Chapter 97：Show Puppet

"Hamada-san," Takeshi greets when he opens the door of his boss' office. Mr. Hamada moves his sight from whatever on his desk and turns to Takeshi before replies him, "Takeshi, comes in." Takeshi steps in to the office while closing the door behind him then sits in front of Mr. Hamada who watches his every movement. "I want to talk about.." Mr. Hamada says after seeing Takeshi is in his comfortable sit, "your latest relationship with Saeki-san."

----------------

BRAAAKKK!!!

All activities on the 10th floor of Momoji building are stopped to see what is causing the loud sound. Every eyes are directed to Takeshi, the rowdy maker, who walks out of Mr. Hamada's office without care of his surrounding. Every parts of his body - his reddened face, his stiffed jaw muscles, his bitten lower lip, his tightly clenched fist, his hurried wide steps - hurl anger that can be felt by the people around him, including Hiroshi who is quite far from him.

"Takeshi !" Hiroshi calls him after being dumbstruck for few seconds. Realizing that Takeshi doesn't (want to) hear his call, Hiroshi chases him. "What's wrong ?" Hiroshi asks after being able to near Takeshi who stands impatiently in front of the elevator. Takeshi gives him a dagger sharp stare. So sharp that makes Hiroshi's goosebumps raise.

"What is wrong ?" Hiroshi asks again. "You're pretending to be dumb, aren't you ?" Takeshi accuses him instead. "About what ?" Hiroshi becomes more confuse. "No more pretending !" Takeshi snaps. "I really don't know anything !" Hiroshi replies in the same high tone. Takeshi sighs. The elevator door is opened.

"Takeshi !!" Hiroshi's call is failed to halt Takeshi's step into the elevator, but his hand is succeed to hold the elevator door to keep it opened. Inside the elevator, Takeshi turns his head to him. "The gossip. He has planned it," Takeshi says then turns his body to face Hiroshi. "He forces me to be in relationship with Miyu." That additional information is making Hiroshi's mouth opened for a moment. "How could he do it ?!" Hiroshi exclaims in anger. "Well, he does !" Takeshi strikes. "I will find out," Hiroshi promises while letting his hand off from the elevator door. "He has no right. No. This is not right." The elevator door is closed.

---------

For the umpteenth times Hiroshi pushes the bell beside the apartment door. "Open up, it's me," he says with a volume that must be heard by Takeshi inside the apartment. Hiroshi pushes the bell once more. And once again. When he doesn't get a response he hopes for, Hiroshi decides to give up. But when his body is about to turn around, he hears a sound of footsteps from inside, closing toward the door. Right when Hiroshi turns his body back to the door, the door is opened. Only a slight, but opened. Hiroshi pushes the door to open wider, following Takeshi's unsteady steps to the living room and sits on the armchair while Takeshi sits on the couch.

"So ?" Takeshi asks after they were in silent for quite sometimes. Hiroshi glances at Takeshi. The superstar's face is as cold as his tone. "They planned it for the promotion of Made in Heaven," Hiroshi says as a prolog. There is no change on Takeshi's face. He definitely has known about it. "We lost a step. The anime of it is shown at TBS this week. Marketing calculated our dorama will be falling because consider only a copycat. The finance said that the dorama is over budget until.."

"That is not my business," Takeshi sharply cuts. Hiroshi squints and curtly says, "Actually.. it would not be your business if only you were careful to read ..."

"He scammed me !" Once againTakeshi cuts Hiroshi's words, this time fully emotional, "It is a scam !" Hiroshi nods. "True. You are being scammed. But this kind of trick is used to be done everywhere. That is why, read carefully before you sign anything !" Hiroshi pressing every syllable on his last sentence to show his exasperation. "I did ! You think I'm stupid ?!" Takeshi shouts. "What do you think ?!" Hiroshi snaps back, almost shouting. Takeshi throws his body at the sofa back.

Hiroshi and Takeshi sigh together, than look at each other. "So ?" Takeshi repeats his first question, but in a more desperate tone. "Do you have 4 millions yen ?" Hiroshi asks back. His tone is no different with Takeshi's previous question.

------------------

"I'm glad you are willing to cooperate," the sentence that slipped between Mr. Hamada's satisfied smile is ringing inside Takeshi's head again. His eyes is now staring blankly his hand that stirring the coffee, what is in a mug in front of him. "Beside you guys only dating on certain moments. As far I don't think you need to give any statement. Let the public making their own decision. Just think it as an extra scene of Made in Heaven. After the promotion session is ended, so is your relationship." Takeshi's lips curl upwardly in cynical to remember how his boss lightly explained his strategy, as if he was only a show puppet. But.. he IS only a show puppet. A four millions yen puppet. That is the price of his freedom to reject.

"Sorry, I am late," someone whispers to Takeshi's ear followed by a light kiss on his cheek. The young man only shortly glances to Miyu that now is sitting across him. "Don't be so gloomy. How could one goes to a date with gloomy heart," Miyu criticizes him in a joking way. Takeshi squints, disbelief how light Miyu is taking this issue.

"Don't you.." Takeshi postpones his sentence when a waiter approaches their desk. "Ice Matcha," Miyu says to the waiter. Both keep their silence until the waiter walks further. "Don't you mind at all about this ?" Takeshi whispers to continue his postponed question. Miyu shrugs then thinly smiles. "My future is depending on this dorama," she says shortly. She puts her left hand on the table. "Now, why don't you hold my hand," Miyu requests. Takeshi raises his eyebrows doesn't understand.

Miyu pulls her body toward. With a well-trained fake smile, Miyu whispers, "Aren't we dating ? all eyes are now staring at us. The woman behind you even immediately calls her friend. We are two people who are in love. Wouldn't it be weird if we don't touch ?" Miyu is so shrewd. She said those words with a cheerful tone and sparkling eyes, as a girl enthusiastically talking to her boyfriend.

"You have to be professional," Again Miyu criticizes him behind her cheerful act. Her cat eyes stare straight at Takeshi's eyes. For some seconds both eyes are in war without a sound. Finally Takeshi drops his head and sighs in defeated. When his head is raised, a cheerful expression has wiped gloom on his face.

"You are right," he says with a wide smile that looks genuine. He takes Miyu's hand then tucks his fingers between Miyu's fingers. "Do I need to kiss it also ? It happens that the waiter next to the cashier is taking pictures of us. It is unfortunate if this hand hold is not captured by the camera," Takeshi adds while taking Miyu's hand closer to his lips then kisses it slowly, giving a change to the 'audiences' to enjoy the show.