Blind Sided

-Jasmine-Fields-1979-

I Disclaim: I do not own the copyrights or trademarks of the respective authors, artists, and television programming of any Manga or Anime. Please note, with respect, that the images I use are clipped from open source images discovered on the Internet, with exception to photos pertaining to my own image and any business branding about my employers past and present.

Chapter 9

Yamato didn't like this idea at all.

This was worse than when he had to bargain for all his friends, including Mei, to come visit the studio – that didn't belong to him or his family – for a position in front of the cameras.

Work was not alright and the droves of fangirls he had collected over the years were unnerving him, speculating between Mei and Megumi which would be the victor in this endeavor to properly frame each other at the university. He didn't want either of them involved with each other's insecurities and had slung vehement words directly at the management company for imposing this monstrosity on the university's students.

Mei's insecurities were not as clear to him as Megumi's. What he did notice is the flurry of activity spinning around Mei as soon as the filming and photography around Megumi ended. Despite the explosion of activity that went on off-camera and during filming, he tried to understand Mei's aversion to being photographed and likewise, Megumi's opposite obsession with the attention.

Yamato hated trying to prove social nuances between the two, even though Megumi played nice, and Mei tried to give him breathing space to figure out how to juggle university, career and more difficult social relationships. It wasn't easy at all. Was there one woman more worthy of his affection? Was that what he was supposed to see?

Yamato did suppose having the collective support of friends was nice. He was doing this for himself, with Mei's support. But now university classes were not fun; there were murderous threats coming from Megumi's management and he didn't know what to believe as campus activities were modified around Mei's insistence. Something about increased burglaries at the dorms. He didn't want to show her that he thought they were losing a battle as there were niggling vestiges of written script – which he knew and she didn't – that was causing turbulence in his normally ordered thoughts.

And he didn't like that stinking cameraman or the Cheshire cat grin on any given day. As if the guy knew any of the students or what they were capable of doing outside of lecture halls.

"I thought I could handle you working beside Megumi, but I don't think I can."

Asami would deliver this message to Mei later today, Yamato hoped. It was the pass phrase to get the madness around him to absolutely stop.

In order to get her to confess her true feelings while other friends were trying to convince, persuade and otherwise agitate Mei into saying the words unscripted, most of the students were staying away from the cameras and out of the writing process. He didn't want any of this, but there it was. Written in those very lengthy legal words typed into a contractually binding document.

A few students decided to create their own sub-cultural context while this sort of drama extended throughout the university campus. The goal of writing the script was a lot like trading aces for playing the game 'telephone'. It was awkward and nobody had the home field advantage; so, whichever person could get the reaction they wanted out of each other was able to have a chance to frame the others competitively – with the help of the cameraman and Kai's mystery connections filtering the harsher comments. They all wanted to prove each could each do swap negotiations and keep each good name or branded image in tact.

Mei promised that she would write script herself – for the other entertainment projects meant for his family's businesses on the condition he trust her when she promised to deliver as a stunt double persona – whenever he needed to occupy his mind with something other than camera fiends, the managers and editors of the modeling agency. Yamato had no idea when he might see Mei next – especially after that last dinner at Megumi's house. He'd never do that again unless it was an emergency, he thought. Even though he didn't think dinner was such a horrible thing, he'd been too occupied with his own thoughts to consider calling his girlfriend. Mei hadn't even said anything about it, but then Mei hadn't said much lately to him at all.

He was doing all the talking, it seemed.

He frowned then sourly thought, why was he doing all the talking lately?

Aiko frequently recorded things Mei said from time to time, without revealing her intention to Yamato.

"The things that want to be done will find the people and resources to accomplish them."

Yamato sat through that business class too. He recalled those words the professor said, yet it was Mei's voice reciting these words from last term. Why was Aiko recording Mei?

"What else did she say?"

"Why don't you go and ask her yourself? We're your friends, but we aren't going to sell her out either."

Yamato looked out across the courtyard sighing. What the hell was he up against, exactly? He kept his comments to himself as the cameras were zoomed in on him. Kai was the one behind the camera today. The other cameraman had the day off, he'd heard.

~~~oOo~~~