
"Of course I like Onozuka-san," Hikari said, blushing. "But I'm not so deluded to think I would ever have a chance with him, single or not! I'd be content just to see that he's happy, and he and Kikuchi-san seemed to be happy around each other up until recently."
"Kikuchi-san has certainly been in a bad mood lately," the other assistant muttered.
"I've always thought he was a little scary," Hikari confessed. "But I think that's partly because he's so protective of Onozuka-san."
"But what about the bet?" the props master asked impatiently.
"Since neither side has won, should we just call it a draw and return everyone's money?" the cameraman suggested.
"That's no fun," the make-up artist protested.
"We could keep the bet going a little longer," Hikari ventured hesitantly. "After all, the movie's not really complete until it opens in the theaters."
The others liked that suggestion and agreed that they would keep the bet running at least through the movie's premiere. After all, they reasoned, there was still a chance that Kikuchi and Onozuka might come out as a couple between now and then--which would be great publicity for the movie, as the second assistant pointed out cynically. Or, on the other hand, one or both of them might start dating someone else and take their new boyfriend or girlfriend to the premiere--or so the key grip and his faction hoped.
Onozuka slipped away unnoticed, feeling a little uneasy. He had been amused by the bet before, but it was less funny now that his future with Kikuchi was uncertain. Leaning against the wall, Onozuka watched from across the room as Kikuchi laughed and joked boisterously with the cast and crew--he seemed to be having a genuinely good time, and if he was secretly pining over their separation, he was doing a pretty damned good job of covering it up.
In fact, in the last day or two, Kikuchi had stopped pestering Onozuka about the private conversation that he claimed they needed to have, and hadn't sent any e-mail or voicemail messages, either. Onozuka was the one who'd been avoiding Kikuchi, but now he found himself feeling a little put out that Kikuchi had stopped pursuing him. Is he giving up so easily, after all his big talk about how serious he was about me? Onozuka thought sullenly.
"There you are, Onozuka-kun," Yoshizumi said, making his way over to Onozuka. "Asami-chan was looking for you. I think she wanted to talk to you about your 'date' to the Academy Awards tomorrow night."
"Our managers are supposed to be coordinating the details, but I'll talk to her," Onozuka replied distractedly, still watching Kikuchi. Suddenly he wondered if Kikuchi might bring a date to the awards show. In the past, he used to bring a pretty young actress for show, but since he was out of the closet, there was no reason why he couldn't bring a male date if he chose to--except that he had been dating Onozuka, only now they weren't speaking to each other. If Kikuchi had really given up on trying to get back together, then it was possible that he might find another date--a real date--for the show. The thought filled Onozuka with panic, and he tried to convince himself that it was a pretty remote possibility, but he couldn't help remembering that there was no shortage of men interested in Kikuchi, judging by the number of male groupies that had shown up on location or outside the studio.
Onozuka heard a faint, nearly imperceptible sigh, and saw Yoshizumi regarding him with a weary look that seemed to say, "Oh please, spare me all your romantic drama."
Onozuka glared at the other actor, angry at himself for letting his emotions show on his face, and angry at Yoshizumi for noticing and for his superior attitude. "Do you have something to say, Yoshizumi-san?" he asked coldly.
"No, it's none of my business," Yoshizumi immediately replied.
"Are you sure?" Onozuka persisted, a bit sarcastically. "Because you look like you have something you want to say. If you have something to say to me, just say it."
Yoshizumi gave him an irritated look, and Onozuka took a bit of admittedly petty satisfaction in being able to make the unflappable Yoshizumi lose his cool. Actually, he seemed to have a talent for it, since he'd done it at least twice before: when Yoshizumi had chewed him out for taking revenge on Asano, and when Yoshizumi had gotten upset over being teased about Kenzaki.
"Fine," Yoshizumi said coolly. "If you insist, then I think you're being childish, Onozuka-kun. You've been snubbing Kikuchi-san for the past two weeks, but as soon as he stops chasing after you, you start sulking. If you're upset about something he did, then just talk to him about it and stop playing these stupid head games."
"Says the pot to the kettle," Onozuka muttered, not quite under his breath, and this time Yoshizumi outright glared at him.
"Glass houses, Onozuka-kun," Yoshizumi retorted in a cold voice.
"You might not want to be throwing any stones yourself, Yoshizumi-san," Onozuka shot back. "Your house has been looking a little fragile lately, too."
As the expression on Yoshizumi's face began to escalate from mild irritation into real anger, Kikuchi suddenly appeared and asked lightly, "Hey, is everything okay over here? It seems like things are getting kind of intense." He was smiling, as if he were only joking, but he positioned himself between Onozuka and Yoshizumi in a seemingly casual manner that was just a little too careful not to be deliberate. It reminded Onozuka of the way that Katou would automatically move to shield Iwaki from potential threats, whether perceived or real.
The gesture touched Onozuka, and he found his anger at Yoshizumi dissipating. "Oh, we were just having a debate about filmmaking, and things got a little heated," Onozuka said sweetly. "You know how passionate Yoshizumi-san is on the subject!"
Yoshizumi hesitated, then laughed, not very convincingly, "Yes, I do get a bit carried away sometimes. Please excuse me--I should get back to the party."
"Are you really okay?" Kikuchi asked as Yoshizumi walked away, his voice pitched too low for anyone but Onozuka to hear.
"Yes," Onozuka replied, then admitted reluctantly, "It was my fault, anyway, for baiting Yoshizumi-san."
"I had thought he was too good to be true, with the way he could befriend Asano after being replaced by him in the other movie," Kikuchi said, his eyes gleaming with interest and perhaps a little suspicion. "But he's been a little touchy lately--almost human, in fact. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Onozuka-kun?"
"I haven't a clue," Onozuka lied, with a look of wide-eyed innocence.
Kikuchi chuckled, and Onozuka was suddenly reminded of how much he missed their easy joking and banter, almost as much as he did the sex. Then Kikuchi leaned closer and whispered, "I still think we need to talk, but now isn't the time or place, so I won't bother you about it tonight."
Onozuka nodded silently, signaling acknowledgment if not necessarily agreement. He told himself that he didn't want Kikuchi to think he was giving in so easily, but the truth was that he didn't trust his voice not to betray the relief he felt that Kikuchi hadn't given up on him, after all.
"Let's go back and join the others, then," Kikuchi suggested, and Onozuka nodded again and followed him back to the table where the other actors were sitting.
***
Kikuchi had stopped asking Onozuka to meet him in private, figuring that he was going to see Onozuka at Iwaki and Katou's party soon enough. It hadn't been his intention to play hard-to-get, but unintended or not, it seemed to be having an interesting effect on Onozuka. Instead of being relieved that Kikuchi had ceased his frequent e-mails and phone calls and verbal pleas, Onozuka seemed sulky and a little hurt. Kikuchi didn't want to hurt Onozuka any more than he already had, of course, but he was grateful to see some evidence that Onozuka missed him after being treated with icy politeness for so long.
Even more encouraging was the way that Onozuka looked touched and relieved when Kikuchi came to his defense during his quarrel with Yoshizumi. Not that Onozuka couldn't defend himself, of course, but it was out of character for both him and Yoshizumi to lose their tempers (at least in public), and Kikuchi had wanted to stop them before anyone else noticed and Onozuka's princely image was tarnished.
Onozuka had looked so sweetly vulnerable, his mask dropping for just a second to show his true face, that Kikuchi had wanted to kiss him right there on the spot. He had managed to refrain, not wanting to do anything that might ruin those first, very tentative hints of possible forgiveness, not mention cause a public scandal in front of the cast and crew. And Kikuchi's forbearance seemed to be rewarded when Onozuka didn't outright reject his statement that they needed to talk, and even followed him meekly back to the table without any objections or even a hostile glance.
Kikuchi noticed the crowd of crew members in the corner whispering excitedly, and he suppressed a grin as he wondered if the betting odds had just shifted again. He certainly hoped that he'd be able to break the stalemate in a couple of days, although unfortunately for the bettors, they weren't going to be able to witness it.
They rejoined the other actors, and Asami poured them both a drink as she confirmed some of the details of her "date" with Onozuka. For his part, Kikuchi tried not to be jealous since it was clear that the date was strictly platonic. Asami gave him a sympathetic, slightly apologetic smile, and Kikuchi thought that she might even have arranged the date as a chance to try and talk Onozuka into forgiving him. Kikuchi wasn't sure how well such an attempt would go over, but he was more hopeful about it now than he would have been earlier.
"So who are you taking to the awards show, Yoshizumi-san?" Asami asked. The question was innocent enough, without any hints of Asami's mischievous teasing, but Yoshizumi choked and spluttered on his drink. Now that was an interesting reaction, Kikuchi mused to himself. Yoshizumi had claimed on more than one occasion that he was allergic to romance, but maybe his recent touchiness was due to a lovers' quarrel of his own? Asano was gazing at Yoshizumi suspiciously, and perhaps with a touch of jealousy, and that too was an interesting observation.
Yoshizumi coughed and wiped his mouth with the napkin that Asami helpfully offered him. "No, I'm not seeing anyone right now, so I thought I'd just go by myself," he said when he had recovered.
"Oh, I could have set you up with a friend of mine if you needed a date," Asami said, regarding Yoshizumi with a look of keen interest. Yoshizumi looked alarmed, as well he should be--Asami was a sweet girl, but she took a mischievous pleasure in meddling with other people's lives, which was maybe why she and Onozuka got along so well together. Yoshizumi was lucky that they'd finished filming and that his contact with Asami would be minimal from now on.
"That's very kind of you, Asami-chan, but that's not necessary," Yoshizumi replied hastily.
"Are you sure?" Asami persisted, regarding Yoshizumi the way a not-very-hungry cat might regard a mouse--for the cat, toying with the mouse was merely a bit of harmless amusement, but it probably wasn't much fun for the mouse.
"Yes, I'm sure," Yoshizumi replied firmly, and Kikuchi smirked. No doubt he was being a bit petty, but his jealousy towards Yoshizumi was pacified by being able to watch the other actor squirm over Asami's gentle teasing.
Asami giggled and finally let Yoshizumi off the hook, then turned to Tanabe and asked, "And what about you, Tanabe-kun? Do you have a date to the Awards?"
"Yes, I'm taking Nanami-san," Tanabe replied, referring to an actress who had played one of Midori's coworkers at the flower shop.
"Aha!" Asami exclaimed gleefully, and Yoshizumi looked relieved that she had found a new target. "So a romance between you blossomed on the set, did it?"
Onozuka laughed and Kikuchi groaned good-naturedly at her pun. Tanabe merely blushed and grinned sheepishly, admitting, "Yeah, we got to talking between scenes and really hit it off. So landing this role was really lucky for me, aside from getting to appear in my first motion picture."
"I haven't seen Nanami-chan tonight," Asami said, glancing around the room. "Was she not able to make it to the party?"
"Yeah, she's busy working on a TV series," Tanabe replied. "It's a great opportunity for her, but she's really sad that she had to miss out on the party. Still, she's excited about going to the Academy Awards tomorrow. What about you, Asano-kun--who's your date?"
"Some actress at the agency who just made her debut," Asano replied unenthusiastically. "My manager set it up, saying that it's good publicity for her and that he'll be able to call in a favor from her manager someday if we need it."
"Very practical of him," Onozuka said, a bit mockingly, but not enough that Asano would be able to call him on it. Asano glared at him, and Onozuka smiled sweetly in response.
"So how are things going at InterPro?" Tanabe asked with his usual lack of tact, although without any apparent malice. "I mean, sure, Iwaki-san is a great actor, but can he really run an agency?"
Asano transferred his glare to Tanabe, and Asami said reproachfully, "Tanabe-kun..."
"What?" Tanabe responded defensively. "It's not like we weren't all wondering the same thing, right? No offense against Iwaki-san, but being a good actor doesn't require the same skill set as being a good businessman. It's not like I think that I could run a talent agency, either."
"Iwaki-san is more than 'just' an actor, and I believe that he's more than up for the challenge," Asano replied coldly. "And he'll have very capable people like Shimizu-san to rely on."
"Besides, if Iwaki-kun has the stones to pull off a coup like that, he should make a good president," Kikuchi chuckled, then laughed again as both Asano and Onozuka stared at him in shock.
"You are a very interesting man, Kikuchi-san," Yoshizumi said, regarding him with a quizzical smile.
"I like to think so," Kikuchi replied with a grin, and Yoshizumi laughed.
"What about you, Kikuchi-san?" Asano asked, perhaps to change the subject, or to bait Onozuka, or possibly both. "Do you have a date for tomorrow night?"
Onozuka continued smiling sweetly, but Kikuchi picked up on a sudden tension in his body that probably wasn't obvious to anyone else. He was leaning forward, one elbow propped up on the table and his chin resting in his hand, but he was holding himself very still--almost frozen in place, although it was disguised by the casualness of his pose--as if he were waiting to hear Kikuchi's answer.
"Sort of," Kikuchi replied with a smile. "Like Asami-chan and Onozuka-kun, I'm going with a friend." With a sidelong glance at Onozuka, Kikuchi added, "A female friend," and was pleased to see Onozuka relax slightly.
"Which friend?" Asami asked curiously. "Is it someone that we know?"
Kikuchi winked at her and said, "It's a surprise."
Onozuka frowned slightly before he managed to fix a pleasantly neutral expression on his face, and Asami pouted. "You're such a tease, Kikuchi-san!" she complained.
"Well, we'll find out the identity of his mystery date soon enough," Yoshizumi said philosophically. "The awards show is tomorrow night, after all."
"I suppose so," Asami sighed.
The party went on into the wee hours of the morning, although Onozuka remained subdued for most of the evening and left early--and still sober--while the party was still raging among most of the crew. Kitamura and Mizutani, who weren't really the partying type, had left even earlier and even more sober, although Asami stayed behind and was currently taking part in a karaoke contest with the female assistants and crew members.
"Good night, Onozuka-kun," Kikuchi told him as he got up to leave.
"Good night, Kikuchi-san," Onozuka replied, then hesitated for a moment before adding quietly, "I'll see you tomorrow."
Maybe Kikuchi was reading too much into Onozuka's words, but still, he felt like they were a tentative offer of truce. And in turn, that gave Kikuchi hope that they really would be able to work things out at Iwaki and Katou's party.
Part 19
***
Afterword: In case anyone is curious about what Kojima looks like, I've uploaded a picture here. Actually, since she's an OC and I can't draw, I've appropriated a picture of the character Yuko Kosaka from the Ouran High School Host Club manga by Bisco Hatori. When I was reading the manga and saw her, I thought, "Ah, she looks like Kojima!" (Except that Kosaka looks a little too kind, so imagine her looking more stern as Kojima. Or I guess we could pretend that Kojima is in one of her rare good moods. ^_^)
I'm not sure where the plot bunny came from, but somewhere along the way, I thought it would be fun to have Kikuchi take Kojima as his somewhat reluctant date to the Academy Awards, so she ended up having a bigger role in the story than I originally planned. I think it's because Kikuchi likes her, and he enjoys tormenting both the people he likes and the people he hates, in different ways. ~_^
In Japan, a personal seal is usually used on contracts and official documents rather than a signature as in the West. I've seen this quite often on my detective J-dramas, where it's usually referred to as a "hanko." (In the mystery shows, the seal is often stolen in order to forge a false deed or withdraw money from the real owner's account.)
This chapter was actually supposed to end with the Academy Awards ceremony, but that part turned out a lot longer than I'd planned, so I ended up turning that into two separate chapters. I just need to do a little polishing and proofreading on them, and should have them up in the next day or two.
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So continue! Wah, this chapter was sooo good, and now I am just waiting for all the fun stuff to happen what with the Academy Awards, and Kikuchi getting back together with Onozuka, and Yoshizumi getting a grip and... WAH! Really good leading up to all the goodies I'm sure you have in store for us.
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Sorry, will try to get the next parts up soon! ^_^
Glad you liked the chapter!
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i'm just hoping that all these hints you're dropping about Kikuchi and Onozuka reconciling
and having steamy make-up sexactually do happen!! i would positively die if Onozuka suddenly develops this sudden bout of stubbornness and just refuses to accept Kikuchi's sincerity and apology! Ooh, i'm so looking forward to Academy Night and the celebration dinner (will there be talk about the Interpro scandal? Exciting!) after =)Do you follow Bleach? Kojima is Lisa Yadomaru!! =) =) Lookie here (http://community.livejournal.com/rzrblade_petals/7793.html)! *likes Kojima a LOT!*
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Yes, I do read Bleach, but I hadn't thought about her. But now that you've pointed it out--yeah, she is totally Kojima! ^_^ (Haha, if Kojima had Vizard powers, I bet it would be a lot easier to keep Kikuchi in line!) I'm glad you like Kojima, btw--I really have a lot of fun writinger her.
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Onozuka is like a child, being an arrogant pain or ignoring people when he feels like it, but getting upset and hurt as soon as he doesn't get any attention XDD - serves him right, even if Kikuchi wasn't playing hard to get but just waited for the unexpected meeting at Katou's party. i love it when Onozuka gets cold feet XD.
LOL@ Yoshizumi choking on his drink - his usual cool has been noticeably shaken by Kenzaki XDD
Kikuchi's move to take Kojima as his date is pretty safe - no scandal with a male co-star, especially not the prince, no nonsense like choosing a young girl (whose reputation might still get spotted a bit) when everybody knows he's gay - be accompanied by his manager is pretty neutral..
the betting crowd is fun too, when they argue whether Onozuka and Kikuchi having a fight and a split up fills the condition of them having been a couple in the first place or not XDD - tricky.
* very enjoyable, i saw 14 Blades, very epic and extremely good choreographed - Woochi, totally funny - and Summer Wars (anime), really cool too ^_^
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Yeah, Onozuka was totally being a brat. (Though I still love bratty Onozuka. ~_^) I was telling someone on IJ that in the manga he reminds me of a kid who wants to be the center of attention, with the way he complains about how Miyasaka and Katou always talk about Iwaki and ignore him.
Thanks for reading!
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YES IT IS!!!!!!
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