Corpsing
Take Four
It was early in the evening when Rei stepped out onto the busy streets of Tokonosu; she, like many others, having just finished work. The air was chilly and the sky greying with clouds, as she pulled on her jacket with a shiver. Burrowing deep into the fabric, she exhaled, her breath coming out in a mist as her numb, aching fingers sought out warmth in the depth of her pockets. She stretched to her full height, alleviating the ache that had formed in her legs and lower back. Standing serving customers all day had taken its toll on her body and she was looking forward to returning home to a warm bath.
A few weeks ago, Rei had managed to find part time work in a small café not far from her apartment. It wasn't much, but the hours worked around her class schedule and she enjoyed the independence the job gave her. Being able to work meant she could afford her own place and wouldn't have to rely on her parents for assistance with rent or bills. Not to mention, it was nice to live alone.
Well, not completely alone, that is. Hisashi spent a lot of his time there. Really, they were practically living together… Not that Rei had told her parents about that yet.
Eager to get off of the crowded, cold streets, Rei began to make her way down the block, towards her apartment building. However, the sound of her phone ringing pulled her to a stop. Shuffling to retrieve it from her pocket with a huff, Rei pulled it to her ear, paying no attention to the name on the screen in her haste. It was probably just Hisashi calling to check if she was off of work yet.
"Hello?" She answered.
"Hey Rei."
Hearing the familiar voice from the other line, Rei almost stumbled over in her surprise. He was the last person she'd expected to call.
"Rei? Are you there?" The voice continued, pulling her from her thoughts.
Realising that she hadn't answered, and her silence had perhaps been mistaken for the call cutting out, Rei moved the receiver back to her mouth, responding.
"Takashi, is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me."
Rei wanted nothing more than to fill the tense, uncomfortable silence that followed, but she couldn't find the words to do so. She was still in shock, her mind brimming with questions, not knowing which one to ask first.
"Sorry," she replied after a moment. "I'm just not really sure what to say. This is kind of unexpected. Not that I mind, it's just-"
"No, I understand," he replied. "It has been awhile. I- I just thought I should call you."
"Well, it's good to hear from you," Rei answered honestly.
"Yeah, you too. I'm sorry I haven't answered any of your messages. I've just been busy lately."
"Yeah, I've heard. Hisashi was telling me about how you'd landed a TV role for yourself. I never got a chance to congratulate you."
"Thanks. Yeah, it's pretty surreal. I still haven't completely wrapped my head around it… But, how are things with you?"
"Oh, you know - same old, same old. Between classes and work, I'm keeping pretty busy myself. I'm glad you called though, Takashi, I've missed you."
"Yeah, I've missed you too, Rei. We should get together some time, maybe grab some coffee." Takashi paused for a moment, before corrected himself with a stumble, not wanting Rei to misconstrue his words. "With Hisashi too, I mean. I wouldn't want to-"
"It's okay, Takashi." Rei giggled. "I know what you meant. That sounds nice. Though, thanks to work, I'm not sure if I can stand to look at another cup of coffee."
"Oh, right," Takashi chuckled. "Well, I can understand that. Maybe something else then?"
"Yeah, I'd like that."
"Well anyway, I was just checking in. I'm actually expecting someone in a few minutes."
"Yeah, I'm just about to head home myself."
"Alright, let Hisashi know I said hey."
"I will. Bye, Takashi. Don't be a stranger, okay?"
"Yeah. See you, Rei."
.
Takashi exhaled lowly, his phone still held to his ear as the line cut off on Rei's end; a sense of calm and relief steadily coursing through him. He'd done it.
It was surprising. Making that call was something he'd been dreading and putting off for a long time now. Though when he had finally summoned the courage to do it, it hadn't been difficult at all. Thinking back, he wasn't even entirely sure why he'd been concerned to begin with.
He supposed he had expected their conversation to break into argument at some point; that is, if their recent communication was anything to go off of. Takashi, however, had been pleasantly surprised. It had actually been civil, without a heated word exchanged between the two. He'd enjoyed talking to her, even if it had only been briefly. Their conversation had brought back fond memories, making him realise how much he missed hanging out with her and Hisashi, just as they'd done when they were younger. He supposed with all the time they'd spent at each other's throats, Takashi had forgotten, momentarily, that they were actually really close friends.
Looks like Hisashi was right Takashi thought. Rei had missed him, she really did care about him. The voice mails she'd left weren't a true reflection of how she felt. She had just been frustrated, and lashing out in the heat of the moment. The stress in her life combined with her building frustration over him repeatedly ignoring her calls.
He was glad he'd decided to call her. Their friendship was worth too much, and had too much history, to be thrown away over something so petty. Maybe now the relationship he had with both Rei and Hisashi would be able to return to what it once was. Maybe now he'd finally be able to stop moping and move on.
Setting his phone down on the counter top in front of him, Takashi glanced into the mirror, raking his fingers through his hair. They trailed downwards, brushing over the hem of his shirt, attempting to smooth out the creases. He swallowed, anxious.
Saeko would be arriving at his place any moment now, and he was in front of his bathroom mirror, preparing himself mentally. They'd arranged for her first session with him, her first acting lesson and Takashi was suddenly beginning to regret his suggestion to help her in the first place. He really wasn't sure what he'd gotten himself into.
Certainly, he was more than happy to help Saeko out. She had, after all, gone out of her way to help train him for the show and probably felt nervous now that she was taking on an acting role without any experience. He wanted to help her succeed, and knew that helping her to improve would only benefit him in the long run too. After all, they were going to be co-stars, and working together early on could help them build up their on-screen chemistry and rapport.
Yet Takashi wasn't entirely confident that he would make a good teacher. Sure, he was good at acting, it was one of the few areas he felt he excelled in. He didn't, however, think being skilled at something necessarily meant being capable of teaching it someone else. Not to mention, he'd spent the better part of his life ignoring most of his own teachers, so he didn't exactly have a good frame of reference to draw from.
Though, admittedly, his apprehension did not stem solely from his doubts over his ability to teach. He was still overtly conscious of his feelings for Saeko, and the fact that they would now be together, away from work, away from the set, in his apartment.
Alone.
Takashi swallowed again, his throat constricting audibly.
He was nervous. Here he was, a young adult and he was nervous because a pretty girl was coming over to his place. It was like he was fifteen years old all over again. Takashi rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh, as he walked out of the bathroom into the living room. He needed to calm down, and clear his head. He was over thinking things.
Heading over to the kitchen, Takashi opened the fridge and pulled out a beer, hoping that perhaps the alcohol might calm his nerves a little. Closing the door and leaning back against the fridge, Takashi took a deep, slow swig from the bottle. As he drank, his gaze swept across the living room, which looked much more orderly than it had in a number of weeks. Sighed contently, he set the bottle down on the counter top.
He'd straightened up the place, wanting Saeko to feel welcome. He'd tried to justify it by thinking that it was the polite thing to do when you had a guest over. Though, the only person he'd really gone to such lengths for before was Rei, when they were dating in high school and she would come over to 'hang out' in his room.
He wasn't exactly a slob, his apartment had just grown cluttered over the past few months, as he'd become more and more engrossed in work. It hadn't really bothered him before, because lately, it felt like he hardly spent any time there. Takashi wondered if he should perhaps hire a maid if he was planning on entertaining guests in the future. He didn't know if he'd be able to find time to clean up whenever Saeko came over for a lesson. His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of his intercom buzzing, the shrill noise startling him.
"Hello?" Takashi asked, as he answered the call.
"Hello, Komuro-kun. It's Busujima."
"Ah, great. Come on up, I'm on the second floor." Takashi said, pressing the button on his intercom and unlocking the lobby door for her.
It wasn't long before she made it up to his floor, knocking at the door briskly.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Takashi opened the door in one deft motion. As Saeko was revealed before him, Takashi immediately felt his composure crumbling as his voice cracked in a high, unflattering pitch.
"Good evening, Komuro-kun." Saeko bowed, smiling demurely. Her expression was soft and serene as always, her blue eyes pulling him in and drowning him. Takashi was always amazed at the calming effect she seemed to have upon him.
"Uh, yeah," Takashi bumbled awkwardly. "Good evening. Glad you could make it, Saeko-san."
He stepped aside to allow her into his apartment, mentally congratulating himself for being able to string a half-coherent sentence together.
"Of course. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out, Komuro-kun."
"No problem. Would you uh- like a drink or something before we get started?" Takashi asked, nodding towards his fridge as he led her in.
"No, thank you."
"Alright. Why don't you sit down and we can get into it." Takashi offered, moving towards his couch. Perhaps focusing on the show would help take his mind off of things. "How have you been doing so far?"
"It is a little overwhelming." Saeko admitted, looking down at her lap. "Having to practice and recite lines from memory is not something I'm used to."
"That's understandable." Takashi reassured her. "A lot of actors get nervous when they see all the parts they have to remember, especially when it's something they get at short notice."
"Even you, Komuro-kun?" Saeko asked.
"All the time," Takashi answered, honestly. "This is still only my first major gig, after all. I'm just glad it's not a live performance, so we don't need to worry as much about screwing up."
He chuckled, hoping to break the ice with humour, and possibly ease any doubts Saeko may have had. Though a faint smile pulled at her lips, it didn't seem as genuine as the ones she'd given before. Takashi faltered, suddenly feeling guilty for trying to brush off her anxiety so casually. Apparently, her doubts held stronger than he initially thought.
It was funny. Takashi had been so caught in worrying about how he'd managed teaching Saeko, he hadn't considered the fact that she might be nervous. Maybe it wasn't something she was comfortable discussing with him at the moment, but he felt the need to at least let her know that, if she ever felt the need, he'd been willing to listen to her.
"Look, don't worry about it too much, okay Saeko-san?" He said, reaching to touch the back of her hand comfortingly. "Everyone's excited to be working with you, and they want you to perform well. They're going to do everything they can to help. And don't forget, I'm going to be there with you every step of the way. We're going to be working together closely, so you can always come to me if you're unsure about anything, or you just want to talk. I'd be happy to lend you an ear."
"Besides, just because you haven't acted before, doesn't mean you won't be able to recall well. I'll bet you had to learn and remember a lot of forms when you started to study kendo, right?"
Saeko nodded but did not say anything. She held his gaze expectantly, prompting him to continue.
"Well, this isn't much different. Instead of remembering stances or to follow through with a blow, you'll be reciting lines and memorising cues. In a way, they both involve a lot of muscle memory and rote learning. If you apply the same discipline you have for kendo, I'm sure you'll do great. You should give yourself more credit."
"Thank you, Komuro-kun. It's flattering to hear that you have such faith in me." She smiled again, the light reaching her eyes this time.
"Well, you never let me give that easily when you were training me. I'm hardly going to let you do the same." Takashi joked.
"Anyway, let's get into it." He said, retrieving his copy of the latest script. "Why don't we start from your first scene?"
Saeko nodded, opening her own script and turning the page she'd dog-eared, having already read through it several times herself.
"Okay, so this is actually a pretty heavy scene," Takashi said, his eyebrows knitting as he read pensively over the script. "One of the students gets infected trying to protect the school nurse. You find them and offer to kill him before he turns."
"It's a pretty significant moment when you think about it," Takashi explained. "This is actually the first time a person is going to be shown being killed in the show."
"Really?" Saeko asked, raising an eyebrow. "But haven't several zombie deaths been filmed already?"
"That's different, though, those are zombies." Takashi explained. "In the characters' minds, when they kill a zombie it doesn't hold the same weight as killing another human. As far as they're concerned, a person dies the moment that they turn. Yet here, your character is asked to kill someone before that happens. They have to take another person's life in their hands. While other people might be able to shoulder their guilt by focusing on the fact that those they killed were no longer human, she can't. She has to live with killing another human. While killing this person is something she does it out of mercy and to honour their wish to die as they lived, it's still a burden she will have to carry with her."
"You've really put a lot of thought into this," Saeko complimented, impressed by Takashi's devotion. "It's not even a scene you're performing in."
"Sorry," Takashi said. His gaze lowered, somewhat bashfully. "I didn't mean to get carried away there."
"No," Saeko said, muffling a giggle against her hand. "Don't apologise. I admire a man as passionate about their work as you."
"Well, anyway. I think that's something important to have in mind when performing this scene. Okay, so how about we run through it together, and I'll see if there's anything specific I can help you with."
"Alright Komuro-kun," Saeko said, retrieving her own copy of the script. "Shall we go from the top?"
"Yeah. Whenever you're ready."
As Saeko drew the script up, her eyes moving to the top of the page, Takashi was already choosing words of encouragement to offer her, even before the first words had fallen from her lips.
He wouldn't feel good about misleading Saeko, but he felt it was necessary. She seemed to respect him, and his ability as an actor, so perhaps a word of praise from him would help to improve her confidence, quelling any doubts she had before. In his mind, that was more important than any theory or technique he could teach. Getting Saeko to believe in herself. If she lacked conviction, then all the teaching in the world would not make a difference. She had to believe each word she delivered. He imagined it was similar in kendo, with hesitance rendering it difficult to deliver a strong blow. If he could instil in her the same self-assurance she exuded when wielding her sword, then he was confident that her performance would improve significantly.
Having said that, as Saeko began, Takashi found himself looking up from the page to watch her, pleasantly surprised by the performance she was giving. It wasn't the most technically impessive performance he'd heard, but what she lacked in expression and gesture was salvaged in her delivery; imbued with raw emotion.
Her words were solemn, the sincerity reflected of them in her tone. She captured the conflicting emotion of her character; the difficulty of inflicting pain upon another person weighing against the desire to help them. It didn't come across as forced. There appeared to be a degree of truth in the emotion she was expressing, as if she was able to draw upon a past pain from her own life.
Takashi leant forward, resting his chin against his hand as he continued to watch Saeko in deep concentration. Despite having read the page several times over already, Saeko's rendition was captivating him, drawing him in. Her voice was soft, just above a whisper, forcing him to listening carefully, intently, and truly grasp the weight of each word she spoke.
Protecting a man's pride is a woman's duty.
Saeko's final line, however, was cut off by a shrill, invasive tone blaring from his pocket. She glanced up in surprise and Takashi cursed under his breath, recognising the ringtone as his own. Talk about poor timing.
"Ah, sorry. Please excuse me for one moment, Saeko-san," Takashi said, fishing his phone out of his pocket. He must have forgotten to switch it off before she came over. This might not have been a formal acting lesson by any means, but it was still rude of him to leave his phone on. How else was he supposed to appear engaged, and interested in Saeko's performance?
He rolled his eyes upon seeing the contact displayed on his screen, suddenly very tempted to not answer. He decided it against it though, knowing that if he didn't she'd never let him hear the end of it.
"This better be important." Takashi all but growled into the receiver.
"Wow, easy there, Komuro. Is that any way to talk to your agent?"
"What do you want?" He sighed, thumb and forefinger kneading against his temple in frustration.
"I need you to stop by the office, there's an important delivery here for you."
"Can't it wait until later? I'm busy right now. I've got…" He trailed off with a glance at Saeko, before finishing lamely. "Company."
"Oh, really? I wasn't aware you had such an active social life."
"What do you have for me that's so urgent, anyway?" Takashi asked, doing his best to side-step the question.
"It's from new scripts from the set, I've been told that they need to get to you as soon as possible."
"New scripts?" He asked. "What for? I thought they'd already given me everything for the rest of the season? Have they already been greenlit for a second one?"
"Not that I know of. There have apparently just made some last minute alterations."
"Look, sorry, but it's going to have to wait."
"Alright, fine. You're just taking away from the time you have to learn them."
"It's not like I'm going to leave them with you for a week, or anything."
"I'd hope not. I don't want your crap piling up in my office."
"Yeah, yeah. Look, how about I stop by tomorrow?"
"Okay, fine. But if I don't see you down here first thing-."
"I got it, okay? Don't worry. I'll see you then."
Ending the call, Takashi hit the power button on his phone emphatically, watching the screen fade to black before putting it back in his pocket. Takashi sighed, his fingers raking through his hair slowly.
"Saeko-" He began.
"I thought teachers were supposed to be ones reminding students to turn off their phones." Saeko teased with a smile.
"Ah, yeah." Takashi flushed. He glanced down bashfully, but was glad that she didn't seem upset with him. "Sorry again, Saeko-san. I won't let it happen again."
"It's alright, Komuro-kun."
"You were really doing well with that scene too, I didn't want to interrupt."
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely. Here. Why don't you go from where you left off?"
.
Hisashi had been waiting for Rei when she arrived home, having already finished up with his clients earlier in the day. He knew she would likely be tired after her long shift and was already in the kitchen making dinner when she came through the front door. Despite her offer, Hisashi was adamant that he did not need any help, making sure instead that Rei was able to relax with her feet up.
It wasn't unusual, Hisashi had always been a rather dotting boyfriend. At an earlier point her life, or perhaps with another guy, it might have come across as coddling or somehow inhibiting on her independence. However, with Hisashi, Rei knew that the gesture was sincere, something done out of genuine concern for her. He knew what it felt to arrive home late, exhausted, particularly in a physical demanding line of work, and that, on those days, the last thing he felt like doing was cooking.
He was simply doing whatever he could to help Rei and make her feel better. This way, they were still able to have wholesome meals, and not resort to ordering take out. She herself had a tendency to help Hisashi out following particularly intense lessons or spars, rubbing sore muscles and particularly bad bruises with cream, or drawing him a hot bath.
After soaking her muscles, the two shared their meal lounged comfortably in front of the television.
Setting her empty plate on the coffee table, Rei lay back, pillowing her head against Hisashi's chest as he lazily stroked his fingers through her hair. Her eyes fluttered closed with a soft, contented hum, enjoying the rhythmic, soothing caress of his lean digits. Hisashi's free hand held the remote loosely as he skipped through the channels, passing up news broadcasts and late night talk-shows before eventually settling on a re-broadcast of an MMA fight.
"Hey," Rei spoke abruptly, opening her eyes and looking back up at Hisashi. Light flickered off the monitor with each flashing image, breaking the darkness.
"Hm?" Hisashi answered, listening, but his eyes remaining focused on the television.
"I was talking with Takashi today."
Rei giggled when she felt Hisashi tense up hearing her words, suddenly completely alert. Despite his best efforts to conceal his emotion, Rei knew that the topic of his best-friend, her ex-boyfriend, was one that he had come to dread. While he was very good at listening to her, allowing her to vent, she could tell there were times when he grew frustrated having to deal with his two stubborn friends.
"It's okay, Hisashi," she reassured, touching his arm reassuringly. "Everything's fine."
"Wait, really?" Hisashi said, flicking the television off and turning to her.
"Yeah, we just talked." Rei answered. "It was... nice. We were actually thinking about going out together, the three of us. Just like old times."
"I- I'd really like that." Hisashi said. "And I'm happy to hear that you guys are talking again. But the last I heard you could barely stand to be in the same room together, what changed all of a sudden?"
"I'm not sure, really," Rei admitted. "Takashi just sort of called me out of the blue. He said he felt bad for making you play messenger all the time, he must've had a change of heart."
"Huh."
Rei stroked Hisaashi's bicep lazily with her finger, tracing patterns along the skin as she spoke. "I've also been thinking about what you said, and… Maybe I was being a bit harsh with Takashi before, about trying to pursue acting. But now, I'm really happy for him. He's following his dream and is actually making a name for himself. I'm almost jealous."
"He's worked really hard. I'm glad to see some good fortune came his way."
"You're right. Thanks for being there for us, Hisashi." Rei said, moving to wrap her arms around him. "I know things can't have been easy for you these past few months, having to listen to both Takashi and I complaining. You've been so fair and unbiased. You always gave me someone to talk to, but at the same time, offered some of Takashi's perspective. I'm sure you did same when you spoke to him. You really are so thoughtful."
"You don't have to thank me for that. That's what I'm here for." Hisashi answered, returning her embrace. "As a friend, or a boyfriend. Besides, everyone need to work out a little stress from time to time. I was upset to see two of the people closest two me fighting."
"Well, maybe things will be back to the way they once were. This is definitely a step in the right direction."
"Yeah. Hey, maybe we could all go to the dojo and get some practice in together. I hear Takashi's got a new friend who's teaching him kendo for the show."
"Really?" Rei said, looking back up at him. "That's funny. He didn't mention that to me."
Hisashi shrugged, unmuting the television.
"He said she was his co-star on the show or something. Must have just slipped his mind." He said, turning his attention back to the fight.
Rei shrugged and snuggled back into the crook of his shoulder.
"You might be right. We didn't really talk about it for that long."
At the time, the prospect of Takashi working closely with another woman didn't bother Rei. At the time, she didn't really think anything of it.
A/N: I only just realised that I've been spelling Hisashi wrong this entire time. God damnit. Going to have to go back and fix that.
Anyway, sorry that there isn't much going on this chapter. We should get some more developments next time, along with some more Takashi/Saeko action. I'll try and introduce some more familiar faces as well. Until then!
