this is a Nino post... mostly! XD
it was supposed to be posted earlier but tooth extraction serves to be a far greater distraction than i originally thought...
as of right now, my gum still hurts and i don't think it has already healed but still...
short term pain over long term agony!!! (i guess)
and since it is the 17th!
it only means one thing...
other than my best friend's birthday
it's...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NINO!!!
still looking 17 at the age of 29 Nino! :D
May blessings, projects, happiness, fulfillment and many more come to your way for many more years!
and also, since it is the 2nd Sunday of June, it means (okay, maybe June 17th 2012 actually means two things... LOL)
it's Father's Day!!!
Happy father's day to my dad and my brother-in-law... and to my 2 work "dads" and my work "granddad"... LOL!
and since my fave boys still had not given me the pleasure of greeting them for this occasion (seriously, get married already!!!)
i'm gonna greet my favorite JE dad's out there...
Yamaguchi Tatsuya (Gussan)
Takuya Kimura
Inohara Yoshihiko (Inocchi)
Higashiyama Noriyuki
and Sakamoto Masayuki (what??? he is the V6 dad right? LOL)
and in true "me" fashion (if such a thing exists), i have bear Nino fanfics!
and this time, there are 3 stories featuring our birthday boy with his special lady (a different one for every story because, come on, Nino is such a flirt! LOL and i don't mean that in a bad way)
TITLE: Birthday Conversations
CHARACTERS: Ninomiya Kazunari, Nagasawa Masami
GENRE: RL
RATINGS: PG
DISCLAIMER: The only thing i own in this story is the plot...
SUMMARY: A stroll at the park, an unexpected meeting... Sometimes, the unexpected moments makes one's special day great.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: 1 of 3 for Nino's special day!
Birthday celebrants don’t walk around all alone and on their own especially not on their birthdays.
Well, that at least was what Nino told Jun the previous year when the slightly younger guy said that he was thinking of going to the beach for a stroll after their activities for the day on the guy’s birthday. He kept on goading Jun actually, convincing Jun to just go drinking with him if he doesn’t have anything to do after. It was only after Sho told him to stop it did he finally eased on the guy, even if it was the guy’s birthday, only to find out from a snickering Aiba that Jun’s stroll at the beach was just a code for him and Mao’s romantic dinner by the beach. He almost groaned.
Now, on his own birthday, here he is, doing the strolling himself, except that instead of the beach, he’s strolling down the park closest to his apartment and unlike Jun, his strolling meant actually strolling, even worse, on his own.
He was actually on his way to his apartment. He had been awarded a 3 hour reprieve from the shoot mostly because it’s his birthday so he decided to go home for a bit. For one thing, he forgot a script he needed to memorize for the last scene they were going to shoot for the day, and for another, he really didn’t have anywhere else to go. All his friends were still busy during that hour; it was one of the bad parts of having mostly celebrity friends.
But along the way, he decided to just walk by the park. It wasn’t exactly along the way but he thought it’d be a nice idea to go the ‘scenic route’. Except that with every step he took, it made him realize that it wasn’t such a good idea after all. He didn’t think he’d ever feel that lonely.
His mind had already been floating which is why he almost didn’t hear that voice calling his name, just almost because something in his subconscious made him turn around. It was for a good reason too.
“Masami?” he exclaimed in surprise, no way would he expect seeing his ex-girlfriend from a long, long time ago sitting on a bench on the park just a few meters from his apartment. “What are you doing here?”
“We’re having a shoot nearby,” Masami shrugged. “We’re on a break though. I didn’t expect to see you though, even if one of the cameramen said you lived nearby.”
Nino froze momentarily before against all instinct, he walked towards where she was seated and sat next to her, a comfortable distance between them.
“Just passing by,” he said. He wasn’t sure why he was even explaining.
It’s been four years now actually since the two of them broke up. It was a peaceful breakup actually. Nothing scandalous, nothing dramatic. They just both decided that maybe, they got into their relationship a bit too soon, a bit too fast. They both agreed that they were still too young and that there were a lot of things they’d still have to do.
They remained friends though, sort of.
“Uh-huh” Masami simply nodded before she turned at him cheekily and added “Birthday stroll huh? Happy 29th by the way. You still haven’t changed much.”
Nino found himself chuckling rather shyly at the sudden greeting and complement; at least he thinks it’s a complement.
“Thanks,” he simply said.
A few seconds later when he still had not come up with a follow up to that, he heard Masami chuckle.
“Oh come on, really?” she said in an amused tone. “You’re at a loss for words? Since when Ninomiya Kazunari?”
He too ended up grinning.
“Maybe some things have changed,” he said. “Maybe I am getting old.”
“You sure don’t look like it,” Masami shook her head.
“Oh, you know me,” Nino grinned. “I’m genetically good-looking.”
“And very humble too,” Masami said pointedly.
Nino could only laugh.
“So, how’s life in your side of the entertainment circle?” he opted to ask.
“Good,” Masami shrugged. “Things are still actually looking up. Your side?”
“Still surviving,” Nino shrugged himself.
“Yeah right,” Masami snorted. “If you call your career surviving, then most of us would be defined as just barely making it.”
Nino shook his head and chuckled. “We just got lucky, I guess. A lot of people ended up really liking us.”
“Liking you?” Masami repeated incredulously. “A lot of people actually end up loving you guys.”
“Love?” Nino said thoughtfully before he turned to look at Masami. “You think?”
Masami, who had her eyes trained on the field in front of them for most of that conversation, turned to him with a sigh.
She had opened her lips to say something but somewhere in there, the words got lost and never managed to come out. Instead, the two of them simply ended up looking at the other’s eyes.
Neither of them really noticed it but they were both mesmerized by the other one’s gaze. And neither knew that the other was thinking of moments that either had not really focused on for quite a bit now.
For Masami’s part, she caught herself remembering how it used to be when they were still together, how fun it was even if their relationship caused quite an uproar with his fans. How she felt at ease simply with just listening to his voice even after a long day. Actually, at that moment, she realized that before she headed to the park, she had been feeling a bit worked up with her drama and all that but those feelings are nowhere to be found as she sat there with him.
For Nino, he remembered how sweet her lips tasted, how it felt so right when she has her in his arms, how something as simple as a held hand or Masami’s “Hey,” could easily calm him down. He realized that he wasn’t feeling quite lonely anymore.
And before either of them knew it, they both uttered the other’s name almost at the same time.
It though seemed to have snapped them both back to the present especially when Nino chuckled and Masami exclaimed “Oh!”
Before anything else could be said though, they both heard Masami’s phone give off a sound.
“That’d be at the site, I need to get back,” Masami said.
“Oh, sure,” Nino said, feeling a bit regretful. “I need to get going myself.”
He saw Masami simply smile as she pushed herself to her feet as he mimicked her movement.
“Anyway,” Masami continued. “Happy birthday again!” she greeted. “I don’t have anything on me now so I guess I can’t give you a gift.”
Nino shook his head. “Nah, meeting you here was gift enough,” he told her.
He saw one of Masami’s eyebrows rise at the sudden statement but he stood his ground.
Moments later, Masami seemed to have decided to not expand on the issue as she turned her back on him, but not before saying “Bye!”
“Bye,” Nino whispered more than replied as he watched her walk away for a while. A few seconds later, he also turned around and headed to his apartment. In his mind he’s pretty sure, that last thing he told her wasn’t just a line. It was the truth.
And as he headed to his apartment, he can’t help but feel that even with more than half a day still left on his birthday, he can easily say that his birthday is already complete.
-----FIN-----
TITLE: A Special Gift
CHARACTERS: Ohno Satoshi, Sakurai Sho, Aiba Masaki, Ninomiya Kazunari, Matsumoto Jun, Sasaki Nozomi
GENRE: RL
RATINGS: PG
DISCLAIMER: The only thing i own in this story is the plot...
SUMMARY: Flimsy paper and fancy folds don't make a gift special. Sometimes, it has more to do with who is giving... and how...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: 2 of 3 for Nino's birthday! inspired by that bit about Nozomi I read about her being a commentator for kickboxing and that she can more than handle her own in a brawl... i don't know a lot (or anyone?) who actually ships Nino with her but i kinda like the image of her and Nino together... so... :D
He has to admit, it’s one of the more unorthodox gifts he had ever received for his birthday. Scrap that, it’s one of the more unorthodox gift he had ever received for his birthday, Christmas, valentines, and for any other celebration that would warrant people giving him any sort of gift. And he used to think he had weird friends too!
And in a sort of weird, sadistic way, he is enjoying it.
His manager had cleared his morning schedule for him, most of it at least, as the guy’s job-related gift for him for his birthday and the moment Nozomi got wind of that, plus the fact that he told her that he really wouldn’t have anything much to do for that span of time, she had invited him to join her at her place. She didn’t exactly say for what.
He didn’t really have any expectations when he headed there that morning. After all, he and Nozomi are still somewhere near or around what they call as each other’s friends. They’re close, yes. They’re good, yes. But they aren’t exactly anything more than just those.
So when he stepped into her living room to see the floor covered with a thick training mat, it finally made sense why she greeted him clad in a racerback tank top with a pair of jogging pants. In every essence, she’s in her training clothes. Dressed down to his undershirt and shorts now topped with padded support, she had just turned him into her punching bag.
On his birthday no less!
“Remind me again why I agreed to doing this,” Nino huffed just as Nozomi’s leg connected with his right thigh.
He figured the supports are doing its job since he doesn’t feel the pain. It’s either that or he’s enjoying getting kicked and punched by the woman. And like hell he’s going to admit that to anyone, even to himself. He’d rather say he had a sudden increase of pain tolerance.
“What?” Nozomi asked, her breathing barely labored even though they’ve been at it for over half an hour. “You were the one who said he wanted to start a physical training. I’m just helping you out.”
Nino snorted.
He did say he wanted to try some physical activities, for training and health purposes, but he didn’t exactly mean something along those lines. At the most he had considered jogging until he realized that he couldn’t go out in the neighborhood and jog no matter the time of the day without attracting trouble and there’s no way he would go with the regimen if he opts for the stationary type like the treadmill.
“This isn’t exactly what I meant,” he said, his right arm extending to block the kick Nozomi was aiming for his side. He couldn’t help but smirk. It’s his first time to catch that move of hers since the two of them started their bout.
Barely had the surprise registered on the woman’s doll-like face though before it was wiped off and she went straight to her next move, catching him off guard with a kick to his other side.
“Kick-boxing is a good sport,” she simply said.
Nino, even if he wanted to, which he didn’t, would not say otherwise, not when he’s in that situation. He wouldn’t even make a quip about her getting too much into the sport she’s commentating on though he did make a mental note to deliver that quip at some other more convenient time. After all, one of the things he would gladly admit about the woman would be that he enjoys getting a reaction from her.
She was rather like her in that manner, equipped with the ability to maintain a face whenever necessary. But while he had adapted the smirking face as his default face, she seemed to have opted for the more expressionless, passive kind of face. And he always enjoyed breaking that setting.
And really, just because he’s Nino and he is, by definition, a brat, he couldn’t help but come up with something even while being figuratively beaten up by the woman.
Nozomi had been controlling her strength that much he knew, even though she is a woman. And really, he feels more tired than in pain. But the moment her leg connected with the leg of his that had just healed, he bent down on the mat as though in deep pain, all the while secretly watching her reaction.
Her face went from surprise to shock to worry in a matter of seconds before she bended down next to him, her hands immediately landing on his leg, pushing up the hem of his shorts up his knee.
“Are you hurt? Are you okay?” she asked, her hands immediately landing just below the area where he was injured.
Nino could hear the worry in her voice and saw it reflecting in her face and eyes. And while the sight amused him, it did more than that, it touched him, touched him more than any gift he had so far received or any greeting he had so far gotten.
When he still hadn’t said a word, Nozomi looked up at his face in worry before that worry turned into a pout. Before he knew it, she had pushed his leg. He realized too late that he had this stupid grin on his face.
“Don’t play games on me!” Nozomi said indignantly as she pushed herself to a stand. Amusement rose once more inside of Nino on how the woman easily made his prank. Heck, even the rest of Arashi would take a few more minutes, although that may be more because Sho would be panicking right about now and would be demanding they go see a doctor.
He chuckled.
“It’s not funny,” Nozomi said, her hands already on her waist as she looked down on him. “I seriously thought I hurt you!”
“Aww…” Nino opted to joke around. “I didn’t know you were that concerned of my well-being,” he added as he extended a hand, asking her silently to help him stand. After all, while the leg didn’t actually hurt, it’s not yet in the perfect condition making him a bit less in condition than usual.
“I’m more concerned for me,” Nozomi shook her head as she extended her hand to help him up. “Ever since that story about the two of us started going around, I swear, everyone’s blaming me for whatever happens to you.”
“Oh come on, you know that’s not true,” he said as he balanced himself on both legs.
Nozomi snorted. “If it didn’t come out that the reason for you dying your hair was for that drama, I’m pretty sure some of your most die-hard fans would be blaming me for it,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It’s getting on my nerves!”
Nino had to admit that she had a point there. He was just about to apologize for it although he didn’t really directly do anything when he turned to her and saw that she had regained her passive stance. It prompted him to do something else.
With his arm encircling her waist, he pulled her towards him until their bodies practically where against each other. The action was so unexpected that he had Nozomi locked in his arms before the woman could even react.
“Is it now?” he asked, his voice turning unexpectedly husky, even for him as he breathed in her scent.
“Nino, what are you doing?!” Nozomi exclaimed in surprise.
“You never told me you were affected,” Nino simply continued, ignoring her statement, his arms linking at her back making it impossible for her to just get out of his embrace without breaking at least an arm unless he lets her.
“You…” Nozomi started before she got lost for words. Nino noticed her breathing was slowly getting labored and he had to admit so did his. “I…”
Whatever Nozomi decided to come up with next though, Nino didn’t get to find out. All of a sudden, her cellphone rang surprising them both, at least for both of them to turn to the source of the noise and for Nino to release his hold.
“That’s my manager,” Nozomi said, her voice a little bit weird. A split second later, she seemed to have regained everything she lost in that moment with Nino as a quick look at the wall clock made her groan as she ran towards her phone. “I have a meeting in half an hour! This would be her reminding me!” she said before she answered the phone.
There was already a small smile on Nino’s lips as he simply watched the woman converse with her manager. And while he does feel a tiny bit regretful that the woman’s phone call disrupted what they had earlier, he still couldn’t help but grin.
-----
“Where have you been?” Jun asked as four pairs of eyes looked up to meet Nino, that grin still on his face, as he entered their greenroom.
When he still had not said a word, Aiba added mischievously “More important question, who have you been with?”
Nino snorted, knowing what the guy implied. He’s been around Aiba for far too long to misinterpret that question, not when it’s matched with the guy’s wiggling eyebrows and meaningful grin. Truth be told, he’d be asking the very same thing to himself if he was in their place.
But what Aiba had in mind wasn’t what happened to him, at least not exactly what the guy had in mind. He opted to go for the truth. “I just got myself beaten up,” he announced to the room seeing as Ohno and Sho, along with Aiba and Jun, had still not removed their eyes on him.
“Beaten up?” Ohno repeated in confusion.
“Oh come on Nino!” Sho exclaimed. “Tell the truth.”
“I am,” he simply grinned as he crashed on the sofa right next to an amused but questioning Jun. he simply smiled.
Well, it is the truth! But still, he couldn’t help but end up chuckling as he remembered what happened right before that phone call.
He’s enjoying his birthday, maybe a bit too much, this year.
-----FIN----
TITLE: Seeing Double
CHARACTERS: Ohno Satoshi, Sakurai Sho, Aiba Masaki, Ninomiya Kazunari, Matsumoto Jun, Yoshitaka Yuriko
GENRE: RL; crack (or at least partial crack)
RATINGS: PG
DISCLAIMER: The only thing i own in this story is the plot...
SUMMARY: Nino thought the rest of Arashi kept on saying they've been seeing him elsewhere... or so he thought...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: 3 of 3 for Nino's day! actually, this story wasn't supposed to be a story but after seeing an episode of Castle, i was suddenly inspired to come up with this... i'm not really sure why... LOL! my first actual NinoxYuriko... sort of... :D
The first time it happened, Nino thought there was just some sort of a misunderstanding. He never knew it was part of something much, much bigger than anything he had expected.
He had just entered the elevator to head to the 5th floor studio to shoot a Himitsu no Arashi-chan episode with Ohno when he heard a familiar voice cry to hold the elevator and so he did, it didn’t take long for Sho to appear before him and the guy was basically panting.
“You’re in a hurry,” he chuckled, releasing the open button prompting the elevator door to close.
“You got that right,” Sho chuckled himself, pressing the 3rd floor button. “I’m running late for a staff meeting with the News Zero team.”
“No wonder you’re running,” Nino grinned.
Sho smirked. “You’re one to talk,” he said. “You’re moving pretty fast yourself. I just saw you heading out of the parking lot when I parked my car, I didn’t think you’d be here this fast.”
Nino frowned in confusion. He had just entered the building actually so there was no way he’d be heading out. He was just about to tell Sho that the guy might have mistaken someone else for him but just then the elevator door opened to the 3rd floor.
“Anyway, this is me,” Sho said as he stepped out. “See you around!” he added with a small wave before he stepped away.
It was either Nino was still confused with Sho saying he saw him heading away from the building or he just saw Sho give him some sort of a smirk.
-----
“You’re late!” Nino had cried the moment Aiba finally showed up in their greenroom.
It’s barely minutes before the scheduled photoshoot for him and Aiba for the Arashi Non-no special for the month when the guy finally appeared when the two of them had agreed to meet up 20 minutes ahead. After all, they still hadn’t come up on a topic for the interview that goes along with the photoshoot.
“Sorry, I had to do the ending shot with Shimura Ken,” Aiba said, gasped even, as he crashed on the vacant seat next to him.
Nino was just about to roll his eyes and start on the guy when Aiba added “And then I got lost.”
“How could you get lost in a building you’ve been working on for years?” Nino exclaimed in disbelief, turning to the guy.
“I was following you,” Aiba reasoned, causing Nino to crease his forehead. “I caught a glimpse of you when I was in the elevator so I stopped the elevator and ran out thinking that there was a change in the location. Except when the elevator door finally reopened and I ran out, I didn’t see you anywhere.”
Nino was about to say that Aiba was just making up stories to justify his being late because he’s been in their greenroom for a good 10 minutes now, before that he was at the makeup artist’s for 5 minutes, when the makeup artist knocked in and called “Aiba-san, we’re ready for you at the makeup station.”
“Okay!” Aiba simply nodded as he stood up. He was just about to disappear when he stopped by the door and turned around. “You sure disappear fast,” he said with a grin.
Nino could only frown.
-----
“There you are!” Nino was surprised when he heard Jun cry.
He was at the parking lot then, just about to leave after their VS Arashi shoot when he heard the guy. Turning to the source of the voice, he was surprised to see him looking both surprised and exasperated.
“Of course I’d be here,” he snorted. “Where else would I suppose to be? The shoot’s already over and I have another one starting in 45 minutes.”
“Well yeah, but what’s the point of going to the shoot when you don’t have your script with you,” Jun snorted, tossing him a small booklet Nino recognized as the next installment of his drama’s script.
“How’d you get this?” he asked, he thought he was only going to get his at the shooting site.
“One of the drama’s assistants stopped by the greenroom just after you left,” Jun said as he headed to his own car parked next to Nino’s. “I pointed him to where I just saw a glimpse of you turning but he came back soon after saying he didn’t catch you.”
Nino simply murmured his thanks and was simply about to turn to his car when Jun added “It was funny actually. You left ahead of us in a hurry but I still reached you here and the assistant and I saw you heading up the building, not down. Weird.”
Nino felt his jaw drop. Before he could say anything else though, Jun simply shrugged and waved, “Anyway, we better get going or you and I would both end up being late” before entering his car.
For a split second, Nino froze. Jun having that kind of assessment followed by the guy simply dismissing the same meant something. He couldn’t help but swallow hard before saying his own thanks and entering his car.
-----
Ohno is ignoring him.
That much Nino was sure of by the time their Arashi ni Shiyagare shoot ended for the day. Their group had just reconvened at the greenroom to pack up before they all headed out when he finally confirmed what he had been suspecting all day long.
At first he thought it was just a coincidence that Ohno didn’t answer to him when he asked the guy a question upon his arrival. After all, by that time, Ohno (and Sho) was heading out of the greenroom and he was running late. Throughout the shoot too, he and Ohno barely had any interaction, not to the extent that it’d be too obvious to the audience or the guest but enough for him to notice.
But seeing as they’re all at the greenroom when he just asked the guy to pass him his DS that was just next to Ohno’s bag and the guy ignored him, it’s confirmed.
“What’s his problem?” he asked Sho as they all headed out of the greenroom, Ohno and Aiba hanging back to bring the rear of their group.
It wasn’t Sho who replied though.
“It’s his version of returning the favor,” Jun replied as he and Sho shared a look and a smirk. “I think.”
“What did I do?!” Nino asked in surprise.
“You ignored me,” came Ohno’s voice from behind, a heavy accusation riding on his voice.
“When?!”
“Earlier,” Aiba supplied. “He was a few steps behind you at the corridor, he was calling you but you ignored him.”
“No I didn’t!” Nino cried in exasperation. “I never heard you call!”
“See!” Ohno complained, looking more at Sho and Jun who was flanking Nino’s sides than at Nino directly. “You were wearing that jacket and a baseball cap and glasses.”
Before Nino could say anything, Sho added “You have to admit, you have a knack of ignoring us and disappearing acts for quite some time.”
Before Nino knew it, Ohno, Sho, Aiba and Jun had ended up rounding on him, all looking at him. Jun summed up what they wanted.
“Answers, Nino. We need an explanation.”
He sighed.
“Fine! But it isn’t what you guys think,” he said before turning his back on them and heading to the direction opposite where they were supposed to go. “Follow me.”
-----
“Guys, you all know Yuriko,” Nino introduced the moment he stepped out of another greenroom 1 floor up and 3 doors down from the one they were using with the familiar female figure right behind him.
“Hi,” Yuriko smiled, bowing lightly and slightly sheepishly at the other four.
“I keep forgetting how you two look so much alike!” Sho smiled as the rest of them acknowledged the woman.
“Yeah,” Jun added. “Like we’re seeing double,” he said, throwing Nino a meaningful look.
“Yeah, about that,” Nino grinned sheepishly, at least the way Nino grins sheepishly. “The two of us… well… it’s the two of us…”
Before any of them could even say a word, the door opened to reveal the head of Yuriko’s manager. “Yuriko, the shoot is about to start.”
“Coming!” Yuriko called back just as her manager withdrew her head. Turning back to the group, she bowed her head lightly and said “It’s nice meeting you guys, again” before retreating to the room.
The other four men she left outside though didn’t fail to notice her squeeze Nino’s hand before she finally entered the room.
And it was to their interested and amused looks that Nino turned back to after following Yuriko enter the room with his eyes. A couple more moments of standing under their penetrating looks (because Nino would never cower under those glares), Nino ended up sighing.
“Okay! We’re dating!” he cried.
Part of him was expecting them to cry out indignation or something of that sort for him not telling them about her, the very same reaction he just knew they had earlier when he pulled out Yuriko from the greenroom but just kept hidden because they had to keep on their pretenses, especially when they could easily be seen or overheard by anyone else. But what happened was something else.
“We know,” Aiba said as the four men turned around with a shrug, heading towards the exit like they were supposed to earlier.
“Wait! What?!” he cried in surprise, catching up with the four by the time he unfroze.
“We know,” Sho repeated. “You could not have expected us not to figure this out, right?”
The honest answer would actually be “Yes” but Nino didn’t say that. Instead, he said “When? How?”
“Oh, somewhere between us seeing you in doubles just that you and your double seemed to always end up going to the opposite directions,” Aiba replied. “They didn’t believe at first.”
“But then we remembered Yoshitaka Yuriko and it all clicked,” Jun added.
“And you hid it from me?” Nino asked in surprise.
“You hid it from us!” Aiba exclaimed.
“Yeah,” Ohno said. “Why?!”
Nino couldn’t speak for a while. And then he sighed.
“I was still trying to figure out the right timing to tell you guys,” he admitted.
“Well, while you were trying to figure it out, we figured it out before you,” Sho said.
“Yeah,” Jun agreed. “Next time, if you want to keep it a secret, try not to be too visible. Not everyone will buy the ‘seeing double’ illusion.”
“Yeah,” Ohno added. “Even if you two do look a lot like each other.”
Nino didn’t bother to speak. From the sounds of it, not only had he been made ages ago, he’s also not going to hear the end of it soon. And, from the gloating and successful looks of his four friends, he knew the guys are enjoying it.
He could only groan.
-----FIN-----
yay Nino!
LOL
thoughts anyone?
i'd love to hear them... :)
as of right now, my gum still hurts and i don't think it has already healed but still...
short term pain over long term agony!!! (i guess)
and since it is the 17th!
it only means one thing...
other than my best friend's birthday
it's...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NINO!!!
still looking 17 at the age of 29 Nino! :D
May blessings, projects, happiness, fulfillment and many more come to your way for many more years!
and also, since it is the 2nd Sunday of June, it means (okay, maybe June 17th 2012 actually means two things... LOL)
it's Father's Day!!!
Happy father's day to my dad and my brother-in-law... and to my 2 work "dads" and my work "granddad"... LOL!
and since my fave boys still had not given me the pleasure of greeting them for this occasion (seriously, get married already!!!)
i'm gonna greet my favorite JE dad's out there...
Yamaguchi Tatsuya (Gussan)
Takuya Kimura
Inohara Yoshihiko (Inocchi)
Higashiyama Noriyuki
and Sakamoto Masayuki (what??? he is the V6 dad right? LOL)
and in true "me" fashion (if such a thing exists), i have bear Nino fanfics!
and this time, there are 3 stories featuring our birthday boy with his special lady (a different one for every story because, come on, Nino is such a flirt! LOL and i don't mean that in a bad way)
TITLE: Birthday Conversations
CHARACTERS: Ninomiya Kazunari, Nagasawa Masami
GENRE: RL
RATINGS: PG
DISCLAIMER: The only thing i own in this story is the plot...
SUMMARY: A stroll at the park, an unexpected meeting... Sometimes, the unexpected moments makes one's special day great.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: 1 of 3 for Nino's special day!
Birthday celebrants don’t walk around all alone and on their own especially not on their birthdays.
Well, that at least was what Nino told Jun the previous year when the slightly younger guy said that he was thinking of going to the beach for a stroll after their activities for the day on the guy’s birthday. He kept on goading Jun actually, convincing Jun to just go drinking with him if he doesn’t have anything to do after. It was only after Sho told him to stop it did he finally eased on the guy, even if it was the guy’s birthday, only to find out from a snickering Aiba that Jun’s stroll at the beach was just a code for him and Mao’s romantic dinner by the beach. He almost groaned.
Now, on his own birthday, here he is, doing the strolling himself, except that instead of the beach, he’s strolling down the park closest to his apartment and unlike Jun, his strolling meant actually strolling, even worse, on his own.
He was actually on his way to his apartment. He had been awarded a 3 hour reprieve from the shoot mostly because it’s his birthday so he decided to go home for a bit. For one thing, he forgot a script he needed to memorize for the last scene they were going to shoot for the day, and for another, he really didn’t have anywhere else to go. All his friends were still busy during that hour; it was one of the bad parts of having mostly celebrity friends.
But along the way, he decided to just walk by the park. It wasn’t exactly along the way but he thought it’d be a nice idea to go the ‘scenic route’. Except that with every step he took, it made him realize that it wasn’t such a good idea after all. He didn’t think he’d ever feel that lonely.
His mind had already been floating which is why he almost didn’t hear that voice calling his name, just almost because something in his subconscious made him turn around. It was for a good reason too.
“Masami?” he exclaimed in surprise, no way would he expect seeing his ex-girlfriend from a long, long time ago sitting on a bench on the park just a few meters from his apartment. “What are you doing here?”
“We’re having a shoot nearby,” Masami shrugged. “We’re on a break though. I didn’t expect to see you though, even if one of the cameramen said you lived nearby.”
Nino froze momentarily before against all instinct, he walked towards where she was seated and sat next to her, a comfortable distance between them.
“Just passing by,” he said. He wasn’t sure why he was even explaining.
It’s been four years now actually since the two of them broke up. It was a peaceful breakup actually. Nothing scandalous, nothing dramatic. They just both decided that maybe, they got into their relationship a bit too soon, a bit too fast. They both agreed that they were still too young and that there were a lot of things they’d still have to do.
They remained friends though, sort of.
“Uh-huh” Masami simply nodded before she turned at him cheekily and added “Birthday stroll huh? Happy 29th by the way. You still haven’t changed much.”
Nino found himself chuckling rather shyly at the sudden greeting and complement; at least he thinks it’s a complement.
“Thanks,” he simply said.
A few seconds later when he still had not come up with a follow up to that, he heard Masami chuckle.
“Oh come on, really?” she said in an amused tone. “You’re at a loss for words? Since when Ninomiya Kazunari?”
He too ended up grinning.
“Maybe some things have changed,” he said. “Maybe I am getting old.”
“You sure don’t look like it,” Masami shook her head.
“Oh, you know me,” Nino grinned. “I’m genetically good-looking.”
“And very humble too,” Masami said pointedly.
Nino could only laugh.
“So, how’s life in your side of the entertainment circle?” he opted to ask.
“Good,” Masami shrugged. “Things are still actually looking up. Your side?”
“Still surviving,” Nino shrugged himself.
“Yeah right,” Masami snorted. “If you call your career surviving, then most of us would be defined as just barely making it.”
Nino shook his head and chuckled. “We just got lucky, I guess. A lot of people ended up really liking us.”
“Liking you?” Masami repeated incredulously. “A lot of people actually end up loving you guys.”
“Love?” Nino said thoughtfully before he turned to look at Masami. “You think?”
Masami, who had her eyes trained on the field in front of them for most of that conversation, turned to him with a sigh.
She had opened her lips to say something but somewhere in there, the words got lost and never managed to come out. Instead, the two of them simply ended up looking at the other’s eyes.
Neither of them really noticed it but they were both mesmerized by the other one’s gaze. And neither knew that the other was thinking of moments that either had not really focused on for quite a bit now.
For Masami’s part, she caught herself remembering how it used to be when they were still together, how fun it was even if their relationship caused quite an uproar with his fans. How she felt at ease simply with just listening to his voice even after a long day. Actually, at that moment, she realized that before she headed to the park, she had been feeling a bit worked up with her drama and all that but those feelings are nowhere to be found as she sat there with him.
For Nino, he remembered how sweet her lips tasted, how it felt so right when she has her in his arms, how something as simple as a held hand or Masami’s “Hey,” could easily calm him down. He realized that he wasn’t feeling quite lonely anymore.
And before either of them knew it, they both uttered the other’s name almost at the same time.
It though seemed to have snapped them both back to the present especially when Nino chuckled and Masami exclaimed “Oh!”
Before anything else could be said though, they both heard Masami’s phone give off a sound.
“That’d be at the site, I need to get back,” Masami said.
“Oh, sure,” Nino said, feeling a bit regretful. “I need to get going myself.”
He saw Masami simply smile as she pushed herself to her feet as he mimicked her movement.
“Anyway,” Masami continued. “Happy birthday again!” she greeted. “I don’t have anything on me now so I guess I can’t give you a gift.”
Nino shook his head. “Nah, meeting you here was gift enough,” he told her.
He saw one of Masami’s eyebrows rise at the sudden statement but he stood his ground.
Moments later, Masami seemed to have decided to not expand on the issue as she turned her back on him, but not before saying “Bye!”
“Bye,” Nino whispered more than replied as he watched her walk away for a while. A few seconds later, he also turned around and headed to his apartment. In his mind he’s pretty sure, that last thing he told her wasn’t just a line. It was the truth.
And as he headed to his apartment, he can’t help but feel that even with more than half a day still left on his birthday, he can easily say that his birthday is already complete.
-----FIN-----
TITLE: A Special Gift
CHARACTERS: Ohno Satoshi, Sakurai Sho, Aiba Masaki, Ninomiya Kazunari, Matsumoto Jun, Sasaki Nozomi
GENRE: RL
RATINGS: PG
DISCLAIMER: The only thing i own in this story is the plot...
SUMMARY: Flimsy paper and fancy folds don't make a gift special. Sometimes, it has more to do with who is giving... and how...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: 2 of 3 for Nino's birthday! inspired by that bit about Nozomi I read about her being a commentator for kickboxing and that she can more than handle her own in a brawl... i don't know a lot (or anyone?) who actually ships Nino with her but i kinda like the image of her and Nino together... so... :D
He has to admit, it’s one of the more unorthodox gifts he had ever received for his birthday. Scrap that, it’s one of the more unorthodox gift he had ever received for his birthday, Christmas, valentines, and for any other celebration that would warrant people giving him any sort of gift. And he used to think he had weird friends too!
And in a sort of weird, sadistic way, he is enjoying it.
His manager had cleared his morning schedule for him, most of it at least, as the guy’s job-related gift for him for his birthday and the moment Nozomi got wind of that, plus the fact that he told her that he really wouldn’t have anything much to do for that span of time, she had invited him to join her at her place. She didn’t exactly say for what.
He didn’t really have any expectations when he headed there that morning. After all, he and Nozomi are still somewhere near or around what they call as each other’s friends. They’re close, yes. They’re good, yes. But they aren’t exactly anything more than just those.
So when he stepped into her living room to see the floor covered with a thick training mat, it finally made sense why she greeted him clad in a racerback tank top with a pair of jogging pants. In every essence, she’s in her training clothes. Dressed down to his undershirt and shorts now topped with padded support, she had just turned him into her punching bag.
On his birthday no less!
“Remind me again why I agreed to doing this,” Nino huffed just as Nozomi’s leg connected with his right thigh.
He figured the supports are doing its job since he doesn’t feel the pain. It’s either that or he’s enjoying getting kicked and punched by the woman. And like hell he’s going to admit that to anyone, even to himself. He’d rather say he had a sudden increase of pain tolerance.
“What?” Nozomi asked, her breathing barely labored even though they’ve been at it for over half an hour. “You were the one who said he wanted to start a physical training. I’m just helping you out.”
Nino snorted.
He did say he wanted to try some physical activities, for training and health purposes, but he didn’t exactly mean something along those lines. At the most he had considered jogging until he realized that he couldn’t go out in the neighborhood and jog no matter the time of the day without attracting trouble and there’s no way he would go with the regimen if he opts for the stationary type like the treadmill.
“This isn’t exactly what I meant,” he said, his right arm extending to block the kick Nozomi was aiming for his side. He couldn’t help but smirk. It’s his first time to catch that move of hers since the two of them started their bout.
Barely had the surprise registered on the woman’s doll-like face though before it was wiped off and she went straight to her next move, catching him off guard with a kick to his other side.
“Kick-boxing is a good sport,” she simply said.
Nino, even if he wanted to, which he didn’t, would not say otherwise, not when he’s in that situation. He wouldn’t even make a quip about her getting too much into the sport she’s commentating on though he did make a mental note to deliver that quip at some other more convenient time. After all, one of the things he would gladly admit about the woman would be that he enjoys getting a reaction from her.
She was rather like her in that manner, equipped with the ability to maintain a face whenever necessary. But while he had adapted the smirking face as his default face, she seemed to have opted for the more expressionless, passive kind of face. And he always enjoyed breaking that setting.
And really, just because he’s Nino and he is, by definition, a brat, he couldn’t help but come up with something even while being figuratively beaten up by the woman.
Nozomi had been controlling her strength that much he knew, even though she is a woman. And really, he feels more tired than in pain. But the moment her leg connected with the leg of his that had just healed, he bent down on the mat as though in deep pain, all the while secretly watching her reaction.
Her face went from surprise to shock to worry in a matter of seconds before she bended down next to him, her hands immediately landing on his leg, pushing up the hem of his shorts up his knee.
“Are you hurt? Are you okay?” she asked, her hands immediately landing just below the area where he was injured.
Nino could hear the worry in her voice and saw it reflecting in her face and eyes. And while the sight amused him, it did more than that, it touched him, touched him more than any gift he had so far received or any greeting he had so far gotten.
When he still hadn’t said a word, Nozomi looked up at his face in worry before that worry turned into a pout. Before he knew it, she had pushed his leg. He realized too late that he had this stupid grin on his face.
“Don’t play games on me!” Nozomi said indignantly as she pushed herself to a stand. Amusement rose once more inside of Nino on how the woman easily made his prank. Heck, even the rest of Arashi would take a few more minutes, although that may be more because Sho would be panicking right about now and would be demanding they go see a doctor.
He chuckled.
“It’s not funny,” Nozomi said, her hands already on her waist as she looked down on him. “I seriously thought I hurt you!”
“Aww…” Nino opted to joke around. “I didn’t know you were that concerned of my well-being,” he added as he extended a hand, asking her silently to help him stand. After all, while the leg didn’t actually hurt, it’s not yet in the perfect condition making him a bit less in condition than usual.
“I’m more concerned for me,” Nozomi shook her head as she extended her hand to help him up. “Ever since that story about the two of us started going around, I swear, everyone’s blaming me for whatever happens to you.”
“Oh come on, you know that’s not true,” he said as he balanced himself on both legs.
Nozomi snorted. “If it didn’t come out that the reason for you dying your hair was for that drama, I’m pretty sure some of your most die-hard fans would be blaming me for it,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It’s getting on my nerves!”
Nino had to admit that she had a point there. He was just about to apologize for it although he didn’t really directly do anything when he turned to her and saw that she had regained her passive stance. It prompted him to do something else.
With his arm encircling her waist, he pulled her towards him until their bodies practically where against each other. The action was so unexpected that he had Nozomi locked in his arms before the woman could even react.
“Is it now?” he asked, his voice turning unexpectedly husky, even for him as he breathed in her scent.
“Nino, what are you doing?!” Nozomi exclaimed in surprise.
“You never told me you were affected,” Nino simply continued, ignoring her statement, his arms linking at her back making it impossible for her to just get out of his embrace without breaking at least an arm unless he lets her.
“You…” Nozomi started before she got lost for words. Nino noticed her breathing was slowly getting labored and he had to admit so did his. “I…”
Whatever Nozomi decided to come up with next though, Nino didn’t get to find out. All of a sudden, her cellphone rang surprising them both, at least for both of them to turn to the source of the noise and for Nino to release his hold.
“That’s my manager,” Nozomi said, her voice a little bit weird. A split second later, she seemed to have regained everything she lost in that moment with Nino as a quick look at the wall clock made her groan as she ran towards her phone. “I have a meeting in half an hour! This would be her reminding me!” she said before she answered the phone.
There was already a small smile on Nino’s lips as he simply watched the woman converse with her manager. And while he does feel a tiny bit regretful that the woman’s phone call disrupted what they had earlier, he still couldn’t help but grin.
-----
“Where have you been?” Jun asked as four pairs of eyes looked up to meet Nino, that grin still on his face, as he entered their greenroom.
When he still had not said a word, Aiba added mischievously “More important question, who have you been with?”
Nino snorted, knowing what the guy implied. He’s been around Aiba for far too long to misinterpret that question, not when it’s matched with the guy’s wiggling eyebrows and meaningful grin. Truth be told, he’d be asking the very same thing to himself if he was in their place.
But what Aiba had in mind wasn’t what happened to him, at least not exactly what the guy had in mind. He opted to go for the truth. “I just got myself beaten up,” he announced to the room seeing as Ohno and Sho, along with Aiba and Jun, had still not removed their eyes on him.
“Beaten up?” Ohno repeated in confusion.
“Oh come on Nino!” Sho exclaimed. “Tell the truth.”
“I am,” he simply grinned as he crashed on the sofa right next to an amused but questioning Jun. he simply smiled.
Well, it is the truth! But still, he couldn’t help but end up chuckling as he remembered what happened right before that phone call.
He’s enjoying his birthday, maybe a bit too much, this year.
-----FIN----
TITLE: Seeing Double
CHARACTERS: Ohno Satoshi, Sakurai Sho, Aiba Masaki, Ninomiya Kazunari, Matsumoto Jun, Yoshitaka Yuriko
GENRE: RL; crack (or at least partial crack)
RATINGS: PG
DISCLAIMER: The only thing i own in this story is the plot...
SUMMARY: Nino thought the rest of Arashi kept on saying they've been seeing him elsewhere... or so he thought...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: 3 of 3 for Nino's day! actually, this story wasn't supposed to be a story but after seeing an episode of Castle, i was suddenly inspired to come up with this... i'm not really sure why... LOL! my first actual NinoxYuriko... sort of... :D
The first time it happened, Nino thought there was just some sort of a misunderstanding. He never knew it was part of something much, much bigger than anything he had expected.
He had just entered the elevator to head to the 5th floor studio to shoot a Himitsu no Arashi-chan episode with Ohno when he heard a familiar voice cry to hold the elevator and so he did, it didn’t take long for Sho to appear before him and the guy was basically panting.
“You’re in a hurry,” he chuckled, releasing the open button prompting the elevator door to close.
“You got that right,” Sho chuckled himself, pressing the 3rd floor button. “I’m running late for a staff meeting with the News Zero team.”
“No wonder you’re running,” Nino grinned.
Sho smirked. “You’re one to talk,” he said. “You’re moving pretty fast yourself. I just saw you heading out of the parking lot when I parked my car, I didn’t think you’d be here this fast.”
Nino frowned in confusion. He had just entered the building actually so there was no way he’d be heading out. He was just about to tell Sho that the guy might have mistaken someone else for him but just then the elevator door opened to the 3rd floor.
“Anyway, this is me,” Sho said as he stepped out. “See you around!” he added with a small wave before he stepped away.
It was either Nino was still confused with Sho saying he saw him heading away from the building or he just saw Sho give him some sort of a smirk.
-----
“You’re late!” Nino had cried the moment Aiba finally showed up in their greenroom.
It’s barely minutes before the scheduled photoshoot for him and Aiba for the Arashi Non-no special for the month when the guy finally appeared when the two of them had agreed to meet up 20 minutes ahead. After all, they still hadn’t come up on a topic for the interview that goes along with the photoshoot.
“Sorry, I had to do the ending shot with Shimura Ken,” Aiba said, gasped even, as he crashed on the vacant seat next to him.
Nino was just about to roll his eyes and start on the guy when Aiba added “And then I got lost.”
“How could you get lost in a building you’ve been working on for years?” Nino exclaimed in disbelief, turning to the guy.
“I was following you,” Aiba reasoned, causing Nino to crease his forehead. “I caught a glimpse of you when I was in the elevator so I stopped the elevator and ran out thinking that there was a change in the location. Except when the elevator door finally reopened and I ran out, I didn’t see you anywhere.”
Nino was about to say that Aiba was just making up stories to justify his being late because he’s been in their greenroom for a good 10 minutes now, before that he was at the makeup artist’s for 5 minutes, when the makeup artist knocked in and called “Aiba-san, we’re ready for you at the makeup station.”
“Okay!” Aiba simply nodded as he stood up. He was just about to disappear when he stopped by the door and turned around. “You sure disappear fast,” he said with a grin.
Nino could only frown.
-----
“There you are!” Nino was surprised when he heard Jun cry.
He was at the parking lot then, just about to leave after their VS Arashi shoot when he heard the guy. Turning to the source of the voice, he was surprised to see him looking both surprised and exasperated.
“Of course I’d be here,” he snorted. “Where else would I suppose to be? The shoot’s already over and I have another one starting in 45 minutes.”
“Well yeah, but what’s the point of going to the shoot when you don’t have your script with you,” Jun snorted, tossing him a small booklet Nino recognized as the next installment of his drama’s script.
“How’d you get this?” he asked, he thought he was only going to get his at the shooting site.
“One of the drama’s assistants stopped by the greenroom just after you left,” Jun said as he headed to his own car parked next to Nino’s. “I pointed him to where I just saw a glimpse of you turning but he came back soon after saying he didn’t catch you.”
Nino simply murmured his thanks and was simply about to turn to his car when Jun added “It was funny actually. You left ahead of us in a hurry but I still reached you here and the assistant and I saw you heading up the building, not down. Weird.”
Nino felt his jaw drop. Before he could say anything else though, Jun simply shrugged and waved, “Anyway, we better get going or you and I would both end up being late” before entering his car.
For a split second, Nino froze. Jun having that kind of assessment followed by the guy simply dismissing the same meant something. He couldn’t help but swallow hard before saying his own thanks and entering his car.
-----
Ohno is ignoring him.
That much Nino was sure of by the time their Arashi ni Shiyagare shoot ended for the day. Their group had just reconvened at the greenroom to pack up before they all headed out when he finally confirmed what he had been suspecting all day long.
At first he thought it was just a coincidence that Ohno didn’t answer to him when he asked the guy a question upon his arrival. After all, by that time, Ohno (and Sho) was heading out of the greenroom and he was running late. Throughout the shoot too, he and Ohno barely had any interaction, not to the extent that it’d be too obvious to the audience or the guest but enough for him to notice.
But seeing as they’re all at the greenroom when he just asked the guy to pass him his DS that was just next to Ohno’s bag and the guy ignored him, it’s confirmed.
“What’s his problem?” he asked Sho as they all headed out of the greenroom, Ohno and Aiba hanging back to bring the rear of their group.
It wasn’t Sho who replied though.
“It’s his version of returning the favor,” Jun replied as he and Sho shared a look and a smirk. “I think.”
“What did I do?!” Nino asked in surprise.
“You ignored me,” came Ohno’s voice from behind, a heavy accusation riding on his voice.
“When?!”
“Earlier,” Aiba supplied. “He was a few steps behind you at the corridor, he was calling you but you ignored him.”
“No I didn’t!” Nino cried in exasperation. “I never heard you call!”
“See!” Ohno complained, looking more at Sho and Jun who was flanking Nino’s sides than at Nino directly. “You were wearing that jacket and a baseball cap and glasses.”
Before Nino could say anything, Sho added “You have to admit, you have a knack of ignoring us and disappearing acts for quite some time.”
Before Nino knew it, Ohno, Sho, Aiba and Jun had ended up rounding on him, all looking at him. Jun summed up what they wanted.
“Answers, Nino. We need an explanation.”
He sighed.
“Fine! But it isn’t what you guys think,” he said before turning his back on them and heading to the direction opposite where they were supposed to go. “Follow me.”
-----
“Guys, you all know Yuriko,” Nino introduced the moment he stepped out of another greenroom 1 floor up and 3 doors down from the one they were using with the familiar female figure right behind him.
“Hi,” Yuriko smiled, bowing lightly and slightly sheepishly at the other four.
“I keep forgetting how you two look so much alike!” Sho smiled as the rest of them acknowledged the woman.
“Yeah,” Jun added. “Like we’re seeing double,” he said, throwing Nino a meaningful look.
“Yeah, about that,” Nino grinned sheepishly, at least the way Nino grins sheepishly. “The two of us… well… it’s the two of us…”
Before any of them could even say a word, the door opened to reveal the head of Yuriko’s manager. “Yuriko, the shoot is about to start.”
“Coming!” Yuriko called back just as her manager withdrew her head. Turning back to the group, she bowed her head lightly and said “It’s nice meeting you guys, again” before retreating to the room.
The other four men she left outside though didn’t fail to notice her squeeze Nino’s hand before she finally entered the room.
And it was to their interested and amused looks that Nino turned back to after following Yuriko enter the room with his eyes. A couple more moments of standing under their penetrating looks (because Nino would never cower under those glares), Nino ended up sighing.
“Okay! We’re dating!” he cried.
Part of him was expecting them to cry out indignation or something of that sort for him not telling them about her, the very same reaction he just knew they had earlier when he pulled out Yuriko from the greenroom but just kept hidden because they had to keep on their pretenses, especially when they could easily be seen or overheard by anyone else. But what happened was something else.
“We know,” Aiba said as the four men turned around with a shrug, heading towards the exit like they were supposed to earlier.
“Wait! What?!” he cried in surprise, catching up with the four by the time he unfroze.
“We know,” Sho repeated. “You could not have expected us not to figure this out, right?”
The honest answer would actually be “Yes” but Nino didn’t say that. Instead, he said “When? How?”
“Oh, somewhere between us seeing you in doubles just that you and your double seemed to always end up going to the opposite directions,” Aiba replied. “They didn’t believe at first.”
“But then we remembered Yoshitaka Yuriko and it all clicked,” Jun added.
“And you hid it from me?” Nino asked in surprise.
“You hid it from us!” Aiba exclaimed.
“Yeah,” Ohno said. “Why?!”
Nino couldn’t speak for a while. And then he sighed.
“I was still trying to figure out the right timing to tell you guys,” he admitted.
“Well, while you were trying to figure it out, we figured it out before you,” Sho said.
“Yeah,” Jun agreed. “Next time, if you want to keep it a secret, try not to be too visible. Not everyone will buy the ‘seeing double’ illusion.”
“Yeah,” Ohno added. “Even if you two do look a lot like each other.”
Nino didn’t bother to speak. From the sounds of it, not only had he been made ages ago, he’s also not going to hear the end of it soon. And, from the gloating and successful looks of his four friends, he knew the guys are enjoying it.
He could only groan.
-----FIN-----
yay Nino!
LOL
thoughts anyone?
i'd love to hear them... :)