Charade- Chapter 4
Title: Charade
Author: stormytwilight
Rating: PG
Fandom: Hey! Say! JUMP
Pairing: Arioka Daiki X OC
Genre: Romance, Fluff, Hetero
Word Count: 3,268
Length: Series
Disclaimer: I don’t own Daiki. Or HSJ. And this is a story of pure and utter fiction.
Summary: Shimura Rika was beautiful, rich, smart and talented. She’s also a bitchy brat who gets everything she wants when she wants it. Rika proves that money can buy you everything when she asks her dad to buy her a boyfriend from Johnny Kitagawa. And the unlucky guy who the spoiled ojou-sama chooses? Poor, poor Arioka Daiki.
AN: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, hoshi_no_kage!!! ♥
Chapter 4
“I want to go to work with you.”
Those were the dreaded words that Daiki didn’t want to hear from Rika, ever. But she said it to him three days ago, demanded rather, and as usual, there was nothing he can do about it. It would be the start of never-ending teasing from JUMP if Rika went with him and Daiki would like it much better if he could die instead of acting all sweet with Rika, his supposed “girlfriend”, in front of his crazy friends.
“Why did you have to bring Pocky?” Daiki asked in despair as they sat inside her limo, on their way to the agency.
“I don’t leave home without him anymore,” Rika said, snuggling the cute, brown dog closer to her. She had recently found out that the dog was a Maltipoo, a crossbreed between a Poodle and a Maltese. Rika had wondered why a precious and rare dog like him was living off the streets and thought that it must have been fate that an adorable dog had come to her. She had been pampering him ever since that day and spent more than half of her usual shopping money on hundreds of tiny outfits and toys for Pocky. “I’ve grown so attached. Look, he looks so cute with the matching clothes I bought for him.”
Daiki grimaced at the blue cashmere sweater set Pocky had on. “Nothing can be gayer than that,” he said. “He’s a male dog! Why the heck is he wearing something like that?”
“Oh, come on. Just because he dresses better than you, it doesn’t mean that you can act all touchy with him,” Rika said, patting Pocky’s head gently. “Isn’t that right, Pocky?”
“This is going to be a nightmare,” Daiki muttered, already regretting everything he might’ve done to deserve this punishment.
“Aww, Pocky’s excited,” Rika said fondly as Pocky rushed to the window as they entered the gates of the agency, barking excitedly.
“Good for him,” Daiki said, sighing as he prepared himself for the torture that he could already feel.
The limo stopped in front of the building and the driver, Charles, got out.
“Let’s go,” Rika said, primping up her hair before holding Pocky again.
Charles opened the door and Daiki and Rika stepped out, staring at the building straight ahead.
“Where to?” Rika asked, looking around at Daiki questioningly.
“Well, we need to go to the garage up back since we’re going to a studio not far from here. We have a photo shoot today,” Daiki said, closing his eyes briefly before going through the glass doors of the agency.
Rika looked around as they went in the lobby of Johnny’s Entertainment, eyeing the place passively. It looked like the foyer of a classy hotel. The lobby was a busy place. Even on a Saturday, people came in and out through the doors, walking briskly against the shiny granite floor and wearing a face of purpose. In people’s hands were cell phones, briefcases, piles of papers and folders, or in the case of the PA’s in a hurry to serve the idols, trays of take-out coffee or paper bags of breakfast bagels from the nearby restaurant. They passed Daiki with a courteous bow as they rushed to the many golden elevators and he would greet back just as politely.
“Over here,” Daiki said, bypassing the heavy throng of people and leading Rika to a door just to the right of the line of elevators. He pushed it open and they left the elegant atmosphere of the lobby as they walked through the white cement walls and tiled floor.
“Pocky, no-“ Rika said suddenly as Pocky began struggling in her arms. He barked and it echoed against the silent hall. Then, in a blur, Pocky jumped from Rika’s grip and shot off to the end of the hallway, an exit and Rika could see, through the open door, that a stone wall fenced the agency’s perimeter. “Great, Pocky’s paws are going to get dirty.”
“He’s a dog. He’s supposed to run like that,” Daiki said as Pocky disappeared through the exit. He glanced at his wristwatch and increased his pace, nearly reaching the door. “Oh, they’re going to kill me. Come on, I’m really…”
“Dai-chan, you’re late!” a fake-scolding voice said as Daiki stepped out to the garage. “We’ve been waiting forever!”
“Sorry,” Daiki said to Takaki, catching Pocky running around Chinen and Ryutaro. “I-I have company.”
“Company? Wha-O-Oh!” Takaki and the rest of JUMP standing in the garage stared at the door behind Daiki.
Rika ambled gracefully out of the door and smiled at everyone in the vicinity.
“Guys,” Daiki said, trying hard not to roll his eyes as his band mates’ faces showed marvel at Rika’s smile, “this is Shimura Rika, my, um…” He glanced at Rika, who glanced back, that mesmerizing smile on her lips, “girlfriend.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Rika said graciously, bowing at the nine JUMP members.
“It’s very nice to meet you, too, Shimura-san,” a fascinated Yabu said, bowing back. Everyone followed suit, expressing their delight in meeting Daiki’s beautiful “girlfriend” for the first time.
Then Rika went to Pocky, still barking at Chinen and Ryutaro, bent down and scooped the little, brown dog in her arms. “Pocky, don’t run off like that again, okay?”
“You didn’t tell us you were bringing your girlfriend,” Hikaru hissed at Daiki, watching Rika let Chinen and Ryutaro stroke Pocky’s fur fondly.
“Well, I forgot,” Daiki said. I was still in a state of denial.
“I could’ve dressed more nicely and-“
“Hikaru, she’s Daiki’s girlfriend,” Inoo said firmly. “Get your own.”
“No, it’s fine.” Daiki waved his hand as if it was nothing, fishing for his cell phone in his pocket.
“Fine?” Takaki repeated, raising an eyebrow at his best friend.
“Uh, yeah,” Daiki said. Then he looked up from his phone to see Takaki, Inoo and Yabu looking expectantly at him. “What?”
The three of them didn’t answer and was still looking at him like there was something strange with him so he looked away and saw Rika heading in his direction.
Yabai. Here comes the teasing.
“Daiki, can you please hold Pocky for a while?” Rika asked. Then she carefully set him down on Daiki’s open arms. “I need to remove that lint on his sweater.”
“Sure,” Daiki said composedly, trying not to think that all of his friends were watching, and Rika leaned her head towards Daiki. He looked down at Pocky and breathed in the sweet and mild scent of Rika’s perfume. It was a nice fragrance, he thought.
“There. All done,” Rika said, straightening up. She took Pocky in her arms again and Rika smiled at him. “Thank you.” Then she walked away, heading towards Chinen and Ryutaro.
“Dai-chan,” Takaki said. There was that playful edge in his voice and Daiki winced mentally. “Pocky?”
Daiki looked back at them and regretted doing so. They were grinning. “What?” he snapped.
“You really look like you’re married! You have a wife… and a child!” Takaki said, gesturing towards Rika and Pocky, playing with the youngest of the group. Everyone who heard laughed.
“Oh, God,” Daiki said, palming his forehead. “Don’t say that.”
Hikaru, who seemed to have followed Inoo’s advice of ‘get your own’, snickered. “So… how was the honeymoon?”
Daiki punched Hikaru and, though Daiki was admittedly small, he sent Hikaru to fall many steps back. “I DIDN’T WANT TO HEAR THAT!”
BEST, minus Daiki, roared in laughter, apparently enjoying the blush creeping on Daiki’s cheeks. The others looked over at them curiously.
Then Chinen and Ryutaro went up to them, tugging on Daiki’s sleeve. “Dai-chan, can we sit with you, Rika-chan and Pocky in the van?”
“It’s fine! Rika can sit wherever she wants!” Daiki said, still hot on the face. He didn’t mean to sound mean but they were asking for it. “And to the four of you, shut up!”
***
Rika let Pocky lick her face before finally giving in and letting him run around the studio. Then she took a step back away from the two young HSJ members who were so fascinated by Pocky and looked around.
It wasn’t her first time in a studio. In fact, she had done a shoot long before when the Shimura family were featured in different magazines. She also had experience in modeling when she was young. Who wouldn’t want to take a shot of her pretty face? But at those times, she always assumed that photo shoots were… quiet and organized, exactly the opposite of what she was seeing before her.
The energy in these people was terribly high. Amidst the boisterous laughter coming from the idols, the production staff was shouting instructions here and there. Rika glanced at the Hey! Say! JUMP members, being kids and having the time of their lives as if what they were doing wasn’t work. They made faces in front of the camera, teased each other and laughed out loud while the photographer took their photos. The ones who are yet to be shot were running around the room, the older ones chasing the younger ones. They were all friends. It looked fun.
Rika looked away, ignoring the slight pang that came straight to her chest. She didn’t come all the way here to feel that way. She was going to have her own little version of fun. With that, she needed to find Daiki.
She scanned the faces in the room, trying to find that chubby-cheeked boy. Rika turned around and saw an open door leading to the make-up room. She headed towards there and was about to enter when she heard her name. Rika peeked inside.
“Shimura-san doesn’t seem like a brat like you always say. She looks like a sweet girl,” Takaki, the tall, brown-haired guy was saying from the couch. “If she was older, I would totally date her.”
“Uh-huh.” Daiki was sitting beside him, nodding absently.
“Uh-huh?” Takaki said. He looked at Daiki then sighed. “Will you stop using your cell phone for a second?”
“Fine,” Daiki replied. “What?”
“There’s something weird about you,” Takaki said as-a-matter-of-factly, browsing some magazines while glancing sideways at Daiki.
“What’s that?”
“You… look like you’re not really head over heels for Rika. I mean, I know you and I know you’re not the type to date someone just because. You have to have feelings for that person first, to totally like her. But it doesn’t seem that way.”
Rika stiffened at the statement as she saw Daiki look at Takaki briefly. “What makes you say that?” he asked, his voice steady and face passive. “I… like her. We’re dating after all.”
“Well, first of all, you act like you totally don’t care for her,” Takaki pointed out.
“I’m not the caring type.”
“Still! It’s suspicious. The little things matter. You didn’t even ride in the same van on our way here!”
Daiki waved his hand. “Chinen and Ryutaro were being difficult. You saw that.”
“Still!” Takaki repeated impatiently. He set down the magazine he was holding. “Are you sure that you like her? And that you’re not dating her just because she’s absolutely gorgeous and rich?”
“Hey.” Daiki raised his eyebrows at Takaki. “You’re insulting me.”
“It’s true! The two of you are missing sweetness, the kind of sweetness that makes everyone watching want to hurl.”
“And you’re saying?”
“Shimura-san looks like she really likes you but you look like you’re not taking your relationship seriously.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” Daiki said. “So, I look like the bad guy now? Like I’m playing with her because she’s pretty and all that?”
“Well,” Takaki looked at him sheepishly, “that’s what it looks like. I mean, when she looks at you, her face lights up and stuff. But with you… something is lacking.”
“Unbelievable,” Daiki said, shaking his head exasperatedly.
Rika grinned at what Takaki had said. I can really be an actress.
“Come on, Dai-chan, don’t hurt a girl like her. She’s too pretty and kind to be played with,” Takaki said. “If you don’t have feelings for her, don’t date her. I’m just telling this to you as a friend.”
“I’m not playing with her.”
“Then do you like her?”
Daiki looked at Takaki’s indignant expression for a moment. Then he sighed. “I have to tell you the truth.”
Rika’s eyes widened. Truth? Was he going to tell him about the whole deal? He can’t. He knew that.
“The truth?” Takaki frowned.
“You see, this whole thing---“
“Daiki!” Rika called, stepping into the room as she smoothed the dress she was wearing and fixing the innocent look on her face.
“Rika?” Daiki asked, turning around.
She graced them with a smile, waving at the two of them happily. “I wondered where you went off to.”
“What is it?” Daiki’s voice was purposely gentle in the presence of Takaki.
Rika bent down, her head coming in between Daiki and Takaki, and whispered, “I miss you.”
Then she stood straight and addressed Takaki, who was staring at her in a shocked kind of way. “Takaki-san, if I may?” Rika gestured at the space between the two boys.
“Oh, no problem!” Takaki immediately scooted towards his end of the sofa, leaving much space for Rika to sit on.
“Thank you very much,” Rika said, sitting close to Daiki. He was looking at her with a masked face, probably hiding whatever resentment he was feeling right at the moment and this made her smile absolutely genuine. She was amused. “Daiki, are you done with your pictures?”
Daiki bit his lip, closed his eyes for the briefest of moments and then opened them. Then he did the unexpected. “Not yet since the others are up. But in a few minutes,” he said, smiling as sweetly as Rika was and then he reached for Rika’s hand lying on her lap. He grasped it gently, twining his fingers with Rika’s slender ones. “Why do you ask?”
Rika felt as if she was electrocuted, the sensation of having another hold her hand still new. But it was not at all unpleasant. It was a warm feeling. Rika looked down at their perfectly linked hands before glancing up at Daiki. He was still smiling tenderly at her, showing no evidences that this was all acting.
He’s good, she thought, impressed.
“I just wanted to see you in a photo shoot, that’s all. That’s why I came with you here,” Rika said, the hand in Daiki’s hold at ease. She went nearer, the outside of their arms and thighs touching. “Everyone seems to be doing a great job. But your job looks very tiring. You must be exhausted, Daiki. Do you feel okay?” She arranged her eyebrows to curl in deep concern as she frowned, her lower lip puckering up in an endearing way.
He shook his head vigorously. “Usually, I am tired. But then, I’m not right now.” He tilted his head as if contemplating and continued, his tone suddenly playful, “Maybe it’s because you’re here.”
She smiled again, playing along since he seemed to be doing the same thing. This game is pretty amusing. “You’re just joking,” Rika said, sticking her chin up as she looked away.
“I’m not!” He was smiling.
“I don’t believe you.”
“I’m not,” Daiki insisted, laughing. It sounded like an authentic laugh. He brushed a finger across her smooth, rosy cheek before cupping it in his hand. Daiki made her face him again and looked into her brown eyes. “It’s true. Would I lie to you?”
It took a few seconds longer for Rika to answer as she stared into Daiki’s profound eyes, seemingly having a hard time to recover from the deep sincerity it showed. He didn’t look like he was faking it. Was he that good of an actor? It didn’t help that he was holding her face in his hand. His warm hand.
Then Rika opened her mouth to reply, remembering she had to and not gaze at him the whole day, but she was distracted when Takaki, who has been burying himself with the magazine in his hand, jumped up from his seat all of a sudden.
“I… need to go,” he said, looking embarrassed and nauseated at the same time.
“What’s wrong?” Daiki said, his hand dropping from Rika’s face.
“I think I need to go and hurl.” Takaki shivered and walked off, muttering something along the lines of ‘disgusting’ and ‘too sweet’.
When Takaki disappeared, Daiki was the one to stand up next, letting go of Rika’s hand in the process. He walked over to a table, grabbed the water bottle sitting on it and didn’t say anything. Rika watched him drink the contents. Then he looked back at Rika.
“You owe me so much for what I’m doing for you,” Daiki said, his expression surprisingly light. “Why am I not getting paid for this again?”
Rika frowned at this. “I don’t get it.”
“What’s not to get?” Daiki asked as he looked into the mirror, checking the state of his hair.
“You’re being cooperative. I’m suspicious,” Rika said, standing up as well and leaning against the table beside Daiki’s. “Did something happen? Did Johnny Kitagawa talk to you?”
“Well, he did once. I still can’t get over the fact that he’s eccentric enough to allow something like this, something he hasn’t approved to before in his whole life. But it’s not that.” Daiki glanced at Rika.
“Then what is it?”
“I’m cooperating because Takaki got to me. He thinks I’m just playing around with you and that I’m not serious with our ‘relationship’. If my own best friend thinks I’m a player, what would others think of me?”
Rika narrowed her eyes at him.
“I’m going to take this work they’ve given me seriously since there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“I don’t believe you,” Rika said, shaking her head.
Daiki then grinned. “Would I lie to you?”
“Oh, haha.”
“So, has my wonderful speech made you let go of me and this stupid ‘relationship thing’?” Daiki asked breezily.
“Nice try but no,” Rika said. “It made me want to puppet you around some more.” She was grinning as she said that.
“Well, it was worth a shot,” Daiki said, shrugging. The he held out his hand. “Come on, it’s almost my turn for the shoot.”
Rika raised her eyebrow at Daiki before taking his hand. “I might need some time to get used to not seeing you get tortured by all of this. I’ll miss that.”
“Don’t worry. I’m still tortured in the inside, if you must know. I’m just trying to ignore it.” He gripped her hand and sighed. “Here goes nothing.”
***
Daiki pushed open the door, fixing the smile on his face.
He was a little confused with his own self but he had decided to at least save the effort he puts into resisting and just follow. It wouldn’t hurt to cooperate anymore. The damage had been done. Everyone knows that he was supposedly dating the beautiful Shimura Rika and no one seems to be on his side. He’s the one who’s going to be the antagonist if he doesn’t at least play along.
He adjusted the grip on Rika’s small and soft hand, fitting it perfectly with his.
Daiki still didn’t like the whole idea but then again, when did his opinion matter?
He looked at Rika and tried to picture her in the way that he was supposed to picture her. It wasn’t easy but he could manage.
My girlfriend.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RIELLE/ hoshi_no_kage!!! I LOVE YOU! Here is another installment of my birthday fic for you!
Well, let me ramble on. It's been more than a week since I updated. I'm really sorry! I was grounded (how embarrassing, I’m still a child, LMAO) and my dad got confined to the hospital so I didn't have any time to write. I'm really sorry for the long wait!
Anyway, thanks again for the people who are reading this fic. I'm so grateful. You guys are the best. :))
So, this chapter is shorter than the past two! Finally, I didn’t go overboard with the adjectives and such. LMAO. I also did some research on Rika and Daiki's dog, Pocky, since he's something significant in their twisted love story. I found a very good breed of dog that fit my imagination. As I've said in the story, a Maltipoo is a crossbreed between a Poodle and a Maltese. Here's a very cute picture of a Maltipoo that I've found at dailypuppy.com. Choo cute~
Anyway, read and review. :)) Thanks!