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FIC: Going Steady, Part 2
Title: Going Steady, Part 2
Rating: NC-17 overall
Fandom: Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love)
Pairing: Kikuchi/Onozuka
Word count: ~7,500
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Unexpected Opportunities, Comeback (Part 1 and Part 2), Forgiveness, Firsts, and First Date (Part 1 and Part 2).
Summary: Onozuka goes home to see his sister.
Author's note: An izakaya is basically a bar that serves food--see the story meta for more details.
Part 1
***
The next morning, Kikuchi called Onozuka, but he had either turned off his phone or was out of range. He left a message and didn't think too much of it at first, but when Onozuka had still not called him back and was still not answering his phone several hours later, he didn't know whether to be annoyed or worried. It was rare for Onozuka to turn off his phone unless he was working, because he needed to be available in case his manager called with important news, and on the occasions when he did turn off his phone, he usually returned Kikuchi's calls promptly.
Kikuchi knew that Onozuka didn't have any work scheduled for this weekend, since he had completed filming for his series, and Kikuchi had also arranged to keep his own schedule clear so that they could spend some rare time off together. However, there had been that unexpected argument with Toshi-chan at the clinic last night...maybe Onozuka had gone to see his family after all, or at least went to talk things over with his friend.
Kikuchi wondered whether he ought to call Toshi's clinic, or if maybe it would be better to call Miyasaka; he lived with Onozuka, after all, so he might know where his roommate had gone. The only problem was that Onozuka hadn't told Miyasaka about them yet, claiming that he didn't want his idiot friend to let the knowledge slip to the wrong person, so if Kikuchi called up looking for Onozuka, Miyasaka would want to know the reason why.
Or maybe he should just leave Onozuka alone if he didn't want to be found. Hadn't he decided to not to reel his fish in too quickly, after all? He was still mentally debating his possible choices a few minutes later when his cell phone rang. He snatched it up and snapped, "Where have you been?"
"Uh, I've spent the day in negotiations with the studio heads, and finally signed the contract," Kitamura Seiya replied, sounding a little bemused.
"Kitamura-kantoku!" Kikuchi exclaimed in chagrin. "Sorry, I was expecting a call from someone else." Idiot, he silently cursed himself. Even if it really had been Onozuka, he shouldn't have allowed the young actor to see how worried he had been, not if he wanted to play it cool and continue to keep the upper hand in their relationship.
"Well, sorry to disappoint you," Kitamura laughed. "But I just wanted to share my good news and officially offer you the lead role in my next movie."
"Congratulations," Kikuchi said, recovering his composure. "That is good news! Tell me more about the movie."
"It's an original screenplay called 'Love Reborn' by Mizutani Miwako, who wrote 'Yakuza Love Story,' the book that your last TV series was based on," Kitamura replied. "You'll be playing a police detective named Ryotaro whose beautiful young wife, Midori, is murdered by an obsessed stalker--if you accept the role, that is. Midori had signed an organ donor card, and you--Ryotaro--also wanted to honor her final wishes and find some comfort in the fact that part of her would live on by giving life to someone else. Her heart is transplanted into a young man named Eisuke, and he begins having dreams that are visions of Midori's memories--of you, her beloved husband, and also of her murder."
"Is this story going where I think it's going?" Kikuchi asked, grinning with delight.
"Yes, if you think that Ryotaro becomes obsessed with tracking down the person who received Midori's heart, and that he and Eisuke are romantically drawn together because of their mutual connection with Midori," Kitamura replied, sounding relieved. "I'm glad that you sound pleased with the story; I was worried that you wouldn't want to be typecast in a gay role, although technically, your character isn't gay. Midori's spirit is using Eisuke's body as a medium, so when Ryotaro makes love to Eisuke, he is really making love to Midori--at least at first. Gradually, he and Eisuke begin to develop true feelings for each other over the course of the movie."
"Even so, it's rather bold to make a movie about two male lovers, even if one of them is possessed by a woman's ghost," Kikuchi said.
"It's a little controversial, but given the success of 'Embracing Love' and 'Winter Cicadas,' the studio was willing to take the risk."
Kikuchi ground his teeth together, the director's offhand comment awakening his old resentment for the porn-star lovers. It rankled, but there was no denying that Iwaki and Katou's success had paved the way for his own comeback, and he wasn't about to cut off his nose to spite his face this time--not when there was a role in this new movie that would be perfect for Onozuka.
"I suppose so," Kikuchi agreed in a pleasant voice. "But still, I'm surprised that you're directing a love story, Kantoku-san. I thought that your speciality was horror and action films."
"Well, I don't like to be typecast, either," Kitamura laughed. "I would get bored doing the same thing all the time, so I decided to move on to something else. And there is a supernatural element to the love story--Midori's spirit, which possesses Eisuke at times--and also some action, since the killer is still at large and eventually targets Eisuke once he learns that Midori's heart has been transplanted into him."
"Do I get to heroically rescue my lover?" Kikuchi asked.
"Of course," Kitamura replied. "Please say that you'll accept the role, Kikuchi-san; Mizutani-sensei wrote it specifically with you in mind."
"I'm very flattered, but will the studio allow it?" Kikuchi asked. "You know that I was blacklisted after that incident with Katou..."
"I made it a condition of my contract that I would be allowed to cast you as the lead," Kitamura said firmly. "Please don't make me lose face with the studio, Kikuchi-san."
"Well, how can I refuse after you stood up for me?" Kikuchi replied, smiling. "And I haven't forgotten that you were the first person to take a chance on me after the controversy. Of course I'll accept."
"Thank you, Kikuchi-san. I'll send you a copy of the script, and have the studio work out the business details with your agency."
"Do you have anyone in mind for my co-star?" Kikuchi asked, hoping that the answer was "no," so that Onozuka would have a chance to audition for the role. Unless, of course, Onozuka was the one that Kitamura had in mind.
"I've already cast Suzuki Asami as Midori," Kitamura replied, naming a young actress who had starred in all of his previous films. "We'll be holding open auditions for Eisuke--there are a number of talented young actors who would be good in the role, but I don't have anyone specific in mind. Also, the studio wouldn't allow me to pre-cast all three of the main characters." His voice turned a bit sour. "That was our compromise. We have to mutually agree on the choice of your male co-star."
"If it makes you feel any better, they've given you more concessions than most new directors would normally receive," Kikuchi chuckled. "Especially allowing you to cast me as the lead. The studios don't like troublemakers, even if I did manage to redeem myself in 'Future Wars'. It's a sign of how much the studio values you."
"I suppose so, but I'm not exactly 'new,'" Kitamura grumbled. "I've made some successful films on my own, which I assume is why they wanted to contract me. They ought to trust me to know what I'm doing."
"The big studios always want to cover their asses," Kikuchi said cynically. "That's just the way the business works. If you don't want to deal with their politics, you could always remain independent."
"But there's only so much that you can do on a low budget," Kitamura sighed. "Some of the special effects in 'Future Wars' were pretty cheesy because I couldn't afford anything better. To completely fulfill my vision and make a movie that reaches a wider audience, I need the backing of a major studio."
"It's a necessary evil," Kikuchi commiserated. "Believe me, I know. Let's make this movie a success, so that you'll have more clout with the studio on your next film."
"Thanks, I'm heartened by your words," Kitamura said, laughing, but there was also genuine gratitude in his voice, and he ended the call a short time later, after promising a more formal meeting once the proper arrangements had been made between the studio and Kikuchi's agency.
Well, at least now Kikuchi had a good excuse to call Miyasaka. He didn't actually have his former co-star's number, but it was easy enough for Kikuchi to call his very efficient manager, Kojima, and ask her to track it down for him. He also told her about Kitamura's offer, of course.
"I'm very glad that you'll be starring in Kitamura Seiya's major studio debut," she said. "If the movie is a hit, then maybe you'll finally be taken off the other studios' blacklist--as long as you don't do something stupid again." The stern edge to her voice made it clear that he had better not do something stupid again if he knew what was good for him. She didn't know exactly what it was that he had done, but as far as she was concerned, it had to be something stupid if it had resulted in him getting fired from what was supposed to have been his big Japanese comeback.
"Yes, Kojima-san," Kikuchi said meekly. He liked her; she was tough as nails and wasn't intimidated by anyone, including him. In the male-dominated Japanese business world, a woman had to be twice as good as her male peers to get ahead, and Kojima was not only twice as good, she was twice as ruthless. She was fairly new at the company, which was probably why she had been saddled with a troublemaker like Kikuchi, but that only made her even more determined to advance his career, and by extension, her own.
"So why do you want Miyasaka-kun's number?" Kojima asked suspiciously, obviously not buying his meek act. "You had better not be wasting your time chasing tail when you should be preparing for your role, especially when the chase is bound to be fruitless. Miyasaka is a known ladykiller, and has robbed many a young actress of her virtue."
That's what you think, Kikuchi thought in amusement, recalling his own past encounter with Miyasaka, as well as Onozuka's story of Miyasaka's unrequited love for Iwaki. However, all he said was, "I promise, I have no designs upon Miyasaka-kun's virtue," which was true. "It's strictly business," he added, which wasn't exactly true. "I wanted to give him a heads-up about Kitamura's movie, since the co-starring role is for a young man about his age."
"It's true that he's a good actor and growing in popularity, especially with the female fans," Kojima said, sounding mollified. "But do you think that he'll be willing to risk his macho image to play a gay role?"
"Apparently it's cool to be gay now, thanks to Iwaki and Katou," Kikuchi said dryly. "But if Miyasaka-kun wants to pass on the role, that's his loss; there are many other good actors out there. Still, I thought it would be fun to have the chance to work with him again."
"As long it's strictly business," Kojima said. "I'm not running a dating service, after all."
"Don't worry, Miyasaka-kun isn't really my type," Kikuchi laughed. "At least, not in real life; I'd be happy to fake it for the movie."
Kojima seemed reassured by the sincerity in his voice, but she still warned him, "Just remember, even if your interest is only platonic, the press will invent a scandal if it becomes known that you're promoting Miyasaka-kun to play your lover."
"I know, and that's why I don't intend to recommend him to Kitamura or the producers," Kikuchi replied. "I just want to let him know that the role is available, but he'll have to earn it on his own."
"Fair enough," Kojima agreed, and finally gave him the phone number.
Kikuchi called Miyasaka next, and the young actor sounded surprised, but not displeased to hear from him.
"Kikuchi-san!" Miyasaka exclaimed. "I didn't expect to hear from you after...well, you know." His tone of voice turned sheepish and apologetic.
"Hey, I said there were no hard feelings and I meant it," Kikuchi assured him. "Anyway, this is a business call. I'll be starring in Kitamura-kantoku's new film, his first major studio production, and there's a co-starring role open for a man in his early twenties; I thought maybe you and your friend Onozuka-kun might be interested in trying out for it."
He explained the basic plot of the movie, and Miyasaka laughed nervously. "It sounds like an interesting role, but...you don't think it will be awkward if you and I, uh, play lovers?"
"I don't see any reason why it should; we're both professionals," Kikuchi said briskly. Then he added, a bit wryly, "Especially since we didn't really do anything."
"Uh, right, I suppose not," Miyasaka mumbled, and Kikuchi suspected that his face was turning beet-red. He grinned; Miyasaka was a cute kid, though not as cute as Onozuka, of course.
"Of course I'll understand if you're not interested in playing a gay role," Kikuchi continued. "But maybe your friend would--"
"I never said that!" Miyasaka hastily interrupted. "It would be an honor to work with you again, and I want to challenge myself as an actor, the way that Iwaki-san and Katou do."
Miyasaka's cuteness level immediately dropped a few notches, due to the mention of Iwaki, but Kikuchi kept his irritation out of his voice and said pleasantly, "I'm glad to hear that. You understand, though, that this isn't a formal offer--I'm just giving you a heads-up since we've worked together. You'll still have to audition along with everyone else."
"I understand, and thank you, Kikuchi-san," Miyasaka replied. "It's really nice of you to think of me--and Onozuka, of course." He laughed and added, "Although maybe I shouldn't pass the message on to him, since he'll be my competition!"
Ah, good--Miyasaka had brought up Onozuka himself, without Kikuchi having to steer the topic of conversation around. "Oh, are you afraid that he'll beat you?" Kikuchi teased. "If he's that good, maybe I should be looking at Onozuka-kun for the role!"
"I'm just kidding," Miyasaka laughed. "He's my friend; I wouldn't hide news of an audition from him. It's inevitable that we end up competing for the same roles sometimes, but trying to win in an underhanded way would be a blow to my pride. It would be like saying that I couldn't beat him in a fair fight, and he'd never let me live that down." He added practically, "Besides, he'll hear about the auditions soon enough when they're announced publicly."
"That's true," Kikuchi chuckled, then asked casually, "So, is Onozuka-kun not home today? You're talking freely about him, like he's not around to hear."
"No, he took off in a hurry this morning," Miyasaka replied, sounding puzzled and a little worried. "I overheard him talking on the phone, booking a flight to Komatsu. I asked him why he was going there, and he practically bit my head off, telling me that I should mind my own business. He's been acting kind of weird lately--he's hardly ever at home these days." His voice turned a bit sulky and hurt. "He comes home late and won't say where he's been, and he never has time to go out drinking with me and Katou anymore." Then Miyasaka cheered up and said, as if it had just occurred to him, "Ah, maybe he has a girlfriend! I'd like to meet the woman who was able to melt the heart of the Ice Prince!"
It took every ounce of self-control that Kikuchi had not to burst into laughter. What would you think if you knew that you were talking to 'her' right now? Kikuchi wondered, a wide grin spreading across his face. "You're cruel to your friend, Miyasaka-kun, calling him names like that," he chided.
"Ah, he calls me names all the time, too," Miyasaka replied dismissively. "Mostly 'you idiot'! And he really is an Ice Prince--he has tons of girls chasing after him, but he's cold to all of them. The guy practically lives like a monk, at least when it comes to women, but maybe he's finally found someone to make him break his vows of celibacy, heh heh!" He thanked Kikuchi again for letting him know about the role, then hung up, still chuckling to himself about Onozuka's imagined girlfriend.
"Komatsu," Kikuchi murmured thoughtfully to himself. There was no good reason for Onozuka to travel there on business, except perhaps for a location shoot, and he was done filming his series. He might still be required to do some publicity for the show, interviews and talk show appearances, but most of the major TV studios and entertainment magazines were based in Tokyo. So maybe his family lived in Komatsu?
Well, there was one way to find out. Kikuchi looked up the number for the medical clinic and called up Toshi. "Sasaki-san? It's me, Kikuchi."
"Kikuchi-san!" the doctor exclaimed, sounding excited and flustered. "Wow, I wasn't expecting to hear from you! Uh...I'm sorry, but the test results aren't ready yet. The lab is closed today, so they won't receive the samples until Monday..."
"Oh no, I wasn't calling about that," Kikuchi assured him. "I was just wondering if I could come out and buy you dinner. I'd like to talk to you about Onozuka-kun." He figured that it would be easier to get information out of Toshi face-to-face rather than over the phone.
"Oh...well...I..." Toshi stuttered, sounding flabbergasted.
"I apologize if it's an imposition," Kikuchi said politely. "I know that I'm calling at the last minute, but Onozuka-kun has been acting a little strangely, and I'm worried about him..."
"Oh, it's no imposition!" Toshi hastily replied. "I was just stunned to be invited to dinner by one of my favorite movie stars! I'm a little worried about Yuu-chan, too. Okay, if it would be convenient for you, maybe we could meet around six? There are several good eating places nearby, but since you're not familiar with the area, perhaps it would be best if we just met at the clinic and then decided where to go?"
"Fine," Kikuchi said. "I'll see you at six."
He still had the rental car, since he had been thinking of suggesting to Onozuka that they drive out to a nice secluded fishing spot that he knew of where they wouldn't have to worry about the paparazzi. That plan was ruined, but at least he was able to drive out to the clinic, where Toshi was waiting for him in the parking lot.
"There's an izakaya a few blocks away that has really tasty food," Toshi suggested. "It's nothing fancy, but..."
"That sounds great," Kikuchi said. Since the shop was only a short distance away, they left the car at the clinic and walked over. Toshi seemed a little embarrassed about bringing a movie star to such a humble establishment, but Kikuchi smiled and said that he had missed eating at places like these when he'd been living in America, and the young doctor looked relieved.
It was still early, and the place was fairly empty, which was good, since it meant that they were unlikely to be interrupted by any friends or patients of Toshi's. They sat at a table in the far corner of the room and ordered some yakitori and sashimi, along with a beer for Toshi and an iced tea for Kikuchi. He was always careful about drinking and driving, especially since an American friend of his had been fired from a popular TV series after a DUI arrest. The tabloids were always waiting for celebrities to make a misstep, and given his past experience, Kikuchi felt that it was best to avoid even the appearance of a scandal if at all possible.
"The food's good," Kikuchi said, and it wasn't a lie.
Toshi looked pleased and said, "Thanks, I'm glad you like it. So...you said you wanted to talk about Yuu-chan?"
"I'm a little worried about him," Kikuchi said, and it didn't take much acting to put a look of proper concern on his face. "I tried asking him about his family last night after we left your clinic, but he got angry and refused to talk about it. And then we were supposed to get together today, but he won't return my calls and his roommate says that he unexpectedly flew out to Komatsu."
"Komatsu?!" Toshi exclaimed, looking startled. "Well, I guess that's good...he must have gone home, after all. He called me to find out what classes Shiori-chan was taking at the university, but to be honest, I didn't think he'd actually go out to see her. It's not like Yuu-chan to back down once he's made up his mind about something."
"So his family does live in Komatsu?" Kikuchi asked.
"No, actually they live in Kanazawa," Toshi replied. "But if he's taken a flight to Komatsu, he must be planning to go back home."
"I see," Kikuchi murmured. Komatsu was the closest airport to Kanazawa, so Onozuka would have had to fly there, and then catch a bus or a taxi the rest of the way. "Can you tell me a little about Onozuka-kun's family?"
Toshi laughed nervously. "He would probably get mad at me for talking about his personal life with you."
Kikuchi summoned up all his acting skills and said earnestly, "I understand that you don't want to betray a friend's confidence, but I really am worried. He seemed very troubled by your news, and it's not like him to run off without a word, especially when we already had plans. I'm going to be honest with you, Sasaki-san...you know that Onozuka-kun and I are more than just co-workers, right?"
"Well, yeah, I kind of figured," Toshi admitted, a bit sheepishly. "I didn't really buy that story about needing a physical for the movie--even if the studio didn't have their own doctors, which I'm sure they do, if it had really been for business, Yuu-chan would have had me send the bill for the tests to the studio instead of charging it to him personally. I'm sure he knows that I know, but...well, Yuu-chan just likes to make things unnecessarily complicated, for some reason. He was always like that, even as a kid--inventing elaborate excuses when none were needed." He chuckled, a nostalgic look on his face. "I suppose he already had an actor's instincts, even then."
"He must have been cute as a kid," Kikuchi said with a smile, wondering if he could get Toshi to show him some photos of the young Onozuka. Then he firmly reminded himself not to get distracted from the business at hand. "So you know that Onozuka-kun is gay?" he asked bluntly, after making sure that no one else was within earshot.
"Well, he never actually came out and said so, but I kind of guessed," Toshi replied. "There were always girls chasing after him, but he never seemed interested in any of them, and even after he started having success as an actor, he still didn't get a girlfriend, though our old friends were envious of all the starlets he had access to. He'd show up at an awards show or a movie premiere with a pretty actress on his arm, but it was never the same girl, and he always said that he was too busy with work to have time for romance. I got the impression that the girls were mainly for show, but I didn't want to press him on it unless he brought it up first."
"Do you think he was worried about how you'd react?" Kikuchi asked curiously.
"I hope not," Toshi said, looking distressed at the thought. "I mean, I'd like to think that we're good enough friends that he knows it wouldn't matter to me. Back when your scandal broke about ten years ago..." Toshi, hesitated, giving him an apologetic look, and Kikuchi smiled and nodded at him to continue. "...some of our friends...well, let's just say that they made some crude and prejudiced remarks. I said that what you do in your personal life shouldn't matter. I mean, they all loved 'Tokyo Countdown,' and it's not like it suddenly became a bad movie just because we found out you were gay. That's silly, right?"
"That's pretty enlightened for a...what, you must have been about fourteen or fifteen years old back then?" Kikuchi said.
"Well, I admit that I was a little weirded out by the news at first," Toshi said. "But still, your personal life was none of my business, and it wouldn't have stopped me from watching your movies."
"If only more people had thought like you back then," Kikuchi sighed regretfully.
"Yuu-chan thought that way, too," Toshi said. "We lived next door to each other, and we'd been friends practically since we were born, but after I defended you, we became even closer. At the time, I thought it was just because you were his hero, but later I realized that maybe it was because he knew that I wouldn't look down on him for being gay."
"I really care about Onozuka-kun," Kikuchi said, trying to convey an air of sincerity and concern. "I'd like to understand his situation better, so that I can be there for him."
Toshi hesitated a moment longer, then seemed to make up his mind and nodded. "Okay, I suppose you have the right to know if you're Yuu-chan's...uh...lover. He and I grew up in Kanazawa. His father comes from a family of famous wagashi confectioners--they specialize in those really fancy types of sweets, you know, the kind that are molded to look like flowers and stuff, that they serve at tea ceremonies. My mom always said that they looked almost too pretty to eat."
"My mother likes that sort of thing," Kikuchi said. "I buy her some whenever I go home for a visit, but I've never heard of an Onozuka confectionery."
"Oh, that's not Yuu-chan's real name," Toshi said, looking surprised for a moment. "But I guess he wouldn't have told you that, since he doesn't like to talk about his family. He uses his mother's maiden name as his stage name, he says so as not to shame the family, although I think that was his way of cutting ties with them. His real family name is 'Nakata'."
"Nakata?" Kikuchi asked, startled. "His family owns the Nakata chain of confectioneries?" They had a number of shops scattered throughout the country, and boxes of their sweets could be found in most upscale department stores.
"You've heard of them?" Toshi asked.
"I've bought their sweets for my mother many times," Kikuchi replied, shaking his head in bemusement. "How ironic, that I already had a connection to Onozuka-kun without realizing it. So was he supposed to take over the family business?"
Toshi nodded. "He's the eldest child and only son, and his father started training him from childhood. Some of our friends were envious; they thought it would be fun to work in a candy shop. I did too, at first, until I actually saw him working with his father. Nakata-san is a very strict and stern teacher, a real perfectionist with his work. He'll reject a candy that has even the slightest flaw, that normal people wouldn't notice. He's tough on all his apprentices, but he was extra-hard with Yuu-chan, because he was supposed to be his successor."
"It's tough to picture Onozuka-kun being a confectioner," Kikuchi said, although now that he thought about it, Onozuka did have long, graceful fingers. Maybe he could picture him molding balls of mochi or sugar into miniature flowers and fruits, after all.
"He was actually quite good at it, but he didn't really enjoy it," Toshi said. "To him it was a tedious duty. He loved going to the movies, and we'd sneak off to the theaters whenever we could. I don't know exactly when he decided to become an actor, but it was probably around the time that 'Tokyo Countdown' came out." He smiled nostalgically. "I think we must have gone to that movie about ten times, because Yuu-chan loved it so much, and I remember him goofing around, acting out scenes from the film. Only I guess it wasn't goofing around, since he started acting in school plays after that. He let his parents think that it was only a hobby, since he knew how his father would react if he said he wanted to be an actor. Even so, his dad wanted him to spend more time training, but his mom said, 'Let him be; you're only young once.' So they sort of had this understanding that Yuu-chan could do as he pleased in high school, but he'd start working full-time under his father at the main Kanazawa shop after he graduated."
"But he didn't," Kikuchi said.
Toshi sighed and shook his head. "He pulled a typical sort of Yuu-chan stunt. Instead of having a big confrontation with his father, he quietly saved up his money all through high school, and the day after graduation, he packed a bag; snuck out of the house in the middle of the night; and left a note saying that he was going to Tokyo to become an actor. I swear, the entire neighborhood could hear Nakata-san yelling when he found that note."
Kikuchi couldn't help but smile. "Very devious. That does sound like a very Onozuka sort of stunt."
"Unfortunately, those of us left behind had to suffer Nakata-san's wrath," Toshi said wryly. "Because we were best friends, his father was convinced that I must have been in on his plan, and he interrogated me worse than any police detective, until my father finally had to ask him to leave. Yuu-chan actually didn't tell me what he'd done until after the fact, because he knows that I'm a bad liar and he wanted me to have plausible deniability, so I guess in his own way, he was trying to protect me. But his father wouldn't believe that I didn't help him, and things have never been the same between our families since. Well, Fumiko-obasan, Yuu-chan's mom, is still nice to us, and I think she feels bad about the way her husband blamed us, but there are no more invitations to dinner or New Year's parties at the Nakata house anymore."
"And Yuu-chan...I mean, Onozuka-kun, has never gone back home since then?" Kikuchi asked.
"No," Toshi replied sadly. "He went to Okinawa for his grandfather's funeral a few years ago--that's where his mom's folks lived--and he must have seen his parents then, but I don't think that things went well between them, and there was certainly no reconciliation. I'm not saying that Yuu-chan was wrong to become an actor, but he shouldn't have snuck off like that, without talking it over with his family first. Then again, I can kind of understand why he did it; Nakata-san is kind of scary when he's angry, and I'm sure there would have been a big argument, and Yuu-chan would probably still have ended up being disowned. But still, it was cruel to leave without even saying goodbye to his mother and sister."
"He's had no contact with his family since then, aside from the funeral?" Kikuchi asked. "Wait, he did say something last night about calling home after winning the award."
"Well, after he got to Tokyo, he did call home to let his folks know that he was okay, but he hung up after his father started yelling at him," Toshi replied. "But I don't think that he's talked to them much since then. He and I have kept in touch, obviously, and since I ended up going to college in Tokyo, we continued to get together every now and then for a drink. I try to give him news from home, but he always acts like he doesn't want to hear it."
"Like last night," Kikuchi said, nodding. "So what's the deal with his sister? She's expected to take over the family business in his place?"
"Apparently," Toshi replied. "My folks still live in Kanazawa, and my mother heard that Nakata-san plans to marry off Shiori-chan to his chief apprentice, so that he can adopt him as a son-in-law and keep the business in the family. She's only eighteen, just about the same age that Yuu-chan was when he left home. The apprentice, Miura-san, seems like a nice enough guy, but he's several years older than Shiori-chan, and well, it just doesn't seem right for her to be forced into an arranged marriage."
"It's not like the feudal days, when a woman could be married off against her will in order to seal an alliance," Kikuchi pointed out.
"But there are different types of force," Toshi argued. "Obviously, her father can't hold a gun to her head and make Shiori-chan marry Miura-san. But she's a really sweet kid, not the rebellious type like Yuu-chan. She's not the type who can just walk away from the family and say, 'Disown me if you don't like it.'" Then his expression brightened. "But you said that Yuu-chan's gone to Kanazawa?"
"Well, his roommate said he booked a flight to Komatsu this morning," Kikuchi replied.
"Well then, maybe he decided to go make peace with his family, after all," Toshi said hopefully.
"I suppose that's good," Kikuchi said doubtfully. "But Onozuka-kun isn't about to give up his career as an actor, and it doesn't sound like his father would be satisfied with anything less."
Toshi sighed in frustration. "They're both incredibly stubborn! Yuu-chan can act all sweet and charming when he wants, but he won't budge an inch when he has his mind set on something. His father's the same way--minus the sweet and charming part."
Kikuchi smiled. "My dad was pretty harsh on me when I was young--or at least, that's how it seemed to me at the time. He was a cop, and he thought that acting was a frivolous profession. But when the scandal broke, he stood by me, although I'm sure that many of his colleagues must have given him a hard time about having a gay son. It meant a lot to me."
"Yuu-chan's done so well for himself," Toshi said wistfully. "Surely his parents must be at least a little proud of him, even if they don't want to admit it? I keep hoping that if he would just bend a little, then maybe his father would meet him halfway. I know that his mother would like the family to reconcile; she always looks so sad whenever I see her. But Yuu-chan and his father are both so proud, I'm sure that neither wants to be the first one to apologize."
"Well, I don't know his father, so I can't say if a reconciliation is possible," Kikuchi said, although privately, he thought that chances sounded slim. "I suppose that all I can do is wait and see what happens, and support Onozuka-kun the best that I can."
Toshi smiled. "I'm so happy that Yuu-chan has someone to rely on. He doesn't get close to many people. Maybe he's able to trust you because he admired you so much when he was young."
"Well, that's flattering, but it's dangerous to assume that an actor is the same as the image he portrays on the screen," Kikuchi laughed.
"I suppose you're right, but you seem like a good guy, Kikuchi-san," Toshi replied. "You obviously care a lot about Yuu-chan."
Kikuchi felt a little guilty then for manipulating the naive young doctor, although normally he looked down on people who were so easily trusting. But there was no reason to feel guilty since he really did care about Onozuka...right? But that thought made him feel uneasy. He had been treating his seduction of Onozuka as a game; he hadn't stopped to think about what would happen if and when he actually caught his fish. Move in together as a married couple like Iwaki and Katou? Not likely, unless Onozuka wanted to publicly out himself.
In fact, it was a little strange that Onozuka had pursued him so strongly to begin with, considering how careful he'd been to protect his career up until now. Maybe times had changed thanks to Iwaki and Katou, but it was still a pretty big risk to take. The more time they spent together, and the more popular that Onozuka became, the more likely it was that the paparazzi would catch them in a compromising situation someday. Was it just Onozuka's childhood hero worship of him that had made him take the risk? He was suddenly reminded of what he had told Iwaki at the restaurant: "Are you saying you like me for the 'way I live' rather than 'who I am'?" Was Onozuka just infatuated with the image of Kikuchi-the-movie-star rather than the real Kikuchi?
"I'm sure everything will work out in the end," Toshi said, mistaking the reason for the troubled expression on Kikuchi's face. "I mean, they're family--they've got to forgive each other someday, don't they?" However, he sounded rather uncertain, as if he were trying to convince himself as much as he was Kikuchi.
"Yes, I suppose that's true," Kikuchi replied, more to make Toshi feel better than because he really believed it.
***
Onozuka stood outside the building where the economics classes were held on the Kakuma Campus of Kanazawa University. He wore his usual incognito disguise, his hair tucked under a baseball cap this time, with the brim pulled down to disguise his features from casual onlookers. Eventually a pretty girl with dark brown hair came out of the building, chatting with a couple of other girls her age.
He stepped forward and said, "Shiori-chan?"
Her mouth dropped open in shock and she came to an abrupt halt--so abrupt that another student walking behind her stumbled into her and nearly knocked her over. Shiori mumbled a hasty apology, then glared at Onozuka and hissed, "What are you doing here?!"
"Do you know this guy, Shiori-chan?" one of the girls asked, giggling. "Is he your boyfriend?"
The other girl said, "Hey, he kind of looks like that actor, Onozuka Yuu, doesn't he?"
"I only wish I was," Onozuka laughed. "But people tell me that I look a little bit like him."
"So is he your boyfriend?" the first girl persisted, and Shiori responded with a look of disgust.
"Eww, of course not!"
"How rude," Onozuka said playfully. "Actually, I'm her big brother, and I need to talk to her for just a few minutes if you don't mind."
Shiori continued to glare at him. She obviously didn't want to talk to him, but just as obviously didn't want her friends hanging around asking questions about him, either. "Go ahead to the library," she told the other two girls. "I'll catch up with you in a little bit."
They reluctantly walked off, and Shiori turned back to Onozuka and said curtly, "All right, what do you want?"
"Toshi-chan told me that Otōsan wants you to make an arranged marriage with Takumi-san," Onozuka replied.
"So what's it to you?" Shiori asked defiantly.
"You can't seriously be thinking about marrying him!" Onozuka protested. "And why are you studying economics? I thought you wanted to be a teacher!"
"That was years ago, Oniisan," she sneered, turning the last word into an insult rather than an honorific or an expression of affection. "How do you even know what I want? It's not like you've been around for the past six years."
Onozuka winced. "Look, if you want to take over the business and marry Takumi, fine. But don't let the old man pressure you into doing something that you'll regret."
"What, you mean like running away from home and breaking our mother's heart?" Shiori snapped. "Whose fault do you think it is that I have to take over the business, anyway? You ran away and left me with your responsibilities, and now you think you can waltz in here after all this time and tell me how to live my life?"
"Oh, so it would be okay for me to be miserable, stuck doing a job that I hate, just so that you can be free do as you please?" Onozuka retorted.
"Well, that's what you've done to me, isn't it?" Shiori shouted back at him.
Onozuka took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. None of this was Shiori's fault, and he had come here to help his little sister, not yell at her. But nothing ever seemed to go right in his dealings with his family.
"Look, I don't want either of us to be miserable," Onozuka said in a level voice. "If you don't want to take over the business, then don't. If Otōsan wants to make Takumi-san his successor, than he should just adopt him straight out without getting you involved."
"It's so easy for you, isn't it?" Shiori asked contemptuously. "To leave your own family behind and never look back? Well, I'm not like you, Oniisan. The business means a lot to Otōsan; it's been in the family for generations, going back to the Meiji era. Can you understand what it would mean for him to just pass it off into the hands of an outsider? Maybe I don't really want to take over the business, either, but I'm not going to just abandon my family like you did. And Takumi-san is a good man--certainly much better than you! If you want to help me, come home and do your duty. Otherwise, just run back to Tokyo and go back to your precious play-acting. After all, being on TV and being photographed in the tabloids with some bimbo actress is obviously much more important to you than your family!"
"Shiori-chan!" Onozuka shouted, but his sister had already turned on her heel and stalked away. People were beginning to stare at him, and he hastily walked away, silently cursing himself. He was an idiot for listening to Toshi; what the hell had he thought he would accomplish here, anyway?
He should probably just go back home to Tokyo, but for old time's sake, he went to visit the Kanazawa Castle site, which had once been the home of the reigning Maeda clan, and one of his favorite places to visit as a child. Maybe his desire to become an actor had started with those childhood visits and the tales about the mighty warrior and first Lord of the Maeda clan, Toshiie. He smiled as he recalled how he and Toshi used to play at being samurai, using sticks for swords. Of course they both always wanted to be the hero, Toshiie, but the good-natured Toshi would usually allow Onozuka to take the lead role.
Finally, he decided that since he had come all this way, he might as well make one last effort to call off Shiori's marriage. He turned on his cell phone and noticed that he had a message from Kikuchi--damn, he should have called before he left and made an excuse about having to work today. Well, he'd call Kikuchi back later, after he'd thought of a good excuse and figured out how to charm Kikuchi into forgiving him for breaking their date. Instead, he dialed another number, one that he hadn't used in six years.
"Hello?"
"Takumi-san? It's Yuu."
"What?! Yuu--"
"Shh, I don't want my father to know that I'm here. I need to talk to you. Can you sneak out of the shop and meet me? I'm at the castle, by the Ishikawa Gate."
There was a long silence, and Onozuka thought that Takumi would refuse, but he finally replied, "All right. I'll be there in about an hour."
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
***
Long-winded cultural notes and story meta here; feel free to skip if you want:
An izakaya is sort of halfway between a bar and a restaurant--it serves more substantial food than a bar, but has a less extensive menu than a restaurant. On J-dramas, characters often go there after work to drink and have snacks. (Btw, yakitori is grilled chicken, and sashimi is sliced raw fish. And now I'm making myself hungry! ^_^)
Honorifics: Probably most of you know this already, but "Otōsan" means "father"; "Oniisan" is "older brother"; and "obasan" can either mean "aunt" as in a blood relative, or can be used to address a middle-aged woman who isn't related. Toshi affectionately calls Onozuka's mother "Fumiko-obasan" ("Auntie Fumiko") since he spent a lot of time at the Nakata house as a child.
Director Kitamura is an OC; I picked his name at random because I liked the way it sounded, and only found out later that there is actually a real director named Kitamura Ryuhei, who directed the movie Azumi. So this is a completely fictional Kitamura; I gave him the first name Seiya, again because I liked the way it sounded, but there was also a character named Seiya in a J-drama called Yaoh ("Night King") about a male host club--a TV series that fans of When a Man Loves a Man should see, although there is no guy-on-guy smex. ^_^ (I should do a more detailed write-up on it later, since it has an interesting depiction of the behind-the-scenes rivalry in the host business.) My Seiya is nothing like the TV-Seiya, since he's more geeky otaku than suave host, but I really liked the name, so I borrowed it. Physically, my Kitamura is modeled loosely after the otaku hero in the live-action movie version of Train Man, although he's a few years older and a good deal more self-assured than that character. Incidentally, I loved the Train Man actor, Yamada Takayuki, when I first saw him in the the drama Byakuyakou ("Journey Under a Midnight Sun"), but it was an incredibly dark and depressing story about two childhood sweethearts who commit murder to protect each other, and how their lives deteriorate and unravel from that point on. After that, it was a relief to see him in a light-hearted romantic comedy. Anyway, Kitamura will make a more lengthy appearance in a future fic.
I was kind of leery about naming an actual location for Onozuka's hometown since I've never been to Japan and don't want to make any blatant mistakes out of ignorance. But I needed Miyasaka to tell Kikuchi where Onozuka was going, and I had already sort of decided in my mind that Onozuka was from Kanazawa, so I went with that. I became enamored with Kanazawa after watching the NHK taiga drama Toshiie to Matsu ("Toshiie and Matsu") about the daimyo (feudal lord) Maeda Toshiie. I really loved the show, and since Kanazawa eventually became home to the Maeda clan, one of the post-show travelogue segments focused on Kanazawa (I particularly remember the gold-leaf work on the ceiling of Kanazawa Castle). It seems like a beautiful place, with a sense of history and culture--in addition to the castle site, where parts of the original castle still stand, there is the beautiful Kenrokuen Garden, created by the Maeda clan and located outside the castle gates; Nagamachi Samurai District with restored samurai-style houses; tea and geisha houses; and several shrines, temples, and museums.
The drama itself is really great as well, with Karasawa Toshiaki as the idealistic and headstrong Toshiie, the lovely Matsushima Nanako as his wife Matsu, and Matsushima's real-life husband, the very handsome and charismatic Sorimachi Takashi, as Oda Nobunaga. My OC tengu character Karasu in my Snupin series is based on Sorimachi's portrayal of Nobunaga, incidentally.
Kanazawa actually works well with the family history that I created for Onozuka. Originally, Onozuka was going to come from a family of doctors, but then I realized that I had ripped off a subplot from Yaoh: one of the characters came from a family of doctors, but ran away from his responsibilities to become a host, leaving his resentful younger sister to shoulder the burden of carrying on the family tradition. I did want to use the idea of Onozuka's sister being forced to take on the responsibilities of the heir, but I changed the family business from medicine to wagashi confectionery. It seemed like a good traditional business that could have been in the family for generations, and I love how pretty the sweets look. I saw a short TV documentary on the craft of wagashi about a year ago, and I was fascinated by the amount of skill and artistry that goes into making these confections.
And coincidentally, Kanazawa has a thriving confectionery business, due to the number of teahouses located in the city. (I'm no expert, but as I understand it, you eat something sweet to offset the bitter taste of the tea.) Kanazawa is also home to the Ishikawa Confectionery Culture Center, which has a museum with displays of "jaw-droppingly realistic flower bouquets, sets of samurai armour and more built entirely from candy." (According to Wikipedia's Kanazawa travel guide; scroll down about halfway to the entry on museums to see a lovely candy rose bouquet.)
(There are many types of wagashi, but this is the type of thing I'm envisioning, here and here.)
So it was perfect that the Nakata family were confectioners! And there's a university in Kanazawa where Shiori could go to school and still be near her controlling family. However, I did nearly make one of those blatant idiot mistakes--in the original draft, Miyasaka tells Kikuchi that Onozuka caught a flight to Kanazawa. Except that--oops--Kanazawa doesn't have an airport! The closest one is in Komatsu, so I had to go and change the references in the fic. *facepalm* Well, at least I caught it before I posted the final draft. I tried to keep the rest of the references vague enough to avoid obvious error, but I apologize in advance if something slipped by me.
There's a reason why Onozuka's maternal grandparents are from Okinawa, although that hasn't made it into the fic yet. Stay tuned for the next chapter!
And finally, I'm aware that Onozuka's family problems are similar to Iwaki's, though I'm sure he'd be resentful if anyone told him that he and Iwaki have something in common! ~_^ I don't think that either of them is aware of the other's family situation at this point, but it could become fodder for another story in the future, though I don't really have anything specific planned. Still, I could see Iwaki attempting to give Onozuka some big-brotherly type of advice, and Onozuka totally brushing him off. (Files away the plot bunny for future reference.)
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")
EDIT 4/2/09: I utterly fail--I forgot that I shouldn't have had Shiori going to class on a Sunday! (I'm not that familiar with the Japanese university system, but I don't think that regular classes are held during the weekends.) *headdesk* Oh well, we'll just pretend that for some reason, she had a special class or seminar that day...yeah, that's the ticket! *slinks off in embarrassment*
The next morning, Kikuchi called Onozuka, but he had either turned off his phone or was out of range. He left a message and didn't think too much of it at first, but when Onozuka had still not called him back and was still not answering his phone several hours later, he didn't know whether to be annoyed or worried. It was rare for Onozuka to turn off his phone unless he was working, because he needed to be available in case his manager called with important news, and on the occasions when he did turn off his phone, he usually returned Kikuchi's calls promptly.
Kikuchi knew that Onozuka didn't have any work scheduled for this weekend, since he had completed filming for his series, and Kikuchi had also arranged to keep his own schedule clear so that they could spend some rare time off together. However, there had been that unexpected argument with Toshi-chan at the clinic last night...maybe Onozuka had gone to see his family after all, or at least went to talk things over with his friend.
Kikuchi wondered whether he ought to call Toshi's clinic, or if maybe it would be better to call Miyasaka; he lived with Onozuka, after all, so he might know where his roommate had gone. The only problem was that Onozuka hadn't told Miyasaka about them yet, claiming that he didn't want his idiot friend to let the knowledge slip to the wrong person, so if Kikuchi called up looking for Onozuka, Miyasaka would want to know the reason why.
Or maybe he should just leave Onozuka alone if he didn't want to be found. Hadn't he decided to not to reel his fish in too quickly, after all? He was still mentally debating his possible choices a few minutes later when his cell phone rang. He snatched it up and snapped, "Where have you been?"
"Uh, I've spent the day in negotiations with the studio heads, and finally signed the contract," Kitamura Seiya replied, sounding a little bemused.
"Kitamura-kantoku!" Kikuchi exclaimed in chagrin. "Sorry, I was expecting a call from someone else." Idiot, he silently cursed himself. Even if it really had been Onozuka, he shouldn't have allowed the young actor to see how worried he had been, not if he wanted to play it cool and continue to keep the upper hand in their relationship.
"Well, sorry to disappoint you," Kitamura laughed. "But I just wanted to share my good news and officially offer you the lead role in my next movie."
"Congratulations," Kikuchi said, recovering his composure. "That is good news! Tell me more about the movie."
"It's an original screenplay called 'Love Reborn' by Mizutani Miwako, who wrote 'Yakuza Love Story,' the book that your last TV series was based on," Kitamura replied. "You'll be playing a police detective named Ryotaro whose beautiful young wife, Midori, is murdered by an obsessed stalker--if you accept the role, that is. Midori had signed an organ donor card, and you--Ryotaro--also wanted to honor her final wishes and find some comfort in the fact that part of her would live on by giving life to someone else. Her heart is transplanted into a young man named Eisuke, and he begins having dreams that are visions of Midori's memories--of you, her beloved husband, and also of her murder."
"Is this story going where I think it's going?" Kikuchi asked, grinning with delight.
"Yes, if you think that Ryotaro becomes obsessed with tracking down the person who received Midori's heart, and that he and Eisuke are romantically drawn together because of their mutual connection with Midori," Kitamura replied, sounding relieved. "I'm glad that you sound pleased with the story; I was worried that you wouldn't want to be typecast in a gay role, although technically, your character isn't gay. Midori's spirit is using Eisuke's body as a medium, so when Ryotaro makes love to Eisuke, he is really making love to Midori--at least at first. Gradually, he and Eisuke begin to develop true feelings for each other over the course of the movie."
"Even so, it's rather bold to make a movie about two male lovers, even if one of them is possessed by a woman's ghost," Kikuchi said.
"It's a little controversial, but given the success of 'Embracing Love' and 'Winter Cicadas,' the studio was willing to take the risk."
Kikuchi ground his teeth together, the director's offhand comment awakening his old resentment for the porn-star lovers. It rankled, but there was no denying that Iwaki and Katou's success had paved the way for his own comeback, and he wasn't about to cut off his nose to spite his face this time--not when there was a role in this new movie that would be perfect for Onozuka.
"I suppose so," Kikuchi agreed in a pleasant voice. "But still, I'm surprised that you're directing a love story, Kantoku-san. I thought that your speciality was horror and action films."
"Well, I don't like to be typecast, either," Kitamura laughed. "I would get bored doing the same thing all the time, so I decided to move on to something else. And there is a supernatural element to the love story--Midori's spirit, which possesses Eisuke at times--and also some action, since the killer is still at large and eventually targets Eisuke once he learns that Midori's heart has been transplanted into him."
"Do I get to heroically rescue my lover?" Kikuchi asked.
"Of course," Kitamura replied. "Please say that you'll accept the role, Kikuchi-san; Mizutani-sensei wrote it specifically with you in mind."
"I'm very flattered, but will the studio allow it?" Kikuchi asked. "You know that I was blacklisted after that incident with Katou..."
"I made it a condition of my contract that I would be allowed to cast you as the lead," Kitamura said firmly. "Please don't make me lose face with the studio, Kikuchi-san."
"Well, how can I refuse after you stood up for me?" Kikuchi replied, smiling. "And I haven't forgotten that you were the first person to take a chance on me after the controversy. Of course I'll accept."
"Thank you, Kikuchi-san. I'll send you a copy of the script, and have the studio work out the business details with your agency."
"Do you have anyone in mind for my co-star?" Kikuchi asked, hoping that the answer was "no," so that Onozuka would have a chance to audition for the role. Unless, of course, Onozuka was the one that Kitamura had in mind.
"I've already cast Suzuki Asami as Midori," Kitamura replied, naming a young actress who had starred in all of his previous films. "We'll be holding open auditions for Eisuke--there are a number of talented young actors who would be good in the role, but I don't have anyone specific in mind. Also, the studio wouldn't allow me to pre-cast all three of the main characters." His voice turned a bit sour. "That was our compromise. We have to mutually agree on the choice of your male co-star."
"If it makes you feel any better, they've given you more concessions than most new directors would normally receive," Kikuchi chuckled. "Especially allowing you to cast me as the lead. The studios don't like troublemakers, even if I did manage to redeem myself in 'Future Wars'. It's a sign of how much the studio values you."
"I suppose so, but I'm not exactly 'new,'" Kitamura grumbled. "I've made some successful films on my own, which I assume is why they wanted to contract me. They ought to trust me to know what I'm doing."
"The big studios always want to cover their asses," Kikuchi said cynically. "That's just the way the business works. If you don't want to deal with their politics, you could always remain independent."
"But there's only so much that you can do on a low budget," Kitamura sighed. "Some of the special effects in 'Future Wars' were pretty cheesy because I couldn't afford anything better. To completely fulfill my vision and make a movie that reaches a wider audience, I need the backing of a major studio."
"It's a necessary evil," Kikuchi commiserated. "Believe me, I know. Let's make this movie a success, so that you'll have more clout with the studio on your next film."
"Thanks, I'm heartened by your words," Kitamura said, laughing, but there was also genuine gratitude in his voice, and he ended the call a short time later, after promising a more formal meeting once the proper arrangements had been made between the studio and Kikuchi's agency.
Well, at least now Kikuchi had a good excuse to call Miyasaka. He didn't actually have his former co-star's number, but it was easy enough for Kikuchi to call his very efficient manager, Kojima, and ask her to track it down for him. He also told her about Kitamura's offer, of course.
"I'm very glad that you'll be starring in Kitamura Seiya's major studio debut," she said. "If the movie is a hit, then maybe you'll finally be taken off the other studios' blacklist--as long as you don't do something stupid again." The stern edge to her voice made it clear that he had better not do something stupid again if he knew what was good for him. She didn't know exactly what it was that he had done, but as far as she was concerned, it had to be something stupid if it had resulted in him getting fired from what was supposed to have been his big Japanese comeback.
"Yes, Kojima-san," Kikuchi said meekly. He liked her; she was tough as nails and wasn't intimidated by anyone, including him. In the male-dominated Japanese business world, a woman had to be twice as good as her male peers to get ahead, and Kojima was not only twice as good, she was twice as ruthless. She was fairly new at the company, which was probably why she had been saddled with a troublemaker like Kikuchi, but that only made her even more determined to advance his career, and by extension, her own.
"So why do you want Miyasaka-kun's number?" Kojima asked suspiciously, obviously not buying his meek act. "You had better not be wasting your time chasing tail when you should be preparing for your role, especially when the chase is bound to be fruitless. Miyasaka is a known ladykiller, and has robbed many a young actress of her virtue."
That's what you think, Kikuchi thought in amusement, recalling his own past encounter with Miyasaka, as well as Onozuka's story of Miyasaka's unrequited love for Iwaki. However, all he said was, "I promise, I have no designs upon Miyasaka-kun's virtue," which was true. "It's strictly business," he added, which wasn't exactly true. "I wanted to give him a heads-up about Kitamura's movie, since the co-starring role is for a young man about his age."
"It's true that he's a good actor and growing in popularity, especially with the female fans," Kojima said, sounding mollified. "But do you think that he'll be willing to risk his macho image to play a gay role?"
"Apparently it's cool to be gay now, thanks to Iwaki and Katou," Kikuchi said dryly. "But if Miyasaka-kun wants to pass on the role, that's his loss; there are many other good actors out there. Still, I thought it would be fun to have the chance to work with him again."
"As long it's strictly business," Kojima said. "I'm not running a dating service, after all."
"Don't worry, Miyasaka-kun isn't really my type," Kikuchi laughed. "At least, not in real life; I'd be happy to fake it for the movie."
Kojima seemed reassured by the sincerity in his voice, but she still warned him, "Just remember, even if your interest is only platonic, the press will invent a scandal if it becomes known that you're promoting Miyasaka-kun to play your lover."
"I know, and that's why I don't intend to recommend him to Kitamura or the producers," Kikuchi replied. "I just want to let him know that the role is available, but he'll have to earn it on his own."
"Fair enough," Kojima agreed, and finally gave him the phone number.
Kikuchi called Miyasaka next, and the young actor sounded surprised, but not displeased to hear from him.
"Kikuchi-san!" Miyasaka exclaimed. "I didn't expect to hear from you after...well, you know." His tone of voice turned sheepish and apologetic.
"Hey, I said there were no hard feelings and I meant it," Kikuchi assured him. "Anyway, this is a business call. I'll be starring in Kitamura-kantoku's new film, his first major studio production, and there's a co-starring role open for a man in his early twenties; I thought maybe you and your friend Onozuka-kun might be interested in trying out for it."
He explained the basic plot of the movie, and Miyasaka laughed nervously. "It sounds like an interesting role, but...you don't think it will be awkward if you and I, uh, play lovers?"
"I don't see any reason why it should; we're both professionals," Kikuchi said briskly. Then he added, a bit wryly, "Especially since we didn't really do anything."
"Uh, right, I suppose not," Miyasaka mumbled, and Kikuchi suspected that his face was turning beet-red. He grinned; Miyasaka was a cute kid, though not as cute as Onozuka, of course.
"Of course I'll understand if you're not interested in playing a gay role," Kikuchi continued. "But maybe your friend would--"
"I never said that!" Miyasaka hastily interrupted. "It would be an honor to work with you again, and I want to challenge myself as an actor, the way that Iwaki-san and Katou do."
Miyasaka's cuteness level immediately dropped a few notches, due to the mention of Iwaki, but Kikuchi kept his irritation out of his voice and said pleasantly, "I'm glad to hear that. You understand, though, that this isn't a formal offer--I'm just giving you a heads-up since we've worked together. You'll still have to audition along with everyone else."
"I understand, and thank you, Kikuchi-san," Miyasaka replied. "It's really nice of you to think of me--and Onozuka, of course." He laughed and added, "Although maybe I shouldn't pass the message on to him, since he'll be my competition!"
Ah, good--Miyasaka had brought up Onozuka himself, without Kikuchi having to steer the topic of conversation around. "Oh, are you afraid that he'll beat you?" Kikuchi teased. "If he's that good, maybe I should be looking at Onozuka-kun for the role!"
"I'm just kidding," Miyasaka laughed. "He's my friend; I wouldn't hide news of an audition from him. It's inevitable that we end up competing for the same roles sometimes, but trying to win in an underhanded way would be a blow to my pride. It would be like saying that I couldn't beat him in a fair fight, and he'd never let me live that down." He added practically, "Besides, he'll hear about the auditions soon enough when they're announced publicly."
"That's true," Kikuchi chuckled, then asked casually, "So, is Onozuka-kun not home today? You're talking freely about him, like he's not around to hear."
"No, he took off in a hurry this morning," Miyasaka replied, sounding puzzled and a little worried. "I overheard him talking on the phone, booking a flight to Komatsu. I asked him why he was going there, and he practically bit my head off, telling me that I should mind my own business. He's been acting kind of weird lately--he's hardly ever at home these days." His voice turned a bit sulky and hurt. "He comes home late and won't say where he's been, and he never has time to go out drinking with me and Katou anymore." Then Miyasaka cheered up and said, as if it had just occurred to him, "Ah, maybe he has a girlfriend! I'd like to meet the woman who was able to melt the heart of the Ice Prince!"
It took every ounce of self-control that Kikuchi had not to burst into laughter. What would you think if you knew that you were talking to 'her' right now? Kikuchi wondered, a wide grin spreading across his face. "You're cruel to your friend, Miyasaka-kun, calling him names like that," he chided.
"Ah, he calls me names all the time, too," Miyasaka replied dismissively. "Mostly 'you idiot'! And he really is an Ice Prince--he has tons of girls chasing after him, but he's cold to all of them. The guy practically lives like a monk, at least when it comes to women, but maybe he's finally found someone to make him break his vows of celibacy, heh heh!" He thanked Kikuchi again for letting him know about the role, then hung up, still chuckling to himself about Onozuka's imagined girlfriend.
"Komatsu," Kikuchi murmured thoughtfully to himself. There was no good reason for Onozuka to travel there on business, except perhaps for a location shoot, and he was done filming his series. He might still be required to do some publicity for the show, interviews and talk show appearances, but most of the major TV studios and entertainment magazines were based in Tokyo. So maybe his family lived in Komatsu?
Well, there was one way to find out. Kikuchi looked up the number for the medical clinic and called up Toshi. "Sasaki-san? It's me, Kikuchi."
"Kikuchi-san!" the doctor exclaimed, sounding excited and flustered. "Wow, I wasn't expecting to hear from you! Uh...I'm sorry, but the test results aren't ready yet. The lab is closed today, so they won't receive the samples until Monday..."
"Oh no, I wasn't calling about that," Kikuchi assured him. "I was just wondering if I could come out and buy you dinner. I'd like to talk to you about Onozuka-kun." He figured that it would be easier to get information out of Toshi face-to-face rather than over the phone.
"Oh...well...I..." Toshi stuttered, sounding flabbergasted.
"I apologize if it's an imposition," Kikuchi said politely. "I know that I'm calling at the last minute, but Onozuka-kun has been acting a little strangely, and I'm worried about him..."
"Oh, it's no imposition!" Toshi hastily replied. "I was just stunned to be invited to dinner by one of my favorite movie stars! I'm a little worried about Yuu-chan, too. Okay, if it would be convenient for you, maybe we could meet around six? There are several good eating places nearby, but since you're not familiar with the area, perhaps it would be best if we just met at the clinic and then decided where to go?"
"Fine," Kikuchi said. "I'll see you at six."
He still had the rental car, since he had been thinking of suggesting to Onozuka that they drive out to a nice secluded fishing spot that he knew of where they wouldn't have to worry about the paparazzi. That plan was ruined, but at least he was able to drive out to the clinic, where Toshi was waiting for him in the parking lot.
"There's an izakaya a few blocks away that has really tasty food," Toshi suggested. "It's nothing fancy, but..."
"That sounds great," Kikuchi said. Since the shop was only a short distance away, they left the car at the clinic and walked over. Toshi seemed a little embarrassed about bringing a movie star to such a humble establishment, but Kikuchi smiled and said that he had missed eating at places like these when he'd been living in America, and the young doctor looked relieved.
It was still early, and the place was fairly empty, which was good, since it meant that they were unlikely to be interrupted by any friends or patients of Toshi's. They sat at a table in the far corner of the room and ordered some yakitori and sashimi, along with a beer for Toshi and an iced tea for Kikuchi. He was always careful about drinking and driving, especially since an American friend of his had been fired from a popular TV series after a DUI arrest. The tabloids were always waiting for celebrities to make a misstep, and given his past experience, Kikuchi felt that it was best to avoid even the appearance of a scandal if at all possible.
"The food's good," Kikuchi said, and it wasn't a lie.
Toshi looked pleased and said, "Thanks, I'm glad you like it. So...you said you wanted to talk about Yuu-chan?"
"I'm a little worried about him," Kikuchi said, and it didn't take much acting to put a look of proper concern on his face. "I tried asking him about his family last night after we left your clinic, but he got angry and refused to talk about it. And then we were supposed to get together today, but he won't return my calls and his roommate says that he unexpectedly flew out to Komatsu."
"Komatsu?!" Toshi exclaimed, looking startled. "Well, I guess that's good...he must have gone home, after all. He called me to find out what classes Shiori-chan was taking at the university, but to be honest, I didn't think he'd actually go out to see her. It's not like Yuu-chan to back down once he's made up his mind about something."
"So his family does live in Komatsu?" Kikuchi asked.
"No, actually they live in Kanazawa," Toshi replied. "But if he's taken a flight to Komatsu, he must be planning to go back home."
"I see," Kikuchi murmured. Komatsu was the closest airport to Kanazawa, so Onozuka would have had to fly there, and then catch a bus or a taxi the rest of the way. "Can you tell me a little about Onozuka-kun's family?"
Toshi laughed nervously. "He would probably get mad at me for talking about his personal life with you."
Kikuchi summoned up all his acting skills and said earnestly, "I understand that you don't want to betray a friend's confidence, but I really am worried. He seemed very troubled by your news, and it's not like him to run off without a word, especially when we already had plans. I'm going to be honest with you, Sasaki-san...you know that Onozuka-kun and I are more than just co-workers, right?"
"Well, yeah, I kind of figured," Toshi admitted, a bit sheepishly. "I didn't really buy that story about needing a physical for the movie--even if the studio didn't have their own doctors, which I'm sure they do, if it had really been for business, Yuu-chan would have had me send the bill for the tests to the studio instead of charging it to him personally. I'm sure he knows that I know, but...well, Yuu-chan just likes to make things unnecessarily complicated, for some reason. He was always like that, even as a kid--inventing elaborate excuses when none were needed." He chuckled, a nostalgic look on his face. "I suppose he already had an actor's instincts, even then."
"He must have been cute as a kid," Kikuchi said with a smile, wondering if he could get Toshi to show him some photos of the young Onozuka. Then he firmly reminded himself not to get distracted from the business at hand. "So you know that Onozuka-kun is gay?" he asked bluntly, after making sure that no one else was within earshot.
"Well, he never actually came out and said so, but I kind of guessed," Toshi replied. "There were always girls chasing after him, but he never seemed interested in any of them, and even after he started having success as an actor, he still didn't get a girlfriend, though our old friends were envious of all the starlets he had access to. He'd show up at an awards show or a movie premiere with a pretty actress on his arm, but it was never the same girl, and he always said that he was too busy with work to have time for romance. I got the impression that the girls were mainly for show, but I didn't want to press him on it unless he brought it up first."
"Do you think he was worried about how you'd react?" Kikuchi asked curiously.
"I hope not," Toshi said, looking distressed at the thought. "I mean, I'd like to think that we're good enough friends that he knows it wouldn't matter to me. Back when your scandal broke about ten years ago..." Toshi, hesitated, giving him an apologetic look, and Kikuchi smiled and nodded at him to continue. "...some of our friends...well, let's just say that they made some crude and prejudiced remarks. I said that what you do in your personal life shouldn't matter. I mean, they all loved 'Tokyo Countdown,' and it's not like it suddenly became a bad movie just because we found out you were gay. That's silly, right?"
"That's pretty enlightened for a...what, you must have been about fourteen or fifteen years old back then?" Kikuchi said.
"Well, I admit that I was a little weirded out by the news at first," Toshi said. "But still, your personal life was none of my business, and it wouldn't have stopped me from watching your movies."
"If only more people had thought like you back then," Kikuchi sighed regretfully.
"Yuu-chan thought that way, too," Toshi said. "We lived next door to each other, and we'd been friends practically since we were born, but after I defended you, we became even closer. At the time, I thought it was just because you were his hero, but later I realized that maybe it was because he knew that I wouldn't look down on him for being gay."
"I really care about Onozuka-kun," Kikuchi said, trying to convey an air of sincerity and concern. "I'd like to understand his situation better, so that I can be there for him."
Toshi hesitated a moment longer, then seemed to make up his mind and nodded. "Okay, I suppose you have the right to know if you're Yuu-chan's...uh...lover. He and I grew up in Kanazawa. His father comes from a family of famous wagashi confectioners--they specialize in those really fancy types of sweets, you know, the kind that are molded to look like flowers and stuff, that they serve at tea ceremonies. My mom always said that they looked almost too pretty to eat."
"My mother likes that sort of thing," Kikuchi said. "I buy her some whenever I go home for a visit, but I've never heard of an Onozuka confectionery."
"Oh, that's not Yuu-chan's real name," Toshi said, looking surprised for a moment. "But I guess he wouldn't have told you that, since he doesn't like to talk about his family. He uses his mother's maiden name as his stage name, he says so as not to shame the family, although I think that was his way of cutting ties with them. His real family name is 'Nakata'."
"Nakata?" Kikuchi asked, startled. "His family owns the Nakata chain of confectioneries?" They had a number of shops scattered throughout the country, and boxes of their sweets could be found in most upscale department stores.
"You've heard of them?" Toshi asked.
"I've bought their sweets for my mother many times," Kikuchi replied, shaking his head in bemusement. "How ironic, that I already had a connection to Onozuka-kun without realizing it. So was he supposed to take over the family business?"
Toshi nodded. "He's the eldest child and only son, and his father started training him from childhood. Some of our friends were envious; they thought it would be fun to work in a candy shop. I did too, at first, until I actually saw him working with his father. Nakata-san is a very strict and stern teacher, a real perfectionist with his work. He'll reject a candy that has even the slightest flaw, that normal people wouldn't notice. He's tough on all his apprentices, but he was extra-hard with Yuu-chan, because he was supposed to be his successor."
"It's tough to picture Onozuka-kun being a confectioner," Kikuchi said, although now that he thought about it, Onozuka did have long, graceful fingers. Maybe he could picture him molding balls of mochi or sugar into miniature flowers and fruits, after all.
"He was actually quite good at it, but he didn't really enjoy it," Toshi said. "To him it was a tedious duty. He loved going to the movies, and we'd sneak off to the theaters whenever we could. I don't know exactly when he decided to become an actor, but it was probably around the time that 'Tokyo Countdown' came out." He smiled nostalgically. "I think we must have gone to that movie about ten times, because Yuu-chan loved it so much, and I remember him goofing around, acting out scenes from the film. Only I guess it wasn't goofing around, since he started acting in school plays after that. He let his parents think that it was only a hobby, since he knew how his father would react if he said he wanted to be an actor. Even so, his dad wanted him to spend more time training, but his mom said, 'Let him be; you're only young once.' So they sort of had this understanding that Yuu-chan could do as he pleased in high school, but he'd start working full-time under his father at the main Kanazawa shop after he graduated."
"But he didn't," Kikuchi said.
Toshi sighed and shook his head. "He pulled a typical sort of Yuu-chan stunt. Instead of having a big confrontation with his father, he quietly saved up his money all through high school, and the day after graduation, he packed a bag; snuck out of the house in the middle of the night; and left a note saying that he was going to Tokyo to become an actor. I swear, the entire neighborhood could hear Nakata-san yelling when he found that note."
Kikuchi couldn't help but smile. "Very devious. That does sound like a very Onozuka sort of stunt."
"Unfortunately, those of us left behind had to suffer Nakata-san's wrath," Toshi said wryly. "Because we were best friends, his father was convinced that I must have been in on his plan, and he interrogated me worse than any police detective, until my father finally had to ask him to leave. Yuu-chan actually didn't tell me what he'd done until after the fact, because he knows that I'm a bad liar and he wanted me to have plausible deniability, so I guess in his own way, he was trying to protect me. But his father wouldn't believe that I didn't help him, and things have never been the same between our families since. Well, Fumiko-obasan, Yuu-chan's mom, is still nice to us, and I think she feels bad about the way her husband blamed us, but there are no more invitations to dinner or New Year's parties at the Nakata house anymore."
"And Yuu-chan...I mean, Onozuka-kun, has never gone back home since then?" Kikuchi asked.
"No," Toshi replied sadly. "He went to Okinawa for his grandfather's funeral a few years ago--that's where his mom's folks lived--and he must have seen his parents then, but I don't think that things went well between them, and there was certainly no reconciliation. I'm not saying that Yuu-chan was wrong to become an actor, but he shouldn't have snuck off like that, without talking it over with his family first. Then again, I can kind of understand why he did it; Nakata-san is kind of scary when he's angry, and I'm sure there would have been a big argument, and Yuu-chan would probably still have ended up being disowned. But still, it was cruel to leave without even saying goodbye to his mother and sister."
"He's had no contact with his family since then, aside from the funeral?" Kikuchi asked. "Wait, he did say something last night about calling home after winning the award."
"Well, after he got to Tokyo, he did call home to let his folks know that he was okay, but he hung up after his father started yelling at him," Toshi replied. "But I don't think that he's talked to them much since then. He and I have kept in touch, obviously, and since I ended up going to college in Tokyo, we continued to get together every now and then for a drink. I try to give him news from home, but he always acts like he doesn't want to hear it."
"Like last night," Kikuchi said, nodding. "So what's the deal with his sister? She's expected to take over the family business in his place?"
"Apparently," Toshi replied. "My folks still live in Kanazawa, and my mother heard that Nakata-san plans to marry off Shiori-chan to his chief apprentice, so that he can adopt him as a son-in-law and keep the business in the family. She's only eighteen, just about the same age that Yuu-chan was when he left home. The apprentice, Miura-san, seems like a nice enough guy, but he's several years older than Shiori-chan, and well, it just doesn't seem right for her to be forced into an arranged marriage."
"It's not like the feudal days, when a woman could be married off against her will in order to seal an alliance," Kikuchi pointed out.
"But there are different types of force," Toshi argued. "Obviously, her father can't hold a gun to her head and make Shiori-chan marry Miura-san. But she's a really sweet kid, not the rebellious type like Yuu-chan. She's not the type who can just walk away from the family and say, 'Disown me if you don't like it.'" Then his expression brightened. "But you said that Yuu-chan's gone to Kanazawa?"
"Well, his roommate said he booked a flight to Komatsu this morning," Kikuchi replied.
"Well then, maybe he decided to go make peace with his family, after all," Toshi said hopefully.
"I suppose that's good," Kikuchi said doubtfully. "But Onozuka-kun isn't about to give up his career as an actor, and it doesn't sound like his father would be satisfied with anything less."
Toshi sighed in frustration. "They're both incredibly stubborn! Yuu-chan can act all sweet and charming when he wants, but he won't budge an inch when he has his mind set on something. His father's the same way--minus the sweet and charming part."
Kikuchi smiled. "My dad was pretty harsh on me when I was young--or at least, that's how it seemed to me at the time. He was a cop, and he thought that acting was a frivolous profession. But when the scandal broke, he stood by me, although I'm sure that many of his colleagues must have given him a hard time about having a gay son. It meant a lot to me."
"Yuu-chan's done so well for himself," Toshi said wistfully. "Surely his parents must be at least a little proud of him, even if they don't want to admit it? I keep hoping that if he would just bend a little, then maybe his father would meet him halfway. I know that his mother would like the family to reconcile; she always looks so sad whenever I see her. But Yuu-chan and his father are both so proud, I'm sure that neither wants to be the first one to apologize."
"Well, I don't know his father, so I can't say if a reconciliation is possible," Kikuchi said, although privately, he thought that chances sounded slim. "I suppose that all I can do is wait and see what happens, and support Onozuka-kun the best that I can."
Toshi smiled. "I'm so happy that Yuu-chan has someone to rely on. He doesn't get close to many people. Maybe he's able to trust you because he admired you so much when he was young."
"Well, that's flattering, but it's dangerous to assume that an actor is the same as the image he portrays on the screen," Kikuchi laughed.
"I suppose you're right, but you seem like a good guy, Kikuchi-san," Toshi replied. "You obviously care a lot about Yuu-chan."
Kikuchi felt a little guilty then for manipulating the naive young doctor, although normally he looked down on people who were so easily trusting. But there was no reason to feel guilty since he really did care about Onozuka...right? But that thought made him feel uneasy. He had been treating his seduction of Onozuka as a game; he hadn't stopped to think about what would happen if and when he actually caught his fish. Move in together as a married couple like Iwaki and Katou? Not likely, unless Onozuka wanted to publicly out himself.
In fact, it was a little strange that Onozuka had pursued him so strongly to begin with, considering how careful he'd been to protect his career up until now. Maybe times had changed thanks to Iwaki and Katou, but it was still a pretty big risk to take. The more time they spent together, and the more popular that Onozuka became, the more likely it was that the paparazzi would catch them in a compromising situation someday. Was it just Onozuka's childhood hero worship of him that had made him take the risk? He was suddenly reminded of what he had told Iwaki at the restaurant: "Are you saying you like me for the 'way I live' rather than 'who I am'?" Was Onozuka just infatuated with the image of Kikuchi-the-movie-star rather than the real Kikuchi?
"I'm sure everything will work out in the end," Toshi said, mistaking the reason for the troubled expression on Kikuchi's face. "I mean, they're family--they've got to forgive each other someday, don't they?" However, he sounded rather uncertain, as if he were trying to convince himself as much as he was Kikuchi.
"Yes, I suppose that's true," Kikuchi replied, more to make Toshi feel better than because he really believed it.
***
Onozuka stood outside the building where the economics classes were held on the Kakuma Campus of Kanazawa University. He wore his usual incognito disguise, his hair tucked under a baseball cap this time, with the brim pulled down to disguise his features from casual onlookers. Eventually a pretty girl with dark brown hair came out of the building, chatting with a couple of other girls her age.
He stepped forward and said, "Shiori-chan?"
Her mouth dropped open in shock and she came to an abrupt halt--so abrupt that another student walking behind her stumbled into her and nearly knocked her over. Shiori mumbled a hasty apology, then glared at Onozuka and hissed, "What are you doing here?!"
"Do you know this guy, Shiori-chan?" one of the girls asked, giggling. "Is he your boyfriend?"
The other girl said, "Hey, he kind of looks like that actor, Onozuka Yuu, doesn't he?"
"I only wish I was," Onozuka laughed. "But people tell me that I look a little bit like him."
"So is he your boyfriend?" the first girl persisted, and Shiori responded with a look of disgust.
"Eww, of course not!"
"How rude," Onozuka said playfully. "Actually, I'm her big brother, and I need to talk to her for just a few minutes if you don't mind."
Shiori continued to glare at him. She obviously didn't want to talk to him, but just as obviously didn't want her friends hanging around asking questions about him, either. "Go ahead to the library," she told the other two girls. "I'll catch up with you in a little bit."
They reluctantly walked off, and Shiori turned back to Onozuka and said curtly, "All right, what do you want?"
"Toshi-chan told me that Otōsan wants you to make an arranged marriage with Takumi-san," Onozuka replied.
"So what's it to you?" Shiori asked defiantly.
"You can't seriously be thinking about marrying him!" Onozuka protested. "And why are you studying economics? I thought you wanted to be a teacher!"
"That was years ago, Oniisan," she sneered, turning the last word into an insult rather than an honorific or an expression of affection. "How do you even know what I want? It's not like you've been around for the past six years."
Onozuka winced. "Look, if you want to take over the business and marry Takumi, fine. But don't let the old man pressure you into doing something that you'll regret."
"What, you mean like running away from home and breaking our mother's heart?" Shiori snapped. "Whose fault do you think it is that I have to take over the business, anyway? You ran away and left me with your responsibilities, and now you think you can waltz in here after all this time and tell me how to live my life?"
"Oh, so it would be okay for me to be miserable, stuck doing a job that I hate, just so that you can be free do as you please?" Onozuka retorted.
"Well, that's what you've done to me, isn't it?" Shiori shouted back at him.
Onozuka took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. None of this was Shiori's fault, and he had come here to help his little sister, not yell at her. But nothing ever seemed to go right in his dealings with his family.
"Look, I don't want either of us to be miserable," Onozuka said in a level voice. "If you don't want to take over the business, then don't. If Otōsan wants to make Takumi-san his successor, than he should just adopt him straight out without getting you involved."
"It's so easy for you, isn't it?" Shiori asked contemptuously. "To leave your own family behind and never look back? Well, I'm not like you, Oniisan. The business means a lot to Otōsan; it's been in the family for generations, going back to the Meiji era. Can you understand what it would mean for him to just pass it off into the hands of an outsider? Maybe I don't really want to take over the business, either, but I'm not going to just abandon my family like you did. And Takumi-san is a good man--certainly much better than you! If you want to help me, come home and do your duty. Otherwise, just run back to Tokyo and go back to your precious play-acting. After all, being on TV and being photographed in the tabloids with some bimbo actress is obviously much more important to you than your family!"
"Shiori-chan!" Onozuka shouted, but his sister had already turned on her heel and stalked away. People were beginning to stare at him, and he hastily walked away, silently cursing himself. He was an idiot for listening to Toshi; what the hell had he thought he would accomplish here, anyway?
He should probably just go back home to Tokyo, but for old time's sake, he went to visit the Kanazawa Castle site, which had once been the home of the reigning Maeda clan, and one of his favorite places to visit as a child. Maybe his desire to become an actor had started with those childhood visits and the tales about the mighty warrior and first Lord of the Maeda clan, Toshiie. He smiled as he recalled how he and Toshi used to play at being samurai, using sticks for swords. Of course they both always wanted to be the hero, Toshiie, but the good-natured Toshi would usually allow Onozuka to take the lead role.
Finally, he decided that since he had come all this way, he might as well make one last effort to call off Shiori's marriage. He turned on his cell phone and noticed that he had a message from Kikuchi--damn, he should have called before he left and made an excuse about having to work today. Well, he'd call Kikuchi back later, after he'd thought of a good excuse and figured out how to charm Kikuchi into forgiving him for breaking their date. Instead, he dialed another number, one that he hadn't used in six years.
"Hello?"
"Takumi-san? It's Yuu."
"What?! Yuu--"
"Shh, I don't want my father to know that I'm here. I need to talk to you. Can you sneak out of the shop and meet me? I'm at the castle, by the Ishikawa Gate."
There was a long silence, and Onozuka thought that Takumi would refuse, but he finally replied, "All right. I'll be there in about an hour."
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
***
Long-winded cultural notes and story meta here; feel free to skip if you want:
An izakaya is sort of halfway between a bar and a restaurant--it serves more substantial food than a bar, but has a less extensive menu than a restaurant. On J-dramas, characters often go there after work to drink and have snacks. (Btw, yakitori is grilled chicken, and sashimi is sliced raw fish. And now I'm making myself hungry! ^_^)
Honorifics: Probably most of you know this already, but "Otōsan" means "father"; "Oniisan" is "older brother"; and "obasan" can either mean "aunt" as in a blood relative, or can be used to address a middle-aged woman who isn't related. Toshi affectionately calls Onozuka's mother "Fumiko-obasan" ("Auntie Fumiko") since he spent a lot of time at the Nakata house as a child.
Director Kitamura is an OC; I picked his name at random because I liked the way it sounded, and only found out later that there is actually a real director named Kitamura Ryuhei, who directed the movie Azumi. So this is a completely fictional Kitamura; I gave him the first name Seiya, again because I liked the way it sounded, but there was also a character named Seiya in a J-drama called Yaoh ("Night King") about a male host club--a TV series that fans of When a Man Loves a Man should see, although there is no guy-on-guy smex. ^_^ (I should do a more detailed write-up on it later, since it has an interesting depiction of the behind-the-scenes rivalry in the host business.) My Seiya is nothing like the TV-Seiya, since he's more geeky otaku than suave host, but I really liked the name, so I borrowed it. Physically, my Kitamura is modeled loosely after the otaku hero in the live-action movie version of Train Man, although he's a few years older and a good deal more self-assured than that character. Incidentally, I loved the Train Man actor, Yamada Takayuki, when I first saw him in the the drama Byakuyakou ("Journey Under a Midnight Sun"), but it was an incredibly dark and depressing story about two childhood sweethearts who commit murder to protect each other, and how their lives deteriorate and unravel from that point on. After that, it was a relief to see him in a light-hearted romantic comedy. Anyway, Kitamura will make a more lengthy appearance in a future fic.
I was kind of leery about naming an actual location for Onozuka's hometown since I've never been to Japan and don't want to make any blatant mistakes out of ignorance. But I needed Miyasaka to tell Kikuchi where Onozuka was going, and I had already sort of decided in my mind that Onozuka was from Kanazawa, so I went with that. I became enamored with Kanazawa after watching the NHK taiga drama Toshiie to Matsu ("Toshiie and Matsu") about the daimyo (feudal lord) Maeda Toshiie. I really loved the show, and since Kanazawa eventually became home to the Maeda clan, one of the post-show travelogue segments focused on Kanazawa (I particularly remember the gold-leaf work on the ceiling of Kanazawa Castle). It seems like a beautiful place, with a sense of history and culture--in addition to the castle site, where parts of the original castle still stand, there is the beautiful Kenrokuen Garden, created by the Maeda clan and located outside the castle gates; Nagamachi Samurai District with restored samurai-style houses; tea and geisha houses; and several shrines, temples, and museums.
The drama itself is really great as well, with Karasawa Toshiaki as the idealistic and headstrong Toshiie, the lovely Matsushima Nanako as his wife Matsu, and Matsushima's real-life husband, the very handsome and charismatic Sorimachi Takashi, as Oda Nobunaga. My OC tengu character Karasu in my Snupin series is based on Sorimachi's portrayal of Nobunaga, incidentally.
Kanazawa actually works well with the family history that I created for Onozuka. Originally, Onozuka was going to come from a family of doctors, but then I realized that I had ripped off a subplot from Yaoh: one of the characters came from a family of doctors, but ran away from his responsibilities to become a host, leaving his resentful younger sister to shoulder the burden of carrying on the family tradition. I did want to use the idea of Onozuka's sister being forced to take on the responsibilities of the heir, but I changed the family business from medicine to wagashi confectionery. It seemed like a good traditional business that could have been in the family for generations, and I love how pretty the sweets look. I saw a short TV documentary on the craft of wagashi about a year ago, and I was fascinated by the amount of skill and artistry that goes into making these confections.
And coincidentally, Kanazawa has a thriving confectionery business, due to the number of teahouses located in the city. (I'm no expert, but as I understand it, you eat something sweet to offset the bitter taste of the tea.) Kanazawa is also home to the Ishikawa Confectionery Culture Center, which has a museum with displays of "jaw-droppingly realistic flower bouquets, sets of samurai armour and more built entirely from candy." (According to Wikipedia's Kanazawa travel guide; scroll down about halfway to the entry on museums to see a lovely candy rose bouquet.)
(There are many types of wagashi, but this is the type of thing I'm envisioning, here and here.)
So it was perfect that the Nakata family were confectioners! And there's a university in Kanazawa where Shiori could go to school and still be near her controlling family. However, I did nearly make one of those blatant idiot mistakes--in the original draft, Miyasaka tells Kikuchi that Onozuka caught a flight to Kanazawa. Except that--oops--Kanazawa doesn't have an airport! The closest one is in Komatsu, so I had to go and change the references in the fic. *facepalm* Well, at least I caught it before I posted the final draft. I tried to keep the rest of the references vague enough to avoid obvious error, but I apologize in advance if something slipped by me.
There's a reason why Onozuka's maternal grandparents are from Okinawa, although that hasn't made it into the fic yet. Stay tuned for the next chapter!
And finally, I'm aware that Onozuka's family problems are similar to Iwaki's, though I'm sure he'd be resentful if anyone told him that he and Iwaki have something in common! ~_^ I don't think that either of them is aware of the other's family situation at this point, but it could become fodder for another story in the future, though I don't really have anything specific planned. Still, I could see Iwaki attempting to give Onozuka some big-brotherly type of advice, and Onozuka totally brushing him off. (Files away the plot bunny for future reference.)
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EDIT 4/2/09: I utterly fail--I forgot that I shouldn't have had Shiori going to class on a Sunday! (I'm not that familiar with the Japanese university system, but I don't think that regular classes are held during the weekends.) *headdesk* Oh well, we'll just pretend that for some reason, she had a special class or seminar that day...yeah, that's the ticket! *slinks off in embarrassment*
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Loved the characterization, and the plot is very intriguing!!
Looking forward to the next chapter!
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And btw, I love your Count D icons! Petshop of Horrors was my very first fandom. ^_^
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i totally agree with you, Onozuka will sure be resentful if someone told him that he had something similar with Iwaki! XD
ivy
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I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!
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The gay love story part is my own invention, though--damn, why hasn't anyone done that before? ;)
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Actually, I think there was also a Nicole Kidman movie where her dead husband's soul is now inside a kid, but I haven't see that - a bit squicky for me.
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*note to self- skip end notes next time*
still loving this!
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