"We did it!"
"Yeah! How are you guys celebrating?"
"Going for dinner with my family. My mom insists on a nice place for once."
"Same here."
"What about you, Matsumoto?"
"Just a meal," Takumi replied vaguely as he shuffled out of the auditorium building with his cohorts. He was not close to any of them but over time, they had at least built a polite rapport.
Probably a meal alone. He didn't think that his father remembered his graduation ceremony. His mother's only reminder was to go see Nishioka as soon as possible about reviving his career. Daisuke did at least send him short congratulatory text from his business conference in a different hemisphere.
He listened as the rest of them chattered excitedly about plans and whatnot. He was a little stupidly envious.
They filed out onto the lawn outside the auditorium. The weather was cooperating with plenty of sunshine.
Then Takumi stopped in his tracks when he saw a familiar face.
Akira stood outside the auditorium, still in a suit and carrying his laptop bag.
Takumi face lit and he hurried over.
"Congratulations." Akira smiled.
"What are you doing here?" Takumi exclaimed, surprised and all sorts of happy within. "Don't you have work?"
"My boss gave me half a day off. It's an important day for you," Akira said as if he was discussing the fine weather.
Takumi very nearly threw his arms around Akira. He was so happy that he had trouble finding his voice.
He choked out, "Photo."
Akira nodded and took out his phone. They stood next to each other for a quick selfie.
"We should get a proper one," he remarked after checking the photo.
Takumi waited as Akira asked a random passerby to assist. One of the family members of a fellow graduate.
Her eyes bulged when she saw Takumi and realized who he was.
"Oh wow! Yes, sure!"
Akira stepped back and stood next to Takumi. Their photographer positioned the camera meticulously before snapping a shot.
"Thank you," Akira said when he took his phone back.
"Is it okay? You are both so photogenic," she gushed. "It must run in the family!"
Akira politely did not correct her. "It's good."
"Thanks," Takumi called out.
She gasped and would have said more but Akira took Takumi's elbow and steered him away deftly.
"How would you like to celebrate?" Akira asked.
Takumi considered it for a moment and said, "Let's go for a drive."
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Akira offered to take the wheel and accommodated Takumi's requests for random places to stop by.
They went to a crowded shopping area to check out stores which piqued Takumi's interest. A popular yakiniku place for a quick bite. A trip up to the observatory to get a full view of the city with other tourists (the ticket seller stared at Takumi while trying to figure out who he was behind his mask).
When night fell, Takumi asked to go for a walk by the river.
Akira parked the car and they both shoved their hands in the pockets of their jackets as they strolled down the walkway. The weather was cooler than usual for spring and the air was crisp.
"Thanks for today," Takumi said with a chuckle. "You really spoil me, you know that?"
"You're welcome," Akira replied. "I had fun too."
"The sunset at the observatory was nice," Takumi commented.
"Yeah."
"What did you do while I was browsing at the shops?"
Akira admitted, "I got you something."
Takumi stopped walking and turned around to face him. A look of pure surprise. "You did?"
He shrugged uncomfortably and pulled a small package from his jacket's pocket. It just caught his eye when Takumi was preoccupied with a rack of accessories.
He didn't know what would make a good graduation present for someone who could buy almost anything he wanted to. So Akira gave up trying to figure something out.
But the handkerchief resembled a beautiful painting in abstract colors, dark and bright meshed in unusual seamlessness. It reminded him of Takumi.
"T-thank you," Takumi's voice quivered as he took the item in his hands. "It's lovely. Ah…it looks like a painting."
"You never told me what your favorite painting is," Akira said lightly.
Takumi smiled at him, soft and wistful. "I've found it. But let me keep it a secret for now."
Akira nearly forgot how to breathe. He was shocked by the strength of emotion which arrested him.
Was Takumi always so mesmerizing? Why hadn't he notice that?
He turned away before the trail of questions could go further in his mind.
"Sure," he said, glad that his voice was steady.
Takumi pocketed the handkerchief carefully. "It'll be my lucky charm. Since I'm thinking of going back to work."
"Do you miss it?" Akira asked as the temporary spell broke, much to his relief.
"I don't know. I'll give it another try. Things will be different if it works out."
There was a wary acceptance in Takumi's tone.
And Akira realized that his choices today were not random at all.
The irony being that if he was successful, Takumi might find it difficult to enjoy such public and crowded places in the future.
"Do your best," Akira said with confidence.
Takumi nodded with a mock salute, "Yes, sir!"
They lapsed into a little laugh.
xxxxxxxx
He examined the pictures on the wall. A few of them had been rotated out and in their places, newer celebrities.
"So, break's over?" Nishioka demanded. "Are you ready to get back to work?"
Takumi turned to face him. "I suppose so."
"About time," Nishioka said archly. Then he studied Takumi with a sharpened gaze, like he was a piece of china. "Good."
"What is?" Takumi noted the satisfaction in Nishioka's voice. He settled on one of the sofas and crossed his legs.
"You've acquired..." Nishioka paused before summarizing, "A personality."
Takumi gave him a bemused glance. "Was I that boring?"
"No, not that," Nishioka rebuked. "It's the way you look now. How you style yourself. There's some originality in there."
"Then I guess there is no need to change."
Takumi was somewhat surprised.
He just wore whatever he wanted while he was on the sabbatical. Conventions and fashions be damned. Sometimes he received outright stares from fellow students and passerby on the street. He never examined whether these were looks of admiration or sheer astonishment.
Akira's most profound reaction was to arch an eyebrow and that was that.
"You have a natural ability to carry things," Nishioka remarked. "So let's put that to good use. Are you sure you won't open a SNS account?"
"That doesn't need to change either," Takumi said firmly.
"Stubborn ass," Nishioka muttered. "Fine. Let's see if that still plays in your favor."
Takumi shrugged.
"I was hoping that you've acquired some ambition as well," Nishioka told him acidly.
"I'll try my best," Takumi promised. After all, if he didn't, he shouldn't have bothered to come back in the first place.
He figured that he would try it out again. See how things went.
"A few models have debuted with great success. They are more definitely more popular than you are right now," Nishioka said with great emphasis.
"Hmm." Takumi knew who they were. He had paid attention.
Then he smiled. "We'll just need to properly strategize."
Something he said caught Nishioka by surprise.
"What now?" Takumi queried.
"Y-you said 'we'," Nishioka actually stumbled over his words. He shook his head in wonder. "Do you actually want to participate in your own career now?"
It was a very fair question. Takumi supposed that up till now, he was so detached that he just went with the flow.
Perhaps this time, he could exert more control. Learn to finally how to enjoy it.
"I've grown up a little," he offered lightly.
He could see the wheels turning in Nishioka's brain. Churning ideas and all sorts of publicity stunts.
Takumi smiled slyly. "Calculating how much money I'll make you?"
Nishioka glared. "You better."