Perfect Harmony [[For Akira&Shiki and Yukio]]

[Yukio_of_the_Snow]

Sighing, Aoi could only stare at the screen of his phone as he received message after message from his friends back at the group's shared two level condo. He had barely left 30 minutes ago and the group was already up and doing their usual antics. Earlier that week, Aoi has received news that he was being offered a job at Hijikata Hart Music for several weeks and the Idol had not hesitated to take the chance with both hands. However, his friends weren't as enthusiastic about the offer. They deemed it much to far for their liking and the fact that Aoi was going to be busy for the next couple of days didn't settle right with them either. Otoya in particular made his protests known loud and clear when Aoi had left that morning and Takuma didn't help in the least. Cecil had tried to calm down Otoya's "dramatic" scene the best he could while Kaname quickly ushered Aoi out, but that did nothing to ease the Idol's mind. Honestly, Celestial had grown entirely to closely bonded since they had been first put together. What had once been a hesitant friendship had soon turned into the bonds of best friends. The behavior he had seen that morning was nothing new. He was used to witnessing it when one of the others had a job outside their city, however it did start to wear on him after a while.

 

Grumbling softly under his breath, Aoi quickly typed in a reply to the messages he had received, promising he would try to be back early so they could practice a bit on their new song they were coming out with. Truly, his friends were helpless at times. Friends...It had always been such a foreign word for Aoi in the beginning of his Academy life. He would have never thought he would have found the kind of friends he had with the arrival of Kaname in their world. But regardless, he was thankful to them. They had pulled him out of the hole he had sunk into during the 2 years of which he couldn't connect to his music. They had pushed him to start over again and find a new path to reach his goal. No matter their antics or each of their exasperating natures, Aoi valued them very deeply.

 

"Kamui-san, we've arrived" the sound of his driver pulled Aoi out of the thoughts that had placed a gentle smile onto his features. Shutting his phone, he pocketed it smoothly before nodding his thanks to the driver. "I'll be out here waiting at 5, Kamui-san" the older man added as the young Idol stepped out of the car.*"Alright, I'll see you then" Aoi said with a small smile shot at the driver before he turned and headed into the towering building that awaited him.

 

It took a short amount of minutes to talk to the woman seated at the front desk and it took a shorter amount of time for her to lead him into a room located down a spacious well decorated hall. Asking him to sit inside and wait for the arrival of the other Idol and the man in charge of this project, Aoi settled down calmly into on of the chairs in the room. Gazing absentmindedly around the room, he briefly glanced down at his phone as it buzzed with more messages. Until he was joined, he supposed he could read a bit of what his friends had to say.

[Akira&Shiki]

The blonde girl giggled, hiding her pink lips as her laughter escaped her mouth. "You're so funny, Eiji!"

 

Eiji let out a chuckle of satisfaction and slid his arm around her waist. Ever since he had joined Hijikata Hart Modeling, life was luxurious. He could support his mother back home and keep some money to spoil himself with! His face did help him out. Eiji and the girl crossed the buzzing street, trying to get away from the rain. They shielded themselves inside of a populist clothing store and waited for the rain to let up.

 

The blonde girl pointed at something behind Eiji, squealing in delight.

 

What now? Eiji thought, turning his head to see. His eyes widened when he noticed that he was the one that he was staring at. Right behind them was the a picture of Eiji, wearing a popular brand.

 

"You look great, Eiji!" the blonde exclaimed.

 

Eiji had to agree… he did look nice. From behind them, someone cleared his throat.

 

Eiji turned around to see his manager. He sighed… why did Riku-san have to show up now of all times?!

 

"Eiji-san," Riku-san said, placing his hand on Eiji's shoulder, "you need to be in the car… now."

 

Eiji sighed. "I know!"

 

Riku-san glowered at his model. As talented as he was, he had a lazy streak. And laziness would get you nowhere, especially as a model.

 

"Then come with me, now," Riku-san ordered.

 

Eiji gave up on arguing… Riku-san's orders were absolute. As soon as Riku got his hands on Eiji, he pulled him along through the rain and to his car. He threw Eiji in the back seat and got straight into the driver's seat.

 

"Where are we going?" Eiji asked from the backseat.

 

"Hijikata Hart Music," Riku answered.

 

"Music?" Eiji asked. "Why? I can't sing!"

 

Riku chuckled at that. "The producers thought that you'd look nice if you and Hijikata Hart Music's newest idol became public friends… or even enemies. It all depends on how you two get along, I guess. But I heard he's a talented kid. Please, Eiji, don't get on his nerves and please do take this seriously. Both of our jobs are on the line."

 

Eiji nodded. Yeah, he was Riku's source of income, so he couldn't mess this up. But still… this felt so boring. He just hoped that this idol was cool. As soon as they got to the company building, Riku rushed Eiji in and spoke to the woman at the front desk, then he ushered his model into the elevator.

[Yukio_of_the_Snow]

"Kamui-san?" an unfamiliar male voice called out from the doorway. Looking up from his phone, Aoi's aquamarine gaze landed on a tall, middle aged blonde man standing just inside the now closed door.

 

Rising to his feet with a smile on his face, Aoi bowed politely towards the other gentleman. "Toshiro-san, I persume? It's a pleasure being able to do business with you" Aoi greeted the man, tone equally as polite as his posture as he straightened once more. Amusement danced in those blue eyes the moment he took in that the man was bowing even further down than Aoi had.

 

"No no, it my absolute pleasure in doing business with you, Kamui-san! I was holding my breath until the last moment. To be honest, I didn't think your group's manager would let me have you for this project!" the golden haired man gushed quickly, straightening back up himself with a massive, excited smile on his older features.

 

"Please, just call me Aoi. There's no need for such formalities. And though I agree that Tatsuo can be a bit hard-headed, you shouldn't have worried so much. I was on-board with the project as soon as I heard" Aoi replied with a light hearted chuckle.

 

"Well if we are lowering the formalities, I'd prefer to be called Setsuna then" the man who had thought up of this project said happily. Striding over, he gestured for the the young Idol to take a seat again while he himself sat on the chair beside the talented singer. "Yes, Tatsuo-san is boarder line terrifying to handle. The knowledge that he is a former Idol as well makes trying to pull his boys away from almost like a task of walking on eggshells" Setsuna sighed out a response, passing a hand through slick strands of hair.

 

"You have my apologies for his behavior" Aoi chuckled, laughter sparkling in his eyes. As much as Aoi had come to love his manager as well as the rest of Celestial, he had to admit that Tatsuo was a handful. If one looked in the dictionary for overprotective-parent-figure, Tatsuo's name and picture would be right there. The man had brought together a group of boys that probably would never had mingled in the same group and created an amazing Idol formation out of them. Celestial owed the man practically their entire fame. Though Aoi had been quite a talented singer before he had joined Celestial, he would have never been able to find his heart again had it not been for Tatsuo's interference. So to be frank, it was no surprise their manager was as protective of them as he was.

 

"Why don't you tell me a little bit more about this project? Tatsuo told me a few details but he said it would be explained more thoroughly over here" Aoi persuaded the man calmly.

 

"Oh yes yes. Here, I printed some copies about what the project will entitle" Setsuna said, producing some papers from his briefcase and handing them to Aoi. "Essentially you'll be working with a model from Hijikata Hart Modelling. We want to see how well two Idols from completely different areas of entertainment can get along.....or not get along. If everything goes to plan, we had thoughts of making a music video with you two in it. Perhaps even go as far as holding a festival with guest appearance by the both of you" Setsuna explained calmly.

 

The blonde man pointed out a few things on the papers he had handed to Aoi. Together the pair discussed a few things here and there as they waited for the model and his manager arrived.

[Akira&Shiki]

The elevator ride was uneventful. Riku kept his eyes on his watch, timing how late they were. He hoped that their tardiness wouldn't anger anyone.

 

Riku turned to Eiji. "This is why you need to be serious!"

 

Eiji sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll be serious."

 

"You know you won't… don't even lie to me. I know you more than you know yourself, Eiji," Riku said, looking him.

 

He moved the dyed hair from Eiji's face and watched him with loving eyes. Riku cared for Eiji like a younger brother. He always had the younger model's back, even more so after Eiji joined Hijikata Hart Modeling. Being in show biz was like being in the jungle. And most people knew that.

 

"Now Eiji," Riku began, "you have to do everything that they tell you… just, if it doesn't feel right, call me and I'll have your back."

 

Eiji nodded. "I know…" He couldn't pay his mother's bills by playing around, now could he?

 

"So do what you need to do, okay?"

 

The elevator opened and they walked out into the hallway. Riku led Eiji to an open room. Two people, an older man and a guy around the same age as Eiji, sat in there.

 

"Oh, hello," Riku said. "Is this where Eiji is supposed to come?"

[Yukio_of_the_Snow]

Looking up when he heard a new voice at the door, Aoi curiously observed the pair that walked into the room. The older man he was positive he did not know, yet the blonde that appeared to be his age seemed a bit familiar to him. Glancing over when Setsuna stood up with a wide smile on his face, Aoi followed his example and stood up and though his smile was not as large, it was polite nonetheless.

 

"Ah, Riku-san! It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. Yes this is definitely where Nakahara-san should be" Setsuna greeted their new additions with a polite bow at the waist. Glancing beside him as Aoi dipped down respectively as well, Setsuna added "Let me get introductions going, shall I? Aoi-san, this is the model you'll be working with, Nakahara Eiji. And that is his manager, Riku-san". Turning to the other pair, Setsuna gestured politely to Aoi while saying "Gentlemen, this is Kamui Aoi. The singer I told you about, Riku-san".

 

Having already had his suspicions, Aoi couldn't help freezing for a moment as he was straightening up, at the mention of who would be his partner in this project. Though the name brought an uncomfortable lung in his stomach and made his heart skip a bit, Aoi kept a mask of pure profession on the moment he stood straight again. It had been a long time since he had last laid eyes on the other man across from him, but he couldn't allow that to mess with his mind. Not now at least.

 

"Riku-san, Nakahara-san it'll be my pleasure to work with both of you in this upcoming project. I'm sure we'll be able to accomplish much together. Our fans are depending on us, after all" Aoi stated softly, voice calm and perhaps friendly yet distant nonetheless.

 

Feeling a bit of tension coming out of the slender Idol beside him, Setsuna's gaze grew mildly concerned and confused but he wisely did not say anything for the moment. Instead he dug through his bag again to produce another packages of papers to hand to Riku and Eiji while saying "As I was saying to Aoi-san moments ago, those papers are what essentially will be of the project we're going to be working on".

[Akira&Shiki]

Eiji met the eyes of this new idol. His heart sunk and he balled his hands into fists. Wait… why was…?

 

Riku noticed Eiji's sudden change and he put his hand on his shoulder.

 

"Please, Eiji-san, please don't act up," Riku said.

 

Well I won't act up around this guy, Eiji thought to himself. It was like fate was giving him a big slap to the face. He had purposely…! So why? Why?

 

Eiji swallowed whatever he was feeling and bowed to Aoi and Toshiro-san. Just looking at Aoi again made his heart ache. But he wasn't going to let that get in the way of his career. He just numbed the pain and smiled fakely.

 

"I am Nakahara Eiji. It's nice meeting you, Toshiro-san, Kamui-kun," he said, his voice sounding suddenly monotoned.

 

Riku bowed after him. "Again, thank you for agreeing to use Eiji-kun."

 

After the introduction, Toshiro-san gave Riku and Eiji some papers. Eiji's mind was elsewhere, so he just blankly stared at the papers.

 

Riku looked over the papers. "Oh, reasonable, hm. I like this idea." Riku's blue eyes turned to Eiji. "Does Toshiro-san have to explain it to you?"

 

Eiji nodded, a little solemnly. He needed to peek up, even if it were a little bit! This was nothing like him!

[Yukio_of_the_Snow]

Forcing himself not to winch in the way Nakahara had said his name, Aoi merely turned his gaze down at the paper in his hands again. To say he felt suddenly uncomfortable about the whole thing was an understatement. Where Nakahara had his manager there to support him, Aoi had no one he trusted during this time of shock. Setsuna-san was nice enough, but Aoi wasn't about to appear unprofessional around the man. That being said, Aoi did the only thing he knew how.

 

He acted like a professional Idol. Donning on a impenetrable mask for the sake of shielding the ache he was experiencing.

 

"Yes, as I told Aoi-san. The goal for this project is to eventually have a video released to the audience starring the two of you. Not only that, but if we get lucky, we are also considering having a festival by the end of this project in which you will both be appearing as guest stars" Setsuna explained to Riku-san and Nakahara-san.

 

Glancing between the two Idols quickly, Setsuna hesitated before saying "If that's all alright with the two of you. I believe we'll have to create scheduales for which times you'll be able to come here and work together".

 

Refusing to let his eyes land on Eiji for too long, Aoi glanced at Setsuna while saying "I'm fine coming in during most evening hours. Mornings are usually reserved for my time in Celestial. The group has a new album coming out and I myself am also working on an individual album for this coming month. Anything past 3pm is fine with me, I'm sure Tatsuo won't put in a protest in having me here".

 

Though most celebrities did not talk in such familiar terms with their managers, Aoi didn't bother in adding any formalities to Tatsuo's last name. He knew by heart that the man didn't like it when it came out of his boys. Even if they did annoy him with it from time to time.

"Alright, we can work with that. How about you, Riku-san? Nakahara-san? What times would be alright with you?" Setsuna asked after jotting a few notes down in his pad.

 

Glancing over at the other pair, Aoi kept his gaze cool and collected as he waited to hear an answer.

[Akira&Shiki]

Eiji nodded. So these people wanted He and Aoi to be friendly again. It wasn't so hard. But it hurt rather badly. And he didn't want to admit it, but after going through this, he might have real problems. Probably with himself and Aoi.

 

Riku cleared his throat and recited Eiji's entire schedule. "Eiji's schedule is not very flexible this month. But, he will be able to come by in the evenings as well. Just be warned, he may have last minute photoshoit, if that is fine with you all."

 

Eiji masked his uneasiness, but he still felt even more dejected when he heard that he was going to be there with Aoi. And it wasn't like he disliked the singer. In fact, he was very fond of him. He just felt… very guilty and awkward. He always tried to seem nonchalant and easygoing, but at that moment, it was utterly impossible. He just couldn't.

 

Riku's work cell phone rang and he excused himself, walking out the door and to the hallway. Eiji looked at his manager's back as he was left alone in the place he didn't want to be in. He turned back to Aoi and Toshiro-san.

 

Eiji looked at his watch, then back to Toshiro-san. "What will I need to do first? And when will it be? Because I have a big photo shoot coming up…"

 

He felt so nervous and uncool. Maybe he didn't show his nervousness, but he surely felt it.

 

Right on cue, Riku walked back in and gave Eiji a smile. "You'll be fine. I talked to the photographer. He said that he'll happily postpone for you."

[Yukio_of_the_Snow]

"As long as myself or Tatsuo are called ahead of time to cancel coming here when Nakahara-san is busy, then you will have no issues from my end" Aoi said calmly. He knew how busy each of their lives could get so he wouldn't hold it against them if they had to cancel a day of the project. It wouldn't be able to be helped after all.

 

"I'll be sure to do that, Aoi-san" Setsuna replied, flashing the long haired Idol a friendly smile, relaxing even further when a warm smile was returned in his direction.

 

As the pair watched Riku-san leave, Setsuna turned his eyes back on Nakahara-san while Aoi once again lowered his eyes to the papers in his hands. "We'll take things slowly at first, Nakahara-san. It would be best for you to familiarize eachother with the other's routine in life. Perhaps one week you can come watch Aoi-san work developing his music videos and albums and the next week, Aoi-san will come observe your photoshots. That way you'll get a bit more comfortable around the other Idol and perhaps even get more ideas to put into the project" Setsuna replied, tone calm and soothing. It seemed that he was trying to dispel the unease circling the room.

 

Smiling when Riku-san came back into the room, Setsuna cheerfully exclaimed "That's great news, Riku-san! I'm happy to hear that". Glancing at both key members to the project one more time, the man turned his attention back on Riku while suggesting "How about I show you a few of the places most of the development of the project will take place, Riku-san? Perhaps we could leave Aoi-san and Nakahara-san in here so they can get to know eachother a bit more before we kick this off?".

 

Though Aoi wanted to scoff of the mention of it, he felt his eyes widen a bit as he glanced startled at Setsuna's suggestion. Nevertheless, Aoi recovered his composure with a soft exhale of breath as he waited to hear what the other's manager would say.

[Akira&Shiki]

Hearing Toshiro-san's suggestion, Eiji looked at him in shock, then at Riku, pleading his manager not to leave him. He didn't want to stay here, alone with Aoi. He wouldn't… no, he couldn't. It just felt so weird and so surreal. To think that the person that was so important to him in the past…

 

Riku looked at Eiji and gave a reassuring smile. "Of course, Toshiro-san. That's a great idea."

 

Eiji's heart skipped a beat. What was he expected to do? Finally, he looked at the two older men and waited.

 

Riku looked at Eiji again, but this time, he lowered his voice so that only Eiji could hear. "Please, Eiji. Please don't mess this up."

 

Eiji gave a stiff nod. Ugh! He hated this!

 

Riku turned to Toshiro-san again and nodded. "Let's go then."

[Yukio_of_the_Snow]

Watching Setsuna leave with Riku, Aoi felt a short burst of panic hit him. A small childish part of him wanted to reach out and cling to the other man's shirt or follow him out just so he wouldn't have to stay in the same room as Eiji. Another part wished Tatsuo would walk into the room at that moment and save him from having to be here as well. A larger part of himself though, one that had been trained to act properly in this world, knew that this wasn't how an Idol behaved.

 

Taking a deep breath, Aoi gracefully sunk into the chair that he had been sitting in earlier. Passing a hand through a few strands of loose hair, he steeled himself for the next few minutes. The same part that wanted to follow Setsuna out the room now wanted to just look at Eiji and take him in after all the years they had been apart. He wanted to reach out and touch him. Even if it was just his hand. To assure himself he was real. No matter how much it hurt to be in the same room as him. Yet he knew he had no right to do that.....At least not anymore.

 

Doing the next best thing he could think of, Aoi pulled out his phone and strolled through a few messages absentmindedly. No matter how much he wanted to remain silent though, he knew that wouldn't work.

 

"How have you been, Nakahara-san?" Aoi finally steeled himself long enough to ask. His voice did not come out as monotone as he would have liked, it had a bit of a waver in it, but it was better than nothing.

 

"I've seen you've made quite a name for yourself lately. Your fan base has certainly grown.....I'm glad for you" he commented light heartedly. For now, he'd stick on making casual conversation.

[Akira&Shiki]

Eiji watched as his manager and the other man walked out of the room, leaving he and Aoi alone. He knew that Riku expected him to stay and behave himself, so he had no other choice. He looked at the door a couple of more seconds, then finally closed his eyes and relaxed.

 

But he couldn't do that much after Aoi spoke to him. Eiji was terribly surprised. It was like he had expected the room to stay silent until the two men came back. Hearing Aoi's question, Eiji's heart skipped a beat.

 

"Hm?" he responded, trying his very best to sound nonchalant. "I've actually been doing well. And you?"

 

Well that was a lie! Ever since four years ago, Eiji felt like crap. Maybe it was guilt, or maybe just the separation hurt him too much. or maybe it was embarrassment? He met the eyes of Aoi and tried his best to remain calm and collected. But his eyes gave him away.

 

He looked at the poster behind Aoi. "I guess that we have to get along one way or another. It's hard, I know, but let's get this over with." Eiji handed his cell phone to Aoi. "My number changed, so put in your number."

 

It felt embarrassing and it hurt a lot, but Eiji felt that he needed to grow up to get this job done.

[Yukio_of_the_Snow]

"I've been fine as well" Aoi responded as calmly as he could muster his voice to be. The hands playing with his phone shook a bit but Aoi refused to acknowledge that. He wasn't as unfeeling as he portrayed himself to be. Being in this close proximity with Eiji was affecting him greatly but he refused to allow that to show. What would it help anyways?

 

Looking up when Eiji held out his phone, Aoi's heart sank at the notice that the man wasn't even looking at him. Holding back a heavy sigh, Aoi reached out and lightly took the model's phone all the while holding his own phone out as well.

 

"That's a new phone, so you might as well put in your number too" he commented lightly, fingers already flying over the keypad as he saved his number onto the device he held. Once he was done, Aoi held out the phone towards it's proper owner again and waited for the other man to do the same.

 

Keeping his eyes firmly forward, Aoi stayed silent for a few long moments before actually releasing the sigh he had been holding in. Things wouldn't work if they kept this tense air around them. Alot had happened between them and they were both hurt but at least one of them had to try to work through it. No matter how hard it was and how much the ache grew inside him.

 

"Eiji...." Aoi finally said, forcing himself not to winch at the sound of his name leaving his lips again. "If this is going to work, we can't keep acting like this. Setsuna-san has already realized something is up and I'm sure Riku-san knows as well" he murmured softly.

 

"What happened between us is no one's fault. You shouldn't feel guilty nor should I. We had no choice in the matter and breaking off was the best thing we could have done....our hands were tied, you know that. Beating ourselves up over it won't change what happened" he said softly, trying to get both of them, not just Eiji, to understand.

[Akira&Shiki]

Eiji nodded, listening to Aoi. As much as it hurt, he was right. He was right and there was no helping it. Eiji took Aoi's phone and typed in his number, looking at the orher's phone screen. He finally looked up to Aoi and gave a timid smile. It hurt to look at him, but he had to do it.

 

Eiji handed Aoi his phone and kept his eyes glued on the singer. "You're right. You're so right. I guess that we've got to get out of the past."

 

He clicked his tongue and looked at his cell phone. No one texted him. Though he continued to flirt, he never got serious after he and Aoi had broken up. But whatever…

 

Eiji looked at Aoi again. "How is the band going? I heard you guys are releasing a new album."

 

As much as he hated to admit it, Eiji still listened to Aoi like the fan that he secretly was. Thinking about his favorite song by Aoi and his band, he smirked to himself and actually got comfortable. Wow, he was really feeling comfortable. Was it because of Aoi's last words?

[Yukio_of_the_Snow]

"Take a seat then. It's not like you're going to grow anymore than that" Aoi said warmly, getting a bit more comfortable in his own chair. To know that Eiji understood and agreed with what he had said was a relief. That way neither of them would put up a larger struggled against the other. They could behave like colleagues and get this new job done. And when it was over? Who knew. If things were meant to stay this way, then they would both go their separate ways again. But at least they wouldn't have any tension between them anymore.

 

Chuckling when he heard Eiji click his tongue after taking his phone back, Aoi shook his head while commenting "No messages for you? My, I'm surprised that your popularity has gone down". His voice was teasing and light though he couldn't help but feel jealousy course through him at the thought of Eiji with someone else. It wasn't right, Aoi had no claim on the man anymore, but he just couldn't help but feel what he did.

 

"The band is doing fine. We've been quite busy working on that album you mentioned. With my time divided between them and Celestial, things have been stressful and hectic but we've been managing" Aoi answered, smiling a bit at the thought of it.

 

At the beginning, Aoi didn't know how he'd be able to handle the task of two different jobs. Being the lead singer in a famously adored band was one thing, also joining a group of amazingly talented male singers and performing with them in concerts and guest appearances was another. It made for having very limited free time or time to rest, but they all managed. Tatsuo was an excellent manager and he knew how to balance everything for every member of Celestial.

 

"How about you? How has your modelling career gone? I've seen you've landed a few popular photoshots with famous cloths lines" Aoi said, lifting his gaze from where he had been answering a message to look at Eiji.

 

Just like the other man, he hated to admit it but he had been keeping tabs on Eiji as well. Buying every magazine the other man came out in and listening to the news of his many other achievements. He was something that he just couldn't help but doing.

[Akira&Shiki]

Eiji heard the other's teasing and exclaimed, "No one texts me because they're not allowed to!"

 

His defense was a lie. He really just had no one to call or text him. But he didn't mind that. He didn't think he was ready for an actual relationship.

 

But just talking to Aoi made him feel at ease. He was glad that he got the chance to settle whatever tension that either of them had previously held. It felt refreshing, almost like a good old hot bath.

 

When he heard Aoi's question about modeling, Eiji smiled, showing how content with himself he was.

 

"Oh, me? Well it's been doing good, per say. There's a photo shoot in Paris that Riku booked me for. And then I'm supposed to host some new talent show on TV, I believe. They're trying to throw me in everything so that I can get more publicity. They're even trying to get me to act in a commercial." Eiji sighed. "I'm not an actor. See me now? I can barely keep a straight face."

 

That was truly how he felt. He felt like he was looking like a wreck in front of Aoi… or at least very nervous. He couldn't act, and instead, he thought that he wore his emotions on his sleeve. That's why things must have felt awkward.

 

"But… it's not like I have much of a choice…" Eiji said. "I have to do what the producers say, ya know?"

 

After all, Eiji had to support his mother.

 

Aoi always talked about how generous his manager was. And Eiji was envious of him. Yes, Riku was a great manager, but Riku bent to the will of the producers of Hijikata Hart Modeling. And that barely gave Eiji any freedom.

 

He turned to the singer. "Hey, so what should we do to make this entire thing a success?"

[Yukio_of_the_Snow]

Unable to help himself, Aoi found himself smiling at Eiji's exclaimed defense. "I'm sure..." he mussed in a tone that could almost be playful "Well if that's the case, then it's better off for you. You don't need distractions from your job". Had anyone been listening in, the way Aoi spoke was almost as if he was speaking to an old friend. In a way, he was but he was still being careful. There was so much more between them than old friendship so he was threading on thin ice, nervous yet determined to make this partnership work.

 

Watching Eiji tell him about how his career was going, the small warm smile on Aoi's face never changed. "It's a good thing they're giving you a bit of everything. They're opening you up to other paths you can take aside from modeling.....new opportunities are always a good thing" he said calmly before adding "Acting isn't too hard, Nakahara-san. You just need to practice and get better at it. Us singers act almost everyday of our lives. If it's not in videos, then it's during our many guest appearances or our concerts. Once you get used to creating new personas, everything will run smoothly".

 

The air might have been lighter, however, Aoi was still addressing Eiji as politely as he could. After all, he didn't want to cause irritation in the model and ruin the good atmosphere. For a split moment, Aoi considering offering to teach Eiji how to act, but he pushed that thought down. It probably wasn't for the best either way.

 

"Perhaps you should talk to your manager about trying to cut you some slack" he suggested instead, keeping his tone light and friendly throughout it all.

 

"I think we should do as Setsuna-san said. Get to know eachother a bit and learn to work around the other. Spend time in each other's work place. Observe how the other likes to do things, and work off that" Aoi replied thoughtfully, a small frown touching his features and turning them quite pensive.

 

"We could organize some talk show appearances as well. Perhaps just to let the general public know a hint about the project we're currently about to invest our time in. Our fans could provide us with interesting ideas of which we could play around with and see if we can fit them in. There would be no harm in that" he said. It was clear that though he was still be friendly, he was taking the thoughts about their job seriously.

[Akira&Shiki]

Eiji listened carefully. Aoi's suggestions were right on point, like usual. This was crazy. How could things feel so right even though they both knew that it just couldn't happen. Life hasn't allowed them to be together. So why did it bring them together now?

 

Eiji gave a quick smile when he thought about them "getting to know each other". That was so weird. Did they not already know each other? Or did these four years tear them apart that badly? Did they change that much in just four years? Four years were small in a while lifetime. Yet people could change in such a short time.

But Eiji didn't express these thoughts. He kept them to himself.

 

Even after hearing Aoi explain acting to him, he smiled again.

 

"You know what? You always make good points. If you weren't a singer, I think you'd make a great lawyer or something," Eiji said. "But either way, you're a great singer."

 

And that was truly his opinion. Aoi was a talented man. He didn't think that there was a person alive that could be better than him. Eiji watched Aoi as he explained his thoughts, creating quite a clear picture for him. He nodded his head in agreement to what Aoi suggested.

 

"I agree," Eiji said, clicking his tongue again and nodding. "We might as well. Plus, Toshiro-san would love to have more publicity on this project… well at least I think so. There're tons of different things we can do with this project alone… Plus, it'll be profitable for Hijikata Hart as a whole."

 

Just after he finished explaining that, he looked at his watch and gasped. Oh shoot! He was about to be late to a photoshoot!

Right on cue, Riku appeared, looking tired and frantic.

 

"Eiji-kun, let's go. It's about time to leave," Riku said, beckoning the model.

 

Eiji looked at Aoi and a thought popped in his head.

 

"Hey, Aoi… I mean Kamui-san, would you like to come watch this photo shoot? Well, that's if you're free?"

[Yukio_of_the_Snow]

"A lawyer, huh?" Aoi mussed clearly amused by the grin that appeared on his face at Eiji's words. The thought had crossed his mind on occasion on how his life would have been different had he not become a singer. He would have never been thrown into such a crazy world and he would have never met the people who he loved now.....No, Aoi was sure he would have hated his life if he hadn't followed him childhood dreams. More so, his father was quite the lawyer so the young Idol preferred to stay away from that field of business.

 

"Well I think I'd hate myself if I hadn't chosen to become a singer. This is the life I wanted. But thank you for the compliment, Eiji" Aoi replied in a warm, affectionate tone of voice and before he could stop himself he added "You're making a hell of a Model yourself, you should be proud of that. I know I am".

 

Even from the start of their relationship before the whole break up, Aoi always thought Eiji was amazing. His motives, the way he handled himself during a photo shot. It always made a warmth grow in him. Pride and perhaps even love had always swelled in him as he watched the blonde do his thing. When they had split up, a part of him had died knowing he wouldn't be able to reach out to the model anymore.

 

However, now fate seemed to be giving them another chance. Even if Aoi truly did not know what to do with it.

 

"That's true" Aoi nodded to what Eiji had said about his ideas. The more they worked together, the more the publicity would grow and it would be better off in the end for this company. There was absolutely no denying that.

 

Looking up when Riku-san walked into the room to usher Eiji out, Aoi blinked up at Eiji at the man's sudden suggestion. Opening his mouth to reply, a new voice entered their conversation.

 

"Is he free for what?" A deep, montone, cold voice echoed into the room as as tall man walked in. Dressed in a business suit that did nothing to hide the intimidating air he projected, Tatsuo Sousuke was a force to be reckoned with. His icy blue gaze could pierce through anyone's mask without much effort. The man's unruly gray hair, though still almost projecting an image of youth in him, was also a tale tell sign of his wild nature.

 

For the most part, Tatsuo was easy enough to handle, as long as no one touched or even looked at his boys wrong. Then he became the human equivalent of a protective mother bear. Or perhaps a massive lion protecting his cubs....Who knew. One thing was for sure, the man was downright scary.

 

That didn't stop the snort of amusement that came out of Aoi when he caught sight of Setsuna-san's pale appearance behind Tatsuo.

 

"Nakahara-san was kind enough to invite me to one of his photoshots, Tatsuo.....Do you think we could spare some time and check it out" Aoi answered cheerfully, smiling up at the taller man with growing amusement in his eyes at the sight of the fierce scowl on Tatsuo's face when he glanced over to Eiji and Riku-san.

 

After studying the pair silently in an intense fashion for a few seconds, Tatsuo finally crossed his arms and released a simple "Tsk" before looking back over at his Idol. "We have another hour and a half free of anything, we might as well get you acquainted with your new partner" he said in quite a dismissing manner.

 

Chuckling at the behavior he had become accustomed to already concerning his manager, Aoi glanced back at the other two. Flashing them a small, polite smile, Aoi rose from his chair in an amazingly graceful way while saying "Well, lead the way you two. We wouldn't want you to be late".

[Akira&Shiki]

The sudden appearance of the self procclaimed Tatsuo sent chills down Eiji and Tiku's spines. They both knew how powerful this guy was and if they pissed him off, how much they could lose. On a personal level, Eiji had a great dislike for the intimidating man. But on a business level, he respected him.

 

Riku, on the other hand, didn't know what to think. The dismissing gaze of the other manager caused his skin to crawl and his heart rate to quicken. After all, he was tather new as a manager and not quite "seasoned". And anyone could tell that.

 

Riku cleared his throat and beckoned Eiji and Aoi out of the room and into the hallway. Eiji watched his manager as he stopped and ruffled his own brown hair.

 

He addressed Tatsuo. "Tatsuo-san, will you be coming as well?"

 

Once they were seated in Riku's car, Riku's cell phone rang. The manager looked at it and sighed.

 

"Who is it?" Eiji asked, seeing the apparent discontent on his manager's face.

 

"It's your stepfather," he answered.

 

Eiji groaned. "What the hell…?"

 

"Should I answer?" Riku asked.

 

"Of course!" the blonde snapped back.

 

Riku answered. "Hello?"

 

"Riku? Where is Eiji-chan?" his stepfather asked. It was on speakerphone for all to hear.

 

Riku looked at the model. "In the back seat. I'm driving, sir."

 

Though that was a lie. They were in a still car.

 

"Well please hurry him over here," the stepfather said, giving an impatient sigh.

 

"Over here? Keisuke-san… are you at the photoshoot?" Riku sounded a tad worried.

 

Keisuke, Eiji's stepfather grunted in the phone. "Of course! Now hurry it up."

 

He hung up, leaving a silence in the car. Riku looked at Eiji, who gave a slow and unsure nod. Riku started the car and pulled off. Two years ago, Eiji's mother remarried to a rich man, Keisuke Nomura, a reknown philanthropist, retired model, and owner of major corporations. He was one of the reasons that Eiji's fame skyrocketed. Without that man, he wouldn't have been in that car going to a photo shoot with his ex.

 

But Keisuke Nomura was quite controlling. He liked to know what jobs his stepson was doing and how he was doing them. He obsessed whether the jobs he took would pay enough money. But why was a multi billionaire worried about money? Because that was on his brain 24/7.

 

Eiji frowned. He disliked it when Keisuke came to the photo shoots. The atmosphere would be serious and sharp and no one would feel comfortable. He looked at Aoi and gave a quick apology. There wasn't much he could do now.

[Yukio_of_the_Snow]

"Of course I'll be coming, my Idols don't leave my sight for long" Tatsuo replied nonchalantly as Aoi sighed and shook his head beside him in exasperation. He would have rolled his eyes but that wouldn't have been very professional.

 

There were times where Aoi wondered what Tatsuo would have really done if the whole of Celestial had actually been his blood children. Heavens knew that the man treated them like his "brats" either way. Aoi didn't mind really, but he knew others would have thought working under such an intimidating man overbearing. The long haired Idol scoffed at those people though. They didn't understand how amazing it was to have Tatsuo as a manager.

 

Though no one really ever noticed, he did baby Celestial from time to time. As long as they got their jobs done when they should, he indulged them. Let them do whatever they pleased while only murmuring half-hearted protests. They had Tatsuo wrapped around their little fingers and anyone would have thought that to be a miracle in itself. Not every knew how to handle such a powerful man.

 

Sitting beside his manager in the Riku's car, Aoi placed his hands neatly on his lap while Tatsuo pulled out his phone and began to scroll through things on it. Both glanced over though when Riku answered the phone and put it on speaker. Neither liking the idea of hearing the voice on the other end of the call.

 

Aoi had heard plenty of Keisuke Nomura. From his fame to when he had taken on a new wife 2 years ago. Through his contacts he had learned that the woman he had married was in fact Eiji's mother and though he had been a bit confused about the matter at hand, he didn't question it much. Especially when he saw Keisuke's presence benefiting Eiji.

 

In truth, Aoi had never really met the man face to face to know whether he liked him or not. His opinion of him was thus far neutral.

Tatsuo on the other hand, nearly loathed the man. As far as Aoi understood, Tatsuo and Keisuke had once had a friendship of sorts. Then something had happened to cause a massive fall out between them and though they had had run ins throughout the years, Tatsuo never truly forgave Keisuke for whatever he had done.

 

Aoi didn't try to pry much as he didn't see it affecting Tatsuo on a daily basis, but he did pity Keisuke a bit. When Tatsuo didn't like you, he really didn't like you. And the man knew how to hold grudges over years without end.

 

Feeling his manager stiffen beside him, Aoi glanced over at him before reaching out and placing a soothing hand on his arm. He knew it wasn't much, but perhaps his presence alone can calm the man he saw as almost a father and at times, even an older brother figure.

 

Smiling to himself when the tension in Tatsuo seemed to fade, Aoi glanced over at Eiji and smiled kindly at him.

 

"Don't worry about it, Nakahara-san. It can't be helped. Besides, it's really not a big deal" he said calmly, trying to reassure the model that all was alright.

[Akira&Shiki]

Eiji frowned to Aoi, then softened his frown. He looked out the window.

 

"Well this will be fun!" His voice dripped with clear sarcasm, which was not professional at all, but he didn't care.

 

He really disliked Keisuke.

 

Riku stopped the car and opened the door for the three in the back. He wanted to rush Eiji in since they were late, but he had two guests as well. Why did Eiji invite them?!

Riku showed them inside while busy talking on his cell phone. As soon as Eiji stepped inside, hairdressers, designers, and stage crew, pulled him away into the back to get him ready. Eiji didn't mind having people pamper him. In fact, he liked it. The people who worked on photo shoots respected him and liked him and he appreciated that. A woman with light grey hair pulled Eiji to the side amidst the confusion and explained the setup to him. As that conversation was going on, Riku and his two guests were firmly approached by Keisuke Nomura.

 

He was a man that exuded an air of confidence. His hair was greying despite the fact that he dyed it, and his eyes were a captivating hazel. He wore an expensive looking suit with the initials E.N. on it. He casually wore a smile on his lips as he greeted the managers and idol.

 

"Riku-san," Keisuke said, smiling the manager's way. "Where is Eiji-chan?"

 

Ugh… chan… What was the point of that girly and childish endearment?

 

Riku pointed to the back. "He's getting ready."

 

Keisuke looked at Aoi and extended his hand. "Oh? And what is an aspiring singer of Celestial doing here, hm? He mustn't be trying to take my Eiji's job."

 

Riku growled in disgust. He seriously disliked this man…

 

Then Keisuke turned to Tatsuo. His smile weakened, but never disappeared.

 

"Oh, Tatsuo-kun. How has life been?" He didn't sound like he cared, in fact, he sounded provocative.

[Yukio_of_the_Snow]

Following the pair into where the photo shoot would be taking place, Aoi watched Eiji get dragged off with a small frown. Though he would have preferred to remain able to talk to the model a bit more, he knew the man was here to do a job. They were mere spectators in this, and it would be best if they didn't get in the way to much.

 

Having been standing beside Tatsuo looking around curiously, Aoi looked towards the sound of an unfamiliar voice when it addressed Riku-san. A tingle of annoyance swept up his spine at the childish endearment that was placed at the end of Eiji's name yet despite that, his expression remained indifferent and calm.

 

Smiling politely at the man he assumed to be Keisuke, Aoi took hold of the extended hand and gave it a small but firm shake before letting go once more. "Of course not, Nomura-san. It truly is quite surprising you would think something of the sort" Aoi replied easily enough. "I am quite content in my own field, modeling has no appeal to me. My hands are quite full handling my individual music and my music within Celestial. I have no need of anything else. At the moment I'm merely observing my new partner work, as was recommended of me" he added after a moment, giving the older man a carefree shrug.

 

Shooting a glance at Tatsuo when Keisuke's attention landed on him, Aoi held his breath and waited to here what would come out of the man's lips.

 

Exasperation hit the young singer when his manager merely scoffed and glared at the other man. "It's been fine.....Mind your own damn business" was the growl that came out of Tatsuo and it took everything for Aoi not to sag his shoulders in defeat.

 

He should have known Tatsuo wouldn't care about making good impressions. Like he had thought before, when Tatsuo didn't like you, he really didn't like you. And he let the world know. Yet that was something Aoi couldn't help but admire about the man. He was nearly untouchable, so he had nothing to be afraid of in the end.

[Akira&Shiki]

Hearing Tatsuo's response, Keisuke let out a chuckled and said, "My, my. You're as pleasant as ever."

 

Then Keisuke turned to Aoi. "I was only teasing you."

 

He immediately turned his back to them and went off to talk to other people. Riku exhaled in relief now that his boss was gone. What an annoying man!

 

Eiji stood in the back as a woman handed him the four sets of outfits he would be wearing. That was weird… Riku told him that he would be modeled in five outfits.

 

"Where's the fifth?" Eiji asked.

 

The woman fixed her glasses. "Did Riku-kun not tell you? It's a swimsuit, and the photographer wants to take the pictures on the beach."

 

Eiji sighed. No Riku did not tell him! He was going to have some words with his manager afterwards! Riku knew that Eiji hated water like the ocean! That's why he never told him anything! After getting into his first outfit, Eiji was rushed out to the set. The blinding lights caused him to squint, but his eyes soon adjusted.

 

He looked at Riku, pouted, then turned to Aoi and smiled. Aoi seemed to be watching the workings of a photo shoot. Eiji was glad that Aoi came. If he hadn't, what was he going to do? Just wait until the next time they met? Wonder what Aoi thought of him? A girl's voice caused Eiji to stop staring at Aoi.

 

"Eiji-kun?" she asked.

 

Eiji turned from Aoi to see a gorgeous girl. This must have been the girl he was modeling with.

 

He smiled and took her hand. "And how may I help you?"

 

The girl giggled. "I'm your partner today. My name is Nami."

 

Eiji brought her hand to his lips. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

 

Nami smiled. "Oh, but you're handsome yourself!"

 

Well yeah. Eiji knew that.

 

"Hm? So why don't we commemorate our good looks over dinner?" Eiji asked.

 

But before Nami could answer, someone cleared his throat. Eiji looked up to see Keisuke, his stepfather.

 

"I'm sorry, Nami-san, but Eiji-chan won't be having dinner with you until after he retires," Keisuke said.

 

Eiji frowned at his stepfather. "But Keisuke-san… I'm an adult."

 

Keisuke nodded. "Even more so. You have to work, do you not? We can't have a simple girl mess up your career, now do we?"

 

Eiji looked at the ground. "We don't."

[Yukio_of_the_Snow]

"Hn" was the only response Tatsuo offered Keisuke as the man walked away from them. The firm scowl on his lips never fading an inch.

 

"You could have been nicer you know" Aoi sighed, passing his hand through his hair in a clearly defeated manner.

 

"He and I have no need to speak at all. It would be a waste of breath and effort to be nice to him. Besides, I'd rather shoot my own foot than to do so anyways" Tatsuo replied nonchalantly.

 

Rolling his eyes and shaking his head as his manager's antics, Aoi glanced around once more. Though he himself often had costume people, makeup artists, hairdressers, and all the more waiting backstage during concerts and during music video filmings, Aoi has never been to such a place that had all this for models.

 

Feeling someone's eyes on him, the singer turned his attention in the direction he thought he was being watched from and locked eyes with Eiji. Tilting his head to one side in a mildly questioning manner, the man wondered what his ex found so interesting about him.

 

Though he didn't want to admit it to himself, he did enjoy feeling the model's eyes on him.

 

Frowning when a breathtaking girl approached the man, Aoi couldn't help the jealousy that surged through when Eiji brought the girl's hand to his lips for a kiss.

 

Feeling his hands curl into fists, Aoi gritted his teeth and he tried to shove his jealousy down.

 

Why was he feeling like this? They weren't even together anymore. Hell the last time they had been in close proximity with one another had been 4 years ago when they had first broken off. He had no reason, no right to feel the wave of jealousy.....jealousy and hurt that hit him.

 

But he couldn't help it.

 

"You alright, kid?" Tatsuo's voice brought Aoi back from the depths of his turbulent emotions. The man knew very well the history between Aoi and Eiji and though he didn't make it a habit to press Aoi about it, he did worry from time to time.

 

"I'm fine" Aoi practically spat out before closing his eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to force himself back into his calm state. Seeing Keisuke approach the model, Aoi flickered a glance over at Tatsuo to see his manager rolled his eyes and begin to stride forward. Aoi was quick to follow him.

 

Catching the tail end of what Keisuke had said to his son, Aoi's jealousy quickly mixed with a strange urge to want to defend his ex. Perhaps not in the best way and perhaps not in a manner that would help his jealousy, but at the moment he didn't care. His anger had turned into the cool detachment he valued best in the world of Idols.

 

Clearing his throat lightly as he stopped beside Tatsuo who surveyed the scene under cold, calm eyes, Aoi smiled charmingly at the group. "I'd hate to contradict you, Nomura-san. However, I don't see the harm in Nakahara-san's interest in this girl. Multiple well known entertainers have managed perfectly well even with the distraction of personal relationships.....In fact, some have even prospered from them. Isn't that right, Sousuke?" Aoi commented, looking over at his manager. Not batting an eye as he addressed the man by his first name in a completely casual manner.

 

Keeping his silence for a few moments longer, Tatsuo finally dipped his head in agreement. "There's no harm in fooling around as long as the brat keeps his head on his shoulders. Some people go as far as recommending it to their brats" he mussed calmly, tone as montone and emotionless as it always was when he was talking to people he cared nothing for.

 

Nodding at his manager's words, Aoi shoot the group one more charm filled smile, those who knew him well however, would know it was completely fake.

 

"Please, allow Nakahara-san to do as he wishes while we are here, Nomura-san. I was sent to observe how he handles himself at work and should you be constricting his motions, then it would be a completely nonprofitable experience. I wouldn't want to talk to the owner of the Hijikata corporation and have to explain to the man why our partnership just doesn't seem to be working. I'm sure it would not only disheartened him but it would devastate the millions fans that are eager for this project to take flight.....I'm sure you wouldn't want to take responsibility for that" Aoi concluded in a tone that was as smooth as velvet and a polite as one could ask. Yet as frigid as an artic breeze blowing by.

 

Turning his attention on Eiji, he inclined his head at the man briefly. His eyes distant and closed off from any emotion, despite the ever present smile on his face. "Nakahara-san, please continue as you were. We're eager to watch you in your element. I'm sure you won't let us down" he added lastly, before turning on his heel and striding elegantly away.

 

Smirking quietly in amusement, Tatsuo turned and followed after his Idol quickly enough.

 

"I didn't think you had it in you to talk down to someone like that" he chuckled when he reached Aoi's side.

 

Flashing his manager a genuine grin, Aoi shrugged while saying "I guess I'm taking things off your book now, huh?".

 

As a pair, they headed over to where some seats had been placed for them.