"I didn't want to say anything while we were there, but I think that weird foreigner guy sitting in front of us at the diner last night was checking you out," Hiro said, waggling his eyebrows, as they walked to the cinema.

"What makes you think I'd be interested in something like that?" Shuichi asked defensively, staring at his shoes.

"I didn't say anything about you, I was talking about the guy," Hiro said.

"Oh, yeah, well that guy's an asshole," Shuichi said.

"Why? Did he say something to you after I left?" Hiro asked. "He didn't come on to you or something, did he?"

"No," Shuichi said through ground teeth. "Just drop it, okay?"

"Sure, Shu, no need to get touchy," Hiro said with a laugh.

Shuichi thought about last night, despite having lost enough sleep dwelling on it the night before. He'd made an utter fool of himself, though thankfully Hiro acted like nothing had happened. When did things get so weird?

He knew better than to ask himself that. It was the play. Sure, he'd pushed a few questions for himself as far into the back of his mind as he could cram them over the years, as the boys around him began to talk about girls, and he still wanted to talk about acting and just hang out with Hiro, but actually being in those situations with Hiro must have short-circuited his brain. Sure they weren't real situations, and sure those words weren't his, but actually being required to look into Hiro's eyes like he wanted him, to actually have an excuse to kiss him -- it was just more than he could stand.

And then that guy -- he'd seen everything. He knew everything. Why couldn't he get those prying eyes out of his head, that knowing little smirk the man had given him? And damned it if he didn't think the guy was pretty hot to boot…

What the man had said had gotten to him in more ways than one, though. Did how he felt about Hiro really discredit his performance? Would he be able to do as well in other circumstances?

"Um, Shuichi, we're here," Hiro said, as Shuichi absently started to wander past their destination. "What's with you today? Are you still worried about the encore this weekend?"

"Yeah, that must be it," Shuichi conceded, following Hiro to the ticket booth.

"Hiro?" Shuichi asked after paying for his ticket.

"Yeah?" Hiro asked.

"Do you think I'm a good actor? I mean, this isn't just a hobby for me, you know? I really want to be on the stage -- a real stage someday," Shuichi said.

"Of course you're a good actor. I mean, you're so intense in that role it's almost scary," Hiro said with a laugh.

"Um, thanks," Shuichi said with a frown.

OoOoO

"Eiri-san, you seem distracted. Would you like to take a break?" Tohma asked softly. The others at the table looked at him curiously, making Eiri feel uncomfortable, and he glanced irritably at his mother hen of a brother-in-law for drawing their attention to him.

"I'm going out for a smoke," Eiri muttered, standing from his seat and making his way to the exit. Tohma, of course, was right on his heels.

"I have great hopes for this production, Eiri-san. I have no doubts that this will make you one of the most noted playwrights in the country," Tohma said, as they stepped out onto the fire escape, the bright sunlight making the smaller man look angelically pale as a slight breeze gently tousled his platinum blonde hair. Yuki grunted in reply, staring down into the alley, where a stray cat contentedly bathed itself atop a dumpster.

"I could give you an advance once we work out the budget," Tohma said, placing his gloved hand on Eiri's arm. "Perhaps we could go pick out a car you like and see about a down payment. I hate thinking of you having to walk everyday to that tiny apartment of yours."

"I like walking. It clears my head," Eiri said. It was a lie, he'd always wanted a nice car, but he didn't like anyone telling him how to spend his money.

"I see," Tohma said in defeat, knowing better than to push an issue when Eiri was in a contrary mood. "I was wondering, Eiri. Would you have any interest in being apart of the casting or rehearsal process once we get things underway? I'm sure any insights you'd care to contribute would be greatly valued by the director."

"Casting, huh?" Eiri asked thoughtfully. Just yesterday, the suggestion would have been brushed off without a second thought. "Do you already have anyone in mind?"

"Why no," Tohma said, seeming surprised at Eiri's sudden interest. "I mean, we do have our regular players who usually try out for new productions, but I'm sure there will be many newcomers. The leading roles do call for younger actors than the ones who usually audition, after all."

Eiri's first play that he'd ever deemed worthy of submitting for a full production, was the story of a young girl named Avaron, whose strictly traditional family has just selected a husband for her arranged marriage, though she has already declared her love for Toshi, a penniless young man she buys from at the fish market. It of course ends tragically, not unlike another tale of star-crossed lovers, though in this tale the couple simply have a bittersweet parting after accepting their roles in life.

Eiri had just opened his mouth to speak, when a call from the alley below interrupted him.

"Tohma! I got the copy of the play you sent! It's really good!" said a rapidly approaching man with a childish giggle. Eiri glanced down, as Sakuma Ryuichi leapt up to grab the low bottom platform of the wrought iron stairway, scrambling onto it with all the deft skill of a spider monkey.

"I thought you said you didn't have anyone in mind," Eiri said under his breath.

"I honestly never dreamed he'd be interested when I sent it," Tohma said with a look of surprise, as Ryuichi climbed up to meet them.

OoOoO

Eiri left the theater, bored with the scene stealing tour de force that was the break out star of his brother-in-law's renowned acting troupe from his younger days. The man was a walking circus, and it was easy for the playwright to slink away amidst the chaos he brought as all the other actors and crew who were rehearsing the current production at the theater fawned upon him. As he passed an electronics store, all the televisions in the front window were tuned to an advertisement for the most popular TV drama in Japan, starring Sakuma Ryuichi, almost as if to mock him.

It wasn't even that he disliked the actor especially. Most playhouses would probably be beside themselves at the mere thought of the wildly popular actor taking an interest in returning to the stage to be in one of their productions. It almost guaranteed a long run and great success, after all. But Eiri was already picturing the revamped ad bills with the actor's name larger than the play's, and it irritated the hell out of him. He wanted his play to do well on its own merits.

Lost in thought, he was shaken from his reverie by an insistent voice calling from behind him as he passed the movie theater.

"Hey! You in the grey shirt!" the voice called again. Realizing that he was the one being addressed, he turned to find his pursuer to be none other than the young boy he had been so drawn to the night before.

"What do you want, kid?" Eiri asked. The light of day and lack of stage makeup did nothing to alter what he had found so captivating, though he kept his expression carefully neutral. Even now, with the boys eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring, he was charming. He looked ready to take on the world, and Eiri found it almost exhilarating to be the focus of all that determination.

"I don't think what you said to me was fair," the boy he knew only as Juliet, said. "I am a good actor! Acting is my life, and you had no right to judge me over a casually rehearsed scene like that."

"If you can't take criticism, then you've chosen the wrong profession, brat," Eiri said with a shrug, and started to walk away before the kid drew him in any deeper. He didn't like the lack of control this boy made him feel.

"Wait! I just wanted to invite you see my play, all right? Then you can criticize me all you want," the boy said, his bravado from before faded into a soft plea. Eiri sighed, and cursed under his breath, finding himself unable to resist the urge to stop and turn around.

"Why do you care so much about my opinion, kid?" Eiri asked, leveling him with a scrutinizing stare. Did this boy know who he was, or who he was connected to somehow?

"I -- because you know the truth," the boy said, lowering his eyes to stare at the ground. "I just -- I want you to see the whole play, not just the scenes with -- with my friend, okay?"

Eiri loathed the way his heart stuttered when those teary eyes rose once more to meet his. What the hell is this boy doing to me? he thought to himself, as he found himself wordlessly nodding at the boy's request.

"Thank you," the boy said, and rattled off the directions to his school.

"Shuichi! Where did you go?" Eiri heard a voice call from around the corner.

"I have to go," the boy said. So his name was Shuichi, Eiri thought to himself.

They looked in each others eyes a moment past that of comfort before Shuichi ran off to meet his friend, and Eiri wondered all the way home if he'd imagined that little spark of interest in the way the boy looked back at him, and even more so, why he cared.

There's no way in hell I'm going to that play, he thought to himself as he cracked open his fourth beer back at his apartment, and reached for the address book where he kept the numbers of some of the theater's more eager up and coming actresses, who were always on call for Seguchi Tohma's handsome brother-in-law.