Disclaimer: Standard no ownage applies.
Part II: Feeding the Beast
They try to hide it for a few weeks, but when Neji and Tenten inevitably forget a studio event they're expected to attend, their publicists stage an intervention.
Tenten has always hated these offices. They are too dark and modern for her tastes. She stares at the black carpet, thinking that it would not be comfortable if she took her shoes off.
Neji sits next to her, across from their handlers, but he's not paying attention either. Inconspicuously, Tenten snakes a finger through his belt loop. Her fingertips brush his skin. Neji blinks and she can detect a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. He grasps her hand, laces their fingers together.
"You're both lucky this hasn't blown up in all of our faces," Shizune says, scrolling through her phone as Iruka types things out on his laptop.
"You can't blame us for wanting to keep it quiet," Tenten replies, liking how Neji's stroking her hand with his thumb. "The press would have gone ballistic."
"Which is why you should have told us," Iruka responds, raising his eyebrows, but not looking away from his computer. "Now we have to do damage control."
Neji shakes his head. "There isn't anything to control. If people knew, we would have seen evidence of it already."
"You two can't keep hiding it. It will come out eventually. We're lucky it hasn't gotten to the press yet. Iruka and I are drafting a press release now."
Tenten stares at her publicist. "You're kidding."
Shizune's expression tells her that she is not, in fact, kidding.
"What's the need for a press release? It's not like we're news," Tenten says.
"Oh, but you are." Shizune scrolls through her phone as she calls out facts, "Neji-kun is the most popular actor in his age group. People watch him like a hawk. Tenten, you're the sweetheart of television. You're rising on all of the social media outlets. This could make or break you."
"I'm dating him. This isn't a publicity maneuver."
Neither Iruka nor Shizune answer her, reviewing the release that Iruka had typed on his computer. Tenten sighs.
"They're right, you know," Neji says to her.
Tenten narrows her eyes. "How?"
"This could damage your career. If the media discovers it on their own, there's bound to be repercussions. And it could hurt you."
Tenten rolls her eyes. "This whole thing is ridiculous."
Neji turns back to Iruka and Shizune. "When are you doing the press release?"
"In the morning."
"Do we need to be there?"
Shizune makes a face. "Please, no. You've done enough already. Let us handle this."
"We'll be going then," Neji says, pulling Tenten to her feet.
"Just a second," Shizune says, holding up a finger. She hands Neji a single sheet of paper with faces on it. "Review these and get back to me."
"What is this?"
"Bodyguards. Select one and get back to me."
Tenten snatches the list from his hand. "You guys are crazy. We don't need a bodyguard."
"Except you do. As soon as this news breaks you're going to be swarmed with cameras all the time, everywhere. You've dealt with paparazzi before, but this will change the nature of it. Let me make this clear to both of you: for as long as you're together, people will want to photograph you and be in your personal business. And you have to let them, because you're celebrities. It's not fair, but that's reality. You're going to be needing a bodyguard."
Tenten scowls, but glances over the list. She taps the picture of the first choice—a lean guy with bushy black eyebrows.
Tenten realizes that the press release is over the next day when her phone starts blowing up with texts, calls, and notifications from social media she's subscribed to.
Jerkily, she juggles her coffee and purse as she scrolls through her phone, eyes narrowed.
JUST IN: HYUGA NEJI DATES CO-STAR!
TENTEN AND NEJI—SECRET LOVE?!
CELEBRITIES WITHHOLD RELATIONSHIP—WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?
The titles went on and on. Tenten grimaces—the comments from fans and the media were already climbing into the hundreds. She glances at the multiple videos popping up—a few are compilations of pictures of she and Neji together (mostly taken from their television show), but most are feeds from the press conference. Tenten pushes in her headphones and clicks on one; Shizune begins talking.
"Good morning, everyone. Iruka and I are here to address the rumors concerning our clients, Hyuga Neji and Tenten. There has been curiosity as to whether our clients are seeing each other romantically. At this time, we would like to confirm these rumors. Our clients would like to request their privacy be respected, as well as express their gratefulness to the support of their friends, family, and fans. We will take a couple of questions—"
Tenten swipes the video away, content with Shizune's explanation. Her phone buzzes with a text from Neji.
Question.
Tenten replies, Yeah?
Iruka has set up a television appearance for me on some talk show. They're bound to ask about us.
Tenten's forehead creased. Are you asking my permission?
No. . . . I just don't know what they're going to ask me. I didn't know if you would be comfortable with it.
I think you're more than capable of handling whatever they throw at you.
Her confidence in him is real. The press was always a problem, but if they were managed correctly, then staying ahead wasn't too hard a task. And Neji had never shown incompetence in the face of the media before.
Thanks for the vote of confidence. . . Do you want to get dinner tonight?
Tenten bites her lip. Before she and Neji had left the meeting with their publicists the previous day, they both had strictly forbidden them from venturing out into public together until their bodyguard was hired. But there were alternatives.
Yes. Come to my apartment.
Neji's uncle fixes him with an inscrutable stare. Neji sighs under its weight; he can already feel the storm brewing.
He had hoped, of course, that his family's knowledge would be stemmed. However, Neji wouldn't be sitting in his uncle's office if his family were still unaware.
His uncle holds up a tabloid, eyes narrowed. "Would you care to explain, nephew?"
Neji studies the picture splashed on the cover. It is a photo that was taken a few weeks back, and it is not good quality. Both he and Tenten's backs are facing the camera, and their forms are blurry at best. However, he can clearly see his hand encompassing hers. Silently, Neji thinks that tabloids are always the most incriminating sources of reality.
He meets his uncle's gaze again, lifting his eyebrows slightly.
"You've met Tenten before," Neji reminds casually. "She's been my costar for several years."
"I know who she is. What I fail to understand is why you were in a secret relationship with her."
Neji pointedly glances at the tabloid. Some secret.
"Why did you keep this from us?"
Ah, yes, Neji thinks. 'Us'. The family, always used in collective. The way he says it is like it's an offense.
"Must I have the approval of the family for every person I spend my time with?" says Neji.
Hiashi raises an eyebrow at the apparent challenge, but declines to answer. They both know what his response would be.
Neji watches as his uncle shuts the tabloid in a drawer, and sink into his desk chair. He says tiredly, "You are no regular celebrity, Neji. You know that."
Yes, he does. Neji rubs his finger against his temple. He senses a lecture.
"The Hyuga name is not something that is so easily tarnished, but our family takes great care to prevent any type of scandal."
"Uncle, this is hardly a scandal."
His uncle's forehead creases. "Your . . . relationship with the girl is not what I'm referring to."
Neji swallows, suddenly nervous. His uncle reaches into another desk drawer and withdraws a letter that Neji thought he had mailed a week ago.
"I'm sure you know what this is," his uncle says in a whisper.
Neji exhales, attempting to control his temper. He clenches his fists in his lap.
"My mail is private," Neji says.
"It is being mailed from my address; I have every right to know what is leaving my home . . . or coming into it."
Neji stiffens, his eyes narrowing in frustration.
"You're planning on retiring, aren't you?"
Neji remains silent, wondering how effectively he can get out of this conversation. Hiashi looks over Neji's mail again, before removing a heavy manila envelope and handing it to his nephew.
"What is this?" Neji asks, suspicious.
"That is the script for the new movie you will begin filming in a few days. I signed the paperwork with Iruka this morning."
Neji grits his teeth. "You must be joking. I haven't heard anything about this."
"It's no joke. I am looking out for your best interests."
Neji shakes his head slowly, rifling through the paper. "This is not what I want. My career will end with the final season of High School Crisis. That's what I've decided."
"You're young. You have the support and admiration of the whole subcontinent. Why are you so determined to give it up? It could open so many doors for you—"
"This is not the path I want to walk, Uncle."
Hiashi's mouth thins, but his consternation remains.
"I will do the movie, because you've already signed the contract, and I would need to go through the legal system to back out. But you should know, Uncle, that if you seek to derail my wishes again, I will find legal counsel." Neji snatches his mail from his uncle's desk and disappears.
Neji has been to Tenten's apartment numerous times over the past few weeks that they've been seeing each other, but he has never actually been inside said apartment. She lives on one of the penthouse floors in one of the newer hotels, but her living quarters are not as obnoxious as other celebrity living spaces that Neji has been to.
He hesitates outside of her door, strangely tense. He'd managed to dodge the paparazzi swimming around the front of the hotel by stuffing the majority of his long hair under his shirt. He'd worn a baseball cap for good measure, and he'd been successful in duping them—this time. Neji sighs, leaning his head against her front door. He knew he had to tell her, and he had to do it tonight. Iruka had already emailed him his plane ticket. Still, Neji didn't want to overload her, not like this, when they were just beginning to see each other. It was painfully unfair to be so heavy so soon.
The cost of celebrity, Neji thinks bitterly.
With a cruel sense of foreboding and anxiety, Neji knocks on the door. He hears her feet pad to the door, senses her cautiously looking through the peephole to check his identity. The lock slides back and Tenten stands before him, a small smile on her mouth.
"Nice disguise," she comments as she lets him in.
Neji smirks as he slips off his shoes. "Only the best," he replies.
Tenten half-heartedly gives him a tour of her apartment, but Neji can tell that she's as nervous as he is, probably for very different reasons.
Most of her living space is open with floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, and a large and spacious kitchen, which Neji doubts she uses much, noting the pizza boxes sitting on the counter.
"I'm not much of a cook, so I hope this is okay," Tenten says, opening one box.
Neji nods. He can't remember the last time he had pizza—it was never served at his home, and all of the social events he attended had only fancy appetizers like quiche or shrimp puffs. Neji pulls a slice from the pie and chews, sighing as he smells the cheese. Tenten smiles at the look of bliss in his expression.
"Um, so, what do you want to do?" Tenten asks. Her fingers fidget with the pizza box. Neji wonders if it's the location of this particular date that's making them so edgy, or just the mere fact that they are truly alone, with no others to see them or find them or take pictures of them.
"When was the last time you watched a movie where you weren't being forced?" Neji asks.
Tenten thinks for a second, her forehead furrowing. Neji suppresses a smile.
"I have no idea," she says, shaking her head in surprise. She looks up at him. "Isn't that crazy? That you forget about normal things like that? That you don't do those things on a regular basis?"
Neji stares at the pizza box a little sadly. "Come on," he says to her, grasping her hand and picking up the box with his other hand.
He leads her to the living room where her television is. It is then that Tenten points out that her movie selection is very slim, but Neji decides to look anyway.
When he holds up a kung-fu movie dated from at least twenty years ago, Tenten blushes like she's embarrassed. "Don't make fun, but that's one of my favorite movies of all time."
Neji's mouth quirks as he pops open the case and inserts it into the DVD player.
"Are you sure?" Tenten asks, skeptical, as he sits down next to her on the couch.
"Positive," he murmurs, throwing his arm around her shoulders.
It takes her a second, but Tenten nestles into the crook of his arm.
Tenten doesn't realize how tired she is until Neji wakes her up. The television is blue, the movie long over. She rubs her eyes, feeling guilty for falling asleep on him in the middle of their date.
"I'm sorry," she says.
It is a little hard to see him—the only light in the room is the blue from the television. She had fallen asleep with her head on the couch cushion, her feet in his lap. Tenten sits up, anxious to know what he's thinking.
Neji's hand glides to her neck, and he pulls her close, his mouth grazing hers. Tenten places a hand on his chest, all self-consciousness fleeing from her mind for the moment.
"Don't apologize," Neji says against her mouth. Tenten feels shivers run down her spine. He kisses her again, and Tenten is thankful for the dark, for the silence, for the lack of people. Because they could never be so forward in public.
"I have something to talk to you about," Neji mutters as they part, carefully avoiding her gaze.
Tenten's focus sharpens. Neji says, "I'm leaving for Seoul in a couple of days."
"Why?" she asks, confused. Surely he had other commitments here that took precedent over leaving the country?
"I've been signed to a movie role. We begin filming at the end of the week."
Tenten leans back against the couch, processing this information. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Because I was not aware that I had this role until this afternoon."
Tenten's forehead wrinkles. "Did Iruka really overlook that?"
"No," Neji sighs, rubbing his eyes. "My uncle committed me to the role without my knowledge."
Tenten waits for a more concise explanation. She knows only a little about Neji's family, other than the rumors that circulate among the cast and crew members on their show.
"My family is . . . controlling," Neji says. "I'm sure you're aware of how I got introduced into the industry."
"You were discovered at a play in primary school."
Neji inclines his head in agreement. "My uncle was made my legal guardian after my parents passed away. The talent agent was fairly persistent; he thought I had legitimate promise. My uncle was sold—I started signing commercials regularly the next month. My acting career kind of took off after that.
"Anyway, my family is very prestigious. The Hyuga name carries with it a lot of respect in the older, wealthier circles of corporate Japan. My success in the entertainment industry brought my family a whole new realm of influence. My uncle has been acting as my manager ever since I started getting really big roles."
Neji glances at Tenten, sliding his hand over to lock their fingers together. "The thing is, all the rumors about me are true. I don't want to be an actor, regardless of how good I am at it. I want to be able to live my life outside the control of my family and the focus of the media. I just want to be normal, for once, and make my own decisions. Which is why," Neji squeezes her hand, "after the final season of the show, I'm retiring from acting. For good."
Tenten stares at him, a little stunned. Sure, people had talked about Neji's supposed retirement plans for years, but she'd never believed he would actually go through with it.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes," Neji answers, his face expressing his certainty. "I'm applying to pursue my master's degree at my university. I'm already really ahead of where most students are at my age."
Tenten tries not to gape. "What?! When did you decide this?"
"Several months ago. I was planning on telling you. . . I just didn't know how or when to bring it up." And I didn't want to completely scare you off, he thinks to himself.
Tenten withdraws her hand from his, crossing her arms as she ruminates. "You're just going to quit? Just like that?"
"I know that it will take some transition, but this is something I've wanted for a really long time," Neji tells her carefully. "My dream has never included world recognition and status. I just want to get through school without cameras being shoved in my face."
Tenten stands to her feet and goes to look out the wall of windows, needing distance to process. The city lights are gleaming below. The skyscrapers that surround the hotel are businesses, so thankfully her apartment remains dark at night. She looks down to the streets below, and then out to the twinkling, distant lights of the ships in the harbor.
She feels Neji's presence behind her.
"I'm sorry that I had to tell you like this," he says softly. "I never meant to drop all of this on you so soon. I wanted to work up to it, but . . . it wasn't exactly my decision. And I didn't feel right leaving with you not knowing."
Wordlessly, Tenten turns to him, feeling her heart pound a little. She places her hands around his neck and pulls him closer. Neji's hands hesitantly come to rest on her waist. She feels her back press against the glass.
She can see him better now, and his eyes are shocking as ever—steady as they gaze down at her, a lingering sense of frustration in his brow, all suppressed by a clear desire for her acceptance and approval. Tenten wonders how she learned to read him so quickly, or if he was just doing her a favor.
"We said this was serious, didn't we?" she asks.
Neji nods silently. Tenten absently wets her lips. "How did we get to this point?"
Neji exhales and leans into her, his forehead pressing against hers. "Do you really want to know?"
Tenten is itching to kiss him, to set things right with his life. And she's surprised by her connection to this man, how strong it is, how protective she feels over him.
When did this happen? she asks herself.
"This is fate," Neji tells her quietly, and the words are weighty enough to send nerve endings prickling across Tenten's skin.
She smiles a little, mocking him. "I don't believe in fate," she informs him.
Neji moves his hand from her waist to her hip, his other alighting on her chin to tilt her face up. He kisses her gently and says, "I guess it's my duty to make you a believer, then."
To Tenten, it sounds both like a promise and a challenge.
"Hyuga-san, we are so honored to have you on our show!"
Neji smiles briefly, though mentally he is counting down to when he can leave. His time is short; his flight for Seoul departs in a few hours, and he wants to see Tenten again before he leaves, if possible.
"Thank you for having me," he answers, looking to the two hosts.
The television interview Iruka signed him up for is more like a variety show for celebrities than a straightforward interview like in a magazine. When Neji walked on set, he immediately came to the realization that his relationship with Tenten would be thoroughly probed during his thirty-minute segment. And a live audience was present to see it all. Fabulous.
"That season finale of High School Crisis was certainly a shock to many fans! Can you tell us what we have to look forward to in the next season?"
Neji gives a well-rehearsed, obligatory answer that the studio would be happy with. Being under contract, he was strictly limited in what information he could give about the show. His hosts attempt to pry a little more out of him, but Neji deflects their efforts with his usual amount of charm.
"We also hear that you will be starring in a new movie, which starts shooting this week in Seoul! The director, Hatake-sama, stated that it will be a period drama about a gangster and the woman who steals his heart! Your costar will be Haruno Sakura; are you looking forward to working with her?"
Neji has never worked with Haruno Sakura, but he has met her twice before, in passing. She was infamous for her pink hair, a dyed tribute to her stage name. From what he could tell, she was a decent actress with a kind disposition.
"I am very pleased to have the privilege of working alongside Haruno-san through filming. I'm sure that she will be a very agreeable partner."
There are dithers from the crowd and the hosts, swooning over his eloquence.
"Speaking of partners, the media has been shell-shocked with the news that you are officially dating your onscreen love interest, Tenten." A brief clip of the press conference is shown, along with a smattering of poorly taken pictures. "Hyuga-san, can you give us the details to how this relationship with Tenten-san developed? I'm sure all of your fans are very curious to know, straight from the horse's mouth!"
Neji wonders how to make his answer as vague and unsatisfying as possible. He says, "Well, my fans will know that Tenten and I have known each other ever since the beginning of High School Crisis, which aired three years ago. We have had an interesting companionship." He almost winces at his weak explanation. Usually he was good at these types of things.
"'Interesting companionship', you say," muses one of the hosts, leaning forward so her hair falls to brush her cheek. "What do you mean by that, Hyuga-san?"
"What I mean to say is that Tenten is someone that I respect very much, and it is an honor to work with her as closely as I do." Neji inwardly compliments himself, Nice recovery.
The male host pipes up, "You speak of respect and honor, Hyuga-san, but where is your romance?"
The audience oohs and calls out for an answer, curiosity stoked. Neji silently curses Iruka for putting him through this.
Neji attempts another dodge, a more apparent one this time. "My fans know that I value my privacy very much, and I feel that my relationships shouldn't become a spectator sport. Tenten and I are just beginning our relationship, and it would be helpful if the media would respect that by giving us our privacy."
The crowd lets out their disappointment in sighs. The hosts look visibly put out. Neji keeps a small smile in place, though it's a strain.
"I'm sure Tenten-san will miss you very much while you are filming in Seoul," says the woman host, dabbing at her eye for fake tears.
Neji decides to throw them some scraps, just to get them off his back. "If she's not too busy with her schedule, I am hoping she will fly out to visit me during filming."
The audience is won back, their coos echoing around the studio. The hosts are appeased. Neji can see their boss nodding approvingly offstage.
Neji smiles pleasantly until commercial.
Neji is taking a small private plane to Seoul. Tenten knows he detests it—he's made his thoughts on celebrity privileges very clear.
She's waiting for him to arrive from his television interview, sitting in her own chauffeured car. The interview is already online, and Tenten has just finished watching it, a small smirk on her mouth.
Neji's black car pulls up and she gets out. He is helping his chauffer get out his bags to load in the plane when she walks over. His face is guarded, eyes searching hers.
"You really hated that interview, didn't you?" Tenten greets.
Neji rolls his eyes, shutting the car trunk. "They could use a little more tact."
"You know that that's not what they're there for."
Neji inclines his head to her in agreement. They walk slowly towards the waiting plane. His hand finds hers.
"Did you mean it?" she asks him.
"Mean what?"
"That you would want me to come see you in Seoul."
Neji turns to look at her as they reach the stairs, trying not to let the hopefulness in his eyes spill all down his face.
"If you're not too busy. . . Don't feel like you have to."
"I feel like you'll be the busy one," Tenten says. "Won't you be filming all the time?"
"My nights are free," Neji mutters, and Tenten feels a blush rise on her cheeks. She punches him half-heartedly in the arm.
"I'll think about it and let you know," she says, liking the power she tastes in those words.
Neji shakes his head and kisses her for a good minute, trying to steal some of the control back. He doesn't succeed. When he pulls away, Tenten looks absolutely smug.
She stands on her toes and kisses him hard, before pulling away. Her eyebrow is raised. "Text me when you get there?"
Neji nods, leaning against the stair railing as she slips back into her car. And he feels like he's a goner, because his heart clenches in a particularly painful way when the car disappears from his sight.
Tenten first meets Lee the bodyguard when he practically gives her a heart attack as she exits her apartment for the day. Tenten clutches her chest, leaning back against the door as she catches her breath. She runs a quick eye over him, and is a little repulsed by the amount of green he has chosen to wear.
"Tenten-san, I am Rock Lee, your hired bodyguard! It will be an honor to serve you and Hyuga Neji when he returns from Seoul!" he bows to her deeply at the waist.
Personally, Tenten is a little alarmed at the volume of his proclamation, a mix between a shout and an unintelligible yell. Tenten squints at him.
"Aren't you a little young to be a bodyguard?" she asks.
"I promise you that my age has never prevented me from accomplishing my duties! I have been trained extensively in the martial arts, as well as alternative forms of—" He goes on to list several intimidating-sounding forms of exercise that Tenten has never heard of, and doesn't necessarily want to witness.
"I'm sure you're . . . adequate in your duties. I was just saying that I didn't expect you to be my age."
Lee just grins and bobs his head, causing his bowl-cut to swish. "My youth supplies me with a great sense of agility, Tenten-san. I promise that I will not fail you or Hyuga-san."
Tenten treats him to a half-smile, bemused and pleased at the same time.
"Where are we headed today?!" Lee asks.
Tenten shakes her head, leading the way to the elevator.
She soon comes to realize that Lee never seems to expend his energy. When she's on the phone with Neji later that night, she recounts her day with their new bodyguard.
"He just speaks at this volume that's like, three decibels louder than everyone else. And he got excited by everything or saw it as something to conquer." Tenten cradles her forehead in her hand, tired to the point of exhaustion.
Neji softly chuckles on the other side of the line. Tenten can tell in his voice that he's fighting distraction.
"How was shooting today?"
Neji sighs, "Fine . . . just tedious is all. Hatake-san thinks that Sakura-san and I lack chemistry."
Tenten's eyebrows draw together. "What does that mean?"
Neji's exhale is heavier than his last. She imagines him running a hand over his face. "It means that Sakura-san and I are expected to spend time outside of shooting getting to know each other."
Tenten bites the inside of her cheek, mulling over this news. "The press is going to have a field day," she says eventually.
"Yes, they will," Neji agrees. "You know they'll play this against us."
Tenten is silent, thinking about the media and its power over their lives. "Yeah, I know."
"I guess what I'm trying to ask is: do you trust me?"
Tenten thinks about this man she's known for such a long time, yet is only just now discovering. How sure was she that he could be trusted?
"Yes, Neji, I trust you," Tenten says, telling herself that she isn't lying. She does trust him. She wouldn't be dating him if she didn't, right?
The headlines hit over the next few weeks with particular fervor. Iruka and Shizune had anticipated the backlash, and they had prepared accordingly.
"No," they assured on different media outlets, "our clients' relationship is intact and doing just fine, thank you. Hyuga-san is being seen with Haruno-san at the request of their director. No, they are not seeing each other. . ." And so on.
Tenten attempts to stay away from the critiques, but she can only ignore so much—she does live in this world, after all. From South Korea, Neji does what he can to reassure her—ironically on the phone with her as he drives to meet Sakura for dinner.
Tenten works an ulcer in her mouth from biting her cheek so much. She looks ahead to her schedule, clears some space, and buys a plane ticket.
Tenten is not delusional enough to tell herself that she doesn't have her share of doubts. Instead, she blames her insecurities on the fact that she and Neji have only just started seeing each other exclusively, and really, how is she supposed to be confident in this man's character, who she knows so little about?
On the plane ride to Seoul, Tenten scans her media feeds and latches onto a title: HYUGA NEJI, PLAYBOY? Tenten wants to roll her eyes at such a ridiculous suggestion, but a part of her, however small, wonders. She's seen countless celebrities—both men and women—be scorned by lovers in the limelight. Should she really expect to be so different?
And that was probably the cruelest thing about the whole business of entertainment—it was like a beast that was un-tamable, only satisfied when it was being fed. If the fuel faltered, it ate the provider instead.
A/N: So, I'm aware that it moves pretty fast, but it's intentional, I promise.
Thanks always for reviewing/reading! It really spurs me on to keep writing.
Please let me know what you think? Suggestions? Questions? Just general comments? I'll take 'em.