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Prompt 3: World Famous in Tokyo
🕑 Added 2018-05-13 19:10:35 +0000 UTC Summary: Rise and Kanji have been dating for years. One day, while in Tokyo, the two decide to just relax and enjoy the city before Rise's concert. Along the way they meet fans and deal with paparazzi as Kanji gets a taste of fame.---
Kanji didn't consider himself much of a traveler. It wasn't that he was against the idea of leaving his hometown, it was just… why would he want to? Inaba was great. Good food, great friends, and everything else he could need. He was content to just live his life in the small town. He liked the simple life, and he couldn't imagine growing up anywhere else.
That didn't mean Kanji was against leaving the small town. It just meant he had a hard time getting used to the big city. Okina City was a strange place for him the first time he went there. He remembered being a little kid and squeezing his dad's hand cause he was so scared of getting lost in the crowds of people walking by.
He got over it as time went by, of course. Good thing too. Rise loved shopping in Okina City, and she'd always ask him to carry her bags.
Okina City was strange, but nothing he couldn't get used to. But Tokyo? Tokyo?! That was hard to get used to. It was the biggest city in Japan, and every time he visited it felt like he was stepping into a whole other world.
But this was where Rise's latest concert was being held, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to support his girlfriend of four years.
Heh. Girlfriend. The very thought brought a proud grin onto his face. He and Rise started dating about a month after Senpai revealed he and Naoto were dating and left Inaba. While that memory wasn't a particularly happy one, it led to Kanji and Rise becoming who they were now.
Kanji blinked as he felt something tug on his ear, and he shook his head, shooing away whatever was poking his ear. "The hell…?"
"Welcome back to the world of the living, Kanji-kun."
"Huh?" The young man blinked, staring at his girlfriend. Rise rested her head on her hand as she smiled at her boyfriend from across the table. She had a teasing smile on her lips. "What?"
"You were staring at me for like ten minutes. You feeling alright?" she asked, reaching for his forehead.
He gently smacked her hand away, a pink blush on his cheeks. Had he really been staring again? "I'm fine. Just thinking."
"About?"
Kanji considered lying, but one look into his girlfriend's eyes shot down that idea. He never was much of a liar, anyways. So he swallowed his pride, and confessed the truth. "Just thinking about us. How lucky I am, and… stuff."
Rise's eyes widened for a moment, before she did that cute snort and giggle thing that she only did around him cause her producers didn't want fans to know Risette snorted. She laughed at her boyfriend, but before he could challenge her on it, she leaned forward and caught his lips in a kiss.
Damn… her. Kanji didn't know if it was all girls, or just Rise who had this power. It was like he could be doing or feeling almost anything, but one kiss from Rise would be enough to change him into a blushing, gibbering idiot.
And this time was no exception. She kissed him, and when she pulled away his cheeks were the same shade as a ripe tomato. He opened his mouth, stuttering an answer as she laughed again.
"You are so cute, Moronji. I love you."
Damn her! He thought again, glaring at the woman. She had him wrapped around her finger, and she knew it. He resorted to hiding in his leather jacket, pulling on the collar to better hide his scarlet cheeks.
"Love you too," he mumbled.
Rise giggled again, before glancing at her phone. "We should probably get going. We've only got a few hours before I've got to get ready for the concert!"
Kanji nodded his head, and they both reached into their pockets. The two both paid for their coffee, before leaving a little extra as a tip. The couple then stood up and waved goodbye to the owner of the store with a quick smile.
"Thank you for the coffee, Sojiro-san!" Rise beamed. The older man waved the two off as Rise latched onto Kanji's arm.
"Hey, c-come on. It's hard to walk when you do that," the young man muttered, blushing still as he and Rise walked outside.
"Tough. It makes me happy," she replied, sticking her tongue out at her boyfriend.
"Brat," he replied, poking Rise's forehead.
"Moronji," she countered.
The two chuckled at their duel, smiling as they walked along the sidewalk. Kanji looked away from his love, staring up at the sky. It was a beautiful day in Tokyo, and he felt like the luckiest guy in the world for being able to experience it with his best friend. His girl…
"That place was really good. I'm glad Senpai suggested it to us," Rise commented.
Kanji nodded in agreement, before asking, "What do you wanna do now?"
"Hmm… Well, how about we head off to the park? Just enjoy ourselves until it's time to go?" Kanji nodded his head in agreement, and Rise smiled as she led her boyfriend to the nearest station. "Alright! Let's go!"
---
Rise considered herself a city girl. Despite all the happy memories and joy she felt in Inaba, despite how close the place was to her heart, she always found herself interested in the hustle and bustle of the city.
Maybe it was just because she was born in a big city, maybe it was because she was an idol, but she liked the atmosphere of the city. The energy, the life, the people… She loved Inaba, and she couldn't help but dream about the metropolis that was Tokyo.
She and Kanji rode on Tokyo's metro system, staring out the window together. Kanji stayed close to Rise's side, glaring at those that stared at the famous idol. Rise gave the interested fans a gentle smile, before glancing at Kanji.
"Be nice," she whispered.
"I'm nice," he huffed. Some people were taking pictures of the two, and while Rise could tell Kanji was annoyed by them, he did nothing to dissuade them.
Rise giggled at her boyfriend's protective nature. He was like a teddy bear. He seemed scary at first, but he was a big softie deep down. It was one of the things she loved about him.
Kanji wasn't trying to be rude to anyone. He just wanted Rise to feel like a normal girl for the afternoon, something that was difficult when people stared and took pictures of her.
Someone in the train moved towards the couple, and Kanji moved to get in their way. Rise turned to face the approaching figure, and smiled at a young woman with her, Rise assumed, daughter holding her hand.
"H-hi! You're Risette, right? My name's Hikari! I-I am such a huge fan! Oh, and this is my daughter, Fumi! I just wanted to tell you how much of a fan I am of your work! Your recent movie, 'Dancing in the Leaves of Yesterday,' brought me to tears!" The woman was clearly in awe of Rise, and the idol smiled back.
"Aww, thank you so much for the compliment! I'm glad you liked it!"
By now Kanji had stepped aside. He mostly leaned against the rocking wall of the subway, quietly waiting for the conversation to end. He wasn't annoyed with the mother and daughter as long as they behaved themselves around his girlfriend. He tended to get ignored when Rise's fans approached the couple, but this time was different.
"And you're Kanji Tatsumi, right? Risette's boyfriend?" the mother asked.
"Huh? Uh… Y-yeah. That's me."
"My husband and I were at your family's shop last year! We spoke to your mother, and even commissioned a stuffed animal for her!" Hikari turned her head to her daughter, and motioned the girl forward. "Fumi, honey, come forward. This man made Manami."
That was when the two noticed the stuffed animal in the girl's hands. It was a small, bright pink platypus with a red heart on his belly. The little, raven-haired girl clung to the creature as she lifted her head up to stare at the (relative) giant.
"Y-you're Manami's dad?"
"Uh, not exact-" Kanji didn't get the chance to finish his sentence before the girl ran forward and hugged his leg, squeezing her toy into his knee.
"I love Manami! She's my best friend ever! Mom and dad brought her home after their trip, and she's my favorite animal, and I love her, and she's a scientist, and she's gonna build a rocket and travel to space and take me with her to blow up suns and-"
The girl's mouth kept going and going, and Kanji found himself caught between finding Fumi adorable or annoying. He decided on the former when he snapped his fingers.
"Hey, I think I remember that, actually. Ma gave me the details when I got home from Rise's," he thought aloud. "Not a lot of folks request platypuses so your request stood out." Knji blinked for a moment, and glanced at Rise. "Platypi? Playtupss?"
The copper-haired girl shrugged, but little Fumi had an answer. "Most scientists refer to a group of them as platypuses. 'Platypi' is also used for the plural, although that is technically incorrect and a form of pseudo-Latin. The correct Greek plural would be 'platypodes.'"
The two stared at the small girl, who smiled back at them. "She really likes that animal," Hikari explained. "Anyways, Kanji-kun, I'm actually really happy I ran into you two! When my husband saw your shop, and the things you made, he just… inspired barely covers it!" The woman was beaming as recalled the memory.
"You see, he's been sewing since he was a kid, but he never shared his work with anyone. When he saw your creations, he was so inspired! It was amazing! You are amazing! I've never seen him so happy in years! Please, can I take a picture with you both? My husband will be so jealous I got the chance to meet his idol!"
"Us too, us too!" Fumi begged, holding her stuffed animal.
"Sure! Anything for a fan!" Rise smiled.
"Uh… Y-yeah," Kanji muttered, before feeling his pants' leg being tugged on. He glanced down, and noticed Fumi pulling on his clothes.
"Up, mister! Up!"
"Do you have her, Kanji-kun?" Hikari asked, taking out her phone.
"Sure…" The young man sighed, but decided to roll with the punch. He reached down and picked the young girl up, and he held her in his hands as he leaned closer to Rise and Hikari.
The four smiled at the camera as their picture was taken, and Hikari was beaming as she looked the photo over. "Thank you both so much! You have no idea what this means to me!"
"No problem!"
"No problem…" The metro hissed loudly as it came to a stop, and Rise took her boyfriend's hand in hers.
"This is our stop, so we've got to get going. We're really sorry!" Rise apologized. "It was wonderful meeting you."
"Oh, it's no problem! We're sorry for taking up your time. Please, have a great day! And thank you again!" The mother bowed her head, beaming at the two as her daughter embraced Kanji once more.
"Bye, Manami's daddy!"
The blond blushed brightly, before his girlfriend pulled his towards the exit. The two ran out of the metro, and as soon as the doors closed, Rise looked at Kanji with an apologetic smile.
"I am so sorry about that. You okay?"
"Y-yeah," he replied with a nod. "Just… not used to that, I guess?"
"That's fame for you," Rise replied with a shrug. She placed a hand on her boyfriend's cheek and stood on the tips of her toes to kiss his nose. "You handled yourself great though!"
The young man blushed, and smiled with pride in his cerulean eyes. "Yeah… Heh. Come on, let's go! That park you wanted to go to isn't far from here."
---
Rise relaxed on the gentle waves of the boat. She smiled as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back to enjoy the warm rays. The boat swayed from side to side as she lazily lifted up her arm and dropped it over the edge of the boat. It dipped into the cool water as she sighed contently.
Kanji watched all of this as he rowed the boat. He had never been to this park before, but he had to admit, it was nice. He'd never rented a boat before either, yet here he and his girlfriend were, rowing on a large lake, with other boats in the distance.
"I love you," Rise whispered as her fingers tapped the water's surface.
Kanji smiled in response, blushing once more. "I love you too," he muttered, staring at the young woman.
She opened her eyes and sat up, stretching for a moment as she beamed. "This is so relaxing. I could just stay here forever."
"I mean, we rented the boat for like an hour, but I can go see if we can take it out for another two or something."
Rise giggled, holding a hand over her lips as Kanji arched his brow. Suddenly she moved forward, placing her hands on Kanji's shoulders. His cheeks burned as she leaned in close, gently rocking the boat.
"You ever seen that movie? With the mermaid? And the handsome prince?" Kanji slowly shook his head, and Rise snickered. "Now's your moment, floating in a blue lagoon…"
She was beginning to sing, and Kanji swallowed down spit. He hated it when she sang. She was too freakin' beautiful when she sang, and he would always look like an idiot. Meanwhile, she was an angel. She glanced into the water with a small smile.
Even without music playing, she sounded so damn amazing…
"Boy, you better do it soon. No time will be better." She winked at her boyfriend, leaning in closer until their lips were mere inches apart. He didn't move away, leaning in forward himself until their lips grazed against each other. "Go on and kiss the girl…"
His lips met hers and Rise melted as he dropped the oars. He wrapped his arms around her body, placing one hand on her back as the other combed through her long, copper locks. She shuddered in his hands, wrapping both of her hands around his head. One hand played with his blond hair as she fell back, bringing Kanji down with her.
The two continued to kiss, and Rise giggled as she gently sucked on his bottom lip. He moaned in response, moving down to nibble on her neck. She always liked it when he did that. Kanji kissed her soft skin, gently sucking on it as she writhed.
They stayed like that for what felt like an hour. Just holding each other, exchanging kisses all over each other's body as their boat drifted on the water's surface. Suddenly the two felt the boat came to a hard stop, and Kanji lifted up his head.
Rise mewled, trying to bring him back down to her lips as he looked around. Their boat had hit land. Neither of them knew where they were now, but they had definitely gone off course.
"Uhh, where are we?"
Rise sighed, realizing they weren't going to go back to making out. She fixed the strap of her top, before standing up and looking around. "Oh." She scratched the back of her head, a habit she had picked up from her boyfriend. "I mean, if we follow the coast, we should get back to where we rented the boat."
Kanji nodded his head, grabbing the oars. "Right." Then he heard Rise giggle, and he glanced at her with an arched brow. "What?"
"Y-your face. L-look in the water!"
Kanji did so, and his blush came back in full force. His face was covered in pink kiss marks, showing the entire world what Rise had done to him. His girlfriend continued to giggle as Kanji groaned, trying to wipe the pink marks off of his face.
"D-damn it, Rise!"
Rise and Kanji soon returned to the small store. The worker helped tie their boat to the dock, and the two stepped out with smiling faces, and warm cheeks. The two held each other's hand as they walked, only to find themselves encountered by a familiar foe.
The paparazzi.
Several men and women were running to the couple, cameras in hand. They began to take pictures of the two as Kanji's smile turned into a harsh glare. Fans were one thing. Packs of reporters were something else entirely.
Kanji tried to pull his girlfriend away from the pack of wolves, but they quickly surrounded the pair, bombarding them with questions. Rise, to her credit, tried to answer as many as she could.
"What brings you to Tokyo, Risette?!"
"Oh, well, I have a concert and-"
"Will you be staying in Tokyo? Rumors are you're living in a small town right now! Why?!"
"My grandmother-"
"Is this your boyfriend?! How do you deal with allegations that your boyfriend is just using you to help support his family's business!?"
That ticked Kanji off. He growled, glaring at the woman that had asked that question. He opened his mouth, only to fall silent as Rise's foot stomped on the ground.
"Kanji wouldn't do that. He's my best friend, and one of the nicest guys I know. I had to push him to promote his store when he was with me. I'm happy to support Tatsumi Textiles because of their quality, and because they're a small business. There's no ulterior motive."
Rise kept her voice firm, but Kanji could hear the fire brimming right under the surface. He smiled in pride as she pulled her boyfriend along, trying to ignore the pestering questions. They walked onto the stone path, but still the reporters followed them.
"Risette, what do you have to say about allegations that you slept with your producer to get where you are?"
Rise came to a stop, and sighed, placing a hand on her forehead. "Kanji."
"On it." The blond rolled his shoulders and neck, before glaring at the reporters. "Alright, ya a-holes. Leave us the alone, or else!" Kanji pointed behind them, at one of the boats docked at the small pier. "Else, I'm gonna throw a boat at you!"
The group of reporters stepped back, each of them shocked by the glare in Kanji's eyes. They had clearly heard the legends of the young man. "Leave my girlfriend alone. You want to talk to her, go to a press conference! Now get bent, and leave us alone." Kanji and Rise marched out of the pack of reporters, and they let them.
"Thanks for that," Rise whispered once they were far enough away.
"No problem. You okay?"
"Yeah." She clung to her boyfriend's arm, squeezing it as they walked out of the park. "I love you."
The frown on his face faded away and he smiled back at her. "Love you too."
---
Rise sat down and allowed her makeup artists to go to work. She had complete trust in them. They had prepared her for a dozen shows in the past, so all of this felt completely normal to her. She relaxed her face and let the artists work.
As they did, Kanji sat behind her with a smile on his face. He admired his girlfriend, happy to see her so at peace. While she was getting ready for her upcoming performance, he noticed two figures enter the small room.
They were two young girls. One had bright blond hair, and equally bright, blue eyes. The other had darker hair, with hazel eyes. They both wear Risette shirts, and they smiled as they saw at the idol, though the darker haired girl seemed anxious.
"Look, Shiho! I told you we'd find her!"
"Wow…" 'Shiho' stared at Rise with wide eyes, before shaking her head. "A-Ann, we can't stay here. The guide said-"
Kanji raised his brow as another figure stepped in. A tall man with a bald head, and a black shirt with the words 'SECURITY' printed on the front. By now the makeup artists had stopped, and Rise turned her head to stare at the two girls and burly man.
"Hey! Thought I told you two you can't go in here!" the man snarled.
"Come on, we just wanted to see Risette! That's what these backstage passes are for, right?!" Ann argued, glaring at the giant.
"Ann, stop arguing," Shiho muttered, trying to pull her friend back.
"It's okay, Takeshi." Rise smiled at the man. "They can stay while I get ready."
"You sure, Rise-san?" the man huffed, and the idol nodded her head again. "Alright. You two better behavior yourselves… I'll be right outside, Rise-san." The guard nodded his head at the idol, before leaving the room.
"Jerk," Ann huffed, crossing her arms.
"He's a sweetheart deep down. He just has to act tough. He once asked me to sign a shirt for him," explained the copper-haired idol. "Anyways, I take it you two are fans?"
"Y-yeah!" Kanji was basically ignored as the two young girls ran to Rise's chair, careful not to get in the way of her artists. "I'm Ann Takamaki. This is my best friend, Shiho Suzui. We're huge fans!"
Shiho nodded her head, smiling at Rise. "We're really sorry to interrupt you. I had just mentioned to Ann how excited I was to see you, and then she saw you come in, and she thought it'd be okay to come see you, and… well, I'm just really sorry." The dark-haired girl bowed her head, but Rise just laughed it off.
"It's okay. I'm happy to meet fans." Rise closed her eyes and allowed the artists to paint her face with subtle colors. "You said your name was Ann Takamaki, right? Weren't you on the cover of Tokyo Girl last month?"
"Y-yeah! You saw me?!" Ann beamed at the recognition, and Rise giggled at the reaction.
"Yeah. You were looking great. I even read the interview you did. You handled yourself great."
Ann was practically jumping in joy, when Shiho finally turned her head to stare at Kanji. She watched the older man, who scratched his neck as the awkwardness of the situation grew.
"Uh… Hi. I'm-"
"K-Kanji Tatsumi?" Shiho's eyes widened, before she glanced at the floor with scarlet cheeks.
"Huh? Oh, that's the guy you like, right?" Ann smiled. "Risette's boyfriend, right?" The blonde girl smirked as Shiho's eyes widened and she elbowed her friend, who giggled in response.
"I-I just look up to him! It's not like that, Tatsumi-san!" Shiho quickly explained. "I-I just love your art style! It's not like that!"
"Tatsumi-san?" Kanji muttered.
"Oh, you're a fan of Tatsumi Textiles?" Rise glanced at the girls.
"Yes," Shiho nodded. "I've seen Tatsumi-san's work several times, and I just think it looks absolutely phenomenal! I've been trying to pick up sewing, but, well… I'm not nearly as good as he is."
"H-hey." Kanji spoke up, and began to walk towards the pair of girls. "Don't sweat it. Everyone starts somewhere. I mean, I used to stab my own fingers all the time. It happens."
"I… Thank you, Tatsumi-"
"Just call me Kanji."
"Oh. Thank you, Kanji," Shiho beamed.
"Rise-san, are you done in there?" a voice asked, knocking on the door.
"Almost!" Rise replied.
"Sorry, we'll get out of your way," Ann apologized, smiling as Shiho glowed red under Kanji's gaze. "But before we go, can we have you and Kanji's autographs?"
Kanji's eyes widened at that request. Why the heck do they want mine too? But Rise was only too happy to answer.
"Sure!"
---
Rise stood in the darkness of the stage, the only light being the flash of cameras from within the audience. There must have been thousands of people out there. Maybe even a million, Kanji thought. He stood on the sidelines, hidden behind curtains as he watched his girlfriend shine.
A lot of people talked about the kind of music Risette sang nowadays. It was still the upbeat pop she was known for, but there was more heart to it. More of Rise was in the song than ever before.
Kanji really loved seeing her on the stage. There was a rush in her eyes, a glowing spark as she danced and sang.
The stage came to life, lights shining down on Rise as she danced with her group of backup dancers. The music pounded in the air as she greeted Tokyo with wide, open arms.
"Hello, Tokyo! Are you ready?!"
The thousands of people screamed in return, cheering for Rise as she began to sing and dance, moving her body on the stage like she was born for the life. Kanji leaned against a wall as he admired her.
She looked so happy… She moved her body with expert precision, like it was her body controlling the music. Her moves were a mix of the quick kicks and spins of breakdancing, with the elegance of ballet. Rise was doing all of this, while singing.
The woman was amazing. There was no other word for it.
Kanji noticed a slight pause in her step, and she turned her head to smile at him. She lifted up a hand, aiming her index finger at him, before pulling the trigger with a wink. She giggled, returning to her dance number as the song continued to blare, and the audience tried to dance along.
Even Kanji couldn't help but tap his feet to the beat as Rise sang. He just relaxed and let the music sweep him away as he stared at the woman of his dreams.
---
"I am so tired," Rise groaned, stepping out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her body, and another around her hair. Kanji glanced at her, before turning away with a warm, burning face.
"I bet," he muttered. "You were dancing like crazy up there. That was probably one of your best performances yet."
"You think so?"
He nodded his head, and she smiled at that, before picking up some clothes from her luggage and walking back into the bathroom. "Anything you want to do tonight?" she asked from behind the bathroom door.
"Not really. Maybe just take it easy?"
"Sounds good to me." Rise walked out of the bathroom in her pajamas, bright pink clothes that had penguins designed on the front. She fell onto the bed, beside her boyfriend as the TV went on. "Hey, Kanji?"
The young man muted the TV, and turned his head to smile at his girl. "Yeah?"
"I love you."
"Love you too, Rise."
She lifted her arm and placed it on his chest, while the under was sandwich between their bodies. Her leg fell across his as she smiled at him. He moved his hand under her body, and gently rested it on her hip.
"I ever tell you how happy you make me?"
"You could stand to tell me more often." She lifted her head up to peck his cheek.
"Alright. Rise Kujikawa, you are the best pal a guy could ask for. You make me happy, and I'm lucky to have you."
"Eh. That's okay," Rise shrugged. "Could use more kisses." Kanji rolled his eyes, leaning down to kiss her lips. "Better."
"Brat," he muttered, chuckling at her pout.
"Moronji." The two glared at one another, before smiling. "I love you."
"Love you too, Rise."
