[As if on cue, Jyushi is coming through the door of their shared room.]
Kuko-san thought you were in Shinjuku to attack Matenro first so he wanted us to go...! And-and I didn't know if it was a good idea but it's Kuko-san so I went and then we went to Hifumi-san's work and Doppo-san was there and we battled them because Kuko-san said we had to and I didn't want to and then somebody called the police and I took Kuko-san and ran and I'm sorry we almost got arrested because I know you definitely wouldn't have represented us because we were in the wrong no matter how you looked at it and neither of us could have afforded you!
[Jyushi bursts through the door to Hitoya seated at the desk, glass in hand, about to greet him when he launches into the full explanation. He's left sitting there for a moment, trying to digest it all and once it's finally processed, he starts to laugh. Fully and sincerely. It takes another moment for him to speak.]
Well he wasn't wrong about that. The trial was a ruse. I had headed off to Shinjuku to challenge Jinguji Jakurai.
[Maybe it's the fact that he took a wide detour and never made it there in the end. Maybe it's the months of time apart that have softened his typical reaction to Kuko's antics. He looks at Jyushi now almost fondly and the small room they share seems to expand in the notable absence of their leader.]
I think I still could have managed a plea deal at a friend's discount.
[It hasn't been quite as long for Jyushi as it has been for Hitoya so he'd been expecting Hitoya to gripe at him, telling him what a stupid idea that was in the way that Hitoya did.
And it's even more surprising to find out that Kuko had been correct. Hitoya had gone off to do something similar but Jyushi still thinks it had to have been more than just Hitoya wanting to attack Matenro. Especially how he says the other man's name. It feels like there's a story there.]
We should have done it as a team. [It's all Jyushi can think of saying because he doesn't feel quite right, prying into that story. He'd like it more if Hitoya told him first.] We probably wouldn't have needed a friend's discount if you'd helped and we all didn't get arrested for assault...
[As a team. It hits like an accusation that Jyushi doesn't intend and that mirth that infused his laughter dissolves. Though he manages to keep from frowning outright. They were a team. A family as Kuko kept insisting. There isn't anything he wouldn't do for them but that doesn't mean they're obligated to bother with every problem he has.
Setting his glass back on the desk, Hitoya moves to take a seat at the end of the bed instead, where there's more room for Jyushi to join him.]
There's a lot of history between Jakurai and me. I thought I could do something to resolve it before the division rap battles. So it wouldn't hold you two back. That's all.
[Jyushi certainly hadn't meant it to be an accusation, only an affirmation. That Hitoya had people he could depend on.
And Jyushi really wants to know more about this history, his curiosity scratching inside of him but he squashes it down. It's not the time. Right now, it's about being a team...even without Kuko here.]
Even so. You wouldn't hold us back because we'd all be helping each other, right? That's what we're supposed to do. [It was what Kuko had been instilling in them since forming this team and Jyushi found it hard to argue with.]
[Jyushi's always been a good kid. Sensitive, thoughtful, the sort of person who's always got his emotions tuned in to others. If only his past hadn't prevented him from making more of those connections through which he could shine.
The Jyushi of five years ago never could have said these things, not because he lacked the sincerity but because he had been denied the opportunity, and it's only now, after everything that's happened with him, with Kuko, that he's finally catching up. Hitoya had always intended to help Jyushi in every way he could. He just never imaged it would turn out quite like this.
It kind of forces him to take a step back, put his own problems into focus. The same way the time and distance of being here has.]
[Jyushi puts his hands out in front of him.] Don't be sorry! I mean, there's nothing to be sorry for. I just want you to know that you have Kuko-san and I!
[But then when he thinks about it.] Or, um, unless it's here but then you have Kuko-san in spirit! Gone but never forgotten!
Knowing that bastard, he'll probably have everything figured out as soon as he gets here.
[He makes a face. Not a good one per say, but not a bad one either. It clears the air just enough that he can see through to the topic that brought them here again.]
Which is why we better not disappoint him by wasting time.
[Jyushi stares up at the ceiling and sighs.] Kuko-san's so cool, you know? And good at being our leader. I know we can't let him down and we need to do something but he's good at ideas.
But I guess everybody else is here, too. I didn't think anybody was still focusing on it. We're not back home...
[Sure. They just got through the whole almost landed Jyushi in prison thing and Hitoya is willing to take some of the blame for that but...]
His heart's in the right place, that's for sure. [More or less.]
When you think about it this world isn't so different. People gotta put themselves out there. Make a name for themselves. That support will give them an advantage.
[It's only as he speaks that words that they start to merch into a fully formed idea. That same knowledge that had likely first piqued Kuko's interest initially.]
[Jyushi is going over Hitoya's words, saying them to himself quietly. It was just like being in a band. They were never going to get anywhere if they hadn't tried to get gigs and perform, nobody could hear their music without that...
It's that line of thought that Hitoya obviously feels the same way about.]
With my band? I was kind of thinking that but my band and everything else is different...
Different than the division rap battles sure but I don't think we need to worry about playing by those rules here.
[No one from Chuou has shown up to even try and even if they did he's not sure they would find much success. They'd be playing the same field as all the rest of them for a change.]
You're not planning to give up music right? I'm sure there's other people here that feel the same way.
So start a band here, right? [It feels odd, having different bandmates if he did that.] If this is a different world then they might not know visual kei.
Right. And you won't be alone. I've represented plenty of musicians back home. [Not quite the same thing as being a manager but there's plenty of overlap. Some of his friends from law school went that direction rather than becoming a practicing attorney as well.]
You're right about that though. You'll probably have to branch out.
[Hitoya doesn't miss that resistance and pushes into.]
You'll never grow if you keep doing the same thing over and over. It's not like you have to give up your thing but branching out will only benefit that. You want to be the best right?
[Maybe that's more the lens through which he looks at the world, rather than Jyushi but it's fitting here.]
[Hitoya always sounds so impressive to Jyushi, like he has all the experience in the world and Jyushi could learn so much. Even if all Hitoya is saying to Jyushi is that he should open up to new possibilities, grow more in his interests, it feels like the most sagely advice he could have received.
Impressed, Jyushi nods quickly.] You're right, you're right! The best version of me has to be able to do all sorts of things. It's like trying new foods!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[Just what had they done??? But that's really not the important part. Not here, not now. The next text follows quickly after the previous one.]
Regardless, it would be best for us to come up with a plan of attack. Where are you now?
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Kuko-san thought you were in Shinjuku to attack Matenro first so he wanted us to go...! And-and I didn't know if it was a good idea but it's Kuko-san so I went and then we went to Hifumi-san's work and Doppo-san was there and we battled them because Kuko-san said we had to and I didn't want to and then somebody called the police and I took Kuko-san and ran and I'm sorry we almost got arrested because I know you definitely wouldn't have represented us because we were in the wrong no matter how you looked at it and neither of us could have afforded you!
[He said all of that in one breath.]
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Well he wasn't wrong about that. The trial was a ruse. I had headed off to Shinjuku to challenge Jinguji Jakurai.
[Maybe it's the fact that he took a wide detour and never made it there in the end. Maybe it's the months of time apart that have softened his typical reaction to Kuko's antics. He looks at Jyushi now almost fondly and the small room they share seems to expand in the notable absence of their leader.]
I think I still could have managed a plea deal at a friend's discount.
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And it's even more surprising to find out that Kuko had been correct. Hitoya had gone off to do something similar but Jyushi still thinks it had to have been more than just Hitoya wanting to attack Matenro. Especially how he says the other man's name. It feels like there's a story there.]
We should have done it as a team. [It's all Jyushi can think of saying because he doesn't feel quite right, prying into that story. He'd like it more if Hitoya told him first.] We probably wouldn't have needed a friend's discount if you'd helped and we all didn't get arrested for assault...
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Setting his glass back on the desk, Hitoya moves to take a seat at the end of the bed instead, where there's more room for Jyushi to join him.]
There's a lot of history between Jakurai and me. I thought I could do something to resolve it before the division rap battles. So it wouldn't hold you two back. That's all.
[Yeah, that's not all.]
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And Jyushi really wants to know more about this history, his curiosity scratching inside of him but he squashes it down. It's not the time. Right now, it's about being a team...even without Kuko here.]
Even so. You wouldn't hold us back because we'd all be helping each other, right? That's what we're supposed to do. [It was what Kuko had been instilling in them since forming this team and Jyushi found it hard to argue with.]
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The Jyushi of five years ago never could have said these things, not because he lacked the sincerity but because he had been denied the opportunity, and it's only now, after everything that's happened with him, with Kuko, that he's finally catching up. Hitoya had always intended to help Jyushi in every way he could. He just never imaged it would turn out quite like this.
It kind of forces him to take a step back, put his own problems into focus. The same way the time and distance of being here has.]
I'm sorry. You're right.
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[But then when he thinks about it.] Or, um, unless it's here but then you have Kuko-san in spirit! Gone but never forgotten!
[Why does it sound like he died? ]
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[He makes a face. Not a good one per say, but not a bad one either. It clears the air just enough that he can see through to the topic that brought them here again.]
Which is why we better not disappoint him by wasting time.
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[Jyushi stares up at the ceiling and sighs.] Kuko-san's so cool, you know? And good at being our leader. I know we can't let him down and we need to do something but he's good at ideas.
But I guess everybody else is here, too. I didn't think anybody was still focusing on it. We're not back home...
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His heart's in the right place, that's for sure. [More or less.]
When you think about it this world isn't so different. People gotta put themselves out there. Make a name for themselves. That support will give them an advantage.
[It's only as he speaks that words that they start to merch into a fully formed idea. That same knowledge that had likely first piqued Kuko's interest initially.]
And you've already got some experience with that.
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It's that line of thought that Hitoya obviously feels the same way about.]
With my band? I was kind of thinking that but my band and everything else is different...
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[No one from Chuou has shown up to even try and even if they did he's not sure they would find much success. They'd be playing the same field as all the rest of them for a change.]
You're not planning to give up music right? I'm sure there's other people here that feel the same way.
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[So that passion should be put to use.]
So start a band here, right? [It feels odd, having different bandmates if he did that.] If this is a different world then they might not know visual kei.
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You're right about that though. You'll probably have to branch out.
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But the idea of singing anything other than visual kei. It isn't like he doesn't listen to anything else.]
Hm. I can...[But he doesn't want to.] It would probably be good to open up to possibilities...
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You'll never grow if you keep doing the same thing over and over. It's not like you have to give up your thing but branching out will only benefit that. You want to be the best right?
[Maybe that's more the lens through which he looks at the world, rather than Jyushi but it's fitting here.]
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Impressed, Jyushi nods quickly.] You're right, you're right! The best version of me has to be able to do all sorts of things. It's like trying new foods!