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A few days had passed since Rosho's request for help to Samatoki and he finally made his way to Yokohama. The meeting was as dull as any other teacher conference meeting tended to be, but it did feel good to get out of Osaka for a bit and explore Yokohama. The moment he was free, he messaged Samatoki to see if they'd like to meet up, hoping the other man wasn't too busy.
Upon opening his phone Rosho fought the urge to scroll up in his and Samatoki’s earlier messages. He was grimacing just thinking about it, but unfortunately, the second-hand embarrassment had him defying his better senses and rereading their texts from a few days ago:
Rosho Tsutsujimori:
Samatoki, I'm sorry for messaging you out of nowhere but... well I'm in a little predicament and was wondering if you'd be able to help.
Samatoki Aohitsugi:
Ah? Who are u?
Rosho Tsutsujimori:
My apologies. It's Rosho. Or... "other sensei." Since Jinguuji-sensei is the only sensei you acknowledge in this world apparently.
Samatoki Aohitsugi:
Oh, other sensei. You need a hit on somebody? I think Riou still gets assassination requests but I can bump you up the waiting list
Rosho Tsutsujimori:
N-No! Nothing of the sort! Argh, this is gonna be embarrassing but, well, I'm trying to seduce Rei.
Samatoki Aohitsugi:
seduce the ossan huh? You mean your hot piece of old man ass that you already have? what do i gotta do with it?
i mean im flattered you thought of me. I am a pretty good lay if i do say so myself. you want me to invite riou or jyuto as well?
Rosho Tsutsujimori:
No, you are not invited to the fucking.
Samatoki Aohitsugi:
then damn, whatre ya hittin me up for?
Rosho Tsutsujimori:
You see, I recently saw a picture of you from your Dirty Dawg days, and let's just say your style inspired me.
Samatoki Aohitsugi:
hah! I miss that fit. That was bomb ass
inspired by me yeah? You wanna look like how i did back then?
Rosho Tsutsujimori:
A little, yes. Rei likes to refer to my current style as "frumpy" sometimes and I'd like to surprise him. And maybe relive my own punk days along the way...
Samatoki Aohitsugi:
so, you wanna look sexy?
you think i look sexy ¬‿¬
Rosho Tsutsujimori:
Objectively, yes, you look sexy.
You're not my type, however.
Samatoki Aohitsugi:
yeah yeah, your type is ossans, we know
I am so gonna send this out of context to sasara, just so you know
Rosho Tsutsujimori:
Ugh.
So, are you willing to help me out? I'll pay you for your time, of course.
Samatoki Aohitsugi:
dont you fucking dare pay me
ill help ya out. ossans a kindred friend
Rosho Tsutsujimori:
How'd you two meet?
Samatoki Aohitsugi:
ossan and i were gonna fuck. he knows his stuff
dont worry your nerd head, it never happened. I was hung up on jyuto and he was hung up on you. gives real good advice tho
Rosho Tsutsujimori:
He was hung up... on me?
Samatoki Aohitsugi:
dont sound so surprised. you guys got together in a flash for a reason yeah?
Rosho Tsutsujimori:
I’d rather not think about how I drunkenly confessed my feelings in a public group chat…
Samatoki Aohitsugi:
yeah, hah, that was entertainin
so how do you need my help? Wanna raid my closet or get yourself some new digs?
Rosho Tsutsujimori:
I'd rather get some new clothes, but with your advice and help. I'll be visiting Yokohama in a few days for a teacher conference meeting, and I should have a day free to see what your area has to offer.
Samatoki Aohitsugi:
Aight, lemme know when and ill get myself prepared
Rosho Tsutsujimori:
I'll let you know when I'm in Yokohama.
And well... thanks.
Samatoki Aohitsugi:
hah, anytime for a friend of sasara's
A friend of Sasara’s… That was all how people viewed him as, huh? Well, hopefully this little day trip would change that dynamic somewhat. He sent off a quick text stating his location.
Samatoki got the okay from Rosho as he was debating which clothes to wear for his outing. He eventually settled on his first choice: a simple white t-shirt, black jeans, his trusty Docs, and a leather jacket to complete the look.
He stepped back to admire himself in the mirror, faint memories from the old days stirring in his mind. Flashy without the flash is a tough fucking look to pull off, but it looks like he still got it. Grabbing a few essentials Samatoki left his apartment. He spotted the subordinate who brought him the car he chose to use today, nodding silently at the snap at attention -- "Kashira! Your car." -- and climbed into the backseat.
Rosho had decided that they'd meet at the large park in Yokohama. It didn't take long for him to see a black car pull up. Instinctually he stiffened up as he was worried if this was something dangerous – before Samatoki stepped out, dressed in a simple, yet perfectly put-together outfit. Rosho waved him over and Samatoki sauntered towards him with a nod. "I'm glad you could make it, Samatoki-han," Rosho said, bowing a little in his usual politeness. He was glad to be meeting the other man without him wearing a stupid pumpkin hat this time.
Yup, Samatoki thought as soon as he laid eyes on the partner Sasara was always going on and on and on about back when they were a duo. Ossan was right. This guy is frumpy. "Yo." He bowed back, returning the politeness. He didn't feel the need to bark at him to use -sama.
He lit up a cigarette, starting up some small talk to get to know what exactly Rosho wanted to get out of this excursion. "I already got a few places in mind that we can start off from, if that's okay with you. C'mon." He opened the back side door for Rosho to step in.
"Thank you. I knew it was a good idea to ask you for help," Rosho said, stepping into the car and trying not to stiffen up at the obvious yakuza that was driving them. Samatoki didn't seem to be a bad guy unless you got on his bad side, which Rosho was definitely not intending to do. "Your outfit today is nice, by the way. That's the kinda style I was thinking about.” In the smallness of the car he felt a little awkward all of a sudden. He wasn't used to meeting new people outside of his work reasons.
"Yeah? I thought so, that's why I decided on this. 'S nice to dress up for a reason." Samatoki did sense the awkwardness coming from Rosho, but he chose to ignore it – it came with being yakuza, and it was easier to push through it rather than gently easing into it. Then Samatoki remembered something Rosho said, from their conversation before. "You said you used to be a punk. Show me a few pics of how you used to dress so I can get an idea of what to try, what not to try. Not like I need it," he added quickly, "but it'll speed up the process."
"Oh yeah I did. Err... It wasn't anything special, outfit wise," Rosho said, but he still looked down at his phone to search through the pictures he had of those times. When he found them he showed one to Samatoki, cringing a little when he rolled his eyes. He didn't like feeling judged for his outfits, past or present, but Samatoki wasn't going to pretend like he'd had a very interesting taste in fashion even when he was younger.
"I wasn't your typical punk but I did act out a lot. I just always threw on what was comfortable, and didn't really give a damn about my style," Rosho explained.
"Hmmm..." Samatoki observed carefully, looking to and from the picture and current Rosho beside him multiple times. He compiled all his observations.
"Couple things. One, your outfit is simple. Simple is good, but this is too simple, and having the same color as both your top and bottom makes ya look like one big blob, if you ask me my opinion. Second, you got the glare down, that's for sure. But if you really want to trip up ossan you're gonna have to tone down the hostility, mix in some other emotions. Like a good leer, or checkin' him out from head to toe. Like this."
Samatoki demonstrated. He narrowed his eyes to the typical, pissed off thug: then slowly let that anger fade away in favor of letting in a growing lust, passing his gaze down Rosho from head to toe. The snarl slowly, mesmerizingly, turned into his trademark smirk, with a bit of a heated glow in his red eyes. "Like that," he said, as if that was supposed to explain everything.
Rosho watched attentively as Samatoki demonstrated what he meant about his look, and even he felt something inexplicable at the way Samatoki checked him out. Even if it was just a demonstration, it made sense as to why so many people seemed to find this particular yakuza leader attractive. He felt his cheeks flush a little, averting his gaze from Samatoki's as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well I don't really glare like that any more unless I'm really pissed off," Rosho clarified. "But I get it. Simple but not too simple, and I gotta throw Rei off with less hostility..." He nodded, a determined glint blooming in his eyes.
Samatoki nodded in return, satisfied by what Rosho told him. "Exactly. Good man."
They got out of the car, and Samatoki led them to one of the many shops he had on his agenda for today. It soon became a flurry of debate on color theory, arguments on who gets to pay (Samatoki lost a surprising amount of times), and many, many, many clothes.
In one store they stop in front of a mirror, seeing if this particular fit of light-colored, heavily patterned shirt and dark jacket went well together. Samatoki stared at the both of them for a while in the mirror. A smile grew, amusement overcoming his smirk. "We really do look alike, huh? Looks like Sasara really does have a type."
Rosho was surprised by how well he and Samatoki get along despite the friendly arguing about who gets to pay and all that – and that's where he really shone, winning said arguments with a smugness that surprised him, considering his shyness not too long ago. Many clothes were thrown into the flurry of debate, and Rosho had never been in and out of a changing room so fast in his entire life before. He was a teacher, for chrissake, he thought he put the revolving door fashion life behind him when he left showbiz!
Still, with each outfit Rosho couldn’t help but inspect himself in the mirror, admiring the way the jacket and shirt combine with a cheeky bit of cleavage to show – when he noticed an idea brewing behind Samatoki's look. He hadn’t commented when Samatoki spoke up about how they look alike, and then he only snorted at the comment about Sasara's type.
"It seems he does. Huh? What's with that look?" Rosho asked, arms crossing over his chest.
Samatoki shifted closer. A little past Rosho's personal space, but still letting enough room to back away if he needed to. He licked his lips, playful smile lightening that intimidating gaze. "Lemme ask you something. Do you like Sasara?"
Rosho did step back a little, a small frown forming on his face at Samatoki's question. That's a pretty stupid thing to ask. "'Course I like Sasara, he's my closest friend," Rosho said. But then the look dawned on him. "Oh. Like... Do I love Sasara? I-I guess so...."
"You do." Samatoki nodded. He rested his arm up on the vertical mirror, leaning to his side. "You love him... Do you think Rei loves him too?"
There’s nothing for Rosho to do besides clam up at that revelation. Had he been that transparent this whole time?
Amazingly though, Samatoki’s smile turned sympathetic. "You know, you can still love him that way, without sacrificin' your relationship with Rei. I can help you with that."
“I…” Rosho faltered. "It's... It's complicated. I dunno how Rei and Sasara feel towards each other and I wasn't even supposed to fall for Rei but, well, here I am. Ideally I'd love to have a relationship like you do with Jyuto and Riou but it's probably not gonna be likely," he finally confesses, looking away from Samatoki's gaze.
"I understand. I didn't feel as confused as you are, but I do understand where you're coming from. I really do get it. I’m not gonna pretend I have an ass-load of wise advice I’ve collected while bein’ in a polyamorous relationship. MTC’s kinda new at this too. But…"
He extended a hand out to trace a finger around his jaw, then gripped his chin, forcing him to look Samatoki in the eyes. "What I do have is a couple of fun proposals for you."
Rosho's gaze immediately snapped back to Samatoki when he felt the other man trace a finger around his jaw teasingly, his cheeks going a deep red at the sly look on Samatoki's face. It was erotic in a way that left Rosho oddly flustered, so he didn't fight back when Samatoki grabbed him by his chin. "Wh-What d'ya propose?" he choked out, the kansai-ben slipping out.
Samatoki chuckled at Rosho's deer-in-headlights look. "Couple things," he echoed, this time his voice pitched low. "First, to mess with that guy like he messes with us – we each put on the same exact outfits, go knockin' on his door and watch him short-circuit when he can't tell the difference between me an' you. I'm talkin' same style, same expression, same hairstyle, hell, same eye contacts. The look on his face, hah, I can imagine it already!"
He paused to laugh. Then, as he lowered into a chuckle, he lidded his eyes, sultry and scheming. "The second proposal is, if yours and my boyfriends let us..." He ran his tongue over his teeth, smile sharp. "We take it one step further. Fuck 'em between his past and future partner, yeah? Show him what he's missin'."
Rosho thought that the first offer was a rather hilarious prank to play on a jokester like Sasara, and was about to open his mouth to agree when Samatoki launched into his second proposal. Just the way he spoke about it so breezily, and the offer he gave Rosho made him stutter. If steam could leave his ears it probably would have been at that moment. "I-I don't think that second option is gonna be viable at all with our partners. But playin' a prank on Sasara could work,'' Rosho admitted, his voice shaky as he tried not to think about what Samatoki had proposed. He made a quiet noise of annoyance when his brain betrayed him and threw Rei into the mix too.
Then, Samatoki burst out laughing. "Don't look so afraid, other sensei! These ideas are just for havin' a little bit of fun. You don't gotta agree to fuckin' anything."
He released his hold on Rosho, throwing in a cheeky tap on the chin. "But hey. Don't think so lowly of yourself. You can do it, you just need to talk with ossan and have a plan. 'S long as you keep your mind open to all the possibilities, you can achieve anything, even things you thought were impossible for yourself."
Rosho blinked at the tap to his chin and then Samatoki stepped back to allow him some much needed personal space. He fixed his glasses a little and coughed, suddenly feeling very awkward that he'd fallen for what seemed to be bait on Samatoki's end. "Wasn't expecting to get a pep talk from you of all people today, Samatoki-han. But... thanks. I appreciate it. Now, we should go back to findin' an outfit that'll make Rei submit entirely to me."
Samatoki slapped him heartily on the back. "There we go, that's the other sensei we were diggin' 'round for! Keep talkin' like that and ossan'll be at your feet in no time. I'm really likin' this fit, we're buying it for you right here right now." After a bit of thought he tugged down the shirt's cleavage even more, clipping on some sunglasses. "Put on this hairgel while I pay."
Rosho flushed once again as Samatoki tugged down the shirt to expose more cleavage than he'd ever exposed whilst fully clothed, but he forced himself to not immediately close the shirt and turned around to apply the hair gel. He slicked his hair back, tucking away the few loose strands whilst Samatoki paid, and the final touch was to remove the round, archaic glasses he always wore. When he saw himself in the mirror, it was like looking at his past all over again and he couldn't help but touch the glass in awe.
"I think that about does it for today. Let's call it a day."
They walked out of the store, piles of clothes in hand. Samatoki lit up a cigarette, offering one to Rosho. He thought about Sasara, and Rei – and of Rosho, and his hopeful success. He blew smoke away, relaxing in his new friend's presence.
"Hey. I was serious. 'Bout Sasara. ...I can tell you he really loved you back then, if it amounts to anything. And I have a feeling not much of his feelings for you have changed in the recent DRBs."
Rosho turned down the offered cigarette, not wanting to make a habit of it like Rei. It's surprising how relaxed he feels around Samatoki, a man who was really a complete stranger just a few moments ago. He flashed a wan smile at Samatoki bringing up his past with Sasara. "Once we split it kinda messed our relationship up... I'm hoping that one day we can talk things out properly and maybe he'll wanna join Rei and I... That would be very nice.” He was curious as to what he and Sasara did to have been so close but he felt that wasn't his place to ask. When Sasara wants to tell him, Sasara will.
Samatoki put out his spent cigarette, going back to the car. “And hey. If you ever change your mind on the second proposal," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, "hit me up, yeah?"
Rosho felt light enough that he laughed at Samatoki's expectant eyebrow wiggle, shaking his head. "I didn't expect you to be an absolute horndog."
Samatoki barks out a laugh. "Hah! I don't make it a secret. Tell me how the ossan reacts, I know it's gonna be juicy."
Before today he'd made sure Rosho would think twice for even saying such a thing, but now all he did was playfully smack him upside the head. He drove them to the train station, seeing him off with a respectful bow of his own.
Rosho should have been annoyed at being smacked upside the head but today had been pretty cheeky and this just felt right. He laughed back, climbing into the car once again and thanking Samatoki as he’s dropped off.
"If I can do anythin' for ya, let me know," he said his parting words to Samatoki just before the other man left, a smile on his face as he made his way to the train to go back home and finally see Rei again. Coulda gone way worse...