TITLE: Boku no Koe A Tale of Complexities
PART: Three
MAIN PAIRINGS: Sanada Genichirou x Kajimoto Takahisa and Atobe Keigo x Tezuka Kunimitsu.
SIDE PAIRINGS: In this part: Mukahi Gakuto, Oshitari Yuushi
GENRE: Yaoi (Alternate Universe/ Humour/ Angst / Romance)
DISCLAIMERS: All the series I'm referring to in this fic, as well as all the brand names and real-life studios, do not belong to me… only this twisted story does.
NOTE #1: Blah or Blah is for emphasis. /Blah/ is for conversations over the phone or flashbacks (if any). /Blah/ is for the conscience or whatever inner voice there is talking. Blah is for thoughts or random Japanese words. Some of these words are footnoted at the end of every page (I'm beginning to understand the need for footnotes in fiction. Thank you dear friend, you know who you are. XD).
NOTE #2: This is inspired by Youka Nitta's manga "Boku no Koe", hence the title, but the story is not quite the same. Special Thanks to DelusionalLady for opening this topic up while we were chatting over the phone the other day. I just have to remind you guys that this is an alternate universe fic. I am not using the characters' seiyuu, but I'm using them, as themselves dubbing other stuff (i.e. Tezuka being the seiyuu of Brad Crawford in Weiss Kreuz, etc.), and Tennis no Oujisama does exist in this world though the characters, instead of the regular names we know, the anime characters being dubbed are named after the real seiyuu. I'm twisted, I know. XD I'm just reminding you these to avoid confusion, should you read this fic. And yes, their ages are different here too. XD
NOTE #3: There are records corresponding to the schools in Tennis no Oujisama. They are:
Kooun Limited
BHI (Black Horse Inc.)
Teikoku Songen
MG (Masterpieces Group)
Yuushousha Studios
PT Unlimited (Polar Talents Unlimited)
Hashira Kin
Playhouse Productions
Everything will be explained as the story goes on.
NOTE #4: These are mostly from the point of views of the uke; so don't be mad that the seme do not have as much screen time.
DEDICATION: This is dedicated to all of you guys who have had this fancy eating your brains for a long while now. We have to wonder after all, how is it working as a seiyuu? I personally have seen a friend of mine work as a 'dubber' locally, and I guess, most of the stuff here are based from what I have observed as well as based from the info I have collected over the years.
DAISANBU: GENKAI
(Third Part: Limit)
Atobe mulled over the sheets of paper in his hand. It was a good thing that he and Sakaki had given each of their talents a chance to audition in their studios for the TV Tokyo project. Yet, they were a person short, and he wasn't sure if the characters Hiyoshi plotted out through his director were sufficient in grasping what Konomi Takeshi really wanted. It was hard competing when the ones you're competing with are not at all fit for the roles they are supposed to play.
TEIKOKU SONGEN PROPOSAL
LIST OF VOICE ACTORS (Tennis no Oujisama – Lead: SEIGAKU)
Okiayu Ryoutarou (Buchou) – Atobe Keigo
Kondou Takayuki (Fukubuchou) – Ohtori Choutarou
Kaida Yuki – VACANT
Minagawa Junko (Protagonist) – Akutagawa Jirou
Kiyasu Kouhei – Oshitari Yuushi
Onosaka Masaya – Shishido Ryo
Tsuda Kenjirou – Sakaki Taro
Kawomoto Naru – Hiyoshi Wakashi
Takahashi Hiroki – VACANT
Coach – Honjou Sumire1
Arai – VACANT
Neko-chan – VACANT
Although it was interesting, he just couldn't quite sit still seeing the line-up. There was something that wasn't quite right, and briefly, he wondered if Hiyoshi's assigned subordinate read Konomi-sensei's manga before he made the cast list. Atobe trusted Hiyoshi so much that he knew it was stupid not to trust his judgement.
"What do you think, Taro? Is this okay with you?" He asked the equally sullen person sitting perpendicular to him in the conference area.
"I am not satisfied." Sakaki took a deep breath and let it out in disappointment. "This cast list was not what I had in mind." Idly, the older man toyed with his silver lighter. "I'll talk to Hiyoshi about this."
Atobe sighed. "No, no. I think when he gives the go signal for a proposal, it's supposed to be done already."
"But there are still gaps. That is unforgivable."
"Lighten up for once Taro, we will pirate people from outside, the freelancers most of all – the best ones so we can fill the gaps."
"Just a week Keigo. Just one week. We have to accomplish that and then review before we make it to the deadline."
"It will work out to our favour, trust me."
Sakaki looked up at Atobe and a knowing smile suffused his face completely. "Right." Then, a frown crossed his face and he stood up, taking a couple of steps until he was behind him. "You are a mess." He murmured softly, large hands reaching out to massage the younger man's shoulders.
"Ah, who wouldn't be? I've been practically buried under a mountain of paperwork all week!" Atobe complained, closing his eyes and letting out a stressed breath. "And on top of that, Hiyoshi's section of the company doesn't seem to be going along well enough to meet everyone's expectations."
"Think it's his fault?" The older man leaned forward, arms ceasing their soothing kneading and folding on the back of the high-back chair.
Atobe tried not to shiver as his business partner's breath teased the hairs at the back of his neck. However, he did, and he blamed it on all those days of working too hard, stressing over production matters and playing mind games with a bespectacled someone who didn't even acknowledge his existence no matter how hard he tried.
Worst was that, Sakaki Taro, his acclaimed business partner, doesn't seem to be having such a tough time as he was. How ever did he budget his time and brain cells anyway? Doesn't he satisfy his own needs first before everything else? Is that how he manages his time so efficiently? Work first, and then play later? That's boring!
As if on cue, hot lips imprinted a scorching mark at his nape, and it was the beginning of what was inevitable.
Given the circumstances, it was fine, since they had been... partners before. He was needy and Sakaki was obviously horny. That was all there is to it, just plain physical pleasure, nothing more, and nothing less.
Just the same thing the two of them had before.
"The door." He murmured, batting his head gently against Sakaki's cheek, turning around and standing up, arms stealing around his neck as he leant close, breathing the scent of expensive perfume.
"Locked." Came the gruff response as the older man licked his neck, tasting the salt of his skin, mouth openly wandering, trailing downwards as nimble fingers opened his dress shirt, button by button.
Keening cries emanated from Atobe's throat. Yes, he's so good at this... so good... oh! He screamed inwardly as burning hands branded onto his skin, sliding purposefully across the broad expanse of his chest, then down, to where his tight stomach was, and then stopping right at the edge of his pants. What are you waiting for, you tease! The inner voice asked incredulously, his body pressing almost involuntarily against his partner.
It was not until his rump was planted unceremoniously on something hard that he realised he was pushed almost roughly to the floor. Making a noise of annoyance, he remained docile, his body surrendering to the flood of pleasure invading his nether regions as Sakaki's hand closed in on the outline of his aching shaft. It felt so good, those practiced hands working him through the cloth of his pants, and he felt the tension ebb from him completely, replaced only by the pure sensation of desire.
Atobe distinctly heard the sound of something being zipped up... or down, considering the circumstances, and he knew for sure whose it was for all the looseness his pants had, as well as the coldness of the air-conditioning unit on his bare skin.
"Ahh..."
And Sakaki's mouth descended on him.
X o X o X
"Tezuka-san, please wait for me!" Mukahi Gakuto called out as he rushed towards the office, breezing past the one he just acknowledged. He was going to pass his exhibition cd for a shampoo commercial, and he was in a hurry. His deadline was five in the afternoon, and it was already five minutes to five. If he did not get it through the receiving chute of Ryuuzaki Sumire, he would be dead meat.
Frankly he wasn't happy.
He had been at Hashira Kin for a long while now... and things had been going well. Had being the keyword.
He placed the cd on the senior producer's desk. Hastily he scribbled a note on one of the stick-on pads and stuck it on the cd case. Sighing in relief that he beat her to the office, he started to turn around.
The he noticed the sheet of paper on the far side of the desk. What's that? Curious, he reached out and plucked it from the piled lot and began reading. Final audition cut for the new anime Tennis no Oujisama... His eyes followed each line carefully. What's this, for a mass audition? His heart pounded with excitement. Maybe they've gotten landed me a good role... His turned to the cast list and scanned the prospective voice actors. Where is my...
He stared.
Placing the sheet of paper back with shaky hands, let out his repressed breath. He slipped out of the room quietly, and he was greeted with the concerned features of his senpai.
"Mukahi-kun." There was a tinge of question in his voice, and it was enough to make his eyes well up. He quelled it, but it took a lot of effort to do so and he felt nothing but drained.
"Ah, Tezuka-senpai, thank you for waiting for me." He said quietly, a far cry from his normally bouncy self.
Tezuka was sure the moment his kouhai got out of Ryuuzaki's office, that there was something in there which made him so upset he was close to tears. The younger man couldn't keep anything away from him; after all, he had known him far too long and worked with his just as well for him not to know what he was feeling. Mukahi was like an open book. It wasn't hard to understand him at all.
The atmosphere was awkward as they stood facing each other.
"Tezuka-senpai, we should go... or we'll be late." Mukahi stammered, fidgeting. He did not want to look up at the eyes of the one he respected so much. He did not want to know if he knew what was in that sheet of paper. Tezuka Kunimitsu was a star in their company, and he was sure he knew everything that goes around the place. He did not want to see the pity if he did know about it.
And he thought, maybe, if he willed the pain to go away, it would.
"Ikuzo." Came the other's assent.
Another boys love drama... if this continues, I'm going to lose confidence in myself, only up for commercials and voice acting for ecchi stuff.
If this continues, I'm going to lose my place in this industry...
I'm going to lose the place I had worked so hard to achieve.
Then, I'll be nothing.
X o X o X
"Ahh... ahh... ahh..."
"Kei... go..."
Atobe felt every thrust as they zeroes in on his pleasure point. His body was thrumming with need and it pushed in rhythm with Sakaki's forceful motion. It was delicious to say the least, and he was entwined in such purely spun bliss that he was blind and deaf to everything around him.
Nothing mattered but the flashes of red behind his lids as the hard arrow of flesh pumped into him continuously. Nothing mattered except for the absolute pleasure embracing his whole self as he neared coital paradise. Nothing mattered but the laboured breathing ringing in his ears as he struggled to reach his limit...
"Ah!" He cried out hoarsely as he came, followed by an equally hoarse cry from his older partner.
Spots danced in his eyes as he made an effort to get himself back to something resembling normalcy. He couldn't see anything but blurred images of the lounge... and an equally blurred image of someone familiar floating in his incoherent senses... seemingly stern-looking eyes boring deep into his soul... then a wink of light and it vanished, leaving him exhausted – and at a loss.
"Hmmm..." He said almost inaudibly. "That was good."
Thoughtful laughter. "Right, you really sound as if you mean it Keigo."
"Heh, whatever."
Silence.
"Keigo, I just want to ask you something that bothered me mid-fucking."
"That's a nice way to put it. You're becoming such an animal, Taro."
Sakaki ignored his quip and turned to him, eyes filled with something resembling confusion. "I'm serious, Keigo."
Atobe blinked, clearing the last vestiges of haziness in his eyes and staring right back at the older man. He could feel the cold marble floor pricking his skin but he didn't care. He didn't like it when his sex partner thought of other things while they were doing it. It was just unheard of. He frowned. "What?"
"You keep on saying 'Mitsu' over and over... is that you calling me 'honey' or you thinking you're having sex with a guy called 'Mitsu'?"
Atobe didn't answer him.
He just turned away and closed his eyes.
X o X o X
Tezuka stifled a sneeze, making his eyes water for a moment.
Great. He caught some virus and minute voices were muttering in his head.
He glanced momentarily at his kouhai and then back at his script. He knew what was happening, and he did not like it much. Ryuuzaki-san was playing favourites, and since their relatively new co-worker, Kikumaru Eiji was more likeable and has a wider voice range, he was slowly becoming prized in her eyes.
It was tearing Mukahi apart.
It had been going on for almost a couple of months now. Gakuto was assigned mostly on relatively low-paying boys love drama roles and television ads, while Kikumaru was signed on popular anime series, which had been pre-selected for him before. But sadly, he was demoted in replacement to Kikumaru – if he was not available.
That was what probably hurt him the most, and Tezuka just couldn't condone such thing. He was keenly aware of the fact that the company played favourites since he had always been selected as one of the main voice actors in series, approached first for jobs that were sure to be cash cows before everyone else.
He, along with Momoshiro and Fuji.
Mukahi was close becoming one – until Kikumaru came and destroyed it for him. Tezuka knew the equally bouncy young man was not to blame for it all... only Ryuuzaki-san was at fault.
He knew he shouldn't be feeling this way, since this was work, and there was no fair and unfair in any of these, but he just couldn't help feeling that maybe, since Hashira Kin is an established company, and Ryuuzaki Sumire was an infamous figure in it, the casting people of the recording companies tend to lean more on what she wanted.
Stop feeling sorry for him. He chastised himself quietly. This industry is competitive. You win some... you lose some. In order to stay on top, you must have enough passion in you to last a lifetime.
He glanced at Mukahi once again.
And you should learn how to decide for yourself on whether you are happy with what you have now or you want something more.
X o X o X
Kajimoto was going to go insane.
After his stint with the last boys love drama, recording companies and lots of yaoi mangaka had been asking for him. The job he did not want to be a regular of as much as possible was haunting him to no end. Like right now, he was staring at the huge pile of offer papers handed to him this morning in the production office by a snickering Shinjou, the bastard.
Okay, not exactly that huge, but for him, it was the largest amount of offers he had that came all at the same time. Of course at first, when he still did not know what the papers were for, he was excited. However, when he saw what they were really for, it didn't take him long to wish he had just chucked them off in the trash.
They were work-related offers, stuff he couldn't just turn down. All of them would fetch a nice sum of money, but he didn't like them – at all!
Boys love roles!
All six of them!
He grasped a couple of handfuls of his dark blond locks and muttered all day. Now it was three in the afternoon, he was supposed to go off and have fun with his kids on his rest day and he had brooded himself all throughout.
Sighing, he stared at them again.
"'Touchan, are you okay?"
Surprised, he immediately straightened and looked up. He just couldn't suppress a smile as he encountered the concerned features of his daughter, Akari. "I'm okay, just tired." He motioned for her to sit on his lap, which she readily did, and held her tightly. "I've been worrying about lots of things..."
"Why don't you just do them without worrying?" She asked.
"It's not that simple..."
"Why not?"
"I don't like them." He revealed gruffly, shuffling the papers absently. "They are too... complex."
Akari snuggled into him deeper. "'Touchan, aren't complex things supposed to be more fun to unravel?"
Kajimoto stiffened momentarily as memories came rushing back to him.
/"But Hi-chan, aren't complex things supposed to be more fun to unravel?"/
They were the words his late wife always said when he worried about anything. Why his daughter was the one saying them now were beyond him. She died in childbed. There was no reason why Akari would –
Unless...
No. It can't be. That was a mere fantasy. After all, who believes in such gibberish anymore?
Okay, of course many people still believe in reincarnation, like the creepy guy from Yuushousha he had the misfortune to meet a couple of months ago, Yanagi Renji. How he could walk with his eyes closed was beyond him.
He shook his head. But I don't believe in it. I'm too pragmatic to believe in such stupidity. Akari has a point though... but what fun is it unravelling the mysteries of boys love dramas?
Sighing, he managed a strained smile. "Maybe, Akari-chan. Maybe."
X o X o X
Oshitari covered in takoyaki batter was not pretty.
He was seriously worried about his friend. The bespectacled guy was seething as one of his subordinates accidentally dumped a whole bowl of the sticky slop on him and was now cowering in a corner after apologising a million times.
And he was seconds short of blowing up and firing the poor boy too, so Shishido decided that he should do something about it. Hastily ushering the offender out of the kitchen to serve the customers outside, he snatched the nearest wet towel he could find and began methodically removing the glob from his hair. "You know you should lighten up, Yuushi."
"Let's see how much you would be lightening up when you've got an idiot as a subordinate and batter on your hair." Oshitari countered angrily.
"Heh. Until the whole world bursts with happiness." Shishido laughed as he scrubbed the fast-drying ones off a reddened cheek.
"Ha. Ha. Ha."
"No, that should be 'Ho. Ho. Ho.'"
Oshitari started to smirk. "You make the worst jokes."
"That's why you love me."
"Dream on." Oshitari snorted, shaking his head slightly.
Shishido reached out to remove his glasses and started scrubbing around his eyes. "Seriously, Yuushi. You always seem to be in the worst of moods lately. Is something bothering you?"
Silence. He knew this was how everything started with his friend. The Kansai-grown guy was very careful with his words. "My mother," He started quietly. "She was asking me when I'm going to marry Etsuko."
He stared at him in befuddlement. "Who's –"
"There's no Etsuko." He revealed softly. "I just made her up."
Shishido's hands stilled. "But why?"
"I'm from Kansai, Ryo. I am bound to tradition, more than you are."
Silence.
"Don't you think she'd know sooner or later?"
"I know."
"Then why bother? I mean, why do you have to hide something like that anyway?"
Oshitari stared at his hands.
"She's got only six months left to live."
X o X o X
Sanada was walking along the same narrow path home. The cold did little to alleviate the pain he was feeling. He wanted to feel numb, and yet there was no respite. Bitter memories surrounded him and it hurt.
It all started when he was cleaning his office desk. He figured that it was time to do the cleaning since he knew things were going to be hectic once TV Tokyo hired them. He was sure they would get the top spot, the lead voice actors for the series Tennis no Oujisama. He was psyched to be able to play the captain... although the role seemed to be quite bland. The guy didn't say much, most probably anal-retentive as well, from the looks of the sample script given to him and the few volumes of sample manga manuscript he was lent.
Okay, so maybe the role fits him a bit, but he was not as anti-social as the anime character. One thing that made him wince was the fact that his other co-workers clearly stated he was, and readily voted him as for the role. They said even his voice fitted into the character.
Sanada was secretly hoping he would be given another role.
Like maybe he could snatch the juice-making character away from his evil clutches.
But that would be impossible. He would have more than ten people making him cross-dress as a geisha if he did that.
And Marui would stick his apple-flavoured bubble gum on his hair like what he did to Jackal a couple of months ago – when he still had hair.
He shuddered involuntarily. If Yukimura was there, he would've said he would not let them gang up on him like that. He would be given more consideration than what they had given him when they voted. His stomach twisted again.
Seiichi... he sighed. While he was clearing the jumble of his office desk drawer, he accidentally came upon the photograph of him and Yukimura a year before he died. Cherry blossoms were falling all around them, swirling with the onslaught of the wind. Yanagi captured the moment when Yukimura was brushing away petals from his hair while he was obviously sleeping under one of the sakura trees in Ueno Park.
They both teased him about it, being so off guard in front of many people, while he glared and tried swiping the camera away from Yanagi's hands – all to no avail.
He had been happy then, being with Yukimura and Yanagi as well.
Now, Yukimura was dead and Yanagi had Inui Sadaharu from Hashira Kin's best friend.
He was alone.
They're wrong. He thought ruefully. I'm not anti-social.
I am just alone.
He sighed tiredly. The trees were now denied their blossoms and he longed to see the cherry blossom petals swirl around him once again.
And claim back what was there before.
X o X o X
Kajimoto finally gave up after a few hours, and he left the offers in his closet, locked so that his children wouldn't chance upon them and wonder what they were. He stood up and stretched, the hem of his shirt riding up and exposing much of his abdomen.
Slowly, he sauntered to the kitchen. When Akari and Raito woke up from their nap, they must have something to eat or they would be sullen all night long. Honestly, those two eat twice the same amount when they were younger. His late wife would have been so proud... so happy.
He longed for her still, and he found himself wishing that she would make his favourite muffins again every morning, because that is the most concrete proclamation for him that she was still alive.
But she wasn't.
He shook his head. There was no sense thinking about it. It was about time he moved on. He knew that she would think the same way should she be seeing how he was now. He was still hung up on her death and it scared him. Even after such a long period of time he was still loyal to her... to her memory.
... Maybe because he hadn't found the right person yet... but would he ever?
He opened the refrigerator and stared at the contents. He needed to go shopping. All his work had been delaying such important thing and the supply was running out fast. With purposeful strides, he rushed to the living room, picked up the phone and dialled.
Anxiously, he waited until the person on the other end of the line picked up. "Ah, hello? Hajime?"
"Yes? Who's this?" Came the careful response.
"It's me!"
There was momentary silence before Mizuki's teasing voice floated through the telephone lines. "Why hello, ME. What can I do for you today?"
A vein popped in Kajimoto's temples. "Damn you and your silly little games, Hajime." He said snarkily.
"Said the guy who came up with the same conversation last year." Mizuki sniffed haughtily, then, mellowed. "So, what made you come chasing after me?"
"Why is it that whenever someone calls you, you always assumed that they are chasing after you or something?"
"Because I'm pretty. So, shoot, what's up that you have to call right before dinnertime?"
Kajimoto shook his head and an amused smile crept on his face. "Ah, sorry about that. I just wanted to ask if you could drop by as soon as possible and have dinner with us later after I grab some groceries from the supermarket."
"Hmph! You just need someone to watch over Akari and Raito, you jerk!" Mizuki exclaimed. "Fine, fine. If they are not so cute and sweet, I will never ever consent to this."
Kajimoto could hear the smile in his friend's voice and his own widened. "You're impossible." He chuckled. "Can you make it in ten minutes?"
There was a sound of hurried movements and he assumed that his friend was rushing about with his cordless phone in hand. "Yes, yes, I'll be there. Probably sooner. Good thing I already finished practicing with the Saiyuki Reload script or I wouldn't be able to cater to your request."
"Thank you, Hajime."
"You're always welcome, Takahisa, oh wait, I'm going to bring some blackcurrants over. I got this from my uncle abroad. No one's allergic to it in there, right?"
"Nope. Thanks Hajime."
"And do I have to bring the copy of your latest drama cd? You didn't get yours, and I was wondering if you want to evaluate it or something... you know, have fun listening as well? Maybe Akari and Raito would –" Mizuki was snickering.
Kajimoto twitched. "Good bye, Hajime."
X o X o X
Tako-riffic... What a weird name for a takoyaki joint, and yet, it's the best in Tokyo – and possibly the whole country.
Sanada stared up at the signboard written in tasteful Japanese calligraphy and decided that he should just enter and relieve the empty feeling in his stomach. It wasn't sadness this time, it was hunger... after walking round and round for over two hours, his stomach finally caved in and grumbled.
He was surprised at the sheer number of people eating inside this time in the late afternoon, and it only made his stomach grumble happily as he took in the slight smoke coming from the traditional takoyaki makers as their precious commodities were being cooked.
The golden balls of what he knew would be octopus-goodness were making him salivate, and he hastily strode towards the takeout counter to get four orders and a dozen cans of iced sencha. Sanada was looking forward to eating them, possibly with the remaining people in the office. If no one were around, hell he would gladly eat everything himself, calories or no calories.
He was about to take his place in the long line when someone bumped him from behind. Something, which he deduced as a box of sorts dug painfully against his clothed arm, making him wince. And the digging didn't relent. For sure, his skin would have indentation marks on them if the pressure did not let up soon. Annoyed, he turned and was about when prattle on about respecting people's spaces when he was met with a towering shopping paper bags.
The one carrying them, a guy from the looks of the arms hugging the groceries, were obviously blind to everything. How the person knew where he was going was something beyond Sanada's grasp. Must be a homing device thing... maybe he has a chip in his arm and he locates things with it...
Or maybe I'm reading too much science fiction scripts from my scriptwriters.
Sanada sighed. "Excuse me." He started wearily, moving away slightly, trying not to bump against the one standing in front of him. "Could you please set your groceries down first? You're hurting my arm."
"I can't." Came the muffled response. "If I set these down, I'm going to lose them."
"You're not going to lose them." He sighed, lips quirking up slightly in amusement. "I'm not going to pilfer anything, so just set them down. There was something oddly familiar about the man's voice, and he struggled to place it.
/Wild. /
It was the first thing that entered his mind. Why he was thinking it, he did not have the slightest idea. If only he could see his face, he would know for sure if he knew him or not. He hated guessing games, especially if he was the one who couldn't figure it out.
"I am going to lose them."
"You're not."
"I'm going to lose them."
"You're not."
"I am."
"You're not."
"Am."
"Not."
"Am."
"No –"
"Are you guys going to argue until tomorrow morning? Because if you are, you can step off the line and go away now."
Sanada twitched. He was hungry and he was angry. What a great thing to be. And the owner of the joint was accosting him as well. "Look, Oshitari, I am a paying customer..."
"You haven't paid anything. You haven't even ordered yet." Oshitari pointed out wearily. "And you're messing up my business."
He's got a point. He conceded. "Fine. Be that way. I'll have ten orders please, and twenty iced senchas in can to go." He turned towards the stubborn guy toting the humongous bag of groceries. "You, I'll just take your payment later. Let's settle this outside."
"Fine." Came another muffled response. "But I still won't set my groceries down."
Sanada gritted his teeth in annoyance. Why me?
X o X o X
No more tricks. He had been robbed many times before, swindled just as many times before and he was not going to back down on this fight. This was the only time he had for buying groceries, and he did not want other people to rob him of his and his children's food for heaven knew how long.
Kajimoto frowned. Raito loved takoyaki, so there he was, the good father, waiting in line for his turn at the takeout counter, while the guy in front of him growled about being injured by him. How stupid was that? He hadn't bumped into him, not even once and he was complaining? How about him? He was feeling the place with his sneaker-ed feet and was close to stumbling and would have if he did not know the way to Tako-riffic from the supermarket after countless times buying there!
There was something familiar about the guys voice though. The word /rock/ immediately came into mind. Where have I heard that voice before? The deep baritone reverberated through his spine and he couldn't help the internal shiver of its aftermath. And he knows the owner of this place too... Oshitari Yuushi, the guy who sidelines as a seiyuu. Does that mean he knows Atobe Keigo as well? He flushed in realisation.
He had just annoyed an important person!
What should I do? Should I make a run for it? Should I –
"Come, I've ordered for you as well, let's settle this. I want an apology and fast." At that, a hand closed in on his collar and unceremoniously dragged him out, bag and all. It amazed him in a way, that the guy had enough power to drag a grown man with two very heavy bags in hand.
He distinctly heard the sliding wooden door close and then a blast of cold wind assaulted him. Then, they stopped moving, and dazed as he was, he did not notice that there was nothing in hands anymore. His face was exposed in plain view. My groceries –
His eyes widened.
"Sanada... san?"
X o X o X
Mukahi wasn't someone who could talk about things easily, yet there he was, sitting across his senpai over coffee, and he just let out all his ill feelings. "Tezuka-senpai, that was the last straw. Ryuuzaki-san cast me as a cat and gave one of the lead roles to Kikumaru-kun. I don't want to stay here anymore. I will not grow in this place."
Tezuka remained silent, contemplative. "Is that how you really feel, Mukahi-kun?" He asked quietly. "If you resign, you will have a hard time finding another production company to hire you, since your track record these past few months weren't exactly impressive."
"All thanks to Ryuuzaki-san." Mukahi grated out in a low, wrathful voice.
Adjusting his glasses, Tezuka nodded. "But I know two companies who could probably take you in, provided they like what you have to offer – your voice quality."
The redhead looked down at his untouched plate of Belgian waffles. The ice cream already melted and the waffle was thoroughly soaked, the ideal way for him to enjoy it, but his stomach felt queasy. He pushed it away, looking back up to meet Tezuka's unwavering eyes. "Do you think I'm qualified, senpai?"
The bespectacled man nodded, a small smile marring his solemn features. "Definitely."
"Are they good companies?"
"Two of the best."
"..." There was an unspoken question in Mukahi's silence.
Tezuka sipped his iced latte. "Playhouse Productions has two openings next month. You have to wait until then and hope that Saiyuki doesn't forfeit their choice of you mid-season or you would be penniless for a whole month. After all, they hired you when you're under contract to Hashira Kin." He set his cold glass down on the wooden cherry wood table and levelled him with an encouraging stare. "PTU is always an open option, but seeing that you don't exactly go well with having Fuji's younger brother in your face twenty-four-seven, I think it's a bad idea."
Mukahi's eyes widened. "Wow, Tezuka-senpai, you really know a lot of important people..."
He shook his head. "Just a case of having good friends despite my boring exterior." He quipped, face straight, not showing any sliver of humour except for the way his eyes glittered in amusement.
The younger man chuckled, shaking his head. "Tezuka-senpai..."
"Do as your heart wishes."
Tezuka's eyes bored into his and he was unnerved. He tried hard not to show it, but he knew he failed. Pain lacerated his senses again and he felt as if he was close to cracking as memories of unfair judgement and favouritism leaked into his heart. Then, said eyes softened. Only during that moment did he fully realise and felt that his senpai was truly intent on pulling him out of his misery.
"If you're not happy with what you do and with where you are right now, it is never too late to let yourself be content."
His heart sped up. It was there, he only had to read between the proverbial lines and he would find his way to his own utopia. "You mean you really think I should –"
"If I were to ask you, Mukahi-kun, as to what you would choose to believe, the screams of your mind or the whispers of your heart, which one would it be?"
Leave.
It all suddenly seemed so clear.
A smile stealing into his face, he hurriedly stood up and bowed low. When he straightened up, new hope filled his heart. "Thank you, Tezuka-senpai!" He murmured happily, quelling the urge to hug him.
"Yudan sezu ni ikkou."
He walked out of the coffee shop happily, leaving behind his senpai, still nursing his glass of latte.
X o X o X
Oshitari shook his head incredulously as he stared out at the two troublemakers standing outside the shop windows.
He could see a spark between the two as clear as day.
This is interesting...
He snickered, rubbing his chin in supplication.
Maybe I should bet with Atobe and Shishido on what the result would be...
X o X o X
"I know you... you were the one who laughed at me before the Wild Rock drama recording." Sanada said wryly. "I should have known."
He saw the other frown. "Sanada-san. You robbed me. How could you?"
He raised a questioning brow. "Robbed you? Au contraire, you are the one who owes something." He motioned to the huge bag bearing the mark of Tako-riffic. "You haven't paid me for your takoyaki and sencha yet."
"Oi, I wasn't the one who ordered for myself! I'm only supposed to order two and you ordered me three!"
"Five."
"Fine. Five." Kajimoto glared. "How do you expect me to pay for that? What if I don't have that much money to buy five? What if I –"
"It's free."
"Free? Ha! Yeah right, there's no free in the world anymore. How could you even dare to think that I would fall for that trick?"
"I'm giving them to you."
"Give me back my groceries or else... eh?"
"I'm giving them to you."
Sanada's amusement knew no bounds as the other reddened in mortification. "You are..."
"I'm giving them to you." He repeated for the third time. "You're the most realistic person I've ever seen in my entire life. Try to lighten up sometimes." He smiled. "How about I take you back home? If I don't, I'll be worried, thinking you might get into an accident with the way you hold your grocery bags."
Kajimoto was speechless.
Sanada smirked.
"I'll take that as a yes."
TSUZUKU
A/N: It took too long for me to finish, since I had no time at all these past two weeks. ; I hope you like this!
1 Sorry for OCs, there aren't many women in TeniPuri... ;