"This is hilarious, don't you think? After all this time, I've been treated like trash. And now, I'm the boss. Let's see how long it'll take before they snap."

"Kakoooooi...." Hanamichi murmured under his breath as he watched the normally playful face of Akira Sendoh morph into a look of pure cunning and evilness.

"Cut!"

The two actors on the set turned to looked at the director who was sitting near the camera, giving him their attention. The man with the clear glasses waved at them from his seat. "Scene 65 is okay. Take a 10 minute break, people."

With that order, Akira and his leading lady walked off the set towards their own resting areas where their assistants waited for them. From afar, the brunette saw two other familiar people standing beside his dressing table and as he reached them he gave the two young men a look of question. "You two again? This is the third time this week."

"He wanted to come," Kaede said rolling his eyes at the redhead who promptly narrowed his eyes at him.

"I didn't ask you to come with me," Hanamichi grumbled before turning towards Akira again.
"You were so cool, Akira!" he gushed, "I still don't know how you could act in front of all the tv crew. And to think that millions of other people will be watching you as well!"

Akira smiled. "Ah. I'm used to it."

"It'll be weird to look at it later on the screen though," the redhead said thoughtfully, "But I bet you'll still look cool in it."

Akira chuckled before he leaned his arm on Kaede's shoulder to be near enough to whisper, "Hey, Hanamichi's boyfriend. Aren't you worried that he's holding this much praise for me?"

Kaede replied in a condescending tone, "You know how he is. He gets enthusiastic about such little things."

"Asshole," Akira muttered.

"Hey, Akira. Before you get famous, give me your autograph. Maybe I can sell this if I get broke someday," the redhead said, grinning as he thrust a small booklet at the tall brunette.

Akira smiled indulgently, taking the book before sitting down on his seat while his assistant stood beside him with a face towel ready for the actor's use. As Akira laid his pen on the paper to scribble his name, his other hand blindly reached for the face towel handed to him and absently wiped the left side of his slightly sweaty face.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp sting zing across his cheek, making him hiss in pain. Quickly, he took the towel away from his face and he vaguely heard someone gasp as he stared at a pin lodged into the towel with its sharp tip peeking from between the fluff of the terry cloth.

"You're bleeding!" Hanamichi said as Akira's assistant ran to get the first aid kit.

"It's just a scratch," Akira assured him, waving his hand carelessly to try to alievate the redhead's worries, "I'm okay."

"Who could've been so careless?" Kaede frowned as he peered at the thin line of red on his cousin's face.

"Haruko's reading," Hanamichi said in a low whisper, "It's becoming true. There really is someone who wants to hurt us."

Akira smiled bitterly. "Then this someone really is petty. Such childish pranks."

"Don't tempt them to do anymore worse than this!" Hanamichi hissed angrily.

Kaede crossed his arms on his chest and regarded the two with seriousness. "Regardless of what either of you think of this stunt, we can't continue shooting until your cut heals. This is most unfortunate."

Akira nodded grimly. "Hai. All that's left now for today are close-ups and I can't do those with this on my face. K'so! We'll fall behind schedule because of this!"

"Hey," the redhead said brightly, "What if you do the fighting scene today?"

Akira blinked. "That's not a bad idea."

After a few minutes of conversing with the crew on the change of shooting, Akira was hurried over to the fitting room for a change of wardrobe.

Still standing beside Akira's dressing table, Hanamichi and Kaede watched as the crew busied themselves with changing the set. Hanamichi bit his lip trying to calm the anxious thoughts running in his head. After what had happened, he is now prone to believe that anyone of them are in danger and he worried for their sake, especially for the silent person next to him.

"Kaede," Hanamichi said suddenly, not turning around to look at the brunette, "I feel something bad is about to happen. Haruko said that someone has an intent to harm me. And what would harm me the most is that if someone that I care about gets hurt."

The fox-eyed teenager did not say a word as the redhead continued, "Be careful, ne? I care for Akira, but I care for you more."
Hanamichi slowly turned his head to look at Kaede and saw that the brunette was regarding him silently. The blue eyes undoubtedly held some deep thoughts but they were unreadable.

Suddenly, the busy activity on the new set broke their attention away from each other and they watched as Akira was handed a folding knife for the fighting scene. The actor got himself ready in a defensive stance and when the director called for "Action!" at once the tall brunette was transformed into a dangerous fighter, blue eyes gleaming with challenge while his body posed with his manly grace.

"Kakooooooii..."

"That is why I didn't trust you the first time you said you love me," Kaede commented dryly.

The redhead choked but quickly composed himself to scratch his head sheepishly.
"Eheheh. Gomen ne.... eh, chotto! Where are you going?"

"Home," Kaede replied without turning around as he continued to walk towards the exit.

The redhead scowled. "I only said that coz he was a good actor. It didn't mean nothin' else."

"Whatever," the brunette said, "You can stay here and drool as much as you wish. I'm going home."

"I know!" Hanamichi crowed as he pointed at the brunette's back, "You're jealous, aren't you? Admit it! The kistune jealous of me being attracted to Akira! Ahahahah!"

Suddenly Kaede turned around and the laughter died in the redhead throat as the brunette looked at him with his piercing dark blue eyes.

"Hai. I'm jealous."

And then, Hanamichi was left alone standing there, gaping in disbelief at what he has just heard coming from the young man's whose feelings were normally kept in check that the redhead had to forcefully haul them out to know what the other was thinking of.

Hanamichi stammered, "H-He said...."


~~~~

"He said that?" Akira asked as he pulled on his jacket over his sleeveless shirt. A band-aid was stuck on his cheek covering the cut up.

"Hai." The redhead nodded. "Do you think he meant it?"

The brunette 'hmm'ed. "I've never heard Kaede be that truthful to someone before. He's always so cold."

Not when we're alone, Hanamichi reminded himself.

"Why are you blushing?"

The redhead laughed in embarassment. "Ahahah! No reason!"
When the brunette looked as if he wanted to press him for the truth, Hanamichi quickly went back to the topic on hand.
"I was his first love, did'ja know that?"

"Hounto?"

"Aa." Hanamichi smiled. "When he and I were in the same school before. I believe him when he said that he loved me..."
And then his tone went subdued. "But I want to how he really feels about me now."

"You should be grateful that you're at least beside him now," Akira huffed.

The redhead sighed. "I know. But I also want to know how he feels about me."

Akira suddenly grinned. "I'll help."

Hanamichi blinked. "Huh?"

"We make him jealous again," the spikey-haired actor suggested, "If he sees how close we are, he'll be forced to tell you how he feels about you."

The redhead nibbled at his lower lip in uncertainty. "I dunno. What if it backfires on me? He'll probably hate me."

"Nah!" the actor laughed, patting the redhead on the shoulder, "He won't. I got it all figured out!"

"That's what I'm afraid of - ACK!" Hanamichi yelped when the tall brunette grabbed him in a tight hug.
"Let go of me! Hey! Get your hands offa me!"

"We need to practice," Akira told him enthusiastically.

"We have to practice for this?! WAAAHHH!!! Where do you think you're touching, you pervert!"


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