[fic] 一面識 // Passing Acquaintances [1/?]
Title: 一面識 // Passing Acquaintances [1/?]
Author: fencer_x
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): None at present
Permalink: Chicklit
Summary: AU in which Sano Daiki and Moriyama Eiji never form *pnish*, examining the drastically altered lives and relationships between not only the four members we know and love, but all of their friends and acquaintances as well. Chapters are divided into sections describing certain aspects of an individual's life, rather than from any overarching omniscient third person, and there may be dramatic shifts in time of action as I skip ahead to move the story along, so just try to keep up :D
SANO DAIKI
--July 4, 1997 - just outside Shinjuku Mura Studio #33, Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, Japan
It was the middle of summer, and it was fucking hot. Not that this was news, and not that any of them had expected any different, but it was a way to pass the time: commenting aloud or to oneself on the sorry state of the weather. And right now, they had nothing but time to kill.
Sano Daiki took a long drag on the stumpy, almost-finished cigarette he held in one hand, lazily fanning his neck with a small uchiwa in the other. Smiling wryly, he purposefully blew the smoke towards his brother, who batted the air frantically and took a few measured steps back, coughing. Flapping the fan now with more vigor and sending the tendrils of smoke spiralling away into the stale air around the empty gravel parking lot, Daiki chuckled softly. "You should have a smoke, too. You're all nerves."
Mizuki glowered at his brother, digging around in his bag for a handkerchief to mop away the sweat now trickling down his face. "It wouldn't kill you to be a little more focused here, you know. Just 'cause it's a bit part--one which, given your remarkable inability to get a line out without tripping over it five ways to Sunday, you probably won't even land--doesn't mean you shouldn't do your best. It's not about getting the part in this industry; it's about getting your face out there, making friends, learning names, landing the next gig."
Daiki gave a mock bow. "Thank you, o learned brother, for your generous pearls of wisdom. I'm not sure what I'd do without you."
Mizuki pursed his lips, turning his back on Daiki. "Probably be out on your ass thumbing a ride back to Shizuoka."
Flicking the butt to the ground and letting it burn itself out, Daiki switched fanning hands, digging into the pack settled at his hip for the tin of mints he carried around. "I'm only trying out for this because you're making me, you know."
"I'm not making you. But if you want to keep smoking--even when you're too young to do it--you can buy your cigarettes with your own damn money."
Daiki jogged over when Mizuki started towards the shaded concrete steps leading up to the studio entrance, clapping a hand on his brother's shoulder affectionately. "It's sweet how you worry about me--but I'm only allowed to be young and stupid once!"
"Yeah, and you're taking advantage of it to the fullest extent, I see."
"Aniki~ stop being so uptight. You'll get wrinkles before you hit 30!" Mizuki stopped, gravel crunching under his feet as he turned to glower at his brother. "See--you're getting a nice little field right between your eyes there..." He reached forward to poke the offending region, and Mizuki hastily slapped his hand away, squaring his face.
"Just get yourself together--you can't ride on my coattails your whole life." He jerked his head towards the entrance. "Let's get you your first actual stage role."
MORIYAMA EIJI
--July 4, 1997 - Shinjuku Mura Studio #33, Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, Japan
Air conditioning had to be man's greatest invention, truly. Electricity? That helped. The telephone? Convenient. But god, air conditioning was great.
Moriyama Eiji took in a deep lungful of the, admittedly stale, rehearsal hall air, shivering instinctively as the cool arctic blast streaming down from the overhead unit chilled the sweat on his skin. Behind him, the heavy double doors opened, letting in bright streaming sunlight and the muggy, heavy, humid air of summer. He stepped further into the entry lounge, pulling his bag up over his head to set it down in the pile with the other auditioners' personal effects, dropping it along the far wall and flapping his thin t-shirt against his skin to cool down further.
The two newest entrants wandered past him--well, shuffled is what he would've called the one guy's movements, trailing apparently reluctantly after the man in front of him and, it sounded like, complaining quite profusely. Eiji smiled to himself and shook his head--probably friends, one here to land a role (hopefully), the other dragged along for moral support, or maybe as a dialogue partner.
He followed the pair with his eyes until they disappeared into the main hall, then finished piecing through his bag to be sure he had all his essentials: MD holding some obscure love ballad (hey, the show wasn't a musical, but it never hurt to be prepared, right?); pathetically short acting resume, including a headshot of himself he'd had his sister take in their bathroom; monologue he'd been rehearsing pretty much every free moment since scrounging up the thing in a friend's pile of old material.
Yup, he was all set to make a fool of himself.
"'You've got real talent' he says...'You oughta go out for a part on stage!' he says..." Eiji muttered to himself, tucking the clearfile containing his papers under one arm and making his way to the far-too-intimidating-for-a-first-round-audition door. "Noguchi was crazy..."
He poked his head through the door and took in the exceptionally large hall he was about to step into. Maybe this would wind up being the rehearsal hall even--it obviously held more than a few people, as evidenced by the dozens of actors--or wannabe actors, such as himself--scattered haphazardly around the hall, noses buried in scripts or just chatting amiably with friends from other productions. God it'd be great to be one of those actors some day; the kind that went to an audition and had made five friends before walking through the door. The kind fans swarmed around at demachi, the kind those same fans sent all manner of presents to--he'd heard Noguchi remark once that a friend of his who had racked up some measure of fame in this world had actually gotten a bottle of wine from his birth year as a birthday present once. That would be nice.
He cleared his throat and glanced around nervously, frantic to find a space along the wall to sit down and collect himself before the auditions started in--he glanced at his watch--ten minutes. Not wanting to draw too much attention just standing there in the doorway, he spotted a stretch of empty wall off in the corner--next to the pair who'd wandered in just moments before. The shuffly one was laid flat out on the floor, using what appeared to be a pullover as a pillow, and going over a script to himself--practicing his monologue, most likely. His friend was seated with his back against the wall and a pair of headphones over his ears, eyes closed. Probably a veteran actor getting into focus.
Eiji squared his shoulders and strode over, making every effort to look like he belonged--he normally had confidence in spades, but today he just wasn't on his game. He envied the guy stretched out comfortably going over his monologue; Eiji'd probably have to be up and pacing back and forth to really make any progress. He'd promised himself he wouldn't look over the script again, though, afraid he'd just start second-guessing himself.
When he stepped close enough that the pair couldn't help but notice he had every intention of settling down beside them, the one guy gave him a friendly smile and a wave from his spot on the floor, returning just as quickly to his notes. His friend didn't move--Eiji half-wondered if the guy wasn't asleep--but as soon as Eiji crouched down against the wall just beside him, the man startled awake, glancing down at his watch, and pulled his headphones off, turning to his friend.
"I'm gonna go get some tea from the vending machine outside. Want anything?" The other man shook his head, waving him off. "Ten minutes 'til it starts--don't...do anything. Just stay put. Reread your monologue or something." He stepped forward, and the guy on the floor petulantly waved a long, gangly leg in front of him in an apparent attempt to make him trip. "Watch it--or I'm telling Mom." His brother, apparently, just rolled his eyes in response and ostensibly returned his focus to his script, but Eiji noticed him follow the other as he exited the hall, and couldn't stifle a soft chuckle.
This got the guy's attention, and quick--like he'd just been waiting for it. "He thinks he's so cool. I feel like it's my job to bring him down a notch or two when the opportunity presents itself."
Eiji nodded sympathetically. "If I wasn't scared my sister'd kick my ass if I tried, I'd probably feel the same way." He jerked his head towards the door. "You're brothers?"
A nod. "Yup--my name's Sano Daiki, and that's my brother Mizuki." He reached a hand out, as their positions on the floor pretty much precluded bowing, and neither made any attempts to stand and rectify the situation.
"Moriyama Eiji." Eiji leaned forward, gripping Daiki's hand firmly, and giving a nod. "You're auditioning, I'm guessing?"
Daiki nodded ambivalently. "Not really my idea--my brother just wanted an excuse to show me up. He's the actor anyways--I think he's going out for one of the lead roles."
Eiji smiled, amused at the casual way the man spoke about his brother to a virtual stranger. "Guess he's been at this a while, huh?"
Daiki shrugged. "On and off--he's usually more in the singing and dancing scene. Something with his agency trying to 'broaden his horizons' or some crap."
"And so you got dragged along to provide an appreciative audience?"
"About right!" Daiki smiled broadly, then jerked his head in Eiji's direction. "You?"
Eiji held up his script in chagrin. "Just hoping to land a bit part, if anything. I haven't...exactly had a lot of experience with this yet. Just a few minor roles in friends' short films."
"You think you'll like stage acting better?"
"Well--I do right now! I'm sure after a few roles I'll get that fervor beaten out of me." Daiki giggled at this, and Eiji shrugged. "I dunno, I figure it can't hurt to try--right?"
Daiki nodded in agreement, then perked up when he noticed his brother stride back through the door. "Well, good luck then! Maybe we'll both get cast--then at least I won't be stuck watching Aniki prance around the rehearsal hall all day alone."
Grinning, Eiji gave a firm nod. There were definitely worse people he could envision spending time inside and outside of rehearsals with than Sano Daiki.
SANO DAIKI
--July 12, 1997 - Sano Mizuki and Sano Daiki's apartment, Suginami ward, Tokyo, Japan
Daiki glared at his brother from his spot on their couch, flipping the pages in his most recent issue of Shonen Jump as loudly as he could, injecting aggravated sighs now and then for good measure. His attempts at hint-dropping, however, fell on deaf ears, as his brother continued to wander around the apartment, laughing sycophantically into the receiver of his cellphone now and then.
"Uh huh. So when will--I see." A pause. "All right then, that'll be no problem at all. Monday, you s--ah, right. Understood. We'll be there." Another pause. "And to you as well, sir. Thank you again. Excuse me." Mizuki pulled the handset away, snapping it shut and beaming happily. "Well your aniki has done it again!"
"Congrats," Daiki muttered, engrossed in the latest chapter of Captain Tsubasa. His efforts to drown out his brother's gloating, however, were circumvented when Mizuki flopped onto the couch beside him, eyebrows lifing in glee. Daiki's expression darkened in worry, and the copy of Jump slipped to his chest, forgotten. "...What?"
Mizuki poked him in the chest for good measure. "You, little brother, have just gotten your first official stage role!"
...Somehow, Daiki wasn't half as ecstatic about this turn of events as Mizuki.
MORIYAMA EIJI
--July 12, 1997 - Moriyama Hisako and Moriyama Eiji's apartment, Chiba, Japan
"Ah--Ei-chan, I was thinking tonkatsu for dinner. I'm gonna run out to the store and pick up some pork fillets if that sounds good. Need anything?"
Eiji sat, unmoving on the couch, staring at his phone, before slowly shaking his head. His sister slipped back out into the hallway, then paused, and poked her head back into the living room. "...You okay?"
He blinked, realizing he was being spoken to, then pasted on a smile. "Yeah--fine. Tonkatsu sounds great--but could you pick up some ice cream, too? I've got a craving."
Hisako rolled her eyes. "You said you were on a diet, remember? What happened, you give up after the first week?"
"Nah I just..." He lifted up his phone. "I didn't get the gig I went out for last week is all."
Hisako frowned, hands on her hips. "Really? That sucks..." She eyed her brother. "...I thought you didn't really want it anyways? You said it was stupid of Noguchi-kun to even suggest it."
A shrug. "Well I didn't, it's just...I dunno, once I got there and did it, it felt...really right. Like it was something I could get into. And the people I met were really nice and friendly, I'm sure it could've gone..." He waved her off, smiling more sincerely. "Nah, forget about it. I probably couldn't have managed to beg off time for rehearsals anyways. Probably for the best."
Hisako snapped her fingers. "And hey--there'll be other auditions, right? So just...try again next time! I'm sure even the biggest names in the business now got rejected a time or two when they started."
Eiji pushed himself up, nodding. "Definitely. If I'm meant to have a part, it'll happen eventually, right?"
A nod. "And if you aren't, then you can just stay home and be my live-in butler forever."
Eiji seriously hoped he landed his next audition, whatever it happened to be.
TSUCHIYA YUUICHI
--June 12, 1998 - Minato ward, Tokyo, Japan
"I'm home..." Tsuchiya Yuuichi called to his empty apartment, nose wrinkling at the rank stench that greeted him as soon as he pushed into his genkan. "Fuck..." he cursed softly, shuffling inside and toeing off his shoes, dropping his bag to the floor. He'd forgotten to wash his bowl out from the previous evening. Evenings, rather. The days seemed to run together with rehearsals.
At just over a month until opening night, he was still trying to learn everyone's names. A leg-up from a friend of a friend had gotten him an audition just a few weeks before, though he'd just barely scraped by after fumbling his monologue and letting his usual high-tension attitude get the better of him. He couldn't even call it his first role of any merit, but there really wasn't anywhere left for him to go with the school theatre troupe, and now...now he was playing in the big league.
BQMap--well-established, with many a performance under their belt, this was the kind of theatre troupe people joined to really get into the industry. Usui-san, a two-year veteran, had already developed his own connections with other actors, actresses, directors, producers, hell: the guy even had his own agency he was working under, and a manager. Tuti wasn't sure that he particularly aspired to getting one of those, but still--if you needed a manager, it meant you were too busy, too in demand to manage your own time. And that? Was something to be jealous of.
He pushed up the sleeves on his thin overshirt and turned the tap on full blast, reaching for the dish soap and giving the few plates and silverware piled in his sink a good dousing. He really needed to start eating better--he half considered getting a girlfriend if only to have her cook for him. It was one of the things he missed most being a two-hour train ride from Yamanashi: his mother's cooking. Well, that and not having to pay rent. Not surprisingly, he wasn't exactly living the high life on the wages he brought home from Sagawa Delivery. But that's what this gig was about, right? Bringing home some extra money and getting his face out and about more than he'd have had the opportunity to do putting on shows for Kantou area schoolchildren.
He scrubbed away the previous few evenings' meals, washing the evidence down the drain and sighing. This was how it was going to have to be for a while. Getting home just before midnight, left with only enough energy to scrub a few plates clean before collapsing into bed; wash, rinse, repeat until famous. Or destitute. Whichever came first.
But no--this was good. This was...this was what he'd worked for. He'd gotten his foot in the door, and was standing on the first rung of the ladder. Today he was just an extra, tomorrow he'd have a middling part, and the next day he'd be starring. He had no qualms ingratiating himself through food and drink--something on which he actually considered himself to be quite the connoisseur despite not technically being legal for another eight months--and hadn't met a member of BQMap yet who wasn't more than happy to allow themselves to be a sounding board for Tuti's endless questions regarding who'd worked with whom, which directors were the most prolific (more shows meant more work!), and of course--who was the most fun to get drunk with.
But that was all for later. Right now, it was past midnight, the lifeform that had been taking root in his kitchen sink had been beaten into submission, and his thin, smelly futon was looking quite inviting. Rehearsals tomorrow didn't start til noon, but he'd made plans to have lunch with Junko-san (he was starting to suspect she might have a crush on him--which was all well and good, except he didn't have a crush on her. Or chicks in general, as history had shown) and there was no rest for the up-and-coming actor.
And truth be told, he could kind of get used to it that way.
Author: fencer_x
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): None at present
Permalink: Chicklit
Summary: AU in which Sano Daiki and Moriyama Eiji never form *pnish*, examining the drastically altered lives and relationships between not only the four members we know and love, but all of their friends and acquaintances as well. Chapters are divided into sections describing certain aspects of an individual's life, rather than from any overarching omniscient third person, and there may be dramatic shifts in time of action as I skip ahead to move the story along, so just try to keep up :D
SANO DAIKI
--July 4, 1997 - just outside Shinjuku Mura Studio #33, Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, Japan
It was the middle of summer, and it was fucking hot. Not that this was news, and not that any of them had expected any different, but it was a way to pass the time: commenting aloud or to oneself on the sorry state of the weather. And right now, they had nothing but time to kill.
Sano Daiki took a long drag on the stumpy, almost-finished cigarette he held in one hand, lazily fanning his neck with a small uchiwa in the other. Smiling wryly, he purposefully blew the smoke towards his brother, who batted the air frantically and took a few measured steps back, coughing. Flapping the fan now with more vigor and sending the tendrils of smoke spiralling away into the stale air around the empty gravel parking lot, Daiki chuckled softly. "You should have a smoke, too. You're all nerves."
Mizuki glowered at his brother, digging around in his bag for a handkerchief to mop away the sweat now trickling down his face. "It wouldn't kill you to be a little more focused here, you know. Just 'cause it's a bit part--one which, given your remarkable inability to get a line out without tripping over it five ways to Sunday, you probably won't even land--doesn't mean you shouldn't do your best. It's not about getting the part in this industry; it's about getting your face out there, making friends, learning names, landing the next gig."
Daiki gave a mock bow. "Thank you, o learned brother, for your generous pearls of wisdom. I'm not sure what I'd do without you."
Mizuki pursed his lips, turning his back on Daiki. "Probably be out on your ass thumbing a ride back to Shizuoka."
Flicking the butt to the ground and letting it burn itself out, Daiki switched fanning hands, digging into the pack settled at his hip for the tin of mints he carried around. "I'm only trying out for this because you're making me, you know."
"I'm not making you. But if you want to keep smoking--even when you're too young to do it--you can buy your cigarettes with your own damn money."
Daiki jogged over when Mizuki started towards the shaded concrete steps leading up to the studio entrance, clapping a hand on his brother's shoulder affectionately. "It's sweet how you worry about me--but I'm only allowed to be young and stupid once!"
"Yeah, and you're taking advantage of it to the fullest extent, I see."
"Aniki~ stop being so uptight. You'll get wrinkles before you hit 30!" Mizuki stopped, gravel crunching under his feet as he turned to glower at his brother. "See--you're getting a nice little field right between your eyes there..." He reached forward to poke the offending region, and Mizuki hastily slapped his hand away, squaring his face.
"Just get yourself together--you can't ride on my coattails your whole life." He jerked his head towards the entrance. "Let's get you your first actual stage role."
MORIYAMA EIJI
--July 4, 1997 - Shinjuku Mura Studio #33, Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, Japan
Air conditioning had to be man's greatest invention, truly. Electricity? That helped. The telephone? Convenient. But god, air conditioning was great.
Moriyama Eiji took in a deep lungful of the, admittedly stale, rehearsal hall air, shivering instinctively as the cool arctic blast streaming down from the overhead unit chilled the sweat on his skin. Behind him, the heavy double doors opened, letting in bright streaming sunlight and the muggy, heavy, humid air of summer. He stepped further into the entry lounge, pulling his bag up over his head to set it down in the pile with the other auditioners' personal effects, dropping it along the far wall and flapping his thin t-shirt against his skin to cool down further.
The two newest entrants wandered past him--well, shuffled is what he would've called the one guy's movements, trailing apparently reluctantly after the man in front of him and, it sounded like, complaining quite profusely. Eiji smiled to himself and shook his head--probably friends, one here to land a role (hopefully), the other dragged along for moral support, or maybe as a dialogue partner.
He followed the pair with his eyes until they disappeared into the main hall, then finished piecing through his bag to be sure he had all his essentials: MD holding some obscure love ballad (hey, the show wasn't a musical, but it never hurt to be prepared, right?); pathetically short acting resume, including a headshot of himself he'd had his sister take in their bathroom; monologue he'd been rehearsing pretty much every free moment since scrounging up the thing in a friend's pile of old material.
Yup, he was all set to make a fool of himself.
"'You've got real talent' he says...'You oughta go out for a part on stage!' he says..." Eiji muttered to himself, tucking the clearfile containing his papers under one arm and making his way to the far-too-intimidating-for-a-first-round-audition door. "Noguchi was crazy..."
He poked his head through the door and took in the exceptionally large hall he was about to step into. Maybe this would wind up being the rehearsal hall even--it obviously held more than a few people, as evidenced by the dozens of actors--or wannabe actors, such as himself--scattered haphazardly around the hall, noses buried in scripts or just chatting amiably with friends from other productions. God it'd be great to be one of those actors some day; the kind that went to an audition and had made five friends before walking through the door. The kind fans swarmed around at demachi, the kind those same fans sent all manner of presents to--he'd heard Noguchi remark once that a friend of his who had racked up some measure of fame in this world had actually gotten a bottle of wine from his birth year as a birthday present once. That would be nice.
He cleared his throat and glanced around nervously, frantic to find a space along the wall to sit down and collect himself before the auditions started in--he glanced at his watch--ten minutes. Not wanting to draw too much attention just standing there in the doorway, he spotted a stretch of empty wall off in the corner--next to the pair who'd wandered in just moments before. The shuffly one was laid flat out on the floor, using what appeared to be a pullover as a pillow, and going over a script to himself--practicing his monologue, most likely. His friend was seated with his back against the wall and a pair of headphones over his ears, eyes closed. Probably a veteran actor getting into focus.
Eiji squared his shoulders and strode over, making every effort to look like he belonged--he normally had confidence in spades, but today he just wasn't on his game. He envied the guy stretched out comfortably going over his monologue; Eiji'd probably have to be up and pacing back and forth to really make any progress. He'd promised himself he wouldn't look over the script again, though, afraid he'd just start second-guessing himself.
When he stepped close enough that the pair couldn't help but notice he had every intention of settling down beside them, the one guy gave him a friendly smile and a wave from his spot on the floor, returning just as quickly to his notes. His friend didn't move--Eiji half-wondered if the guy wasn't asleep--but as soon as Eiji crouched down against the wall just beside him, the man startled awake, glancing down at his watch, and pulled his headphones off, turning to his friend.
"I'm gonna go get some tea from the vending machine outside. Want anything?" The other man shook his head, waving him off. "Ten minutes 'til it starts--don't...do anything. Just stay put. Reread your monologue or something." He stepped forward, and the guy on the floor petulantly waved a long, gangly leg in front of him in an apparent attempt to make him trip. "Watch it--or I'm telling Mom." His brother, apparently, just rolled his eyes in response and ostensibly returned his focus to his script, but Eiji noticed him follow the other as he exited the hall, and couldn't stifle a soft chuckle.
This got the guy's attention, and quick--like he'd just been waiting for it. "He thinks he's so cool. I feel like it's my job to bring him down a notch or two when the opportunity presents itself."
Eiji nodded sympathetically. "If I wasn't scared my sister'd kick my ass if I tried, I'd probably feel the same way." He jerked his head towards the door. "You're brothers?"
A nod. "Yup--my name's Sano Daiki, and that's my brother Mizuki." He reached a hand out, as their positions on the floor pretty much precluded bowing, and neither made any attempts to stand and rectify the situation.
"Moriyama Eiji." Eiji leaned forward, gripping Daiki's hand firmly, and giving a nod. "You're auditioning, I'm guessing?"
Daiki nodded ambivalently. "Not really my idea--my brother just wanted an excuse to show me up. He's the actor anyways--I think he's going out for one of the lead roles."
Eiji smiled, amused at the casual way the man spoke about his brother to a virtual stranger. "Guess he's been at this a while, huh?"
Daiki shrugged. "On and off--he's usually more in the singing and dancing scene. Something with his agency trying to 'broaden his horizons' or some crap."
"And so you got dragged along to provide an appreciative audience?"
"About right!" Daiki smiled broadly, then jerked his head in Eiji's direction. "You?"
Eiji held up his script in chagrin. "Just hoping to land a bit part, if anything. I haven't...exactly had a lot of experience with this yet. Just a few minor roles in friends' short films."
"You think you'll like stage acting better?"
"Well--I do right now! I'm sure after a few roles I'll get that fervor beaten out of me." Daiki giggled at this, and Eiji shrugged. "I dunno, I figure it can't hurt to try--right?"
Daiki nodded in agreement, then perked up when he noticed his brother stride back through the door. "Well, good luck then! Maybe we'll both get cast--then at least I won't be stuck watching Aniki prance around the rehearsal hall all day alone."
Grinning, Eiji gave a firm nod. There were definitely worse people he could envision spending time inside and outside of rehearsals with than Sano Daiki.
SANO DAIKI
--July 12, 1997 - Sano Mizuki and Sano Daiki's apartment, Suginami ward, Tokyo, Japan
Daiki glared at his brother from his spot on their couch, flipping the pages in his most recent issue of Shonen Jump as loudly as he could, injecting aggravated sighs now and then for good measure. His attempts at hint-dropping, however, fell on deaf ears, as his brother continued to wander around the apartment, laughing sycophantically into the receiver of his cellphone now and then.
"Uh huh. So when will--I see." A pause. "All right then, that'll be no problem at all. Monday, you s--ah, right. Understood. We'll be there." Another pause. "And to you as well, sir. Thank you again. Excuse me." Mizuki pulled the handset away, snapping it shut and beaming happily. "Well your aniki has done it again!"
"Congrats," Daiki muttered, engrossed in the latest chapter of Captain Tsubasa. His efforts to drown out his brother's gloating, however, were circumvented when Mizuki flopped onto the couch beside him, eyebrows lifing in glee. Daiki's expression darkened in worry, and the copy of Jump slipped to his chest, forgotten. "...What?"
Mizuki poked him in the chest for good measure. "You, little brother, have just gotten your first official stage role!"
...Somehow, Daiki wasn't half as ecstatic about this turn of events as Mizuki.
MORIYAMA EIJI
--July 12, 1997 - Moriyama Hisako and Moriyama Eiji's apartment, Chiba, Japan
"Ah--Ei-chan, I was thinking tonkatsu for dinner. I'm gonna run out to the store and pick up some pork fillets if that sounds good. Need anything?"
Eiji sat, unmoving on the couch, staring at his phone, before slowly shaking his head. His sister slipped back out into the hallway, then paused, and poked her head back into the living room. "...You okay?"
He blinked, realizing he was being spoken to, then pasted on a smile. "Yeah--fine. Tonkatsu sounds great--but could you pick up some ice cream, too? I've got a craving."
Hisako rolled her eyes. "You said you were on a diet, remember? What happened, you give up after the first week?"
"Nah I just..." He lifted up his phone. "I didn't get the gig I went out for last week is all."
Hisako frowned, hands on her hips. "Really? That sucks..." She eyed her brother. "...I thought you didn't really want it anyways? You said it was stupid of Noguchi-kun to even suggest it."
A shrug. "Well I didn't, it's just...I dunno, once I got there and did it, it felt...really right. Like it was something I could get into. And the people I met were really nice and friendly, I'm sure it could've gone..." He waved her off, smiling more sincerely. "Nah, forget about it. I probably couldn't have managed to beg off time for rehearsals anyways. Probably for the best."
Hisako snapped her fingers. "And hey--there'll be other auditions, right? So just...try again next time! I'm sure even the biggest names in the business now got rejected a time or two when they started."
Eiji pushed himself up, nodding. "Definitely. If I'm meant to have a part, it'll happen eventually, right?"
A nod. "And if you aren't, then you can just stay home and be my live-in butler forever."
Eiji seriously hoped he landed his next audition, whatever it happened to be.
TSUCHIYA YUUICHI
--June 12, 1998 - Minato ward, Tokyo, Japan
"I'm home..." Tsuchiya Yuuichi called to his empty apartment, nose wrinkling at the rank stench that greeted him as soon as he pushed into his genkan. "Fuck..." he cursed softly, shuffling inside and toeing off his shoes, dropping his bag to the floor. He'd forgotten to wash his bowl out from the previous evening. Evenings, rather. The days seemed to run together with rehearsals.
At just over a month until opening night, he was still trying to learn everyone's names. A leg-up from a friend of a friend had gotten him an audition just a few weeks before, though he'd just barely scraped by after fumbling his monologue and letting his usual high-tension attitude get the better of him. He couldn't even call it his first role of any merit, but there really wasn't anywhere left for him to go with the school theatre troupe, and now...now he was playing in the big league.
BQMap--well-established, with many a performance under their belt, this was the kind of theatre troupe people joined to really get into the industry. Usui-san, a two-year veteran, had already developed his own connections with other actors, actresses, directors, producers, hell: the guy even had his own agency he was working under, and a manager. Tuti wasn't sure that he particularly aspired to getting one of those, but still--if you needed a manager, it meant you were too busy, too in demand to manage your own time. And that? Was something to be jealous of.
He pushed up the sleeves on his thin overshirt and turned the tap on full blast, reaching for the dish soap and giving the few plates and silverware piled in his sink a good dousing. He really needed to start eating better--he half considered getting a girlfriend if only to have her cook for him. It was one of the things he missed most being a two-hour train ride from Yamanashi: his mother's cooking. Well, that and not having to pay rent. Not surprisingly, he wasn't exactly living the high life on the wages he brought home from Sagawa Delivery. But that's what this gig was about, right? Bringing home some extra money and getting his face out and about more than he'd have had the opportunity to do putting on shows for Kantou area schoolchildren.
He scrubbed away the previous few evenings' meals, washing the evidence down the drain and sighing. This was how it was going to have to be for a while. Getting home just before midnight, left with only enough energy to scrub a few plates clean before collapsing into bed; wash, rinse, repeat until famous. Or destitute. Whichever came first.
But no--this was good. This was...this was what he'd worked for. He'd gotten his foot in the door, and was standing on the first rung of the ladder. Today he was just an extra, tomorrow he'd have a middling part, and the next day he'd be starring. He had no qualms ingratiating himself through food and drink--something on which he actually considered himself to be quite the connoisseur despite not technically being legal for another eight months--and hadn't met a member of BQMap yet who wasn't more than happy to allow themselves to be a sounding board for Tuti's endless questions regarding who'd worked with whom, which directors were the most prolific (more shows meant more work!), and of course--who was the most fun to get drunk with.
But that was all for later. Right now, it was past midnight, the lifeform that had been taking root in his kitchen sink had been beaten into submission, and his thin, smelly futon was looking quite inviting. Rehearsals tomorrow didn't start til noon, but he'd made plans to have lunch with Junko-san (he was starting to suspect she might have a crush on him--which was all well and good, except he didn't have a crush on her. Or chicks in general, as history had shown) and there was no rest for the up-and-coming actor.
And truth be told, he could kind of get used to it that way.