{ Fic } If you could see me now
Title: If you could see me now.
Author: falling_petal01
Paring: Akame
Rating: R (For adult situations and swearing)
Genre: Alternative universe, Romance
Beta’ by: sheenalinh and tppwendy (Thank you guys for helping me beta at such short notice!)
gaea_chan (Also have to mention you even though i know you have been busy but thank you for trying too!)
Disclaimer: I do not own kame or Jin, nor do I own their friends. Neither do I own some of the Kabuki performances mentioned. Kimono worn in the performance came from both Toma saburo's 'Wisteria maiden' performance as well as Kame's '1583'.
Summary: One has been raised in the colourful and dramatic world of Kabuki, while the other a mayor’s son taught to inherit his fathers’ title. What would happen when fate steps in and binds them with a red string?
Warning: Slight cross dressing involved and slightly feminine Kame at times. BOY X BOY RELATIONSHIP!!! (This chapter mentions of rape as well as sexual situations.)
Author note: Sorry it takes me such a long time to write a chapter. I hope you guys enjoy reading it and thank you for waiting for the story if you've been following it. I hope i have not offended anyone..... (Runs to hug Kame and Ueda tightly)
Comments or constructive criticisms are also welcome!
Graphics by:tppwendy
Chapter 7 Part B
Edo 1651, Middle of spring~ From the roads to Tsukiji's performance hall.
Thin dust clouds from the dirt road which curved dangerously along the side of the cliff swirled into the air and swept down the road. The hoofs of the horses pounded into the ground with a steady rhythm which caused loose rocks and soil to tumble down the edges of the cliff. Cool breeze that swept from the mountains behind turned to large gusts of wind that lashed at the riders as the horses galloped at full speed up the green grassy hills. The blossoming scenery of spring that nature provides became a blur of vivid colours as the riders continued their hasty journey down the slope of the hill, hoping to reach their destination before the sun set in its dusky orange coloured sky.
The figure riding the leading silver stallion grasped tightly onto the reigns with his hands; eyes full of concentration. He stood with bent knees above the saddle while his upper body leaned forward, allowing the horse to have greater advantage as it galloped on flat ground. The rider looked over his shoulder to his left to ensure that his three riding companions were following closely behind him.
Finally, he was rewarded with the view of a small wooden shack; the check point for Tsukiji. Four guards lined up beside each other, forming a small human barricade; short bulky men stood with a wide foot stance, ready to draw their long swords if needed at the oncoming travelers. The leader of the pack slowed the horse down by tightening the reigns as he pulled it towards his chest all the while making a soothing sound to calm the horses which were full of adrenalin. He called out to his three riding companions to slow down as they approached the check point.
The guards continued to hold their stance as the head guard stood out. His face showed no emotion while he called out in his booming stern voice to the group of four. “I need to check your identity, if not we cannot allow you to pass this point.”
A handsome young man built with a lean frame, wearing a simple black and gray striped Kimono with a gray belt was the first to unsaddle from his horse. He stepped out from behind the silver stallion and walked past the lead rider. His black glossy curly hair sat below his ears while his curly fringe swept down to cover his left eye. The man held an aura of confidence as he raised his hands gently up into the air and approached the head guard. The two were conversing privately until the guard stepped away from the man and called out to his fellow guards “Allow for Ikuta Toma-san and his companions to pass.”
The guards moved aside and continued to scrutinize the travelers that walked past them with reigns in hand and their horses in tow. They walked quickly past the busy harbor ports where laborers were shouting at each other, trying to coordinate the last docking of large shipments of salt from Gyotoku salt fields in the East, as well as large containers of rice from Kuramae rice fields. The four riders took the wider route to the left, past the port which led them to the inns where merchant travelers were allowed to rest in before collecting their goods from the ports. By the time they had handed the horses’ reigns over to the inn keeper, the sun had set and the night sky enveloped Tsukiji.
“Let us split up and find the street where the performances are held. We shall meet at the red gate in half an hour. The street is not long so it shall not take too much time to find the place..... and person.” Toma said in a calm voice as he turned to his brooding friend that he had come to know for the past one and a half years.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A young boy wearing a plain cotton pale blue yukata stood on top of a small wooden platform situated to the left near the front steps, beneath rows of white glowing hanging lanterns. Yamada Ryosuke was rather well known for being the fastest ticket seller in Tsukiji. The boy had his short black hair tucked behind his ears; each strand straying out of place as he waved his right hand vigorously; holding tightly onto bundled paper tickets while calling out “Gather round ladies and gentleman. Please come in and see for yourself, tonight’s special performance called ‘Wisteria maiden.’ Tonight, we introduce a new actor that has been brought up under the watchful eyes of our very own company producer Takizawa-san.”
“This is a once in a life time opportunity not to be missed! So buy a ticket and come on in. You will be amazed!” The boy continued to call out to the growing crowd. A man wearing a plain and neat maroon Kimono with a black belt pushed gently through the crowd and stood with his arms crossed against his chest at the steps of the theater entrance. He leaned in close enough to Ryosuke and questioned him “What is the name of the artist performing tonight?”
Ryosuke stood back slightly without turning away from the man and pointed to the medium sized polished smooth wooden plank situating to his right from behind with one single character carved into it. The older man followed the direction to which the younger boy pointed. He then read the lonely black bold letter aloud to himself with a wide grin “KAME.”
The man looked at Ryosuke as he pulled out brass stringed coins from within his black belt and said, “Young boy, please give me four tickets for tonight's performance.”
Ryosuke nodded happily and handed over the paper tickets in exchange for the seven brass coins. Holding onto them tightly, he called out to the man hurriedly walking away towards the crowd “Trust Ryosuke on this performance. You won’t regret it sir!”
The said man chuckled softly to himself as he pushed past the crowd of potential theater customers and rich merchant patrons disguising as working class-men. In his low voice, he said to no one in particular “We will certainly not regret this. I assure you.”
Ryo’s eyes darkened with certainty and longing, especially when he remembered the wooden plaque beside Kame’s name which held the words “Ueda.”
He walked down towards the direction of the red wooden arched gate. With each step, his wooden clogs scrapped along the road that led him towards where his cousin and friends were waiting; all the while thinking to himself ‘Jin will certainly be happy to finally see Kame-kun again in person....’
Ryo remembered the first months when they settled in Kyoto. It was near the end of summer. The humid wind blew; swaying the thin bamboo blinds bound together with dried vines and red strings as decorations which had been weaved delicately. Ryo would sit indoors where it was cooler as the female servants fanned a large ice cube situated in the middle of the room. It was put on a wooden carved stand that would drip cold liquid into bowels to help temporarily cool the residents of the medium sized villa. Ryo observed Jin from behind the thin blinds, where his cousin would lay motionless on the polished veranda of the villa that they lived in. Numerous times Ryo had found opportunities to approach Jin and ask him questions in hopes that his cousin would open up to him. Jin would only speak briefly to Ryo and tell him that he missed Edo and how he missed Kaoru as she was the only one that had corresponded with him since his move to Kyoto. Jin had not received any letters from Akanishi residence; he got all the information and updates about Shin’s activities via Ryo who received letters from his own father on a monthly basis.
Jin became rather automated during the first half of the year. Ryo observed his cousin’s daily routine. Every six days of the week, Jin had gotten dressed by one of the female attendants into his green kimono and formal black jacket; getting him ready to attend court teachings. Jin would disappear by riding on a horse with Yamapi accompanying and return after a long day as he pulled off the black hat that sat stiffly on his head, after untying the black stringed knot under his chin. He would habitually spend the rest of the evening sitting out in the veranda, regardless of the season and the weather. Jin would still be looking at the dawning sun that turned into the beautiful night sky which comforted him as he gazed at his beloved silver moon.
The only times that Ryo and Yamapi interfered with Jin’s moon-gazing sessions were when they thought that Jin was in danger of possibly killing himself either willingly or unintentionally. Those were the days when the two older boys had to take matters into their own hands as they carried a protesting and drenched Jin by his body and legs away from the veranda during the heavy monsoon seasons, as well as, the random nights where there were long white streaks of flashes announcing that a thunderstorm was approaching and ready to strike.
Ryo noticed the times when Jin's mood brightened dramatically. They were the days Jin received letters from Kame, which Jin would smile with joy like a child that had been handed a present that he had secretly desired and waited patiently for years to receive. Afterward, Jin would lock himself behind the closed sliding doors of his bed room while Ryo, upon Yamapi's persistent and annoying requests, had to spy on the boy. Ryo watched as Jin spent the rest of the night sitting at the polished wooden study table by the low framed window; with an ink tipped brush replying to the letter diligently; while he would gaze at the night sky with a nostalgic smile that never faded even after the boy went to sleep.
During the second half of the year that they stayed in Kyoto, Jin had made a new friend; Toma from court who was studying to become an advisor. The four of them would spend most nights out late, drinking rice wine from expensive gold rimmed red lacquered dishes while the beautiful performing geisha entertained them. Those were the nights Ryo and Yamapi had to ensure that Jin made it back to the villa. In his drunken state of mind, all the while they could hear Jin subconsciously mumbled loudly “....Come on you guys......Let’s go..... Shitamachi........ Kazuya-kun....”
Ryo and Yamapi both observed the changes in Jin during the last year that they had lived in Kyoto. Jin grew taller, almost head to head with Yamapi; and each year Jin’s features became even more defined and handsome. Anyone would know, when one had such attractive looks like Jin, it would certainly attract attention. Thus, Jin became one of the most popular men well-known amongst the ladies in Kyoto. They would admire him either from a distance or behind their elaborately decorated fans to cover most of their faces, except for the long eyelashes that peeked out as they stole glimpses of this beautiful man walking past.
Unexpectedly, Jin excelled in his studies but he also learned to hide his intelligence behind an idiotic facade which he maintained to protect himself from harm. His innocence and ignorance of the world that he was born into and knew of, was crushed in Kyoto by the political games and conspiracies that were played. Jin learned to trust only a very few close to him.
When Jin finally received his first correspondent letter from Shin, telling Jin to return home to Edo as Shin was happy with his progress. Jin was rather reluctant to do so except when Yamapi told Jin that Toma would join them in Edo and Ryo subtly told Jin to think about things he missed the most during his absence from Edo, to which he would turn his head away and blushed in embarrassment as he thought about it. When they arrived in Edo, Jin had already planned to find Kame in Shitamachi while the first glimpse of the sun appeared in the horizon. Still, Jin had not considered that they would all join in on this trip. Hence, with Jin’s well known persistence and stubbornness, they’ve come all the way to Tsukiji to track down not a ‘thing’ but rather a person that Jin secretly missed more than Kaoru in Edo.
Ryo stopped walking as he looked at the sight of Jin, with his arms crossed against his chest as he leaned against the red wooden arch for support. His cousin had his eyes directed upwards at the stars in the sky. He and Yamapi were both disguised as everyday citizens like they used to do when the three traveled down to Shitamachi three years ago. Jin was wearing his simple dark gray yukata with a black belt while Yamapi was in a navy blue yukata, simple with a black belt as well.
Ryo yelled out to the three awaiting figures. “I have found him, Jin-kun!”
To which Jin’s brooding expression brightened into a wide smile as he called out to Ryo “Where is he?”
“I was right! He is performing tonight in Tsukiji’s performance hall. According to the boy... Ryosuke. Your friend is debuting tonight.” Ryo informed Jin with a wide grin.
Jin’s eyes widened in surprise, his wide smile slowly changed into a grim line as he felt hurt when he thought to himself ‘Why had Kazuya-kun not told me in the letters? He wrote to me that he had been learning a dance routine which he was practicing hard for. I’ve told him about the important things that had troubled me while I stayed in Kyoto.....If this was something important to him, he should have told me....... Maybe.... He didn’t want me to find out about him performing.... But why not Kazuya-kun?... Why not?’
Ryo waved his right hand in front of Jin’s eyes and distracted his cousin from his thoughts as he said, “Jin....We are not going to get good seats if we don’t go now.”
Jin nodded at Ryo and the four of them walked their way up the steep steps towards Takizawa’s performance hall. Jin felt his heart beat faster with feelings of anticipation, as each step he took brought him closer to Kame whom he had not seen in the past two and a half years.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kame stood silently on the side of the stage where Taguchi had left him; concealed from the view of all the excited and loud chattering guests that had arrived for tonight's performance. He peeked through the small gape from behind the wooden platform where the musicians sat. Kame nervously scanned the faces of the crowd as he licked his red painted lips; some he thought he recognized because they often attended Takizawa’s performances. Overall there were new and unfamiliar faces within the crowd.
The musicians tuned their instruments as they waited for the story teller to walk on stage. Each passing second dragged on in the younger boy’s mind as Kame started to feel anxious. The younger boy brought his hands up to the lapel of his black kimono, unconsciously tightening his hold around the fabric as his chest felt heavy, like he couldn’t breathe and his feet wouldn’t move. The loud chatter drifted into the background and all Kame could hear was the strong, steady beating of his own heart ringing in his ears. The younger boy could almost feel cold sweat leaking from his forehead and oozing from his palms. Ueda was standing close to Kame and noticed that the younger boy had zoned out; his eyes fixed in a distant stare. Kame looked like he was ready to faint. Ueda held onto Kame with both arms and quickly called out to Taguchi “Quick Taguchi-kun. Pass me the cup of water now and something to sit on.”
Taguchi moved quickly with his long limbs as he placed a wooden box down with his left hand behind Kame and passed the cup in his right hand to Ueda’s awaiting ones. Ueda turned to Kame and said, “Listen Kame-kun! I need you to sit down slowly with me okay. If you pass out now, everything that you have worked hard for will be over. So I need you to follow my instructions.”
Ueda guided Kame to slowly sit on the box. He turned Kame’s head towards him with his right hand, while his left hand held onto the cup of water as he called out, “Kame-kun. Look at me. Focus... That’s it.... Focus on my eyes.”
When Kame came out of his stupor, the younger boy blinked and gazed at Ueda with frightened eyes before he grabbed hold of the older boy’s hands, trying to be coherent when he said, “The stage looks a lot bigger than I remembered it to be Ueda-kun........ I thought I was ready for this but......Did you see how full the hall looks? It’s crammed with people... Everywhere!....I thought I was ready but.... But...... I’m not as confident with myself anymore.”
“It is okay Kame-kun. You are ready for this! You have completely memorized your dance steps to the point where you can even dance in your sleep. Remember... You can do this! You are destined to perform in this hall of Takizawa’s. You can do it!” Ueda said as he tried to reassure Kame.
His hands tightened on Kame’s shaky hands and said, “I’ll teach you a trick. Find one person in the crowd and focus on their face. Concentrate only on them until you find the confidence to look at other people. Here. Drink some water.... Kame-kun, they are signaling for you to be on stage now.”
Kame tried to absorb every word that Ueda had said to him through his anxiety. The younger boy closed his eyes and inhaled then exhaled a few deep quick breaths, as he reassured himself ‘You can do this Kazuya! You can definitely do this!’
Ueda assisted Kame to stand. He turned to face the boy and fastened the large round black coloured lacquered hat onto Kame’s head which concealed most of his face, except for his lips. The older boy tied the red clothed string into a loose knot below Kame’s chin. He handed the younger boy a wooden stick that held clusters of paper wisteria flowers in full bloom. Kame laid the stick over his right shoulder, allowing the flowers to settle delicately down the length of his arm.
Ueda gave Kame a bright smile and patted the younger boy on his back to encourage him. Kame let out a nervous smile in return and exhaled as he waited for the lights of the theater to dim.
------------------------
The tall yellow lanterns around the theater dimmed into a soft orange glow as the small white lanterns surrounding the side of the stage lit up brightly. At the same time, the musician started to pluck the first notes of the three stringed shimisen indicating for the crowd to stop talking. The chattering of the excited crowd slowly faded away to silence as they anticipated the entrance of the actor. The four boys had settled themselves in the middle row facing the center of the stage, behind the loyal merchant patrons and fans which were allowed to sit near the stage, so near that they could reach out and touch the actor if they wanted to. The second floor on the sides was reserved for the laboring class who could not afford expensive tickets, but they still had a reasonably good view of the stage. The boxed seats in the middle were reserved for the extremely rich as they had a clear view of the stage and no one around to distract them.
Jin observed all the excited and curious expressions around him. His eyes were abruptly drawn back to the stage where a figure had just appeared gracefully and stood behind a large wisteria tree. The figured lingered behind the curtain of wisteria flowers that hung suspended from above the stage. The said figure took delicate steps as they moved out from behind the curtain of flowers. Their left hand held onto the round hat and their right hand swayed the bundled purple flowers gently. A calm soothing voice began to sing the story of the wisteria maiden to the crowd.
The figure laid the bundled flowers on the floor to remove their hat. Jin focused his eyes at the actor that was gingerly removing the hat slowly from their concealed face. The crowd gasped with excitement at the beautiful face that appeared beneath the hidden hat. Jin was completely mesmerized by the beauty of the poised figure and the elegant face that he thought he could almost recognize underneath the makeup. His mouth unconsciously gasped wide open and at that moment. He forgot how to breathe, until he felt Yamapi’s right elbow dug hard against the left side of his ribs. Jin ignored the temporary pain that Yamapi caused and focused only on one person that had captured his attention since the day they first met; Kame.
Kame tried not to smile as he heard the crowd’s excited gasps and cheers. He tried to calm his nerves as he danced and somehow he managed to remember Ueda’s instruction ‘Focus your attention only on one person.’
It didn’t take the younger boy long to search for a face to focus on, for he found it in the middle of the theater. Right in his line of vision sat a handsome man that oddly brought comfort and courage to the nervous actor. The longer Kame gazed at the dimly lit face in the crowd, the more he thought the dashing young man looked rather familiar; very much like a person that he had met only twice but corresponded plenty of times in letters. He could never forget that boy’s face and the warmth of his hands.
‘....Jin-kun? Could it be Jin-kun.... No, it cannot possibly be him.... Jin-kun would still be in Kyoto.’ Kame thought to himself as he gazed at the man that continued to captivate his attention.
Jin’s face blushed several shades of red as Kame gazed solely at him while he performed the first part of the dance. The older boy felt paralyzed as he sat in the middle of the theater under Kame’s intense gaze, while his heart raced in his chest. Jin felt like the theater was a lot stuffier than he had remembered when he first stepped in, and seeing Kame not as a boy but in his female role costume did not help matters especially as Kame had unashamedly grown to look even more alluring to Jin’s eyes.
Kame drove the crowd wilder when his red lips parted slightly as he playfully bit onto the red cloth attached to the hat. His face was full of innocent beauty as he unwittingly seduced the crowd, especially one in particular; Jin.
The dance continued. Each step Kame took enchanted the crowd. Each elegant wave of his hand; each delicate movement of his head and body drove the crowd into a mad frenzy of cheers. Until the very end when Kame had only the simple vibrant red kimono robe on, he danced with all his strength. He gave all that he had on the stage until the last note of the high pitched flute sounded, then Kame slowly faded behind the wisteria tree. The crowd applauded with zeal at the performance they just witnessed.
Takizawa appeared on the stage and signaled for Kame to join him there, as he said to the crowd “Thank you for watching tonight’s performance. I hope that you have enjoyed it greatly. This is certainly Kame-kun’s first ever live performance and I am certain that with the amount of cheering he received tonight, it shall not be his last. So please look forward to more performances from Kame-kun in the following days to come.”
Kame turned to face the crowd again, then took a step back before he bowed fully at the crowd and smiled dazzlingly at them. Kame’s eyes searched for the familiar face among the crowd again in hopes of finding Jin, as he wanted to confirm to himself that it was really Jin and that it was not his own imagination. The moment his eyes finally focused on Jin’s face, Takizawa had already announced to the crowd to please leave with care and return safely home. The crowd had started to stand up and filed slowly out the theater door. When Jin saw that Kame was leaving the stage with Takizawa, he stood up abruptly, trying to catch a last glimpse of Kame.
Ryo stood beside Jin as the older tugged his cousin on his right arm towards the direction of the theater door but he was pulled back; close enough to Jin only to see the determination in his cousin eyes as he said, “I need to see him. I have to find a way to see Kazuya-kun.”
Ryo sighed aloud with a frown on his face as he thought with displeasure, ‘Great! This is going to be one long night.’
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Ummmpphhh” was the only sound Kame could make under the tight embrace that Koki held him in as the older boy cried out “I’m so proud of you. You did such an amazing job Kame-chan!”
Next to them, Taguchi was laughing in excitement while clapping his hands at the success of Kame’s performance.
Kame slowly gathered the energy to push Koki’s body away from him and replied “Thank you Koki-kun!”
The younger boy looked distracted as his eyes searched around the backstage room for Ueda who was nowhere to be seen. Koki asked “What’s wrong Kame-chan?”
To which the younger boy asked “Have you seen Ueda-kun?”
Koki said, “Ueda-kun....um...the last I saw him... He was up stairs in the dressing room cleaning up.... Oh... never mind, he's coming down the stairs now.”
Kame turned around to see Ueda's proud smile while he said happily “You did it Kame-kun!!!!!”
The younger boy smiled brightly in return and hugged Ueda with great joy. Ueda at first tensed in Kame's embrace, but eventually relaxing himself and returned Kame's hug as the younger boy whispered “Your support means a lot to me Ueda-kun. Thank you for helping me..... I followed your instruction to concentrate on one person and you know what.... I think I saw Jin-kun and his friends.”
Ueda was the first to pull away. He looked at the younger boy with doubtful eyes and asked “You did? Are you sure Kame-kun?”
Kame nodded at first but then pouted as he became unsure with his response. He spoke with a halt, “Well... I think I did see him in the dim lighting....Maybe...Maybe it wasn't him... Maybe I only saw him because subconsciously I wanted to?.... Could that happen Ueda-kun?”
Ueda smiled kindly at the hopeful looking boy and gently said, “It doesn't matter if Yabuki-kun was really in the theater. Kame-kun, even if you had imagined that it was him, you still managed to dance beautifully.”
The older boy continued his words, “Now follow me Kame-kun. We have to get you changed out of this costume and remove your make up......I have just been informed by Uncle Takizawa that you would start your moonlighting duty tonight....”
Ueda stopped talking as Kame interrupted him with surprised expression and in a shocked voice, he blurted “That soon?”
The older boy nodded and said reassuringly to Kame “You only have to accompany him for dinner and nothing more. You don't have to worry about anything, he has already given Uncle Takizawa his promise.”
Ueda stared at the younger boy with a resolved expression. Inwardly, he thought 'Kame-kun, I will make sure that you stay safe.' as Ueda remembered his conversation with Takizawa nearing the end of Kame's performance.
Flashback
Ueda's hands clenched tightly into fists when he heard Takizawa pronounce the bitter name of a vile creature that had haunted him ever since the day he first began his moonlighting duty. The events of that one night which he was determined to lock away forever came rushing back. Fresh in his mind were the images of his hands bound together by a rope and held above his head by a strong large coarse hand. He remembered the unwanted cracked lips that sucked and licked his skin, leaving a filthy string of tick saliva mixed with the stench of alcohol that tracked from his neck, down his frozen naked torso, all the way to the tip of his flaccid and trapped penis. He could still feel the calloused dirty hand that gripped hard onto his hips, as the unwanted length tore through his sensitive passage, leaving no mercy as the heavy body above continuously intruded his. The room smelt of stinking blood and moist sweat. The walls enclosing around him sounded his own murderous screams and cries of pain, which was muffled by a cloth shoved roughly into his mouth until the very end, when a loud grunt could be heard and a horrifying gush of fluid could be felt within his private walls. Ueda turned pale and his breath hitched in fear as he tried to push the unwanted images from his head. He thought to himself ‘Please don’t let that happen to Kame too.’
“No! Uncle Takizawa, there has to be another person. Anyone but that foul man!” Ueda spoke with unhidden anger and despair as he stared at Takizawa with disbelief in his eyes.
The older man remained silent as he listened to Ueda’s plea. “Why him? I don’t understand. Why does it have to be Matsuda-san?”
Takizawa stared into Ueda’s distressed eyes and quietly said, “Amongst all the patrons that we had tonight.... He bid the highest for Kame-kun. I was hoping that it was someone else..... Unfortunately he won the bid...... Rules are rules Ueda-kun... It can only be followed.”
“What do you mean by that? You are the head of this company, of course you can change the rules.....” Ueda shouted, enraged with the situation.
Takizawa looked at Ueda with saddened eyes and replied “You know how the system works Ueda-kun. The law enforcers didn’t even lay a finger on him in the past because he has been working for the Ishimura clan; and the fact that we are only viewed as entertainers... nothing could be done. I cannot just change a rule in our line of work that has been practiced for decades..... I have spoken with Matsuda-san and he gave me his word. He promised he only wanted Kame-kun to accompany him for dinner.”
Ueda faked a laugh and said with great bitterness, “That scheming bastard. ‘Only accompany him for dinner’ or so he says. That monster only wants to take advantage of Kame-kun, like he took advantage of me when he became drunk.”
“Ueda-kun please listen!..... I apologize deeply for the pain that you had to endure because of my lack of judgment and experience in handling such people as Matsuda-san.... I do not want the same mistake to be repeated again with Kame-kun....I am sure neither would you. So please,... You don’t have to go near Matsuda-san... I am just asking you to follow them and just watch from a distance. If anything happens, I need you to send someone to inform me.” Takizawa said aloud with worried frustration as he pleaded with Ueda.
Ueda remained silent as he looked away from Takizawa and considered the older man’s words. The younger boy tipped his head back slightly in defeat and inhaled a deep shaky breath. He directed his gaze back to Takizawa with hardened eyes and nodded his head in agreement with the plan “I will follow Kame-kun tonight, but if the old bastard Matsuda dares to lay a single finger on Kame-kun, I will kill him!”
End of flashback
Kame looked at Ueda and smiled warmly, he then replied, “If it is only accompanying someone for dinner as my first moonlighting duty, I will gladly attend to the task.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The silent figure walked behind the older female attendant that led him towards the dining room of an inn situated near the red arched wooden gate of Tsukiji. He wore a simple plain purple kimono with a dark purple sash. His freshly cleaned face no longer held any evidence of make-up, as his fair translucent smooth skin glowed under the hanging lanterns that were splayed evenly down the hallway. His hair was no longer in an intricate design but rather a simple pony tail tied back with a black string which he always wore. The sides of his face covered by stands of strayed hair that flowed in the cool breeze.
As they walked through a polished wooden floor hallway, Kame traveled his eyes over the medium sized pond surrounded by tall rock features as well as a lonely green maple tree. The boy gazed at the inn’s pond with interest as carps of various colours ranging from yellow, orange, red, white and black swam around the edges of the pond. He was only distracted when the elderly woman slid the sliding door open to reveal a medium sized cozy dining room. Kame gazed at the empty room and looked at the elderly woman who smiled at him when saying, “Matsuda-san will be arriving shortly, please make yourself comfortable.”
The boy bowed at the woman and stepped up into the dining room and onto the tatami floor. She bowed back at Kame and slid the door shut behind him, leaving the boy alone in the room. Kame stood in the middle of the dining hall and observed the room which glowed orange from the four flickering standing lanterns that stood one at every corner. The boy almost felt like he was caged inside, all except for the low window situated at the opposite of the sliding doors. It did not ease his feelings of uneasiness though, as he could see that overgrown tall shrubs which surrounding the inn had formed a sense of hushed privacy. He walked towards the window and decided to sit on the cushion a meter away from the window, thinking that he would use the opportunity to view the silver moon before Matsuda arrived.
Kame smiled nostalgically to himself as he remembered that he was always caught out by Ueda when he gazed at the moon in his own room, to which Ueda would tease him and say, ‘Stop doing that. Only old men gaze up at the moon.’ Kame would immediately laugh aloud at the comment, but what Kame had never told Ueda was the fact that he and Jin had made a promise to each other in their letters. They agreed that if one was ever upset or thought of the other, all they had to do is gaze at the moon, because both of them might be far apart in distance but never the less they reside under the same sky. Hence Kame was thinking about Jin, whom he believed to have seen tonight in the performance hall. The younger boy could feel his cheeks heated up with warmth and turned red at the thought of Jin. His thoughts were distracted when he caught sight of a man in his late fifties that appeared at the door. Kame observed the tall and lanky man with a balding head as he moved his right foot to step up onto the tatami floor before he started to walk towards Kame. The man's dried lips curved up into a smile as he bared his brown stained teeth to a surprised looking Kame.
Matsuda bowed and introduced himself as he said, “My name is Ichiro Matsuda-san. I am the one who requested for your company tonight.”
Kame nodded in acknowledgment as Matsuda took the seat beside him. The older man lowered his body and made sure that his left thigh rubbed against Kame’s right leg when he sat down. The younger boy felt uncomfortable at the nearness of the older man's left leg against his, so he smiled meekly at Matsuda and shifted himself to the side of the table. As an excuse, Kame grasped hold of a red lacquered wine dish in his left hand and a tall clay pot filled with rice wine. He knelt as he poured a dish of wine for Matsuda, then slowly placed the wine dish on the wooden dinner table in front of Matsuda. Unexpectedly, Matsuda smirked while observing Kame’s behavior; grasping Kame's left hand with both of his and rubbed the back of the younger boys hand with his calloused fingers. Matsuda leaned closer to the wide eyed boy and continued stroking Kame’s hand as he said, “You have such delicate skin. Very smooth and soft. Just like a new born.”
The boy recoiled his hand as quickly as his apprehensive heart beats at the nearness of the older man's face. Matsuda’s eyes darkened with lust as he gazed intensely at Kame, making the boy tense up by reflex. Kame slid a little further away from Matsuda by pushing both his hands and knees against the tatami floor. The reaction caused Matsuda to burst out laughing like an asthmatic dog gasping for air at every breath as he watched Kame’s behavior. He could feel the discomfort radiating from the beautiful boy when he downed the rice wine down with his head tipped back, before eerily smiling while saying, “Kame-kun, relax. The night has only begun. Why don't you pour me another drink while we wait for dinner to arrive?”
Kame’s eyes shifted from Matsuda’s leering face to the closed sliding door which seemed even further away from where he sat. To Kame, it felt like the night was moving very slowly, and the ever unrelenting Matsuda was watching Kame like a lion stalking its prey, waiting for the right moment to ponce. Kame tried to swallow the lump in his throat when his mind reeled in fear. Silently inside his head, he cried out 'Ueda-kun! Where are you?... Please help me!'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A figure squatted very still in between the wall of the dining room inn and the shrubs. He held his breath as he turned his head to the right and peeked through the low window to see Kame appear at the door, then ducking his head to lean against the wall, hoping that the young boy had not caught sight of him.
Ueda observed with full concentration on Kame who stepped into the empty dining hall. “Ueda-kun is that you?” came a curious voice that whispered from behind the said boy who had his back turned. Ueda was surprised by the voice that called him, so he turned his head around to the left quickly and stood at the same time, which turned out to be a painful mistake as the top of his head collided with the chin of the person that had called him. Both the boys winced at the impact and groaned quietly in pain. Ueda knelt, as he leaned against the wall of the inn and shielded the top of his head with his forearm while the other person landed on their bottom. They brought both their own hands up and placed them against the base of their own chin when they felt the pain shoot through their jaw all the way into their temple.
The younger of the two was the first to collect himself when the pain subsided and he lifted his arms away from his head. Ueda looked across at the person that just scared him and questioned with hushed surprise and uncertainty, “Ryo-kun?”
Ryo lifted his right hand and waved at Ueda while his left hand nursed his jaw.
“What are you doing here?” hissed a wide eyed Ueda.
To which Ryo opened his mouth slightly to flex his jaw. After ensuring that it had not been broken, he replied quietly “I should be asking you that question.”
The younger boy continued to gaze at Ryo with widening eyes as he tried to gather his distracted thoughts and whispered, “I... I have been asked to keep an eye on Kame-kun.”
Ueda gazed at Ryo with curiosity and asked softly, “Now it is time for you to answer me.....Why are you here? I thought you were still in Kyoto with Jin.”
Ryo smiled brightly at Ueda and crawled on his hand and feet closer to the boy. He whispered back, “Jin-kun wanted to see Kame-kun when we returned from Kyoto the day before but it was already night. So today we rode all the way to Shitamachi and rushed down here to Tsukiji to find Kame-kun.... We happened to be dinning in the opposite rooms until I got distracted by the sight of someone snooping around.”
Ueda felt himself blush a dark pink at Ryo’s last comment as well as Ryo's deep eyes that stared into his. Ueda blinked hard to concentrate as he whispered back to Ryo, “Yabuki-kun could have waited for Kame-kun to return to Shitamachi instead of coming all the way to Tsukiji.”
Ryo chuckled softly and leaned in closer to Ueda with a whisper, “Jin-kun would not have coped until Kame-kun returned to Shitamachi. He can be rather stubborn when he sets his sight on a goal. Not that I'm complaining at the moment.... Because I finally get to see you too.”
Ueda blushed darker at Ryo's words and turned his head away from the nearness of Ryo face, asking “Have you always been such a sweet talker Ryo-kun?”
Ryo blushed at his own words as he said the truth “Surprisingly, I'm not a sweet talker at all. As a matter of fact,... I have made people cry with the blunt things I have said to them.... Somehow.... Somehow when I am around you.... I do not want to make you cry.”
Ryo turned Ueda's face back towards him, then cradled the boys left cheek gently in the palm of his right hand. Ueda could feel his heart beating fast when Ryo caressed his cheek gently, like the time he had done when they were hidden behind the shrubs by the riverside at Shitamachi. Ueda closed his eyes at the touch and raised his left hand up. Gently, he held Ryo's right hand to press it against his cheek. Ryo gazed at Ueda longingly as he remembered the feel of the boy’s lips against his, so he lent in to kiss the boy on his soft full lips. Ueda's eyes opened slightly at the sudden feel Ryo’s lips but then closed his eyes again as he responded and trapped Ryo's bottom lips in between, sucking gently on it, savoring Ryo's taste.
The older boy brought his right hand away from Ueda’s face and wrapped his right arm around Ueda's shoulder, while his left hand wrapped snugly against the boys waist. Then, he pulled the boy closer into his chest while he never allowed for Ueda's lips to leave his. The younger boy moaned softly with need into the kiss, deepening it while Ryo responded with equal favor. Ueda was the first to pull away from Ryo to catch his breath whilst the older boy sighed with contentment. He hugged the older boy closer to him to hide his flushed face due to his own urgent response at the feel of Ryo’s lips against his and the body that trapped him against the wall. Ueda whispered into the older boy's left ear “We should really stop meeting each other in hidden places like these.”
To which the older boy responded by holding Ueda tightly to him and smiled lovingly as he kissed Ueda softly on his left temple; but the two were suddenly distracted when they heard someone introduce themselves. Ueda pushed himself away from Ryo with both hands and turned his head to the right to peek through the only window of the room. His face turned white and he could feel his body shook unwillingly at the name.
Ryo looked down at the boy who shivered and pulled Ueda back against his chest into his arms. The younger boy buried his head in the crook of Ryo’s neck. Ueda inhaled Ryo's sent and felt oddly comforted by it. The older boy’s body radiated warmth as well as security from his tight embrace around his shoulder and waist.
Lifting his head and gazing into Ryo's eyes, Ueda asked quietly with pleading eyes, “I need your help Ryo-kun.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Matsuda sat at the wooden dining table, eating the prepared food as he continued to stare at the younger boy with eyes like a hawk. The older man placed a slice of cooked meat into his mouth with his chopstick in his right hand and chewed; his sneer never left the uncommunicative younger boy. Matsuda licked his thin lips as his eyes danced with pleasure at the sight of Kame’s exposed white milky neck which aroused the lower half of his body.
Kame knelt stiffly and stayed in his position at the side of the dining table. He watched with hidden disgust as the man chewed his food loudly without closing his mouth, like a cow that grazed the grass in the fields. Kame continued to fill the wine dish at every opportunity when the older man emptied it. He secretly hoped that the man would be drunk and unconscious enough not to touch him, because this was the third clay pot of rice wine that a food attendant had brought in, and the older man had completely consumed it.
Kame observed Matsuda for the next half hour as the man’s face and neck turned a dark red after the latter emptied the fourth pot of alcohol. Matsuda started to feel light headed and his vision blurred slightly, but he blinked hard and shook his head from side to side to wave away the sleepy feeling and the heaviness in his head. He thought to himself with a drunken grin, ‘Time to make a move.’
Matsuda stood up as quickly as he could with his back hunched when he tried to stop himself from tumbling backwards towards the window. He swayed from side to side and banged the palms of his hands loudly against the polished table, then lunged towards Kame in an attempt to grab the boy.
The younger boy stood abruptly when he saw that Matsuda had moved from his sitting position. Kame’s body was shaken with fright at the sound and the sight of the older man diving towards him. He moved further back towards the wall and pressed his back tightly against it. Kame was breathing hard with panic as his chest rose and fell at a fast pace. He shook his head from side to side as he begged aloud “Please don’t do this Matsuda-san!”
Matsuda only sneakered aloud and tried to grab the young boy’s arms but missed as Kame sheltered his own arms against his chest and fell hard onto the tatami floor where he landed on his back. Leaving the side of the older man’s left arm collided with the wall instead. Kame was backing away from the older man who tried to refocus his heavy lidded eyes at him. His elbows bent and his palms turned outwards as he tried to push himself further back; pushing with his legs all the while keeping his eyes on Matsuda’s next move. The older man could see his prey slowly getting away and cursed himself in the thought through his blurry mind ‘Fuck! Someone must have drugged the food and wine......’
He narrowed his eyes at his escaping prey and tried to move his weakening limbs, using all his gathered energy to dive at Kame again. This time he succeeded when he stumbled as he used his left hand to grab the boy by his left ankle. Kame cried out in pain at the tight and bruising fingers that dug into his naked left ankle. Matsuda used Kame’s ankle to drag himself up Kame's body as he sneered with triumph at the boy. He pried Kame’s legs open roughly with his free right hand and wedged his awakened lower body between those shaky legs. Kame whimpered and shivered in fear at the feel of the older man's erection brushing against his exposed inner left thigh. He yelled out “Someone help me!!!! Anyone? Please! Help me!”
The boy’s vision started to blur as the tears slid from eyes and down the sides of his face. Kame couldn't move as he tried to push Matsuda off him with both arms to no avail when Matsuda's heavily drugged body held him to the ground. The older man's face loomed above Kame's and with the last concious action, he crushed his dried lips against the younger boy's soft pink virgin lips, which caused the boy's eyes to widen in alarm, as more tears flowed down his face. The younger boy attempted to kick the man off him with all his strength. With the final push of his arms as well as legs, Kame succeeded in moving Matsuda's body which was laying motionless away from him after rolling onto the tatami mat beside him.
Kame gasped as he tried to catch his breath after the struggle and tried his best to stand up quickly. His mind was in a mess when he rolled onto his right side away from Matsuda. Leaning his right arm against the tatami floor, he pushed himself up from the side and bent his knees stand. He slid the door open loudly with his left hand and continued to sob out loud as he ran down the corridor with his head down.
The boy collided directly into the chest of another person that was running down the hallway. That person breathed uneven and heavy breaths as he embraced Kame tightly against his chest. He circled both arms around Kame's back and secured the boy in his hold when leaning in and kissing the top of Kame's hair. Kame could hear the loud thudding of the man's beating heart against his left ear. The boy looked up through his teary eyes at the man's face that stared back at him, to meet a pair of wild fearful eyes and a pale sick face filled with worry.
Kame sobbed harder as he clenched the front of the man's gray yukata tightly in his fist. He buried his tear stained face against the man's chest and cried out continuously the only name of the person that he longed for the most in the past years.
“JIN!!”
(To be continued in Chapter 8)
Author: falling_petal01
Paring: Akame
Rating: R (For adult situations and swearing)
Genre: Alternative universe, Romance
Beta’ by: sheenalinh and tppwendy (Thank you guys for helping me beta at such short notice!)
gaea_chan (Also have to mention you even though i know you have been busy but thank you for trying too!)
Disclaimer: I do not own kame or Jin, nor do I own their friends. Neither do I own some of the Kabuki performances mentioned. Kimono worn in the performance came from both Toma saburo's 'Wisteria maiden' performance as well as Kame's '1583'.
Summary: One has been raised in the colourful and dramatic world of Kabuki, while the other a mayor’s son taught to inherit his fathers’ title. What would happen when fate steps in and binds them with a red string?
Warning: Slight cross dressing involved and slightly feminine Kame at times. BOY X BOY RELATIONSHIP!!! (This chapter mentions of rape as well as sexual situations.)
Author note: Sorry it takes me such a long time to write a chapter. I hope you guys enjoy reading it and thank you for waiting for the story if you've been following it. I hope i have not offended anyone..... (Runs to hug Kame and Ueda tightly)
Comments or constructive criticisms are also welcome!
Graphics by:tppwendy
Chapter 7 Part B
Edo 1651, Middle of spring~ From the roads to Tsukiji's performance hall.
Thin dust clouds from the dirt road which curved dangerously along the side of the cliff swirled into the air and swept down the road. The hoofs of the horses pounded into the ground with a steady rhythm which caused loose rocks and soil to tumble down the edges of the cliff. Cool breeze that swept from the mountains behind turned to large gusts of wind that lashed at the riders as the horses galloped at full speed up the green grassy hills. The blossoming scenery of spring that nature provides became a blur of vivid colours as the riders continued their hasty journey down the slope of the hill, hoping to reach their destination before the sun set in its dusky orange coloured sky.
The figure riding the leading silver stallion grasped tightly onto the reigns with his hands; eyes full of concentration. He stood with bent knees above the saddle while his upper body leaned forward, allowing the horse to have greater advantage as it galloped on flat ground. The rider looked over his shoulder to his left to ensure that his three riding companions were following closely behind him.
Finally, he was rewarded with the view of a small wooden shack; the check point for Tsukiji. Four guards lined up beside each other, forming a small human barricade; short bulky men stood with a wide foot stance, ready to draw their long swords if needed at the oncoming travelers. The leader of the pack slowed the horse down by tightening the reigns as he pulled it towards his chest all the while making a soothing sound to calm the horses which were full of adrenalin. He called out to his three riding companions to slow down as they approached the check point.
The guards continued to hold their stance as the head guard stood out. His face showed no emotion while he called out in his booming stern voice to the group of four. “I need to check your identity, if not we cannot allow you to pass this point.”
A handsome young man built with a lean frame, wearing a simple black and gray striped Kimono with a gray belt was the first to unsaddle from his horse. He stepped out from behind the silver stallion and walked past the lead rider. His black glossy curly hair sat below his ears while his curly fringe swept down to cover his left eye. The man held an aura of confidence as he raised his hands gently up into the air and approached the head guard. The two were conversing privately until the guard stepped away from the man and called out to his fellow guards “Allow for Ikuta Toma-san and his companions to pass.”
The guards moved aside and continued to scrutinize the travelers that walked past them with reigns in hand and their horses in tow. They walked quickly past the busy harbor ports where laborers were shouting at each other, trying to coordinate the last docking of large shipments of salt from Gyotoku salt fields in the East, as well as large containers of rice from Kuramae rice fields. The four riders took the wider route to the left, past the port which led them to the inns where merchant travelers were allowed to rest in before collecting their goods from the ports. By the time they had handed the horses’ reigns over to the inn keeper, the sun had set and the night sky enveloped Tsukiji.
“Let us split up and find the street where the performances are held. We shall meet at the red gate in half an hour. The street is not long so it shall not take too much time to find the place..... and person.” Toma said in a calm voice as he turned to his brooding friend that he had come to know for the past one and a half years.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A young boy wearing a plain cotton pale blue yukata stood on top of a small wooden platform situated to the left near the front steps, beneath rows of white glowing hanging lanterns. Yamada Ryosuke was rather well known for being the fastest ticket seller in Tsukiji. The boy had his short black hair tucked behind his ears; each strand straying out of place as he waved his right hand vigorously; holding tightly onto bundled paper tickets while calling out “Gather round ladies and gentleman. Please come in and see for yourself, tonight’s special performance called ‘Wisteria maiden.’ Tonight, we introduce a new actor that has been brought up under the watchful eyes of our very own company producer Takizawa-san.”
“This is a once in a life time opportunity not to be missed! So buy a ticket and come on in. You will be amazed!” The boy continued to call out to the growing crowd. A man wearing a plain and neat maroon Kimono with a black belt pushed gently through the crowd and stood with his arms crossed against his chest at the steps of the theater entrance. He leaned in close enough to Ryosuke and questioned him “What is the name of the artist performing tonight?”
Ryosuke stood back slightly without turning away from the man and pointed to the medium sized polished smooth wooden plank situating to his right from behind with one single character carved into it. The older man followed the direction to which the younger boy pointed. He then read the lonely black bold letter aloud to himself with a wide grin “KAME.”
The man looked at Ryosuke as he pulled out brass stringed coins from within his black belt and said, “Young boy, please give me four tickets for tonight's performance.”
Ryosuke nodded happily and handed over the paper tickets in exchange for the seven brass coins. Holding onto them tightly, he called out to the man hurriedly walking away towards the crowd “Trust Ryosuke on this performance. You won’t regret it sir!”
The said man chuckled softly to himself as he pushed past the crowd of potential theater customers and rich merchant patrons disguising as working class-men. In his low voice, he said to no one in particular “We will certainly not regret this. I assure you.”
Ryo’s eyes darkened with certainty and longing, especially when he remembered the wooden plaque beside Kame’s name which held the words “Ueda.”
He walked down towards the direction of the red wooden arched gate. With each step, his wooden clogs scrapped along the road that led him towards where his cousin and friends were waiting; all the while thinking to himself ‘Jin will certainly be happy to finally see Kame-kun again in person....’
Ryo remembered the first months when they settled in Kyoto. It was near the end of summer. The humid wind blew; swaying the thin bamboo blinds bound together with dried vines and red strings as decorations which had been weaved delicately. Ryo would sit indoors where it was cooler as the female servants fanned a large ice cube situated in the middle of the room. It was put on a wooden carved stand that would drip cold liquid into bowels to help temporarily cool the residents of the medium sized villa. Ryo observed Jin from behind the thin blinds, where his cousin would lay motionless on the polished veranda of the villa that they lived in. Numerous times Ryo had found opportunities to approach Jin and ask him questions in hopes that his cousin would open up to him. Jin would only speak briefly to Ryo and tell him that he missed Edo and how he missed Kaoru as she was the only one that had corresponded with him since his move to Kyoto. Jin had not received any letters from Akanishi residence; he got all the information and updates about Shin’s activities via Ryo who received letters from his own father on a monthly basis.
Jin became rather automated during the first half of the year. Ryo observed his cousin’s daily routine. Every six days of the week, Jin had gotten dressed by one of the female attendants into his green kimono and formal black jacket; getting him ready to attend court teachings. Jin would disappear by riding on a horse with Yamapi accompanying and return after a long day as he pulled off the black hat that sat stiffly on his head, after untying the black stringed knot under his chin. He would habitually spend the rest of the evening sitting out in the veranda, regardless of the season and the weather. Jin would still be looking at the dawning sun that turned into the beautiful night sky which comforted him as he gazed at his beloved silver moon.
The only times that Ryo and Yamapi interfered with Jin’s moon-gazing sessions were when they thought that Jin was in danger of possibly killing himself either willingly or unintentionally. Those were the days when the two older boys had to take matters into their own hands as they carried a protesting and drenched Jin by his body and legs away from the veranda during the heavy monsoon seasons, as well as, the random nights where there were long white streaks of flashes announcing that a thunderstorm was approaching and ready to strike.
Ryo noticed the times when Jin's mood brightened dramatically. They were the days Jin received letters from Kame, which Jin would smile with joy like a child that had been handed a present that he had secretly desired and waited patiently for years to receive. Afterward, Jin would lock himself behind the closed sliding doors of his bed room while Ryo, upon Yamapi's persistent and annoying requests, had to spy on the boy. Ryo watched as Jin spent the rest of the night sitting at the polished wooden study table by the low framed window; with an ink tipped brush replying to the letter diligently; while he would gaze at the night sky with a nostalgic smile that never faded even after the boy went to sleep.
During the second half of the year that they stayed in Kyoto, Jin had made a new friend; Toma from court who was studying to become an advisor. The four of them would spend most nights out late, drinking rice wine from expensive gold rimmed red lacquered dishes while the beautiful performing geisha entertained them. Those were the nights Ryo and Yamapi had to ensure that Jin made it back to the villa. In his drunken state of mind, all the while they could hear Jin subconsciously mumbled loudly “....Come on you guys......Let’s go..... Shitamachi........ Kazuya-kun....”
Ryo and Yamapi both observed the changes in Jin during the last year that they had lived in Kyoto. Jin grew taller, almost head to head with Yamapi; and each year Jin’s features became even more defined and handsome. Anyone would know, when one had such attractive looks like Jin, it would certainly attract attention. Thus, Jin became one of the most popular men well-known amongst the ladies in Kyoto. They would admire him either from a distance or behind their elaborately decorated fans to cover most of their faces, except for the long eyelashes that peeked out as they stole glimpses of this beautiful man walking past.
Unexpectedly, Jin excelled in his studies but he also learned to hide his intelligence behind an idiotic facade which he maintained to protect himself from harm. His innocence and ignorance of the world that he was born into and knew of, was crushed in Kyoto by the political games and conspiracies that were played. Jin learned to trust only a very few close to him.
When Jin finally received his first correspondent letter from Shin, telling Jin to return home to Edo as Shin was happy with his progress. Jin was rather reluctant to do so except when Yamapi told Jin that Toma would join them in Edo and Ryo subtly told Jin to think about things he missed the most during his absence from Edo, to which he would turn his head away and blushed in embarrassment as he thought about it. When they arrived in Edo, Jin had already planned to find Kame in Shitamachi while the first glimpse of the sun appeared in the horizon. Still, Jin had not considered that they would all join in on this trip. Hence, with Jin’s well known persistence and stubbornness, they’ve come all the way to Tsukiji to track down not a ‘thing’ but rather a person that Jin secretly missed more than Kaoru in Edo.
Ryo stopped walking as he looked at the sight of Jin, with his arms crossed against his chest as he leaned against the red wooden arch for support. His cousin had his eyes directed upwards at the stars in the sky. He and Yamapi were both disguised as everyday citizens like they used to do when the three traveled down to Shitamachi three years ago. Jin was wearing his simple dark gray yukata with a black belt while Yamapi was in a navy blue yukata, simple with a black belt as well.
Ryo yelled out to the three awaiting figures. “I have found him, Jin-kun!”
To which Jin’s brooding expression brightened into a wide smile as he called out to Ryo “Where is he?”
“I was right! He is performing tonight in Tsukiji’s performance hall. According to the boy... Ryosuke. Your friend is debuting tonight.” Ryo informed Jin with a wide grin.
Jin’s eyes widened in surprise, his wide smile slowly changed into a grim line as he felt hurt when he thought to himself ‘Why had Kazuya-kun not told me in the letters? He wrote to me that he had been learning a dance routine which he was practicing hard for. I’ve told him about the important things that had troubled me while I stayed in Kyoto.....If this was something important to him, he should have told me....... Maybe.... He didn’t want me to find out about him performing.... But why not Kazuya-kun?... Why not?’
Ryo waved his right hand in front of Jin’s eyes and distracted his cousin from his thoughts as he said, “Jin....We are not going to get good seats if we don’t go now.”
Jin nodded at Ryo and the four of them walked their way up the steep steps towards Takizawa’s performance hall. Jin felt his heart beat faster with feelings of anticipation, as each step he took brought him closer to Kame whom he had not seen in the past two and a half years.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kame stood silently on the side of the stage where Taguchi had left him; concealed from the view of all the excited and loud chattering guests that had arrived for tonight's performance. He peeked through the small gape from behind the wooden platform where the musicians sat. Kame nervously scanned the faces of the crowd as he licked his red painted lips; some he thought he recognized because they often attended Takizawa’s performances. Overall there were new and unfamiliar faces within the crowd.
The musicians tuned their instruments as they waited for the story teller to walk on stage. Each passing second dragged on in the younger boy’s mind as Kame started to feel anxious. The younger boy brought his hands up to the lapel of his black kimono, unconsciously tightening his hold around the fabric as his chest felt heavy, like he couldn’t breathe and his feet wouldn’t move. The loud chatter drifted into the background and all Kame could hear was the strong, steady beating of his own heart ringing in his ears. The younger boy could almost feel cold sweat leaking from his forehead and oozing from his palms. Ueda was standing close to Kame and noticed that the younger boy had zoned out; his eyes fixed in a distant stare. Kame looked like he was ready to faint. Ueda held onto Kame with both arms and quickly called out to Taguchi “Quick Taguchi-kun. Pass me the cup of water now and something to sit on.”
Taguchi moved quickly with his long limbs as he placed a wooden box down with his left hand behind Kame and passed the cup in his right hand to Ueda’s awaiting ones. Ueda turned to Kame and said, “Listen Kame-kun! I need you to sit down slowly with me okay. If you pass out now, everything that you have worked hard for will be over. So I need you to follow my instructions.”
Ueda guided Kame to slowly sit on the box. He turned Kame’s head towards him with his right hand, while his left hand held onto the cup of water as he called out, “Kame-kun. Look at me. Focus... That’s it.... Focus on my eyes.”
When Kame came out of his stupor, the younger boy blinked and gazed at Ueda with frightened eyes before he grabbed hold of the older boy’s hands, trying to be coherent when he said, “The stage looks a lot bigger than I remembered it to be Ueda-kun........ I thought I was ready for this but......Did you see how full the hall looks? It’s crammed with people... Everywhere!....I thought I was ready but.... But...... I’m not as confident with myself anymore.”
“It is okay Kame-kun. You are ready for this! You have completely memorized your dance steps to the point where you can even dance in your sleep. Remember... You can do this! You are destined to perform in this hall of Takizawa’s. You can do it!” Ueda said as he tried to reassure Kame.
His hands tightened on Kame’s shaky hands and said, “I’ll teach you a trick. Find one person in the crowd and focus on their face. Concentrate only on them until you find the confidence to look at other people. Here. Drink some water.... Kame-kun, they are signaling for you to be on stage now.”
Kame tried to absorb every word that Ueda had said to him through his anxiety. The younger boy closed his eyes and inhaled then exhaled a few deep quick breaths, as he reassured himself ‘You can do this Kazuya! You can definitely do this!’
Ueda assisted Kame to stand. He turned to face the boy and fastened the large round black coloured lacquered hat onto Kame’s head which concealed most of his face, except for his lips. The older boy tied the red clothed string into a loose knot below Kame’s chin. He handed the younger boy a wooden stick that held clusters of paper wisteria flowers in full bloom. Kame laid the stick over his right shoulder, allowing the flowers to settle delicately down the length of his arm.
Ueda gave Kame a bright smile and patted the younger boy on his back to encourage him. Kame let out a nervous smile in return and exhaled as he waited for the lights of the theater to dim.
------------------------
The tall yellow lanterns around the theater dimmed into a soft orange glow as the small white lanterns surrounding the side of the stage lit up brightly. At the same time, the musician started to pluck the first notes of the three stringed shimisen indicating for the crowd to stop talking. The chattering of the excited crowd slowly faded away to silence as they anticipated the entrance of the actor. The four boys had settled themselves in the middle row facing the center of the stage, behind the loyal merchant patrons and fans which were allowed to sit near the stage, so near that they could reach out and touch the actor if they wanted to. The second floor on the sides was reserved for the laboring class who could not afford expensive tickets, but they still had a reasonably good view of the stage. The boxed seats in the middle were reserved for the extremely rich as they had a clear view of the stage and no one around to distract them.
Jin observed all the excited and curious expressions around him. His eyes were abruptly drawn back to the stage where a figure had just appeared gracefully and stood behind a large wisteria tree. The figured lingered behind the curtain of wisteria flowers that hung suspended from above the stage. The said figure took delicate steps as they moved out from behind the curtain of flowers. Their left hand held onto the round hat and their right hand swayed the bundled purple flowers gently. A calm soothing voice began to sing the story of the wisteria maiden to the crowd.
The figure laid the bundled flowers on the floor to remove their hat. Jin focused his eyes at the actor that was gingerly removing the hat slowly from their concealed face. The crowd gasped with excitement at the beautiful face that appeared beneath the hidden hat. Jin was completely mesmerized by the beauty of the poised figure and the elegant face that he thought he could almost recognize underneath the makeup. His mouth unconsciously gasped wide open and at that moment. He forgot how to breathe, until he felt Yamapi’s right elbow dug hard against the left side of his ribs. Jin ignored the temporary pain that Yamapi caused and focused only on one person that had captured his attention since the day they first met; Kame.
Kame tried not to smile as he heard the crowd’s excited gasps and cheers. He tried to calm his nerves as he danced and somehow he managed to remember Ueda’s instruction ‘Focus your attention only on one person.’
It didn’t take the younger boy long to search for a face to focus on, for he found it in the middle of the theater. Right in his line of vision sat a handsome man that oddly brought comfort and courage to the nervous actor. The longer Kame gazed at the dimly lit face in the crowd, the more he thought the dashing young man looked rather familiar; very much like a person that he had met only twice but corresponded plenty of times in letters. He could never forget that boy’s face and the warmth of his hands.
‘....Jin-kun? Could it be Jin-kun.... No, it cannot possibly be him.... Jin-kun would still be in Kyoto.’ Kame thought to himself as he gazed at the man that continued to captivate his attention.
Jin’s face blushed several shades of red as Kame gazed solely at him while he performed the first part of the dance. The older boy felt paralyzed as he sat in the middle of the theater under Kame’s intense gaze, while his heart raced in his chest. Jin felt like the theater was a lot stuffier than he had remembered when he first stepped in, and seeing Kame not as a boy but in his female role costume did not help matters especially as Kame had unashamedly grown to look even more alluring to Jin’s eyes.
Kame drove the crowd wilder when his red lips parted slightly as he playfully bit onto the red cloth attached to the hat. His face was full of innocent beauty as he unwittingly seduced the crowd, especially one in particular; Jin.
The dance continued. Each step Kame took enchanted the crowd. Each elegant wave of his hand; each delicate movement of his head and body drove the crowd into a mad frenzy of cheers. Until the very end when Kame had only the simple vibrant red kimono robe on, he danced with all his strength. He gave all that he had on the stage until the last note of the high pitched flute sounded, then Kame slowly faded behind the wisteria tree. The crowd applauded with zeal at the performance they just witnessed.
Takizawa appeared on the stage and signaled for Kame to join him there, as he said to the crowd “Thank you for watching tonight’s performance. I hope that you have enjoyed it greatly. This is certainly Kame-kun’s first ever live performance and I am certain that with the amount of cheering he received tonight, it shall not be his last. So please look forward to more performances from Kame-kun in the following days to come.”
Kame turned to face the crowd again, then took a step back before he bowed fully at the crowd and smiled dazzlingly at them. Kame’s eyes searched for the familiar face among the crowd again in hopes of finding Jin, as he wanted to confirm to himself that it was really Jin and that it was not his own imagination. The moment his eyes finally focused on Jin’s face, Takizawa had already announced to the crowd to please leave with care and return safely home. The crowd had started to stand up and filed slowly out the theater door. When Jin saw that Kame was leaving the stage with Takizawa, he stood up abruptly, trying to catch a last glimpse of Kame.
Ryo stood beside Jin as the older tugged his cousin on his right arm towards the direction of the theater door but he was pulled back; close enough to Jin only to see the determination in his cousin eyes as he said, “I need to see him. I have to find a way to see Kazuya-kun.”
Ryo sighed aloud with a frown on his face as he thought with displeasure, ‘Great! This is going to be one long night.’
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Ummmpphhh” was the only sound Kame could make under the tight embrace that Koki held him in as the older boy cried out “I’m so proud of you. You did such an amazing job Kame-chan!”
Next to them, Taguchi was laughing in excitement while clapping his hands at the success of Kame’s performance.
Kame slowly gathered the energy to push Koki’s body away from him and replied “Thank you Koki-kun!”
The younger boy looked distracted as his eyes searched around the backstage room for Ueda who was nowhere to be seen. Koki asked “What’s wrong Kame-chan?”
To which the younger boy asked “Have you seen Ueda-kun?”
Koki said, “Ueda-kun....um...the last I saw him... He was up stairs in the dressing room cleaning up.... Oh... never mind, he's coming down the stairs now.”
Kame turned around to see Ueda's proud smile while he said happily “You did it Kame-kun!!!!!”
The younger boy smiled brightly in return and hugged Ueda with great joy. Ueda at first tensed in Kame's embrace, but eventually relaxing himself and returned Kame's hug as the younger boy whispered “Your support means a lot to me Ueda-kun. Thank you for helping me..... I followed your instruction to concentrate on one person and you know what.... I think I saw Jin-kun and his friends.”
Ueda was the first to pull away. He looked at the younger boy with doubtful eyes and asked “You did? Are you sure Kame-kun?”
Kame nodded at first but then pouted as he became unsure with his response. He spoke with a halt, “Well... I think I did see him in the dim lighting....Maybe...Maybe it wasn't him... Maybe I only saw him because subconsciously I wanted to?.... Could that happen Ueda-kun?”
Ueda smiled kindly at the hopeful looking boy and gently said, “It doesn't matter if Yabuki-kun was really in the theater. Kame-kun, even if you had imagined that it was him, you still managed to dance beautifully.”
The older boy continued his words, “Now follow me Kame-kun. We have to get you changed out of this costume and remove your make up......I have just been informed by Uncle Takizawa that you would start your moonlighting duty tonight....”
Ueda stopped talking as Kame interrupted him with surprised expression and in a shocked voice, he blurted “That soon?”
The older boy nodded and said reassuringly to Kame “You only have to accompany him for dinner and nothing more. You don't have to worry about anything, he has already given Uncle Takizawa his promise.”
Ueda stared at the younger boy with a resolved expression. Inwardly, he thought 'Kame-kun, I will make sure that you stay safe.' as Ueda remembered his conversation with Takizawa nearing the end of Kame's performance.
Flashback
Ueda's hands clenched tightly into fists when he heard Takizawa pronounce the bitter name of a vile creature that had haunted him ever since the day he first began his moonlighting duty. The events of that one night which he was determined to lock away forever came rushing back. Fresh in his mind were the images of his hands bound together by a rope and held above his head by a strong large coarse hand. He remembered the unwanted cracked lips that sucked and licked his skin, leaving a filthy string of tick saliva mixed with the stench of alcohol that tracked from his neck, down his frozen naked torso, all the way to the tip of his flaccid and trapped penis. He could still feel the calloused dirty hand that gripped hard onto his hips, as the unwanted length tore through his sensitive passage, leaving no mercy as the heavy body above continuously intruded his. The room smelt of stinking blood and moist sweat. The walls enclosing around him sounded his own murderous screams and cries of pain, which was muffled by a cloth shoved roughly into his mouth until the very end, when a loud grunt could be heard and a horrifying gush of fluid could be felt within his private walls. Ueda turned pale and his breath hitched in fear as he tried to push the unwanted images from his head. He thought to himself ‘Please don’t let that happen to Kame too.’
“No! Uncle Takizawa, there has to be another person. Anyone but that foul man!” Ueda spoke with unhidden anger and despair as he stared at Takizawa with disbelief in his eyes.
The older man remained silent as he listened to Ueda’s plea. “Why him? I don’t understand. Why does it have to be Matsuda-san?”
Takizawa stared into Ueda’s distressed eyes and quietly said, “Amongst all the patrons that we had tonight.... He bid the highest for Kame-kun. I was hoping that it was someone else..... Unfortunately he won the bid...... Rules are rules Ueda-kun... It can only be followed.”
“What do you mean by that? You are the head of this company, of course you can change the rules.....” Ueda shouted, enraged with the situation.
Takizawa looked at Ueda with saddened eyes and replied “You know how the system works Ueda-kun. The law enforcers didn’t even lay a finger on him in the past because he has been working for the Ishimura clan; and the fact that we are only viewed as entertainers... nothing could be done. I cannot just change a rule in our line of work that has been practiced for decades..... I have spoken with Matsuda-san and he gave me his word. He promised he only wanted Kame-kun to accompany him for dinner.”
Ueda faked a laugh and said with great bitterness, “That scheming bastard. ‘Only accompany him for dinner’ or so he says. That monster only wants to take advantage of Kame-kun, like he took advantage of me when he became drunk.”
“Ueda-kun please listen!..... I apologize deeply for the pain that you had to endure because of my lack of judgment and experience in handling such people as Matsuda-san.... I do not want the same mistake to be repeated again with Kame-kun....I am sure neither would you. So please,... You don’t have to go near Matsuda-san... I am just asking you to follow them and just watch from a distance. If anything happens, I need you to send someone to inform me.” Takizawa said aloud with worried frustration as he pleaded with Ueda.
Ueda remained silent as he looked away from Takizawa and considered the older man’s words. The younger boy tipped his head back slightly in defeat and inhaled a deep shaky breath. He directed his gaze back to Takizawa with hardened eyes and nodded his head in agreement with the plan “I will follow Kame-kun tonight, but if the old bastard Matsuda dares to lay a single finger on Kame-kun, I will kill him!”
End of flashback
Kame looked at Ueda and smiled warmly, he then replied, “If it is only accompanying someone for dinner as my first moonlighting duty, I will gladly attend to the task.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The silent figure walked behind the older female attendant that led him towards the dining room of an inn situated near the red arched wooden gate of Tsukiji. He wore a simple plain purple kimono with a dark purple sash. His freshly cleaned face no longer held any evidence of make-up, as his fair translucent smooth skin glowed under the hanging lanterns that were splayed evenly down the hallway. His hair was no longer in an intricate design but rather a simple pony tail tied back with a black string which he always wore. The sides of his face covered by stands of strayed hair that flowed in the cool breeze.
As they walked through a polished wooden floor hallway, Kame traveled his eyes over the medium sized pond surrounded by tall rock features as well as a lonely green maple tree. The boy gazed at the inn’s pond with interest as carps of various colours ranging from yellow, orange, red, white and black swam around the edges of the pond. He was only distracted when the elderly woman slid the sliding door open to reveal a medium sized cozy dining room. Kame gazed at the empty room and looked at the elderly woman who smiled at him when saying, “Matsuda-san will be arriving shortly, please make yourself comfortable.”
The boy bowed at the woman and stepped up into the dining room and onto the tatami floor. She bowed back at Kame and slid the door shut behind him, leaving the boy alone in the room. Kame stood in the middle of the dining hall and observed the room which glowed orange from the four flickering standing lanterns that stood one at every corner. The boy almost felt like he was caged inside, all except for the low window situated at the opposite of the sliding doors. It did not ease his feelings of uneasiness though, as he could see that overgrown tall shrubs which surrounding the inn had formed a sense of hushed privacy. He walked towards the window and decided to sit on the cushion a meter away from the window, thinking that he would use the opportunity to view the silver moon before Matsuda arrived.
Kame smiled nostalgically to himself as he remembered that he was always caught out by Ueda when he gazed at the moon in his own room, to which Ueda would tease him and say, ‘Stop doing that. Only old men gaze up at the moon.’ Kame would immediately laugh aloud at the comment, but what Kame had never told Ueda was the fact that he and Jin had made a promise to each other in their letters. They agreed that if one was ever upset or thought of the other, all they had to do is gaze at the moon, because both of them might be far apart in distance but never the less they reside under the same sky. Hence Kame was thinking about Jin, whom he believed to have seen tonight in the performance hall. The younger boy could feel his cheeks heated up with warmth and turned red at the thought of Jin. His thoughts were distracted when he caught sight of a man in his late fifties that appeared at the door. Kame observed the tall and lanky man with a balding head as he moved his right foot to step up onto the tatami floor before he started to walk towards Kame. The man's dried lips curved up into a smile as he bared his brown stained teeth to a surprised looking Kame.
Matsuda bowed and introduced himself as he said, “My name is Ichiro Matsuda-san. I am the one who requested for your company tonight.”
Kame nodded in acknowledgment as Matsuda took the seat beside him. The older man lowered his body and made sure that his left thigh rubbed against Kame’s right leg when he sat down. The younger boy felt uncomfortable at the nearness of the older man's left leg against his, so he smiled meekly at Matsuda and shifted himself to the side of the table. As an excuse, Kame grasped hold of a red lacquered wine dish in his left hand and a tall clay pot filled with rice wine. He knelt as he poured a dish of wine for Matsuda, then slowly placed the wine dish on the wooden dinner table in front of Matsuda. Unexpectedly, Matsuda smirked while observing Kame’s behavior; grasping Kame's left hand with both of his and rubbed the back of the younger boys hand with his calloused fingers. Matsuda leaned closer to the wide eyed boy and continued stroking Kame’s hand as he said, “You have such delicate skin. Very smooth and soft. Just like a new born.”
The boy recoiled his hand as quickly as his apprehensive heart beats at the nearness of the older man's face. Matsuda’s eyes darkened with lust as he gazed intensely at Kame, making the boy tense up by reflex. Kame slid a little further away from Matsuda by pushing both his hands and knees against the tatami floor. The reaction caused Matsuda to burst out laughing like an asthmatic dog gasping for air at every breath as he watched Kame’s behavior. He could feel the discomfort radiating from the beautiful boy when he downed the rice wine down with his head tipped back, before eerily smiling while saying, “Kame-kun, relax. The night has only begun. Why don't you pour me another drink while we wait for dinner to arrive?”
Kame’s eyes shifted from Matsuda’s leering face to the closed sliding door which seemed even further away from where he sat. To Kame, it felt like the night was moving very slowly, and the ever unrelenting Matsuda was watching Kame like a lion stalking its prey, waiting for the right moment to ponce. Kame tried to swallow the lump in his throat when his mind reeled in fear. Silently inside his head, he cried out 'Ueda-kun! Where are you?... Please help me!'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A figure squatted very still in between the wall of the dining room inn and the shrubs. He held his breath as he turned his head to the right and peeked through the low window to see Kame appear at the door, then ducking his head to lean against the wall, hoping that the young boy had not caught sight of him.
Ueda observed with full concentration on Kame who stepped into the empty dining hall. “Ueda-kun is that you?” came a curious voice that whispered from behind the said boy who had his back turned. Ueda was surprised by the voice that called him, so he turned his head around to the left quickly and stood at the same time, which turned out to be a painful mistake as the top of his head collided with the chin of the person that had called him. Both the boys winced at the impact and groaned quietly in pain. Ueda knelt, as he leaned against the wall of the inn and shielded the top of his head with his forearm while the other person landed on their bottom. They brought both their own hands up and placed them against the base of their own chin when they felt the pain shoot through their jaw all the way into their temple.
The younger of the two was the first to collect himself when the pain subsided and he lifted his arms away from his head. Ueda looked across at the person that just scared him and questioned with hushed surprise and uncertainty, “Ryo-kun?”
Ryo lifted his right hand and waved at Ueda while his left hand nursed his jaw.
“What are you doing here?” hissed a wide eyed Ueda.
To which Ryo opened his mouth slightly to flex his jaw. After ensuring that it had not been broken, he replied quietly “I should be asking you that question.”
The younger boy continued to gaze at Ryo with widening eyes as he tried to gather his distracted thoughts and whispered, “I... I have been asked to keep an eye on Kame-kun.”
Ueda gazed at Ryo with curiosity and asked softly, “Now it is time for you to answer me.....Why are you here? I thought you were still in Kyoto with Jin.”
Ryo smiled brightly at Ueda and crawled on his hand and feet closer to the boy. He whispered back, “Jin-kun wanted to see Kame-kun when we returned from Kyoto the day before but it was already night. So today we rode all the way to Shitamachi and rushed down here to Tsukiji to find Kame-kun.... We happened to be dinning in the opposite rooms until I got distracted by the sight of someone snooping around.”
Ueda felt himself blush a dark pink at Ryo’s last comment as well as Ryo's deep eyes that stared into his. Ueda blinked hard to concentrate as he whispered back to Ryo, “Yabuki-kun could have waited for Kame-kun to return to Shitamachi instead of coming all the way to Tsukiji.”
Ryo chuckled softly and leaned in closer to Ueda with a whisper, “Jin-kun would not have coped until Kame-kun returned to Shitamachi. He can be rather stubborn when he sets his sight on a goal. Not that I'm complaining at the moment.... Because I finally get to see you too.”
Ueda blushed darker at Ryo's words and turned his head away from the nearness of Ryo face, asking “Have you always been such a sweet talker Ryo-kun?”
Ryo blushed at his own words as he said the truth “Surprisingly, I'm not a sweet talker at all. As a matter of fact,... I have made people cry with the blunt things I have said to them.... Somehow.... Somehow when I am around you.... I do not want to make you cry.”
Ryo turned Ueda's face back towards him, then cradled the boys left cheek gently in the palm of his right hand. Ueda could feel his heart beating fast when Ryo caressed his cheek gently, like the time he had done when they were hidden behind the shrubs by the riverside at Shitamachi. Ueda closed his eyes at the touch and raised his left hand up. Gently, he held Ryo's right hand to press it against his cheek. Ryo gazed at Ueda longingly as he remembered the feel of the boy’s lips against his, so he lent in to kiss the boy on his soft full lips. Ueda's eyes opened slightly at the sudden feel Ryo’s lips but then closed his eyes again as he responded and trapped Ryo's bottom lips in between, sucking gently on it, savoring Ryo's taste.
The older boy brought his right hand away from Ueda’s face and wrapped his right arm around Ueda's shoulder, while his left hand wrapped snugly against the boys waist. Then, he pulled the boy closer into his chest while he never allowed for Ueda's lips to leave his. The younger boy moaned softly with need into the kiss, deepening it while Ryo responded with equal favor. Ueda was the first to pull away from Ryo to catch his breath whilst the older boy sighed with contentment. He hugged the older boy closer to him to hide his flushed face due to his own urgent response at the feel of Ryo’s lips against his and the body that trapped him against the wall. Ueda whispered into the older boy's left ear “We should really stop meeting each other in hidden places like these.”
To which the older boy responded by holding Ueda tightly to him and smiled lovingly as he kissed Ueda softly on his left temple; but the two were suddenly distracted when they heard someone introduce themselves. Ueda pushed himself away from Ryo with both hands and turned his head to the right to peek through the only window of the room. His face turned white and he could feel his body shook unwillingly at the name.
Ryo looked down at the boy who shivered and pulled Ueda back against his chest into his arms. The younger boy buried his head in the crook of Ryo’s neck. Ueda inhaled Ryo's sent and felt oddly comforted by it. The older boy’s body radiated warmth as well as security from his tight embrace around his shoulder and waist.
Lifting his head and gazing into Ryo's eyes, Ueda asked quietly with pleading eyes, “I need your help Ryo-kun.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Matsuda sat at the wooden dining table, eating the prepared food as he continued to stare at the younger boy with eyes like a hawk. The older man placed a slice of cooked meat into his mouth with his chopstick in his right hand and chewed; his sneer never left the uncommunicative younger boy. Matsuda licked his thin lips as his eyes danced with pleasure at the sight of Kame’s exposed white milky neck which aroused the lower half of his body.
Kame knelt stiffly and stayed in his position at the side of the dining table. He watched with hidden disgust as the man chewed his food loudly without closing his mouth, like a cow that grazed the grass in the fields. Kame continued to fill the wine dish at every opportunity when the older man emptied it. He secretly hoped that the man would be drunk and unconscious enough not to touch him, because this was the third clay pot of rice wine that a food attendant had brought in, and the older man had completely consumed it.
Kame observed Matsuda for the next half hour as the man’s face and neck turned a dark red after the latter emptied the fourth pot of alcohol. Matsuda started to feel light headed and his vision blurred slightly, but he blinked hard and shook his head from side to side to wave away the sleepy feeling and the heaviness in his head. He thought to himself with a drunken grin, ‘Time to make a move.’
Matsuda stood up as quickly as he could with his back hunched when he tried to stop himself from tumbling backwards towards the window. He swayed from side to side and banged the palms of his hands loudly against the polished table, then lunged towards Kame in an attempt to grab the boy.
The younger boy stood abruptly when he saw that Matsuda had moved from his sitting position. Kame’s body was shaken with fright at the sound and the sight of the older man diving towards him. He moved further back towards the wall and pressed his back tightly against it. Kame was breathing hard with panic as his chest rose and fell at a fast pace. He shook his head from side to side as he begged aloud “Please don’t do this Matsuda-san!”
Matsuda only sneakered aloud and tried to grab the young boy’s arms but missed as Kame sheltered his own arms against his chest and fell hard onto the tatami floor where he landed on his back. Leaving the side of the older man’s left arm collided with the wall instead. Kame was backing away from the older man who tried to refocus his heavy lidded eyes at him. His elbows bent and his palms turned outwards as he tried to push himself further back; pushing with his legs all the while keeping his eyes on Matsuda’s next move. The older man could see his prey slowly getting away and cursed himself in the thought through his blurry mind ‘Fuck! Someone must have drugged the food and wine......’
He narrowed his eyes at his escaping prey and tried to move his weakening limbs, using all his gathered energy to dive at Kame again. This time he succeeded when he stumbled as he used his left hand to grab the boy by his left ankle. Kame cried out in pain at the tight and bruising fingers that dug into his naked left ankle. Matsuda used Kame’s ankle to drag himself up Kame's body as he sneered with triumph at the boy. He pried Kame’s legs open roughly with his free right hand and wedged his awakened lower body between those shaky legs. Kame whimpered and shivered in fear at the feel of the older man's erection brushing against his exposed inner left thigh. He yelled out “Someone help me!!!! Anyone? Please! Help me!”
The boy’s vision started to blur as the tears slid from eyes and down the sides of his face. Kame couldn't move as he tried to push Matsuda off him with both arms to no avail when Matsuda's heavily drugged body held him to the ground. The older man's face loomed above Kame's and with the last concious action, he crushed his dried lips against the younger boy's soft pink virgin lips, which caused the boy's eyes to widen in alarm, as more tears flowed down his face. The younger boy attempted to kick the man off him with all his strength. With the final push of his arms as well as legs, Kame succeeded in moving Matsuda's body which was laying motionless away from him after rolling onto the tatami mat beside him.
Kame gasped as he tried to catch his breath after the struggle and tried his best to stand up quickly. His mind was in a mess when he rolled onto his right side away from Matsuda. Leaning his right arm against the tatami floor, he pushed himself up from the side and bent his knees stand. He slid the door open loudly with his left hand and continued to sob out loud as he ran down the corridor with his head down.
The boy collided directly into the chest of another person that was running down the hallway. That person breathed uneven and heavy breaths as he embraced Kame tightly against his chest. He circled both arms around Kame's back and secured the boy in his hold when leaning in and kissing the top of Kame's hair. Kame could hear the loud thudding of the man's beating heart against his left ear. The boy looked up through his teary eyes at the man's face that stared back at him, to meet a pair of wild fearful eyes and a pale sick face filled with worry.
Kame sobbed harder as he clenched the front of the man's gray yukata tightly in his fist. He buried his tear stained face against the man's chest and cried out continuously the only name of the person that he longed for the most in the past years.
“JIN!!”
(To be continued in Chapter 8)