[FAN FIC] Smudged by Coffee (Chapter 6/6 + Epilogue)
Title: Smudged by Coffee (Chapter 6/6 + Epilogue)
Length: 1109 words for the last chapter & epilogue (chaptered)
Rating: PG-7
Genre: Adventure, family, mystery, supernatural
Pairing: Sakumoto (main)
Summary: Sho has a mission and his friend Masaki and cousin/guardian angel Satoshi will help him.
Author's Notes:
- 99% of those who will read this are familiar with Arashi, but for those who aren't, please refer to this video to have visual of the members (their names are shown as Last Name First Name as what is common in Japan. In this story, their name format is in English with Japanese honorifics).
- This is the final saga of my trilogy (with Heavenly Coffee and Message in a Cup). Our favorite characters are back with a new story. Special thanks to my beta saana_13.
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CHAPTER 6
Sho looked at Jun and tried to absorb what he heard. He squinted his eyes and looked at Jun again. "Jun-chan?" He tentatively asked.
Jun raised an accusing eyebrow at Sho. He got angry whenever someone called him Jun-chan. Not even Mao can call him by that name. It was a name reserved only for his departed nii-chan. He clenched his fist and prepared to say a litany of reprimand to Sho to never call him by that name.
Sho realized that Jun was about to erupt like a volcano. So he racked his brain to find the right words. "I...I brought back a Chuppa Chups pineapple lollipop from Hawaii, as you requested."
Jun was about to unleash his anger at Sho when his words struck him. He stepped back. “No…” He shook his head and whispered. “It can’t be…”
“Jun-chan,” Sho gently said. He took something from his soaked shoulder bag. “Jun-chan, you asked Papa to tell me to bring you this when he was about to bring you home to us.” He opened his palm and revealed the soaked pineapple Chuppa Chups with an old label. “I’ve kept this with me in the hopes that one day, I’ll find you and give this to you.” His bit his lips and tried to hold back the tears.
Jun stopped moving. He felt slightly dizzy. He was told that his Papa died with the rest of the family. His mother never told him about any survivor at all.
Jun looked at Sho. He understood now. He wondered why he could not get angry at Sho no matter how the other felt bitter about the failed business deal. Now he knew. His heart recognized his nii-chan when he eyes couldn’t.
Jun blinked and looked at Sho’s hand. He did ask for the Chuppa Chups. It was his last request to his nii-chan before the plane crash. His nii-chan promised to bring him back one and he never failed his promises. His eyes went from the lollipop to Sho’s face. Sho’s eyes were the same as his father’s. "Sssho-niichan???" His voice trembled. “Sho-niichan…Is… Is that you?” He tried to hold back his tears but failed miserably.
Sho slowly nodded.
"Sho-niichan!!!” He cried and hugged Sho like he did when he was a little boy. “I thought you died!" He sobbed on Sho’s shoulders. "I cried for days when they said that you all died."
Sho hugged him tightly, unable to hold back his own tears. "I tried to look for you. I tried to contact every Jun or Juinichi Sakurai. I didn't know your last name is Matsumoto."
Sho sniffed and whispered the poem to Jun:
"The once lonely cherry tree
Blooms lovely now by the sea.
New branches suddenly grew
Brought color and life anew."
Jun continued:
"A new branch broke forth
And thus headed north
Henceforth called a pine
Forever still mine."
"You know the poem!" Sho exclaimed.
"Papa already gave you a clue there: Pine, Matsumoto." Jun said.
Sho cleared his throat. "That part of the poem was smudged by [spilled] coffee."
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EPILOGUE
"Here's a toast to the newly weds. Congratulations to my dear brother, Jun, and his bride, Mao. May you have a blissful married life! Kanpai!" Sho lifted his glass.
"Kanpai!" Masaki said and clapped his hands with the crowd.
Jun, Mao, Sho and Masaki proceeded to Jun's house for a private celebration with just the four of them.
Sho beamed at Jun. "Your firstborn son should be called Shinichi."
Jun chuckled. "Why should you name my future son?"
"Because that's the Sakurai tradition. All sons names should start with S. Initials should be S.S. but it will be S.M. for your children." Sho explained.
Jun smiled so hard and unconsciously shed a tear of joy. He was glad that Sho never considered him as an outsider despite having a different last name and mother. Since their family discovery, Sho again treated him like his own brother, just like when they were children.
"So...Cousin Jun," Guardian Angel Satoshi said. "I demand another private family party to celebrate the new Sakumoto Pty. Ltd. You will also have special guests."
"There is no need for another party. This one will do," Red, aka Shu Sakurai, appeared before them. Beside him were Green and Blue.
"Red-san got impatient and wanted to join today. Good thing Ryo and I already asked the higher ups for permission for them to be here," Guardian Angel Nino said.
"Papa!" Both Jun and Sho ran to their father and was able to hug him.
"My sons," Shu hugged his boys tight. "I am glad that you found each other."
Green and Blue stood behind Shu and tried their best not to cry.
"After twenty years, Shu saw his sons again. I hope that he will treat us to this very expensive restaurant with superb gyozas in the afterlife," Green showed a hopeful smile.
"And I hope Shu will give me a new fish bait," Blue added.
Shu laughed. "Sho-chan, this is Uncle Kei." He looked at Blue's direction, then back to Sho. "He was the one who named you Sho. We call him Blue in the afterlife. Still remember him?"
Sho smiled. "Uncle Kei! Thank you for the Lego sets. I still kept them through these years," he hugged Blue then looked at Green. "Uncle Kazama?" He hugged the other as well.
Shu looked at Jun. "Jun-chan, remember Uncle Kazama? He sent you food in Kindergarten every day and drove you to my house on Fridays."
"Oh! I remember you, Uncle Kazama! You brought the best bento!" Jun hugged Green.
"Please take good care of my little Jun," Shu held Mao's hands.
"Baka!" Blue hit Red's head. "He's a grown up man! Stop calling him little Jun!"
Everybody laughed.
Sho nudged Jun. "Jun-chan, here is my wedding gift." He handed Jun a small box.
"Thank you, Sho-niichan!" Jun excitedly opened the box. Inside were two pineapple flavored Chuppa Chups.
Jun was teary-eyed at the significance of the gift. It meant the continuation of their brotherly relationship and now Mao being a part of it, too.
Jun took a handwritten note inside the gift box and read it out loud:
"To my brother Jun and my new sister Mao,
I wish you all---" His voice started to falter as he was already teary-eyed.
"Let me read it out loud so that they can hear it better," Masaki offered but spilled the contents of his coffee cup on the note.
"Uhh-oh..." Masaki said and quickly ran for cover.
Ryo tried to pull Jun's arm, but failed.
"Masaki!!!" Sho and Jun screamed together and ran after Masaki.
Disclaimer: This is an original fictional work loosely based on the members of the group Arashi and does not promote any specific brand or product. People, places, and others used in this story are purely for fiction.