4. Sakoda feat. Ginsenkai
5. Yuzo & a cameo?
Also Happy Birthday, Sakyo!
o0o
"Fans with bro's and Mankai's name," Sakoda said waving both fans, "Check!"
"Headbands with boss lady's and Mankai's name," Sakoda said tying both on his forehead, "Check!"
Sakoda huffed in satisfaction as he settled on the floor and waited for the show to start. He had known that his boss, the boss lady, and everyone else in Mankai was going to appear on TV. His boss had been tight-lipped on the name and what kind of TV show it was but Sakoda didn't care. He was going to support them all as their number one fan, especially his boss and the boss lady. He checked the clock again for the nth time and eagerly counted down as it neared the time for the show to start. He was disappointed, however, when some show for wedding gowns started.
'Maybe I got the time wrong…' he said to himself as he checked his phone.
Clicking on the message his boss had sent him, it had said that it would start at 9 PM on channel 25. He believes his boss wouldn't lie to him so he figures that it was probably the broadcasting team's problem. He grumbles to himself but patiently watched the current show so he wouldn't get bored of waiting for the right one to start.
Amidst waiting, he began feeling a bit peckish so he quickly went to the kitchen and hoarded snacks he could carry. Quickly running back, he settled back on the floor and checked if the show had changed. Seeing that it didn't, he immediately opened the seaweed-flavored chips and munched away.
"Hello, beautiful," Randy greeted from behind one of the mannequins, "Do I call you Tachibana or…"
"Oh my- Ran- y-your real!" Izumi half-screamed, "And please, c-call me Izumi."
Sakoda's head whipped so fast at the familiar voice.
Slowly crawling towards the TV, Sakoda's jaw dropped when he saw his boss and the boss lady together in a wedding TV show. When he realized that they were actually engaged and was shopping for a wedding dress, he nearly blacked out in too much delight. Needing to find an outlet for all the joy and exhilaration he was feeling, he squealed like a schoolgirl in love.
And that set off a chain of events.
The Ginsenkai house or compound was huge as it housed several yakuza and in particular, it's boss. Despite, its large structure, the walls were paper thin making it hard for intruders to even sneak in. In other words, Sakoda's screaming reverberated throughout the place. Hearing the alarming shout of their comrade, the other occupants didn't hesitate to rush towards the sound to fight off intruders.
"Sakoda! Whe-" Ichiro paused as he confusedly stared at the choking but smiling figure on the floor.
"What's going on here, Ichiro, Sakoda?" the Ginsenkai boss entered the small room eyeing all his subordinates who had come to their brother's aid then towards the television.
Eyebrow raising at the sight of Sakyo in a wedding boutique, he figured that Sakoda only screamed in excitement. Switching his attention back to the boy who was still grinning from ear to ear even if he was turning blue from choking on a chip or his spit, he commanded one of them to do the Heimlich maneuver on the boy. After checking the room, once or twice for anything out of the ordinary, he decided to leave.
The brown-haired lady gulps but smiles, "this is S- Furuichi, my fiancé, an actor from the Autumn Troupe."
Sakyo respectfully shook Randy's hand as he asked, "This is a first, I've heard of actors getting together but a director and an actor? Tell me, what's the story?"
"What the fuck?! Is Sakyo getting married?"
"Wait! That's the director he brought here last time, right?"
"So Izumi-san and Sakyo-san…" Ichiro didn't bother finishing his sentence.
Realization dawned on all of their faces.
As if the Japanese football team had won the FIFA World Cup, more thrilled roaring followed as all the members patted each other on the back. With Sakoda no longer choking, the gushing and hurrahs only increased. The loud cheering even reached the bedroom of the Ginsenkai heir making him grumble in his light sleep. Their boss can only sigh as he watched the chaos unfold from the door. However, with the show still ongoing, he shouted at his subordinates to pipe it down and keep watching. Every single one scrambled to different positions on the floor but left the front row seat for their boss.
Quickly understanding the format of the show, they all reacted accordingly. Obviously, they cheered every time Sakyo appeared on the screen. They also politely clapped for the woman their comrade was going to marry. Some disagreed with the dress choices while others said otherwise. At some point, it almost escalated to an actual physical fight. It was only their boss's deadly stare that it didn't.
The Ginsenkai boss huffed as he turned his attention back to the TV. He let a big grin spread out on his face again when the director came out wearing the ninth dress and the camera focused onto Sakyo. To any normal person who didn't know the man, his expression would appear to be nonchalant and unimpressed. For this boss, however, Sakyo's face at that moment screamed overwhelmed with a tinge of affection. He remembered how this boy had always been one to shove his emotions in a box, locking it and throwing it away to the sea. Perhaps, Sakyo was making sure that if he ever saw this episode in the future, his second-hand embarrassment wouldn't be as much as it would've if he showed his true feelings.
Yes, he got all that in one look.
He had seen that boy grow up to become this man, after all.
He was a tad disappointed that Sakyo didn't invite any of them to this appointment but he understood well. These boys were unruly and would probably be a headache to control. There was also the fact that they were yakuza which would prove to be bad for their reputation and for the show's credibility too. He did scoff, however, when Sakyo asked for the price of the dress. He mentally shook his head at his attitude and wondered how that woman handled his 'cheapness'.
'That woman sure has nerves of steel to take Sakyo on,' he thought as he watched how Sakyo's eyes soften at Izumi lovingly looking down at the gown, 'Then again, Sakyo had always known he could never say no…'
Moments later, the Ginsenkai group brought the house down, almost literally, in celebration as a dress was finally chosen. Some were crying manly tears while the others settled for whistling at the screen where Sakyo gave Izumi a peck on the cheek. Their boss joyfully laughed at the scene as he remembered how Sakyo had been quite protective of their director when he'd jokingly asked her to join the family. He had known then that she must've been the one he has been pining for quite a long time. And to think they were now getting married.
He should've teased them earlier.
Elated at the success of his accidental matchmaking, he shouts, "Get me my birthday sake! We'll be drinking tonight!"
"But boss it ain't your birt-" Sakoda replied in confusion.
"Bah, who cares?! I drink when I want to," he spits out then stands, "Besides, today feels more like my birthday than my actual birthday!"
It cued more cheering from the members. As he had ordered, some of the members ran out to get the sake at their cellar. The others proceeded to prepare the hall instead and get food to pair up with the drinks. As Sakoda was about to leave to go help his fellow brothers, the big boss called for him to stay back.
"Everyone else had pledged to give gifts to the two earlier, right?"
"Yessir," Sakoda answered dutifully, "I've been tasked to drop them off later at the dorms."
"Good. I'll have you deliver mine as well," the boss said as he gestured the younger man to follow him to his study.
o0o
"BRO! BOSS LADY!"
Sakyo spits his coffee at the sudden loud shouting and knocking his subordinate made. Izumi nearly dropped her plate as Tsumugi and Muku were startled at the dining table. Omi, nervously laughing at how Sakyo looked murderous, followed after him and Izumi to the door and check what was the commotion about so early in the morning. Arriving at the front porch, Omi was dumbfounded to find piles of gift-wrapped boxes on the cart tied behind Sakoda's scooter.
"Woahh, that's a lot of gifts," Muku, who also followed, gaped.
Tsumugi blinked in surprise as he caught up with them, "I've never seen that many gifts before. And it's not Christmas yet."
"CONGRATULATIONS, BOSS, BOSS LADY!" Sakoda said as happy tears fell from his eyes, "T-these are all f-from Ginsenkai!"
Sakyo's eye twitched as he said, "But we're not getting married."
"YET… We are not getting married yet," Izumi immediately covered making Sakyo blush which then made her blush, "I-it's too early f-for w-wedding gifts!"
"They're engagement gifts," Sakoda grinned wiping the snot off of his nose, "Oh, and before I forget…"
Sakoda fished out a rectangular wooden box from his jacket and handed it to Sakyo. Despite not wanting to open the item outside, Sakyo couldn't say no to Izumi's curious eyes. Clicking his tongue, he gave it to Izumi for her to open instead. Hearing her gasp in surprise and Sakyo's eyes widening, Omi, Muku, and Tsumugi couldn't help but also feel curious. And while Omi wasn't aiming to actually see what it was, with his superior height, he was able to catch a glimpse at what was inside.
He really didn't see everything but he was sure that it looked like a bank check.
"Sakoda take this back to the boss! We can't accept this!"
The young yakuza shook his head and playfully smiled, "No can do boss. The big boss said to remind you to stop being a cheapskate now that you're getting married. If you don't, he'll keep on giving you more."
Lip twitching in disbelief, Izumi replied, "I g-guess we'll accept it t-then…Tell your boss, thanks?"
"No problem boss lady," Sakoda saluted as Sakyo frowned, "Ah right, the boss also said that if you can use the private hall or garden for your reception. Just give him a word that you would and it'll be prepared."
Seeing both Sakyo and Izumi flush red, Tsumugi lightly laughed and whispered, "At this rate, they'll be getting married sooner than we all think."
Muku squealed.
"Hello, beautiful," Randy greeted from behind one of the mannequins, "Do I call you Tachibana or…"
"Oh my- Ran- y-your real!" Izumi half-screamed, "And please, c-call me Izumi."
Yuzo choked on his beer when he looked at the bar's TV. The bartender and some of the customers stared at him in concern which he just waved off. Recovering from his coughing fit, he refocused his attention to the screen. He wasn't even drunk yet but why was he seeing Tachibana's daughter in a wedding boutique on live television.
The brown-haired lady gulps but smiles, "this is S- Furuichi, my fiancé, an actor from the Autumn Troupe."
Sakyo respectfully shook Randy's hand as he asked, "This is a first, I've heard of actors getting together but a director and an actor? Tell me, what's the story?"
[Director: I know it's a bit intrusive but just share a tiny bit
Sakyo: …really…
Izumi: Apparently, we've met when we were younger in the same theatre company, we're in now. We reconnected after so many years.
Sakyo: Let's just say, our relationship was years in the making.
Izumi: Wha-
Sakyo: She was clueless about it.]
"They're engaged already!?" he voiced out in disbelief making the bartender wonder what was his connection to the people on TV.
He had to mentally slap himself out of his stupor before checking again if Sakyo and Izumi were actually on TV and were shopping for a wedding gown. Seeing every actor in Mankai sealed the deal for him and he ended up laughing like a madman. However, he had to shut up seeing as the bartender looked ready to call for the police or the psychiatric ward.
He couldn't care any less which.
But he was still sane, thank you very much.
'Oh man…how fast time flies,' Yuzo said to himself as he watched Izumi come out wearing a white marshmallow-like ballgown and a particularly funny memory resurfaced from the depths of his mind.
"No, don't!"
"Yuzo-san, Yuzo-san," a small girl excitedly called as she entered their practice room with a slightly older boy in tow, "Look at what I drew."
Smiling broadly at the young Tachibana, Yuzo bent down and said, "Alright, kiddo what do we-"
"It's me and Furu-nii getting married!"
He had to hold his laughter in when Yukio sputtered incoherent choking noises and the practice stopped. Little Sakyo had turned beet red as looked ready for the floor to swallow him. The other members had teasing faces then and tried to look at the piece of paper Izumi handed him. Their director tried to save his dignity by not looking interested but Yuzo knew deep inside, Yukio was going to get rid of the paper the moment he got his hands on it.
Smiling at the memory then at the two on TV, Yuzo drank the last bit of his drink and paid the bartender an extra tip. Having one last look at the blushing bride and groom-to-be, he leaves the bar sober for the first time. Walking under the cold November skies, he takes out his phone and dials a number he rarely calls.
"Oi, Yukio," he said as soon as the other line picked up, "What do you mean why- Of course, it's important- Fine, I'll make it quick."
Yuzo coughed before evilly grinning, "Remember that small boy who used to watch our practices back then- Just listen, dammit- Okay, so you remember- Well that boy is now engaged to your daughter. Bye!"
Somewhere, a man choked on his spit and stared dumbfoundedly at the dropped call on his phone.
o0o
"Here. Congratulations on your engagement," Yuzo teased the two as he handed his gift, "You can open it now if you want."
Like a cat who had heard of something disturbing, Masumi's ears perked up and glared in the direction of Yuzo, Sakyo, and Izumi. And similarly to cat again, he looked ready to pounce and tear the item apart. Before he could though, Tsuzuru and Tasuku had held him down. He struggled as hard as he could but he eventually got tired.
Masumi continued to glare at the blonde yakuza, however.
Tsuzuru and Tasuku sighed in relief but didn't put any less strength onto holding Masumi down. Their young troupe member had become positively livid, even rabid, ever since he discovered, by some convoluted bad timing, that Sakyo and Izumi returned late. The boy wasn't supposed to be awake at that time but then again none of them expected that the pair went out and returned to the dorms officially dating.
With a stable hold on Masumi, the two turned their attention behind them and saw Izumi holding a picture frame with a childish drawing of a girl and a boy in it. Seeing Izumi and Sakyo blush, Tsuzuru and Tasuku figured it might've been a childhood memento.
"Wha- Why do you even- WHAT?!" Izumi gaped in incredulity and embarrassment.
Sakyo pinched the bridge of his nose to hide his discomposure, "I thought Yukio-san burned that thing years ago..."
Yuzo heartily cracked up at the two's expense.
o0o
The rookies are still WIP and it'll take some time but I'll get to it. :)
It'll be in a new fic tho cuz I've decided to make this a series.
I also think you know already where this is going :)))