Red Herring [1/4]
Author: Ani
Genre: Fluff, slight angst
Rating: G
Pairings: Chiitaro, hints of others
Word Count: 1832
Summary: Seventeen years. He was a normal kid for about eight of those seventeen. Then Johnny's appeared in his life and everything changed. Three years he's been with JUMP. And five years he's been in love with the boy who barely seemed to notice his existence.
Disclaimer: I don't own JE
"Congrats, Chii, you're 17 like the rest of us now!"
"Happy birthday, Chinen."
"Welcome to the club, maybe you'll grow taller too."
Chinen smiled brightly at all the greetings and glomps he got from the other 7 members as he walked into their dressing room.
"Happy birthday, Chinen-kun."
Somehow, Chinen was able to keep his 'thank yous' and return glomps from betraying the sudden skip his heart decided to take at hearing his voice. Finally, he couldn't ignore the youngest member anymore without seeming rude.
"Still trying to act all polite, huh?" His light-hearted words hid the pain he felt, each time he heard the -kun added to the end of his name.
Ryutaro shrugged before handing him the present he knew was really picked out by the younger boy's mom. He shook it, vaguely wondering what it would be this time.
With an effort, he turned excitedly to the other members. "Can open them now? Can I? Please please please?" It was his birthday. He had promised himself already not to emo or get depressed on this day.
"Shouldn't we wait for BEST?" Ryutaro asked while Yuuto nodded eagerly, Yamada looked like he didn't care and Keito would just go along with the flow, so long as no one got hurt.
"Don't be such a party pooper, Ryu-chan." Chinen stuck his tongue out, forgetting for a moment he was 17 now and not 7 years old again.
As usual, Yamada and Yuuto had pooled their allowances together and gotten him an Arashi DVD. He gasped and jumped; it was the latest release and he was still saving up his money for it after accidentally spending all of it on other Arashi merchandise.
"Yama-chan says you won't stop talking about it." Yuuto poked his cheeks, evidently pleased at his reaction. "So really, he had selfish motives."
"Be quiet, Yuuto. You wanted to buy him a dress." Yamada tattled as Yuuto clamped a hand over his mouth but it was too late.
Ryutaro snickered, ignoring Chinen's furious glare. "Not a bad idea. Maybe I'll do that for Christmas."
"Don't be an ass, Ryutaro," Yamada chided him, as Yuuto's attempts to suffocate him turned into a hug from behind.
Keito's present was next, and as expected, the Engrish boy had given him a book. Chinen tried to look interested, but he just lacked the passion the older boy had. At least it looked pretty interesting, if one could judge by the cover.
Finally, he turned to Ryutaro's present and tried not to seem too eager as he ripped the wrapping paper apart. He opened the box and felt inside. There was some soft material and he pulled it out, already having a half idea of what it was.
"You got him a yellow shirt?" Keito asked as Chinen turned it around to look at it from all angles. In all honesty, it was probably the best present he gotten from Ryutaro so far.
"Well, he looks cute in yellow." Chinen froze in the middle of his inspection, unable to believe his ears. "That's what my mom says, at least."
"Let me guess, she picked the shirt too?" Yamada asked dryly.
"She said it looked nice and it was on sale." Ryutaro noticed the look Chinen gave him and added, "If you don't like it, I can get the receipt from her so you can return it for something else."
"I-it's fine." Their eyes had met for a second, and now Chinen was getting butterflies in his stomach again. Carefully, he folded the shirt back and placed it in the box, to be worn later.
~~~~
Chinen wondered, as he was about to walk into the dressing, would Ryutaro notice or comment? It was his present after all, even if his mom did help him pick it out. Daiki's voice greeted him, but he felt his attention gravitate directly over to the person next to him, the one deeply absorbed in his DS.
"Hey." Daiki poked Ryutaro's side, and grumpily, the little boy raised his head. "Isn't that the shirt you gave Chinen? It looks good on him."
Ryutaro just shrugged, answering curtly, "Chinen-kun looks good in almost anything."
"Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning." Daiki rolled his eyes, but they softened sympathetically when he saw the dejected air about Chinen.
Taking a seat on Ryutaro's other side, Chinen felt his heart thud from their close distance. He pretended to peek over the other boy to see what he was playing, but really, he was just trying to catch a waft of his scent.
Seventeen years. He was a normal kid for about eight of those seventeen. Then Johnny's appeared in his life and everything changed. Three years he's been with JUMP. And five years he's been in love with the boy who barely seemed to notice his existence.
It wasn't love at first sight. But he certainly noticed Ryutaro the first time they met. The little boy had been a complete brat, first calling him short, then a girl, and even refusing to believe Chinen was older than him.
Their relationship improved slightly by now. Just slightly. At least Ryutaro knew he wasn't a girl anymore, called him 'Chinen-kun' which showed he knew who his elder was, and seemed content to let their heights speak for themselves whenever they lined up next to one another during photoshoots.
Suddenly, Ryutaro leaned backwards and collided with Chinen, who recoiled as though he was burned. "Sorry."
For just a second, Ryutaro's melon-scented shampoo overwhelmed Chinen's senses and he couldn't think. "I'm okay," he finally answered, a moment too late as the younger boy was giving him a curious stare.
Looking away, Chinen could feel his face heating up as he rubbed the spot on his arm that had accidentally brushed against Ryutaro. It was flushing hot beneath his skin. The younger boy hated being touched, so really, Chinen wasn't used to physical contact with him.
"Nii-chan, do you have my lunch?" Shintaro burst into the room, startling everyone.
"I knew it." Ryutaro closed his DS and went up to meet his brother. Chinen couldn't help but watch with envy as Shintaro took his brother's arm and began to swing it back and forth. He knew if he did the same, Ryutaro would just swat him away, telling him to go bother someone else.
But with Shintaro, he just told him, bad-temperedly nonetheless, to not swing his arm off its sockets. Shintaro stuck his tongue out, much like what Chinen did the day before, as Ryutaro pulled out an extra lunch box from inside his bag. Then Shintaro pulled him out of the room for whatever reason and Ryutaro called a quick, "Brb" over his shoulders before the door closed.
Chinen sighed as he disappeared, the dull ache in his heart surfacing again. Ryutaro never understood him, never listened to him, never stopped to even look at him. He asked the younger boy once, "Why not?"
"You've got enough people wrapped around your finger. I'd rather stay out, thanks." In other words, he thought Chinen was an attention whore and didn't need more spoiling. It was after that Chinen stopped sitting on people's laps as much.
Ryutaro still didn't notice and neither did most of JUMP. They all assumed he had grown up. Or finally started listening to their complaints that he was getting heavy.
"He's still a kid." Chinen wasn't being subtle about his sighs. He turned to face Daiki, a small pout on his face.
"He's 15."
"Maybe he's not thinking about love." All of JUMP found about his crush. Wait, scratch that. Almost all of JUMP.
"What's he thinking about? Girls?" Chinen scoffed.
"Nah, I doubt he's into girls." Daiki's face scrunched up as he tried to imagine Ryutaro being interested in girls.
"He said his type was probably an eighteen year old," Chinen retorted. "And he said he was straight."
Daiki blinked. "When was this?"
"October Popolo. By the way, he was talking to you after you exclaimed you couldn't be his girlfriend."
"...I was joking." Daiki still looked distracted, as though he was trying to remember the incident.
"I hope so," Chinen replied darkly. Then he bit his lower lip. "I can't tell if he was or not."
"Have ever considered just telling him?"
Swinging his feet, Chinen answered, "If I can't even become his friend, what are the chances of us...going out?" He said the last two words wistfully, sighing again as Ryutaro came back looking pissed off. Shintaro probably annoyed him one time too much.
The truth was, Chinen had wanted to confess so many times before. He would lay awake at night, perfecting the speech, then lose his cool completely the next day when he tried to get Ryutaro on his own. Instead of giving an eloquent love confession, he would start rambling about some other nonsense until Ryutaro stopped him and asked impatiently what he wanted.
Then Chinen would take one look at his frowning face and smile, say 'never mind~!' and skip away around a corner before running to the closest restroom. He was such a coward. He always hid behind a fake smile and image around Ryutaro because he was so scared of getting his real self rejected by the younger boy. He just wanted a little of the attention Ryutaro would give Shintaro, simply because the junior was just his brother. He couldn't help his heart beating uncontrollably fast each time he got too close to Ryutaro; it was just a natural reaction of his.
He was so deep in thought, he didn't realize Ryutaro was standing in front of him and speaking to him.
Chinen went numb. Ryutaro hardly ever initiated a conversation with him. "Yes?" Great job, the younger boy was talking to him and he totally missed out on everything he said.
Ryutaro was evidently thinking the same lines, because he rolled his eyes before repeating himself. "Can you come with me, Chinen-kun?"
To elope? Yes, of course! No. That wasn't it. "Wha-where?"
Pursing his lips, Ryutaro looked away from him and shuffled his feet nervously. "Just need to tell you something. It's private," he added, sensing Chinen was going to argue.
Nodding, Chinen tried not to spring or show how happy he was feeling. Because there was no way Ryutaro would have the same feelings for him. No, if he did, then Chinen would have been making himself miserable for no reason for the past few years, and that was a depressing thought.
Ryutaro led him to the emergency stairway and they sat down on the bottom steps, one waiting while the other gauged.
"So what's the big secret?" Chinen felt a twinge of pride that he was able to keep his emotions out of his voice. Though he kept playing with his hands nervously and his palm was breaking out in cold sweat, but Ryutaro didn't seem to notice.
"Shintaro says he's in love with you."
A/N: For Chinen's birthday, been wanting to write this idea for a while now.
Genre: Fluff, slight angst
Rating: G
Pairings: Chiitaro, hints of others
Word Count: 1832
Summary: Seventeen years. He was a normal kid for about eight of those seventeen. Then Johnny's appeared in his life and everything changed. Three years he's been with JUMP. And five years he's been in love with the boy who barely seemed to notice his existence.
Disclaimer: I don't own JE
"Congrats, Chii, you're 17 like the rest of us now!"
"Happy birthday, Chinen."
"Welcome to the club, maybe you'll grow taller too."
Chinen smiled brightly at all the greetings and glomps he got from the other 7 members as he walked into their dressing room.
"Happy birthday, Chinen-kun."
Somehow, Chinen was able to keep his 'thank yous' and return glomps from betraying the sudden skip his heart decided to take at hearing his voice. Finally, he couldn't ignore the youngest member anymore without seeming rude.
"Still trying to act all polite, huh?" His light-hearted words hid the pain he felt, each time he heard the -kun added to the end of his name.
Ryutaro shrugged before handing him the present he knew was really picked out by the younger boy's mom. He shook it, vaguely wondering what it would be this time.
With an effort, he turned excitedly to the other members. "Can open them now? Can I? Please please please?" It was his birthday. He had promised himself already not to emo or get depressed on this day.
"Shouldn't we wait for BEST?" Ryutaro asked while Yuuto nodded eagerly, Yamada looked like he didn't care and Keito would just go along with the flow, so long as no one got hurt.
"Don't be such a party pooper, Ryu-chan." Chinen stuck his tongue out, forgetting for a moment he was 17 now and not 7 years old again.
As usual, Yamada and Yuuto had pooled their allowances together and gotten him an Arashi DVD. He gasped and jumped; it was the latest release and he was still saving up his money for it after accidentally spending all of it on other Arashi merchandise.
"Yama-chan says you won't stop talking about it." Yuuto poked his cheeks, evidently pleased at his reaction. "So really, he had selfish motives."
"Be quiet, Yuuto. You wanted to buy him a dress." Yamada tattled as Yuuto clamped a hand over his mouth but it was too late.
Ryutaro snickered, ignoring Chinen's furious glare. "Not a bad idea. Maybe I'll do that for Christmas."
"Don't be an ass, Ryutaro," Yamada chided him, as Yuuto's attempts to suffocate him turned into a hug from behind.
Keito's present was next, and as expected, the Engrish boy had given him a book. Chinen tried to look interested, but he just lacked the passion the older boy had. At least it looked pretty interesting, if one could judge by the cover.
Finally, he turned to Ryutaro's present and tried not to seem too eager as he ripped the wrapping paper apart. He opened the box and felt inside. There was some soft material and he pulled it out, already having a half idea of what it was.
"You got him a yellow shirt?" Keito asked as Chinen turned it around to look at it from all angles. In all honesty, it was probably the best present he gotten from Ryutaro so far.
"Well, he looks cute in yellow." Chinen froze in the middle of his inspection, unable to believe his ears. "That's what my mom says, at least."
"Let me guess, she picked the shirt too?" Yamada asked dryly.
"She said it looked nice and it was on sale." Ryutaro noticed the look Chinen gave him and added, "If you don't like it, I can get the receipt from her so you can return it for something else."
"I-it's fine." Their eyes had met for a second, and now Chinen was getting butterflies in his stomach again. Carefully, he folded the shirt back and placed it in the box, to be worn later.
~~~~
Chinen wondered, as he was about to walk into the dressing, would Ryutaro notice or comment? It was his present after all, even if his mom did help him pick it out. Daiki's voice greeted him, but he felt his attention gravitate directly over to the person next to him, the one deeply absorbed in his DS.
"Hey." Daiki poked Ryutaro's side, and grumpily, the little boy raised his head. "Isn't that the shirt you gave Chinen? It looks good on him."
Ryutaro just shrugged, answering curtly, "Chinen-kun looks good in almost anything."
"Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning." Daiki rolled his eyes, but they softened sympathetically when he saw the dejected air about Chinen.
Taking a seat on Ryutaro's other side, Chinen felt his heart thud from their close distance. He pretended to peek over the other boy to see what he was playing, but really, he was just trying to catch a waft of his scent.
Seventeen years. He was a normal kid for about eight of those seventeen. Then Johnny's appeared in his life and everything changed. Three years he's been with JUMP. And five years he's been in love with the boy who barely seemed to notice his existence.
It wasn't love at first sight. But he certainly noticed Ryutaro the first time they met. The little boy had been a complete brat, first calling him short, then a girl, and even refusing to believe Chinen was older than him.
Their relationship improved slightly by now. Just slightly. At least Ryutaro knew he wasn't a girl anymore, called him 'Chinen-kun' which showed he knew who his elder was, and seemed content to let their heights speak for themselves whenever they lined up next to one another during photoshoots.
Suddenly, Ryutaro leaned backwards and collided with Chinen, who recoiled as though he was burned. "Sorry."
For just a second, Ryutaro's melon-scented shampoo overwhelmed Chinen's senses and he couldn't think. "I'm okay," he finally answered, a moment too late as the younger boy was giving him a curious stare.
Looking away, Chinen could feel his face heating up as he rubbed the spot on his arm that had accidentally brushed against Ryutaro. It was flushing hot beneath his skin. The younger boy hated being touched, so really, Chinen wasn't used to physical contact with him.
"Nii-chan, do you have my lunch?" Shintaro burst into the room, startling everyone.
"I knew it." Ryutaro closed his DS and went up to meet his brother. Chinen couldn't help but watch with envy as Shintaro took his brother's arm and began to swing it back and forth. He knew if he did the same, Ryutaro would just swat him away, telling him to go bother someone else.
But with Shintaro, he just told him, bad-temperedly nonetheless, to not swing his arm off its sockets. Shintaro stuck his tongue out, much like what Chinen did the day before, as Ryutaro pulled out an extra lunch box from inside his bag. Then Shintaro pulled him out of the room for whatever reason and Ryutaro called a quick, "Brb" over his shoulders before the door closed.
Chinen sighed as he disappeared, the dull ache in his heart surfacing again. Ryutaro never understood him, never listened to him, never stopped to even look at him. He asked the younger boy once, "Why not?"
"You've got enough people wrapped around your finger. I'd rather stay out, thanks." In other words, he thought Chinen was an attention whore and didn't need more spoiling. It was after that Chinen stopped sitting on people's laps as much.
Ryutaro still didn't notice and neither did most of JUMP. They all assumed he had grown up. Or finally started listening to their complaints that he was getting heavy.
"He's still a kid." Chinen wasn't being subtle about his sighs. He turned to face Daiki, a small pout on his face.
"He's 15."
"Maybe he's not thinking about love." All of JUMP found about his crush. Wait, scratch that. Almost all of JUMP.
"What's he thinking about? Girls?" Chinen scoffed.
"Nah, I doubt he's into girls." Daiki's face scrunched up as he tried to imagine Ryutaro being interested in girls.
"He said his type was probably an eighteen year old," Chinen retorted. "And he said he was straight."
Daiki blinked. "When was this?"
"October Popolo. By the way, he was talking to you after you exclaimed you couldn't be his girlfriend."
"...I was joking." Daiki still looked distracted, as though he was trying to remember the incident.
"I hope so," Chinen replied darkly. Then he bit his lower lip. "I can't tell if he was or not."
"Have ever considered just telling him?"
Swinging his feet, Chinen answered, "If I can't even become his friend, what are the chances of us...going out?" He said the last two words wistfully, sighing again as Ryutaro came back looking pissed off. Shintaro probably annoyed him one time too much.
The truth was, Chinen had wanted to confess so many times before. He would lay awake at night, perfecting the speech, then lose his cool completely the next day when he tried to get Ryutaro on his own. Instead of giving an eloquent love confession, he would start rambling about some other nonsense until Ryutaro stopped him and asked impatiently what he wanted.
Then Chinen would take one look at his frowning face and smile, say 'never mind~!' and skip away around a corner before running to the closest restroom. He was such a coward. He always hid behind a fake smile and image around Ryutaro because he was so scared of getting his real self rejected by the younger boy. He just wanted a little of the attention Ryutaro would give Shintaro, simply because the junior was just his brother. He couldn't help his heart beating uncontrollably fast each time he got too close to Ryutaro; it was just a natural reaction of his.
He was so deep in thought, he didn't realize Ryutaro was standing in front of him and speaking to him.
Chinen went numb. Ryutaro hardly ever initiated a conversation with him. "Yes?" Great job, the younger boy was talking to him and he totally missed out on everything he said.
Ryutaro was evidently thinking the same lines, because he rolled his eyes before repeating himself. "Can you come with me, Chinen-kun?"
To elope? Yes, of course! No. That wasn't it. "Wha-where?"
Pursing his lips, Ryutaro looked away from him and shuffled his feet nervously. "Just need to tell you something. It's private," he added, sensing Chinen was going to argue.
Nodding, Chinen tried not to spring or show how happy he was feeling. Because there was no way Ryutaro would have the same feelings for him. No, if he did, then Chinen would have been making himself miserable for no reason for the past few years, and that was a depressing thought.
Ryutaro led him to the emergency stairway and they sat down on the bottom steps, one waiting while the other gauged.
"So what's the big secret?" Chinen felt a twinge of pride that he was able to keep his emotions out of his voice. Though he kept playing with his hands nervously and his palm was breaking out in cold sweat, but Ryutaro didn't seem to notice.
"Shintaro says he's in love with you."
A/N: For Chinen's birthday, been wanting to write this idea for a while now.