This is the movie they’re watching:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chūshingura:_Hana_no_Maki,_Yuki_no_Maki
Chapter 10
Nika could hear the soundcheck through the closed door as she played scales on her clarinet, trying to keep her mind calm. The night before felt like something out of a teen comedy, a pleasant, wholesome one instead of raunchy. It had been the first time she had sang in front of an audience, excluding school concerts and recitals where she had soloed. Once done with the scales she played Blue Skies as the high notes trilled like a lark.
John quietly entered the room and watched his daughter play, an intense expression on her face and her fingers deftly manipulating the keys on the long black instrument. "That was amazing, Nika. Why don't you come out and watch the rest of the soundcheck?", he suggested.
"I don't want to act silly around Josh", she said as a dull blush formed on her face.
"I know, Anthony loves to tease but he knows better. Josh was looking for you, he thought you were avoiding him", said Josh.
"I'm not avoiding him", she protested.
"It doesn't look like it, Nika. Us guys think a girl is avoiding them, that she doesn't like us", he said.
Nika sighed as she fiddled with the keys on her clarinet, the sound echoing in the room. "I have no idea how to act around guys, I didn't date at all in high school or college", she muttered.
"And I haven't dated anyone in nearly twenty years, that makes us even. Come on, Josh hasn't been playing too well in soundcheck", teased John.
Nika carefully put away her clarinet back in its case and removed the read to place it in its pouch. She gave her father a nervous smile and followed him out the door towards the stage. The corridors below the stage were crowded with members of the road crew, security guards and representatives from the American and Korean branches of their label as Nika was glad she had the All Access pass around her neck.
The band was taking a break from soundcheck when they arrived. "Hey Nika girl, your man Josh has been moping around", teased Anthony as he gave her a hug.
"I'm sorry, I'm kind of awkward", she whispered.
"So say hi to your man so he plays good tonight", he laughed.
Nika giggled nervously as she followed John towards the stage. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Josh on stage. His head was bent forward and his brown fringe covered his face while he played a few soft arpeggios on his guitar. His long thin fingers slowly picked individual notes from his guitar as his lean body swayed slightly from side to side, a pensive look on his face.
Josh instinctively felt a presence nearby as he slowly looked up from his guitar. He couldn't help the grin forming on his face and the slight blush on his cheeks when he saw Nika, his fingers on the guitar still playing as though they had a mind of their own. She returned the smile shyly and even from the slight distance, he could see that her blue eyes sparkled. "Josh, you have better play good now that your lady is here", laughed Flea as he blushed.
"What was that you were play?", she asked as she came over.
"Just a riff I've been playing around with, I came up with it the other day, I can show you more later", he said. "Uh, not in a freaky way, of course", he added hastily.
Nika giggled, an amused look in her blue eyes. "I know what you mean, I'm a musician myself. Dad says you thought I was avoiding you, I just don't know how to act around guys", she said apologetically.
"Wow, you don't have to play games or act sophisticated, Nika. I barely date either, we can learn as we go", he teased as she laughed.
Josh liked how her flushed cheeks turned the color of a blush rose which complimented her ivory complexion, her dark blue eyes sparkling with purple highlights. "I can't wait for you to show me around Tokyo, have some more nights out", he said as her face lit up.
"Let's go, boys and girls. You can get all flirty and cutesy and stuff after the show", teased Chad as they both blushed.
Josh felt as though he were walking on air after the show as the group prepared to board their charter flight to Tokyo. The first show had few of the little jitters and mishaps of an opening night show as the performance went off smoothly, the audience listening intently. Josh had played mostly rhythm guitar or a few leads, with John encouraging him to take a few extra leads while adding some keyboards and doing backup vocals. He knew Nika was watching in the wings and this gave him an extra boost, just wanting to see her lovely blue eyes light up with delight.
"We saw you there, Josh. That's a great feeling, to know that your girl is watching", said Anthony.
Josh thought he heard a wistful note in the singer's voice. "Okay, I wouldn't know since the music I've made doesn't have many female fans", said Josh with a shrug.
"That's cool, there's a first time for everything", said Flea, clapping him on the back.
Josh saw Nika talking with John and waited until they were done. "Josh, you were trying to impress my daughter?", teased the older man.
"Perhaps, I never tried to impress a girl with music. But playing in front of the crowd was awesome, I just didn't want to let down the fans", he said.
"That's good to know", said John.
Josh smiled as he took Nika's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I was so concerned your Dad and your uncles would kick my ass, pardon my language. And I was playing for you, Nika. I've never done that before", he said, awkwardly adjusting the beanie covering his brown hair.
"Well, I've never dated anyone before so this makes us even", she said.
"Guys, you don't want to miss the flight", teased Clara as they both blushed guiltily.
Nika was pleasantly surprised when Josh sat down next to her on the plane, holding her hand and gently squeezing it. "I like being around you, Nika. I'm still riding adrenalin from the show, that's the greatest feeling in the world", he said.
"I've only played live at school recitals, I don't think that counts", she said ruefully.
"Really? You're a terrific player, you should try to find a jazz group to play in", he suggested.
"I don't like playing live, the other girls picked on me because of who Dad was and because I played in the school band", she said.
"They were just jealous, you have real talent. LA is full of dumb, shallow people, which is why I haven't dated anyone in a while. But I like you a lot, Nika Sophia Lacroix. And this is going to be a very interesting trip", he said with a crooked grin.
Before she could say anything, Josh leaned over and softly kissed her lips. This time she didn't have the urge to pull away, but instead relaxed into the kiss. "You're not scared, Nika. Trust me", he murmured.
Less than two hours later, the plane touched down in Tokyo as the bright lights of the city illuminated the night brightly as daytime. "Tokyo has some weird memories for me, that's where I left the band for the first time. But we've also played great shows here, the good experiences cancel out the bad ones", John mused aloud.
Normally Nika would have felt tired this late at night but she felt oddly energized and thought about watching some TV or reading when she reached her room. She unpacked a few things and tomorrow's outfit before putting on her pajamas and turning on the TV.
While watching Chushingara on the TV, Nika heard a knock on the door. To her surprise and more than a little delight, Josh stood on the other side with a bottle of sake. "I thought you'll like some company, I'm still keyed up from playing", he said.
"Same here, come in", she replied.
Josh entered the room and raised an eyebrow when he saw the TV. "That's Chushingara, the 47 Ronin. It's the real Japanese version, not the Keanu Reeves film", said Nika with a grimace.
"That movie sucked so bad, he should stick to being John Wick. Is this the one where they cut off the bad guy's head? I'm not familiar with Japanese literature", he asked.
"Sort of. Lord Asano is ordered to commit seppuku by the shogun after drawing his sword in the Shogun's palace when Lord Kira insulted him. His loyal samurai wait a year and then avenge their master and are themselves ordered to commit seppuku", she replied.
"Is that what I think it is?". he asked dubiously.
"Yes. When you meet Great Uncle Jack, he'll explain it in more detail. He's a huge admirer of Imperial Japanese culture and history, from the Tokugawa shogunate and his novels in The Rose and Chrysanthemum series are all set in the Tokugawa period", she replied.
Josh nodded as he opened the bottle of sake and poured them each a drink into little white and blue cups. "I saw it on YouTube", he explained.
Nika nodded as they clinked glasses and drank. The sake went down smoothly and she felt a sense of warmth go through her body, not just because of the sake since she was conscious of Josh next to her on the bed. She wasn't sure if she should be glad he was fully dressed in baggy black sweatpants and a long-sleeved black pullover, not showing any skin at all. "I get cold easily, even onstage or during the summer. Plus I'm skinny and pasty to boot", he chuckled.
"Must be your German and Irish genes", she teased.
Josh laughed, his brown eyes merry. "Yeah, that'll help. But it's different for a guy, guys aren't supposed to be skinny and pasty", he said.
"I'm pale too, and I don't think I'm pasty", said Nika.
Josh took another sip of sake and looked at her with sharp artist's eyes. Nika wore a purple nightgown with long sleeves and a high, round collar, her curly brown hair loose around her shoulders. The deep purple of the pajamas and her dark hair contrasted with her ivory complexion, the dark blue of her eyes shining in the glow of the TV. Although the nightgown came down to her ankles and had a high neckline, it clung to her figure and he could see the modest outline of her breasts under the purple fabric. His gave fell to her bare feet tucked under her, a little smile on his lips when he saw her metallic purple toenails. "You really like purple", he teased.
"Yes, it's the color of royalty", she laughed.
"Are you royal then, Nika Lacroix?", he asked slyly.
"Sort of, Pepere's grandmother was a Polish countess who fled the Russian revolution, their lands were in Belarus. Pepere could have been Count Jablonski if it wasn't for that", she replied.
"Cool, I'm afraid my family is really boring. As far as I know, Mom and Dad's families were both farmers back in the day", he teased as she laughed.
They drank more sake until they had a pleasant buzz, then Josh closed the bottle and placed it on the nightstand. Although the film was in Japanese, Nika explained some of it and Josh was able to pick up the rest from watching the screen. Nika felt a pleasant buzz as she lay sprawled out on the bed, while Josh lay beside her. A dull warmth formed in her belly at the sensation of his arm resting on hers, her hair just grazing his cheek. The room was quiet except for the TV which showed the head ronin Oishi speaking with his geisha girlfriend. "It seems as though they have a great plan", he mused aloud.
"It is, Lord Kira will think the ronin have forgotten about their vow of vengeance and let his guard down. Now it gets interesting", she said.
Josh nodded as he tried to concentrate on the screen. The ronin were about to attack Lord Kira's house after months of deliberate preparation and pretending. The attack worked brilliantly as the servants and family were quickly overwhelmed and Lord Kira cowardly hid in his wife's room before being confronted by the ronin. There was a gory discretion shot where the ronin decapitated Lord Kira, signified by a splash of red on the wall, but the scene was quiet and solemn compared to how it would have been depicted in an American film.
"So they avenged their lord by killing the bad guy, but they have to commit seppuku anyway. I'm not sure if that's a happy or a sad ending", said Josh with a bemused smile.
"Many Japanese films don't have a happy or a sad ending, more like an ambiguous ending. Like in Rashomon where we never find out who the real killer is, but the woodcutter just takes the baby home. Which is why I prefer Japanese films over most American ones, there's no need to tack on a happy ending", she replied.
"Yeah, I was confused by Rashomon when I first saw it. But the way you said it, that makes sense. Just adding a happy ending doesn't make the film better", he said.
Nika still had butterflies in her stomach but they were no long dancing and had settled down with a pleasant rhythm, more like rain falling softly on a roof. She was still for a moment as Josh shifted his weight on the bed, his brown hair flopping around his forehead. "Sorry if that distracted you, my knee was bothering me. I tweaked some cartilage in my knee when I was fourteen, skateboarding injury. I wear a brace onstage", he explained.
Nika's blue eyes filled with concern. In the dim light of the room, she saw that he had shifted so that his left leg was straight and his right leg was more relaxed. "I'm fine, I just wear the brace onstage. I'm not going to blow out my knee and play in a wheelchair", he joked.
Josh's eyes went wide as Nika lifted his left pant leg to expose his knee. Around the left kneecap she could see the slight marks from the brace as well as the faint scars from knee surgery. "It doesn't bother me much of the time, I just wear the brace onstage and I'm fine", he said.
Josh let out a gasp when he felt her hand on his knee. The sight of her slim pale hand against his leg sent a shiver down his spine and a sudden rush of arousal through his lower body. "Your knee does feel a bit swollen, are you all right?", she asked.
Josh took a deep breath and shut his eyes for a moment. "Yeah, it's probably from the brace and from moving around on stage, it'll go down soon", he replied, hoping she didn't go and touch him anymore.
Nika nodded and rolled the pant leg down over his knee. She looked up and was startled by the intensity in his brown eyes, golden highlights glowing among the brown. "Nika, I doubt you know what you're doing. But you are really making me want to kiss you, and I don't know if I can stop", he growled.
Part of her wanted to throw him out of the room and lock the door. Another part of her wasn't scared at all and wanted to see his face light up with desire and the golden highlights in his eyes light up. Without a word, she leaned over and kissed his lips. Josh was caught off-guard but his heart raced with desire as he returned the kiss. Nika sighed against his lips as he deepened the kiss and his mouth applied more pressure as her lips parted under his. Josh groaned low in his throat and his tongue poked through her parted lips as they exchanged hungry kisses.
Josh reluctantly broke the kiss and saw her flushed cheeks and how her blue eyes glowed with purple highlights. "Wow", she giggled.
"Wow, indeed. I know, you haven't dated anyone, but are you still a virgin?", he asked as she nodded. Josh felt blood rush to both his lower body and to his face at her nod. "Wow, I mean, wow. Did I scare you?", he asked.
"Maybe, at first. But I really like you, Josh. It's all new to me too, but I like it. Clara said I ought to let down my hair, I suppose she was right", she mused aloud.
"Except you're prettier than Rapunzel, Nika. Good night, and I can't wait to see Tokyo with you tomorrow", he said, kissing her softly before leaving the room.