Chapter 12: The Meeting
The next morning on the other side of Tokyo, Takahashi Misaki woke up to an early start, yawning as he stretched his slightly numb arms over his head.
Misaki licked his slightly dry lips as he scratched his right arm, which he had only gotten his cast taken off of a few days before. Misaki itched at a small piece of dry skin on his elbow before pushing himself out of bed.
Quietly, he walked over to his windows, opening the blinds slightly to allow a small amount of morning sunlight to enter his room as the sun began to rise.
Today is the big day! MIsaki thought happily, smiling as he looked out his window before walking over to his dresser, quietly opening the top drawers as he pulled out a clean shirt and a pair of pants that he would wear to his job that day.
Today is the big day for Ijuuin-san to start working on his big project Misaki thought, pulling on a black shirt over his head.
I heard a really big shot author is supposed to come meet Ijuuin-san today, what was his name again? Oh! Usami Akihiko, that's it...Misaki thought happily as he finished getting dressed, tossing his pajamas into the drawer and closing it - promising himself that he would put them in their proper place when he got home.
Most of the staff that worked with Ijuuin Kyo had been ecstatic over the news that such a huge author would be working with their office had been buzzing with excited energy since the news had been dropped the week before, and Misaki was proud of the author as well for landing such a wonderful opportunity.
"Eh, isn't this great, Ijuuin-san?" Misaki had said when Isaka, one of the bigwigs of Marukawa had dropped by a few days before to deliver the news.
"You're going to be working with such a huge star - congratulations!" Misaki said, turning as he picked up garbage left behind by the assistants that had left - leaving Misaki and Ijuuin alone in the mangaka's office. He nearly dropped everything that he had collected to the floor when he saw the look of pure anger on Ijuuin's face.
"Eh...eh? I-I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" MIsaki asked panickedly, unsure as to why Ijuuin would be angry at the news.
Ijuuin Kyo was in his late twenties with dark brown hair and gray eyes, and was the famous author of the popular manga The Kan. He was much more attractive than Misaki had expected him to be when he had first met the man, and the mangaka was always swamped and fawned over by his female fans (and even a few male fans) at the autograph sessions or meet and greets that he attended. Ijuuin wore a simple tight fitting black sweatshirt and dark blue jeans, his one foot balanced casually on his opposite knee.
The mangaka sighed deeply as leaned back in his large leather chair that was placed behind his drawing desk, rubbing his eyes before he looked at Misaki with a milder expression than he had had before.
"Ah, Misaki-kun, it's not you or anything - I'm sorry for letting you see me with such an angry expression." he said smoothly, looking apologetically at Misaki who now stood - his legs shook slightly as he tightly gripped the papers and garbage in his hands.
"Ah! It-it's fine! I was just afraid I had done something…" Misaki rambled, unsure of what to say before Ijuuin continued.
"No, you've done nothing wrong Misaki - please, don't doubt your performance while working here. Actually, work would be extremely dull and unbearable without you here." he said, causing Misaki to blush slightly and fangirl internally at the fact that the author of his favorite manga had just given him such a high compliment.
"Actually...the truth is, I just really, really dislike Usami Akihiko." Ijuuin said, spinning around in his leather chair as he looked up at the ceiling.
"Wait, no...it's not that I dislike him…" he stopped, raising on finger as he looked at Misaki. "I just hate him."
Eh...eh? Misaki thought, sweating as he smiled awkwardly at Ijuuin, unsure of what to say in response to such a straightforward statement.
Something like this...hatred? Why would Ijuuin-san hate such a highly renowned man?
"Uh...uhm...If you don't mind me asking, why is it that you dislike Usami Akihiko-san so much?" Misaki asked timidly, trying to understand why Ijuuin would be made to work with someone who he possibly had a grudge against.
"Hmm, why do I hate him, you ask? Well, let's just say…" Ijuuin said as he placed his elbows on his desk, lacing his fingers together as he rested his chin on them. He had a faraway look in his eyes before speaking again.
"How do I put it...I'd guess you'd say, we're in love with the same person, and that person chose Usami-san." Ijuuin said as he watched Misaki's reaction to his words.
"Eh...wait, no, Ijuuin-san!" Misaki said, his eyes widening before he threw the garbage in his hands into the small trash bin before he slammed his hands on Ijuuin's desk, causing him to jump slightly in surprise. Ijuuin's eyes widened slightly as Misaki stared at him with an extremely serious expression.
"Don't tell me you're giving up?! You can't give up, Ijuuin-san!" Misaki said with complete sincerity, shocking Ijuuin and making his heart begin to flutter as Misaki's words touched him deeply. He smiled sadly, patting Misaki on the head before speaking again.
"No, Misaki - I appreciate your concern, but sadly, the person I'm in love with has already made their choice." he said, slightly confused as to how his implication that he was in love with him had flown over the young boy's head, when Ijuuin remembered a piece of information about the younger boy in front of him.
When Misaki had finally returned to work from his extended absence, he had apologized deeply and explained how he had been in an accident. Everyone that had known Misaki in the workplace had fretted over him, asking him if he was alright and making sure that he was alright. Misaki had assured them all that he was fine - the only thing that he said they had to be concerned about was that he had hit his head when he had fallen on the pavement, and that he may have lost some of his memories where work was concerned.
Ijuuin had, at the time, been silently listening to Misaki - pretending as if he wasn't interested but in actuality he was really worried - had raised his eyebrows slightly when Misaki had said he lost some of his memory. The author wondered what part or parts of his life he had forgotten due to the accident, and wondered how Usami Akihiko could possibly be dealing with it.
Now, as Ijuuin sat here in front of Misaki, a possible thought crossed his mind, filling him with a slight amount of hope.
No way...he thought. Could it be…
Did Misaki forget about Akihiko…?
From the looks of it, the only two possible options were that Misaki had either forgotten, or he was doing an excellent job at pretending he didn't know that Ijuuin was talking about he and Akihiko's relationship.
Misaki, Ijuuin already knew, was a terrible liar, so he was almost certain that Misaki had lost his memories about Akihiko.
"Misaki…" he began, keeping his voice even as he looked the younger boy in the eyes.
"Have you ever even seen Usami Akihiko? I doubt I could ever compare to someone like him." he said, his voice dripping in sorrow as he looked away, attempting to capture Misaki's pity. Misaki didn't even blink before responding.
"No, I haven't, Ijuuin-san - but I'm sure that whomever they are, you could beat them in a heartbeat, whether it be looks wise or personality wise," he nodded before giving Ijuuin the most assuring smile he could.
"I'm sure that if you talk to them, they'll accept your feelings - no matter what." Misaki said, hoping that he was in some way convincing the man in front of him.
Ijuuin, however, was now convinced that somehow Misaki must have somehow forgotten about Akihiko, since he was pretty sure there was no way Misaki would be able to pretend that he didn't know Akihiko, since Ijuuin and them had all sat down together at one point for an interview between Akihiko and Ijuuin.
There was no way Misaki would lie, but how would he be able to forget Akihiko if they were living together? It didn't make sense, and Ijuuin felt himself getting a headache just from thinking about it.
Ah, well...I'll just go with the flow for now, then. Ijuuin thought, looking at Misaki in front of him.
Maybe this isn't as hopeless of a crush as I thought…
"Thank you, Misaki-kun. I really appreciate your kind words - they mean a lot to me, really." he said, uncrossing his leg before pushing himself out of his chair.
"Ah, of course, Ijuuin-san! I mean, I'm not saying those things to make you feel better or anything - I really mean them!" Misaki said, blushing slightly when he realized how odd the things he had said had probably sounded to the older man.
Who am I to give him compliments anyways, stupid! he thought, shifting awkwardly as he removed his hands from Ijuuin's desk.
He doesn't want to hear compliments from me...what was I thinking, as if he cares about what I think...Misaki thought, suddenly feeling self conscious as the famous mangaka walked around his desk to stand in front of him.
Suddenly, Ijuuin wrapped his arms around Misaki, bending down to pull the other boy into a hug.
"Of course I know you mean them, Misaki-kun. I'd never doubt anything you would say to me." he said, smiling slightly as he felt Misaki's soft hair tickle his cheek. The older mangaka was perfectly content as Misaki's presence calmed his mind and soul.
Misaki, however, had no idea how to react. One part of him was fangirling over the fact that his god, the author of his bible - well, the mangaka of his favorite manga - was hugging him. His heart picked up speed at the thought that someone he admired so much would actually want to hug an ordinary commoner like him. Misaki inhaled, savoring the smell of Ijuuin's clothes, relishing in the warmth the man's body gave off through his thin sweater as he pressed Misaki into him.
Misaki was so happy he could scream, and yet, he felt an odd feeling tugging at his heart - something felt...wrong about embracing Ijuuin like this, as if somehow there was a deeper meaning to it for Ijuuin than for Misaki.
Wait...what's that supposed to mean?! Do I think Ijuuin-san likes me or something?! Ha! Yeah, right. He would never fall for someone like me, but…
But what if he does…? Misaki thought, suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable. He tried to pull away from the man, but the mangaka just tightened his arms around him.
"Eh, um...Ijuuin-san, I-I can't really breathe…" Misaki said faintly, unsure of what to do in a situation like this.
"Hm? Oh, sorry about that, Misaki-kun." Ijuuin said, releasing Misaki before turning himself around to grab his bag as Misaki stood dazed in the middle of the mangaka's office.
Sensing that Misaki was still there, Ijuuin looked over his shoulder at Misaki, smiling faintly before tossing his bag over his shoulder.
"Well, Misaki-kun? Shall we take our leave for the day?" he asked, breaking the younger boy out of his dazed state.
"Eh? Oh! Of course, yeah!" he said quickly, grabbing his own bag from off of the floor in the corner of the large office before he made his way out of the office with Ijuuin. They chatted as they made their way to the office, passing and bowing slightly to the few people they passed as they made their way to the main elevator and then towards the front exit. After they exited the building, they said goodbye before going their separate ways.
Suddenly, as Misaki went to turn towards the direction of the train station, he heard Ijuuin calling his name behind him.
"Oi, Misaki-kun! I almost forgot!" Ijuuin shouted, causing Misaki to turn around as he made his way towards the younger boy, catching the attention of a few passing strangers as he walked by them.
"Hey, Misaki-kun," Ijuuin said, the cold air causing his breathes to wisp out of his mouth in small puffs as he spoke.
"I forgot to tell you, you've inspired into action." he said, messing up Misaki's hair, smiling as Misaki protested politely and quickly fixed it.
"Eh...inspired you? What do you mean?" Misaki asked, looking up at the mangaka curiously.
"I mean, that because of what you said, I think that one day I'll tell the person that I love how I feel." he said, looking up at the twinkling stars of the night sky, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Thank you, Misaki." he said before waving and turning away.
"Ah, no- I didn't do anything, really…" Misaki's voice trailed off as the older man disappeared into the crowd.
Blushing slightly at what the other man had said to him, Misaki had quickly turned himself around once more towards the direction of the train station as he made his way back home to his brother and the rest of his family.
Misaki smiled faintly at the memory as he made his way into the small kitchen of his brother's home, only to find Manami quietly cooking breakfast.
"Ah, good morning, Misaki-kun!" Manami said quietly, noticing Misaki's presence in the kitchen.
"Takahiro already left for work early today and Mahiro is still asleep, so shh." she said softly, raising a single finger to her lips before winking at Misaki, who had nodded and smiled in response before she handed him a plate with a rather large omelette placed in the center.
"Eh...all this, for me?" Misaki asked in amazement, looking at the large dish as he quickly grabbed a fork and knife from one of the kitchen drawers. "You didn't have to go to the trouble of making me breakfast, Manami-san. You know I'm a good cook, and I don't mind making my own food…"
"Oh, hush." she said, dismissing Misaki's words with the simple flick of her wrist.
"I made you breakfast because I wanted to, Misaki-kun. I don't mind, and I love to cook anyways. Besides," she said, looking at Misaki in the eyes as he sat down at the small dining table to eat his breakfast.
"Instead of apologizing to people when they do nice things for you, Misaki-kun, try thanking them instead. I worry about you, you know - you always seem like you're afraid you're being a burden when in reality, I think you're the farthest thing from it." she said, smiling at him as she quietly washed the dirtied pan and bowl she had used to cook the omelette.
"Ah, I'm sorr- I mean," Misaki corrected himself, noticing Manami's raised eyebrow as he almost apologized yet again.
"I mean...thank you, Manami-san for doing this, really." he said, giving her a warm smile before he continued eating his breakfast.
"You know, Misaki-kun, I want to give you a little piece of advice," Manami said, placing the newly rinsed off dishes into the sink before wiping her hands off on a small rag. She walked over to the dining room table and sat down in the chair across from Misaki, folding her hands neatly in front of her before she continued talking, looking her brother in-law in the eyes.
"Misaki-kun, I learned a long time ago that you can't make everyone happy." she began, making sure that the younger boy was still listening to her before continuing.
"You can't make everyone happy, and I don't think you should have to sacrifice your happiness for someone else, Misaki-kun, unless you feel that you need to. You're such a sweet boy, I just want to make sure you know this, okay? I worry that sometimes, you're not doing things because they're best for you, but because they're best for everyone else." Manami said thoughtfully, reaching out to pat Misaki's arm as his eyes widened at her words.
"Uh...Manami-san," Misaki said, swallowing a bite of omelette before continuing.
"I was just wondering...why would you tell me this all now? Have I been acting odd or something?" he asked curiously.
"Oh, no no, Misaki-kun, you haven't done anything! It's just...hmm, how do I explain it…" Manami said, looking up at the ceiling as if she were contemplating her next words.
"I guess you could say, it's a woman's intuition maybe? Yeah…that's it. I don't know, Misaki-kun, just something tells me you're going to need this advice in the near future." she said simply, giving Misaki a cheerful smile.
Before Misaki could reply, the sound of a door opening and closing came from the hallway, followed by the soft sound of trudging footsteps scraping across the hardwood floor.
"Mom? Mi-chan?" they heard a small voice mumble quietly, before Mahiro came around the corner and into the dining room, yawning and rubbing his one eye as he dragged a small teddy bear on the floor behind him
"Oh, Mahiro! You're awake." Manami said, getting out of her chair to scoop her little boy up into her arms, planting a small kiss on his forehead.
"What time is it even, Mahiro, for you to even be up this early?" Manami said, giggling before nuzzling her nose into the little boy's hair.
"Eh? It's the same time now that I always wake up at." Mahiro mumbled wrapping his arms around his mother's neck.
"It's only seven o'clock." he said.
"Wait, SEVEN?!" Misaki yelled suddenly as he jumped up from his chair, causing it to topple to the ground with a crash that startled Mahiro and Manami.
"I'M LATE!" he shouted, running and nearly tripping through the house as he quickly threw his plate into the sink and ran to his room to get his bag.
"Sorry, Manami-san, Mahiro-kun! I have to go!" he yelled to them over his shoulder as he frantically kicked his feet into his sneakers, hobbling from one leg to another as he quickly tied his laces and nearly dropped his bag.
"I'm off!" he yelled, throwing open the door and swinging it shut behind him as he ran at full speed down the street towards the direction of the train station.
I can't miss the train, I'll be late! I can't be late today, I have to help support Ijuuin-san! Misaki panicked, running as his legs would carry him as he made his way to his part time job. Misaki had never been the greatest athlete in school, and he definitely wasn't now as he ran, already wheezing and huffing from the small amount of exercise as his legs ached in pain already in the short amount of time.
Dammit, dammit! Misaki screamed in his head, struggling to maintain his pace. I can't be late - not today!
I especially can't be late today!
Ijuuin Kyo tapped his foot impatiently as he sat alone in the meeting room where the beginning processes of the collaboration between he and Usami Akihiko would take place in only a half an hour.
The mangaka had hoped that Misaki would arrive early, since the younger boy was always early whenever he came into work, and Ijuuin really enjoyed his company. Ijuuin had decided that he only wanted Misaki, his editor and his one major assistant to attend the meeting with him, since he hated large groups of people and preferred that only those he had requested attend.
He sighed impatiently, now slightly wishing that he had asked more of his assistants to attend as he sat bored in his seat - even his editor hadn't arrived yet, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could count wall specs before he would lose his mind completely of boredom.
Suddenly, he heard the door creak open slightly, his heart picking up speed as his head snapped towards the door as he expected to see Misaki - he scowled in disgust when he realized it was only Isaka, who cheerfully greeted him in his usual overly confident manor.
"Aww, what's the matter, Ijuuin? Were you expecting your little shorty instead?" Isaka said in a playfully mocking tone, resting his elbows on the table as he took a seat across from Ijuuin.
"Shut the fuck up, you condescending prick." Ijuuin said, glaring at Isaka's annoyingly happy face.
"Tut tut, such a filthy mouth you have, Ijuuin." Isaka said, narrowing his eyes slightly at Ijuuin's vulgar words as he kept smiling.
"Anyways, I'm surprised - Chibi-tan isn't here yet, how very odd," he said, pretending to gaze behind Ijuuin as if he were pondering what possible reason Misaki could have for being late. It pissed Ijuuin off to no end.
"Hm, well I suppose the most logical reason would be to say he's with his handful of a boyfriend - oh! Oops, I didn't mean to bring it up, my apologies, Ijuuin. I know how sensitive you are about the whole thing." Isaka said with false sympathy, making Ijuuin's eye twitch in irritation.
"How would I know? I'm not one to pry into people's personal lives like you." he said flatly, trying to ignore the man as he just kept pushing his buttons.
"Oh? Could it be that someone thinks they have a chance with our innocent little Chibi-tan?" Isaka asked, raising an eyebrow at Ijuuin as he leaned forward across the table. "Do tell, my good man. Could it be you're in on something I'm not?"
"And what if I am?" Ijuuin said, looking at the man cooly. "Why should I tell you - someone who would probably gladly tell all of the staff at Marukawa?"
"Oh, Ijuuin, I feel insulted that you'd think I'm such a loose lipped man." Isaka said, pretending to wipe away a tear. "Why would I ever spread rumors about poor little helpless Chibi-tan? I'd never stoop so low-"
"Oh my god will you shut up," Ijuuin yelled, slamming his hand on the table in irritation.
"Fine, if I tell you what I know, will you please shut up and let me go back to enjoying the silence?" Ijuuin asked, irritably drumming his fingertips against the hard mahogany of the table.
"Hm, a fair enough deal - sure, why not. Now, do tell me, dear friend, what you seem to know about Chibi-tan that I don't know about? I promise not to spill, I'm just very curious." Isaka whispered, leaning forward even farther in his chair for dramatic effect. Ijuuin sighed deeply, contemplating on what to tell Isaka who, he knew very well, was likely to tell just about everyone if he thought it would bring him source of entertainment.
"Alright. You know how Misaki-kun was in accident a few months ago?" Ijuuin paused, waiting until Isaka nodded his head before continuing.
"Well, he had mentioned to my assistants and I that he had head trauma, and that he wasn't sure if there were things that he had forgotten about work or not…" Ijuuin slowly trailed off, but was urged on by Isaka's hand movements to get on with what he was saying.
"Well...if what I think is correct...I think Misaki may have forgotten that he was dating Usami." Ijuuin said, looking at Isaka with a very serious expression.
"Eh...what? You're kidding. Wouldn't that just be a bit too convenient for you, Ijuuin?" Isaka said, clearly not buying what the man had told him.
"No, Isaka. I even asked Misaki if he's ever met Usami Akihiko and told me, dead serious, that he's never met him."
"Eh? No way...he must've misheard you." Isaka said, completely serious - his usually cocky grin was replaced with a frown as a crease formed in his forehead. It was extremely out of character for the carefree man, and Ijuuin was surprised to find that even Isaka could be serious when needed. He lowered his voice before continuing.
"Misaki-kun isn't deaf, he heard me loud and clear, and he said no, that he had never met an Usami Akihiko."
"Then what does that mean? If he did forget that he was in a relationship with Akihiko, is he not living with him, then?"
"He couldn't possibly be then - or at least, there's a very slim chance that he is. But even if he did forget that he was in a relationship with Usami, there's no way that stubborn bastard would ever let him out of his clutches."
"You're right. That is...unless…" Isaka trailed off, scrunching his eyebrows together in concentration as he stared down at the table, trying to figure out just what was going on.
"What? Unless what?" Ijuuin said, tapping his feet in anticipation as to what Ijuuin had to say.
"Well...I heard that Akihiko was in an accident not to long ago himself. We know that there's no way Akihiko would ever let Misaki go, unless…" Isaka raised his head to look at Ijuuin.
"What if he's hit his head and forgotten about Misaki as well?" Isaka said, his words echoing throughout the room as both men were eerily silent, mulling over the detail in their head as they tried to piece together how Misaki could possibly have no recollection of Akihiko at all.
"No way…" Ijuuin said, feeling his heart begin to pick up speed at the possibility.
"No way, that would just be too perfect, now wouldn't it?" Ijuuin muttered, lacing his fingers together into a single fist and resting his chin on it.
"Well, you'd be surprised at what can happen, Ijuuin - nothing is impossible." Isaka said, standing up.
"Anything is possible. I know one thing - even though Aikawa isn't going to be able to make the meeting today due to a family emergency, I'm sure we'll be able to tell just how much Chibi-tan and Akihiko remember for ourselves when they see each other today." Isaka said, his eyes glinting at Ijuuin as his familiar cocky grin had reappeared on his face once more before he stood up from his chair.
"Now, if you'll excuse me - I'm going to go get a drink of water." he said, turning to leave the room.
"Wait, Isaka." Ijuuin said, causing the man to stop. He didn't turn, but merely waited to see what Ijuuin had to say.
"Isaka...why would you even care about this so much? I mean, I know you're not helping me with anything, but if you wanted to you could tell Misaki all about Usami if you wanted to…" the mangaka said in a questioning tone, slightly confused at the man's actions.
"Why, you ask?" Isaka said, pausing a few moments before looking over his shoulder at Ijuuin, his eyes narrowed slightly as a smug grin was on his lips.
"Hm...I guess if I'd have to say why…"
"I'm not going to mention anything to Chibi-tan or Akihiko, because I find this odd situation quite entertaining." he said, making his way to the door and pulling it open. "Don't think I like you or anything, Ijuuin. Because that's the furthest thing from the truth."
The door closed with a silencing thud as Isaka's words hung in the air. Ijuuin twiddled his thumbs anxiously, unsure of how long he could wait to see if what he and Isaka had theorized was true.
If he and Isaka were correct, Ijuuin thought, then maybe his chances with Misaki were not as hopeless as he had thought.
Nearly an hour later, Misaki finally found himself in front of the Marukawa Publishing building. He was exhausted, and worst of all, he was late.
Misaki hung his head in shame as he looked down at himself - he was covered in gross sweat as visible sweat stains had soaked through the armpits and neckline of his shirt, and his shoes and jean bottoms had gotten all filthy from when he had accidentally stepped in a mud puddle on his way from the train station.
His hair was extremely messy and his face was an ugly shade of red from all of the running he had done, making him look and feel extremely unprofessional and unpresentable on such an important occasion.
Please let me not be too late Misaki prayed, taking out his phone and crossing his fingers before checking the time.
8:30 he thought, his stomach dropping.
I'm a half an hour late.
The meeting has probably started already.
Misaki's hand shook slightly as he slid his phone back into his bag. He walked through the front doors of the building with a feeling of despair, cringing as he wondered how on earth he was going to face Ijuuin or - even worse - Usami Akihiko. Misaki knew that it was already rude enough that he was showing up late and in unprofessional looking attire to a successful author like Ijuuin, but it was even worse and more of an insult that now he was even showing up like this in the presence of Usami, who was of an even higher prestige as Ijuuin.
Please, please don't let me look that bad Misaki thought as he stepped onto the elevator, reluctantly pressing the button for the floor in which the meeting was being held. He shivered as he felt the sweat soaking his shirt begin to chill him, and noticed - to his horror - his shoes had tracked mud down the hallway and into the elevator.
I'm the worst...I'm so going to get fired today. Misaki thought depressed, feeling tears begin to sting his eyes in frustration at his horrible luck.
When the doors finally opened, Misaki trudged his way out of the elevator with his head hung low, wiping his eyes in an attempt to keep himself from crying as he made his way down the hallway and towards the meeting room where Ijuuin, Usami, Isaka and the rest of the assistants and errand boys that would be helping out during the collaboration between the two authors.
Misaki stopped in front of the double doors to the meeting room with his hand hovering over one of the handles as he listened intently for any noise from inside. He faintly heard the sound of Ijuuin's irritated mumblings and Isaka's usual cheerful booming voice through the door, accompanied by a deep, mellow voice that Misaki seemed to recognize but couldn't particularly place where he had heard it before.
Misaki swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in his throat, his knees shaking slightly as he opened the door with an obnoxiously loud creak that caused the room inside to become silent.
"H...hello, everyone, I-I'm so sorry I'm late!" Misaki stuttered, feeling his face turn red as heard several people turn to face him. He bowed deeply in apology as he was unable to meet anyone's gaze. Misaki was terrified as to what types of faces everyone was looking at him with. Were they mad? Were they laughing at him? Or even worse, were they thinking he was being ridiculous for apologizing because he wasn't even that important to the whole meeting at all?
"Ahhh, Chibi-tan! I'm so glad you're finally here!" Isaka said, breaking the awkward silence as he got up and patted Misaki on the back.
"We were just talking about you, isn't that right, Ijuuin?" Isaka said as Misaki raised his head in astonishment to find the author. When Misaki looked up, however, he realized that amount of people in the meeting were much smaller than he had estimated - only Ijuuin, his editor and his main assistant were present out of Ijuuin's group of people who sat on the left side of the long table in the center of the room.
"Yes, we were." Ijuuin said cooly, lifting his head as he kept his arms crossed. Misaki twitched slightly in fear, noticing that Ijuuin looked particularly irritated.
"Ah, I'm very, very sorry Isaka-san! Ijuuin-san! Really, I am!" Misaki said quickly, bowing a few more times as he panicked. Isaka laughed heartily and ruffled Misaki's sweat soaked hair.
"Oh, Chibi-tan, don't sweat it - well, that is, if you can sweat anymore." Isaka said, referring to the stains on Misaki's shirt, causing Misaki's cheeks to flame again in embarrassment.
"In fact, we were just telling Usami Akihiko here about you." Isaka said directing Misaki's attention to the other side of the table.
Misaki was sure that if he had been holding anything, he would've dropped it in surprise as he met the gaze of the mysterious man he had met at the hospital. The man's expression didn't change as he met Misaki's gaze, except his eyes seemed to have widened slightly as if he had recognized Misaki as well.
No way…
HE'S the famous Usami Akihiko?! Misaki thought, his speech process faltering as everything he had seen in the garden had suddenly made sense.
"Ehhh, Chibi-tan, don't be shy. Greet Usami-san properly." Isaka said, smiling as he pushed the startled boy forward rather forcefully, causing Misaki to stumble and Ijuuin to stiffen slightly in anger at Isaka's actions.
"Oh...Oh! Uh, um...He-hello, I'm Takahashi Misaki, it's a pleasure to meet you." Misaki stuttered, bowing as deeply as possible at the important looking man in front of him as his heart began to beat like crazy in his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and opened them again before straightening back up.
"Hello, Takahashi. As Isaka said, I'm Usami Akihiko. Unfortunately, my editor couldn't be here with me today due to an emergency, but her name is Aikawa Eri." Akihiko said smoothly, giving Misaki a small smile that made his heart clench.
"Oi, Misaki-kun, come sit next to me, I've saved you a seat." Ijuuin said, patting the chair next to him as if he was becoming irritated.
"Ah! Thank you, Ijuuin-san." Misaki said nervously, clumsily sitting down into the chair next to Ijuuin, flinching at the scraping noise the chair legs made as he scooted forward to get closer to the table.
God, can I be anymore awkward...Misaki thought.
"Okay, since Ijuuin insisted that we wait for Chibi-tan to arrive, let's get this meeting started! Oh, but first, may I ask you something really quick, Chibi-tan?" Isaka said, pointing at Misaki from where he was standing at the head of the table.
"Uh, uhm...sure, I guess?" Misaki said, fidgeting in his seat uncomfortably as everyone's attention was brought back to him again.
"Ah, thank you, Chibi-tan! I'm sorry for asking, but since it was going to bother me through the whole meeting unless I asked now, why is it that you look so gross?" Isaka said, his blunt words hit Misaki with a strong force.
Ah...I knew it.
I look disgusting, don't I? Misaki thought, shrinking slightly in his seat in shame before answering.
"Ah, w-well, I was late leaving the house this morning...meaning I missed the train, so I had to run all the way here…" Misaki said, trying not to sound as if he were making excuses for his current appearance.
"Oh, I see. But, Chibi-tan - sorry, just another curious question - I thought you lived close by…? If that were to be the case, then why would you take the train?" Isaka asked, looking at Misaki curiously. It made him nervous as hell.
"Eh...uh, I think you're mistaken, Isaka-san. I live with my brother, who lives at least forty five minutes away by train and an hour and a half away in walking distance from Marukawa Publishing." Misaki said, confused as to how Isaka could think he lived close by.
"Oh...I see. So you live with your brother, is that it? Interesting…" Isaka said, looking as if he were thinking about something else.
"Oi, Isaka. the kid is here, so can we please just start this meeting already and stop wasting time on pointless questions?" Ijuuin's editor said impatiently, giving Misaki an angry look that made him want to curl up into a ball and disappear.
"Hm? Oh, of course! Sorry, I'll keep my curiousity under control from now on." Isaka said, unphased by the editor's crabby attitude as he smiled at him.
"Now, about the collaboration between Usami-san and Ijuuin-san," Isaka began, sitting down into his chair and folding his hands in front of him before continuing. "I think it would be a great idea if we could combine Ijuuin-san's art style with that of Akihiko's story ideas, that would make for an incredible product - plus, if we factor in that two popular author's names would be published on the cover of said product, we'd have twice as many fans willing to buy the product, and possibly expose them to each author's other stories as well."
"If this happens, then I believe we can at least double the possible profits from each author's material by increasing the target audience." Isaka continued, in full business mode as he somehow maintained his carefree grin.
As the meeting continued, Misaki had a difficult time keeping up with and understanding what each man was saying - Misaki didn't really understand business or sales that much - in fact, he found both subjects to be particularly boring. He felt himself having a hard time staying focused, as he just nodded whenever everyone else in the meeting did, and he didn't dare raise his hand or make a comment on anything anyone in the meeting said.
Also, unsure of whether or not it was just his eyes playing tricks on him, Misaki could've sworn that all the while the meeting was going on, the silver haired man sitting across from him had been watching him.
Misaki was too shy to look over at the man, and his heart was beating wildly in his chest as he folded and unfolded his hands to distract himself. He swung his feet back and forth in the chair that was slightly too large for him, making him feel childlike as if he were back in elementary school.
Oh no...he's looking at me… Misaki thought, his face twitching as he intently stared at Isaka so that he wouldn't accidentally make eye contact with Akihiko.
Why would he be looking at me?! Wait...why do I even care?! Misaki panicked, a waging a war with himself silently in his mind.
Of course I care...I mean, he's an important person after all, so of course I care what he thinks…
But then why is my heart beating so fast? Is it because I still feel guilty for spying on him? Yeah...that must be it.
Or maybe...do I like him?!
NO WAY! I'm not gay, what am I thinking?! But, well, there's nothing wrong with being gay I guess-
Wait, HOW COME I'M MAKING UP EXCUSES FOR MYSELF NOW!?
"Chibi-tan...Hey, Chibi-tan!" Isaka said, breaking Misaki out of his internal battle.
"Huh? I-I mean, yes Isaka-san?!" Misaki said as he sweat nervously, unsure of why Isaka was calling on him.
"I said, what do you think of the story idea, Chibi-tan?" Isaka said, looking at Misaki expectantly.
"Uh...well, what do I think...uh," Misaki rambled as he smiled nervously.
He had absolutely no idea what Isaka was talking about, since he had zoned out when he was busy babbling in his own head. Misaki had no idea what genre the collaboration manga was going to be, let alone what the story was about. In a last attempt to avoid looking like an idiot, Misaki decided to take a stab in the dark.
"Uh...I guess...the story is...nice?" Misaki said. He could practically feel Ijuuin roll his eyes next to him at his lame answer - he had the feeling that his stab in the dark had missed by a long shot.
"Hmmm, 'nice' you say, Chibi-tan? Ok then, could you please tell me what you liked about the story idea that made it sound 'nice'?" Isaka said as he rested his chin on his hand, smiling at Misaki like he already knew that the boy hadn't been listening.
"Eh...the, characters?"
"Which ones?"
"The...the main ones?"
"And why is that?"
"Because, I thought they were interesting?''
"And you thought they were interesting because…?"
Misaki felt his face get redder and redder with every lame answer he muttered as Isaka's smile grew bigger and bigger with every question he asked.
"Isaka-san...I-" Misaki began before the older man cut him off.
"You weren't listening? Oh, it's okay Chibi-tan, I know. That's why I was picking on you, you see." Isaka said bluntly, making Misaki wish he could just disappear where he sat after hearing those words.
"Ne, Akihiko, could you fill in good ol' Chibi-tan here in on what the collaboration manga is going to be about?" Isaka said, tilting his head at the man who sighed in response.
"Well, if you insist." he said, his deep, smooth voice enveloped Misaki like velvet, making him look at the man who, in return, closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before continuing.
"I want it to be a love series - more specifically, a Shounen Ai, if you will. The two main protagonists will be a prince and a princess - though, I want the princess to secretly be a boy." Akihiko said, opening his eyes slightly to make sure that he still held all of Misaki's attention before continuing.
"The one prince falls in love with this princess, and he doesn't discover until later - after all of his deep feelings of love have finally developed - that the princess is, in fact, a male. I haven't thought of any names yet, but I want the dominant male to be blond with blue eyes while having a muscular build, and the princess to have long flowing hair with gray eyes. I'm still developing the backstories for them both, but that's what I have to far."
"Now," Akihiko said, opening his eyes all the way to look Misaki directly in the eyes. "Being that you actually know what my story is about, can I have your real, honest opinion if it, Takahashi?"
Misaki felt as if he had been frozen on the spot at the author using his name, and nodded stiffly before mulling over what to say.
"I...I think, it's very original, and quite different from most love stories. I like that it seems that the main character will be conflicted over his feelings for the other character, since that will make it easier for readers to relate to.." Misaki said, trailing off slightly as he stared hard at the table in concentration.
Suddenly, he heard a soft chuckle come from across the table and snapped his head up, only to find Akihiko chuckling at him softly,
"Wh-what? Did I say something funny to you?!" Misaki asked, blushing as he looked across the table at the man angrily.
"Oh, it's nothing you said, Takahashi. It's just that...I've never had someone look as if they were thinking over my ideas so seriously before." he said, laughing lightly underneath his breath.
"It just...looked a little funny." Akihiko said, smiling at Misaki sweetly, causing the younger boy's face to flame a whole new shade of red.
WHY DO I KEEP BLUSHING?! Misaki screamed in his head, looking down bashfully into his lap, when he head Ijuuin next to him clear his throat irritably.
"Alright, that's enough laughing at Misaki-kun for one day. Now, can we please get to the next issue - like, how many pages per month do my assistants and I need to draw? I still have The Kan to keep up with, and I can't afford to let this get in the way of that." Ijuuin said, changing the subject, quickly directing the meeting back onto the track that Misaki didn't understand.
Misaki felt as if he were floating high above the clouds, however, realizing that he had made Usami Akihiko laugh. He wished that he could hear the sound of the man's laughter again as he began to zone out listening to the boring disputes going back and forth between Ijuuin's editor and Isaka.
I wonder...maybe, is Usami Akihiko gay? the sudden thought surfaced in Misaki's mind, shocking him slightly that he would think about such a thing.
Wait, this isn't any of my business...but, if he is...could it possibly be…
Does he like me?
Misaki felt his chest lighten at the thought, but quickly dismissed it as a mere delusion.
I need to stop sounding like a stupid school girl. Besides, why would he like someone like me…
Misaki examined the fashionable suit that Akihiko wore - it was a deep black color with gray stripes that matched his silver hair, and was accompanied by a soft, purple colored tie that complimented his eyes nicely. Akihiko's silver bangs fell stylishly across his forehead, the tips just reaching the top of his eyes - his hair was layered, the shortest layer stopping at the top of his ear.
Misaki compared Akihiko to himself - internally cringing at the thought. Whereas Akihiko looked well dressed and professional, Misaki wore a sweat stained shirt, and muddy ripped pants with now dirty sneakers. Misaki felt his confidence spiral downwards as he realized how awful his hair must've looked as well - adding to the fact that he was already in dire need of a haircut, all of the running and sweating Misaki had done had caused his hair to become tangled and gross - the sweat from his head causing it to stick out in random places and cling unattractively to the back of his neck.
Compared to Akihiko, Misaki felt ugly and gross - though, he usually found himself decent looking, today was just not his day. Sighing, he still watched Akihiko as the rest of the men continued to drone on and on. Misaki wished that they'd hurry up soon as he made himself busy with looking at the author sitting across from him.
Akihiko stared at Isaka as he talked, looking as if he were so bored that he could fall asleep right there as he rested his face in his hands. Suddenly, his eyes dashed over to Misaki as he caught the boy staring at him.
Misaki jumped in surprise, and accidentally banged his knees onto the underside of the table with an audible bang. He hissed as pain shot down his legs and rubbed them, half-hiding his face under the table as he felt all of the eyes in the room on him as a moment of silence followed his sudden spasm. Misaki felt his heart pounding in his chest as he pressed his forehead to his knees, staring at the carpet between his legs and held his breath - his ears ringing in the painful silence.
"...ahem. So, anyways, as I was saying-"
He sighed in relief when Isaka finally continued right where he had left off from before. He felt himself begin to relax when he felt a familiar voice whispering in his ear.
"What are you doing?" Ijuuin hissed, slouching slightly so that Misaki could hear him and that the other members of the meeting wouldn't notice.
A tick had begun to form in his jaw in irritation at Misaki's odd behavior all throughout the meeting. He bowed his head slightly as he crossed his arms across his chest as he glanced down at Misaki.
"Ah...um, I-I'm sorry…" Misaki whispered, turning his head slightly to peek up at Ijuuin through his thick bangs before slowly sitting back up. He clenched his fists as he held them in his lap and stared intently at the table top, shifting awkwardly in his seat as he felt most of the people looking at him from the corner of their eyes.
Ijuuin sighed deeply as Isaka continued to drone on, slouching slightly in his chair as he did so. His gaze slide over to Misaki sitting next to him whose appearance in his opinion had seen better days. His irritation softened slightly as he watched Misaki stare intently at the tabletop, clenching and unclenching his fingers
"You know, sometimes I really worry about you." Ijuuin whispered, reaching out and lightly hitting the back of Misaki's head with his palm.
At this, Ijuuin heard the faint sound of a chuckle, and his head shot up to see the source of the laughter was none other than Usami Akihiko. Akihiko sat cross legged, covering his mouth with his fingertips as he regarded Ijuuin and Misaki with a smug smirk from across the table.
Misaki's cheeks flamed when he realized that the author had been openly laughing at him. His gaze dropped embarrassingly back down to his lap, uttering a nearly inaudible "Sorry" before falling silent and refusing to meet either man's gaze. Akihiko, in contrast, uncrossed his legs and leaned forward to rest his elbow on the meeting table and placed his chin in his hand. He regarded Misaki with an amused expression, as if waiting to see what ridiculous thing the flustered boy would do next.
Ijuuin ground his teeth together angrily at Akihiko's ever-confident mannerisms that never failed to set his temper on fire. Resisting the urge to make an obscene gesture at the author involving his middle finger, Ijuuin glowered at Akihiko before reluctantly turning his attention back to Isaka.
Ijuuin had been opposed to them working together from the moment Isaka had suggested it, but the man was more stubborn than the mangaka himself.
He knew from the beginning that Isaka wasn't going to quit until he had his way.
He's insane if he really thinks this is going to end well. Ijuuin thought when the meeting had finally begun to draw to a close.
Ijuuin lazily scanned the room as he watched the few people who had attended the meeting exchange polite handshakes and fake smiles. Misaki still sat beside him, refusing to meet anyone's gaze as he felt he had embarrassed himself enough already. Ijuuin let out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes and rubbed them - the stress of the certain disaster ahead of him was already beginning to get to him.
"Ah, Ijuuin, I can't wait to begin working with you." Akihiko said, causing Ijuuin's eyes to snap open.
Akihiko stood across from him with his hand outstretched to Ijuuin across the table. Akihiko's handsome face wore a flawless smile, and the words he spoke to Ijuuin rolled off his tongue in a way that pissed the man off to no end.
Standing, Ijuuin nodded curtly and quickly shook his hand, squeezing it slightly too hard for good measure. Akihiko's smile didn't waver in the slightest as he turned to Misaki.
"And you, Takahashi," he said, causing Misaki's head to snap up and look Akihiko in the eyes. "I look forward to seeing you as well - you are a very interesting person. I feel as if we've met before, yes?"
"I...uh...um…" Misaki stuttered, unsure of how to answer the older man's statement, when the man flashed him with another dazzling smile.
"Well, I'm elated that we're going to be seeing each other on a regular basis for now on, or so I assume. I look forward to it," he said smoothly, leaning down and taking one of Misaki's sweating hands and shaking it firmly.
"I- um, thank you," Misaki blurted, blushing like mad as Akihiko still held his hand. Misaki turned a whole new shade of color, however, when Akihiko leaned down farther and whispered into his ear.
"I'm so glad that from now on you'll be able to see me up close, rather than peeking at me from behind, say, a hospital room curtain." he said, releasing Misaki's hand and looking smug at the expression the younger boy now wore on his face before turning to exit the meeting room.
The door shut nearly silently behind him, and like that, Usami Akihiko was gone - leaving Misaki an embarrassed, gasping mess as one bitter thought ran through Ijuuin's mind.
Yeah, he's really fucking insane if he thinks this is going to end well.
Hey look who finally updated...
Anyways, hi everybody! Ahaha...I'm so, so, so sorry I took so long to update! (So long I don't even remember when the last time I updated was)
My holidays got a lot more hectic than I had expected...and then it was my birthday...and then I got writers block...and then it was exam week...and then I was just ridden with guilt and thought if I ignored it the story would just write itself... Q-Q
I even had planned before Christmas to write a oneshot to make up for not updating, but then Christmas came and went, and the oneshot was half finished and the chapter still wasn't done...
(I'd say I'll never take this long to update again but I'll probably just jinx myself ^^")
Anyways, thank you all so much and for the follows and all of the kind reviews! There's so many! I hope this chapter makes up for my absence lately...you're all so nice and make me blush and squeal with happiness when I read them ;u;
I hope you all are doing amazing, and that the new year is treating you right! (It's the year of the horse/Jean, so it seems like a promising year...)
- OopsIThoughtICouldFlyy
P.S. Hey, hey guys did you notice I made the new chapter title a pun...get it...they're meeting...at a meeting...eh? Ehhh? (I'm sorry)