[Fanfic] The Model Father - Jun, Shun, Toma, Pi, Nari, Mao- Ch 4

[shardaunei]

Summary:

Jun Matsumoto has been living the life of a top model in New York. A random phone call from a lawyer makes his ideal lifestyle turn in a whole new direction: his wayward brother's son has to live with him or he goes to the State of New York foster care. Can Jun take an eight-year-old in and still party with his best friends?

Starring:

Matsumoto Jun
Inoue Mao
Oguri Shun
Ikuta Toma,
Yamashita Tomohisa
Narimiya Hiroki

Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own the real people, just the plot and the OC.
A/N:Beta'ed by blutigertod.

I figured I've tortured you guys enough. Here's the next installment.

Previous:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
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Chapter 4

Creak, bang! Creak, bang! Creak, bang!

Jun opened one eye and groaned. It came from the kitchen. He was having a major headache, thanks to the many rounds of drinks he had the night before. He slowly got up and shuffled his feet to see what was making the racket early in the morning. He found Kevin in the kitchen opening and closing the pantry doors in search of something.

“What’s going on?” Jun growled, trying to keep his patience under control. Kevin whipped around and looked sheepishly.

“I’m looking for food,” he said meekly. Jun moved to the kitchen and helped with the search. There was nothing for breakfast. Kevin had eaten all of the pizza last night, so there were no leftovers. They didn’t bother with the Chinese leftover that had been sitting in the fridge, and Jun tossed it out in disgust.

“Um, Uncle Jun,” Kevin looked at him nervously. He could sense his uncle wasn’t much of a morning person. “Where should I go to school? Do I still go to my old one?”

Jun stopped in his tracks at the question. He had forgotten about that fact. He turned to Kevin slowly, his eyes wide in shock. The kid seemed to understand what that look meant. As if on cue, they looked at the clock. It would take about 45 minutes on train to his old school and he had about 15 minutes before the first bell. Scribbling a quick excuse note for his nephew, Jun quickly moved to get him out of the house for school ASAP.

“Here’s money for lunch and the train,” he said, putting the cash in his nephew’s hand. He hurried him along out the door. Kevin looked back at his uncle. A flicker of disappointment passed his eyes, before waving goodbye. Jun slapped his forehead at his incompetence. He really should do some grocery shopping for a change.

***
Jun pushed the cart down the aisle of the local grocery store. He cringed at the sound of the squeaky, rusty wheels, making him feel more self-conscious. He had never gone grocery shopping before. He usually just stopped at a convenience store to get his liquor, some bananas, and ice cream. For his meals, he had all of the take out menus for restaurants within 5-mile radius of his condo. He could barely remember the last time he had cooked, either.

He stopped at the border of the produce section and cocked his head, overwhelmed as to where to start first. The scales, plastic bags, and twist-ties all looked foreign to him. He heard someone clear her throat behind him, and he scooted a little out of the way. The person still cleared her throat and Jun looked back. Mao smiled in amazement at him, and he couldn’t help feeling relieved at the sight of her.

“Hey,” he said unsure if he should act cool or vulnerable Feeling awkward at the sight of her, Jun scratched the back of his head. Oh, the aftermath of an argument.

“Hello,” she merely replied, then pushed her own cart around him.

“Um,” he called at her back quickly, then winced at how he sounded desperate. Mao slowly turned to face him. Jun scratched his head indecisively. “Could you help me with getting groceries?” he finally said, his tone a little humbled. “Please.”

Looking surprised or confused - Jun couldn’t tell which one - at him, Mao opened her mouth to say something, but closed it back up. Instead, she bobbed her head once. Jun hurried to follow her.

“Do you even know how to cook?” Mao asked while she taught him how to pick tomatoes correctly. “Ah, don’t squeeze so hard. You’ll bruise it.”

“Sure, I do,” Jun assured her with a smile. He put the tomato inside the clear produce bag. He put a couple more, missing Mao glancing sideways at him warily.

“So, you have family of your own?” Jun asked her a few minutes later. They were now moving down the canned goods aisle. He picked out a can of cream of mushroom and dropped it in the cart.

“Well, if you mean a husband and kids, then, no. I’m a Miss, remember?” She reached for the canned corn and put in her cart. “I do have parents in Los Angeles and a sister in Maryland. She married a politician.”

“Can you speak Japanese?” Jun asked in Japanese, testing her.

“I was ten when my family emigrated here,” she replied proudly in their mother tongue. “Of course I still can.”

“Oh, thank God,” Jun sighed. “English is tough for me sometimes. I had to learn after high school.”

Mao smiled at him in reply. She reached for another can, and walked ahead with Jun at her heels.

“What are you going to do now?” Mao asked when they got out of the store. They each had plastic bags in both hands. Jun reached over to hers, and took her load. Mao protested, but Jun insisted.

“Hmm.. I probably have a go-see later, but after that, who knows,” Jun replied to her question as they walked to Mao’s maroon Honda. Mao took her bags, checking to make sure they were really hers, and put them in the trunk.

“Kevin needs clothes,” she supplied. “You should take him clothes shopping.” She walked to the driver’s side, and glanced at Jun over the roof. “I think he’ll like that.”

Jun nodded, pondering the suggestion. His nephew could really use a few outfits for now.

“Well, Mr. Matsumoto, I better go.”

“Call me Jun,” he reminded her again. “Thanks for helping out.” He waited until she pulled out of the space and was on her way before he went to his car and drove back home as well.

***
Kevin looked at Jun with a bored expression on his face. His uncle looked back at him innocently. The eight-year-old glanced down at the stack of clothes Jun had told him to hold on to. The pile was almost up to his nose.

“You need clothes, Kevin,” Jun explained, finally realizing what that look was about. He heard a muffled reply. Jun picked up the stack from his arms.

“What?”

“I said, I don’t need this many,” Kevin repeated. He looked at the shirts Jun had in his hands and wrinkled his nose.

“You don’t like it?” Jun held them up one by the hangers. He thought GapKids was good. He didn’t see anything wrong with it.

“It says, ‘Kick me. I’m preppy.’”

“No, it says, ‘GapKids’.”

Kevin gaped at him over hooded eyes. Jun smiled.

“It’s a joke. Sheesh.” Jun returned the shirts back to the rack. “Well, choose your style, then.”

Kevin ran over to another rack and picked out a t-shirt with a surfer riding a wave. He picked another one, a baseball themed print. He ran to another set of shirts and grabbed a striped blue one. He presented them all to Jun proudly, a big smile on his face.

“This all?” Jun asked. Kevin shrugged. “How about pants?” Kevin ran to the pants section.

At the counter, Jun had the shirts and two pairs of jeans rung up. He nearly balked at the total, surprised that kids’ clothes could run up that high. Shrugging inwardly, he reasoned that it was just a quarter of how much he’d spend for himself. That thought reminded him that he also needed a few things, so after that store, they hit a few of his favorites.

“Boy, Uncle Jun, you can really shop,” Kevin muttered as he struggled under the many shopping bags Jun had asked him to carry. Jun pulled out the key and unlocked the door to their home. Kevin grunted as he made his way in, almost toppling backwards from the weight. Jun saved him by grabbing his own bags, leaving the boy his own lone bag.

“How ‘bout if I cook dinner?” Jun called from his room. He set his bags on the bed to deal with later. He sauntered down the hall, past the living, to Kevin’s room. He could see the boy through the half closed door pulling out his clothes from the Gap shopping bag, and holding each one up before spreading it on the bed. Jun smiled, and knocked.

“I’m gonna cook dinner,” he announced. Kevin looked at him funny.

“Okay, but should I call the Chinese restaurant for back up?”

“Funny,” Jun sneered, and made his way to the kitchen.

The doorbell rang just as Jun started working on the salad. He went to answer it, calling to Kevin to wash up for dinner, and opened the door.

Shun’s wide grin greeted him. Jun paused. Bad timing.

“‘Sup?” they greeted in unison. Shun sniffed the air. He looked suspiciously at his friend. Jun blinked innocently, still holding the door open only a crack.

“What’re you doin’ here?”

“I got bored memorizing my lines for tomorrow’s episode,” Shun replied, sniffing the air again. “Playing a detective can be tough, you know. Too much police jargon. Hey, did you cook, or do you have a girl in there who cooked?” he asked curiously.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Jun replied, noncommittal.

Shun smiled at him, then pushed against the door. Jun pushed as well, but Shun managed to twist at a certain angle, giving him an advantage. Jun nearly fell over backward. Shun stood in the foyer and grinned in amusement. Jun groaned and glared at him.

“Sorry. Learned that move from a scene I had to do,” Shun shrugged sheepishly. “So, where’s the girl?” He looked around but didn’t see anybody in the living nor the kitchen. When he turned to his left, however, he saw Kevin coming out from the second bedroom. Both stared at each other in surprise. Kevin’s shyness kicked in, and he scrambled back in the room. Shun turned slowly to his friend, a look of bewilderment on his face.

“Kev,” Jun called. “C’mere. I’d like you to meet my friend.” Kevin shyly came out, his head down to the floor.

“Shun, this is my nephew, Kevin. He’s staying with me for now. Kev, this my friend, Shun.”

“Call me, Uncle Shun,” Shun offered, smiling warmly at him. He bent down at the boy’s level and offered his hand. Kevin shook his hand bashfully and looked at Shun. “Hajimemashite.”

“Hi,” Kevin replied, his shyness vanished.

“Okay. Kev, set the table. There’re paper plates in the cabinet,” Jun instructed. He asked Shun to help him carry the salad to the table, and Jun brought out the main dish.

“Ta-da~” Jun said proudly, revealing the green bean casserole once Kevin and Shun sat down. They looked at it, then at each other. Jun frowned.

“What?” he demanded.

“Is it edible?” Shun asked, always straight to the point.

“I have Wong Foo’s China House on speed dial,” Kevin turned to assure the guest. “They have fast delivery, I hear.” Shun smiled.

“Har, har. I forgot to laugh,” Jun said with no emotion. “Just try the damn thing before you pass judgment.”

“Guess my judgment day is here,” Shun muttered. Jun glared at him while Kevin wondered what that meant. The two warily took a sample, and ate.

“Yum!”

“Umai!”

Jun smiled proudly. They stared at him in surprised. Shun then gave a knowing smile.

“You dated a chef,” he didn’t have to ask. Jun just shrugged and ate. The other two stared at Jun for a moment, then ate with him.

After dinner and cleaning up, they all hung out in the living room and played a few rounds of GuitarHero, before Jun sent Kevin off to bed. After much protest, Kevin bade them goodnight before going to his room. Shun got up a few minutes later.

“You know you acted just like a dad back there?” he turned and grinned at Jun before opening the door to leave.

“No, I didn't,” Jun quickly denied.

“You just sent the kid to bed early.”

“It’s a school night. Plus, if the social worker finds out I let him stay up late, she’ll scream like a banshee.”

“Social worker, huh?” Shun grinned knowingly. “This should be fun.”

“You do not want to get involved with Mao. She’s uptight, snotty, over-confident…”

“So you’re on a first name basis with her,” Shun grinned again. Jun opened his mouth to reply, but his friend opened the door and stepped out.

“Ja mata,” Shun said.

“Hey.” Shun turned to look at his best friend. “Don’t tell the others about Kevin, yet. I’ll tell them myself.” Shun nodded and turned to leave. Jun closed the door and went to bed.

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NEXT: Chapter 5
A/N: Hey-lo.
I made a new comm for beta reader search. Head over to je_beta. If you're willing to be a beta reader or need one, come join the comm.



See? Toma's waiting for you to drop by over there. A couple of beta readers have already posted, willing to help with your story.

Thanks for reading and please comment.