Really just a filler chapter, 'cause a ton of stuff happened in the last chapter and I need to tie up loose ends, haha. I tried to make this chapter shorter, too, but I dunno if it worked out that well.

The party didn't stop. But Akaya was no idiot (most of the time)—almost everybody at the afterparty had seen what happened. He severely doubted he'd be able to live this down. Marui's hands were in his hair, and to anybody else, it would've looked like some passionate kiss. In all honesty, Marui wasn't actually doing much—no tongue (thank God), at least. He would've thrown up on the spot. But even so, Akaya could feel Marui's smirk against his mouth, getting wider by the moment, and almost spat in the redhead's face.

For the moment, though, he was too shell-shocked to do much of anything.

What the effing hell?

From the corner of his eyes he noticed that Yukimura had stiffened in surprise. Sanada had quickly moved next to him, saying something under his breath and looking rigid with anger. Yukimura said nothing, but walked a little closer.

It was Marui who pulled away, grinning evilly, and only then did Akaya realize that he was seriously deprived of air. He took big, heaving breaths, his face flushed in embarrassment and anger. "What," Akaya said slowly, "the fuck was that?"

"Shhh." Marui's grin was getting scarier by the moment. His face was still uncomfortably close to Akaya's own, but he didn't budge.

Anger was building up—it was how Akaya functioned. He never just—jumped out at somebody. It took a while for the fury to cumulate, and when it did, he raised hell. And hell yes, it was cumulating. His voice was low as he hissed, "What do you mean, "shhh"? Are you a fucking nutcase? I'm gonna kick your ass from here to Sweden, you—"

"Why, Marui! Have you taken a liking to Akaya, too?"

Akaya fell silent. Yukimura strolled over to them and wrapped an arm around Akaya's waist.

Marui arched an eyebrow at Yukimura's pleasant voice, but went along with it. "Yeah, he's just so adorable," he replied easily, only a bit sarcastic. "You just can't help but cuddle with him, y'know?"

Akaya gave a low, primal growl.

"Yes, I know what you mean," Yukimura agreed. "I love him dearly; I do hope you don't intend to take him away."

Marui's lips curled upward in a grin. Akaya had better thank him for this—here he was, getting Yukimura jealous for him, and all Akaya could do was growl. "And if I do?"

Yukimura's pleasant façade dropped instantly. But instead of looking angry, or sadistic, or deathly scary, he said in a mournful voice, "But you can't." His expression was heartbreaking, his eyes wide and pleading. Marui faltered for a moment, before remembering that this was the exact same act that he'd pulled on Akaya's parents.

"Why not?" he challenged.

"Well, for one thing, he's engaged."

Marui laughed a little. "He can have more than one lover, can't he?"

Akaya held his breath.

(For what, he wasn't really sure. Because honestly, the idea of having lovers was a little nauseating.)

Yukimura seemed to contemplate the question for a moment, and Akaya gaped—how could anybody actually give thought to a question like that? If he liked Akaya as much as he claimed he did (and lord, Akaya hoped he didn't), he would've punched Marui in the face and left.

But then again, Yukimura wasn't really . . . average.

Or normal, for that matter.

At all.

So Akaya wasn't really too surprised when he heard Yukimura say, "Sure he can! We'll share him! But you'll have to make your announcement public, too."

Both of Marui's eyebrows were raised, now. "Seriously?"

Yukimura smiled. "Seriously! We should go on a date together. But . . ." He looked hesitant. "See, I'm a celebrity. And Akaya's going to be a celebrity, isn't he? Once he takes over the company, I mean."

Akaya's eyes widened. How did he know about that?

Well, he was Yukimura.

That explained a lot, actually.

In any case, it was true. The company was a big one, with the gossip segment only a small branch of it. Akaya would eventually be in charge of the entire company—leading in technology, fashion, world communications, news, and business. The company president was automatically promoted to celebrity status. Niou had often taken the time to act in movies, model, or go on talk shows.

Niou had secured his celebrity status already, so moving to another company wouldn't do much—especially since he was going to be promoted to co-president in two years (if not sooner, as Niou was always one to cheat the system), anyway. But if Akaya was promoted to president, Marui would be left behind. It used to worry Akaya a lot—until he'd been so distracted by the Yukimura fiasco that he didn't have time to think about it anymore.

"It'll be awkward if you're the only non-celebrity, don't you think?" Yukimura explained. "I mean, us famous people associating with a nobody."

Marui's eye twitched in annoyance. "I think I'll manage, thank you very much." Akaya stifled a snicker.

Yukimura shook his head. "No, no, I'm not trying to insult you."

"Really?" Marui asked sarcastically. "I thought for sure you were complimenting me when you called me a nobody. Don't worry, I'm not gay—not interested in your precious Akaya." Akaya groaned inwardly—he was losing it. One insult and he lost his cool—or at least, one jab at his ego.

Yukimura's smile widened. "That's not what I meant, but that's wonderfully reassuring! You see, I think you'd be a magnificent singer—and a magnificent celebrity. You have quite the singing voice, I've noticed, and a great talent for dancing. You have the charisma and the good looks necessary—and you have the connections. So why not?"

Marui seemed lost. "Wait, what?"

"I know a few labels that'd be interested in signing you," he continued. "I've already sent them a recording of your karaoke performance. They were quite impressed by your dancing abilities, too. How about it? A friend of my Aka-chan deserves nothing less."

"Seriously?"

"Definitely! I'm sure you've heard of AK Recordings?"

Marui gave an excited start. "Heard of? AK Recordings is signed with some of the best artists in Japan, you kidding me?"

Yukimura beamed. "They want to sign you, too!"

"Seriously?"

"I got a text from them. Here, see?"

"Oh my god. Hell yes, I'll sign with them!"

"There's still the interview, though, so that might be hard."

"Psh, no problem. Charming's my name and my game."

"Do you know what songs you'll record?"

"I've had this one song in mind—"

Akaya didn't bother trying to eavesdrop. They were stuck in their own little world, rambling about music. He stood up and walked to another end of the pool, trying to make sense of the situation and contemplating taking a swim.

"So Marui's going to be a star, huh?" Niou said casually, appearing from nowhere—potentially an alternate dimension, since it was Niou they were talking about. "Suits him."

"How'd you know?" Akaya accused.

He shrugged. "Yukimura told me earlier. He was pretty impressed by Marui's singing. Anyway, we have more important things to talk about right now." And with all the glory of a king knighting a servant, he pushed Akaya into the pool. Akaya yelped, splashing a little and diving up for air.

"Hey," he sputtered, coughing and trying to rub the chlorine from his eyes—which only made it worse.

"Haha, you okay?"

Akaya looked up. "Niou-san," he acknowledged spitefully, and pushed himself out of the swimming pool. "What the hell was that for?"

Niou beamed. "That," he said seriously, "was your induction ceremony."

"For what?"

"You are officially the company president, as of tonight."

Akaya gaped. "What?"

"You'll have to come to the office tomorrow, because I need to introduce you to some important people, and I need to teach you how to do—well, everything. But otherwise, you're Lys Corp.'s official president. Congratulations." His smile was entirely predatory. "I'm going to Hiroshi's company in two days, so tomorrow's all I have to train you."

"You're leaving already? You couldn't have told me sooner?"

"We just decided it today," he explained, not sounding apologetic at all. "C'mon. Being president has its perks."

Akaya's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Won't you miss it? You're going to be starting over at a new company. Why leave a top position?"

"Hiroshi's my best friend," Niou defended. "Besides, I'm going to be promoted to co-president, anyway. His company is just as prestigious as Lys Corp. And anyway, I'll still be the head of the data and design groups. It's not a huge change. The only person who'll be the boss of me is Hiroshi."

Akaya frowned and folded his arms, though it was rather difficult to look intimidating while he was soaking wet. "I still feel like you're setting me up."

He shrugged and began to leave. "Well, of course," he called over his shoulder. "I don't want to deal with Yukimura's wrath. He's all yours, Aka-chan."

. . . Damn.

Loud music blared from the stereo. It seemed that the guests hadn't had enough fun dancing at the karaoke bar, and felt the need to dance in the pool as well.

Yukimura dragged him to an isolated area of the party, once the business with Marui was over and done with. As isolated as the party got, in any case. The noise level was still at an all time high, and none of the party spirit seemed to be dying out anytime soon. Guests cheered, swam, dived and danced like it was two in the afternoon.

Didn't these people sleep?

He supposed not; the professions of most of these people varied—from fashion designer to actor to musician to dancer to talk show host to writer to about a million other careers—but in the end, they were celebrities. Their work probably took them all over the place.

But it was twelve AM, and Akaya was sleepy, damnit.

Sleepy and confused. But something told him he would've been confused even if he weren't sleepy—after all, who the hell offers somebody a singing career after he catches that somebody kissing his lover?

Lover.

Ew.

Akaya shuddered a little. It went unnoticed, for the most part.

Yukimura smiled at him, and Akaya felt a bit dizzy. "Are you tired?" he asked sweetly. "We can leave the party and go inside the house." He contemplated. "Or I could bring the party in my house. Or I could bring a bed for you outside, right by the pool."

"No, thanks," Akaya said hastily.

He beamed. "We could share the bed!"

Akaya backed away. "No," he said firmly, "thanks."

From out of nowhere, Yukimura pulled out a pair of handcuffs. They were furry.

And pink.

And had "hot stuff" written all over them.

In rhinestones.

Pink rhinestones.

"We didn't get to fully experiment with these," he added. "Here." In a swift movement he cuffed the two of them together, and tossed the key into the pool. It hit some poor kid with a cap right on the head, who muttered, "Mada mada dane."

Akaya panicked. "Wait, do you have a spare key?"

Yukimura's smile practically glistered. All that glisters is not gold, Akaya thought automatically. Or sane. "That was the only one, but it's okay. The servants will have to clean up the pool eventually. I'll tell them to stay on the lookout for the key."

"When will that be?"

He hummed. "Oh, maybe sometime next week."

"Next week?"

Akaya stared, and Yukimura's smile widened inches by the second. "We'll finally get to spend some quality time together," he murmured, and ran a hand through Akaya's hair. "Don't you miss this?"

Akaya took two steps back, and dived into the pool.

With a (graceful) cry, Yukimura was (gracefully) dragged into the pool with him. "Aka-chan," he (gracefully) sputtered, (gracefully) bobbing his head out of the water. "What are you doing?"

But Akaya's head was still underwater, his eyes stinging slightly from straining so hard. His eyes would probably be red with chlorine eventually—but where was that goddamn key?

He swam toward the bratty-looking kid with the cap, ignoring the fact that his feet kicked a few people right in the chest on the way there, and ignoring the fact that Yukimura was (gracefully) being pulled along beside him.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed a sparkle. He turned toward it, forgetting that the sparkle was blue, not silver.

So he was more surprised than he should have been when he found himself face to face with Yukimura.

Underwater.

And more frightened/pissed off than surprised when Yukimura proceeded to kiss him.

Underwater.

There was a tint in Yukimura's eyes, one that read, "This is what you get for dragging me into a pool," but Akaya was a little too disorganized at the moment to notice it.

His lungs were already screaming for oxygen, and Yukimura wasn't helping, damnit.

His face was turning red, both from embarrassment and lack of oxygen, and he flailed wildly, hoping the blunette would get the hint.

Yukimura pushed Akaya further underwater.

Akaya's vision was blurring, and he felt a little woozy. He was pushed so far down that his back hit the bottom of the pool, and the water pressure was making his head hurt. His arm hit something cold and metallic, and with a wave of relief, he realized that it was the key to the handcuffs. He wrapped his fingers around it and shoved it into the pocket of his swimming trunks.

Then the world turned black.

x

". . . kaya? Akaya?"

The first thing that Akaya noted was that his chest hurt like hell.

Next was that Yukimura's face was creepily close to his, and while, to the crowd, it may have looked concerned, Akaya was probably the only one who could see the sadistic shine in his smile.

He yelped and scrambled back a little.

And fell into the pool.

Again.

This time, though, Yukimura dived in with him, to avoid being dragged in again. He managed to look incredibly handsome doing so, and Akaya resented him for it. Yukimura's dark blue hair looked gorgeous when it was wet.

Akaya's black curls just looked . . . wet.

Screw public image and dignity. (For the moment.)

He fumbled for the key in his pocket, and tried bringing it to the keyhole of the handcuffs. "It's not fitting," he muttered, jabbing at it over and over.

Yukimura brought a dainty (free) hand to his mouth and said, "Oh, my! That must've been the wrong key. I believe I have the real key in my room, somewhere." He smiled slowly and leaned forward a bit, until their noses were touching. "Let's go together."

Akaya did his best to drown out the wolf-whistles that sounded, and sunk back underwater.

Marui was officially a celebrity.

He couldn't be happier.

It was Yukimura who'd introduced him to the music label he was now working with. It was Yukimura who'd given the label a sample of Marui's singing. But it was Marui, ultimately, who sealed the deal, with his charisma and—well, talent.

He had a mini-photo shoot prior, and they'd released the photos to the general public, promoting him as a soon-to-be idol.

It worked too well.

There were billboards and posters with Marui's face, grinning smugly, up everywhere. He had a fansite already, along with half of Japan's female population as his fan girls. He hadn't even released his debut album yet, but he was by now an idol among the girls. Marui couldn't even go outside without girls swarming all over him, asking for a photo. And, of course, he loved the attention, always giving in to his fan's wishes and taking a few pictures with them, going so far as to wink at a lucky few—which only increased his fan girl following, tenfold. A video of his singing had somehow found its way to the internet, and was listened to over and over. Somebody had even taken to playing the song on the radio, and unfortunately, Akaya was caught up in the sweep of fame, too.

Reporters stalked the both of them, asking if they were going to pursue music careers. Akaya had fervently denied it, but Marui had smiled that charming smile and said, "For sure. You guys will be hearing about me soon enough, haha."

And here he was.

In a recording studio.

With about a thousand screaming fangirls surrounding the building, chanting Marui's name. It'd always amazed Akaya how much charisma Marui had; he just had a way of drawing people to him—without actually doing anything.

It was scheduled—as soon as Marui finished recording this song (which was due to happen that day)—the song would be released on the internet. It'd probably be set to play on the radio in a few days, and assuming that it was a hit with the public, there'd be a music video.

Then they'd get to work on his original song, which was set to be recorded next week. They'd be officially released in an album together, in about a month.

It was unfortunate—this would only add to his ego.

Akaya sat in the recording studio, watching as Marui sang enthusiastically to some American song. The rhythm was peppy, with a melancholic melody. It was Marui's sort of thing, Akaya knew. He'd always been born for stardom; he had the looks for it, too. It was like he was genetically bred to be a pop idol.

And damn, could he sing.

Marui was definitely in his element. He was recording a song from somebody else's album to go alongside his debut, and he sang it well. He'd always been extremely good at English, and his accent was impeccable. English was awfully popular in Japan at the moment—it'd work out well for him. "Ain't I seen you before?I think I remember those eyes—'cause baby, tonight the DJ got us falling in love again. So dance like it's the last night of your life."

The part of the song where someone was supposed to rap in Spanish was swapped in favor of Marui rapping in Japanese. He kept his voice low and breathy, teasing and sultry, and Akaya almost rolled his eyes.

He transitioned back into the melody easily, even though the song was meant for two people. He was surprisingly good at rapping—in all honesty, Akaya had no idea that he was so good at singing, even though he'd known him almost all his life.

But Akaya did know that he was good at dancing—no doubt he'd have way too much fun with the music video. They'd already had the photo shoot for his new release—he probably could've made a career for himself as a model, too.

It made him happy, though, that his friend was rising to stardom. He wasn't too close with many people, and it had frustrated him to know that when he took over the company, he'd have to be his best friend's superior. With this sudden onset to fame, Marui didn't have to work with the company anymore. And Marui would love this new life; he'd always liked attention, and here, he was doing everything he did best, everything he loved most. Office work never did suit him—he was better off dancing, singing, flirting, catching people's attention.

He smiled a little. He really was happy for Marui—really ecstatic. Marui might have been a pain in the neck at times, but they were best friends—and Akaya was pleased to be on the same as him. He'd be the president of a company, and as president, he'd probably have to associate with celebrities, anyway. And now that Marui was practically a celebrity (even though he hadn't actually done anything yet) . . .

Genuinely, genuinely happy.

He supposed he had Yukimura to thank for this.

Shaking the thought from his head, he continued listening to Marui's singing. The last thing he wanted to think about at this point was that.

As it turned out, being president of the company was no easy task, even Niou acted like the biggest slacker in the universe. Akaya had enough trouble simply managing the branches of the company—who knew there were so many?

It'd come as something of a shock that a nineteen year old had been instantly promoted to company president. A few of the other corporations had tried to outsmart Niou, too, when he was president—he was only twenty, after all, and most of the other presidents were well into their fifties. Niou had made fools of them by outsmarting them all, but that didn't stop them from trying to do the same thing to Akaya.

Most of the time, they tried to send contracts with dangerous loopholes, or made an attempt to buy out the main branches of the corporation, even though it was blatantly obvious that they couldn't afford it. Lys Corp. was one of the best in the world, and besides—Niou had trained Akaya well, if only through his incessant pranking and teasing.

That really wasn't an issue.

But there was just so much to do. Besides dealing with the company idiots, he had to oversee all the productions of every single branch in the company—even fashion, in which he had absolutely no interest at all. Every single error—even a broken computer, for the love of kami-sama—was reported to him. He barely had enough time to drink a cup of coffee.

Then he had to read over contracts, mergers, and proposals by other companies, which was just about the most boring task in the world. Business meetings and breakfasts, having to meet with district attorneys and local government officials . . . too much to manage.

He wondered how Niou had managed to do all of it, and still have enough time to—well, be Niou.

He had Takana-san, in any case. The company advisor had been around for at least twenty years now, a sixty year old man with a kind smile and a gentle personality. Akaya wondered more than once how it was that he hadn't been eaten alive by the company sharks already, but did admit that he was a huge help.

Marui, meanwhile, took the time to visit him—or at least annoy him—occasionally. Akaya had been so busy with the company, and Marui busy with his concerts and fan greetings, that neither of them really had the time to chat for very long. They still shared a flat, but these days, Akaya got home at around two in the morning, and left at five in the morning. Marui's schedule, meanwhile, was completely random and sporadic. They barely saw each other anymore.

He hoped that after a few weeks, things would go back to normal. Being the newest president, he had to greet other presidents and officials—not to mention he had to get used to the whole scenario. Marui, being a new idol, had to properly build up his image before he could go back to a relatively normal (or as normal as things got for him) life.

In Akaya's opinion, Marui was building his image rather well. The publicist had wanted him to go for a playboy, but relatively non-controversial idol, as he was awfully young. And so, Marui finally had the perfect excuse to flirt with every single girl he saw, without having to deal with commitment issues. Akaya snorted as he sifted through the heap of papers his secretary had put on his desk. Just a smile from Marui was enough to send a girl reeling with joy, whether she was nine or ninety. The chivalrous player, they called him.

Pretty befitting image, Akaya thought, and scribbled his signature on a few contracts. 'Cept he's usually not that chivalrous.

Not around Akaya, anyway.

They should've named Marui the chivalrous idiot. Or, Akaya thought, recalling that ridiculous kiss by the pool, the chivalrous jackass.

That idiot. It was all over the tabloids, and although Akaya had managed to coerce the other partygoers to go along with him and insist that it was merely a Photoshop scam, most of the other celebrities knew the truth.

Akaya, while no pop idol or teen heartthrob, had officially achieved celebrity status, too. He wasn't just Yukimura's fiancé, or Niou's protégé, anymore. He was the president of Lys Corp., and while he didn't have a publicist, he'd built up an image, too. Among other companies, there were rumors that this new president was as sly and charismatic as Niou himself. Nobody could get a loophole through him, and he had a knack for business. Kirihara Akaya, they said, wasn't somebody to be crossed.

Yes, Akaya rather liked his image.

But one thing still bothered him.

Yukimura hadn't contacted him in a week.

Not that he wasn't happy about it, of course. But it wasn't like him. An idle Yukimura usually meant a plotting Yukimura, and a plotting Yukimura usually meant a suicidal Akaya.

He glanced at another proposal on his desk, and his eyes widened when he saw the name.

Fuji Syusuke, designer of La Maison de Glace, was cordially inviting Kirihara Akaya, president of Lys. Corp., to a dinner party, to discuss potential collaborations. It was boringly written: typical of a party invitation, Akaya supposed. But there was one particular segment that caught his eye.

…

I, on behalf of La Maison de Glace, would be honored to sell a selection of my designs to Lys Corp. The dinner party will take place on the twelfth of next month, at 666 Fifth Avenue in New York, NY. A private jet will be provided for you and a select few others—including Marui Bunta, who has also been invited. The exact meeting place will be announced at a later date. All expenses are covered.

Please RSVP to —

‡ La Maison de Glace ‡

PS. Hello, Aka-chan! Seiichi's sorry about the lack of contact lately; he's been so busy, and I'm sure you have been too. But no worries. We'd just love to make it up to you at the dinner party.

PPS. We've finally found a bed big enough to fit twenty-three people!

PPPS. It's not really a bed, though. Just a giant room covered in mattresses.

PPPPS. Correction—twenty-foursome. Because Marui's invited too.

PPPPPS. Don't worry; we'll provide the handcuffs!

PPPPPPS. But if you have any chocolate sauce, bring that. We don't know if we'll have enough for twenty-four people.

XO

Signed,

Fuji Syusuke

…

Uh-oh.

Akaya's breathing quickened in panic. Forgetting that his secretary was right outside, he hollered, "Takana-san! Help!"

It was only after the second week of stardom that Marui had finally found the time to properly hang out with Akaya. They'd agreed to meet up at their favorite cafe, a small cafe in the middle of nowhere and amazing coffee. Still, while grateful for the chance to socialize with his best friend, the two of them had to worry about dodging paparazzi - especially since Akaya was publicly thought to be, well, gay.

He still shuddered at the thought.

It was ironic, he thought, as he walked into the restaurant. He used to be the paparazzi - and now he was avoiding them. At least he knew that nobody from his company would be sneaking around, trying to get shots of him. He'd established very well on his first day as company president that if anybody so much as touched a camera in his presence, he'd introduce him to his Knuckle Serve, and had even demonstrated it for the non-believers. Yes, he decided. It was good to be intimidating. What was the phrase? Machiavelli - better to be feared than to be loved, eh?

There weren't many people in the restaurant, and Akaya didn't see Marui, either. He wondered if he was early, and sat at a random table, looking over the menu. It probably wasn't the best idea to go to a cafe for dinner, but he figured he'd need the coffee, if only to finish editing those contracts.

Someone touched his shoulder, and he turned around. A man in dark sunglasses, a scarf, a bucket hat, and a giant peacoat stood behind him. "Hi," he whispered. It was an awfully suspicious outfit for someone in the middle of the summer - anyone in that attire was either begging to be arrested or begging to be jumped.

Akaya jolted in surprise (and fear, though he'd never admit it). Then he recognized the voice, and almost laughed. "Marui?" he whispered back. "Is that you?"

Yes, there were pinkish red strands of hair poking out from under the ridiculous hat. Marui nodded in the affirmative and sat across from him. "I was hiding near the storage closet," he explained. "You know. Being all ninja-like."

Akaya gave him a doubtful once-over. "In that getup?" he asked.

Marui grinned and whispered, "The waitress agreed to let me hide there in exchange for an autograph. Man, it kinda sucks being famous. If I'd known it was this much trouble, I wouldn't have outed all those celebrities back in our reporting days."

Typical. Akaya did laugh this time, not so much because the situation was funny as because he'd missed hanging out with Marui. Niou was too busy these days to really socialize, either, and he wasn't particularly close with anybody else. "Nobody recognizes me," Akaya pointed out, half good-naturedly and half jealously.

His friend snorted. "You've been in office for what, two days? Company presidents aren't going to get as much publicity - like poor Jackal. He never hosts any events; I wonder if anyone even knows he's the president of Que Associations. You've gotta host a party or competition or something before you're really in the spotlight." Marui considered this for a moment, then added, "Although, you're pretty well known for being Yukimura's boyfriend. You've been kinda out of the spotlight lately, though. Hasn't Yukimura tried to drag you anyplace?"

"Not yet," Akaya answered, "thank God. I think he's finally gotten bored with the whole thing. I hope he dumps me soon."

"Tsk tsk." Marui wagged a finger in disapproval. "So mean to your boyfriend."

"My fake boyfriend," Akaya corrected.

Marui shrugged. "Same difference. Sorry about the poolside kiss thing," he added apologetically. "I seriously thought it'd work."

"Worked out pretty well for you," Akaya muttered.

The redhead beamed. "Sure did!"

Akaya rolled his eyes and went back to looking at the menu. "What're you ordering? I don't know if I should just get coffee, or something legit. I'll have to stay up all night looking over some of these mergers."

Marui winced sympathetically. "Niou made it look so easy," he commented. "Must be tough, huh?"

"Not so much tough as boring," he replied flatly. "The first week, anyway. Maybe it'll get better."

"How did Niou have so much fun with it?"

"He's weird. Who knows?"

A waiter sidled over to them, giving Marui a suspicious look and Akaya a respectful bow. They ordered passion tea lemonade and black coffee, respectively, and Akaya leaned back in his chair. "Must be easy to be a waiter," he noted jealously. "All you have to do is stand around and bring people stuff."

Marui frowned. "I don't know," he said dubiously. "It doesn't seem like your type of thing. Aren't you, like, into psychologically scaring people out of their wits and whatever? You can't really do that as a waiter." He thought for a moment. "Actually, being a singer or an actor wouldn't suit you, either. I guess it'd be fun for you to do once in a while, but I doubt it'd be interesting, you know?"

Akaya sighed. "No career likes me," he said sadly. "I'm career-likable-ness-less."

Marui patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay," he assured. "You'll find your career soulmate eventually. Right now, worry about Yukimura. I love the guy, but..."

"But what?" Akaya asked dryly. "Thought you loved him for making me miserable."

"I do," Marui confirmed. "I have a shrine at home in his name, and I praise his Akaya-torture-success every night."

"That's... a little creepy."

Marui nodded once. "That's okay," he said, firmly believing in his warped logic, "because Yukimura's a little creepy, too."

"How would you know?"

Marui gave him a look. "How would I not know?"

"Point," Akaya admitted. The waiter returned, carrying two drinks. Marui's was as pink as his hair.

"You know the peace and quiet won't keep up for long, right?" Marui took a sip. "You're officially at celeb status now. Yukimura is, too. It's going to explode sooner or later."

"Yeah," he muttered. "I know." Absentmindedly, he noted that more and more people were entering the cafe. Many of them were teenage girls - he'd have to be careful not to get caught. Akaya opened his mouth to warn Marui, but was cut off before he could get out a word.

Marui smiled warmly, and in his kindest, gentlest voice, continued, "Don't mind me if I take a few photos of you being humiliated, and frame them. Because I totally will. And if you guys have sex, you need to plan it and tell me at least an hour ahead of time."

"Planned parenthood?" Akaya asked sarcastically.

Marui beamed. "I wanna make you a sex tape," he explained. "I'll even edit it to include meese and cotton candy. I know how much you love meese and cotton candy. And if you don't let me tape it, I'll just sneak a camera in your room or something. And I may or may not post the video on YouTube. Aren't I a great friend?"

Screw warning him.

Akaya stared at him in disbelief and annoyance for a moment, then announced, "You're one hell of a friend; I'll drink to that." He took a long swig of his coffee, then reached across the table and pulled off Marui's hat, glasses, and scarf in one swift movement. "Hey, look, everybody! It's Marui Bunta!" he shouted.

Marui's eyes widened and jumped up, about to bolt from his seat, but was swarmed by fans in less than a second, clamoring for pictures and autographs. Akaya heard a pained yelp, and a "Cool, I got a chunk of his hair!"

Akaya laughed the entire walk home.