24 hour TV letters, 2019 edition
Title: 24 hour TV letters, 2019 edition
Pairing/Focus: Arashi gen, a little Ohno-centric
Rating: PG
Word count: 2,422
Genre: Angst. Heavy angst on my part since I was crying at some parts while I was writing them. Also fluff, humor, and Arashi warmth - a term I hereby coin as a genre, but that’s just me.
Summary: It has been a tradition to have letters read during 24 hour TV. Who will write it this year?
Notes: This is entirely a work of fiction. I barely have any idea what will happen in this year’s 24 hour TV. I only know the theme and the main personality. This is just a product of day-dreaming and longing for cathartic crying.
-=-=-
Nino had been snooping around Ohno's belongings since daybreak, leaving Ohno half-annoyed and half-amused. Not just the bags, Nino had his hands on Ohno's pockets as well, front and back - blatant groping masked as curious investigation.
"Just stop it already. I swear I'm not the one who wrote a letter this time," Ohno whined. It was already nighttime and Nino was still at it. They had a little break while a relatively long video was being played.
"Besides, don't you think the letter should be with the organizers now for safekeeping and not with me?" Ohno reasoned.
"So it is you!" Nino exclaimed. Ohno simply let out a tired sigh.
"I was thinking that it definitely should be Leader this time," Jun said as he reviewed the script for the next hosting segment.
"Yeah, me too," Aiba said as he rested his head on the back of the couch.
Maybe they were only trying to confuse him, Ohno thought, as he ate the slice of strawberry shortcake one mouthful after another. To put the spotlight on him when in fact it was all four of them who wrote a letter.
An empty plate and an empty cup of tea later, Ohno felt rejuvenated. Or maybe there would be no letter this year, he thought.
When the time for their performance was around half an hour away, Ohno was starting to have an unsettling feeling from the pit of his stomach and he knew that the snack earlier had nothing to do with it. It was as if he knew a surprise would come and he didn't know how he would react.
After showing the video of the runner momentarily slowing down and having some water for refreshment, Hatori-san, one of the hosts, did an announcement. "And now as per tradition, it's time for the letters."
The members looked at each other acting like they didn't know anything which was actually the reality. Nino sneaked a glance at Ohno suspiciously while the latter simply did a subtle shake of the head.
The lights on the stage dimmed and a video started to play on the screen.
It featured a desk set in a room on the second floor in what appeared to be a seaside resort. Light was peeking through as the curtains were gently dancing with the wind. The sound of the waves acted as a serene background music.
There was a lavender-colored letter on the table and as the camera slowly zoomed in on it to show the contents of the said letter, a voice was heard in the hall.
"Dear Jun, surprise! You didn't expect this, ne?" The moment Jun recognized that voice, his eyes started to water. He covered his mouth to contain his sobbing, not expecting anything like what was happening. Oh, it was a surprise, alright. The face was not shown in the video, but the voice was enough to tug at Jun's heartstrings.
He looked at the other members and found them desperately trying to contain their emotions as well. They knew that if there was a letter from Jun's mom, there would be a letter from everyone's mom.
"It's amazing how you have matured throughout the years, Jun. You've become unafraid to show your soft and gentle side. I'm happy that more people get to see that. I know how hardworking and dedicated you are but please don't forget to rest." By this time, Jun was practically sobbing. Sho and Ohno had an arm on his shoulder on each side to support him as Nino and Aiba came closer as well.
"Everyone from Arashi, please take care of our Jun!" The other four members simply nodded in response.
"From okaa-san," she said, and the video ended.
Only a few seconds elapsed - not even enough time for them to gather their bearings - before another letter was shown on the screen. It was in the lightest of yellow and neatly folded.
"Dear Kazunari," the letter began. "I was really happy when I was able to consistently beat you at Mario Kart last month." Nino heartily laughed bending his head backward in glee. "Even though I have a feeling that you just let this old lady win without even trying. Anyway, guess what? Aiba-kun's mom and I hit in the ticket balloting! We'll be going to your concert together! We won't tell you which date though so we can surprise you!" She let out an evil laugh as Nino and Aiba glanced at each other, apparently clueless regarding the news.
"Take care of your body, okay? And to everyone, I know you're all busy but please don't neglect your health." With this, all five of them bowed their heads in recognition.
"And eat properly, okay? Expect a sack of rice from me to be sent to your place, Tokai-sensei!" she said.
"She's being ridiculous," Nino muttered to himself, away from the microphone while shaking his head in amusement. If only the video showed her face, Nino was almost sure she would be winking, followed by her signature evil grin. Where else could he get it from?
Everyone, as well as the audience and hosts, felt a little lighter with that letter after the emotional one from Jun's mother.
Next was Aiba's mom. Ohno knew that with this progression, he would be the last. He was hoping that the letter he would receive would be as light as Nino's mom's letter but somehow, deep inside, he knew he would end up in a puddle of tears. He was already bracing himself for it.
"Dear Masaki," a female voice said. "You are always welcome to come back home so your father and I can make gyoza with you." Aiba gave a high-pitched laugh while Sho clapped his hands in mirth. Aiba's mother was apparently referring to the part in A la tsubo wherein Aiba showed 3 pieces of years-old gyoza in his freezer that he couldn't eat because those were the gyoza he made with his father.
"You can even invite the other members to come to Chiba and make gyoza with us if they have time," she said. At this, the audience cheered. It sounded like another five-person project in the making, much like the five of them making snow globes for Sho's happiness.
"I hope you don't become a burden to the other members. Learn and remember the choreography properly, okay?" Aiba covered his face in embarrassment, praying to the heavens that his mother would stop talking already. Meanwhile, Nino was having the time of his life, totally entertained by Aiba's mother.
"Take care of yourself, okay? And this applies to all five of you," she said solemnly. "May you be a sunshine to more people as much as you have been to our family." Those words held a certain warmth that reached the hearts of the audience.
What was shown on the screen next was a pastel red-colored letter.
"Dear Sho, I always watch television recently, I don't why. Maybe I've missed you," Sho's mother said. Sho once sent a LINE message before that he discovered that his mother says 'Otsukaresama!' after watching him doing the news.
"We may have been against you being an idol at first but seeing you happy all these years makes us happy and proud. I know you've said that you're still in your rebellious period right now, but it doesn't feel that way at all. You're the best form of Sakurai Sho we could ever ask for. Eat properly, okay? Chubby cheeks suit you well," Sho's mother said. Jun and Aiba pinched Sho's cheek from each side of his face as if to prove a point. “Make sure the other members get chubbier cheeks as well, alright?”
Meanwhile, Nino draped his arm around Ohno's shoulder - a solid anchor for what was ahead.
The screen revealed a powder blue-colored letter for last. The setting on the video was already getting darker as it was nearing twilight. The camera slowly focused on the handwritten letter.
"Dear Satoshi, it's amazing how far you've come! I really expected you to be kicked out of the agency years ago," Ohno’s mother gave a little chuckle, almost sounding like Ohno himself.
"You've always been stubborn and hard-headed when you were young, so I was worried. You have really matured... A little less stubborn now... And a lot stronger." Ohno had his head bowed down the whole time - hiding his face, hiding his tears. Nino tightened his grip around his shoulders. The other members came closer as well, still lined up.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the other members as well. Sho-kun, Aiba-chan, Nino-kun, Jun-kun, thank you for taking care of our Satoshi. Thank you for your patience with him even though he's not quite leader-like. Thank you for always creating a place for him to come home to. I'm really, really thankful that Satoshi met all of you. I will always be an Arashi fan!" she said.
The video focused on the sunset on the background - a mixture of blue and purple sky amidst a setting yellowish-reddish sun, a tree with dark green foliage included in the frame.
The rhythm of the waves continued to wash to the shore. Much like the faces of not only Ohno, but all five of them, awash with tears at such a heartfelt message.
"Since the theme of this year's 24 hour TV is about moving on to the next era, we had your mothers, who largely belonged to the Showa era, give a message to each one of you who mostly lived in the Heisei era," one of the hosts said. "How was it, Matsumoto-san?"
"It was really surprising! I was the first one who received the letter, so I didn't have time to prepare my heart. I really thought it would be Leader this year!" Jun said as he looked at the other members.
"That's right! We thought Leader was just playing dumb as he kept on denying it," Nino chirped in.
"How was the letter from your mother, Tokai-sensei?" one of the hosts teased.
"No, no, no," Nino said as he waved his hand in front of his face. "My mother was being really ridiculous," he whined affectionately. "But I'm really looking forward to finding her in our concert. It'll be like a treasure hunt."
"Like a little game, huh?" the host said. "How about Aiba-san?"
"I guess I'll participate in that treasure hunt as well," Aiba said cheerfully. "But I don't know what my mom was talking about. I'm actually good at learning choreography! I just," Aiba was speaking adamantly but was interrupted as Nino gave out a loud fake-cough, leaning his forehead on Aiba's shoulder.
The audience, along with Sho, laughed out loud while Ohno and Jun grinned at the antics of the two.
"It'll be nice to make gyoza together, though, all five of us," Aiba said, recovering quite fast from Nino's teasing.
"Your restaurant's gyoza is really delicious!" Sho said excitedly, his eyes reflecting his longing to indulge with good food.
"Let me remind you, we'll be making gyoza, okay? Not just eating them," Jun reminded Sho as he placed a hand on Sho's shoulder.
"Now that you mention it, I'd like to personally see the gyoza that Sho-kun himself made," Ohno chimed in as if remembering something from the past.
"Right, the last time you sent us a picture of the gyoza you made, it was really scary," Nino said with horror in his face.
Sho clapped his hands in amusement while looking at the members.
"Yes, really scary," Ohno muttered.
"Were those supposed to be meatballs after all?" Aiba asked in jest.
"They didn't even retain the original shape of a gyoza!" Nino said.
"Ahh, now I'm really looking forward to this gyoza-making event," Jun chuckled.
Arashi had their own little world once again, similar to the vibe of their opening talks in VS Arashi, similar to their concert MCs. The hosts were watching Arashi, not wanting to burst their bubble, but the show needed to go on. There was still Arashi's performance after all.
"Sakurai-san, what can you say about the letter you received?" Hatori-san asked.
"Ah, thanks for saving me, Hatori-san," Sho started, referring to Arashi ganging up on him. "I still stand up for my belief that my rebellious phase is still ongoing. Okaa-san, I know you're watching this. I look forward to more petty fights with you!" Sho said as he waved at the camera as if addressing his mother directly, and then doing his Quiz Show MC Kamiyama pose, making the audience cheer.
Hatori-san looked at Ohno next and almost hesitatingly said, "Ohno-san."
"Yes?" Ohno said plastering a comical smile on his face in an effort to conceal the tears in the brink of falling.
Before anyone could say anything, Nino intervened. "Don't make fun of our leader now, Hatori-san," he said fake-threateningly.
"That's right! Our leader isn't a crybaby!" Jun said, fake-defensively.
"Also, stubborn and hard-headed? Where did that come from?" Aiba said acting fake-confused.
"We'll always be Ohno Satoshi fans, ne?" Sho said proudly. "Ne?" the other three repeated. "Ohno Satoshi deserves an award for his acting tonight."
"Those fake tears were awesome tonight, Leader!" Nino said, placing his palm near his mouth in an act of cheering.
"Because he's by no means a crybaby, ne?" Jun said. "Not a crybaby at all. He's just a good actor."
"Best actor," Aiba corrected.
Ohno covered his face with one hand as he shed tears of joy at the antics of the members. He couldn't control it anymore. He couldn't answer Hatori-san. Besides, there was no question anyway. His name was merely called out.
The other members gathered into a group hug around Ohno. The other hosts and the rest of the audience were moved to tears as well at such a warm atmosphere that was being emitted from the group.
A playful ruffle on the hair.
A light squeeze on the shoulder.
A small punch on the arm.
A swift grope on the butt.
After a few seconds, all five of them were on their standby positions for their performance, just right on schedule. They were professionals after all, and the show needed to go on. There were only 24 hours in a day. Time didn’t wait for anyone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, once again, this is Arashi with their performance," Hatori-san announced as the intro started to play. "Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi."
“Smile again. I’m smile again.”