Yume de Ii Kara (Because it's Good to Dream) [a Sakurai Sho love story] Chapter 25, part 2
Yume de Ii Kara Chapter 25, part 2
Pairing: Sakurai Sho/OC, Arashi/non-Johnny's females
Rating: PG
Genre: Realistic romance, friendship, family
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Arashi, or anything of Johnny's Entertainment. And sorry if I've misused any Japanese phrases.
Summary:
What can you do when you fall in love with someone that is out of your reach, someone as distant and brilliant as the stars? Can one dare to dream? Singer, dancer, actor, newscaster, model. Idol, to put it simply. But behind Sakurai Sho’s public image is a sincere, dorky, passionate man. Few people get to see a real glimpse of the person behind the lights, except for what he chooses to display.
Friends, sure, but love? That’s impossible, according to the intelligent, beautiful and humble Kaori, a medical school student who doesn’t realize how much she can accomplish. But maybe, just maybe, she’s exactly what Sakurai Sho needs.
All previous chapters in the master post!
Part 1
----------------------------------
Attending physician Yamamura had been paged to perform an urgent digital reattachment; the bright-faced interns followed his long strides through the hospital corridors in excitement at the drama-like plot. One could see a flustered young doctor trailing in the back of the consort, struggling to keep up. Kaori tried to stay focused on the situation at hand but her mind kept wandering back to Sho’s angry voice and the increasing pressure around them both.
“-Kureha-sensei!” Yamamura barked.
“Hai!” she called, snapping out of her cloud of thoughts once more.
“Are you going to answer my question?”
“S-sumimasen!” She grasped at the vague words that had flown through her ears moments earlier. He had asked something about…? “Eto, I would think that nerve reattachment is the most vital part.”
“Incorrect.” the doctor frowned. “Nerve repair is one of the easier tasks, since the bones will be shortened. Any other ideas?”
Kaori shook her head and flushed - she wasn’t accustomed to being wrong. In fact, she had been wrong almost every single time with this doctor. “Sumimasen!”
Yamamura turned to the others. “Repairing extensor and flexor tendons is crucial, or else all the other parts will be put under tension and…”
The staunch lights of the operating room were glaring to Kaori’s eyes. Jarring 70’s rock music played in the background to set the surgeon’s “rhythm.” Kaori tried to take deep breaths behind the stifling surgery mask while paying attention to the minute, precise incisions that Yamamura made on the exposed hand on the operating table. Hour after hour ticked away as the sharp silver instruments clicked; then, Yamamura requested a drill, and Kaori balked. She suddenly grew light-headed and felt the room spin. Without warning, she bolted out. They all paused for a moment to stare.
Yamamura blinked once and resumed the operation. “Nurse Tokaji, please go and tell Kureha-sensei that she can take the rest of the day off.”
The summer air was muggy and hot and the clouds gathered about the city skies. Kaori dragged her feet as she left the hospital in shame. Everyone else seemed to be at work, for the roads were empty. She checked her phone - no new messages.
Just then, the loud revving of an engine came from behind her; a blazing motorcycle zoomed inches beside her and the rider grabbed her bag from her shoulder in one devilish swipe.
“CHOTTO!” Kaori screamed, dashing after him, but the thief had already run the red light and around the next corner. She stopped, out of breath, and wanted to scream or cry or both. No money, no ID, just her cell phone - she couldn’t catch a taxi or even ride the bus. All of her friends in town commuted by train. She searched around her in confusion for a moment before calming down enough to make a call.
Several dull rings later: The person you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please leave your message after the tone… BEEP -- “Sho-kun, I - this probably sounds like a joke, but I… just got robbed. Hountouni.” she said hoarsely. A hot wave of shame overcame her by speaking to this cold answering machine; Sho really didn’t really care anymore, did he? It took her a few tries to collect her voice. “I don’t have my keys or card, just my phone… When you get this please call me back… and if you could give me a ride home… ? Jya.”
When she hung up, the extreme tug of loneliness slapped her in the face once again. She bit her lip and marched on, determined to make it on her own. By that time, the sky had taken a drastic turn.
----
A wave of laughter issued from the audience as the rotund comedian dropped to his knees in fatigue, chest heaving; numerous rubber balls tumbled out of the giant basket strapped on his shoulders.
“Arashi team - 60 points!” That meant that they were still losing.
“You missed all the pink balls!” Sakurai Sho scolded from the elevated helper position. “I clearly said 7, 7, 7, but you went to 4!”
“G-gomen nasai!” the perspiring guest gasped for breath. “I only remembered what Aiba-san was shouting before that!”
“Delayed response, ne.” Matsujun chuckled from the sidelines.
“You listened to the tennen (airhead) instead of me?” Sho shook his head.
“Oi!” Aiba laughed lightly, taking the hit if only to dissipate Sho’s temper. What had gotten into him lately? “He managed to get six yellow balls because of me!”
Sho folded his arms and addressed the comedian once more. “Maybe if you stay there and practice more, you’ll even lose some weight.”
Everyone in the studio laughed nervously and the VS Arashi director announced another break as they transitioned to the next activity. Sho returned to the bleachers, trying to bring his blood pressure back down. As the staff was busy rearranging the set and as the cameras were pointed away, Ninomiya Kazunari deftly turned to his band member. He saw that he was clearly wired up.
“Sakurai-kun sa… I can say mean stuff like that because they expect me to tsukkomi. But from you, it’s kind of unnerving, so back off a little, ne?” Nino smiled stiffly with steady eyes. It was very much his real style of correction - blunt, without much sentiment, realistic.
Sho rolled his shoulders and tried to relax; Nino was right, he was letting his emotions get to him. This wasn’t his character. As he’d done thousands of times before, he donned his cheerful mask and announced the next game, Jungle Bingo, with gusto.
----
A very miserable woman crawled up her apartment steps on all fours. Caught in a sudden rain storm followed by a random heat spell, Kaori looked like a stray dog by the time she had finally reached home. Chiharu wasn’t there to let her in; she groaned noisily and rattled the doorknob in vain. She just wanted to rest!
“Kureha-chan, is that you?” A grey, curly head peaked up from downstairs. It was Grandmother Akimoto. “Eh, what happened?! Daijoubu desu ka?”
“Obaa-san…” she whimpered.
“Are you locked out? Come, you can stay with me until Chiharu-san comes back. I’ll prepare a bath for you, how does that sound?”
The warm soak soothed her aching muscles and had somewhat lifted the cloud of stress from Kaori’s brain. With a towel wrapped around her wet hair, she joined Akimoto-san at the living room table. A porcelain pot of freshly brewed tea had been set out.
“How are you feeling?” Akimoto-san poured the tea carefully.
“Much better, thank you.” Kaori breathed. She looked around the modest space and noticed a series of hazy pictures kept carefully in ornate wooden frames. Many were of a younger Akimoto-san and a strong-looking man. Unlike most photographs of people from the past, these two were almost always smiling. “Is this your husband, Akimoto-san?”
“Nn, he was quite handsome, wasn’t he?” She showed Kaori a sepia picture of the man standing proudly in front of a vintage car. “Before we had children, we worked very long hours, and at different ends of the city. Instead of letting me take the train, he would always drive me to my office before leaving for his - he often complained about having to wake up earlier, but I know he wanted to take that time to spend with me, as mundane as those drives seemed.”
“Sugoi…”
“Ah, and this is a postcard he sent from his first business trip overseas. He was very proud to go…” On the back of the yellowing card of a European snowscape was neatly written: Fumiko, Germany is so exciting! The language is rather difficult, but the company here really likes what I have to offer, and our collaborations feel like strokes of genius. My colleagues have shown me around the city - beautiful old architecture, interesting food… There’s so much to see… Still, I think about you and the kids all the time and wish you could explore with me. Somehow I don’t think I will regret leaving Berlin too much, because that means that I will get to be with you once again. Hug and kiss Momo and Isamu for me. Stay safe and healthy, Seiichi.
Despite a cultural taboo, he had shown his affection so openly. These handwritten strokes of tenderness went straight through Kaori’s heart. Her mouth twitched and she fought back tears. “Y-your husband sounded like a wonderful man.”
“I was very lucky.” Grandmother Akimoto gently patted Kaori’s hand with her wrinkled one. “Don’t worry Kureha-chan, you’ll find someone. One day. Just be patient and don’t accept anything less than you deserve, which is much.”
-------
Sakurai Sho climbed into the back of his manager’s van after another long night, debating whether or not to go get drinks with his friends. He scrolled through his phone and saw that he had a missed call from Kaori several hours before. His eyes grew wide as he listened to her voicemail.
------------------------
Sorry for the long wait, school has been hectic.
Part 3
Pairing: Sakurai Sho/OC, Arashi/non-Johnny's females
Rating: PG
Genre: Realistic romance, friendship, family
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Arashi, or anything of Johnny's Entertainment. And sorry if I've misused any Japanese phrases.
Summary:
What can you do when you fall in love with someone that is out of your reach, someone as distant and brilliant as the stars? Can one dare to dream? Singer, dancer, actor, newscaster, model. Idol, to put it simply. But behind Sakurai Sho’s public image is a sincere, dorky, passionate man. Few people get to see a real glimpse of the person behind the lights, except for what he chooses to display.
Friends, sure, but love? That’s impossible, according to the intelligent, beautiful and humble Kaori, a medical school student who doesn’t realize how much she can accomplish. But maybe, just maybe, she’s exactly what Sakurai Sho needs.
All previous chapters in the master post!
Part 1
----------------------------------
Attending physician Yamamura had been paged to perform an urgent digital reattachment; the bright-faced interns followed his long strides through the hospital corridors in excitement at the drama-like plot. One could see a flustered young doctor trailing in the back of the consort, struggling to keep up. Kaori tried to stay focused on the situation at hand but her mind kept wandering back to Sho’s angry voice and the increasing pressure around them both.
“-Kureha-sensei!” Yamamura barked.
“Hai!” she called, snapping out of her cloud of thoughts once more.
“Are you going to answer my question?”
“S-sumimasen!” She grasped at the vague words that had flown through her ears moments earlier. He had asked something about…? “Eto, I would think that nerve reattachment is the most vital part.”
“Incorrect.” the doctor frowned. “Nerve repair is one of the easier tasks, since the bones will be shortened. Any other ideas?”
Kaori shook her head and flushed - she wasn’t accustomed to being wrong. In fact, she had been wrong almost every single time with this doctor. “Sumimasen!”
Yamamura turned to the others. “Repairing extensor and flexor tendons is crucial, or else all the other parts will be put under tension and…”
The staunch lights of the operating room were glaring to Kaori’s eyes. Jarring 70’s rock music played in the background to set the surgeon’s “rhythm.” Kaori tried to take deep breaths behind the stifling surgery mask while paying attention to the minute, precise incisions that Yamamura made on the exposed hand on the operating table. Hour after hour ticked away as the sharp silver instruments clicked; then, Yamamura requested a drill, and Kaori balked. She suddenly grew light-headed and felt the room spin. Without warning, she bolted out. They all paused for a moment to stare.
Yamamura blinked once and resumed the operation. “Nurse Tokaji, please go and tell Kureha-sensei that she can take the rest of the day off.”
The summer air was muggy and hot and the clouds gathered about the city skies. Kaori dragged her feet as she left the hospital in shame. Everyone else seemed to be at work, for the roads were empty. She checked her phone - no new messages.
Just then, the loud revving of an engine came from behind her; a blazing motorcycle zoomed inches beside her and the rider grabbed her bag from her shoulder in one devilish swipe.
“CHOTTO!” Kaori screamed, dashing after him, but the thief had already run the red light and around the next corner. She stopped, out of breath, and wanted to scream or cry or both. No money, no ID, just her cell phone - she couldn’t catch a taxi or even ride the bus. All of her friends in town commuted by train. She searched around her in confusion for a moment before calming down enough to make a call.
Several dull rings later: The person you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please leave your message after the tone… BEEP -- “Sho-kun, I - this probably sounds like a joke, but I… just got robbed. Hountouni.” she said hoarsely. A hot wave of shame overcame her by speaking to this cold answering machine; Sho really didn’t really care anymore, did he? It took her a few tries to collect her voice. “I don’t have my keys or card, just my phone… When you get this please call me back… and if you could give me a ride home… ? Jya.”
When she hung up, the extreme tug of loneliness slapped her in the face once again. She bit her lip and marched on, determined to make it on her own. By that time, the sky had taken a drastic turn.
----
A wave of laughter issued from the audience as the rotund comedian dropped to his knees in fatigue, chest heaving; numerous rubber balls tumbled out of the giant basket strapped on his shoulders.
“Arashi team - 60 points!” That meant that they were still losing.
“You missed all the pink balls!” Sakurai Sho scolded from the elevated helper position. “I clearly said 7, 7, 7, but you went to 4!”
“G-gomen nasai!” the perspiring guest gasped for breath. “I only remembered what Aiba-san was shouting before that!”
“Delayed response, ne.” Matsujun chuckled from the sidelines.
“You listened to the tennen (airhead) instead of me?” Sho shook his head.
“Oi!” Aiba laughed lightly, taking the hit if only to dissipate Sho’s temper. What had gotten into him lately? “He managed to get six yellow balls because of me!”
Sho folded his arms and addressed the comedian once more. “Maybe if you stay there and practice more, you’ll even lose some weight.”
Everyone in the studio laughed nervously and the VS Arashi director announced another break as they transitioned to the next activity. Sho returned to the bleachers, trying to bring his blood pressure back down. As the staff was busy rearranging the set and as the cameras were pointed away, Ninomiya Kazunari deftly turned to his band member. He saw that he was clearly wired up.
“Sakurai-kun sa… I can say mean stuff like that because they expect me to tsukkomi. But from you, it’s kind of unnerving, so back off a little, ne?” Nino smiled stiffly with steady eyes. It was very much his real style of correction - blunt, without much sentiment, realistic.
Sho rolled his shoulders and tried to relax; Nino was right, he was letting his emotions get to him. This wasn’t his character. As he’d done thousands of times before, he donned his cheerful mask and announced the next game, Jungle Bingo, with gusto.
----
A very miserable woman crawled up her apartment steps on all fours. Caught in a sudden rain storm followed by a random heat spell, Kaori looked like a stray dog by the time she had finally reached home. Chiharu wasn’t there to let her in; she groaned noisily and rattled the doorknob in vain. She just wanted to rest!
“Kureha-chan, is that you?” A grey, curly head peaked up from downstairs. It was Grandmother Akimoto. “Eh, what happened?! Daijoubu desu ka?”
“Obaa-san…” she whimpered.
“Are you locked out? Come, you can stay with me until Chiharu-san comes back. I’ll prepare a bath for you, how does that sound?”
The warm soak soothed her aching muscles and had somewhat lifted the cloud of stress from Kaori’s brain. With a towel wrapped around her wet hair, she joined Akimoto-san at the living room table. A porcelain pot of freshly brewed tea had been set out.
“How are you feeling?” Akimoto-san poured the tea carefully.
“Much better, thank you.” Kaori breathed. She looked around the modest space and noticed a series of hazy pictures kept carefully in ornate wooden frames. Many were of a younger Akimoto-san and a strong-looking man. Unlike most photographs of people from the past, these two were almost always smiling. “Is this your husband, Akimoto-san?”
“Nn, he was quite handsome, wasn’t he?” She showed Kaori a sepia picture of the man standing proudly in front of a vintage car. “Before we had children, we worked very long hours, and at different ends of the city. Instead of letting me take the train, he would always drive me to my office before leaving for his - he often complained about having to wake up earlier, but I know he wanted to take that time to spend with me, as mundane as those drives seemed.”
“Sugoi…”
“Ah, and this is a postcard he sent from his first business trip overseas. He was very proud to go…” On the back of the yellowing card of a European snowscape was neatly written: Fumiko, Germany is so exciting! The language is rather difficult, but the company here really likes what I have to offer, and our collaborations feel like strokes of genius. My colleagues have shown me around the city - beautiful old architecture, interesting food… There’s so much to see… Still, I think about you and the kids all the time and wish you could explore with me. Somehow I don’t think I will regret leaving Berlin too much, because that means that I will get to be with you once again. Hug and kiss Momo and Isamu for me. Stay safe and healthy, Seiichi.
Despite a cultural taboo, he had shown his affection so openly. These handwritten strokes of tenderness went straight through Kaori’s heart. Her mouth twitched and she fought back tears. “Y-your husband sounded like a wonderful man.”
“I was very lucky.” Grandmother Akimoto gently patted Kaori’s hand with her wrinkled one. “Don’t worry Kureha-chan, you’ll find someone. One day. Just be patient and don’t accept anything less than you deserve, which is much.”
-------
Sakurai Sho climbed into the back of his manager’s van after another long night, debating whether or not to go get drinks with his friends. He scrolled through his phone and saw that he had a missed call from Kaori several hours before. His eyes grew wide as he listened to her voicemail.
------------------------
Sorry for the long wait, school has been hectic.
Part 3