He had better things to do than this.
Ren Amamiya resisted the urge to fiddle with the collar of his crisp suit as he sat in the middle of chaos. All around the interview studio, final preparations before they went on live were being made. Equipment was being checked, cell phones were being turned off. The interviewer was whispering to his assistant. Even through the activity, Ren could still see the lips and hear just what the interviewer was saying.
"I still don't understand why the higher-ups chose me for this guy." … "I know that, but you know how this guy is. It's going to be like pulling out a tooth!" … "I'm still willing to do it, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do that's going to be the same as everyone else."
"GOING LIVE IN ONE MINUTE!"
Slowly, the storm grinded to a halt as everyone took their places. One of the cameramen quickly ran up to Ren. "Excuse me, Mr. JOKER?"
JOKER gave the slightest turn, just enough to capture the guy in the corner of his eye. "Yeah?"
"Can you wear your championship belt, make it more visible?"
Looking down at the championship belt that he laid across his laps, he looked back up and simply smirked. Frowning, the cameraman heard the countdown and rushed back just in time for the live signal to turn on. JOKER leaned back in his seat, his mind mentally in lala land as he heard the interviewer hawk some products and talk about future programs.
"And now, I would like to introduce you to our guest tonight, current Ultimate Wrestling Grand Prix Heavyweight Champion and leader of 'Los Indeseables de Japon', JOKER! Welcome to the show!"
Picking up the nearby microphone, Ren stared at the interviewer as he spoke, laying the championship belt across his lap. "Please, I prefer it if you put my leadership of 'Los Indeseables' before the championship."
The interviewer blinked. "Hearing you say that, are you more prouder of your group than you are of your championship?"
A proud smile erased the smirk that JOKER had. "Of course, Ryuji and Fox have defended the tag team championship, Mishima just captured the Junior Heavyweight Championship, and we are all going to attend Justice's birthday, and I wanted to introduce them to a custom I did in Mexico. Don't exactly have a pinata prepared, but I say the Intercontinental Championship should be good enough."
The interviewer blinked. "If I'm not mistaken, you plan on hitting the Intercontinental Championship with sticks? ...Why?"
JOKER smiled. "Sure, no candy is going to come out, but it certainly gonna make me feel better. Also be better for my teeth, gotta keep this smile of mine."
"...Right."
Before the interviewer could get to the next question, a loud ring echoed through the stage. While everyone looked to see who was rude enough to leave their phone on, JOKER simply dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Answering it, he held it up to his ear.
"Moshi moshi?" … "Right, sorry. Forgot that. I'll be sure to tell them that. Alright, see you."
Turning off his cellphone and putting it back into his pocket, he looked up to see everyone giving him the stink-eye. JOKER simply shrugged.
"Forgot to say that Ryuji and the Artist known as Fox won the Tag Team Championship. Gotta remember that…"
"Alright… next question."
And that essentially summed up nearly the entire interview.
("Is there anyone special in your life?" "Well, I'm still trying to convince JUSTICE that 'Golden Lovers' is a great name for our tag team.")
("Can you tell us anything about your time in Mexico?" "Well, let me tell you some rules that I picked up during my time there with my good friend El Ladron. Rule one, don't drink the tap water. Rule two, DON'T DRINK THE TAP WATER!")
("Next question… Mr JOKER?" "Zzzzz- huh, what? Oh, sorry. Stayed up a little late last night.")
JOKER gave one last yawn as he checked the time on his phone. "Okay, looks like I got time for one last question.
Tapping his finger, the interviewer briefly looked over at the producers. The producers did some signs, communicating something back. Looking down at his notes, the man finally looked back up at JOKER.
"JOKER, do you have any pride in being the UWGP Heavyweight Champion? I mean, that is quite an accomplishment, considering you are currently the third person to hold in five years, alongside 'The Ace of the Universe' and the 'Rainmaker'. And yet, this whole interview, you seem more interested in talking about anything else other than that, even doing nearly everything to hide the belt."
Staring straight at the interviewer after he asked this, JOKER pulled the championship belt off his lap and held it in front as he stood up, letting the camera get a good view of it . "Let you ask you something, Mr. interviewer."
"It's-" "I don't care." JOKER interrupted.
"Tell me. If I didn't have the championship, would we be having this interview right now?"
"Well…"
"Don't answer that. Either way, I'm still here. The man that stood triumphant at the P1 Climax, who told the world that he desired to be the Top Star, the Shuyaka of Ultimate Japan Pro Wrestling… he's still here, right in front of you. But… I stand here, very different from that one that stood there, clutching that P1 Climax trophy like it matters, that it makes him matter."
Cracking his neck, JOKER switched his mike to his other hand, tossing the belt back onto his empty seat.
"What do you think makes one the Top Star? Traditions? Just a side effect of being the Top Star, being the guy that makes it all happen. Following them doesn't mean anything, disrespecting them doesn't mean anything. The people that rag and scream on us for not paying the proper respect can do it all they like, and they know that they don't have any power to stop us."
"Fans?" JOKER waved his hand, gesturing to the people that were sitting behind the camera. "I thank you, I thank nearly all of you that sat there in Osaka for giving me your honest opinion. That you found me boring, that you found me uninteresting, lame, unprepared, unworthy...undesirable. And I learned that fans are fickle, ready to leave the moment you fall short in their eyes, and literally vote you off the main event that he worked nearly all his life to achieve. Thank you for teaching me that."
Going back, he grabbed the UWGP Heavyweight Championship and held it in his hand. "How about titles, championships? ...You know, I thought that too once. I had thought the moment this belt wrapped around my waist, that was it, I achieved my dream. This belt was going to be the proof that I was the Top Star… Watching me back then, clutching the Neverweight Championship and the P1 Climax trophy like they mattered… it makes me sick."
Ren considered the belt in front of him.
"I never did get why the guy that beat me for the Intercontinental Belt was crying so much over how much I damaged it. It's just a bunch of plates on a strap of leather. It doesn't make me matter."
The UWGP Heavyweight Championship Belt fell to the ground. Just as it hit, JOKER reared his leg back and kicked the belt away, sending it flying off screen. The silence was palpable as everyone stared at the sheer contempt that he treated the belt with. Taking a couple of deep breaths, Ren stared down where he kicked the belt and hid his grimace.
"I don't take pride in that. I take pride in Los Indeseables. I take pride in beating 'Rainmaker'. I take pride in wearing a suit instead of jeans and my Los Indeseables baseball cap to this interview just so Sumire can be happy that I don't go on air looking like 'a bum'. I just got more important to care about."
"...Wait, who's Sumire?"
The interviewer blinked, and Ren could hear activity throughout the interview room as they tried to figure out the significance of that name. He could even feel the vibrating in his pocket as messages no doubt were flying at him. The interviewer looked back at him.
"I must admit, I am curious. I don't think I've ever heard a 'Sumire' before. Is there anything else you can tell us?"
He couldn't screw this up. He could hear the crowd roaring just beyond the curtain in front of him. He was meant to come out just as Narukami finished his promo and formally challenge him in front of the Osaka crowd. This was it, his big moment. This was eight years in the making for him. Just his first step to truly making it big. He literally couldn't breath. He was so nervous...The pounding of his heart threatened to overtake him, to overpower all his senses. Forcing deep breathes, he forced himself to concentrate on other things... The Openweight Championship Belt and his G1 Climax trophy in his hands and near his chest... The feeling of his cotton t-shirt on his torso... The sweat that dripped down his face… Slowly, surely, he contained himself to a small area, forcing himself to calm down, his heart rate slowing from a hammering to a drum beat. He could do this, he can do this, people believed in him, the higher-ups thought that he was ready for it now. All he had to do was to get out there and show them his stuff.
He could already hear it, the Rainmaker standing in the middle of an empty ring. Everyone in the arena were deadset on him. He would complain about the challenge he had tonight, wanting someone just a little tougher before finally…
"Alright, let's see this AKIRA guy."
That's the cue, now was his time. Taking one more deep breath, Ren exhaled all his worries and anxieties away. Closing his eyes, he paused for a moment, before AKIRA opened them again. It was showtime. The curtains opened, and AKIRA strode forward. Ren walked into silence. No, that wasn't right. There were some people talking, some whispering, but it was suffocating. There was nothing, Ren might as well have been invisible, a slight breeze coming in. Ren forced himself to keep putting one leg in front of the other, achieving locomotion as he followed the clear path to the ring. He dared not to deviate from his path and sight, knowing that if he stopped, he would lose what little courage he managed to cobble together. Coming close to the ring, he put both his Openweight Championship and the G1 Climax trophy near the apron. He forced himself to look natural as his grip refused to let go of the two items. Someone came over and held out a mike to him. Staring at Rainmaker, Ren reached out and brushed against the head of the microphone. He could feel the stares of the nearby audience as he actually grabbed the mike and slipped into the ring.
AKIRA stood in front of the Rainmaker, Yu Narukami.
The grey haired man stared intensely at AKIRA, a thumb hooked on the UWGP Heavyweight Championship belt fastened around his waist. AKIRA stared at him right back. All around them, the crowd started to come to life, eager to see what would happen.
Rainmaker raised his mike near his mouth. "So...you're AKIRA…" The UWGP Heavyweight champion sauntered around him, looking at him from head to toe. AKIRA was still, his eyes tracking Rainmaker as far as he could without turning his head. He liked to believe that the small beads of sweat were from the overhead light and not his own nerves.
Bringing up his own mike, AKIRA smiled. "I thank you for the compliment. And I will admit, defeating the Ace was pretty hard. But I assure you, you better not underestimate me, or you will regret it." All around him, he could hear some chatter.
Ren and Narukami gave each other a look. This wasn't going according to plan. The people weren't getting into it. Ren tried to compose himself as Narukami conveyed his apologies before taking to his mike."No offense to you, but there are plenty of people that have told me that." Raising his other hand, Rainmaker counted his fingers. "And one by one, I beat them." Making a fist, Rainmaker stepped just a little closer to AKIRA. "So tell me, AKIRA, the Stardust Genius…" Ren understood what was going on. Even Narukami, understanding as he was, couldn't help him without undermining his character. If Ren wanted to prove anything, it had to be now. Staring down at the mike in his hand, he gripped it tight. AKIRA stared at Rainmaker. The Proclaimed Stardust Genius paced for a little bit, looking contemplative. Then he turned back to Rainmaker. "I'm here, because I have drive, because I have something that you used to have, but NO LONGER!" AKIRA's face was just a few inches from Rainmaker. "You have gotten complacent. You had that Championship belt for so long, you think it's yours. You probably even think that there is no one in Ultimate Japan that could even beat you anymore…"
AKIRA pointed to himself. "Well, you're looking at him. I swear to you, at Wrestle Kingdom, I will beat you…"
AKIRA stepped back as he held the mike close to his lips.
"And become the new Top Star of Ultimate Japan."
As soon as AKIRA said that, the silence of the Arena was broken as it filled with laughter.
"Is this guy serious?"
"God, why did this guy win the G1 climax?"
"Rainmaker could have had another fight with the Ace!"
"Must have been a fluke…"
"Yeah, bet he can't beat the Ace another time."
If the silence before was a wall, the words being said now was like a weight on his shoulders. Each word and scoff made him feel heavier. He wanted to run. Ren wanted to go to the back, but he couldn't. AKIRA still had to engage in a pose-off with Rainmaker. As Rainmaker went for his pose, Ren went for AKIRA's. However, all around them, the words were only getting louder. Crap, it's starting to get inside his head. Make it stop. Like a light cutting through the clouds, the weight disappeared off his shoulders and the haze disappeared from his awareness. Who said that? Who was that… He spotted her just behind Rainmaker, just close enough to the ring to pick her out, yet too far away to truly pick out details. She looked to be around his age, with vibrant straight red hair that seemed to reach just her shoulders. She was standing up, the people looking at her as she cupped her hands and shouted again.
"DON'T GIVE UP! I BELIEVE IN YOU!"
As she took another breath, she suddenly noticed the people looking at her. Almost immediately, she looked conscious of the attention she was starting to garner. From what he could see, it looked like she wasn't one for the spotlight. However, someone beside her stood up as well. She almost looked exactly the same as the red haired woman, he thought to himself as the twin cupped her hands to her mouth."DON'T LET MY SISTER DOWN, AKIRA!" "GO AKIRA, SUMIRE GAVE YOU BUFFS!" Someone else stood up next to the twins and started shouting. She seemed a bit shorter compared to the twins, with long orange hair that seemed to reach down to the middle of her back. Then two others stood up, one with short brown hair with a strange braid that was tied around her head, and another with such fluffy brown hair that he was reminded of a sheep. Five women stood alone, cheering him on despite the looks they were getting from the nearby audience. And he only had eyes on one of them. While her friends continued to cheer him on, the one that he assumed was Sumire had stopped cheering, her eyes solely on him as well. Somehow, she knew that he was staring at her. A moment passed before she mouthed something to him. And he couldn't help but wonder if Sumire once wished for someone else to tell her that. The distance failed to hide the sincerity and faith that she had in him. And knowing the finish that was planned, it made him feel like he was about to stomp on it. He had to do something. Ren couldn't let that belief be for nothing. Breaking eye contact, he looked down, covering his mouth and subtly gestured to Narukami. Narukami blinked twice, and Rainmaker awaited his response. Giving his full attention, AKIRA lifted up his mike. AKIRA slowly pointed up at the lights. "And I will leave you staring up at the lights for the three count."
As Rainmaker briefly followed the motion of his rising hand, the other hand threw the mike down on the ground, creating feedback and making everyone in the arena flinch. Kicking the mike back, AKIRA stepped forward and tried to club Rainmaker with his upraised arm. Rainmaker blocked with his forearm and smacked AKIRA back, sending him flying backwards. Landing on the ground, AKIRA rolled near the ropes as the boos started to rain down. Grabbing the nearby mike on the ground, he looked back up at Rainmaker."At Wrestle Kingdom, you better bring your A-game. Otherwise…" He smirked cheekily as he got up to his knees, and held up the UWGP Heavyweight Championship belt. Rainmaker blinked before patting and looking down at his naked waist. With that, AKIRA laid the UWGP Heavyweight Championship belt on the ground, taking a moment to rub the centerplate with his hand, before rolling out of the ring. Just as he was about to leave, one of the people ringside pointed out the Openweight Championship belt and the G1 climax trophy. He had to hide his grimace as he picked both of them up, holding them at his sides as he started to walk to the back, hearing the people talk around him. He studied her intensely. The color of her hair and eyes, the straightness of her posture, the softness of her expression. He had to keep moving, and he didn't want any more attention brought onto her. It was doubtful he was ever going to see her again, and even though her gesture had been small, it still meant the world to him. Turning his head slightly, he mouthed something to Sumire. The last thing he saw was her face brightening before he passed her completely.
Walking to the back, Ren realized that his path led him closer to Sumire's section. As he came by, he saw that her and all her friends were looking at him, curious uncertainty in their eyes while she stared at him worriedly. His eyes flicked to her.
"Uh...Mr. JOKER?"
Ren turned back to the interviewer before remembering where he was. Frowning, he picked up his mike.
"Lo siento, señor. No habla japonés."Author Notes: I stopped playing my emulation of P4 around Kanji's dungeon, but does this fit P4 guy as chad? watch?v=2h9VD-ZK-Uk