CH-11 (THE DAD FACTOR)

“As for our next segment, we are going to discuss the about the recent controversy regarding the famous actress, Tachibana Akeno. One week after the controversy erupted, the fallout continues to ripple through the industry.”

“So, Ishikawa-san, what do you think about this matter? Do you think this is linked to the reasons why Tachibana Akeno has stepped down from the industry?”

“Hard to say, Andou-san. Her agency also declined on commenting on this matter, and her fans have been desperately waiting for her to speak up regarding the allegations.”

*BEEP*

The media had been in complete chaos for the past week. To understand how it all began, we need to go back a little in time.

It all started at the fireworks festival, with nothing but a simple picture.

A picture of what, you may ask?

Well, as you can probably imagine, the only picture that can possibly wreak havoc across the media would be something related to Akeno.

It was a picture of Akeno sealing my lips with hers.

A week earlier, the three of us had been busy studying for the upcoming finals.

Among us, I was the strongest academically, but despite having the best grades, I was terrible at teaching.

You see, as a child, I was blessed with the innate ability to grasp concepts with ease. No matter which subject it was, I could absorb them like a sponge absorbing water. I would just have to pay attention in class, and go through the back exercises once, and I was good to go. It would be enough for me to get the topmost grades of my class.

Because of that, I never learned how to truly learn, how to improve by putting in time and effort. I was never used to starting from scratch, and that was why I failed so miserably when it came to teaching someone else.

Contrary to me however, Emi-senpai handled teaching with ease. She didn’t seem to have a problem with grasping Akeno’s weaknesses in various subjects, and dealing with them accordingly. She would approach each individual problem one at a time, step by step, by breaking the same complex problem into simpler segments.

She had been teaching Akeno with ease, guiding her in every step along the way. Akeno might’ve been in high school, but because her basics were weak, she couldn’t solve the high school workbooks easily. I mean, could you blame her? She had spent almost her entire life, working for studios, away from the school environment. The next thing you know, she needed to pass the finals.

Honestly, even after facing all such hardships, Akeno stood strong. No matter what problem she'd encounter, she dealt it with a smile on her face. She had more courage than I could ever muster.

“Akeno, focus on this part of the problem! See, you just made the same mistake here again!”

“Sorry Emi-senpai, my bad. I’ll be more careful from now on”, said she, scribbling off her work.

She had been trying really hard, putting in days’ worth of effort into grasping the subjects.

*BZZZ*

*BZZZ*

*BZZZ*

“Sorry Emi-senpai, this looks urgent! Just give me two minutes! “, said I, while running into the nearby living room.

You see, we had been having a late-night study session back at my house. As for whose idea it was, you could probably guess it by now. But contrary to what I expected from Akeno, she was behaving differently that night, focusing on studying for the exams. Honestly, it was quite a nice change of pace, to say the least.

“Yes Ayako-san! What’s the matter?”

“This is really bad, Reiji-kun! Really fucking bad!”

Ayako-san was hyperventilating while talking. She clearly sounded out of breath.

“Calm down, Ayako-san! What’s the issue? Why are you panicking so much? Did something happen?”

“Listen carefully Reiji-kun, it’s urgent!

I don’t have much time to talk to you right now, since I need to get back to the board meeting, so I’m just going to send you a video link. YOU NEED TO CHECK IT OUT ASAP!”

*BEEP*

She clearly seemed distressed. “Is she doing okay?”, I had wondered as I clicked the link she’d sent me in the chat.

It was a Leaftube video, from a well-reputed news outlet. They would usually covered politics, sports, or criminal activity. Except that night, their focus was Tachibana Akeno, of all people. Accusations were being hurled at her left and right, just like any other media channel would.

Except, this time, they featured a photo.

A photo, of Akeno and I kissing, on the day of the fireworks festival.

Somehow, someone had taken a photo of us in secret, and has now leaked it for the entire world to see. Naturally, the entire showbiz industry was in complete chaos.

I mean, can you blame them? It’s THE Tachibana Akeno they’re discussing about. This was disastrous for her, as having a relationship while being an active idol/actress in Japan is forbidden. The performers literally have to sign contracts with clauses mentioning explicitly about stuff like this with their agencies. This had the potential to wreak havoc in the entire industry, and the one to suffer the most would be none other than Akeno, simply because of my own carelessness.

I had no idea how to bring myself to tell Akeno. She was strong, yet brittle in her own way, and I feared this was more than she could endure. I couldn’t stand the image of her cheerful smile fading away, undone by a single photo. Even imagining it made my hands shake.

However, upon returning back to my bedroom, I had found the two giggling together, while looking at something, after having rummaged through my closet.

“Sigh…. What is it this time now?”, I wondered, as I went near them.

“He used to look so much different back in the day! He was so cool and dashing, back in middle school!”

“I couldn’t agree more. I wonder why he didn’t receive any confessions back then?”

“Actually, if my memory serves me right, I heard rumours that the girls were too nervous to even approach him in the first place. Couple that with his horrendous attitude, and you get the picture.”

“What are you two guys even looking at?”, I had asked, sneaking behind them.

“N-N-N-Nothing, Rei-chan! Nothing suspicious at all!”, she had replied, while attempting to hide something behind her back.”

“She’s right, Kouhai-kun! We weren’t doing anything suspicious behind your back, I promise!”

But I had already known that it was just a cover, so I had forcibly snatched what Akeno was holding back.

“Let me see what you guys are hiding from me.”, I had said, while attempting to look through the book that they possessed.

“What the-! It’s my middle school yearbook!”

“Sorry, Rei-chan! We just couldn’t resist looking through that.”

“I’m sorry as well, Kouhai-kun, for going through your stuff without permission.”

“It’s okay girls, it’s nothing to worry about. I’m not mad”, I had said, clutching the yearbook with my right hand.

It was a normal yearbook, which I had kept somewhere back in my closet. It had been sitting there, collecting dust, until these two showed up.

I had decided to go through it once, clearly feeling nostalgic about it. It held records about my achievements back in middle school. I remember being an extrovert during that time, being super conscious about my image, nothing like now. And why would I not be? I was an adolescent teenager, raging with hormones.

But that didn’t matter. It was all in the past. I had purposefully distanced myself from this yearbook, repressing my memories of the past, for I wanted to forget.

I wanted to forget about that day, about my dreams, about her, about the past we shared.

“Akeno. I have something important to discuss!”

“I’m sorry Rei-chan! Please don’t get mad at me! I won’t do that again! I promise!”

“I’m not mad at you at all, Akeno.”, I spoke softly, as I said.

“However, I have something to discuss about!”

“Rei…..chan?”

___________________________________________________________________________

It has already been a week seen then.

Well, looks like the media is still in a frenzy, but the intensity has dwindled quite a lot.

Ayako-san had advised us to strictly avoid any form of public spaces for the time being, to avoid getting spotted by the paparazzi. In fact, she literally blasts into my phone every day, reminding me about my responsibilities, in order to safeguard Akeno.

As for Akeno, interestingly enough, she’s been taking it really well, considering the fact that her career is at a jeopardy right now. As for the other students at school though, they’ve already started circulating rumours. It’s because of shits like this that I had decided to use a female pen name in the past, when I used to be an author.

Well, no crying over spilt milk, I guess. I couldn’t afford to get distracted, for I had to attend a meeting today.

Ayako-san had already contacted me this afternoon, saying that she needed me to meet a certain individual, and that Akeno’s fate depended on him.

“Who is he?”

“Someone I despise the most, in the world.”

“Where should I meet him?”

“I’ll send you the details of the meeting in the evening. You wouldn’t have to worry about all that. Just make sure to wear something nice and classy. He really emphasizes on the appearances part.”

“Got it! Also, how am I supposed to recognize him?”

“You’ll know it when you meet him.”

*BEEP*

Well, that was suspicious as hell.

___________________________________________________________________________

Currently, I am sitting inside the most expensive restaurant in Tokyo. In front of me was a man, whom I had never expected to meet in the first place.

“So, Nishimura-kun, how was your date?”

“I think it’s pretty obvious by now, Mr. Kurosawa.”

Yep, you guessed it right. In front of me, was sitting THE Kurosawa Takashi, the legendary actor from Hollywood, who had received an Oscar for his performance. A middle-aged man, with the gaze of a lady-killer, Kurosawa Takashi didn’t look like his age, considering the fact that he had hit 51 this year. But it didn’t matter because, today he came to me, not as an actor, or a hotshot, but just a father.

“You’ve matured quite a bit now, Nishimura-kun, since the last time we met each other at the fireworks festival.”

If you haven’t guessed it by now, he’s the same charismatic blabbermouth I had bumped into back at the summer festival. Even back then, I had suspected him. Turns out, I was right.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Don’t pretend like you haven’t kissed both my daughters, Nishimura-kun!

Or should I say, Rei-chan?”

*Pfffffffffff—*

*COUGH COUGH*

I literally spat my drink, hearing him say that name.

“I don’t want to hear that name from your mouth! Don’t you ever call me by that name again, Mr. Kurosawa!”

“Awwww….. are you getting embarrassed now, Kouhai-kun?”

“Not even that!”

“Hmph! You are no fun!”, said he, pouting.

Can you even believe this guy? Dude’s a 51-year-old middle-aged man, but is still acting like a teenager. Like father, like daughters.

“So, why did you want to meet me in the first place?”

“Why else? To meet my future son-in-law.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever agreed even marrying anyone in the first place. I’m still a high schooler. I should be acting rationally.”

“Oh really? So where was this rationality of yours when you decided to kiss my daughter, in front of the entire fucking world to see.”, said he, angrily, pointing at the picture.

“I’m sorry Mr. Kurosawa, for causing problems for you and your daughter. I intend to take full responsibility for my actions.”, said I, bowing my head in the process.

But instead of scolding me, he simply started laughing profusely.

“Ah hahaha…..! Hahahhahaha……..!

Ah……!

The look on your face is priceless!

Hahahahaha…….!”

And here I was, staring at him, dumbfounded!

“Relax, Nishimura-kun! I’m not mad at you at all. I mean, it’s just a scandal!

“Take me, for example. I’ve been through more scandals than I can count, and I’ve had more flings than I care to remember. Yeah, it caused some friction with my agency, but I’m still here, alive and kicking.”

At the end of the day, scandals are nothing more than a phase of life. The media is going to discuss about it for a week or two, then they’d just move on. That’s exactly how it works.”

Then, taking a sip of alcohol from his wine glass, he said, looking at his glass melancholically,

“But even after all these years, I could never forget her.

No one could ever replace her.

She would always remain in my heart, no matter how much time passes by.”

“May I ask you a question, Mr. Kurosawa?”

“Only if you agree to call me Otou-san (father-in-law) first.”, said he, with a devilish grin on his face.

The audacity of this guy! I realised that debating with him would be pointless, at this stage. So, I decided to comply.

“Sigh…..! Fine…..! May I ask you something, Otou-san?”

“I’m all ears, Nishimura-kun.”

“I know you had abandoned both Ayako-san and Akeno back in childhood. I’d like to know the reason why you did so.

And while we are at it, why did you decide to return back after all these years to Japan?”

He looked deep in thought for a few seconds, as if collecting his thoughts, before answering.

Then taking a sip from the wine glass, he said, with sadness in his eyes,

“It wasn’t I who had abandoned them.

They were the ones to have abandoned me.”

“I….don’t really know what to say! I’m sorry for asking such a personal question, Otou-san!”

Ok…..this felt awkward!

“No… no….., it’s completely okay, Nishimura-kun! I’m completely fine.”, said he, clearly with a pained expression.

“As for the other question, Ayako should’ve filled you in by now.”

I realized what he was getting at. Frankly I was ready for it.

“The only thing that she has told me is that on the day of the cultural festival, we’re supposed to make our relationship public in front of the audience, after Akeno finishes her performance.

Frankly, I was surprised by this decision from the agency, but looks like Ayako-san must’ve pulled some strings behind the back in order to make this happen.”

“And you just went along with it?”

“Well, the entire situation is my fault to begin with. Which is why, I intend to take full responsibility for it.”

“Why are you going so far, Nishimura-kun? What’s in it for you?”

“Well, Otou-san, let’s just say, I had made a promise to Akeno back during my childhood, and I intend to stand by it.”

“Even if it means abandoning her?”

“…….Yes.”

It looked like he wasn’t exactly satisfied with my answer, while he was focused sipping on his wine.

“Did she mention anything else?”

“Not really…..! No!”

“Sigh……! Looks like she wants me to be the one to tell you.”

“Tell me what, exactly?”, said I, confused.

“Nishimura-kun, I’m sorry! I must apologise to you first.”, said he, bowing.

“W-W-What are you doing, Otou-san? Lift your head up, please, I’m begging you”

“No, Nishimura-kun… I can’t meet your eyes right now. Please bear with me. What I’m about to say will hurt you.”

The next couple of minutes went by in an instant! I couldn’t believe the words that were coming from his mouth. I don’t remember exactly when he stopped, but I could definitely remember myself shaking by the end of it, so much so, that I was about to accidentally spill my glass full of juice on the table.

___________________________________________________________________________

As we checked out, Mr. Kurosawa asked me something, before bidding his final goodbye.

“Where do your real feelings lie, Nishimura-kun?”

I failed to answer his question, for even I didn’t know the answer myself.

But I had already decided what to do next. I opened up the smartphone, and dialed the number of a certain individual.

___________________________________________________________________________