I've always wanted to do a takeoff of a Sophie Kinsella novel. I think Misaki would make a great PT. It's obviously AU.
Just Between Us
Chapter 1
It was ten pm, and Takahashi Misaki was on his hands and knees looking for a ring. And not just any ring, but the engagement ring his beloved fiancé Miyagi Yoh the well-known professor at Mitsuhashi University had given him; and not only was it worth at least his year's salary it was also a family heirloom and Misaki had lost it.
Everything had seemed fine. He had gone to a charity raffle with his co-workers, his wedding planner Takatsuki-san, and his brother Takahiro and his wife Manami-san. Aikawa-san had begged him to show her his ring for the fifteenth time. Okay, so he couldn't blame her. It was flawless and had a huge emerald, not to mention the smaller diamonds around the sides. Misaki blushed remembering when Yoh gave it to him. He often was silly, but he'd been so serious when he was proposing and bringing out the ring; not to mention unbelievably sexy with that gorgeous black hair, those eyes which looked at him with love and tenderness, and his strong body.
"Misaki, this ring shows off your beautiful emerald eyes. I know we can't marry legally, but I was hoping you'd let me adopt you and become your husband. Will you?"
Misaki had jumped into his arms. This had meant so much; It wasn't even the expense, but that he was that important to warrant a family heirloom. If that didn't say love, what did? They'd become a real family together. Not that his brother Takahiro wasn't a family. He'd tried so much to take care of him after their parents had died in a car accident when Misaki was eight. But marriage was different, even if it officially it was going to be an adult adoption.
So why oh, why had he let Aikawa-san look at his ring? Well aside from her being his boss at Physios R Us, a clinic he had worked at now for almost five years. Still. It hadn't been Aikawa-san's fault, so maybe it had been Kisa-san's? He couldn't remember who had held it last before that fire alarm had gone off and everything had gone crazy.
He was taking a quick breather outside. What he needed was one of those bear cream puff pastries that Aikawa-san loved so much. That and a mochachino and he'd be set. Because he was obviously moving into the Teito hotel, wasn't he? He had to keep looking. Going home without the ring just wasn't a possibility. Although he'd given his number to what seemed like the entire hotel staff. Maybe he should just go home and hope for the best?
Suddenly a weight had been taken off his hands. Literally. Some guy on a bicycle had just grabbed his phone. Which had the number he'd been giving to so many people to call if they found the ring, not to mention his clients' numbers, and his schedule. Okay so those were on the work computers, but still!
Misaki tried to run after him but it was impossible. It hadn't even been an expensive phone, but it was his! And it also had that limited-edition Hawaiian shirt Za Kan phone strap he had worked so hard to get! It was irreplaceable!
He went back inside and hurled himself on an overstuffed chair. Could his day get any worse? Maybe he should go to the concierge and have him call his phone? But then what?
Then he noticed something in the garbage can next to his. Was he seeing things or was he really looking at an abandoned cell phone? He gingerly picked it out of the garbage, which appeared empty aside for it. That's exactly what he needed, and it had obviously been thrown out, so finders' keepers, right? So, what if there was a label on the back with Usami Industries on it?
He could hear his big brother chastising him in his head. 'Is this how I raised you? What would our parents think?' Well, that is what he might say. Well a harsher version of him. Takahiro in person was too much of a softie to say it that meanly.
He jumped. The phone was ringing. Should he answer it? Suddenly he remembered when Za Kan answered a phone in one tense chapter, pretending to be an answering machine. Misaki didn't know why but he impulsively answered the phone. "I'm sorry but your party cannot be reached. Please leave a message with your name and phone number and we will return your call." He almost said 'leave a beep' before remembering his beep would sound way too fake.
Amazingly enough, the man at the other end seemed to take the bait. Misaki found a magazine to write down the message. May 15: Tama found a doctor. Excellent surgeon. Lock the Backdoor. Don't screw up. What a strange message. Well it would make sense to whoever was supposed to get it and Misaki would have the message just in case. He looked through and found his temporary phone number in settings. Perfect. He just had to give everyone this number and he'd be set. And then when he got a new phone, he'd bring it back to Usami Industries. It was one of the nicer smartphones, but probably a year out of date.
He had just updated everyone the new number when a weird ring tone different from the last went off. An angry sounding man with a very low voice was on the line.
"Takada-san. Where are you?"
"Ah. Sorry, but Takada-san isn't using this phone any longer. I'll be borrowing it for just a short while."
"Hah? Borrowing it? This is a Usami Industries phone. So, what you're saying is you're stealing it? Who is this anyway? What happened to Takada-san?" The man seemed a little scary.
"I'm just borrowing it. I think Takada-san didn't need it anymore, because I found it in the garbage. And I'm really going to return it. It's just that- I need it! I just lost my ring and-"
"And what does that have to do with anything. This phone belongs to Usami Industries. Takada-san is- was my professional assistant and I guess she decided to jump ship during one of the biggest meetings of the year."
"The thing is there was a fire alarm and my ring got lost. It's an engagement ring and then my phone was stolen, and I already told everybody here to contact me at this this number if it's found. I'll just use it until I find the ring. Please?"
"Shit. This is a disaster. Are you still at Teito?"
"Yes. I'm at the Teito hotel. That's where I lost my engagement ring."
"Forget the ring for a moment. You can help me out with something. There's a delegation from the British government about to leave the hotel. Don't let them go."
"What?"
"Just do what I ask, please. The elevator isn't working and meanwhile because of a couple cultural misunderstandings a very important deal is about to fall through and 50 - no, make that 100 people are going to lose their jobs."
Well. That sounded worse than a lost ring, even if it was an heirloom.
"Okay, but how am I supposed to stop them?"
"That's your problem. I'll be there within three minutes. Just stop them until then. If you can do that, then you can borrow the phone."
"Okay - uh my name is Takahashi by the way. Takahashi Misaki."
"Just focus on stopping them!"
"Oh! Right." he hung up and ran to the main entrance and, as if by magic, he could see a whole contingent of what looked like Europeans heading to the exit. Misaki had never been one for improvising, but he hadn't won medals in gymnastic in high school for nothing. He'd always loved sports, which is what led to him becoming a physical therapist. He'd always dreamed he'd work with famous athletes, but his current position hadn't been bad at all. He'd met Yoh there after all. Yoh. He was nothing like this rude stranger he just met who didn't even bother to tell him his name.
He realized the contingent was almost out the door. He had to do something. He tried in his best English to stop them.
"Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen! I see you are leaving!" He did a backflip. "You missed the show! The gym and kendo show." Why did he say kendo? He didn't have any kendo sticks or anything appropriate to wear. "I mean judo. I'd like to do a demonstration to show you our special feelings we have for you." What the hell was he even saying?
Amazingly the head of the contingent seemed to be interested. Well this was ridiculous. How was he supposed to do judo when there was nobody to fight? Well gymnastics then. He did some somersaults and a modified cartwheel.
Then without realizing he was singing the main theme to the last Za Kan movie. They seemed to enjoy his dancing, although they couldn't have understood the words.
He did another backflip and a handstand as a finale.
"We realize we might have offended you but when it comes to business, we will go upside down to make you satisfied!" Okay that was about as cheesy as possible.
Misaki couldn't believe it. They all were acting like they loved him; even taking turns shaking his hands.
The phone rang.
"Ah, sorry. I better take this." He breathlessly took the phone.
"Hi. They're still here. Where are you?"
"Stairs." Misaki turned to his right and saw one of the most handsome men he'd ever seen walking toward him with a smirk on his face. He was tall, broad shouldered, wearing a suit (well of course. He was a salaryman) and with short silver hair. Exactly his type. Well if he'd been single which he wasn't. And this guy looked so full of himself. Unlike Yoh who was only serious about Matsuo Basho. He remembered he still didn't know where his ring was and froze. He went over to the men and spoke to them for a few minutes. They all were smiling happily as they left the building a few minutes later. The man went back to Misaki.
"Thank you. You may have the phone. But only temporarily. As soon as you find your ring, you're bringing it back. And I expect you to send me all my messages as well."
"You don't look at your own emails?"
"Why do you think I have a PA? She's supposed to filter out all the trash, but you can just send me everything. I'll send you the information. What a headache."
"Ah."
"Happy hunting."
"Hunting?"
"For your engagement ring?"
"Ah. Thanks! I promise you won't regret this!"
Misaki had just enough time to watch the man head to the bank of elevators.
Usami Industries. Wasn't that one of the biggest corporations in Japan? Not that was Usami Group. They had to be connected.
He looked at his watch. If he didn't run now, he was going to miss the last train. And tomorrow he'd be meeting Yoh with or without his ring.
