A TYPICAL LOVE STORY
Disclaimer : I only own the plot and the OCs
A TYPICAL LOVE STORY
“Nii-chan, Mom says breakfast is ready” Ryutaro shifted in his sleep “Five more minutes” he mumbled. “Nii-chan, you’ll be late for school if you do so” Shintaro shook him. Feeling the uncomfortable shake, Ryutaro sat up on his bed, half awake. “Okay, Shin, I’ll be down in a few” He waved his hand to the door, gesturing his brother to leave so he can get ready.
A big yawn escaped from Ryutaro as he walked to school. “Why do you seem so sleepy Nii-chan?” His little brother trotted alongside him. “Hmn? I stayed up late again last night. I’m still on my anime-athon” Ryutaro answered sleepily. Shintaro chuckled. His older brother was such anime addict. You would’ve thought that being the idol he is, he’d have some ‘cool’ hobby, but no, he just loves to watch those animes.
“See ya later Shin” Ryutaro said as he started walking to his class on the right side of the school while his little brother went to the left. “Yeah, later Nii-chan” Shintaro answered. Ryutaro noticed girls giggling as he passed by the hallway to reach his classroom and tried to ignore it, but he couldn’t stop a sigh from escaping his lips. At school, he always wished he were a normal boy, or at least treated as one. Well, he was treated as a normal person, by his guy friends. But the girls? It was difficult, or more like impossible to find a girl who doesn’t giggle, squeal with glee, or swoon whenever he tried to talk to her. It got annoying after a while.
“Ryu, have you heard of the new girl yet?” his friend Kinta asked excitedly. “A new girl? Here? Nope. And I don’t exactly care Kinta, you know how girls act” “Yeah around you, but for the rest of us…” Kinta trailed off when he saw Ryutaro glaring. The school bell rang and they returned to their seats.
“Rise” Ryutaro heard the class-rep say as Kitayama-sensei walked in. “Bow” the class followed. “Take your seats everyone, I have someone to introduce today” when the class had settled, she called out “Kitano-san, please come in” Ryutaro watched Kinta straighten up in front of him as the so called Kitano-san came in. He looked up as she spoke up and introduced herself “Hajimemashite, Kitano Shizuki desu. Basically, I just love to have fun in any activity I do. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu” She bowed slightly. She’s pretty cute, Ryutaro thought. Not that it made any difference if she saw me…probably he added bitterly. “Please take your seat beside Morimoto-kun, over there” Kitayama-sensei pointed the seat beside him. He had been lucky on the seat shuffle and was seated beside the window with guys in front, beside and behind him on the start of the school year, but the guy beside him just had to transfer to Hokkaido a week ago and made it the only empty seat. Great…just wonderful. I hope this doesn’t mean the end of my peaceful class periods.
He watched as Kitano Shizuki walk confidently towards her seat, her shoulder-length hair swaying. After she sat down, she turned to him and said “Yoroshiku, Morimoto-san” Ryutaro nodded his head as a reply. Shizuki then returned her attention back to Kitayama-sensei. Well that was cool. He returned his attention to the teacher as well.
“Nii-chan, I heard there’s a new girl in your class” Shintaro asked his brother bluntly. “Yeah” said Ryutaro shortly. “Is she beautiful?” “Why are you so interested Shin?” Ryutaro asked, annoyed. “Nii-chan, I’m just curious. There’s never been a girl you like, so I’m wondering whether this new girl could make you fall for her” Shintaro pouted. “Well I’m not going to like her just because she’s beautiful. There’s so much more to a person than their looks….or fame” Shintaro looked at his brother concerned. He understood that, maybe not to the same extent since his brother was way more popular than he was, but Shintaro knew that the girls in their school never saw them as who they really were, and it bothered his older brother a lot.
“Everyone, please turn in your field trip form and required money” Ryutaro stood up, and Shizuki did so at the same time and so they bumped. “Sorry” she said “It’s okay, please go ahead” “Oh, and don’t forget to pick your team number. You will have to stick with them during the field trip” “Boys and girls get to be in the same team?” asked one of the students “Yes” said Kitayama-sensei. Everyone started speaking excitedly. “Even for sleeping arrangement?” one of the girls squealed. “Of course not, only during the trips. Girls and boys will be sleeping in separate rooms” The girls sighed in disappointment. Ryutaro went up and took the draw.
7, he read. “Which team, Ryu?” Kinta asked “7” he answered, uninterested. “Great! We’re in the same team! Oh, Shou and Kitano-chan as well” the obviously excited Kinta said loudly. The other girls glared at Kitano, yet she didn’t even blink an eye and just read her book calmly. Well she doesn’t seem half bad, Ryutaro’s mind spoke when he saw that Kitano Shizuki didn’t even look smug. Maybe she doesn’t even know that I’m a member of Hey! Say! JUMP, he hoped.
“Natsune, where’s my cellphone?!” Ryutaro yelled in panic. “Calm down onii-chan, here” his little sister handed him his cellphone she borrowed. His father drove him to the airport, since the field trip destination was Okinawa. “Ittekimasu” Ryutaro said as dashed with his luggage. “Itterashai” his father called out toward his back and left for work as soon as his son’s figure disappeared from his sight.
After everyone had gathered, the class proceeded to do all procedures before flight with no problem and boarded the plane. It turned out that Ryutaro sat beside Shizuki, something he wasn’t very pleased about. However, the two and a half hour flight to Okinawa passed without anything interesting happening. Shizuki chose to read her book while Ryutaro chose to chat with Kinta and Shou.
“Ahhh~that’s more like it” Ryutaro stretched, glad that the flight was over. The whole class took the 3 hour ride to the inn which would become their shelter for the 4 day trip. Since it was close to dinner time when they arrived at the inn, everyone agreed to take a bath and then head for dinner. Trips were to begin the next morning.
“Ne Kitano-chan” Kinta tried opening up a conversation between them “how come you seem so uninterested in Ryu? Don’t you know who he is?” They were on the way to Nakijin-jo Castle, their first destination. “I know perfectly who Morimoto-san is” she answered “He’s part of Hey! Say! JUMP” she finished in a cool manner. So she knew who I was after all went through Ryutaro’s mind. “So how come you’re not swooning over him like all the other girls?” Shou asked out of mere curiosity. “Because Morimoto-san is still a human being who deserves to be treated like me and you, especially because right now, at school, or wherever that’s not for his job, he probably just wants to be seen as himself.” she said. Ryutaro was amazed at this. This was what he had been hoping for a long time. He smiled.
After the wonderful view of the ruins and ocean in Nakijin-jo Castle, they visited the Churaumi Aquarium, one of the biggest aquariums in Japan. The four-floored aquarium was in a word, amazing. Everyone enjoyed looking at the many species of sea-creatures and took lots of pictures together. It seemed extra enjoyable for Ryutaro since everyone seemed to have forgotten about him as they explored the 19,000 m² aquarium. When they had finished in the aquarium, the class headed for lunch at a nearby restaurant.
After a very satisfying lunch, they walked along the coastline and arrived at Sakima Art Museum, which was a museum that was opened to vividly depict the harsh reality of war. The art museum displayed several themes that were closely related to each other, "Human and War," "Life and Death," "Agony and Relief," and the very important exhibit on the Battle of Okinawa. Everybody was in awe as they scanned the museum, and Ryutaro shivered involuntarily at what some of the paintings displayed.
He felt his cellphone vibrate in his jeans pocket and retrieved it.
Nii-chan, how’s the trip so far?
It was Shintaro.
It’s coming along great! The places I’ve visited were wonderful!
Great scenery, wonderful historical place…it’s awesome!
Not to mention there are still more places to visit :D
He continued walking as he waited for his little brother to reply
You have to tell me all about it when you get home!
And don’t forget to bring omiyage! XD
Ryutaro chuckled. Sometimes Shin could be more childish than Natsune.
I won’t. Tell everyone I said hi :)
He returned his attention to the exhibits in the museum. “Was that Shintaro?” Shou asked. He always wanted to know everything. “Yup. Looks like he’s bored” “You have a brother?” Shizuki chimed in. “You didn’t know?” Kinta blurted out before Ryutaro ha the chance to reply “No” she answered casually “I don’t really follow JUMP. I just listen to their music, nothing else. No offense” the girl added to Ryutaro. “None taken. And yes, I have a brother. And a sister too for that matter” “That’s lovely. I’m an only child” she said “How about you, Kinta?” “I have an older brother who’s in college, and Shou here has a sister who’s still in kindergarten” “She’s the cutest sister you could possibly ask for” Shou added smugly.
Their conversation carried on till they arrived back at the inn, where the boys and Shizuki parted to their rooms to change for dinner. “Ryu, you must be happy to find a girl like Shizuki” Kinta said. “Yeah, pretty much.” Ryutaro told him honestly “It’s refreshing to find a girl I can have an actual conversation with” “Do I smell love in the air?” Shou teased. Ryutaro scoffed, “You must be kidding”
The field trip continued the next day, where the class headed for the first event of the day, a natural air-raid shelter. The shelter was a large cave that had a very narrow entrance which served as shelter for 600 people during the WW II. The cave was dark even when you had a flashlight in hand, and being the scaredy-cat Ryutaro was, he gripped the person next to him unconsciously as the class wandered inside.
“Ano, Ryutaro-kun, could you let go now?” a voice startled him as he saw daylight again, and he looked to his side and found out he had been holding on to Shizuki’s arm the whole time they were inside. “Sorry” he released his hands quickly, unsuccessfully trying to hide the blush that was creeping up his cheeks as he did so. Kinta and Shou smirked at the scene in front of them.
Next, they visited Himeyuri Peace Museum and Himeyuri War Memorial which were built in honor of the 194 schoolgirls and 17 teachers mobilized as nurse assistants during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. The museum contained pictures of the students who died in the war, along with information on their lives as nurse assistants.
The trip continued to Okinawa Peace Memorial Park, a large and peaceful park that stood as a monument to the Battle of Okinawa. Names of the victims were listed on slabs which were made of beautiful stone placed in a wave pattern to represent the ocean. A museum stood near the monument, offering information concerning the battle, and the children spent some there before returning to the park after lunch and listen to a speech. When the speech was over, they fold paper cranes, which was the symbol of peace. After that they went to Kokusaidori to buy souvenirs.
When they got back to the inn, most started packing since they would not be going back there the next day. They then did the usual routine of taking a bath before having dinner and then went to bed, exhausted by the day’s activities. Ryutaro, however, lay awake on his bed, not able to fall into slumber. Feeling it was futile to try to sleep when he really couldn’t, he went out to the hallway.
Moonlight shone through the glass windows, making the path perfectly clear to see. The night was peaceful, distant sound of snores could be heard from rooms as Ryutaro passed by. As he approached the sliding door that led to the inn’s garden, he noticed that it was open, and a figure of a girl could be seen sitting on the porch, looking up at the moonlit sky as if hypnotized by its mysterious yet beautiful aura.
Ryutaro walked up to the figure, recognizing who it was as he got closer. “Shizuki-chan, you couldn’t sleep either?” He said softly as he too sat on the porch. “Yeah” she vaguely answered, not shifting her gaze from the sky. They had become close friends during this trip, and Ryutaro was very pleased about it. There was something inside him that told him that he was hoping for something more than friends, but he ignored it. They watched the night sky together in silence, only once in a while speaking to each other yet enjoying each other’s company, every second of it.
Ryutaro woke up the next day feeling a bit dizzy for staying up late, but he was chipper nonetheless. As the students loaded their luggage into the bus, they talked about how they wished the stay could last longer. When everyone had got into their seats, the bus drove to Shurijo Castle, the last place the would be visiting before taking the flight to Tokyo
Shurijo Castle was the center of the Ryukyu Kingdom before Okinawa became part of Japan. Although destroyed in the Battle of Okinawa, it was restored in 2002. They toured around the grounds, visiting the Seiden (the building where the King held court) which consisted of three floors and was painted red with decorations painted in many colors, including gold. They also saw the Sasunoma (the anteroom for the Ryukyu Princes) and Shoin (the building where the King conducted his daily business) which both open up out into a beautiful garden. Pleased and tired after the trip, the whole class instantly fell asleep as the plane took off to take them back home.
“Did you see the pictures?” “Yeah, are they going out or something?” “Nah, impossible” “But they look so close” “Yeah” “Nah” “Stop it” Ryutaro heard hushed voices when he arrived to school with Shintaro the following Monday. He was wondering what the whole school was gossiping about when his little brother found the source and nudged him. “Nii-chan, look” Ryutaro’s eyes followed where his brother’s finger pointed to and saw a few photographs of him together with Shizuki pinned on the notice board along with all other field trip photographs that could be ordered. Sure they all displayed that both subjects people obviously were talking about in it were having fun, but people was exaggerating when they speculated him going out with Shizuki, since most of them were not only of the two of them, but of the whole team 7. Ryutaro decided to not comment, but he sighed as he left for his classroom.
It had been a week since the rumor began, and it had started to cool down. Ryutaro and Shizuki both kept interacting just like they always did, and now people either believed Ryutaro and Shizuki were actually going out or that they were just friends. Ryutaro knew perfectly that they were just friends, but he couldn’t ignore the fact that he wanted to be more than that.
Ryutaro was about to leave school grounds with Shintaro when he heard a distant noise. “Shin, go ahead of me, I forgot something in the classroom” He told Shintaro who obviously didn’t hear a thing. “Okay” Shintaro said and left.
As soon as Shintaro turned around the corner, Ryutaro dashed towards the source of the noise. He saw four girls’ back, and they were cornering someone. He got closer and saw the cornered girl, SHIZUKI! His mind yelled. He ran closer and shouted out “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” The four girls turned their heads in surprise “T-this isn’t what it looks like” one of them said, panic clear in her voice and on all their faces. Ryutaro saw that Shizuki’s uniform were torn in some places and that her face was red from being slapped. “What did you do to her?” Ryutaro questioned, his voice sounding venomous. The girls whimpered “W-we..w-we w-anted c-confirmation” “About the rumors?” Ryutaro cut in, his voice still dangerous “W-well, yes. B-but she” “I see..” Ryutaro said slowly. “You want the truth?” he asked. He closed the distance between the girls, glaring. “Move” he ordered. They did as they were told, and Ryutaro went to Shizuki and then turned towards the four girls “Yes, I admit it. Shizuki and I are going out, and if anyone tries to hurt her for that, I promise to hunt and beat that person” the girls’ eyes widened in shock. “Get it?” he spoke in the same dangerous tone “Yes Morimoto-kun. We’re sorry” they said, both scared and brokenhearted and left them.
Ryutaro turned towards Shizuki and checked if there were any fatal injuries. “Are you okay?” he asked worriedly. She nodded, not uttering a single word and stared at him, still surprised by what he had said. Ryutaro seem to understand the cause of her sudden muteness and blushed. “Umm…yeah” he said awkwardly and his heart beating 10 times faster than usual. “Yeah, since that’s that…..Shizuki-chan…will you go out with me?” asked Ryutaro sheepishly.
おわり
A/N : Sorry about the font...but i can't seem to make them the same size no matter what i do >,< Like it? Hate it? Comment and share me your thoughts <3