Chapter 4: The Paparazzi Are Here (And We're Holding Hands?!)
The first thing I heard this morning wasn't birds chirping.It wasn't the kettle boiling.It wasn't even my alarm clock.
It was Riku Kurosawa screaming bloody murder in the living room.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"
For the record, waking up to Japan's most famous idol yelling like a banshee is not something they prepare you for in roommate manuals. I stumbled out of my room, half-asleep, wearing yesterday's wrinkled T-shirt and boxers, looking like a raccoon who'd lost a fight with a vending machine.
"What—what's wrong?!" I croaked, hair sticking up like an electrocuted porcupine. "Did you… run out of blood popsicles or something?!"
"Worse!" he snapped, shoving his phone in my face so fast I nearly inhaled it.
On the screen was a tabloid article with a giant, flashing headline:
"Riku Kurosawa Missing?! Fans Panic as #FindRiku Hits 3 Million Tweets!"
Below it was a photo of Riku from some concert, looking like a literal god. Which… yeah, checks out.
I blinked, still processing. "So… people are looking for you?"
"They've been looking for me for TWO WEEKS!" Riku hissed, pacing the room like an angry panther. "And now the tabloids are saying I ran off with a secret girlfriend!"
My jaw dropped. "What?! A girlfriend?! YOU?!"
"Yes, ME! Why does that surprise you?!"
"Because you look like the type who'd date… I dunno… a diamond-encrusted mirror!"
"Excuse me?!" His crimson eyes narrowed.
"Nothing!" I squeaked, hands raised in surrender.
"Not funny," Riku muttered, collapsing dramatically onto the couch like some fallen prince. "The last thing I need is paparazzi sniffing around here. If they find out I'm hiding in your apartment, my life is over."
"Yeah? Well, mine too, buddy!" I shot back, slumping against the wall. "You think I want random strangers thinking I kidnapped Japan's number one idol?!"
He smirked. "You wouldn't last five minutes in prison."
I glared. "You wouldn't last five minutes without your hair gel."
"Blasphemy."
Knock knock.
Both of us froze.
"…Did you order something?" I whispered.
"No." His voice went cold. Deadly cold.
Another knock. Louder this time. Then a man's voice:"Delivery for Kurosawa-san!"
My soul left my body. "They know your name."
"Oh, crap—"
"Window," he said sharply.
"What?"
"NOW!"
Before I could ask a single question, Riku grabbed my wrist and yanked me toward the balcony like some action movie star. We slipped outside just as the front door creaked open—wait, what?! THEY PICKED THE LOCK?!
I peeked over my shoulder and saw two guys in black hoodies sneaking inside, one clutching a camera with a lens the size of a bazooka.
"Paparazzi," Riku muttered, voice dripping venom. "Persistent little cockroaches."
"Okay," I whispered frantically, "what's the plan? Call the cops?!"
He shot me an incredulous look. "And say what? 'Hello, officer, I'm a world-famous idol AND a vampire hiding from fans. Please help.'"
"…Point taken."
The balcony creaked ominously. It was barely big enough for two people, and now I was practically pressed against him—chest-to-chest, his cool breath brushing my face, his silver hair grazing my forehead.
And his crimson eyes… glowing faintly in the dark like twin jewels.
"Stay quiet," he murmured, voice so soft and low it sent shivers down my spine.
"I-I am quiet," I whispered back, even though my heart was pounding loud enough to wake the entire building.
Footsteps. The sound of the door shutting. Voices fading away.They were leaving. Thank god.
Or so I thought.
FLASH!
A blinding light exploded from below. Someone on the street snapped a photo—of us—standing way too close on the balcony.
"Riku! Is that your boyfriend?!" a voice yelled from the sidewalk.
My entire brain short-circuited.BOYFRIEND?!
I shrieked so loud birds probably evacuated the prefecture. "WHAT THE—NO!!!"
Riku didn't even flinch. He just turned to the street, flashing that killer idol smile that makes entire stadiums scream. And then—AND THEN—he grabbed my hand, interlacing our fingers like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Yes!" he called down sweetly, voice dripping honey. "This is my beloved Haruto. We're very happy together."
Time stopped. My life flashed before my eyes.
"…WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" I hissed, my voice cracking like a cheap plate.
"Damage control," he said smoothly, still waving at the paparazzi below like we were posing for a magazine cover. "If they think you're my boyfriend, they won't suspect anything supernatural."
"OR they'll stalk me for the rest of my LIFE!"
He turned to me, smirking. "Guess you're famous now, Haruto."
I stared at him, my entire existence unraveling like wet tissue paper.
"I hate you," I whispered.
"Aw," he cooed, still holding my hand. "You'll get used to loving me."
By the time the paparazzi finally drove off, my Twitter feed was already exploding with hashtags:#RikuHasABoyfriend#HarutoWho#VampireIdolInLove (…Okay, that last one is concerning.)
And that, dear universe, is how I accidentally became Japan's most talked-about fake boyfriend……to a vampire idol.
Kill me now.
TO BE CONTINUED…