The Art of Manipulation [Chapter 2]
Title: The Art of Manipulation
Author: dephi
Pairing: Slightly Ryoda, slightly Tegomass in this chapter.. :P
Rating: PG
Disclaimer : Owning the plot but not the characters
Summary: What would happen when a manipulative guy meets his own kind? And what if it happens to an idol? Then what would he do when he meets the "Mr right" for him? Read on and you would know the answers ;)
Notes: Beta-ed by annatanhe. A big part of this chapter is about Tegoshi..^^
It was 8 a.m. in the morning and Tegoshi was not willing to open his eyes yet. He slept so late last night, much later than usual, for a personal matter. If it wasn't for his mother, knocking on his bedroom door for several times to remind him that he had a meeting to attend in one hour, he would still be lying leisurely on his comfortable bed with a nice dream accompanying his sleep. Tegoshi didn't even have the chance to complain at all as he realized he was already running late for time. He wouldn't be able to make it on time, given the fact that his house was far from the jimusho. He would be late, that’s for sure but he wanted to make sure that he was not too late or everyone would be too angry for him to fix the situation.
Excuses could come up later as what Tegoshi needed to do currently was finish his routines as soon as possible. He took his bath in a flash and skipped his breakfast. Miraculously he managed to arrive only 15 minutes late after succeeded in convincing his father to send him to the jimusho which saved his time and energy (as he didn't have to drive, not that he could drive anyway). He ran his way to the meeting room as fast as he could and opened the door harshly when he arrived there.
"Sorry for my lateness." Tegoshi apologized as he bowed down without looking inside. "I-I.." he muttered, shades of pink could be seen on both cheeks while there was a troubled look on his face.
Tegoshi looked around the room finally, meeting each member and his manager's gazes with the same look on his face. He bent his body down again without saying anything right after that. "Why were you late, Tegonyan?" Koyama's voice was heard first, questioning him.
Tegoshi didn't move at all at first before finally standing still again. "I-I...woke up late.. And... And..." he replied, his voice was unsteady, and so was his breath.
"Alright Tegoshi - kun. It's ok, never mind. We're glad that you have arrived safe and sound. Now let's proceed to our meeting again." their manager finally spoke up and gave a worried look to him before proceeding on to their discussion.
None of them knew that there was a reason why Tegoshi ran hastily to the meeting room. It was unnecessary actually, especially for Tegoshi who didn't like to use his energy more than needed. But he needed the proof, the proof that he had tried his best to come to the meeting on time, although in the end he was late. Just a short run had made him look flushed and exhausted in an instant. Nobody dared to question him any further as they saw how guilty he felt by his lateness.
A simple smirk appeared on Tegoshi's face as the manager explained things to the members. The smirk disappeared in a flash in case anyone noticed. No excuses were needed, right?
####
Who was the real Tegoshi? Everybody knew that he was the sweet and pure boy with an angelic and beautiful voice. He joined the agency and managed to debut in less than a year. It was such an amazing thing for him that he was able to be in the same group as his admired senpai, Yamashita Tomohisa, or Yamapi. But after all, Yamapi was still someone in a position much higher than him, someone he still wasn't able to reach to or befriend with. That sole fact already brought him to be in a real confusing dilemma whether he really was suited to be a part of NEWS.
He was a good singer and everyone knew that, but Moriuchi was the best of them all while Yamapi, he just had to stand there and it would cause the biggest commotion amongst the fans already. Nishikido Ryo and Uchi Hiroki took the next spots of popularity, given that they were his senpais, and both of them were the only ones considered close to Yamapi inside NEWS. Tegoshi couldn't do much about it as he was just nobody, just someone who was lucky enough to be picked by Johnny - san to be part of NEWS.
Tegoshi thought that his chance to shine finally came when Moriuchi resigned from the jimusho. Indeed, he was one of the best singers, but Kusano seemed to be the one who took over Moriuchi's spot. Their parts were actually quite equal, as compared with Ryo and Uchi, but Tegoshi just couldn't seem to fit inside NEWS. He was left behind, again, only known as Tegoshi, one of the main singers of NEWS. Not more, not less...
As time went by, Tegoshi was able to gain more popularity than ever and he was satisfied enough by that, although he couldn't deny that he wanted something more inside. But then, Tegoshi knew his own limits so he didn't really bother about it. Besides his role was quite important inside NEWS so he didn’t have to worry about being neglected.
But the incidents which caused the suspension of NEWS disappointed him a lot. He just kept thinking of what would happen to him, since his group was inactive now. Just as he was mourning over his bad luck another offer came. Tegomass with Masuda or Massu. It was such happy news for him especially since he would be with Massu. Both of them had sang together in duets for quite a number of times and Tegoshi enjoyed being with Massu. His moment had finally arrived...
Everything seemed to be perfect when NEWS was back again and not just known as "Yamapi's group", but as NEWS. Tegoshi had developed himself well and he could fit into the group at last. Tegomass could still continue their activities too. That was the best time for Tegoshi, although he couldn't deny that he felt sad for Uchi and Kusano who was kicked out of the group, especially since he was quite close to Kusano. But at last, he could understand how it felt to be at the same stage as Yamapi.
But why did someone like him get involved with this kind of group? It was because of the lonely feeling inside him. He had his own goal, to reach Yamapi's level, and when he finally got it, he felt nothing. He was happy, of course he was, but he was still unsatisfied by it. He felt lonely. It was true that Yamapi finally considered him as a friend, that Ryo was fond of him. Koyama and Shige took the role of pampering him, while Massu.. He was the one who approached Tegoshi first. Both of them were in Tegomass too which tightened their bond.
That loneliness kept consuming him until he met them. It should be around the time when NEWS had just been re-grouped. He accidentally dropped his bag and his things scattered all over the floor. Tegoshi gathered his belongings quickly when someone helped him.
'Here.'
Tegoshi mumbled a simple thank you before finally seeing who his helper was. His eyes grew wider when he saw a certain someone whom one of his bandmates disliked immensely. It was Ueda there, helping him. Tegoshi didn't want to seek any more trouble so he tried to leave the place as soon as possible only to find that his bag's lower part was torn apart which resulted on his things dropping again.
Ueda gave a little laugh when he saw Tegoshi's clumsiness as he helped Tegoshi pick up his belongings again. 'Here it is..'
Since then Tegoshi started hanging out with Ueda quite frequently. It was quite amusing how both of them had some similarities, especially about the loneliness feeling. But Tegoshi felt that his loneliness started fading away after he grew to know Ueda deeper. But the group was not founded yet until they met the others...
####
"Hora, Tegonyan. You weren't listening to what our manager just explained, right?" Koyama's voice was heard and Tegoshi finally came out of his daydream only to realize that he was still at the meeting room.
"Eh? Sorry, Kei - chan." Tegoshi mumbled, winked once to Koyama with a wide smile on his face.
The meeting lasted only for an hour but Tegoshi's mind was nowhere near during the meeting itself. He couldn't care less about it as he knew that Koyama would take care of everything. That was Koyama's role after all. Tegoshi was just too lazy to care about all the things. He was famous for being a harmless self-centered brat after all.
"Tegoshi! What's wrong with you again? Daydreaming the entire day."
"Ah, Massu. Gomen gomen. I am still a bit sleepy. Ah anyway, do you still remember the restaurant we went last week? Let's go there again, shall we? I love the ice cream there." Tegoshi replied excitedly. He didn't know why but he really enjoyed spending his time with Massu a lot.
"Ah, you mean the one with the delicious gyoza. Ok ok, let's go!" Massu said as excited as Tegoshi was.
"Yatta! I've been thinking about asking you since a few days ago but you seemed to be busy these days!" Tegoshi said again, this time an evil smile formed on his face, and a moment later he pinched both of Massu's cheeks before hiding behind Koyama while giggling.
"Tegoshi!" Massu said, half shouted. He pouted and chased Tegoshi immediately.
"You two.. Stop it!" Koyama pleaded as he was currently stuck between the two of them.
Lucky for Koyama, Shige came to his rescue, announcing that the manager needed to talk to Massu which left Massu with no choice but to let Tegoshi off this time. "You'll treat me, ok, Massu!" Tegoshi said, giggling before leaving the room immediately.
Tegoshi loved teasing Massu. If there was a thing he loved doing most inside NEWS, it was playing around with Massu. Massu would act as if he was angry with Tegoshi but in the end he definitely let Tegoshi off the hook as he had a soft spot for him. Everyone had that soft spot for Tegoshi anyway. But for Tegoshi, Massu was just different.
Tegoshi was walking along the corridor when he accidentally met Ueda along the way. "Ah, Tat - chan!" he greeted after confirming that nobody was around.
"Yu - bon!" Ueda replied back with another strange nickname and both of them started giggling when they noticed how ridiculous the nicknames were.
"So, how have you been doing?" Tegoshi said when he noticed that there were some people coming from behind. He turned around slowly only to see the members of Kanjani8 walking together, including the one and only Nishikido Ryo.
"Tegonyan!" Ryo greeted before he noticed Ueda's presence and glared at him immediately. "What did this donkey face do to you, Tegonyan? You are alright, right?"
"Who the hell did you just call donkey face, Nishikido. That is so rude." Ueda retorted back.
"You should buy a big mirror and place it on your wall to see your own face." Ryo said with a devilish grin.
"I think you should buy one for yourself...midget." Ueda said, annoyed.
Tegoshi looked over Ryo and Ueda with a worried look although deep inside he was laughing, feeling amused of how this went on. He didn't even try to do anything about it, only keeping his worried look on.
"Ryo, we have a meeting shortly." another voice, which turned out to be Yokoyama's, was heard, pushing Ryo to give up on this fight with Ueda and going away with the rest of Kanjani8 members, leaving both Ueda and Tegoshi alone again.
"Stop putting on that worried look, Tegoshi. I know that it's just one of the masks you use." Ueda finally said when Kanjani8 were finally out of sight.
"But that was just too amusing. You know, I think you have a thing for Ryo - tan." Tegoshi replied while giggling.
"W-What? You've got to be kidding me. What about yourself? With that Masuda guy?"
"Stop living in denial, Tat - chan. Anyway, I have to go. See you." Tegoshi said and pinched both of Ueda's cheeks before leaving the irritated Ueda as soon as he could. He didn't answer Ueda's question on purpose. I just want to keep it to myself first...
####
The sky was dark as it was finally time to return home for Ueda since he had already finished his work today completely. He just went in his car when his cell phone rang, delaying his intention to drive his car home. He looked upon the caller ID and released a sigh.
"What is it?"
"Hey there. What's with that annoyed tone? You should be grateful that I saved you earlier."
"Saved? I didn't need your help in the first place. I can just take care of the self proclaimed sexy Osaka man myself. You were just barging into the matter when I can actually manage it myself."
"Eh? Really? But you always lose your temper when it comes to our Ryo, Tat - chan."
"Stop calling me using that nickname. It makes me shiver whenever I hear you calling me with that."
"Hmm.. Whatever but you are admitting your inability to win against Ryo, huh? Well... This is not why I called you actually. Got a message. Leader said that we had better not stand out too much. Better keep low profile."
"... I think the message is for you only. And I admit nothing!"
"In denial again, huh? Anyway, talk to you later. My band mates are coming this way."
The phone call was finished before Ueda was even able to reply anything. Sighing, he turned his car's engine on and drove off, to the place he called home.
####
"Yokocho. What are you doing there? Ah, calling your girlfriend?" Yasuda asked as he approached Yoko.
"Nobody special. Just a certain someone who needs anger management lessons. Anyway, let's go, Yassan!" Yoko replied before turning away and approaching the rest of his group members with a wide smile on his face.
~End of the chapter~
E/N : Muwahahaha.. I made Tegoshi like this. Hope nobody would hold grudges on me... *grins*
And I've tried the Tegomass part, but I fail... T.T
I'll try to improve myself later.. Especially since I'm so into this pairing recently.
Yoko! Anyone guessed it right last time? Ahahahaha...
Anyway thanks for writing and sorry for the super long update.*sigh*
Lastly, happy b'day myself, also happy early birthday for Tego.. Muwahahaha.. :DD
Author: dephi
Pairing: Slightly Ryoda, slightly Tegomass in this chapter.. :P
Rating: PG
Disclaimer : Owning the plot but not the characters
Summary: What would happen when a manipulative guy meets his own kind? And what if it happens to an idol? Then what would he do when he meets the "Mr right" for him? Read on and you would know the answers ;)
Notes: Beta-ed by annatanhe. A big part of this chapter is about Tegoshi..^^
It was 8 a.m. in the morning and Tegoshi was not willing to open his eyes yet. He slept so late last night, much later than usual, for a personal matter. If it wasn't for his mother, knocking on his bedroom door for several times to remind him that he had a meeting to attend in one hour, he would still be lying leisurely on his comfortable bed with a nice dream accompanying his sleep. Tegoshi didn't even have the chance to complain at all as he realized he was already running late for time. He wouldn't be able to make it on time, given the fact that his house was far from the jimusho. He would be late, that’s for sure but he wanted to make sure that he was not too late or everyone would be too angry for him to fix the situation.
Excuses could come up later as what Tegoshi needed to do currently was finish his routines as soon as possible. He took his bath in a flash and skipped his breakfast. Miraculously he managed to arrive only 15 minutes late after succeeded in convincing his father to send him to the jimusho which saved his time and energy (as he didn't have to drive, not that he could drive anyway). He ran his way to the meeting room as fast as he could and opened the door harshly when he arrived there.
"Sorry for my lateness." Tegoshi apologized as he bowed down without looking inside. "I-I.." he muttered, shades of pink could be seen on both cheeks while there was a troubled look on his face.
Tegoshi looked around the room finally, meeting each member and his manager's gazes with the same look on his face. He bent his body down again without saying anything right after that. "Why were you late, Tegonyan?" Koyama's voice was heard first, questioning him.
Tegoshi didn't move at all at first before finally standing still again. "I-I...woke up late.. And... And..." he replied, his voice was unsteady, and so was his breath.
"Alright Tegoshi - kun. It's ok, never mind. We're glad that you have arrived safe and sound. Now let's proceed to our meeting again." their manager finally spoke up and gave a worried look to him before proceeding on to their discussion.
None of them knew that there was a reason why Tegoshi ran hastily to the meeting room. It was unnecessary actually, especially for Tegoshi who didn't like to use his energy more than needed. But he needed the proof, the proof that he had tried his best to come to the meeting on time, although in the end he was late. Just a short run had made him look flushed and exhausted in an instant. Nobody dared to question him any further as they saw how guilty he felt by his lateness.
A simple smirk appeared on Tegoshi's face as the manager explained things to the members. The smirk disappeared in a flash in case anyone noticed. No excuses were needed, right?
####
Who was the real Tegoshi? Everybody knew that he was the sweet and pure boy with an angelic and beautiful voice. He joined the agency and managed to debut in less than a year. It was such an amazing thing for him that he was able to be in the same group as his admired senpai, Yamashita Tomohisa, or Yamapi. But after all, Yamapi was still someone in a position much higher than him, someone he still wasn't able to reach to or befriend with. That sole fact already brought him to be in a real confusing dilemma whether he really was suited to be a part of NEWS.
He was a good singer and everyone knew that, but Moriuchi was the best of them all while Yamapi, he just had to stand there and it would cause the biggest commotion amongst the fans already. Nishikido Ryo and Uchi Hiroki took the next spots of popularity, given that they were his senpais, and both of them were the only ones considered close to Yamapi inside NEWS. Tegoshi couldn't do much about it as he was just nobody, just someone who was lucky enough to be picked by Johnny - san to be part of NEWS.
Tegoshi thought that his chance to shine finally came when Moriuchi resigned from the jimusho. Indeed, he was one of the best singers, but Kusano seemed to be the one who took over Moriuchi's spot. Their parts were actually quite equal, as compared with Ryo and Uchi, but Tegoshi just couldn't seem to fit inside NEWS. He was left behind, again, only known as Tegoshi, one of the main singers of NEWS. Not more, not less...
As time went by, Tegoshi was able to gain more popularity than ever and he was satisfied enough by that, although he couldn't deny that he wanted something more inside. But then, Tegoshi knew his own limits so he didn't really bother about it. Besides his role was quite important inside NEWS so he didn’t have to worry about being neglected.
But the incidents which caused the suspension of NEWS disappointed him a lot. He just kept thinking of what would happen to him, since his group was inactive now. Just as he was mourning over his bad luck another offer came. Tegomass with Masuda or Massu. It was such happy news for him especially since he would be with Massu. Both of them had sang together in duets for quite a number of times and Tegoshi enjoyed being with Massu. His moment had finally arrived...
Everything seemed to be perfect when NEWS was back again and not just known as "Yamapi's group", but as NEWS. Tegoshi had developed himself well and he could fit into the group at last. Tegomass could still continue their activities too. That was the best time for Tegoshi, although he couldn't deny that he felt sad for Uchi and Kusano who was kicked out of the group, especially since he was quite close to Kusano. But at last, he could understand how it felt to be at the same stage as Yamapi.
But why did someone like him get involved with this kind of group? It was because of the lonely feeling inside him. He had his own goal, to reach Yamapi's level, and when he finally got it, he felt nothing. He was happy, of course he was, but he was still unsatisfied by it. He felt lonely. It was true that Yamapi finally considered him as a friend, that Ryo was fond of him. Koyama and Shige took the role of pampering him, while Massu.. He was the one who approached Tegoshi first. Both of them were in Tegomass too which tightened their bond.
That loneliness kept consuming him until he met them. It should be around the time when NEWS had just been re-grouped. He accidentally dropped his bag and his things scattered all over the floor. Tegoshi gathered his belongings quickly when someone helped him.
'Here.'
Tegoshi mumbled a simple thank you before finally seeing who his helper was. His eyes grew wider when he saw a certain someone whom one of his bandmates disliked immensely. It was Ueda there, helping him. Tegoshi didn't want to seek any more trouble so he tried to leave the place as soon as possible only to find that his bag's lower part was torn apart which resulted on his things dropping again.
Ueda gave a little laugh when he saw Tegoshi's clumsiness as he helped Tegoshi pick up his belongings again. 'Here it is..'
Since then Tegoshi started hanging out with Ueda quite frequently. It was quite amusing how both of them had some similarities, especially about the loneliness feeling. But Tegoshi felt that his loneliness started fading away after he grew to know Ueda deeper. But the group was not founded yet until they met the others...
####
"Hora, Tegonyan. You weren't listening to what our manager just explained, right?" Koyama's voice was heard and Tegoshi finally came out of his daydream only to realize that he was still at the meeting room.
"Eh? Sorry, Kei - chan." Tegoshi mumbled, winked once to Koyama with a wide smile on his face.
The meeting lasted only for an hour but Tegoshi's mind was nowhere near during the meeting itself. He couldn't care less about it as he knew that Koyama would take care of everything. That was Koyama's role after all. Tegoshi was just too lazy to care about all the things. He was famous for being a harmless self-centered brat after all.
"Tegoshi! What's wrong with you again? Daydreaming the entire day."
"Ah, Massu. Gomen gomen. I am still a bit sleepy. Ah anyway, do you still remember the restaurant we went last week? Let's go there again, shall we? I love the ice cream there." Tegoshi replied excitedly. He didn't know why but he really enjoyed spending his time with Massu a lot.
"Ah, you mean the one with the delicious gyoza. Ok ok, let's go!" Massu said as excited as Tegoshi was.
"Yatta! I've been thinking about asking you since a few days ago but you seemed to be busy these days!" Tegoshi said again, this time an evil smile formed on his face, and a moment later he pinched both of Massu's cheeks before hiding behind Koyama while giggling.
"Tegoshi!" Massu said, half shouted. He pouted and chased Tegoshi immediately.
"You two.. Stop it!" Koyama pleaded as he was currently stuck between the two of them.
Lucky for Koyama, Shige came to his rescue, announcing that the manager needed to talk to Massu which left Massu with no choice but to let Tegoshi off this time. "You'll treat me, ok, Massu!" Tegoshi said, giggling before leaving the room immediately.
Tegoshi loved teasing Massu. If there was a thing he loved doing most inside NEWS, it was playing around with Massu. Massu would act as if he was angry with Tegoshi but in the end he definitely let Tegoshi off the hook as he had a soft spot for him. Everyone had that soft spot for Tegoshi anyway. But for Tegoshi, Massu was just different.
Tegoshi was walking along the corridor when he accidentally met Ueda along the way. "Ah, Tat - chan!" he greeted after confirming that nobody was around.
"Yu - bon!" Ueda replied back with another strange nickname and both of them started giggling when they noticed how ridiculous the nicknames were.
"So, how have you been doing?" Tegoshi said when he noticed that there were some people coming from behind. He turned around slowly only to see the members of Kanjani8 walking together, including the one and only Nishikido Ryo.
"Tegonyan!" Ryo greeted before he noticed Ueda's presence and glared at him immediately. "What did this donkey face do to you, Tegonyan? You are alright, right?"
"Who the hell did you just call donkey face, Nishikido. That is so rude." Ueda retorted back.
"You should buy a big mirror and place it on your wall to see your own face." Ryo said with a devilish grin.
"I think you should buy one for yourself...midget." Ueda said, annoyed.
Tegoshi looked over Ryo and Ueda with a worried look although deep inside he was laughing, feeling amused of how this went on. He didn't even try to do anything about it, only keeping his worried look on.
"Ryo, we have a meeting shortly." another voice, which turned out to be Yokoyama's, was heard, pushing Ryo to give up on this fight with Ueda and going away with the rest of Kanjani8 members, leaving both Ueda and Tegoshi alone again.
"Stop putting on that worried look, Tegoshi. I know that it's just one of the masks you use." Ueda finally said when Kanjani8 were finally out of sight.
"But that was just too amusing. You know, I think you have a thing for Ryo - tan." Tegoshi replied while giggling.
"W-What? You've got to be kidding me. What about yourself? With that Masuda guy?"
"Stop living in denial, Tat - chan. Anyway, I have to go. See you." Tegoshi said and pinched both of Ueda's cheeks before leaving the irritated Ueda as soon as he could. He didn't answer Ueda's question on purpose. I just want to keep it to myself first...
####
The sky was dark as it was finally time to return home for Ueda since he had already finished his work today completely. He just went in his car when his cell phone rang, delaying his intention to drive his car home. He looked upon the caller ID and released a sigh.
"What is it?"
"Hey there. What's with that annoyed tone? You should be grateful that I saved you earlier."
"Saved? I didn't need your help in the first place. I can just take care of the self proclaimed sexy Osaka man myself. You were just barging into the matter when I can actually manage it myself."
"Eh? Really? But you always lose your temper when it comes to our Ryo, Tat - chan."
"Stop calling me using that nickname. It makes me shiver whenever I hear you calling me with that."
"Hmm.. Whatever but you are admitting your inability to win against Ryo, huh? Well... This is not why I called you actually. Got a message. Leader said that we had better not stand out too much. Better keep low profile."
"... I think the message is for you only. And I admit nothing!"
"In denial again, huh? Anyway, talk to you later. My band mates are coming this way."
The phone call was finished before Ueda was even able to reply anything. Sighing, he turned his car's engine on and drove off, to the place he called home.
####
"Yokocho. What are you doing there? Ah, calling your girlfriend?" Yasuda asked as he approached Yoko.
"Nobody special. Just a certain someone who needs anger management lessons. Anyway, let's go, Yassan!" Yoko replied before turning away and approaching the rest of his group members with a wide smile on his face.
~End of the chapter~
E/N : Muwahahaha.. I made Tegoshi like this. Hope nobody would hold grudges on me... *grins*
And I've tried the Tegomass part, but I fail... T.T
I'll try to improve myself later.. Especially since I'm so into this pairing recently.
Yoko! Anyone guessed it right last time? Ahahahaha...
Anyway thanks for writing and sorry for the super long update.*sigh*
Lastly, happy b'day myself, also happy early birthday for Tego.. Muwahahaha.. :DD