insaneneko

I recently reread Oujisama wa, kyou mo fukigen (The prince is pouting today as well) by Kannagi Satoru and illustrated by Karikawa Seyu. I had bought a bunch of books by the author (who had written Only the Ring Finger Knows) a while back and had not been too impressed by the lot of them, this one included. But rereading it, I have to admit that it has some merits even though the second half just doesn't do it for me. It doesn't help that the art isn't that great.

The basic premise of the story is that one night high school student Saki, a bit intoxicated, agrees to play a game with his best friend Atsushi. They will sneak into the office building Atsushi's sister works in and play hide and seek. If Saki can hide for an hour, he wins. The prize is Atsushi's girlfriend. Saki doesn't want Atsushi's girlfriend, but with his will weakened by Atsushi's persistence and a good amount of alcohol, he gives in and agrees. As Saki tries to find a hiding place, he runs into a businessman hiding under a desk in a darkened office. He thinks the man is some kind of spy, but in actuality the businessman had been working late and had hidden when he heard strange noises in the middle of the night. They have a very pleasant conversation until Atsushi calls Saki to say the game was called off because he had been caught and kicked out of the building. A couple of days later, Saki is very surprised that the businessman has found him and is even more surprised to be confessed to. The rest is rather cliched with Saki slowly softening up and the end more or less clear, but up to a certain point it is quite fun. There five scenes besides the entire Saki and Roh (the businessman) conversation under the desk (which was retarded but fun because Roh is the type who can go with the flow and Saki was slightly intoxicated) that really stick out as making it all worth reading.

The first is when Roh is waiting for Saki at the entrance of his school. They walk off a bit to talk, and Roh first kisses Saki, then confesses that he's fallen for him. Saki, flustered, runs off (with the obligatory "hentai!" name-calling). Hisagi, Roh's secretary, comes up to him:

"That was an unusual blunder on your part, Roh-san. At that rate, he's definitely not going to become attached to you."
"He doesn't have to become attached to me."
"Huh?"
"I was seeing if there was any chance with him. Though I have the confidence to get any woman, this is the first time I've tried to come on to a guy. I just tested him out to see if he's worth it."
"A test..."
"That Saki was panicked. That proves that he believed my confession, right? Normally, would you take a man you've met once telling you "I love you" at face value? Most would either be grossed out or would just ignore it. But Saki believed me. That's why he was surprised and ran away."
"Haa...But..."
How does that relate to someone being "worth it?"
Roh, instantly realizing Hisagi's doubt, spoke again with a bold smile.
"Don't you get it? Saki sees me as a possible object for love. He had unconsciously determined that a confession of love from me wasn't impossible. In other words, I have a chance."
"Ahh...so is that it"
"Wasn't he adorable? He took off running!"
"...You really are a bad man."

I love Roh's reasoning, and his absolute confidence in being able to get Saki in the end (even if his initial approach was a bit off-putting). ^__^

The second is when Roh and Saki accidentally meet again at a bar (Saki is with friends supposedly soothing Atsushi's break-up with his girlfriend by having a drinking party). They have an interesting conversation in Roh's car and (of course) end up with a make out session (that Saki objects to, in that obligatory reluctant uke way). He goes back into the bar, leaving behind Roh who wants a smoke. Hisagi leaves the bar to drive Roh home, but before he goes he hands Saki a present from Roh. It's the watch Saki had admired that night under the desk. Saki refuses, knowing it's an expensive watch. Hisagi explains that it's not a new watch, but the one Roh had been using. Saki still refuses, but is left in the dust when Hisagi explains that he'll be in trouble if he takes it back. He tells Saki that he'll have to return it himself, and says that Roh will contact him the next day to arrange something and leaves a dumbfounded Saki behind. Atsushi, watching the exchange, realizes that Saki's been had even though he doesn't really know what's going on. "Hisagi-san's boss must like you quite a bit. You should have just taken the gift. Then you wouldn't have this trouble." When Saki objects, saying it's too much, Atsushi comments that Roh has seen through Saki's personality, using the watch as bait to see Saki again. I love his last comment, that the fact that Roh gave him the watch he uses all the time is erotic. XD

The third is when Saki is waiting for Roh to give the watch back. Roh is late, it's winter and freezing, and Saki figures he'll wait a little longer before he gives up. He is fascinated by the oddest spectacle. In the middle of terrible traffic, Saki notices a man getting out of a car in the distance, crossed the median and ran between the cars to the sidewalk. The drivers honk and yell at the man's insanity, and Saki wonders if they are shooting a commercial or something. He idly wonders what kind of a crazy person would do something like that as he watches the man running his way. Of course he's completely shocked to find out it's Roh. Saki wonders in his head, Why? How? What about the Mercedess?, as Roh finally reaches him and embraces him. I just love how Saki is so absorbed in watching the crazy but tough man running all out, having left his car behind, only to find out it's his very own ~~stalker~~ wannabe lover.

The fourth is when Saki is over at Roh's apartment. Roh has "something to show him" (which isn't something pervy). Just an album that shows the kind of stuff he wants to work on, which is converting old style Japanese homes into something usable now. But that's beside the point. Saki is kind of looking around and sees a lovely white ceramic lidded bowl. He unthinkingly opens it and finds candy. Not any candy, but the candy that he had given to Roh that night under the desk, supposedly as pay to keep him silent (ah, the silliness of drunken youth). He's astounded to find that Roh has so carefully kept the candy, as if he were really serious about Saki. Duh, Saki. I don't think a grown man used to getting any woman he wants would be bothering with a teenaged boy if he wasn't serious. In any case, Saki flushes bright red, and has a hard time hiding how much he's flustered from Roh when he returns. I just love that "As if he were serious" and bright red! moment. ^__^

The fifth is after they have sex for the first time, on Roh's dining table (a very sturdy piece of furniture of Northern European origin, apparently). Roh is just mortified that he couldn't even wait to get into the bedroom. Saki is amused to find out that Roh had dreams about how their first time would be like. He's comments, I didn't think you were that kind of guy. Roh replies that he isn't, that it was the first time he romanticized an encounter. Throughout the entire book Roh is in control and confident. It's amusing to see him chagrined and embarrassed.

Too bad the rest of the novel wasn't nearly as good as the first half. *shrugs*

One thing I realized is that their basic personalities sort of resembled Wataru and Kazuki's from Only the Ring Finger Knows, but not. Or more like their character types are similiar. In any case, I clarified my own thoughts by saying they are like Wataru and Kazuki except with a much older Kazuki....and realized Roh was like Kazuki's older brother! ^^;

Some scans: