First Fic!
Title: Realism in Acting (1/?)
Fandom: Tantei Gakuen Q
Pairing: KyuuxRyuu (this has nothing to do with dominance in their relationship)
Warnings: Possibilities of future violence, swearing, and mature content -- yes, two boys are in love, deal with it.
Rating: PG-13, possibly PG-15 or higher in future chapters
Summary: Ryuu comes clean about his orientation, and Kyuu and Kinta have some revealing to do as well. However, right when Megu, Kinta and Kazuma are ready to launch a teasing attack, Nanami-sensei informs them of their next mission -- investigate a threatening letter sent to a director. But to make sure no one is harmed, they're going to have to go backstage and on the set.
Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Tantei Gakuen Q, don't be silly. All production companies, directors, actors, references to T.V. shows, and movies are false. This disclaimer goes for all future chapters, and I might add some more on. So leave me alone, dammit! I don't have enough money for you to sue me!
If there's anything about it that needs to be fixed or you would like to point out, I love comments! ^____^
Chapter One: Telepathy
Circling the crime scene, Megu barely paid attention to the chaos around her. As techs scoured the room for anything they could bag and send to forensics, the gifted detective watched her friends interact. Kinta and Kazuma were so annoying sometimes, especially to each other, yet they worked together masterfully when it was necessary. But that was normal, and there was nothing overly special about it. They were best friends, after all, whether they knew it or not. It was Renjou Kyuu and Amakusa Ryuu that really caught Megu’s interest.
The two boys observed the scene, both with the analyzing look in their eyes like they could see everything around them with just a few quick glances. And it was true. Nothing seemed to escape either of them, and if one missed something, the other picked up on it. Was it even possible for two friends to connect so flawlessly, so seamlessly? When it came to their deductions, Megu wasn’t sure where one’s line of thought ended and the other’s begun. Even when Kyuu and Ryuu had first met, they were perfectly in harmony, finishing each other’s sentences and saying the same words at exactly the same time without meaning to. Sometimes Megu wondered if they realized just how close they were.
“Oi, Ryuu!” Kyuu called after his friend, running to catch up with him. Ryuu stopped and turned around, flashing him a brief smile. Ever since Pluto had been brought down, he was smiling more and more everyday.
“Hey,” he replied softly, still not used to being so open and friendly with someone, even Kyuu.
The boy merely grinned back at him. “I just thought we could walk home together. You have to take the train too, right?”
Ryuu nodded in response, quietly elated that he would be walking home with Kyuu. Never had he been able to simply walk with someone before, much less someone who he could sincerely call a friend. He could barely contain the happiness resulting from this new freedom. Also, the fact that Kyuu was absolutely adorable didn’t hurt, either. ‘Hold it,’ Ryuu commanded himself, halting that train of thought before it left the station. ‘Kyuu is your friend. Nothing more, nothing less. Do not think that he is cute. He’s not like that; at least, I don’t think he is.’
“Ano, Ryuu?” The addressed whipped his head up so fast that it hurt. “Is something wrong?” Kyuu asked with concern, not liking the pained expression that had crossed Ryuu’s features. His friend looked back at him, and inscrutable emotion hidden in his eyes.
“I…” Ryuu couldn’t continue, knowing he couldn’t lie to his friend. That was their promise, right? Always believe in each other; never lie, no matter what. But he couldn’t speak the truth; it would hurt too much when he finished saying it. It would the best for both of them if he didn’t answer.
“Ryuu?”
Facing Kyuu, he looked him straight in the eye, pleading in the back of his mind for Kyuu to understand. “Gomen, Kyuu, but I’d rather not talk about it right now,” explained Ryuu. “It’s kind of personal, and I’m not sure if I want anyone to know yet.”
Kyuu returned Ryuu’s gaze, displaying his trust by placing his hand on the other boy’s shoulder. “Wakarimasu,” he affirmed, squeezing his hand slightly to convey support. “Demo, I’ll be here if you ever do want to talk about it. You know I won’t judge you, whatever it is.”
“Arigatou,” Ryuu murmured, his eyes finding his shoelaces very interesting at that moment. Fortunately, his face didn’t flush, but he could distinctly feel his heartbeat increase rapidly.
“Ano, Ryuu, can I ask you one question?” Kyuu queried tentatively, not wanting to overstep his bounds. He was relieved, however, when Ryuu nodded his assent, and he continued his inquiry. “Does it have something to do with you and Megu?”
Ryuu just stood there, occasionally blinking and staring at Kyuu in confusion. “What about me and Megu? Do you guys still think we’re dating? We’re not.”
“I-iie,” Kyuu said, shaking his head uncertainly. “Demo, it seems that there’s something going on with you two. You know she likes you, right?”
This was news to Ryuu. “She does?” he questioned dubiously. ‘Well, that would explain all the weird looks she’s been giving me lately.’
“Aa,” confirmed Kyuu, nodding enthusiastically. Surprisingly, he seemed very indifferent to this. “You can tell. She’s been looking at you all the time with this thoughtful expression on her face.”
‘Thinking the same thing, ne, Kyuu?’ Ryuu held up a hand, his palm facing Kyuu, as if separating himself and the ridiculous assumptions floating around in the air (all coming from the boy beside him). “There is nothing between me and Megu,” he stated firmly, just like the time the Q Class thought they were secretly dating. That had been an episode he was not keen on repeating.
“Ah, sou ka,” Kyuu muttered thoughtfully. “Then, is it about another girl?”
“Iie,” Ryuu denied forcefully, clearly disliking their discussion. Then something occurred to him. Maybe he could let on a little, just enough to test the waters. “I… I don’t swing that way,” he finished hastily, awaiting Kyuu’s reaction.
“Eh?! Hontouni?” Kyuu’s eyes visibly widened, surprise written all over his face. “So… does that mean you like guys, then?” he asked hesitantly. When Ryuu nodded, looking away, Kyuu merely mimicked him, thoughtful. “Sou ka… That explains a lot!”
“Nani?” Ryuu choked, taken aback by his friend’s response.
Kyuu turned back to him and smiled. “Well, you never take any interest in girls, even when they’re throwing themselves at you,” he explained, a hint of amusement lingering in his voice. “You only act indifferent, or annoyed.”
“Aa, that’s true…” They walked in silence for a while longer before Ryuu spoke up again. “So, you’re okay with it? You’re not… uncomfortable or anything?”
“Iie, of course not!” Kyuu smiled again, his face lighting up. “It’s fine with me if you’re gay, it’s not like it changes who you are,” he said kindly, and Ryuu could tell that he was being truthful.
“Arigatou,” thanked Ryuu, his eyes observing his feet stepping over cracks in the pavement. They remained quiet until they reached the train station, where they had to part. “Well… Jyaa,” muttered Ryuu, giving Kyuu a casual wave right before heading to his platform.
“Jyaa ne!” Kyuu replied, cheery as ever. It wasn’t until Ryuu was out of sight that his grin faded, leaving a troubled expression in its wake. “Jyaa… Ryuu.”
When Kazuma got to LOOP and entered his classroom, he expected to be the first one there. Thus, he was quite surprised when he heard other voices greeting him. “Ohayou, Kazuma!” announced Kyuu, shocking the hell out of the younger boy. Out of every one of his classmates, Kyuu was the last he expected to wake up early enough to get there before him.
“Ohayou,” another voice greeted quietly, and Kazuma glanced over to see Ryuu sitting next to Kyuu on the couch. The boy appeared to slightly uncomfortable, and Kazuma was eager to find out why.
“Ohayou,” he returned, setting down his laptop at the table. “What have you guys been talking about that has Ryuu so flustered?”
The look on Ryuu’s face was priceless. He stuttered, trying to answer, but soon realized it was best to shut up and let Kyuu do the talking. Kazuma was vaguely reminded of a married couple. “Well, you see, I was trying to convince Ryuu to tell everyone that - mmph!”
“Please don’t finish that sentence,” Ryuu told him, his hand covering the naïve boy’s mouth. He turned back to Kazuma, and the computer whiz made sure to have constructed a mask of shock and betrayal over his laughing features.
“Ryuu,” he murmured, sounding dismayed - acting was so his true calling! “You told Kyuu a secret that you won’t tell me? Don’t you trust me?”
Ryuu looked genuinely scared by Kazuma’s façade, and his darted around the room as if searching for some unknown escape route. “Iie, Kazuma, it’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just…” He trailed off, frowning suspiciously. “Ne, Kazuma… Are you acting?”
“A little,” Kazuma admitted, thoroughly unrepentant. “But you can trust me with a secret. I swear I won’t tell anyone.” Pleading with his eyes, Kazuma waited as Ryuu broke down under both his and Kyuu’s gazes.
Taking a deep breath and preparing himself for potentially nasty recoil, Ryuu spat it out. “I’m gay.”
No one in the room made any noise. Kazuma finally couldn’t take it anymore, and looked Ryuu right in the eye. “That’s it,” he said, making it more of a statement than a question. “You get me all worked up about some huge secret… and that’s it.” He leaned back in his chair, enjoying the amazed stares he was receiving. “Ryuu, I hate to break it to you, but I figured that out a long time ago.”
“Demo… How…?” Ryuu couldn’t hide the awe and surprise he was feeling, coming off as a bit of a gaping idiot. Of course, Ryuu would never actually look like a real gaping idiot, but he took on some of the requirements.
“Well, you never take any interest in any girl,” Kazuma stated bluntly. “And you seemed to take an interest in that one guy, you know, from the cram school? He lost his memory before Makino-kun...?”
“Hmm? Oh, him, yeah,” mumbled Ryuu distractedly. “That didn’t go so well…”
Choosing to ignore that last bit, Kyuu turned excitedly to Ryuu. “See, Ryuu? Kazuma was fine with it, you should tell the others too!”
“Demo, I don’t know how they would react,” Ryuu explained, obviously not looking forward to revealing this to his other friends.
“You’ll be fine,” Kazuma said reassuringly. “Kinta might freak or barrage you with questions at first, but as soon as he calms down he’ll accept it and start teasing you. Megu might be a little put out, but within seconds she’ll be trying to gossip with you about some celebrity.”
“I’m not sure if I like either of those ideas,” Ryuu replied. Kazuma was ready to fire back, but just at that moment the door opened, and Megu and Kinta came into the room.
“Ohayou, minna!” Megu squealed cheerfully, swinging around a shopping bag like a little girl with her favorite stuffed animal. “We brought pastries!”
Kinta snatched the bag from her and set it on the table. “Don’t ruin them before we can eat them!” he retorted, not unkindly. He faced the group. “So, what’s up?” Kazuma smirked, leaving Ryuu with an uneasy feeling that something very, very bad was about to happen.
“Guess what, you guys?” The two latecomers looked on curiously. “Ryuu’s got a secret to share!” exclaimed Kazuma, sounding oddly like a game show host.
“Kazuma,” Ryuu groaned, placing his head in his hands. Kyuu seemed a little worried about him, but merely patted him on the back in a display of support.
“Just tell them, Ryuu,” he said, rubbing his hand along the boy’s back, trying to make him relax.
Slowly lifting his head, Ryuu sent Kazuma a quick glare before turning to Megu and Kinta. “Ano…” He swallowed slightly, feeling heat rising to his cheeks. “I… I’m gay,” he stammered, forcing himself to stop from examining the floor. What he didn’t expect was for Kinta to walk over to him and smack him on the head. “Na-nani?!” He glared up at Kinta only to see that he was laughing.
“Baka!” Kinta shot at him, restraining his laughter. “Why didn’t you tell us before?” He quickly quenched his snickering and grinned at Ryuu. “So? Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Iie!” Ryuu replied hotly, blushing brightly by now. “I’m not… Oh, I give up…” He slumped back onto the couch and put a hand to his head, screwing his face up in frustration. He swore he had a headache.
Unfortunately, this concerned Kyuu quite a lot. “Ryuu, daijoubu desu ka?” he asked worriedly. “Do you have a fever?” At this he removed Ryuu’s hand and placed his forehead against the shorter boy’s. “Ah, you’re a bit warm…”
‘Of course I’m warm!’ Ryuu thought frantically. ‘With your face so close, how couldn’t I be?!’
“Sou ka!” Everyone turned to look at Megu, who was elated. “That’s it!” she announced, clapping her hands together.
“What’s it?” Kazuma queried, confused. Megu hurried over to him and began whispering in his ear. One of the words sounded to Ryuu suspiciously like “telepathy”. “Oh, you’re right!” agreed Kazuma, turning his gaze to Ryuu and Kyuu, who were well beyond bewildered at that point.
“I think I know what you two are talking about,” Kinta said, grinning slyly. “But should we confirm it first?”
“What are you guys talking about?” Kyuu asked them curiously, feeling a bit left out. Ryuu just stared at the giddy teenagers with a raised eyebrow.
“Well,” Kinta began, “since Ryuu has been so open about his orientation, I think we should all take turns being completely honest and revealing ours!”
“I’m straight,” Kazuma said instantly, typing idly on his laptop.
Megu nodded solemnly. “Hai, and very picky too. He only likes older women.” She ignored Kazuma’s distinct grumbling (“I do not!”) and continued. “I’m straight,” she stated. “I kind of questioned that once, but now I’m sure.”
“Ah, so typical,” Kinta complained. “We’re supposed to be divulging our deepest darkest secrets, though I admit, Kazuma is a little odd, what with the only liking older women and all.” (“Again, no, I don’t!”) He straightened up. “I’m bi,” he remarked casually. “I do prefer girls, though.” He looked at Kyuu, indicating that it was his turn.
“I guess I’m bisexual,” Kyuu mused, ignorant of the smug expressions on three of his friends’ faces. Ryuu actually looked a bit frightened of them. “Demo… I don’t know if I really have a preference…” Megu, Kinta and Kazuma were preparing to spring into teasing mode - then Nanami-sensei walked in.
“Minna - you have a new assignment from Dan-sensei!”
Dan-sensei’s image appeared on the screen and began explaining the situation. “I am sure some of you have heard of Seishun Productions. The director of one of their upcoming projects has received a threat letter concerning the film, and he contacted us to investigate. However, no one else knows about the letter, and it must stay that way. You will be going undercover to investigate and prevent any harm befalling the director or the cast and crew. This case and the circumstances of your investigation its self are unusual, so Nanami will be informing you about the situation. Good luck.” The recording ended, making record time.
“So,” began Nanami-sensei, “this is the threat letter received by the director, Godai Hiroshi.” He handed them the letter. It read, ‘Godai-san, if you don’t want my curse to befall you, cancel the filming of Circumstantial Detective. -Yukihime’.
“Nanami-sensei.” Kazuma caught his teacher’s attention. “Circumstantial Detective is a movie based on my latest deduction game, Silent Killer.”
“Hai,” affirmed Nanami-sensei. “You’ll be going as a consultant for the making of the movie, to keep true to the original crimes. You also might be called upon to duplicate some of the special effects from the game.” Kazuma nodded, satisfied with his role. “Minami, Touyama, both of you will be interns, extra hands for the crew. You can be friendly with each other at first, but don’t act like you know anyone except yourselves and the director. Don’t bother the game designer, got it?” The two of them nodded in unison, giving off an air of snapping to attention. Then Nanami-sensei turned to the remaining two detectives. “Kyuu, Amakusa, you two will be actors in the film.”
Kyuu held up his hands. “Matte kudasai,” he pleaded, quite confused. “Did you just say we were going to act in a professional movie?”
Nanami-sensei grinned, evidently proud of the plan. “Hai. The director was quite pleased with Amakusa’s work in Boku no Koibito, and wants him to play the lead. He also wanted the actor with the supporting role to have good chemistry with him, so I suggested Kyuu,” he explained, merely smiling at the terrified expression Kyuu was sporting. “Don’t worry, you and your character have very similar personalities. You shouldn’t have too much trouble playing the part, and you and Amakusa always work well together.”
“Ne, Ryuu, you were in Boku no Koibito?” Megu asked, astonished. “My friends love that show, they have both seasons on DVD.”
“Aa, I played the main character’s younger brother during the first season. My grandfather wanted to test my acting skills, so he had me audition.” Ryuu looked to be uncaring about his potentially dazzling acting career.
“Well, that covers just about everything. Doozo.” Nanami-sensei handed the scripts to Kyuu, Ryuu, and Kazuma before facing the class. “Class Q! Ikuzou!”
“Hai!”
Fandom: Tantei Gakuen Q
Pairing: KyuuxRyuu (this has nothing to do with dominance in their relationship)
Warnings: Possibilities of future violence, swearing, and mature content -- yes, two boys are in love, deal with it.
Rating: PG-13, possibly PG-15 or higher in future chapters
Summary: Ryuu comes clean about his orientation, and Kyuu and Kinta have some revealing to do as well. However, right when Megu, Kinta and Kazuma are ready to launch a teasing attack, Nanami-sensei informs them of their next mission -- investigate a threatening letter sent to a director. But to make sure no one is harmed, they're going to have to go backstage and on the set.
Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Tantei Gakuen Q, don't be silly. All production companies, directors, actors, references to T.V. shows, and movies are false. This disclaimer goes for all future chapters, and I might add some more on. So leave me alone, dammit! I don't have enough money for you to sue me!
If there's anything about it that needs to be fixed or you would like to point out, I love comments! ^____^
Chapter One: Telepathy
Circling the crime scene, Megu barely paid attention to the chaos around her. As techs scoured the room for anything they could bag and send to forensics, the gifted detective watched her friends interact. Kinta and Kazuma were so annoying sometimes, especially to each other, yet they worked together masterfully when it was necessary. But that was normal, and there was nothing overly special about it. They were best friends, after all, whether they knew it or not. It was Renjou Kyuu and Amakusa Ryuu that really caught Megu’s interest.
The two boys observed the scene, both with the analyzing look in their eyes like they could see everything around them with just a few quick glances. And it was true. Nothing seemed to escape either of them, and if one missed something, the other picked up on it. Was it even possible for two friends to connect so flawlessly, so seamlessly? When it came to their deductions, Megu wasn’t sure where one’s line of thought ended and the other’s begun. Even when Kyuu and Ryuu had first met, they were perfectly in harmony, finishing each other’s sentences and saying the same words at exactly the same time without meaning to. Sometimes Megu wondered if they realized just how close they were.
“Oi, Ryuu!” Kyuu called after his friend, running to catch up with him. Ryuu stopped and turned around, flashing him a brief smile. Ever since Pluto had been brought down, he was smiling more and more everyday.
“Hey,” he replied softly, still not used to being so open and friendly with someone, even Kyuu.
The boy merely grinned back at him. “I just thought we could walk home together. You have to take the train too, right?”
Ryuu nodded in response, quietly elated that he would be walking home with Kyuu. Never had he been able to simply walk with someone before, much less someone who he could sincerely call a friend. He could barely contain the happiness resulting from this new freedom. Also, the fact that Kyuu was absolutely adorable didn’t hurt, either. ‘Hold it,’ Ryuu commanded himself, halting that train of thought before it left the station. ‘Kyuu is your friend. Nothing more, nothing less. Do not think that he is cute. He’s not like that; at least, I don’t think he is.’
“Ano, Ryuu?” The addressed whipped his head up so fast that it hurt. “Is something wrong?” Kyuu asked with concern, not liking the pained expression that had crossed Ryuu’s features. His friend looked back at him, and inscrutable emotion hidden in his eyes.
“I…” Ryuu couldn’t continue, knowing he couldn’t lie to his friend. That was their promise, right? Always believe in each other; never lie, no matter what. But he couldn’t speak the truth; it would hurt too much when he finished saying it. It would the best for both of them if he didn’t answer.
“Ryuu?”
Facing Kyuu, he looked him straight in the eye, pleading in the back of his mind for Kyuu to understand. “Gomen, Kyuu, but I’d rather not talk about it right now,” explained Ryuu. “It’s kind of personal, and I’m not sure if I want anyone to know yet.”
Kyuu returned Ryuu’s gaze, displaying his trust by placing his hand on the other boy’s shoulder. “Wakarimasu,” he affirmed, squeezing his hand slightly to convey support. “Demo, I’ll be here if you ever do want to talk about it. You know I won’t judge you, whatever it is.”
“Arigatou,” Ryuu murmured, his eyes finding his shoelaces very interesting at that moment. Fortunately, his face didn’t flush, but he could distinctly feel his heartbeat increase rapidly.
“Ano, Ryuu, can I ask you one question?” Kyuu queried tentatively, not wanting to overstep his bounds. He was relieved, however, when Ryuu nodded his assent, and he continued his inquiry. “Does it have something to do with you and Megu?”
Ryuu just stood there, occasionally blinking and staring at Kyuu in confusion. “What about me and Megu? Do you guys still think we’re dating? We’re not.”
“I-iie,” Kyuu said, shaking his head uncertainly. “Demo, it seems that there’s something going on with you two. You know she likes you, right?”
This was news to Ryuu. “She does?” he questioned dubiously. ‘Well, that would explain all the weird looks she’s been giving me lately.’
“Aa,” confirmed Kyuu, nodding enthusiastically. Surprisingly, he seemed very indifferent to this. “You can tell. She’s been looking at you all the time with this thoughtful expression on her face.”
‘Thinking the same thing, ne, Kyuu?’ Ryuu held up a hand, his palm facing Kyuu, as if separating himself and the ridiculous assumptions floating around in the air (all coming from the boy beside him). “There is nothing between me and Megu,” he stated firmly, just like the time the Q Class thought they were secretly dating. That had been an episode he was not keen on repeating.
“Ah, sou ka,” Kyuu muttered thoughtfully. “Then, is it about another girl?”
“Iie,” Ryuu denied forcefully, clearly disliking their discussion. Then something occurred to him. Maybe he could let on a little, just enough to test the waters. “I… I don’t swing that way,” he finished hastily, awaiting Kyuu’s reaction.
“Eh?! Hontouni?” Kyuu’s eyes visibly widened, surprise written all over his face. “So… does that mean you like guys, then?” he asked hesitantly. When Ryuu nodded, looking away, Kyuu merely mimicked him, thoughtful. “Sou ka… That explains a lot!”
“Nani?” Ryuu choked, taken aback by his friend’s response.
Kyuu turned back to him and smiled. “Well, you never take any interest in girls, even when they’re throwing themselves at you,” he explained, a hint of amusement lingering in his voice. “You only act indifferent, or annoyed.”
“Aa, that’s true…” They walked in silence for a while longer before Ryuu spoke up again. “So, you’re okay with it? You’re not… uncomfortable or anything?”
“Iie, of course not!” Kyuu smiled again, his face lighting up. “It’s fine with me if you’re gay, it’s not like it changes who you are,” he said kindly, and Ryuu could tell that he was being truthful.
“Arigatou,” thanked Ryuu, his eyes observing his feet stepping over cracks in the pavement. They remained quiet until they reached the train station, where they had to part. “Well… Jyaa,” muttered Ryuu, giving Kyuu a casual wave right before heading to his platform.
“Jyaa ne!” Kyuu replied, cheery as ever. It wasn’t until Ryuu was out of sight that his grin faded, leaving a troubled expression in its wake. “Jyaa… Ryuu.”
When Kazuma got to LOOP and entered his classroom, he expected to be the first one there. Thus, he was quite surprised when he heard other voices greeting him. “Ohayou, Kazuma!” announced Kyuu, shocking the hell out of the younger boy. Out of every one of his classmates, Kyuu was the last he expected to wake up early enough to get there before him.
“Ohayou,” another voice greeted quietly, and Kazuma glanced over to see Ryuu sitting next to Kyuu on the couch. The boy appeared to slightly uncomfortable, and Kazuma was eager to find out why.
“Ohayou,” he returned, setting down his laptop at the table. “What have you guys been talking about that has Ryuu so flustered?”
The look on Ryuu’s face was priceless. He stuttered, trying to answer, but soon realized it was best to shut up and let Kyuu do the talking. Kazuma was vaguely reminded of a married couple. “Well, you see, I was trying to convince Ryuu to tell everyone that - mmph!”
“Please don’t finish that sentence,” Ryuu told him, his hand covering the naïve boy’s mouth. He turned back to Kazuma, and the computer whiz made sure to have constructed a mask of shock and betrayal over his laughing features.
“Ryuu,” he murmured, sounding dismayed - acting was so his true calling! “You told Kyuu a secret that you won’t tell me? Don’t you trust me?”
Ryuu looked genuinely scared by Kazuma’s façade, and his darted around the room as if searching for some unknown escape route. “Iie, Kazuma, it’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just…” He trailed off, frowning suspiciously. “Ne, Kazuma… Are you acting?”
“A little,” Kazuma admitted, thoroughly unrepentant. “But you can trust me with a secret. I swear I won’t tell anyone.” Pleading with his eyes, Kazuma waited as Ryuu broke down under both his and Kyuu’s gazes.
Taking a deep breath and preparing himself for potentially nasty recoil, Ryuu spat it out. “I’m gay.”
No one in the room made any noise. Kazuma finally couldn’t take it anymore, and looked Ryuu right in the eye. “That’s it,” he said, making it more of a statement than a question. “You get me all worked up about some huge secret… and that’s it.” He leaned back in his chair, enjoying the amazed stares he was receiving. “Ryuu, I hate to break it to you, but I figured that out a long time ago.”
“Demo… How…?” Ryuu couldn’t hide the awe and surprise he was feeling, coming off as a bit of a gaping idiot. Of course, Ryuu would never actually look like a real gaping idiot, but he took on some of the requirements.
“Well, you never take any interest in any girl,” Kazuma stated bluntly. “And you seemed to take an interest in that one guy, you know, from the cram school? He lost his memory before Makino-kun...?”
“Hmm? Oh, him, yeah,” mumbled Ryuu distractedly. “That didn’t go so well…”
Choosing to ignore that last bit, Kyuu turned excitedly to Ryuu. “See, Ryuu? Kazuma was fine with it, you should tell the others too!”
“Demo, I don’t know how they would react,” Ryuu explained, obviously not looking forward to revealing this to his other friends.
“You’ll be fine,” Kazuma said reassuringly. “Kinta might freak or barrage you with questions at first, but as soon as he calms down he’ll accept it and start teasing you. Megu might be a little put out, but within seconds she’ll be trying to gossip with you about some celebrity.”
“I’m not sure if I like either of those ideas,” Ryuu replied. Kazuma was ready to fire back, but just at that moment the door opened, and Megu and Kinta came into the room.
“Ohayou, minna!” Megu squealed cheerfully, swinging around a shopping bag like a little girl with her favorite stuffed animal. “We brought pastries!”
Kinta snatched the bag from her and set it on the table. “Don’t ruin them before we can eat them!” he retorted, not unkindly. He faced the group. “So, what’s up?” Kazuma smirked, leaving Ryuu with an uneasy feeling that something very, very bad was about to happen.
“Guess what, you guys?” The two latecomers looked on curiously. “Ryuu’s got a secret to share!” exclaimed Kazuma, sounding oddly like a game show host.
“Kazuma,” Ryuu groaned, placing his head in his hands. Kyuu seemed a little worried about him, but merely patted him on the back in a display of support.
“Just tell them, Ryuu,” he said, rubbing his hand along the boy’s back, trying to make him relax.
Slowly lifting his head, Ryuu sent Kazuma a quick glare before turning to Megu and Kinta. “Ano…” He swallowed slightly, feeling heat rising to his cheeks. “I… I’m gay,” he stammered, forcing himself to stop from examining the floor. What he didn’t expect was for Kinta to walk over to him and smack him on the head. “Na-nani?!” He glared up at Kinta only to see that he was laughing.
“Baka!” Kinta shot at him, restraining his laughter. “Why didn’t you tell us before?” He quickly quenched his snickering and grinned at Ryuu. “So? Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Iie!” Ryuu replied hotly, blushing brightly by now. “I’m not… Oh, I give up…” He slumped back onto the couch and put a hand to his head, screwing his face up in frustration. He swore he had a headache.
Unfortunately, this concerned Kyuu quite a lot. “Ryuu, daijoubu desu ka?” he asked worriedly. “Do you have a fever?” At this he removed Ryuu’s hand and placed his forehead against the shorter boy’s. “Ah, you’re a bit warm…”
‘Of course I’m warm!’ Ryuu thought frantically. ‘With your face so close, how couldn’t I be?!’
“Sou ka!” Everyone turned to look at Megu, who was elated. “That’s it!” she announced, clapping her hands together.
“What’s it?” Kazuma queried, confused. Megu hurried over to him and began whispering in his ear. One of the words sounded to Ryuu suspiciously like “telepathy”. “Oh, you’re right!” agreed Kazuma, turning his gaze to Ryuu and Kyuu, who were well beyond bewildered at that point.
“I think I know what you two are talking about,” Kinta said, grinning slyly. “But should we confirm it first?”
“What are you guys talking about?” Kyuu asked them curiously, feeling a bit left out. Ryuu just stared at the giddy teenagers with a raised eyebrow.
“Well,” Kinta began, “since Ryuu has been so open about his orientation, I think we should all take turns being completely honest and revealing ours!”
“I’m straight,” Kazuma said instantly, typing idly on his laptop.
Megu nodded solemnly. “Hai, and very picky too. He only likes older women.” She ignored Kazuma’s distinct grumbling (“I do not!”) and continued. “I’m straight,” she stated. “I kind of questioned that once, but now I’m sure.”
“Ah, so typical,” Kinta complained. “We’re supposed to be divulging our deepest darkest secrets, though I admit, Kazuma is a little odd, what with the only liking older women and all.” (“Again, no, I don’t!”) He straightened up. “I’m bi,” he remarked casually. “I do prefer girls, though.” He looked at Kyuu, indicating that it was his turn.
“I guess I’m bisexual,” Kyuu mused, ignorant of the smug expressions on three of his friends’ faces. Ryuu actually looked a bit frightened of them. “Demo… I don’t know if I really have a preference…” Megu, Kinta and Kazuma were preparing to spring into teasing mode - then Nanami-sensei walked in.
“Minna - you have a new assignment from Dan-sensei!”
Dan-sensei’s image appeared on the screen and began explaining the situation. “I am sure some of you have heard of Seishun Productions. The director of one of their upcoming projects has received a threat letter concerning the film, and he contacted us to investigate. However, no one else knows about the letter, and it must stay that way. You will be going undercover to investigate and prevent any harm befalling the director or the cast and crew. This case and the circumstances of your investigation its self are unusual, so Nanami will be informing you about the situation. Good luck.” The recording ended, making record time.
“So,” began Nanami-sensei, “this is the threat letter received by the director, Godai Hiroshi.” He handed them the letter. It read, ‘Godai-san, if you don’t want my curse to befall you, cancel the filming of Circumstantial Detective. -Yukihime’.
“Nanami-sensei.” Kazuma caught his teacher’s attention. “Circumstantial Detective is a movie based on my latest deduction game, Silent Killer.”
“Hai,” affirmed Nanami-sensei. “You’ll be going as a consultant for the making of the movie, to keep true to the original crimes. You also might be called upon to duplicate some of the special effects from the game.” Kazuma nodded, satisfied with his role. “Minami, Touyama, both of you will be interns, extra hands for the crew. You can be friendly with each other at first, but don’t act like you know anyone except yourselves and the director. Don’t bother the game designer, got it?” The two of them nodded in unison, giving off an air of snapping to attention. Then Nanami-sensei turned to the remaining two detectives. “Kyuu, Amakusa, you two will be actors in the film.”
Kyuu held up his hands. “Matte kudasai,” he pleaded, quite confused. “Did you just say we were going to act in a professional movie?”
Nanami-sensei grinned, evidently proud of the plan. “Hai. The director was quite pleased with Amakusa’s work in Boku no Koibito, and wants him to play the lead. He also wanted the actor with the supporting role to have good chemistry with him, so I suggested Kyuu,” he explained, merely smiling at the terrified expression Kyuu was sporting. “Don’t worry, you and your character have very similar personalities. You shouldn’t have too much trouble playing the part, and you and Amakusa always work well together.”
“Ne, Ryuu, you were in Boku no Koibito?” Megu asked, astonished. “My friends love that show, they have both seasons on DVD.”
“Aa, I played the main character’s younger brother during the first season. My grandfather wanted to test my acting skills, so he had me audition.” Ryuu looked to be uncaring about his potentially dazzling acting career.
“Well, that covers just about everything. Doozo.” Nanami-sensei handed the scripts to Kyuu, Ryuu, and Kazuma before facing the class. “Class Q! Ikuzou!”
“Hai!”