Say the Line

The theme for today was “free.” So I took that freedom and ran away with it.
Warning: this fic is an utter mess. It's a mix of "no plot" and "too many plots". Be prepared for the wild ride. It's dreadfully obvious, but I have no idea how fanmeetings, TV shows productions, and the Japanese secret service work so I apologise for the dumb inconsistencies.
Some canonical elements are included in the TV show, some of them are included in the actors' lives.
Here is a guide for you not to be too lost, with each "actor" and the role they play:
Sawamura Eijun = Shio Sasuke
Miyuki Kazuya = Myoga Genzô
Kuramochi Youichi = Shikichi Hideo
Narumiya Mei = Kai Benjirô
Aotsuki Wakana = Ikari Sanae
Kominato Ryosuke = Nosaku Tarô
Kominato Haruichi = Nosaku Hikaru
Furuya Satoru = Hinode Teppei
Yoshikawa Haruno = Suisha Yukimi
Shirakawa Katsuyuki = Taki Mamoru
Just for the record, they are all in their late twenties / early thirties (for Miyuki's generation)

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

May 2022

“– and that's why Taki is so hostile to Myoga, because after that event Shirakawa grew to hate Kazuya so much that it shows a bit too well on camera. The characters were never meant to like each other but, meh, Shira-kun took it to another level.” Narumiya explains loudly to a laughing audience, ignoring pointedly Shirakawa's glare.

Narumiya Mei could be a headache sometimes, but damn he knows how to put on a good show. It is no wonder that he is always invited to fanmeets.

But then after all, it is to be expected from someone who has been a celebrity since his elementary school days. His participation in Diamond of the Shadows certainly hit the headlines when the project was announced. However, what held the attention even more was the grand comeback of the man sitting to the right of the blond star.

7 February 2016

NARUMIYA MEI TO ACT BESIDE MIYUKI KAZUYA IN MADHOUSE'S NEW TV SHOW : THE RETURN OF THE GOLDEN CHILDREN

Yes, you read right. After three years of total silence from Tokyo's genius child actor, Miyuki Kazuya is back on the small screen! And even more surprisingly so, rumours were confirmed that his old friend Narumiya Mei would join the same production. We all have in mind the last time they acted together in One Day on Earth (1997), the film about two wandering orphans that moved the whole of Japan and revealed them to the public. After 20 years, the golden children finally share the same poster again.

Is it still necessary to introduce Narumiya Mei? For the past two decades the exuberant sweetheart of the nation never stopped working hard in Japan and abroad: indie films, plays, Hollywood productions, K-dramas, commercials etc. As for Miyuki Kazuya, the former child actor has always been very selective about his contracts, never picking more than a project per year, or even none for years until recently. Although he used to privilege challenging, obscure indie productions, all the films he appeared in ended up being successful, especially in regard to the Academy. Nevertheless, it is the first time that either of them sign a long-term contract for a TV show.

“It makes sense to try this experience with Kazuya,” commented Narumiya. “However, I'm too greedy to be satisfied with one project only, and TV shows imply a lot of commitments. So I'll only play a minor role. But still, rest assured that I'll be the coolest antagonist of the show!” He concluded with a wink to the reporters.

Bear any potential disappointment: Narumiya and Miyuki will thus not be the top billings of the show, but at least the latter was casted for a supporting role.

The rest of the announced cast is composed of names that you may not be as familiar with, to the exception of Kominato Ryousuke who got himself known in Animal Jorge's latest comedy.

If you are a big fan of Madhouse's productions, the name of the main showrunner might ring a bell. Indeed, this is the first solo project of Watanabe Hisashi, who is known for participating in the writing of Curveball and Money Tree. The project is only at its early steps still, the little information we can provide you with is that Diamond of the Shadows – the provisional name of the show – is the story of Shio Sasuke [portrayed by Sawamura Eijun, a fairly unknown, provincial actor who has only had a few roles in local plays], a young hacker who reassesses all his life choices to join an unofficial branch of the Kōanchōsa-chō after a fateful encounter with Special Agent Myoga Genzô [Miyuki Kazuya].

The pilot might air in early 2017, so be prepared! In the meantime, you can applaud Narumiya Mei every Tuesday night at the New National Theater of Tokyo in a modern adaptation of No Longer Human, staged by the young playwright Tadano Itsuki.

Such a cast led to high expectations. Some were disappointed: because Mei was barely there, or because it was too long (and for sure, 20-something episodes of one hour each per season is longer than regular TV shows), or even because the main character's progression was not linear.

Honestly, he did not really know himself what he was getting into when he signed the contract to portray Shikichi Hideo. But it was a big opportunity to get visibility after years of small gigs in art-house productions. The script looked like a mix of a banal cop show and a serialised James Bond. The scenario revolved around an unofficial branch of the Japanese secret service: Seido. A small team composed of efficient agents in counter-espionage, that sometimes had to play dirty and undertake jobs of assassination.

Sure, there were many clichees in the show, and a tragic lack of inclusiveness. Not that Nabe-chan did not try though, but Madhouse's executive board is rather conservative. Write more female roles? If they are not romantic interests, rejected. Depict a trans character? Rejected. Include actors of diverse ethnicities? A mixed-race in the person of Kamiya Carlos Toshiki is enough, rejected. Non-hetero relationships? Well, they were still negociating for that, but it is a lot of maybes and only if the allusions of a former gay couple are vague enough. Go figure, apparently it would be more acceptable if they were exes.

Despite all that, it is a cool show, which he would defend with his life. It was long, but it does not drag on for nothing: it was thorough, detailed, and he knows the fans appreciate that they take a damn time to train and prepare missions instead of always jumping into action. Makes the show more realistic. Or, as much as possible when writing a fiction about secret service shit.

In fact, season 1 was all about training. There was a job vacancy in Seido, and dozens of competent candidates to fill it. The Seido team was shown to introduce the characters, what they do and how they also monitored the potential recruits from afar. It also served to present one of the main challenges the future member would have to face: once the favourite of the Prime Minister, changes in the political context threaten the longevity of Seido in favour of its rival team, Inashiro; thus, the need to prove their worth is a looming concern. Nevertheless, most of the season revolved around the aspirants' training and followed the journey of Shio Sasuke, the main protagonist, Hinode Teppei his fated rival – a damn good sniper portrayed by Furuya Satoru, a complete discovery for whom it was literally his first role ever – and the fraternal twins Nosaku, played by the brothers Kominato.

Season 1 ended in a bloodbath after a mission went wrong: half of the team is either dead or severely injured, leaving no other choice but to hire the four promising recruits aforementioned. Above the metaphorical ruins of their team looms Inashiro; however, their strong suspicions do not get backed up with enough evidence to prove their involvement and denounce them.

Season 2 started as a mess, filled with grief and revengeful feelings, but it is perhaps his personal favourite. After the death of the previous team leader, Myoga is chosen to replace him with Shikichi as his second-in-command. Together, they have to pick up the team from its ashes. With this new captaincy and half of the team being composed of rookies, they mess up. A lot. The whole season has a “started from the bottom” vibe, their dynamics change, and really it is about the building of a family. Alongside their missions, they investigate Inashiro, and realise how much they were kept in the shadows when they find traces of corruption rooted so deep in high places that they feel even more powerless than they thought. Nonetheless, the season ends with a sense of victory, when they finally manage to expose the alliance between the Minister of Economy and a gang of yakuza.

In fact, the show was supposed to end then, but Madhouse received such a positive response that they renewed their contracts.

And for sure, season 3 was different. The stakes increased on a par with the isolation from their hierarchy. They spent even more time to train, to plan, and their team was at its best. The “character development” of several protagonists peaked, especially Shio's for the fans' greatest pleasure, as he was finally entrusted with solo missions. Overall, even though the TV show was deemed “lengthy,” it enables to get to know the characters at a natural pace, as the access to their backgrounds is subtle, not too stodgy.

“To me, Shirakawa-san is a bit obsessed with Miyuki-san. Sometimes we're not sure whether he's his number one hater or his number one fan.” Haruichi comments casually. The words send a chill down his spine. Damn, six years of knowing the small guy and it still gives him goosebumps. The pink-haired man seems so innocent, but Ryou-san has never lied when he repeated Haruichi is a real menace.

“That's so true!!” Sawamura agrees loudly, before pointing an accusing finger at the far left of the table, where Shirakawa Katsuyuki is seething with quiet rage. “Like, he knows all those things about Miyuki Kazuya?!! Sometimes in the middle of filming he would watch Miyuki-san and be like “ugh, he messed up his lines, again, like that time for the 8^th take of the scene on the rooftop on October 3^rd 2019 at 12:36AM”??? And the rare times Miyuki-san participates in a fanmeet, he's here as well?! While he's got even less screen time than Carlos-san!!”

And for the umpteenth time, the star of the show proves he has no survival instincts whatsoever. If Shirakawa respects Mei and fears the older Kominato enough to not touch a hair of his little brother, very few things in this world can prevent him from burying Sawamura in a ditch if he does not stop to expose his very obvious passive-aggressive crush-in-denial on Miyuki.

“That's true, why is Shirakawa-san here?” Furuya wonders aloud, luckily too quietly to be registered by the mic.

Fortunately for Shirakawa's shrinking dignity – and Sawamura's life – their host interrupts the banter.

“Thank you for the anecdote and your input, Narumiya-san, Kominato-san, Sawamura-san.” Oowada chuckles. “Is there any other change to the script or characters' personalities that was brought by the actors?”

“Plenty, actually.” The only woman at the table intervenes.

Aotsuki Wakana portrays Ikari Sanae, Shio Sasuke's childhood friend and love interest. They went through all the required steps: the pining, the Grand Confession at the end of season 1, the misunderstandings – mostly due to the secrecy required by Shio's job, the resolved fights, they moved together at the end of season 2, got engaged in the middle of the third, until...

Plot twist, gasps and bewilderment: the end of season 3 revealed Sanae works as a hitman for one the firms Seido was investigating. All the cast was flabbergasted while reading the script. Wakana had only contentedly smirked “I suggested a reversal like that to Nabe-san years ago, seemed boring to stay a schoolteacher when the rest of you got to be cool spys. Haven't you noticed the clues since season 2? ” And he must admit, the final scene of season 3 when Sanae aims at Shio before jumping out of their flat's window... Amazing. Sachiko, their director of photography, did a tremendous job with the lights.

“Nabe-san is very open to suggestions, as he spends a lot of time with the cast. It already happened several times that he included our ideas in the script, but most of the time... Let's say that Furuya-kun's idea of a mission in the North Pole was not met with great enthusiasm.”

The audience starts to laugh, used to Furuya's antics. The tall man stays impassible, as he takes his mic and quietly states: “I haven't given up yet.”

“I think that Takashima-san, our casting director, did a wonderful job,” Wakana continues “some of us relate a lot to our role, and we've always had the freedom to add personal touches to our character when we see fit to do so, even though we try to stay as close to the script as possible. But overall, most of the time it doesn't even feel like acting.” She pauses a few seconds before turning to the man on her left with a fond smile. “Everyone already knows, but Eijun and Shio are literally the same person, it's no wonder Nabe-san chose him when the role seems to have been written for him.” Noises of agreement rise in the room. Both the character and his actor notoriously radiate an enthusiasm tainted with carelessness, brilliant smile and puppy vibes. Nevertheless, it is fortunate that Shio is better at lying and keeping secrets than Sawamura is.

“Perhaps the most striking difference is Mei-san, of course. Kai Benjiro and him are totally opposite. That's especially noticeable during his scenes with Miyuki-san, it's impressive to see them act so cold and stoic when they're inseparable on the set. The moment the director shouts “cut” they immediately start to banter again. I guess it just shows another example of how good at acting Miyuki-san and Mei-san are.” Praises for the two child actors burst out, and Narumiya tries to play coy even though Miyuki calls out his false modesty with an ugly snort.

“It's true that you're very different from Kai, you don't have any leadership skills. If you were really part of the secret service, you'd be that shiny recruit allergic to hierarchy. A self-centered elite sniper.” Miyuki muses aloud.

“I'd call bullshit, but you're probably right about that.” Narumiya shrugs. “To be honest, at first I wanted to play Myoga, and have Kazuya as my second. But it'd have been too much commitment, and I wanted to continue cinema and drama. That's why playing Kai was a good compromise, since generally we manage to shoot all the scenes I'm in within two weeks. So I let Kazuya have the role.”

That makes Miyuki arch a doubtful eyebrow, although he seems more amused than vexed. “Cause you think if we'd both tried for Myoga, you'd have been the one chosen?”

“Obviously! You're good but I'm way better than you.” The blond haughtily sniffs.

“Which other dynamics drastically change on and off camera? Kuramochi-san, perhaps? We haven't heard much from you.” Oowada turns towards the far right of the table, and he has no other choice but to stop zoning out.

“Oh well,” he clears his throat and leans towards the mic in front of him, “as Wakana-chan said, lots of things are the same on and off. I wish there were more scenes where Shikichi strangles that brat, though.” He cannot resist to grin and point his thumb towards Sawamura, who lets out an outraged cry. “And yeah, it's nothing new, but the weirdest thing was to treat Ryou-san as a junior. He taught me and briefed me so much for this role, so at first it was a strange reversal to act as his senior, taking a newbie under his wing.”

“True true!” Sawamura chimes in. “I remember that at the beginning! But it felt even stranger for Haruichi!! Sometimes he's so formal with his older brother, but to hear him address Onii-san casually as his twin sounded odd.”

“It's just a role Eijun-kun,” Haruichi shrugs, “things like that happen all the time.”

The attention turns to Haruichi as they broach the fact that initially, much like the Nosaku twins competed over the job vacancy, the Kominato brothers competed over the role of Nosaku Tarô. Until Nabe and the producers decided the two brothers were too extraordinary for one of them to be left out, and that is how they recreated their rivalry by adding Nosaku Hikaru to the plot.

Not to be rude, but for the moment it was questions and anecdotes he already heard dozens of times before. So he tunes them out and lets his gaze take in the stage. To the exception of Ryou-san and Haruno who had other commitments, the whole Seido team was there, with the addition of the fiance-if-she-could-still-be-called-that and two Inashiro members. Roughly three hundred people came to their Q&A, and he knows around one hundred of them registered to take pictures with the cast for later in the day. Even after all these years, it is always heartwarming to see the fans in person, to put faces on audience ratings.

“Kuramochi-san, Shikichi Hideo has recently been voted as the 3^rd most liked character of the show, how did you feel about it?” Crap, he should really pay more attention.

“I'm flattered on behalf of Shikichi.” Youichi answers sincerely. “Honestly, the positions 1 and 2 of the survey were easy to guess,” he nods his head towards Sawamura and Miyuki at the center of the table. Indeed, there was no suspense at all. Shio was the endearing main protagonist after all, and Myoga... People seemed to like his devious, secretive, sarcastic ass for some reasons. “But I thought the third would be Sanae, because she's so lovely and supportive when she doesn't try to murder her fiance-” Youichi winks at Wakana.

“Spoiler Kuramochi-san,” Sawamura blares with his usual intensity “Spoiler alert!!”

“Shut up,” He groans in return. Truly, Youichi pities Wakana and Miyuki's hearing, what a pain to be seated next to that guy when he is overly enthusiastic. “I don't want to hear that from you Mr “I'll just start an instagram live while we're in the middle of filming.” Plus, the final aired two months ago, I sure hope everyone here's already seen it. Anyway, if not Sanae, I'd have picked Hinode because his rivalry with Shio is highly enjoyed, or even Kai since even though he's an utter asshole, Narumiya is popular enough to make him be liked.”

Narumiya, that little shit, sends him a flying kiss at the comment. How did he manage to become friends with the diva who grew up in spheres so different from his, he does not have to ponder for long to admit it was out of the blond guy's sheer stubbornness to befriend him. Although he must acknowledge Narumiya is much more bearable in private, delivered from his media-friendly persona.

“Though I guess, the fact that in season 2 his past as a former delinquent was revealed, as we discover how Shikichi was betrayed before and all that... It probably helped to know him better and to appreciate him.”

At that, a fan on the second row raises their hand. It was not yet the time for the public to ask questions, but oh well.

“Yes, can we help you?” The host kindly asks, a bit confused.

The fan does not wait for a mic to be given to them, as they stands up and says aloud with a clear voice:

“I think at first we only perceived Shikichi as harsh and rowdy, but through the seasons he revealed to be so loyal, so caring towards his workmates, so observant of their needs and struggles, that we all fell for him at some point.”

“Yeah, Kuramochi-san is like that in real life too!” Of course if someone has to be completely unfazed about the situation, it is Sawamura. “He is very supportive and attentive, even though he plays it tough.”

“Oh yes,” the person solemnly picks up on that. And oh my god, Youichi cannot overlook any longer their fan-made tee-shirt of a shot of him shirtless. A tee-shirt on which their friend is pulling, trying to get them to sit down, obviously aware of what they would say next: “half of the fandom wants to be besties with Shikichi while the other wants to bang him.”

And really, how is he supposed to react to that when Sawamura just basically drew similarities between himself and Shikichi and that, fictional character or not, his body is still his own body. “Hum, cool cool, that's... Thanks.”

“Oww Kuramochi, so shy when he gets praised~” As expected it is that bastard Miyuki, leaning on his elbow to mockingly observe him squirm around.

“Shut up you jerk!” It is something he would have been ashamed to be caught saying in public, insulting a big shot like Miyuki, when himself was a nobody six years ago. But it slipped too many times already, the fans are used to it and are generally amused that their real life dynamic is not without reminding of the relationship between Myoga and Shikichi.

That little shit's smirk only grows, as he turns towards the fan, successfully sat down again: “By the way I love your sh-”

“Anyway! Thank you for your support, and for loving Shikichi. It must be time to go on with the Q&A, no?” Youichi hastily searches for the host's approval.

“Indeed, we went through most questions selected on the hashtag #AskDaiyaFanmeet, it's high time we take the ones of the audience.” Oowada agrees without missing a beat.

The room bursts with renewed energy. The cast readily complies with shy questions, eager ones, funny ones. Touching testimonies as well. A fan on the verge of tears explained how much the show inspired her, and how Shio Sasuke gave her strength in moments of doubt. Sawamura himself went off the stage to give her his warmest hug.

They are asked what was their favourite mission of the season, and most of them answer it was against the Yakushi clan. Certainly, it was one of their longest and most perilous, plus Sanada Shunpei and Todoroki Raichi's appearance only made it more thrilling.

If they prefered to be heroes or antagonists. What was their fondest memory of filming.

Finally, they discuss at length the final scene of season 3, and how Shio figured out Sanae lied to him about her true job before she shot him. None of them – even Sawamura – admit that Shio survives Sanae's bullet, but the fans are not fooled enough to think the main protagonist died just like that.

A young man dressed in an outfit that is not without reminding of Nosaku Tarô's stands up and takes the mic. “The end of season 3 was huge, but I'd like to talk about the scene before we switched to Shio and Sanae's flat. It already felt like a first cliffhanger!”

And indeed, it was less impressive than Sanae shooting Shio, but it made people talk.

It staged Myoga, alone in his office late in the evening, until Kai irrupted. Ensued a tense discussion, obviously charged with more than the viewer knew about. A conversation that ended with a fateful sentence: “It's time you realise this team won't lead you anywhere. At long last, join me, Genzô.” Of all their interactions, it was the first time Kai called the other team leader by his first name. The scene cuts to Myoga's widening eyes.

“So my question is” the fan continues, “will Kai be more present in season 4? The final makes us think he will.”

“Honestly, if I could split myself to have more screen time in Diamond of the Shadows without withdrawing from my other passions, I would.” Narumiya seriously states as he straightens up on his chair. And even Youichi can affirm the usually mischievous guy is sincere. “I love our Daiya family, it's an incredibly refreshing experience, and it's cute to see the bonds of the crew grow along with the ones shared by the characters of the show. I enjoy acting in TV shows way more than I expected to. However, I still have a lot of ongoing projects.” The blond star winks with a smug look. “But, you never know, keep watching if you want your answer, I'm not Sawamura, don't expect spoilers from me.”

Of course such a statement cannot escape a gasp of protest: “Miya-sani! That's some unprovoked slander!!”

And if there is something for which Miyuki gladly allies with Narumiya, it is to rile up his co-star: “And pray tell, for whom did the producers add a clause in their contract that says they're not authorised to be given the script until three days before they shoot their scenes?”

“Still, that was uncalled for.” The brunette mumbles.

Truth to be told, even Narumiya himself does not know yet how much will be seen of him. It was still in negotiation, two scripts were already written. The rest of season 4 had been given the green light, and they went back to the studios the previous month. But Narumiya was still in the dark about his own involvement.

From the penultimate scene of season 3, it seemed obvious to the fans that Myoga and Kai had some unknown past history together. Plan B was to disclose the two team leaders had collaborated once in the past. The original one, however... It was an idea brainstormed by Nabe-chan, Miyuki and Narumiya, and would require far more flashback scenes for the duo of child actors. They wanted to reveal that Myoga and Kai were in fact exes. “Kaazuyaa it's been 25 years, I want my tragic love story with you at long last!” Youichi once heard Mei whine, slouched on the sofa of Nabe's office.

For now, the board is still mostly against the original script, but it helps that actors as famous as Narumiya and Miyuki are pushing for it. Youichi hopes the old farts will give in sooner than later. Nobody can go against the Prince of Japanese cinema for long, anyway.

Comments on the scene between Myoga and Kai fly all over the room. “I'm scared. Because I trust Myoga, but-but he can be so unpredictable! I know deep down he'd never betray Seido, especially since Inashiro is most probably involved in the attack on the previous members that he admired dearly...” The fan currently holding the mic rambles, obviously highly caught up in the subject. “But what if he joins Inashiro to investigate undercover, and he doesn't warn the others, and the rest of the team think he had betrayed them?!” She exclaims in a tone of despair.

And honestly, from all the theories they have read after the final episode was aired, this one is not that far from the truth. Youichi prevents himself from smirking in Miyuki's direction. It is nice to see the fans getting used to Myoga's personality and bad “lone-wolf” habits. Sometimes it seemed the audience knew the characters better than their actors did.

They exchange other reflections about the general plot, before things go a little more personal. “Soooo, I was wondering...” A fan starts. “Now that Sanae betrayed Shio and that they're not together anymore... Is there a chance he'll grow closer to a member of the team? Someone he has a very deep and special bond with, albeit it's a complicated relationship?” If the hints were not explicit enough, her pointed stare at the center of the table is a dead give-away about who she was referring to.

It takes everything in Youichi to not fondly snort at that, and even Furuya shifts next to him in recognition of The Subject™ incoming. Because if there is a ship more popular than the canon ones, it is Shyoga hands down. Wakana is an incredible actress, and the Shanae or whatever-the-name-of-the-ship-is is very believable, many fans rooted for them. Nevertheless, Youichi has no trouble admitting there has always been more chemistry between Shio and Myoga than between Shio and Sanae. From their encounter to all they went through, the two main protagonists share a connection that went further than was initially planned by Nabe-chan thanks to Sawamura and Miyuki's amazing acting. It would be a lie to pretend the showrunner never entertained a thought about making Shyoga canon, but it will forever be a fantasy. It is hard enough to convince the executive board to give a shot at briefly depicting a past homosexual couple, so building a gay relationship between the main characters is a big no.

Truth is, the one who will progressively fill the emotional void left by Sanae is Shuisha Yukimi, the only woman of the Seido team portrayed by Yoshikawa Haruno.

Although Nabe shares a lot with the actors, even they do not know about what will happen between the three of them. Is Sanae's job as a hitman a definite break between her and Shio, or will Shio/Shuisha only remain a temporary phase, as Shanae will eventually fight against the odds and experience a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers trope? None of it would happen in season 4 anyway, it is a question for a remote future. Their personal lives are not the center focus of the show and such topics go slow to develop.

The members of the cast are still exchanging glances about how to answer the question. Much to their surprise, it is Miyuki who ends up leaning towards the mic. “Of course, you can expect their bonds to tighten up, the whole team will support him.” Truthfully, it is not a bad answer, at least it does not lead them on to think something could happen between Shyoga. The little shit marks a pause, and a slow grin materialises on his face. “Or avenge him, who knows, it might be the last time you see Sawamura in a fanmeet, if he spends season 4 in a hospital bed or a coffin.” Screw that, of course he just wanted an occasion to mess up with everyone. Instantly his words trigger a collective eye roll amongst the actors and cries of protest from the audience.

Proud of himself, the tanuki exhales his nasal snigger and leans back on his chair, dodging Narumiya's nudge.

His personal victory is short-lived though. You see, Youichi thinks the adage “you have the fans you deserve” is particularly true about the four-eyed star. And one should never underestimate Miyuki's notorious cheeky fans, especially not the guy himself. “Alright Miyuki-san, we get it, you won't tell us whether or not Myoga finally tastes Shio's booty. But will the team leader finally get some action at least?”

And damn, it is so worth it to see Miyuki choke on his bottle of water. Even Furuya snorts and Haruichi smiles as Youichi bursts into his own special laughter, immediately followed by Mei and Wakana. Only Sawamura seems concerned enough about the noises of suffocation to lend a helping hand, and Shirakawa is too busy pretending not to care.

The room is turning into chaos, as the “Miyuki stans” apparently assembled at the latest remark, and wild theories of pairings are loudly emitted.

“Okay, serious talk guys.” Miyuki interrupts when he finally recovers, adopting a posture of surrender to calm them down. “Listen, it's a spy show, not a shoujo one! Those people” he makes a vague gesture in the direction of the cast, “showed me what happens out there, on social media,” well they had to. Which other famous actor still has a goddamn flip phone in this day and age?! “and honestly, why the obsession with Myoga's love life?”

Another vehement voice bursts into the room: “Because everyone else had at least a crush at some point! Even Hinode,” Furuya raises an noncommittal eyebrow at the emphatic mention of his character, “with his single-minded focus and Tarô who is lowkey terrifying briefly experienced a tad of romance! But Myoga only seems to be married to his job, apart from debatable enamoured glances to Shio! It's only fair for us to fantasise over his love life!”

“Plus,” another fan intervenes, “we're pretty sure he had feelings for someone at some point! That song in the background when he was alone in the office at the end of episode 14?” A pointed, sassy stare dares the actor to object. “Which desk was he gazing at, with a “lost in thought” longing face like that?”

Damn it, Miyuki's fans are savage. Oowada totally lost control of the situation, and Youichi is living his best life.

“Honestly, I don't even know what moment or song you guys are even talking about.” The bespectacled actor groans, his head between his hands. Someone shouts “this one!!” and faint piano notes can barely be heard across the room. “And I'm a mere executant, address your grievances to our showrunner, not me!!”

“Hold on!! I've got a theory!!” And somehow, the person must be known amongst the other fans or just has incredible charisma, because the noises decrease to pay her attention. Maybe it's the effect of her Lesbians with Sanae and Yukimi shirt. “That moment happened after they got news about Inashiro, right? What if he was thinking about a member of their rival team??” Gosh, that is starting to hit close to home, they are going to need something huge to divert the subj-

“Alright,” Miyuki turns towards Youichi with a devious smirk that immediately stops his cackling. “So what if it was Shikichi's desk? After all, the second-in-command is the closest member of the team to Myoga, the one who's known him the longest. It wouldn't be absurd to ship them.” The irony in his voice is as heavy as his wiggly eyebrows. For some reason, it sends a pang in Youichi's chest.

Someone in the back of the room shouts “Finally, we're talking about Myokichi!!!” and Youichi wants to die.

“That can't be,” Sawamura rises to protest, “he already has a girlfriend! Miyuki Kazuya, you pervert, don't turn Shikichi into a cheater, he's not the type!!!” Well, if Sawamura was not banned from reading the script until three days before his scenes, he would know that Shikichi's romance reaches a tragic end in the tenth episode. Still, he subtly gives Miyuki the middle-finger behind Furuya's back.

“Fantastic, so much enthusiasm!” Oowada's chuckles sound a bit strained, but who can blame her. “Well, now it's time for a little game we prepared. It's called “To all the BTS videos Sawamura-san has released.” Sawamura-san is a notorious vlogger,” and that is an understatement. The star of the show spends ninety percent of his breaks documenting their daily life on the set, most of which he publishes on his social media accounts. “And he often drops videos without much... Context. So we thought you could explain what is happening on them.”

Praying the organisation did not pick videos too embarrassing, they all turn towards the screen projected on the side.

The first video is an old one, and starts with a close up from an angle that would be unflattering if the person filmed was anyone other than Takigawa Chris Yuu.

“SHISHO!” Sawamura's voice bursts from behind the camera. “How did I do? I tried to act as you told me!!” Chris sighs at Sawamura's unbridled eagerness (or perhaps at the phone shoved to his face) but after a second he rewards his most faithful student with a fond smile. “It was better Sawamura, you're making progress.” The image shakes at Sawamura's gestures of enthusiasm. “Chris-sensei complimented me!! I made it!! And I have it on camera! Thank you Shisho, I'll cherish it.” “Okay if you say so, but don't dare pub-” And the video cuts.

“So the video was taken down quite rapidly, but for all the fans of Marugame it was a shock to see Takigawa Chris Yuu on the set of Diamond of the Shadows.”

Chris used to be a very promising actor ten years ago. He was gifted, incredibly talented and knowledgeable. As expected from the son of the famous comedian Animal Jorge. Until a spotlight fell on him during a scene, which caused him motor disabilities. It took him years to recover, and his career was compromised. Unable to stay too far from the industry, he became the assistant director of Kataoka.

Maybe he would try again for some roles that could be compatible with his handicap, maybe he would spend the rest of his career training to become a director. The former prodigy was very vague about that matter and exceedingly discreet.

So when Sawamura's video was uploaded, it revived the enthusiasm of his old fans.

“Yes, it was my bad for putting it online without Chris-sensei's consent.” The star of the show admits good-naturedly. “This one is from five years ago, I was just an easily over excited brat.”

“Well, you were even worse before that.” Miyuki comments with a snarky tone.

So they start to explain, like a secret (as if hundreds of people were not there, filming what would go on twitter in a few minutes), that Samawura and Chris's relationship was very conflictual at first. Sawamura had acted in plays before, but Diamond of the Shadows was his first introduction to the world of cinema. Chris being very experienced, he was tasked with taking care of Sawamura, in order to guide him. The young actor had been quickly fed up with Chris's difficult exercises and his dismissive attitude. Trust Sawamura to be madly in love with acting, but to know pretty much nothing about this universe.

He had never checked Chris's name, had no idea how reputed he used to be and why he had stopped acting.

“It was a very shameful incident, but during a bad day, I might have badmouthed Chris-sensei.” Sawamura sheepishly rubs his nape. “Miyuki Kazuya got so angry he slammed me into a wall.”

The entire room gasps in shock. They have never heard this anecdote before. Youichi can bet his left kidney that by tomorrow there will be threads of theories starting with “So that's why” to explain minute behaviours and glimpses from years ago.

“But I guess it kinda worked.” Sawamura immediately pacifies. “I tried to understand Chris-sensei better after that, and we grew very close!”

“I can't imagine Miyuki-san losing his temper!” Oowada marvels.

“Kazuya can get very defensive about some topics!” Narumiya intervenes to explain, as if to defend his friend. Or to embarrass him. “And Chris is his favourite actor like ever, he tremendously respects him. At first that's why he accepted to go to the audition, when Takashima-san, the casting director, personally informed him Chris was part of the film crew.”

If he particularly stressed the words “at first” and accompanied them with a pointed glance, they all pretend to ignore who he was looking at.

The organisers project another video. It is the occasion to speak more about the crew behind the camera, with whom they are just as close as with other actors.

They introduce Yuuki Tetsuya their physical coach that helps them with stunts; Fujiwara Takako their main makeup artist who has been there from the start; the main cameramen Isashiki Jun and Kanemaru Shinji, who somehow became Sawamura's number one fan after a rough year of roasting; Umemoto Sachiko their facetious director of photography; and of course their feared director Kataoka Tesshin.

The whole room laughs as the last six years unfold in front of them. The mood is light, and most of the selected videos display their pure frenzied energy. One would believe Diamond of the Shadows was in fact a sitcom from the backstage scenes: Sawamura drawing on Furuya's asleep face until Haruichi hovers threateningly behind the unaware troublemaker; Haruno being her clumsy self; Carlos nonchalantly parading shirtless around the set and the Inashiro team running after him; Ryou-san and himself kicking Sawamura's head and rear in perfect synchronisation; Miyuki being at the butt of a joke for once, etc.

If the rest of the event can be spent in the same mood, it promises to be an excellent day, Youichi reckons, as he fondly gazes at the rest of the room, his hyena laughter booming against the walls.

rw daiya s2 @shikichimyluv

Myokichi be like “we can't stand each other” but spend all their time together??? even out of work??? admit it already, you're bff

craving cinnamon rolls rn @attashio

Replying to @shikichimyluv

I love them so much, truly the best of friends T.T reminds me of the end of season 2 when noone noticed Myoga was injured except for Shikichi (and Hinode was suspicious too)

Sadly not at the fanmeet @sheijunprecious

I love the cast of DotS so much T.T thank you to the fans there who lived tweet, you're our saviors!!! #DaiyaFanmeet

Yumi @polarhinode

The bound between the actors seem so genuine smh, you can feel how well they know e/o. Even tho Furuya is still very quiet he seems much more at ease than years ago, as long as his costars are next to him.. hes just so cute!! #DaiyaFanmeet

small leaf @shiosassed

I cant stop imagining how miyuki wall-slammed eijun..... bet it was hot af #DaiyaFanmeet

someone said tcy? @tcymarugame

Replying to @shiosassed

I, too, would have body-slammed my costar if he disrespected my childhood crush x)

Furusawa >> @_akaHanako

I got a twin photoshoot with Sawamura Eijun and Furuya Satoru and you think I'm gonna wash ever again?? best moment of my life, they're the most precious beings ever (Furuya-san is so tall I look like a midget between them T.T) #DaiyaFanmeet

kaia ~ @elevenone

do we speak about daiya ships or about the actors??? cause i've never seen so much lgbtq energy on a stage #DaiyaFanmeet

mads @kossinger8

Replying to @elevenone

be respectful bitch, most of them are or were in confirmed straight relationships

kaia ~ @elevenone

Replying to @kossinger8

wtf how am i not respectful? youre the disrespectful one if you say that its an insult to be called queer. Plus to date the opposite gender doesnt automatically mean youre straight?? the spectrum is larger than your brain

yes another miyuki fan @miyucky4

when Miyuki basically said “Myokichi canon,” I lost my shit ngl... something you want to share with the room sweetie?? #DaiyaFanmeet

Eijun's month @shyogareal

the way Misawa look at each other... I want a relationship like that in my life :'( #DaiyaFanmeet

pelayo @go3xceed

idk if I ship Myokichi, but I def ship Kuramiyu. Have you seen how Kuramochi blushed when Miyuki spoke about them???? #DaiyaFanmeet

hua @mykch62

Replying to @go3xceed

Or how softly he looked at Mochi when he was talking about Shikichi ranking 3^rd favourite??

dofs_Heroin @krmyfan

Replying to @go3xceed and @mykch62

did everyone collectively forget the time Miyuki said he's discovered Kuramochi in Out Run and wanted to work with him ever since?? I mean??? could he be the /second reason/ he tried for the audition??? Mei sounded so suspicious!!

random daiya fan @wakamarryme

we as a society need to speak more about how perfect Aotsuki Wakana is... seriously she was so funny, witty and nice?? my heart melted in every video of her i saw, please send me more T.T #DaiyaFanmeet

dipa loves eijun @saweijunsupremacist

ok but now that shanae is dead, it'd be a crime against humanity not to make Shyoga canon #DaiyaFanmeet

mael @levidu74

“half the fandom wants to be besties with Shikichi and the other wants to bang him” PLZ THAT PERSON KILLED ME!!! MOCHI WAS SO EMBARRASSED ZJXGQKAL #DaiyaFanmeet

genuine shirakatsu fan @takinashiro

cant believe I met Shirakawa Katsuyuki irl.... there was so few people who took photos with him but I swear he was soooo nice to me??? Im kinda ugly next to him but look at us, hes so cute :( ♥ #DaiyaFanmeet

the guy with the Nosaku Tarô cosplay @nosakutwinsoverall

I wish Ryousuke was here as well, I miss him :(( but it was my first time meeting Haruichi!!! he's much less intimidating, but I still felt so shy... he became so confident over the years, so proud to have been their fan for those last 5 years♥ #DaiyaFanmeet