A Bouquet for Mr. Kezwick

Impending doom set in as soon as Jay Kingston left the studio. The superstar couldn’t have known his devoted fan Higgy would use words of encouragement as an instrument of torture against himself and his band. Toni gleefully helped in his own demise, aiding the older boy in crafting more strenuous dance routines. Nicky was being his normal self, which meant doing anything except being normal. Kenji watched his blond baby brother lay on the wooden floors, rolling in place like a rotisserie chicken, wasting the energy he’d need for the coming dance rehearsal.

Off to the side, Maxy looked more reserved and anxious than Kenji had ever seen him. He knew he wasn’t safe this time around, even though he wasn’t in the band. Higgy wouldn’t allow Maxy’s performance to embarrass him now that Jay would be watching. The eldest men in the room, Benji and Stanley, said nothing of the situation occurring in front of them. They were too happy to be reunited with each other. Kenji considered intervening before things got out of hand.

He felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Mr. Stanley?”

The elder choreographer smiled sheepishly. “Kenji, I hate to ask this of you, but I think I left something in the dressing room. Could you go and get it for me?”

“Of course, what is it?”

Stanley panicked. “It’s…It’s my gardening book! I call myself a gardener these days. It reminds me of you and Benji and everyone back home...heheh.”

“Ah…” Kenji responded, trying not to dwell on Stanley’s fidgetiness.

“Go on, go on!” the freckled man shooed. “Don’t worry about the boys. Me and Benj’ll watch over them.”

“O...kay….”

Only after leaving the room did Kenji realize he had no idea where the dressing room was. He reentered on Stanley and his Benji playfully bickering.

“Nice save…” Benji snickered.

“What was I supposed to do? I didn’t know he would ask--”

Benji coughed upon seeing Kenji, but his husband didn’t catch the hint.

“Excuse me, Mr. Stanley?” Kenji interrupted.

Stanley spun around in shock. “Oh!” He put a hand over his heart. “Almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Geez Kenji,” Benji chided, “don’t you know not to sneak up on old men like us?”

“Sorry, I was just wondering-- Where exactly is the dressing room?”

The freckled man sighed. “Down the hall, make a left, and it’s theee... fourth door on the left? Fifth?”

“He’ll find it.” his husband assured him.

“Thank you, sirs.”

Kenji departed again, and if he didn’t feel like he was being set up before, he surely did now. He tried to think of why they would send him away. They were probably worried about yesterday’s mishap. He felt much calmer today, though; he only drank two cups of coffee! Besides, the United States wasn’t as horrifically bigoted as he feared...yet, and the boys were strong…or so they wanted him to believe. One thing he did know for sure is that it wasn’t the same place Benji left behind. If this country could go from denying basic human rights to so many different groups of people to only doing that for some of them, maybe there’s hope for America!

The pitter-patter of rain distracted him from his thoughts. Despite the weather, light managed to shine through the wall of windows, brightening up the hall. Someone stood at one of them. He held a glove in one hand while tugging at his hair with the other. Kenji couldn’t see his face, but with an outfit like that, he didn’t need to.

Jay dropped his glove upon seeing Kenji in the reflection.

“Oh! Did I startle you?” asked Kenji. “I seem to be doing that a lot today, my apologies.”

“The apologies are all mine, hahahaha.” Jay’s chuckle sounded more worried than lighthearted. He quickly put his glove back on.

“I thought you had to leave soon.”

“Ah, yes, that is true, haha, but my ride--m-my transport ‘asn’t arrived here yet. I was just taking some time to watch the rain fall before it gets here.”

“That sounds nice. Sorry to disturb you.” Figuring Jay wanted some time alone, Kenji continued on his way.

However, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“W-Wait!” Jay called. “I don’t mean to intrude, but, um, would you like to watch the rain wiv me?”

“...Sure. I just need to get something for Mr. Stanley from the dressing room.”

For whatever reason, Jay had a pained reaction to that.

“Is something wrong, Jay?”

“N-no, no, no, no, heheha.” He lied. “It’s just that my ride could be ‘ere at any second and I’d really like to spend time with--” He placed a hand over his mouth.

Instead of continuing to the dressing room, Kenji walked over to his side and stared out the window. “...I’m sure Mr. Stanley doesn’t need his gardening book right now. Not with this weather.”

Jay laughed. It made Kenji glad to hear that it was a genuine laugh this time. Only just now did it occur to the teacher that Jay was around the same age as his oldest students.

They stood in silence for some moments.

“Are you enjoying your visit so far?” asked the tap dancer.

“I’ve been a little nervous, to be honest. New surroundings, that kind of thing.” Kenji admitted.

“Haha, it must be nerve-wracking, coming to America for the first time. I should know, though I was actually excited my first time. Ah, to be a kid again...”

“How…??” Kenji blinked. “...So you do know. You know we’re not from here. I meant to ask when you went along with what Toni said earlier. Did Mr. Stanley tell you?”

“Oh no, he didn’t ‘ave to.” Jay lifted a finger. “I was the one who found ‘im in Jiiii-Jiko… Um, my sincerest apologies, ‘ow do you pronounce where you’re from?”

“Jiyukoku State.”

“Yes, that place! It took a little detective work, but I went great lengths to seek ‘im out specifically. A positively fine dancer, he is.”

Kenji nodded in agreement.

“I feel the need to apologize for ripping him away from you all. ‘e shares so many wonderful stories about his time back in your country.” He pressed his hands together. “It’s like you all were a big, ‘appy family! I can see it even now. He and Benji seem like especially close friends…”

“Um, yes, they’ve known each other for a long time.”

“I wish I had someone like that in my life...” He turned to Kenji. “So, I understand you had a music career?”

Kenji shook his hands. “Only for a year or so, it wasn’t anything like your accomplishments.”

“But you were very popular in your country, yes?” Jay leaned slightly toward Kenji. “The first teenage pop sensation~?”

“Yes...” Kenji couldn’t help but wonder how much Stanley told Jay about him. “But I’ve left that all behind.”

At this, Jay’s smile only grew wider. He tapped his fingers together. “ ‘ow positively fascinating! Excuse my excitement, but I’m very interested in knowing what your life is like these days! Do people recognize you on the street?”

“Not...really.” With Jay’s excitement, the teacher worried that his responses would be a little boring. “When I first stopped making music, maybe they did, but Jiyukoku has a slightly different culture around celebrities than most other places.”

“Oh, do tell!”

“Uh, it’s seen as rude and a little embarrassing to interrupt a celebrity’s daily life. Of course, that doesn’t stop people from trying to get as close as they can without ‘interrupting’ you, but eventually I just kind of blended into the background.” Kenji chuckled. “Just the other day, an older woman at the flower shop I go to told me I reminded her of ‘this handsome young man’ that her son fell in love with--a-as in his performances! He fell in love with his performances. Which is to say my performances, because she was talking about me and didn’t know it, haha. Hahahaha.” Now Kenji was the one laughing nervously.

“ ‘ow wonderful...!” Jay seemed completely unphased by Kenji’s slip of the tongue. “Stanley told me you have an affinity for gardening. Being ‘ere and there and everywhere, I can’t exactly take plants with me, and I was wondering…” his voice quieted down, sounding almost pitiful, “Might you recommend any low-maintenance ones? Somefing even I can keep alive? I would greatly appreciate it.”

Kenji was always happy to help with plant recommendations. “Cacti are always a good bet if you’re not around to water them. If you’re looking for something less thorny, hmmmm, it’s pretty humid here in Hollywood, isn’t it?”

“My hairdressers do tend to bring it up regularly, yes!”

“I thought so! If that’s the case, jade plants can keep for up to a month without watering. To me, they look the best in small pots, so you might even be able to travel with them. They have cute little round leaves. I wish I could show you what they look like--wait!”

Kenji felt around in his pockets until he found a pen and a napkin. He placed the napkin on the window and began drawing a series of circles along with lines that connected them to a plant pot. It wasn’t an artistic masterpiece, but he thought it got the point across.

“Oh, how adorable!” Jay clasped his hands together. “Thank you so much! Um, what were they called again?”

“Jade plants.”

“Jade plants, jade plants, jade plants…” He repeated to himself. “Ah, sorry if I repeat myself.” He adjusted his hat. “I worry I might forget…”

Kenji saw a quick remedy to this problem. Underneath his sketch he wrote ‘jade plant’ and gave it to Jay.

Jay clutched the paper in his hands as if it could be ripped away from him at any moment. “Y-You’re letting me keep this?”

“Of course!”

He turned away from Kenji, smiling at the piece of paper.

Kenji didn’t know what to expect upon meeting Jay. Before this week, he hadn’t expected to meet him at all. Either way, the celebrity’s behavior came as a surprise. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out why someone so famous would ever feel humbled around him. In addition, he reminded Kenji of his first time talking to Toni. Both radiated the same energy of a friendly-yet-friendless child, which was impressive considering that Jay was in his 20s and arguably one of the most popular men alive. Teaching for so long could just be messing with Kenji’s emotions. He didn’t know anymore.

“Thank you… Thank you very much.” Jay reiterated. “Though I ‘aven’t gotten any plants of my own yet, I have taken to studying the language of flowers. I never thought they could say so much!” He laughed.

“I used to be more into that when I was in high school.” added Kenji.

“ ‘igh school…” Jay stared into space, a little mournfully. Like Kenji’s students, he probably never went to a normal high school. Jay began to fiddle with the red carnation on his hat. “Do you remember any of their meanings? The flowers?”

The elder of the two thought for a moment. “The only one I can remember right now is the one for my favorite flowers. They’re supposed to be mysterious.”

“Haha~ ‘ow fitting…”

Kenji looked at him in confusion.

Jay covered his mouth. “Excuse me, I just meant that. Well. I’ve known of you for such a long time, but this is the first time we’ve ever gotten to meet in person. You’re somefing of a mystery to me.”

“Oh!” The teacher didn’t know how to respond to that.

“Of course, I don’t need to know everyfing about you.” the younger one continued. “The ability to keep certain matters private is somefing I treasure dearly, and somefing I want you to ‘ave.”

Kenji’s uncertainty melted into gratitude. “...Thank you. I really appreciate you saying that.”

A wide smile spread onto Jay’s face. He and Kenji continued watching the rain in silence. A few minutes later, cars parked themselves outside.

“They’re here.” Jay’s voice carried resignment. He put the scrap of paper in his suit pocket and faced Kenji. “I guess this is where we part ways. Thank you for spending these last few minutes with me. I found our time together to be very special!” He pressed his hands together, then folded them skittishly. “Uh, erm, I-I do ‘ope we meet again.”

“I hope so, too.” Kenji offered a hand. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you.”

The younger man stared at Kenji’s hand for a moment, then shook it vigorously with both of his.

“Please do enjoy your time ‘ere! I wish you all the best!” With that, Jay hurried down the hall to make it to the cars waiting outside. Kenji waved after him. He watched as Jay was ushered into one of the cars before the entire pack drove away.

Kenji stood alone. Only raindrops accompanied him now. Part of him wished he asked Jay more about himself, but maybe it was for the best that he didn’t. He took some time to reflect.

A door opened further up the hall, where he had come from. Stanley smiled at him.

“Did you get the gardening book?”

Oh. Right. Kenji was being set up. He forgot about that.

“Sorry, I got sidetracked.”

“That’s okay, just making sure you didn’t forget.” Stanley eased back into the room, closing the door behind him.

Kenji resumed his original task. He turned left at the end of the hall, and checked each of the doors until he finally made it to the dressing room.

A book laid on the bench. As he went to retrieve it, though, he noticed a bouquet of flowers by the mirrors. Not just any flowers. Black calla lilies, Kenji’s favorite. When he picked them up, he noticed a lone pink calla lily in the center. His name was listed as the addressee. Stanley must’ve ordered these for him, just like back when Kenji first started performing. It brought back fond memories of those times, though the pink lily struck him as a little odd. Maybe there was a mistake when grouping them together, but its placement feels a little too conspicuous to be accidental.

Underneath the bouquet was a letter, also addressed to Kenji. He opened it, expecting a message of fatherly love or advice. The scent of coffee pleasantly surprised him as it wafted from the parchment. He directed his attention to the words printed on it. Strange. He didn’t remember Stanley’s handwriting looking like this.

“Dear Kenji,

Hello! Welcome to America! I do hope you are enjoying your visit so far. Knowing my schedule, I probably won’t get much time as I’d like to talk to you, which is why I’ve written this letter. I wanted to express my gratitude. It may sound odd, but the way you live now is something I thought I could only dream of. Ending your career at the height of your popularity and fading into obscurity may not be the most flattering way to put it, but it is something I immensely respect. Personally, I don’t know if I have it in myself to walk away from my career just yet, but I’ve always desired to live a normal life among the people. Knowing there is a chance I can still do that, even with my current popularity, it gives me hope. You give me hope. Words can not even begin to explain what your presence has done for me, and we haven’t even met yet. Isn’t that hilarious?

To only praise you for having the strength to leave your musical career would be doing you an injustice, really! You took on the role of teacher, manager, mentor, and so much more to those who would otherwise be lost in this confounding entertainment world. You were the one who took it upon yourself to be a beacon of light to them, not only to help them with their musical careers, but to help them if they no longer want one. They don’t have to feel trapped; you gave them a way out! Do you have any idea how much that’s worth? No wonder they look up to you, at least from what I’ve heard. I find myself looking up to you too, and I want to follow in your footsteps.

I could ramble on and on, but to give your eyes a rest, I’ll stop here. From the bottom of my heart, I hope you know how thankful I am to know that you’re out there being you. Please, I implore you to live the best life that you can. You owe it to yourself, for having done so much good!

Sincerely,

An Admirer

P.S. I do hope I don’t come off too forward, but I would very much like to make your acquaintance. If we ever do meet again, would you like to go out for a cup of coffee? I’ll pay!

P.S.S. Disregard the P.S., as you wouldn’t know who I am because I have signed this letter anonymously.

P.S.S.S. But if you do manage to figure out who I am and are still willing, I would gladly, gladly have a cup of coffee with you. Also please don’t tell anyone about this letter or the flowers!”

Kenji’s face froze in a bewildered smile. This letter proved to be more than he could handle. Obviously it wasn’t written by Stanley, and though he had an idea who this admirer might be… It couldn’t be, right? There was no way!

He gently put the letter down and went to focus on something else, anything else. The book! Kenji picked it up from the bench and read the cover. A Flower is Worth A Thousand Words: A Comprehensive Guide to the Language of Flowers. No. This couldn’t be happening. Even when he tried to escape, it came right back to him like a boomerang to the face.

Worried yet intrigued by what he would find, Kenji opened up the book and flipped through, hoping to find the sections for a few specific flowers. Finally, he found one of them.

‘The black calla lily is said to hold an air of elegance, or even mystery.’ This, he already knew. ‘Pink calla lilies are given to indicate admiration or appreciation.’

He flipped a few more pages. ‘Red carnations of a lighter color symbolize admiration for the recipient.’

Pink calla lily. Red carnations. This lined up perfectly with Kenji’s hypothesis. It didn’t make him any less shocked, but he found himself touched by the thought put into conveying these feelings toward him. He still found himself with many questions.

A knock on the doorframe startled Kenji so much, he almost dropped the book.

“Whoops! I surprised you this time.”

Stanley leaned into the doorway, shielding his eyes with one of his hands.

“Is it safe to come in yet? Are you done reading?”

Kenji put down the book and picked up the letter again. “You knew about this?”

The old man averted his eyes even more. “Whatever is in that letter is between you and J--and the writer.”

“It’s Jay, isn’t it?” Kenji lowered the letter.

“I can’t tell you that.” Stanley answered firmly. He finally stepped into the room, uncovering his eyes. “But what I can tell you,” he smiled, “is that Jay thinks very highly of you. The only reason I’m telling you that is because you probably figured it out just by talking to him.”

“Yeah. I still can’t quite wrap my head around it though.” Kenji paused. “Wait…. You knew he was in the hallway?”

No verbal answer was given, but Stanley grinned once more, coyly placing a finger over his lips.

“And that’s why he didn’t want me to come here...!” Kenji realized aloud. Something else dawned on him. “Mr. Benji told me that I had a fan here in the United States. Is that…?”

“It could be whoever wrote you the letter--” he stopped to stifle a laugh at the sarcastic look Kenji gave him, “Come on now, it really could be anyone! As hard as it is, I’m not the only guy to immigrate back from Jiyukoku. You might have more fans than you know here!”

“But there’s a fan you know of personally.”

“There is.”

Kenji waited for an elaboration, but none came.

“You can come to whatever conclusion you want, but my lips are sealed.” The mustachioed man went to change the subject. “How did you like the letter?”

“Oh, um, it was… sweet. It was a really nice letter, and I appreciate it, but--”

“But?” Stanley seemed a little worried.

“It’s--” Kenji ran a hand through his hair, “It’s a lot to process.”

“You’ve never gotten fanmail like this before?”

He shook his head. “Usually people would just talk about how talented I was or how much they wanted me to go with them to their school dance--”

“Awww…”

“--It was never quite like… this.” Kenji looked at his ex-choreographer, “I never got a letter from someone who knew this much about me… Except maybe that one time Nicky sent me one, but that’s different, he was only six or whatever. He couldn’t have written anything this heartfelt.”

The teacher plopped down on a bench and sighed.

Stanley sat down beside him. “Wow. That letter sure seemed to take a lot out of you.”

Kenji leaned his head against the wall. “I just have so many questions that I’m not sure will ever get an answer.”

“Hmmm. Don’t know what to do about that. It’s not like I can tell you anything about the person who wrote the letter.”

“Can you tell me about Jay?”

Stanley chuckled. “Sure. It’s only fair, since I’ve told him so much about you.”

“That’s very interesting!” Kenji perked up. “One of the questions I keep asking myself is how much you told him about me.”

The freckled man shook his head. “There’s so much I’ve told him, I’ve lost track. I will say, just to ease your mind, I never went into your childhood too much, at least not anything that would be out of the ordinary.”

Kenji breathed a sigh of relief.

“Kenji! You really think I would go and tell him that? I haven’t even told him about my marriage! Besides,” Stanley quieted down, “I don’t think he would want to know… Uh! Not to say that he’d be against you being different in the past, but. Jay’s a very considerate boy. He wouldn’t want to know anything about you that you wouldn’t tell him.”

“He told me something like that.” A faint smile crossed Kenji’s face. He thought about bringing up the fact that Stanley apparently told Jay about the time he ate yucca flowers, but decided to let it go. It wasn’t that serious. Another thought weighed on his mind. “He… he doesn’t have any of my records, does he?”

“The first one and the compilation album.”

The former idol groaned, covering his eyes. Just as he closed them, they snapped open. “What if he recommends them to people?”

Having one of the biggest pop sensations appreciate your music would ordinarily be a good thing. It would be, unless your name was Kenji Kezwick. A scene played out in his head of Jay mentioning his name in an interview, followed by American paparazzi bursting into Kenji’s apartment to wring whatever information they could about him. His face would be plastered on the covers of tabloids across the world, and who knew how they might mince his words. He’d be thrust into the spotlight once again, and this time, he wouldn’t be able to walk away so easily.

“Oh Kenji, he’d never dream of it.” A pat on the back from Stanley snapped Kenji back to reality. “You’re probably thinking the paparazzi would hunt you down if he ever talked about you.”

The younger man stared at him, shocked that his thoughts could be read so easily.

“He thinks that, too.” Stanley continued. “Which is exactly why he goes to such great lengths to keep your existence a secret. One thing about that boy, he doesn’t fool around when it comes to privacy. So don’t worry, you’re safe.”

Kenji breathed another sigh of relief.

“Because of that, he reminds me a little bit of you.” The older man paused. “You might think I’m a blabbermouth, but I can’t exactly be open with my family and friends about my life back in Jiyukoku. Since Jay already knew I was there, I figured it’d be safer to let him in on a couple things. He’d never tell a soul.”

“Oh….” His words made Kenji think. “It must be lonely here.”

Stanley nodded. “Benj is considerate at the worst times, I swear. He was right, I did miss my family, but it’s not like I need to see them every day. Heck, we only meet up a few times a year, anyway. But with him not here…”

“He misses you too.”

“I know that! I know…” He wiped his eye and took a deep breath. “It’s funny. Jay was the last thing on my list of priorities when thinking about moving back here, but now… I don’t know if I can leave him behind. Believe it or not, he doesn’t have many people to confide in, so I took him under my wing. He’s… He’s kind of like a son to me. But don’t feel like you’ve been replaced! Think of him as something like a talented, successful, and somewhat eccentric little brother.”

“You just described Nicky.”

“Well you’ll have another one!”

“Does Jay not have anyone else to confide in?” asked Kenji. “Is he not on good terms with his siblings?”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that. He and his sister get along well. I’ve met Queenie a few times actually, she’s a sweet girl, but it’s hard for their schedules to line up since their group split. And despite what the press says, Jay and Ritch--Rushad don’t hate each other. The two just had a lot of, uhhh, creative differences in the past and prefer to work separately. Jay is very particular about the way he does things while Rushad is… not.”

Kenji laughed. “Sounds like Higgy and Maxy.”

“I’ve only known Maxy for a little while, and I can already tell he’s something else.” Stanley shook his head. “Reminds me of Benji growing up. You have your work cut out for you.”

“I do.”

“Still, he and the other one, what’s his name--?”

“Toni?”

“Yeeeeeah, Toni and Maxy seem like nice kids. I wish I had more time to get to know them. And then there’s still the other one I haven’t met! Yoshi...?”

“Yeah. He’s not as much trouble as Maxy, unless they’re together.”

“What happens when they’re together?”

The teacher gave his ex-boss a blank stare. “Chaos.”

Stanley laughed at Kenji’s suffering.

“Boy, it feels like I’ve been missing out on a lot…” lamented the older man.

“I wish you could be there…” Kenji thought of something. “Wait!”

“Huh?”

“Going back and forth is only a matter of money, right?”

Stanley raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you mean about ‘only’ but yes, go on.”

“I was thinking. If you moved back to Jiyukoku, what’s to stop Jay from visiting you?” The idea sounded perfect to Kenji. Stanley could be closer to Benji and the company, while still being able to choreograph for Jay. If Stanley ever needed to go back to America, he could hitch a plane ride with Jay. Visiting Jiyukoku State would even make it feasible for Jay to have coffee with Kenji one day. Everyone wins!

The mustachioed man didn’t answer at first, only staring.

“Well, I can think of a couple things off the top of my head.” he began. “One, he has backup dancers; you can’t expect all of them to be flown back and forth. Two, he has places to be within a day’s time and it just wouldn’t be possible to make it, even by plane. And three, people would wonder why Jay, a bachelor who’s never been confirmed to be in a relationship with a woman, is making repeat visits to Jiyukoku of all places. Jiyukoku has a reputation. And I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with the news lately, but now is not the best time to be a gay man in America, real or assumed.”

Kenji cast a disappointed glance toward the ground. Normally, he would’ve taken all of those things into consideration. He felt foolish, but more than that, defeated. How could Stanley get back home?

“You gave it your best shot.”

He wished it were better.

“That last part you mentioned reminds me of something Jay said earlier.” recalled the manager. “He said he wished he had a friendship like yours and Mr. Benji’s. What if he knows? What if he might be--?”

“You sound like the tabloids!!”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that.” Kenji acknowledged. “I was just wondering if maybe it wouldn’t be as risky to share you and Mr. Benji’s relationship with him.”

“Aww Kenji… You try so hard to look out for people.” Stanley rested a hand on his shoulder. “But I’ve made it decades without saying anything. What’s another few years?”

The younger man didn’t respond.

“He says he’s too busy for a relationship. Wasn’t that your line?”

Kenji smiled. “It still is.”

“What are we gonna do with you....?” Stanley shook his head. “Jay can be really intense about his feelings though, I’m sure you found that out. It’s easy to mistake for a crush. Heck, even I’m not sure if it is or not.”

“Yeah… I think that’s what surprised me the most.”

He laughed. “He was the same way when I first came here. ‘Oh Mr. Baker, I’m positively thrilled to be meeting you in person!’” He copied Jay’s accent and mannerisms, right down to intertwining his hands together. “Ahhh, I wish I could have seen your conversation. He’s just so giddy around you, it’s hard for me not to smile. You’re like his hero.”

“H-His hero??”

“Yeeeeeah!” Stanely lightly elbowed the younger man. “He wants to have a life as mundane as yours one day.” He took on a more thoughtful look. “You didn’t hate making music did you? It was just everything else around it, the public appearances, interviews, photoshoots and that kind of thing that drove you away.”

“Yeah, that’s what did it. I can’t hate making music.” Kenji chuckled. “I’m a Kezwick.”

“That you are.” agreed Stanley. “Still, you’re kind of like the oddball of your family. You’re not as smiley and out there as, say, Nicky. Anyway, Jay’s kind of the same way when it comes to his career. Loves making music, loves dancing, even loves performing for people, but when he’s not doing that, he just wants to live a quieter life, which is not how it works.”

Suddenly, things started to click. Kenji already knew a life like Jay’s was too much for him to handle, but assumed that in order to be that famous, he’d have to have the kind of personality that wouldn’t be bothered by constantly being in the spotlight. Unfortunately, that was not a requirement. He, like Kenji, just happened to be good at something he liked, and had the connections to put him in the public eye. If Kenji were in that position and Jay in his, he’d be wishing for Jay’s life too.

Something didn’t add up, though. The main thing that made it hard for Kenji to leave stardom behind was a feeling of financial obligation toward his family, Benji, and Stanley. Jay had more than enough money to support himself and his family, not even counting the fact that his siblings were also successful artists. He could take the money, walk away, and with careful managing of his funds, he could continue to make music.

“Is something holding him back from leaving? Like a contract?”

“Hmmmmmm.” Stanley tilted his head back. “I think I have a few ideas, but it’s not my place to speculate.” He stood up and grabbed the flower dictionary. “It’s about time we head back, don’t you think? The others are probably wondering what’s taking us so long to get a book.”

“Ah. Yes, we should be going.” Kenji stood up, growing more concerned thinking of the chaos that must be occurring without them. He took the flowers in his hands. “What do I do with these?”

Stanley’s mouth formed a thin line. He scratched at his mustache. “I.... don’t think your admirer thought that through. You can pretend I gave them to you. That way the boys won’t ask too many questions.”

“How much does Mr. Benji know about this?”

“About as much as you do, minus whatever’s in the letter. Only you know that. Which reminds me of why I came here!” He pointed the book at Kenji. “Your admirer trusts you a lot, and so do I, so for the sake of both of us, please don’t tell anyone about the letter.”

“I don’t know who I would tell.” Kenji slipped the letter into his suit. “Higgy’s heart would break, Toni might die, Maxy would blurt it out to the world, and if any of them got the idea that Nicky was keeping something a secret, it wouldn’t be hard to shake it out of him.”

The mustachioed man nodded. “Good.”

Kenji opened the door, allowing Stanley to exit first.

“Thank you! And...” Stanley paused. “Thank you.” he repeated, more sincerely. “For helping me give a gift to Jay.”

“A gift?” the manager closed the door behind him.

“You know what they say, it’s hard to give a gift to the man who has everything. But today, we gave him something money can’t buy. A chance to meet his favorite idol!” Stanley tapped him with the back of his hand.

Kenji covered his mouth, hiding a smile.

“Thanks for talking to him. It means a lot. To Jay and me.”

“Of course!” The teacher turned away. “I’d do it again, maybe over coffee next time.”

The two continued back to the dance studio with joy in their hearts. Today, Kenji Kezwick did something he never thought would be possible. He made a new friend in America.