アキバの中の少年 // Kis-My-Ft2
アキバの中の少年
Kitayama/Miyata
PG, 3859 words
Kita/Miya go on a "date" in Akihabara. Shenanigans, character revelations, and boys just being boys.
The street corner in Akihabara that they'd agreed to meet up at turns out to be rather crowded, but Kitayama has no trouble finding Miyata because he's waving wildly, and bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, and beaming a smile that's million watts bright.
"Yo," mouths Kitayama, lifting a hand halfway in greeting.
Miyata smiles some more in return, then whips out a piece of paper from his pocket which he flourishes under Kitayama's nose. "I made an itinerary for today!" He starts to chatter excitedly about all the things he's planned for the day, pointing to this and that on the paper, but Kitayama isn't quite awake yet at 11 in the morning - a whole hour before noon, which is when he usually rolls out of bed, and today is his off day dammit - and his brain only processes about half of the jumble of words coming out of Miyata's mouth.
"Let me see that," says Kitayama, reaching for the paper.
Everything is written out properly, and if maybe Miyata's handwriting isn't spectacular, it's made up for by the meticulous attention to detail in the plans. Plus he's drawn all sorts of happy faces and mail emojis - sparkles and up arrows and even an animal face or two - to embellish the things he wants to do.
Kitayama laughs a little, then hands the paper back. "Whatever then. Just lead the way."
~
【11:00 AM → 11:30 PM】 Special manga & doujin bookshop
They go to a bookshop first, which isn't terribly exciting and causes Kitayama to give Miyata a skeptical look, but Miyata is already enthusiastically pointing out the different areas to him so he doesn't have the heart to complain. And anyway, in the end his interest is caught by a section of rare old mangas, where he finds two volumes of a futsal story he's been itching to get his hands on.
They spot the Ikemen Desu Ne doujinshis almost at the same time, though Kitayama sees the volumes first and Miyata follows Kitayama's gaze to them just a moment later, before Kitayama can pretend he doesn't see them at all.
"Awesome!" breathes Miyata, zipping over to flip through the choices.
There isn't a huge selection, but what's there spans a wide variety of genres and - oh God - pairings. Most of the doujinshis are focused on RenxMio or ShuxMio, but there are a couple of RenxShu, and one very small and not very well-drawn volume of RenxYuuki.
Miyata pounces on it, crowing in glee. "Look at this! A Yuuki doujin! This artist totally has good taste, don't you think?" He flips through it quickly, then pauses on a page that depicts a shirtless Ren, lying at an awkward angle on a bed, while Yuuki lounges beside him, brandishing drumsticks.
Miyata tilts his head, considering it.
Kitayama waits for the bomb to drop.
"Ne, this Ren looks more like Tama-chan than you, don't you think?"
Kitayama lurches sideways in an exaggerated falling motion. "That's what you got out of that page?!"
"Well, it does look like Tama-chan," Miyata insists. "Plus look how long his legs are! Yours are definitely not that long."
"And your nose is not that small," says Kitayama dryly. "I'm pretty sure these are doujins for the Korean drama, considering how old they are." He slides the book out of Miyata's hands and shoves it behind all the others on the shelf before Miyata can turn the page.
"Wait- But it was just getting to the good part!"
"If you want to see porn of yourself and Tamamori, you can check out the Kisumai section."
"There are Kisumai doujins?" Miyata practically squeaks. "Tama-chan and I inspire porn?!"
Kitayama doesn't bother to respond to this. He hooks Miyata by the back of his jacket and manhandles him out of the doujinshi section. "Figure out what's next on your itinerary while I pay for these mangas," he orders.
Undaunted by rough treatment, Miyata keeps talking even as he fishes the schedule out of his pocket. "Tama-chan is my best friend, so it's kind of weird to think about him that way, though. If I had to be in a porno, I'd rather be in one with Mitsu. Oh look, we're going to see the Eva gallery next!"
The cashier at the counter shoots Miyata a strange look from the corner of his eye. Kitayama doesn't even wait for his change before hauling the idiot out the door.
~
【11:45 PM → 1:00 PM】 Animation Gallery
"No no, you don't understand, it's awesome," Miyata says, happy to argue his point even though Kitayama hasn't contradicted him. "They've got an Evangelion display right now that's just killer, and there's this model of Unit 01 that lights up all red and goes into berserker mode and..." For all that Miyata is an otaku to an embarrassing degree and gets over-excited easily, there's real passion and knowledge that's obvious in his shining eyes.
Although Kitayama enjoys anime and manga as well, he's not invested in it the way Miyata is. But this sort of driving passion is something Kitayama can get behind, and he enjoys seeing the way Miyata's whole body becomes animated as he holds forth on his favorite topic.
The truth is, Kitayama has already been to the gallery a few weeks ago with some school friends, but he smiles and nods as Miyata talks, content enough to stay in the tiny space for over an hour. It's not as if he has nothing to look at, after all.
~
【1:00 PM → 2:00 PM】 Lunch ~yay!~
For lunch, they arbitrarily choose an awning advertising ramen and duck under it into the little mom-and-pop restaurant. The place is so small, with just the one long counter to sit at, that the customers are all squeezed in rubbing shoulders with one another. It's not out of the ordinary for a ramen place, but still by no means comfortable, and left to his own devices, Kitayama would have been in and out of there in fifteen minutes.
Miyata, on the other hand...
"Sasaki-san, more noodles please!"
"Would you like some of this shichimi, sir? I just tried it and it goes great with the garlic soup base!"
"Mitsu! Sasaki-san says their best menu item is the karaage! We have to try it, don't we?"
Miyata is able to make friends wherever he goes, with an easy familiarity towards all and sundry, that Kitayama can't help but admire.
As he watches Miyata talk to the restaurant owner and the customers sitting on both sides of them, Kitayama is reminded of the first days of practices for the stage play, when Miyata had practically single-handedly broken the ice between all the cast and staff members. Kitayama, as lead actor, had considered it his responsibility to make sure everyone got along well, but while he doesn't consider himself shy (despite what he tells the fan magazines), he has a tendency to be reserved with strangers. So he'd welcomed it when Miyata had come barreling through the uncertain atmosphere with his friendly chatter, inviting people out to eat left and right and challenging others to a game of MonHun.
"Hey," he says quietly, nudging Miyata with his elbow, "Don't people ever get annoyed with your over-familiarity?"
"What's there to get annoyed with!" replies Miyata, grinning in the over-exaggerated fashion he does for the cameras sometimes.
("You're the worst," Kitayama quips.)
But then his faces relaxes into a softer smile. "I suppose people do find it off-putting, but that's just how I am, so." He shrugs, but doesn't offer an apology for being himself.
Smiling, Kitayama tries a piece of the karaage that the restaurant owner had bestowed on Miyata, even though he's already stuffed. It turns out to be really very delicious.
~
【2:00 PM → 3:30 PM】 Gadget & figurine shopping
Miyata is leaning over the counter in a small electronics goods shop and chuckling over a silly little USB drive in the shape of a computer-humping dog when Kitayama's phone starts ringing. He steps out of the shop to answer it, and is immediately thankful that Miyata has stayed inside to finish making his purchases.
It's Manager-san, calling to let him know he's been scheduled at the last minute for two appearances in the coming week. It seems like they're cramming literally every second of the day with activities for him. Appearing on these additional shows means that he'll have to be changing clothes on the van - forget getting enough sleep, or being able to catch a bite to eat all day - while traveling from one place of work to the next. And on top of this, just yesterday the theater company had been talking about cramming in some extra rehearsals, and maybe having TBS come in to a show with some cameras.
It's not that he's lazy or ungrateful, and he knows that the more exposure the better for his own and Kisumai's career, but it infuriates him to have more obligations sprung on him on his day off. All in all, his packed schedule and his sudden anger work together to make Kitayama's head swim.
"No," he hisses, gritting his teeth in the effort to keep his voice down in public, "Have you looked at my schedule? It's ridiculous, and you're crazy to think you can fit more into it!"
"I know it's a lot, but-"
"I've had fewer days off in this entire year than I can count on one hand!"
"-it's a good thing to be so highly in demand right now, right after debut, you know that."
"Isn't there someone else to send? I'm not the only one freshly debuted!"
"The shows specifically named you, Kitayama. Besides, you're the one with something to promote. Fujigaya and Tamamori have done their time for their drama as well."
He knows it's ignoble, but in the heat of the moment, Kitayama can't stop himself lashing out in frustration. "That's not fair! What about Miyata? He's in the play too, but how come he gets to go home and be a human while I'm the jimusho robot? Make him take the jobs!"
He regrets the words as soon as they're said, but luckily, Manager-san has been with them for years now and knows when they don't mean the things they say. So when there's no immediate response, Kitayama grabs the opportunity and barrels on. He feels rather like a deflating balloon, though, all the anger leaving him in his self-mortification, and his words lose their fiery bite.
"Also, I was going to tell you that the theater company was talking about having extra rehearsals this week. It's going to cause scheduling conflicts, so you'll have to get that worked out anyway."
The manager sighs, sounding weary but sympathetic. "All right, I hear you. I'll try and talk to the show producers, but understand that your chances of getting out of them are very slim."
That's the best he'll get, Kitayama knows and acquiesces. "Fine. Thank you."
"I'll do my best, Kitayama. Have a good day today, I'm sorry for calling on your time off."
"I will. Thanks."
Miyata steps out of the shop and joins him a perfect beat after he hangs up the phone, with a studied nonchalance that plainly shows he'd overheard at least part of Kitayama's phone conversation. But the two of them have worked together for even longer than Manager-san has been with them, and Miyata knows, too, what Kitayama's temper is like.
"I have an idea!" chirps Miyata, relentlessly upbeat. He pushes and tugs with gentle touches, maneuvering Kitayama down the street. "Let's go to an arcade! I left a lot of time for shopping, you know, in case we thought of something better to do. And killing some baddies is definitely something better!"
Kitayama stops, hesitates. "Didn't you want to buy Tamamori a boob pillow or some such thing?"
Having stopped a few steps ahead of Kitayama, Miyata turns around and gives him a sly grin. "I would hope that Tamamori is capable of getting his hands on some real boobs, in any case. Now come on, I thought you were letting me make the decisions for today?"
For a moment more Kitayama pauses, but it's easy enough to give in to Miyata's persuasive smile. He tries to return one of his own; the smile doesn't quite reach his eyes, but he knows that Miyata will understand both his apology and his thanks in the gesture.
~
【3:45 PM → 5:00 PM】 Gadget & figurine shopping Arcade! Let's kill some bad guys!
(The arcade Miyata leads him to is Evangelion themed, which makes Kitayama roll his eyes though he forbears to say anything about it.) The click and bang of shooting games rings in Kitayama's ears and he takes a deep breath of excitement. His fingers are itching to blow some brains up. Already, he can feel the stress and tension melting away from his body.
"I'll play you?" he says, picking up one of the guns on a first person shooter game and holding it out to Miyata. "Maid café is next on the schedule right? Winner buys the loser a drink?"
Miyata looks at the game for a moment, before replying, "Let's play as a team, against the computer. I don't like shooting at my friends. But the one with the higher score buys dinner."
"Done."
Miyata wins, ahead of Kitayama by some 20,000 points. Kitayama is about to call for a rematch when the list of top scores on the machine flashes up on the screen and he sees "Tokyo Purple Skater" gracing the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 8th places.
"You tricked me!" he exclaims, shoving Miyata none too gently on the shoulder.
The younger man stumbles a few steps, but comes up laughing. "That'll teach you to think you can beat me at everything!"
"I'll beat you!" says Kitayama, but he's laughing too, despite trying his hardest to keep a threatening scowl on his face.
~
【5:15 PM → 6:00 PM】 Maid Café
*moeee*
"Um, excuse me," says a soft voice from over Kitayama's shoulder. He turns to find another of the maids at the café, judging by her uniform, but not their own server.
She bows low and simpers a little when they look at her, and then inquires in ultra-polite language, "Please, I will go away immediately if I'm bothering you, but I was wondering if you two might possibly be Johnnys talents? You look very much like members from a group my sister likes, you see."
Gratified to be recognized in rather unexpected place, Kitayama smiles and nods. Miyata, sitting across the table, beams all over his face.
Unexpectedly, one of the men sitting at the table next to them leans over and interjects, "Johnnys? Really? Are you guys the ones who sang the One Piece theme song then?"
More heads come up all around the café, looking at the two of them with interest.
"Oh, ah, no that wasn't us. That would be NEWS, our senpais at work."
Collectively, the interested heads go down again with a disappointed sigh. A couple of the customers mutter a little under their breath, not with any malice or ill-will, but still they catch bits of comments like "so what do they do?" and "irrelevant."
Used to being recognized and having a gaggle of girls follow him everywhere he goes, Kitayama blinks at this sort of reception. It's not that he's so puffed up that he expects to find fans everywhere he goes, truly, but to be so summarily dismissed is a new experience.
"Don't mind, don't mind!" Miyata tells him cheerfully, reading his thoughts. "People never notice me at all, ne. Once I sat on a train right next to a girl with all sorts of Kisumai accessories hanging off her phone, and she still didn't recognize me at all. Not even when I asked her if she was a fan!"
Kitayama's heard this story before, though usually he's inclined to poke fun at Miyata's misfortunes; today he feels a pang of sympathy.
The maid who'd approached them earlier is still hovering next to their table. "I'm so very sorry, but would it be possible to get a signature for my sister?"
Miyata positively bounces at the request, and for once, Kitayama doesn't even feel like laughing at his enthusiasm.
~
【6:00 PM → 6:45 PM】 Browse the old record store~
They haven't been in the record shop for long before Miyata is snatching discs off the shelves, claiming that Tamamori had been wanting this album and Yokoo that single and Fujigaya this old m-flo remix collection that's been sold out at all the major record stores for years! Kitayama looks up from his own perusal of some archaic BOØWY albums and wonders when Miyata had gathered all this information.
"How do you know all this?" he asks, stretching out his neck to look across the rack of CDs between them.
Miyata blinks. "Well... they've mentioned it in magazines interviews and stuff..."
"You actually pay attention to those?"
"I guess. I mean, they're simple enough things to remember, aren't they?"
This is true enough, Kitayama supposes, but he doesn't think anyone else keeps such tidbits handy in their minds, even if it is simple information. It gives him pause, though, and makes him consider what it's like to be in Miyata's shoes in the group.
The thing is, he's always considered Miyata one of the younger four. The line had been drawn between the original Kis-My-Ft members and the new additions seven years ago, but now that he thinks about it, Miyata is closer in age to the elder half of the group than the younger. Tamamori, for all his being tall and popular with the girls, is a 90s baby after all.
Kitayama stares at Miyata for a moment, arrested in his own new perspective, and then suddenly he's used to it.
"Hey, we should get Nika something," he says, coming around the aisle to hover over Miyata's shoulder. "What would you suggest?"
"I-What?" Miyata looks startled at being asked for advice.
"I think he's been jealous that Senga and Fujigaya went to that Korean concert together. He's a ridiculous brat, but it's easiest to just keep him pacified."
"He has? How do you know?"
"Just, oh, a general air about him," Kitayama waves a hand vaguely. "You read magazine interviews, and I read your faces, yeah?" He nudges Miyata a little with his shoulder.
"Hmm," Miyata muses after a quiet moment, looking at Kitayama with warm eyes. "KitaMitsu thinks about Kisumai a lot, after all. I'm really glad you're our leader."
Still unused to being considered leader, and a bit embarrassed, Kitayama nudges Miyata again with his shoulder, this time harder. "Less about me, more about Nika," he orders.
~
【7:00 PM → 9:00 PM】 Dinner
For dinner, they trek back down the length of the main street, to a restaurant that Miyata says comes highly recommended by his friends. The sky is dark already, and all the neon lights are on, blinking garishly down on the crowded streets full of people in outfits just as garish and brilliant. Tokyo is always like this at night, but the colors of Akihabara make Kitayama feel a little overwhelmed.
On the other hand, Miyata navigates through the streets - and people - of Akihabara with a grace and confidence that he seldom displays elsewhere. Kitayama lags a step and a half behind, intrigued at this rare glimpse of the other man.
It's not that he doesn't know Miyata can be graceful and confident (or, for that matter, kind and understanding and selfless and everything else he's been today). They've worked together for seven years now, after all, so he's seen all of Miyata's ups and downs. It's just that, with Miyata being the otaku and the bullied character of the group, his downs are more often picked up on and magnified by the group.
But today's been a reminder to Kitayama of all the good things Miyata is, and he makes a mental note to do the younger man more justice in the future.
Then they get to the restaurant, and Miyata interrupts his thoughts by declaring, obnoxiously loudly, "You're paying right? I'm going to order the most expensive thing here!"
~
The night is rather chilly, in a crisp, autumnal way that's typical for late October. Kitayama turns up the collar of his jacket and huddles into it for warmth.
"Cold?" Miyata asks. "You should layer up more."
Kitayama looks over at Miyata, who seems to be wearing two mismatching hoodies underneath a ratty old windbreaker, and shakes his head. "Yes, but then I'd have to step out of the house looking like you," he jokes, bumping Miyata with his shoulder.
"Comfort over fashion," says Miyata loftily, but then ruins it by fiddling self-consciously with the hems of all his layers.
"There are clothes that are warm and fashionable you know," Kitayama says, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice. "Should we go to Shibuya next time?"
OFFSHOT 1:
Miyata looks up at the department store Kitayama is heading into and grimaces. “Kitayamaaaa, why are you going there?”
Kitayama looks up at the “Dyson” sign, then back at Miyata, nonplussed. “What? I need a vacuum, and Dyson is a good brand.”
“But we’re not here to buy cleaning supplies,” Miyata argues. “Today is supposed to be a day of relaxation and- and- fun! Geeking out! Bringing out your inner otaku! Vacuum cleaners are so… un-fun.”
“Good vocabulary,” Kitayama remarks, whimsically, but is undeterred from his mission.
He marches into the store and proceeds to spend a good thirty minutes discussing the merits of different vacuum cleaner models with a sales clerk, encompassing everything from suction strength to the merit of rotating brushes to the material of the machine’s handle.
At one side, Miyata fidgets impatiently and wonders why Kitayama can’t just get a Roomba and be done with it. (Speaking of which, he decides it would be a good present for Yokoo for his next birthday, to introduce a Roomba into Kisumai’s dressing room. He makes a note to that effect in his phone, with one ear on Kitayama’s conversation with the clerk, now about ball suction or some such.)
OFFSHOT 2:
"Uchi couldn't make it today after all," Miyata says, then spends the day pretending he doesn't see the disappointment in Kitayama's eyes.
OFFSHOT 3:
When Fujigaya reads - in Duet, the ignominy! - about Kitayama and Miyata's "date" in Akihabara, he doesn't comment, only draws his brows together in an ominous manner. The next day, he stalks purposefully into work and plops a ticket to Disneyland into Tamamori's lap.
"The fangirls were all over their stupid 'date'," he bites out, in reply to Tamamori's questioning look. "We have to prove we're the better Ikemen!"
Note(s):
→ The title is a nod to the Hikaru Genji song Kaze no Naka no Shounen, which Kisumai used to cover a lot.
→ Some minor creative license was taken with locations and detailed specifics of their schedules.
→ MonHun = Monster Hunter (Kanjani8 used to be very obsessed with this game lol).
+ MANY THANKS TO CRAZY_OTAKU911 FOR HOLDING MY HAND :< ♥
Kitayama/Miyata
PG, 3859 words
Kita/Miya go on a "date" in Akihabara. Shenanigans, character revelations, and boys just being boys.
The street corner in Akihabara that they'd agreed to meet up at turns out to be rather crowded, but Kitayama has no trouble finding Miyata because he's waving wildly, and bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, and beaming a smile that's million watts bright.
"Yo," mouths Kitayama, lifting a hand halfway in greeting.
Miyata smiles some more in return, then whips out a piece of paper from his pocket which he flourishes under Kitayama's nose. "I made an itinerary for today!" He starts to chatter excitedly about all the things he's planned for the day, pointing to this and that on the paper, but Kitayama isn't quite awake yet at 11 in the morning - a whole hour before noon, which is when he usually rolls out of bed, and today is his off day dammit - and his brain only processes about half of the jumble of words coming out of Miyata's mouth.
"Let me see that," says Kitayama, reaching for the paper.
Everything is written out properly, and if maybe Miyata's handwriting isn't spectacular, it's made up for by the meticulous attention to detail in the plans. Plus he's drawn all sorts of happy faces and mail emojis - sparkles and up arrows and even an animal face or two - to embellish the things he wants to do.
Kitayama laughs a little, then hands the paper back. "Whatever then. Just lead the way."
~
【11:00 AM → 11:30 PM】 Special manga & doujin bookshop
They go to a bookshop first, which isn't terribly exciting and causes Kitayama to give Miyata a skeptical look, but Miyata is already enthusiastically pointing out the different areas to him so he doesn't have the heart to complain. And anyway, in the end his interest is caught by a section of rare old mangas, where he finds two volumes of a futsal story he's been itching to get his hands on.
They spot the Ikemen Desu Ne doujinshis almost at the same time, though Kitayama sees the volumes first and Miyata follows Kitayama's gaze to them just a moment later, before Kitayama can pretend he doesn't see them at all.
"Awesome!" breathes Miyata, zipping over to flip through the choices.
There isn't a huge selection, but what's there spans a wide variety of genres and - oh God - pairings. Most of the doujinshis are focused on RenxMio or ShuxMio, but there are a couple of RenxShu, and one very small and not very well-drawn volume of RenxYuuki.
Miyata pounces on it, crowing in glee. "Look at this! A Yuuki doujin! This artist totally has good taste, don't you think?" He flips through it quickly, then pauses on a page that depicts a shirtless Ren, lying at an awkward angle on a bed, while Yuuki lounges beside him, brandishing drumsticks.
Miyata tilts his head, considering it.
Kitayama waits for the bomb to drop.
"Ne, this Ren looks more like Tama-chan than you, don't you think?"
Kitayama lurches sideways in an exaggerated falling motion. "That's what you got out of that page?!"
"Well, it does look like Tama-chan," Miyata insists. "Plus look how long his legs are! Yours are definitely not that long."
"And your nose is not that small," says Kitayama dryly. "I'm pretty sure these are doujins for the Korean drama, considering how old they are." He slides the book out of Miyata's hands and shoves it behind all the others on the shelf before Miyata can turn the page.
"Wait- But it was just getting to the good part!"
"If you want to see porn of yourself and Tamamori, you can check out the Kisumai section."
"There are Kisumai doujins?" Miyata practically squeaks. "Tama-chan and I inspire porn?!"
Kitayama doesn't bother to respond to this. He hooks Miyata by the back of his jacket and manhandles him out of the doujinshi section. "Figure out what's next on your itinerary while I pay for these mangas," he orders.
Undaunted by rough treatment, Miyata keeps talking even as he fishes the schedule out of his pocket. "Tama-chan is my best friend, so it's kind of weird to think about him that way, though. If I had to be in a porno, I'd rather be in one with Mitsu. Oh look, we're going to see the Eva gallery next!"
The cashier at the counter shoots Miyata a strange look from the corner of his eye. Kitayama doesn't even wait for his change before hauling the idiot out the door.
~
【11:45 PM → 1:00 PM】 Animation Gallery
"No no, you don't understand, it's awesome," Miyata says, happy to argue his point even though Kitayama hasn't contradicted him. "They've got an Evangelion display right now that's just killer, and there's this model of Unit 01 that lights up all red and goes into berserker mode and..." For all that Miyata is an otaku to an embarrassing degree and gets over-excited easily, there's real passion and knowledge that's obvious in his shining eyes.
Although Kitayama enjoys anime and manga as well, he's not invested in it the way Miyata is. But this sort of driving passion is something Kitayama can get behind, and he enjoys seeing the way Miyata's whole body becomes animated as he holds forth on his favorite topic.
The truth is, Kitayama has already been to the gallery a few weeks ago with some school friends, but he smiles and nods as Miyata talks, content enough to stay in the tiny space for over an hour. It's not as if he has nothing to look at, after all.
~
【1:00 PM → 2:00 PM】 Lunch ~yay!~
For lunch, they arbitrarily choose an awning advertising ramen and duck under it into the little mom-and-pop restaurant. The place is so small, with just the one long counter to sit at, that the customers are all squeezed in rubbing shoulders with one another. It's not out of the ordinary for a ramen place, but still by no means comfortable, and left to his own devices, Kitayama would have been in and out of there in fifteen minutes.
Miyata, on the other hand...
"Sasaki-san, more noodles please!"
"Would you like some of this shichimi, sir? I just tried it and it goes great with the garlic soup base!"
"Mitsu! Sasaki-san says their best menu item is the karaage! We have to try it, don't we?"
Miyata is able to make friends wherever he goes, with an easy familiarity towards all and sundry, that Kitayama can't help but admire.
As he watches Miyata talk to the restaurant owner and the customers sitting on both sides of them, Kitayama is reminded of the first days of practices for the stage play, when Miyata had practically single-handedly broken the ice between all the cast and staff members. Kitayama, as lead actor, had considered it his responsibility to make sure everyone got along well, but while he doesn't consider himself shy (despite what he tells the fan magazines), he has a tendency to be reserved with strangers. So he'd welcomed it when Miyata had come barreling through the uncertain atmosphere with his friendly chatter, inviting people out to eat left and right and challenging others to a game of MonHun.
"Hey," he says quietly, nudging Miyata with his elbow, "Don't people ever get annoyed with your over-familiarity?"
"What's there to get annoyed with!" replies Miyata, grinning in the over-exaggerated fashion he does for the cameras sometimes.
("You're the worst," Kitayama quips.)
But then his faces relaxes into a softer smile. "I suppose people do find it off-putting, but that's just how I am, so." He shrugs, but doesn't offer an apology for being himself.
Smiling, Kitayama tries a piece of the karaage that the restaurant owner had bestowed on Miyata, even though he's already stuffed. It turns out to be really very delicious.
~
【2:00 PM → 3:30 PM】 Gadget & figurine shopping
Miyata is leaning over the counter in a small electronics goods shop and chuckling over a silly little USB drive in the shape of a computer-humping dog when Kitayama's phone starts ringing. He steps out of the shop to answer it, and is immediately thankful that Miyata has stayed inside to finish making his purchases.
It's Manager-san, calling to let him know he's been scheduled at the last minute for two appearances in the coming week. It seems like they're cramming literally every second of the day with activities for him. Appearing on these additional shows means that he'll have to be changing clothes on the van - forget getting enough sleep, or being able to catch a bite to eat all day - while traveling from one place of work to the next. And on top of this, just yesterday the theater company had been talking about cramming in some extra rehearsals, and maybe having TBS come in to a show with some cameras.
It's not that he's lazy or ungrateful, and he knows that the more exposure the better for his own and Kisumai's career, but it infuriates him to have more obligations sprung on him on his day off. All in all, his packed schedule and his sudden anger work together to make Kitayama's head swim.
"No," he hisses, gritting his teeth in the effort to keep his voice down in public, "Have you looked at my schedule? It's ridiculous, and you're crazy to think you can fit more into it!"
"I know it's a lot, but-"
"I've had fewer days off in this entire year than I can count on one hand!"
"-it's a good thing to be so highly in demand right now, right after debut, you know that."
"Isn't there someone else to send? I'm not the only one freshly debuted!"
"The shows specifically named you, Kitayama. Besides, you're the one with something to promote. Fujigaya and Tamamori have done their time for their drama as well."
He knows it's ignoble, but in the heat of the moment, Kitayama can't stop himself lashing out in frustration. "That's not fair! What about Miyata? He's in the play too, but how come he gets to go home and be a human while I'm the jimusho robot? Make him take the jobs!"
He regrets the words as soon as they're said, but luckily, Manager-san has been with them for years now and knows when they don't mean the things they say. So when there's no immediate response, Kitayama grabs the opportunity and barrels on. He feels rather like a deflating balloon, though, all the anger leaving him in his self-mortification, and his words lose their fiery bite.
"Also, I was going to tell you that the theater company was talking about having extra rehearsals this week. It's going to cause scheduling conflicts, so you'll have to get that worked out anyway."
The manager sighs, sounding weary but sympathetic. "All right, I hear you. I'll try and talk to the show producers, but understand that your chances of getting out of them are very slim."
That's the best he'll get, Kitayama knows and acquiesces. "Fine. Thank you."
"I'll do my best, Kitayama. Have a good day today, I'm sorry for calling on your time off."
"I will. Thanks."
Miyata steps out of the shop and joins him a perfect beat after he hangs up the phone, with a studied nonchalance that plainly shows he'd overheard at least part of Kitayama's phone conversation. But the two of them have worked together for even longer than Manager-san has been with them, and Miyata knows, too, what Kitayama's temper is like.
"I have an idea!" chirps Miyata, relentlessly upbeat. He pushes and tugs with gentle touches, maneuvering Kitayama down the street. "Let's go to an arcade! I left a lot of time for shopping, you know, in case we thought of something better to do. And killing some baddies is definitely something better!"
Kitayama stops, hesitates. "Didn't you want to buy Tamamori a boob pillow or some such thing?"
Having stopped a few steps ahead of Kitayama, Miyata turns around and gives him a sly grin. "I would hope that Tamamori is capable of getting his hands on some real boobs, in any case. Now come on, I thought you were letting me make the decisions for today?"
For a moment more Kitayama pauses, but it's easy enough to give in to Miyata's persuasive smile. He tries to return one of his own; the smile doesn't quite reach his eyes, but he knows that Miyata will understand both his apology and his thanks in the gesture.
~
【3:45 PM → 5:00 PM】 Gadget & figurine shopping Arcade! Let's kill some bad guys!
(The arcade Miyata leads him to is Evangelion themed, which makes Kitayama roll his eyes though he forbears to say anything about it.) The click and bang of shooting games rings in Kitayama's ears and he takes a deep breath of excitement. His fingers are itching to blow some brains up. Already, he can feel the stress and tension melting away from his body.
"I'll play you?" he says, picking up one of the guns on a first person shooter game and holding it out to Miyata. "Maid café is next on the schedule right? Winner buys the loser a drink?"
Miyata looks at the game for a moment, before replying, "Let's play as a team, against the computer. I don't like shooting at my friends. But the one with the higher score buys dinner."
"Done."
Miyata wins, ahead of Kitayama by some 20,000 points. Kitayama is about to call for a rematch when the list of top scores on the machine flashes up on the screen and he sees "Tokyo Purple Skater" gracing the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 8th places.
"You tricked me!" he exclaims, shoving Miyata none too gently on the shoulder.
The younger man stumbles a few steps, but comes up laughing. "That'll teach you to think you can beat me at everything!"
"I'll beat you!" says Kitayama, but he's laughing too, despite trying his hardest to keep a threatening scowl on his face.
~
【5:15 PM → 6:00 PM】 Maid Café
*moeee*
"Um, excuse me," says a soft voice from over Kitayama's shoulder. He turns to find another of the maids at the café, judging by her uniform, but not their own server.
She bows low and simpers a little when they look at her, and then inquires in ultra-polite language, "Please, I will go away immediately if I'm bothering you, but I was wondering if you two might possibly be Johnnys talents? You look very much like members from a group my sister likes, you see."
Gratified to be recognized in rather unexpected place, Kitayama smiles and nods. Miyata, sitting across the table, beams all over his face.
Unexpectedly, one of the men sitting at the table next to them leans over and interjects, "Johnnys? Really? Are you guys the ones who sang the One Piece theme song then?"
More heads come up all around the café, looking at the two of them with interest.
"Oh, ah, no that wasn't us. That would be NEWS, our senpais at work."
Collectively, the interested heads go down again with a disappointed sigh. A couple of the customers mutter a little under their breath, not with any malice or ill-will, but still they catch bits of comments like "so what do they do?" and "irrelevant."
Used to being recognized and having a gaggle of girls follow him everywhere he goes, Kitayama blinks at this sort of reception. It's not that he's so puffed up that he expects to find fans everywhere he goes, truly, but to be so summarily dismissed is a new experience.
"Don't mind, don't mind!" Miyata tells him cheerfully, reading his thoughts. "People never notice me at all, ne. Once I sat on a train right next to a girl with all sorts of Kisumai accessories hanging off her phone, and she still didn't recognize me at all. Not even when I asked her if she was a fan!"
Kitayama's heard this story before, though usually he's inclined to poke fun at Miyata's misfortunes; today he feels a pang of sympathy.
The maid who'd approached them earlier is still hovering next to their table. "I'm so very sorry, but would it be possible to get a signature for my sister?"
Miyata positively bounces at the request, and for once, Kitayama doesn't even feel like laughing at his enthusiasm.
~
【6:00 PM → 6:45 PM】 Browse the old record store~
They haven't been in the record shop for long before Miyata is snatching discs off the shelves, claiming that Tamamori had been wanting this album and Yokoo that single and Fujigaya this old m-flo remix collection that's been sold out at all the major record stores for years! Kitayama looks up from his own perusal of some archaic BOØWY albums and wonders when Miyata had gathered all this information.
"How do you know all this?" he asks, stretching out his neck to look across the rack of CDs between them.
Miyata blinks. "Well... they've mentioned it in magazines interviews and stuff..."
"You actually pay attention to those?"
"I guess. I mean, they're simple enough things to remember, aren't they?"
This is true enough, Kitayama supposes, but he doesn't think anyone else keeps such tidbits handy in their minds, even if it is simple information. It gives him pause, though, and makes him consider what it's like to be in Miyata's shoes in the group.
The thing is, he's always considered Miyata one of the younger four. The line had been drawn between the original Kis-My-Ft members and the new additions seven years ago, but now that he thinks about it, Miyata is closer in age to the elder half of the group than the younger. Tamamori, for all his being tall and popular with the girls, is a 90s baby after all.
Kitayama stares at Miyata for a moment, arrested in his own new perspective, and then suddenly he's used to it.
"Hey, we should get Nika something," he says, coming around the aisle to hover over Miyata's shoulder. "What would you suggest?"
"I-What?" Miyata looks startled at being asked for advice.
"I think he's been jealous that Senga and Fujigaya went to that Korean concert together. He's a ridiculous brat, but it's easiest to just keep him pacified."
"He has? How do you know?"
"Just, oh, a general air about him," Kitayama waves a hand vaguely. "You read magazine interviews, and I read your faces, yeah?" He nudges Miyata a little with his shoulder.
"Hmm," Miyata muses after a quiet moment, looking at Kitayama with warm eyes. "KitaMitsu thinks about Kisumai a lot, after all. I'm really glad you're our leader."
Still unused to being considered leader, and a bit embarrassed, Kitayama nudges Miyata again with his shoulder, this time harder. "Less about me, more about Nika," he orders.
~
【7:00 PM → 9:00 PM】 Dinner
For dinner, they trek back down the length of the main street, to a restaurant that Miyata says comes highly recommended by his friends. The sky is dark already, and all the neon lights are on, blinking garishly down on the crowded streets full of people in outfits just as garish and brilliant. Tokyo is always like this at night, but the colors of Akihabara make Kitayama feel a little overwhelmed.
On the other hand, Miyata navigates through the streets - and people - of Akihabara with a grace and confidence that he seldom displays elsewhere. Kitayama lags a step and a half behind, intrigued at this rare glimpse of the other man.
It's not that he doesn't know Miyata can be graceful and confident (or, for that matter, kind and understanding and selfless and everything else he's been today). They've worked together for seven years now, after all, so he's seen all of Miyata's ups and downs. It's just that, with Miyata being the otaku and the bullied character of the group, his downs are more often picked up on and magnified by the group.
But today's been a reminder to Kitayama of all the good things Miyata is, and he makes a mental note to do the younger man more justice in the future.
Then they get to the restaurant, and Miyata interrupts his thoughts by declaring, obnoxiously loudly, "You're paying right? I'm going to order the most expensive thing here!"
~
The night is rather chilly, in a crisp, autumnal way that's typical for late October. Kitayama turns up the collar of his jacket and huddles into it for warmth.
"Cold?" Miyata asks. "You should layer up more."
Kitayama looks over at Miyata, who seems to be wearing two mismatching hoodies underneath a ratty old windbreaker, and shakes his head. "Yes, but then I'd have to step out of the house looking like you," he jokes, bumping Miyata with his shoulder.
"Comfort over fashion," says Miyata loftily, but then ruins it by fiddling self-consciously with the hems of all his layers.
"There are clothes that are warm and fashionable you know," Kitayama says, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice. "Should we go to Shibuya next time?"
OFFSHOT 1:
Miyata looks up at the department store Kitayama is heading into and grimaces. “Kitayamaaaa, why are you going there?”
Kitayama looks up at the “Dyson” sign, then back at Miyata, nonplussed. “What? I need a vacuum, and Dyson is a good brand.”
“But we’re not here to buy cleaning supplies,” Miyata argues. “Today is supposed to be a day of relaxation and- and- fun! Geeking out! Bringing out your inner otaku! Vacuum cleaners are so… un-fun.”
“Good vocabulary,” Kitayama remarks, whimsically, but is undeterred from his mission.
He marches into the store and proceeds to spend a good thirty minutes discussing the merits of different vacuum cleaner models with a sales clerk, encompassing everything from suction strength to the merit of rotating brushes to the material of the machine’s handle.
At one side, Miyata fidgets impatiently and wonders why Kitayama can’t just get a Roomba and be done with it. (Speaking of which, he decides it would be a good present for Yokoo for his next birthday, to introduce a Roomba into Kisumai’s dressing room. He makes a note to that effect in his phone, with one ear on Kitayama’s conversation with the clerk, now about ball suction or some such.)
OFFSHOT 2:
"Uchi couldn't make it today after all," Miyata says, then spends the day pretending he doesn't see the disappointment in Kitayama's eyes.
OFFSHOT 3:
When Fujigaya reads - in Duet, the ignominy! - about Kitayama and Miyata's "date" in Akihabara, he doesn't comment, only draws his brows together in an ominous manner. The next day, he stalks purposefully into work and plops a ticket to Disneyland into Tamamori's lap.
"The fangirls were all over their stupid 'date'," he bites out, in reply to Tamamori's questioning look. "We have to prove we're the better Ikemen!"
Note(s):
→ The title is a nod to the Hikaru Genji song Kaze no Naka no Shounen, which Kisumai used to cover a lot.
→ Some minor creative license was taken with locations and detailed specifics of their schedules.
→ MonHun = Monster Hunter (Kanjani8 used to be very obsessed with this game lol).
+ MANY THANKS TO CRAZY_OTAKU911 FOR HOLDING MY HAND :< ♥