[fic] Without You is How I Disappear - Chapter 8
Title: Without You is How I Disappear
Authors: superhero0008, carboncastel, cascadingmerrygoround @ Tumblr
Pairing: Akame, MaruDa, RyoDa (plus others)
Rating: NC-17
Genre: AU, Romance, Drama, Smut
Disclaimer: We own no one in this fic except some minor OC. We own the plot.
Summary: World of Johnny’s Entertainment is burning with glitz and glamour. At the very top is Crimson Glory, the famous pop duo made up of the incredibly charismatic Kamenashi Kazuya and the enthralling Ueda Tatsuya. They are alike in that they follow where their hearts take them. Akanishi Jin is a solo artist who just recently debuted, slowly working his way to the top. Nishikido Ryo is an actor, and he goes for what he wants. Nakamaru Yuichi is the agency’s official photographer, and he’s happy with what he has. And Johnny Kitagawa. He doesn't make it easy for any of them. Well, except for his favorites, Shirota Yuu and Taguchi Junnosuke, and most especially, Kamenashi. What is true and what is false in this industry of illusions? What will they hold onto and what should they let go of?
A/N: We’re baaaaack~! Enjoy this chapter, guys! :D -superhero0008, carboncastel, & cascadingmerrygoround
Without You is How I Disappear
Chapter 8
He was trying to keep everything normal for the rest of the day. He walked through the agency's entrance and greeted back people for the morning, flashing his pearly white teeth as to mesmerize people with his smile. That is what an idol is for, really.
He kept greeting people back when someone tapped his shoulder.
“Good morning, Crimson Glory one-half.”
Kame appeared beside him and slung an arm over his shoulders. Ueda smiled and sighed, somewhat relieved.
“Good morning to you as well, other half of Crimson Glory.”
Kame removed his arm from Ueda's shoulder and slightly pouted, “That just didn't come out right! It sounded like I'm the leftover of KuriGuro.”
Ueda walked with Kame to the meeting room, all the while snickering with his sarcastic comments.
“Anyway,” Kame huffed and smiled, “a new project right after a vacation. Perfect.”
Ueda wasn't able to tell if Kame was being sarcastic. “What do you expect? We're Crimson Glory. We never run out of projects.”
“That's a pair of idols for you,” Kame raised his hand and Ueda immediately stopped walking and turned to his partner for a high-five. At that moment, someone bumped into Ueda’s back, making him somewhat lose his balance. Kame steadied Ueda with the hand he was holding.
“Oops, sorry - ” Ueda's black brown eyes were apologetic, “I wasn't looki - ”
A pair of familiar eyes looked at him and engaged him in a staring contest which lasted for a second.
Ryo.
Ryo’s eyes widened in surprise, then, suddenly and inexplicably, his expression changed to one that looked very much like disgust. Ueda was taken aback.
Then, the actor left without much as an apology as a turn of his heel. Crimson Glory merely looked on as Nishikido walked away from them.
Noticing the awkward silence which befell them, Kame thoughtfully chose his words and looked back at Ueda.
“Aren't you two,” he looked back at the empty corridor, “you know, friends? I know too well Ryo doesn't really like me, but you two are, well… friends.” Kame trailed off, unsure of what to say next.
Ueda smoothed over his clothes, as he was trying to stop the trail of thought which came to his mind. He was, though he would never admit it out loud, dismayed, if not a bit hurt at the cold treatment. What had he done to deserve something like that?
“I guess he's busy,” Ueda said dismissively, “Let him be, we can catch up with him some other time… maybe.”
There was curiosity left in Kame's face as he regarded Ueda and his uncharacteristic answer. “Well... shall we go then? Meeting won't start unless we get there.”
The both of them nodded and walked faster towards their destination. Even so, Ueda was thinking that he should be thankful that Ryo didn't pester him that morning, right after their somewhat interesting vacation.
No, really, he should be relieved. He shook his head and opened the door to the meeting room and went inside.
oOo
Kame rested his rather sweaty palms against the cool marble of the washroom sink. Some meeting, that was. It took the whole of his morning, and it ended with a rather awkward moment of fake eagerness, at least for himself.
Johnny was there, of course, so Kame couldn’t act less than proper. But finding out that he’d be spending the next few weeks, if not months, of his life working with Shirota Yuu just didn’t sit right with him. He had been wary of the man ever since that absurdly annoying conversation in the elevator. Usually, Kame didn’t like to make judgments on his fellow idols, much less those who weren’t quite at the level KuriGuro was in, but this Shirota… He even kept throwing glances paired with smirks in Kame’s direction the whole time (or maybe he was looking at Ueda?) and Kame didn’t know if that was his way of showing excitement for the project.
Kame washed his hands a second time around before exiting the restroom and walking over to the elevator hubs. He surprisingly didn’t have much to do today, at least nothing that would require him to stay in the studios. He could write lyrics at home and be there waiting when Jin comes to visit. The thought brought a grin to Kame’s lips as he patiently waited for the elevator to come down to his floor.
Just as the machine chimed to announce its arrival, Kame’s phone rang.
“Kamenashi desu,” Kame answered as he stepped onto the cubicle. “Ah, hai… I’m going home now - ”
It was their manager, Okazaki, just checking up on him. She really was like a mother sometimes.
“Okay. Okay, I will,” he laughed a bit. “Don’t worry about me! I’ll be fine. Ja ne,” he said, ending the call.
“That wasn’t Akanishi, was it?”
Kame had a mini-heart attack upon hearing another man’s voice inside the elevator. He didn’t notice how he actually wasn’t alone inside, and to his anxiety, his company was no other than Shirota Yuu himself.
“Is it really a habit of yours to pry into other people’s business when inside elevators?” Kame fired up, remembering the last time they had been together in an elevator. Shirota merely chuckled.
“And here I was, thinking we could start over, seeing as how we’d be together for the next weeks of our lives.”
Kame raised an eyebrow at the statement, unconsciously gripping his phone tight in his hand.
“What do you envision for our collaboration single, though?” Shirota suddenly asked, and Kame didn’t know if he’d be suspicious or thankful that the taller man decided to change the subject.
“I just want it to be sane and I just want to get it over with - ”
Kame could only watch as Shirota jabbed at the stop button, sending the elevator to a standstill, and he froze as he felt himself pinned against the cold metal of the elevator interior, his arms kept at his sides by Shirota’s powerful grip.
“I want it to be sexy and mysterious like some of your performances - ”
“What the fuck - ”
“And I want us to do fan service when we perform it so that people would go crazy - ”
Kame didn’t know if the groan hiding behind Shirota’s words were caused by their current position or… other things.
“Shirota - get off me - ”
Kame twisted his wrists free and pushed forcefully at the taller man’s shoulders, but his words and effort were no less than ignored as a hand snaked its way between them, coming to rest on his abdomen. Kame, being naturally reserved with his emotions, bit his lip, his anger just bubbling to the surface.
“Wouldn’t you want to do that?” Shirota asked, their noses and lips almost touching no matter how much Kame pressed backward into the wall behind him. “I heard you like men anyway - ”
Where did Shirota even get information like that? Kame was sure he and Akanishi had been careful. Well, except for some moments during their vacation, but those weren’t even suggestive!
“ - especially a certain Akanishi Jin - ”
As he turned his face away, Kame suddenly recalled why he had been bothered with Shirota to begin with. He had told Shirota off for being nosy. Now it made sense why Shirota seemed so interested in Kame’s personal life. But why was he? And how did he get such ideas, even?
“What do you do together, huh?” Shirota asked, now nuzzling Kame’s neck. It made Kame sick. “Do you do this?”
Kame felt his knees go weak as Shirota’s hand, previously on his stomach, dipped lower to his groin. He couldn’t believe he was in this situation. He couldn’t at all.
“What - the fuck - are you doing - ” Kame said through gritted teeth in between deep breaths. He was not going to be defeated by this.
Shirota smiled and winked before replying, “Being friendly.”
And just like that, the taller man pushed himself off Kame and casually pressed the down button, making the elevator move again. Kame’s ears rang, staring at the doors after having managed to push himself off the wall as well, but he didn’t dare even look sideways, just in case Shirota would get other ideas. This guy was sick. Kame didn’t understand him at all, and all the Crimson Glory member wanted to do was stay as far as possible from him for a very long time.
“And since we’re on the subject of being friendly,” Shirota suddenly spoke again, as if they were in the middle of a conversation. “Let’s go get some coffee,” he finished, smiling brightly down at Kame.
Kame glared back, willing for the taller man to burst into flames right before him, but to his horror Shirota pressed and held the button that kept the doors closed.
“If you’re thinking of saying ‘no’ to me,” Shirota’s lips curled into a smirk. “I guess I can’t force you. But I can’t promise to keep quiet. I mean, I really am curious about you and Akanishi and I might try to find out things from other people - ”
No. No. Kame was not hearing this.
“Let’s go,” Kame heard himself say.
He had no choice.
oOo
“I've got bad news for you. It's confirmed, Ojii-sama.”
The silence from the other end of the line was telling him to continue. Albeit reporting a serious issue to his boss slash grandfather, Yuu was smiling a confident smirk. He lazily sprawled his body on his sofa and held the phone to his ear. Besides the steady background noise coming from the aerator of his aquarium, he was hearing a victory song in his head.
“I've confirmed it through none other than Kame when we talked earlier today,” he started, as the person on the other line was intent on listening. “I got to make him talk after, well, a lot of effort.”
Shirota Yuu smiled.
“He's going out with that Akanishi,” he said into the receiver.
“Aren't you forcing words into Kazuya's mouth?”
Crisp. Yuu sat back in an elegant way after sensing the authority back into Johnny's voice.
“He told me that himself. Isn't that act aggravating in itself?” he was trying not to make his voice sing-song-y, but it was hard for him. “Personally, I think the two need a little, little punishment. Especially dear Kazuya.”
“What are you suggesting, Yuu?” his grandfather’s voice sounded curt now. Ahh, he would never want to hurt his dear, long lost golden boy.
“I dunno… A suspension, perhaps?”
Or more, Yuu sincerely hoped.
“Suspending Kazuya would be doing Ueda injustice, as they are a duo and they would never agree to engage in activities without the other half,” Johnny replied calmly.
More like suspending Kazuya would ruin the idea you planted into his mind of you being an ever compassionate old man, Yuu thought.
“What we can make a move on,” Johnny continued, “Is Akanishi.”
Yuu raised an eyebrow, which was, of course, unseen by his grandfather. Akanishi was going to start his first major Japan tour in a week or so. Surely, Johnny wouldn’t risk this profitable opportunity over family matters.
“What do you mean?”
“I can market him someplace else. Somewhere far from Kazuya. At the same time, you’d have the Japanese market for your genre to yourself - ”
“Hitting two birds with one stone, Ojii-san,” Yuu droned lazily, smiling now. “You’re such a brilliant man, no wonder you made the Jimusho successful.”
“Keep me posted on whatever else you find out, do you understand, Yuu?”
“Un.”
And the line went dead. That didn’t go quite as planned. He was hoping Johnny would lash out at his cousin and kick him out of the agency or something, but Yuu guessed he’d have to work on more incriminating evidence for that. At least, his efforts didn’t go to waste. An Akanishi-free Japan sounds good enough a reward for now.
oOo
Jin had been a bit worried when Kame came home today all quiet and rather on edge. He thought he’d done something to annoy the younger man again. Was he not welcome today in the super idol’s apartment? Jin had to admit he had been treating it like his own place, but only because Kame encouraged him to feel at home.
“So, how was the meeting today?” Jin asked as they sat opposite each other along the kitchen counter to have dinner. He didn’t have time to drop by Kame’s usual area in the Jimusho, because he was in another studio downtown meeting with his own set of backdancers for his upcoming concert.
“It was… okay,” Kame replied, staring into his plate and pushing around his food.
There was an awkward pause and all that could be heard in the apartment was the evening news blaring out in the living room. That was another sign of Akanishi feeling at home around the place. Kame would never leave his appliances like that.
“I, uhh, I heard you’re doing a collaboration with Shirota - ”
Kame’s head snapped up at that, eyes wide and searching, and Jin felt rather in the wrong for mentioning it. If Kame were mad at him for something, now he would be sending Kame on a guilt trip for doing a collaboration with Jin’s rival in the music industry, when in truth it wasn’t really Kame’s decision to begin with.
“Y - yeah,” Kame finally replied, his eyes settling upon his glass of water next.
“Hey,” Jin tried. “It’s okay,” he almost whispered.
Kame looked up at him again, and now Jin didn’t understand why his boyfriend looked so defeated.
“Is there something wrong?” Jin tried yet again, ever cautiously, implicitly pleading Kame to spill it out. The younger man shook his head without glancing up, so that Jin got off his chair and walked over to Kame’s side of the counter. “Hey, it’s alright,” he said again, placing an arm over Kame’s shoulders.
“I - we - we went out for coffee today - ” Kame breathed out, head still hung low.
Well, that was a bit surprising. But it wasn’t really a big deal with Jin. Kame and Shirota were going to be workmates on a single, and of course it entailed weeks of planning, recording, and subsequently, performing. This was the world they lived in. Jin could live with that, even if Shirota was so conveniently branded his rival from the start.
“Un, you talked about the project, didn’t you?” Jin said, trying to sound his most understanding. Kame remained stiff under his arm, so that he pulled the younger man into a hug. “Hey, it’s no big deal,” he said into Kame’s hair, which was still soft and fragrant despite the time of the day. “Sure, we’re rivals, but we’re all in the same agency, right?”
Kame nodded and Jin, satisfied, went back to his seat to resume eating. He spent the rest of the night, though, trying to better engage in good conversation a still seemingly uptight Kame.
oOo
Kame thought he’d have a difficult time looking, well, normal while watching Jin on stage. He didn’t know if he’d end up gushing or be critical or whatever else weird reaction, because it was his first time to be in a relationship with someone in the same line of work as him. Surprisingly, though, he enjoyed seeing his boyfriend do what he liked most, having the time of his life and enjoying the cheers of the crowd.
Biases aside, Jin was an amazing performer. With his talent, combined with his boyish charm and looks, his boyfriend was sure to be a top idol sooner or later. Kame smiled as Jin waved enthusiastically at the crowd.
Beside him, he heard a stifled snicker. Kame shot a sideways glare.
“What?” asked Kame tersely.
Ueda flashed him a wide sheepish grin, “Why are you looking at me like that? I’m not doing anything. Me and Yuichi are just quietly watching.”
From beside Ueda, Nakamaru leaned forward, flashing the exact same grin at Kame. It was an indulgent knowing grin that irritated Kame to no end.
“We were just saying that you must be proud of Akanishi,” said Nakamaru in his mild tone.
“Yeah, there were little red hearts in your eyes - ”Ueda snorted, unable to contain his laughter.
Kame’s hand shot out, aiming to hit Ueda on the head, but the other man was quick to dodge his attack.
“H - hey! Stop! Look, the next song’s beginning!” said Ueda, holding both hands up defensively, “You have to listen!”
The lights had dimmed, and Jin was alone on stage. The soloist raised a hand to quiet the audience.
“Minna-san, thank you for coming to the fourth night of my concert. Thank you all for your support!”
The crowd cheered as Jin beamed at them.
“For tonight, I’d like to perform a new song. Well, uh…” Jin stumbled with his words, suddenly shy for some reason. “I, uhm wrote this for a friend, a very important person whose company and insight I really appreciate and respect...” A momentary hush fell over the crowd before the soloist spoke again. “It’s Kamenashi.”
And while the crowd was very vocal with their reaction with a collective “Awww” at the apparent friendship between the two artists, Kame sat frozen in his seat, unable to react, let alone speak.
“Actually, uhm,” Jin pointed up at the VIP boxes, “He’s here now.”
Jin’s fans went wild at the knowledge of the super idol’s presence in the concert. A spotlight was turned on, and suddenly Kame was bathed in harsh white light.
Kame stood up, looking dazed for a minute, then as his idol reflexes kicked in, he smiled and waved at the cheering audience. Never in his life had Kame felt so embarrassed as he did now. And yet, though he would never ever admit it, he was also secretly pleased.
Kame looked to his side and, with a surge of annoyance, saw that Ueda was laughing freely at him now, and that Nakamaru had this irritating happy grin on his face. He felt the blood rising to his cheeks.
From the stage, Jin cleared his throat, “Uhm, well, so hi Kamenashi. Thanks for coming to see the concert tonight. So, uh, I’ll sing my song now, if you don’t mind.”
Kame nodded pleasantly, and bowed to the audience before the spotlight on him was switched off again.
“I hope you guys like it. The song’s called ‘Eternal.’”
The first bars of the music began to play, and Kame sat back down on his seat.
“That sentimental bastard…” the idol muttered under his breath, a proud and happy smile on his face as he watched Jin singing the song he had dedicated to Kame.
oOo
oOo
~end of Chapter 8~
Chapter 7
superhero0008’s fic list here!
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Authors: superhero0008, carboncastel, cascadingmerrygoround @ Tumblr
Pairing: Akame, MaruDa, RyoDa (plus others)
Rating: NC-17
Genre: AU, Romance, Drama, Smut
Disclaimer: We own no one in this fic except some minor OC. We own the plot.
Summary: World of Johnny’s Entertainment is burning with glitz and glamour. At the very top is Crimson Glory, the famous pop duo made up of the incredibly charismatic Kamenashi Kazuya and the enthralling Ueda Tatsuya. They are alike in that they follow where their hearts take them. Akanishi Jin is a solo artist who just recently debuted, slowly working his way to the top. Nishikido Ryo is an actor, and he goes for what he wants. Nakamaru Yuichi is the agency’s official photographer, and he’s happy with what he has. And Johnny Kitagawa. He doesn't make it easy for any of them. Well, except for his favorites, Shirota Yuu and Taguchi Junnosuke, and most especially, Kamenashi. What is true and what is false in this industry of illusions? What will they hold onto and what should they let go of?
A/N: We’re baaaaack~! Enjoy this chapter, guys! :D -superhero0008, carboncastel, & cascadingmerrygoround
Without You is How I Disappear
Chapter 8
He was trying to keep everything normal for the rest of the day. He walked through the agency's entrance and greeted back people for the morning, flashing his pearly white teeth as to mesmerize people with his smile. That is what an idol is for, really.
He kept greeting people back when someone tapped his shoulder.
“Good morning, Crimson Glory one-half.”
Kame appeared beside him and slung an arm over his shoulders. Ueda smiled and sighed, somewhat relieved.
“Good morning to you as well, other half of Crimson Glory.”
Kame removed his arm from Ueda's shoulder and slightly pouted, “That just didn't come out right! It sounded like I'm the leftover of KuriGuro.”
Ueda walked with Kame to the meeting room, all the while snickering with his sarcastic comments.
“Anyway,” Kame huffed and smiled, “a new project right after a vacation. Perfect.”
Ueda wasn't able to tell if Kame was being sarcastic. “What do you expect? We're Crimson Glory. We never run out of projects.”
“That's a pair of idols for you,” Kame raised his hand and Ueda immediately stopped walking and turned to his partner for a high-five. At that moment, someone bumped into Ueda’s back, making him somewhat lose his balance. Kame steadied Ueda with the hand he was holding.
“Oops, sorry - ” Ueda's black brown eyes were apologetic, “I wasn't looki - ”
A pair of familiar eyes looked at him and engaged him in a staring contest which lasted for a second.
Ryo.
Ryo’s eyes widened in surprise, then, suddenly and inexplicably, his expression changed to one that looked very much like disgust. Ueda was taken aback.
Then, the actor left without much as an apology as a turn of his heel. Crimson Glory merely looked on as Nishikido walked away from them.
Noticing the awkward silence which befell them, Kame thoughtfully chose his words and looked back at Ueda.
“Aren't you two,” he looked back at the empty corridor, “you know, friends? I know too well Ryo doesn't really like me, but you two are, well… friends.” Kame trailed off, unsure of what to say next.
Ueda smoothed over his clothes, as he was trying to stop the trail of thought which came to his mind. He was, though he would never admit it out loud, dismayed, if not a bit hurt at the cold treatment. What had he done to deserve something like that?
“I guess he's busy,” Ueda said dismissively, “Let him be, we can catch up with him some other time… maybe.”
There was curiosity left in Kame's face as he regarded Ueda and his uncharacteristic answer. “Well... shall we go then? Meeting won't start unless we get there.”
The both of them nodded and walked faster towards their destination. Even so, Ueda was thinking that he should be thankful that Ryo didn't pester him that morning, right after their somewhat interesting vacation.
No, really, he should be relieved. He shook his head and opened the door to the meeting room and went inside.
oOo
Kame rested his rather sweaty palms against the cool marble of the washroom sink. Some meeting, that was. It took the whole of his morning, and it ended with a rather awkward moment of fake eagerness, at least for himself.
Johnny was there, of course, so Kame couldn’t act less than proper. But finding out that he’d be spending the next few weeks, if not months, of his life working with Shirota Yuu just didn’t sit right with him. He had been wary of the man ever since that absurdly annoying conversation in the elevator. Usually, Kame didn’t like to make judgments on his fellow idols, much less those who weren’t quite at the level KuriGuro was in, but this Shirota… He even kept throwing glances paired with smirks in Kame’s direction the whole time (or maybe he was looking at Ueda?) and Kame didn’t know if that was his way of showing excitement for the project.
Kame washed his hands a second time around before exiting the restroom and walking over to the elevator hubs. He surprisingly didn’t have much to do today, at least nothing that would require him to stay in the studios. He could write lyrics at home and be there waiting when Jin comes to visit. The thought brought a grin to Kame’s lips as he patiently waited for the elevator to come down to his floor.
Just as the machine chimed to announce its arrival, Kame’s phone rang.
“Kamenashi desu,” Kame answered as he stepped onto the cubicle. “Ah, hai… I’m going home now - ”
It was their manager, Okazaki, just checking up on him. She really was like a mother sometimes.
“Okay. Okay, I will,” he laughed a bit. “Don’t worry about me! I’ll be fine. Ja ne,” he said, ending the call.
“That wasn’t Akanishi, was it?”
Kame had a mini-heart attack upon hearing another man’s voice inside the elevator. He didn’t notice how he actually wasn’t alone inside, and to his anxiety, his company was no other than Shirota Yuu himself.
“Is it really a habit of yours to pry into other people’s business when inside elevators?” Kame fired up, remembering the last time they had been together in an elevator. Shirota merely chuckled.
“And here I was, thinking we could start over, seeing as how we’d be together for the next weeks of our lives.”
Kame raised an eyebrow at the statement, unconsciously gripping his phone tight in his hand.
“What do you envision for our collaboration single, though?” Shirota suddenly asked, and Kame didn’t know if he’d be suspicious or thankful that the taller man decided to change the subject.
“I just want it to be sane and I just want to get it over with - ”
Kame could only watch as Shirota jabbed at the stop button, sending the elevator to a standstill, and he froze as he felt himself pinned against the cold metal of the elevator interior, his arms kept at his sides by Shirota’s powerful grip.
“I want it to be sexy and mysterious like some of your performances - ”
“What the fuck - ”
“And I want us to do fan service when we perform it so that people would go crazy - ”
Kame didn’t know if the groan hiding behind Shirota’s words were caused by their current position or… other things.
“Shirota - get off me - ”
Kame twisted his wrists free and pushed forcefully at the taller man’s shoulders, but his words and effort were no less than ignored as a hand snaked its way between them, coming to rest on his abdomen. Kame, being naturally reserved with his emotions, bit his lip, his anger just bubbling to the surface.
“Wouldn’t you want to do that?” Shirota asked, their noses and lips almost touching no matter how much Kame pressed backward into the wall behind him. “I heard you like men anyway - ”
Where did Shirota even get information like that? Kame was sure he and Akanishi had been careful. Well, except for some moments during their vacation, but those weren’t even suggestive!
“ - especially a certain Akanishi Jin - ”
As he turned his face away, Kame suddenly recalled why he had been bothered with Shirota to begin with. He had told Shirota off for being nosy. Now it made sense why Shirota seemed so interested in Kame’s personal life. But why was he? And how did he get such ideas, even?
“What do you do together, huh?” Shirota asked, now nuzzling Kame’s neck. It made Kame sick. “Do you do this?”
Kame felt his knees go weak as Shirota’s hand, previously on his stomach, dipped lower to his groin. He couldn’t believe he was in this situation. He couldn’t at all.
“What - the fuck - are you doing - ” Kame said through gritted teeth in between deep breaths. He was not going to be defeated by this.
Shirota smiled and winked before replying, “Being friendly.”
And just like that, the taller man pushed himself off Kame and casually pressed the down button, making the elevator move again. Kame’s ears rang, staring at the doors after having managed to push himself off the wall as well, but he didn’t dare even look sideways, just in case Shirota would get other ideas. This guy was sick. Kame didn’t understand him at all, and all the Crimson Glory member wanted to do was stay as far as possible from him for a very long time.
“And since we’re on the subject of being friendly,” Shirota suddenly spoke again, as if they were in the middle of a conversation. “Let’s go get some coffee,” he finished, smiling brightly down at Kame.
Kame glared back, willing for the taller man to burst into flames right before him, but to his horror Shirota pressed and held the button that kept the doors closed.
“If you’re thinking of saying ‘no’ to me,” Shirota’s lips curled into a smirk. “I guess I can’t force you. But I can’t promise to keep quiet. I mean, I really am curious about you and Akanishi and I might try to find out things from other people - ”
No. No. Kame was not hearing this.
“Let’s go,” Kame heard himself say.
He had no choice.
oOo
“I've got bad news for you. It's confirmed, Ojii-sama.”
The silence from the other end of the line was telling him to continue. Albeit reporting a serious issue to his boss slash grandfather, Yuu was smiling a confident smirk. He lazily sprawled his body on his sofa and held the phone to his ear. Besides the steady background noise coming from the aerator of his aquarium, he was hearing a victory song in his head.
“I've confirmed it through none other than Kame when we talked earlier today,” he started, as the person on the other line was intent on listening. “I got to make him talk after, well, a lot of effort.”
Shirota Yuu smiled.
“He's going out with that Akanishi,” he said into the receiver.
“Aren't you forcing words into Kazuya's mouth?”
Crisp. Yuu sat back in an elegant way after sensing the authority back into Johnny's voice.
“He told me that himself. Isn't that act aggravating in itself?” he was trying not to make his voice sing-song-y, but it was hard for him. “Personally, I think the two need a little, little punishment. Especially dear Kazuya.”
“What are you suggesting, Yuu?” his grandfather’s voice sounded curt now. Ahh, he would never want to hurt his dear, long lost golden boy.
“I dunno… A suspension, perhaps?”
Or more, Yuu sincerely hoped.
“Suspending Kazuya would be doing Ueda injustice, as they are a duo and they would never agree to engage in activities without the other half,” Johnny replied calmly.
More like suspending Kazuya would ruin the idea you planted into his mind of you being an ever compassionate old man, Yuu thought.
“What we can make a move on,” Johnny continued, “Is Akanishi.”
Yuu raised an eyebrow, which was, of course, unseen by his grandfather. Akanishi was going to start his first major Japan tour in a week or so. Surely, Johnny wouldn’t risk this profitable opportunity over family matters.
“What do you mean?”
“I can market him someplace else. Somewhere far from Kazuya. At the same time, you’d have the Japanese market for your genre to yourself - ”
“Hitting two birds with one stone, Ojii-san,” Yuu droned lazily, smiling now. “You’re such a brilliant man, no wonder you made the Jimusho successful.”
“Keep me posted on whatever else you find out, do you understand, Yuu?”
“Un.”
And the line went dead. That didn’t go quite as planned. He was hoping Johnny would lash out at his cousin and kick him out of the agency or something, but Yuu guessed he’d have to work on more incriminating evidence for that. At least, his efforts didn’t go to waste. An Akanishi-free Japan sounds good enough a reward for now.
oOo
Jin had been a bit worried when Kame came home today all quiet and rather on edge. He thought he’d done something to annoy the younger man again. Was he not welcome today in the super idol’s apartment? Jin had to admit he had been treating it like his own place, but only because Kame encouraged him to feel at home.
“So, how was the meeting today?” Jin asked as they sat opposite each other along the kitchen counter to have dinner. He didn’t have time to drop by Kame’s usual area in the Jimusho, because he was in another studio downtown meeting with his own set of backdancers for his upcoming concert.
“It was… okay,” Kame replied, staring into his plate and pushing around his food.
There was an awkward pause and all that could be heard in the apartment was the evening news blaring out in the living room. That was another sign of Akanishi feeling at home around the place. Kame would never leave his appliances like that.
“I, uhh, I heard you’re doing a collaboration with Shirota - ”
Kame’s head snapped up at that, eyes wide and searching, and Jin felt rather in the wrong for mentioning it. If Kame were mad at him for something, now he would be sending Kame on a guilt trip for doing a collaboration with Jin’s rival in the music industry, when in truth it wasn’t really Kame’s decision to begin with.
“Y - yeah,” Kame finally replied, his eyes settling upon his glass of water next.
“Hey,” Jin tried. “It’s okay,” he almost whispered.
Kame looked up at him again, and now Jin didn’t understand why his boyfriend looked so defeated.
“Is there something wrong?” Jin tried yet again, ever cautiously, implicitly pleading Kame to spill it out. The younger man shook his head without glancing up, so that Jin got off his chair and walked over to Kame’s side of the counter. “Hey, it’s alright,” he said again, placing an arm over Kame’s shoulders.
“I - we - we went out for coffee today - ” Kame breathed out, head still hung low.
Well, that was a bit surprising. But it wasn’t really a big deal with Jin. Kame and Shirota were going to be workmates on a single, and of course it entailed weeks of planning, recording, and subsequently, performing. This was the world they lived in. Jin could live with that, even if Shirota was so conveniently branded his rival from the start.
“Un, you talked about the project, didn’t you?” Jin said, trying to sound his most understanding. Kame remained stiff under his arm, so that he pulled the younger man into a hug. “Hey, it’s no big deal,” he said into Kame’s hair, which was still soft and fragrant despite the time of the day. “Sure, we’re rivals, but we’re all in the same agency, right?”
Kame nodded and Jin, satisfied, went back to his seat to resume eating. He spent the rest of the night, though, trying to better engage in good conversation a still seemingly uptight Kame.
oOo
Kame thought he’d have a difficult time looking, well, normal while watching Jin on stage. He didn’t know if he’d end up gushing or be critical or whatever else weird reaction, because it was his first time to be in a relationship with someone in the same line of work as him. Surprisingly, though, he enjoyed seeing his boyfriend do what he liked most, having the time of his life and enjoying the cheers of the crowd.
Biases aside, Jin was an amazing performer. With his talent, combined with his boyish charm and looks, his boyfriend was sure to be a top idol sooner or later. Kame smiled as Jin waved enthusiastically at the crowd.
Beside him, he heard a stifled snicker. Kame shot a sideways glare.
“What?” asked Kame tersely.
Ueda flashed him a wide sheepish grin, “Why are you looking at me like that? I’m not doing anything. Me and Yuichi are just quietly watching.”
From beside Ueda, Nakamaru leaned forward, flashing the exact same grin at Kame. It was an indulgent knowing grin that irritated Kame to no end.
“We were just saying that you must be proud of Akanishi,” said Nakamaru in his mild tone.
“Yeah, there were little red hearts in your eyes - ”Ueda snorted, unable to contain his laughter.
Kame’s hand shot out, aiming to hit Ueda on the head, but the other man was quick to dodge his attack.
“H - hey! Stop! Look, the next song’s beginning!” said Ueda, holding both hands up defensively, “You have to listen!”
The lights had dimmed, and Jin was alone on stage. The soloist raised a hand to quiet the audience.
“Minna-san, thank you for coming to the fourth night of my concert. Thank you all for your support!”
The crowd cheered as Jin beamed at them.
“For tonight, I’d like to perform a new song. Well, uh…” Jin stumbled with his words, suddenly shy for some reason. “I, uhm wrote this for a friend, a very important person whose company and insight I really appreciate and respect...” A momentary hush fell over the crowd before the soloist spoke again. “It’s Kamenashi.”
And while the crowd was very vocal with their reaction with a collective “Awww” at the apparent friendship between the two artists, Kame sat frozen in his seat, unable to react, let alone speak.
“Actually, uhm,” Jin pointed up at the VIP boxes, “He’s here now.”
Jin’s fans went wild at the knowledge of the super idol’s presence in the concert. A spotlight was turned on, and suddenly Kame was bathed in harsh white light.
Kame stood up, looking dazed for a minute, then as his idol reflexes kicked in, he smiled and waved at the cheering audience. Never in his life had Kame felt so embarrassed as he did now. And yet, though he would never ever admit it, he was also secretly pleased.
Kame looked to his side and, with a surge of annoyance, saw that Ueda was laughing freely at him now, and that Nakamaru had this irritating happy grin on his face. He felt the blood rising to his cheeks.
From the stage, Jin cleared his throat, “Uhm, well, so hi Kamenashi. Thanks for coming to see the concert tonight. So, uh, I’ll sing my song now, if you don’t mind.”
Kame nodded pleasantly, and bowed to the audience before the spotlight on him was switched off again.
“I hope you guys like it. The song’s called ‘Eternal.’”
The first bars of the music began to play, and Kame sat back down on his seat.
“That sentimental bastard…” the idol muttered under his breath, a proud and happy smile on his face as he watched Jin singing the song he had dedicated to Kame.
oOo
oOo
~end of Chapter 8~
Chapter 7
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