#akatora

Forgot to upload these here, but hey, it's still pride month

I redid these old ginga pride icons I did way back in 2019 + did some more characters

Story time, hehe - Warning: Hosh was grumpy. For a 100% happy event, go see the Tobi story!

5 minutes before this happened, I was joking around in a store, a Rubik’s Cube in hand, that I should buy one to throw it at Ura or Hosh. Well, I should have

As we’re walking down the street, musing about how I didn’t really care for oncoming traffic when crossing the street to get to Ura, there’s husband’s ”rikishi!” call. Yep, a big guy in a kimono is about 100 metres away. I almost immediately add a ”Fuck, it’s Hosh.”

We approach, and yes, indeed, fuck, it’s Hosh. With his assistant Akatora, who I think I saw earlier checking the menu of some steak restaurant in the vicinity…?

I snap a few pictures, this time without getting close first. (Thanks, Ura)

Husband goes to approach him - with a sumimasen - but only gets a no hand wave, and Hosh marches on.

We follow at a distance. Husband’s spontaneous first comment: ”Hehe, he’s smol!” (…and yes, he is, compared to husband)

They’re not headed for the restaurant though. The yokozuna and his assistant instead enter the most run-of-the-mill grocery store around lol

Husband urges me to go after them. So yeah, I enter the store as well.

And who do I see in there? Asakoryu! I seem to gravitate towards him. He’s followed around by a guy with a gopro type thing this time

I keep browsing the store. And there he is. Hosh. Checking out basic beauty products. (think: shower gel) Translating with his phone. Showing them to Akatora. I was already half determined to get over there and be all “I can help you with that, I understand what it says!” when I fortunately remembered that knowing the original language is not enough for that 😅

After a few minutes of stalking (Yea, I’m totally checking out those m&m’s that I already bought earlier today, and totally not the big guy in the yukata), I summon all my courage and approach him. Sumimasen, wave camera around - but sadly I only get the no hand wave too. Still not forgetting my manners (and vocab this time), I bow and give him a ganbatte. Then I leave the store.

I’m fine with that. And only slightly miffed that he took a photo with some asian girl ten minutes later. I won’t insist, even if I cross his path again. I know he’s ignoring fans most of the time. I can handle one rejection, but I’m not sure about a few more

He leaves the store few minutes later, though immediately turns around and goes back in to the cashier - I guess he forgot something? Snap snap a few more pics, and I leave him be.

I need to sit down. Right on the pavement. Lay back, literally, and breathe. Though Tobi mushed my brain harder, I need to let this sink in. I stood next to Hosh! I talked at him. I heard me. Reacted to me. I find it comforting that he didn’t have his assistant shoo me.

And I’m so proud of myself that I had the guts to go up to him. The absurdly mundane setting might have dimmed his legendary aura just enough to make that possible.

Kai Kens

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My anniversary portrait for Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin this year is Akatora!