Part of the Choreography (Nino Ex 2018)
Jun. 15th, 2018 02:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
duckyshimetaiTitle: Part of the Choreography
Pairing/Focus: Aimiya, OhnoxSatomi(very little), JunxToma(if you squint hard)
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 8790 words
Warnings: ballroom/spy AU, possible OOC of non-Arashi characters, crossdressing (ngl Nino is in female clothes for most of the story)
Summary: Aiba needs a partner for the honour dance of the upcoming Matsumoto ball (to find a partner for Jun!), and Nino is chosen to dance with and protect him. But there’s a catch – they think he’s a girl! Can he keep his identity a secret?
Notes: (Written for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
ninoexchange 2018) Dear phrenk , I am really honoured to write for you! I hyperventilated when I received this assignment and saw your name at the top. I had so many different ideas that it was hard to choose just one. I hope you like this, though. (Hopefully this counts enough under 'romantic pretending that leads to actual romantic feelings'!) I hope you enjoy this fic! :D I would also like to thank my friend who continously supported me and helped me with important decisions throughout the writing of this fic (especially talking me out of having Sakuraiba go underwear shopping) as well as my lovely beta who looked through super quickly, thank you so much dear <3 And to Nino Mod, thank you for being so patient with me! :D hugs and cookies for all of you!!
P.S. I watched these youtube videos while writing, so what I based the dances on are: Nino/Toma here and Nino/Aiba here! If you could, please at least watch the second one because I think it's really beautiful. And then imagine that Aiba and Nino danced like it :D
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The Ohno Dance Studio, lovingly built up by Ohno-sensei’s great-grandfather and passed down the generations, was the place for elite ballroom dancers. The rich and famous sent their sons and daughters there to learn the art of ballroom dancing, and many graduated with excellent results from international competitions, or formed excellent marriages between well-to-do families.
Behind this seemingly frivolous facade, however, was a highly sophisticated and efficient secret organisation, tasked with protecting every single one of their clients at high-profile social events. As professional dancers, their reflexes and stamina would be unrivaled, and no one outside would suspect a thing.
***
“Everyone, could we gather? Ohno-sensei and I have a little announcement to make.”
The last lesson had just ended for the week, and the students had just left. A handful of assistants were around the studio, either packing up or chatting, and they looked up when Satomi-sensei called.
After they had gathered, Satomi-sensei cleared her throat. She had wanted Ohno-sensei to be the one to say it, but he had refused out of embarrassment, and was pointedly looking away even now. She took a deep breath.
“Guys. And ladies. Ohno-sensei and I… we are expecting a baby.”
Ohno-sensei blushed as everyone began to swarm towards the couple to congratulate them. Satomi-sensei clapped her hands to get their attention back.
“However, this means that I won’t be able to take the assignment for the Matsumoto ball in a few months’ time. Aiba-sama will be here next week to pick out a new partner. I hope all of you work hard. That includes you, Nino, and you, Toma!”
She looked sharply at the direction of the two of them who were fooling around at the back of the studio. Satomi-sensei added, “The men, too, must work hard to show the ladies off to the best of their ability. We cannot sully the name of the Ohno Dance Studio.”
Being the cream of the crop, the Ohno Dance Studio was so well-known that they provided performers for grand social events as well, including weddings and balls. The Matsumoto ball, however, was in a class of its own.
The Matsumotos were a rich and powerful family that headed a multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. The only son, Matsumoto Jun, was credited with the invention of the moving stage - a novel concept that revolutionised performances. Right now, this same son would need a wife to carry on the family name, and if that meant holding the grandest ball of the century to find her, so be it. The Matsumotos would spare no expense.
The guest of honour at this ball was going to be none other than Matsumoto Jun’s best friend, Aiba Masaki, heir to a famous Chinese restaurant chain. For this, Aiba would need a dance partner, and what could be a better source of quality dancers than the Ohno Dance Studio?
However, in his limited dance experience, Aiba Masaki had only ever danced with Satomi-sensei before, and that was because she was the best in the studio. Now that she would be unavailable, the main question on everyone’s minds was - who would he choose next?
***
When the day came, the air in the studio was full of tension. Even Satomi-sensei had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself.
The dance assistants and a few students were lined up in pairs, and each would take a turn showcasing a piece of their choice. Satomi-sensei was about to nudge Ohno-sensei to do a little pep talk for them, but before she could do so, there was a knock at the main doors. Ohno-sensei ran for it, glad to have an excuse not to speak in front of a group of people.
“Everyone, do your best!” Satomi-sensei called to the dancers, before something made her furrow her brow. Two of the assistants were missing.
“Has anyone seen Nino and Toma?”
The couples shook their heads, and Satomi-sensei’s worry lines deepened. Ohno-sensei was about to bring Aiba-sama and his butler, Sakurai, into the auditorium, and everyone should have been ready by then.
***
At that moment, on a train ten minutes away, Nino was scowling and trying not to make eye contact with anyone. He had been at his young niece’s birthday party earlier with Toma, and as luck would have it, the actress his sister had hired to play Belle was down with the flu at the last minute. There weren’t any dancers around and so Nino had to dress up in a brown wig and poofy yellow dress to dance with the “Beast” whom Toma played.
That was bad enough, but in the rush to get to the dance studio after the party, there simply hadn’t been time to change, and Nino had to spend the entire train journey looking like he had just stepped out of a musical.
“I don’t get why you couldn’t have been Belle,” he grumbled to Toma, who had been trying to stifle his laughter for the past hour.
“I’m taller than you, and you always had a better memory for the ladies’ steps anyway,” Toma said with as straight a face as he could manage. “You’ve done it for almost all of her parties anyway.”
If looks could kill, there would have been a well-dressed body on the floor of the train carriage. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do it this time!”
“You can change at the studio. You have a spare set in your locker, right?” Toma tried to make peace. “At least Koharu-chan was happy on her birthday, and that’s what matters, isn’t it?”
Nino huffed and looked away.
Toma’s phone rang, and he fished it out from his coat pocket. “Satomi-sensei? Yes. Yes, we’re on the way. What? Oh, yes. We’ll be there soon! See you!”
He locked the screen and told Nino, “Satomi-sensei says Aiba-sama has arrived and they’re starting already. Our partners are waiting, but they’ve been arranged to go last to give us more time.”
Nino groaned. His partner Miyuki would never let him hear the end of it if he, as she put it, “ruined her chance to dance with the great Aiba-sama”. From the look on Toma’s face, he was thinking something similar.
***
Back at the dance studio, Satomi-sensei was growing increasingly tense. Aiba-sama had been exceedingly gracious, smiling and clapping after every performance, but showed no signs of particularly favouring any one of the girls.
As the third-to-last item started, she glanced at her watch. Deciding it was time to take action, she turned to her husband.
“Satoshi, you have to dance with the last two girls. I don’t think Nino and Toma will make it in time. You know their routines, don’t you?”
Ohno-sensei nodded with a quiet confidence. “I choreographed them.”
“Good,” Satomi-sensei said, giving his hand a quick squeeze. “Now go.”
She nudged him gently towards the two girls anxiously waiting backstage.
***
From his seat in the audience, Aiba could see the hard work that each and every one of the dancers had put into their routines. He applauded them all, but his shoulders sagged a tiny bit with each item that passed.
“Masaki-sama,” a low voice sounded in his ear. Aiba turned to see his butler, Sakurai Sho, looking at him with a concerned expression.
“Yes, Sh-Sakurai?” Aiba’s tongue stumbled a little as he uttered the last word. He wished he could just address the butler as ‘Sho-chan’ like he did at home, but he was in public now.
“Masaki-sama, if this is making you uncomfortable, we can always go back.”
“Thank you for thinking of me, Sakurai, but these people have worked hard to show the best of their dance abilities. It’s just so hard to choose.”
Sakurai knew, though, that his master was just being polite, and he felt a little surge of pride. His master had grown up from being a young, impulsive boy to a respectful man over the years that he had served him for.
“Very well, Masaki-sama. It will end quite soon.”
He stepped back into the shadows.
From backstage, Satomi-sensei watched the proceedings with growing anxiety. Ohno-sensei was about to spin Miyuki out for the final curtsey, and she would have to conclude the last item soon. What was worse, Aiba’s butler Sakurai was heading towards her, with a less than hopeful expression on his face. Hearing that Aiba-sama wasn’t fully satisfied, Satomi-sensei’s mood fell further. All she could do now was cross her fingers and pray for a miracle.
Just then, the backstage door burst open, and Nino and Toma all but fell inside. It was probably a futile hope now, but seeing Nino’s costume gave Satomi-sensei the push she needed. She hissed at them, “Get ready to go on,” before grasping the microphone and speaking clearly into it. “It seems we have a last-minute couple. Aiba-sama, may we present to you Ikuta Toma and Ninomiya Kazuko, here to perform the slow foxtrot to Beauty and the Beast.”
Nino straightened his dress with dignity and walked with Toma up to the centre of the stage. Sakurai bowed slightly and went back to his master’s side.
“Oh, there’s another couple!” Aiba couldn’t decide whether to be excited at another chance to find a partner, or worried that he would have to sit through another uninspiring piece. Excitement finally won over boredom and Aiba clapped a little as the couple walked onto the stage.
Satomi-sensei felt her hopes rising a little. Nino and Toma started from opposite corners of the stage, walking gracefully towards each other. Nino’s dress floated beautifully as he spun into a dance hold with Toma. Together, they glided around the stage, stopping at appropriate moments to shape and execute picture lines. The smile on Aiba’s face slowly grew wider, and he settled into his seat with a happy sigh. At the final strains of the music, Toma spun around with a dramatic flourish, landed on one knee and took Nino’s hand, pressing it to his lips. Nino responded by giving him the death stare, but hid it quickly.
They took a bow as Aiba clapped, and Toma led Nino off the stage. Aiba beckoned Sakurai over, and after a hurried discussion, Sakurai went off to inform Satomi-sensei of Aiba’s decision.
***
In the locker room, Nino had just flung off his gloves and was working on the thousand and one pins keeping his wig on, when Ohno-sensei came in.. “Ah… Nino… you might want to keep that on for now.”
“What? Why?” The wig was hot and itchy, and Nino was absolutely dying to get it off.
“It seems that Aiba-sama was impressed by your performance and he wants you to be his partner.”
“No…” Nino moaned half-heartedly. He hadn’t even had the chance to confront Satomi-sensei about pushing him and Toma into the spotlight like that. A couple of seconds later, Ohno-sensei’s words hit him full force. “Wait, what? I got the assignment?”
“After that performance you just did, most likely. He’s already made arrangements for you to go to Aiba Manor and stay there to practise with him.”
“You need to get your things and go. You shouldn’t keep Aiba-sama waiting.” Toma helpfully handed him his bag. Leaning in, he whispered, “I wouldn’t wait around for Miyuki to find you, either.”
That last part jolted Nino into action, and he scrambled up. After making himself as presentable as he could, he rushed outside to the reception area.
The butler was waiting for him there, while Aiba himself was already in the limousine with security. As Nino entered, the butler stood up and introduced himself.
“Good afternoon. My name is Sakurai Sho. Satomi-sensei tells me you are Ninomiya Kazuko-san, is that right?”
Nino nodded.
“We shall start today with a tour of Aiba Manor and to show you your living quarters, after which you are to return home to get your belongings. The next morning, we will come to fetch you from your home and you will stay at the Manor until the day of the ball. Your main responsibility will be to choreograph and practise the honour dance with Aiba-sama when he is not otherwise occupied. For your effort, you will also be reimbursed an amount equal what you could earn in the same time at this dance studio. The administrative details will be finalised soon. I trust that everything is fine with you?”
Nino could only nod again, and he was whisked away to the limousine immediately.
Nino’s mood changed drastically once he stepped into the car. Perched on the edge of the luxurious backseat, he clutched his bag tightly on his lap, barely able to relax. His heart pounded faster as the realisation sunk in - he was now sitting in the backseat of a posh limousine beside the Aiba Masaki.
It was the first time Nino had seen the famous heir outside of publicity shots, and he had to admit the man looked much better in real life. The pictures were, of course, enhanced to bring out Aiba’s cool, classy side, but for Nino, the real one radiated a sort of warmth and simplicity that he found quite endearing.
In fact, he was smiling at Nino now.
“Hello. As you might know, my name is Aiba Masaki, but you can call me Masaki. I trust that Sakurai has explained everything to you?”
Nino could only manage a soft “uh huh” as he gazed into the warm brown eyes of the man who would be his dance partner for the next few months. This must be what those girls who wanted to dance with him felt like, he thought to himself, then gave himself a little shake.
“That’s good! By the way, how do I address you? Can I call you Kazu-chan?”
As far as Nino was concerned, Aiba could call him anything, and he would respond no matter what.
***
The ride and the tour sped past in a blur for Nino, and before he knew it, he was waving goodbye from his own doorsteps as the limousine drove off. In a daze, he fumbled with his keys, and only managed to open the door on his third try.
“Kazunari!” Nino’s sister Riisa called out, as he stepped over the genkan and mumbled, “I’m home.”
“I was wondering when you’d be back. The clean-up after the party took super long for some reason, so I couldn’t go watch your performance, but Ohno-sensei sent over a memo with update and some gear for you. I’ll pass it to you and do the acting-as-a-female crash course with you later.”
Peeking out from behind her mother’s legs, Koharu-chan asked curiously, “You went to visit the Aiba Manor, Uncle Kazu? Will you tell me about it?”
Nino collapsed onto the couch with a sigh. “Not now, honey. Uncle Kazu needs to get out of this costume and into the bath.” Ever efficient, Riisa had already gone to run the bath for him, leaving Koharu-chan there.
“I’ll help you!” The little girl climbed up beside him and methodically picked out the hairpins. As she worked, she chattered, “Uncle Kazu will be the best princess! He always gets the prince in the end.”
Tired as he was, Nino couldn’t help but smile. As much as he disliked having to wear the costume every year at her party, Koharu-chan’s happiness made it all worth it.
“No, sweetheart, you are the best princess!” Nino said in relief as he finally got the hot, itchy mass off his head. “You won’t believe how long I’ve had to wear that thing today.”
Koharu-chan giggled as Nino got up and staggered to the bathroom, flinging his long yellow gloves onto the table.
***
As Nino stepped out of the bathroom towelling his hair, he heard grunts from the living room. A couple of suitcases laid stoutly on the ground, having been filled almost to bursting. Koharu-chan was standing on one of them while Riisa zipped it up after checking their contents.
“Mommy said you have to pack stuff so that they think you’re a girl.” The little girl explained seriously.
Nino ran a hand through his hair and grimaced. “You mean everything in there is your mom’s clothes and I have to wear them?”
“Don’t be like that! Mommy didn’t even want to let you wear them. But orders are orders.” Koharu-chan pouted from her position on the suitcase, and Nino laughed and ruffled her hair.
“They’re actually sent over by Ohno-sensei and Satomi-sensei from the studio, and some other important stuff, like wigs, razors, and of course, make-up.” Riisa corrected him. “There’s also a copy of the female edition of The Ballroom Dancer’s Guide to Looking Your Best in case you forget anything.”
Nino made a face. “Why can’t I pack my Wii and games while we’re at it?”
“Ninomiya Kazunari, do you want the female secret agent crash course, or do you want to blow your cover the moment you step foot into that house?” Riisa stood up and folded her arms. “I don’t actually have to help you out for this assignment, you know.”
Nino raised his hands in mock surrender. “All right, all right.”
“But first, could you get Koharu-chan off to bed? There are things she shouldn’t be hearing until she gets older.”
“Awww! You’re always saying that!” Koharu-chan put up a little protest, but Nino tickled her sides till she dissolved in a rush of giggles. Sweeping her into his arms, he brought her to bed and tucked her in.
***
The next morning, armed with two bulging suitcases and an abundance of new knowledge about being a girl - most of which he did not want to know - Nino stepped into Aiba Manor once again.
The pristine floors sparkled from underneath his feet, and a sense of luxury oozed out of of every corner. Sakurai led him to his designated room, which was right next to Aiba’s, and left him to unpack.
Locking the door carefully after Sakurai left, Nino checked the gear that Ohno-sensei had supplied him with. There were a ton of different gowns, which Nino hung up in the huge wardrobe, and lots of female underwear, which he smooshed together into a drawer, trying to touch them as little as possible. Thankfully, there were also female daily clothes that didn’t look too far from what he was used to wearing - oversized T-shirts and sweatpants.
After putting away the clothes, what came next were a few wigs, a couple of gadgets, a large amount of accessories and cosmetics, and, as promised, a large paperbound volume of The Ballroom Dancer’s Guide to Looking Your Best.
Nino placed the last on top of the writing desk, which was furnished with stacks of paper and writing materials, and lay on the bed to rest. It felt as if he had barely closed his eyes before he was woken by a knock at the door.
“Ninomiya-san, dinner will be in thirty minutes. Is everything all right?” Sakurai-san asked through the door.
Shaking his head a little to clear it, Nino called in a high-pitched voice, “Yes, everything’s fine, thank you!”
As the butler’s footsteps faded away, Nino hurriedly retouched his hair and makeup, referring to a couple of pages in The Ballroom Dancer’s Guide, and looked for a suitable evening gown to replace the one that he’d accidentally crumpled in his nap.
When he was satisfied with his appearance, he rushed to the dining area and made it just in time. As he walked in, Aiba looked up and smiled when he saw who it was.
“Oh, Kazu-chan! You look wonderful!” he said, and Nino felt butterflies in his stomach.
“You look good too, Masaki-sama,” he replied without any trace of irony.
***
It was time for their first practice session. Nino wanted to check Aiba’s knowledge of the dance steps as well as his aptitude for each dance, but when he stepped into the private studio at Aiba Manor, he couldn’t help but think that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all.
Aiba had put on cologne, which made him more irresistible than he already was to Nino. Nino’s heart was beating so hard that he wouldn’t be surprised if Aiba could hear it. As he put his left hand up to invite Nino to dance, Nino timidly placed his hand onto Aiba’s and took up the dance hold. He was never more glad in his life that the dance hold required looking over his partner’s shoulder rather than directly at his partner’s face.
To preserve his identity, Nino tried hard to keep the lower half of his body away from Aiba’s, but after a couple of jerky rounds of waltz that Nino would be ashamed to repeat, Aiba called for a time out and voiced his opinion.
“Kazu-chan, you’re not making any contact. Satomi-sensei always had a good amount of contact, and we could make the turns more easily.”
Nino bit back his protest. Contact meant pressing their abdomens together, and he wasn’t sure if that was appropriate this early on in their dance relationship. Still, if Aiba requested for it, there was no refusing. Nino braced himself mentally and went for it.
It wasn’t long before Nino’s worst fear happened. Aiba stopped in his tracks, and Nino could guess why, given what he had just felt. Ohno-sensei’s ultimate face of disapproval flashed through Nino’s mind.
“K-Kazu-chan!” Aiba gasped.
Nino thanked his stars that the two of them were alone in the studio. “Yes, Masaki-sama?” he asked, drawing his face into the best approximation of an innocent smile that he could manage.
“Was… was that Kazu-chan junior?”
“I’m sorry?” Nino feigned being affronted. As predicted, this caused Aiba to backtrack.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean… But...” Aiba was suddenly at a loss for words.
“It’s all right. Let’s just continue.”
As soon as he said them, Nino regretted his bold words, for the next dance on the list was the tango, and they would be more intimately in contact. So much for the crash course, he thought.
Two or three figures later, Aiba called for a time-out again.
“I’m really sorry about this, Kazu-chan. But I have to ask.” Aiba took hold of Nino’s shoulders and looked him in straight the eyes. Nino flinched away, but Aiba’s grip was strong.
“Kazu-chan. Are you actually a guy?” Aiba asked.
Nino saw no point in pretending further, and he nodded, preparing himself for the worst.
Surprisingly, Aiba broke into a smile. “That’s actually a great thing!”
“Eh?” Nino was taken aback.
“I.. I’m not into girls.” Aiba admitted, looking down at the floor. “I just have to dance with one because… well… it would bring shame to my family name if I didn’t.”
Nino nodded sympathetically.
“So, what’s your real name?”
“I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you.” Nino deadpanned. Seeing Aiba’s face fall, he added, “But ‘Kazu-chan’ is fine.”
“Are you really a secret agent?” Aiba’s eyes widened, while Nino frantically made shushing motions.
“Yes, but it’s called secret agent for a reason. You just need to keep quiet and pretend you don’t know anything, and I’ll be able to protect you properly, and nobody else will know anything. Okay?”
Aiba took a little while to process all this, but then he nodded eagerly. “Okay!”
A couple of seconds later, a thought occurred to him, and he lowered his voice to a stage whisper. “Do you have cool gadgets?”
Nino replied simply, “That’s classified information.”
***
“Nino, we have news that someone may be planning to harm Aiba.” Toma’s voice crackled out from Nino’s compact, as Nino sat on a window seat, pretending to touch up the powder on his face. A video image of Toma showed up on the mirror.
“Received. Any suspects?”
“We don’t know for sure yet, but it could be a student from our studio. Be vigilant and stay safe.”
“Don’t you mean ‘keep him safe’?”
“Ah, yes, that too.” Toma looked visibly flustered, and abruptly disconnected. The surface of the screen returned to a mirror-like appearance, and not a moment too soon, as Aiba came up from behind him. Nino closed the compact with a snap.
“Hey, Kazu-chan!” Aiba called out cheerfully. “Doing your makeup again?”
“Of course, Masaki-sama,” Nino put on a falsetto and batted his eyelashes. “I want to always look my best for you.”
Aiba looked slightly taken aback, but the smile returned to his face in a split second.
“I was wondering if you’d like to go for a walk tonight, after practice.”
Going outside might make Aiba a prime target. Nino hesitated, and the doubt must have shown on his face, for Aiba hastily added, “Just to get to know each other better. I think we’ll dance better if we have more chemistry, right?”
Who could resist those melting eyes? Nino nodded. “As you wish, Masaki-sama.”
***
The night breeze rustled gently through the trees as Nino and Aiba strolled around the estate. Nino had never been much of a fan of the outdoors, but it was actually not so bad once the sun had gone down. Walking beside a hot guy helped a lot, too.
As they strolled under the stars, Aiba gradually relaxed and opened up about his life - what it was like growing up under constant scrutiny, trying to live up to his parents’ expectations, and all the experiments he was curious to try, like whether one could freeze water into frames to make glasses, or fly with a man-made bird structure.
Nino drank it all in while keeping his lips tightly sealed. The less Aiba knew about him, the better.
“Come on, Kazu-chan! There must be something you can tell me..?” Aiba pleaded.
Nino shook his head and tried to divert the subject, but Aiba was persistent. Eventually, Nino folded his arms and rolled his eyes.
“Fine, I’ll tell you one thing. But you have to stop asking.”
Aiba nodded eagerly and gazed at him in anticipation.
“Girls’ underwear is really uncomfortable. That’s all I’m going to say.”
“Aww, Kazu-chan, that’s not fair.”
“Life’s not fair, Masaki-sama.”
The next day, Nino found a parcel on his desk. Attached was a note saying “You can use these, I have a lot. --Masaki”.
Upon opening it, he discovered a few pairs of clean underpants. A strange, warm feeling filled his heart - a mixture of gratefulness and amusement.
They fit wonderfully, and were really comfortable, as expected of rich men’s underpants.
***
One night, Aiba tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. His stomach suggested that it might be a good time for some chocolate or something of the sort, and Aiba silently agreed. Getting up, he put on his favourite fluffy slippers and headed towards the kitchen. He could have asked Sho-chan to get him some food, but as it was late in the night, he didn’t want to disturb the butler.
As he crept past Nino’s room, he noticed light coming through the door, which was slightly ajar. Peeking in, he saw Nino slumped over his desk, asleep on a pile of paper scrawled with names of dance steps and rough diagrams. His wig was still on, although a little crooked, and Aiba smiled at the sight.
The next morning, Nino woke to find a blanket draped over himself and a piece of chocolate on the desk in front of him.
***
Nino’s presence at the Aiba household slowly grew beyond simply being a guest choreographer and dancer. He was soon present almost everywhere Aiba was, and would occasionally sit in for Aiba’s English lessons, which were taught by Sakurai.
"P..." Aiba struggled to read the word.
"Push-up bra," Nino supplied dryly, earning a giggle from Aiba.
"It's penumbra," Sakurai interjected indignantly. “The penumbra remains the penumbra, but it is now darkest where before it was brightest. Ninomiya-san, if you do not contribute constructively to the lesson, with all due respect, I may have to ask you to leave.”
“Oh, please don’t do that! He’ll be good, I promise.” Aiba pleaded.
Sakurai nodded, raising a hand momentarily to his temples. He did appreciate that the two of them were getting along so well together, and Aiba’s parents were even discussing the possibility of getting them together beyond the Matsumoto ball.
Sakurai kept all this to himself, however. He had some suspicions to confirm.
***
Aiba had slipped up one too many times, referring to his partner as a ‘he’ instead of a ‘she’, and Sakurai had gotten suspicious. The first time, Sakurai had thought nothing of it, since Aiba was prone to such slips of the tongue. The second time had raised the butler’s suspicions, and the third caused him to act upon it.
Sakurai approached Nino one day when Aiba was out on private business. “Pardon my boldness, Ninomiya-san. Could I have a word with you in private?”
Nino raised an eyebrow, but followed him to an empty room where they could be alone.
“I believe that Satomi-sensei has neglected to mention a certain detail when she arranged for you to take up this job. You are, if I may be so bold, a man, yes?” The butler shot Nino a piercing gaze through his glasses.
Nino steeled himself, but groaned inwardly. Did everyone know of his real identity?
“So what if I am?” He said with as much bravado as he could muster.
Sakurai sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It is true that we did not specify the gender of the secret agent that we requested for Masaki-sama’s protection, and doubtless she felt it would be safer if less people knew the truth. However, this brings unwanted complications. Have you considered what will happen after the ball?”
Nino folded his arms and looked at the butler. “What do you mean?”
“‘Aiba Masaki’s partner, professional dancer Ninomiya Kazuko… is actually a man?’ These headlines will inevitably be splashed across the papers if you are not careful. Think of the consequences it will bring to the family name and reputation, not just due to the stigma on homosexuality - that I personally disagree with, by the way - but due to deception of the public, and the Matsumoto family. The public is already suspicious - thirsty for gossip on Aiba Masaki’s private life, they scour the papers every day for every last detail, leading up to his role at the Matsumoto ball. The ball itself will be covered by a whole host of reporters as your name is announced.”
Nino gave a cold smile. “The Ohno Dance Studio didn’t survive for four generations without a trick or two. After the ball, Ninomiya Kazuko will disappear. Simple as that. She didn’t exist before, she will not exist after.”
Sakurai stared incredulously at Nino. “What about Masaki-sama? He has not gone a day without spending most of his waking hours with you. You would leave him hanging?”
Nino was resolute. “I would only bring more danger to him through my line of work. There are those who would use him against me, and against the Ohno Dance Studio. I will not risk that, even for personal feelings. There is a phrase we use: It’s all part of the choreography.”
Nino could not stop a slight tremble in his voice, and the butler caught onto it.
“Very well, Ninomiya-san. I shall do my best to assist you in your mission.”
***
“Jun’s coming over for lunch,” Aiba said conversationally over breakfast one morning, as the date of the ball approached. Nino raised an eyebrow, but was more focused on keeping the strands of his wig from falling into his green tea. He rarely had much appetite in the mornings.
“He wants to see the honour dance,” Aiba continued. “So I said we could show him anytime. It’s his ball after all, right?”
Nino let out a small grunt. They hadn’t completely perfected it yet, but it was at least presentable.
Aiba giggled. “You’re cute when you’re grumpy.”
***
Nino had barely managed to slip into his most presentable practice dress before the doorbell rang and Jun’s arrival was announced. He thought his chest looked a little wonky, but there was no time to fix it. With any luck, no one else would notice.
Aiba knocked at the door of his room and called, “Are you done changing, Kazu-chan?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Halfway through the house, Aiba noticed something. “Oh, your chest is a little wonky. Here, let me fix it.” Aiba stood trying to help when there came a gasp from behind them.
A fashionably dressed man with thick eyebrows was standing there with his mouth open, looking absolutely horrified, but trying to hide it. “Masaki, is that your partner-to-be? I had no idea you guys were that close.”
“Jun!” Aiba cheered and ran towards the man, engulfing him in an enthusiastic embrace while Nino did a final quick check of his own appearance. “It’s been a while!”
Jun laughed, hugging him back. Nino felt a little jealousy rising in him, but quashed it. They were childhood friends, after all.
After a while, they broke apart and Jun asked, “Aren’t you going to introduce me to this lovely lady over here?”
“Oh, absolutely! This is Ninomiya Kazuko, one of the best dancers from the Ohno Dance Studio. Kazu-chan, this is my best friend Matsumoto Jun, the guy whose ball we’re attending.”
“Enchanted to meet you,” Jun said, taking Nino’s hand in a smooth motion and pressing his lips gently on it.
“Same to you, Matsumoto-sama.” Nino replied.
After a lunch of mabo tofu made to the Aiba family recipe, the three of them walked down to the studio. Jun smiled as he stepped in, inhaling the familiar smell of the polished wood floor, and his blissful expression was reflected on the wall-to-wall mirrors.
“Shall we begin?”
Jun pressed the play button at their signal, and Nino and Aiba began their dance. Jun recognised the tempo of a slow foxtrot from the first strains of the music, and perked up in anticipation.
They started with elegant steps - a smooth ronde and a right lunge leading into a sidestep and slip pivot. Jun nodded approvingly as they sailed around the floor. The music tinkled out slowly and gently - it was a slow, beautiful Japanese song that Nino had chosen, feeling it would be more suitable for the occasion than an American one.
I’ll be by your side
Making you laugh
Counting the seasons when the cherry blossoms float
I’ll keep walking with you
They moved into synchronised sweeping gestures, their bodies dipping and curving gracefully in time to the music.
Jun was almost fully immersed in their performance - he hadn’t known that Aiba was this good at dancing - when Aiba’s hands slipped around Nino’s waist, and lifted Nino high into the air. The movement was well-intentioned, but somehow they came crashing down in a heap after a second.
Nino was mortified at first, scrambling off of Aiba as quickly as he could, but Aiba’s laughter was infectious, and soon all three of them were laughing their heads off in the middle of the studio.
“Well, that was pretty okay.” Jun wiped tears of mirth from his eyes. “You guys have almost got everything down pat, but I can’t help but think that lift was a little ambitious. I don’t want to be mean, you probably spent a lot of time on this, but you might want to consider maybe changing it to a standing spin instead.”
While Jun gave a few more pointers, Nino couldn’t help but be impressed. Matsumoto Jun really knew what he was doing - he wasn’t just a spoiled rich kid. In fact, he would be involved in a large part to the overall direction of the event, including the lights, sounds, catering and so on. Nino came back to earth as Jun concluded his discussion.
“I think I have a pretty good idea of how the lighting on our floor could help enhance your performance, but let me know again when you have the final choreography down. The song is beautiful, and I’m really looking forward to the performance.”
Aiba grinned. “We’ll get it perfect for you! Right, Kazu-chan?” He nudged Nino, who managed a smile and a nod.
***
Toma called one night with some unsettling news.
“Nino? There’s been a murder at another, much smaller ball event. I’m not sure if the two are related, but the Matsumoto family are just tightening security. They still want the ball to go on.”
Of course they’d want the ball to go on, they’ve been planning this for months! Nino rubbed his face impatiently.
“They haven’t caught the culprit, but there’s one clue - there were puncture marks on the body, possibly made by a long, thin object. The body was also found outside, away from the main crowd, so no one really knew who did it.”
“Roger that. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.”
“Most of the studio will also be there to cover the event,” Toma continued. “The girls will just be there to try their luck with Matsumoto Jun, most likely, but we’ll also be there as added security. So I guess I’ll see you there.”
Nino nodded. “See you there.”
He closed the compact and leaned back with a sigh. In a blink of an eye, two months had passed, and seeing Toma had reminded him just how much he missed everyone at home.
***
“Are you sure you still want to do the lift? I’m supposed to protect you, not crush you!” Nino protested when they were hard at work in the studio. “This is totally going against my job description.”
“It’ll be fine!” Aiba said, sounding more confident than he felt. “It’ll look great if we can just pull this off.”
“Okay, I’m only going to do this one more time, and if it doesn’t work, we take Jun’s suggestion for the standing spin.” Nino folded his arms and looked at Aiba.
“Okay! Let’s do this!”
The music started again, and they took their places.
As Nino had expected, he landed on top of Aiba again, but this time, something was different. He found himself staring straight at Aiba.
Aiba’s face was close. Too close.
At that moment, it was as if the entire world was in Aiba's eyes. The only sound was both of their breathing, slowly getting faster and more in sync. Nino slowly leaned forward, closer and closer. Aiba's eyes were filled with a mixture of feelings - anticipation, hope, and a tiny measure of uncertainty.
In that instant, “choreography be damned” flashed through Nino’s mind, and he pushed forward, meeting Aiba’s lips with his own. Aiba received him with enthusiasm, and soon they were kissing as if their lives depended on it.
When they came up for air, Nino said as casually as he could manage, “Guess that lift didn’t work, huh?”
“Oh, it worked all right.” Aiba said, grinning, and Nino felt himself blush.
***
“I really hope you know what you’re doing.” Sakurai said in a dangerously low tone.
Nothing escaped the butler’s attention. From the way Aiba and Nino looked at each other, Sakurai could sense that something had developed. On this hunch, he had cornered Nino again after breakfast, and Nino had admitted about as much.
Leaning close, the butler’s voice dropped to a whisper. “If you break his heart, I will find you, and you will wish you had never been born.”
Nino was left open-mouthed as the butler stepped back, bowed, and excused himself respectfully.
***
The week of the ball approached without further incident, and soon Nino was packing his things again. Everything now had some sort of memory associated with it. The padded bra that he’d let Masaki try on once when they were drunk, the wigs that kept shedding all over everything, and finally, the by now dog-eared copy of The Ballroom Dancer’s Guide that had led him through all those costume changes.
When he flipped over his bedsheet, a pair of Aiba’s underpants lay there innocently. Nino could have laughed if he hadn’t been feeling so choked up at the moment.
“It’s all part of the choreography,” he whispered to himself. Dancing with and protecting clients was simply part of his job, and there was no room for emotions.
Even so, he slipped it into his suitcase.
***
“Kazu-chan! Today’s the day!” Aiba cheerfully knocked on the door.
Grumbling “I’m up, I’m up,” Nino rubbed his eyes. His gown for the night was arranged lovingly on the mannequin in his room.
A lovely silver affair, it was bedecked in rhinestones in a manner such as to emphasise the wearer’s curves, although in Nino’s case, they would be fake. The cutting had been specially designed by Satomi-sensei for ease of mobility as well as to look amazing on the dance floor, and so far it had never failed her.
After the opening speech by Matsumoto senior, Nino heard Aiba’s name and his being announced, and readied himself. Beside him, Aiba took a similar deep breath.
Nino closed his eyes momentarily as he took Aiba’s hand. He knew that it would be the last time he was holding this warm hand and walking onto a dance floor, and he wanted to treasure the moment.
The music started, and Nino took a breath. Spinning into the dance hold, he let the music take over his body as he performed the familiar steps together with Aiba.
I’ll be by your side
Making you laugh
As the gentle wind blows on
I’ll keep walking with you
As the crescendo approached, Aiba crossed one leg behind the other, and Nino ran around him twice with light steps, ending the motion with a quick toe point and spin out.
The floats on Nino’s dress traced Nino’s smooth trajectory around the dance floor, and the skirt made it look like he was dancing on clouds.
As the music faded to its last bars, Nino and Aiba slowed down to match the tempo.
I’ll always be with you.
In a last fluid motion, Nino spun out to the middle of the dance floor, transitioning into a graceful curtsey as Aiba bowed from his spot. Applause erupted from the audience while they stepped off the floor, giving room to the rest of the dancers present.
The excitement had made the both of them hungry, so they wandered over to the buffet table.
Nino was surprised to see a familiar face - his previous partner, Miyuki - but his gut told him to keep a distance. Figuring it would be better to stay out of sight than to have his cover blown, Nino mumbled something about visiting the washroom before disappearing in the crowd.
He looked on as Miyuki deliberately headed towards Aiba, and asked him for a dance. To Nino’s slight displeasure, Aiba agreed, and they went over to the dance floor.
“Huh. At least she gets to dance with her Aiba-sama.” Nino thought to himself as he followed the two of them from a distance. Stabbing a cocktail sausage with slightly more force than necessary, he stuffed it into his mouth while watching the two of them attempt a quickstep routine.
“Oh!” With a squeal, Miyuki suddenly collapsed to the floor. She was soon lost from Nino’s vision in the large crowd. “I’m sorry, I think I might have landed wrongly.”
Nino’s hackles rose. Something wasn’t quite right about what he’d just seen, but he couldn’t place it. Passing his plate to a nearby waiter, he crept closer to the two of them and continued observing them.
Aiba offered her a hand to pick her up off the floor, and she grimaced, saying, “Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly… I think my ankle might be twisted. Would you mind just picking me up and bringing me out to the garden, where there’s more space?”
Aiba, being the gentleman he was, obliged, and Nino followed silently.
Miyuki had taken off one of her stiletto heels, and they dangled from her hand as Aiba carried her bridal style out to the garden. One of the heels glinted with light from a lamppost, and something clicked in Nino’s mind.
Without thinking, he ran towards the two of them, shouting, “Drop her! Drop her and get away!”
Though he was disoriented by the sudden shouts, Aiba’s gentlemanly upbringing meant that he couldn’t bring himself to just drop a lady like a sack of potatoes. He laid her carefully on the ground, and that was a mistake.
Miyuki had swiftly detached the blade from her shoe and lashed out, catching Aiba on his left shoulder. He cried out in pain, but before Miyuki could do any further damage, Nino dived on top of her and wrestled the blade from her grip. In the confusion, the contents of Nino’s handbag spilled out on the lawn.
After some struggle, Nino managed to overpower Miyuki. Holding her arms tight behind her back, Nino called to Aiba, “Masaki! Get my lipstick!”
Holding his shoulder and the steadily growing red stain, Aiba looked incredulously at Nino. “You want to do your makeup now?”
Miyuki wriggled harder in Nino’s grip. “Don’t ask questions! Just do it!”
Aiba stumbled towards the little pile on the lawn, and picked up the small red tube. “Hold it to her neck and press the red button.” Nino panted with the effort. Miyuki was stronger than he remembered.
“O...okay.” Aiba gingerly did as he was told, and Miyuki went limp in Nino’s arms.
Nino let go and scrambled to pick up his compact and send an emergency signal.
The rest of the agents arrived on the scene as Nino was wrapping up Aiba’s shoulder, and took Miyuki away safely.
In order to allow Jun to carry on the night peacefully, a decision was made not to inform him, and instead a message was delivered via butler saying that Aiba was slightly indisposed and would be leaving early.
Upon receiving the message, Jun sighed. He had hoped to be able to talk more with Aiba besides congratulating him on the opening dance, but dancing with many different girls all night had effectively sapped his time and energy.
“Why the long face, Matsumoto-sama?”
A handsome man smiled at him. Jun vaguely recognised him as someone from the Ohno Dance Studio, but not beyond that. However, his manners prompted him to extend a hand and say, “Nice to meet you, Mr…?”
“Please, call me Ikuta.” The man’s eyes twinkled, and he shook Jun’s hand.
***
From then on, everything seemed like a blur in Nino’s mind. Nino escorted Aiba back to Aiba Manor, on the back seat of the limousine. Aiba, with his face pale, rested his head on Nino’s shoulder.
He murmured, “Kazu-chan was so brave! And smart! I totally wouldn’t have known what that girl was trying to do. You saved my life, Kazu-chan.”
“Hush now, Masaki-sama.” Nino said gently. “You need to rest.”
Upon reaching Aiba Manor, he ensured that Aiba received proper medical attention for his wound, and sat at his bedside till Aiba drifted off to sleep.
“Good night, Masaki-sama.” Nino whispered, and kissed Aiba’s forehead in farewell.
He picked up his luggage and went out to the porch, where the limousine was waiting to bring him back to his former life.
***
Ever since his return from Aiba Manor, Nino hadn’t left the house. He barely moved from his position on the couch, and Riisa was immensely tempted to dust over him as well when she cleaned the furniture.
After a while, Toma came over to visit and delivered a status report by order of Ohno-sensei, who was currently at the hospital spending time with Satomi-sensei and their newborn daughter.
“So, it turns out that Miyuki was hired by this rich family whose son died after he had an allergic reaction to soy sauce in one of the Aiba restaurants. They weren’t satisfied with the out-of-court settlement, and wanted to show Aiba’s parents what it was like to lose a son. They have now been brought to due justice. All reports of Aiba Masaki’s mysterious dance partner have been edited to hide her name and identity from the public.”
Toma concluded the report and put down the document, glancing at Nino’s face for a reaction.
Nino’s face was blank.
“Oh, come on, Nino. It happens.” Toma slid an arm around Nino and gave him a quick snuggle.
“He could have died.” Nino muttered tonelessly.
“But he didn’t. Stop it. His parents are already grateful he didn’t sustain a worse injury.”
“Mmph.” Nino turned away from Toma and continued slumping on the couch.
“Stop being such a drama queen. It’s just a scratch, it’s not like he’ll never dance again.”
At that moment, Riisa swanned into the living room. “Hey, Kazunari. Who’s the lucky guy?”
“What?”
“You had someone else’s undies in your suitcase, and they’re not Toma’s. Don’t tell me it’s Aiba?” She started to joke, but stopped when she saw the expression on Nino’s face. “Wait, seriously? It’s him?”
“You have his undies?” Toma stared at Nino incredulously.
“It’s not like that…” Nino protested weakly. “Girls’ underwear is really uncomfortable, so he just lent me some of his, that’s all.”
A beep sounded, and Riisa checked her messages. “Shunsuke says there’s someone at the studio waiting for you. You have to go down now. And you probably have twenty unread messages from him.”
“Don’t want to.”
Another beep. “It’s Aiba!” Riisa checked her brother’s face for a change in expression. Nino buried his face into a sofa cushion, hoping that the two of them would leave him alone.
No such luck. Toma stepped over and took a firm hold of Nino’s arm. “You do not make the Aiba Masaki wait for you. Now get up and let’s go.”
After forcing Nino into a set of respectable clothes, the two of them brought Nino to the studio.
***
After the incident, Aiba’s parents had extracted the entire story from Aiba. Surprisingly, they were quite calm upon hearing that their elder son was in love with a man. Aiba himself had worriedly clarified.
“But is it alright? I won’t be able to carry on the family line.”
“Of course we don’t mind, dear. Your happiness is what’s important. Besides, I think your brother has found a girl from college overseas.” Aiba’s mother had reassured him. With his parents’ blessing, Aiba had journeyed with Sakurai to the Ohno Dance Studio to look for Nino once again.
“Kazu-chan!” Aiba perked up when they arrived. From the side, Toma mouthed Kazu-chan? to Riisa, who simply shrugged.
A sting of guilt pierced Nino’s heart when he saw the bandage on Aiba’s arm. “We can’t be together, Masaki-sama.”
“But why, Kazu-chan?” Aiba looked pleadingly into Nino’s eyes.
“I don’t want to bring danger to you because of my line of work. There are people out there who would take advantage of you to get to me, and through me, to the Ohno Dance Studio. And I can’t protect you well enough. You got injured because I wasn’t good enough.”
“No, Kazu-chan,” Aiba’s voice was soft. “I am alive now because you were.”
He wrapped his arms around Nino’s shoulders and declared, “I love you and I want to be with you forever. Just like it says in the song you picked.”
Nino smiled in spite of himself, and made a decision. He leaned close to Aiba’s ear and whispered, “Kazunari.”
“Eh?” Aiba wasn’t sure if he had misheard.
“That’s my real name. Kazunari.”
“Oh, does that mean you have to kill me now?” Aiba pretended to look terrified, but a grin played on his lips.
“Nah, I’ll just have to make sure no one else does so that I can do it when I want to.”
THE END
...or is it?
[MINI BONUS SCENE]
A FEW MONTHS LATER
“Finally, after they defeated the evil Gaston, the Princess told the Beast, “I love you.” She was just in time, as the last petal of the magic rose was about to fall. Because of her love, the spell was broken, and the Beast transformed back into the handsome Prince.”
Koharu-chan laughed and clapped as Aiba got up dramatically from the floor, threw off the furry mask and gazed at Nino with love in his eyes. She then squealed with delight as Aiba swooped onto Nino and kissed him full on the lips, while Riisa stopped her narration to cover Koharu-chan’s eyes and exclaimed, “Guys, this was not in the story!” Toma jokingly made retching sounds from the corner and laughed together with Shunsuke and Jun.
Amidst the laughter and Koharu-chan’s protests, Nino paused to take a breath, and grinned mischievously at Aiba. “How about we take it to the bedroom for our happily ever after?”
THE END (for real this time! ♥)
Pairing/Focus: Aimiya, OhnoxSatomi(very little), JunxToma(if you squint hard)
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 8790 words
Warnings: ballroom/spy AU, possible OOC of non-Arashi characters, crossdressing (ngl Nino is in female clothes for most of the story)
Summary: Aiba needs a partner for the honour dance of the upcoming Matsumoto ball (to find a partner for Jun!), and Nino is chosen to dance with and protect him. But there’s a catch – they think he’s a girl! Can he keep his identity a secret?
Notes: (Written for
ninoexchange 2018) Dear phrenk , I am really honoured to write for you! I hyperventilated when I received this assignment and saw your name at the top. I had so many different ideas that it was hard to choose just one. I hope you like this, though. (Hopefully this counts enough under 'romantic pretending that leads to actual romantic feelings'!) I hope you enjoy this fic! :D I would also like to thank my friend who continously supported me and helped me with important decisions throughout the writing of this fic (especially talking me out of having Sakuraiba go underwear shopping) as well as my lovely beta who looked through super quickly, thank you so much dear <3 And to Nino Mod, thank you for being so patient with me! :D hugs and cookies for all of you!!P.S. I watched these youtube videos while writing, so what I based the dances on are: Nino/Toma here and Nino/Aiba here! If you could, please at least watch the second one because I think it's really beautiful. And then imagine that Aiba and Nino danced like it :D
====================================================
The Ohno Dance Studio, lovingly built up by Ohno-sensei’s great-grandfather and passed down the generations, was the place for elite ballroom dancers. The rich and famous sent their sons and daughters there to learn the art of ballroom dancing, and many graduated with excellent results from international competitions, or formed excellent marriages between well-to-do families.
Behind this seemingly frivolous facade, however, was a highly sophisticated and efficient secret organisation, tasked with protecting every single one of their clients at high-profile social events. As professional dancers, their reflexes and stamina would be unrivaled, and no one outside would suspect a thing.
***
“Everyone, could we gather? Ohno-sensei and I have a little announcement to make.”
The last lesson had just ended for the week, and the students had just left. A handful of assistants were around the studio, either packing up or chatting, and they looked up when Satomi-sensei called.
After they had gathered, Satomi-sensei cleared her throat. She had wanted Ohno-sensei to be the one to say it, but he had refused out of embarrassment, and was pointedly looking away even now. She took a deep breath.
“Guys. And ladies. Ohno-sensei and I… we are expecting a baby.”
Ohno-sensei blushed as everyone began to swarm towards the couple to congratulate them. Satomi-sensei clapped her hands to get their attention back.
“However, this means that I won’t be able to take the assignment for the Matsumoto ball in a few months’ time. Aiba-sama will be here next week to pick out a new partner. I hope all of you work hard. That includes you, Nino, and you, Toma!”
She looked sharply at the direction of the two of them who were fooling around at the back of the studio. Satomi-sensei added, “The men, too, must work hard to show the ladies off to the best of their ability. We cannot sully the name of the Ohno Dance Studio.”
Being the cream of the crop, the Ohno Dance Studio was so well-known that they provided performers for grand social events as well, including weddings and balls. The Matsumoto ball, however, was in a class of its own.
The Matsumotos were a rich and powerful family that headed a multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. The only son, Matsumoto Jun, was credited with the invention of the moving stage - a novel concept that revolutionised performances. Right now, this same son would need a wife to carry on the family name, and if that meant holding the grandest ball of the century to find her, so be it. The Matsumotos would spare no expense.
The guest of honour at this ball was going to be none other than Matsumoto Jun’s best friend, Aiba Masaki, heir to a famous Chinese restaurant chain. For this, Aiba would need a dance partner, and what could be a better source of quality dancers than the Ohno Dance Studio?
However, in his limited dance experience, Aiba Masaki had only ever danced with Satomi-sensei before, and that was because she was the best in the studio. Now that she would be unavailable, the main question on everyone’s minds was - who would he choose next?
***
When the day came, the air in the studio was full of tension. Even Satomi-sensei had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself.
The dance assistants and a few students were lined up in pairs, and each would take a turn showcasing a piece of their choice. Satomi-sensei was about to nudge Ohno-sensei to do a little pep talk for them, but before she could do so, there was a knock at the main doors. Ohno-sensei ran for it, glad to have an excuse not to speak in front of a group of people.
“Everyone, do your best!” Satomi-sensei called to the dancers, before something made her furrow her brow. Two of the assistants were missing.
“Has anyone seen Nino and Toma?”
The couples shook their heads, and Satomi-sensei’s worry lines deepened. Ohno-sensei was about to bring Aiba-sama and his butler, Sakurai, into the auditorium, and everyone should have been ready by then.
***
At that moment, on a train ten minutes away, Nino was scowling and trying not to make eye contact with anyone. He had been at his young niece’s birthday party earlier with Toma, and as luck would have it, the actress his sister had hired to play Belle was down with the flu at the last minute. There weren’t any dancers around and so Nino had to dress up in a brown wig and poofy yellow dress to dance with the “Beast” whom Toma played.
That was bad enough, but in the rush to get to the dance studio after the party, there simply hadn’t been time to change, and Nino had to spend the entire train journey looking like he had just stepped out of a musical.
“I don’t get why you couldn’t have been Belle,” he grumbled to Toma, who had been trying to stifle his laughter for the past hour.
“I’m taller than you, and you always had a better memory for the ladies’ steps anyway,” Toma said with as straight a face as he could manage. “You’ve done it for almost all of her parties anyway.”
If looks could kill, there would have been a well-dressed body on the floor of the train carriage. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do it this time!”
“You can change at the studio. You have a spare set in your locker, right?” Toma tried to make peace. “At least Koharu-chan was happy on her birthday, and that’s what matters, isn’t it?”
Nino huffed and looked away.
Toma’s phone rang, and he fished it out from his coat pocket. “Satomi-sensei? Yes. Yes, we’re on the way. What? Oh, yes. We’ll be there soon! See you!”
He locked the screen and told Nino, “Satomi-sensei says Aiba-sama has arrived and they’re starting already. Our partners are waiting, but they’ve been arranged to go last to give us more time.”
Nino groaned. His partner Miyuki would never let him hear the end of it if he, as she put it, “ruined her chance to dance with the great Aiba-sama”. From the look on Toma’s face, he was thinking something similar.
***
Back at the dance studio, Satomi-sensei was growing increasingly tense. Aiba-sama had been exceedingly gracious, smiling and clapping after every performance, but showed no signs of particularly favouring any one of the girls.
As the third-to-last item started, she glanced at her watch. Deciding it was time to take action, she turned to her husband.
“Satoshi, you have to dance with the last two girls. I don’t think Nino and Toma will make it in time. You know their routines, don’t you?”
Ohno-sensei nodded with a quiet confidence. “I choreographed them.”
“Good,” Satomi-sensei said, giving his hand a quick squeeze. “Now go.”
She nudged him gently towards the two girls anxiously waiting backstage.
***
From his seat in the audience, Aiba could see the hard work that each and every one of the dancers had put into their routines. He applauded them all, but his shoulders sagged a tiny bit with each item that passed.
“Masaki-sama,” a low voice sounded in his ear. Aiba turned to see his butler, Sakurai Sho, looking at him with a concerned expression.
“Yes, Sh-Sakurai?” Aiba’s tongue stumbled a little as he uttered the last word. He wished he could just address the butler as ‘Sho-chan’ like he did at home, but he was in public now.
“Masaki-sama, if this is making you uncomfortable, we can always go back.”
“Thank you for thinking of me, Sakurai, but these people have worked hard to show the best of their dance abilities. It’s just so hard to choose.”
Sakurai knew, though, that his master was just being polite, and he felt a little surge of pride. His master had grown up from being a young, impulsive boy to a respectful man over the years that he had served him for.
“Very well, Masaki-sama. It will end quite soon.”
He stepped back into the shadows.
From backstage, Satomi-sensei watched the proceedings with growing anxiety. Ohno-sensei was about to spin Miyuki out for the final curtsey, and she would have to conclude the last item soon. What was worse, Aiba’s butler Sakurai was heading towards her, with a less than hopeful expression on his face. Hearing that Aiba-sama wasn’t fully satisfied, Satomi-sensei’s mood fell further. All she could do now was cross her fingers and pray for a miracle.
Just then, the backstage door burst open, and Nino and Toma all but fell inside. It was probably a futile hope now, but seeing Nino’s costume gave Satomi-sensei the push she needed. She hissed at them, “Get ready to go on,” before grasping the microphone and speaking clearly into it. “It seems we have a last-minute couple. Aiba-sama, may we present to you Ikuta Toma and Ninomiya Kazuko, here to perform the slow foxtrot to Beauty and the Beast.”
Nino straightened his dress with dignity and walked with Toma up to the centre of the stage. Sakurai bowed slightly and went back to his master’s side.
“Oh, there’s another couple!” Aiba couldn’t decide whether to be excited at another chance to find a partner, or worried that he would have to sit through another uninspiring piece. Excitement finally won over boredom and Aiba clapped a little as the couple walked onto the stage.
Satomi-sensei felt her hopes rising a little. Nino and Toma started from opposite corners of the stage, walking gracefully towards each other. Nino’s dress floated beautifully as he spun into a dance hold with Toma. Together, they glided around the stage, stopping at appropriate moments to shape and execute picture lines. The smile on Aiba’s face slowly grew wider, and he settled into his seat with a happy sigh. At the final strains of the music, Toma spun around with a dramatic flourish, landed on one knee and took Nino’s hand, pressing it to his lips. Nino responded by giving him the death stare, but hid it quickly.
They took a bow as Aiba clapped, and Toma led Nino off the stage. Aiba beckoned Sakurai over, and after a hurried discussion, Sakurai went off to inform Satomi-sensei of Aiba’s decision.
***
In the locker room, Nino had just flung off his gloves and was working on the thousand and one pins keeping his wig on, when Ohno-sensei came in.. “Ah… Nino… you might want to keep that on for now.”
“What? Why?” The wig was hot and itchy, and Nino was absolutely dying to get it off.
“It seems that Aiba-sama was impressed by your performance and he wants you to be his partner.”
“No…” Nino moaned half-heartedly. He hadn’t even had the chance to confront Satomi-sensei about pushing him and Toma into the spotlight like that. A couple of seconds later, Ohno-sensei’s words hit him full force. “Wait, what? I got the assignment?”
“After that performance you just did, most likely. He’s already made arrangements for you to go to Aiba Manor and stay there to practise with him.”
“You need to get your things and go. You shouldn’t keep Aiba-sama waiting.” Toma helpfully handed him his bag. Leaning in, he whispered, “I wouldn’t wait around for Miyuki to find you, either.”
That last part jolted Nino into action, and he scrambled up. After making himself as presentable as he could, he rushed outside to the reception area.
The butler was waiting for him there, while Aiba himself was already in the limousine with security. As Nino entered, the butler stood up and introduced himself.
“Good afternoon. My name is Sakurai Sho. Satomi-sensei tells me you are Ninomiya Kazuko-san, is that right?”
Nino nodded.
“We shall start today with a tour of Aiba Manor and to show you your living quarters, after which you are to return home to get your belongings. The next morning, we will come to fetch you from your home and you will stay at the Manor until the day of the ball. Your main responsibility will be to choreograph and practise the honour dance with Aiba-sama when he is not otherwise occupied. For your effort, you will also be reimbursed an amount equal what you could earn in the same time at this dance studio. The administrative details will be finalised soon. I trust that everything is fine with you?”
Nino could only nod again, and he was whisked away to the limousine immediately.
Nino’s mood changed drastically once he stepped into the car. Perched on the edge of the luxurious backseat, he clutched his bag tightly on his lap, barely able to relax. His heart pounded faster as the realisation sunk in - he was now sitting in the backseat of a posh limousine beside the Aiba Masaki.
It was the first time Nino had seen the famous heir outside of publicity shots, and he had to admit the man looked much better in real life. The pictures were, of course, enhanced to bring out Aiba’s cool, classy side, but for Nino, the real one radiated a sort of warmth and simplicity that he found quite endearing.
In fact, he was smiling at Nino now.
“Hello. As you might know, my name is Aiba Masaki, but you can call me Masaki. I trust that Sakurai has explained everything to you?”
Nino could only manage a soft “uh huh” as he gazed into the warm brown eyes of the man who would be his dance partner for the next few months. This must be what those girls who wanted to dance with him felt like, he thought to himself, then gave himself a little shake.
“That’s good! By the way, how do I address you? Can I call you Kazu-chan?”
As far as Nino was concerned, Aiba could call him anything, and he would respond no matter what.
***
The ride and the tour sped past in a blur for Nino, and before he knew it, he was waving goodbye from his own doorsteps as the limousine drove off. In a daze, he fumbled with his keys, and only managed to open the door on his third try.
“Kazunari!” Nino’s sister Riisa called out, as he stepped over the genkan and mumbled, “I’m home.”
“I was wondering when you’d be back. The clean-up after the party took super long for some reason, so I couldn’t go watch your performance, but Ohno-sensei sent over a memo with update and some gear for you. I’ll pass it to you and do the acting-as-a-female crash course with you later.”
Peeking out from behind her mother’s legs, Koharu-chan asked curiously, “You went to visit the Aiba Manor, Uncle Kazu? Will you tell me about it?”
Nino collapsed onto the couch with a sigh. “Not now, honey. Uncle Kazu needs to get out of this costume and into the bath.” Ever efficient, Riisa had already gone to run the bath for him, leaving Koharu-chan there.
“I’ll help you!” The little girl climbed up beside him and methodically picked out the hairpins. As she worked, she chattered, “Uncle Kazu will be the best princess! He always gets the prince in the end.”
Tired as he was, Nino couldn’t help but smile. As much as he disliked having to wear the costume every year at her party, Koharu-chan’s happiness made it all worth it.
“No, sweetheart, you are the best princess!” Nino said in relief as he finally got the hot, itchy mass off his head. “You won’t believe how long I’ve had to wear that thing today.”
Koharu-chan giggled as Nino got up and staggered to the bathroom, flinging his long yellow gloves onto the table.
***
As Nino stepped out of the bathroom towelling his hair, he heard grunts from the living room. A couple of suitcases laid stoutly on the ground, having been filled almost to bursting. Koharu-chan was standing on one of them while Riisa zipped it up after checking their contents.
“Mommy said you have to pack stuff so that they think you’re a girl.” The little girl explained seriously.
Nino ran a hand through his hair and grimaced. “You mean everything in there is your mom’s clothes and I have to wear them?”
“Don’t be like that! Mommy didn’t even want to let you wear them. But orders are orders.” Koharu-chan pouted from her position on the suitcase, and Nino laughed and ruffled her hair.
“They’re actually sent over by Ohno-sensei and Satomi-sensei from the studio, and some other important stuff, like wigs, razors, and of course, make-up.” Riisa corrected him. “There’s also a copy of the female edition of The Ballroom Dancer’s Guide to Looking Your Best in case you forget anything.”
Nino made a face. “Why can’t I pack my Wii and games while we’re at it?”
“Ninomiya Kazunari, do you want the female secret agent crash course, or do you want to blow your cover the moment you step foot into that house?” Riisa stood up and folded her arms. “I don’t actually have to help you out for this assignment, you know.”
Nino raised his hands in mock surrender. “All right, all right.”
“But first, could you get Koharu-chan off to bed? There are things she shouldn’t be hearing until she gets older.”
“Awww! You’re always saying that!” Koharu-chan put up a little protest, but Nino tickled her sides till she dissolved in a rush of giggles. Sweeping her into his arms, he brought her to bed and tucked her in.
***
The next morning, armed with two bulging suitcases and an abundance of new knowledge about being a girl - most of which he did not want to know - Nino stepped into Aiba Manor once again.
The pristine floors sparkled from underneath his feet, and a sense of luxury oozed out of of every corner. Sakurai led him to his designated room, which was right next to Aiba’s, and left him to unpack.
Locking the door carefully after Sakurai left, Nino checked the gear that Ohno-sensei had supplied him with. There were a ton of different gowns, which Nino hung up in the huge wardrobe, and lots of female underwear, which he smooshed together into a drawer, trying to touch them as little as possible. Thankfully, there were also female daily clothes that didn’t look too far from what he was used to wearing - oversized T-shirts and sweatpants.
After putting away the clothes, what came next were a few wigs, a couple of gadgets, a large amount of accessories and cosmetics, and, as promised, a large paperbound volume of The Ballroom Dancer’s Guide to Looking Your Best.
Nino placed the last on top of the writing desk, which was furnished with stacks of paper and writing materials, and lay on the bed to rest. It felt as if he had barely closed his eyes before he was woken by a knock at the door.
“Ninomiya-san, dinner will be in thirty minutes. Is everything all right?” Sakurai-san asked through the door.
Shaking his head a little to clear it, Nino called in a high-pitched voice, “Yes, everything’s fine, thank you!”
As the butler’s footsteps faded away, Nino hurriedly retouched his hair and makeup, referring to a couple of pages in The Ballroom Dancer’s Guide, and looked for a suitable evening gown to replace the one that he’d accidentally crumpled in his nap.
When he was satisfied with his appearance, he rushed to the dining area and made it just in time. As he walked in, Aiba looked up and smiled when he saw who it was.
“Oh, Kazu-chan! You look wonderful!” he said, and Nino felt butterflies in his stomach.
“You look good too, Masaki-sama,” he replied without any trace of irony.
***
It was time for their first practice session. Nino wanted to check Aiba’s knowledge of the dance steps as well as his aptitude for each dance, but when he stepped into the private studio at Aiba Manor, he couldn’t help but think that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all.
Aiba had put on cologne, which made him more irresistible than he already was to Nino. Nino’s heart was beating so hard that he wouldn’t be surprised if Aiba could hear it. As he put his left hand up to invite Nino to dance, Nino timidly placed his hand onto Aiba’s and took up the dance hold. He was never more glad in his life that the dance hold required looking over his partner’s shoulder rather than directly at his partner’s face.
To preserve his identity, Nino tried hard to keep the lower half of his body away from Aiba’s, but after a couple of jerky rounds of waltz that Nino would be ashamed to repeat, Aiba called for a time out and voiced his opinion.
“Kazu-chan, you’re not making any contact. Satomi-sensei always had a good amount of contact, and we could make the turns more easily.”
Nino bit back his protest. Contact meant pressing their abdomens together, and he wasn’t sure if that was appropriate this early on in their dance relationship. Still, if Aiba requested for it, there was no refusing. Nino braced himself mentally and went for it.
It wasn’t long before Nino’s worst fear happened. Aiba stopped in his tracks, and Nino could guess why, given what he had just felt. Ohno-sensei’s ultimate face of disapproval flashed through Nino’s mind.
“K-Kazu-chan!” Aiba gasped.
Nino thanked his stars that the two of them were alone in the studio. “Yes, Masaki-sama?” he asked, drawing his face into the best approximation of an innocent smile that he could manage.
“Was… was that Kazu-chan junior?”
“I’m sorry?” Nino feigned being affronted. As predicted, this caused Aiba to backtrack.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean… But...” Aiba was suddenly at a loss for words.
“It’s all right. Let’s just continue.”
As soon as he said them, Nino regretted his bold words, for the next dance on the list was the tango, and they would be more intimately in contact. So much for the crash course, he thought.
Two or three figures later, Aiba called for a time-out again.
“I’m really sorry about this, Kazu-chan. But I have to ask.” Aiba took hold of Nino’s shoulders and looked him in straight the eyes. Nino flinched away, but Aiba’s grip was strong.
“Kazu-chan. Are you actually a guy?” Aiba asked.
Nino saw no point in pretending further, and he nodded, preparing himself for the worst.
Surprisingly, Aiba broke into a smile. “That’s actually a great thing!”
“Eh?” Nino was taken aback.
“I.. I’m not into girls.” Aiba admitted, looking down at the floor. “I just have to dance with one because… well… it would bring shame to my family name if I didn’t.”
Nino nodded sympathetically.
“So, what’s your real name?”
“I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you.” Nino deadpanned. Seeing Aiba’s face fall, he added, “But ‘Kazu-chan’ is fine.”
“Are you really a secret agent?” Aiba’s eyes widened, while Nino frantically made shushing motions.
“Yes, but it’s called secret agent for a reason. You just need to keep quiet and pretend you don’t know anything, and I’ll be able to protect you properly, and nobody else will know anything. Okay?”
Aiba took a little while to process all this, but then he nodded eagerly. “Okay!”
A couple of seconds later, a thought occurred to him, and he lowered his voice to a stage whisper. “Do you have cool gadgets?”
Nino replied simply, “That’s classified information.”
***
“Nino, we have news that someone may be planning to harm Aiba.” Toma’s voice crackled out from Nino’s compact, as Nino sat on a window seat, pretending to touch up the powder on his face. A video image of Toma showed up on the mirror.
“Received. Any suspects?”
“We don’t know for sure yet, but it could be a student from our studio. Be vigilant and stay safe.”
“Don’t you mean ‘keep him safe’?”
“Ah, yes, that too.” Toma looked visibly flustered, and abruptly disconnected. The surface of the screen returned to a mirror-like appearance, and not a moment too soon, as Aiba came up from behind him. Nino closed the compact with a snap.
“Hey, Kazu-chan!” Aiba called out cheerfully. “Doing your makeup again?”
“Of course, Masaki-sama,” Nino put on a falsetto and batted his eyelashes. “I want to always look my best for you.”
Aiba looked slightly taken aback, but the smile returned to his face in a split second.
“I was wondering if you’d like to go for a walk tonight, after practice.”
Going outside might make Aiba a prime target. Nino hesitated, and the doubt must have shown on his face, for Aiba hastily added, “Just to get to know each other better. I think we’ll dance better if we have more chemistry, right?”
Who could resist those melting eyes? Nino nodded. “As you wish, Masaki-sama.”
***
The night breeze rustled gently through the trees as Nino and Aiba strolled around the estate. Nino had never been much of a fan of the outdoors, but it was actually not so bad once the sun had gone down. Walking beside a hot guy helped a lot, too.
As they strolled under the stars, Aiba gradually relaxed and opened up about his life - what it was like growing up under constant scrutiny, trying to live up to his parents’ expectations, and all the experiments he was curious to try, like whether one could freeze water into frames to make glasses, or fly with a man-made bird structure.
Nino drank it all in while keeping his lips tightly sealed. The less Aiba knew about him, the better.
“Come on, Kazu-chan! There must be something you can tell me..?” Aiba pleaded.
Nino shook his head and tried to divert the subject, but Aiba was persistent. Eventually, Nino folded his arms and rolled his eyes.
“Fine, I’ll tell you one thing. But you have to stop asking.”
Aiba nodded eagerly and gazed at him in anticipation.
“Girls’ underwear is really uncomfortable. That’s all I’m going to say.”
“Aww, Kazu-chan, that’s not fair.”
“Life’s not fair, Masaki-sama.”
The next day, Nino found a parcel on his desk. Attached was a note saying “You can use these, I have a lot. --Masaki”.
Upon opening it, he discovered a few pairs of clean underpants. A strange, warm feeling filled his heart - a mixture of gratefulness and amusement.
They fit wonderfully, and were really comfortable, as expected of rich men’s underpants.
***
One night, Aiba tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. His stomach suggested that it might be a good time for some chocolate or something of the sort, and Aiba silently agreed. Getting up, he put on his favourite fluffy slippers and headed towards the kitchen. He could have asked Sho-chan to get him some food, but as it was late in the night, he didn’t want to disturb the butler.
As he crept past Nino’s room, he noticed light coming through the door, which was slightly ajar. Peeking in, he saw Nino slumped over his desk, asleep on a pile of paper scrawled with names of dance steps and rough diagrams. His wig was still on, although a little crooked, and Aiba smiled at the sight.
The next morning, Nino woke to find a blanket draped over himself and a piece of chocolate on the desk in front of him.
***
Nino’s presence at the Aiba household slowly grew beyond simply being a guest choreographer and dancer. He was soon present almost everywhere Aiba was, and would occasionally sit in for Aiba’s English lessons, which were taught by Sakurai.
"P..." Aiba struggled to read the word.
"Push-up bra," Nino supplied dryly, earning a giggle from Aiba.
"It's penumbra," Sakurai interjected indignantly. “The penumbra remains the penumbra, but it is now darkest where before it was brightest. Ninomiya-san, if you do not contribute constructively to the lesson, with all due respect, I may have to ask you to leave.”
“Oh, please don’t do that! He’ll be good, I promise.” Aiba pleaded.
Sakurai nodded, raising a hand momentarily to his temples. He did appreciate that the two of them were getting along so well together, and Aiba’s parents were even discussing the possibility of getting them together beyond the Matsumoto ball.
Sakurai kept all this to himself, however. He had some suspicions to confirm.
***
Aiba had slipped up one too many times, referring to his partner as a ‘he’ instead of a ‘she’, and Sakurai had gotten suspicious. The first time, Sakurai had thought nothing of it, since Aiba was prone to such slips of the tongue. The second time had raised the butler’s suspicions, and the third caused him to act upon it.
Sakurai approached Nino one day when Aiba was out on private business. “Pardon my boldness, Ninomiya-san. Could I have a word with you in private?”
Nino raised an eyebrow, but followed him to an empty room where they could be alone.
“I believe that Satomi-sensei has neglected to mention a certain detail when she arranged for you to take up this job. You are, if I may be so bold, a man, yes?” The butler shot Nino a piercing gaze through his glasses.
Nino steeled himself, but groaned inwardly. Did everyone know of his real identity?
“So what if I am?” He said with as much bravado as he could muster.
Sakurai sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It is true that we did not specify the gender of the secret agent that we requested for Masaki-sama’s protection, and doubtless she felt it would be safer if less people knew the truth. However, this brings unwanted complications. Have you considered what will happen after the ball?”
Nino folded his arms and looked at the butler. “What do you mean?”
“‘Aiba Masaki’s partner, professional dancer Ninomiya Kazuko… is actually a man?’ These headlines will inevitably be splashed across the papers if you are not careful. Think of the consequences it will bring to the family name and reputation, not just due to the stigma on homosexuality - that I personally disagree with, by the way - but due to deception of the public, and the Matsumoto family. The public is already suspicious - thirsty for gossip on Aiba Masaki’s private life, they scour the papers every day for every last detail, leading up to his role at the Matsumoto ball. The ball itself will be covered by a whole host of reporters as your name is announced.”
Nino gave a cold smile. “The Ohno Dance Studio didn’t survive for four generations without a trick or two. After the ball, Ninomiya Kazuko will disappear. Simple as that. She didn’t exist before, she will not exist after.”
Sakurai stared incredulously at Nino. “What about Masaki-sama? He has not gone a day without spending most of his waking hours with you. You would leave him hanging?”
Nino was resolute. “I would only bring more danger to him through my line of work. There are those who would use him against me, and against the Ohno Dance Studio. I will not risk that, even for personal feelings. There is a phrase we use: It’s all part of the choreography.”
Nino could not stop a slight tremble in his voice, and the butler caught onto it.
“Very well, Ninomiya-san. I shall do my best to assist you in your mission.”
***
“Jun’s coming over for lunch,” Aiba said conversationally over breakfast one morning, as the date of the ball approached. Nino raised an eyebrow, but was more focused on keeping the strands of his wig from falling into his green tea. He rarely had much appetite in the mornings.
“He wants to see the honour dance,” Aiba continued. “So I said we could show him anytime. It’s his ball after all, right?”
Nino let out a small grunt. They hadn’t completely perfected it yet, but it was at least presentable.
Aiba giggled. “You’re cute when you’re grumpy.”
***
Nino had barely managed to slip into his most presentable practice dress before the doorbell rang and Jun’s arrival was announced. He thought his chest looked a little wonky, but there was no time to fix it. With any luck, no one else would notice.
Aiba knocked at the door of his room and called, “Are you done changing, Kazu-chan?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Halfway through the house, Aiba noticed something. “Oh, your chest is a little wonky. Here, let me fix it.” Aiba stood trying to help when there came a gasp from behind them.
A fashionably dressed man with thick eyebrows was standing there with his mouth open, looking absolutely horrified, but trying to hide it. “Masaki, is that your partner-to-be? I had no idea you guys were that close.”
“Jun!” Aiba cheered and ran towards the man, engulfing him in an enthusiastic embrace while Nino did a final quick check of his own appearance. “It’s been a while!”
Jun laughed, hugging him back. Nino felt a little jealousy rising in him, but quashed it. They were childhood friends, after all.
After a while, they broke apart and Jun asked, “Aren’t you going to introduce me to this lovely lady over here?”
“Oh, absolutely! This is Ninomiya Kazuko, one of the best dancers from the Ohno Dance Studio. Kazu-chan, this is my best friend Matsumoto Jun, the guy whose ball we’re attending.”
“Enchanted to meet you,” Jun said, taking Nino’s hand in a smooth motion and pressing his lips gently on it.
“Same to you, Matsumoto-sama.” Nino replied.
After a lunch of mabo tofu made to the Aiba family recipe, the three of them walked down to the studio. Jun smiled as he stepped in, inhaling the familiar smell of the polished wood floor, and his blissful expression was reflected on the wall-to-wall mirrors.
“Shall we begin?”
Jun pressed the play button at their signal, and Nino and Aiba began their dance. Jun recognised the tempo of a slow foxtrot from the first strains of the music, and perked up in anticipation.
They started with elegant steps - a smooth ronde and a right lunge leading into a sidestep and slip pivot. Jun nodded approvingly as they sailed around the floor. The music tinkled out slowly and gently - it was a slow, beautiful Japanese song that Nino had chosen, feeling it would be more suitable for the occasion than an American one.
I’ll be by your side
Making you laugh
Counting the seasons when the cherry blossoms float
I’ll keep walking with you
They moved into synchronised sweeping gestures, their bodies dipping and curving gracefully in time to the music.
Jun was almost fully immersed in their performance - he hadn’t known that Aiba was this good at dancing - when Aiba’s hands slipped around Nino’s waist, and lifted Nino high into the air. The movement was well-intentioned, but somehow they came crashing down in a heap after a second.
Nino was mortified at first, scrambling off of Aiba as quickly as he could, but Aiba’s laughter was infectious, and soon all three of them were laughing their heads off in the middle of the studio.
“Well, that was pretty okay.” Jun wiped tears of mirth from his eyes. “You guys have almost got everything down pat, but I can’t help but think that lift was a little ambitious. I don’t want to be mean, you probably spent a lot of time on this, but you might want to consider maybe changing it to a standing spin instead.”
While Jun gave a few more pointers, Nino couldn’t help but be impressed. Matsumoto Jun really knew what he was doing - he wasn’t just a spoiled rich kid. In fact, he would be involved in a large part to the overall direction of the event, including the lights, sounds, catering and so on. Nino came back to earth as Jun concluded his discussion.
“I think I have a pretty good idea of how the lighting on our floor could help enhance your performance, but let me know again when you have the final choreography down. The song is beautiful, and I’m really looking forward to the performance.”
Aiba grinned. “We’ll get it perfect for you! Right, Kazu-chan?” He nudged Nino, who managed a smile and a nod.
***
Toma called one night with some unsettling news.
“Nino? There’s been a murder at another, much smaller ball event. I’m not sure if the two are related, but the Matsumoto family are just tightening security. They still want the ball to go on.”
Of course they’d want the ball to go on, they’ve been planning this for months! Nino rubbed his face impatiently.
“They haven’t caught the culprit, but there’s one clue - there were puncture marks on the body, possibly made by a long, thin object. The body was also found outside, away from the main crowd, so no one really knew who did it.”
“Roger that. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.”
“Most of the studio will also be there to cover the event,” Toma continued. “The girls will just be there to try their luck with Matsumoto Jun, most likely, but we’ll also be there as added security. So I guess I’ll see you there.”
Nino nodded. “See you there.”
He closed the compact and leaned back with a sigh. In a blink of an eye, two months had passed, and seeing Toma had reminded him just how much he missed everyone at home.
***
“Are you sure you still want to do the lift? I’m supposed to protect you, not crush you!” Nino protested when they were hard at work in the studio. “This is totally going against my job description.”
“It’ll be fine!” Aiba said, sounding more confident than he felt. “It’ll look great if we can just pull this off.”
“Okay, I’m only going to do this one more time, and if it doesn’t work, we take Jun’s suggestion for the standing spin.” Nino folded his arms and looked at Aiba.
“Okay! Let’s do this!”
The music started again, and they took their places.
As Nino had expected, he landed on top of Aiba again, but this time, something was different. He found himself staring straight at Aiba.
Aiba’s face was close. Too close.
At that moment, it was as if the entire world was in Aiba's eyes. The only sound was both of their breathing, slowly getting faster and more in sync. Nino slowly leaned forward, closer and closer. Aiba's eyes were filled with a mixture of feelings - anticipation, hope, and a tiny measure of uncertainty.
In that instant, “choreography be damned” flashed through Nino’s mind, and he pushed forward, meeting Aiba’s lips with his own. Aiba received him with enthusiasm, and soon they were kissing as if their lives depended on it.
When they came up for air, Nino said as casually as he could manage, “Guess that lift didn’t work, huh?”
“Oh, it worked all right.” Aiba said, grinning, and Nino felt himself blush.
***
“I really hope you know what you’re doing.” Sakurai said in a dangerously low tone.
Nothing escaped the butler’s attention. From the way Aiba and Nino looked at each other, Sakurai could sense that something had developed. On this hunch, he had cornered Nino again after breakfast, and Nino had admitted about as much.
Leaning close, the butler’s voice dropped to a whisper. “If you break his heart, I will find you, and you will wish you had never been born.”
Nino was left open-mouthed as the butler stepped back, bowed, and excused himself respectfully.
***
The week of the ball approached without further incident, and soon Nino was packing his things again. Everything now had some sort of memory associated with it. The padded bra that he’d let Masaki try on once when they were drunk, the wigs that kept shedding all over everything, and finally, the by now dog-eared copy of The Ballroom Dancer’s Guide that had led him through all those costume changes.
When he flipped over his bedsheet, a pair of Aiba’s underpants lay there innocently. Nino could have laughed if he hadn’t been feeling so choked up at the moment.
“It’s all part of the choreography,” he whispered to himself. Dancing with and protecting clients was simply part of his job, and there was no room for emotions.
Even so, he slipped it into his suitcase.
***
“Kazu-chan! Today’s the day!” Aiba cheerfully knocked on the door.
Grumbling “I’m up, I’m up,” Nino rubbed his eyes. His gown for the night was arranged lovingly on the mannequin in his room.
A lovely silver affair, it was bedecked in rhinestones in a manner such as to emphasise the wearer’s curves, although in Nino’s case, they would be fake. The cutting had been specially designed by Satomi-sensei for ease of mobility as well as to look amazing on the dance floor, and so far it had never failed her.
After the opening speech by Matsumoto senior, Nino heard Aiba’s name and his being announced, and readied himself. Beside him, Aiba took a similar deep breath.
Nino closed his eyes momentarily as he took Aiba’s hand. He knew that it would be the last time he was holding this warm hand and walking onto a dance floor, and he wanted to treasure the moment.
The music started, and Nino took a breath. Spinning into the dance hold, he let the music take over his body as he performed the familiar steps together with Aiba.
I’ll be by your side
Making you laugh
As the gentle wind blows on
I’ll keep walking with you
As the crescendo approached, Aiba crossed one leg behind the other, and Nino ran around him twice with light steps, ending the motion with a quick toe point and spin out.
The floats on Nino’s dress traced Nino’s smooth trajectory around the dance floor, and the skirt made it look like he was dancing on clouds.
As the music faded to its last bars, Nino and Aiba slowed down to match the tempo.
I’ll always be with you.
In a last fluid motion, Nino spun out to the middle of the dance floor, transitioning into a graceful curtsey as Aiba bowed from his spot. Applause erupted from the audience while they stepped off the floor, giving room to the rest of the dancers present.
The excitement had made the both of them hungry, so they wandered over to the buffet table.
Nino was surprised to see a familiar face - his previous partner, Miyuki - but his gut told him to keep a distance. Figuring it would be better to stay out of sight than to have his cover blown, Nino mumbled something about visiting the washroom before disappearing in the crowd.
He looked on as Miyuki deliberately headed towards Aiba, and asked him for a dance. To Nino’s slight displeasure, Aiba agreed, and they went over to the dance floor.
“Huh. At least she gets to dance with her Aiba-sama.” Nino thought to himself as he followed the two of them from a distance. Stabbing a cocktail sausage with slightly more force than necessary, he stuffed it into his mouth while watching the two of them attempt a quickstep routine.
“Oh!” With a squeal, Miyuki suddenly collapsed to the floor. She was soon lost from Nino’s vision in the large crowd. “I’m sorry, I think I might have landed wrongly.”
Nino’s hackles rose. Something wasn’t quite right about what he’d just seen, but he couldn’t place it. Passing his plate to a nearby waiter, he crept closer to the two of them and continued observing them.
Aiba offered her a hand to pick her up off the floor, and she grimaced, saying, “Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly… I think my ankle might be twisted. Would you mind just picking me up and bringing me out to the garden, where there’s more space?”
Aiba, being the gentleman he was, obliged, and Nino followed silently.
Miyuki had taken off one of her stiletto heels, and they dangled from her hand as Aiba carried her bridal style out to the garden. One of the heels glinted with light from a lamppost, and something clicked in Nino’s mind.
Without thinking, he ran towards the two of them, shouting, “Drop her! Drop her and get away!”
Though he was disoriented by the sudden shouts, Aiba’s gentlemanly upbringing meant that he couldn’t bring himself to just drop a lady like a sack of potatoes. He laid her carefully on the ground, and that was a mistake.
Miyuki had swiftly detached the blade from her shoe and lashed out, catching Aiba on his left shoulder. He cried out in pain, but before Miyuki could do any further damage, Nino dived on top of her and wrestled the blade from her grip. In the confusion, the contents of Nino’s handbag spilled out on the lawn.
After some struggle, Nino managed to overpower Miyuki. Holding her arms tight behind her back, Nino called to Aiba, “Masaki! Get my lipstick!”
Holding his shoulder and the steadily growing red stain, Aiba looked incredulously at Nino. “You want to do your makeup now?”
Miyuki wriggled harder in Nino’s grip. “Don’t ask questions! Just do it!”
Aiba stumbled towards the little pile on the lawn, and picked up the small red tube. “Hold it to her neck and press the red button.” Nino panted with the effort. Miyuki was stronger than he remembered.
“O...okay.” Aiba gingerly did as he was told, and Miyuki went limp in Nino’s arms.
Nino let go and scrambled to pick up his compact and send an emergency signal.
The rest of the agents arrived on the scene as Nino was wrapping up Aiba’s shoulder, and took Miyuki away safely.
In order to allow Jun to carry on the night peacefully, a decision was made not to inform him, and instead a message was delivered via butler saying that Aiba was slightly indisposed and would be leaving early.
Upon receiving the message, Jun sighed. He had hoped to be able to talk more with Aiba besides congratulating him on the opening dance, but dancing with many different girls all night had effectively sapped his time and energy.
“Why the long face, Matsumoto-sama?”
A handsome man smiled at him. Jun vaguely recognised him as someone from the Ohno Dance Studio, but not beyond that. However, his manners prompted him to extend a hand and say, “Nice to meet you, Mr…?”
“Please, call me Ikuta.” The man’s eyes twinkled, and he shook Jun’s hand.
***
From then on, everything seemed like a blur in Nino’s mind. Nino escorted Aiba back to Aiba Manor, on the back seat of the limousine. Aiba, with his face pale, rested his head on Nino’s shoulder.
He murmured, “Kazu-chan was so brave! And smart! I totally wouldn’t have known what that girl was trying to do. You saved my life, Kazu-chan.”
“Hush now, Masaki-sama.” Nino said gently. “You need to rest.”
Upon reaching Aiba Manor, he ensured that Aiba received proper medical attention for his wound, and sat at his bedside till Aiba drifted off to sleep.
“Good night, Masaki-sama.” Nino whispered, and kissed Aiba’s forehead in farewell.
He picked up his luggage and went out to the porch, where the limousine was waiting to bring him back to his former life.
***
Ever since his return from Aiba Manor, Nino hadn’t left the house. He barely moved from his position on the couch, and Riisa was immensely tempted to dust over him as well when she cleaned the furniture.
After a while, Toma came over to visit and delivered a status report by order of Ohno-sensei, who was currently at the hospital spending time with Satomi-sensei and their newborn daughter.
“So, it turns out that Miyuki was hired by this rich family whose son died after he had an allergic reaction to soy sauce in one of the Aiba restaurants. They weren’t satisfied with the out-of-court settlement, and wanted to show Aiba’s parents what it was like to lose a son. They have now been brought to due justice. All reports of Aiba Masaki’s mysterious dance partner have been edited to hide her name and identity from the public.”
Toma concluded the report and put down the document, glancing at Nino’s face for a reaction.
Nino’s face was blank.
“Oh, come on, Nino. It happens.” Toma slid an arm around Nino and gave him a quick snuggle.
“He could have died.” Nino muttered tonelessly.
“But he didn’t. Stop it. His parents are already grateful he didn’t sustain a worse injury.”
“Mmph.” Nino turned away from Toma and continued slumping on the couch.
“Stop being such a drama queen. It’s just a scratch, it’s not like he’ll never dance again.”
At that moment, Riisa swanned into the living room. “Hey, Kazunari. Who’s the lucky guy?”
“What?”
“You had someone else’s undies in your suitcase, and they’re not Toma’s. Don’t tell me it’s Aiba?” She started to joke, but stopped when she saw the expression on Nino’s face. “Wait, seriously? It’s him?”
“You have his undies?” Toma stared at Nino incredulously.
“It’s not like that…” Nino protested weakly. “Girls’ underwear is really uncomfortable, so he just lent me some of his, that’s all.”
A beep sounded, and Riisa checked her messages. “Shunsuke says there’s someone at the studio waiting for you. You have to go down now. And you probably have twenty unread messages from him.”
“Don’t want to.”
Another beep. “It’s Aiba!” Riisa checked her brother’s face for a change in expression. Nino buried his face into a sofa cushion, hoping that the two of them would leave him alone.
No such luck. Toma stepped over and took a firm hold of Nino’s arm. “You do not make the Aiba Masaki wait for you. Now get up and let’s go.”
After forcing Nino into a set of respectable clothes, the two of them brought Nino to the studio.
***
After the incident, Aiba’s parents had extracted the entire story from Aiba. Surprisingly, they were quite calm upon hearing that their elder son was in love with a man. Aiba himself had worriedly clarified.
“But is it alright? I won’t be able to carry on the family line.”
“Of course we don’t mind, dear. Your happiness is what’s important. Besides, I think your brother has found a girl from college overseas.” Aiba’s mother had reassured him. With his parents’ blessing, Aiba had journeyed with Sakurai to the Ohno Dance Studio to look for Nino once again.
“Kazu-chan!” Aiba perked up when they arrived. From the side, Toma mouthed Kazu-chan? to Riisa, who simply shrugged.
A sting of guilt pierced Nino’s heart when he saw the bandage on Aiba’s arm. “We can’t be together, Masaki-sama.”
“But why, Kazu-chan?” Aiba looked pleadingly into Nino’s eyes.
“I don’t want to bring danger to you because of my line of work. There are people out there who would take advantage of you to get to me, and through me, to the Ohno Dance Studio. And I can’t protect you well enough. You got injured because I wasn’t good enough.”
“No, Kazu-chan,” Aiba’s voice was soft. “I am alive now because you were.”
He wrapped his arms around Nino’s shoulders and declared, “I love you and I want to be with you forever. Just like it says in the song you picked.”
Nino smiled in spite of himself, and made a decision. He leaned close to Aiba’s ear and whispered, “Kazunari.”
“Eh?” Aiba wasn’t sure if he had misheard.
“That’s my real name. Kazunari.”
“Oh, does that mean you have to kill me now?” Aiba pretended to look terrified, but a grin played on his lips.
“Nah, I’ll just have to make sure no one else does so that I can do it when I want to.”
THE END
...or is it?
[MINI BONUS SCENE]
A FEW MONTHS LATER
“Finally, after they defeated the evil Gaston, the Princess told the Beast, “I love you.” She was just in time, as the last petal of the magic rose was about to fall. Because of her love, the spell was broken, and the Beast transformed back into the handsome Prince.”
Koharu-chan laughed and clapped as Aiba got up dramatically from the floor, threw off the furry mask and gazed at Nino with love in his eyes. She then squealed with delight as Aiba swooped onto Nino and kissed him full on the lips, while Riisa stopped her narration to cover Koharu-chan’s eyes and exclaimed, “Guys, this was not in the story!” Toma jokingly made retching sounds from the corner and laughed together with Shunsuke and Jun.
Amidst the laughter and Koharu-chan’s protests, Nino paused to take a breath, and grinned mischievously at Aiba. “How about we take it to the bedroom for our happily ever after?”
THE END (for real this time! ♥)
