Admiration of the Best Kind (2/6)
Title: Admiration of the Best Kind
Fandom: Hey! Say! JUMP and ex-Ya-ya-yah
Genre: Angst, Romance and Fluffiness.
Pairings: Hikabu (one-sided), Hikanoo, & Yamabu
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1686
Summary: Hikaru and Inoo become closer as friends. Hikaru feels much happier with Inoo by his side, because he takes Hikaru's worries away. It's only been a few months, but Hikaru thinks that he's really over Yabu. Is he really?
Originial date written: October 12, 2008
Disclaimer: I didn’t own anything when I was writing the first chapter, so there’s not much of a difference now. T_T *stares at HSJ poster*
Chapter 2: A New Hand to Hold
After that day Inoo asked me to walk home with him, we got closer as friends and I found out that we had a lot in common. His sense of humor was similar to mine and I saw how great of a guy he was. He was just so kind and sweet towards me that whenever I saw him, a smile would immediately appear on my face. I began to admire how smart he was and that he treasured his family the most. And in a matter of weeks, he became one of my best friends and truly a person I could lean on.
I felt happy to have him by my side, because his bright personality easily took my mind off of a lot of things I didn’t want to deal with. Since we spent time so much out of the jimusho and slept over at each other’s house numerous times, I didn’t see much of Yabu and Shoon. It was as if my troubles and worries were gone the moment Inoo was around.
And as time went by, a small change happened inside me. Slowly and ever so steadily, I felt my broken heart be at ease and heal. I even thought I was finally completely over Yabu.
Unfortunately, the pain couldn’t easily be forgotten.
[~ ~ ~ ~]
One day while I was out with Inoo, I was reminded of the hurt I so dearly wanted to be rid of.
“Hikaru-kun!” Inoo exclaimed as we came out of the arcade. “Before we head to my house, I need to go somewhere really quick. Is that ok?”
It was Saturday and we had been playing at the arcade for the past few hours. His house was practically my second home, so I didn’t feel there was a rush to get there. Besides, we were only going to continue playing video games or read the latest shojo manga he bought.
“Yeah, it’s fine. Lead the way, Inoo-chan.” I smiled at him and he returned the gesture.
“Hai!” Inoo exclaimed and took my hand.
I liked it when Inoo held my hand, because it was always warm and comforting. As he made a path towards his destined location, I looked down at our joined hands and noticed how soft his hand felt. His fingers were light and slender, compared to my bony and tanned ones.
Wait.. why did Inoo’s hands suddenly remind me of a girl’s hands?
“Hikaru-kun?” His voice broke me from my stare.
“Hm?”
“We’re here, silly.” Inoo laughed at me and let go of my hand.
“Oh.” I looked up at him and then took in my surroundings. We stood at the doorstep of a tall house in front of a brown door that seemed familiar to me. I quickly gazed around when I realized that the place looked very familiar.
Oh, no.
In disbelief, my eyes unwilling took in the recognizable beige, two-story house and the cemented path from the gate that I used to walk. The small garden in front of the house was still neat and full of flowers as I had remembered. I knew this house.
Suddenly, many questions began to run through my mind as I tried my best to hide behind Inoo.
This couldn’t be…? Was this really his house? Why were we here?
My thoughts were confirmed when Inoo pressed the doorbell and called out, “Yabu-kun!”
Don’t open the door. Please don’t open the door, my heart screamed out as it leapt a hundred beats per minute. I guess nobody really heard me, because the person who opened the door was…
“Oh, Inoo-chan! What are you doing here?” Yabu greeted as he stood in the doorway. My rapidly beating heart must have been loud, because Yabu took notice of me behind Inoo. “Ah, who’s that behind you?”
I cringed inwardly, hoping that Inoo would just answer Yabu’s first question.
Inoo took a step to the left so Yabu could see that it was me. “It’s Hikaru-kun. We just came back from the arcade together. He’s sleeping over at my house today.” He beamed as if he had won a huge prize.
Thanks, Inoo.
“H-hey, Ya-Yabu-kun,” I stuttered out with a small wave and a smile plastered on my face. “What’s up?”
“Oh, Hachibee! What have you been up to lately? I feel like I haven’t talked to you in a while, because we don’t hang out as much as we used to.” Yabu said with a frown.
Ugh, why did he have to so observant?
I scratched my head and looked at the ground to tear my eyes away from Yabu’s. “Maa~ I guess s-”
“Kota-kunnn,” a familiar voice called from inside Yabu’s house and cutting my words off.
In my heart, I didn’t want to believe that he was here as well, but I didn’t know anyone else who would call Yabu so freely by his first name.
“A-re, is Shoon-kun here?” Inoo innocently asked and tried to look around Yabu.
As if on cue, Shoon appeared by Yabu’s side and started to tug at his arm, oblivious to our presences. “Kota-kun, we’re not done with the game.” I coughed and Shoon took notice of us. “Oh, Inoo-chan, Hikaru-kun. What are you guys doing here?”
“Hi Shoon-kun!” Inoo greeted. “Hikaru-kun and I just came from the arcade, but I wanted to drop off this manga I borrowed from Yabu the other day.” He opened his backpack to retrieve the manga and held it out to Yabu.
“Oh, thanks.” Yabu reached for the manga, but Shoon took it before him. “Hey, Shoon, give it back.”
“But I haven’t been able to read this volume yet. I want to read it,” Shoon wined with soft puppy eyes.
“But I was half-way done with it when Inoo-chan took it,” Yabu protested, but it could be heard in his voice that he was giving in to Shoon’s wishes.
“Pleaseee, Kota~” Shoon wobbled his bottom lip as an extra effect.
Yabu sighed in defeat. “Fine.” He smiled at Shoon and I saw the affectionate twinkle in his eyes.
“Thanks, Kota!” Shoon said and gave Yabu a small peck on the cheek.
It was such a sweet and simple act of affection, and yet I felt my heart stop at the sight. My mouth fell open in agape as the well-known feeling of air being taken from my lungs took over me. But this time must have hurt more, because I felt my eyes sting and my vision go a bit blurry.
“Hey-not in front of Inoo-chan and Hachibee!” Yabu objected, but blushed none the less.
“Mouuu~ They’re old enough-”
Without saying anything and not wanting to hear the rest of the conversation, I let my legs quickly take me away from Yabu’s house. Even though I heard them call after me, I continued to run, run to anywhere than the place I was leaving behind.
I guess I wasn’t running fast enough, because Inoo caught up to me and got a firm hold of my arm. His hand pulled me back and I skidded towards him.
“Hikaru-kun!” His sweet voice frantically called to me.
I stopped to turn and look at him through my fuzzy vision. “I-Inoo-chan?” I asked in a broken voice. I didn’t want him to see me cry, so I tried to take my arm back, but to no avail. Instead, he held both of my hands so that I was completely facing him.
“Hikaru-kun! What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Inoo asked in a worried tone as he cupped my face to wipe away my tears. “I don’t like to see you cry. You’re my friend and it pains me to see you cry."
Even though we spent so much time together, I was still not able to confide to Inoo about my feelings for Yabu. I guess it was because I was always so happy and carefree around him that I didn’t see the need to tell him. But I felt guilty for not being completely honest. As I looked at Inoo’s concerned eyes, I knew now was the best time to do so.
“I-In-Inoo-chan… I’m.. in l-la.. in love.. w-wit.. with Yabu.” I divulged in broken words as I tried to keep in my tears. I felt myself go weak, but was able to continue without stuttering. “I’m in love with Yabu, but he’s with Shoon. And it really hurts.” With every word that passed my lips, I felt my heart tear into pieces.
After seeing Yabu and Shoon together, I realized something: I wasn’t over Yabu. I was still far from that. All the time I had spent with Inoo was just a way for me to run away from the pain. There really was no other way for me to escape my heartbreak, but to really face it.
“Hikaru-kun..” Inoo slowly let go of my hands, but only to pull me into a comforting hug. For some reason the moment I was in his arms, I let myself cry more freely. In response to my tears, Inoo gently rubbed my back and I wrapped my arms around him, returning the hug.
We stayed like that for long minutes as I cried on his shoulder. My heart just hurt so much that my mind could only record my motions of crying and hugging. I was glad Inoo didn’t say anything, because I wasn’t really in the right state to register his questions, let alone reply.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, I was able to find my voice. “Inoo-chan, why does it hurt so much?” I desperately asked with my head still on his shoulder.
My leaking waterfalls had been reduced to single, falling tears, so I was able to speak clearly. But Inoo could still feel the strained pain in my words, because it took him a few minutes to answer.
“I.. I don’t know, Hikaru-kun. I really don’t know,” Inoo answered sadly. He took a moment or two to add, “But I do know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
A blush warmed my cheeks as Inoo hugged me closer and leaned into my ear to whisper, “I’ll always be here for you, so don’t be afraid to hold my hand."