Chapter 8
Edited; 6.7.2017
It's been almost a week since I had passed the LME's auditions, and everything has been going quite smoothly. Twins are more than thrilled over the fact that we left the orphanage, and so am I. All three of us hate that place.
Rin and Maria have become great friends, and Ran also sees her as new sister. He doesn't mind it when the girls drag him into their games, well for most of the time. At the other times, he escapes to spent time with me or with Lory, who doesn't mind entertaining the kids. Also, I and the staff of the LME have already lost the count of how many pranks those three have done together, and I just know it will only get worse... ('It's been a damn week and I'm already having grey hairs! AT THIS PACE I'LL BE OLD AND GREY BY TE TIME I FINALLY SEE KYOKO!')
Pranks aside, they are actually pretty relaxing to be around. It's cute to watch as small Maria tries to keep up with Rin and Ran as they walk or run through the LME's halls. She seems to look up at them and me, but thank the heavens she hasn't evaluated a crush on me like she has on Ren Tsuruga. I shiver at the thought. 'Poor man...'
Anyway, I met my new manager on the day after audition, and she was... Interesting. And evil. Yeah, EVIL.
~O~
Flashback...
Her name is Fuyume Natsume. (Natsume being her surname and Fuyume her first name.) She has this dirty blond hair, that bearly reaches her shoulders, but she keeps it on a high ponytail. And she has these sharp hazel eyes with a devilish glint... Like, have you ever seen Himuro Youichi from '21 eyeshield*'? Yeah, like that and hazel pupils, her hair, full blood red lips and a smirk that screams 'I-WILL-MAKE-YOU-CRIE-AND-I-WILL-LIKE-IT!'
Yeah, she is scary.
We met in Sawara-san's office, or, well, that open working area where he normally works. I was talking with him about my new schedule, when the room's temperature dropped absurdly. I was confused when everyone in the room froze and seemed to turn blue. But then I felt chills going through my body as an intense killing intense was directed at me, and when I turned around...
I saw the face of the one true she-devil.
She was dressed in black top that showed her... Rather pleasant curves, and black suit jacket. She had tight dress pants and black high-heels. She was staring at me with unimpressed face and full glare in her eyes. I stopped the shiver that run through my spine and faced her with my own glare. We glared each others for quite a while, until she closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
"Oh great, now Boss has made me a babysitter. Couldn't he at least give me someone mature? Or older?" As I listened her complaining, I felt my brow twitching.
"Oi, I'm right here. To your information, I'm considered extremely mature compared to my age group. And while I may be young, at least I'm not an old hag." I bite back and saw her eye twitch greatly.
"Oh? What you called me brat? Aren't you cocky, ever heard of respecting your elders?" I could see dark aura surrounding her and how her bangs shadowed her eyes, that shone from the shadows... My every sense was screaming 'DANGER' but I was too pissed to care.
"I called you as a hag, what, you're deaf too? What is Lory-san thinking by putting YOU in charge of me?" I could see flames FLARING in her eyes, and we started to circle each others slightly. "I was never good at respecting my ELDERS, so unless you can gain my respect, I won't treat you any different than anyone else, bitch." I growled, and I was aware that everyone were staring at us, her eye twitched again but she just sighed and gave me ice cold stare.
"Boss said I was going to help with a growing young tiger, but all I see is a small kitten that is trying to look big by making it's fur stand up." My hands clenched into fists.
"Oh? So if I am a kitten, aren't you an old snake?" She twitched slightly but didn't reach otherwise.
"Hm? How am I a snake? Do tell, I'm curious." She hissed at me, with so much sarcasm that I could have tasted it. But I just smirked.
"You are the snake that is trying to bite and kill the small kitten. It's fighting back. You are stalling around, still careful with yourself, in case the mommy cat comes back to protect it's cub." I saw her twitch again but she didn't say anything.
"But know what? This kitten doesn't need protecting, it can fight it's own battles." I said and let confident smirk take it's place on my face. She looked dumbfounded, but she just laughed it of.
"Hahah, cute! I like you kid. Ryo Akiyama, right? I am Fuyume Natsume, and I'll be your manager from here on. I'm looking forward to work with you." She shaked my hand with a shit eating grin. I couldn't help but wonder what did I just agree to... Then, she turned around on her heels, and started speed walking towards elevator.
"O-Oi! Natsume, where are you going?! Aren't you supposed to come with me to meet the photographer?" I yelled after her. She stopped for a second, and threw some papers at me. I barely caught them, before I looked at her. She was giving me this smile that clearly says, 'I-don't-want-to-deal-with-you-anymore-you-fucking-shitty-brat.'
"There you have a map, your schedule, connecting information's and your pass. I have other work to do, so handle it yourself, okay?" and she just dumped me there.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turn to stare at Sawara-san, demanded an answer and he just gave me this pitying look.
"I'm sorry. You are stuck with the worst possible manager in history."
Turns out that Fuyume Natsume is well known slacker, who usually spends her bay on sake, alcohol and men. Yeah, on men. And women. She is a hopeless player, and yet for some damn reason people adore her. The only reason she still has her job, is because she has a sharp eye for people with talents, and is usually very slyly getting them to do what she wants... And she is the daughter of a celebrity who works for LME.
'The hell did I do to deserve this...?'
~O~
And that's how Natsume and I met. The photo shoot went fine, and Lory has already sent all of pictures to that Director. All I can do now, is just waiting for an answer. And what I'm doing while I wait?
At the moment, I'm shopping for today's dinner. As I wait for my turn in the cashier's line, I listen a few teenager girls gossiping about some magazine behind me. And seriously, HOW CAN FEW GIRLS MAKE SO MUCH NOISE?! My poor ears are ready to explode any moment! (I've been waiting here for almost half an hour, can you blame me?)
"Ah, did you see that red haired model?! The one with stunning eyes? Wasn't he hot?!"
"Yeah, the way he was posing on that dark street gave him that 'bad boy' look, and it totally suits his eyes!"
"Oh yes! And that other picture where he is posing in front of those lights?! DEAR MAMMA!"
"Yeah, that smile is to DIE for... Hey, what's his name again?"
"It reads here, 'Ryo Akiyama'... Do you think his a new model, or something?"
"I hope so, I want to see more of him!"
Right now I'm happy I love hoodies... I have a maroon hoodie with the hood up, and it's covering my head and face nicely. Only thing you can see is my mouth, and if light hits my eyes correctly, then them. Thought that's creepy, so I try to keep my gaze down. As I bay the cashier, I think about what those girls said. (They got bored and went to look for shorter line.)
''Stunning eyes'? 'Hot'? 'Bad boy'? ... Not sure how to react to that, since I'm technically over twenty years older than them... I also didn't quite expect that kind of reaction, but oh well I guess...'
~O~
I pick Rin and Ran up from the school on my way home, and listen with a smile as they tell me about their day none stop. They have been more into school since we got to move, and it makes me happy. Finally we make it to our apartment, and they both slid inside before me and my groceries.
"Okay, go do your homework quick. Dinner is done in about an half hour."
"Hai!" I watch as twins run to their room. Our apartment isn't big, but it's not too small either. We have kitchen that we also use as a dining room, living room, bathroom, twins' bed room and my room. Their simple, but that doesn't bother any of us.
Twins' room has blue painted walls, wooden floor with a big green carpet, and a bunk beds. They also have both their own shelves and study table. Thought, when they get older, we have to get them separated rooms.
As for my room, it has black wallpapers with autumn leaf patterns. My floor is dark wood and it has a red, fuzzy carpet. (I love it to moon and back. I have actually slept on it few times*.) I have a queen sided bed, with black and brown covers.
As I'm setting plates, my phone rings. "Rin! Ran! Can you guys set the table and start eating as I answer this call?" when I get the two of them nod, I waste no time and answer the call as I go to the living room.
"What it is Lory-san? I thought that you were supposed to be on vaca-! What?!" I shout as I hear what he says.
"I said, that the director I told about you, wants to meet you! She said she wants to see if you are what she is looking for! You just may get the leading role, if she thinks you are what she wants!"
'I think I'm about to collapse...' I sit down and feel myself smiling like an idiot.
"Tell her, that I would be honoured to meet her! When and where?" I know I'm smirking in excitement, I just may get my first role soon!
"Tomorrow, in LME's down stairs café. You know it right?"
"Yes, thank you, thank you. And sorry that this interrupted your vacation." Lory juts huffs. "Like that would bother me kid. G'night!"
"Good night Boss." And I end the call. For few seconds I just sit there in daze, before I jump up and shout in glee.
"YES!" Twins ran in and I grin at them. "That director wants to meet me tomorrow, and I may get that role!" They get excited as me and tackle me to the ground.
"Way to go Ryo-nii!" I laugh as I ruffle their hair. 'It's really happening, I'm actually doing something right here... So much better that my first time living.'
~O~
I take deep breath and sip of my lemon ice-tea. 'Maybe I'm too early...'
I have been sitting here for an hour now, and no one has come yet. 'This is my third ice-tea...'
Just as I finish that thought, I'm cut off by an exhausted voice.
"Please tell me your Ryo Akiyama..." I give look over my shoulder, before freezing and staring in shock.
In front of me, is a very, very TALL woman in her late twenties, with a messy hair. The right of her hair is pitch black and her left side is light blond. She has pink highlights randomly in there, and it reaches little past her shoulders. She has light blue eyes that are pleading that I'll say yes, or she is going to collapse, and she is wearing grey, ripped jeans with black booths and pink over-shirt.
"Are... Are you director Akiko Izumi...?" I ask dumbfounded by her appearance. Her eyes light up and she almost sinks to her knees.
"Oh, thank god, I was afraid you had already left since I was so late. I'm terribly sorry for this, but there was a car crash on the main road, and the traffic was straight from hell... And then my scooter died down, and I had to run here, so I could somehow make it." I stare. And stare. I feel my shoulders starting to shake with laughter, but I try to hold it... And I can't in the end.
"HAHAHHA, I'm sorry, but I have finally met someone who has worse luck than I! Haha heehahoo, oh God thank you, I thought that I was early, and that you were one of those serious, no-nonsense kind of person..." She blinks at me owlishly, and I just laugh harder.
After I finally get my laughter under control, I give her my hand to shake.
"Hello, my name is Ryo Akiyama. Nice to work with you." She smiles sheepishly and takes my hand.
"Hello there too, I'm Akiko Izumi and I would like to have you acting a part in my movie, 'Painted streets'." She sits in front of me. I feel my lips twitching up at the name.
"Oh? Interesting name... Do tell more." She beams and orders herself a black coffee before telling me about the movie.
"It's basically a love story, with plenty of Drama and Action in it. It's about a boy who is Yakuza family's heir, and who is supposed to take the role of boss after his parents die. But his father's right hand doesn't see him as worthy of being the Boss, and he and gang beat him up, leaving him to die on to an alley.
A high school girl finds his unconscious form by accident, and brings him to her home. Her parents aren't home, so she has no need to hide her little guest. When the boy wakes up, he tells the girl his fake name that he uses in the Yakuza circles. The girl asks why he was in the alley, not knowing the meaning behind the boy's name, and the boy decides to make use of that. He says that he was beaten by local yakuza gang and that he has no place to hide from them. The girl says that her parents won't be coming home for a month, so he can stay with her until he finds a new home.
As the boy and the girl spent time together, they slowly start to trust each others and tell truths about each others. When the month is up, both have fallen madly in love, and girl's parents are furious with their daughter. The boy and girl escape, and together make a plan to make the Right-hand-man bay for his sins. In the end, the boy is captured under a charge from kidnaping the girl. Both promise to see each others again, and years later, the boy comes back and leaves the country with the girl."
I nod every once in while, showing that I'm following. I think it's interesting, and also scarily close to my own life, expect for the fact that I'm not part of yakuza or in love with anyone, or going to flee from the country...
"I think it's interesting. Lory-san said that you have done the script yourself, is it true?" When she nods, a determined fire burns in my eyes.
"I want to be part of this movie. It doesn't matter if I'm just some extra member, I just want to see how you will create this movie." She looks at me with a bright smile.
"That... That means you are in, right?!" I nod with a feral smirk.
"Then, Ryo Akiyama, you'll be acting the leading role, as yakuza boss' son Aka!"
'My journey as actor can finally began then... Just you wait, LME...'
~O~
Hi everyone! Sadly, I didn't get help with this, so it took longer than planned, but i'm back! Well, somehow at least. I have had horrible writers blockers and I hadn't get much sleep because of it, and I'm stressed since school starts this week...
But i'll be fine! What do you think of Natsume and Izumi?! I think I did quite good job with them, but Ryo will meet a new character soon enough. Try to guess who!
Also, special thanks to those who have favourite and followed this story! It cheers me up!
Bye!
