Chapter Text
No one else besides Nyanko-sensei could ever know, least of all the actor concerned, but Natsume had reached a point where he'd consumed more media starring Natori Shuuichi in it than anyone else - anyone else who wasn't in the official fan club, at least.
He wasn't a *fan*, Natsume told himself. That was the wrong word. It definitely wasn't like that.
All of it just...happened. With apparently increasing frequency, yes. But he really didn't think any of it was his fault.
After all, he got a free ticket for each of the movies, which would be a waste not to use, wouldn't it? The CDs were borrowed from Taki or Sasada, who offered to lend them in the first place, and it wasn't nice that Tanuma and Kitamoto and Nishimura almost always said no, was it? Besides, he watched the dramas with Touko, because he knew she liked it when he did. And he got sent promotional flyers for various things from Natori's agency, following that studio visit he'd made with his schoolfriends. (It was perfectly reasonable not to throw them away: he had a strong, inexplicable sense, against all proof, that doing so would have been rude to Natori. It also felt nice and grown-up, somehow, to receive things personally addressed to him. No one else sent him mail.)
And, and. With regards to the interviews and photo spreads, if he happened to be in a convenience store and their magazine rack had an issue with Natori's face on the cover, well, what was the harm in browsing something right in front of him? As for the commercials, they showed up of their own accord during Shigeru's news or documentary programs, or on random TV screens in town stores, didn't they? Much like their star did, for that matter.
They'd been running into each other a lot, these days. For some reason. Not to mention the times they actually arranged to meet, usually at Natori's request, for some assignment or other.
"Let's see now...this is called, hrm, 'stocking', is it? No, what was it...'stalking'?" Nyanko-sensei inquired, sanguinely.
"NO! Don't make me sound like a weirdo!"
"What are you getting all red and upset for? That brat's more of a weirdo than you'll ever be, anyway."
"Never mind, all right?"
"Aha, I know this, too, it's that 'adolescence' thing, eh? I see, I see. What delicate creatures you humans are."
"...Leave me *alone*, sensei."
Whether he liked it or not, Natori Shuuichi was inexplicably becoming a regular presence in his nights. He'd recently come to the uncomfortable realisation that he couldn't count the number of times he'd fallen asleep with the low, light sounds of his voice in his ears, or visions of his clean-cut face, crossed by a small, ink-black shadow.
I can't help that either, Natsume thought. Honestly, it's all his fault.
Somewhere on set, Natori sneezed.
[note: the visit to Natori's studio references the special drama track from LaLa Magazine in 2009 where Natsume, Tanuma, Taki, Kitamoto and Nishimura visit Natori during a shoot (and Natsume briefly ends up playing the romantic interest in the script, all for a Reason, of course).)]