[Fic] 星のとなりの空け者 ～マサキ～ (Fools Among the Stars: Masaki) 3/4
星のとなりの空け者 ～マサキ～
Fools Among the Stars: Masaki
Part One
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ManboP x Yama
A Yama fanfiction adaptation by Mie Tachibana
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Yokai were not exactly known as the most organized of creatures. They were the complete opposite of humans who were able to form civilizations and societies. These non-mortals don't even have the patience nor the attention span to be able to arrange a group of words in alphabetical order.
And yet, a yokai company was making quite some fuss in the regions just close to the River. A company! No one has ever been able to put Yokai into such a discipline. They started work at eight in the morning and ended at four. They lined up and took turns when needed. They even used meal stubs properly!
At the head of it all is their boss, the sky god with bright eyes and puffy lips. He was usually seen seated with his back straight, fanning himself languidly despite the constantly irregular rain. It was more of a habit than anything. He was preoccupied with overseeing the work of the yokai company. He checked all their salaries and bonuses, consulted the new board of directors for new projects and promoted equality and hard work.
All this started when a group of yokai started following him around when he taught them how to tie their shoes. Now, Kazu the kitsune headed the Yokai Resource Management and was in charge of finding more employees. Jun the ame-otoko was very creative and talented and was put in charge of Research and Development. Hardworking and determined Toma the choochin-obake was put in charge of marketing. Everything was functional and logical and this made Sho incredibly satisfied.
"Attempting to cross the River in this rain...that's crazy." That was all he could say about the River.
At that very River, Masaki the kappa was listening to his very good friend Kazu the Kitsune. "You're telling me that there's an actual yokai company?" He said, eyebrows raised. "And you want me to join?"
"Come on, you need a new job." Kazu shrugged coolly. " We don't have a kappa in the company, you guys are pretty hard to find around here when you're not swimming through the River."
"I'm not a slave to cash like you," Masaki said simply.
"Yeah. Clearly." Kazu gestured vaguely to Masaki's humble abode. It was very humble indeed. The most humble that an abode could be. "You're a slave to sleeping under the starry skies in your unfurnished, roofless...do you call this a house?"
"Hey!" Masaki leaned in. "I like this place. And for the record, I'm a kappa! I don't need a roof!"
"You wish you had one." Kazu sat back in response to Masaki's closing the gap. "These irregular storms have been so bad, we've had to keep Nure-Jun indoors. And Rai-Toma, too. Because electricity is expensive." Masaki huffed at Kazu's nonchalant talking about their ame-otoko and choochin-obake friends.
"Fine. I need something to do anyway. I'm bored out of my wits since no one is interested in going to the mortal side anymore." Masaki stood up and Kazu followed suit. It used to be Masaki's job to swim back and forth the different sides of the riverbank, being the only one who could. "And recently hearing about the banished sky god makes me so sad. I don't know the extent of his punishment, just that he was chucked here."
"Who knows, maybe he made a pretty nice life here like my boss did." Kazu straightened up his obi as Masaki gathered his tanzaku resume and his last cucumber. "Your boss is a sky god?" Masaki asked as he and Kazu walked.
"Oh come on, gods aren't so uncommon around here. They don't really mind showing up on our side of the River." Kazu's tail swished idly behind them both. "And besides, wouldn't the banished one be busy on this special day?"
~~~
Kazu wasn't kidding, their office was as opulent as those that wealthy mortals lived in. It was a pretty big traditional style house, its quaint and peaceful gardens being maintained by busy yokai. There were others doing laundry and even polishing the floor.
"Masaki! Finally, you're joining!" Jun the ame-otoko said impatiently but hardly suppressed a smile. He stood at the gates, drenched from head to toe with a personal rain cloud hanging over his head, complete with lightning flashes. Only Jun could wear a hat so ridiculous, Masaki supposed it was another of his friend's fashion adventures. Jun walked with Masaki and Kazu into the house and they were followed by some yokai servants cleaning up after Jun's cloud. "I just knew you wouldn't give in so easily. But you belong with us." he spoke rather smugly.
Thanks, Nure-ahem-Jun." Masaki realized how quickly Kazu's dumb nicknames stuck to people. "Though I might have to go back to the River from time to time."
"No need!" Kazu chimed, patting Jun's shoulder. "We can send for rain anytime. Jun is pretty popular."
"Anyway, go have your interview. Toma and the boss are waiting inside." Jun lead Masaki down a passage in the well-kept traditional house.
"Wait...today? But it's a holiday, isn't it? The seventh day of the seventh month?" Masaki followed anyway.
Jun chuckled. "We can take breaks but our boss doesn't need them, he says. Go right in."
The interview room was dimly lit by Toma, glowing peacefully as he stood beside a busy figure with sloping shoulders and fancy garb. It was definitely a sky god in the flesh, but Masaki had an odd feeling about it.
"The interview will be conducted by the sky god boss, Sho." Toma introduced. Masaki nearly stumbled in surprise.
"You're the banished one!" Masaki gasped.
"I prefer 'the sky god' since everyone seems to have gotten used to it," Sho replied rather coldly, not even looking up from his paperwork. "And try to not be rude, your friends being my staff shouldn't mean that you're getting this job so quickly."
Masaki came closer to look at him. The sky god looked up at Masaki and his eyes grew wide.
"You're a...kappa," Sho said quietly. Toma looked pretty surprised to see Sho put his writing brush down and Masaki just nodded. "We've never had a kappa employee before." Sho wrinkled his nose and cleared his throat, regaining his composure.
"That's because most of us left." Masaki put his tanzaku resume on Sho's table. "I stayed because I have friends here."
"Friends...that's nice." Sho took a look at the tanzaku but his eyes weren't moving. His already slanted eyebrows had met, and he seemed to be trying to recall something. To Masaki's and Toma's surprise, Sho stood up and walked over to the potted bamboo in the corner. Multiple tanzaku hung from there already.
"Yes, I promised these guys I'm not leaving suddenly," Masaki explained, gauging Sho's reactions despite the latter having his back turned.
"Promise..." Sho looked out the entrance. It was raining pretty hard now, but he could normally see the River from right there. "Crossing the River...in this rain...that's just...crazy."
"Not really." Aiba looked out the entrance too. "That was my job back then..."
"Yes but I'm too busy for-!" Sho turned sharply at this statement but was startled when a loud boom of thunder echoed. He tripped and knocked the bamboo pot and a glittering object fell out.
"Boss, careful." Toma quickly tried to help him up but Sho didn't budge, seeing the little shell that fell out of the plant pot.
Sho picked it up and felt the delicate craftsmanship of each color and groove on the little conch shell. It was a good luck charm that Satoshi the water god once gave him.
No goodbyes, they had promised.
"Sa...satoshi." He whispered. Masaki and Toma looked at each other and Sho shot up, suddenly dashing outside. "Sa-SATO-!"
His voice was defeated by another loud clap of thunder. Some of the other yokai were alarmed from hearing their boss shout and they gathered. Masaki and Toma were right by him already. Sho grabbed Masaki by the shoulders, his grip was strong and his eyes looked a little red.
"Find him., Sho said. "You can do it, right? Find Satoshi! And you'll have the job and all the cucumbers you want!"
"I...I prefer natto-"
"JUST FIND HIM!"
~~~
The River hasn't changed one bit. Its currents were still cruel and many things have been lost in it since time began.
Masaki the kappa wasn't particularly bothered by this at all. He took off the plate on his head and threw it into the water where it grew large enough to hold him. He then balanced himself and cruised calmly across, as if he was simply sliding his way. No one should ever mess with the kappa's plate.
"NEW CHALLENGER!" a voice broke from the other side. Masaki winced as a hunk of muscle nearly toppled him off his plate-raft.
"No. No, you can't be-!" Masaki gasped. His first job in his unofficial work was turning out to be the absolute worst. He hasn't even signed for health insurance yet. They might have called themselves a company, but Sho's group could use a better hiring process.
"I, SATOSHI-CHALL'NGE-YOU-K'PPA- INTO-A DUEL!" The voice was coming from the petite and yet incredibly muscled blond who was bobbing up and down the water, his spiky hair and steroid level muscles emitting a bright light and his eyes were pale blue. And yet, no matter how strong he looked and how vicious the seeming aura around him was, he was struggling to stay afloat in the currents of the river, barely able to choke out his words.
"Who the actual what now?" Masaki blurted. "Are you a Saiyan or something?!"
"This ISN'T MY FINAL FORM!" Satoshi blasted out of the water with a power scream. Masaki braced himself and successfully evaded Satoshi's incoming attack.
"If I beat you, I'll be the strongest and most muscular!" Satoshi prepared to launch himself.
"Wait! Shouldn't you be trying to cross the river?!" Masaki tried to reason with him. "Someone's waiting for y-"
"Nothing is more important than muscle!" Satoshi went for a fast barrage of punches right after leaping out of the water. It was certainly the full strength of a water god. But even water gods didn't belong in that River. Masaki was getting impatient with his delivery mission.
"Fine! I will fight you!" Masaki's plate grew into a fighting ring. Satoshi in his all his huge muscles clambered up on it and did another battle cry as he lunged.
"Swift as a coursing riveeeeeeeer!" Satoshi missed. He turned and attacked again.
"With all the force of a great typhoooooon!" He still missed. It was as if the kappa was an illusion. Satoshi raged on.
"With all the strength of a raging FIIIIRE!" Satoshi felt his fist graze something. A cucumber fell near his foot, sliced.
"How dare you...my cucumber..." Masaki's voice broke with emotion, ignoring the charging Satoshi.
"Mysterious as the dark side of the-"
"THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO LAST ME UNTIL PAYDAY!"
It was a one hit K.O. from Masaki.
"Now if you'll excuse me," Masaki said. He grabbed Satoshi by the ankle out of the water. Satoshi scuffled, weakly trying to get up. "I have a delivery to make." the kappa added.
"Sh...Sho..." Satoshi murmured, unable to support himself on his limbs over the slippery surface of the plate. He flopped to his back. "If I'm muscled enough...I can...I can beat the kappas..and cross..."
"You're crossing with me now." Masaki sighed as the plate slid over the water. "But don't blame me for the time you've wasted."
"Time?" Satoshi tried to look at Masaki's face.
"Don't you know? Time flows differently on the different sides of the River." Masaki continued the voyage, not looking at Satoshi. He never liked how oblivious people can be about the River...
つずく！
To be continued!
星のとなりの空け者
マサキ (4/4)
Please click here to go to the next chapter!
Starring:
Sho Sakurai as Sho the sky god
Masaki Aiba as Masaki the Kappa
Jun Matsumoto as Wet Jun (Jun the ame-otoko)
Toma Ikuta as Toma the choochin-obake
Kazunari Ninomiya as Kazu the kitsune
And
Satoshi Ohno as Ohno the water god
Notes:
Nure-Jun (Wet Jun)
Jun's name is also the kanji for "moist".
Rai-Toma
Light (Raito) + Toma
tanzaku
a piece of paper where a wish is written on Tanabata; it is then hung on a bamboo
kappa and cucumber (and natto)
cucumbers are kappas' favorite food, natto (fermented soybeans) is a good gift for kappas too
"NEW CHALLENGER!"
heard in Tekken 6 onwards when someone joins the game to fight the player
"This isn't even my final form!"
DragonBall reference in honor of Arashi's generation, particularly because it's Ohno's favorite
"Are you a Saiyan or something?!"
another DragonBall reference, and yes, Ohno's in Saiyan form
Satoshi's battle cries:
Swift as a coursing river
With all the force of a great typhoon
With all the strength of a raging fire
Mysterious as the dark side of the (moon)
Yes, it's To Be a Man from Mulan.
This is a fantasy romance-comedy and there's a little drama at the end.
The story is loosely based on the Tanabata legend and a song trilogy by 家の裏でマンボウが死んでるP of the same title.
Links will be in the last part.
The sky god and water god are part of my own universe for this story and is not derived from any myth or existing work.
The yokai have been adopted to this world and are more like metahumans than monsters.