You can read the uncensored chapter, like the previous one, at Archive of Our Own.
Chapter Two
"I want to take a vacation with you."
"Hmm?" I rolled onto my side in bed to look at Ijuuin fully. "A vacation?"
"Kirishima-san is enforcing a vacation for me," Ijuuin said. His hands were tucked behind his head and he was staring towards the ceiling. "As is Shizukuishi-kun. They want me to take a full week's vacation outside of Tokyo. I would like you to come with me, Yanase-kun."
"R-Really?" I sat up in bed and looked down at him. "Did…Does Kirishima-san know about this?"
Ijuuin looked at me. "No. I wanted to speak to you first before asking."
I rubbed at his head self-consciously and glanced. "I…don't know if I can make time," I confessed softly.
Ijuuin sat up. "Why not?"
"Because I'm currently assisting five mangaka, including you," I reminded him. "I-I would have to clear my schedule with each one—"
"Then clear your schedule," Ijuuin interrupted me, but his tone was low and gentle. He leaned in so close that our faces almost touched. "Don't you want to take a vacation, Yanase-kun?"
"Sure, I would," I said. "The last time I took a vacation was—ergh!" I covered my mouth and looked away as pain filled my body.
Yes…the last time I took a vacation was for Chiaki's birthday. A private trip to an onsen, where I could finally confess my feelings for him. I thought everything would be perfect. I mean, Chiaki did choose to spend his birthday with me and not Hatori. I had no reason to believe that the trip was going to be anything but romantic.
But…Chiaki forgot his own birthday. He went on the trip with me because he forgot his birthday. And the minute he realized that he was on a getaway on his birthday, he left me at the onsen and ran home to Hatori. And not only did Chiaki lie about why he needed to leave, but then I finally gathered the courage to confess my feelings and he rejected my feelings. I wasn't exactly eager to take another vacation again, with all the negative experiences I had recently with vacations.
"Yanase-kun." I started slightly Ijuuin slid his arms around my shoulders and pulled me close. "I've made you upset," he murmured into my hair. "I'm sorry. I know I need to be more considerate of my partners. It's embarrassing to admit my own inexperiences with relationships at my age, but I don't want to mess this up with you. Because you mean so much to me."
I forced myself to calm down and reached up and cupped his shoulders. "I'm not upset with you," I responded. "The last time I went on vacation ended up being a terrible time for me. I know it's not going to be same with you, but..."
Ijuuin rubbed a hand through my hair and pressed his mouth to my ear. "If you go on this vacation with me, I swear to you I'll make it the best vacation you've ever had. Please, Yanase-kun. Please, come with me."
I turned my face towards his and I kissed him. Partially because I wanted him to stop begging me, but also because I really wanted to to kiss him in the moment. I wasn't used to being cared for by my lovers. I was used to doing the caring. I guess I had fashioned myself into the role of being the carer because I had intended on being with Chiaki, and Chiaki was definitely someone who needed care. But even though I gave Sensei care professionally, intimate he was the one always giving me care.
It was different, but…but I guess I needed the difference. I didn't need or want any reminders of what I could have had with Chiaki.
I broke the kiss, but Ijuuin pulled me back for another. I could feel my body tightening in response and I eased away from him. "I'll try," I said. "I'll speak to my bosses and the authors and see if they be without me for a week."
"They'd better," Ijuuin murmured. "I might need a vacation, but so do."
Then he pushed me down on the bed, and no other words were needed.
I exited the elevator onto the lobby of Marukawa Publishing and exhaled sharply. I didn't expect them ALL to agree!
Only two of my authors protested to me taking time off, but thankfully Chiaki was not one of them. "Please grab me a souvenir!" Chiaki told me over the phone. "I'll send you some money for it! Is 72,000 yen enough?"
What the hell does he want me to buy with 72,000 yen?! I had to take a moment to compose myself before responding, "Send me 15,000 yen for a souvenir."
The two authors who had complained about my absence thankfully were put into their places by their editors, and the department heads were very understanding and supportive of me taking a vacation.
"Shizukuishi-kun has done nothing but praise your work ethic regarding the finale," Kirishima told me with a smile. "And praise from Shizukuishi-kun is not easy to come by. Take all the time you need."
"Go ahead," Takano said. "We can manage, and you've certainly earned a vacation."
Of course, now that everyone has given me their blessing I could not say no to Ijuuin. I tried not to sigh as I left Marukaway, pulling out my phone to call the man in question. "My schedule has been cleared, Sensei. I'm free to go on this vacation with you."
"Fantastic, Yanase-kun," Ijuuin responded blithely. "I'm looking at vacation spots right now. We can go to an onsen—"
"No!" I interrupted sharply, stopping in my tracks. "No, please," I said more calmly. "No onsens. Anything but an onsen."
"…Okay," Ijuuin said slowly. "Then, how about Okinawa? I can book a vacation home on the beach right now."
"Is is more expensive for the short notice?"
"Sure, but I can afford it. So, what do you say to a beachside vacation?"
"Okay, sure," I said nonchalantly, waving my arm. "When would you like to leave, Sensei?"
"This afternoon."
"EH?!" I exclaimed.
"The vacation home will be open at 3 pm, so we can catch a train down to Okinawa. Go home and pack and then meet me at my apartment. Thank you for agreeing to this, Yanase-kun!"
I stood there gaping in shock at my cell phone after Ijuuin hung up. I quickly recovered and cursed, scrubbing a hand through my hair as I double-checked the time. "I have to run home..."
When Ijuuin said he was getting a rental home on the beach in Okinawa, I didn't expect him to get a villa with its own private beach! But we arrived at a one-story villa that almost looked as big as my house. I was impressed he could secure it on such short notice.
"I can cook dinner, we can order takeout, or we can dine out," I offered to Ijuiuin. The place had three bedrooms, but Ijuuin waved me towards the master bedroom.
"Let's order takeout," Ijuuin said. He set his bag on the large bed and opened it. "We have the next few days to venture out and explore."
"Sounds good. What do you feel like eating?"
"Chanpurū."
I couldn't help but make a face at him as I set my own bag down on the opposite side of the bed. "That's a little cliché for Okinawa, isn't it?"
Ijuuin just smiled at me. "I haven't tried it before, so I would like to try it."
"Well this is your vacation so we'll do it." I pulled up a delivery app on my phone to search for restaurants that had chanpurū on their menu.
"This is our vacation," Ijuuin said. I looked up and saw that he had crawled across the bed towards me. He casually draped his arms around my shoulders and leaned his face close to mine. "This is for our mutual enjoyment, not just mine."
I wanted to nuzzle his face, but I maintained my self-control and looked down at my phone. "I'll still get chanpurū, though. And maybe I'll have a grocery delivery done and get some fruit wine delivered."
Ijuuin chuckled softly. "You know what I desire so well, Yanase-kun."
"It comes with the territory of being your boyfriend, Ijuuin-sensei," I said.
"And I enjoy hearing that so much." Ijuuin then tumbled backwards, pulling me down onto the bed with him.
The first night in our vacation rental we ate delicious chanpurū and drank a generous amount of fruit wine. I knew that we should have probably paced ourselves, since we had a full week to indulge. I also knew that when we both get drunk, both of our libidos increased considerably. We managed to not empty the bottle, but I had a nice buzz for the evening that put me in a very good mood. So did Ijuuin. And predictably, with the alcohol drunk by the late evening I found myself bent over the side of the couch and Ijuuin moving swiftly behind me. And I tilted my head back and yelled towards the ceiling for him to take me faster, harder, and how good it felt.
After that, I made sure to pace myself much better with alcohol.
But on day two, it was abundantly clear just how much Sensei needed this vacation. While we both avoided a hangover on the first night (because we just had a buzz and weren't in an alcohol blackout), he barely got out of bed. He awoke briefly to tell me what he wanted for breakfast and then rolled over. And slept for sixteen hours, uninterrupted. Admittedly I was also exhausted and spent a great deal of time sleeping as well.
It was clear that despite the villa and the private beach, what we both needed was sleep. And a very much-needed break from work.
Ijuuin didn't have the energy to leave the villa, even to go outside and swim, until mid-afternoon on our third day. But even then he laid on a beach towel and soaked up sun. Even though we weren't doing a lot but sleeping, it was…enjoyable to me to spend time with him. Even though we were dating, our schedules were so different. Even on days where I was assisting Sensei with Da Kan we were work associates and not a couple. Those times though were ones I enjoyed the most though, because when the work was done and everyone left for the day…then we could act like a couple. Kisses, touches, informal conversations over dinner, watching TV and then ultimately snugging in bed. These were few and far in between, but I—I enjoyed it so much when I got to experience it with him. The days I had assignment with Ijuuin were the days I looked forward to the most.
I'm used to being taken care of. But he takes care of me personally and I…I guess I take care of him professionally. I feel almost—equal to this great man.
He fell asleep on the beach blanket. "Sensei," I said, shaking his shoulder slightly. "Sensei, let's go back inside. You'll get a sunburn." Ijuuin responded by exhaling deeply…and then rolling over onto his side.
I sighed heavily, and looked towards the sky. I thought for a moment of how to wake him, and an idea came to me. I leaned down and whispered directly into his ear. "I love you, Sensei."
As I expected, Ijuuin sat up in a flash. But I didn't expect him to grab me and kissed me with so much passion that I sagged against him from lightheadedness. I pulled away from him and grabbed his shoulders when he tried to steal another kiss. "S-Slow down, Sensei—"
"Do you think I'm going to let you go after you told me that?" His voice was low, almost purring, but his blue eyes were dangerously intense. It almost looked like he was glaring at me.
I wasn't sure if it was a glare or not, so I frowned at him and spoke sharply. "If you think I said that as a joke, then you—ACK!" I shouted when he pulled me into his lap.
"A joke, Yanase-kun? Never." He kissed me again, holding our lips together for a long time before pulling away. "I know what happened the last time you told someone you loved them. I know you wouldn't say that to me if you hadn't meant it."
Chiaki. I brushed the thought away and tried to climb out of his lap, but he held me tight. "And what about you?" I asked him. "You feel the same way, right?"
"Of course I do." He suddenly he pressed his mouth against the crook of my neck and sucked hard. I cried out and flailed my arms. "D-Don't give me a hickey!"
Ijuuin released the skin with a loud smack. "I already did." then he nudged me off his lap. "I'm going for a swim." He ran towards the water.
I pressed my hand to my neck and it felt sore. I knew that the hickey was going to turn purple by tomorrow. "You bastard!" I grumbled, scrambling to my feet and running after him.
The day before we left, we went out to buy souvenirs. To my embarrassment I had a slight limp, but I don't think anyone noticed. Chiaki sent me 15,000 yen for a souvenir, and so I got him some awamori saké.
And because I'm a nice guy, I got some very sweet chocolate for Hatori.
Ijuuin I noticed though…he started to become withdrawn by the final day. Despite all the relaxation he had done (in many forms) he rarely smiled on the last day, and picked up several souvenirs with very little enthusiasm. He got gifts for his assistants, for Kirishima, for Shizukuishi, and even for Takahashi (who I knew had been his previous unrequited love).
But he didn't smile once all day.
Maybe he doesn't want to go home yet? But I didn't say anything, or press the issue. I knew that he would tell me when he was ready to.
We returned to Tokyo the following day, arms full of souvenirs and treats. The station where my stop was before Ijuuin's, and I was on my feet when our train arrived.. "I'll call you when I get home," I told Ijuuin.
Ijuuin didn't look at me for a moment; his eyes focused on the window. I was about to ask him what was wrong when he turned to me. "Yuu-kun."
I flushed at hearing him call that in public, but I quickly recovered. "W-What is it?"
"Can I come see your house?"
I blinked in shock. "Ah…sure. Absolutely, Sensei."
Ijuuin smiled at me. "Thank you."
I had a sinking feeling that he wasn't ready to go back to his apartment. We took a cab to my house and Ijuuin was in awe the moment we passed through the gates. "Oh…this is just like a movie!" Ijuuin breathed, looking around at my traditional house. "I've only seen a house like this in the movies!"
"It can be a hassle," I said, unlocking my front door. "It's too large for me. But it's my family's home so it's my home. I don't ever want to sell it."
Ijuuin hummed in response behind me. Admittedly I was happy to see him genuinely interested in my house. I pointed down the hall. "You'll find a sitting room down there. I'll make us some tea. Green tea okay?"
"Yes." Ijuuin moved to walk past me, but he paused and kissed me on the cheek. He gave me a smug grin and continued on his way.
I finished brewing the tea and brought it out on a platter with a pot and cups. When I reached my tatami sitting room, I expected to find Ijuuin sitting at the kotatsu table. Instead I found Ijuuin laying on his back on the matted floor, his arm over his eyes. I set the platter down on the table and knelt down. "I'll pour us both a cup," I told him.
Ijuuin didn't respond. "Would you like your tea, Sensei?" I asked him. After a moment I tried, "Kyo-sensei?"
"Yuu-kun?" he said quietly. His tone was…exhausted.
"Yes, Sensei?" I was slightly alarmed at the exhaustion in his voice, especially after how much he had relaxed on vacation, but I steeled my nerves and moved closer to sit beside him. "If something is bothering you Sensei, you can tell me."
Ijuuin suddenly turned, wrapping his arms around my waist and burying his face into my stomach. I hugged him back, not knowing what to do. "…Sensei?" I said cautiously.
"I want to end it."
I gasped. "…What?"
Ijuuin turned his head so that his face was no longer hidden. "Da Kan. I…I want to finish it. I want to end the series."
My jaw dropped in shock. I reached out and brushed the hair out of his face. "Sensei…"
"I've been working on Da Kan since I was seventeen years old. Since I was in high school. I—I hadn't even graduated when it made its debut." Ijuuin smiled. "Da Kan…I developed him when I was in middle school. I wanted to create a hero people could identify with. Look up to. I had so much fun with him. But…" his smile slowly slipped away. "But…I'm tired."
I didn't say anything. I continued to sit there with him, stroking his hair. "Over a decade. I've been drawing this series—these characters—for over a decade. I've lost count of—how many times I've had a breakdown over this series. How many times I've been rushed to the hospital with stomach ulcers. I love Da Kan so much! My dream, my fantasy—it came to life and it's beloved worldwide. But I…"
Ijuuin squeezed his arms tighter around my waist. "Yuu-kun…I think—I don't know how much farther I can take my characters. I don't know how much my body and my mind can take this. This past story arc—the mistake with Uchida—I-I…I didn't believe we would make it. I thought that I—that I wouldn't finish, and I would disappoint everyone. To disappoint my fans…my characters…I…" his shoulders began to tremble, and I felt wetness against my shirt. I continued to hold him and stroke his hair, still not saying anything.
"Yuu-kun…I am exhausted. So exhausted. This isn't supposed to be a chore—or a burden—but Da Kan has felt like a noose around my neck for too long. I-I want…I want to end the series on a high note, while people still love it. But I want—I need—to end the series for my own health. Both physically and mentally. I-I think so. But I don't know…I don't know if it's the right thing to do."
I swallowed thickly as I stared down at him. I had followed Da Kan since I was in middle school. Ijuuin Kyo was larger than life to me; my idol, and the idol of so many. Even now it was surreal to have someone I had admired for so long be my lover, look me in the eyes and tell me they love me. Because we was my idol, admittedly I never thought of Da Kan ever ending.
But…But I had worked with Ijuuin. I had seen what the stress of the series was doing to him. I knew that he was taking this contemplation seriously, and he was genuinely conflicted about it. He wanted to end it because he had already done so much. But also…because the series was slowly killing him. And it was no longer giving him joy.
But he was also scared of ending the series because he was scared of disappointing his fans.
Ijuuin had fallen silent again, but I could see from his trembling that he was still silently crying. I knew that he had made his decision, but he needed someone to tell him he was doing the right thing. And I knew that someone was me.
"If you want end the Da Kan," I said softly. "Then do it."
Ijuuin quickly lifted his head, his eyes wide and red. I held his gaze. "End it it for your health. Hell, end it if you just don't feel like doing it anymore. Do what you feel is best, and I will support you."
"Y—Yuu-kun?" he breathed.
"I will support you," I told him. "You've amassed a fortune from this series, right? You can live comfortably without new issues. You can make money off royalties, new OVAs, and video games. Hell, you can rework your contract to just storyboard movies. Have them released semi-annually."
He looked stunned. I continued, "And worst case scenario and you lose everything—we can surviving on my salary, Sensei. You can move here, and I'll take care of you. You can even move here after you finish Da Kan. You—"
Ijuuin sat up fully, cupping my face and kissing me. He broke the kiss and hugged me tight. "I love you, Yuu-kun," he whispered.
I hugged him back, closing my eyes. "I love you too, Sensei."
We clung to each other for a long time not saying anything. Finally he pulled away and met my gaze. "Can…Can I still move here after I finish Da Kan? Even if I don't love everything?"
I rolled my eyes at him. "Sure, Sensei. But your apartment is nicer—"
"No. I like it here more." Then he held me again. "I…When I get home, I'll call Kirishima-san. I'll arrange a meeting. I—this has to be done properly."
"Of course," I said, though my chest was tight. "You need to come up with the best sendoff for Da Kan."
"Will you help me?"
I burst out laughing, unable to help myself. "Sure. I'll show you the fanfiction I wrote for it to give you ideas."
Ijuuin pulled away to look at me. "You've written fanfiction for Da Kan, Yuu-kun?"
I blushed and averted my gaze. "Uh…yeah. Sure."
"Can I read it?"
"No," I quickly said, but Ijuuin was standing. "Did you handwrite it or post it to a fanfiction website?"
"Both," I said, but immediately regretted it. Ijuuin stood up and went to the door. "Do you have it in your room? Please, show me!"
"No!" I burst out, scrambling to my feet. "It's terrible! I wrote that stuff when I was sixteen! Chi—my friends don't even know about it!"
"Oh, but I'm not your friend am I?" Ijuuin said. He pushed open the door. "Which way is your room?"
"Sensei, I'm not showing you my fanfiction!" I exclaimed, hurrying after him. My chest was still aching, but I…also felt a sense of resolution. I knew that it would be sad to see Da Kan end, but I knew that Sensei wanted to end it, and it was good for his health.
I will support him.
Omake
"NO WAY!"
Chiaki was already yelling when I let myself in to his apartment. "What's wrong, Chiaki?" I asked dully, dumping my bag at my station.
"Yuu!" Chiaki yelled, scrambling over to me from his couch. He was holding up his cell phone. "Yuu, did you see?! Ijuuin-sensei—he's ending Da Kan!"
"Oh really?" I asked, keeping my tone nonchalant as I unpacked my bag.
"It's causing an uproar at the office." I bristled when I heard Hatori Yoshiyuki's voice, and I refrained from glaring in this direction in the kitchen. "The phone at Japun have been ringing off the hook. Fans are lodging petitions online to stop the series from ending."
I won't work, I thought to myself. Aloud I said, "Well, Sensei's been working on Da Kan since we were all in middle school. It was bound to end eventually."
"B-But I love Da Kan!" Chiaki wailed, slapping a hand against his forehead.
"All of us do," I said. "But Sensei wants to end the series for his health. I think you should understand that more than anyone, Chiaki."
I didn't add that Ijuuin had found one of the fanfics I had written when I was sixteen, and he was basing the final story arc on it. Even now the thought mortified me a little…and yeah, it made me feel good, too.
"I guess so," Chiaki pouted, plopping himself down at his station. He looked towards Hatori and brightened. "Tori! Is that omurice?"
"Of course." I refrained from gagging as Hatori walked over and set a ridiculously present omelet rice right in front of Chiaki. "I hope you enjoy, Yoshino."
"I will!" Chiaki dug right in, but glanced at me. "Yuu, will you be working on the final story arc?" He spoke with a full mouth.
"Yes," I said. "I'm going to work hard to make sure it's the best series finale ever."
I felt a presence next to me and I glanced to my right. Hatori was standing too close to me, giving me a piercing gaze. "What, Hatori?" I demanded.
"You're seeing Ijuuin-sensei," Hatori said bluntly.
"EH?!" Chiaki and I both screamed simultaneously.
"The way you talk about him—the way you defend them—are not typical of you," Hatori pointed out. "You only express this level of emotion for Yoshino. That tells me that you're in a relationship with Ijuuin-sensei."
I gaped at him in shock, feeling the blood rush to my head. I couldn't form words to respond. Chiaki, usually very clueless, let out a scream and rushed over to me. He gave me a tight hug. "KAMI-SAMA! YUU! YOU'RE DATING IJUUIN KYO?! THAT'S AMAZING!"
I glared at Hatori and snapped my teeth, but Hatori was already walking away from me. I glanced at Chiaki. "Chiaki, I—"
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out. I saw Ijuuin's name displayed on the screen, with the message '😘'.
Chiaki screamed when he saw the screen and grabbed my phone from me. "Tori! TORI! You were right! Look!" He rushed over to Hatori and showed him my cell phone screen. Hatori stared with his usual stoic, stupid expression.
"Okay, can you stop invading my privacy Chiaki?" I asked, hurrying over to him.
"But Yuu, you're DATING IJUUIN-SENSEI!" Chiaki screamed in my face.
"I KNOW THAT!" I screamed back. I stiffened as I realized what I said. Chiaki screamed and hugged me again.
"Congratulations," Hatori said, his voice dull and uninspired.
Thanks for reading!
