[+][L-N+][P-UL] ~ SHOUNEN POP - 少年ＰＯＰ ~

[Kaikoloren]

Do you know what you got into
Can you handle what I’m ’bout to do------------------------------------------------}:-

SHOU
No escaping when I start .traeh ruoy nwo I ni m'I ecnO

Music Industry Christmas Party...

The party was AWESOME and Shou hung out with so many people that he probably would not remember all their names in the morning. He knew Izzy and Narcissus had left at some point but he'd catch them later. Although, he would have liked it if Izzy would have stuck around just a bit longer. Always something with Narcissus...no matter how many times that man apologized, it seriously was always something. And Izzy would always be dragged right into it. That was truly a frustrating thing in the superstar's head.

After awhile though, Shou became just a bit tipsy on all the varieties of free drinks and tasty treats. Especially the Rum Balls...He snagged a platter of the lush morsels from the wait staff and proceeded to eat them one by one.

He had forgotten where he might have left You. But that didn't matter too much because the man was more than capable of being alone. Of course for Shou after one too many Rum Balls it was a little more difficult to form English so he spoke a lot more Japanese as he made his way to the Xmas tree to pick up a package left by Santa. Looking around, he noticed that many of the packages were gone. Searching slowly, he uncovered a lone in a soft white snow flake wrapping paper in the far back behind the tree. It took the man awhile to drag it out from there and in doing so his hair grasped many silver streamers along the way.

Finally, he looked down at the package and said with a hiccup, "You're mine...whatever you are. But I think...I think I'll wait till morning to open you because I'm not sure I could right now." The package was about the size of a large boot box and goodness only knew what might be stuffed within.

Stumbling just a little, Shou fingers found another Rum Ball as he tried to figure out where Crystal and Rukuro were in the crowd. He was rather ready to go home at this point...

-:{------------------------------------------------Cause it’s about to get rough for you
I’m here For Your Entertainment

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Shou hadn't escaped You's eyes as easily as he thought he had. In fact, Ishihara had been carefully keeping tabs on the musician, even though he made it seem as if he were in deep conversation with others.

It was easy for the man to tell Shou was drunk too, which only made his predatory senses stronger.
Drunk was vulnerable... and Shou vulnerable was a wonderful thing in his eyes.
Especially when that damned Yamada wasn't around.

BUT, You had his orders from Izo, and to cross those orders would result in consequences that the man didn't want to find out. He might take pleasure in the gasping breaths of a beautiful victim, but Matsumoto took torture to an entirely different level.

Finishing off his new glass of champagne, You began to move through the crowd carefully and eventually was only a few feet from the tipsy vocalist... when someone caught his eye.

'Hiroki Asato...' the man easily recognized the next in line for Ohayou's throne.

Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Ohayou's chairman in some time...

Deciding that information would be more helpful to Izo than merely following a drunken musician around until he left, Ishihara headed toward the Elephant of Ohayou and smiled pleasantly.

"Hiroki-san? Hajimemashite. Ishihara You, desu." the man said politely, introducing himself to Asato. "I see you've been mingling as well. Doing the work of your boss like myself I take it?" he asked.

You had picked up a second glass of champagne for himself... and a new one for Hiroki. He offered it to the megane-clad man before him.

 

[Kaikoloren]

What wouldn't I do for King and Country...
Yes Sir!------------------------------------------------}:-

Asato Hiroki
Chairman's Secretary - Ohayou Productions

Doing what one does best...?? God only knows...

Hiroki had been watching the crowd finally take a moment of quiet. No one that he had to talk to anymore. In fact, for him things were winding down. Several times, he had to rationalize his actions for telling Akihiko about his grandfather but finally he gave up with that realizing what was done was done. He couldn't look back on it anymore.

So in the middle of his quiet contemplation, watching people picking out presents from the tree, Hiroki didn't notice someone approaching until the person spoke. He blinked for a moment before looking up.

The name sounded familiar but it took a moment for Hiroki to run through his mental Rolodex until the name matched the corporation - Smash. This wasn't surprising but now he'd have to guard his conversation. He stood up and returned the introduction. "Ah...Hajimemashite. So you're here with Shou-san, tonight? Well, yes, the work never ends when one is in this sort of business."

Hiroki took the glass of champagne, "Arigatougozaimasu." he returned before setting it beside him on the table so he could talk.

"Have you been enjoying the party thus far? American company parties seem a bit more lively don't you think?" he asked making light small talk.

No Sir!
...Where you Lead - that is the Path I Follow.

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"I don't know how parties are at Ohayou, but at SMASH they're far from this grand. Usually a lot of food of course, but the mingling is limited because stars tend to stick with their peers I'm afraid." You replied honestly, taking note that Hiroki set the champagne down.

Ishihara's own paranoid observations made him wonder if Hiroki didn't want to drink anymore, or if the man didn't trust the drink.

You wouldn't have trusted it, but then again... he was usually overly cautious.

Smiling charmingly, You nodded. "But I am enjoying the festivities. I was send in to make sure Shou-san makes it back home relatively soon. He has a tendency to get distracted... and since Yamada-san was busy, Matsumoto sent me." he adjusted his stance, one arm wrapped around his middle, the elbow of his other resting on it with the champagne glass in hand. "I'm with PR, though I do most of my work from home. I've heard rumor that you're moving up in the world, or at least have taken over many of Ohayou's operations. You're far younger than I thought you would be, Hiroki-san."

 

[Kaikoloren]

What wouldn't I do for King and Country...
Yes Sir!------------------------------------------------}:-

Asato Hiroki
Chairman's Secretary - Ohayou Productions

Doing what one does best...?? God only knows...

"Ah well Ohayou's parties tend to be mm...well the Stars like to have their own parties and you know the regular employees tend to like their own parties too. So most of the time, the Stars parties tend to be a little more glamorous. However, nothing like this." It seemed that Ohayou and Smash might have similar problems with integration but that probably was the case with any Label considering the popularity and pay gap between groups.

Hiroki didn't pay much attention to the champagne after that but more attention on You. You was a handsome man and the idea of drinking with him might be appealing but a part of him was wary, however, mostly because it had been a long night and he planned on leaving shortly. Even so, it was probably smarter not to drink in either case.

"I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the celebration." Then he chuckled, "Distracted? Ah, I could see that in Shou-san. He's quite a ball of energy and I am sure if he were left to his own devices, he'd be in trouble." It sort of reminded him of Nakai or Narcissus but Shou was on a different level. Magazines sometimes said he was as crazy as the fans that followed him. "Your lucky he's in here were it's safe because I hear he has a fan base from around the world."

Hiroki wasn't pushing to hard to dig information out of You because he knew if the man was sent by Matsumoto, then he probably was already well versed in limiting important information. "I see...PR is quite a challenge for any label but I'm surprised you can work from home even with all the modern technology."

Although the next comment was one he had to be careful with. Nothing was announce formally...yet. "Rumors abound don't they? I'm sure you hear plenty in your job. But I wouldn't be too sure that more work is actually moving up in the world." Too much work. he thought behind his dark eyes.

"Why thank you. Although, if I were to look at the other Labels, Goshiro-san is younger than I." he admitted and then glanced over to the Xmas tree. "Did you pick a present yet? I still need to."

No Sir!
...Where you Lead - that is the Path I Follow.

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Smiling softly, You shook his head, "More work means your boss trusts you more than others. Relies on you. For a company man, even if that's not a true promotion, it should feel like one. After all, without the praise of the boss, you'll never know how well you're performing." the man spoke, seemingly from experience.

After all, Matsumoto was giving him more to do lately it seemed... dirty work mostly, but still more to do. It, no doubt, meant the man was impressed with his performance.

Shouldn't the same be said of Koyasu's delegation of work to Hiroki?

"As for Shou..." Ishihara swirled the champagne in his glass. "Yes, the man's a handful, but I think that's part of his charm. However, while I'm responsible for getting Shou-san home, he's still staying at Ishi-san's. I won't see him too terribly much after this event until the plane ride, if at all." the man's dark eyes traveled, watching Shou for a moment before speaking again.

Once more there was a smile on the man's face and he laughed, "Goshiro-san is younger I suppose. But then again, I'm pretty sure he was born in that office." You was joking of course, but the man had a point.

Goshiro inherited his company... much like Akihiko should have inherited Ohayou.

And yet Hiroki was changing the topic again. Something gave Ishihara the impression that Asato didn't want to let too much information pass his lips.
A wise choice given current company...

"No, I hadn't, but then again I hadn't brought one to give so I didn't intend to pick one to receive." the man replied, sipping on his champagne. "I was a very very late edition to the guest list... though I suppose that could be said of your party as well. I met Narcissus-san earlier, you know... and of course Lucky-san too. You've quite an interesting group traveling back to Japan with you."



(((OOC: I'm assuming that Goshiro inherited his company...)))  

[Kaikoloren]

What wouldn't I do for King and Country...
Yes Sir!------------------------------------------------}:-

Asato Hiroki
Chairman's Secretary - Ohayou Productions

Doing what one does best...?? God only knows...

"Mm...I suppose it should feel like a promotion in a way. But is it quite a bit of challenging work and long hours. But I would have to agree, one wouldn't have someone working this close to the top if one couldn't rely on them to get the job done." answered Hiroki with a smile on his lips. Yes he was very reliable if anything could be said for him.

----

In the mean time, Shou was actually walking and talking with some American celebrities on the far side of the event. Ishihara would barely see the blond curls through the mix of other blond bombshells and brunettes.

-----

"Ah...well good luck with that. I'm sure getting Shou-san on the plane after having fun here will be difficult. I wouldn't want your job in that regard." he said with an amused look on his face before saying, "But yes, I assumed that he's probably getting quite a bit of rest at Ishi-san's home." At least that kept Shou out of the gravitation pull of Smash for one more night. And he wondered if Akihiko could really ever get the man to switch Labels or even plant the seed of possibility.

"Very true, Goshiro-san's father gave him the company two years before he passed away." Hiroki did know a little about Go's main man. He was a collector and had his hand in many other industries. Goshiro wasn't one to bank just the Music to sustain that company.

"Well you should. If you read the invitation everyone gets a gift. There are more than enough packages as some people brought 2 or more. The rest they will give to Charity. Besides, it is Christmas time. Since you were sent here to do some long hours, you should take advantage of the gift horse for a change." Hiroki didn't answer about who would be traveling back with him from Japan but instead said, "Come on...lets pick something." and headed for the tree. He completely sidestepped that part of the conversation for some fun.

No Sir!
...Where you Lead - that is the Path I Follow.

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Ishihara knew a diversion when he heard it, but the man just smiled and nodded, following after Hiroki as if he didn't suspect a thing. "Two years before he died hmm?" the young man asked, thinking about that for a moment. "I wonder if the same will eventually happen with Ohayou? I mean, Matsumoto-san doesn't have a blood successor, but Koyasu-san does, just like the former director of Go."

Once at the presents, You stopped and thought about things for a moment, pretending to be trying to choose one of the packages. "Shou-san's already agreed to leave with me as soon as his work with Lucky-san is over. I've no idea what stroke of genius he's come up with for the man, but it should be entertaining nevertheless." the young man smiled, "Shou-san's ideas always are."

 

[Kaikoloren]

What wouldn't I do for King and Country...
Yes Sir!------------------------------------------------}:-

Asato Hiroki
Chairman's Secretary - Ohayou Productions

Doing what one does best...?? God only knows...

"I suppose that we'll just have to wait and see what happens." answered Hiroki not even taking a formal 'guess'. "Yes, that is true, I'd have to wonder more who Matsumoto-san might choose. Considering his lines of succession aren't nearly as obvious." he said curiously as they approached the tree.

Hiroki looked closely at large tree and saw that there were still some package spread in the boughs so reaching up, he pulled out a heavy package that was wrapped in shiny mistletoe printed paper. But then he heard what You said about Shou leaving, "Ah, I've no clue what he and Lucky-san have planned. But I wouldn't rush Shou-san. They're still recovering after their horrible experience so they need time to re-acclimate to the real world. It's better not to be too aggressive when helping survivors overcome a bad experience."

"Ah...you've not picked a package yet! There are several nice ones over there." He pointed to the boughs on the far side. "You won't escape this party without taking something home..."

No Sir!
...Where you Lead - that is the Path I Follow.

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"If I had any inkling I'd give you a hint." Ishihara replied honestly, stopping beside the tree and looking at the packages still remaining. "But my boss has a tendency to be very secretive, not that I can blame him or anything. But yeah... I would say his lines aren't as obvious."

The man's dark eyes fell on Asato again. "How do you think working for Narcissus-san is going to be once Koyasu-san steps away?" You asked calmly, reaching for a package from the tree as well.

His was tiny, probably jewelry of some sort, and wrapped in silver paper with some evergreen adorning the top of the box and ribbon.

 

[Kaikoloren]

What wouldn't I do for King and Country...
Yes Sir!------------------------------------------------}:-

Asato Hiroki
Chairman's Secretary - Ohayou Productions

Doing what one does best...?? God only knows...

"I'm sure when your boss is ready, he will let everyone know in his own special way." He would have preferred to use a more ominous choices of words but Hiroki could be polite even to an employee of the 'enemy camp'. But then he thought about it and chuckled, "Maybe he will leave the company to you."

"Mmh? Well I don't really know. I've not worked 'under' Narcissus before. It's hard to guess how any man will take to such an esteemed position. Leadership can sometimes bring out the best in younger men though so I can hope that I'd see him shine. But we won't really know until that time comes apparent." he answered because in all honest even if he knew he would be taking the company soon. He had no idea how Narcissus would have been given the position instead of himself. Disastrous...probably. But in this conversation, he couldn't say that even if that's what he felt.

"Ah...that's a tiny box. But...Elves have your name written all over it." he said as he glanced toward the package. "At least, we can both be rest assured that this year Santa smiled on us."

No Sir!
...Where you Lead - that is the Path I Follow.

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"Me? Hardly." Ishihara began to laugh at the mere idea of it. "I don't really enjoy being around others, even if I am a PR man. This party is truly the first time all year that I've been in a room full of people. I doubt that would make for a very good replacement for Matsumoto-san." the man smiled slightly, acting a bit embarrassed.

Of course he wasn't, but one did have to keep up appearances. And his appearance was of a man who didn't like crowds.

"But when the boss calls and wants someone he knows will get the job done... I can't exactly refuse since he pays my salary." You continued, acting as if that's why he'd flown to America to grab the missing rock star.

The notion of Narcissus taking over Ohayou was something that he knew Matsumoto would want, but from the way Hiroki answered, it didn't seem like that would be in the cards too soon... and if Izo had to deal with the elder Koyasu... well... his takeover of the company would be a lot harder than if it were Hiroki...

If it really were Narcissus, it'd be a piece of cake.

Quizzically looking at the box, You nodded. "Hai, I think a small present suits me best, especially since, like I said, I never brought anything to give in return. It's probably cufflinks or the like." the man replied with a smile, putting the small box in his pocket.

He'd open it later when he got the chance.

"May I ask where Koyasu-san is?" Ishihara spoke, tilting his head to the side slightly. "I saw him speaking with Ishi-san earlier, but some time after the musical performances, he simply disappeared. I had hoped to talk to him a bit."



 

[Kaikoloren]

What wouldn't I do for King and Country...
Yes Sir!------------------------------------------------}:-

Asato Hiroki
Chairman's Secretary - Ohayou Productions

Doing what one does best...?? God only knows...

"Well, you know the part of leadership that you learn when you're up that high is to have many strong underlings to make all those appearances for you." he smirked just a little and then wondered who actually did Matsumoto Izo have lined up as his...successor. No one knew...and well he didn't know anyone that had ventured to guess.

"Well if you feel any guilt about the gift, give to the Charity out side the main event door. It all goes to Hawaii's misfortunate, so its a good cause." he said as he looked at his own package. He really couldn't pocket it since it was a bit bigger than that...and heavier. Hiroki wondered what was inside but he two would open it later never knowing what someone at a party like this would purchase.

"Ah, Koyasu-san has stepped out, I'm afraid. He's rather like that you know even at a grand party like this. Business before pleasure. But I'll be happy to give him your regards when I meet up with him later." responded Hiroki as he tucked the gift under his arm.

"So, as Smash's PR man, what new albums do I have to look forward to over the holiday season? Is any one putting out new music before the year's end?" he asked as he walked away from the tree so others could step closer.

No Sir!
...Where you Lead - that is the Path I Follow.

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"Sadly we're barely putting anything out right now. Production was halted temporarily due to Shou-san's misfortune. However, there are a few albums from some of the pop idols we manage that should be coming out before the new year." You spoke, following Hiroki as they left the tree. "Nothing I'm personally happy about. The main buzz has been about what Shou-san might do next, as well as the work that, seemingly, Hayato-san has begun doing."

But then the man snapped his fingers. "That's right... NAKO-san and Ryuukaze-san are heading a charity concert for Hawaii. Shou-san's assistant, Yamada-san, is mostly in charge of that. It should be next week, televised live, and all the proceeds will go to Hawaii as well." Ishihara couldn't help but smile. "Those two have been working hard. I suppose it helped them deal with their grief until they realized Shou-san was alive. Now, no doubt, they're doing it with happy enthusiasm."

You then frowned slightly. "Koyasu-san surely has been absent from the scene a lot of late. After all, you were doing a lot of the business for Ohayou for a time, or at least that's what Matsumoto-san lead me to believe. He thought that, perhaps, Koyasu-san was going to step down soon." shaking his head, his frown remained. "I'll be sad to see him do that... he's the only rival Matsumoto-san has." but then Ishihara brightened a bit. "Sometimes I think Matsumoto-san lives for rivalry personally."

 

[Kaikoloren]

What wouldn't I do for King and Country...
Yes Sir!------------------------------------------------}:-

Asato Hiroki
Chairman's Secretary - Ohayou Productions

Doing what one does best...?? God only knows...

"Ah well that's unfortunate. Shou-san keeps things rather lively at Smash, I think. I'm sure that Shou-san will have plenty to do once he returns to Japan. But I guess I'll have to check out those pop idols in the mean time. Always interesting to hear what new music is out there." he said as he glanced upwards at the clock across the way. It was very late...and he wondered how Aki's conversation turned out. Hiroki was sure it was a very easy conversation because Izzy was a very decent person from everything he had seen. What could possibly go wrong unless Narcissus and Izzy hadn't quite meshed...

But then he returned to the conversation as soon as You snapped his fingers. "Ah those two! I see. Then I guess there will be a treat for me to watch over the holiday season. I have no doubt that they are happy he is alive. So how is...Hayato-san? He seemed so out of sorts before he went home. I hope everything is well for him. I'm sure he was very worried about Shou-san."

"I suppose it does appear that way at times but surely that's not the case. It's just easier for me to do all the heavy lifting and he can put his mental resources to more constructive matter. Goodness Ishihara-san. Lets hope when we are old men we will have younger ones to do the same." he chuckled a little and then said, "I'm sure if Matsumoto-san were the same age as Koyasu-san, he'd be making you or someone else do all the dirty work." He meant the work around the office but more than likely You would find humor in a different vein.

No Sir!
...Where you Lead - that is the Path I Follow.