Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Celebrity Is... ❯ Catch a Falling Star ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Weiss Kreuz nor am I profiting from this, it is for pure reading enjoyment. The wonderful Koyasu Takehito is the creator.

“Your latest film is a box office hit and it’s the first movie you’ve done in nearly ten years. Were you still acting during those 9 years or did you think you were done with show business?”

“Uh, I really thought I was done. I grew up from age three to twelve on the sitcom ‘Knock on Woods’ and I had no expectations of holding onto the fame that I had before the show ended. Nor did I want to. It was just so damn...boring.”

The interviewer found Yohji’s confession quite amusing. “Being on tv was boring?”

“Going to work was boring. I didn’t get to interact with kids my own age especially, being that I was usually the only child on set and I was home schooled. I was always alone.”

“Well, what about Han Kimura, your on-screen older brother. For a time, you two seemed to be very close. Did you have a falling out?”

“Well, he was much older than I. And the off-screen mentor thing was only cute for so long.”

“Speaking of mentors...celebrity role models are all the rage these days. A lot of young people look up to you which, scares their parents because you’ve kinda got the whole bad boy image going on right now. Many want you to act more conservative. What’s your take on that?”

“I think that if a fan admires me or something that I do and personally chooses to look up to me well, that’s fine. But, what I don’t like is when people dump the responsibility of being a role model on me and write nasty fan-mail dictating how I should start conducting my life. What part of being on television or in magazines qualifies me to be a role model? None of it. No one should wait for me or any other celebrity to be a role model to their kids!”

“But, some people might argue that because you’re in the public eye that you have a better chance getting through to young people.”

“I mean if that’s the case then, let’s all dub Charles Manson a role model too. He’s in the media every once in a while. Let’s just face it, people who label me as a ‘bad role model’ and think that I should change are bad parents.”

“That’s a bold statement, don’t you think?”

“No. Calling me a bad role model suggests they’re upset that I’m not raising their children better. When the fuck did I become obligated to raise anyone?!”

“Whoa, whoa daytime television, Yohji...”

“Yes, and I’m sure I’ll get more judgmental e-mails tonight about dropping the F-bomb.”

“We’ll be bleeping it out before the show airs,” the interviewer laughed. “But yeah, I’m sure moms everywhere will have a field day with this interview.” Suddenly, the music that signaled a commercial break started playing. “We’ll be back after these messages.” A smile and cut. “Thanks so much for showing up today.”

“No problem, Sara. I was very happy to be able to meet you today. Can I get an autograph?”

“From me?! Well, sure!” the woman batted her eyelashes.

“My mom loves your show and she’d kill me if she ever found out that I was here but, didn’t get your signature.”

“Oh...” the girl’s voice wilted a little. She thought Yohji wanted it for himself. He was handsome and on the verge of becoming an A-list actor. Dating him would have really sent her talk show ratings through the roof.”

“Thanks again, Sara.” Yohji began walking off, making sure not to bend the autographed photo he’d gotten for his mother. Everyone was extra nice to him and extra fake as he walked down the hall. He took a private exit to his black Mercedes and was waved off by the talk show staff. His cell phone kept blinking which indicated that he had a voice-mail waiting. The caller ID showed his agent’s office number. He tried to call but, the line was busy. “Fine,” he said under his breath. It only took two miles to get to the building his agent worked in. Security cleared him into the parking garage and he took the elevator four stories up.

“Hello,” the receptionist began. “Mr. Shinuki is busy right now bu–,”

“Tell him that Yohji Kudou is here to see him.”

“Uhm–, okay.” The girl was rather young looking and an obvious new hire. She was the plain and homely type who probably didn’t experiment with make-up outside of pink lipstick and most likely didn’t even realize who Yohji was exactly.

“Mr. Shinuki says it’s okay for you to go in now.” Yohji winked an emerald eye and she blushed.

“Hello, pal.”

“Hello, Brian. I tried calling but, I couldn’t reach you. Busy signal.”

“Sorry, I was in a conference call earlier,” the man reasoned. Suddenly he looked a bit disturbed. “I’m glad you drove over. The reason I wanted to talk to you is because you’re getting a new bodyguard.”

“I’m not that famous yet. Harold is all I need for now.”
“Harold Smith will no longer be watching over you. I’ve already assigned a man named Ran Fujimiya to take his place. He’s very good from what I’ve heard. No nonsense at all.”

“What? What’s wrong with Harold?”

“He was arrested today. I’m not clear on all the details but, it looks like he’s gonna be gone for a while.”

Yohji sighed impatiently. “So, whose this other guy again?”

“His name’s Fujimiya. You’ll meet him tomorrow when you get fitted for the suit you’ll be wearing to the celebrity auction this month.”

“Alright, fine. But, if Harold calls or anything. Tell him he’s in my thoughts.”

“Will do.”

+++

That night, Yohji made himself a cup of hot tea before bed. He stirred in a little sugar and stared mindlessly into the small amber ripples as steam tickled his fingertips. It was so lonely in this apartment all by himself. At first it made him happy to be able to buy the two bedroom, high rise home but, there was no one to invite over, no one to help him unpack....there was just no one. To this day he didn’t have any friends. He’d learned to be a loner at an early age and when he finally decided to open up a bit, he was always disappointed. It was nearly impossible to tell who really liked him and who had ulterior motives.

And it was hard pretending not to be lonely. Hard to pretend that most one night stands weren’t just plain boring. No one was eager and passionate like Yohji. Even the lustiest of lechers couldn’t produce the amount of sexual elation that coursed through Yohji’s very soul. So, perhaps it was just better to give up by this point.

Yohji went out on his balcony and looked down onto the courtyard. A couple was walking with their hands entwined with one another. How positively, revolting. No...it was lovely. It was love. It only disgusted him because Yohji hadn’t had it in so long. He was beginning to forget how rewarding it could be. His last few love interests were just the conceded, materialistic type who thought they deserved no one less than a movie star.

+++

In the morning, Yohji woke up. He immediately realized that his alarm clock hadn’t gone off and he began to panic, figuring that he must be late for his appointment. The air smelled different, he could hear something outside of his bedroom door. Unsure as to what it could be, Yohji took a bat out of his closet and slowly emerged from the bedroom. The kitchen television was on and a man dressed completely in black was sitting at the dining table, writing in a leather notebook and drinking coffee. “Good morning,” the mysterious man greeted without looking up from his work.

“Okay...” Yohji began calmly. This was a strange situation but the intruder didn’t seem threatening. Yohji lowered his baseball bat. “Who are you?”

“I’m your new bodyguard.”

“How did you get in?”

“Your agent has provided me with a key,” the red haired man replied, finally connecting eyes with Yohji’s.

“Well, that ends today. Give me the key,” the young actor demanded, holding out his hand and walking forward.

“Believe me, Mr. Kudou. The day that an obsessed fan breaks into your home and waits for your return, you won’t want me to be locked out on the other side of the front door while you’re hollering for help.” Yohji began to speak. “And yes, it does happen to lesser known actors too. You just don’t hear about it because only A-list stalkers make the news. Besides, you’re growing in popularity. Which means that you may very well already have several obsessed fans who would do anything to get close to you.”

Yohji sighed. “Fine, I surrender.”

“Good.”

“But, I woke up late. My alarm didn’t go off. I should hurry up and get going.”

“I turned off your alarm clock when I got here. I’m the one driving you to all of your appointments this afternoon and if you look on the sofa I’ve laid out what you’ll be wearing today. We have ample time.”

“Uh...oh, okay.” Dumbfounded, the older boy walked in the direction of the bathroom, looking back a few times to see if this was all actually real.

+++

At Yohji’s first appointment, breakfast was catered to him. He was served, coffee, toast and an omelet while he waited for the tailor to finish with a previous client. This was all so new to him, it was royal treatment. He could remember being fitted for outfits as a kid and it was never this grand. It was mostly just a seamstress telling him to hold still.

“Mr. Kudou, it’s a real pleasure meeting you,” beamed he tailor who shook Yohji’s hand.

“Uh, likwise!” The young actor didn’t know what else to say. It was still taking him a while to get used to this celebrity lifestyle from an adult standpoint.
As soon as Yohji was done being fitted for his suit, Ran rushed him off to the next appointment.

“Where are we going, exactly?” Yohji asked.

“Interview.”

“Another one? But, I’ve been doing them all week. I think I’m getting a soar throat.”

“It’s necessary if you want to be a household name. It’s just another local, late morning talk show which means they aren’t going to ask you anything difficult and they aren’t going to try to get too in depth with you. They can’t spare the air time. So, don’t worry. It won’t take long.”

“Well, I hope so. I have a birthday party to go to tonight and I still don’t know what to wear yet.”

“I already know what you’re going to wear.”

“Who are you, my mother? I can pick out my own clothes.”

“Your agent has specific tastes that he wants you to follow and he says you haven’t been doing so. Now, it’s my job to make sure that you do.”

“He wants me to be way too mainstream. Trendy, cookie cutter clothes make me feel like I’m lying about who I am or something.”

“This isn’t forever. It’s only until you become more established as an actor. Mr. Shinuki just wants your appearance to be more neutral in order to appeal to a broader audience. We may have to cut your hair by the way.”

“Stop the car!” the older boy yelled from his position in the backseat.

“What, what is it?!

“No one touches my fucking hair! It’s the last thing I have left of my identity without constantly being made to dress like Kirk the Country Club Dweeb! Let me outta here.”

“No.”

“Fine, I’ll just jump out at the next red light.”

“And then what? Let the press have a field day with your erratic behavior? No way. I’m not just your bodyguard, I’m here to make sure you keep your attitude in check until the Award season is over.”

“It’s not like I’ll win anyway.”

“You don’t know that.” Yohji didn’t protest again as he evaluated his chances silently. “Besides, the hair cutting thing might not be definite. It’s something a stylist suggested.”

The actor seemed to calm down after hearing that last bit of information. “Fine,” he gave in.

+++

Yohji finally arrived at his next appointment but, he was so preoccupied that he could hardly pay attention to the questions he was being asked. There were literally hundreds of people in the audience staring at him but, their very presence was invisible to his worried eyes most of the time. Soon enough the questions were being directed toward the audience. “Yes ma’am, you had a comment to make?”asked the host. A microphone was handed to a woman in a blue sweater.

“I wanted to point out that when I was growing up, none of the stuff you see going on today existed. We had so much more respect for ourselves. There wasn’t a bunch of sex on TV or the radio. It’s like a phenomenon of the new generation and it stinks!” The woman barked her last statement with utter conviction and she was applauded by other audience members who shared her views.

“Yohji,” the host began. “You seem taken aback by what she had to say. What are you thinking right now?”

“People are always complaining about how the youth these days is out of control, that we have no respect and that the world is deteriorating because of us. But, the rise in teen pregnancy, violence, drug use, gang banging, none of that happened over night. If the generation before us was so great, why didn’t they do a better job of maintaining their supposed utopian society? Why didn’t every parent on Earth do their very best to instill all of the morals that she and everyone else seems to hold so dearly?” Yohji sat there a moment, making full eye contact with the woman. “‘Cause I can guarantee you that most of the people producing all of the scandalous, sex filled media that you’re referring to are your age and older.”

“Well, unfortunately were out of time. Ladies and gentleman give a round of applause for Yohji Kudou.”

The camera panned around to the audience. All of the young females and a few guys were clapping wildly, jumping a bit while their favorite actor got up from his chair and waved at them as he exited the stage.

With a quick stop back at home, Yohji was able to freshen up and dress himself in the clothes that Ran had laid out for him. Upon finishing, the actor was escorted by his bodyguard to the birthday party he was scheduled to attend. “Alright Yohji, I’ll be closeby tonight and if you see anything suspicious, don’t hesitate to contact me.”

“Are you kidding?” Yohji turned to look directly into the redhead’s eyes. I’m not Nicole Ritchie, hell...I’m not even rich! I’m a regular guy whose gotten a little recognition after being in one good movie. I’m not that famous yet.”

“You’re on TV and you’re in magazines all over the place.”

“Ohhh! You mean DreamBot mag?” Yohji replied sarcastically. “Okay, I’m a teen heart throb. That’s not something to go bragging about.”

“One day, you’re going to come to the realization of how popular you’re becoming and you’re going to take all of my advice more seriously.”

“Fine, let’s just agree to disagree.” Yohji exited the limo and was swept into the party.

Hours later, Ran found Yohji half drunk with his hair all over place. The top buttons on his shirt were undone and he was a sweaty mess. “Great...” the redhead mumbled to himself. He got their limo driver to come around to the side exit so that Yohji could avoid having unflattering pictures taken of him by paparazzi who were waiting patiently at the front gates. As they drove past photographers, the redhead gave Yohji a look. “It would behoove you to remember that hundreds of people make a living shooting pictures of you and every other celebrity at their worst.”

The actor tried rolling down the window a bit while holding up his middle finger and slurring. “You fucking vultures!”

“Stop that,” Ran tried to pull him away.

“Leave us alone,” Yohji struggled. Still trying to make a point.

“Stop! Stop it right now!” The redhead tugged Yohji a bit too hard away from the window and the younger man fell halfway on top of him in the seat. Ran did his best to push his client back up into a sitting position and un-smoosh himself. Yohji casually threw his arms around his bodyguard and started kissing him. It wasn’t the kind of kiss you give your grandmother either. By this point, the red haired man was battling tongue at full speed. He did not take advantage of this privilege, pushing Yohji away and re-composing himself.

“You’re boring.”

“Why? Did your other bodyguard kiss you like that?”

“No.”

“Then why did you expect me to?!”

“I just wanted to have fun. You totally dragged me away the from party before it was even half way through and now I’m restless.” Ran rolled his eyes in dismay as Yohji just continued to slouch in his seat.

+++

Ran made a thorough run down of the house to make sure that no one was hiding out inside. “It’s all clear, Yohji. I’m gonna head home now.”

“Alright,” the taller man yawned. “Drive safely. Yohji locked up the front door and slumped his back against it. He was in a lazy mood and considered skipping out on his shower in order to hit the bed sooner. He spun around quickly, thinking that he heard something behind him. It was a scooting sound, a loud one. Looking left to right he tried to make his mind as sober as possible to re-evaluate the situation. Had he actually heard anything, or was he just tired? Considering some of the things Ran told him earlier, he didn’t want to wait to find out. Yohji grabbed his cell phone incase the land phone lines had been cut. Intruders always destroyed outside contact in the movies. Waiting outside the front door, the actor called his bodyguard.

“Hello, Yohji?”

“Yes, it’s me. Have you left the building yet?”

“No, why?”

“I heard something, it’s probably nothing but–,”

“I’m still in the elevator. I’ll be right back up.” Ran met Yohji in the building hallway. “You stay here while I check things out again.” After about four or five minutes, Ran opened the front door and Yohji stepped back inside. “Well, I didn’t find anything but, it’s good you called me. You can never be too safe. Just lay off the alcohol, would you? I think it’s turning you into a basket case.”

“Sure,” Yohji nodded. He was embarrassed that the redhead had inspected the place twice and found nothing. It really did make the taller man look a little nuts. “I’m sorry that–,”

“–,Shh...” Ran put a finger to his lips and listened to the room. “Let’s go,” he said firmly. The red haired man wouldn’t give his client any answers until they were clear of the apartment building.

“What’s going on? Why aren’t you talking to me?”

“I think you’ve got a stalker. A smart one. You’re building is pretty old and probably has crawl spaces that this person has found their way into. I’ll have a team check things out in the morning.”

“This is crazy.”

“This is what it means to be a star. You’ll be staying with me until I can figure things out.” Ran was quiet the whole way to his house and made Yohji leave his phone behind in the car.

“I can’t even have my cell phone with me? What if I miss a call, like from my agent or something?”

“That phone along with the rest of your apartment might be bugged right now. Someone might already be very aware of your daily rituals and the times when you’re by yourself. What I heard back there was just too eerie. Like someone was creeping around.” The redhead closed all the drapes and turned a few lights on to brighten up the room. “Besides, if Mr. Shinuki really needs to get a hold of you, he can call me.”

“Well, where am I sleeping tonight?”

“I have a spare bedroom set up.” Ran beckoned for Yohji to follow.

“This is it?” asked the older boy in a disappointed tone. A little twin bed in a closet?”

“I know the room is cramped but, that’s why the twin bed suits it perfectly.”

“Well, what does your room look like? I’ll pay you to switch.”

“It’s practical, I designed it to–,”

“No thanks. I can already see where this is going. You crafted it to fit your particular...personality.”

“I’m ready for bed. Is there anything you need before I retire?” Ran’s voice seemed annoyed.

“Uhm...where’s the kitchen?”

The redhead pointed in it’s direction. “Just through there.”

“And the bathroom?”

“Straight across from your bedroom.”

“Okay well, goodnight I guess.”

Ran said nothing, he just disappeared down the hallway and turned into his bedroom. Yohji sighed heavily and took another good look around the glorified pantry he was supposed to be staying in. He sat on the bed and bounced a couple times to test the firmness. Just then, his host came into the room with an extra pair of plaid pajama pants and a white tank top. “Just in case,” Ran shrugged. Yohji accepted them politely and the red haired man went away again.

+++

In the morning, the sound of Ran walking back and fourth through the hallway while talking on the phone, woke Yohji. The sun was coming through the linen curtains and illuminated part of the blank wall. He emerged from the bedroom where his bare feet met the cold hardwood floor. On his toes, he strode quickly to the bathroom and was happy to feel the comfort of the dark orange rug. He looked in the mirror at his eyes and his teeth. He hadn’t been given the chance to brush or wash his face the night before. To top things off his head really pained him right now. Fear of what might be going on in his apartment kept him up most of the night but, drinking obviously played some role in the way he felt right now.

Ran knocked on the bathroom door and Yohji opened up. “I have to leave but, I should be back within an hour,” the redhead stated.

“You actually trust me with having run of your house? Aren’t you afraid I’ll go snooping around.”

“People with nothing to hide aren’t afraid being found out. Besides, I would hope that you’d be on best behavior being that I’m leaving to go investigate your apartment with a security team. So, I’m sure you have but the utmost respect for me and my belongings.”

“Okay,” Yohji smirked. His green eyes narrowed a bit in a challenging way.

“Don’t tease,” the redhead insisted. “You’re not good at it.” He walked away leaving the other man baffled. No one else ever had this much control and insight over Yohji. It was alarming for the older man.

It wasn’t hard to find the bath towels and Yohji took advantage of them as well as whatever else he liked in the bathroom. After a long needed shower and washing his hair, he emerged from the tub and grabbed the towels he’d found earlier. One for his body, the other for his hair. Once the mirror started to de-fog itself, the man began to flex his muscles, noting areas that he felt need to be worked on.

Yohji raided, Ran’s dresser drawers and found some comfortable clothes to lounge around the house in. Not knowing what else to do, he sat on the couch and turned the television on. TV was sort of foreign to him even though he was depicted on it almost everyday. He just kept flipping and flipping, nothing grabbed his interest so he decided to settle on some news coverage and tossed the remote to his immediate left but, it hit the leather couch rather harshly and caused the channel to change. Some sort of low budget film with terrible acting was being featured. In fact it was so bad that it was funny and Yohji became reluctant to turn the channel back to what he’d been watching previously. “Oh...”Yohji breathed. “I get it.” Then he threw his head back and laughed a little. The reason this movie lacked so much quality was because most porn productions didn’t care too much about looking classy.

Sitting closely forward, Yohji awaited the impending nudity that the current scene suggest was coming soon. He never would have guessed that someone like Ran would actually pay for a channel like this. He didn’t act like sex meant anything to him. That’s when the front door began to unlock. Yohji had a moment to think. Would it be more satisfying to let poor Ran just walk in and then tease him for subscribing to this sort of filth or would keeping it a secret until some other time be best? After making up his mind, the older boy simply changed the channel.

“You’re back earlier than I expected.”

“It was a simple job, really. We didn’t find anything. Everyone kept asking ‘Are you sure you heard something’ it was annoying. But, we think that maybe the large vents in your building carry sound from other units.”

“No.”

“Yes, when I think about it, that’s exactly what those noises sounded like.”

“I know what you heard when you were in my apartment and it wasn’t nearly as brilliant or drawn out as what happened before you got there. I wouldn’t have called if it were. Someone was in my apartment.” Ran began shaking his head at the idea. “Or maybe someone was trying to get into my apartment. The noises could’ve been coming from the outside.”

“Yeah but, someone would have to scale the side of the building to do that and...”

“And what? You know I’m right. It can happen. They could have easily done it by hoisting themselves up, balcony by balcony.”

“It’s just so unlikely.”

“Unlikely means there’s still a possibility.”

“Listen, you’re going to go back home tonight. I’ll boost up security by hiring another watchmen,” Ran said firmly. At this point he was thoroughly convinced that nothing and no one was after Yohji. The previous night had been a long one and had probably jumbled up both of their nerves.

Yohji was driven back home where he spent the rest of the day in his living room. Venturing outside the house was a no-no on account of he didn’t feel like being approached by fans and he didn’t want to be out in the open incase whoever had been fucking with him the previous night decided to attack.