[log] Niou & Shiraishi
Jan. 5th, 2019 06:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penipu posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
tennis_hellWho: Niou Masaharu and Shiraishi Kuranosuke
What: An introduction to the Star Debut drama. Niou and Shiraishi shoot the shit prior to a script reading for the pilot episode.
When: Early December-ish
Where: At the studio where much of the filming would be taking place
Rating: PG (for Niou's awful use of language)
It was a primetime drama that had already caused a rumble in the entertainment industry despite not having yet aired its pilot episode. One of those shows where two friends have been close all their lives, growing up and playing music together, and ultimately scouted by an agency to form a band. Their major debut on the horizon, they gather bandmates, build an impressive library of songs for ultimately one to become their first single, and travel down the path of success that of course hits a couple of hiccups along the road, as all good dramas have at least one if not multiple conflicts.
Much of the advertisement of the show had been centralized around the two leading characters - Tsubasa and Hikaru, early twenty somethings who had been inseparable since they were young children, and shared a dream of one day performing together on stage, in front of tens of thousands of people. Hikaru was the lead vocalist - he was responsible for many of the song lyrics and had a beautiful singing voice that was admired by many. Tsubasa was the backing vocals, though his strengths lay in the music composition and the business side of their operation, and he was ultimately the confident one of the pair who pounded the pavement to get their name out there.
Niou had been cast as Tsubasa, his first true leading role in a production that would reach a vast audience. The casting director had been very specific about wishing to cast a singer in particular for the role of Hikaru; who else could it have been than one Shiraishi Kuranosuke who had made a splash with his second single of Speed Star hitting #2 on the Oricon Weekly chart, and who was said to be the next big breakout solo artist in the country.
But it was not any of that to cause the stir in the entertainment industry. Instead, it was that the drama was tagged as a boy’s love, the first of its kind to be aired on primetime. Many critics claimed that it wouldn’t be aired past the first episode - many supporters vocalized their support for it was a huge leap forward for LGBT visibility in Japan. The media couldn’t seem to reach a consensus over how they felt about the drama itself, but it certainly didn’t stop the mass popularity of the opening song released as a single in promotion for the drama, titled after the name of the drama itself, Star Debut, in which Shiraishi was the vocalist. It had been steady on the Oricon Weekly chart as #1 for three weeks straight.
Tons of promotional work had been done in the months leading up to the release of the drama, including a photoshoot of the two main characters. But now it was show time - filming and production was just around the corner and it was time to become properly acquainted with the personalities of the characters outside of their physical appearances, which left Shiraishi and Niou sitting at a round table with the rest of the cast, scripts in hand for the pilot episode, flipping through it before the reading would start.
Niou leaned in close to Shiraishi while everyone was engrossed in their scripts. “So. When do you think we get to the good stuff?” The sparkling mischief was bright in his eyes as he was most certainly not referencing the whole music side of the drama.
Though he had been involved in theatre when he was younger, and he had done a bit of stage and on-camera work now as an adult professional, Shiraishi still had some anxiety over filming a drama series that would be airing on national television. They had somehow gotten away with a prime time slot, despite the fact that the plot was well-known to include a same sex relationship, and while Shiraishi was sure that his singing and dancing chops were up to snuff, he wasn’t so sure that his acting was the making of prime time. It helped that everyone on the production team was so kind and welcoming.
He wouldn’t even have agreed to the role if he hadn’t heard that the script writer himself was a gay man. Both Niou and Shiraishi himself were… well, he actually wasn’t entirely sure how Niou identified, but neither of them identified as straight. If this silly show about two childhood friends starting a band was going to help some young boy out there who wasn’t sure why he felt the things he did or what his place in life was, then Shiraishi was going to push through the nerves and work his hardest. There was also the factor that it was an opportunity to collaborate with another member of his agency, as well as a long time… ah, acquaintance? He hesitated to call Niou a friend - he hesitated to consider him less, as well.
“I don’t think our characters like each other that way, yet,” Shiraishi responded, his eyes focused on the text and not really giving Niou his attention. “Think of it like a slow burn coffee shop AU,” he added with a hint of humor to his voice.
Slow burn coffee shop AU or not, Niou had a feeling that there was more to the story than just the characters not liking each other in that way yet. It was too suspect being a story about two dudes who had been best friends for forever. “Or maybe there’s another shoe,” he mused, leaning in close enough so their shoulders were pressed together and Shiraishi had no choice but to look at him. “Maybe we’re long lost lovers.”
“Oh, hang on,” Shiraishi said, motioning to the script where his character’s motivations were outlined. “Looks like I confessed to you and you turned me down.” Hikaru, Shiraishi’s character, had confessed to Tsubasa, Niou’s character, when they were younger and got turned down. They had since gone on to try to form a band together, but Tsubasa was the one with the mind for marketing and recruiting band members. Hikaru was the one who wrote all the heartfelt lyrics and haunting melodies about love that never was.
Shiraishi glanced at Niou, careful to not acknowledge his proximity lest he never get rid of him. He knew better than to give Niou what he wanted. “It’s not going to go anywhere if Tsubasa doesn’t get his shit together,” he added.
Of course, he had read that part of the script already - Niou had been sure to skim the outline immediately upon receiving the script, for anything that immediately jumped out at him, even if he only had a minute to do so before they were seated around the table. “Maybe there's some tragic reason that Tsubasa did it. Like ass cancer.” Based on Shiraishi's body language, Niou had already lost, and he straightened himself up in his own seat to begin looking at the script in earnest. “Think we'll be acting out that confession?”
Setting aside the remark, Shiraishi replied, “I think if you read the script, it will illuminate what we’ll be acting out.” Usually at initial script readings, it wasn’t as easy as that - they would jump around, make adjustments, make notes, and so on. But, Shiraishi probably knew better than any other human on earth not to give a mouse a cookie, particularly when dealing with certain mice such as Niou. Or Kirihara. Or Zaizen.
Definitely lost. Well, fuck. Shiraishi did always know how to reject him cold.
But that didn’t mean he had to play into his quip. Niou gave a non-committal acknowledgment and leaned forward on his arms to flip through the script. It was the pilot episode - all they needed to do was grip the audience. It usually took a few episodes to hit stride and even then, it could take until they were halfway through the drama before they would know for sure whether or not they had a hit on their hands. Niou was determined to see this through - if for nothing else, that it would be a leap into bringing LGBT rights to the front of the media, and it was a catchy story.
“So,” he started, tone definitely indicating that now it was game time. “What do you want to accomplish in your portrayal of what you know about the character?” Niou had already given it a decent amount of thought for his own, but he was curious to hear what Shiraishi had to say.
Shiraishi mulled that question over. It was interesting that Niou was specific to say his portrayal as though he hadn’t already passed the audition processes - as though he was going to have competing portrayals to work against for this character. Which was not to say he had not spent time considering it, it had been good reading (and brainstorming) on the long train rides back and forth to Osaka as everything was getting settled. “He’s not a natural candidate for a star. He was the quiet type in school that got wrapped up in the enthusiasm of the boy he liked and somehow got stuck forming a band. Now, he’s built confidence off of that friend and the shy boy only comes out when he’s not on stage.”
Niou slid his fingers along the first page of the script, not really paying the words much mind as he listened to Shiraishi explain. It was more or less what he anticipated based on his own reading - and was what he was thinking with how the relationship would have blossomed. “Got it. The kind who just sneaks up on you and blows the competition away.” Niou rested an elbow on the table, turning his eyes up to look back at Shiraishi. “Kinda like you.”
Shiraishi leaned his face on his palm regarding Niou in return with an amused smile. He let his guard down for a second, thought Niou might actually be serious about hearing more of his creative process, then… bam. Back to trying to get in his pants. “Niou Masaharu, are you flirting with me?” Shiraishi asked, humor clear in his tone.
“Is it working?” Mutual amusement wove in Niou's words, though his comment hadn't actually been meant to be flirtatious - it was genuine commentary hidden behind the comment, though Shiraishi's conclusion suited Niou just fine. “We have lots of chemistry to build upon,” he added with a hint of sass, for the chemistry would likely fall flat if only because it had been entirely one sided that Niou spent so many hours studying Shiraishi's every movement.
“I think this may be one sided chemistry you're referring to. We have lots of chemistry to build up before we can build upon.” Which was not to say there weren't certain ways they complimented one another well. Shiraishi suspected that was how they both were cast in this drama. Someone looked at the two of them and saw something they liked.
A well-sculpted eyebrow raised in question, bright blue eyes lined with subtle black eyeliner looking somewhat annoyed - as annoyed as Niou could ever look, anyway, it wasn’t a look he wore often. He hated that Shiraishi read through him so easily. Jerk. “Fine, take the wind from my sails,” he all but said with a pout, leaning his chin in the palm of his hand and instead adopting a passive bored look. “For Tsubasa I was thinking that the only way he could have missed his best friend having those feelings for him was by being a dip shit and unobservent. I think it’d mesh well with Hikaru’s shyness.”
Niou's words hit uncomfortably close to home. There was a time when Shiraishi pined uselessly over his best friend who was just oblivious to his affections, no matter how convinced Shiraishi was, at times, that it was malicious. If Niou’s character was like that, he would have no trouble mustering the creative energy to play off of it. “So then was it out of shock that he turned him down?”
Niou gave that due consideration. He didn’t envision it as coming from a place of shock, per se, though undoubtedly Tsubasa was taken aback by his friend’s affections. Based on what limited writing and understanding he had of the character, he was the sort of person who threw all of himself into a project, and became focused on an end goal and what it would take to get there - it was that hyper focus that would result in missing things even if they were completely obvious.
“It prolly startled him and he didn’t know how to handle it, so he yammered that he didn’t share the feelings even though he cared for him deeply as a friend.” That sounded about right. “Yanno, that kinda shit.”
“That kinda shit,” Shiraishi parroted with a chuckle, shaking his head. He couldn’t help the smile that came to his face - as much as he knew better than to give Niou a cookie, even he wasn’t totally immune to his unique brand of charm. He turned his chair a little bit, since everyone else seemed to be distracted, to face Niou more head-on. “You almost sound like you’re speaking from experience. Break a few hearts in high school?” Not that Shiraishi could speak… he could not stand “empty” confessions where girls would tell him they loved him because he was popular or attractive. He wanted to be in love and he wanted a confession to come from a place of love. So… he had probably handled a few rejections, uh… badly.
“Nah, not that kind of experience,” Niou brushed off easily, leaning an elbow on the script. “I’m sure there were a few broken hearts, though.” It wasn’t as though Niou had been known for being one to pursue relationships - but there had certainly been a few who thought that they would be the one to change his ways. It wasn’t intentional and Niou was always upfront and honest about what he sought in a partner; or at least what he sought at the time. Now he could see the value in seeking relationships and companionships and not straight sex. “I’m sure you’ve done the same.”
Shiraishi couldn't argue that. He nodded, his fingers playing over the paper of the script. “I've never appreciated the sort of empty confessions you get in middle school and high school. I'm sure I hurt some feelings saying that to their faces…”
Suddenly, Niou had a new found appreciation for Shiraishi Kuranosuke.
“Oh yeah?” The languid grin that pulled at Niou’s lips was nothing short of mimicking the look a cat got in its eyes before it made its pounce on the canary. “That’s awfully forthright of you.”
“It’s all about setting a clear expectation, it would be worse to promise them one thing and deliver another.” Or… at least he thought it was probably worse. Shiraishi wasn't one to go back on his promises or present himself as something he wasn't, often to a fault.
“Well, yeah, but when you set those expectations and it still seems to go out the fucking window, then what?” It was rather bold of to be speaking of such things within earshot of the rest of the cast and crew who made up the other bodies in the room, but they were talking in low enough tones that it could probably just be waved off as cast bonding or some other shit like that.
Shiraishi considered that, still not completely convinced the Niou wasn't speaking of a specific experience. “Then it sounds like my boundaries aren't being respected. Though, it is not always out of malice. I think when it comes to relationships, things do get out of hand at times.”
“I think people get out of hand at times about a lot of things,” Niou said flippantly with a shrug of the shoulder. “Anyone who doesn’t respect boundaries isn’t deserving of your time.” Ultimately they were thinking the same thing, even if it was expressed a bit differently between them.
“Great minds think alike,” Shiraishi suggested warmly, finding himself momentarily charmed by Niou’s flippant tone. Though he was sure they weren't completely on the same page. Literally or figuratively, he thought glancing down at his script.
Niou followed Shiraishi’s gaze down to the script and then straightened himself properly so as to not further wreck the paper with his elbow. “As though there was any question,” he pointed out, his voice lacking any of the warmth of Shiraishi’s, though it was no less emotive. “My illusion didn’t come from nowhere.”
He didn't want to be the one to put a pin in their moment, but Shiraishi did think that the whole illusion thing was actually pretty disturbing. All of that time invested into studying him just on the off chance that the match with Shiraishi had left Fuji enough of a headcase to falter. Shiraishi liked Fuji and he looked back mostly with fondness on their match. But. “I think some liberties were taken,” he said, just taking the neutral route.
“It’s called acting.” The words were accented with a overdramatic flourish of his hand as Niou batted dark lashes at Shiraishi. In all honesty, Niou had tried incredibly much so to not take any liberties with his illusion of Shiraishi, but he wasn’t about to admit to that.
“That's why we are both here, isn't it?” Shiraishi didn't consider himself a particularly good actor, but he had the voice and charisma they wanted for the role so he wouldn't be eaten alive by his more talented and practiced costar. Which made him think that maybe instead of fighting it, he should try to learn a bit from Niou. “But maybe we should get together outside of work sometime. You know, a planned meeting not just showing up at my house.”
“I’m pretty sure we’re here for our pretty faces,” Niou drawled, though amusement danced in his eyes. He knew very well that it was more than that - but he couldn’t let Shiraishi go free without a bit of teasing. Even if it was ultimately working out in Niou’s favor. “I’d like that. Not that I don’t like the unplanned meetings at your house, though.” This time Niou gave him a genuine smile, one that wasn’t muddled with underlying sass.
That was definitely more Niou’s style to be certain. “Well, my calendar is basically public if you want to find a time,” he joked. Some days he had to plan food into his schedule or it wouldn't happen and the hangry monster would come out with a vengeance.
“You and me both.” Niou glanced around the room, gauging where everyone was in their review of the script prior to everyone getting started with the reading. They’d probably be called on at any moment. “I’ll actually use my phone for once and god forbid text you with some times.”
“Heavens forbid,” Shiraishi agreed with a flash of a smile just as their names were called to join. Everyone else at the table was regarding them. Shiraishi whispered, “Oops, guess the teacher caught us passing notes.”
It wouldn’t have been the first time. Niou had often been labeled as a hooligan when he was a student - little had they known that he was paying perfect attention just fine despite being distracted and had the highest scores on tests just to prove them wrong. Because he was actually a little shit.
“Oops,” Niou whispered back with no absolutely no remorse in his voice, though he flashed the bright, winning idol smile at the rest of the group.
What: An introduction to the Star Debut drama. Niou and Shiraishi shoot the shit prior to a script reading for the pilot episode.
When: Early December-ish
Where: At the studio where much of the filming would be taking place
Rating: PG (for Niou's awful use of language)
It was a primetime drama that had already caused a rumble in the entertainment industry despite not having yet aired its pilot episode. One of those shows where two friends have been close all their lives, growing up and playing music together, and ultimately scouted by an agency to form a band. Their major debut on the horizon, they gather bandmates, build an impressive library of songs for ultimately one to become their first single, and travel down the path of success that of course hits a couple of hiccups along the road, as all good dramas have at least one if not multiple conflicts.
Much of the advertisement of the show had been centralized around the two leading characters - Tsubasa and Hikaru, early twenty somethings who had been inseparable since they were young children, and shared a dream of one day performing together on stage, in front of tens of thousands of people. Hikaru was the lead vocalist - he was responsible for many of the song lyrics and had a beautiful singing voice that was admired by many. Tsubasa was the backing vocals, though his strengths lay in the music composition and the business side of their operation, and he was ultimately the confident one of the pair who pounded the pavement to get their name out there.
Niou had been cast as Tsubasa, his first true leading role in a production that would reach a vast audience. The casting director had been very specific about wishing to cast a singer in particular for the role of Hikaru; who else could it have been than one Shiraishi Kuranosuke who had made a splash with his second single of Speed Star hitting #2 on the Oricon Weekly chart, and who was said to be the next big breakout solo artist in the country.
But it was not any of that to cause the stir in the entertainment industry. Instead, it was that the drama was tagged as a boy’s love, the first of its kind to be aired on primetime. Many critics claimed that it wouldn’t be aired past the first episode - many supporters vocalized their support for it was a huge leap forward for LGBT visibility in Japan. The media couldn’t seem to reach a consensus over how they felt about the drama itself, but it certainly didn’t stop the mass popularity of the opening song released as a single in promotion for the drama, titled after the name of the drama itself, Star Debut, in which Shiraishi was the vocalist. It had been steady on the Oricon Weekly chart as #1 for three weeks straight.
Tons of promotional work had been done in the months leading up to the release of the drama, including a photoshoot of the two main characters. But now it was show time - filming and production was just around the corner and it was time to become properly acquainted with the personalities of the characters outside of their physical appearances, which left Shiraishi and Niou sitting at a round table with the rest of the cast, scripts in hand for the pilot episode, flipping through it before the reading would start.
Niou leaned in close to Shiraishi while everyone was engrossed in their scripts. “So. When do you think we get to the good stuff?” The sparkling mischief was bright in his eyes as he was most certainly not referencing the whole music side of the drama.
Though he had been involved in theatre when he was younger, and he had done a bit of stage and on-camera work now as an adult professional, Shiraishi still had some anxiety over filming a drama series that would be airing on national television. They had somehow gotten away with a prime time slot, despite the fact that the plot was well-known to include a same sex relationship, and while Shiraishi was sure that his singing and dancing chops were up to snuff, he wasn’t so sure that his acting was the making of prime time. It helped that everyone on the production team was so kind and welcoming.
He wouldn’t even have agreed to the role if he hadn’t heard that the script writer himself was a gay man. Both Niou and Shiraishi himself were… well, he actually wasn’t entirely sure how Niou identified, but neither of them identified as straight. If this silly show about two childhood friends starting a band was going to help some young boy out there who wasn’t sure why he felt the things he did or what his place in life was, then Shiraishi was going to push through the nerves and work his hardest. There was also the factor that it was an opportunity to collaborate with another member of his agency, as well as a long time… ah, acquaintance? He hesitated to call Niou a friend - he hesitated to consider him less, as well.
“I don’t think our characters like each other that way, yet,” Shiraishi responded, his eyes focused on the text and not really giving Niou his attention. “Think of it like a slow burn coffee shop AU,” he added with a hint of humor to his voice.
Slow burn coffee shop AU or not, Niou had a feeling that there was more to the story than just the characters not liking each other in that way yet. It was too suspect being a story about two dudes who had been best friends for forever. “Or maybe there’s another shoe,” he mused, leaning in close enough so their shoulders were pressed together and Shiraishi had no choice but to look at him. “Maybe we’re long lost lovers.”
“Oh, hang on,” Shiraishi said, motioning to the script where his character’s motivations were outlined. “Looks like I confessed to you and you turned me down.” Hikaru, Shiraishi’s character, had confessed to Tsubasa, Niou’s character, when they were younger and got turned down. They had since gone on to try to form a band together, but Tsubasa was the one with the mind for marketing and recruiting band members. Hikaru was the one who wrote all the heartfelt lyrics and haunting melodies about love that never was.
Shiraishi glanced at Niou, careful to not acknowledge his proximity lest he never get rid of him. He knew better than to give Niou what he wanted. “It’s not going to go anywhere if Tsubasa doesn’t get his shit together,” he added.
Of course, he had read that part of the script already - Niou had been sure to skim the outline immediately upon receiving the script, for anything that immediately jumped out at him, even if he only had a minute to do so before they were seated around the table. “Maybe there's some tragic reason that Tsubasa did it. Like ass cancer.” Based on Shiraishi's body language, Niou had already lost, and he straightened himself up in his own seat to begin looking at the script in earnest. “Think we'll be acting out that confession?”
Setting aside the remark, Shiraishi replied, “I think if you read the script, it will illuminate what we’ll be acting out.” Usually at initial script readings, it wasn’t as easy as that - they would jump around, make adjustments, make notes, and so on. But, Shiraishi probably knew better than any other human on earth not to give a mouse a cookie, particularly when dealing with certain mice such as Niou. Or Kirihara. Or Zaizen.
Definitely lost. Well, fuck. Shiraishi did always know how to reject him cold.
But that didn’t mean he had to play into his quip. Niou gave a non-committal acknowledgment and leaned forward on his arms to flip through the script. It was the pilot episode - all they needed to do was grip the audience. It usually took a few episodes to hit stride and even then, it could take until they were halfway through the drama before they would know for sure whether or not they had a hit on their hands. Niou was determined to see this through - if for nothing else, that it would be a leap into bringing LGBT rights to the front of the media, and it was a catchy story.
“So,” he started, tone definitely indicating that now it was game time. “What do you want to accomplish in your portrayal of what you know about the character?” Niou had already given it a decent amount of thought for his own, but he was curious to hear what Shiraishi had to say.
Shiraishi mulled that question over. It was interesting that Niou was specific to say his portrayal as though he hadn’t already passed the audition processes - as though he was going to have competing portrayals to work against for this character. Which was not to say he had not spent time considering it, it had been good reading (and brainstorming) on the long train rides back and forth to Osaka as everything was getting settled. “He’s not a natural candidate for a star. He was the quiet type in school that got wrapped up in the enthusiasm of the boy he liked and somehow got stuck forming a band. Now, he’s built confidence off of that friend and the shy boy only comes out when he’s not on stage.”
Niou slid his fingers along the first page of the script, not really paying the words much mind as he listened to Shiraishi explain. It was more or less what he anticipated based on his own reading - and was what he was thinking with how the relationship would have blossomed. “Got it. The kind who just sneaks up on you and blows the competition away.” Niou rested an elbow on the table, turning his eyes up to look back at Shiraishi. “Kinda like you.”
Shiraishi leaned his face on his palm regarding Niou in return with an amused smile. He let his guard down for a second, thought Niou might actually be serious about hearing more of his creative process, then… bam. Back to trying to get in his pants. “Niou Masaharu, are you flirting with me?” Shiraishi asked, humor clear in his tone.
“Is it working?” Mutual amusement wove in Niou's words, though his comment hadn't actually been meant to be flirtatious - it was genuine commentary hidden behind the comment, though Shiraishi's conclusion suited Niou just fine. “We have lots of chemistry to build upon,” he added with a hint of sass, for the chemistry would likely fall flat if only because it had been entirely one sided that Niou spent so many hours studying Shiraishi's every movement.
“I think this may be one sided chemistry you're referring to. We have lots of chemistry to build up before we can build upon.” Which was not to say there weren't certain ways they complimented one another well. Shiraishi suspected that was how they both were cast in this drama. Someone looked at the two of them and saw something they liked.
A well-sculpted eyebrow raised in question, bright blue eyes lined with subtle black eyeliner looking somewhat annoyed - as annoyed as Niou could ever look, anyway, it wasn’t a look he wore often. He hated that Shiraishi read through him so easily. Jerk. “Fine, take the wind from my sails,” he all but said with a pout, leaning his chin in the palm of his hand and instead adopting a passive bored look. “For Tsubasa I was thinking that the only way he could have missed his best friend having those feelings for him was by being a dip shit and unobservent. I think it’d mesh well with Hikaru’s shyness.”
Niou's words hit uncomfortably close to home. There was a time when Shiraishi pined uselessly over his best friend who was just oblivious to his affections, no matter how convinced Shiraishi was, at times, that it was malicious. If Niou’s character was like that, he would have no trouble mustering the creative energy to play off of it. “So then was it out of shock that he turned him down?”
Niou gave that due consideration. He didn’t envision it as coming from a place of shock, per se, though undoubtedly Tsubasa was taken aback by his friend’s affections. Based on what limited writing and understanding he had of the character, he was the sort of person who threw all of himself into a project, and became focused on an end goal and what it would take to get there - it was that hyper focus that would result in missing things even if they were completely obvious.
“It prolly startled him and he didn’t know how to handle it, so he yammered that he didn’t share the feelings even though he cared for him deeply as a friend.” That sounded about right. “Yanno, that kinda shit.”
“That kinda shit,” Shiraishi parroted with a chuckle, shaking his head. He couldn’t help the smile that came to his face - as much as he knew better than to give Niou a cookie, even he wasn’t totally immune to his unique brand of charm. He turned his chair a little bit, since everyone else seemed to be distracted, to face Niou more head-on. “You almost sound like you’re speaking from experience. Break a few hearts in high school?” Not that Shiraishi could speak… he could not stand “empty” confessions where girls would tell him they loved him because he was popular or attractive. He wanted to be in love and he wanted a confession to come from a place of love. So… he had probably handled a few rejections, uh… badly.
“Nah, not that kind of experience,” Niou brushed off easily, leaning an elbow on the script. “I’m sure there were a few broken hearts, though.” It wasn’t as though Niou had been known for being one to pursue relationships - but there had certainly been a few who thought that they would be the one to change his ways. It wasn’t intentional and Niou was always upfront and honest about what he sought in a partner; or at least what he sought at the time. Now he could see the value in seeking relationships and companionships and not straight sex. “I’m sure you’ve done the same.”
Shiraishi couldn't argue that. He nodded, his fingers playing over the paper of the script. “I've never appreciated the sort of empty confessions you get in middle school and high school. I'm sure I hurt some feelings saying that to their faces…”
Suddenly, Niou had a new found appreciation for Shiraishi Kuranosuke.
“Oh yeah?” The languid grin that pulled at Niou’s lips was nothing short of mimicking the look a cat got in its eyes before it made its pounce on the canary. “That’s awfully forthright of you.”
“It’s all about setting a clear expectation, it would be worse to promise them one thing and deliver another.” Or… at least he thought it was probably worse. Shiraishi wasn't one to go back on his promises or present himself as something he wasn't, often to a fault.
“Well, yeah, but when you set those expectations and it still seems to go out the fucking window, then what?” It was rather bold of to be speaking of such things within earshot of the rest of the cast and crew who made up the other bodies in the room, but they were talking in low enough tones that it could probably just be waved off as cast bonding or some other shit like that.
Shiraishi considered that, still not completely convinced the Niou wasn't speaking of a specific experience. “Then it sounds like my boundaries aren't being respected. Though, it is not always out of malice. I think when it comes to relationships, things do get out of hand at times.”
“I think people get out of hand at times about a lot of things,” Niou said flippantly with a shrug of the shoulder. “Anyone who doesn’t respect boundaries isn’t deserving of your time.” Ultimately they were thinking the same thing, even if it was expressed a bit differently between them.
“Great minds think alike,” Shiraishi suggested warmly, finding himself momentarily charmed by Niou’s flippant tone. Though he was sure they weren't completely on the same page. Literally or figuratively, he thought glancing down at his script.
Niou followed Shiraishi’s gaze down to the script and then straightened himself properly so as to not further wreck the paper with his elbow. “As though there was any question,” he pointed out, his voice lacking any of the warmth of Shiraishi’s, though it was no less emotive. “My illusion didn’t come from nowhere.”
He didn't want to be the one to put a pin in their moment, but Shiraishi did think that the whole illusion thing was actually pretty disturbing. All of that time invested into studying him just on the off chance that the match with Shiraishi had left Fuji enough of a headcase to falter. Shiraishi liked Fuji and he looked back mostly with fondness on their match. But. “I think some liberties were taken,” he said, just taking the neutral route.
“It’s called acting.” The words were accented with a overdramatic flourish of his hand as Niou batted dark lashes at Shiraishi. In all honesty, Niou had tried incredibly much so to not take any liberties with his illusion of Shiraishi, but he wasn’t about to admit to that.
“That's why we are both here, isn't it?” Shiraishi didn't consider himself a particularly good actor, but he had the voice and charisma they wanted for the role so he wouldn't be eaten alive by his more talented and practiced costar. Which made him think that maybe instead of fighting it, he should try to learn a bit from Niou. “But maybe we should get together outside of work sometime. You know, a planned meeting not just showing up at my house.”
“I’m pretty sure we’re here for our pretty faces,” Niou drawled, though amusement danced in his eyes. He knew very well that it was more than that - but he couldn’t let Shiraishi go free without a bit of teasing. Even if it was ultimately working out in Niou’s favor. “I’d like that. Not that I don’t like the unplanned meetings at your house, though.” This time Niou gave him a genuine smile, one that wasn’t muddled with underlying sass.
That was definitely more Niou’s style to be certain. “Well, my calendar is basically public if you want to find a time,” he joked. Some days he had to plan food into his schedule or it wouldn't happen and the hangry monster would come out with a vengeance.
“You and me both.” Niou glanced around the room, gauging where everyone was in their review of the script prior to everyone getting started with the reading. They’d probably be called on at any moment. “I’ll actually use my phone for once and god forbid text you with some times.”
“Heavens forbid,” Shiraishi agreed with a flash of a smile just as their names were called to join. Everyone else at the table was regarding them. Shiraishi whispered, “Oops, guess the teacher caught us passing notes.”
It wouldn’t have been the first time. Niou had often been labeled as a hooligan when he was a student - little had they known that he was paying perfect attention just fine despite being distracted and had the highest scores on tests just to prove them wrong. Because he was actually a little shit.
“Oops,” Niou whispered back with no absolutely no remorse in his voice, though he flashed the bright, winning idol smile at the rest of the group.
