Paparazzi
Title: Paparazzi
Fandom: KAT-TUN
Pairing: Kamenashi Kazuya x Nakamaru Yuichi, Kamenashi Kazuya x Ueda Tatsuya
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None.
Summary: When Kame and Ueda are caught in a hug by the paparazzi and the gossip papers claim they're in a relationship, the reaction is so positive that their agency decides to confirm the rumours as true. Soon Kame's obsession with his public image and his job leads to problems with his real boyfriend, Nakamaru Yuichi.
Author's Note: Written for alternatejess for fic_the_faith 2012.
Two pairs of eyes stared down at the front page of the newspaper on the desk in front of them, and both were staring at exactly the same thing. The date was February 2nd, 2012, and the headline read, “KAT-TUN'S UEDA & KAMENASHI IN SECRET RELATIONSHIP: EXCLUSIVE.”
In the business they were in, being at the mercy of the paparazzi and the gossip magazines was all in a days work, but sitting in a meeting room with his fellow band-member Ueda Tatsuya, Kamenashi Kazuya slammed the newspaper down on the desk, furious.
Kame was the kind of person who did everything in his power to not get caught anywhere, to the point where he actually barely ever went out anywhere he could be at risk, but it had been a long day of drama filming and Ueda had been filming as well, and it had been like they both knew how each other felt, so they'd decided to have a couple of drinks together.
And it really was only a couple, but Kame had been worried about the impending rating announcements, and Ueda had leaned over and given him a brief reassuring hug and to wish him luck, and that was when the cameras had snapped. Of course, the magazines had come out with an entirely different story and Kame thought it was stupid, because they hugged each other all the time on TV and on stage, but apparently it was different when it was a private moment and automatically that meant they were sleeping together.
The picture was a little blurred but clearly of them, and the hug looked a lot more intimate in print than they had intended it to when it had happened. The most annoying thing about it for Kame was that Ueda seemed to be taking the news particularly well.
“What about when it was you and Kobayashi-san?”
“Doesn't everyone want to be linked to a pretty girl like that?” was Ueda's response.
“But this time it isn't a pretty girl. It's me.”
“Well yeah admittedly that's kind of disappointing,” Ueda sighed, and Kame felt like just punching him in the face there and then, only he knew that Ueda could punch back harder.
The manager had been sitting in silence and letting Kame have his moment, but the slamming of the magazines down on the desk brought both him and Ueda to attention again, and they both turned to look at the stern looking man sitting on the other side. “So, how long before you deny the rumours?” Kame asked, hoping that it would be as soon as was physically possible, if not sooner.
“We're not,” the manager replied, and gave them both a serious look. “We're going to confirm it.”
“I can't believe it!! They're so cute! *___*”
“Ueda-san is so lucky! Waaaa, I'm jealous!”
“Is this for real?”
The shocked pair hadn't even had chance to find out any more before both of them were bundled into a car ready to take them to a venue where the press were waiting for them to talk. From what they did gather from bits of information fed to them as they travelled, the reaction from the fans and everyone else to the rumours was so positive that, given that the group had a new album and tour in the next few months, it would be more beneficial to confirm the rumours to deny them. In the eyes of the media, fans, and Japan, Ueda Tatsuya and Kamenashi Kazuya were now a couple, whether they liked it or not.
The cameras began to flash as soon as the pair set foot on the stage and walked to the table set up for them, in front of several microphones all bearing the logos of different television stations. It wasn't the first press conference they'd ever had and it certainly wouldn't be the last, and while the camera lights didn't bother them like it would normal people, Kame's palms were sweating heavily and Ueda's hands were balled nervously into fists as they sat down beside each other and faced the reporters.
“Myself and Ueda have been together as a couple for just under a year. We deeply apologise to our fans for hiding this, but we hope that you will continue to support both of us despite these revelations, as well as KAT-TUN as a group,” Kame spoke professionally, rehearsed words fed to him by their management on the way to the venue. Ueda gave a nod and glanced sideways at the other from behind his dark sunglasses, but said nothing more.
The cameras snapped and the reporters, seemingly satisfied with this announcement, suddenly hit the pair with a barrage of questions. How had their relationship begun? Why hadn't they chose to reveal it before now? The pair had been under strict instructions not to answer any questions until they had time to get their stories straight, and as professionally as they could, they stood up from their seats, gave the press an apologetic bow, and on television screens all across the country were treated to a zoomed in shot of Kame's hand when he took hold of Ueda's as they headed back down the steps from the stage.
“Is it... is it true?”
After a long day of interviews and being bundled from car to car, building to building, Kame had finally arrived back at his apartment and flopped face down on his couch, when he heard the voice speaking to him. He had ignored the ten missed calls on his cellphone, not quite ready to face this yet Kame had forgotten at what stage it had been that he had given the other man a key to his apartment, but right now, he was regretting it.
He raised his head from where it had been buried in one of his couch cushions, and gave Nakamaru Yuichi, who was standing in the kitchen doorway, a deadpan look. “What do you think?”
“I think you just announced it to a room full of reporters. I think you held his hand. I think you've been avoiding my calls,” Nakamaru replied, frowning a little. “I also think he's a lot better looking than I am.”
“Idiot,” Kame huffed, and let out a loud sigh, rubbing his temples with his fingers. “Can't we do this tomorrow, I'm exhausted, Yu-chan, and I can see camera flashes when I close my eyes.”
Nakamaru walked across the living room and bent Kame's legs at the knees so he could sit down on the couch beside him. “When are you not exhausted?” he asked, lowering the other's legs back down, onto his lap. It wasn't unusual recently for Kame to arrive home when he had already gotten there, barely having time to have a conversation before he had fallen asleep on the couch.
“Good point,” was Kame's reply, and then he sighed again. “It really isn't true. Tatsuya and I just hugged to wish each other luck with the drama ratings. They only decided to confirm the rumours because the reaction was so positive. We have an album out soon, and a tour, you know how it is... We had no say in it, if we had then of course I would have refused.”
“Would you?” Nakamaru asked sceptically, but Kame's long-suffering sigh told him that it was time to drop the subject for now. And when Kame sat himself up and leaned over, pressing his lips against his, in a real kiss, not one staged for publicity, he felt like he could forgive him, for now at least.
“I really didn't know anything about it,” Nakamaru commented honestly a couple of days later when he was asked about the couple during an unrelated interview. He had never been a very good liar and he was glad that this at least, was the truth, in some ways. “I found out from the television,” he said. Another truth. He of course chose not to mention the panic and emotions he had gone through seeing his lover on television admitting to being in a relationship with another man, but hit with the realism of being asked about the revelations some of those feelings began to float back to the surface.
“It's a big thing, for both them and the group,” he went on to say, trying to ignore his inner fears. “But I wish them all the luck and happiness in the world,” he finished, and he felt his lips twitching a little, hoping his real feelings weren't too obvious. He wondered who on earth was out there to wish him good luck with his boyfriend who slept with him at night and paraded around in front of cameras with one of his good friends during the day.
“What do you like most about Tatsuya?”
The corners of Kame's lips curved up in a smirk, and he glanced at Ueda out of the corner of his eye before answering the question. “His body, of course. Who doesn't?”
“And Tatsuya, what do you like most about Kazuya?”
“His body,” Ueda echoed Kame's words, and then shook his head and laughed a little, and Kame was all but ready to hit him before he continued. “No no no... I like how passionate he is about everything he does, especially when it comes to work,” he decided, and Kame's smile showed he was pleased with that answer. Even if it wasn't real, he could still appreciate the compliment, especially when it was regarding his work ethic.
As was to be expected, all of their regular magazines had set aside several extra pages for interviews with the new couple (and Nakamaru didn't know who had been pushed aside in order to make space for these pages, but he knew exactly how they felt). Myojo had dedicated their monthly 10,000 word interview to the two of them, and that was 10,000 more words than either of them felt like using gushing over each other, but somehow they managed to make it through in one piece.
Potato had gone with a quiz to test the pair on their knowledge of each other, a prospect which had thrown them into panic and had them sitting in a room together for a whole day trying to ensure they would get the answers right. Kame hates tomatoes. Ueda's birthday is October 4th. Kame's favourite sport is baseball (although even Ueda had figured that one out). Until they set their minds to it, they hadn't realised how little they knew about each other, but they managed to pass the test and it seemed that the editors of Potato were satisfied with that little achievement.
Wink up dedicated a whole poster to the couple, and also told them to expect lots of congratulation messages in the message board. Duet gave them a cross talk about their relationship that they were amazed they got through because of course, they weren't psychically linked and there was no way they could have gone over everything before interview time. And of course, none of the magazines had thought to give them that time because if they were in a real relationship there was no need to get their stories straight, was there?
Koki was asked “Did you really say that you thought they were idiots?” during an interview two weeks after the news was announced. Koki had no idea how anyone had found out what he had said about Kame and Ueda, but he supposed he should know after so many years that sometimes when everyone wanted to know what you were saying, it was very hard to have an opinion on anything without someone being nearby to hear it.
He thought only momentarily about his answer before he opened his mouth to reply. “I'm very happy for them,” he commented, and then a wry smile curved the corners of his lips. “But they are idiots.”
.
Photo shoots for new official photo sets was always a somewhat embarrassing experience, in Nakamaru's opinion. They were made to get far closer to other group members than they would ever do in a normal situation, yet the others seemed to take it in their stride, and Kame was definitely taking it in his stride right now, curled up on a couch with Ueda Tatsuya, their hands seeming to be all over each other.
Nakamaru remembered doing a shoot with Kame like that once. It was years ago now, before they had even begun their relationship, but he clearly remembered how overly seductive Kame had been even just for a simple photo shoot and even though he had known it was simply because the man took his work very seriously, he thought it might have been the first time he had considered the other as possibly being something more than a band-mate.
He couldn't take his eyes off the pair. Ueda was leaning against the back of the couch, looking relaxed, legs spread out in front of him. Kame was curled against his side, his arms hanging casually over Ueda's shoulders, and his face was so close to the other man's that his nose was touching his cheek. Ueda must be able to smell what aftershave Kame was wearing, he realised. It felt like it was was a stupid thing to be concerning himself with but it was like when they lay in bed together at night and his head was against the other's shoulder, and he could smell the shampoo in his hair and the remains of his aftershave from the day. It felt like it was something that should be reserved for them.
“Nakamaru-san, we're ready for you,” a voice spoke to his left, and he nodded and tore his eyes away from the scene to head to where Taguchi Junnosuke was already waiting in front of a large white screen. As they began their own shoot, not quite as intimate as the one at the other side of the room but getting close, he wondered if Kame too was feeling any jealousy, but when he glanced across at them, he realised he wasn't even paying them any attention.
“Do you remember when we used to do shoots like that?” Nakamaru asked, as he and Kame lay beside each other in Kame's bed on the morning of a rare day off. He hadn't been able to take his mind off what he had watched the day before, even though that had been for the camera and he was here with Kame privately, and he thought he might explode if he didn't bring it up soon.
It had been a week now since everything had come out, and even magazine interviews hadn't been a welcome distraction, because of course, the rest of the group had been sidelined so that Ueda and Kame could have their moment on all of the covers together. Nakamaru had avoided the shoots as much as he could, but he wondered what it would be like when the release dates came and he wouldn't be able to walk past a store without seeing Kame looking lovestruck with their fellow bandmate.
“Mmmm,” Kame murmured, snuggling himself up against the other, and taking in a deep satisfied breath. “They never had to tell me to lean in closer to you.”
“Do they have to tell you that with him?” Nakamaru asked unsurely, and Kame responded by rolling his eyes and pressing a kiss against his lips to silence him.
“I'm yours,” he whispered against his skin. “And if you don't believe me, let me prove it to you,” he added. They had the whole day free, plenty of time to give Nakamaru as much proof as he needed.
He allowed his lips to meet the other's once again, and as Nakamaru finally gave in and began to kiss him back. Kame could tell immediately from the satisfied sigh the other breathed between his lips that Nakamaru was happy to let him prove it to him in whatever way he liked. He shifted his position, half lying across the other, slipping his arms around his bare waist, fingers toying with the waistband of the loose tracksuit bottoms he had been sleeping in.
“You don't have to prove it to me,” Nakamaru told him, and he really didn't know why he was arguing, not when Kame made him feel like this.
“Shhh,” Kame whispered against his ear, tugging the sheet on the bed over them both, a private cocoon for themselves, truly away from prying eyes.
“Akanishi-san, what are your comments on Kamenashi and Ueda's relationship?”
Akanishi Jin had left the USA only the day before, and back in Japan to promote his soon to be released album, and it was during one of the first interviews he had since being back in his home country that he was asked his opinion on Kame and Ueda's relationship. He had heard the news, of course, and had been expected to be asked questions about it. However, he really didn't think that it was his business to be commenting on something like that, not any more. He, like everyone else, had found out from the newspapers and then from the television. There was a time, he thought, when Kamenashi Kazuya would have told him himself.
Still, when the question was finally shouted out by the reporter as he stood in front of a crowd with microphones pointing in his face, he realised that he hadn't really thought about how he would answer the question. No one had told him what to say, because no one but him had thought might get asked.
“Thank you very much,” he addressed the reporters, his expression showing nothing. He bowed, gave a small polite smile, and then turned and left the stage.
“You know we're going to have to be extra careful now, don't you?” Kame spoke, less of a question and more of a demand, as they lay beside each other, Nakamaru having gained all the proof he needed for now.
“When haven't we been careful?” Nakamaru thought that considering the whole of the media had come to the conclusion that Kame was in a relationship with someone else entirely, that had to mean they had managed to hide it pretty well.
Kame shifted closer to Nakamaru, and slid his arms around his waist, resting his head against the familiar dip in the man's bare collarbone. “I'm sorry, Yu-chan, but it would be really bad if it looked like I was cheating on Tatsuya with you.”
Deciding not to state out loud that he was beginning to wonder if that really was the case, Nakamaru let out a sigh. “I really don't see how we can be any more careful.”
“I want you to stop coming to my apartment.”
Nakamaru sat up so suddenly that was like he had been electrocuted, and stared down at the other. “Me coming to your apartment is the only way we get to see each other,” he pointed out. “It's not like we can go out on dates in public.”
“I'm sorry, Yu-chan,” Kame told him genuinely, and reached out, sliding his hand into the other's, giving it a squeeze. “It's just for now, okay? Until we can figure out what to do.”
“And when will that be?”
“I don't know,” Kame sighed, and Nakamaru was glad to see that he at least seemed genuinely sorry. “Just remember to give me your apartment key on the way out tomorrow, okay?”
“I don't see why we have to do this,” Ueda spoke breathlessly into his phone. He had been out for his morning jog when his cellphone had started vibrating in his pocket. He didn't usually answer the phone when he was in the middle of an exercise routine, but he had more reasons recently for wanting to know what was going on, and he didn't expect Kame to be calling him just for a casual chat.
Kame had explained to him that the management wanted them to speak daily, to ensure they always knew what each other was up to, so that they didn't get caught out. Ueda was beginning to feel like they were part of some major criminal operation, not a fake relationship.
Kame let out a long-suffering sigh, really not wanting to waste his time calling Ueda either. “I told you,” he said simply, and then added a little reluctantly, “so... what are you doing?”
“Jogging.”
“Having fun?”
“I was.”
“... I think that's enough for today, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, goodbye, then.”
“Bye.”
Nakamaru had managed to persuade Kame not to take away his key to his apartment, despite the fact that Kame seemed to now be determined to keep him away from the place at all costs. He felt like that key was the one thing that he had that was keeping their relationship real. Ueda didn't have a key to his apartment, as far as he was aware. He had, however, taken in Kame's words about them having to be careful, and so he'd left it until past midnight to go to the place, and had wrapped up in a large hooded coat to conceal his identity.
It had been a week or so since he had last been here and he wouldn't have put it past Kame to change his locks but was glad to find that his key fit the lock, turned, and clicked as the bolt opened. Kame had an early morning the next day, he knew, but he was happy to just slip into bed beside him and be there when he woke the next morning.
It was dark in the apartment but he knew the way to his lover's bedroom like he knew the back of his hand... usually. As he stepped past where he knew a low coffee table stood, his foot hit something that felt remarkably like a table leg.
“Shit!” he cursed loudly as a wave of pain shot through his little toe. He knew it would subside in a moment, but right now, it hurt. And why was the coffee table a few metres further to the right than usual? Kame wasn't usually the kind of person to go around rearranging his furniture.
His answer came with an arm around his neck and at first he thought it was Kame but this arm was pressed up against his neck so tightly he couldn't breathe, and then he heard a familiar voice speaking in his ear. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
It took him only a moment or two to realise whose voice was speaking. “Tatsuya?”
The grip on his neck loosened hesitantly. “Yuichi?”
“What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?”
The arm against his neck moved altogether, and Nakamaru immediately reached for the living room's light switch, flooding the room with light. Ueda Tatsuya was standing with a slightly half-asleep expression on his face, dressed in only loose tracksuit bottoms. Nakamaru's gaze went down to the floor, where a futon was laid out, its sheets now crumpled. Kame was nowhere to be seen.
Nakamaru stared silently at Ueda and Ueda stared back, both of them wondering what was going on. Ueda thought that perhaps he might still be dreaming, while Nakamaru knew he was awake but wondered if this was a nightmare come true.
“What are you doing here?” Nakamaru asked again, frowning a little. He supposed he should be glad that Ueda was sleeping on the floor.
“Publicity,” Ueda replied with a shrug, not seeming particularly happy with it himself. “They hoped someone would take pictures of me coming in and leaving tomorrow morning. So what is your explanation for sneaking around Kame's apartment in the middle of the night? How did you get in?”
Having not expected to be attacked by Ueda on his way in, Nakamaru didn't really have any immediate answers to this question that didn't give away something that he and Kame had been doing their best to keep private, and he opened his mouth and let out a silent breath as he realised he didn't even know where to start, but he was saved by a door opening somewhere to their right.
Kame was rubbing his eyes, blinded by the light after coming from the darkness of his room. “Tatsuya?” he questioned, not quite able to see yet and unaware that they had an 'intruder'. He moved his hands from his eyes, and blinked several times, and as everything came into focus, he spotted his boyfriend standing in his living room with Ueda, looking pale and about to stumble over his words.
When Kame realised what was happening, he went almost as pale as Nakamaru was. “Yu-chan, I told you not to - Oh, this is bad. This is exactly why I told you not to come here.”
“Well I didn't know he was going to be here,” was Nakamaru's defence, and he felt bad for speaking about Ueda while he was standing right there, and so disdainfully as well, but this was not the situation he expected to find himself in.
“... Is something going on between you?” Ueda asked, suddenly realising what was going on.
“No!” the pair spoke immediately together, rather too immediately.
“As if I'd get into a relationship with someone with a nose that big,” Kame spat, suddenly rather angry with the whole thing. Nakamaru had ruined everything. Everything. And he refused to believe he was being overly dramatic.
“Hey, you, you -” Nakamaru glared at Kame angrily.
“I didn't mention anything about a relationship,” Ueda pointed out, interrupting Nakamaru, and Kame glared back at Nakamaru as if it was his fault that he had just inadvertently given Ueda exactly the answer he had wanted.
Kame sighed, his shoulders drooping in defeat. “Look, you can't tell anyone, okay?” he spoke quietly, as if someone was hiding in the walls listening to every word he said. “We're trying so hard to keep it quiet.”
“You and him?” Ueda raised an eyebrow, and leaned on one leg, a smirk forming on his lips. “I mean, I knew you were after Nakamaru, but I thought he was doing a great job not giving in.”
“Well I was, but -”
“I'm irresistible?”
“I'm not going to tell anyone, don't worry,” Ueda shrugged. “It's none of my business anyway. Can I go back to sleep now?” He stretched his hands above his head, and let out a purposeful yawn.
Kame gave Ueda a brief stare, to confirm to himself that the man was being genuine when he told him he would say nothing, but he knew his band mate well enough to know that he did his best not to get involved if at all possible, with anything that wasn't related to him, and so he gave a small nod. He glanced at Nakamaru. “Yuichi, you have to leave,” he told him bluntly.
“Eh? Why? Because of my big nose, I suppose,” Nakamaru huffed in an uncharacteristic way.
Kame took a step forward, and wrapped his arms around Nakamaru's neck, giving him an apologetic look and then resting his head against his shoulder. “I'm sorry. I can't risk you being seen leaving here tomorrow,” he told him. Ueda was already climbing back into his makeshift bed on the floor. Lowering his voice so that the visitor couldn't hear something so private, he added, “I love you, Yu-chan. I really am sorry.”
“I love you too,” Nakamaru said honestly in a less quiet voice, and pulled back, looking at him seriously. “That's why I'm not going anywhere,” he told him stubbornly, taking hold of his hand.
“Get a room,” Ueda muttered from underneath his blankets, and Kame let out a defeated sigh and led him by the hand towards his bedroom, lecturing him all the way about how he had to ensure he wasn't seen leaving in the morning.
Junno was the last member of the group to be asked about Ueda and Kame's relationship in an interview, during a press conference to announce a drama he would be appearing in next season. This was the last opinion the press required from the other members of the group, and there was an excited buzz as there was a moment of silence after the question was asked.
“I just hope they don't have kids,” Junno replied, his lips curving in that way they did when he thought he was about to say something very funny. “A turtle-dragon would be pretty dangerous, don't you think?”
In the crowds of press, somewhere at one side, one camera flashed. The rest of the room groaned, a little sarcastic laughter escaping their lips as Junno bowed and left the stage with his fellow cast members.
With a tour coming up, and now with the extra publicity they were all under pressure to make it the best yet, most of the group had arrived early for rehearsal. Nakamaru was the only one late, by twenty minutes. He had been forced by Kame to wait at his apartment until he was certain all the reporters had followed Ueda and him to the studio. He had gotten very little sleep the night before, knowing Ueda was in the next room and in the morning, he had watched in the dark from behind a curtain as his boyfriend and his good friend had left the apartment together with their arms linked. Ueda had driven Kame there in his car, leaving Nakamaru to take a cab.
He arrived in a terrible mood, which was not helped when he walked through the door to find the pair attached to each other as they sat running through a DVD of one of their dances. A glance to his right revealed a camera following the group around, and he knew that Kame was the kind of guy who knew a camera was on him even when he couldn't see it.
Kame glanced up as he saw Nakamaru walk into the building, and sighed, standing up as the DVD finished. “Late as usual, I see... you know there's very little time before the tour starts, right?” he frowned, and he was only doing it as extra security, making sure there was no chance anyone would know they had been together, but he hadn't bargained for the look on the other's face as he spoke.
“Save it,” Nakamaru spat, and immediately headed back stage. Kame showed no sign of moving to follow him, but Ueda rolled his eyes and gave him a shove away from him to indicate that he should go after him.
“I'm sorry, Yu-chan,” was the first thing he said as he entered the back room Nakamaru was changing in. He had just tugged off his sweater in a rather annoyed way and tossed it aside, and was flattening out a t-shirt ready to change into. “I hate this as much as you do, you know.”
“No one is going to figure us out just because you're not being an idiot towards me,” Nakamaru pointed out, looking hurt. Kame said he hated it, but from where Nakamaru was standing it looked like he wasn't hating being all over Ueda all of the time. Who would?
“I'm just being extra careful,” Kame told him firmly, but when Nakamaru went to reply, one of the dance instructors peeked into the room, to tell them both they were needed.
Nakamaru spent most of the morning watching the clock. He usually enjoyed concert rehearsals but now he just wanted it to be time for their lunch break so the cameras would go off and he wouldn't have to watch Kame and Ueda all over each other any more.
He was distracted from practising what he had missed by being late by watching the pair out of the corner of his eye. Ueda was standing in one corner being filmed by a camera that was interviewing him about something, and he watched as Kame slipped up beside him and slid his arms around his waist from one side, planting a kiss directly on his cheek. If it bothered Ueda, he showed no signs of being uncomfortable. He gave Kame a lopsided grin, and took hold of his hand.
In the middle of his routine, Nakamaru tripped over his own foot.
The moment they were alone away from the busy studio, Nakamaru cornered Kame, unable to get what he had witnessed off his mind and still irritated by having their earlier argument disrupted.
“That time when the camera was filming us and you -”
“We already had this argument,” Kame interrupted.
“This is a different argument! Why did you do it? Because you wanted to kiss me? Or because you thought it looked good on camera?”
“Well, you certainly didn't want to kiss me.”
“No one knows about this relationship, how would it look if we were kissing on camera?”
“Well. Like I wasn't repulsive, for a start,” Kame frowned, and he could definitely remember having this argument before.
Nakamaru sighed and flopped down on one of the sofas in the empty dressing room. He was feeling defeated already and he never had been very good with arguments, whereas Kame was the expert. “I don't know. Sometimes I wonder which of the relationships is there for publicity. Ours or yours with his.”
“Are you jealous?” Kame raised an eyebrow, and it was like it had only just occurred to him because his and Ueda's 'relationship' was just work and as far as he was concerned, it shouldn't have any effect on his and Yuichi's real relationship, should it?
“I'm not jealous,” Nakamaru replied honestly. “But I want to know something. What is more important to you? Me, or your job?”
“Yu-chan...”
“I want to know,” Nakamaru insisted, staring right at the other, forehead creased in a frown. Kame stared back, opening his mouth but not speaking, and his hesitation told Nakamaru all he needed to know. “I see,” he huffed, glaring at Kame, turning to leave the room. As he headed towards the door, Ueda peeked his head around it. He'd been sent to tell them practice was due to begin again, no idea what he had just walked in to.
As Nakamaru spotted him, he gave him his best glare too, and added, “have fun with your new boyfriend,” as he stormed out of the room. He wasn't really angry. He didn't really get angry, he got hurt, and right now he couldn't remember ever feeing more hurt.
He vaguely heard Ueda saying, “I'll go after him,” as he headed away, ignoring shouts from staff members and from Koki telling him that he was needed, finding a fire exit and heading outside, the cold breeze hitting his face providing him very little relief.
His destination was an enclosed walled area, at the back of the studio, where he assumed - from the litter on the ground - people came to smoke on breaks. But there was no one here now, and he was glad, not wanting to explain his sour expression to anyone else, not wanting to explain why his eyes were damp. He almost felt like he needed a cigarette himself, which was strange since he didn't usually smoke.
“Yuichi?” a voice spoke from behind him, and he heard the door he had just come through clicking shut.
“What do you want?”
“You're not mad at me are you? This isn't my fault you know,” Ueda sighed. He really didn't like this situation any more than anyone else seemed to, but he wished that it wasn't causing him all of this extra stress.
“... I know. I'm sorry.”
“You're not really jealous, are you? Kame really isn't my type. I like girls, you know.”
“I'm not jealous,” Nakamaru confirmed, and it wasn't entirely true, but he wasn't jealous of what Ueda thought he was, although he still couldn't quite get rid of negative feelings he had towards his friend despite that he knew he didn't have that to worry about. It wasn't Ueda that was the better choice for Kame, it was his job. “I know Kame is dedicated to his job. But I always figured that if it came to it, he'd choose me.”
“Perhaps you don't know him as well as you think,” Ueda commented, and Nakamaru suddenly wondered if he might be right.
Ueda spoke as soon as Kame answered his daily call. He didn't want to spread this out any longer than was absolutely necessary. It wasn't like he disliked Kame, but he just really didn't have anything to talk about with him and
“So, what are you doing?”
“What do you care?”
“Oh, so you're sulking.”
“I'm not sulking. What are you doing?”
“Jogging.”
“Same time tomorrow then?”
“Yeah. Bye.”
The day of their last Osaka concert, and with all the excitement and adrenalin of being on stage. Nakamaru had almost been able to forget about the situation they were in until he turned to see his boyfriend and his friend kissing on screens transmitted throughout the room. He knew that both of them were actors, and knew how to put on these kinds of things for the cameras, but he momentarily forgot that as he watched because it looked so real, the same as he had the last two days and every other date on the tour so far.
Ueda glanced at the watching camera out of the corner of his eye, and Nakamaru almost felt mocked. Then a voice spoke from down below him and he realised he'd missed his cue to climb off the cart he had been travelling around on back onto the stage. He had to remember, he realised, that today they were there for the fans.
He forced his way through the first part of the MC, laughing and smiling and being the Nakamaru Yuichi that the fans wanted him to be. Today, as with their other concerts, they had signed six posters to giveaway to lucky fans, and the decision was partly to be made through a quiz between members. Of course, Kame had been paired up with Ueda again and after so many days of doing this he was getting a little tired of watching them from the other side of the main stage while he had to stand next to Junno - not that there was anything wrong with Junno, but as much as he wondered if it might effect Kame in some way, he wasn't going to act the same way with Junno as Kame was with Ueda right now.
“We should be called the 'megane team',” Junno laughed, and gave Nakamaru's huge glasses a poke with one finger.
Nakamaru frowned and wafted his hand away, thinking about it for a moment before suggesting, “I think we should be called the ikemen team.”
“Oh! Then I should join your team too,” Ueda grinned, beginning to slide his way across the stage towards the rival team.
“You're not an ikemen,” Nakamaru frowned, and he didn't mean it to come out so seriously but he was in a bad mood and Ueda was part of the reason, and he knew that Ueda was more of an ikemen than he was.
Ueda's sliding turned into a march, and he walked right up to Nakamaru and gave him a kick on the knee, not hard enough to hurt him badly but enough to make him wince. There was a light-hearted smile on Ueda's face, showing that he wasn't overly bothered by the comment, and that gave Nakamaru the confidence to continue. “Don't kick me! It's true, you're totally not an ikemen.”
Ueda frowned, crossing his arms across his chest, his light-hearted look beginning to fade a little.
“Get out of the ikemen team, buotoko,” Nakamaru persisted. Junno was standing nearby giving the pair an awkward glance, wondering if this was actually kicking off into something serious. Koki was wondering how to get his game back under control.
“Okay, Kame, Ueda, what will your team be?” he interjected eventually, when Ueda looked like he might actually punch Nakamaru in the face, and the pair seemed to realise that a whole venue full of fans was watching them.
The rest of the quiz went mostly smoothly. Kame and Ueda's team lost for the second time, causing Kame to give his half of the dome yet another heartfelt and dramatic apology. Nakamaru, however, realised that he had an apology of his own to give. There had been something off about Ueda ever since that little argument, and even his efforts to lighten up by skipping across the stage to call he and Junno idiots for getting a question wrong was laced with something more serious. It didn't feel like a joke, as it usually did.
When the MC finally ended, Nakamaru turned off his microphone and called Ueda to one side. “I'm sorry, Tatsuya,” he told him genuinely, and he felt like all he was doing recently was apologising to his friend. “I know you don't want this any more than I do... I just... I miss my boyfriend. I miss all those times he would be all over me, even those times when I knew he was doing it just for the cameras. He won't even touch me now, not on camera, barely even in private.”
“Then you need to do something about it,” Ueda said simply, and stood up. He said nothing more as he headed backstage to change ready for their next song, but it was all Nakamaru needed to hear. Ueda was right, he needed to do something.
They didn't have long to get changed following the MC, but amongst the bustle of staff and KAT-TUN members, Nakamaru managed to pull Kame to one side, and leaned in close to his ear. “Kame-chan, do you really love me?” he asked, his tone low so no one could here.
Kame raised one eyebrow in confusion, wondering why he was asking this now, but there was no hesitation as he replied with, “Of course I do.”
Nakamaru nodded; this was all he needed to hear. “Good,” he whispered, and as their cue to return to the stage came, he pulled on his jacket, and left their conversation at that.
Although Ueda still looked somewhat annoyed with Nakamaru throughout the rest of the concert, everything else went without any problems and no more fights at all. They were there for the fans tonight, and all of them knew that, any arguments between themselves were something they had to deal with in private after the show, not when they were supposed to be putting on a performance. Nakamaru was trying so hard to remember this, but there was still only one thought in his mind. He had to do something.
It was their last day in Osaka, and they had three encores planned. When it came to the third and last, they concluded a performance of their single Going by gathering on the main stage in a line, the position that would mark their final speeches and eventually, their exit. Nakamaru stood in between Ueda and Junno, his expression was full of nerves, although no one really noticed.
Kame was first to speak, as always, and Nakamaru watched him out of the corner of his eye as he thanked the fans for coming to the concert that day and for their continued support for the group, despite recent revelations of his and Ueda's relationship. An angry fire began to rise in Nakamaru as Kame glanced to one side and looked at Ueda beside him, giving him a loving glance that was usually reserved for him only.
Ueda was next, and he gave Nakamaru a slight glance as he too thanked the fans for their support of his relationship with Kame, apologised again for keeping it hidden for so long, and then sensing Nakamaru's sour look from beside him, finally thanked the fans for getting their album to number one in the charts, and let the spotlight move to Nakamaru.
“Thank you so much for coming here tonight to see us, we really appreciate your support,” he started, almost echoing words the other two had said before him. “Through everything, thank you for sticking by us. You always trust us to work hard and put on good shows and be there to put smiles on your faces, and that... that's why there's something else I have to say. There's something we, as a group, have been hiding from you,” he sighed, and he glanced to one side to see Ueda and Kame's expression. Ueda simply closed his eyes and nodded. Kame's eyes had widened. He knew exactly what was coming. He took a step towards the other, but Nakamaru had already continued to speak. “Ueda and Kame's relationship isn't real.”
The chatter that had begun when Nakamaru had revealed they had hidden something became louder when he finally made his revelation. Nakamaru lowered his microphone, and whispered an apology to Kame, who had frozen on the spot, expecting a riot.
“I know it isn't real because,” Nakamaru continued as he put his microphone back to his lips, “because Kame is in a relationship with me.”
Silence fell across the dome, as the fans took in this new bit of information, and then the chatter started up again. Nakamaru took the opportunity to step past Ueda, towards Kame, and he reached out to take his hand, wanting to be with him during this revelation. Even before he touched the other's hand he realised that the glare on his boyfriend's face was telling him he shouldn't touch him, but he didn't expect the slap that was suddenly forced across his cheek, leaving a red mark as his own hand flew up to rub it. And in a flash, Kame was gone, down the stairs leading backstage, while the other members of the group looked on in shock.
“You and Kame are -?” Junno began as Nakamaru turned to run after Kame, and then he suddenly remembered that they were still on stage and he turned back to face the crowd again. “Thank you for all your support,” he said simply, and then he turned and followed the other two off stage. By the time Koki came to try and do the same, no one was really listening.
“How could you!” Kame yelled at Nakamaru as he followed him into their dressing room. He was furious, his cheeks flushed in anger, and his hands were tightly in fists, and shaking. “You knew how important it was to me to keep this going.”
“And what about what is important to me?” Nakamaru asked quietly. He didn't want an argument, but he was hurt that Kame didn't seem to have once considered his feelings on the matter. “You told me you loved me.”
Kame's shoulders slumped a little, and he turned round, staring at the other. “I do.”
“You never want to be seen in public with me. All that insistence that we keep it behind closed doors, and then you go out with him and not only that, you manage to get yourself photographed with him.”
“Yuichi, I have a name,” someone spoke from the doorway, and the arguing pair turned to find that while they had been distracted with each other, the other members of the group had too entered the dressing room. An extremely stressed looking manager was hovering in the doorway speaking to someone on his cellphone.
Nakamaru gave Ueda a glare that asked him why he was getting involved in their business. He was getting so worked up and angry that he was almost scaring himself and making himself nervous, because he really didn't like these kind of confrontational moments, but he couldn't help but throw a jibe in his friend's direction. “Oh I'm sorry, Kamenashi 'buotoko' Tatsuya,” he spoke angrily.
Junno let out a spontaneous giggle despite himself, but stopped just as quickly as he realised he was now being glared at by all four of the other members of the group. His giggle transformed into a coughing fit, and he excused himself with a wave of his hand as he had to leave the room to gather his composure again.
While Junno had been laughing, Ueda's hand had balled into a fist, and before anyone could even think about stopping him, he launched himself forwards, his knuckles making contact with Nakamaru's cheek. The force caused him to topple backwards against the wall as his hand flew to his mouth in a defensive movement that was far too late. Knuckle shaped red marks were slowly forming on his cheek above the red mark that remained from Kame's slap, and he could taste blood in his mouth.
Somewhere along the way, since they had become friends, band-mates, he had forgotten the reason why it was best not to get on Ueda Tatsuya's bad side. Now he had suddenly been reminded in the most painful way possible. As blood began to dribble from the corner of his mouth, Ueda shot him a glare that was almost as painful, before he pushed his way past their manager standing in the doorway, and his footsteps were heard stomping down the corridor outside.
Nakamaru closed his eyes as he rubbed at his cheek; he was still in shock. He heard Kame come up beside him felt him putting his hand over the one on his cheek and examining the damage. “Are you okay? Does it hurt?” he asked gently, and all his anger was momentarily forgotten at the sight of his boyfriend injured. He had not however, forgotten that he too had slapped Nakamaru only a few minutes earlier, but somehow it was more shocking to see it done by someone else, and Ueda had hit him a lot harder than he had.
“It hurts,” Nakamaru confirmed, with a look that told the other it ought to be obvious. He winced a little as Kame pressed his hand further against his cheek, and groaned a little. “I'm going to go home and sleep,” he decided, lowering his hands, but before he could move even one step, Kame had taken his hand.
“Nakamaru Yuichi, you are going to the hospital,” Kame told him sternly. “I won't have you bleeding to death,” he added, and his lips were forming into a slight pout.
“I figured you might be glad if I did,” Nakamaru replied a little bitterly, although there was a light-hearted undertone to his voice. He didn't have the energy to be mad or argue any more right now, not when his head was throbbing like it was. And at least Kame was being nice to him for now, although he didn't think for one moment that his boyfriend had forgotten what he had done.
Kame's pout turned into a small smile, and he shrugged a bit. “Maybe I'll regret it later. Besides, you're bleeding on your tour t-shirt.”
“Well, I always thought they made a better couple anyway.”
“Nakamaru-kun is so cute! I'm really happy for them~”
“Why did they lie to us? (T__T)”
“Is that the truth now? I'm so confused!”
“Kame is too good for Nakamaru. :(“
“He isn't answering his phone.”
Kame walked into the hospital room Nakamaru was resting in, pushing his cellphone into the pocket of his jeans. His cheek was swollen but all the blood had now been cleared up and he was stitched up and, as far as he was concerned, ready to go, but he had been told he had to stay here overnight just to make sure he was okay.
“He's probably taking his anger out on a punch bag somewhere.”
“Better on that than on you, right?” Kame pointed out, and took a seat on the plastic chair sitting beside Nakamaru's bed. He leaned over and planted a light and gentle kiss on the other's injured cheek. He had taken enough painkillers by now that it didn't make him wince like it would have done before. “He didn't even punch me that hard that one time, and we weren't even friends,” he mused, examining the other's cheek again. He'd had a bruise that time, that the make-up artists had hated him for for a few days, but nothing like this.
Nakamaru rested his head back against his pillow, and let out a sigh. “That's the point. Me and him are friends. It was always kind of us versus everyone else when we were younger. We used to walk home from high school together and... well, you know how difficult it is being in this job and being in school. We liked to think we were protecting each other. And when he thought that no one else liked him, he would come to me. I know it isn't his fault that you got into this situation, I just... this was one thing I didn't want to share.”
“Yu-chan, you were never sharing me. It's just like I was in a drama.”
“Drama actors don't stay over at your apartment,” Nakamaru pointed out.
“Tegoshi did,” Kame muttered, and then decided that wasn't really the point, and sighed a little. “It'd make a great drama though, right?”
“I guess.”
“Yu-chan, I -” Kame started, but he was interrupted when his phone vibrated. He checked the screen, and when he saw Ueda's name flash up, he squeezed Nakamaru's hand and stood up to excuse himself.
“Ueda. What are you doing?”
“What do you care?”
“Oh, so you're sulking.”
“I'm jogging.”
“Could you jog to the hospital?”
“No.”
“He really is sorry, you know.”
“I bet he is.”
There was a click as Ueda hung up the phone, and Kame's grip on his phone tightened in annoyance. He muttered the word “idiot” under his breath and then let out a frustrated sigh and returned to Nakamaru's side, sitting back down in the plastic chair.
“Is he okay?” Nakamaru asked. He felt guilty. He had spent so long telling Ueda he knew it wasn't his fault and yet he was persisting in letting it effect his friendship with the other man. There was a relief inside him because this was all over now, but he realised it wasn't quite, not until he could fix things with his friend.
“He's jogging. I asked him to come here, he said no.”
“Tatsuya is great at sulking. Even better than you,” Nakamaru smirked. He didn't have the energy in him to be mad at anyone right now, least of all his boyfriend.
Kame smirked a little too. “Do you want me to hit you again?” he asked, and then put his hand up and rubbed Nakamaru's cheek again. “I really never meant for any of this to happen, you know. I really wouldn't have wanted to have my job and not you. The two most important things in my life.”
“I know,” Nakamaru nodded, and for the first time since this had all started, he truly believed him. “How about when I'm out of hospital we go out for drinks to celebrate? I'll make sure I give you an extra special hug, the press won't miss it,” he grinned, and Kame just smiled.
“I'M IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH KAMENASHI KAZUYA,” SAYS NAKAMARU YUICHI, IN A SHOCK REVEAL DURING KAT-TUN'S OSAKA CONCERT.
Fans attending the 4th March performance of KAT-TUN's 2012 tour at Osaka's Kyocera dome were stunned when during the encore, Nakamaru Yuichi revealed to the fans that the previously confirmed relationship between Ueda Tatsuya and Kamenashi Kazuya was staged, informing them that it was in fact him who is in a relationship with Kamenashi-san. This revelation even seemed to shock other group members, and Kamenashi-san himself responded to Nakamaru-san's words by striking him on the cheek and abruptly leaving the stage.
Reporters caught some of the fan's comments as they left the dome. Although the feelings are of shock, of disappointment at being lied to, and of confusion, there are still many loyal fans saying they will support the group whatever the truth turns out to be.
KAT-TUN's management have reportedly scheduled a press conference for later today, where hopefully this truth will finally be revealed.
Nakamaru read the morning newspapers as he waited for his ride from the hospital to the press conference that had been scheduled. It still almost felt like it had all been a dream because he had never done anything so rash and impulsive in his life, but the time he had spent with Kame in the hospital the evening before had made it all worth it. Being able to have Kame kissing him somewhere they were completely exposed, not having to hide behind the closed doors of their apartments. It was what Ueda had with him for the past couple of months, and what he had been wishing for all that time.
The only regret he had, was that Ueda had still not yet contacted him. He had never meant to hurt his friend, and he knew that Ueda Tatsuya could hold a grudge for a very long time if he wanted to. All Nakamaru could hope was that he didn't want to. His eyes fell back on the newspaper at the top of a small pile, and he picked them up, and tossed them in the garbage can beside his bed.
“Nothing interesting happening in the world today?” a voice spoke, and Nakamaru looked up to see Ueda standing in the doorway. Nakamaru tried to read the expression on his face, but his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses.
He shrugged, glancing down at the discarded papers. “Some idiot made a fool out of himself at a concert.”
“I wonder who would be stupid enough to do something like that?”
“Tatsuya, I'm sorry.”
Ueda walked across the room to where Nakamaru was sitting on the edge of the bed, and examined his face, which was still swollen and beginning to turn a deep shade of purple.
“Wow, I really did a good job, didn't I?” Ueda commented, trying not to sound too impressed.
Nakamaru sighed. “I suppose I deserved it. Tatsuya, I know none of this was ever your fault. It was just so hard watching you and him together when I wasn't allowed near him. You're one of my really good friends, I didn't want to hurt you.”
Ueda leaned on one leg, his hands on his hips, staring down at Nakamaru as he spoke, and as he did, a slight smirk appeared on his face. “Yuichi, do you want to hug this out or something? Because look at the mess that got us into last time.”
When Nakamaru looked up, catching the wide grin on his friend's face, he almost wanted to punch him. “Idiot,” he muttered.
Ueda laughed lightly, and turned, heading towards the door of the private room. “There's a car waiting for us outside,” he told him. “I'll see you out there.”
Kame and Nakamaru had their hands entwined as they climbed the few steps up onto the stage. It seemed like so long ago to Kame that he had walked onto a similar stage to announce his relationship with Ueda, but this time Ueda walked behind the pair, on his own, looking as cool and calm as he had the last time they had done this. The couple took a seat beside each other behind the desk, and Ueda slipped into the seat beside them.
“We would like to take this opportunity to apologise for our betrayal,” Kame addressed the press, his head bowed guiltily. It wasn't necessarily their responsibility, not when they had been told to do it, but it was them who had to answer to the fans and he was genuinely apologetic. “Nakamaru was telling the truth. Me and him have been in a relationship together for over a year. The day me and Ueda and I were photographed, our hug was only platonic. Despite all that has happened, we ask for your forgiveness and continued support, for me and Nakamaru and our relationship, for Ueda and the rest of the group.”
Kame squeezed Nakamaru's hand, and Nakamaru nodded and leaned forward closer to his own microphone. “I'd like to apologise to all of the fans that attended our Osaka concert on March 4th. I shouldn't have used that time to make such a revelation, and I'm sorry that you had to witness that. We promise to be more honest with you all in the future.”
From behind dark sunglasses, Ueda simply nodded. This time, he definitely didn't feel like it was his place to say anything. He was just looking forward to getting out of the place and being able to go for a run without Kame calling him halfway through.
They made it easily through a round of questions, since they had no need to think up answers on the spot, and as they walked back down from the stage at the end of the press conference, the camera zoomed in on Nakamaru and Kame's hands entwined together. It looked like the most natural thing in the world, just as it had when Kame and Ueda had done it those couple of months before, but this time, it really was.
Fandom: KAT-TUN
Pairing: Kamenashi Kazuya x Nakamaru Yuichi, Kamenashi Kazuya x Ueda Tatsuya
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None.
Summary: When Kame and Ueda are caught in a hug by the paparazzi and the gossip papers claim they're in a relationship, the reaction is so positive that their agency decides to confirm the rumours as true. Soon Kame's obsession with his public image and his job leads to problems with his real boyfriend, Nakamaru Yuichi.
Author's Note: Written for alternatejess for fic_the_faith 2012.
Two pairs of eyes stared down at the front page of the newspaper on the desk in front of them, and both were staring at exactly the same thing. The date was February 2nd, 2012, and the headline read, “KAT-TUN'S UEDA & KAMENASHI IN SECRET RELATIONSHIP: EXCLUSIVE.”
In the business they were in, being at the mercy of the paparazzi and the gossip magazines was all in a days work, but sitting in a meeting room with his fellow band-member Ueda Tatsuya, Kamenashi Kazuya slammed the newspaper down on the desk, furious.
Kame was the kind of person who did everything in his power to not get caught anywhere, to the point where he actually barely ever went out anywhere he could be at risk, but it had been a long day of drama filming and Ueda had been filming as well, and it had been like they both knew how each other felt, so they'd decided to have a couple of drinks together.
And it really was only a couple, but Kame had been worried about the impending rating announcements, and Ueda had leaned over and given him a brief reassuring hug and to wish him luck, and that was when the cameras had snapped. Of course, the magazines had come out with an entirely different story and Kame thought it was stupid, because they hugged each other all the time on TV and on stage, but apparently it was different when it was a private moment and automatically that meant they were sleeping together.
The picture was a little blurred but clearly of them, and the hug looked a lot more intimate in print than they had intended it to when it had happened. The most annoying thing about it for Kame was that Ueda seemed to be taking the news particularly well.
“What about when it was you and Kobayashi-san?”
“Doesn't everyone want to be linked to a pretty girl like that?” was Ueda's response.
“But this time it isn't a pretty girl. It's me.”
“Well yeah admittedly that's kind of disappointing,” Ueda sighed, and Kame felt like just punching him in the face there and then, only he knew that Ueda could punch back harder.
The manager had been sitting in silence and letting Kame have his moment, but the slamming of the magazines down on the desk brought both him and Ueda to attention again, and they both turned to look at the stern looking man sitting on the other side. “So, how long before you deny the rumours?” Kame asked, hoping that it would be as soon as was physically possible, if not sooner.
“We're not,” the manager replied, and gave them both a serious look. “We're going to confirm it.”
“I can't believe it!! They're so cute! *___*”
“Ueda-san is so lucky! Waaaa, I'm jealous!”
“Is this for real?”
The shocked pair hadn't even had chance to find out any more before both of them were bundled into a car ready to take them to a venue where the press were waiting for them to talk. From what they did gather from bits of information fed to them as they travelled, the reaction from the fans and everyone else to the rumours was so positive that, given that the group had a new album and tour in the next few months, it would be more beneficial to confirm the rumours to deny them. In the eyes of the media, fans, and Japan, Ueda Tatsuya and Kamenashi Kazuya were now a couple, whether they liked it or not.
The cameras began to flash as soon as the pair set foot on the stage and walked to the table set up for them, in front of several microphones all bearing the logos of different television stations. It wasn't the first press conference they'd ever had and it certainly wouldn't be the last, and while the camera lights didn't bother them like it would normal people, Kame's palms were sweating heavily and Ueda's hands were balled nervously into fists as they sat down beside each other and faced the reporters.
“Myself and Ueda have been together as a couple for just under a year. We deeply apologise to our fans for hiding this, but we hope that you will continue to support both of us despite these revelations, as well as KAT-TUN as a group,” Kame spoke professionally, rehearsed words fed to him by their management on the way to the venue. Ueda gave a nod and glanced sideways at the other from behind his dark sunglasses, but said nothing more.
The cameras snapped and the reporters, seemingly satisfied with this announcement, suddenly hit the pair with a barrage of questions. How had their relationship begun? Why hadn't they chose to reveal it before now? The pair had been under strict instructions not to answer any questions until they had time to get their stories straight, and as professionally as they could, they stood up from their seats, gave the press an apologetic bow, and on television screens all across the country were treated to a zoomed in shot of Kame's hand when he took hold of Ueda's as they headed back down the steps from the stage.
“Is it... is it true?”
After a long day of interviews and being bundled from car to car, building to building, Kame had finally arrived back at his apartment and flopped face down on his couch, when he heard the voice speaking to him. He had ignored the ten missed calls on his cellphone, not quite ready to face this yet Kame had forgotten at what stage it had been that he had given the other man a key to his apartment, but right now, he was regretting it.
He raised his head from where it had been buried in one of his couch cushions, and gave Nakamaru Yuichi, who was standing in the kitchen doorway, a deadpan look. “What do you think?”
“I think you just announced it to a room full of reporters. I think you held his hand. I think you've been avoiding my calls,” Nakamaru replied, frowning a little. “I also think he's a lot better looking than I am.”
“Idiot,” Kame huffed, and let out a loud sigh, rubbing his temples with his fingers. “Can't we do this tomorrow, I'm exhausted, Yu-chan, and I can see camera flashes when I close my eyes.”
Nakamaru walked across the living room and bent Kame's legs at the knees so he could sit down on the couch beside him. “When are you not exhausted?” he asked, lowering the other's legs back down, onto his lap. It wasn't unusual recently for Kame to arrive home when he had already gotten there, barely having time to have a conversation before he had fallen asleep on the couch.
“Good point,” was Kame's reply, and then he sighed again. “It really isn't true. Tatsuya and I just hugged to wish each other luck with the drama ratings. They only decided to confirm the rumours because the reaction was so positive. We have an album out soon, and a tour, you know how it is... We had no say in it, if we had then of course I would have refused.”
“Would you?” Nakamaru asked sceptically, but Kame's long-suffering sigh told him that it was time to drop the subject for now. And when Kame sat himself up and leaned over, pressing his lips against his, in a real kiss, not one staged for publicity, he felt like he could forgive him, for now at least.
“I really didn't know anything about it,” Nakamaru commented honestly a couple of days later when he was asked about the couple during an unrelated interview. He had never been a very good liar and he was glad that this at least, was the truth, in some ways. “I found out from the television,” he said. Another truth. He of course chose not to mention the panic and emotions he had gone through seeing his lover on television admitting to being in a relationship with another man, but hit with the realism of being asked about the revelations some of those feelings began to float back to the surface.
“It's a big thing, for both them and the group,” he went on to say, trying to ignore his inner fears. “But I wish them all the luck and happiness in the world,” he finished, and he felt his lips twitching a little, hoping his real feelings weren't too obvious. He wondered who on earth was out there to wish him good luck with his boyfriend who slept with him at night and paraded around in front of cameras with one of his good friends during the day.
“What do you like most about Tatsuya?”
The corners of Kame's lips curved up in a smirk, and he glanced at Ueda out of the corner of his eye before answering the question. “His body, of course. Who doesn't?”
“And Tatsuya, what do you like most about Kazuya?”
“His body,” Ueda echoed Kame's words, and then shook his head and laughed a little, and Kame was all but ready to hit him before he continued. “No no no... I like how passionate he is about everything he does, especially when it comes to work,” he decided, and Kame's smile showed he was pleased with that answer. Even if it wasn't real, he could still appreciate the compliment, especially when it was regarding his work ethic.
As was to be expected, all of their regular magazines had set aside several extra pages for interviews with the new couple (and Nakamaru didn't know who had been pushed aside in order to make space for these pages, but he knew exactly how they felt). Myojo had dedicated their monthly 10,000 word interview to the two of them, and that was 10,000 more words than either of them felt like using gushing over each other, but somehow they managed to make it through in one piece.
Potato had gone with a quiz to test the pair on their knowledge of each other, a prospect which had thrown them into panic and had them sitting in a room together for a whole day trying to ensure they would get the answers right. Kame hates tomatoes. Ueda's birthday is October 4th. Kame's favourite sport is baseball (although even Ueda had figured that one out). Until they set their minds to it, they hadn't realised how little they knew about each other, but they managed to pass the test and it seemed that the editors of Potato were satisfied with that little achievement.
Wink up dedicated a whole poster to the couple, and also told them to expect lots of congratulation messages in the message board. Duet gave them a cross talk about their relationship that they were amazed they got through because of course, they weren't psychically linked and there was no way they could have gone over everything before interview time. And of course, none of the magazines had thought to give them that time because if they were in a real relationship there was no need to get their stories straight, was there?
Koki was asked “Did you really say that you thought they were idiots?” during an interview two weeks after the news was announced. Koki had no idea how anyone had found out what he had said about Kame and Ueda, but he supposed he should know after so many years that sometimes when everyone wanted to know what you were saying, it was very hard to have an opinion on anything without someone being nearby to hear it.
He thought only momentarily about his answer before he opened his mouth to reply. “I'm very happy for them,” he commented, and then a wry smile curved the corners of his lips. “But they are idiots.”
.
Photo shoots for new official photo sets was always a somewhat embarrassing experience, in Nakamaru's opinion. They were made to get far closer to other group members than they would ever do in a normal situation, yet the others seemed to take it in their stride, and Kame was definitely taking it in his stride right now, curled up on a couch with Ueda Tatsuya, their hands seeming to be all over each other.
Nakamaru remembered doing a shoot with Kame like that once. It was years ago now, before they had even begun their relationship, but he clearly remembered how overly seductive Kame had been even just for a simple photo shoot and even though he had known it was simply because the man took his work very seriously, he thought it might have been the first time he had considered the other as possibly being something more than a band-mate.
He couldn't take his eyes off the pair. Ueda was leaning against the back of the couch, looking relaxed, legs spread out in front of him. Kame was curled against his side, his arms hanging casually over Ueda's shoulders, and his face was so close to the other man's that his nose was touching his cheek. Ueda must be able to smell what aftershave Kame was wearing, he realised. It felt like it was was a stupid thing to be concerning himself with but it was like when they lay in bed together at night and his head was against the other's shoulder, and he could smell the shampoo in his hair and the remains of his aftershave from the day. It felt like it was something that should be reserved for them.
“Nakamaru-san, we're ready for you,” a voice spoke to his left, and he nodded and tore his eyes away from the scene to head to where Taguchi Junnosuke was already waiting in front of a large white screen. As they began their own shoot, not quite as intimate as the one at the other side of the room but getting close, he wondered if Kame too was feeling any jealousy, but when he glanced across at them, he realised he wasn't even paying them any attention.
“Do you remember when we used to do shoots like that?” Nakamaru asked, as he and Kame lay beside each other in Kame's bed on the morning of a rare day off. He hadn't been able to take his mind off what he had watched the day before, even though that had been for the camera and he was here with Kame privately, and he thought he might explode if he didn't bring it up soon.
It had been a week now since everything had come out, and even magazine interviews hadn't been a welcome distraction, because of course, the rest of the group had been sidelined so that Ueda and Kame could have their moment on all of the covers together. Nakamaru had avoided the shoots as much as he could, but he wondered what it would be like when the release dates came and he wouldn't be able to walk past a store without seeing Kame looking lovestruck with their fellow bandmate.
“Mmmm,” Kame murmured, snuggling himself up against the other, and taking in a deep satisfied breath. “They never had to tell me to lean in closer to you.”
“Do they have to tell you that with him?” Nakamaru asked unsurely, and Kame responded by rolling his eyes and pressing a kiss against his lips to silence him.
“I'm yours,” he whispered against his skin. “And if you don't believe me, let me prove it to you,” he added. They had the whole day free, plenty of time to give Nakamaru as much proof as he needed.
He allowed his lips to meet the other's once again, and as Nakamaru finally gave in and began to kiss him back. Kame could tell immediately from the satisfied sigh the other breathed between his lips that Nakamaru was happy to let him prove it to him in whatever way he liked. He shifted his position, half lying across the other, slipping his arms around his bare waist, fingers toying with the waistband of the loose tracksuit bottoms he had been sleeping in.
“You don't have to prove it to me,” Nakamaru told him, and he really didn't know why he was arguing, not when Kame made him feel like this.
“Shhh,” Kame whispered against his ear, tugging the sheet on the bed over them both, a private cocoon for themselves, truly away from prying eyes.
“Akanishi-san, what are your comments on Kamenashi and Ueda's relationship?”
Akanishi Jin had left the USA only the day before, and back in Japan to promote his soon to be released album, and it was during one of the first interviews he had since being back in his home country that he was asked his opinion on Kame and Ueda's relationship. He had heard the news, of course, and had been expected to be asked questions about it. However, he really didn't think that it was his business to be commenting on something like that, not any more. He, like everyone else, had found out from the newspapers and then from the television. There was a time, he thought, when Kamenashi Kazuya would have told him himself.
Still, when the question was finally shouted out by the reporter as he stood in front of a crowd with microphones pointing in his face, he realised that he hadn't really thought about how he would answer the question. No one had told him what to say, because no one but him had thought might get asked.
“Thank you very much,” he addressed the reporters, his expression showing nothing. He bowed, gave a small polite smile, and then turned and left the stage.
“You know we're going to have to be extra careful now, don't you?” Kame spoke, less of a question and more of a demand, as they lay beside each other, Nakamaru having gained all the proof he needed for now.
“When haven't we been careful?” Nakamaru thought that considering the whole of the media had come to the conclusion that Kame was in a relationship with someone else entirely, that had to mean they had managed to hide it pretty well.
Kame shifted closer to Nakamaru, and slid his arms around his waist, resting his head against the familiar dip in the man's bare collarbone. “I'm sorry, Yu-chan, but it would be really bad if it looked like I was cheating on Tatsuya with you.”
Deciding not to state out loud that he was beginning to wonder if that really was the case, Nakamaru let out a sigh. “I really don't see how we can be any more careful.”
“I want you to stop coming to my apartment.”
Nakamaru sat up so suddenly that was like he had been electrocuted, and stared down at the other. “Me coming to your apartment is the only way we get to see each other,” he pointed out. “It's not like we can go out on dates in public.”
“I'm sorry, Yu-chan,” Kame told him genuinely, and reached out, sliding his hand into the other's, giving it a squeeze. “It's just for now, okay? Until we can figure out what to do.”
“And when will that be?”
“I don't know,” Kame sighed, and Nakamaru was glad to see that he at least seemed genuinely sorry. “Just remember to give me your apartment key on the way out tomorrow, okay?”
“I don't see why we have to do this,” Ueda spoke breathlessly into his phone. He had been out for his morning jog when his cellphone had started vibrating in his pocket. He didn't usually answer the phone when he was in the middle of an exercise routine, but he had more reasons recently for wanting to know what was going on, and he didn't expect Kame to be calling him just for a casual chat.
Kame had explained to him that the management wanted them to speak daily, to ensure they always knew what each other was up to, so that they didn't get caught out. Ueda was beginning to feel like they were part of some major criminal operation, not a fake relationship.
Kame let out a long-suffering sigh, really not wanting to waste his time calling Ueda either. “I told you,” he said simply, and then added a little reluctantly, “so... what are you doing?”
“Jogging.”
“Having fun?”
“I was.”
“... I think that's enough for today, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, goodbye, then.”
“Bye.”
Nakamaru had managed to persuade Kame not to take away his key to his apartment, despite the fact that Kame seemed to now be determined to keep him away from the place at all costs. He felt like that key was the one thing that he had that was keeping their relationship real. Ueda didn't have a key to his apartment, as far as he was aware. He had, however, taken in Kame's words about them having to be careful, and so he'd left it until past midnight to go to the place, and had wrapped up in a large hooded coat to conceal his identity.
It had been a week or so since he had last been here and he wouldn't have put it past Kame to change his locks but was glad to find that his key fit the lock, turned, and clicked as the bolt opened. Kame had an early morning the next day, he knew, but he was happy to just slip into bed beside him and be there when he woke the next morning.
It was dark in the apartment but he knew the way to his lover's bedroom like he knew the back of his hand... usually. As he stepped past where he knew a low coffee table stood, his foot hit something that felt remarkably like a table leg.
“Shit!” he cursed loudly as a wave of pain shot through his little toe. He knew it would subside in a moment, but right now, it hurt. And why was the coffee table a few metres further to the right than usual? Kame wasn't usually the kind of person to go around rearranging his furniture.
His answer came with an arm around his neck and at first he thought it was Kame but this arm was pressed up against his neck so tightly he couldn't breathe, and then he heard a familiar voice speaking in his ear. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
It took him only a moment or two to realise whose voice was speaking. “Tatsuya?”
The grip on his neck loosened hesitantly. “Yuichi?”
“What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?”
The arm against his neck moved altogether, and Nakamaru immediately reached for the living room's light switch, flooding the room with light. Ueda Tatsuya was standing with a slightly half-asleep expression on his face, dressed in only loose tracksuit bottoms. Nakamaru's gaze went down to the floor, where a futon was laid out, its sheets now crumpled. Kame was nowhere to be seen.
Nakamaru stared silently at Ueda and Ueda stared back, both of them wondering what was going on. Ueda thought that perhaps he might still be dreaming, while Nakamaru knew he was awake but wondered if this was a nightmare come true.
“What are you doing here?” Nakamaru asked again, frowning a little. He supposed he should be glad that Ueda was sleeping on the floor.
“Publicity,” Ueda replied with a shrug, not seeming particularly happy with it himself. “They hoped someone would take pictures of me coming in and leaving tomorrow morning. So what is your explanation for sneaking around Kame's apartment in the middle of the night? How did you get in?”
Having not expected to be attacked by Ueda on his way in, Nakamaru didn't really have any immediate answers to this question that didn't give away something that he and Kame had been doing their best to keep private, and he opened his mouth and let out a silent breath as he realised he didn't even know where to start, but he was saved by a door opening somewhere to their right.
Kame was rubbing his eyes, blinded by the light after coming from the darkness of his room. “Tatsuya?” he questioned, not quite able to see yet and unaware that they had an 'intruder'. He moved his hands from his eyes, and blinked several times, and as everything came into focus, he spotted his boyfriend standing in his living room with Ueda, looking pale and about to stumble over his words.
When Kame realised what was happening, he went almost as pale as Nakamaru was. “Yu-chan, I told you not to - Oh, this is bad. This is exactly why I told you not to come here.”
“Well I didn't know he was going to be here,” was Nakamaru's defence, and he felt bad for speaking about Ueda while he was standing right there, and so disdainfully as well, but this was not the situation he expected to find himself in.
“... Is something going on between you?” Ueda asked, suddenly realising what was going on.
“No!” the pair spoke immediately together, rather too immediately.
“As if I'd get into a relationship with someone with a nose that big,” Kame spat, suddenly rather angry with the whole thing. Nakamaru had ruined everything. Everything. And he refused to believe he was being overly dramatic.
“Hey, you, you -” Nakamaru glared at Kame angrily.
“I didn't mention anything about a relationship,” Ueda pointed out, interrupting Nakamaru, and Kame glared back at Nakamaru as if it was his fault that he had just inadvertently given Ueda exactly the answer he had wanted.
Kame sighed, his shoulders drooping in defeat. “Look, you can't tell anyone, okay?” he spoke quietly, as if someone was hiding in the walls listening to every word he said. “We're trying so hard to keep it quiet.”
“You and him?” Ueda raised an eyebrow, and leaned on one leg, a smirk forming on his lips. “I mean, I knew you were after Nakamaru, but I thought he was doing a great job not giving in.”
“Well I was, but -”
“I'm irresistible?”
“I'm not going to tell anyone, don't worry,” Ueda shrugged. “It's none of my business anyway. Can I go back to sleep now?” He stretched his hands above his head, and let out a purposeful yawn.
Kame gave Ueda a brief stare, to confirm to himself that the man was being genuine when he told him he would say nothing, but he knew his band mate well enough to know that he did his best not to get involved if at all possible, with anything that wasn't related to him, and so he gave a small nod. He glanced at Nakamaru. “Yuichi, you have to leave,” he told him bluntly.
“Eh? Why? Because of my big nose, I suppose,” Nakamaru huffed in an uncharacteristic way.
Kame took a step forward, and wrapped his arms around Nakamaru's neck, giving him an apologetic look and then resting his head against his shoulder. “I'm sorry. I can't risk you being seen leaving here tomorrow,” he told him. Ueda was already climbing back into his makeshift bed on the floor. Lowering his voice so that the visitor couldn't hear something so private, he added, “I love you, Yu-chan. I really am sorry.”
“I love you too,” Nakamaru said honestly in a less quiet voice, and pulled back, looking at him seriously. “That's why I'm not going anywhere,” he told him stubbornly, taking hold of his hand.
“Get a room,” Ueda muttered from underneath his blankets, and Kame let out a defeated sigh and led him by the hand towards his bedroom, lecturing him all the way about how he had to ensure he wasn't seen leaving in the morning.
Junno was the last member of the group to be asked about Ueda and Kame's relationship in an interview, during a press conference to announce a drama he would be appearing in next season. This was the last opinion the press required from the other members of the group, and there was an excited buzz as there was a moment of silence after the question was asked.
“I just hope they don't have kids,” Junno replied, his lips curving in that way they did when he thought he was about to say something very funny. “A turtle-dragon would be pretty dangerous, don't you think?”
In the crowds of press, somewhere at one side, one camera flashed. The rest of the room groaned, a little sarcastic laughter escaping their lips as Junno bowed and left the stage with his fellow cast members.
With a tour coming up, and now with the extra publicity they were all under pressure to make it the best yet, most of the group had arrived early for rehearsal. Nakamaru was the only one late, by twenty minutes. He had been forced by Kame to wait at his apartment until he was certain all the reporters had followed Ueda and him to the studio. He had gotten very little sleep the night before, knowing Ueda was in the next room and in the morning, he had watched in the dark from behind a curtain as his boyfriend and his good friend had left the apartment together with their arms linked. Ueda had driven Kame there in his car, leaving Nakamaru to take a cab.
He arrived in a terrible mood, which was not helped when he walked through the door to find the pair attached to each other as they sat running through a DVD of one of their dances. A glance to his right revealed a camera following the group around, and he knew that Kame was the kind of guy who knew a camera was on him even when he couldn't see it.
Kame glanced up as he saw Nakamaru walk into the building, and sighed, standing up as the DVD finished. “Late as usual, I see... you know there's very little time before the tour starts, right?” he frowned, and he was only doing it as extra security, making sure there was no chance anyone would know they had been together, but he hadn't bargained for the look on the other's face as he spoke.
“Save it,” Nakamaru spat, and immediately headed back stage. Kame showed no sign of moving to follow him, but Ueda rolled his eyes and gave him a shove away from him to indicate that he should go after him.
“I'm sorry, Yu-chan,” was the first thing he said as he entered the back room Nakamaru was changing in. He had just tugged off his sweater in a rather annoyed way and tossed it aside, and was flattening out a t-shirt ready to change into. “I hate this as much as you do, you know.”
“No one is going to figure us out just because you're not being an idiot towards me,” Nakamaru pointed out, looking hurt. Kame said he hated it, but from where Nakamaru was standing it looked like he wasn't hating being all over Ueda all of the time. Who would?
“I'm just being extra careful,” Kame told him firmly, but when Nakamaru went to reply, one of the dance instructors peeked into the room, to tell them both they were needed.
Nakamaru spent most of the morning watching the clock. He usually enjoyed concert rehearsals but now he just wanted it to be time for their lunch break so the cameras would go off and he wouldn't have to watch Kame and Ueda all over each other any more.
He was distracted from practising what he had missed by being late by watching the pair out of the corner of his eye. Ueda was standing in one corner being filmed by a camera that was interviewing him about something, and he watched as Kame slipped up beside him and slid his arms around his waist from one side, planting a kiss directly on his cheek. If it bothered Ueda, he showed no signs of being uncomfortable. He gave Kame a lopsided grin, and took hold of his hand.
In the middle of his routine, Nakamaru tripped over his own foot.
The moment they were alone away from the busy studio, Nakamaru cornered Kame, unable to get what he had witnessed off his mind and still irritated by having their earlier argument disrupted.
“That time when the camera was filming us and you -”
“We already had this argument,” Kame interrupted.
“This is a different argument! Why did you do it? Because you wanted to kiss me? Or because you thought it looked good on camera?”
“Well, you certainly didn't want to kiss me.”
“No one knows about this relationship, how would it look if we were kissing on camera?”
“Well. Like I wasn't repulsive, for a start,” Kame frowned, and he could definitely remember having this argument before.
Nakamaru sighed and flopped down on one of the sofas in the empty dressing room. He was feeling defeated already and he never had been very good with arguments, whereas Kame was the expert. “I don't know. Sometimes I wonder which of the relationships is there for publicity. Ours or yours with his.”
“Are you jealous?” Kame raised an eyebrow, and it was like it had only just occurred to him because his and Ueda's 'relationship' was just work and as far as he was concerned, it shouldn't have any effect on his and Yuichi's real relationship, should it?
“I'm not jealous,” Nakamaru replied honestly. “But I want to know something. What is more important to you? Me, or your job?”
“Yu-chan...”
“I want to know,” Nakamaru insisted, staring right at the other, forehead creased in a frown. Kame stared back, opening his mouth but not speaking, and his hesitation told Nakamaru all he needed to know. “I see,” he huffed, glaring at Kame, turning to leave the room. As he headed towards the door, Ueda peeked his head around it. He'd been sent to tell them practice was due to begin again, no idea what he had just walked in to.
As Nakamaru spotted him, he gave him his best glare too, and added, “have fun with your new boyfriend,” as he stormed out of the room. He wasn't really angry. He didn't really get angry, he got hurt, and right now he couldn't remember ever feeing more hurt.
He vaguely heard Ueda saying, “I'll go after him,” as he headed away, ignoring shouts from staff members and from Koki telling him that he was needed, finding a fire exit and heading outside, the cold breeze hitting his face providing him very little relief.
His destination was an enclosed walled area, at the back of the studio, where he assumed - from the litter on the ground - people came to smoke on breaks. But there was no one here now, and he was glad, not wanting to explain his sour expression to anyone else, not wanting to explain why his eyes were damp. He almost felt like he needed a cigarette himself, which was strange since he didn't usually smoke.
“Yuichi?” a voice spoke from behind him, and he heard the door he had just come through clicking shut.
“What do you want?”
“You're not mad at me are you? This isn't my fault you know,” Ueda sighed. He really didn't like this situation any more than anyone else seemed to, but he wished that it wasn't causing him all of this extra stress.
“... I know. I'm sorry.”
“You're not really jealous, are you? Kame really isn't my type. I like girls, you know.”
“I'm not jealous,” Nakamaru confirmed, and it wasn't entirely true, but he wasn't jealous of what Ueda thought he was, although he still couldn't quite get rid of negative feelings he had towards his friend despite that he knew he didn't have that to worry about. It wasn't Ueda that was the better choice for Kame, it was his job. “I know Kame is dedicated to his job. But I always figured that if it came to it, he'd choose me.”
“Perhaps you don't know him as well as you think,” Ueda commented, and Nakamaru suddenly wondered if he might be right.
Ueda spoke as soon as Kame answered his daily call. He didn't want to spread this out any longer than was absolutely necessary. It wasn't like he disliked Kame, but he just really didn't have anything to talk about with him and
“So, what are you doing?”
“What do you care?”
“Oh, so you're sulking.”
“I'm not sulking. What are you doing?”
“Jogging.”
“Same time tomorrow then?”
“Yeah. Bye.”
The day of their last Osaka concert, and with all the excitement and adrenalin of being on stage. Nakamaru had almost been able to forget about the situation they were in until he turned to see his boyfriend and his friend kissing on screens transmitted throughout the room. He knew that both of them were actors, and knew how to put on these kinds of things for the cameras, but he momentarily forgot that as he watched because it looked so real, the same as he had the last two days and every other date on the tour so far.
Ueda glanced at the watching camera out of the corner of his eye, and Nakamaru almost felt mocked. Then a voice spoke from down below him and he realised he'd missed his cue to climb off the cart he had been travelling around on back onto the stage. He had to remember, he realised, that today they were there for the fans.
He forced his way through the first part of the MC, laughing and smiling and being the Nakamaru Yuichi that the fans wanted him to be. Today, as with their other concerts, they had signed six posters to giveaway to lucky fans, and the decision was partly to be made through a quiz between members. Of course, Kame had been paired up with Ueda again and after so many days of doing this he was getting a little tired of watching them from the other side of the main stage while he had to stand next to Junno - not that there was anything wrong with Junno, but as much as he wondered if it might effect Kame in some way, he wasn't going to act the same way with Junno as Kame was with Ueda right now.
“We should be called the 'megane team',” Junno laughed, and gave Nakamaru's huge glasses a poke with one finger.
Nakamaru frowned and wafted his hand away, thinking about it for a moment before suggesting, “I think we should be called the ikemen team.”
“Oh! Then I should join your team too,” Ueda grinned, beginning to slide his way across the stage towards the rival team.
“You're not an ikemen,” Nakamaru frowned, and he didn't mean it to come out so seriously but he was in a bad mood and Ueda was part of the reason, and he knew that Ueda was more of an ikemen than he was.
Ueda's sliding turned into a march, and he walked right up to Nakamaru and gave him a kick on the knee, not hard enough to hurt him badly but enough to make him wince. There was a light-hearted smile on Ueda's face, showing that he wasn't overly bothered by the comment, and that gave Nakamaru the confidence to continue. “Don't kick me! It's true, you're totally not an ikemen.”
Ueda frowned, crossing his arms across his chest, his light-hearted look beginning to fade a little.
“Get out of the ikemen team, buotoko,” Nakamaru persisted. Junno was standing nearby giving the pair an awkward glance, wondering if this was actually kicking off into something serious. Koki was wondering how to get his game back under control.
“Okay, Kame, Ueda, what will your team be?” he interjected eventually, when Ueda looked like he might actually punch Nakamaru in the face, and the pair seemed to realise that a whole venue full of fans was watching them.
The rest of the quiz went mostly smoothly. Kame and Ueda's team lost for the second time, causing Kame to give his half of the dome yet another heartfelt and dramatic apology. Nakamaru, however, realised that he had an apology of his own to give. There had been something off about Ueda ever since that little argument, and even his efforts to lighten up by skipping across the stage to call he and Junno idiots for getting a question wrong was laced with something more serious. It didn't feel like a joke, as it usually did.
When the MC finally ended, Nakamaru turned off his microphone and called Ueda to one side. “I'm sorry, Tatsuya,” he told him genuinely, and he felt like all he was doing recently was apologising to his friend. “I know you don't want this any more than I do... I just... I miss my boyfriend. I miss all those times he would be all over me, even those times when I knew he was doing it just for the cameras. He won't even touch me now, not on camera, barely even in private.”
“Then you need to do something about it,” Ueda said simply, and stood up. He said nothing more as he headed backstage to change ready for their next song, but it was all Nakamaru needed to hear. Ueda was right, he needed to do something.
They didn't have long to get changed following the MC, but amongst the bustle of staff and KAT-TUN members, Nakamaru managed to pull Kame to one side, and leaned in close to his ear. “Kame-chan, do you really love me?” he asked, his tone low so no one could here.
Kame raised one eyebrow in confusion, wondering why he was asking this now, but there was no hesitation as he replied with, “Of course I do.”
Nakamaru nodded; this was all he needed to hear. “Good,” he whispered, and as their cue to return to the stage came, he pulled on his jacket, and left their conversation at that.
Although Ueda still looked somewhat annoyed with Nakamaru throughout the rest of the concert, everything else went without any problems and no more fights at all. They were there for the fans tonight, and all of them knew that, any arguments between themselves were something they had to deal with in private after the show, not when they were supposed to be putting on a performance. Nakamaru was trying so hard to remember this, but there was still only one thought in his mind. He had to do something.
It was their last day in Osaka, and they had three encores planned. When it came to the third and last, they concluded a performance of their single Going by gathering on the main stage in a line, the position that would mark their final speeches and eventually, their exit. Nakamaru stood in between Ueda and Junno, his expression was full of nerves, although no one really noticed.
Kame was first to speak, as always, and Nakamaru watched him out of the corner of his eye as he thanked the fans for coming to the concert that day and for their continued support for the group, despite recent revelations of his and Ueda's relationship. An angry fire began to rise in Nakamaru as Kame glanced to one side and looked at Ueda beside him, giving him a loving glance that was usually reserved for him only.
Ueda was next, and he gave Nakamaru a slight glance as he too thanked the fans for their support of his relationship with Kame, apologised again for keeping it hidden for so long, and then sensing Nakamaru's sour look from beside him, finally thanked the fans for getting their album to number one in the charts, and let the spotlight move to Nakamaru.
“Thank you so much for coming here tonight to see us, we really appreciate your support,” he started, almost echoing words the other two had said before him. “Through everything, thank you for sticking by us. You always trust us to work hard and put on good shows and be there to put smiles on your faces, and that... that's why there's something else I have to say. There's something we, as a group, have been hiding from you,” he sighed, and he glanced to one side to see Ueda and Kame's expression. Ueda simply closed his eyes and nodded. Kame's eyes had widened. He knew exactly what was coming. He took a step towards the other, but Nakamaru had already continued to speak. “Ueda and Kame's relationship isn't real.”
The chatter that had begun when Nakamaru had revealed they had hidden something became louder when he finally made his revelation. Nakamaru lowered his microphone, and whispered an apology to Kame, who had frozen on the spot, expecting a riot.
“I know it isn't real because,” Nakamaru continued as he put his microphone back to his lips, “because Kame is in a relationship with me.”
Silence fell across the dome, as the fans took in this new bit of information, and then the chatter started up again. Nakamaru took the opportunity to step past Ueda, towards Kame, and he reached out to take his hand, wanting to be with him during this revelation. Even before he touched the other's hand he realised that the glare on his boyfriend's face was telling him he shouldn't touch him, but he didn't expect the slap that was suddenly forced across his cheek, leaving a red mark as his own hand flew up to rub it. And in a flash, Kame was gone, down the stairs leading backstage, while the other members of the group looked on in shock.
“You and Kame are -?” Junno began as Nakamaru turned to run after Kame, and then he suddenly remembered that they were still on stage and he turned back to face the crowd again. “Thank you for all your support,” he said simply, and then he turned and followed the other two off stage. By the time Koki came to try and do the same, no one was really listening.
“How could you!” Kame yelled at Nakamaru as he followed him into their dressing room. He was furious, his cheeks flushed in anger, and his hands were tightly in fists, and shaking. “You knew how important it was to me to keep this going.”
“And what about what is important to me?” Nakamaru asked quietly. He didn't want an argument, but he was hurt that Kame didn't seem to have once considered his feelings on the matter. “You told me you loved me.”
Kame's shoulders slumped a little, and he turned round, staring at the other. “I do.”
“You never want to be seen in public with me. All that insistence that we keep it behind closed doors, and then you go out with him and not only that, you manage to get yourself photographed with him.”
“Yuichi, I have a name,” someone spoke from the doorway, and the arguing pair turned to find that while they had been distracted with each other, the other members of the group had too entered the dressing room. An extremely stressed looking manager was hovering in the doorway speaking to someone on his cellphone.
Nakamaru gave Ueda a glare that asked him why he was getting involved in their business. He was getting so worked up and angry that he was almost scaring himself and making himself nervous, because he really didn't like these kind of confrontational moments, but he couldn't help but throw a jibe in his friend's direction. “Oh I'm sorry, Kamenashi 'buotoko' Tatsuya,” he spoke angrily.
Junno let out a spontaneous giggle despite himself, but stopped just as quickly as he realised he was now being glared at by all four of the other members of the group. His giggle transformed into a coughing fit, and he excused himself with a wave of his hand as he had to leave the room to gather his composure again.
While Junno had been laughing, Ueda's hand had balled into a fist, and before anyone could even think about stopping him, he launched himself forwards, his knuckles making contact with Nakamaru's cheek. The force caused him to topple backwards against the wall as his hand flew to his mouth in a defensive movement that was far too late. Knuckle shaped red marks were slowly forming on his cheek above the red mark that remained from Kame's slap, and he could taste blood in his mouth.
Somewhere along the way, since they had become friends, band-mates, he had forgotten the reason why it was best not to get on Ueda Tatsuya's bad side. Now he had suddenly been reminded in the most painful way possible. As blood began to dribble from the corner of his mouth, Ueda shot him a glare that was almost as painful, before he pushed his way past their manager standing in the doorway, and his footsteps were heard stomping down the corridor outside.
Nakamaru closed his eyes as he rubbed at his cheek; he was still in shock. He heard Kame come up beside him felt him putting his hand over the one on his cheek and examining the damage. “Are you okay? Does it hurt?” he asked gently, and all his anger was momentarily forgotten at the sight of his boyfriend injured. He had not however, forgotten that he too had slapped Nakamaru only a few minutes earlier, but somehow it was more shocking to see it done by someone else, and Ueda had hit him a lot harder than he had.
“It hurts,” Nakamaru confirmed, with a look that told the other it ought to be obvious. He winced a little as Kame pressed his hand further against his cheek, and groaned a little. “I'm going to go home and sleep,” he decided, lowering his hands, but before he could move even one step, Kame had taken his hand.
“Nakamaru Yuichi, you are going to the hospital,” Kame told him sternly. “I won't have you bleeding to death,” he added, and his lips were forming into a slight pout.
“I figured you might be glad if I did,” Nakamaru replied a little bitterly, although there was a light-hearted undertone to his voice. He didn't have the energy to be mad or argue any more right now, not when his head was throbbing like it was. And at least Kame was being nice to him for now, although he didn't think for one moment that his boyfriend had forgotten what he had done.
Kame's pout turned into a small smile, and he shrugged a bit. “Maybe I'll regret it later. Besides, you're bleeding on your tour t-shirt.”
“Well, I always thought they made a better couple anyway.”
“Nakamaru-kun is so cute! I'm really happy for them~”
“Why did they lie to us? (T__T)”
“Is that the truth now? I'm so confused!”
“Kame is too good for Nakamaru. :(“
“He isn't answering his phone.”
Kame walked into the hospital room Nakamaru was resting in, pushing his cellphone into the pocket of his jeans. His cheek was swollen but all the blood had now been cleared up and he was stitched up and, as far as he was concerned, ready to go, but he had been told he had to stay here overnight just to make sure he was okay.
“He's probably taking his anger out on a punch bag somewhere.”
“Better on that than on you, right?” Kame pointed out, and took a seat on the plastic chair sitting beside Nakamaru's bed. He leaned over and planted a light and gentle kiss on the other's injured cheek. He had taken enough painkillers by now that it didn't make him wince like it would have done before. “He didn't even punch me that hard that one time, and we weren't even friends,” he mused, examining the other's cheek again. He'd had a bruise that time, that the make-up artists had hated him for for a few days, but nothing like this.
Nakamaru rested his head back against his pillow, and let out a sigh. “That's the point. Me and him are friends. It was always kind of us versus everyone else when we were younger. We used to walk home from high school together and... well, you know how difficult it is being in this job and being in school. We liked to think we were protecting each other. And when he thought that no one else liked him, he would come to me. I know it isn't his fault that you got into this situation, I just... this was one thing I didn't want to share.”
“Yu-chan, you were never sharing me. It's just like I was in a drama.”
“Drama actors don't stay over at your apartment,” Nakamaru pointed out.
“Tegoshi did,” Kame muttered, and then decided that wasn't really the point, and sighed a little. “It'd make a great drama though, right?”
“I guess.”
“Yu-chan, I -” Kame started, but he was interrupted when his phone vibrated. He checked the screen, and when he saw Ueda's name flash up, he squeezed Nakamaru's hand and stood up to excuse himself.
“Ueda. What are you doing?”
“What do you care?”
“Oh, so you're sulking.”
“I'm jogging.”
“Could you jog to the hospital?”
“No.”
“He really is sorry, you know.”
“I bet he is.”
There was a click as Ueda hung up the phone, and Kame's grip on his phone tightened in annoyance. He muttered the word “idiot” under his breath and then let out a frustrated sigh and returned to Nakamaru's side, sitting back down in the plastic chair.
“Is he okay?” Nakamaru asked. He felt guilty. He had spent so long telling Ueda he knew it wasn't his fault and yet he was persisting in letting it effect his friendship with the other man. There was a relief inside him because this was all over now, but he realised it wasn't quite, not until he could fix things with his friend.
“He's jogging. I asked him to come here, he said no.”
“Tatsuya is great at sulking. Even better than you,” Nakamaru smirked. He didn't have the energy in him to be mad at anyone right now, least of all his boyfriend.
Kame smirked a little too. “Do you want me to hit you again?” he asked, and then put his hand up and rubbed Nakamaru's cheek again. “I really never meant for any of this to happen, you know. I really wouldn't have wanted to have my job and not you. The two most important things in my life.”
“I know,” Nakamaru nodded, and for the first time since this had all started, he truly believed him. “How about when I'm out of hospital we go out for drinks to celebrate? I'll make sure I give you an extra special hug, the press won't miss it,” he grinned, and Kame just smiled.
“I'M IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH KAMENASHI KAZUYA,” SAYS NAKAMARU YUICHI, IN A SHOCK REVEAL DURING KAT-TUN'S OSAKA CONCERT.
Fans attending the 4th March performance of KAT-TUN's 2012 tour at Osaka's Kyocera dome were stunned when during the encore, Nakamaru Yuichi revealed to the fans that the previously confirmed relationship between Ueda Tatsuya and Kamenashi Kazuya was staged, informing them that it was in fact him who is in a relationship with Kamenashi-san. This revelation even seemed to shock other group members, and Kamenashi-san himself responded to Nakamaru-san's words by striking him on the cheek and abruptly leaving the stage.
Reporters caught some of the fan's comments as they left the dome. Although the feelings are of shock, of disappointment at being lied to, and of confusion, there are still many loyal fans saying they will support the group whatever the truth turns out to be.
KAT-TUN's management have reportedly scheduled a press conference for later today, where hopefully this truth will finally be revealed.
Nakamaru read the morning newspapers as he waited for his ride from the hospital to the press conference that had been scheduled. It still almost felt like it had all been a dream because he had never done anything so rash and impulsive in his life, but the time he had spent with Kame in the hospital the evening before had made it all worth it. Being able to have Kame kissing him somewhere they were completely exposed, not having to hide behind the closed doors of their apartments. It was what Ueda had with him for the past couple of months, and what he had been wishing for all that time.
The only regret he had, was that Ueda had still not yet contacted him. He had never meant to hurt his friend, and he knew that Ueda Tatsuya could hold a grudge for a very long time if he wanted to. All Nakamaru could hope was that he didn't want to. His eyes fell back on the newspaper at the top of a small pile, and he picked them up, and tossed them in the garbage can beside his bed.
“Nothing interesting happening in the world today?” a voice spoke, and Nakamaru looked up to see Ueda standing in the doorway. Nakamaru tried to read the expression on his face, but his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses.
He shrugged, glancing down at the discarded papers. “Some idiot made a fool out of himself at a concert.”
“I wonder who would be stupid enough to do something like that?”
“Tatsuya, I'm sorry.”
Ueda walked across the room to where Nakamaru was sitting on the edge of the bed, and examined his face, which was still swollen and beginning to turn a deep shade of purple.
“Wow, I really did a good job, didn't I?” Ueda commented, trying not to sound too impressed.
Nakamaru sighed. “I suppose I deserved it. Tatsuya, I know none of this was ever your fault. It was just so hard watching you and him together when I wasn't allowed near him. You're one of my really good friends, I didn't want to hurt you.”
Ueda leaned on one leg, his hands on his hips, staring down at Nakamaru as he spoke, and as he did, a slight smirk appeared on his face. “Yuichi, do you want to hug this out or something? Because look at the mess that got us into last time.”
When Nakamaru looked up, catching the wide grin on his friend's face, he almost wanted to punch him. “Idiot,” he muttered.
Ueda laughed lightly, and turned, heading towards the door of the private room. “There's a car waiting for us outside,” he told him. “I'll see you out there.”
Kame and Nakamaru had their hands entwined as they climbed the few steps up onto the stage. It seemed like so long ago to Kame that he had walked onto a similar stage to announce his relationship with Ueda, but this time Ueda walked behind the pair, on his own, looking as cool and calm as he had the last time they had done this. The couple took a seat beside each other behind the desk, and Ueda slipped into the seat beside them.
“We would like to take this opportunity to apologise for our betrayal,” Kame addressed the press, his head bowed guiltily. It wasn't necessarily their responsibility, not when they had been told to do it, but it was them who had to answer to the fans and he was genuinely apologetic. “Nakamaru was telling the truth. Me and him have been in a relationship together for over a year. The day me and Ueda and I were photographed, our hug was only platonic. Despite all that has happened, we ask for your forgiveness and continued support, for me and Nakamaru and our relationship, for Ueda and the rest of the group.”
Kame squeezed Nakamaru's hand, and Nakamaru nodded and leaned forward closer to his own microphone. “I'd like to apologise to all of the fans that attended our Osaka concert on March 4th. I shouldn't have used that time to make such a revelation, and I'm sorry that you had to witness that. We promise to be more honest with you all in the future.”
From behind dark sunglasses, Ueda simply nodded. This time, he definitely didn't feel like it was his place to say anything. He was just looking forward to getting out of the place and being able to go for a run without Kame calling him halfway through.
They made it easily through a round of questions, since they had no need to think up answers on the spot, and as they walked back down from the stage at the end of the press conference, the camera zoomed in on Nakamaru and Kame's hands entwined together. It looked like the most natural thing in the world, just as it had when Kame and Ueda had done it those couple of months before, but this time, it really was.