Crimson Beneath Your White Paint

Year 1965

The train slows as the announcement comes over the speaker that they're reaching the final station.

Shintaro watches the scenery through the window, pressing his forehead against the cool glass, and lets out a small, excited breath. The view has changed from quiet outskirts to busier city streets. Traditional rooftops appear among more modern buildings. The evening sun makes everything look golden. Cherry trees stand along the riverside. People walk everywhere. Some ride bicycles. Others carry shopping bags.

It's been a while since he visited Kyoto last time - it was probably during the time they had a school trip there. Back then, Kyoto was just somewhere they went for a few days to see tourist attractions before returning home.

But this time, Shintaro is not just visiting. He is going to live here. Eight months, maybe more, and it's going ot be all about kabuki rehearsals and later performances.

It doesn't feel even real yet. The unreal feeling stays with him as the train approaches the platform.

It's also wild to think that the moment he stepped into the train in Kanazawa, everything from then on would be totally new to him.

Kanazawa had always been home. Shintaro grew up there, found kabuki there, and worked his way up step by step. It all started with curiosity about that traditional art form, but soon became serious as he realized his love for it. He fell into kabuki without really noticing it. And after that, there was no going back.

Slowly, after years of training and performing, his name started to mean something, and people in certain kabuki circles began to recognize him.

It was, of course, only a regional kabuki that Kanazawa had to offer. The stages were small. The audience was mostly older locals who came every year. All in all, it was local and small-scale, and nothing that people across the country would talk about.

Kyoto is different. This is where kabuki has the longest history and where certain surnames are known to have been part of it for generations. The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, the play he is joining as the male lead, was born here, as well. It is one of the most legendary pieces in the repertoire. He can't believe he was chosen for the role.

Shintaro opens a brochure of the old kabuki play of Courtesan and Stork in his hand, and the face of Kyomoto Masaki meets him.

There are people in kabuki you respect, and then there are people who feel like part of the art itself. Masaki is one of those. A name with generations behind it. Someone whose career Shintaro has closely followed for years. And now, through this production, he will have a direct connection to him. Because Kyomoto Taiga, Masaki's son, will play the lead onnagata role.

Shintaro has known Taiga's name for a long time. Being Masaki's only son, he's the heir to the Kyomoto family. And because he's the next in line, he obviously practiced kabuki since childhood. Shintaro has not only heard about him but has also seen recordings and read several reviews of his performances. Taiga has already been performing many times alongside his father, but only recently has he gotten more lead onnagata roles.

It's going to be an honor to work with him, Shintaro thinks.

Shintaro himself isn't from a kabuki family. There has never been a legacy behind him, absolutely no name to rely on. His family is ordinary people with normal jobs; his father works as a salaryman, while his mother prepares school lunches, and that's about it. Yet, in a way, Shintaro takes that as something to be proud of. Sometimes he thinks he has worked harder than those born into it. That while others like Kyomotos have their names, he only has his own effort and skill.

Shintaro puts the brochure away, and his fingers tighten excitedly around the handle of his suitcase as the train finally comes to a stop.

His future waits just outside.

-----

Minami-za theater is right next to the Shijo Bridge. The area around it is lively, with lots of people passing through the busy main street. The river next to it looks absolutely beautiful in the morning light.

Shintaro has seen the building before, but standing in front of it now feels different. It is hard to believe that this will be the stage where he performs. Minami-za is just so legendary.

"Morimoto-san?"

Shintaro turns. A man in his sixties, in a suit and with neatly combed hair, approaches him.

"I'm Nishida from Minami-za. We spoke on the phone."

"Ah, yes!" Shintaro brightens instantly, bowing. "Thank you for coming to get me."

Nishida bows back. "Of course, of course. Welcome to Kyoto. Come on in, I'll take you around."

Inside, the theater building is even more overwhelming. The lobby is already wide and well-maintained. Posters from past performances and previous actors line the walls, and the slightly dim inside lighting highlights them just nicely.

The stage area is larger than anything Shintaro is used to. Nishida leads him through it, pointing out stage mechanics, historical details, and how certain performances have been adapted over the years. Shintaro tries to take it all in, nodding along, but his attention keeps drifting because there's so much to look at. From one detail to the next.

"The stage has been able to rotate since the Edo period," Nishida explains as they walk beneath it. He gestures toward parts of the mechanism. "And there are multiple trapdoors depending on the scene."

After that, they move deeper into the building. Even the backstage area is more impressive than Kanazawa's, with wide corridors and high ceilings that could accommodate large set pieces.

"Alright, here we are," Nishida says, stopping at the dressing room corridor. "You'll be sharing the dressing room with-"

Before he can finish his sentence, a door slides open nearby.

"Ah, perfect timing!"

A man steps out, and Shintaro recognizes him instantly. Kyomoto Masaki is tall with a strong, calm presence. He wears a simple dark kimono that looks elegant on him, while his black hair, streaked with silver, is swept back.

Masaki smiles as he spots Shintaro. "Ah, good day. You must be Morimoto Shintaro."

Shintaro bows deeply quickly. "Yes, that's me! It's an honor to meet you, Kyomoto-san. Thank you for your guidance."

Masaki waves a hand, dismissing the formality. "No need for that. I've heard a lot about you and your performances."

"You have?" Shintaro asks.

"Mm," Masaki's eyes crinkle slightly. "Good things."

Before Shintaro can respond, Masaki glances over his shoulder. "Taiga."

Taiga steps out from behind Masaki.

For a moment, Shintaro just stares. He has seen recordings before, but it is completely different in real life.

Taiga is... really beautiful.

The thought comes to Shintaro instantly. There is something absolutely striking about Taiga's appearance that does not carry through the screen. He looks like he's made for onnagata roles.

Taiga wears a dark blue kimono that falls over his slim frame, the color making his pale skin stand out. His facial features resemble his father's, but they are softer, likely due to his younger age.

"Taiga, this is Morimoto Shintaro," Masaki says. "He'll be the one joining you for The Love Suicides at Shonezaki."

Taiga's eyes slowly move to Shintaro. The look on his face doesn't look warm. He looks assessing, as if he's measuring Shintaro from head to toe, which makes Shintaro feel slightly uncomfortable. But Shintaro bows and smiles at him anyway, wanting to be friendly and make a good first impression for his colleague.

"Nice to meet you!"

Taiga gives a small nod.

"Likewise," he says, but his voice sounds cold and not very sincere.

Masaki, blissfully or deliberately ignoring the awkward tension, claps his hands once.

"Well then, you two will have plenty of time to get acquainted. First rehearsal will be tomorrow already, and you'll be sharing the dressing room."

Taiga gives a small, tight smile that does not reach his eyes. Then he turns and goes back into the dressing room without another word. Shintaro watches behind him, raising his eyebrows a little.

"He seems nice," he comments to Nishida, because he doesn't know what else to say.

-----

Shintaro steps into the dressing room, sets his suitcase down near the wall, and looks around. He barely has time to settle before the door slides open behind him.

Taiga walks in and sits down by his makeup table. He doesn't greet Shintaro. In fact, he doesn't say anything and acts like Shintaro wouldn't be present in the room.

In the end, Shintaro decides to break the silence.

"So," he starts, trying to sound as easy and friendly as ever, "We'll be working closely together."

"Yes," Taiga says flatly.

"You've performed here before, right?"

"Yes."

Short answers. No effort to continue. Yet, Shintaro decides to keep going anyway.

"Then I'll be relying on you!" he says with a smile.

Taiga stops moving. His hand rests on the table. When he turns to look at Shintaro, his face looks bored.

"I think you should rely on your own ability," he says flatly. "That would be more appropriate."

Shintaro blinks. He then gives a quiet, awkward laugh.

"Right. Sure. I mean, I will. I just said that since you already know how things run here."

"I do," Taiga says bluntly.

There's a short pause before he adds, "And I expect you to keep up."

Then he turns again towards his mirror without saying anything more, effectively ending the conversation with that.

They spend the next few minutes in total silence. Shintaro crouches down to open his suitcase instead, pulling out the training yukata he was told to bring. Now and then, he catches Taiga looking at him through the mirror. The looks are quick, but cold and intense, as if Taiga is judging him.

Luckily, soon, a voice calls from the hallway, breaking the awkward silence.

"The rehearsal room is ready for you to start."

Shintaro grabs the edge of the sliding door and pulls it open. "Coming!"

Taiga walks past him quickly through the open door before Shintaro manages even to step out.

-----

The rehearsal room is a big tatami room. When Shintaro and Taiga enter, heads turn. All the actors and instrumentalists nod in greeting.

Shintaro offers a polite bow at everyone. "Good morning."

Taiga says nothing but bows, as well. Then he walks past everyone and takes a seat at one of the cushions without looking at anyone. Shintaro sits down as well.

A moment later, Masaki steps in, followed by the director. The atmosphere in the room straightens immediately.

"Let's begin," the director says, settling into place. "We'll start with a full reading. No blocking yet. I want to hear the rhythm. Let's start with you, Morimoto-san. From the beginning."

Shintaro stands up and comes to the middle of the room. He starts his lines.

At first, he focuses on keeping his breathing steady, and he notices he's nervous. Still, as the scene progresses, something begins to settle. The rhythm of the dialogue pulls him in. He finds the emotional thread of his character and lets it guide him forward.

Taiga keeps looking at him, arms crossed in front of him with a tilted head, looking judgmental.

Then it is his turn.

Taiga's made-up female voice is softer than Shintaro expected, but it carries loudly across the room. There is a nice control to it, and every word lands exactly where it should. Taiga's tone conveys the quiet sadness his character is meant to carry.

The room seems to lean toward him without anyone moving. Shintaro also finds himself being completely drawn in as he follows Taiga.

By the time Taiga finishes his lines, everyone's silent. That was just astonishing.

The director nods. "Good. Then from the next scene."

The rehearsal continues.

After a while, the director calls for a short break. He excuses himself and goes to the side of the room to have a talk with Masaki. Shintaro glances at Taiga.

"Hey," he says, offering a small smile. "That was really good. You did well."

Taiga looks up at him.

"I don't need validation from you," he says.

Shintaro blinks. "Ah… I didn't mean it like that. I was just—"

"I know what you meant," Taiga cuts in. "And you should just focus on your own performance before commenting on mine."

For a moment, Shintaro stares at him. Then he lets out a small, awkward breath, something between a laugh and disbelief.

"Right," he says. "Sorry."

Taiga's gaze lingers on him for a second longer, as if measuring his reaction. Then he looks away.

Shintaro sits back slightly and does his best not to roll his eyes.

Okay. So Taiga is not just a little distant or shy. Talented, yes. But he is actually quite an unpleasant person.

Shintaro utters a quiet sigh through his nose. The next months are surely going to be interesting.

The director claps the wooden ki-clappers together sharply.

"Again!"

Shintaro wipes sweat from his forehead. Kochi Yugo, a servant of the Kyomoto family, tries fanning and cooling Shintaro down with a practice fan, but the paper just pushes the sticky hot air around. Shintaro thanks him anyway and steps forward.

He takes the posture of Tokubei, the tragic, disgraced merchant. He turns toward Taiga, who stands across from him as the courtesan Ohatsu.

Shintaro reaches out his hand, forcing himself deep into the headspace of a desperate lover. He tries his best to drag a heavy grief up from his chest as he reaches for Ohatsu's sleeve.

Taiga responds right away, tilting his head back in a beautiful gesture of sorrow and snapping his fan open perfectly to hide his face. For a moment, they act out the classic scene well. Shintaro moves forward with desperation, while Taiga pulls back with smooth grace.

Then, Shintaro takes another step, leaning in hard as he tries to put all his energy into the end of the line.

And then, all of a sudden, Taiga drops his arms and steps back, totally breaking character.

Deep frown lines on his face.

"No, wait. Your posture falls apart at that moment," Taiga says. "You're leaning way too far forward. Tokubei is heartbroken and desperate for love. He is not begging for spare change on the street."

Over on the tatami mats, a few senior actors exchange uncomfortable looks with each other. Before the silence can grow too heavy in the room, Kyomoto Masaki, who has been watching quietly from the corner of the room, nods but then smiles warmly.

"Taiga is looking at the technical silhouette, Morimoto-kun," Masaki says, his hushed tone instantly calming down the tension. "But your instinct isn't wrong. Tokubei is a desperate man. The raw vulnerability you brought to that line just now was beautiful. We just need to capture that massive emotion inside a slightly tighter frame."

Taiga rolls his eyes at the interruption, looking thoroughly annoyed by his father's leniency and diplomatic words.

"This is traditional kabuki, not some cheap modern television drama. The emotion comes from the perfect form. If you ruin the kata, you ruin the art."

Shintaro can feel his jaw tighten.

"I'm trying to show how desperate he is to a modern audience. If I stay too stiff, the audience won't feel a thing. They are more demanding these days," he says.

"Then the audience should buy a ticket to a cinema instead," Taiga says.

"Let's take it from the beginning," the director cuts in before a real argument could potentially start. "Morimoto-san, tuck your hips slightly more. Listen to Kyomoto-san's timing."

Shintaro swallows the bitter taste in his mouth and nods.

He could handle criticism, but Taiga's arrogance is seriously starting to get on his nerves.

-----

They are about to rehearse the most important scene before the suicide sequence. It is a powerful and painful scene where Tokubei hides under the porch of the Temma House. An enemy sits nearby drinking and boasting, so Ohatsu can't look down. Instead, she speaks out loud. She means her words for the hidden Tokubei, testing his courage and asking if he is truly ready to die with her. In the end, they have to communicate their final promise through touch alone.

The director paces around the room with an unlit cigarette in his mouth.

"Kyomoto-san, you sit on the porch. Morimoto-san, you're underneath. When Kyomoto-san lowers his bare foot, you grab it, press it to your cheek, and guide it to your throat to promise you'll die together. It needs to look smooth but desperate."

Shintaro takes his position on the floor, crouching low, pretending to be trapped beneath the floorboards.

He throws himself into the performance, letting out a silent, trembling wail as he lets out Ohatsu's weeping for her lover. He embodies the courtesan's deep despair, her tone conveying the agonizing question of whether Tokubei truly has the courage to follow her into death.

After letting that heavy doubt hang in the air, he slowly extends his right leg, letting his bare foot dangle over the edge.

Shintaro moves forward. He reaches out, palming the sole of Taiga's foot.

He is surprised.

He expected something delicate and soft to match the onnagata role, but it isn't like that at all. While the skin is exceptionally pale and the foot itself is small, it is still undeniably a man’s foot. The arches are strong, hardened from years of traditional training on the cool floors of the theater stages, and Shintaro finds himself admiring the strength of it for a brief second.

He presses the foot against his cheek, trying to show Tokubei's deep love.

Suddenly, Taiga flinches. The movement is tiny, but on a kabuki stage, it's a bad sign.

"Stop," Taiga hisses.

"What is it, Kyomoto-san?" the director asks.

Taiga pulls his leg back, tucking it swiftly beneath his robe. He glares down at Shintaro.

"Morimoto-san's grip is way too aggressive. He grabbed Ohatsu's heel as if he were catching a runaway horse. It ruined the fluid line of Ohatsu's ankle. Furthermore, his face is too tense. He was scratching the top of the foot with his rough jawline. It's such a distraction."

Shintaro sits back on his heels, letting out a sharp, dry laugh because it's starting to get ridiculous. He tilts his head up, looking directly at Taiga with a mocking grin.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Kyomoto," he says with dripping sarcasm. "Are you really that vulnerable of an onnagata? I thought you were supposed to be a professional, but a little bit of stubble completely breaks your concentration?"

Taiga's expression hardens. He rolls his eyes toward the ceiling and sighs heavily.

"It is called maintaining the illusion, Morimoto. Though I suppose expecting an amateur to understand the difference between artistic sensitivity and personal weakness is asking far too much."

Shintaro can't help firing back. "Forgive me if my hands aren't as smooth as silk. Besides, in Kanazawa, we don't treat the onnagata like a fragile porcelain doll; we treat them equally like normal human beings."

"And that is why exactly Kanazawa did and will remain inferior," Taiga retorts coldly. "The most well-known rule is that if you can't master the delicate weight of a touch without crushing it, you have no business touching another actor."

"Alright, that's enough!" the director barks, cutting their argument. "We will move on to the dialogue sections next. Let's take ten minutes. Go out and get some fresh air."

Taiga stands up immediately, without giving Shintaro a second glance, and glides out toward the corridor.

Kochi excuses himself with a quick bow to the room before hurrying after Taiga.

Shintaro stays on the floor for a long moment, his chest boiling with exhaustion and anger.

-----

That evening, the big bosses throw a formal dinner party for them at a fancy restaurant overlooking the Kamogawa River to celebrate finishing the first two weeks of rehearsals. The sake is flowing, and the mood is loud and happy among the actors and wealthy sponsors.

Shintaro sits near the lower end of the table, politely answering questions from a wealthy theater patron wearing an expensive tailor-made Western suit.

"Ah, Kanazawa!" the patron booms, holding out his cup for Shintaro to fill. "A lovely city. Very charming theater culture there. But tell me, Morimoto-san, isn't the scale here in Kyoto completely overwhelming for you? It's quite a leap from the province to the old capital, after all."

Shintaro flashes a polite smile.

"Minami-za is indeed a great theater, sir. But I believe the heart of acting is the same everywhere."

"Of course, of course. Hard work can overcome a lot," the man says, though his tone carries a subtle, patronizing edge. He then looks over to the next table toward Masaki and Taiga, who are surrounded by the elite sponsors.

"Still, there is something to be said for bloodlines, isn't there? Look at young Kyomoto. He was born for the stage. You can't just buy or practice that kind of inherent nobility. It's in the bones. It's in his blood."

Shintaro looks in that direction. Taiga is pouring sake for an elderly executive.

As if sensing Shintaro's gaze, Taiga’s eyes suddenly travel across the room over the sake bottle. The cool, indifferent look he gives Shintaro feels immediately worse than an outright insult or a smirk. It's the look a landlord gives a tenant who is late on rent.

Shintaro takes a long drink of his sake and turns his look away.

Suddenly, the door slides open and a tall guy walks in. It's Jesse, a close friend of Kyomotos from high-society circles. He is half-Japanese, the son of an American businessman. He is dressed in a stylish red Western suit.

Instead of joining the wealthy executives or Kyomotos, Jesse looks around the room, spots an open tatami mat space next to Shintaro, and strolls right over.

"Man, these formal parties are always so stiff," Jesse laughs, sitting down next to Shintaro with an easygoing smile.

He turns directly to Shintaro and extends a hand.

"Hey there! I'm Jesse Lewis. Nice to meet you."

Shintaro shakes his hand, surprised by the casual, happy energy. "I'm Morimoto Shintaro. Nice to meet you, too."

Jesse beams. "Ah, I actually knew your name! Taiga told me about you. You're the guy playing Tokubei, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," Shintaro says, bracing himself for another talk about the legacy and heirs.

Instead, Jesse just laughs and waves over a server.

"Hey, can we get two cold beers over here?"

The beer arrives quickly. Jesse pours a glass for Shintaro before filling his own.

"Don't let Taiga get under your skin, man. He's a total annoying perfectionist when it comes to this stuff. Cheers!"

Shintaro clinks his glass against Jesse's and watches as Jesse takes a big sip before lighting a cigarette.

The two of them bond instantly. Jesse is incredibly laid-back, cracking jokes about how mind-numbing the speeches are at his father's corporate banquets. He talks about his family's place in Osaka and easily invites Shintaro over sometime. He asks Shintaro all about Kanazawa, wanting to know what food is best there and what the city is like. For the first time all night, Shintaro actually relaxes completely. He laughs as Jesse downs his beer fast and orders another round.

As the night wears on, more alcohol is being served. Then, one of the older ensemble actors, well into his cups, leans over to Shintaro and pats his shoulder.

"Don't take it to heart, kid," he mutters, hiccuping. "The Kyomoto kid has been doing this since he was four. He didn't have a childhood. To him, if someone's mother didn't use stage makeup as baby powder, you're basically just a tourist in this world."

Shintaro doesn't reply. He glances carefully at Taiga, who is now politely laughing with the sponsors, looking every bit the perfect, untouchable prince. But Shintaro now sees right through that elegant mask. On the inside, Taiga is just cold and unpleasant, a bully who treats anyone without a proper bloodline like total trash.

-----

After the dinner concludes around midnight, the group disperses in different directions. Some take taxis while others have their own personal drivers.

Only then does Shintaro realize he has left his notebook containing the director's specific blocking notes back in the dressing room. He decides to walk back to the theater because it's not that far, and it would be almost on the way to his small flat that the theater has offered him for his stay. At this point, it would be best not to slack at all because he really wants to show everyone (and especially Taiga) that he can master the role more than fine. Better than anyone before.

The streets of Gion are quiet. The only sounds are the occasional roar of midnight taxis and the muffled melody of a sad enka ballad from a basement bar.

The theater building is dark and eerily quiet compared to daytime as he walks through the empty corridors.

Shintaro pulls back the sliding door, expecting a dark, empty dressing room, only to be met by the warm light spilling from the vanity mirror.

Taiga sits before the glass, carefully packing something that looks like his personal cosmetics away into a beautiful lacquered wooden chest.

Shintaro is surprised to see him. "You're still here? I figured you'd be riding home in a private car with your father and the sponsors," he exclaims.

Taiga doesn't look up but continues to arrange small ceramic pots.

"My father left already an hour ago. The theater's head costume designer brought over those Edo-period robes for Ohatsu tonight. They needed to be checked for humidity and fitted to my frame before tomorrow's dress rehearsal."

Without commenting on that in any way, Shintaro walks in and grabs his notebook from the side of his makeup table.

He stands by the door, ready to leave. But suddenly, the built-up frustration of the past few days boils over all at once. He thinks of the constant nitpicking from Taiga and the patronizing remarks from the sponsors. He thinks of the dinner party with all its meaningless chatter among the patrons, where everyone was only interested in sucking up to the Kyomoto family. Most of all, he thinks of the years he spent working twice as hard just to get half as far as people like Taiga.

He turns around and takes a deep breath.

"You know, you could just tell me directly if you have a personal problem with me."

Taiga doesn't stop his actions. He doesn't even bother looking up from his arranged wooden boxes. He simply wipes a smudge of cream from a jar as he starts speaking extremely calmly.

"I don't have a personal problem with you. I just care about the quality of the play. If you find my feedback distressing and find it problematic, perhaps you should re-evaluate your career choice."

"No, you're not being honest," Shintaro says. His voice drops into a harsher, grittier register, no longer speaking the polite standard dialect he has been practicing for the theater staff. "Ever since I met you, you've looked at me like I'm dirt on your expensive sandals. You look down on the way I act, the way I talk, and where I come from. You literally look down on everything about me!"

Taiga places his jar down and turns his head, his pale face illuminated by the bulb-bordered dressing room mirrors.

"If you want honesty, fine," Taiga says, his voice annoyingly calm. "You don't belong in this role. This is The Love Suicides at Sonezaki at the Minami-za. It's a play that requires a deep understanding of legacy. Deep understanding of the old traditional kabuki. Not every regional amateur can play the legendary Tokubei."

Shintaro lets out a sarcastic laugh in disbelief.

"An amateur? I spent ten years pulling myself up from absolutely nothing in Kanazawa. I've been working so hard. I practiced until my knees bled. I've earned my place on this stage through that hard work. Just because my father doesn't have his name carved into a theater plaque doesn't mean my art is worth less than yours."

"That is exactly your problem," Taiga scoffs. "You think this is about hard work. You think that because you worked hard as a salaryman's son, you deserve to inherit a position in a masterpiece. I tell you, you lack the generations of blood, instinct, and basically everything that makes this art alive. You are just an outsider trying to mimic things you don't fundamentally understand. Hard work is the bare minimum. But hard work doesn't buy you a soul."

The words cut deep, striking the exact insecurity Shintaro has tried so hard to bury.

"You are right about one thing. I might be an outsider," Shintaro says calmly, wanting to be just as mean back. "But while you are busy being a perfect, lifeless doll trapped in your father's shadow, repeating the same routine the audience has seen a hundred times, I am going to bring something completely new and fresh to that stage. Let's see which one of us the audience actually remembers when the curtain falls."

Taiga's eyes widen slightly. For a split second, a flash of genuine shock breaks through his icy composure.

Without waiting for him to say anything more, Shintaro turns around and slides the door shut behind him.

The cool night air hits his face as he steps out of the stage door, but his heart is still beating hard in fury and adrenaline that make his whole body feel hot.

As Shintaro walks back to his apartment, he can't help but go back to their conversation again and again in his mind.

It just feels completely absurd.

He and Taiga are supposed to play the most devoted lovers in one of the most legendary plays, but they have already managed to turn all that into a petty rivalry.

The next few weeks pass in a blur of rehearsals. Morning rehearsals turn into afternoon rehearsals, which turn into late script discussions, movement corrections, costume fittings, and even more rehearsals. Days blend until Shintaro sometimes has to stop and think about what day of the week it actually is.

Eventually, he has come to one simple conclusion. The easiest way to survive this production is to spend as little time with Taiga as possible.

It isn't particularly difficult. Somehow, it has become an unspoken agreement between two of them.

They arrive at the dressing room, greet each other with nothing more than a curt nod, change in silence, and leave for rehearsals. Between scenes, Shintaro chats with stagehands, the musicians, or Nishida. Taiga mostly stays close to his father or Kochi. Sometimes he quietly reads through the script by himself.

If they stay out of each other's way, perhaps they could both survive the next several months without murdering one another.

Shintaro honestly prefers it that way. The less Taiga opens his mouth around him, the better.

Besides, rehearsals are finally beginning to pay off. Kyoto has forced him to improve faster than he ever has before.

Every correction the director gives him, every note from Masaki, every mistake he makes becomes something he refuses to repeat. His confidence on stage grows little by little, until he no longer feels like the outsider who has wandered into a legendary theater and play by accident.

One afternoon, halfway through rehearsal, the director suddenly raises a hand.

"Stop."

The instruments fall silent, and everyone looks up.

The director frowns thoughtfully before turning toward Taiga.

"Kyomoto-san."

"Yes?"

"Come here."

Taiga walks over with a slightly confused expression. The director gestures toward the center of the stage, where Shintaro still stands.

"I'd like you to watch Morimoto-san for a moment."

Taiga's eyebrows lift ever so slightly. "Watch?"

"Yes." The director nods toward Shintaro. "Morimoto-san, continue the scene by yourself."

Shintaro blinks. "Just me?"

"Just you."

Shintaro nods once and takes his position again. The lines come naturally. Without another actor to respond to, he focuses entirely on the emotions. When he finishes, silence settles across the stage.

The director smiles and turns to look at Taiga.

"There. Do you see how naturally Morimoto-san's expressions change?" he asks.

Taiga stands with his arms folded, watching Shintaro with a face so blank it borders on boredom.

"I see," he says tightly.

"Don't get me wrong. You're technically flawless, Kyomoto-san," the director continues gently. "But sometimes I want to know what your character is feeling before you speak. Watch how Morimoto-san lets his emotions reach his face first."

Taiga lowers his head slightly. "Understood."

Shintaro tries very hard not to smile. It's a tiny victory.

He was maybe being a bit petty there. But after weeks of enduring cutting remarks and endless criticism, hearing the director praise him in front of Kyomoto Taiga feels satisfying.

-----

Shintaro spots Juri almost immediately outside the station.

"Oi!"

Juri grins as soon as he sees him. "Look who finally made it out here."

Shintaro laughs, stepping in for a quick hug.

"It has been a while."

"It really has."

Only after stepping back does Shintaro realize just how much he has missed Juri. He can't even remember the last time they met. Ever since Juri moved to Osaka for work, and Shintaro's own schedule became more and more consumed by rehearsals and performances in Kanazawa, seeing each other had become increasingly difficult. They sometimes wrote to each other or talked on the phone, but it wasn't the same.

They had known each other long before kabuki entered Shintaro's life. Back when neither of them had any idea what they would end up doing.

Maybe that is exactly why it feels so comforting to see Juri now. He belongs to a world completely separate from kabuki.

"Come on," Juri says, hooking an arm around Shintaro's shoulder. "I know a place. Good food, good drinks. You look like you need both."

"I definitely do."

Once they are settled in a small, smoky izakaya with drinks and food on the table, Juri reaches into his jacket pocket, taps a cigarette from the pack, and offers one across the table.

"Thanks," Shintaro says as he takes one.

Juri strikes a match, lights his own first, then leans over to light Shintaro's.

"So, Kyoto. Big stage. Big role. How is it?" he asks.

Shintaro stares into his beer for a second before taking a slow drag from his cigarette.

"It is alright," he starts. "The theater is incredible. It's bigger than anything I've ever worked in. The production is amazing. People are real professionals. Everyone knows exactly what they're doing."

Juri narrows his eyes. "But?" he utters.

"My co-star is a nightmare."

Juri bursts out laughing in disbelief. "What, already?"

"I am serious. He is talented, yeah. Insanely talented. But as a person?"

Shintaro exhales a stream of smoke and shakes his head.

"Cold. Arrogant. Full of himself. Rich idiot. Says things like he is testing how much he can get away with."

Juri shows a grimace. "Ouch. That bad?" he asks.

"I am serious, he really is that bad!"

Shintaro shakes his head before continuing as he tries to recall the past weeks.

"Yesterday, we were rehearsing, and I accidentally stepped an inch too close to him. He stopped the entire rehearsal to tell everyone my 'clumsy footsteps were ruining the play'. He keeps telling me I'm a bad actor just because my family isn't a kabuki family. Although I'm doing well and I've been improving a lot. Even the director told me so. The only thing the director keeps barking at me is that I have absolutely no chemistry with that prick on stage."

Juri snorts. "Well, I wonder why."

"Right?" Shintaro leans back with a puff. It feels good to finally voice his thoughts to someone who wouldn't report it back to Nishida or someone else from the theater. "When talking to him, it is like talking to a statue. I'd get more warmth and understanding from a gravestone."

"Sounds rough," Juri says, shaking his head.

Shintaro shrugs, tapping the ash off his cigarette.

"Well, I will deal with it. I did not come all the way to Kyoto to get pushed around by some jagoff just because I don't have a famous name thanks to my father."

"That is the spirit," Juri says, lifting his glass. "Show that asshole what you have got."

Shintaro clinks his glass against Juri's.

"Yeah," he says.

Juri takes another drag from his cigarette before grinning.

"Sounds to me like you just need to get yourself a lover. Get some practice so you can fake and make that chemistry better on stage. Aren't there any pretty ladies you can ask out and spend the night with?"

"I have exactly zero free time," Shintaro says defeatedly.

"Excuses. You're with me here tonight. And from my experience, that act takes maybe fifteen minutes. Ten if you're quick."

Shintaro snorts. "You're unbelievable. Besides, don't forget that I'm surrounded by men all day."

"Would that be a big problem for you?"

Shintaro shrugs. "Not really. But they're all old men, mind you. Which one am I supposed to hook up with?"

Juri smirks. "I don't know. The grumpy co-star?"

Shintaro snorts loudly. "Haha. Very funny."

"Well, he'd be the most age-appropriate, I believe. Or more like the only age-appropriate," Juri laughs.

Shintaro rolls his eyes hard at that.

"Oh, shut up," he says.

Juri only laughs harder.

After that, they drift into more casual topics. Juri tells Shintaro about his work, complains about his boss, and tells good, funny stories from the bars in Osaka. Shintaro laughs until his stomach hurts.

By the time they leave the izakaya, the lights along Dotonbori shimmer across the water as they walk back toward the station together.

"Take care of yourself," Juri says before they part ways.

"You too."

Shintaro watches Juri disappear into the crowd before turning toward the right platform. Tomorrow there will be another rehearsal. Another day of trying to work with the most insufferable person he has ever met.

But for the first time in weeks, Shintaro's shoulders feel a little lighter. Good friends are definitely needed during times like this.

-----

The first magazine interview is held in one of the smaller reception rooms inside the theater. When Shintaro and Taiga step inside, sunlight filters through the paper windows. A low table has already been prepared with tea, and beside it stands a young man carrying a notebook and a camera bag.

He looks to be around their age, dressed in a modern white-collared shirt, with thick black hair and round, horn-rimmed glasses that keep sliding down his nose.

As he notices them, he straightens so quickly that he almost drops his pen.

"Thank you very much for taking the time today. I'm Matsumura Hokuto, from Geinō Shinpō."

"Morimoto Shintaro," Shintaro replies with an easy smile, bowing in return. He adjusts the lapels of his tailored trousers and colorful button-down shirt as he sits. Unlike the traditional theater world around him, he always prefers the practicality and modern flair of contemporary clothes whenever he isn't on stage.

Taiga, dressed in a simple yukata as always, follows with a much stiffer bow.

"Kyomoto Taiga."

For a second, Hokuto fumbles with his notebook, nearly dropping it into his cup of tea.

"Sorry," he mutters, pushing his glasses back up.

Shintaro laughs at that.

"Don't worry. If it lands in the tea, we'll just pretend it's part of the interview," he says easily.

Hokuto lets out a small, embarrassed laugh. "Thank you," he says.

He opens a notebook and clicks his pen.

"I've actually been looking forward to meeting both of you. Everyone in Kansai is talking about this production already and the KyomoShin pair."

"I hope that's a good sign," Shintaro says.

"I think it is."

Taiga remains silent.

"So," Hokuto starts, "this is your first major production in Kyoto, Morimoto-san. As someone who didn't grow up in a traditional theater dynasty, how has the experience been so far?"

"It's been exciting," Shintaro answers honestly. "Everything here is on a much larger scale than what I'm used to. Every day feels like I'm learning something new. But the challenge is exactly why I wanted to do it."

"Were you nervous about stepping into such a historic venue and legendary play?"

"Oh, definitely. Terrified, if I'm being completely honest."

"That's surprisingly honest," Hokuto remarks.

"I don't think pretending otherwise would fool anyone."

Hokuto hums, scribbling a star next to the quote. Taiga stays still, his hands folded in his lap and the dark fabric of his yukata pooling around his knees. 

Hokuto turns his gaze toward him, adjusting his glasses again.

"And for you, Kyomoto-san? As the heir to one of the most prestigious names in kabuki, you have your experience from here. Does this project still make you nervous?"

Taiga considers the question for a brief moment.

"A little?" he finally says carefully.

"And how do you feel about working with an actor from outside the traditional families? Do you think this new era of Kabuki will change the art form?"

Shintaro holds his breath at that. He wonders if Taiga is going to use this public platform to repeat the biting remarks he's made in private about "outsiders" lacking proper blood and reverence. He prepares himself to smooth over whatever elitist insult comes out.

Instead, Taiga puts his head down.

"I think we'll be fine," he mutters.

"...That's all?"

"Yes."

Hokuto smiles politely, although he looks a bit confused about the short answer.

"I see," he says.

The interview continues. Whenever Hokuto asks Shintaro something, the conversation naturally grows beyond the original question. They talk about the best jazz clubs in Kanazawa, Shintaro's favorite roles, funny rehearsal mishaps, and the incredible food he has discovered in Kyoto.

Taiga, meanwhile, answers every question politely in as few words as humanly possible.

"What drew you to onnagata roles?"

"I like them."

"What do you hope audiences take away from this performance?"

"I hope they enjoy it."

"What has surprised you most during rehearsals?"

"Nothing."

And so on.

By the end of the interview, Hokuto closes his notebook. He stands and bows.

"Thank you both very much. I'll do my best to write an article worthy of the production," he says.

"I'm really looking forward to reading it," Shintaro says, standing up and offering a handshake, which Hokuto accepts, although with a surprised smile.

As they leave the room together, Hokuto walks beside Shintaro for a few steps and lowers his voice.

"You know, Morimoto-san, you're really easy to interview. Very modern. It's refreshing."

Shintaro laughs. "Is that a compliment? I'll gladly take it. The old-timers usually tell me I talk too much."

"It is a compliment. I hope we'll meet again. Maybe at some point for a solo feature?"

"I hope so too."

In front of them, Taiga walks silently, lowering his head a little bit. Yet, he doesn't say anything, although he probably heard everything Hokuto just said.

No sooner have they stepped back into the backstage corridor than Kochi approaches carrying a stack of costume pieces over one arm. His eyes brighten when he sees Shintaro and Taiga.

"Shintaro-kun, you handled that interview wonderfully!"

"Really?" Shintaro asks.

"Really," Kochi repeats. "You put that Matsumura reporter at ease almost immediately. That's a rare talent."

Shintaro scratches the back of his neck, suddenly feeling a little bashful.

"I just talked normally."

"Exactly," Kochi chuckles. "Most people forget how to do that once someone opens a notebook."

Just then, Masaki appears at the far end of the corridor.

"Ah, there you are," he says. His eyes move between Shintaro, Taiga, and Kochi.

"I just told them the interview went well," Kochi tells Masaki.

"I heard. And I'm not surprised," Masaki says with a faint, approving smile. Then, his face hardens slightly as he turns to his son. "Taiga."

Taiga straightens immediately.

"You need to speak more," Masaki says seriously.

Taiga swallows.

"I know," he says respectfully.

"Reporters aren't mind readers, especially these new magazine writers. They want personality. You should remember that you represent this family name even when you aren't in costume."

"I know."

Masaki sighs gently. "You give them so little to work with. I just want to help you."

Then he turns back to Shintaro.

"Morimoto-kun, on the other hand... You have a real gift for talking to people. In this day and age, that is incredibly important. Audiences don't only remember the performance anymore. They remember the personality behind it. You understand the changing times."

Shintaro suddenly feels a bit embarrassed, but a fierce spark of pride also flares in his chest. To hear such high praise coming from a legend like Kyomoto Masaki (and right in front of his son) is great. Not too many minutes ago, he was praised by the reporter and Kochi, as well.

"Thank you. I appreciate it," Shintaro says, bowing.

Masaki nods approvingly before excusing himself, called away by a stage manager down the hall. Kochi follows him, leaving Shintaro and Taiga in the corridor alone.

Shintaro glances sideways carefully.

Taiga's face is as unreadable as ever, but somehow his shoulders seem just a little lower than before. He suddenly looks less like an arrogant heir and more like a son who has just been scolded for not being good enough.

Without saying anything, Taiga turns and starts walking toward the dressing rooms, keeping his head and shoulders down. Shintaro stares at his back.

For some reason, the sight of Taiga's defeated posture makes something tight and uncomfortable twist in Shintaro's chest.

The sudden drop in his own triumphant mood catches him off guard.

He frowns to himself, watching the dark fabric of Taiga's yukata disappear around the corner.

Why the hell am I feeling sorry for him?

After everything Taiga has said to him over the past few weeks, pity is probably the last emotion he should be feeling.

"Weird man," he mutters to himself.

(Whether he means Taiga or himself, even Shintaro isn't entirely sure.)

-----

The celebration that evening is held at a high-end ryotei, funded entirely by one of the theater's wealthiest sponsors. The room is full of the haze of expensive tobacco smoke, and there are elegant shamisen melodies played by the maikos and geikos who have been hired to entertain the whole group that night.

Shintaro sits near the middle of the long table. He lets a young maiko try on his modern wristwatch, making her giggle. 

At some point, he needs to excuse himself. He slides out of the room into the long wooden corridor to head toward the restrooms.

As Shintaro walks, he suddenly hears loud, slurred voices from the intersecting corridor ahead.

"Come on, just one drink with us," a man's voice slurs, "A pretty face like yours shouldn't be hiding away."

"I already told you, I will return to my own party," another male voice replies. It sounds weirdly familiar.

Shintaro rounds the corner and stops. A few meters down the hall, three older men, clearly wealthy corporate types from a completely different party in the building, and their faces flushed red from alcohol, have Taiga cornered against the wooden wall. One man has a grip on Taiga's wrist, while a heavy-set man has aggressively forced his way into Taiga's personal space.

Taiga tries to shove him away, but the heavy-set man grabs him by the front of his yukata instead. His rough hand presses against Taiga's chest through the layers of fabric, patting and squeezing experimentally.

"Huh, where are your breasts?" the heavy-set man sneers, his fingers digging into Taiga's flesh as he gropes him. "You almost deceived me. Such a pretty face, but you're all flat here!"

"Wait..." one of them says, squinting at Taiga's face. "You're one of those kabuki actors, aren't you?"

The heavy-set man's expression twists into disgust.

"An onnagata?" he sneers. His hand slips crudely inside the crossover fold of the yukata, shoving past the collar to grope across Taiga's bare breastbone and chest. "So you're one of those disgusting freaks who prance around pretending to be women."

Before Shintaro even realizes it, he strides forward, grabs the heavy-set man by the shoulder of his suit jacket, and rips him backward with enough force to send the man stumbling across the corridor.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Shintaro shouts at them, stepping directly between Taiga and the men.

"Who the fuck are you?" the shoved man barks, rubbing his shoulder as his friends help him steady himself.

"Someone who's about to throw you down the stairs if you don't take your hands off my colleague," Shintaro says. "Get back to your own room before I call the management."

The three men look at Shintaro's imposing stature for a moment. Then the third man nervously pulls at the heavy-set man's arm.

"Let's go. It's not worth the scandal. Those two are both crazy."

With a few more parting scowls and slurred curses, the men slowly retreat down the hall, disappearing around the far corner.

Shintaro lets out a heavy breath, his adrenaline fading, leaving a sharp ache in his knuckle where he gripped the man's suit. He turns around to check on Taiga.

"Are you alright? Those bastards—"

"I didn't need your help."

Taiga is breathing heavily, and his hands are shaking as he straightens the front of his yukata where the man touched him. His eyes, when they snap up to meet Shintaro's, aren't grateful at all. They are burning with rage.

"What?" Shintaro asks.

"I said, I didn't need your help," Taiga repeats, his voice trembling in anger. "I had the situation under control. You had no right to interfere."

Shintaro scoffs.

"Under control? Interfere?! That man had his hands inside your clothes! He was assaulting you! If I hadn't come out here—"

"I would have handled it!" Taiga cuts him off angrily.

He takes a deep breath before he continues.

"But of course, Morimoto has to play the hero. You always know exactly what to do, don't you? You charm the journalists, you please my father, everyone is a fan of your modern performance, and now you save the helpless, pathetic onnagata in the hallway. You're just perfect, aren't you?"

Shintaro can't believe his ears.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he snaps. "What's your problem? You've been acting like I'm the most horrible and talentless person, yet now you're calling me perfect? Care to decide on what you really think? It's getting tiring to fight with you all the time about different topics."

For a long, agonizing moment, neither of them speaks. It almost feels as though one of them might say something they can never take back. The distant sound of shamisen music comes through the walls.

Taiga takes a shaky breath. He looks down at the wooden floorboards, his hands go hide back inside his sleeves.

The furious fire in his eyes dies down, replaced by a cold, miserable exhaustion. He doesn't look angry any longer. He looks simply humiliated.

"They were drunk," Taiga says quietly.

Shintaro stares at him. Somehow, he suddenly doesn't feel like arguing anymore. The heat in his own chest starts cooling down.

"Yeah, well. They were also idiots. They had no right to assault my co-star. Onnagatas already deal with so much shit these days when common folks don't get the role."

Taiga stands entirely still for a few seconds. He doesn't look up, but his eyes drift slowly toward the side of Shintaro's face.

"Your cheek is bleeding," he mutters as he turns his head back.

Shintaro instinctively reaches up and touches his upper cheekbone, right below his eye. His fingertips come away with a small smear of bright red. He must have scraped it against something when he lunged forward to shove the heavy man away.

"Oh," Shintaro mutters, staring at the blood on his finger. "Didn't even realize."

Taiga hesitates. Then he reaches into the wide sleeve of his yukata and pulls out a folded silk handkerchief.

Stepping forward, Taiga still doesn't look Shintaro in the eye, but he extends his hand, offering the cloth.

"Take this. Before it stains your shirt," he mumbles.

Shintaro stares at the extended hand in surprise, slowly reaching out to take the handkerchief from it.

Without waiting for a reply, Taiga steps past him. The fabric of his sleeve brushes lightly against Shintaro's arm as he walks away.

Everything is the same. The rehearsals are still demanding. Masaki is still correcting certain scenes without warning, and the director is still making everyone repeat the same exchanges until they are perfect. Sponsors and partners keep dropping by to check on their progress, and their presence itself at the rehearsals makes everyone nervous every time. And Shintaro has still been pushing himself to the limit every single day. He still spends hours after rehearsal practicing his footwork, working on his vocal projection, and trying to refine his mie poses.

Yet, one major thing has changed.

Taiga has completely stopped interrupting him. He's stopped correcting every tiny mistake Shintaro possibly makes, and he has completely quit making those comments about non-kabuki family names not deserving to be on stage.

It's weird. It's not like Taiga has suddenly become friendly - because he definitely hasn't. He has simply left Shintaro alone.

Still, most of the time, Shintaro finds himself waiting for one of Taiga's interruptions during rehearsal. But none comes. Instead, Taiga just gives a single, stiff nod whenever Shintaro manages to get through a hard scene without messing up.

Is he actually acknowledging me as a proper actor? Shintaro thinks to himself, feeling a weird mixed feeling of relief and confusion at the same time. Or is he also just tired of arguing?

A few days later, rehearsal ends right before dinner time. The actors begin moving toward the dressing rooms.

Shintaro is in the middle of writing final remarks on his worn script when a shadow falls over him. He looks up, surprised (and a bit startled) to find Taiga standing there.

Without a word, Taiga places a wrapped paper package directly on top of Shintaro's script.

"What's this?" Shintaro asks, taking and blinking at the package.

"There's a sweet shop near the theater."

"Alright?"

"They make good dorayaki."

"...Alright?"

"I bought too many."

"And now you are giving them to me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Taiga looks awkward. He looks away, staring at a random spot on the wooden floor.

"No reason. Thought you'd like them," he mutters.

Shintaro slowly picks up the package.

"Thanks," he manages to say.

Taiga gives a short nod. He immediately spins around to leave, as though remaining there for another second would be too much.

"Oi," Shintaro calls out after him.

Taiga stops.

Shintaro reaches into his own sleeve, rummaging inside until his fingers find the silky fabric. "I almost forgot." He pulls out a folded square of silk cloth and hands it over. "The handkerchief. Don't worry, I washed it."

Taiga accepts the handkerchief.

"Thank you," he says politely.

Shintaro shrugs. "No, thank you. This came in handy in many cases."

That much is true. He ended up using it several times over the past week. Every time he unfolded it, there was the faint scent lingering in the fabric. It was not perfume because it was nothing sweet or flowery. It just smelled clean, like fresh soap and maybe cedar. There was also the slight aroma of whatever hair oil Taiga always used after performances.

Shintaro's silly thoughts about the scent of a handkerchief get interrupted as Taiga tucks the cloth somewhere in his sleeve, and he turns around again.

"Well, good to hear," he says curtly over his shoulder. "See you later, Morimoto."

"Yes. See you," Shintaro replies, watching Taiga walk away.

That whole handkerchief thing had already been a sign of a ceasefire. And maybe this whole dorayaki gesture (Shintaro watches the paper bag) with a normal discussion on top of it was finally a peace treaty.

-----

"The final dress rehearsal is finally tomorrow," the director announces. "Which means tonight, nobody thinks about the play."

One of the senior actors grins. "Nice. So, we're celebrating!"

This time, the sponsors have arranged for the main actors and players to travel out of Kyoto for the night. They board a late train to Osaka and arrive at a high-class, Western-style club in a new entertainment district.

Shintaro's mouth almost drops open when he walks inside. He has never seen a place like that. Huge crystal lights hang from the ceiling, and the marble floor is so shiny he can almost see his reflection. Everything looks expensive, and waiters in white jackets carry silver trays with imported champagne bottles.

"So this is where rich people go to waste money," Shintaro says aloud, looking around in awe.

The senior actor beside him laughs, patting his arm.

"You'll get used to it, Morimoto-kun."

"I wonder," Shintaro says.

A live jazz band plays music on a stage, and soon Shintaro is drinking and chatting with everyone. He feels relieved when he sees Jesse arrive, immediately dragging his new friend into the fray.

At some point, though, Shintaro's eyes drift over the room and land on Taiga.

Taiga is sitting in the middle of the main area, surrounded by older famous actors from well-known kabuki families and some people Shintaro can't name. At first, Taiga looks like his usual self by sitting straight, smiling politely, and answering nicely whenever someone talks to him.

Then, Shintaro watches in absolute disbelief as Taiga downs a full glass of champagne in one go. Then another. Then another.

Shintaro rolls his eyes at that.

----

Shintaro tries his best to focus on the conversation around him. Jesse is as loud and funny as ever, making the other people laugh with his charm. But no matter how hard Shintaro tries to stay present, his eyes keep involuntarily drifting, landing on Taiga. This time for a different reason than usual.

Within an hour, the reserved Taiga has completely vanished. He talks loudly now, gesturing with his hands as he debates an older man in a suit. He throws his head back, laughing, leaning over to enthusiastically pour drinks for everyone around him. He isn't just attending the party anymore; he’s running the whole show.

"Does he always get like that?" Shintaro asks one of the ensemble actors sitting near him, gesturing toward Taiga and the loud table.

The man takes a sip of his drink and shrugs.

"Only when his father is not around to watch him. And as long as someone else is paying the bill."

Before Shintaro can digest that, Jesse turns and catches sight (or the loudness) of the table. He grins.

"Hey! Taiga!" Jesse calls out over the noise, waving his arm. "Stop hiding over there with the executives! Come get a real drink here!"

Taiga looks over, his cheeks flushed and his eyes looking slightly unfocused. There's a grin on his face as he pushes himself up from the booth, staggering slightly before making his way over to their group.

"Jesse!" Taiga calls out, entirely too loud. He sits down between Shintaro and Jesse. Then he slings an arm over Jesse’s shoulder, nearly off-balancing them both. "You know what your problem is?"

Jesse laughs and pats Taiga's shoulder.

"What's my problem, Taiga?"

"You're too tall," Taiga announces, pointing a finger right at Jesse's nose. "And..."

"And what else?" Jesse urges, looking amused.

"And you're hanging around with him," Taiga slurs, his finger swaying drunkenly until it points straight at Shintaro's chest. "Why is that? Huh?"

"Because he actually has good taste, you arrogant drunk," Shintaro snaps immediately. He hasn't come to the party to listen to Taiga's drunken slurs. "Go back to your babysitters before you embarrass yourself even more."

"Heyyy, heyyyy!" Jesse jumps in, throwing his arm between them with a laugh and squeezing them close to himself. "Come on, guys, I like you both! Stop fighting, you two! You two make a great combo!"

"Whatever," Taiga mutters, wrenching himself free from Jesse's tight crush. "This party sucks anyway."

Without another word, Taiga stalks off toward the back hallways of the venue. For the rest of the evening, he never returns to the main room. Which is good. Shintaro is more than happy to keep it that way.

Fuck the peace treaty. There never was one.

-----

By the time the party begins winding down, midnight has long since passed.

Shintaro stretches his tired shoulders. The room feels like it is moving a bit too fast when he even turns his head. He drank a lot with Jesse, and the alcohol is making his body feel warm.

"I'm heading back to Kyoto," he slurs to no one in particular in the group.

"Take care!" everyone cheers back.

Shintaro leaves the club, stepping out into the night. The bright streetlights of Osaka look a little blurry in his eyes. He is definitely drunk, not completely wasted, but he's floating in that nice zone where his brain feels fuzzy, and his limbs are comfortably numb.

He walks half a block from the club when he notices a dark shape sitting in a dark alley between two brick buildings.

Shintaro stops, squinting hard to clear his vision.

"Kyomoto?"

It is indeed Taiga. He is sitting directly on the ground, his back pressed against the brick wall. His usually clean hair is a total disaster, loose strands sticking to his forehead. His haori is hanging crookedly off one shoulder, and his usually pale cheeks are flushed.

Taiga lifts his head slowly, his eyes looking totally clouded.

"Morimoto...?" He blinks a few times, trying desperately to focus on Shintaro's face. "I... I can't walk."

Shintaro stares at him. Suddenly his own head feels much clearer after seeing someone this wasted. He sighs and walks over, crouching down in front of Taiga.

"You're completely wasted," he states.

Taiga lets out a breathless, humorless laugh that sounds more like a sigh.

"I drank too much... everything is spinning," he slurs.

"Yes, I know the feeling," Shintaro hums, his own head swirling a bit as he stands back up.

For a moment he just keeps looking at the sight. He wonders what he's supposed to do with Taiga in that state. Because, despite the other man being the most insufferable person on earth, it would be too cruel just to leave him there. Someone could steal his wallet, take pictures, or something even worse. But sending him to his family home in Kyoto in a taxi? No way. His parents would probably skin him alive. Besides, Shintaro doesn't know how he and Taiga would be able to pay all that. He doesn't know if Taiga even has money with him in the first place.

He looks down at Taiga again. Sitting in the dirt, slumped against the bricks with his clothes messy and his eyes half-closed, he looks strangely small and his whole form somewhat shrinkened. All that proud, cold energy he usually carries is gone, leaving behind just a feeble guy who can't even stand up on his own two feet.

Shintaro sighs. Then he reaches out, grabbing Taiga's arm.

"Let's go. I'll help you."

"Wh-what?"

"I'll take you to my home."

Taiga nods weakly at that, not even protesting.

"Okay..."

Shintaro slips Taiga's arm over his own shoulders and hauls him up. He stumbles slightly under the extra weight, his own balance definitely unsteady by the alcohol, but he manages to keep them both standing. Taiga lets out a soft grunt, his one hand coming to clutch Shintaro's shirt. He clings tightly, burying his face directly into the crook of Shintaro's neck.

The journey back to Kyoto ends up being very long and very blurry.

Between Shintaro's own drunkenness and Taiga's dead weight, the train ride and the walk through the quiet streets feel like going on forever. Throughout it all, Taiga remains overly attached to Shintaro, refusing to let go of his shirt, his breathing warm and ragged against Shintaro's neck.

By the time they reach Shintaro's apartment building and front door (it took forever to climb those fifteen steps to his floor), Shintaro manages to shove the key into the lock, open the door, and drag them both inside.

"You live here," Taiga states as he looks around the tiny apartment with glassy eyes.

"I do," Shintaro says, guiding him down onto the tatami. "It's small, I know. Don't complain."

To his surprise, Taiga actually smiles. It's a tiny, crooked, childlike expression. It makes him look almost cute.

"I am not complaining," he sneers.

Shintaro scoffs at that. He pours two glasses of water from the kitchen pitcher, spilling a few drops onto the floor because his hand is unstable. Then, he slops down on the tatami next to Taiga, his knees knocking against the other man's, and hands him a glass before gulping down his own. The water helps clear the fog in his throat, but his mind is still all loose from alcohol.

Taiga drains his glass in slow gulps before setting it aside. He stares down at his hands, his fingers twiddling.

"The roof..." Taiga mumbles out of nowhere. 

"What about the roof?"

"It's low," Taiga slurs, waving his hand toward the ceiling before it drops back onto his lap. "Everything in this room is... very close together."

"It's just a normal apartment, Kyomoto," Shintaro sighs, taking another sip of water. "Not everyone sleeps in a manor."

Taiga lets out a quiet sound that might be a chuckle, but there's a hint of bitterness in it.

"It's like you," Taiga then says slowly, his eyes glued on the tatami between his knees. "Your voice... when you move, even your clothes make noise. Everything you do takes up space."

"Excuse me?" Shintaro is lost as to what drunk Taiga is now referring to.

"You're just... everywhere," Taiga continues, slurring. "On the stage. You walk into our theater without a famous name, and you just... exist. You take up all the space in the room, and everyone watches you."

"Well, sorry for existing," Shintaro grunts, but the bite that is usually there when he talks to Taiga is missing. Beneath the alcohol, he somewhat manages to hear some actually sincere frustration in Taiga's words.

"My father... he says it's never enough," Taiga continues quietly. "No matter how much I practice... how many scenes I fix. More, more, more. Kyomoto name... has to be perfect. And then you come in..."

He lets out a bitter sigh. "...without any of it. And you're just... naturally good."

Shintaro stays quiet. Even though they're indeed still just drunken words, they hit somewhere. Because, all this time, he's been thinking Taiga has looked down on him from some untouchable pedestal. Yet here Taiga is, talking about the weight of a golden cage Shintaro has never even considered.

Shintaro clears his throat.

"I'm not naturally good, Kyomoto. I work my ass off."

"I know," Taiga mutters. "I know you do. That's why I hated it. I was jealous... of you. Because you just get to be you, and I have to be... someone everyone expects me to be."

"You think too much," Shintaro says, reaching out to squeeze Taiga's shoulder, mostly so that he wouldn't tip over as his head starts dropping. "Just shut up for once."

"Mmm..."

Shintaro sets his glass down.

"Alright. It's late. We have the final dress rehearsal tomorrow."

He gets up, his legs feeling a bit heavy, and goes over to unroll his single futon in the corner of the room. As he pulls out the mattress and blanket, he glances back at Taiga.

"Just so you know," Shintaro says carefully, "I don't have a spare futon. My apartment isn't built for guests. So."

Taiga blinks up at him, his eyes looking heavy with champagne and exhaustion, but surprisingly clear for a second.

"Then we'll just sleep on the same one," he states.

"Is that really fine?" Shintaro can't believe what he just heard.

"We're co-stars, aren't we?" Taiga says simply, as if that logically explained everything. Without waiting for permission, he crawls over, slips under the blanket, and turns onto his side, leaving just enough space on the narrow mattress.

Shintaro stares at the sight. Then he sighs and eventually turns off the light.

The room goes dark.

Shintaro carefully lays himself down on the very edge of the futon, trying his best to keep his distance. The futon is narrow, and to keep from falling off onto the tatami, he has to lie still. He can feel the body heat radiating off Taiga.

When neither of them says a word, he assumes Taiga has already fallen asleep.

Then, the bedding rustles.

Taiga rolls toward him slowly, sliding across the narrow space until his forehead presses right against Shintaro's shoulder.

Shintaro turns his head slightly in the dark.

"Hey, Kyomoto, you might want to move back. Do you even realize who I am..."

A soft sound escapes Taiga's throat.

"I know who you are," he murmurs against his ear. "Shintaro..."

Shintaro's breath takes a pause. Hearing his first name drop from Taiga's lips like that, so naturally and without an ounce of hostility, makes his heart do a sudden, strange flip.

"You are sweating," Taiga murmurs. He raises his hand and puts it on top of the hollow part where Shintaro's neck meets his collarbones. "Right here on your neck."

His fingers trace the faint sheen of sweat on Shintaro's skin.

Shintaro swallows because of the touch, but for some reason he doesn't ask Taiga to stop or pull away.

"Huh? Well, yes. I mean, it was a long walk, and it's hot in here..." he stutters.

"I will help you," Taiga whispers.

Before Shintaro can ask what he means by that, Taiga leans in. He opens his lips and gently presses his tongue against the side of Shintaro's neck, slowly licking the sweat off his skin.

For the second time, Shintaro's breath stops in his throat. This time not only slightly but completely. The feeling of Taiga's warm, wet tongue on his neck makes his mind go totally blank. Any thought of pushing Taiga away vanishes, and he actually lets out the smallest moan.

Taiga also makes a soft sound, resembling a moan, and moves closer. He buries his face in Shintaro's neck and nips at his skin with his teeth, right over Shintaro's pulse.

Shintaro's brain tells him it's crazy, but his body reacts completely differently. Even with the alcohol making him numb, something hot spreads low in his stomach. His heart beats fast against his chest, and his skin feels like it is on fire wherever Taiga's mouth touches his skin. He feels intensely aroused, completely stuck on the floor as this strange heat washes over him.

Taiga groans softly and puts his arm over Shintaro's waist, forcing him to turn on his side so their chest are now pressed together. Shintaro grabs the bedsheets tightly, his head spinning as he waits for what Taiga will do next—

And then, right in the middle of it all, Taiga's breathing evens out.

He lets out one last heavy exhale against Shintaro's neck and completely goes limp. He's fast asleep. But even in his sleep, Taiga doesn't pull away. Instead, he wraps an arm around Shintaro's waist, pulling himself flush against him and hugging him tightly.

The room becomes completely silent again. No more bed rustling.

Shintaro lies entirely rigid in the dark, his body still throbbing, the memory of Taiga's wet tongue and sharp teeth still burning like fire on his neck. Carefully, he glances down at the man clinging to him.

Even in the dark room, he can see Taiga's face properly. It looks so... peaceful. It has a quiet, serene expression, and his long eyelashes rest softly against his cheekbones.

It's absurd. Kyomoto Taiga is in his apartment, drunk, asleep, in his bed. Holding onto him like a blanket.

The scary revelation is that all that is kind of comfortable.

No. It's actually a very, very terrifying revelation. Because all of that is more than really comfortable.

"Good night," Shintaro whispers, waiting a second before adding, "Taiga."

"Mm."

Shintaro is the first to open his eyes. The throbbing headache reminds him instantly of all the champagne from the night before. Then he realizes the warm weight resting against his chest. He swallows.

Taiga is still there. His face is buried in the crook of Shintaro's shoulder, and his one arm is tightly wrapped around his waist. His breathing is all soft and steady. Shintaro finds himself wondering if Taiga is always that clingy after drinking alcohol or if this closeness is just an accident.

Then, Taiga stirs with a groggy groan.

His eyes open, looking confused at first, until he realizes he's lying right on Shintaro's chest. He quickly scrambles backward. Then he winces as he sits up and presses his hands against his head. There are dark circles under his eyes, his bedhead all messy.

"My head hurts so bad," Taiga complains.

"No wonder, champagne will do that to you," Shintaro says, trying to sound normal as he also sits up and pulls the blanket over his lap.

There's awkward silence. Neither of them says a word about what happened on the futon last night with the licked sweat and quiet moans.

While Taiga sits frozen, staring blankly at the far wall, Shintaro forces himself to get up and start a basic morning routine. He pads over to the small kitchen, pours two large glasses of cold water, and finds two aspirin tablets.

He walks back over and sets a glass and the pill right in front of Taiga.

"Here. Take this. It'll help with the pounding."

"Oh. Thank you," Taiga says.

Shintaro grabs a clean towel, wets it with cold water from the sink, and tosses it onto Taiga’s lap.

"And wipe your face. You look like a ghost."

Shintaro quickly changes his clothes, running a comb through his hair while Taiga slowly gathers himself.

"We need to get to the theater," Taiga says quietly, handing the glass back.

"Yes. Let's go."

The walk to the theater is spent mostly in silence. Looking over at Taiga, Shintaro catches himself trying to gauge whether the quiet between them stems from some sort of regret or just pure exhaustion.

They walk side by side down the narrow street, keeping a careful distance between them.

The sun hits a patch of bright pavement ahead, making Taiga wince and cover his face with both hands.

"The sun is attacking me today," Taiga mutters behind his palms.

Shintaro smirks at that.

"Pretty sure the sun doesn't ask whether you have a hangover or not."

"No, it definitely has targeted me," Taiga replies, peeking through two fingers. "I take this as a personal insult."

Shintaro can't help chuckling at that.

"Alright, stay in my shadow then," he says, moving a half-step sideways. "I'll protect you from that giant star."

Taiga lets out a dry scoff, but he actually takes the step closer to walk right behind Shintaro's shoulder.

"Well, look at that," Shintaro grins over his shoulder. "So you do enjoy being in my shadow for once."

"Don't let it go to your head," Taiga retorts immediately, though there's a soft joke in his voice. "This is just for survival."

The rest of the walk continues without much talking. Yet, the mood between them feels significantly lighter.

When they arrive, the backstage area of the theater is already very busy. Stagehands are running around with props, and costumers are carrying heavy kimonos.

As they walk in, Masaki is standing near the hallway talking to the head producer. When he sees them, he shakes his head immediately.

"Good morning," Taiga stammers, bowing slightly.

His father gives him a disapproving look, sweeping his eyes over Taiga’s pale face and dark under-eye circles.

"You look exhausted, Taiga. I told you that you shouldn't spend the whole night out at that party. You need to go to bed earlier on big days, like a dress rehearsal. Your focus needs to be on Ohatsu, not drinking with guests."

Taiga flinches, lowering his head further.

"I'm sorry, Father. It won't happen again."

"Good," Masaki says.

Feeling the small sting in Masaki's words and looking at Taiga's defeated face, Shintaro feels a small surge of frustration, wishing Taiga wouldn't let his father shrink him down so easily every time.

They leave and start walking to the dressing room.

-----

Shintaro settles at his own side of the long wooden counter, unbuttoning his shirt and slipping it off his shoulders before tossing a towel over his lap. He grabs his under-kimono, pulling the fabric over his arms, and begins tying his sash.

On the other side of the room, Shintaro notices Taiga is sitting motionless in his under-robe, staring fixedly into the bright mirror by his vanity table. He holds a big bamboo brush tipped with white paint, but he isn't applying it.

He is shaking. His fingers tremble so hard that the wet paint drips onto the wooden table.

"I can't do this," Taiga whispers to himself, not noticing Shintaro standing behind him. "Ugh, I can't."

Shintaro looks at him in the mirror.

"Are you alright?"

Taiga flinches slightly, dropping his hand and sighing.

"My hands won't stop shaking," he says. He almost sounds like he's in pain. "It's the hangover, and it's the dress rehearsal. All the sponsors, theater people, and producers are out there. My father is out there. He's already disappointed in me. And I'm a mess like this. The play will be ruined. I can't even do my makeup."

Shintaro sighs. He walks over and sits down right next to Taiga. Then, without thinking twice, he reaches out and covers Taiga's cold, shaking hand with his own palm. Shintaro gently opens Taiga's fingers one by one from around the bamboo brush, lifting it out of his grasp.

"You really are impossible," Shintaro mutters softly.

"What are you doing?" Taiga asks.

"Look here and hold still," Shintaro says, moving closer to him. "Or I'll ruin your face. Then the play will really be ruined."

Shintaro dips the brush into the bowl of wet white paint. He leans in close (close enough that he can smell the familiar scent on Taiga's skin, mixed with the faint smell of alcohol from last night).

Placing his hand on the back of Taiga's neck to keep him still, Shintaro draws the brush across Taiga's forehead.

Taiga lets out a quiet breath as the cool white paint touches his skin.

Shintaro moves the brush in slow strokes. He drags it down the curve of Taiga's nose, over his cheekbones, and down to his jawline. Every time Shintaro's thumb touches Taiga's skin to smooth out the edge of the paint, he feels his own pulse quicken out of nowhere.

"Hold your head up," Shintaro murmurs, looking down at Taiga's neck.

Taiga tilts his chin up, exposing his throat.

Shintaro's hand tightens around the brush just a bit. He sweeps the brush down Taiga's neck, coating the smooth skin in white. Taiga's eyes flutter shut, his breathing sounding heavy as Shintaro leans over him. Their faces are just inches apart.

"Turn around," Shintaro tells him quietly.

Taiga slowly turns his back to Shintaro, pulling the collar of his under-robe lower.

Shintaro's throat feels dry. He dips the brush into the white paint again, making sure it’s completely coated, and presses the cool bristles against the base of Taiga's neck.

Taiga's shoulders tighten.

"Don't move," Shintaro murmurs, resting his free hand on Taiga's bare shoulder to steady him.

"It's cold," Taiga mutters back.

Shintaro sets the brush down and uses his fingers to smooth out the edges of the paint. His thumb slides slowly up the center of Taiga's nape, tracing the curve of his spine until it buries slightly into the soft hair at the base of his head.

It should be strictly professional, but staring at the bare curve of Taiga's neck only brings unwanted images crashing back into Shintaro's mind. He swallows. He remembers the heat of last night on the futon, the slick trace of Taiga's tongue against his skin, and the quiet, breathless moans Taiga had let spill right into his shoulder.

Shintaro clears his throat. Then he picks up the black ink brush for the eyes.

"Look at me. Don't blink," he orders.

He leans in closer again, feeling Taiga's warm breath against his lips.

Shintaro rests his pinky finger against Taiga's cheekbone to steady his hand, drawing the deep black line along Taiga's eyelid.

They are so close that if Shintaro leaned forward just an inch, their lips would actually touch. It's just a silly thought. But still.

He moves forward and draws Taiga's eyebrows with another black pencil.

Finally, Shintaro picks up the small pot of red ink for the lips.

"Last step," he says.

He dips his thumb directly into the red paint. Holding Taiga’s chin in his palm, he presses his thumb onto the center of Taiga's lower lip, smudging the red color outward. Taiga swallows hard, his eyes dropping to Shintaro's mouth. Shintaro slowly drags his thumb over Taiga's bottom lip, thinking briefly how soft it is, before finally pulling his hand away.

Shintaro leans back.

"There. Done."

Taiga stares into the mirror; his face is now completely transformed into Ohatsu. The trembling in his hands has stopped. He looks up at Shintaro through the glass.

"Thank you," he says sheepishly.

Shintaro stands up and places both hands on Taiga's shoulders, patting him. He catches Taiga's eyes in the mirror.

"You're welcome. And hey, I've been practicing with you every single day. Nobody knows this role better than you do. You're going to be amazing out there today, like always. Trust me."

-----

A short while later, they are standing backstage in full costume, waiting for their cue.

Shintaro is dressed in a checkered outfit, while Taiga stands beside him in Ohatsu's kimono, complete with the decorated wig.

Taiga leans toward Shintaro, muttering out of the corner of his painted mouth, "Ughhh... I feel so sick."

Shintaro glances at him with a small smirk.

"Just don't throw up on stage. It's bad for the silk," he says.

Taiga scoffs. "I'll try my best."

"Places!" the stage manager calls out.

The wooden clappers make the sound - Chon! Chon! - and the final dress rehearsal begins.

The second they step onto the stage, Shintaro feels like the hangover and all the fear disappear under the bright lights.

The play reaches the porch scene. Shintaro's Tokubei hides under the floorboards while Taiga's Ohatsu sits above him.

Usually, Shintaro just takes Ohatsu's bare foot and holds it against his cheek like they practiced millions of times. Shintaro hasn't forgotten the first time they practiced the scene, and Taiga complained of his stubble. But this time, Shintaro does something different. He doesn't know where the courage comes from all of a sudden, but then again, Taiga wouldn't make a scene during the dress rehearsal. Not at this point any longer. So, instead of just touching the foot, he wraps his hand firmly around Taiga's ankle and pulls his foot a little tighter against his face. His thumb gently moves over the arch of Taiga's foot.

Taiga keeps saying his lines like he's supposed to, but his toes curl tightly against Shintaro's cheek. He actually presses his foot down into Shintaro's hand, letting out a soft sigh by the end of his lines that isn't in the script.

Shintaro's heart beats fast in his chest. Did Taiga really just follow that?

Next comes the escape scene. The lights dim to a midnight blue, and the music gets fast and sad. Tokubei comes out from hiding to take Ohatsu into the night.

Shintaro steps up to Taiga. Instead of grabbing Taiga's wrist as they practiced, Shintaro laces his fingers tightly through Taiga's hands and pulls him forward.

Taiga stumbles a bit, looking totally desperate. Shintaro instantly slides his arm around Taiga's waist to catch him, holding him close as they run down the hanamichi.

Shintaro can't believe it. Usually, kabuki feels like a bunch of strict rules, and he's been doing his best to break them before while acting, but he gave up when it was with Taiga. But right now, every small change Shintaro makes, Taiga catches it and follows him perfectly.

Shintaro realizes everything else around him is disappearing, and he's only living Tokubei's life at that moment. The test audience, producers, Masaki watching from the front row, the director - none of them matter. All Shintaro feels is the way Taiga holds onto his shoulder as they run.

Finally, they reach the end in the woods of Sonezaki.

Shintaro's Tokubei raises the blade and fulfills their tragic pact.

Taiga's Ohatsu falls onto the floor. Tokubei drops right beside her. Shintaro reaches out in the quiet, finding Taiga's hand and holding it tight on the floor.

They lie completely still in the middle of the stage.

Then, the wooden clappers signal the end of the play, and the curtain falls to hide them.

The curtain rises again.

It takes maybe about three seconds and then the auditorium erupts. The director stands up, clapping loudly, followed by shouts of praise from the sponsors in the front rows. Masaki offers a slow, impressed nod from his seat. Hokuto is sitting in one of the middle rows, watching intently and scribbling notes in his notebook.

"Brilliant! Absolutely extraordinary chemistry!"

Shintaro gently lets go of Taiga's hand as they both sit up, catching their breath. They stand together, bowing deeply to the cheering people as the stage lights wash over them.

After the rehearsal finishes, they head back to the dressing room to change out of their costumes, wash off the stage makeup, and fix their hair.

-----

A short while later, they enter the reception room for their second interview with Hokuto.

Shintaro sits down at the low wooden table and looks at Taiga. With all the heavy white paint completely washed off, Taiga looks surprisingly fresh and young. His face is bare, his skin slightly flushed from the warm water, and his dark hair is still a bit damp around the edges, sticking softly to his forehead. Shintaro finds himself staring for a second before catching himself, mentally scolding himself for letting his eyes wander so openly on his co-star in the middle of an interview.

Hokuto sits in front of them with his notebook open on his lap, his horn-rimmed glasses shining under the room light.

"Thank you both for taking the time," Hokuto says, looking between them with a smile. "I just watched the final rehearsal, and the chemistry between you two on stage... it was honestly breathtaking. Word is already spreading among the people."

Shintaro smiles, leaning back.

"Thank you. We've been practicing a lot to make sure we get it right."

Hokuto turns to Taiga.

"Kyomoto-san, during our first interview, you seemed a bit hesitant about working with someone outside traditional kabuki. But today, during that scene beneath the porch, the connection was undeniable. How has it been sharing the stage with Morimoto-san?"

Taiga doesn't look away or hide behind a stiff posture this time. He holds his warm teacup, glancing sideways at Shintaro. Then he smiles.

"It was an adjustment at first, but a good one," he says smoothly. "After all, Morimoto-san brings so much energy to the stage. Most of all, he's an incredibly reliable person."

Shintaro looks at Taiga, pleasantly surprised by the compliment. A warm feeling fills his chest.

"And for you, Morimoto-san? How has working with Kyomoto-san been?" Hokuto asks.

"Honestly, I've realized I can trust Kyomoto-san in a whole new way," Shintaro says, his voice softening as he looks at Taiga's side profile. "He's just incredibly professional. I really look up to him. He pays attention to every little detail, but today on stage I noticed how he truly adapts instantly to whatever happens. Everything just clicked today."

Taiga looks down at his tea, the tips of his ears turning slightly pink.

"The trust between you two is amazing," Hokuto says, closing his notebook. "The fans following the KyomoShin pair are going to love this. You've really become great partners."

"We're getting there," Taiga says while nodding politely.

"Definitely," Shintaro agrees with a grin. "Opening night is going to be even better."

Hokuto bows and thanks them one more time, leaving them alone in the room.

Shintaro leans an elbow on the table, looking at Taiga curiously.

"Okay, but seriously..." he starts, "I pulled all those changes out of nowhere during the scenes. I couldn't believe you actually went along with them. How did you follow all that without freezing up?"

Taiga sets his teacup down and shrugs.

"I don't know. Somehow, it just worked out."

Shintaro chuckles, shaking his head. "Just worked out? I grabbed your ankle and changed the hand grip entirely."

"And I reacted," Taiga retorts, a proud smile breaking through. "You gave me something real to work with. I wasn't going to just ignore it on stage."

Shintaro grins, nudging Taiga's knee lightly with his own under the table.

"You really are amazing out there, you know that?"

"Of course I know," Taiga jokes, raising a brow playfully, bumping Shintaro's leg back with his own.

Then Taiga looks down, smoothing out his sleeve as his face becomes more serious. It looks like he's really trying to pick the right words because it takes a good while before he dares to continue.

"In all seriousness..." he says, "Thank you. For today. About the makeup. And well, everything."

Shintaro blinks. Taiga sounds so gentle. Adding to that his clean, freshly washed face, all of a sudden, Shintaro feels like he's seeing the very real Kyomoto Taiga for the first time. Not the famous onnagata playing Ohatsu, and not Kyomoto Masaki's perfect successor. Just an ordinary guy being completely sincere, with his walls down for once.

"You don't need to thank me," Shintaro hurries to say. He offers a smile before adding, "We're in this together. Partners."

Taiga looks at him for a moment with a serious look.

Then, his whole face softens, and a gentle smile appears.

It's a smile Shintaro hasn't seen before. There's no performance in it, no polite mask Taiga usually wears in social gatherings and on stage, but just warmth that lights up his whole face up to his eyes.

"Yes," Taiga then says, nodding. "We are."

It's the opening night. Shintaro stands in the middle of their dressing room, rolling his shoulders to work out the tight knot that's stuck between his shoulder blades. He starts adjusting the collar of his inner robe when his eyes spot something.

Sitting right in the corner of the room, practically taking up an entire side table, is a massive arrangement of white lilies and orchids. Attached is an ornate card bearing the family name Konoe written in expensive decorative calligraphy.

Shintaro isn't used to getting such grand, luxurious flower arrangements. Back in Kanazawa, a polite handful of standard cut flowers from an acquaintance was a luxury. But maybe Kyoto and the elevated world of kabuki elite is indeed different in this sense as well.

"How are you doing?" Taiga asks, stepping up behind.

"Fine," Shintaro says, pulling his robe over his chest. He nods vaguely toward the corner. "Just thinking those flowers take up a lot of space."

Taiga glances at the flowers, then back at Shintaro through the mirror glass.

"Oh, that. Courtesy from a family of acquaintances," he says with a shrug.

He walks over to where Shintaro is sitting, reaching down to easily adjust the crooked collar of Shintaro's inner robe. His fingers brush against the skin of Shintaro's neck, staying just long enough for Shintaro's pulse to speed up before he steps back.

"Let's get changed. We have one show to do."

As they finish tying their obis, Shintaro can't ignore the low rumble of noise coming through the back walls of the theater. The house is apparently completely sold out. Every critic, tradition-bound patron, and casual theatergoer in the city is sitting out there waiting to see if the bold casting choice of pairing a renowned dynasty heir with an outsider from Kanazawa will pay off.

Shintaro checks his reflection, his stomach doing uncomfortable flips. Beside him, Taiga looks composed, though Shintaro catches the slight, repetitive tapping of his thumb against his palm to tell of nerves.

-----

Ten minutes before they are called, the door opens. Masaki steps inside, looking dignified in his formal attire.

Both young men immediately straighten up, turning to face him with deep bows.

"Father," Taiga greets him.

"Kyomoto-san," Shintaro follows.

Masaki stands between them, his eyes moving from Taiga to Shintaro, taking in their full stage attire and makeup.

"Opening night," Masaki begins slowly.

He turns to Taiga first. "Taiga. You carry the blood of this family in your veins. That blood is your shield, and it will protect you out there tonight."

Taiga dips his head respectfully.

Masaki then turns his gaze onto Shintaro.

"And you, Shintaro. You do not have the legacy of a dynasty standing behind you. But you have something just as important. You have never missed a single practice. You have earned everything through sheer will and hard work. That discipline is your strength. And in the end, neither of you can succeed tonight without the other."

Masaki pats Shintaro's shoulder first, then Taiga's.

"I am proud of you both. Now go out there and show them. It's one of the most legendary plays in this country."

Once Masaki leaves, Taiga lets out a nervous breath and nudges Shintaro's elbow with his own.

"No pressure at all, right?" 

"Right," Shintaro chuckles, bumping his shoulder right back against Taiga's. "Just the legacy of a dynasty, the most legendary play and light stuff like that."

A few minutes later, they stand under the stage.

"Shintaro," Taiga whispers.

Shintaro turns his head. "Yes?"

"Look at me for a second."

"What? Is my wig crooked or something—"

Thwack!

Taiga flicks him hard right in the middle of his brow with his index finger.

"Ow! What the hell!" Shintaro yelps, flinching hard and slapping a hand over his forehead.

Taiga smirks through his makeup. "It's for good luck. Clears the mind."

"Good luck?" Shintaro glares at him, his forehead throbbing. "You almost cracked my skull open, you prick!"

"Don't be dramatic," Taiga hums, tilting his chin up, exposing his own white-painted forehead beneath his headpiece. He steps a bit closer, his face turning completely serious. "Now. You have to do the same for me. It's bad luck if you don't return it."

"Oh, really? A ritual, huh?"

"Yes," Taiga says, keeping his face entirely serious. "Go on."

"Fine," Shintaro smirks, raising his hand and winding his middle finger back against his thumb. He snaps his finger against Taiga's forehead with maximum power.

Thwack!

"Fucking hell!" Taiga shouts, wincing as his head snaps back slightly. He clutches his forehead. "That actually hurt, you brute!"

"It’s for good luck!" Shintaro mimics Taiga's voice.

Taiga glares at him, rubbing the spot on his white skin. But then an amused quiet laugh escapes his lips, and Shintaro can't do anything else but join him.

Chon! Chon!

The performance that night is excellent. It's the best opening night Shintaro has experienced. From the moment they step onto the stage, the audience is spellbound.

And when the final curtain falls, the applause that breaks out is deafening.

-----

In the following two weeks, the brutal schedule kicks in. There is at least one performance every night, and on multiple days, they have double shows - one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

Shintaro was already used to being around Taiga every single day at rehearsals, but sharing the dressing room full-time and hunkering down there during the breaks between shows just the two of them speeds up everything when it comes to getting to know Taiga.

Shintaro finds himself learning all the small quirks of Taiga that nobody else gets to see. He learns that Taiga always eats his cold bento in a calculated order, systematically eating his least favorite vegetables first just to get them out of the way. He learns that when Taiga is completely running on empty, he unconsciously hums theater lines to himself while staring into space. He learns how remarkably gentle Taiga's fingers feel whenever he reaches over to help Shintaro untie his stubborn headpiece knot or adjust his shoulder frame.

They laugh at inside jokes no one else would understand, poke fun at the overly serious reviews in the morning papers, and make terrible, whispered running commentaries during side-stage waiting times that nearly make both of them break character right before an entrance.

Shintaro realizes that they share the same dry, slightly absurd sense of humor. Underneath all the polished tradition and the famous Kyomoto name, Taiga is just as willing to be ridiculous as Shintaro is.

One afternoon between a double-header, it's raining heavily. They have both been completely drained. Shintaro looks over from his side of the room to find Taiga has given up; he's fast asleep right on the tatami mat, half-wrapped in his robe, one arm under his head.

Shintaro steps carefully over the room. He picks up a spare haori and sits down on the mat beside him, carefully draping the haori over Taiga.

Taiga stirs slightly, letting out a sleepy sigh, but doesn't wake up.

Shintaro rests his elbows on his knees, chin in his hands, watching the rise and fall of Taiga's chest while the rain taps against the roof.

They’ve come a long, long way from the beginning, he realizes. They’re in a really comfortable place now. Together. As partners on the stage, as friends behind the curtain.

Shintaro sighs contentedly. He likes things exactly as they are right now.

-----

By the end of their second week, the run has proven to be a massive success.

One night, an hour before the evening show, a soft, cheerful female voice cuts through the backstage corridor.

"Kyomoto-san!"

Shintaro and Taiga turn around.

A young woman hurries to them in a pastel kimono, her hair styled with pearl pins. A silver-haired man in a suit follows behind her.

"Konoe-san," Taiga says, stepping forward with a polite, accustomed smile. "Thank you for coming tonight."

"Father insisted we come to wish you good luck before the show," the woman says, her cheeks flushing slightly as she looks up at Taiga shyly. "Did you notice the floral arrangements we had delivered to your room last week for the opening night? I picked the white lilies myself because I remembered they’re your mother's favorite."

"That was very thoughtful of you. Thank you," Taiga replies, offering a graceful bow.

"We can't wait to see the play tonight," the old patron booms. "Rina has been talking about nothing else during these weeks!"

A woman—Rina—offers Taiga another sweet smile.

"Are you attending the after-show gathering at the ryotei tonight? We'd love to congratulate you properly over drinks."

"Of course," Taiga nods politely. "I wouldn't miss it."

Rina's eyes briefly flicker over to Shintaro, giving him a polite bow.

"Best of luck to you as well, Morimoto-san."

"Thank you," Shintaro says flatly.

Once the patron and Rina head toward the auditorium, Shintaro and Taiga walk to the dressing room.

"Rina is Konoe-san's daughter," Taiga explains as they start changing. "Our families have known each other for years, so she always makes a point to stop by."

"Right. The flower expert," Shintaro mutters, pulling his robe tight over his chest.

"You're coming tonight, right?" Taiga asks. "I need you there."

Shintaro shrugs.

"I guess? Though, it's mostly just a bunch of wealthy sponsors again."

"Please," Taiga pushes. "Those banquets are absolute torture if I'm stuck doing small talk alone. I need you by my side so I don't lose my mind. We built this success together, Shintaro. It's our show. I don't want to be there without you."

"Alright, alright," Shintaro then says. "I'll be right there with you."

Taiga lets out a relieved hum.

Later that evening, the play eventually ends successfully, and the curtain falls. When it rises again for the curtain call, the entire theater is this time actually standing up and clapping.

Shintaro turns to Taiga and sees his own pride and happiness reflected right back at him.

Then, Taiga reaches out under their sleeves. He slips his hand into Shintaro's and holds it tight.

Shintaro squeezes his hand right back. Holding hands, they step forward together and bow to the cheering crowd.

It's a good night to celebrate together.

-----

It turns out not to be a night to celebrate together after all, Shintaro realizes quickly.

Before Shintaro can even slide his shoes off to enter the room, Konoe Rina is already there. She's changed into an exquisite evening kimono of pale lavender silk, stepping forward with a big smile to claim Taiga before he can take two steps into the room. Within seconds, Taiga is whisked away to the head table, leaving Shintaro standing alone by the entrance. Then, a group of senior directors hails him over to a side table, leaving him with no choice but to sit down with them.

Shintaro tries his best to keep up with the compliments pouring over him. Everyone is calling him a rising star, the fresh face of the generation, praising his performance on stage. A month ago, he would have killed for this kind of recognition from the Kyoto elite. But all of a sudden, it doesn't feel like anything because his mind keeps drifting to a different thing.

He can't focus. He keeps glancing at the head table.

The feeling is like the early days when Taiga would glare from the other side of a room at him with cold disdain. It's actually surprising how he realizes that Taiga completely ignoring him feels even worse than those early days.

Rina is glued to Taiga's side. She leans in ridiculously close whenever either of them speaks, her high-pitched laugh ringing out over the whole room. Shintaro watches her touching Taiga's forearm. Shintaro finds the whole exaggerated display distasteful.

Taiga doesn't seem to mind it at all. He accepts the sake with a polite smile, nodding along to Rina's father's boisterous stories and pouring Rina a glass of water. So much for Taiga needing Shintaro by his side to survive the night. He seems to do just fine without him.

It shouldn't bother Shintaro. It rationally shouldn't. Entertaining wealthy sponsors and playing the charming young master to their daughters is practically written into people like Taiga's birthright. It's the world he belongs to. Yet still, watching Rina's manicured hand touch Taiga's sleeve makes an ugly, sharp knot tighten in Shintaro's stomach.

As the evening goes on, Shintaro notices that he is becoming more and more annoyed, as he still hasn't talked even a word to Taiga. Why can't Taiga talk to him even for one second, considering they're the main actors of the play, so they should be getting the praises together? It feels impolite that Taiga is just spending the evening with one person, leaving Shintaro to drown in empty small talk with strangers.

Shintaro slides back from the table and steps out into the hallway.

The corridor is long and quiet, and the laughter of the room becomes more and more distant as he walks further. At the far end, an open wooden veranda overlooks a dark garden.

Shintaro sits down on the wooden floorboards with his legs dangling over the edge. Cicadas keep buzzing in the maple trees.

He pulls a cigarette from his pocket, lights it, and takes a long drag. He exhales a stream of smoke into the dark garden, staring blankly at the rippling water of the koi pond below.

He tries to clear his head, but his brain keeps replaying the night: the way Taiga looked at him under the stage lights, the tight squeeze of Taiga's hand inside his sleeve during the curtain call... and then the way Taiga seamlessly slid back into that young rich master role to entertain a pretty daughter of a wealthy patron.

He can hear the sound of footsteps on the wooden floorboards behind him.

Shintaro doesn't look back, assuming it's one of the waiters or stagehands. Until Taiga silently sits down right next to him.

Taiga pulls the folds of his yukata over his knees. He looks out into the garden.

"You left the room all of a sudden," he says quietly. "The directors were looking for you to do another toast."

Shintaro takes another drag from his cigarette, keeping his eyes fixed on the dark water below. He doesn't offer a look.

"I needed some air," he says.

"What's wrong with you?" Taiga asks.

"Nothing's wrong," Shintaro mutters around the filter of his cigarette.

"Shintaro," Taiga pushes gently, leaning slightly closer. "Don't lie. You're being weird now. Did something happen?"

"I already said nothing's wrong," Shintaro says, annoyed by that pushing. He flicks the ash off his cigarette.

"I'm just in a fucking shitty mood, alright?"

Taiga frowns. "Well, now my mood is definitely also coming down."

"Then don't waste your time with someone who brings you down," Shintaro snaps back. "Go back inside. Go back to the room and have fun with the nice girl who isn't ruining your night."

Taiga opens his mouth to say something, but stops himself, his brows drawing tight.

Shintaro keeps staring rigidly out into the garden. He expects Taiga to get annoyed, stand up, and walk back inside. But instead, Taiga doesn't move an inch.

Several long, agonizing minutes pass in complete silence.

Finally, Taiga lets out an exhale.

"So, is this about Konoe-san?" he asks.

Shintaro doesn't answer, but that silence probably speaks far louder than any word could.

"She's just the daughter of a family my family is close to. My parents expect me to be polite to them. It's just business. It doesn't mean—"

"I don't care about business," Shintaro snaps.

Shintaro stubbs out his cigarette against the wooden edge of the veranda, dropping the butt into a nearby clay dish.  

Taiga's breath hisses. Now he looks very annoyed.

"Then what is this all about? Why are you acting like this over someone I have to deal with for my family's sake?" he chides.

"Because I'm sick of watching you play the dutiful master all night!" Shintaro fires back, finally turning his head to glare right at him. "If you are so worried about those duties, go back inside to your little fan club. Go drink sake with Rina and show how much you care about her lilies."

"You're being completely ridiculous right now," Taiga scoffs.

"Okay, well, if you won't leave, then I will leave," Shintaro says, shoving himself up from the wooden edge. "I am done here. Enjoy the rest of your party, Kyomoto."

"Oh, so now you're just running away?" Taiga lashes out, standing up. "You are acting as if I offended you, and now you won't even tell me what I did wrong—"

Shintaro needs that mouth to shut up. Without thinking, he reaches out, grabs Taiga by the lapels, and hauls him forward so fast Taiga nearly loses his footing.

Shintaro shuts him up the only way left and crashes his lips onto Taiga's.

Taiga chokes on his breath, completely silenced as Shintaro captures his lips in a hard, desperate kiss.

Then, after maybe two seconds, reality crashes back over.

Shintaro pulls back instantly, in absolute horror at what he just did. Taiga stands completely frozen, his mouth slightly parted and eyes wide.

Shintaro lets go of Taiga's yukata and stumbles back a step. He turns around, taking off down the quiet wooden hallway as fast as his feet can carry him.

"Shintaro!" Taiga's voice shouts behind him.

Shintaro doesn't stop. He reaches the end of the hallway near the garden doors, breathing heavily, his mind spinning out of control. What the hell was he thinking? He just ruined everything.

Then a hand grabs his wrist from behind, dragging him into the alcove beside the doors.

Taiga shoves him back lightly against the wall, cutting off any escape route.

"Where do you think you're going?" Taiga asks. He's breathing fast.

"Let me go," Shintaro stammers, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the floor, unable to look him in the face. "I shouldn't have done that. I lost my mind. Just forget it happened."

"Forget it?" Taiga repeats. "You kiss me out of nowhere, ask me to forget it and then try to run away?"

"I said I made a mistake!" Shintaro snarls back defensively. "I was angry, alright? I shouldn't have put my hands on you."

"I don't care that you were angry," Taiga says. He steps closer. His tone is soft, but at the same time it's persistent. "Look at me, Shintaro."

Shintaro hesitates. Yet, the sheer force in Taiga's command leaves him no choice. He slowly raises his eyes.

There is no anger or disgust on Taiga's face. He looks entirely serious with searching eyes.

"Did you mean it?" Taiga asks quietly. "Or was it really just a mistake?"

Shintaro's throat feels painfully dry.

"Taiga..."

Taiga doesn't let him continue.

"No, just answer me. Because if you didn't mean it, you can go. But if you did..."

"Of course I meant it," Shintaro bursts out, the words spilling out before he could hold them back any longer. "Damn it, Taiga, of course I fucking meant it. I've wanted to do that for such a long time already."

A shaky breath escapes Taiga's lips. The hard line of his shoulders relaxes.

"Good. Because I would have lost my mind if you had said no."

Before Shintaro can even process the confession, Taiga reaches up to cup Shintaro's jaw and pulls him into a new kiss.

This time, there is no panic and no running away. Taiga presses his lips firmly against Shintaro's, his fingers digging into the back of Shintaro's neck to hold him close. Shintaro lets out a quiet sigh against Taiga's mouth, sliding both arms around Taiga's waist and pulling him flush against him. He tilts his head, capturing Taiga's lower lip between his own, tasting the sweetness of sake and tea on his tongue. Then Taiga opens his mouth to brush their tongues together.

It all feels better than anything Shintaro could have imagined.

"Don't you dare ask me to go back to that party," Taiga whispers between the kisses. His thumb strokes gently along Shintaro's cheek.

"I would never," Shintaro murmurs, pulling Taiga back into another kiss so they don't have to waste another second talking.

The July heatwave comes. Sweat clings to the back of Shintaro's neck. The electric fan in the corner of the backstage area does nothing except push the hot, heavy air around in circles. Normally, weather like this leaves him miserable, completely drained and useless.

Not this time.

Shintaro steps through the door of the dressing room, pulling it shut, and the latch clicks into place.

Before he can even register it, hands are on him.

Taiga reaches out, hooking his fingers into the front of Shintaro's damp shirt and yanking him forward.

Shintaro wraps his arms around Taiga's waist instantly, lifting him slightly on his toes as their lips crash together.

Shintaro deepens the kiss. He traces the seam of Taiga's mouth until they both run out of oxygen and have to break apart, panting hard against each other's lips.

Taiga rests his forehead against Shintaro's shoulder and inhales deeply, as if trying to drink in his scent completely.

"God, I missed you today," he mutters, a soft laugh catching in his throat. He sounds so incredibly gentle and sincere.

Shintaro tightens his hold on Taiga's hips.

"We saw each other on stage two hours ago," he notes with a smile.

"Still," Taiga mutters, tilting his head to press another warm kiss right below Shintaro's jaw. "I missed doing this."

A few weeks ago, Shintaro could never have imagined all this happening. Yet, right now, he couldn't imagine all this not happening.

Empty dressing rooms. Stairwells. Supply closets. All of them have become their spots among many other places. Taiga would pull him into the dark, back him against the nearest wall, and kiss him before Shintaro could even catch his breath. He'd hook a finger in Shintaro's belt or hold the back of his neck, pressing soft, desperate kisses to his lips, his jaw, his neck—anywhere he could reach.

Even out in the open, surrounded by the group of people, Taiga has kept dropping little hints just for him. It can be a brief brush of fingers in a narrow hallway or a smirk from across the stage. Sometimes he gives a quick bump with his knee against Shintaro's under the table during group meetings. No one else ever caught on by now, but to Shintaro, every subtle touch or look means the exact same thing: I'm thinking about you.

Taiga pulls back just enough to look at him, then presses another short, sweet kiss to Shintaro's lips.

"It's really nice... being allowed to do this," he whispers.

Shintaro caresses the line of Taiga's cheekbone with his thumb, his smile widening.

"Yeah, I agree. These moments are the best parts of my day."

The knock against the door makes them both freeze.

"Kyomoto-san, Morimoto-san? A reporter is waiting for you," a voice calls out.

Taiga pulls away with a quiet sigh. Shintaro lets his hands slide down Taiga's arms, holding on for one last second. He watches Taiga take a breath to calm himself down before speaking up.

"Understood," Taiga calls out in a normal voice. "Give us five minutes."

"Yes, sir," the voice replies before footsteps fade down the corridor.

-----

Their show is a huge hit.

Tickets sell out at the box office in just a few hours. The theater even has to add extra weekend shows just to handle the huge crowds. Outside the theater building, fans stand in the heat for hours just to catch a quick glimpse of the cast arriving. They wave wooden fans painted with Shintaro and Taiga's names, chatting excitedly while waiting in line.

People cannot stop talking about the chemistry between the two lead actors. Theater magazines write long reviews about their performance. Fans send letters to local papers, writing about the great energy they see on stage. Everyone calls them the "Golden KyomoShin Pair" and the public conversation goes around guessing about how close they must be off-stage.

Inside the theater, everything is just as amazing. Performing together feels easy. Even doing two shows back-to-back in a single day doesn't tire Shintaro out. On stage, everything from lines to movements between him and Taiga flows so naturally it feels like magic. They don't even have to try. They just get each other.

One afternoon in the lounge, Kochi pauses beside Shintaro while adjusting a tray of teacups. He watches Taiga on the other side of the room as Taiga is laughing freely with Jesse, who has dropped by to say hello after a while. 

"I haven't seen Taiga look that bright in years," Kochi comments to Shintaro affectionately. "He has seemed to be so happy lately. He's been telling his father that the performing has never felt that good before. I really think it shows how well you two fit together as performers. Thank you for being by his side, Shintaro."

Shintaro can do nothing but nod back at Kochi, feeling his chest warm from the same affection.

"I don't know what you two are doing," Nishida also says one afternoon with a huge grin. "But whatever it is, keep doing it. The reviews are incredible. Ticket sales are higher than we ever imagined."

Shintaro exchanges a quick, discreet glance with Taiga before looking back at Nishida. If only you all knew, Shintaro thinks to himself, holding back a smirk.

Right now, everything in his life is on a high. The show is a success, the audience loves them and, on top of all that, every spare second backstage belongs to him and Taiga. The summer heat keeps being brutal, but Shintaro couldn't care a less.

Life feels completely perfect, almost too good to be true.

-----

That night's show gets dangerous. Taiga decides to play a game.

Minutes before they are called out to the wings, Taiga corners him near the props staging. Under the pretext of adjusting Shintaro's sash, Taiga’s fingers slide underneath the layers of his kimono, trailing up his inner thigh with deliberate, agonizingly slow movement. He squeezes the flesh lightly, making Shintaro's breath catch, before puffing some hot air right against his ear and simply walking away to take his position.

Shintaro loses focus completely. Right then and there, he decides to make Taiga pay for it. Even on stage, he's still not completely calmed down.

To carry out the revenge, later in the porch scene, Shintaro grabs Taiga's ankle again like in the script. But this time, Shintaro rubs his thumb more teasingly over the arch of Taiga's foot. He strokes the side of the foot and teases his toes, trying to make Taiga feel just as out of control as he felt earlier.

Taiga has to sit perfectly still on the stage and deliver his lines without shaking. Shintaro feels a tiny shudder run through Taiga's leg, hears the small catch in his voice, and knows his revenge is working.

When the curtain falls for intermission, Taiga doesn't let it slide. While the rest of the cast leave toward their dressing rooms to take a break, Taiga catches Shintaro behind the velvet wing curtains. Before Shintaro can say a word, Taiga pulls him and pins him against the wooden framework. He leans in, trailing his lips over Shintaro's earlobe.

"Think you can get away with that?" he murmurs.

Then Taiga slides his hand down Shintaro's side, brushing his fingertips lingeringly over Shintaro's ribs and hip (a spot he knows makes Shintaro squirm), leaving him breathless and aching.

Refusing to let Taiga have the last laugh, Shintaro waits for his moment in the second act. As their characters face each other, the script calls for them to join hands. The second their hands meet, Shintaro doesn't just hold on; he secretly uses his thumb to draw light, suggestive circles right in the sensitive center of Taiga's palm, tickling the skin teasingly while staring straight into Taiga's eyes with a completely innocent expression.

Shintaro catches the slight tremor in Taiga's fingers and the quick flash of heat in his dark eyes. He's again only pleased that he's managed to push Taiga right to the edge like that.

-----

The moment the dressing room door slides shut after the show, Taiga turns on him immediately. They haven't even had a second to take off their stage makeup or unfasten their costumes.

"You absolute menace," he breathes out.

Shintaro just grins, grabbing Taiga's waist and slamming him against the wall to kiss him hard.

Taiga gasps into the kiss, his hands flying up to grip Shintaro's shoulders. He hooks one leg around Shintaro's hip, pulling him as close as the costume layers allow.

"You almost made me ruin my lines," Taiga whispers in a needy voice.

"You started it," Shintaro mutters against his skin. He moves his lips down Taiga's neck, biting the spot near his collarbone. Taiga lets out a moan.

Shintaro wants to push him over the edge. He reaches down, shoving his hand inside the looseness of Taiga's garment to wrap his fingers directly around Taiga's hard cock. At the same time, Taiga reaches into Shintaro's layers, taking Shintaro's cock into his hand.

They stand pinned together against the wall, stroking and rubbing each other's hard cocks with busy hands. 

Taiga groans into Shintaro's mouth, his fingers tightening around Shintaro's cock while rolling his hips to match every hard push. The intense friction of their hands and their crotches pressing together makes them both moan at the same time. 

"I want you so much," Taiga pants desperately, his head knocking back against the wall as he rubs Shintaro faster, pressing their lower bodies tighter together.

Just as they are grinding against each other like that, some footsteps can be heard right outside the door. Stagehands are talking loudly as they walk down the corridor.

"Stop, we have to stop," Shintaro breathes out, forcing himself to pull back a few centimeters.

Taiga looks confused and dizzy. He blinks up at Shintaro with red cheeks and swollen lips, his breath coming in short gasps while he pulls the front of his kimono back together.

"The crew is right outside," Shintaro says. "They will walk in on us."

He looks at Taiga and bites his lower lip.  

"Come to my place this Sunday," he then says. "After the show."

Taiga looks up in surprise.

"Are you asking just so we can finish this?"

Shintaro feels his cheeks burning. "Maybe."

"I want that too," Taiga says right away.

He smiles, leaning his head back against the wall as he reties his sash, then adds.

"I really can't wait."

-----

Shintaro meets Juri at the same izakaya near Dotonbori where they had met weeks ago.

"So," Juri says, exhaling a trail of cigarette smoke and leaning back against the booth. "How's summer treating you?"

Shintaro stares down into his highball glass for a beat. He looks around the noisy pub to make sure no one is listening, then leans forward and his voice drops to a low hush.

"I have to tell you something."

Juri sets his drink down, lifting an eyebrow. "All right, all right. You look like you're about to confess to a murder. What is it?"

"Remember that 'grumpy co-star'?"

"Yeah. The rich jagoff."

"We might have a romance going on," Shintaro confesses.

For a second, Juri's cigarette just hangs between his fingers as he stares at Shintaro in complete confusion. Then he snorts out a harsh laugh, nearly choking on his smoke.

"What the hell?" Juri utters in disbelief. "You and him?"

"I am serious," Shintaro says. A warm flush climbs up his neck.

"Holy shit," Juri mutters, shaking his head and rubbing his forehead. "You've got to be kidding me. How did that even happen? Last time we were here, I remember you wanted to throttle the guy."

Shintaro rests his chin in his hand, an involuntary smile appearing on his face as he looks off into the distance.

"It's a long story, to be honest. I thought he was insufferable. But he's-"

Shintaro takes a small pause, his whole voice and tone softening immediately as he thinks about Taiga. He sighs lovingly. "He's incredible after all. On stage, I already knew how brilliant he is, how sharp and breathtaking he acts. But off stage, when it's just the two of us, he's so kind. And so gentle. He's also so honest about everything he feels. He doesn't hide behind a mask or his family name with me. He just gives me everything."

Juri gives Shintaro a look that's one part awe, one part confusion and two parts amusement.

"Well, well, seems like you really followed my advice," Juri hums. "Remember when I told you to get yourself a lover to fix that chemistry on stage?"

"Shut up," Shintaro snorts while rolling his eyes.

"Hey, I'm just saying!" Juri laughs. Then he winks. "So, by the way, I'm curious. How do you have time to carry out all that romance while having a show almost every day?"

Shintaro rubs the back of his neck as his cheeks burn hotter.

"It's a little bit difficult, I admit. With the schedule being this busy, we barely get any time to actually... do anything properly. We're always surrounded by some stagehands, reporters or theater people in general. And tonight, Taiga couldn't even come out because his father called him away to some traditional family meeting again."

Shintaro shakes his head, sounding both slightly frustrated and longing as he goes on.

"Every time we get five minutes alone in a dressing room, someone is knocking on the door and calling us to be somewhere else."

Juri reaches across the table and punches Shintaro's shoulder lightly.

"You really have it bad for him, don't you?" Juri says with a soft smirk. "Who would've thought? Just be careful, Shintaro. He might be a good guy, but he still has that family background that sets him certain responsibilities and expectations."

"I know," Shintaro nods, taking another sip of his whiskey drink. "I know how big his name is. But when it's just the two of us, none of that matters. I'm not going to run away just because his background is what it is with that pressure and those expectations."

Juri lifts his glass.

"I guess there's nothing left to say except 'Here's to you and your royal prince.' No, but really, I'm glad he turned out to be good for something after all."

Shintaro clinks his glass against Juri's with a grin. 

-----

Sunday comes with the same heat that's been going on, but inside Shintaro's small apartment, the air is charged for a different reason.

When Shintaro unlocks the door, Taiga steps inside and slips his sandals off at the entryway. He doesn't immediately rush forward like he usually does backstage. They both know they have all the privacy and time in the world now—and that knowledge makes every movement slow and deliberate.

Shintaro switches on the small corner fan, which hums softly, pushing the warm air around.

Taiga walks over to the low table, sitting down on the cushion beside it and watching Shintaro with a serious look. Shintaro joins him at the table.

"Are you nervous?" Taiga asks carefully.

"Not nervous," Shintaro replies, looking slightly shyly at him over the table. "Alright, a little bit. It's just been a while since I-"

The sentence trails off in the middle. Taiga probably understands what he means by that.

"We can take it slowly," Taiga says. He brings his hand to Shintaro's and squeezes it.

Shintaro's thumb soothes the back of Taiga's knuckles.

"I know," he says.

He looks toward the corner of the room, where he had laid out the futon earlier.

"Let's move there," he murmurs.

They move to the mattress together and silently strip away all their clothes, letting them drop to the tatami until they are both naked.

They stretch out side by side on top of the covers, lying on their backs and looking up at the ceiling.

Shintaro turns his head on the pillow to look at Taiga.

"So, how do you want to do this?"

Taiga turns his head too, their eyes meeting.

"I want to lose control tonight. I want you to take over... to fuck me properly."

Hearing those words clears away the last bit of Shintaro's hesitation. He rolls over onto his side, reaching out to cup the back of Taiga's neck and pulling him into a kiss.

It starts slow, their lips sliding together. But as Taiga parts his lips with a faint sigh, the kiss deepens. Shintaro tangles his fingers into Taiga's hair, tasting him completely as Taiga wraps an arm around Shintaro's neck, arching his chest into the touch.

When Shintaro finally breaks the kiss to catch his breath, Taiga's lips are flushed. Shintaro slides over to climb on top of him and straddle his thighs.

He leans down, pressing his mouth to the dip of Taiga's collarbone, biting down softly before licking over the warm skin.

Taiga tilts his head back with a shaking breath, his fingers burying into Shintaro's hair to pull him closer.

Moving lower, Shintaro presses kisses against Taiga's ribs with his lips, tasting the faint salt on his skin before dropping down between his thighs. He grips Taiga's legs, spreading them wide, and buries his face between them.

"Shintaro," Taiga gasps as Shintaro starts licking the head of his cock.

Slowly, Shintaro wraps his lips fully around him, taking him deep into his throat. He uses a rhythmic swirl of his tongue against the underside, one hand holding the base of Taiga's cock while the other firmly pins his hip to the futon.

Taiga arches his back, trying to lift his hips off the mattress as a ragged gasp escapes his mouth.

Shintaro hollows his cheeks, drawing tight suction with every stroke. Taiga's hands scramble across the sheets, eventually finding Shintaro's hair, holding him close but unable to force a rhythm. Every time Taiga tries to roll his hips forward to chase the friction, Shintaro holds him pinned.

Just as Taiga's breathing grows more and more frantic and his thighs begin to lock up, Shintaro pulls back.

Taiga lets out a long, disappointed moan.

"Don't... don't stop..."

Shintaro gives his inner thigh a squeeze.

"Get on your hands and knees."

Taiga rolls over onto his knees, pushing himself up onto his elbows.

Shintaro settles behind him on his knees. He reaches out, hands soothing the smooth curve of Taiga's waist, before spreading Taiga's thighs a little wider.

Then Shintaro leans down and presses his mouth to Taiga's entrance.

Taiga lets out a sharp, shuddering cry, dropping his forehead onto the futon as Shintaro licks and swirls around his rim. Shintaro pushes deeper, flattening his tongue to lap at him until Taiga's hole is slick and he's squirming with occasional cries. Shintaro takes a quiet pride in the reaction, knowing that the flawless Kyomoto who dazzles audiences every night on stage is losing control like this because of him.

Shintaro reaches over to the small wooden nightstand for the bottle of camellia oil he set out earlier. He pours a good amount into his palm while Taiga moves to lie on his back. 

Then Shintaro hoists Taiga's left leg up, throwing it over his shoulder. The angle tilts Taiga's hips up perfectly and exposes him completely, giving Shintaro easy access.

He tries to warm the oil between his hands a little bit, then brings his wet fingers down between Taiga's open thighs, rubbing the thin skin around the hole a little bit. Taiga lets out a breath at that.

"Is it too cold?" Shintaro asks, pausing.

"No," Taiga pants, grabbing Shintaro's wrist to guide his hand. "It's fine. Just hurry."

Obeying, Shintaro inserts his slick index finger slowly, moving it inside the hole carefully.

Taiga grips the edges of the futon, his knuckles turning white, and he tilts his head back with a long sigh.

Shintaro can't tear his gaze away from Taiga's expression. He looks so open and vulnerable. Walls completely down. It makes Shintaro's own chest ache with some sort of affection.

Shintaro finds a rhythm, adding a second finger, then a third, stretching Taiga gently until Taiga's hips start lifting off the futon in search of more friction.

"Please," Taiga pants. "No more waiting."

Shintaro pulls his fingers free. He reaches for the bottle again, pouring another puddle of oil into his palm to coat his own aching length thoroughly, smoothing it up and down until his cock is completely slicked and shining.

Guiding Taiga's both legs hooked securely over his shoulders, Shintaro aligns his cock at Taiga's entrance, pausing for a second to look down at him.

Taiga meets his gaze, looking completely unguarded. His eyes are full of a fierce, desperate need that clears away every last bit of Shintaro's restraint.

Shintaro presses forward, pushing his cock all the way in.

Taiga lets out a long, shuddering cry while gripping Shintaro's biceps hard. They stay still like that for a moment.

When Shintaro begins to move, he tries to keep the pace slow. He pulls back almost completely before driving deep again.

Taiga's hands grip the skin of his arms harder and harder as the tempo gradually speeds up. Shintaro increases the force of his thrusts. He grips Taiga's hips tightly in return.

Wanting not to come yet, Shintaro gestures for Taiga to get on his fours again, and Taiga obeys.

Shintaro positions his tip at the entrance. He places both hands on Taiga's waist and drives all the way in again with one push.

He pulls back until he's almost completely out, then hurls his hips forward again and starts picking up the pace, fucking him properly. The slap of skin against skin is loud in the otherwise quiet room.

Taiga turns his head, revealing how flushed his face is. Shintaro reaches forward, hooking his left hand into Taiga's hair to pull him into a twisted, filthy kiss while continuing to fuck him from behind. Tasting him while buried deep inside him feels insanely good.

Shintaro reaches into Taiga's crotch with his right hand. He wraps that hand around his cock, stroking in time with his thrusts.

The double stimulation is apparently too much. Taiga shatters with a breathless cry, his whole body becoming all tense as he suddenly spills his semen onto the futon. His inner muscles clamp down hotly around Shintaro's cock.

That intense tightness undoes the last of Shintaro's control. With a few fast pounds, Shintaro follows him, groaning heavily into the crook of Taiga's neck as he releases inside him.

Overwhelmed and completely spent, Shintaro pulls back slightly, slipping free, and collapses onto his side right beside Taiga.

He immediately reaches out, gathering Taiga close against his chest and pulling him into a tight, warm cuddle. Taiga follows, nestling his face right into Shintaro's neck and throwing one heavy leg over his thigh to lock them even tighter together.

Shintaro runs his index finger in gentle, lazy circles over Taiga's hip. Looking down at the top of Taiga's head, his dark hair damp against the mattress, Shintaro can't remember the last time he's felt this completely at peace.

Taiga lets out a long sigh against Shintaro's collarbone.

"Next time," he mutters, "I want to take a turn."

"Take a turn?"

"I want to fuck you too," Taiga clarifies.

Shintaro can feel his breath hitching at those words. The mental image of Taiga fucking him already makes him a little bit turned on, although he just came.

"We can arrange that for sure," he then says, nodding.

Taiga lets out a satisfied sigh, nestling his face back into Shintaro's neck. He quiets down again for a few seconds, as if gathering his thoughts.

"Hey..." he starts carefully.

"Hmm?"

"What happens after this run ends?" Taiga asks, looking up. "Have you thought about it?"

Shintaro blinks, half-amused that Taiga's mind really goes to kabuki even in moments like this.

"You're thinking about work right now?"

"I just want to keep doing this with you. I want us to tackle something even bigger next."

"Bigger than a sold-out summer run?"

"Sukeroku," Taiga states, like it's the most obvious answer in the world. "Sukeroku Yukari no Edozakura. Imagine us doing that."

Shintaro lets out a breathy laugh, half because of disbelief.

"Sukeroku? That's a huge one."

"So?" Taiga tilts his chin up, entirely serious now. "We're already doing something huge. And this play has proved that we've got the talent. We've got the chemistry. We've got the crowd behind us already. Tell me you can't see it. It'd be perfect to do it together."

Shintaro looks at him. There's that confidence in Taiga's face he has learnt to see.

"I can see it," Shintaro then says, leaning down to press his lips to Taiga's forehead. "It'd be insane. But yes, you're right. It'd be perfect to do it together."

Taiga lets out a small, satisfied sound, leaning his forehead back down against Shintaro's collarbone.

Suddenly, his voice is an octave lower as he speaks again.

"I'm sorry."

Shintaro blinks, turning his head slightly to look down at him, surprised by the sudden change in tone.

"For what?"

Taiga lets out a faint, awkward laugh. He buries his face closer into Shintaro's neck to hide his expression.

"For being such a jerk. I was horrible to you in the beginning," he mutters. "Please forgive me."

"You're forgiven," Shintaro says, wrapping an arm around Taiga's waist and kissing the top of his head. "Besides, I wasn't making it always easy for you either... I was too mean at times. I'm sorry, as well."

"Mm."

They fall silent again. The heat in the room is still insane, but neither of them seems to be willing to move to pull away from each other.

"Shintaro?"

"Yeah?"

Taiga takes a small breath. He moves a little bit until their noses are almost touching.

"Call me crazy," Taiga whispers against Shintaro's lips, "but I think I'm falling in love with you already."

Shintaro's heart hits his ribs like a hammer.

He pulls Taiga up by the nape of his neck, burying his face in Taiga's shoulder and squeezing him as tight as possible, never wanting to let go.

"You're definitely crazy," Shintaro breathes into his skin, not being able not to smile. "Good thing I'm right there with you."

"You should come over to my house," Taiga says.

They're done with the last show before a short hiatus. The theater would be closed for the next five days, which means a small, well-deserved break for them, as well. 

Shintaro is sitting again by the vanity table, dabbing at the back of his neck with a towel, when Taiga glides up behind him. Their eyes meet in the mirror. Taiga looks excited.

"Hm?"

"My father leaves for Tokyo tonight," Taiga continues, leaning one hip against the wooden counter. "He's got two days of formal meetings with the theater deputies about the spring repertoire. Kochi’s going with him. Meanwhile, my mother is attending a two-night tea and flower symposium at the Urasenke school, so the house is all empty."

"Oh yeah? Looking for company?" Shintaro asks.

He stands up, tossing the towel onto the table, and Taiga instantly closes the distance. He wraps his arms securely around Shintaro's waist and tilts his face up to press a kiss to his lips.

"Please?" Taiga murmurs against his mouth. "We can take a bath, cook together, stargaze in the evening... maybe even bathe while stargazing. And we can do plenty of other things. But of course only if you want."

Shintaro lets out a soft chuckle, his hands coming up to rest on Taiga's hips. The thought of having two full days wrapped up in each other is way too tempting to pass up.

"Alright, deal," Shintaro says softly, giving Taiga's butt a light pat. "Just so you know, I'm actually an incredible cook. I'll make good use of that huge mansion kitchen of yours."

"Sounds perfect," Taiga comments on that.

"I think so too," Shintaro says.

He barely gets the last word out before there's a knock on the door.

They spring apart instantly. Taiga smooths down the front of his kimono lapels and turns toward the mirror like he's fixing his hair, while Shintaro grabs his towel again to look busy.

"Come on in," he calls out towards the door.

It's Nishida. He enters the room with a pleased grin he isn't even trying to hide, holding a folder crammed full of papers.

"Boys," he says, fanning himself with the folder before stepping inside and shutting the door behind him. "I know the break just started, and I promised I wouldn't bother you with business until next week. But I couldn't wait to talk about this with you two."

"Did something happen with the show?" Shintaro asks.

"Not this show," Nishida clarifies, stepping into the center of the room. "I just got off the phone with the primary sponsors from Osaka. They've been tracking our ticket sales and the reviews. And they're completely blown away."

He taps the folder he's holding and continues.

"They want to move forward with Sukeroku Yukari no Edozakura for the next spring season here."

Shintaro's hand freezes around the towel. Beside him, Taiga's eyes go wide.

"Sukeroku?" Taiga repeats.

"Yes, and they'd like to have the two of you as the leads. The KyomoShin Pair, they mentioned. They said many sponsors are already lining up behind it."

Taiga and Shintaro share quick, excited looks with each other.

"Now, look," Nishida adds, holding up a hand to calm down their reaction. "We still have to clear formal board approvals and finalize contracts. But as far as the investors are concerned? It's a done deal."

"Thank you, Nishida-san," Shintaro says, bowing. "Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me, thank yourselves," Nishida chuckles, stepping back out into the corridor. "Rest well, you two. See you next week."

The second the door is shut, Taiga throws his arms around Shintaro's neck and bursts out laughing.

"Can you believe this? Didn't we just talk about this? I can't believe it's actually happening!"

"It's really happening!" Shintaro beams.

He cups both sides of Taiga's face and pulls him into a hard, deep kiss. With this news in the background and knowing what to anticipate when the shows would start rolling again, they'd have even more amazing two days off ahead.

-----

The entrance gate to the Kyomoto estate is this massive, dark timber structure surrounded by high pine trees. After stepping through, Shintaro simply stands there, staring up at the sweeping wooden mansion for a moment. It's easily not only the largest but also the most luxurious private residence he's ever set foot in before.

Shintaro expected a proper tour of the public rooms of the house after stepping in, but instead, Taiga gives him a much more hands-on welcome.

Taiga backs Shintaro right up against the hallway wall and drops straight down onto his knees in front of him.

In quick movements, Taiga has Shintaro's pants down and his cock out, which is already hardening in his eager hand. Without a second of hesitation, Taiga takes the length fully into his mouth.

Shintaro suppresses a strangled sound in his throat, jerking his head backward against the wall as Taiga begins bobbing his head back and forth. Taiga works his mouth rhythmically, swirling his tongue along the wet ridge and drawing him deeper with firm suction.

Heat rushes to Shintaro's head. His hands sink into Taiga's hair, fighting the urge to pull it tighter and force his own pace into Taiga's throat.

Shintaro's thighs start shaking, his knees locking up from the intense pressure building in his lower belly. He nudges Taiga's head back slightly, trying to give him a warning he might want to pull out. But Taiga only hums against his skin and gives his knee a reassuring firm squeeze, clearly wanting him to know that it's fine, he can come into his mouth.

A few seconds later, Shintaro is pushed over the edge. His hips jerk forward as he spills hot into Taiga's mouth.

Taiga swallows, his hand stroking the base with lingering strokes until the last pulse fades away.

When Taiga finally lets go and pulls back, leaving Shintaro's cock slick and clean, he looks up from the floor with a satisfied smile.

"Welcome," he says and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

Shintaro lets out a breathless, half-dazed laugh as he looks down at him.

"Thank you for having me."

-----

The steam rises from the cypress-wood bath.

After spending an hour in the grand kitchen, where Shintaro took charge of the stove while Taiga sat by the counter, sipping tea and watching him, they ate together. But in the end, they couldn't even finish their genmaicha teas after dinner. The trail of discarded clothes led straight into the shower room, where the passionate, feverish memory of Taiga taking him against the wet tile wall still lingers in Shintaro's mind and limbs.

Now, soaked up to their chests in the hot water, Shintaro leans back against Taiga's chest, closing his eyes as the heat works through his aching muscles.

Slowly, Shintaro runs his thumb over Taiga's forearm where it lies across his ribs.

"It's really quiet here. The house feels almost too big for just three family members with one servant," he murmurs.

Taiga's lips brush the side of Shintaro's neck.

"It always felt huge growing up. Sometimes you could walk down the main wings for ten minutes and not hear anyone else."

"And you'll inherit all of this one day," Shintaro notes, tilting his head slightly to catch a glimpse of Taiga's face.

"I suppose so," Taiga says. He shifts, resting his cheek against Shintaro's wet shoulder. "Right now we're just in the family living quarters, but the estate is much bigger than this. In the east yard, across the inner garden, there's a whole separate wing. It has three full-scale practice rooms."

Shintaro turns his head slightly, intrigued.

"Practice rooms?"

"Mhm. We mainly used them when my father and my other teacher were training me," Taiga explains. "From the time I was four, they had me in those rooms every single day after daycare. And  then later after school."

Shintaro keeps his hand wrapped over Taiga's wet fingers while listening.

"They never hit me," Taiga clarifies. "Father has never been like that. And well, they didn't even need to. If my posture was off by an inch during a scene, they'd strap heavy sandbags across my thighs. I wasn't allowed to drop the stance or let the weights touch the tatami. If I failed, the timer would start again."

Shintaro feels a sudden swell of pain, but also tender affection for that young boy Taiga used to be - the boy who kept working so tirelessly.

He tightens his hand over Taiga's fingers.

"What do you think will happen to those rooms in the future? What will you do with all that space when it's yours?"

Taiga stays quiet. He fondles Shintaro's hand back.

"I don't know, honestly," he admits. "It seems like a waste for just one person."

"Wouldn't that make a good school, though? You could train the next generation of kabuki stars there in the future."

Taiga lets out a thoughtful hum.

"A school..."

"Yes. I mean, you're an incredible actor with so much talent and knowledge. You know the craft inside and out. Passing that knowledge down would make sense."

"Maybe it could be a good school indeed," Taiga says.

He continues with an almost dreamlike voice. "Maybe it would be great to use it to train gifted children. Children who don't have a traditional kabuki family background. Those children who usually never get the chance otherwise."

Shintaro's heart swells in his chest. Does Taiga really mean it? The thought of Taiga opening those doors for those he once declared outsiders is achingly beautiful.

Taiga tightens his arms around Shintaro, burying his face into the crook of his neck.

"And maybe," Taiga adds, "one day, we could do that together. You and me. What do you think? Would you be ready for it?"

Shintaro feels a lump rising in his throat. Running a school together. It's not a thing that's just about tomorrow, next week, or the upcoming spring season. It would be a commitment stretching far into their future.

Shintaro turns his head, bringing his wet hand up to cup the back of Taiga's neck.

"I'd love that more than anything," he says, meaning every single word.

He turns his head further, guiding Taiga's head down so that he can kiss him properly again.

-----

On the final morning before Taiga's parents and Kochi are scheduled to return, Shintaro packs his small travel bag while Taiga watches him from the bed, his hair still messy from sleep.

"When will I see you next?" Taiga asks, pulling the sheet up to his chest.

"I believe it's my turn to host. Come over to my place tomorrow night?"

"I'd love to. But I have this meeting with my father and some representatives tomorrow," Taiga said, looking a little checked out for a second. "It shouldn't drag on too late, though. I can head straight over after. So, late evening, if it's alright?"

"I'll leave the door unlocked," Shintaro promises. He steps over to the edge of the futon, squeezing Taiga's hand before heading out.

When the door handle finally turns open around ten-thirty the next night, Shintaro springs up instantly from the floor to greet Taiga. He has kept a small lamp burning on the table in the otherwise dark apartment, eager for a peaceful evening together. It’s always the best when it’s just the two of them.

"Hey!" Shintaro greets him happily, stepping down into the small genkan and already reaching out a hand to squeeze Taiga's in greeting. "How was the night?"

"Hi. It was fine," Taiga answers with a small, subdued smile.

Oddly enough, he doesn't take Shintaro's offered hand. He just kind of brushes right past him and walks straight into the main room instead.

"Did everything go well with your father and those representatives?" Shintaro asks.

"Mhm," Taiga hums with a brief nod. "It was just a long evening. A lot of formal talk."

Taiga's gaze drifts over to the futon already laid out on the floor. He stands there in the middle of the room with a weird expression on his face. 

"I saved some dinner for you, actually. I can heat it right now," Shintaro offers with a smile, starting toward the tiny kitchen corner.

"I'm really not hungry," Taiga cuts in. "We ate after the meeting..."

"Ah, right."

Taiga's eyes travel to the bedding on the floor. He bites his lower lip.

"Do you mind if we just go to bed already?" he asks. 

"No, it's totally fine," Shintaro says, walking over to him to squeeze his arm gently. "Let's go to bed."

They change into sleep clothes. Shintaro turns the light off and slips under the shared blanket. He immediately turns onto his side and wraps his arms around Taiga, pulling him close against his chest. He fully expects Taiga to just melt into him like he always does.

But this time, Taiga stays stiff, without pressing back at all.

Shintaro brings his nose against the back of Taiga's nape while his hand smoothes slowly over Taiga's stomach.

"Good night, Taiga," Shintaro murmurs into his ear.

"Good night."

Minutes tick by in total silence. Taiga doesn't move an inch, and Shintaro figures exhaustion has already knocked him out.

He relaxes his hold and drifts off when Taiga suddenly moves, rolling onto his back.

"Shintaro," Taiga whispers.

He sounds frantic. And although it's all dim in the room, Shintaro can notice his eyes are looking weirdly glazed as he looks upon him.

"Can you fuck me real hard? Please? I would really need it right now."

Shintaro feels his stomach drop at the request. Not only by want. But something about the way Taiga asks it feels totally wrong, as he doesn't sound playful or teasing at all.

Yet, seeing that desperate pleading look in Taiga's eyes, Shintaro gives in.

He moves, pulling down their sleep pants.

As he pushes his cock in, there's zero intimacy in it. Taiga keeps his eyes squeezed shut the entire time, his face turned toward the wall. His jaw sets so hard that the muscles in his cheek lock tight.

Shintaro keeps thrusting into him, giving Taiga exactly the intensity he pleaded for. With one final thrust, Shintaro buries himself as deep as he can go, coming hard inside him with a groan.

Before Shintaro can even catch his breath properly or try to pull out, Taiga reaches up and grabs the front of Shintaro's shirt with both hands. He pulls Shintaro down with so much strength that Shintaro's entire chest collapses onto his.

At the same time, Taiga wraps his legs tightly around Shintaro's waist, locking his ankles together behind Shintaro's back to keep him deeply embedded inside him and preventing him from moving an inch backward.

"Don't pull it out yet," Taiga insists, breathing heavily and holding him so tightly it almost hurts. "Don't pull out. Just stay right here."

It takes a while, but eventually Taiga's erratic breathing calms down, and Shintaro finally pulls out carefully. They don't talk.

Finally, Taiga's breathing grows heavier and slower until the soft snoring suggests he's fallen asleep.

Shintaro stays awake.

A strange knot sits in his stomach. It's been there ever since Taiga walked through the door. Nothing is actually wrong, but his body and mind refuse to calm down. He can’t put his finger on why.

He looks over at Taiga sleeping beside him. His face is handsome, and he looks peaceful. Shintaro tries to talk himself out of the mood. He tells himself it's just Taiga's tiredness rubbing off on him.

Taiga snuggles closer to him in his sleep. Shintaro gives in to the warmth.

He closes his eyes and tries to let the feeling pass.