Chapter 5

A/N: Yay! I'm back! This chapter is just more comedy. Hope you find it funny!

And tell me if you recognize the joke in the end. If not, oh well. xD

Disclaimer: I do not own the slight reference from the Clash of the Titans. Read and review please!

While Houjun was brooding in the corner about who-knows-what, Ryuuen was silently observing Houjun at the corner of his eye.

He had to admit that Houjun was good-looking. If Ryuuen was a real girl, he would've fawned all over him already. No doubt Kourin would actually do it if she saw him. That girl is crazy.

Ryuuen shook his head in amusement and returned to eating his ice cream, still watching him subtly.

From what he can see beneath the thick brown leather jacket and the shirt, (not like he was ACTUALLY looking at him that way. He's absolutely not gay) Houjun has a well-built body, along with a pretty fair complexion. He was also kinda tall. Ryuuen felt seriously dwarfed by him and an unhappy frown immediately crossed his face. He never did like people who're taller than him. But moving on, Houjun's eyes were a rich reddish-brown color, giving him a pretty serious look. It looked like Chichiri's role really suited him. (Ryuuen made a mental note to congratulate Watase for her excellent casting) Except there's just one tiny teeny bitty thing amiss…

Houjun has BROWN hair.

To be specific, Houjun's hair is dark brown, and he has bangs with a length reaching past his eyebrows going from the left to the right side of his face. The rest of his hair is messy, but not overly so. In other words, he looked good.

Okay, so Ryuuen didn't really expect him to have that ridiculous light blue hair and those tall bangs that can defy gravity, (though that would've been pretty cool) but he couldn't help but feel disappointed. Houjun'll definitely need a wig.

Ryuuen just hopes that he really is a good enough guy, because if he found out that Houjun was just like Kishuku or even Araki… ugh. Let's not talk about THEM.

Time to spark up a conversation. "Soooo Houjun, what's up with you? Are you always rescuing damsels in alleys before you go to work?"

Houjun sweatdropped. "Not really. In fact, you're the only damsel I ever met- EEP!"

He watched in fright as Ryuuen rounded on him, eyes narrowed to slits. "Ohh, so you call me a damsel huh? I thought I made it clear that I'm not a girl of any kind! How dare you?!"

'Well you started it first.' Houjun wanted to say, but he only managed a gulp and a nervous "Daaaa~?"

"Just don't call me anything girly. I am very masculine, thank you very much. It's just that I need to act like a freaking gay! It's not helping that I look like the part! Well, we do anything for money I guess." Ryuuen sighed and got up, throwing his finished ice cream cup in the trash. He then began walking off, albeit slowly, as if he was waiting for him to catch up, leaving a slightly confused but very amused Houjun to watch his departing back. Houjun immediately stood and caught up with him and matched his slow pace.

They were near the studio now. Ryuuen whistled cheerfully as they started to enter the building and headed for the elevator. It was at that point that Houjun began to sweat, eyes darting around nervously. He started to lag behind Ryuuen, dreading the sight of the elevator that'll take them to that floor. It was his first major job after all. He'll be acting in one of the most popular and well-known shows in the world. As one of the main characters, no less. If he was successful about it, he'll be famous as heck. But if he failed… well, he just had to be decent or he'll go back job hunting again and Kouran will never hear the end of it.

But his nervousness must be radiating off of him strongly because Ryuuen suddenly stopped in the process from pushing the elevator floor button and turned to look at him, eyes worried. He watched him silently, and Houjun stared at him in return.

"You are really nervous huh?" Ryuuen commented after a long moment of silence.

"No kidding." Houjun muttered.

"Hey I heard that! I'm trying to help you and this is how you repay me? Huh. I guess I better head on up after all…"

"Wait!" Houjun called before he got to go any farther. "I'm sorry Ryuuen. I'm just so nervous about this. I mean, I've never even imagined to land in a background role or even as an extra, but suddenly I got one of the main roles in the show! What if I screw things up… no da…?"

Ryuuen waved a hand nonchalantly. "Nah, you won't. Trust me, I'm worse than you and the director still keeps me around. You're gonna be alright."

Houjun sighed, "Somehow, I don't feel reassured about that."

"Oh come off it! I'm not good at this mushy-mushy stuff. But hey, if it makes you feel better, I'll tell you some tips and info about the cast, crew, and whatnot. So what do you say?"

Houjun smiled at him. "I would appreciate it. It's nice to have a warning for the future."

Ryuuen flashed him a grin. "Let's talk this over coffee and donuts then. I'm starving. Ice cream's hardly food after all."

Houjun sweatdropped again but allowed himself to be led outside the studio building and to a nearby coffee shop.

"Ah! Good morning, sir and miss. A table for two?"

THAT'S where things started to go wrong.

Houjun backed away from the younger man almost immediately, this is NOT gonna end well…

Ryuuen's eyelid twitched. "Care to repeat that?"

"What do you mean miss?"

Houjun took two more steps away.

Ryuuen exploded. "How many times do I have to tell you people?! I'm a freaking MAN! Get that through your heads already, dammit!"

Everyone at the café turned to watch the scene. The waitress looked shell-shocked, Ryuuen was fuming, and Houjun was struggling not to laugh. True, when he was the one confronted by Ryuuen, he's hard-pressed not to act scared, but it's terribly funny if it happened to other people.

Yep, he's pretty mean.

"Look hard first before you greet people! Because some are freaking easy to offend! I'm gonna sue you, you hear me?!"

Okaaay, THAT was getting a bit out-of-hand. Time to intervene.

"I'm sorry folks! Ryuuen here is a bit cranky in the mornings, and it doesn't really help when you mistake his gender. Try not to do that again, okay?" He directed the last one to the waitress, who only nodded in shock. "Come on Ryuuen." He said and grabbed a red-faced Ryuuen's hand and began leading him away from the café.

But apparently, someone didn't hear him clearly, or just didn't care.

"And how are you sure that he's a man? You blind or something?"

Houjun barely managed to hold Ryuuen back when he almost launched himself at the guy.

"I'M A MAN! And don't insult my friend like that you good-for-nothing bastard!"

Houjun had to admit that it felt good being defended so fiercely like that, but the feeling was quickly dampened by another remark from the stubborn man.

"Bah! Gay people should be banned from stepping in this fine establishment! Am I right?"

Everyone held their breaths and went abruptly silent, even the manager of the café. It's like the calm before a storm. Simultaneously, all heads turned to the pair near the doorway, waiting for the explosion that was sure to come.

Meanwhile, Houjun was staring silently at the offending man with an unreadable expression. Ryuuen was trembling with rage behind him, his hold probably the only thing stopping Ryuuen from running back in there and raising hell. Suddenly, Houjun narrowed his eyes at the man with forced calmness and said loudly…

"On second thought, you can go rot in a hole. I release the Kraken!" He yelled as he released his grip, and Ryuuen was gone in the speed of light.

Before he and the others could blink, Ryuuen has crossed the room in two strides and was in front of the offending man in less than a second, his long braid trailing behind him the only indication that he moved at all. Houjun couldn't see his face, but he was sure it was downright terrifying judging by how the man paled considerably.

Ryuuen abruptly banged his fists down the man's table, the poor furniture wobbling dangerously from the force. He leaned his face towards the man until they're right in front of each other. The man visibly sweated.

"First of all, Houjun and I are not gay. But I'm pretty sure that you're prejudiced and that thing you just said would've probably offended all the gay people in the world if they heard it. Discrimination is one of the many things I'm angry about. Second, no one, and I repeat, NO ONE, insults me or my friend Houjun and gets away with it. You understand, bastard?" He growled.

The man stared back at him defiantly. Wow, he's either really brave or really stupid. "R-Really now? Ha! Tough words from a girl who can't even fight!"

Definitely stupid.

Ryuuen didn't even bother replying. He suddenly slammed the guy's face on the table and kicked his groin so hard every male in the vicinity flinched. Then, he pulled the man towards him by the collar and slammed their foreheads together, the force enough to knock him out. Ryuuen released his hold and the man immediately collapsed on the floor without a word.

Houjun whistled from his place among the silent, shocked faces of Ryuuen's audience. That guy could fight alright. He didn't even break a sweat. Houjun suddenly wondered what would happen if he didn't rescue him in the alley earlier. It would probably be a bloody crime scene by now.

Meanwhile, Ryuuen was dusting his hands off coolly. He then glanced at Houjun and nodded. "Come on Houjun. I don't want to eat here anymore. Ruined my appetite."

Houjun could only nod before Ryuuen grabbed his hand and he was dragged away. But before they could go far, a child called them back.

"Wait! Aren't you the actors in that show, Fushigi Yuugi?" The kid asked them, face glowing bright in admiration.

Immediately, the crowd started whispering and pointing at them, almost everyone with expressions of amazement and awe. Ryuuen immediately smiled at the kid and waved, rage quickly forgotten. "Heck yeah! Nuriko and Chichiri of the Suzaku Shichi-seishi, at your service kiddo!"

Immediately, shouts of awe and a few yells of disbelief started. They even heard someone ask if they were filming and it was all fake or something. (The unconscious man's groan was proof that this was very real) But the most evident of them are the cries of the child that started it all.

"You didn't even need your seishi powers to beat that guy up! You're awesome Nuriko!"

Ryuuen grinned wide, "I know!"

"I'm gonna watch your debut Chichiri! I bet it's gonna be as awesome as your speech earlier!"

Houjun sweatdropped and smiled nervously. "You mean that 'release the Kraken' thing? That was probably the dumbest thing I've ever said no da."

Ryuuen immediately bopped him hard on the head. "Don't be like that Houjun! That line you said was awesome! I've just been compared to a wicked awesome monster, it made me feel really cool!" He waved some more and the people cheered. "Besides, don't act all nervous. Think positive! First rule of being an actor is to smile and wave. Smile and wave my apprentice! Smile and waaave.."

Houjun just shook his head in embarrassment.

It's probably best not to let him know he's also being compared to the call of nature.