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FIC: Family Visit: Tokyo, Part 1 of 5
Title: Family Visit: Tokyo, Part 1 of 5
Rating: NC-17 overall
Fandom: Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love)
Pairing: Kikuchi/Onozuka
Characters: Kikuchi, Onozuka, Yoshizumi, Asano
Word count: ~6,270
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Unexpected Opportunities, Comeback (Part 1 and Part 2), Forgiveness, Firsts, First Date (Part 1 and Part 2), Going Steady (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Audition (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Cookout (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Press Conference (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Sanctuary, and The Prince vs. the Groupie (Part 1, Part 2). The series also includes two side-stories that are outside of the main timeline: Valentine's Day Surprise and Strictly Business.
Summary: Onozuka has to deal with a jealous coworker, and the movie studio receives a surprise visitor.
***
The morning after the press conference, the director met with the cast at the movie studio to go over the filming schedule. An assistant handed out printed copies of the schedule to all the actors, and an unexpected notation caught Onozuka's eye.
"We'll be filming in Okinawa?!" he exclaimed.
"Yes," Kitamura replied. "We'll do the initial filming here in Tokyo, then fly out to Okinawa to shoot the beach scenes for the second half of the movie."
It had been Eisuke's dream as a child to see the ocean, but he had never been healthy enough to make the trip. After the transplant, he and his brother moved to be near the ocean, but the actual location had been left vague in the script.
"Isn't it wonderful?" Asami asked excitedly. "It'll be like a working vacation!"
"Just remember that you'll be there to work, not play," Kitamura said dryly. "You can do whatever you like in your free time, of course, but I'll expect everyone to put their full concentration into their work while we're filming."
"Yes, Kantoku-san," Asami said with mock meekness, and Kitamura smiled and shook his head.
Okinawa was a prime vacation spot with its year-round subtropical climate, and the other actors looked pleasantly surprised. However, Onozuka's dismay must have shown on his face, because the director gave him a puzzled look and asked, "Is something wrong, Onozuka-kun?"
"Oh, not at all," Onozuka laughed, hastily assuming his normal mask of princely charm as Asano glanced over at him suspiciously. "I was just surprised, because the script doesn't mention Okinawa as the setting."
"Well, Mizutani-sensei had Okinawa in mind as the setting, but didn't specify it in the script in case there were budget concerns that kept us from shooting there," Kitamura explained. "However, the studio has been reasonably generous with the budget, and the producers were also able to cut costs by arranging lodgings at a local hotel in exchange for some promotional considerations."
The director had a slightly pained expression on his face, and Kikuchi grinned and asked, "A mention in the credits?"
Kitamura nodded. "And a bit of product placement--a few prominent exterior shots of the hotel," he said in a resigned voice. "I don't really like it, but it helps to keep the film within budget, and as Sato-san oh-so-logically pointed out, the script has Ryotaro staying at a hotel while he's looking for Eisuke, so why not use that hotel and get some benefit out of it at the same time?"
Kitamura still looked aggrieved, and Kikuchi chuckled sympathetically. "It's one of those compromises that the business requires, but at least this one shouldn't affect the integrity of the film."
"He's right, Seiya-san," Asami chimed in. "It's nothing to feel ashamed about."
"I'm glad you feel that way, Asami-chan," Kitamura said with a wry smile. "Because the producers have also arranged for you and Onozuka-kun to film a commercial promoting tourism in Okinawa in exchange for getting our filming permits expedited."
"You mean one of those 'frolic in the surf and show off how beautiful Okinawa is' sort of promotions?" Asami asked, and Kitamura nodded. "That's fine with me," Asami said cheerfully. "It sounds like fun! Don't you think so, Onozuka-kun?"
"Of course," Onozuka replied, trying to sound more positive than he felt. Going to Okinawa meant that he'd be obliged to visit the Onozuka side of his family--his grandmother, uncle, and aunt. He got along fine with his Onozuka relatives, who had supported his decision to become an actor, so it wasn't as if he didn't want to see them. But he'd have to endure the usual lecture about how he should reconcile with his parents, and more importantly, word might leak out that the actor Onozuka Yuu was related to the family of Onozuka innkeepers. Which wouldn't be so bad, except that if the press looked into the story and dug a little deeper, they might find out that the daughter of the late innkeeper had married into the prestigious Nakata family of confectioners. And then the stalemate that he had achieved with his father, a sort of truce or cold war where neither acknowledged the other's existence, would be broken and then the shit would really hit the fan.
Onozuka was so worried that he didn't catch the full significance of the director's words until he saw Kikuchi's lips quirk upwards in a bitter, mirthless smile. And then he realized that Kitamura had only mentioned his and Asami's names in connection with the commercial, not Kikuchi's. Which meant that the lead actor, the one who would have top billing in the movie over the younger and less well-known Asami and Onozuka, had been left out of the promotional deal.
It was a pointed and unusual snub--at first glance, anyway. It was less unusual when one took into consideration that the tourism officials might not want a notorious gay actor to be officially promoting their prefecture.
"Well, I guess my past is still considered scandalous by some people," Kikuchi said with a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.
"I'm sorry, Kikuchi-san," Kitamura apologized. "I don't think that the public really cares anymore, but you know how these government types are..."
"It's all right," Kikuchi interrupted, waving off the apology dismissively. "I got into this business to act, not to hawk products--or tourism. I only do commercials when the agency requires it of me, so I'm happy enough to leave this one to Asami-chan and Onozuka-kun."
On the surface, his words were true enough. Onozuka knew that Kikuchi disliked the promotional side of the business, the commercials and game show appearances, although he acknowledged them as a necessary evil. But there was a lingering hint of bitterness behind his flippant words, indicating that the snub bothered him more than he let on. Endorsement deals made up a significant chunk of a celebrity's income (as well as the talent agency's commission), and despite his distaste for them, Kikuchi had possessed a number of lucrative contracts at the peak of his career--all of which had been cancelled after the scandal. He had appeared in a few commercials and print advertisements since his comeback, but nothing approaching the level he'd been at ten years ago.
Kitamura flashed another wry smile at the actors. "Well then, I'm not sure whether you'll be pleased or disappointed to hear this, Kikuchi-san, but you'll still have an opportunity to hawk products for the sake of the film. Gigolo Perfume has just signed on as a sponsor, and they want you, Asami-chan, and Onozuka-kun to appear in their latest advertising campaign."
"What?!" Kikuchi cried indignantly. "My agency hasn't mentioned anything about this!"
The other actors cast nervous looks at Kikuchi, except for Asano, who ducked his head to hide a smirk that only Onozuka seemed to notice. Everyone knew about Katou and Iwaki's highly successful--and highly publicized--ad campaign for Gigolo, and everyone also knew about the alleged feud between Katou and Kikuchi, even if they didn't know all the details. It was only natural that Kikuchi would balk at becoming a replacement for Katou.
"Don't shoot the messenger," Kitamura said, holding up a hand in a defensive gesture. "I just heard about it from Sato-san myself this morning. It was a last-minute deal that the producers worked out, and Gigolo should be contacting your agencies with the details. Now, if we can get back to discussing the schedule..."
Kikuchi scowled, obviously still displeased, but fell silent and allowed the director to continue. When Kitamura was done going over the schedule, they did a read-through of the script, with Kitamura and his crew taking notes and occasionally interrupting to discuss how they would film a scene, or to suggest that one of the actors try reading a line in a different manner. Mizutani attended the reading, but watched quietly without interfering unless she was asked to clarify what a particular character was thinking or feeling.
When the reading was over, Mizutani smiled warmly and said, "I can already see the characters coming to life, even in an informal read-through like this." She bowed and added, "I thank all of you. I have absolute faith that my story is in good hands."
There was no time to dwell on the author's compliment, though. The actors were immediately whisked away to be measured for their costumes, and after that, the principal actors posed for some publicity photos and were interviewed by a reporter from a popular entertainment magazine. After that, they were finally given a free hour to have lunch, and they headed over to studio's cafeteria.
Kikuchi's manager Kojima showed up while they were lining up to get their food, and Kikuchi started to confront her about the Gigolo contract. She immediately cut him off and said, "Let's discuss this in private," glancing significantly at the crowd of actors and crew members who were trying to listen in without being obvious about it--and for the most part, failing miserably.
"Fine," Kikuchi said curtly, and they left the cafeteria.
Asami took an extra tray of food and went off to look for Kitamura, saying, "Seiya-san gets lost in his work and forgets to eat if I don't nag him about it." Yoshizumi smiled at Onozuka and Asano, and by mutual unspoken agreement, the three of them sat down at a table together.
***
"Why didn't you tell me about the Gigolo contract?" Kikuchi demanded as soon as he and Kojima were alone.
"Because I just heard about it myself this morning," Kojima replied coolly. "One of the other sponsors had to drop out--"
"I never heard anything about that," Kikuchi interrupted.
"That's because both the company and the producers wanted to keep it quiet and low profile to avoid bad publicity," Kojima explained patiently. "The company is apparently going through some financial difficulties and management restructuring, and it would stretch their resources too far to back the movie. Of course, that would leave the studio in a bind, but Gigolo expressed an interest, and Hasegawa and Sato have been working behind the scenes to make the deal happen. Gigolo's president called Hasegawa just as the press conference was ending to agree to the contract."
"No wonder the son of a bitch was in such a good mood," Kikuchi muttered. Then he scowled and said, "Shouldn't the actors have been informed beforehand, since apparently we're part of the deal?"
"It's part of your job as the lead actor to promote the movie," Kojima told him sharply.
"To promote the movie, yes," Kikuchi snarled. "Not to be a replacement for those two porn stars! They just want another gay actor--"
"Which should be a welcome contrast to the days when you couldn't get any work because you were gay, right?" Kojima retorted. Kikuchi's face flushed with anger and he opened his mouth to argue, but his manager cut him off before he could get a single word out.
"Let me make this perfectly clear, Kikuchi-san," Kojima said in a steely voice. "Gigolo, the movie studio, and the agency all want you to do this ad campaign. You do not have a choice in the matter."
"But--"
"I don't wish to be rude," Kojima said coolly. "But let's face it: you no longer have the star power and clout that you had a decade ago."
Kikuchi fumed silently, unable to refute her words although his pride was stung. Kojima seemed to take a little pity on him then, because her expression softened slightly. "Think of it as a challenge, Kikuchi-san," she said with a sly smile.
"What do you mean?" Kikuchi asked suspiciously.
"Yes, it's true that Katou had the Gigolo contract before you, and those provocative ads of him and Iwaki were wildly successful," Kojima replied, causing Kikuchi to scowl again. "But you're Kikuchi Katsuya, after all--are you going to concede defeat to a punk kid like Katou? Because that's what you're doing by trying to refuse this contract. Essentially, you're saying that your ad will be in the shadow of Katou's because of the gay actor comparison. So do the ad and make it so stunning that everyone will forget about Katou's ad--or are you not up for the challenge?"
Kikuchi bristled at Kojima's accusation, then laughed because he knew that he'd just been manipulated by someone who was just as devious and calculating as he was. And even knowing that he'd been manipulated, he suddenly found himself relishing the competition.
"All right, you win," he chuckled. "After all, Asami-chan said that Onozuka-kun and I had sizzling hot chemistry, so the three of us will light a fire that will burn Katou and Iwaki from the public's memory!"
"That's the spirit!" Kojima said encouragingly. "Now go and get something to eat before your break is over. You have a busy day ahead of you, and you need to keep up your strength."
"Yes, ma'am," Kikuchi replied meekly, although the effect was probably ruined by his wide grin.
As he headed back to the cafeteria, Kojima muttered, not quite under her breath, "Actors and their egos." And since Kojima never did anything by accident, Kikuchi was quite sure that he'd been meant to overhear that comment.
He glanced back over his shoulder, flashing his most rakishly charming smile at Kojima, and said, "That's why we have very clever, patient, and long-suffering managers laboring behind the scenes on our behalf."
It was rare for the stern, serious Kojima to so much as crack a smile, and Kikuchi was pleased when he actually managed to startle her into a laugh, further boosting what Kojima would no doubt refer to as his oversized ego. She and Onozuka would probably get along very well, and Kikuchi couldn't decide whether he ought to introduce them or keep them as far apart as possible. He wasn't sure if even his sizable ego could handle a double attack from two people with such razor-sharp wits and tongues.
Especially when Onozuka's tongue in particular could be put to much better uses...
***
Kikuchi grinned in such a predatory manner that two assistants who happened to be walking down the hallway towards him hastily scuttled out of his way, like rabbits being confronted by a hungry wolf. Kikuchi laughed in his deep voice, a sound that managed to be menacing and yet sensual at the same time, then winked at the assistants and continued on his way.
They breathed a sigh of relief once he was out of sight, and one of them said to the other, "I'm not sure whether to feel envious or sorry for whomever that smile was meant for."
"A little of both, I think," the second assistant laughed nervously. "It'll be interesting to see how the Prince handles him."
"Say...you don't suppose...?"
"That Kikuchi-san is attracted to the Prince? Well, he is gay, after all, so I wouldn't be surprised. What you should be asking is: could the Prince be attracted to Kikuchi-san?"
"But...he's the Golden Prince!"
The second assistant shrugged. "You saw the way they flirted during the press conference last night. Everyone's been commenting on what great chemistry they have, and speculating on whether a real romance could blossom during filming. That's the mark of a true actor, when he or she performs so well that the audience can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality."
***
With a little encouragement from Onozuka, Yoshizumi began telling stories about working with Katou and Iwaki on the set of "Winter Cicadas," including how nauseatingly romantic the two lovers were.
"They really are!" Onozuka agreed emphatically. "Worse than a shoujo manga at times! Don't you agree, Asano-kun?"
"I wouldn't know," Asano replied sweetly. "I don't read shoujo manga."
Onozuka opened his mouth to shoot back a retort, but never got the opportunity because just then, they were joined by Tanabe Yuuichirou. He had also auditioned for the role of Eisuke, but had ended up with the much smaller role of Ryotaro's detective partner.
"Hello, Tanabe-kun," Yoshizumi greeted the other actor cheerfully. "Pull up a chair and join us."
"As long as you don't mind listening to Yoshizumi-san's stories about how lovey-dovey Katou and Iwaki-san are," Onozuka added with a grin. "I have to warn you, it can be nauseating enough to ruin your appetite."
Tanabe sat down at the table, giving Onozuka a thin, rather bitter smile in return. Apparently he was a sore loser, and Onozuka resolved to show him no mercy in the future. He hated actors who whined and pouted when they lost a role. Miyasaka could be a childish idiot at times, but at least he was gracious when he lost, and focused on working harder for his next role instead of whining about the one that got away.
"Will you be following in your friends' footsteps, Onozuka-kun?" Tanabe asked, in an outwardly pleasant voice that had an underlying tinge of malice to it.
"I'm not sure what you mean, Tanabe-kun," Onozuka replied, with his best wide-eyed innocent look. "I would surely like to become a famous movie star like Katou and Iwaki-san!"
"You might be able to if you start a real-life affair with your co-star," Tanabe said, giving Onozuka a "don't play dumb with me" look. "It certainly worked for Katou and Iwaki. I mean, come on--if it weren't for all the publicity they got about the affair, do you really think they'd be where they are today?"
"I'm sure that the publicity helped them to get noticed," Yoshizumi said in a level voice that expressed its disapproval with its careful politeness and lack of emotion, although his subtlety was probably wasted on Tanabe. "However, they would never have achieved their current level of success if they didn't both possess an extraordinary amount of talent."
"It doesn't matter how much talent you have if you don't get noticed," Tanabe replied cynically. "There are plenty of talented actors out there who are unemployed or laboring away in bit parts and supporting roles."
That last comment seemed to be a dig at Yoshizumi, who was known in the business as a "solid supporting actor," which essentially meant that he got steady work in the sidekick roles, but never as the lead actor. Yoshizumi just smiled pleasantly, as if he hadn't picked up on the insult, but Onozuka was quite sure that he had. Personally, Onozuka thought that it was pretty dumb of Tanabe to make an enemy out of someone who was friends with two of the most popular stars in the business. But then again, Tanabe seemed to be the type who was more looks than brains.
Asano remained silent, but regarded Tanabe with narrowed eyes and a look of disdain. Onozuka was pretty sure that Asano also held a grudge against him, but at least Asano was smart enough to realize that attacking a rival in public just made himself look bad.
"That may be true, Tanabe-kun," Onozuka said sweetly. "But I don't think that a scandal is absolutely necessary for success. After all, I was fortunate enough to star in two successful TV dramas and win the role of Eisuke without having to sleep with any of my co-stars."
Tanabe scowled at that reminder of how Onozuka had triumphed over him at the audition. "But is that really true, Onozuka-kun?" Tanabe sneered. "Just what did you have to do to win the role?"
"Not sleep with Kikuchi-san, if that's what you're insinuating," Onozuka replied calmly. "I think you're overestimating my appeal, which is sort of a backhanded compliment, I suppose. But it's also rather insulting to Kikuchi-san, since it implies that he'd put a momentary pleasure over the welfare of the film, not to mention his own career." Still smiling sweetly, Onozuka added, "This film is crucial to Kikuchi-san's comeback, and I doubt that he'd be foolish enough to jeopardize it for a quick fuck."
"You're out of line, Tanabe-kun," Yoshizumi said, quietly but sternly, before Tanabe had a chance to reply. "We were all at the audition together, and we all saw that Onozuka-kun gave the best performance by far. He did a commendable job as Eisuke, but the way he transformed himself into Midori was nothing short of brilliant. You will never improve as an actor if you always make excuses and lay the blame on someone else when you lose a role."
Tanabe flushed and retorted, "Maybe you should follow your own advice, Yoshizumi-san!"
"I am always striving to improve myself," Yoshizumi said serenely.
"Could it be that you're jealous, Tanabe-kun?" Onozuka asked slyly. "Maybe you were the one hoping to get into Kikuchi-san's bed, but he turned you down?"
Tanabe's face flushed and contorted with anger as he started to rise from his seat, fists clenched. However, Onozuka never got the chance to see if Tanabe was actually going to attack him, because a hand closed around Tanabe's shoulder and firmly pushed him back down.
"If you wanted me, Tanabe-kun, all you had to do was say so," a deep voice purred.
Tanabe's face blanched as he turned to face the man standing behind him. "Ki...Kikuchi-san," he stammered weakly. "I...I wasn't...that is, I didn't mean..."
"However, I suspect that you'd run crying for your mommy if I ever did proposition you in earnest," Kikuchi continued with a menacing grin worthy of a yakuza boss--he'd used it to good effect in his last drama, the one he and Miyasaka had worked on together.
Tanabe's pale face abruptly turned bright red. "I was only joking," Tanabe protested weakly. "I didn't really mean it, of course. Onozuka-kun and Yoshizumi-san took it the wrong way."
"Then I guess you'd better avoid acting in comedies, since humor doesn't seem to be your strong point, Tanabe-kun," Kikuchi chuckled, giving the young actor a "friendly" slap on the back that caused him to jerk forward and grunt in pain.
"Er, yes, well...thanks for the advice, Kikuchi-san," Tanabe said, hastily pushing back his chair and scrambling to his feet. He gritted his teeth and added grudgingly, "I...I apologize for the misunderstanding, Onozuka-kun, Yoshizumi-san," each word sounding like it had been pulled out of him by force. Then he fled from the table and bolted out of the room.
"Tanabe-kun!" Onozuka called after him. "You forgot your lunch!" He sighed and shook his head as he glanced over at the tray Tanabe had left behind. "He didn't even touch his food," Onozuka said with false concern. "I hope he'll be all right."
"One skipped meal won't hurt him," Kikuchi said cheerfully, sitting in Tanabe's vacated chair. "But we shouldn't let good food go to waste, so I'll be happy to eat it for him."
"Ooh, it's such an honor for us to dine with you, Kikuchi-san!" Onozuka gushed, giving him a star-struck look.
"What was that you were saying about Katou and Iwaki being nauseating?" Asano muttered under his breath.
Yoshizumi made a snorting sound that sounded suspiciously like a suppressed laugh, but quickly covered it up by coughing into his napkin. He took a sip of water and said politely, "Pardon me, I swallowed my food a little too fast."
Since Yoshizumi had come to his defense, Onozuka graciously refrained from pointing out that Yoshizumi hadn't taken a bite from his plate since Tanabe had appeared at their table. "So, tell us some more stories about Katou and Iwaki-san," Onozuka urged, tactfully changing the subject.
"Well, I hope to have a chance to work with Katou-kun and Iwaki-kun in the future," Yoshizumi said. "But next time, I'm going to make sure that my room is on the opposite end of the inn or hotel that we're staying at!"
"Don't tell me...?" Onozuka snickered.
"I barely got a wink of sleep at night," Yoshizumi groaned. "Those two were so noisy--all night long, if you know what I mean!"
"Well, they are former porn stars, after all, so they must have good stamina," Onozuka said with a grin.
"And yet they always looked well-rested, and never seemed the least bit tired in the morning," Yoshizumi grumbled. "I finally had to resort to using earplugs, or I never would have gotten any sleep at all!"
Kikuchi laughed, but it sounded a bit insincere to Onozuka, although Yoshizumi and Asano didn't seem to notice. Was it just due to Kikuchi's past grudge against Katou and Iwaki, or was he actually jealous of Katou, as he had claimed last night? Onozuka grinned; as much as he liked Kikuchi, he often felt a bit off-balance around the older actor. Knowing that Kikuchi was jealous on his behalf made him feel a lot more confident.
"Katou is always going on about 'my precious Iwaki-san,'" Onozuka laughed, deciding to test his theory. "Miyasaka and I feel a bit lonely, since Katou never wants to go out drinking with us anymore unless Iwaki-san is too busy to spend time with him. And even then, he goes on and on about how much he misses Iwaki-san!"
"It's so nauseating, isn't it?" Yoshizumi commiserated.
Much to Onozuka's delight, Kikuchi's smile turned a bit sour, and Onozuka smiled back at him innocently. Kikuchi gave him a wry smile in return that seemed to say, Don't get too cocky, your Highness.
Onozuka pretended not to notice, and he and Yoshizumi continued trading stories about Katou and Iwaki. Asano mostly listened quietly, but with a bit of coaxing from Yoshizumi, he contributed a few stories of his own.
"...So as soon as they finished filming the final scene, Katou immediately picked up Iwaki and rushed him over to the heater to warm up, never mind that he had also been lying in the snow himself!"
"Ah, that's just like Katou-kun!" Yoshizumi laughed.
"And there was this other time when..." Asano's voice trailed off as something caught his eye across the room.
Onozuka and the others turned to see what he was staring at, and saw Hasegawa and Sato talking with a couple of men who were obviously foreigners--Americans, perhaps? One of them looked vaguely familiar, and Onozuka tried to remember where he had seen the man before. The producers were smiling and chatting in a gregarious but slightly forced manner--they seemed nervous, maybe because of the language barrier.
A look of recognition dawned on Asano's face, quickly followed by shock and awe. "Kikuchi-san!" he exclaimed. "Isn't that the famous American director, the one who gave you your first film role in the States?"
"Yes, it is," Kikuchi replied. "I wonder what he's doing here?"
Sato glanced across the room, and a look of relief filled his face when he spotted Kikuchi. He bowed and excused himself to his guests, then hurried over to their table.
"Kikuchi-san!" Sato whispered desperately. "These Americans showed up out of the blue, asking to meet you and get a tour of the studio! It's so rude--they didn't even call ahead first to make an appointment! The director said that he and his producer are scouting locations and doing research for his next film, and that he just happened to see your press conference on TV last night. So he came over to the studio on the spur of the moment, hoping to visit with you. Are all Americans this rude, Kikuchi-san?"
"Well, this director happens to be a bit impulsive," Kikuchi laughed. "He doesn't really mean to be rude; he just gets carried away with his enthusiasm sometimes. So he's planning to make a movie in Japan?"
"Some sort of samurai story, from what I could gather," Sato replied dismissively, looking doubtful that a foreigner could make a good samurai film.
"Just tell me that Keanu Reeves isn't starring in it," Kikuchi muttered under his breath, and Sato gave him a puzzled look. "Never mind; it's just a joke...sort of."
"We could have told him to make an appointment and come back later," Sato continued. "But he is famous, and he might be able to help us get 'Love Reborn' distributed in the States later, so the studio doesn't want to offend him. But I only know a little English, and Hasegawa doesn't speak any at all, so could you please come over and translate for us?!"
"I'd be happy to," Kikuchi laughed. He rose from his seat and said, "Excuse me," to Onozuka and the others, then he and Sato went over to join the Americans. The director greeted Kikuchi with an enthusiastic handshake, then pulled him into a hug, and said in English, "It's good to see you, Katsuya!"--or something along those lines, anyway. Kikuchi and the Americans chatted and joked with each other, loudly enough for their voices to carry over to Onozuka's table, but they were talking so fast that Onozuka couldn't follow the conversation with his limited knowledge of English.
He actually had been pretty good at it in high school, if only because he had fantasized about becoming a famous enough actor someday to travel abroad and have his movies shown in other countries. However, once he'd left home and started working, he had been much too busy to keep studying, and after all these years, he was pretty rusty. Besides, it was different hearing a native speaker talk at a fast pace in a colloquial manner, compared to having carefully enunciated practice conversations with his teacher and classmates.
And that suddenly gave Onozuka a brilliant idea, and a wide, smug grin spread slowly across his face. Asano stared at him suspiciously, but was distracted when Kikuchi returned with the Americans and producers in tow.
Onozuka, Asano, and Yoshizumi quickly pushed back their chairs and rose to their feet as Kikuchi introduced them to the Americans, and vice versa. Onozuka briefly wondered whether he ought to bow or offer a handshake, then decided that since the Americans were in a foreign country, they would expect and prefer to see something a little exotic. So he bowed respectfully and said in formal Japanese, "I am Onozuka, and I am very pleased to meet you." Then, before Kikuchi could translate, Onozuka very carefully and clearly repeated the sentence in English--he at least remembered that much from his high school lessons.
The director beamed at him, then bowed in return and said in English, "It's good to meet you, too, Mr. Onozuka!" He held out his hand, and seemed pleased when Onozuka shook it firmly. The director grinned and said something to Kikuchi that Onozuka didn't understand, but obviously some sort of innuendo from the way that he winked slyly at Kikuchi. From the tone of his voice and the way that Kikuchi laughed easily in response, it seemed to be a good-natured sort of joke rather than a malicious one.
"He says that I must be happy to work with a cute actor like you," Kikuchi translated with a grin.
Onozuka smiled graciously, with princely composure, then bowed slightly and said, "I would be very flattered if that were true."
Kikuchi translated for the Americans, and they laughed. Kikuchi added something else, of which Onozuka only caught the word "prince," so he figured that Kikuchi must be telling them about his nickname. The director laughed and bowed again towards Onozuka, saying, "Ah, Prince Onozuka, not 'Mister'!"
"Oh no, it's just a silly nickname," Onozuka modestly protested, blushing, and Kikuchi laughed and translated his comment.
Asano was beginning to look a little sulky, but then the director began talking about "Winter Cicadas" and complimented Asano on his performance. Kikuchi's smile grew strained for a moment, but he quickly recovered and continued translating the conversation without any other visible signs of discomfort.
Kikuchi mentioned that Yoshizumi had first been cast as Aizawa, but had to drop out due to injury. Yoshizumi smiled and said that it was unfortunate, but Asano had done a wonderful job, and the director politely said that he looked forward to seeing Yoshizumi's performance in "Love Reborn."
After they had chatted with the Americans for a few minutes, Hasegawa politely suggested that they move along and continue with the tour.
"Oh yes!" the director said enthusiastically (through Kikuchi). "I'm eager to meet Mr. Kitamura--I'm a big fan of his first movie, 'Schoolgirl's Revenge.' A subtitled dvd version was recently released in the U.S., and I hope that the rest of his work will follow soon. Will I be able to meet Miss Suzuki, too? She was wonderful as the ghost of the bullied girl who returned to take revenge on her tormenters!"
"I'm sure that they'll both be delighted to meet you," Kikuchi replied.
They left the cafeteria, and Kikuchi returned about an hour later--their lunch break had been extended due to the unexpected interruption. "Well, Kitamura was a bit annoyed at first to have his schedule thrown off-track, but he was quickly won over when he found out how much the director likes his work."
"Do you think he'll really be able to get our movie distributed in America, Kikuchi-san?" Yoshizumi asked.
"Maybe," Kikuchi replied. "I'm not sure how well a gay Japanese love story will do in the States, but then again, 'Winter Cicadas' was an unexpected hit." He scowled for a moment at that reminder of his rivals' success, then shrugged it off and continued, "Anyway, he thought the story sounded interesting, and he wanted to see the movie when it's completed. Having a famous American director expressing an interest in the film certainly can't hurt its chances for success. There may also be an opportunity for you guys to get parts in his movie, although it'll be in preproduction for months before he's ready to begin casting. But since it's an American film, the dialogue will be in English."
"Actually, Kikuchi-san, that reminds me...I know it may be too forward of me, but I wanted to ask you a favor," Onozuka said shyly, keeping up his persona of the star-struck fan.
"Anything for the Prince," Kikuchi replied, grinning, while Yoshizumi looked amused and Asano gave Onozuka a look of disgust.
Onozuka blushed and laughed, then said, "Well, if it's not too much of an imposition, I was wondering if you'd be willing to teach me English. I studied it in middle school and high school, of course, but I've just realized how inadequate I am at carrying on a real conversation. And with Katou and Iwaki-san's success in America, and the possibility of our movie being released there...it seems like it would be a good thing to learn."
All of that was true enough, but the biggest benefit of personal English lessons would be that it would provide a legitimate excuse for Onozuka and Kikuchi to spend time alone together without arousing too much suspicion. It would complicate things, though, if Yoshizumi and Asano also asked to take part in the lessons, and Onozuka resolved to strangle them both if they tried to ruin his clever plan.
No, on the other hand, poisoning would be much more convenient, and less easily traced back to him...
Asano started to open his mouth, but Yoshizumi quickly jumped in and changed the subject before the other actor could speak.
"I've noticed that we have a very tight filming schedule compared to other movies I've worked on," Yoshizumi said to Kikuchi. "Is this how Kitamura-kantoku normally works?"
Asano subsided, giving both Yoshizumi and Onozuka a slightly disgruntled look. Yoshizumi glanced at Onozuka, and one of his eyelids seemed to droop slightly, in the barest suggestion of a wink. Onozuka was grateful for the distraction, but at the same time, a little uneasy. He was usually the one who held blackmail material over others, and he didn't like the idea of someone else knowing or even just guessing at one of his secrets.
"Yes, he's used to working quickly and efficiently due to a limited budget," Kikuchi was replying to Yoshizumi. "Of course he has a bigger budget for this movie, but he says that he doesn't see any reason to waste time or money. And of course the studio will be very happy if he's able to complete the film quickly and within or even under budget."
"So we'll be working hard, but at least we'll get an Okinawan vacation," Yoshizumi laughed. "Well, it's a working vacation, but at least our nights will be left free, since the beach location shots are all set during the day."
"And it also looks like we'll get a weekend off before we actually begin filming," Kikuchi said, checking the schedule. "One last chance to rest before the real work starts."
He was careful not to look at Onozuka when he said it, but Onozuka smiled, knowing that comment had been meant for him. It was definitely something to look forward to--maybe Kikuchi would want to go on another fishing trip. Camping wasn't really Onozuka's thing, but he'd happily tolerate it to spend time with Kikuchi. Or maybe they could just spend the entire weekend holed up in Kikuchi's apartment making love--a much more appealing prospect, in Onozuka's opinion.
Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
***
Afterword: In case you were wondering about the title, there will be a visit to Kikuchi's family in Part 3. The characters all decided to go off on tangents, which extended the introductory portion of the story longer than I had planned. And it's "Family Visit: Tokyo," because as you may have guessed, there will be a sequel featuring a visit to Onozuka's relatives in Okinawa.
I considering using the name of a real director for Kikuchi's American director, but I didn't really feel comfortable writing about a real person, so I left him nameless and had the characters just refer to him as "the director," which wouldn't be unusual in Japanese. I could have invented a name, but somehow, using a random name just didn't sound "famous" enough to me.
Originally, I was thinking of the director as someone like Steven Spielberg. But then I started thinking of him more as a Quentin Tarantino type, a little younger and edgier--partly because Tarantino's love of Asian action films is well known, and he has helped some of them achieve U.S. dvd releases under the "Quentin Tarantino presents" banner. So it wouldn't have been out of character for him to request Kikuchi for a role, or to be interested in Kikuchi and Kitamura's new movie. And judging from what I've seen of his personality in interviews and talk shows, he seems more likely than Spielberg to pay an impulsive, unannounced visit to a Japanese movie studio.
Anyway, the director isn't really supposed to be Tarantino, but you can picture him that way if you like. ^_^
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Oh, and all the references to WC and my favourite boys on the set, of course. And their antics and Katou being so protective and concerned for Iwaki's well-being *giggle-snort*
I used to work in the film and television industry, and I'm really enjoying all of the bits of this that remind me of my old job. Of course, most casts didn't compare with the star-value of these boys, but there were a few big names occassionally and gawd, if they didn't act the same damn way...
RIGHT, going to bed!
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Wow, how interesting! I like watching "behind the scenes" type documentaries for films and TV shows, but I think I'm probably better off never meeting any of my favorite stars. I'd be terribly disappointed if they turned out to be jerks in real life! ~_^ It is fun writing about all the rivalries between the Haru boys, though.