|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:43 pm
 |
|
|
 |
What a shock, it was so surprising,
You looked so small and frail------------------------------------------------}:- 
Izzy Lucky
At times life can be so enlightening .uoy no nrut nac ti tuB
Izzy rolled his eyes as he followed Akihiko. "He's about as practical as you are sometimes. And you should learn how to drive! This is something we have to change and soon. Maybe I should teach you while you're recovering." Izzy mused at the idea of teaching Akihiko how to drive although he wondered if Akihiko would listen to him enough to learn. He didn't know if he'd make a good instructor for the man.
But as they walked into the garage, Izzy saw not a sedan but a coupe. Not what he expected. Or maybe he should have expected it. The tigers of Koyasu weren't rather showy men. "Whoa, this is nice. And it's been sitting here all this time. Good lord!" His fingers ran along the car as his heart jumped a few beats. How he loved finely crafted vehicles. "Well at least some one is taking care of it for you even if you're not driving it." he muttered as he caught the keys in mid air.
"I don't mind driving...not at all." Izzy said with a faraway look as he took in the Benz. Slipping into the seat, he fiddled with the position while Akihiko turned on the heat. He was rather absorbed with the car and it took him a moment to realize that Akihiko said something. "You're going to teach me to cook? Um...How the heck am I going to learn in one night how to cook? You've spent years learning!"
But he smiled as Akihiko said no more cans, "I'd like that...except for the big can of cheese sauce, and maybe a couple other specific things. You're way too fussy sometimes. You didn't trust me enough to get you through the shop and out with out issue then. But I did...didn't I?" He grinned and started up the car; it's motor purred to life. He really loved that sound.
Glancing at the text, he then looked up at Akihiko. "I wonder what Shou's not telling us. If he's worried about protecting him then there's only one thing I can think of that Shou would even remotely worry about. Maybe...Mm..." Izzy looked up for a moment and hit the garage door opener so they could get out.
"If Shou prefers Ko be in the light of the media then he's protecting him from...Matsumoto-san. There isn't really anything that I know of that Shou's afraid of...mmm...ok with the exception of one thing that I won't mention because it seems rather personal. I'd think it would be natural for Shou to be protective of a nephew. So I'm not sure why Yamada-san would tell him that. I asked him about family on the boat one time. And he told me he had a sister but his memories of her were very...well how do I say it...vague. Although, on one occasion...when I was talking to him, he mentioned a brother that he loved dearly. That time he seemed more sure of his past but when he realized he had answered my question, he changed the topic. He might have thought I wouldn't remember that given the long time on the boat with him." Izzy seemed thoughtful for long moment while pulling out of the garage. "You should talk to him. I'm not sure what we can do to help the situation but if he feels Ko is in danger, then we should do something."
Izzy pulled the car out and then talked to the GPS to get the directions he needed before driving to the market.
-:{------------------------------------------------I didn't know what to do
I grabbed the tiger by the tail! |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:09 pm
|
|
|
|
Akihiko looked at his partner quickly. "I um... well you see..." blue eyes looked away. "Michi-kun's actually going to teach me how to drive. It was going to be a surprise for you because... well I know you're busy so..." wincing slightly, he glanced back at Izzy. "You can teach me though! I mean if I'm going to teach you how to cook I guess it's a fair trade off and... oh wait, hahahaha!" the young Koyasu burst into laughter. "I'm not going to make you a chef in one day, baka! I'm just going to get you used to actually cooking for once. Like I said... practice. It's just like with an instrument or singing... you have to practice practice practice or else you'll never develop the skill set you need." he shrugged. "And sure, you can have your cheese sauce... I'm going to start calling you Nacho-otaku..."
But then the subject shifted from something fun... to something far more serious.
"Why would he tell you about a sister and then a brother?" Akihiko asked curiously, blue eyes darkening just a bit as he absorbed this information.
Sure, most of the time the young tiger just let things slide... but there was a shrewd side to him. A side that gathered information and held it tight... just in case.
It was something, he hated to say, he'd picked up from the old man. But he couldn't just dismiss the skill. He had to be sharp or risk losing his edge.
Even if his edge consisted mainly of making millions of yen...
"Look, I just... I don't think a child should be raised that way. To be honest it's partly why Chiyou annoys the hell out of me. He was raised that way. Granted I'm one to talk but... at least I wasn't in the spotlight until I was old enough to handle it. If Shou takes that kid on stage, there'll be no END to the throngs of fans who flock after him. He's just a boy, Ruki! Kids don't need that kind of pressure! Isn't having Shou for an uncle pressure enough?" Koyasu went silent for a while, just starring at his phone.
He hadn't sent a reply back... because in all honesty it wasn't his decision to make. Yes, he wanted to talk to Shou about it, but when? How? They were just casual acquaintances and rivals. It wasn't Narcissus' place to interfere in the man's private life.
But Izzy...
"You should make him see reason." the musician spoke with a smirk, glancing at his manager. "I mean, you're a LOT closer to Shou than I am. Than anyone will ever be probably, with the exception of Yamada-san. I can understand a fear from Izo but Ko's just a little boy. What could that b*****d seriously want with a kid? No wait, don't answer that..." Akihiko winced, getting enough ideas in his head that the mental images were hard to shake. "God kids just make things so much harder, don't they? I mean look at Yuuji and..." he stopped for a second, blue eyes narrowing.
For a long time he didn't say a word... didn't even say anything to Izzy.
He just sent one text.
Text:
Shou-san... why are you protecting Ko-kun from Izo?
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:33 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 6:32 pm
|
|
|
|
Even though they'd pulled into the parking space, Akihiko was distant from Izzy in that moment.
It wasn't out of choice... but the thoughts in the young tiger's head scared him.
Text:
He was hurt before? Shou-san, I know it's a personal matter but... I... I just really need to know. Are you protecting him from Izo? If you are then you've my full support. You've Ohayou's full support. But you have to tell me.
Sighing, Akihiko closed his eyes for a moment, his iphone in his lap. "Ruki... don't you find it odd? Shou suddenly has this nephew... I mean he didn't say anything about a nephew in the boat. But BOOM he gets home and there's a boy at his house? I wouldn't think anything of it if he wasn't so adamant about protecting Ko-kun... I..." he went silent again and brought up a picture on his phone of Ko, turning it to Izzy. The image was one of the boy sleeping... a photo that his lover had commented on before. "Earlier, you said he looks kinda like me. Who do we know who's missing a son about this age? And Shou just HAPPENS upon Ko-kun? It...." he licked his lips, giving Izzy the phone. "Call me crazy but what if... what if this is Yuuji's little boy? If Shou's protecting Ko from Izo... it makes sense. Doesn't it? Hell, it's odd enough that Ko's this crazy piano prodigy. That obviously runs in my family and..." he shook his head again. "Shou said he 'won't let him be harmed again'... Ruki... what... what if... gah ********!" Akihiko slammed his foot against the dashboard of the car, pissed at himself that he hadn't realized this a little sooner.
If Ko was really Yuuji's son... he was safe and in very good hands for the time being.
But they had to tell Yuuji.
And what about Shou?
How could he tell Shou that this boy wasn't related to him, if this were true?
"I need to talk to Yamada-san, damn it... I don't want to tell Shou what I think, or Yuuji for that matter, until I'm certain." he whispered in annoyance.
Annoyance because he remembered Shou saying Yamada was on vacation...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:29 pm
|
|
|
|
What a shock, it was so surprising,
You looked so small and frail------------------------------------------------}:-
Izzy Lucky
At times life can be so enlightening .uoy no nrut nac ti tuB
Izzy didn't say a word as Akihiko distanced himself. And now, Izzy wasn't sure what was going on. He tried to think back to the ocean for any piece of information that would clue him into his dear friend, a friend that...he wasn't sure was stable at all.
Shou's answer took a moment to come but finally it did: If you could have seen the horror in his eyes. I...I...Yamada-san warned me. And I have to protect him because...yes. Yes. You understand. I don't know what my sister was messed in but, I'm his Uncle and he's my responsibility. I've never had children but to see his smiling face, to hear his music...to know that his soul is akin to my own.
"I do find it strange but...it's Shou. If you spent two weeks with him alone you'd wonder if he really lived on this world half of the time. And well, I know it seems odd but...he's never had kids. I mean, wouldn't you be suddenly protective if you were responsible of a young child? Shou has extremes and if he feels threatened he's bound to size up his worst enemies as the problem he must protect Ko from. But with Yamada-san warning him. This scares me..." But then Izzy stopped and looked at the photo that Akihiko showed him. "I..." He looked at the photo again then up at Akihiko. "You think Ko might be...Yuuji's son?" His jaw dropped and he started flipping through the photos of Ko on their phones.
"Do you have any photos of Yuuji on your phone." he asked as he went back to that sleeping face. "But he's blond...seriously blond. But it does make...sense. God. Akihiko, if that's Yuuji's son...what are we going to do?" Izzy's eyes widened just thinking about this problem and the scary implications. "I just worry...Can Shou really protect him from Izo? If this is really what is going on. What do we do?" He looked up at Akihiko but if that was the case, this had just turned into a Koyasu family matter. And should they really be going into the market?
-:{------------------------------------------------I didn't know what to do
I grabbed the tiger by the tail! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:13 pm
|
|
|
|
"What is safer, Ruki? Here... with us? Or under Shou... where Izo won't touch him?" Akihiko said truthfully, still pissed that he couldn't just ask Yamada right now.
Damn holidays...
"I mean, Yuuji's got the country thinking we're half a world away right now BECAUSE it isn't safe. Just look at Hiroki's sister! And..." biting his lip, Narcissus went quiet.
He didn't want to know what horror Shou mentioned in the text because, in all honesty, he didn't think he could stomach it. But what were they supposed to do?
They couldn't just sit there...
Text:
Shou-san... is Yamada-san there or has he gotten back from vacation? I... I want to help protect Ko-kun but I can't do it without more information. If he's willing to talk to me about him... I think Izzy and I can help. Izo's a threat. We both know it even if you won't say it directly and... well... Yamada-san could hire Yuuji-kun as some extra muscle.
Blue eyes focused on Izzy again. "I don't know what we do... we can't tell Yuuji until we know and I won't tell Shou until then either... but..." he was then quickly going through his phone, looking for something... anything... then he found a photo of Yuuji and brought it up. "Blond can be faked. Just look at your hair right now. Hair can be changed and skin can be tanned Ruki... but it's not that easy to erase bone structure without some major work and... well..." he turned the phone so Izzy could see.
It was a picture of Yuuji asleep on the plane. He'd actually snapped it to use as teasing blackmail against his cousin.
But the resemblance...
Handing the phone off to Izzy, Akihiko just sat there, looking out the window of the parked car, sunglasses over his eyes now because there were people passing by on the street. He pulled his fedora just a bit more down over his face.
"But if he is Yuuji's son, why doesn't he say something? I mean damn, the kid's old enough to know Shou isn't his parent..." he laughed a bit but it had a hollow ring to it. "God, I'm actually his uncle and not Shou... if this is true... aren't I?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:37 pm
|
|
|
|
What a shock, it was so surprising,
You looked so small and frail------------------------------------------------}:-
Izzy Lucky
At times life can be so enlightening .uoy no nrut nac ti tuB
"Under Shou...I guess. I mean, yes, he's safer with Shou if it involves Smash. I do remember Shou telling me that he was safe from Izo. Personally at the time I never could think of anyone safe from that man. But Shou said that Izo couldn't afford to harm his 'assets' I guess you're right. But it still worries me because of all that has happened. If that is Yuuji's son, how are we going to bring him back to Yuuji if we can't even protect our own?" It was a serious question that had to be asked because so far, they hadn't done well against Izo's network at all.
Izzy waited as Akihiko typed out his message and stared at the photo of the boy. He could see Akihiko in that face. It had been so casual when he had said it before but now, he had a feeling he knew why.
The reply from Shou was rather quick: Mm..he's on vacation although parts of the world thinks he's with me. But I can't keep him with me all the time. Even he needs time to himself. Takagi-kun? Narcissus-san, I wouldn't take your own bodyguard even for Ko's sake. You know you need him at your side. I do have bodyguards although they aren't with me here at the onsen but they should be there when I return home.
"Well, yes, we can't tell Yuuji until we know and I don't think telling Shou is wise just yet. He might not...mmm...take it right. Especially if he feels like Ko is threatened right now." But Izzy stopped as he looked at the sleeping Yuuji then at the sleeping Ko. "They...oh my...Akihiko."
Izzy took the phones and was speechless as Akihiko looked away. "If he's Yuuji's son, we don't know what happened to him between the time he disappeared and the time that Shou obtained him from Yamada-san. If...if Shou said he was harmed, the boy may be too afraid to say a word. He might even be traumatized. Shou said he could see horror in his eyes then the boy could be clinging to whoever could keep him safe? Maybe Ko thinks Shou is really his Uncle? I mean, did Yuuji ever tell him anything about you? I'm guessing that if he did, he never allowed Ko to know too much? Yes I think you would be his Uncle. I mean your not Yuuji's brother but you're his family."
"Maybe you should try to call Yamada-san anyway? I don't know but we have to act on this. Look at these two faces side by side. Do you think this is Yuuji's boy?" He held up the phones almost knowing what Akihiko would say.
-:{------------------------------------------------I didn't know what to do
I grabbed the tiger by the tail! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 9:18 pm
|
|
|
|
"Of course I think Ko's his son." Akihiko replied without even looking at the phone. He snatched it back, sighing, obviously very very annoyed and unsure.
He didn't know how to use this information... didn't know what he could act on...
He had Yamada's number but...
So, taking Izzy's words as advice, he sent Yamada Haru a text message.
Text:
Yamada-san, this is Narcissus. I've spoken with Shou-san and I'd like to know where Ko-kun came from. If the boy really is Shou-san's nephew. He told me to consult you. I ask this for personal reasons... reasons I'd like to reveal to you in person.
In all honesty he didn't know what to say to Shou... didn't know what to do. It overwhelmed him for the moment.
Sighing, Akihiko took his seat belt off. "Let's go shopping. We can't do anything about it right now anyway, at least until Yamada-san and I can speak face to face. We can't tell Yuuji and we can't tell Shou... so now we're stuck with this damn knowledge... stuck and..." he sighed again, shaking his head. "Come on. I'd rather not think about what the boy went through or how traumatized he is. We can find that out first hand when Shou and Ko get back to Tokyo." the young tiger added, opening the door and getting out of the car, being hit by a blast of cold wind in the process.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 9:37 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 10:20 pm
|
|
|
|
"I've a penchant for trouble lately it seems..." Akihiko sighed, walking around the car and grabbing Izzy, pulling the man close enough to be a shield against the wind.
Sure, the musician was cold, but his manager always seemed to be frigid.
Dragging Izzy along after him, Narcissus smirked. "Sure. We can get some things that keep. Canned beans... canned olives... and that canned cheese you want." he teased, walking about a block before pulling his manager into the Fushima store.
"Ah! Akihiko-kun! Daijoubu ka?"
Blue eyes focused on an elderly woman who stood behind a counter not far from the front door. He smiled. "Hai, Fushima-san. Daijoubu. It's freezing out there!"
She made a 'tsk' sound at him. "I'll get you and your friend some tea to warm you up." the woman spoke, shooing a younger woman along to the back room to get the tea. "I didn't expect you and you haven't been in for ages."
That friendly smile still in place, Akihiko nodded. "I'm not supposed to be here." he said, putting a finger to his lips to indicate a secret. "No one knows. But I missed the snow... my friend didn't... obviously..."
The elderly woman's gaze narrowed as she looked Izzy over for a moment. "Manager?"
Akihiko nodded again. "You're not busy, are you?"
"Busy? There's no one in the store at all but us!" she came out from behind the counter and up to the front doors, locking them and putting a closed sign up.
Strangely, Akihiko bowed to her in thanks. "Arigatou gozaimasu. I'm really sorry to put you out like this. I know I normally call first but, with the weather I figured..."
She waved a hand at him. "We're not put out. You're one of our best customers!" then the woman laughed. "Ken-kun just got in some fresh kobe beef. He's in the back if you want me to get him to wrap some up for you."
"Honto?!" Akihiko asked with that same pleasant smile. "That'd be great. Ah! Before I forget..." he pushed Izzy forward to the woman. "Fushima-san, I'd like you to meet Izzy Lucky. Ruki, this is Fushima Taeko. She's been running this store... well forever. She's a family friend actually."
The woman bowed to Izzy. "Hajimemashite!" but then she threw Narcissus a look. "Family friend? You're the only one who ever stops in these days and you know it. Don't worry Lucky-san, we try our best to make sure Akihiko-kun is never disturbed when he's here." the younger girl came out with two cups of tea on a tray, standing in front of Akihiko and Izzy.
"Takiko-chan?" Narcissus asked, taking the tea with a quick word of thanks. "You cut your hair! What happened?!"
The girl, who couldn't have been more than eight and was sporting a very very short hairstyle, frowned at him. "Satoshi-kun blew a bubble and it popped... on my head..." she said, glaring at the ten year old boy who was standing across the way near the fresh fish section. "Mama cut it for me. Oba-chan thinks it looks boyish... do you?"
Blue eyes flickered to the said 'oba-chan' but then he smiled. "I think it suits you. In fact..." reaching out he used his fingers to give the girl a bit of a crooked part, turning the plain hairstyle into something a little more flashy. "There. Now it looks even better."
Takiko smiled brightly after looking at her reflection in the glass of the windows. "Arigatou Akihiko-kun!" she said, hugging him quickly before pulling away and sticking her tongue out at Satoshi.
She dashed off and Fushima-san made another 'tsk' sound. "You're too old for her, you know." the elderly woman scolded him playfully. "I think Himari-chan's in the vegetable section right now. Let her know anything you need that you don't see out and she'll check out back for you." Taeko said with a smile as Akihiko headed into the market with a small basket in one arm.
Once out of earshot he smirked at Izzy. "Just to get you on the right train of thought... Taeko and her husband Ken run the store. Their unmarried daughter Himari does most stocking while her son, Satoshi, handles the fish section. Takiko tends to just help and run errands. They're a really nice family... even if Taeko keeps trying to get me to ask Himari out on a date..." he rolled his eyes. "Then again, she's been hinting at that since I was still in high school so..."
During all of this... somehow... his phone got neglected.
At least for now.
Currently, Akihiko didn't want to think about the dark terrors that lay just around the corner, nor the hard decisions he was going to have to make soon.
He just wanted to shop.
To enjoy some time with Izzy.
And let the real world bite him in the a** later...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:01 pm
|
|
|
|
What a shock, it was so surprising,
You looked so small and frail------------------------------------------------}:-
Izzy Lucky
At times life can be so enlightening .uoy no nrut nac ti tuB
Izzy let them talk as he glanced around from where he stood to take in the store. Seemed like a nice enough place although to be honest Izzy's mind was elsewhere. Although he did catch the narrow gaze from the elderly woman and tried not to let it get to him.. Seemed like she wasn't too keen on strangers. He guessed he should have expected that considering who Akihiko was and the way they treated him almost like family.
So he remained quiet and let Akihiko deal with everything. Surprisingly enough he was respectful to her. Maybe Izzy should have expected this from his partner since he seemed so friendly with them. Izzy just really felt cold and more interested in warming up than meeting people but he tried to be polite when he was push forward be introduced.
"Hajimemashite, Izzy Lucky desu. Douzo youroshiku onegaishimasu." he returned with the proper bow and degree of politeness to an unfamiliar person. He nodded with a slight smile. Maybe he was concerned about Akihiko's safety but in reflection he should have guessed that Akihiko didn't go many places alone so he must have trusted this place.
He took the tea and smiled at the girl, "Arigatou gozaiimasu." Even though the cup was very hot, Izzy's fingers curled around it as if his life depended on that heat. He so hated the cold. And while Akihiko talked with the small child, he realized that maybe the man might be a good Uncle. If he got the chance to have Ko in his life. He wondered if Akihiko wanted to be an Uncle. He wondered if Akihiko would actually figure out what to do about Ko. Izzy had a feeling that telling Yuuji would be a difficult task and even worse, talking to Shou about it. His dearest friend seemed to truly believe that Ko was his nephew. But for now that seemed to be the best thing for Ko to be under the protective wing of Smash's highest paid star. Because Izzy knew that Yuuji probably wasn't ready to protect his own son...Heck, the Koyasu family seemed incapable of getting over themselves and working together. Maybe Akihiko sensed that as well? Maybe that is why the man was so frustrated.
But before he knew it Izzy was walking after Akihiko and the small basket in the man's arms. Definitely not big enough for the kind of shopping that Izzy could see occurring and when Akihiko updated him, he couldn't help but chuckle, "If they only knew what you were really like. They probably wouldn't be pushing their daughter on you." He was teasing and he knew that if Akihiko hadn't gone after this girl then the man either wasn't attracted or respected the family too much. "But they seem like a nice family. It's nice to see you interacting with regular people."
"So...what are you going to get with that small basket? It doesn't seem large enough for shopping" he asked as his smile continued. "And are you sure they carry cheese sauce here?" This wasn't like the markets under the eki. It was more Japanese home style so he figured whatever they found would probably consist of mostly Japanese products unless he was really lucky.
The first thing Izzy saw as he rounded the corner was a big bag of sweet rice. "Ooh...that would be yummy." he said as he walked over then realized that one bag would really fill up that basket. "Maybe we can get...Akuzi beans and mix them with sweet rice?" Izzy's sweet tooth seemed to be capable of adapting to the market faster than bees made honey but at least this idea had some good qualities such as protein and natural sweetness. He licked his lips and then looked around wondering if they had fresh beans in plastic tubs that were already prepared. He never could remember the name of the giant black sweet beans but he knew he wanted some.
For now, he'd try very hard to focus on just the two of them although, just dropping the other subject for now was difficult indeed. So he plucked out his phone and took a photo of Akihiko and sent it to Shou's phone with a text.
Text: Tell Ko that Akihiko-niisan is shopping for those future pancakes he'll make with him when you get back from vacation.
He smiled and then looked up at Akihiko after finding small cart to take care of the real grocery shopping. "I think we should buy some things to make pancakes. You've a date in the future to make them for someone very special."
-:{------------------------------------------------I didn't know what to do
I grabbed the tiger by the tail! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 4:33 pm
|
|
|
|
Akihiko laughed, winking at Izzy. "Well... it depends on what you mean by what I'm really like. What most people think I'm really like isn't me and what you think I'm really like is budding. What they see is a young man who never put up a wall to them because he never had to." the musician spoke seriously as he picked out a few cans of soup and stock from one aisle. "My parents brought me shopping here, Ruki. So... it's kind of a staple of who I am. I've always shopped here, unless I needed something they didn't carry of course. But I've got too much respect for Himari-chan to have ever asked her out in the first place. I can't imagine what a relationship between us would be like because all my other female relationships centered on one thing only... come to think of it, so have all my male ones recently too. Except you."
Teasingly he snuck a kiss to Izzy's cheek before going back to shopping. "As for the small basket... well... you'll see. Think of it this way... the entire store is closed right now." he waved a hand of dismissal, "Nevermind you'll figure it out soon."
Akihiko turned and looked at the sweet rice. "Okay, we'll get that... and we'll get both already pasted Azuki beans and whole ones. It's a pain in the a** to do them by hand for sweets. I bought some Korean ones once that had water chestnuts in them too... it made for a crunchy sweet treat to be honest."
The canned food aisle was on the way to the produce section, so once they had some soup and some stock in their small arm basket, Narcissus popped around the corner of the aisle and waved. "Yo."
A women with long straight hair turned around from where she had been watering the vegetables to keep them nice and cool. "Akihiko-kun?"
He smiled. "Hi Himari-chan. I thought I'd stop in and..."
"BAKA!" she threw a head of broccoli at him... luckily he ducked. "You should've been in sooner, ahou! We were worried sick!"
Blinking in surprise, Narcissus cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out what she meant... then it clicked. "Oh... OH! The tsunami, ne? Um yeah... well see I wasn't so worried about myself as I was worried about him..." using Izzy as a shield he pushed his manager forward in front of him, putting the poor man between himself and the angry woman. "He was lost for weeks and..."
Himari brightened almost immediately, "Izzy Lucky? Um... gomen nasai!" quickly the woman bowed.
"She likes Shou-san..." Narcissus whispered to where his partner was the only one who could hear. "Shou-san likes you so.... be a good shield and keep her from killing me, ne?" he teased.
By then the woman straightened up and was smiling at Izzy. "I'm glad you're back here safely. You and Shou-san of course. It's all we could talk about for days and then you just popped up out of nowhere and were perfectly fine!"
While she was talking, Akihiko edged around Izzy and snatched a tablet and pen from Himari's apron, proceeding to write different fruits and vegetables on it that he wanted to get.
This was one way he did his shopping, especially since he came here alone. The young Koyasu would write down everything he wanted from each section, especially if the shop had closed just for him, and the Fushima family would make sure it was at the front counter when he was finished. Considering how much money Akihiko tended to spend... he was a very valuable customer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 5:20 pm
|
|
|
|
What a shock, it was so surprising,
You looked so small and frail------------------------------------------------}:-
Izzy Lucky
At times life can be so enlightening .uoy no nrut nac ti tuB
"I guess they are the lucky ones then." Izzy said with a light smile as he followed Akihiko. "So that's why you know this place so well. I'm surprised that you've lived so close to your roots." He continued to smile as he had guessed right about the reasons for not dating Himari-chan. But he kept that thought to himself.
A blush rose to his cheeks as Akihiko sneaked a kiss in. "You should be careful about that. You never know what security cameras might catch." He wasn't surprised that most of Akihiko's relationships centered around something else. That was his Narcissus playboy side taking over for certain. But Izzy was happy for that because it meant that it gave him time to meet Akihiko...and fall for him.
He glanced around as Akihiko started talking about which bean types he'd get then his eyes landed on the dark Kuromame beans. OH...how he loved their large sweet flavor. Well, sweet when you prepared them with sugar and let them soak over night. Yes, he knew about this because his sweet tooth was a terrible master. Usually he bought already prepared ones because he wasn't about to explain the failed attempts to make his own. So he gravitated to the Kuromame beans and saw that the label was from somewhere in Hokaido. Oh these beans were just marvelous, thick and plump! He picked up a very large bag and walked back over to Akihiko.
"I want to learn how to cook these!" he exclaimed as he hefted the bag of beans. By the look in his eyes Akihiko could probably guess how his manager wanted to learn to cook them. Sweet and syrupy. Even if Izzy seemed to hate canned beans right now, that thought seemed to be overidden by his sweet tooth. He even seemed interested in cooking the beans which was a miracle. But so far, all his attempts to cook centered around the sweet tooth.
He followed Akihiko to the canned food aisle and watched as Akihiko picked out various things. He looked over the cans searching for any signs of cheese sauce. He had a feeling he was going to be out of luck.
But then there was a woman's sudden loud voice and green broccoli flying past Akihiko slapping Izzy's chest right on top of the bag of beans he was still carrying. Why was he always the one that got hit by what the women through at Narcissus???
He blinked and then said with a cough, "Umm..I guess we're getting...broccoli?"
Before he knew it, he was pulled forward like a rag doll and was looking into the face of this angry woman. He blinked and said slowly with a slightly worried look on his face wondering if she were going to throw something else, "Hajimemashite?"
He heard Akihiko's tease and wanted to thwap the man with the broccoli himself! "Ah yes, well Shou-san and I are very happy to be alive. We had quite a few people worried. But fortunately, the little boat kept us from a worse fate. I'm glad to be back home though." That part was a lie. He would have much rather been in LA with Akihiko in the warmth than freezing his butt off in Tokyo. But he didn't want to say that outloud to a citizen of Japan.
"Soo...umm...are there any premade goodies around here? Onigiri...sushi...beans, steamed buns and seasoned tofu?" Izzy had to ask while Akihiko started making a list of all things fresh to keep the conversation going.
-:{------------------------------------------------I didn't know what to do
I grabbed the tiger by the tail! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 5:52 pm
|
|
|
|
Akihiko threw his partner a look that said in itself, 'Yes obviously we're getting broccoli.' he picked up a melon and, thankfully Himari wasn't looking at him, because he imitated that they were just lucky she hadn't thrown something harder.
"Stop playing with the melons, Akihiko-kun." the woman said, not missing a beat as she continued to give Izzy her full attention.
Setting it down he frowned. "Hey, I'm just checking to make sure they're ripe! Besides, I..."
She turned, snatching the list from him. "I'll make sure they're ripe. YOU... go buy Izzy Lucky some premade foods. You both could use a few good meals... Honestly! You're both too thin, you moreso!" she poked Akihiko's chest. "And what did you do to your hair?"
That was a signal to run in Narcissus' mind. "I cut it?" he ventured, knowing she wouldn't buy that. "You didn't see the press conference?"
"Press Conference?" the woman asked, snatching his hat. Her eyes widened a bit. "Oh..."
Akihiko took the hat back. "Yeah... 'oh'." he added, putting it on his head again. "Any more holes get drilled in my head and I'm changing my name to swiss cheese instead. Taeko-san doesn't know, does she?"
Himari shrugged. "No idea. But I guess that's why Takiko-chan didn't mind the haircut so much... she saw something on tv and told me you'd been hurt. WHICH is why I'm pissed at you!"
Rolling his eyes, Narcissus smiled slightly. "Look. I'm fine. Or I will be fine. I bet the press conference is on the internet somewhere. I haven't had the chance to be hounded by the Japanese media yet. Being home right now is a secret, Himari-chan. Will it make you happy if I get you a copy of the Charity Benefit dvd with the performance I did with Shou-san? I'll even throw in some promo items."
The woman crossed her arms over her chest but then nodded. "Fine. You're forgiven. Bribing me with Shou-san merchandise... that's low. He's your rival."
Smiling brightly, Akihiko winked. "He's also a good friend. NOW... I'll drag Izzy to get some premade foods, okay?" he said, pulling Izzy after him.
Once they were over on the semi-refrigerated isle that held a bunch of premade goodies, the musician sighed. "You make a very good shield. Usually that takes longer." he added with a half-smirk. "Go wild, Ruki. I know you'll be eating more of the premade stuff than me, so get whatever you want. And really you don't have to keep carrying that bag..." he looked around and spotted Satoshi with a broom. "Satoshi-kun! Could you take these beans up front for us?"
"Hai!!!" the boy said, dashing over and grabbing the bag.
How the kid carried it was beyond Akihiko, but he did, and now they were back to just the arm cart.
Turning around, Narcissus leaned his hip against the premade food section's shelves. "It's weird, ne?" he asked as his manager picked out this and that. "I mean... it's weird being here with you. Usually I'm always on my own when I'm here... no one's gone shopping with me here since I was a kid."
It made him think about Aki... which in turn made him think about the fact that he was soon to be the only one still holding the Koyasu name.
But then he smiled, forcing his mind onto a different, if not still as serious subject. "I bet Ko-kun would get along with Satoshi-kun and Takiko-chan. They're all about the same age. Maybe I should get Shou-san to come here some time... then again... he doesn't know how to blend in... might ruin the whole inconspicuous factor I've got going here..." but then the musician smirked. "Course... it'd probably get Himari-chan off my back for a decade if I did that..." he added with a laugh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 6:09 pm
|
|
|
|
I can no longer return to those days free of bloodshed
These deep scars rooted within me will not disappear...
Jun was a bit taken aback by Ko's intelligent explanation of what he had, and had not, wanted.
"Well then, it seems that you are expressing yourself quite well, little one. You made the decision as to what you like and don't like, so, yes, you are expressing yourself very well." he replied, eyebrows raised in amazement at the child's intellect.
"Shou...don't be dramatic..." the dark star said, waving his hand a little as he looked at the bandages, "I'd hardly call this an injury. It barely qualified for needing a band-aid." Jun huffed, trying to look a little tough. Looking weak...he didn't want to give that impression, of all things. He could take care of himself.
Once the food arrived, though, the star forgot all about his hand or putting on appearances. Grabbing his fork and knife, he began to quickly slice the meat and take bite after bite, the delicious cut practically melting away in his mouth.
One thing certainly held true for Jun. Once he got hungry, he got really hungry.
"Work out?" he asked, around bites, "Shou, you hardly need to work out, and Ko's right...why go messing up your hair? Take it easy, why dontcha?"
Hide it, Hide it
Hide me...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
