Happiness Through the Storm 6
Title: Happiness Through the Storm
Rating: R (Just in case)
Member/Pairing: Sakurai Sho / OC / Aiba Masaki
Author: clarielejsg_ohnolove
Chapter Six
“Hey! Hey, guys! Don’t you feel a little proud? ‘Ashita no Kioku’ is playing!” Nino bragged, as if the people whom he was talking to weren’t part of his triumph, as he approached their table, holding a glass of champagne, his favorite ‘formal’ drink since the wine they have been used to is, as supposed, not the taste of the wealthy men Johnny Kitagawa had invited in this party, which was totally out of the blue.
“Oh… Is it? Congratulations then, Nino.” Jun smirked flatly, not knowing what words fitted to answer his friend since playing a song they sang is already a cliché.
“So cold…” Nino countered as he raised an eyebrow at the DoS’s direction.
“It’s not like we just debuted, right?”
Nino decided to give it up on Jun. He doesn’t want to lead this proud feeling to a fight. To break the silence of the other three members, he turned to Sho who was seated on his left since, as usual, Ohno is at his right. “How about you, Sho-kun? Don’t you feel proud since this is your drama’s theme?”
“Not really.”
Nino was a little pissed. To make that worse, Jun’s ‘I-told-you’ eyes were carefully fixed at him. Giving up is not in his vocabulary and so he leans closer to the table, to emphasize his want to start a conversation with Aiba. “Ne, Aiba-chan? Don’t you feel a little proud? Come on, it’s going to end!”
“Nino, it’s not like I am hearing our recorded voices with instrumental accompaniment in public for the first time.” Aiba replied blankly as he was watching his phone like someone is going to rob it anytime soon.
“Aiba, the long thing you just called ‘our recorded voices with instrumental accompaniment’, can be reduced in short and it’s called ‘music’.” He can not lie to himself anymore nor enlighten his mind with the ‘no giving up’ motto of his. There are only five members in Arashi and minus himself, only three can be negotiable since the one who is to be the one they call ‘Leader’ is the least person you can ever socialize with. “Mou!” Nino uttered strongly but still with poise since it was public and a lot of people from the press are watching. He doesn’t want to read the entertainment headline the next day things like ‘Arashi is fighting?’ or ‘Arashi’s life is over? We thought it’s Re(mark)Able?’ title along with a picture of him standing, holding a grudge on the table, eyeing furiously to the four other members. “Seriously guys, why so serious?” Oh great. Right now, he’s being Heath Ledger as Joker in The Dark Knight. Cut the Hollywood crap for now, Kazunari!
“Yuri hasn’t yet returned my calls since we last saw each other.” Aiba spoke as he dialed the speed dial for Yuri. When his call was transferred to mail box, he even extended it as a proof to Nino. “I’m just worried.”
Nino was about to construct as he says on-the-spot his comforting speech for Aiba but he was destructed by the sudden sounds of camera flashes. He turned around as he caught glimpse that the other guys did so maybe because of curiosity of another superstar that will enter.
***
“How are you, Oniichan?” Johnny asked as he offered the other champagne he was holding. “I haven’t seen you in months.”
“I’m fine and the businesses are doing well but we’re not as dominating in the hotel world as you are in the entertainment world.” He sipped his drink and let out the gas of the burning fluid in his throat like acid. “Or should I say you’re already ruling it.”
“That’s too much but thank you.” He said as he looked at NEWS as they were performing Koi no ABO on stage. “And it’s all thanks to them.” he smiled wider.
“You know, I haven’t seen you smile that genuine since that moment.” He said as he glanced at the boy group. He looked back on his younger brother and read his atmosphere. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, I’m fine. Olivia was a great lost but it’s been eighteen years. I’ve been doing well.”
“You’re not talking about the younger one?”
“’Younger one’? Oh, Carla? I’m missing spoiling someone recently but I just feed that hunger through spending more-than-enough in these kids’ concerts.” Johnny laughed to make his statement light but, bottom of his heart says the truth. The truth that he is still in need of a family even it had been eighteen years.
“Johnny, do you know that lady?”
“Who?”
“That one who walks dazzlingly but as if she owns the night?” It’s going well he thought
***
She woke up, opening her eyes, realizing she is completely different. She’s not in her house which she last remembered were she was supposed to be, she isn’t wearing the sweatshirt she was supposed to be wearing and she’s not alone like she was supposed to be in her house since, as far as she knew, Aiba had just left.
Instead…
She’s seated comfortably in a Mercedes Benz she just sees in reality as Johnny enters the building as she was on her way to Arashi’s room. She’s dressed in a red glaze gown and her hair was curled and someone’s driving for her. The only thing that was retained was the necklace she just had.
“Excuse me?” she leaned forward. “Where are we heading to?”
“We are on our way to a party you’ll attend, young lady.”
“Party? Hey, you know, just stop this car because you might have mistaken me for someone else.”
“No, young lady, it’s a party you needed to attend as said by Mr. President.”
“Well, if I am your ‘young lady’, I’m telling you to stop the car. IT’S AN ORDER!”
“Orders can take effect only if they are from Mr. President, young lady.”
Yuri didn’t budge for another reply as the driver made a turn and parked the car. She looked at the establishment in front of her. It’s not just any hotel. It’s the highest and most luxurious in Tokyo.
“We’re already here, young lady.”
Her door was opened by a random service man from the hotel as she stepped outside, meted by flashes of SLR cameras and camcorders from the mass media.
***
Joseph’s phone rang and he looked on the caller ID. As he half-ran outside to answer Kenji’s call, he excused himself verbally to Johnny, leaving his younger brother in daze, as he knows that Johnny’s thinking about his own torn past.
“What’s up, Kenji?”
“I have found the precious data.”
***
“Yuri…” Aiba called in an astound manner, left breathless as he was looking to the lady in glaze red.
“Aiba, go get her!” Jun said as he signaled ‘go’ to him. But, knowing Aiba, he’s going to be left there bewildered in her lovely presence so he just smirked even that was a great chance.
And, true, Aiba’s mouth was O as he watches her pose for the cameras.
***
Johnny watched the girl walk dazzlingly and professionally.
She was like Olivia when I met her years ago.
***
Yuri didn’t know how she’ll move since she’s not familiar where is where and who is who. She just posed, quarter-turned for the cameras as she was the only one in the red carpet. She walked further and further, her attention to where she figured where she’ll go. The next thing she knew, she tripped a cord and she’s in air.
She’s falling.
Yet, she can’t control gravity.
But, before she could meet the hard ground, she’s already still.
“Are you okay?
Yuri couldn’t find the words to answer him. Though in her mind, she’s still constructing the right speech she should tell him later as he helped her stand again.
“Sakurai-san! Sakurai-san! Is she your girlfriend?”
Sho couldn’t help but feel a little flattered as much as he wanted to laugh at the wrong assumption, as usual, by the press. He just smiled at them as he led himself and Yuri towards their table.
As they reached the table, Aiba couldn’t help but turn away at the sight of seeing her in Sho’s arms. But, he doesn’t want to look paranoid since Sho did help. “Thank you, Sho.” At least he could manage to speak the right words.
Yuri took the liberty to release herself in Sho’s arm as she walked towards the free seat beside Aiba. “Hi.” She was, inside, hoping for a response. Seconds later, he just turned away, towards the bar and she was left there, not attended like air.
***Author’s Note***
What? Aiba is jealous?
Oh? Who is Olivia? Why is Yuri compared to Olivia by Johnny?
And, what’s the precious data Kenji was talking about?
Oh My God!
Thanks for your reviews! I hope you will continue doing so in the future! I love reading your comments; they make me hyped up to formulate the next chapter.