Amnesia, His Memory Block ~Chapter 5~
Title: Amnesia, His Memory Block
Author: kore_dake
Length: Multi-Chapter
Pairing: Yabu/Inoo
Rating: PG-13... to keep it safe. XP
Genre: Angst/Fluff (these will surface later on. It's leaning more toward on angst though.)
Disclaimer: Only owns the plot... If i owned these guys, would I really be writing all this? HeeHee >.>
Summary: Ever since a few months ago, ever since that happened, Yabu has stopped coming to work, at least everyone says so. Inoo doesn't believe what the others might say, and he doesn't remember what happened; he sees Yabu everywhere. As the days pass, a confused Inoo desperately tries to find out the truth behind the rumors. The sleuthing begins and Inoo slowly finds out a horrible secret that his mind has been hiding from him all along.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The manager fidgeted in her chair, and Johnny stayed silent, stoic.
Inoo sensed the atmosphere change, but he remained still, not taking back his words.
“Why do you want know about the accident, Inoo-kun?” She mustered up smoothly. “Is this what you want…” Her voice slowly got softer as she finished her question. “Johnny-san?”
She looked at Johnny, who has not made a move since the question was asked. She remained quiet, leaving the rest to the old man. After what seemed like an eternity, Johnny’s stoic state was broken. The elderly founder sat up straight.
“Well,” He began slowly. “What do you want to know about the accident? Has anything been bothering you about it?”
Inoo nodded.
“Yes, sir. There has been something worrying me.”
“Well, tell me then. What is worrying you about the accident.”
“Uh… well, sir.” Inoo started. “Ever since I returned home from the hospital, I noticed something… odd.”
The manager’s attention immediately became acute.
“Was someone following you Inoo? Did anyone try to approach you?”
Inoo tilted his head.
“Now, now do not jump to conclusions. As JUMP’s manager, think before you make conclusions.” Johnny told her; she nodded embarrassed, but not hurt. There was truth in his words.
“What does she mean by that? Is someone after me?” Inoo demanded, trying his hardest to keep his emotions collected.
Johnny subtlety glanced over to the discomfited manager, and gave her a “look at what you have done” look. She lowered her gaze; this time she was hurt. She wished that she could take back her words. She wished that she thought about what she was about to say before she opened her mouth to speak. But, no, she let her feelings take over her and she gave information that was not hers to say. She knew that she was going to get chewed out for what she said later on. Until then, she was spared. She earned a displeased sigh from Johnny. Never a good sign.
A befuddled Inoo sat through the silent exchange happening between the lady who took care of the group’s events and appearances and the founder of the very agency he works for. He couldn’t sit quietly any longer.
“Is there…someone coming after me?” He regained their attention.
Johnny and the lady quickly looked over at Inoo. She was careful to avoid Inoo’s eyes, but Johnny stared straight into them. He knew he couldn’t avoid the question. It wouldn’t hurt to tell him what was necessary, wouldn’t it?
“At the moment, we are not sure. We are investigating the incident right now.” Johnny rubbed his temple. His headache from earlier was returning. “For the moment, you do not need to worry about the matter. Focus on your return for now.”
“But…”
“We will inform you if we find out anything. Right now, the whole event at Shibuya just seems like a far-fetched accident. Rare and highly unlikely to reach that caliber of damage, but possible.” The old man was still rubbing his temple.
“Yes, sir.” Inoo could help but think, “Something isn’t right though. Why does it seem…limited?” Inoo just kept his mouth shut and ate his thoughts.
“That was easier than I thought it would be. Telling things slant… is the only choice I have.” Johnny put his hand down. “Is that all you wanted to ask?”
Something clicked in Inoo’s head.
“Well, sir, my original question was about the accident. May I still ask…” Inoo was unsure if he should explore this subject. It was 7:28 and he didn’t know where there was enough time for it.
“Just ask us what you want and we’ll try to answer it to the best of our knowledge.” Johnny said automatically, too late to stop the words coming out of his mouth. “You said that you noticed something weird…was it? What did you notice?”
“Well ever since I came home…from the hospital,” Inoo spoke slowly, careful and hesitant. He looked around and when he was assured that they were not to intervene with his words, he took a breath. “Ever since I came home from the hospital, I noticed that the accident… was never shown. What I want to know is why haven’t I seen it anywhere?”
If Johnny knew this was coming, he showed no sign of it. He remained silent.
The manager looked up at Inoo but quickly lowered her gaze once again, biting her tongue before something uncalled for came out of her mouth.
“You said it yourself Johnny-san. You said that the accident at Shibuya was unbelievably unexpected. There was a slim chance for something like that to happen, ever, and at that level of damage produced, it makes it seem even more impossible to occur.”
Inoo was on a roll. Thoughts that have been locked within him for so long finally released.
“Nothing like that has ever happened in Shibuya… People, the press, would be all over something like that. Even you, sir, have repeated that the accident has caused a lot. You have stressed it enough. Half of what we’ve talked about in here concerns the events of 4 months ago.”
Inoo exhaled the breath that he never knew he was holding. Mixed emotions: relief, anger, and anxiety. He wasn’t so sure about Kitagawa’s reaction, and honestly, he feared it.
Johnny closed his eyes for a moment. “Observant, this is getting dangerous.” He found that it was easier to be blunt… rather than beat around the bush, but in this situation, things must be handled a different way. He had no other choice.
“That is all true, Inoo-kun. Nothing like that has ever…” A sigh from the old man who was gradually looking older as each tick of the clock passed.
“I don’t remember everything that has happened that day. All I know was that the accident was huge. Johnny-san, you have constantly repeated the destruction that the accident left behind was terrible, but I have no idea how bad it was. If I saw how much damage was dealt, it would be easier on me. But I have no clue at how things really happened. I told our manager that everything becomes blank after the car lost control, no matter how hard I try to recall it, that is all I remember.” Inoo’s good mood was now gone, replaced by frustration.
“I am aware of that.” Johnny needed to keep his answers short for now. The question he didn’t want to hear was close.
Inoo drew a breath.
“What I’m trying to say is this: Why wasn’t it ever broadcasted on the news?”
“And there it is.” Johnny said to himself. Inoo wasn’t done just yet, so the founder stayed quiet.
“Since the day I was dropped off at my house, I’ve watched the news, read the papers, and even looked through tabloid magazines, and not once… has the accident been brought up in either of them. Why was it never mentioned?” Now Inoo was done.
His heart was beating really fast, fear rushing through his veins. He knew he was crossing the line on this, and he was unsure whether or not his question would be answered. He was uncertain if he was in the position to demand for such things.
Johnny’s face grew serious, and the silenced manager tried her best to look emotionless, but she failed miserably.
“It wasn’t on the news because,” another sigh from the tired looking 70-something year old man, “ we ordered them not to broadcast it. Only a selected few was allowed to mention it but we… we couldn’t… we wouldn’t let them elaborate on it.”
“Elaborate?”
“We gave them what they needed. No more.” Johnny said no more. Inoo followed suit and remained quiet as well. He was left to wallow in the information that this mind is currently processing, rather slow.
Johnny glanced over to the clock hanging on the wall. Relief washed his tense face. He knew for now, he had escaped.
“I’m afraid that this is where we have to end our conversation. It is 7:42. Your press conference is near. Preparations have been made and everything should be ready about now. We have to get you to the room before it starts; it will be broadcasted live to home viewers. Your return… will be discussed for the next few days. Please bear with it even if you grow tired of it.” Johnny said with an authoritative tone. It was the end of discussion, no questions asked, no exceptions; Inoo knew that.
Inoo nodded and Johnny stood up. The meek manager looked up at Johnny for a sign and the founder gave a slight nod toward her. She immediately took out her phone and informed the guards of their appearance, positioning them around the perimeter of the conference room. She was gathering up the scattered papers as she was speaking, and at first Inoo just stared.
Realizing that he was dazing off, he instantly stood up and began to help the preoccupied woman gather the documents. She gave him a warm smile and thanked him with a nod of her head. Johnny stood by the door waiting for the other two in the room to finish up.
When they left the conference room, Inoo noticed that the HSJ rehearsal room was silent. There was no light shining underneath the door, so naturally Inoo assumed that they had gone home already.
“I hope you do not mind, but we sent the rest of JUMP home some time ago. Some may have hung around, but due to the full schedule tomorrow, a lot of them have left already.”
Inoo silently walked on, nodding once to show he understood.
As he rounded the corner surrounded by two power figures next to him, he spotted one of his band mates through closing elevator doors. He would have yelled out, but considering whom he was with, he thought it was best not to call him. Inoo smiled though, seeing it was one of his band mates that he missed the most.
~ooxOxoo~
They reached the conference room within minutes, its location just corridors away from the main lobby. As they neared the door, the guards bowed slightly, and bustling activity can be audibly heard through the cracks of the door.
They certainly sounded excited…
With a final breath and a nod of his head, the two guards open the door and almost instantaneously, the flurry of activity stopped, with the exception of photographers. It was silent as the three of them entered the room, oddly enough with Inoo leading and the higher ranks not far behind him. He headed over to the prepared table with no need of direction. He waited for his manager and Johnny to reach their seats, and when they did, all three promptly sat down at the same time.
The moment they sat down, the silence was broken and one after the other reporters began to bombard Inoo with questions.
“Inoo-kun, it is great to have you back. How do you feel after being gone for 4 months?”
“Inoo-kun, what did you do in those 4 months? There were very few sightings of you, fans thought you disappeared.”
Laughter. And talk become more serious.
“Did you visit the Jimusho during your hiatus?”
“How has the accident affected you?”
“Was it traumatizing to witness such an event?”
In all the commotion, Inoo managed to answer every question with ease and keep track of who was talking to him. There was a slight pause as reporters flipped through their notebooks in search of another question to ask. Amidst that short silence, a young woman was the first to break the sound of rustling pages.
“Inoo-kun, why exactly did you decide to go on a hiatus? Was it your sole decision?”
The rest of the reporters gaped at her astounded. “She must be an amateur.” Many of them thought.
Indeed she was. She had no idea that decisions made by J.E. shouldn’t be questioned whether the choices were made by themselves. Motives were acceptable, but to ask if it was their own was a risky question. The young woman made no sign that she was going to take back her words; Inoo had to answer her.
“Well… Since the accident was an unforgettable event and not a very favorable one, Johnny-san thought it would be best to keep me away from the agency for some time. He suggested that I rest and take the time to stabilize myself. As asked earlier, it was a traumatizing event,” Now he was saying things that would satisfy the listeners. “My mental health might not have been in its best state if I was to work immediately after the incident. It was my final decision to go on the hiatus; through their worry, Johnny-san and manager-san highly recommended that I should take my leave.”
Inoo unnoticeably looked over at Johnny, who noticed and gave a small sign of approval.
The young female reporter smiled and seemed to believe the answer, but she wasn’t done.
“So… Inoo-kun,” she began slowly, which piqued the curiosity of the other reporters in the room. Reporters get straight to the point; they do not stall, especially if it was an interview with one of the talents of J.E. She gave a small smirk, one that could be easily mistaken as a look of concentration. “I am sure you are ecstatic of your return… but… how do you feel about the continued hiatus of Yabu Kota?”
Inoo gave her a look of confusion, but quickly replaced it with a smile. Other reporters began to murmur, and some even released a tiny gasp.
“Excuse me?”
Inoo felt the woman sitting next to him stiffen up. Johnny, on the other hand, was glaring at the reporter who was unaware. Inoo could almost feel the burning gaze Johnny gave that bold lady.
“You’re hiatus has been terminated, and here you sit, but there is still no sign of Yabu Kota’s return. How do you feel about him not returning to the agency yet?”
“Yabu… Yabu… He isn’t back yet? How could I have forgotten to ask about him? I assumed he was back, and my assumptions were wrong… Why isn’t he back?”
Submerged in his thoughts, the conference room faded and he thought stayed silent, but his mouth moved. He unknowingly tilted his head to the side and swayed in the process. JUMP’s manager took the opportunity as soon as she saw it.
She held on to Inoo’s shoulders to stop him from falling over, and stood up. She turned to all the cameras and the people in the room.
“Forgive me, but I’m going to have to end this press conference. It seems that Inoo-kun is exhausted from a long day. Please do forgive us. We have to send him back home.” She nodded to the guards who without complaining, helped up a shocked Inoo and led him out the door. JUMP’s manager and Johnny exited right behind the guards. Once outside, JUMP’s manager bowed deeply to Johnny.
“Forgive me sir. I had no choice but to stop the conference, sir. Inoo-kun was beginning to get distraught and… and that reporter…”
Johnny put a hand on her shoulder.
“You did well.” Three short words, but that was all she needed.
~ooxOxoo~
A car passes by a house in Yokohama City and the nameplate reads Yabu Residence. The house is dark, the only light source coming from the kitchen. The house is decorated in white and a white covered table sits in the corner of the living room. There are pictures on the table, but the faces are unrecognizable due to the low lighting of the area. The light from the kitchen makes one picture almost seeable, but it is hazy, still unclear. There was activity going on upstairs, but that’s not our focus in this scene. A woman is cooking in the kitchen and a figure is lying on the couch with the TV at a moderate volume.
Inoo’s interview plays live from the television set. The manager and Johnny have just left the room; the sound of a closing door supports that. The conference room was silent as they watched the door snap shut, and suddenly, the room burst into mayhem. It is now showing an unlucky flustered representative unfortunately left to deal with the bewildered media and to straighten out the commotion caused by the manager’s actions.
The woman in the kitchen pokes her head into the living room and watches a bit of the news showing on TV. She glances over her shoulder and checks the stove quickly. She looks back at the TV and chuckles. The person on the couch gave her a questioning look.
“It reminded me of the old days. When you’d be on TV with…” She sighs smiling, “Doesn’t it?”
The figure on the couch looked over to the kitchen.
He does not speak, but silently nods.
The house is silent. The woman goes back into the kitchen and resumes cooking.
The voices on the TV were the only words that could be heard. Right now the bold female reporter that caused the mess in the conference room is on TV.
“Well, it seems that Inoo has not really fully recovered despite his long hiatus. Can we really expect top performance from an easily distraught boy?”
The body on the couch propped up on his elbows.
“Jerk.” A male voice murmured toward the television, still sitting in the couch.
“Did you say anything dear?” The lady asked from the kitchen.
“That reporter was gutsy. I’ve never heard anyone ask someone a question like that ever. Have you?”
The woman jerks for a moment, hearing the deep voice speak so suddenly, but recovers before the ladle she was holding got lost in the depths of the pot.
“Well she is certainly brave,” she looked into the living room. “I’ve never heard anyone talk like that to the person they interview… Especially a Johnnys.”
“Mmm…” He looked at the direction of the kitchen. “Daring… or certainly stupid. She’s either going to get congratulated by her coworkers or in big trouble by Kitagawa-san.”
The mother laughed in the kitchen.
“Well we’ll see.” She entered the dining room right next to the living room and began to set out the food. “It’s nice to see that Inoo is doing well.”
Silence from the male.
“With the exception of that reporter, he seemed happy that he’s back.” She sighed, a bliss one. “When are you going back to work? You haven’t left the house in months.”
At first the guy didn’t answer, but he fidgeted from his now not so comfortable seat on the couch.
“I retired. I’m not going back to work anymore.”
The female did not seem surprised. It was about time. She just smiled.
“I thought you loved your job? You said you liked the publicity it gave. It’s really unfortunate that you retired.” She looked at the TV, which was now showing clips of the interview with Inoo. “Come, dinner’s ready.”
The guy walks over to the dining table and sits across the woman. There was clinking of bowls and it was quiet for a moment.
“You know we should visit Inoo-kun soon. He seems to be in a big shock that the one person he hasn’t seen in so long still hasn’t returned.” She told the person sitting across her.
The acknowledged person looked up from his food and nodded.
“Not now… but I’ll visit him soon, Okaa-san.”
A/N: Hey there everyone!! :D I updated! Yay~~ I only have 5 days... well... 2 full days and 3 minimum days.. so about 3 and a half days left of school. And then summer! :D I should be able to update this next week. unless i get lazy.. so right now i'm not going to be making any promises that i can't keep. >___> But it should be soon since i'm not going to be doing anything.. XP oh.. and remember~~
1. Comments are sprinkles to my cupcakes.
2. Criticisms are music to my ears. I can handle them.
3. Comments motivate me. <<-- (Yes i repeated it. :P They make me happy and giddy, which gives me the drive to write some more. And long comments are ஐ~~
Author: kore_dake
Length: Multi-Chapter
Pairing: Yabu/Inoo
Rating: PG-13... to keep it safe. XP
Genre: Angst/Fluff (these will surface later on. It's leaning more toward on angst though.)
Disclaimer: Only owns the plot... If i owned these guys, would I really be writing all this? HeeHee >.>
Summary: Ever since a few months ago, ever since that happened, Yabu has stopped coming to work, at least everyone says so. Inoo doesn't believe what the others might say, and he doesn't remember what happened; he sees Yabu everywhere. As the days pass, a confused Inoo desperately tries to find out the truth behind the rumors. The sleuthing begins and Inoo slowly finds out a horrible secret that his mind has been hiding from him all along.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The manager fidgeted in her chair, and Johnny stayed silent, stoic.
Inoo sensed the atmosphere change, but he remained still, not taking back his words.
“Why do you want know about the accident, Inoo-kun?” She mustered up smoothly. “Is this what you want…” Her voice slowly got softer as she finished her question. “Johnny-san?”
She looked at Johnny, who has not made a move since the question was asked. She remained quiet, leaving the rest to the old man. After what seemed like an eternity, Johnny’s stoic state was broken. The elderly founder sat up straight.
“Well,” He began slowly. “What do you want to know about the accident? Has anything been bothering you about it?”
Inoo nodded.
“Yes, sir. There has been something worrying me.”
“Well, tell me then. What is worrying you about the accident.”
“Uh… well, sir.” Inoo started. “Ever since I returned home from the hospital, I noticed something… odd.”
The manager’s attention immediately became acute.
“Was someone following you Inoo? Did anyone try to approach you?”
Inoo tilted his head.
“Now, now do not jump to conclusions. As JUMP’s manager, think before you make conclusions.” Johnny told her; she nodded embarrassed, but not hurt. There was truth in his words.
“What does she mean by that? Is someone after me?” Inoo demanded, trying his hardest to keep his emotions collected.
Johnny subtlety glanced over to the discomfited manager, and gave her a “look at what you have done” look. She lowered her gaze; this time she was hurt. She wished that she could take back her words. She wished that she thought about what she was about to say before she opened her mouth to speak. But, no, she let her feelings take over her and she gave information that was not hers to say. She knew that she was going to get chewed out for what she said later on. Until then, she was spared. She earned a displeased sigh from Johnny. Never a good sign.
A befuddled Inoo sat through the silent exchange happening between the lady who took care of the group’s events and appearances and the founder of the very agency he works for. He couldn’t sit quietly any longer.
“Is there…someone coming after me?” He regained their attention.
Johnny and the lady quickly looked over at Inoo. She was careful to avoid Inoo’s eyes, but Johnny stared straight into them. He knew he couldn’t avoid the question. It wouldn’t hurt to tell him what was necessary, wouldn’t it?
“At the moment, we are not sure. We are investigating the incident right now.” Johnny rubbed his temple. His headache from earlier was returning. “For the moment, you do not need to worry about the matter. Focus on your return for now.”
“But…”
“We will inform you if we find out anything. Right now, the whole event at Shibuya just seems like a far-fetched accident. Rare and highly unlikely to reach that caliber of damage, but possible.” The old man was still rubbing his temple.
“Yes, sir.” Inoo could help but think, “Something isn’t right though. Why does it seem…limited?” Inoo just kept his mouth shut and ate his thoughts.
“That was easier than I thought it would be. Telling things slant… is the only choice I have.” Johnny put his hand down. “Is that all you wanted to ask?”
Something clicked in Inoo’s head.
“Well, sir, my original question was about the accident. May I still ask…” Inoo was unsure if he should explore this subject. It was 7:28 and he didn’t know where there was enough time for it.
“Just ask us what you want and we’ll try to answer it to the best of our knowledge.” Johnny said automatically, too late to stop the words coming out of his mouth. “You said that you noticed something weird…was it? What did you notice?”
“Well ever since I came home…from the hospital,” Inoo spoke slowly, careful and hesitant. He looked around and when he was assured that they were not to intervene with his words, he took a breath. “Ever since I came home from the hospital, I noticed that the accident… was never shown. What I want to know is why haven’t I seen it anywhere?”
If Johnny knew this was coming, he showed no sign of it. He remained silent.
The manager looked up at Inoo but quickly lowered her gaze once again, biting her tongue before something uncalled for came out of her mouth.
“You said it yourself Johnny-san. You said that the accident at Shibuya was unbelievably unexpected. There was a slim chance for something like that to happen, ever, and at that level of damage produced, it makes it seem even more impossible to occur.”
Inoo was on a roll. Thoughts that have been locked within him for so long finally released.
“Nothing like that has ever happened in Shibuya… People, the press, would be all over something like that. Even you, sir, have repeated that the accident has caused a lot. You have stressed it enough. Half of what we’ve talked about in here concerns the events of 4 months ago.”
Inoo exhaled the breath that he never knew he was holding. Mixed emotions: relief, anger, and anxiety. He wasn’t so sure about Kitagawa’s reaction, and honestly, he feared it.
Johnny closed his eyes for a moment. “Observant, this is getting dangerous.” He found that it was easier to be blunt… rather than beat around the bush, but in this situation, things must be handled a different way. He had no other choice.
“That is all true, Inoo-kun. Nothing like that has ever…” A sigh from the old man who was gradually looking older as each tick of the clock passed.
“I don’t remember everything that has happened that day. All I know was that the accident was huge. Johnny-san, you have constantly repeated the destruction that the accident left behind was terrible, but I have no idea how bad it was. If I saw how much damage was dealt, it would be easier on me. But I have no clue at how things really happened. I told our manager that everything becomes blank after the car lost control, no matter how hard I try to recall it, that is all I remember.” Inoo’s good mood was now gone, replaced by frustration.
“I am aware of that.” Johnny needed to keep his answers short for now. The question he didn’t want to hear was close.
Inoo drew a breath.
“What I’m trying to say is this: Why wasn’t it ever broadcasted on the news?”
“And there it is.” Johnny said to himself. Inoo wasn’t done just yet, so the founder stayed quiet.
“Since the day I was dropped off at my house, I’ve watched the news, read the papers, and even looked through tabloid magazines, and not once… has the accident been brought up in either of them. Why was it never mentioned?” Now Inoo was done.
His heart was beating really fast, fear rushing through his veins. He knew he was crossing the line on this, and he was unsure whether or not his question would be answered. He was uncertain if he was in the position to demand for such things.
Johnny’s face grew serious, and the silenced manager tried her best to look emotionless, but she failed miserably.
“It wasn’t on the news because,” another sigh from the tired looking 70-something year old man, “ we ordered them not to broadcast it. Only a selected few was allowed to mention it but we… we couldn’t… we wouldn’t let them elaborate on it.”
“Elaborate?”
“We gave them what they needed. No more.” Johnny said no more. Inoo followed suit and remained quiet as well. He was left to wallow in the information that this mind is currently processing, rather slow.
Johnny glanced over to the clock hanging on the wall. Relief washed his tense face. He knew for now, he had escaped.
“I’m afraid that this is where we have to end our conversation. It is 7:42. Your press conference is near. Preparations have been made and everything should be ready about now. We have to get you to the room before it starts; it will be broadcasted live to home viewers. Your return… will be discussed for the next few days. Please bear with it even if you grow tired of it.” Johnny said with an authoritative tone. It was the end of discussion, no questions asked, no exceptions; Inoo knew that.
Inoo nodded and Johnny stood up. The meek manager looked up at Johnny for a sign and the founder gave a slight nod toward her. She immediately took out her phone and informed the guards of their appearance, positioning them around the perimeter of the conference room. She was gathering up the scattered papers as she was speaking, and at first Inoo just stared.
Realizing that he was dazing off, he instantly stood up and began to help the preoccupied woman gather the documents. She gave him a warm smile and thanked him with a nod of her head. Johnny stood by the door waiting for the other two in the room to finish up.
When they left the conference room, Inoo noticed that the HSJ rehearsal room was silent. There was no light shining underneath the door, so naturally Inoo assumed that they had gone home already.
“I hope you do not mind, but we sent the rest of JUMP home some time ago. Some may have hung around, but due to the full schedule tomorrow, a lot of them have left already.”
Inoo silently walked on, nodding once to show he understood.
As he rounded the corner surrounded by two power figures next to him, he spotted one of his band mates through closing elevator doors. He would have yelled out, but considering whom he was with, he thought it was best not to call him. Inoo smiled though, seeing it was one of his band mates that he missed the most.
~ooxOxoo~
They reached the conference room within minutes, its location just corridors away from the main lobby. As they neared the door, the guards bowed slightly, and bustling activity can be audibly heard through the cracks of the door.
They certainly sounded excited…
With a final breath and a nod of his head, the two guards open the door and almost instantaneously, the flurry of activity stopped, with the exception of photographers. It was silent as the three of them entered the room, oddly enough with Inoo leading and the higher ranks not far behind him. He headed over to the prepared table with no need of direction. He waited for his manager and Johnny to reach their seats, and when they did, all three promptly sat down at the same time.
The moment they sat down, the silence was broken and one after the other reporters began to bombard Inoo with questions.
“Inoo-kun, it is great to have you back. How do you feel after being gone for 4 months?”
“Inoo-kun, what did you do in those 4 months? There were very few sightings of you, fans thought you disappeared.”
Laughter. And talk become more serious.
“Did you visit the Jimusho during your hiatus?”
“How has the accident affected you?”
“Was it traumatizing to witness such an event?”
In all the commotion, Inoo managed to answer every question with ease and keep track of who was talking to him. There was a slight pause as reporters flipped through their notebooks in search of another question to ask. Amidst that short silence, a young woman was the first to break the sound of rustling pages.
“Inoo-kun, why exactly did you decide to go on a hiatus? Was it your sole decision?”
The rest of the reporters gaped at her astounded. “She must be an amateur.” Many of them thought.
Indeed she was. She had no idea that decisions made by J.E. shouldn’t be questioned whether the choices were made by themselves. Motives were acceptable, but to ask if it was their own was a risky question. The young woman made no sign that she was going to take back her words; Inoo had to answer her.
“Well… Since the accident was an unforgettable event and not a very favorable one, Johnny-san thought it would be best to keep me away from the agency for some time. He suggested that I rest and take the time to stabilize myself. As asked earlier, it was a traumatizing event,” Now he was saying things that would satisfy the listeners. “My mental health might not have been in its best state if I was to work immediately after the incident. It was my final decision to go on the hiatus; through their worry, Johnny-san and manager-san highly recommended that I should take my leave.”
Inoo unnoticeably looked over at Johnny, who noticed and gave a small sign of approval.
The young female reporter smiled and seemed to believe the answer, but she wasn’t done.
“So… Inoo-kun,” she began slowly, which piqued the curiosity of the other reporters in the room. Reporters get straight to the point; they do not stall, especially if it was an interview with one of the talents of J.E. She gave a small smirk, one that could be easily mistaken as a look of concentration. “I am sure you are ecstatic of your return… but… how do you feel about the continued hiatus of Yabu Kota?”
Inoo gave her a look of confusion, but quickly replaced it with a smile. Other reporters began to murmur, and some even released a tiny gasp.
“Excuse me?”
Inoo felt the woman sitting next to him stiffen up. Johnny, on the other hand, was glaring at the reporter who was unaware. Inoo could almost feel the burning gaze Johnny gave that bold lady.
“You’re hiatus has been terminated, and here you sit, but there is still no sign of Yabu Kota’s return. How do you feel about him not returning to the agency yet?”
“Yabu… Yabu… He isn’t back yet? How could I have forgotten to ask about him? I assumed he was back, and my assumptions were wrong… Why isn’t he back?”
Submerged in his thoughts, the conference room faded and he thought stayed silent, but his mouth moved. He unknowingly tilted his head to the side and swayed in the process. JUMP’s manager took the opportunity as soon as she saw it.
She held on to Inoo’s shoulders to stop him from falling over, and stood up. She turned to all the cameras and the people in the room.
“Forgive me, but I’m going to have to end this press conference. It seems that Inoo-kun is exhausted from a long day. Please do forgive us. We have to send him back home.” She nodded to the guards who without complaining, helped up a shocked Inoo and led him out the door. JUMP’s manager and Johnny exited right behind the guards. Once outside, JUMP’s manager bowed deeply to Johnny.
“Forgive me sir. I had no choice but to stop the conference, sir. Inoo-kun was beginning to get distraught and… and that reporter…”
Johnny put a hand on her shoulder.
“You did well.” Three short words, but that was all she needed.
~ooxOxoo~
A car passes by a house in Yokohama City and the nameplate reads Yabu Residence. The house is dark, the only light source coming from the kitchen. The house is decorated in white and a white covered table sits in the corner of the living room. There are pictures on the table, but the faces are unrecognizable due to the low lighting of the area. The light from the kitchen makes one picture almost seeable, but it is hazy, still unclear. There was activity going on upstairs, but that’s not our focus in this scene. A woman is cooking in the kitchen and a figure is lying on the couch with the TV at a moderate volume.
Inoo’s interview plays live from the television set. The manager and Johnny have just left the room; the sound of a closing door supports that. The conference room was silent as they watched the door snap shut, and suddenly, the room burst into mayhem. It is now showing an unlucky flustered representative unfortunately left to deal with the bewildered media and to straighten out the commotion caused by the manager’s actions.
The woman in the kitchen pokes her head into the living room and watches a bit of the news showing on TV. She glances over her shoulder and checks the stove quickly. She looks back at the TV and chuckles. The person on the couch gave her a questioning look.
“It reminded me of the old days. When you’d be on TV with…” She sighs smiling, “Doesn’t it?”
The figure on the couch looked over to the kitchen.
He does not speak, but silently nods.
The house is silent. The woman goes back into the kitchen and resumes cooking.
The voices on the TV were the only words that could be heard. Right now the bold female reporter that caused the mess in the conference room is on TV.
“Well, it seems that Inoo has not really fully recovered despite his long hiatus. Can we really expect top performance from an easily distraught boy?”
The body on the couch propped up on his elbows.
“Jerk.” A male voice murmured toward the television, still sitting in the couch.
“Did you say anything dear?” The lady asked from the kitchen.
“That reporter was gutsy. I’ve never heard anyone ask someone a question like that ever. Have you?”
The woman jerks for a moment, hearing the deep voice speak so suddenly, but recovers before the ladle she was holding got lost in the depths of the pot.
“Well she is certainly brave,” she looked into the living room. “I’ve never heard anyone talk like that to the person they interview… Especially a Johnnys.”
“Mmm…” He looked at the direction of the kitchen. “Daring… or certainly stupid. She’s either going to get congratulated by her coworkers or in big trouble by Kitagawa-san.”
The mother laughed in the kitchen.
“Well we’ll see.” She entered the dining room right next to the living room and began to set out the food. “It’s nice to see that Inoo is doing well.”
Silence from the male.
“With the exception of that reporter, he seemed happy that he’s back.” She sighed, a bliss one. “When are you going back to work? You haven’t left the house in months.”
At first the guy didn’t answer, but he fidgeted from his now not so comfortable seat on the couch.
“I retired. I’m not going back to work anymore.”
The female did not seem surprised. It was about time. She just smiled.
“I thought you loved your job? You said you liked the publicity it gave. It’s really unfortunate that you retired.” She looked at the TV, which was now showing clips of the interview with Inoo. “Come, dinner’s ready.”
The guy walks over to the dining table and sits across the woman. There was clinking of bowls and it was quiet for a moment.
“You know we should visit Inoo-kun soon. He seems to be in a big shock that the one person he hasn’t seen in so long still hasn’t returned.” She told the person sitting across her.
The acknowledged person looked up from his food and nodded.
“Not now… but I’ll visit him soon, Okaa-san.”
A/N: Hey there everyone!! :D I updated! Yay~~ I only have 5 days... well... 2 full days and 3 minimum days.. so about 3 and a half days left of school. And then summer! :D I should be able to update this next week. unless i get lazy.. so right now i'm not going to be making any promises that i can't keep. >___> But it should be soon since i'm not going to be doing anything.. XP oh.. and remember~~
1. Comments are sprinkles to my cupcakes.
2. Criticisms are music to my ears. I can handle them.
3. Comments motivate me. <<-- (Yes i repeated it. :P They make me happy and giddy, which gives me the drive to write some more. And long comments are ஐ~~