Chapter Text
For as long as Kaoru Sakurayashiki could remember, he defied his parents. In nearly every aspect of his life, he strived to rebel.
The Sakurayashiki family was traditional in every sense of the word, possessing a set of standards that everyone was expected to adhere to, no questions asked. Kaoru, however, had never liked to be tied down by such restraints. He wanted to make his own decisions, on his own terms.
Kaoru was only six years old when he began testing the limits of his parents, starting with in the private confinement of their home. When that became underwhelming, he extended his challenging behaviour to the outdoors. Kaoru would run around stores, picking items up off of shelves, ignoring the orders to, “You come back here, young man!” Even at his age, he was well aware of the reputation his parents held and how desperately they strived to maintain it. Naturally, Kaoru did everything in his power to cause a scene.
At eight, Kaoru was watching a piece of Western media (much to his parents’ disdain) when he noticed an adolescent male with shoulder-length hair, and was immediately transfixed. The Sakurayashiki family considered physical appearance to be an important indicator of respectability, and Kaoru instantly knew what needed to be done. He would kick, scream and cry whenever his parents took him within ten metres of a salon, outright refusing to have his hair cut. After weeks of public embarrassment and being forbidden to revisit some of the most renown stylists in Okinawa, Kaoru’s parents gave in.
He first picked up a skateboard when he was ten-years-old. Kaoru would later justify his motives by saying he saw a group of teenagers dominate the skatepark and he looked on in admiration, and would purposefully omit the part where he witnessed a skater receive a scolding from a middle-aged woman who reminded Kaoru of his mother and aunts. Kaoru quickly grew to love the sport, and silently thanked the world for placing him on the same street as that reprimanded boy.
Kaoru was sixteen when he came out to his parents, in a blunt and matter-of-fact manner, over dinner on a Wednesday evening. He wasn’t expecting acceptance; a warm reaction telling him that, ‘you are our son, it doesn’t matter who you love’. Five minutes passed, the chirps of the birds and the sounds of engines passing filling the silence, before his father stood and exited the room, not uttering a word. His mother, on the other hand, looked directly into his eyes and started exclaiming about how he’s ‘ruined the Sakurayashiki image enough already’, and that he was ‘single-handedly going to be the downfall of the entire family’. For once, Kaoru didn’t argue back. He allowed his mother to express her feelings for a few minutes, all-the-while showing no remorse for his actions, before standing and making his way to the entranceway. He ignored his mother’s shrieks of, “Kaoru Sakurayashiki, I’m not done with you yet,” and hastily left the building to make his way over to his best friend’s house. The next day, in yet another act of defiance, he visited the nearest tattoo parlour, not bothering to consider whether it was reputable and trustworthy, and got seven piercings in one sitting.
Adulthood quickly crept up on Kaoru and before he knew it, he too had a reputation to uphold. He removed his piercings, the holes healing over, and replaced the ripped jeans and chains for traditional yukatas. His carefree, rebellious nature became one of professionalism and propriety. The only freedom Kaoru carried from his youth was skateboarding.
Well, that and Kojiro Nanjo.
Ever since that first day of upper-secondary school, where a green-haired, clumsy boy had approached Kaoru with his hand stretched out and an awkward, lopsided smile plastered across his face, Kaoru found almost every aspect of his life occupied by Kojiro. While the pair didn’t spend almost every waking moment together like they did in their youth, due to responsibilities and maturation, they still made an effort to find time for one another. Whether it be spending the odd weekend at the park, evenings at Sia La Luce, or nights at ‘S’, the two were never apart for more than a week.
Kaoru would never admit this to Kojiro, of course, but he was glad that they remained in one another’s lives. Unbeknown to Kojiro, Kaoru had become rather fond of him over the years. Infatuated, some may say. It was not love at first sight; Kaoru may even argue that he didn’t like Kojiro at first sight. However, as their friendship blossomed and Kojiro remained at his side throughout multiple hardships, it was inevitable that Kaoru was going to develop feelings for his best friend. Kaoru saw it as the natural progression of things, but that didn’t stop the feeling from being unwelcome. He was not prepared to lose the one person who had stuck by him, and so these feelings were to remain a secret. No matter how persistent they became.
“Hey, what’s up with you, four-eyes?”, a familiar voice broke Kaoru out of thought. He glanced over to see Kojiro looking at him with his playful smile, skateboard tucked underneath his arm. Kaoru could see the concern hidden behind his expression; a look Kaoru had become accustomed to over the years. He often thought he was good at masking his emotions, but Kojiro always saw straight through him (except when it concerned Kaoru’s admiration of the man, thankfully).
“Nothing is ‘up with me’, idiot. I was thinking about what I need to complete at work tomorrow,” Kaoru retorted. He scowled back at the man, but made sure that there was only warmth reflected in his eyes. Seemingly happy with that answer, Kojiro redirected his attention to the large plasma screen broadcasting the race. Kaoru, too, decided he should probably be paying attention. The beef was between Hiromi and a newcomer that, on their second week of attending ‘S’, thought they were proficient enough to challenge the infamous Shadow. It didn’t take Kaoru thirty seconds of watching the beef to deduce that they were, in fact, not skilled enough. As suspected, Hiromi won by a long shot.
Kaoru and Kojiro reached Shadow and the rest of the group just in time to hear the beginning of the conversation. “That was good man, but it was a bit unfair. He didn’t stand a chance in the first place,” Reki said, one arm slung around Langa’s shoulders, who simply nodded in agreement. Hiromi had his chest puffed out slightly; a stance that Kaoru had come to recognise as one made of pride.
It barely took two seconds for Miya to chime in, “Winning against a pathetic slime who can barely skate doesn’t reflect your own ability. It was easy, anyone could have done it.” Hiromi’s demeanour visibly changed, his shoulders slouching slightly.
“That’s hardly fair, let the man have his moment,” Kojiro added lightly, patting Hiromi on the back with enough force to knock the air out of him.
Kaoru rolled his eyes. “He can’t have his moment if you break his back, you brute,” he said, which earned him a middle finger in response.
Later that night, as he watched Langa help Reki off the floor, laughter escaping both them, Kaoru thought to himself that all of those years of disapproval from his parents may not matter now that he had found a family of his own. A family which may be a little broken, a little reckless and a little misshapen, but a family nonetheless.
Kaoru woke that Monday expecting it to be a normal day. He worked through his morning routine of waking at 07:00, taking some time to catch up with international news while he drank his gyokuro tea before preparing himself for the day. Officially, he opened for business at 09:00, but Kaoru liked to get to the studio at least half-an-hour early, whether it be to check that his ink was stocked and not drying out, to ensure that his brushes were clean (they always were, but Kaoru had a tendency to worry over them), or to simply get a head start on the day by creating an intricate itinerary.
That morning, Kaoru didn’t have a chance to make use of his extra time. Upon inspecting the daily post, he noticed a particularly lavish looking envelope. Kaoru squinted, out of confusion and frustration, and made his way into the main office-area of the studio where he dealt with clients. He discarded the rest of the letters on the desk as he sat down. The extravagant letter appeared to be an invitation of some sort, reading:
‘Sakurayashiki-sama,
You are formally invited to the exclusive Art and Calligraphy Exhibition.
You have been identified as a notable local artist, and have been selected to perform a calligraphy demonstration at this year’s event.
The Art and Calligraphy Exhibition has been held annually at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum for over thirty years.
The 2021 event will take place on the 15th May, and will begin at 19:00. As a featured artist, you have been provided VIP access to the after-party, which will run from 21:00 until midnight.
It is encouraged that you bring a plus-one. Please send your notice of attendance via letter within the week.’
Kaoru let out an exasperated groan and placed his head in his free hand. He had received this invitation for the last six years of his career, and he had always declined. However, he had never been selected to demonstrate his work before. He felt that this time, the opportunity was impossible to refuse.
Kaoru despised large, formal events like these. They were often full of uptight and pompous people (much like his parents, he supposed), and took up too much of his time. Kojiro would tease him about events like these whenever they were mentioned, often saying something along the lines of, “you would fit right in, you imperious arse,” or “I thought you would love another opportunity to scrounge for free food,” but it was always in jest (and the latter statement would almost always end up in an argument between the two about how Kaoru always offers to pay for meals at Sia La Luce, and it is Kojiro who is insistent on the food being free).
Kaoru was particularly upset about this event being on a Saturday. ‘S’ was particularly active on the weekend, and they saw some of the best races of the week on Saturdays, since most of the attendees had no commitments on Sundays, and so they could arrange beefs to take place well into the night.
Kaoru briefly considered feigning sickness or injury to get out of the event, but he also knew that now he was a featured artist, avoidance would damage the reputation he had built as a reliable calligrapher and would result in a subsequent loss of business.
With acceptance came probably the largest issue with attending the event. The plus-one. It was expected that the space of plus-one would be occupied by a significant other, particularly when it concerned someone of Kaoru’s age. He, personally, saw nothing wrong with being single in your late twenties, or for the entirety of your life if that’s what you desired, but he knew the clientele in the art and calligraphy community saw differently.
Kaoru had worked himself up over the plus-one issue so much throughout the day, that by the time he walked through the door to Sia La Luce, you didn’t need to be Kojiro Nanjo to decipher that something was wrong. His eyebrows were furrowed and he was tapping his fingers on the table at an irritatingly quick pace. Kaoru barely paid attention to what Kojiro was saying to him, and it took Kojiro placing Kaoru’s meal down with a huff for Kaoru to redirect his attention.
“What is with you tonight? And don’t you dare brush me off like you did at ‘S’.” Kojiro crossed his arms and maintained eye contact with Kaoru, as if to draw out an answer.
“Why are you so adamant that there was something wrong with me?”, Kaoru said before taking a mouthful of pasta. Kojiro did not budge, so after swallowing his food, Kaoru let out a sigh. “Fine. I’ve been invited to the Art and Calligraphy Exhibition.”
“You get invited every year, and you blow it off every year. What’s the issue?”.
“I’ve been nominated to do a demonstration. I can’t ignore this one,” Kaoru aggressively stabbed at the pasta with his fork (“In case you’ve already forgotten, this is an Italian restaurant, I can’t serve the food with chopsticks, can I?” Kojiro had justified when Kaoru complained about having to use a fork when he had attended the grand opening).
“Woah, don’t take it out on the tagliatelle! That doesn’t sound too bad. You attend, do the demonstration, maybe pick up a few new clients and then leave,” Kojiro leant forward on his elbows.
“It’s not only that. There’s an after-party and… It’s expected of me to bring a plus-one.”
“I’m still struggling to see the problem. You know plenty of people who would be happy to go with you. Hell, I’d go with you just for the after-party”, Kojiro laughed.
“You are much too uncivilised for this after-party,” Kaoru retorted, “At these events, plus-ones are assumed to be a significant other. The people who tend to frequent these events regard having a significant other as a reflection of your character.” His eyes drifted to the meal.
There were a few moments of silence before Kojiro spoke again, as if he was contemplating something.
“My offer still stands. I’ll go with you.”
Kaoru’s eyes shot up to meet Kojiro’s. “Did you not hear me, you insufferable-” Kojiro raised his hand, often an indicator that he wanted Kaoru to stop talking.
“I heard you. I’ll pretend to be your boyfriend/husband/whatever you want to call it for the night.”
Kaoru was about to argue back, but bit his tongue. The idea was ludicrous; absolutely absurd. Pretending that his long-term best friend turned love interest was his partner was certainly a bad idea, and would most likely be unbelievable anyway. What other choice did Kaoru have, though? There were certainly worse people he could take with him. “Fine. What’s your game, Nanjo? What’s in it for you?”
“Why do I need a motive? You’re clearly stressed about it and what are friends for, if not for helping one another in their time of need?” He paused. “And I’m slightly hoping you’ll make a fool out of yourself at the demonstration.”
Kaoru swiftly removed his fan from his pocket and, before Kojiro had a chance to react, struck him on the head.
“I don’t see why this is necessary,” Kojiro whined as they navigated their way around the shopping centre. “Why can’t I just wear my shirt and jeans?”
Kaoru pressed his fingers to his temples. “Have you been listening to a word I’ve been saying about this event?”
After sending his correspondence, ensuring to clearly state that he would be bringing a plus-one, Kaoru saw it necessary to educate Kojiro on what was expected of them both at the exhibition. He spent the next two evenings explaining the incredibly formal dress code, the typical itinerary for these events, and the type of person they would have to interact with, which came hand-in-hand with how they would be expected to communicate.
The more Kaoru thought about the situation, the more he regretted accepting Kojiro’s offer. While Kojiro had attended many formal catering events over the years, the clientele and their expectations were completely different. Kojiro could be polite and respectful, but he did not possess the same air of elegance as Kaoru did. Kaoru could only envision this whole ordeal ending in disaster.
“Of course I have. You said formal. A shirt is formal.”
“If you’re not going to wear a yukata, then the least you can do is wear a proper suit.”
Kaoru pushed Kojiro through the doors of a high-end tailoring store and immediately started browsing. Kojiro followed him around the store like a lost child, offering no helpful insights. Kaoru didn’t often wear suits, but he still had an eye for pairing the sets with complimentary shirts and ties. A better eye than Kojiro, at least. He gathered a few items of interest as they passed through the store before handing the garments to Kojiro and pushing him into a dressing room, ignoring the protests.
“Well, how do I look?” Kojiro said as he exited the room, smiling while he twirled with his arms out, allowing Kaoru to judge the whole outfit. He was wearing a muted green modern-style suit, adorned with a plaid pattern. The jacket narrowed slightly at the waist, but still provided Kojiro enough room to move freely. Kaoru had forgone the waistcoat, knowing that Kojiro would feel much too restricted and would flat-out refuse to wear it, and Kaoru wasn’t in the mood for an argument. The trousers provided a trim fit through the hips and thighs, slightly tapering at the leg opening. The white shirt contrasted well against the suit and his tanned skin, and Kaoru had paired the suit with a gold tie. While it still needed tailoring to fit his form more appropriately, the suit looked good on him. A bit too good, Kaoru thought.
Kaoru tried not to stare at how the jacket hugged Kojiro’s shoulders and biceps, just enough to allow him range of movement while also highlighting his broad stature. He tried not to ignore the fact that the white shirt was very slightly see through and that, if it weren’t for the buttoned-up blazer, Kaoru would be able to see the lines of Kojiro’s chest. Kaoru definitely tried to not think about the tie around Kojiro’s neck, how it hung slightly loose and how Kaoru desperately wanted to walk up to him and tighten it for him.
“It’s acceptable,” he said, hiding his cheeks, which were rapidly beginning to heat up, with his fan. “Now go get measured, I still need to buy my own outfit”. Kojiro let out a huff which Kaoru couldn’t decipher whether was out of annoyance or satisfaction, but did what he was told.
After Kojiro’s exact measurements were taken, and a small disagreement regarding who would pay for the suit (Kaoru won, reasoning that it could be considered payment for the favour of Kojiro attending the event with him), they made their way to a store that specialised in using high-end materials to produce unique, traditional clothing.
Kaoru entered the store with a purpose. He thought that, in order to make a good impression, their outfits should at least match in colour to counteract the fact Kojiro would be wearing a Western-style suit. The store offered a wide range of customisable yukatas, accepting commissions for when customers were unsatisfied with the options they had in-store.
Kaoru was in luck, however, as the store stocked most of the outfit he was envisioning. After conversing with the assistant, with Kojiro out of ear shot as he moved around the store aimlessly out of boredom, Kaoru entered a fitting room with the required garments. Satisfied with what he was working with, he changed and exited the cubicle, beckoning Kojiro over.
Kaoru was clad in a formal yukata. The haori was made out of a thick, quality-grade cotton and was black on the right side, and white on the left. The sleeves were trimmed with the contrasting colour, and Kaoru had plans to request sakura flowers to be embroidered on the lower portions of the sleeves, coloured to match the trimmings. He bore a white haori himo, and the nagagi he wore was a moss green, which would be replaced by one of a similar golden colour to Kojiro’s tie on the evening of the exhibition. Lastly, the hakama was a near-colour match to the green of Kojiro’s suit, the difference so subtle that only Kaoru would notice.
Kaoru didn’t waste any time in explaining the adjustments to the yukata that he would commission from the store. It wasn’t until he had finished speaking did he notice Kojiro was staring at him.
“What?” Kaoru snapped, crossing his arms.
“What? Nothing. It looks nice. It- It’s going to match my suit,” Kojiro stated.
“Yes. It demonstrates that an effort has been made, that we care about the impression we give off at the event. It also makes the fact you’re supposed to be my partner a bit more convincing, does it not?”
Kojiro nodded, “Yeah. Yeah, I suppose it does. I just wasn’t expecting it, is all.”
Kaoru uncrossed his arms and rang the bell to call the assistant over, so that she could check the fit of the yukata. “Is there a problem?” he directed at Kojiro.
Kojiro shook his head, responding, “Of course not,” before wandering off again. Kaoru sensed that there was something left unsaid, but would not press Kojiro for answers.
Kaoru paid for the garments and after thoroughly describing the adjustments he wished to be made and the time scale they were working with, the pair made their way to the food court, realising they still had some time to kill before Kaoru’s suit would be ready to collect.
After purchasing their food, Kojiro and Kaoru made their way over to a less populated area of the hall and settled down at the table. They ate in relative silence; Kojiro occasionally commented on the state of his meal, picking the constituents apart and making recommendations on how the restaurant could improve - the commentary more for his own benefit than Kaoru’s.
“Hey, Kaoru?”, Kojiro said, a few minutes after they had both finished their meals.
“Hmm?” Kaoru redirected his attention from where he had been watching a trio of teenagers get scolded by one of the shopping centre’s security guards; the scene vaguely reminding Kaoru of his own adolescence.
“What are you wanting me to do, as your plus-one? Like, am I supposed to hold your hand, or-?” Kojiro asked calmly.
Truthfully, Kaoru had purposefully elected to not think that far and he had hoped that Kojiro wouldn’t bring it up either. “Ah. Yes, I suppose it would make sense to discuss expectations.”
Kojiro leant back in his chair, gesturing for Kaoru to continue.
“We don’t need to appear overly affectionate due to the nature of the affair. Our clothing will allude to an established relationship of some kind. I don’t wish to make you uncomfortable.”
“I’m not twelve, Kaoru. I can handle a bit of hand-holding,” Kojiro laughed.
Kaoru rolled his eyes, “We can make that judgement when we arrive. If needed, then yes, some hand-holding may be required. It may also be beneficial for us to arrive with our arms linked.”
Kojiro nodded in agreement.
“I do have one rule…” Kaoru stated. “No flirting with other people. Not only will it make the facade less believable, but it may hinder my chances at finding new clients.”
“Hey, what do you take me for? You think I would disrespect my date like that?” Kojiro joked. “You will have my full and undivided attention, don’t worry. I’ll play my part,” he said in a more serious tone.
Kaoru’s stomach flipped at the mention of ‘date’. He quickly suppressed the feeling, labelling it as juvenile. It wasn’t even a proper date, he had no reason to react that way.
“You are shameless when it comes to women you are attracted to, forgive me for making the assumption,” Kaoru’s expression was stern. He quickly softened his features as he said, “I do appreciate this, though.”
“No worries, man. It better be an open bar, though. If not, you’re paying.”
“Naturally. I will personally see to the end of your life if you drink too much and embarrass me.”
Kojiro laughed before gasping, placing a hand on his chest in an attempt to appear offended. “I would never!”
Kaoru reminded himself that it was only for one night. He could survive one night.