I don't think I'll ever be able to forget that day. Shuichi. Shindou
Shuichi, the lovable, hyperactive & popular, Mega-Idol. The charismatic
lead singer of the rock band, Bad Luck... I could hardly believe what I was
hearing... I thought it was a joke... a bad joke... well, it wasn't.
*~*
"Yuki! I have a great idea!"
"Good. Why don't you tell it to your friends? People that actually like you."
"But I have to tell you!"
"But *I* don't care. Your 'great' ideas are never any good. You're not very creative, Shuichi. Face it."
"This isn't something you need to be creative with. It's just something you have to love & care about."
I gave him a sceptical look. "Me? Loving? Caring? We've been living together for 2 years... do you know me AT ALL?"
"2 years, 5 months & 23 days!" He announced triumphantly, as if it were a question on that 'Quiz Depot' show he's always on or something like that. "That's exactly it, though! My idea-!"
"THAT is your idea? That's not even an idea! It's a statement! That *I* said. Your 'idea' was that we've been living together for 2 years, 5 months & 23 days?" My mind was spinning just trying to grip what his could possibly be thinking. Shuichi should go back to school & learn his vocabulary all over again. In fact, he should go back & learn how to think all over again, preferably like a normal human being... but a rock would do just as well... if he thought like a rock at least he would be more intelligent... & a lot quieter too.
"No. Yuki, I think we should have a baby!"
I smacked the back of his head. "Baka. Have you noticed something a little... different... about our relationship? We can't have a baby... we're missing the most important part."
"Love?"
"A woman, you Dumb-ass!" I shouted at him lit a cigarette. As it sat loosely between my lips I looked back over at Shuichi. "Love?"
"Eh?"
"You guessed 'Love'? Didn't you ever pay attention in health class? Love has nothing to do with it in some cases... people who don't love each other can still have a little brat."
"But they can't raise it without love."
"And you guessed 'Love' as what was missing in our relationship?" I guess I'll admit it now I was a little insulted. "I said I wasn't 'Loving' that doesn't mean I don't love."
"Do you love me?"
I glared at him. "Baka." But my mouth twitched up at one corner & Shuichi once again, grinned like an idiot in his usual way. He knew my real answer anyway. "So what was your REAL idea?"
"Yuki, I think we should adopt a baby."
The ashes fell from my cigarette & onto my expensive pants, but I didn't even bother trying to brush them off. He was SERIOUS? "Why?"
"Wouldn't it be wonderful? Yuki? Don't you want to be a daddy?" Shuichi's eyes were sparkling.
"No. Shuichi, have you even thought this through? A baby is work. Words & steps are just perks. Some of the FEW perks. They cry & pee & slobber all over everything... they're loud & annoying & YOU'RE enough work for me to take care of already."
"NOW who's not thinking it through?" Shuichi looked up at me, with that determined, honest face that he rarely shows, just like that time in New York. "Yuki, I'm serious. I wouldn't mention it to you if I hadn't thought it through."
"You're only 21."
"So?"
"You're famous. Why do this now. Why not wait a few years at least until you're actually ready to settle down & get out of your fast-track life?"
"I'll give it up."
"Yeah right. I've seen you at your post-tour parties. You live for those, you live for going on stage. You'll give it up for a baby? You can't be throwing wild parties & getting pissed drunk when you have a brat in the next room."
"I know that. I know that babies are hard work, I know about diapers & 3 o'clock feedings & terrible 2's & all of that. But I also know that I DO want this, even including all that."
"Wouldn't you be happier with a puppy? Puppies are annoying & yappy like you too."
"Look, if you REALLY don't want this now... then alright. I'll understand. But tell me honestly, I've thought this through, I think maybe you should take some time & think it through as well." Shuichi got up & went to the kitchen.
I was surprised. He really was serious. It was rare to ever see him like that. I thought hard about it, although I pretended to him that I didn't care & had forgotten about it... & about 2 & ½ weeks later I found Shuichi sleeping, curled up in bed, cuddling a lump of bunched up blanket in my absence since I had been writing all night again. "How long?"
"Eh?" Shuichi woke up & looked up at me with his innocent violet eyes.
"How long did you think about having a kid?"
"I'm not sure. For a while..."
"A few weeks? A couple of months?"
"Hm... Probably about 6 or 7."
"Weeks?"
"Months." He said.
"Months?!"
"Yuki, you know what? It's ok. I know what you're going to say. I can wait. Its not the end of the world."
"Shuichi. You're right." I looked at him. I could hardly believe what I was saying now. "Maybe... all of that annoying stuff is worth it."
"What do you mean?"
"If you want a baby... then it's ok with me."
"Do you mean it?"
"But, I don't like 'daddy'. That little brat can call me Yuki. Or 'dad'. You can be called whatever the hell you like."
"Yuki!" Shuichi burst up out of the bed & wrapped his arms tightly around me. "I love you Yuki!"
"Yeah." I said.
*~*
So, after a few months of paperwork & all that legal stuff that I hate & Shuichi doesn't always understand, it finally happened. We adopted a baby. A boy named Kiku. And despite the crying & the stinking & all that stuff that babies do, he wasn't so bad. And once he got a bit older, the tantrums weren't so hard to deal with... after all, I was already used to Shuichi's tantrums.
Shuichi didn't quit his career, but he took a few years off from touring. He didn't start getting really into it again until Kiku started school. Shuichi wasn't a bad daddy, I was afraid that he'd end up acting like that babysitter from hell that influences your kid in all the worst ways... but I got to see a new side to Shuichi since Kiku came along, a responsible side. Shuichi would always make sure that Kiku went to bed at the right time & he would make sure that Kiku always had his snack for school & that his library books were returned on-time, unharmed. It was actually quite amusing.
Yep, you heard right. Library books. It seems the kid takes after me a bit after all. He likes reading, & writing too. His teachers always comment on how creative he is & how he reads & writes well beyond his grade level, obviously that doesn't come hanging out with Shuichi, who can't even write a decent song to save his life. I'm serious, K threatens him with his guns & the lyrics are still total crap.
The teachers all love Kiku & he makes lots of friends too. School was something that worried me though. Even though Shuichi & I are famous, & our relationship is definitely no secret, I was afraid that Kiku's classmates would give him a hard time. Teachers too. So we used my family name, Uesugi, instead of Shindou or Yuki.
*~*
"I'm home!" Kiku dropped his bag beside his shoes & bounded over to my office door. "How's your work?"
"Good. I'm almost done." I smiled. Kiku was easier to smile at. I guess it was just a dad type thing. I didn't guard my feelings like I did with Shuichi. "How was school?"
"Meh. Not so bad. We got our report cards today."
"How did you do? Let me see?"
"Pretty good..."
"What's this? A 75% in math?"
"Yeah... I don't like math."
"I don't blame you. I hate it too. I'll help you with it though, I did good in math in school."
"Wasn't that 100 years ago?"
"Hardly. You're a little brat just like Shuichi." I grinned.
"You raised me!" Kiku laughed.
"I'm not going to take responsibility for your disrespectful behaviour. That's Shuichi's fault."
Kiku laughed more. "When is Papa getting home?"
"Soon, I'm sure. He gets off work at 2 but they always keep him later. He'll probably be home in about 10 minutes or so. Why are you home so early?"
"Early dismissal because of report cards."
"Ah, I see."
"Are you still happy with my report card?" He asked. If there were 2 ways that I found him to be the most like Shuichi, it was his energy & his fear of disappointing me or making me angry.
"Of course. You're marks are all in the 90's. Who cares about math, anyway? You've got years to improve on that, you're only in gr.7."
Kiku smiled brightly. "Thanks Dad." He hugged my neck. That kid liked hugging. "On Saturday, are you going to Papa's photo shoot for the magazine?"
"I might stop by on his break or something."
"Cuz, I was wondering if you think he'd let me go. I wanna see what it's like with all the lights & cameras."
"He might. But Kiku, there might be a lot of press there. You know how Shuichi & I feel about them taking pictures of you."
"Yeah. I'll ask him anyway. He might let me come because of my good report card!"
*~*
We'd had some trouble a little while back while Shuichi, Kiku & I were out shopping. Kiku was about 5 or 6 & until then we had managed to keep him basically out of the public eye & away from the press. We were mobbed my people & reporters & there were pictures of him in magazines with us & articles by interviewers that like prying into our personal lives. I guess after that we became a little more cautious about being in public all together. We didn't want them to start watching Kiku when he was older to see what sort of things he was doing & what he was into. That's not the world's business just cuz we're famous. Kiku doesn't seem to really mind; he understands what we're trying to do. His life is as normal as possible.
Of course, it's hard to live 'normally' when you're surrounded by music's biggest names for most of your life. Once Kiku got older, Shuichi began having those wild parties again. He seemed to enjoy seeing his drunken Papa & drunken Uncle Ryuichi singing karaoke to English songs that they had never heard of. I always woke up with a killer headache the next morning... they were so much louder when they were drunk. And its like Shuichi & Ryuichi have their own language... Kiku learned it too. It's like he's bilingual; he speaks Japanese & Baka. Although, it's pretty interesting sometimes to just watch Shuichi & him together.
*~*
"Are you serious?!" Kiku squealed from the living room as I came in the door. I quietly took off my shoes & pushed them aside, shuffling the grocery bag in my arms & listening right around the corner from where he & Shuichi sat. What was Shuichi up to?
"Yep. So would you like to do it? Would you be up to it?" Shuichi asked.
"YES!"
"Well, then let me talk to Yuki tonight about it & if he says its ok then we're good to go. Just understand that this isn't set in stone, he still might say no."
"I know."
"I might say no to what?" I came around the corner.
"Yuki! Welcome home!" Shuichi gave me a great big hug & so did Kiku. They were definitely planning something I wouldn't approve of.
I pried the two of them off me. "What's going on?"
"Nothing!" Kiku said... then quickly left the room.
Yeah right. "Shuichi?" I asked sternly.
"Kiku's not a little kid anymore, I don't think we should worry about him being in the public eye anymore. We're gonna be working on a music video in France..."
"So? What's so big? We've come with you a lot of times to your sets."
"There's gonna be a photo shoot there, & I want him to be with me."
"At the shoot?"
"No. IN it."
"This will be for what? A magazine?"
"Yeah. A reporter is coming along to do a story while we film the music video. And a film crew might be doing a documentary, a 'behind-the-scenes with Bad Luck' type thing."
"Well..."
"He's 15 now, & he wants to go. I've already told him about it. He goes to public school, & can go on sleepovers & all that normal kid stuff; he wants to try something different for once. This one thing won't be bad. Its not like it will be for every shoot. Just one."
"I guess so. But just this once."
*~*
So, as it turns out, the photo shoot for the magazine & the filming for the documentary did as I thought it would & brought A LOT of attention to Kiku. Hell, the media hadn't really seen him since he was about 9 or ten, so he had changed quite a bit. I should've known better than to give in to Shuichi & Kiku... they're always wrong about these kinds of things.
Some of Kiku's friends didn't even know that he was our son until after that. Since 'Yuki Eiri' is just a penname, Kiku was enrolled in school as Uesugi Kiku, my actual family name. Shuichi & I figured it would be best since no one would recognize that name unlike 'Shindou' & 'Yuki'. Plus, Kiku's friends rarely if ever came to our house; he was usually the one going to theirs. It was a shock to them when they read their magazines & flipped through the channels on the TV & saw their friend. Apparently, they hadn't realized that 'Papa' & 'Dad' were 2 different people, they just thought that Kiku's father changed his attitude a lot. And with the way that Kiku gets, the same way that Shuichi gets, talking a mile a minute & rambling away when he's happy, Kiku's friends probably have to partially tune him out or simply can't understand what he's talking about.
The media loved the energetic, "Mini-Shuichi" even though he was occasionally bad-tempered... -_-; It was no real surprise though; I knew that everyone would love him, it was the same with Shuichi, & Kiku was a cute kid. Dark eyes & platinum blonde hair, he had recently become very interested in dying his hair & without my knowledge or permission, Shuichi took him to get red streaks in his hair. His teachers at school didn't appreciate it too much at first, but they let it slide after a while because he was a good student & a nice kid.
*~*
Kiku walked in after school one day & flopped onto the couch with a sigh.
"Kiku? Something wrong?" Shuichi asked.
"Not really. Its just some girls in my school won't leave me alone."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"One of them likes me & her friends keep bugging me to go out with her."
"Why don't you?"
"Because, I don't like her."
"Don't you think you should give her a chance? Do you ever talk to her?"
"No. 'Cuz then she'd think I like her."
"Well then how do you know that you wouldn't like her if you got to know her? You're almost 17, why don't you get a girlfriend?"
"Cuz I don't want a girlfriend, Papa. I've told those dumb girls that so many times & they don't seem to get the point. I hate stupid girls like that," He got up & got some Pocky* from the cupboard & changed the subject. "So, can I go see a movie with my friends on Saturday?"
*[It's Shuichi's favourite snack, he eats it a few times throughout the manga & anime. They're long sticks, kinda like biscuits I guess, & they're covered in chocolate, or strawberry or a bunch of different flavours... SO YUMMY! I love Pocky! Anyway, back to the story.]
"Which one are you going to see?"
"I don't know. We're just gonna go & figure it out when we get to the theatre I guess. Can I go?"
"Alright."
"Awesome. Thanks!" Kiku hugged him.
*~*
Shuichi was always the more huggable one; I'm not really one for all of that mushy type stuff. Those 2 were really close. They had a lot in common. I'd say that Kiku definitely took after Shuichi, but that's not to say that Kiku didn't have some things in common with me as well. Writing, for one thing. He could be rather moody towards classmates that ticked him off too. Unfortunately, another thing he picked up from me was smoking.
Shuichi flipped when he found out. I had been noticing that my smokes had been disappearing & I had mentioned it to Shuichi, & not long after he confronted Kiku about it. He was grounded no doubt; he was only 16, and fortunately, he actually quit. Something I have never been able to do. Kiku really was a good kid. And like I said before, he hated letting us down, or disappointing us, me especially.
Seeing how much Kiku seemed to act like Shuichi & I, got me a little worried. Especially after Shuichi told me about Kiku's issue with those girls at school. I can't blame the kid, I hate women like that too, I come across them almost everyday. But it started me wondering if he maybe followed our example in another area as well. His cell phone would ring constantly but he never really went out with girls as far as we know... just the ones that were his friends since he was little,
*~*
"Dad. Can I talk to you about something?"
Those weren't words I really heard very often. I stopped my writing & looked over at him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing really, I've just been thinking a lot lately... I don't really know what to do when I'm done school. What did you do?"
"I wrote." I smiled. "I went to university & began writing novels."
"It must be nice to know what you want... I'm just so confused. I don't know what I want."
"You've got time to think about it. What are you doing for graduation? It's coming pretty soon, huh?"
"Well..."
"Eh?" I didn't like that sneaky look in his eye. He was planning something again... or maybe he's already planned it, & now is just stuck on how to let me know.
"I was wondering if I could have a great big party here. We've got lots of room."
"No way."
"But you can't say no! I already told all my friends that they could come!"
Yup. There it is. I knew it. "Forget it. I have enough trouble with Shuichi & all those work parties he throws... damn rockers... I can put up with it because I at least know those people. I've never even met your friends,"
"But you've never wanted to! And what greater chance is there to meet them than in the safety of your own home!" Kiku countered.
"I said 'no'."
Uh oh. Here comes that 'Shuichi Determination'. Sometimes I swear that they actually are related. Kiku looks so much like him when he's like this. It's scary. He clasps his hands tightly, drops to his knees & begs me. To be honest... I think THIS is a little scarier. At least he's enough like me not to sob & throw a tantrum like Shuichi does when he wants his way. "PLEASE!!!"
"No."
"PLEEASE!!!"
"No."
"PLEEEASE!!!"
"No."
"PLEEEEEASE!!!"
"FINE! God! I can't take that aggravating noise in my ears!"
"I know." He hopped back up onto his feet & smiled.
That little brat... "Shuichi spoils you too much."
"No Dad, you do."
"Yeah right! I don't take you on any trips to France or Italy or Hong Kong or Brazil!"
"Well... you always come along & go site seeing with me when Papa's working. And you DID take me to New York a few times..."
I glared at him. I hate when that kid's right. He wins more arguments than I care to admit. Damn, he's quick.
"And you always let me go out whenever I want... &-"
"Enough. Do you want to have your party in this house or not?" I threatened.
"Okay." He said. "Thank you! Grad is gonna be awesome!"
A house full of 17 & 18 year olds...it's going to be hell.
*~*
A house full of 17 & 18 year olds... it's hell. Yelling, shouting, singing flat along to songs worse than Shuichi does when he's drunk. PURE TORTURE. Shuichi thought it was great... I hated it.
"Yuki! Yuki! Yuki! Isn't this great?!"
"No."
"Sure it is! You should go see it down there! It's crazy! Kiku has LOTS of girls just HANGING off him."
"He would. It's his huge house, his 'great' party, the girls are drunk, & he's got the keys to all the bedrooms."
"Eh?"
"You're so naïve." I shook my head. Was it REALLY so hard to figure out? Was he NEVER a teenager?
"You should go down there & say hi."
"Please tell me that nobody saw you."
"They didn't, honest." Shuichi crossed his heart. "Why would that matter, though?"
"Because it's your son's post graduation party! He's already graduated high school, do you know what that means?"
"No..."
"You're old!"
"I'm younger than you!"
"But you're not 17! You're old!" Oh crap. He's crying again. What kind of a man cries so much? Seriously. Only Shuichi... "Oh shut-up, you know I don't mean it."
"Then why did you say it?" He whimpered.
"Listen, I'm sorry."
"Good. I'm gonna go see if he needs anything." Shuichi was instantly cheery again,
*~*
Talk about frustrating. Do they both have to guilt & manipulate me into getting their way? And what's even more annoying is the fact that Kiku said that he's doing this so we could finally meet his friends & see what kinda freaks he hangs out with & guess what? I haven't seen a single person. What about all of these friends of his? He's still going to keep them secrets? Is he embarrassed, maybe?
*~* TBC... I'll update soon. Next part will start from Kiku's POV, at the party & go on from there. Ja ne!
*~*
"Yuki! I have a great idea!"
"Good. Why don't you tell it to your friends? People that actually like you."
"But I have to tell you!"
"But *I* don't care. Your 'great' ideas are never any good. You're not very creative, Shuichi. Face it."
"This isn't something you need to be creative with. It's just something you have to love & care about."
I gave him a sceptical look. "Me? Loving? Caring? We've been living together for 2 years... do you know me AT ALL?"
"2 years, 5 months & 23 days!" He announced triumphantly, as if it were a question on that 'Quiz Depot' show he's always on or something like that. "That's exactly it, though! My idea-!"
"THAT is your idea? That's not even an idea! It's a statement! That *I* said. Your 'idea' was that we've been living together for 2 years, 5 months & 23 days?" My mind was spinning just trying to grip what his could possibly be thinking. Shuichi should go back to school & learn his vocabulary all over again. In fact, he should go back & learn how to think all over again, preferably like a normal human being... but a rock would do just as well... if he thought like a rock at least he would be more intelligent... & a lot quieter too.
"No. Yuki, I think we should have a baby!"
I smacked the back of his head. "Baka. Have you noticed something a little... different... about our relationship? We can't have a baby... we're missing the most important part."
"Love?"
"A woman, you Dumb-ass!" I shouted at him lit a cigarette. As it sat loosely between my lips I looked back over at Shuichi. "Love?"
"Eh?"
"You guessed 'Love'? Didn't you ever pay attention in health class? Love has nothing to do with it in some cases... people who don't love each other can still have a little brat."
"But they can't raise it without love."
"And you guessed 'Love' as what was missing in our relationship?" I guess I'll admit it now I was a little insulted. "I said I wasn't 'Loving' that doesn't mean I don't love."
"Do you love me?"
I glared at him. "Baka." But my mouth twitched up at one corner & Shuichi once again, grinned like an idiot in his usual way. He knew my real answer anyway. "So what was your REAL idea?"
"Yuki, I think we should adopt a baby."
The ashes fell from my cigarette & onto my expensive pants, but I didn't even bother trying to brush them off. He was SERIOUS? "Why?"
"Wouldn't it be wonderful? Yuki? Don't you want to be a daddy?" Shuichi's eyes were sparkling.
"No. Shuichi, have you even thought this through? A baby is work. Words & steps are just perks. Some of the FEW perks. They cry & pee & slobber all over everything... they're loud & annoying & YOU'RE enough work for me to take care of already."
"NOW who's not thinking it through?" Shuichi looked up at me, with that determined, honest face that he rarely shows, just like that time in New York. "Yuki, I'm serious. I wouldn't mention it to you if I hadn't thought it through."
"You're only 21."
"So?"
"You're famous. Why do this now. Why not wait a few years at least until you're actually ready to settle down & get out of your fast-track life?"
"I'll give it up."
"Yeah right. I've seen you at your post-tour parties. You live for those, you live for going on stage. You'll give it up for a baby? You can't be throwing wild parties & getting pissed drunk when you have a brat in the next room."
"I know that. I know that babies are hard work, I know about diapers & 3 o'clock feedings & terrible 2's & all of that. But I also know that I DO want this, even including all that."
"Wouldn't you be happier with a puppy? Puppies are annoying & yappy like you too."
"Look, if you REALLY don't want this now... then alright. I'll understand. But tell me honestly, I've thought this through, I think maybe you should take some time & think it through as well." Shuichi got up & went to the kitchen.
I was surprised. He really was serious. It was rare to ever see him like that. I thought hard about it, although I pretended to him that I didn't care & had forgotten about it... & about 2 & ½ weeks later I found Shuichi sleeping, curled up in bed, cuddling a lump of bunched up blanket in my absence since I had been writing all night again. "How long?"
"Eh?" Shuichi woke up & looked up at me with his innocent violet eyes.
"How long did you think about having a kid?"
"I'm not sure. For a while..."
"A few weeks? A couple of months?"
"Hm... Probably about 6 or 7."
"Weeks?"
"Months." He said.
"Months?!"
"Yuki, you know what? It's ok. I know what you're going to say. I can wait. Its not the end of the world."
"Shuichi. You're right." I looked at him. I could hardly believe what I was saying now. "Maybe... all of that annoying stuff is worth it."
"What do you mean?"
"If you want a baby... then it's ok with me."
"Do you mean it?"
"But, I don't like 'daddy'. That little brat can call me Yuki. Or 'dad'. You can be called whatever the hell you like."
"Yuki!" Shuichi burst up out of the bed & wrapped his arms tightly around me. "I love you Yuki!"
"Yeah." I said.
*~*
So, after a few months of paperwork & all that legal stuff that I hate & Shuichi doesn't always understand, it finally happened. We adopted a baby. A boy named Kiku. And despite the crying & the stinking & all that stuff that babies do, he wasn't so bad. And once he got a bit older, the tantrums weren't so hard to deal with... after all, I was already used to Shuichi's tantrums.
Shuichi didn't quit his career, but he took a few years off from touring. He didn't start getting really into it again until Kiku started school. Shuichi wasn't a bad daddy, I was afraid that he'd end up acting like that babysitter from hell that influences your kid in all the worst ways... but I got to see a new side to Shuichi since Kiku came along, a responsible side. Shuichi would always make sure that Kiku went to bed at the right time & he would make sure that Kiku always had his snack for school & that his library books were returned on-time, unharmed. It was actually quite amusing.
Yep, you heard right. Library books. It seems the kid takes after me a bit after all. He likes reading, & writing too. His teachers always comment on how creative he is & how he reads & writes well beyond his grade level, obviously that doesn't come hanging out with Shuichi, who can't even write a decent song to save his life. I'm serious, K threatens him with his guns & the lyrics are still total crap.
The teachers all love Kiku & he makes lots of friends too. School was something that worried me though. Even though Shuichi & I are famous, & our relationship is definitely no secret, I was afraid that Kiku's classmates would give him a hard time. Teachers too. So we used my family name, Uesugi, instead of Shindou or Yuki.
*~*
"I'm home!" Kiku dropped his bag beside his shoes & bounded over to my office door. "How's your work?"
"Good. I'm almost done." I smiled. Kiku was easier to smile at. I guess it was just a dad type thing. I didn't guard my feelings like I did with Shuichi. "How was school?"
"Meh. Not so bad. We got our report cards today."
"How did you do? Let me see?"
"Pretty good..."
"What's this? A 75% in math?"
"Yeah... I don't like math."
"I don't blame you. I hate it too. I'll help you with it though, I did good in math in school."
"Wasn't that 100 years ago?"
"Hardly. You're a little brat just like Shuichi." I grinned.
"You raised me!" Kiku laughed.
"I'm not going to take responsibility for your disrespectful behaviour. That's Shuichi's fault."
Kiku laughed more. "When is Papa getting home?"
"Soon, I'm sure. He gets off work at 2 but they always keep him later. He'll probably be home in about 10 minutes or so. Why are you home so early?"
"Early dismissal because of report cards."
"Ah, I see."
"Are you still happy with my report card?" He asked. If there were 2 ways that I found him to be the most like Shuichi, it was his energy & his fear of disappointing me or making me angry.
"Of course. You're marks are all in the 90's. Who cares about math, anyway? You've got years to improve on that, you're only in gr.7."
Kiku smiled brightly. "Thanks Dad." He hugged my neck. That kid liked hugging. "On Saturday, are you going to Papa's photo shoot for the magazine?"
"I might stop by on his break or something."
"Cuz, I was wondering if you think he'd let me go. I wanna see what it's like with all the lights & cameras."
"He might. But Kiku, there might be a lot of press there. You know how Shuichi & I feel about them taking pictures of you."
"Yeah. I'll ask him anyway. He might let me come because of my good report card!"
*~*
We'd had some trouble a little while back while Shuichi, Kiku & I were out shopping. Kiku was about 5 or 6 & until then we had managed to keep him basically out of the public eye & away from the press. We were mobbed my people & reporters & there were pictures of him in magazines with us & articles by interviewers that like prying into our personal lives. I guess after that we became a little more cautious about being in public all together. We didn't want them to start watching Kiku when he was older to see what sort of things he was doing & what he was into. That's not the world's business just cuz we're famous. Kiku doesn't seem to really mind; he understands what we're trying to do. His life is as normal as possible.
Of course, it's hard to live 'normally' when you're surrounded by music's biggest names for most of your life. Once Kiku got older, Shuichi began having those wild parties again. He seemed to enjoy seeing his drunken Papa & drunken Uncle Ryuichi singing karaoke to English songs that they had never heard of. I always woke up with a killer headache the next morning... they were so much louder when they were drunk. And its like Shuichi & Ryuichi have their own language... Kiku learned it too. It's like he's bilingual; he speaks Japanese & Baka. Although, it's pretty interesting sometimes to just watch Shuichi & him together.
*~*
"Are you serious?!" Kiku squealed from the living room as I came in the door. I quietly took off my shoes & pushed them aside, shuffling the grocery bag in my arms & listening right around the corner from where he & Shuichi sat. What was Shuichi up to?
"Yep. So would you like to do it? Would you be up to it?" Shuichi asked.
"YES!"
"Well, then let me talk to Yuki tonight about it & if he says its ok then we're good to go. Just understand that this isn't set in stone, he still might say no."
"I know."
"I might say no to what?" I came around the corner.
"Yuki! Welcome home!" Shuichi gave me a great big hug & so did Kiku. They were definitely planning something I wouldn't approve of.
I pried the two of them off me. "What's going on?"
"Nothing!" Kiku said... then quickly left the room.
Yeah right. "Shuichi?" I asked sternly.
"Kiku's not a little kid anymore, I don't think we should worry about him being in the public eye anymore. We're gonna be working on a music video in France..."
"So? What's so big? We've come with you a lot of times to your sets."
"There's gonna be a photo shoot there, & I want him to be with me."
"At the shoot?"
"No. IN it."
"This will be for what? A magazine?"
"Yeah. A reporter is coming along to do a story while we film the music video. And a film crew might be doing a documentary, a 'behind-the-scenes with Bad Luck' type thing."
"Well..."
"He's 15 now, & he wants to go. I've already told him about it. He goes to public school, & can go on sleepovers & all that normal kid stuff; he wants to try something different for once. This one thing won't be bad. Its not like it will be for every shoot. Just one."
"I guess so. But just this once."
*~*
So, as it turns out, the photo shoot for the magazine & the filming for the documentary did as I thought it would & brought A LOT of attention to Kiku. Hell, the media hadn't really seen him since he was about 9 or ten, so he had changed quite a bit. I should've known better than to give in to Shuichi & Kiku... they're always wrong about these kinds of things.
Some of Kiku's friends didn't even know that he was our son until after that. Since 'Yuki Eiri' is just a penname, Kiku was enrolled in school as Uesugi Kiku, my actual family name. Shuichi & I figured it would be best since no one would recognize that name unlike 'Shindou' & 'Yuki'. Plus, Kiku's friends rarely if ever came to our house; he was usually the one going to theirs. It was a shock to them when they read their magazines & flipped through the channels on the TV & saw their friend. Apparently, they hadn't realized that 'Papa' & 'Dad' were 2 different people, they just thought that Kiku's father changed his attitude a lot. And with the way that Kiku gets, the same way that Shuichi gets, talking a mile a minute & rambling away when he's happy, Kiku's friends probably have to partially tune him out or simply can't understand what he's talking about.
The media loved the energetic, "Mini-Shuichi" even though he was occasionally bad-tempered... -_-; It was no real surprise though; I knew that everyone would love him, it was the same with Shuichi, & Kiku was a cute kid. Dark eyes & platinum blonde hair, he had recently become very interested in dying his hair & without my knowledge or permission, Shuichi took him to get red streaks in his hair. His teachers at school didn't appreciate it too much at first, but they let it slide after a while because he was a good student & a nice kid.
*~*
Kiku walked in after school one day & flopped onto the couch with a sigh.
"Kiku? Something wrong?" Shuichi asked.
"Not really. Its just some girls in my school won't leave me alone."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"One of them likes me & her friends keep bugging me to go out with her."
"Why don't you?"
"Because, I don't like her."
"Don't you think you should give her a chance? Do you ever talk to her?"
"No. 'Cuz then she'd think I like her."
"Well then how do you know that you wouldn't like her if you got to know her? You're almost 17, why don't you get a girlfriend?"
"Cuz I don't want a girlfriend, Papa. I've told those dumb girls that so many times & they don't seem to get the point. I hate stupid girls like that," He got up & got some Pocky* from the cupboard & changed the subject. "So, can I go see a movie with my friends on Saturday?"
*[It's Shuichi's favourite snack, he eats it a few times throughout the manga & anime. They're long sticks, kinda like biscuits I guess, & they're covered in chocolate, or strawberry or a bunch of different flavours... SO YUMMY! I love Pocky! Anyway, back to the story.]
"Which one are you going to see?"
"I don't know. We're just gonna go & figure it out when we get to the theatre I guess. Can I go?"
"Alright."
"Awesome. Thanks!" Kiku hugged him.
*~*
Shuichi was always the more huggable one; I'm not really one for all of that mushy type stuff. Those 2 were really close. They had a lot in common. I'd say that Kiku definitely took after Shuichi, but that's not to say that Kiku didn't have some things in common with me as well. Writing, for one thing. He could be rather moody towards classmates that ticked him off too. Unfortunately, another thing he picked up from me was smoking.
Shuichi flipped when he found out. I had been noticing that my smokes had been disappearing & I had mentioned it to Shuichi, & not long after he confronted Kiku about it. He was grounded no doubt; he was only 16, and fortunately, he actually quit. Something I have never been able to do. Kiku really was a good kid. And like I said before, he hated letting us down, or disappointing us, me especially.
Seeing how much Kiku seemed to act like Shuichi & I, got me a little worried. Especially after Shuichi told me about Kiku's issue with those girls at school. I can't blame the kid, I hate women like that too, I come across them almost everyday. But it started me wondering if he maybe followed our example in another area as well. His cell phone would ring constantly but he never really went out with girls as far as we know... just the ones that were his friends since he was little,
*~*
"Dad. Can I talk to you about something?"
Those weren't words I really heard very often. I stopped my writing & looked over at him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing really, I've just been thinking a lot lately... I don't really know what to do when I'm done school. What did you do?"
"I wrote." I smiled. "I went to university & began writing novels."
"It must be nice to know what you want... I'm just so confused. I don't know what I want."
"You've got time to think about it. What are you doing for graduation? It's coming pretty soon, huh?"
"Well..."
"Eh?" I didn't like that sneaky look in his eye. He was planning something again... or maybe he's already planned it, & now is just stuck on how to let me know.
"I was wondering if I could have a great big party here. We've got lots of room."
"No way."
"But you can't say no! I already told all my friends that they could come!"
Yup. There it is. I knew it. "Forget it. I have enough trouble with Shuichi & all those work parties he throws... damn rockers... I can put up with it because I at least know those people. I've never even met your friends,"
"But you've never wanted to! And what greater chance is there to meet them than in the safety of your own home!" Kiku countered.
"I said 'no'."
Uh oh. Here comes that 'Shuichi Determination'. Sometimes I swear that they actually are related. Kiku looks so much like him when he's like this. It's scary. He clasps his hands tightly, drops to his knees & begs me. To be honest... I think THIS is a little scarier. At least he's enough like me not to sob & throw a tantrum like Shuichi does when he wants his way. "PLEASE!!!"
"No."
"PLEEASE!!!"
"No."
"PLEEEASE!!!"
"No."
"PLEEEEEASE!!!"
"FINE! God! I can't take that aggravating noise in my ears!"
"I know." He hopped back up onto his feet & smiled.
That little brat... "Shuichi spoils you too much."
"No Dad, you do."
"Yeah right! I don't take you on any trips to France or Italy or Hong Kong or Brazil!"
"Well... you always come along & go site seeing with me when Papa's working. And you DID take me to New York a few times..."
I glared at him. I hate when that kid's right. He wins more arguments than I care to admit. Damn, he's quick.
"And you always let me go out whenever I want... &-"
"Enough. Do you want to have your party in this house or not?" I threatened.
"Okay." He said. "Thank you! Grad is gonna be awesome!"
A house full of 17 & 18 year olds...it's going to be hell.
*~*
A house full of 17 & 18 year olds... it's hell. Yelling, shouting, singing flat along to songs worse than Shuichi does when he's drunk. PURE TORTURE. Shuichi thought it was great... I hated it.
"Yuki! Yuki! Yuki! Isn't this great?!"
"No."
"Sure it is! You should go see it down there! It's crazy! Kiku has LOTS of girls just HANGING off him."
"He would. It's his huge house, his 'great' party, the girls are drunk, & he's got the keys to all the bedrooms."
"Eh?"
"You're so naïve." I shook my head. Was it REALLY so hard to figure out? Was he NEVER a teenager?
"You should go down there & say hi."
"Please tell me that nobody saw you."
"They didn't, honest." Shuichi crossed his heart. "Why would that matter, though?"
"Because it's your son's post graduation party! He's already graduated high school, do you know what that means?"
"No..."
"You're old!"
"I'm younger than you!"
"But you're not 17! You're old!" Oh crap. He's crying again. What kind of a man cries so much? Seriously. Only Shuichi... "Oh shut-up, you know I don't mean it."
"Then why did you say it?" He whimpered.
"Listen, I'm sorry."
"Good. I'm gonna go see if he needs anything." Shuichi was instantly cheery again,
*~*
Talk about frustrating. Do they both have to guilt & manipulate me into getting their way? And what's even more annoying is the fact that Kiku said that he's doing this so we could finally meet his friends & see what kinda freaks he hangs out with & guess what? I haven't seen a single person. What about all of these friends of his? He's still going to keep them secrets? Is he embarrassed, maybe?
*~* TBC... I'll update soon. Next part will start from Kiku's POV, at the party & go on from there. Ja ne!