“When did you see her in a temper?” Gakino asked suspiciously.
“That night you decided to take a nap on the hotel floor. You should be thanking me since I orchestrated that pathetic little reunion. I put you right into her delicate little hands. You’re welcome.”
“She never told me the whole story. She told me I should lecture you about the value of trust and friendship.”
“She was pretty mad that I left you in the hall. But I knew you’d want me to leave you at her tender ministrations, so I put on my best autocratic act—”
“What act?” Ryo interrupted.
“I put on my best autocratic act,” Shun continued, as though he hadn’t heard Ryo, “And told her to drag you in by herself. She was cute. Her entire body flushed pink. Even her arms. I thought she was going to punch me in the balls.”
Hiro, Ryo, and Sano all howled with laughter.
Hiro leaned toward Shun. “You’re sick. What about getting punched there is cute?”
Sano and Ryo both doubled over.
“I doubt that she would ever actually—” Gakino began.
“No, I mean it. She looked down there as if she were judging if she should. That’s when I went in my room and locked the door.”
“Liar.” Gakino said, smiling.
“I’m not lying about a single thing. Especially since I planned it in the first place. I decided that your girlfriend couldn’t hate you and defend you at the same time. I wanted her a little angry. As soon as she started yelling at me, she forgave you. But I’m telling you she considered doing much more than yelling. Luckily, I closed the door on her face before it ever came to blows.”
“Yeah, she told me you did that. I don’t know if she loves you like I do yet.”
“She will,” Shun said easily.
“So did she actually scare you?” Sano asked.
“No. I closed the door on her so that she’d feel sorry for Gakino. Betrayed. Unconscious. Abandoned. A World-class moron. Hey, how’d she sober you up by the way? I noticed you walked down to the lobby with a smile on your face.”
“Should we ban Eloise and work from these conversations?” Gakino asked.
“I don’t think we can,” Ryo answered. “I actually wanted to talk about her and work. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re a bit on the clock here. A month’s already passed since Shun set off the tour venue plot. And in another month, it will be June and our tour dates will be finalized, rehearsals will start in Tokyo, and then what excuse is Romeo going to use to visit Juliet?”
Everyone was silent.
“It’s good to see you’ve all been looking ahead,” Ryo said sarcastically.
“Hey, I’ve been doing my part, dragging myself all over Asia with this guy. Do you know how annoying it is to sit in a hotel for three days while King Romance is having the time of his life?”
“Shun, you should see your face. You don’t look angry.” Sano said, “You look envious.”
“Eloise doesn’t have any sisters, but she’s got some pretty cute friends. Want an introduction?” Gakino asked.
Shun picked up a handful of peanuts and tossed them at Gakino. They landed in the booth, in his hair, and on his shirt. Gakino picked one off his shoulder and popped it in his mouth, winking at Shun. “Thanks, I was going to ask you to pass those over.”
Sano, who was busy brushing peanuts onto the floor, laughed and said in a stage whisper, “Told you. Jealous.”
Shun tossed more peanuts at him.
“All very good suggestions,” Ryo said.
“Well, genius? What do you want to do?” Shun asked.
“You mean, besides throwing snacks at our manager?”
“Leave him alone, Ryo,” Sano said. “He’s right. He’s been doing a lot for Eloise and doing even more to get rid of Sugiyama. If you want him or us to do more, just tell us where to start.”
Ryo beat his fingers against the table top and then paused. In a glance that took in all of their faces, he said, “I think we should introduce her at our next large press junket.”
His suggestion was met with complete silence. He waited.
They all waited for one of them to say something.
After several minutes, Ryo asked, “Is that acceptance or shock?” He was met with further silence. “Nothing? Not even from Shun?”
“I would have. If I’d been able to breathe.”
“That bad?”
“We’ve hidden every relationship we’ve had for the past ten years. Do you think we can convince our management to make that change so abruptly?” Sano asked quietly.
“There’s no way Sugiyama’s going to parade some woman around like a trained pony. I don’t care how much Gakino thinks he loves her. There’s no way Kishomoto’s going to let that happen.”
“Watch your mouth Shun.”
“Relax, lover boy. I like Eloise, ok?” He placed his palms together. “Here’s me, praying that your life’s covered in fucking rainbows. I hope you get two married and find yourself buried in kids. But it’s not going to happen now and certainly not with Sugiyama’s consent.”
“Exactly,” Ryo said grinning and rubbing his hands together.
“Why are you smiling?” Hiro asked, scratching his head.
“See, even leader’s woken up to tell you he thinks you’ve lost it.” Shun accused, pointing at Hiro whose eyes were characteristically heavy from drinking.
Hiro pulled a face, but said only, “What I mean is what’s your plan?”
“It’s basically the same kind of attack we made when we booked our own concert venues. Make Kishimoto question Sugiyama’s direction of our group. And worse, make it seem like we are beyond his control.”
“But this is a huge—and irreversible—step.” Sano warned softly. “It’s one thing to run the risk of one member of the press breaking the story. We could deny it, and at best they’d have to put things together piecemeal. It’s another thing entirely to walk up to them and stand there defenseless and essentially invite them into our house.”
“The hand that strikes also blocks,” Ryo said pointing, excited. “You said it yourself. There’s no way KM will announce that Gakino is dating Eloise. It’s impossible. But no one can call back smoke from the fire. Once we announce it, all KM will be able to do is spin it.”
“Or fire us,” Gakino worried.
“No.” Ryo said, shaking his head with certainty. “KM’s been getting bad press from some of the junior groups. Stories of long days without sleep. Enforced diets. Confiscation of cell phones.” He smiled at Gakino.
“That’s just business as usual. It was for us. It kind of still is.” Sano said.
“If we step too far out of line,” Hiro added.
“Yeah, and those kids are learning the hard way that it’s part of paying your dues.” Ryo agreed.
“Those brats are barely Japanese. Who whines about doing what’s necessary?” Shun said moodily, rubbing the hair at his nape.
“My point is that Kishimoto can only push us so far. He can’t let rumors get out that even established groups—men who’ve been paying those dues for a decade—are still controlled and hyper managed. Training kids is one thing. Pulling men around on a leash is something else.”
“If we invite the press, they’ll be watching KM for any sign of punishment,” Sano said.
Ryo nodded and smiled.
“And they can’t outlaw Eloise without announcing that our single states are constructs,” Shun added with an answering smile.
Ryo shaped his hands into a little gun toward Shun and lowered his his thumb. “Good bye, Sugiyama.”
“Hello, Eloise,” Shun finished. “Not bad.”
“Risky, though.” Sano said.
“What’s worthwhile that isn’t?” Shun replied.
“It’ll work. I think,” Ryo agreed.
“Guys. I can’t ask you to do this,” Gakino said.
“We’re not doing it for you,” Ryo replied.
“We’re doing it for
us. Sugiyama’s got to go,” Shun said.
“Do you know that guy made me cancel my fishing trip? He told me he was going to fine me if my skin got any darker,” Hiro grumbled.
“On that he’s right. We’re idols, man. I can barely see you in this light. It’s all teeth and eyes over there.” Shun said. But he was smiling, relaxed, so Hiro just picked up a bowl of snacks and threatened to toss them at him.
“Listen to me. This isn’t right. Eloise wouldn’t like it. I don’t like it,” Gakino insisted.
“You’ve decided not to keep her out of it, right? So how do you know she wouldn’t like it?” Sano asked.
“I know her. Neither of us would be ok with risking all of your careers, not like this.”
“You said you needed a permanent solution,” Shun reminded him.
“I did. I do.”
“Well, then, shut up,” Shun said.
“The end of Tenshi is a bit too permanent, don’t you think?” Gakino asked.
“Didn’t you hear me when I said the guy told me I couldn’t fish? All summer? No Tenshi means lots of fishing,” Hiro added.
“That’s not funny,” Gakino said.
“Gakino. It’s probably this or saying goodbye to Eloise,” Sano offered. “We can’t go on like this, and I’m betting that Kishimoto-san is looking the other way because he thinks this is going to blow over. Any longer and he’s going to see Eloise as a serious threat. After that . . .” His voice faded.
“So far they’ve been targeting just you,” Ryo agreed. “You don’t want them to get her in their scopes without any protection. She won’t forgive you for that. Trust me.”
“This way, she’ll have Tenshi behind her,” Hiro said.
“It might work, Gakino,” Sano said.
“This is the best I’ve got. I’ve thought about it a lot. A lot,” he repeated, locking stares with Gakino. “I can’t think of anything else that stands a chance of working.”
“Well, besides the snack-attack plan,” Gakino teased.
“Besides that,” Ryo replied, with a short laugh.
“All right. Let’s do it.”
Hiro grabbed the bottle of warm sake at his elbow and poured drinks for the four of them. When he finished, Shun picked up the bottle and poured a glass for leader, too.
“Kanpai,” Hiro said, raising his glass,
“Kanpai,” the others said in unison, tossing back their drinks.
The men of Tenshi, men he’d grown up with during the last ten years, all had drawn mouths and serious faces. Guilt made his chest tight, but he couldn’t refuse them. He needed Eloise, and she needed their help. And to ignore what his friends were trying to do for him would have belittled them. He respected them enough to not make the choice for them. The decision made, he only wanted to see them all relaxed and smiling, so he added, “Should we give it a code name or something?”
Shun scratched the label off his bear bottle and shrugged.
Thankfully, Sano was willing to play a long, so he tossed in, “Trojan Horse?”
“Sea bass?” Hiro offered.
As laughter replaced tension, Gakino grabbed his beer and settled in his seat.
Raising another glass of sake toward Gakino, Ryo smiled wryly and said, “Getting Sea Bass to come to Tokyo is something I’ll leave to you.”
“Are you going to tell her everything?” Shun asked.
“No. If I tell her, she won’t do it.”
“If you lie, is she going to be angry?” Sano asked, concerned.
“Not if it works.”
“And if it doesn’t work?” Ryo said, his voice full or worry.
Gakino tilted his head and ran his hands through his hair, making a mess of it. The corner of his mouth lifted ruefully, “It’ll work, Ryo. You’re our master strategist. It’ll work.”
“The concert stuff worked, didn’t it?” Shun called out.
“It’ll work,” Hiro said.
“Leader says it will work,” Sano began.
“So it’ll work,” Shun finished.
“Ok,” Gakino said, smiling.
“Ok,” Ryo repeated. Lifting his beer, he called out, “Banzai.”
“Banzai. Banzai. Banzai.” They all replied in chorus.
*
Untangling her legs from Gakino’s, Eloise put her book down on the table. For the past month, Gakino had been back in Taiwan every weekend, without interruption. It was a calm she was grateful for. Without all the drama of KM, she’d been able to just enjoy her boyfriend. Drinking her little cup of dark roast this morning, she’d been able to savor the way her lover’s voice cleared with each sip and as every hour passed, instead of worrying if he’d be punished for coming or if she wouldn’t see him again for six weeks. He’d been busy and a little stressed over work, but their lives had settled into a normal routine.
As she stood, Gakino grabbed her arm by the wrist, “What’s up?”
“Nothing. My book’s done, and I don’t want to leave the mess out.”
He finished reading and glanced around, his eyes still unfocused.
She smiled. Trust a reader to finish their paragraph before really checking in to a conversation.
Tugging up the long sleeves of her sweater so they didn’t get muck on them, she gently shook off Gakino’s hand and piled dishes and napkins and leftovers. This morning had been blessedly normal. They’d woken up with the sun and made breakfast together. Gakino was comfortable in her kitchen, and they moved without talking, dancing around each other. They’d brought their food out to her living room and talked about nothing.
“How’s your book?” she asked, trotting toward the kitchen.
Gakino tossed the novel he was reading on the table, lowered his legs, and angled around to watch her go. “Hey, we should do something special to celebrate today.”
Turning on the tap and grabbing the sponge, she watched him from the kitchen. They’d been up for hours now, and his hair still stuck out at angles, but she liked it that way, so she didn’t point it out.
“Oh, yeah? What are we celebrating?” she called out over the running water.
“Your man’s about to be a TV star.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I found out last night. It’s kind of pygmalion. He’s a writer and he falls in love with the woman he writes. You’d like it, I think.”
“You're going to be in a drama?" She pushed the spigot down and came into the living room dripping suds.
“It’s twenty episodes. Nationally syndicated. Kind of a big deal. ”
“Congratulations!” she said, hugging him. “I am so happy for you!”
“I can tell,” he laughed, grabbing a napkin and wiping off her arms.
She climbed up beside him on the couch. “Why didn’t you tell me last night?”
“I was a bit preoccupied.” He mumbled pulling her closer and kissing her under her jaw. He’d flown in late, and after the drive from the airport, he hadn’t arrived at her house until nearly one. She’d said he should go right to sleep, but he insisted there was a much better way to spend the night. He’d been right.
“Yeah. I noticed.” She said, laughing, reaching around his shoulders to give him a quick kiss, before leaning back to look at him. “Well, what do you want to do TV star? We could do something special like go to Sun Moon Lake. I've also been wanting to walk around Science Park downtown. They've got this giant bug sculpture thing up now. Or, if you're tired, we could head out and see a movie. What do you feel like?"
“I was thinking of an encore of last night.”
"Ew.”
“Ew? Well, that’s discouraging.”
“I just realized. You're going to be kissing some random girl. It’s a romantic drama, right?” she wrinkled her nose.
"Jealous?" he teased, leaning back into the cushions and folding his arms against his torso. He nodded his head. "So. That's how it is. American women are so possessive. I guess I will have to find a solution to please you.” Rubbing his jaw he mumbled, �
� What if I promise that every kiss I give her, I give you two?”
She frowned and lifted her eyebrows.
“Ok. Complete disgust. Four then. Four for every one."
"That is only math you would like."
"You will like it, too. I think I can guarantee that. It doesn't really bother you though, does it?"
"No. Actually, I think it's great. I’m happy for you. Really."
"There is usually talk about drama couples. Do they love each other? How much time do they spend together? That kind of thing." He picked up the drawstring dangling from her sweater. Folding it around his long fingers, he continued, "Fans of dramas often fantasize that the romance between the main couple is real. Will that bother you?"
"No."
Meeting her eyes, he swallowed and his hands stopped teasing the drawstring on her sweater. He took a deep breath.
"My manager has asked if I want to publicize that we are dating. He thinks it might be a good idea--if we plan on dating for a while--if I tell my fans before they find out. It will be better to gain their support than their forgiveness.”
“Sugiyama suggested that?”
Gakino nodded his head. “About two weeks ago.”
“What do you think?"
"I'm not sure what to say to him. I told him that I had to talk to you first, but...We are going to be…together…for a long time, right?”
"I…I think so."
“And your on summer break so you don’t have to stay here for work, right”
“Hmm…I guess.”
"Then?"
Leaning back and resting her weight on his knees, she thought about it for a moment. Not wanting to seem against the idea of their being together, she said, “You should tell your manager yes." Her voiced rose at the end of the sentence, and she hoped he hadn't notice or, if he had, that he didn't know she was asking a question as much as she was making a statement.
"It's good for the group--the drama, I mean. We are celebrating our ten-year reunion. Each of us are trying to have dramas or special appearances now. Group to super group."
"You don't have to be nervous or explain yourself. It's fine."
"I am never quite sure with you." He tugged at her ponytail until her hair fell around her shoulders. Gathering it in his hand and watching as it ran quickly through his fingers, he said, “You run hot and cold.”
How to Date Japanese Idols (The Tenshi Series) Page 17