(Series) How To Measure A Year (3/11)
Title: How To Measure A Year (3/11)
Pairings: (this chapter only) Yabu/Keito (friendship), Ryutaro/Keito (friendship), Yuto/Keito (friendship), Yubu (friendship), YabuJin (implied, romantic)
Genre: Friendship/slight angst
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Owning them would be like owning slaves. Illegal.
Series Summary: Yabu teaches JUMP how to measure the most important year of their lives.
Chapter Summary:Keito wishes he could shine like Yuto. Yabu shows him that he shines a light that's all his own.
3. Keito - In Midnights
Sometimes, he wondered what kind of person he had been in his previous life.
“We’re moving back to Japan.”
“Why?”
“Your father-”
“Never mind.”
“Keito-”
“No, it’s fine. I understand.”
Was he a malevolent person? Was he a thief, a lecher, a murderer?
“Introducing Okamoto Keito!”
“Who’s the noob?”
“And why’s he back dancing on Music Station already?
“He’s Okamoto Kenichi’s son.”
“Must be nice having such a talented father.”
“He must have been treated very delicately all his life.
“Yeah, it’s like the fates wrote ‘Okamoto Keito - ability unnecessary’ on his life.”
“Man, I hate rich kids. They always get what they want…they don’t even have to work for it like the rest of us.”
Or was he a kind person?
“Hey!Say!JUMP. Jumping high into the Heisei era, that’s what this group is about. No one else has realized that Showa is already useless and you ten are going to prove it to all of Japan.”
Was this God’s way of punishing him?
[~/-/~]
He remembers the first time he met Ryutaro.
“Ah, sorry! I didn’t mean to fall into you, I was running away from my little brothe-”
“Shintaro-kun?”
“Yeah, the little me.”
“Umm…I’m sorry, I don’t think I know your na-”
“Nah, it’s fine. Next to Shintaro, not many people know me. I’m Ryutaro. I’m the older one.”
“Ah I see. I’m-”
“Okamoto Keito-san, I know. Everyone knows.”
Ryutaro was a bit of an introvert and quiet. But Keito never minded when the younger boy would plop down next to him at lunch, open up his bento box, and put some of his oden on Keito’s plate (“You’re so skinny! Eat up already!”).
And really, no one else knew it but Ryutaro was an absolute hoot. Keito secretly loved it whenever Ryutaro would start his impersonations of Romi Paku (“Shorty?! Could a shorty do this?! What else you want to call me: a half-pint bean-sprout midget?! I'm still growing you backwater desert idiots!”) or whine about his height (“Geez, who decided that Japanese people had to be short?”) or complain about Shintaro (“Honestly, how hard is it to tell us apart? COME ON, people, I’m the cooler one! Duh!”) or dream about having a pet (“A hamster of my very own….oh, that would be the life!”).
But Ryutaro wasn’t always around to sit with him at lunch. He wasn’t always there in the locker room, warning other boys off with a mere glare. He wasn’t always there to pick up Keito’s ripped clothes or to help him get to the nurse after a junior ‘accidentally’ shoved him down a flight of stairs or to unlock the closet door and let him out after the others had shoved him.
Sometimes, Keito wished he didn’t depend on Ryutaro so much. Sometimes, he wished he had the strength to stand on his own.
[~/-/~]
Sometimes, he wonders how Yuto-kun manages to be so Yuto despite everything.
“Yabu-kun, stop tickling me!”
“Nah, nah, Yuto, not until you yell ‘uncle!’”
“Yabu-”
“Yabu-san, Yuto-san, stop playing around, we still need to get this rehearsal done!”
“My apologies, Julie-san.”
“…Yabu-kun, why do you have a picture of Akanishi-kun plastered to the inside of your folder?”
“Yuto!”
Sometimes, he wonders how Yuto-kun manages to find the bright side in everything.
“Hey, Okamoto-kun! Come sit with me and Yama-chan, kay?”
“Kay…”
“Come on, be more excited!”
“But it’s just lunchtime, Nakajima-kun.”
“No, it’s lunchtime. It’s important!”
“Why?”
“Because it means that we get to go through Yabu-kun’s stuff while he’s taking his daily break time nap!”
“Yuto, I swear!”
Sometimes, he wonders how Yuto-kun manages to include everyone without even trying.
“What do you think you want for Christmas, Okamoto-kun?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you, silly!”
“Umm…I think…I want a friend.”
Sometimes…
“Do you think you’d let me be your friend, Okamoto-kun?”
Sometimes, he wonders how Yuto-kun got to be so kind.
[~/-/~]
“Why are you debuting?”
When he was younger, he used to climb onto the rooftop whenever his eyes started hurting.
“You don’t deserve that spot.”
Sometimes, it was because his parents were arguing. Other times, it was because he was afraid he was going to fail his father again.
“It should have been Hashimoto-kun. Or Kamei-kun. Or definitely Taiyou.”
It had been a long time since his eyes hurt this badly, since his throat burned like acid, since his heart clenched this tightly.
“Yeah…it should have been anyone from J.J. Express or especially Ya-ya-yah.”
So, he figured climbing out Yuto’s window wouldn’t be that problematic. After all, the rest of the juniors were sleeping at last. It wasn’t like anyone would miss him (not that they ever wanted him there in the first place). He’d be all alone. Finally.
“Or maybe Kisumai.”
But it wasn’t like back in England.
“Or A.B.C.”
In England, he had the rooftop to himself.
“Or one of the Kansai groups even.”
In England, he had only the night sky as a witness to his tears.
“Hell, it should have been anyone but you.”
In England, he didn’t have Yabu-kun waiting at the top of the roof, two cups of cocoa in his hands and a warm smile on his lips.
[~/-/~]
“Hey,” Yabu grinned, passing him the extra cup. “I hope you like cocoa. I figured you’d be up soon and I didn’t have anything else with me. I’ve got an extra thermos with me if you want anymore.”
Keito blinked, taking the cup hesitantly.
“I noticed you were always on the rooftop around this time whenever we have sleepovers and I figured it must be lonely be up here all alone during the night. I hope you don’t mind me inviting myself up here?”
Keito shook his head. It was lonely. But he always figured no one would mind.
Yabu grinned. “That’s good. I never get the chance to talk to you, Okamoto-kun. I only know what Ryu-chan and Yuto tell me about you. So I wanted to get to know you a bit. Is that okay?”
Keito shook his head again. “Why?”
Yabu blinked, confused. “Why what?”
“Why would you want to know me?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
His fist clenched unconsciously by his side. Isn’t it obvious? “Because you’re Yabu-kun. You’re the junior leader, JUMP’s de facto leader, the next Tackey or Yamapi or Kame. Why would you want to waste the time on me?”
Yabu frowned. “Because you’re Okamoto-kun. You’re my bandmate. You’re Yuto and Ryu-chan’s friend. And from what I hear, I think I’d want to get to know you.”
“Why are you even here?”
The mug fell from his hand, tumbling down the side of the roof before making its final descent into the rose bush below.
“You’re worthless.”
The tears rose up, unbidden.
“You’re scum.”
A pair of warm arms wrapped themselves around him.
“You don’t deserve to be here.”
“That’s not true, Okamoto-kun,” Yabu whispered, rocking him back and forth in his embrace. “You deserve this as much as the rest of us.”
[~/-/~]
“Midnights are nice,” He mused softly, snuggling deeper into the blanket Yabu had wrapped him in (“Don’t you dare protest. I’ve got an extra one with me. You’re using it. End of story.”).
“How so?” Yabu asked, taking a long sip of his cocoa.
“The world’s at peace at midnight,” He whispered, watching an airplane ply the sky. “There’s no noise. No emotion. All problems are moot at midnight. It’s…refreshing.”
“Keito-”
“I used to wish I was a star. They’re smart. They only come out at night, when the chaos of the world is at a rest for once,” He pointed at the sky. “I especially wanted to be the north star.”
“Why?”
“It knows it’s purpose. It shines the brightest, to bring hope to the weary and to guide travelers back home. It doesn’t come out unless it has to. It doens’t come out unless it's needed. It knows it’s place. ”
“You know what I think, Okamoto-kun?”
“Hmm?”
“I think you’re too hard on yourself,” Yabu turned to him slowly. “I think you like the midnight because that’s when others aren’t watching. That’s when the world is truly beautiful. And I think you wanted to be like a star because the stars are exactly like you.”
“Yabu-kun-”
“And it’s strange how soon you forget that you’re like stars,” Yabu sang softly. “They only show up when it’s dark, cause they don’t know their worth.”
“Yabu-”
“Shh, listen,” Yabu rustled through his bag for a minute before finally pulling a beat-up mp3 player. “I’m going to stay up here with you but I’m going to lie down for a bit. But there’s a song I want you to hear.”
“A song?”
“Yeah, Anna Nalick,” Yabu grinned. “I know she’s American and she sings in English and she’s a girl…but she’s really good. And there’s a song of hers…I don’t know why, but it really reminds me of you.”
“Yabu-kun, I-”
“There it is,” Yabu whispered happily, pushing the mp3 player into his hands. “Shine Away. Tell me when you’re done.”
“But I-”
“Just listen! And tell me what you think.”
With that, Yabu turned over and promptly collapsed against the roof.
Sighing, Keito pushed the ear pieces into his ears. It couldn’t be that bad, could it?
He hit play.
[~/-/~]
Oh the night makes you a star
And it holds you cold in its arms
You’re the one to whom nobody verses I love you
Unless you say it first
So you lie there holding your breath
And its strange how soon you forget
That you’re like stars
They only show up when it’s dark
Cause they don’t know their worth
And I think you need to stop following misery’s lead
Shine away shine away shine away
Isn’t it time you got over how fragile you are
We’re all waiting
Waiting on your supernova
Cause that’s who you are
And you’ve only begun to shine
There are times when the poets and porn stars align and
You won’t know who to believe in
Well that’s a good time to be leavin’
And the past knocks on your door
And throws stones at your window at 4 in the morning
Well maybe he thinks it’s romantic
He’s crazy but you knew that before
And I think you need to stop following misery’s lead
Shine away Shine away Shine away
Isn’t it time you got over how fragile you are
We’re all waiting
Waiting on your supernova
Cause that’s who you are
And you’ve only begun to shine
Yeah you’ve only begun to shine
Won’t you shine shine shine shine over shadow
Shine shine shine shine over shadow
Shine shine shine shine over
And I think you need to stop following misery’s lead
Shine away Shine away Shine away
Isn’t it time you got over how fragile you are
We’re all waiting
Waiting on your supernova
Cause that’s who you are
And you’ve only begun to shine
Yeah you’ve only begun to shine
Yeah you’ve only begun to shine
“Yeah you’ve only…”Yabu sung softly, wrapping his arms around him again. “…begun to shine…”
His eyes felt wet. “Yabu-kun?”
“Yeah, Okamoto-kun?”
“Does this mean I get to shine too? Like you and Yuto-kun?”
The arms around him tightened. “Yeah, Keito. Even at midnight, you’ll always shine brighter than a star.”
A/N: Yay! I’m finally back!
Technically, I came out of (unannounced) hiatus yesterday with the beginning of ‘Seize The Day’. But I forgot to write an A/N for that one so I guess this covers both.
Sorry for being gone so long, guys. Writers block hit, courtesy of homework, play practice, college apps, and far too much stress for a girl to handle. -_-, I hate being a senior. But I’m back.
‘Seize the Day’ is a project that kind of popped up while talking to Kiyumi-chan yesterday. I didn’t know how to get back into this series so I decided to take a break from it and I realized that I’ve been wanting to write a YabuJin for FOREVER. So with that one, that’s really going to be Jin-centric with him trying to get his way back into Yabu’s life, searching for the reason why Yabu’s not the same Yabuchii he was before Jin’s hiatus, and in the process, finding what he was looking for in leaving in the first place. What the something is…XD, I don’t even know what that is. We’ll just have to find out, shall we?
This chapter came up about two hours ago, when I decided that I wanted to write something again this weekend. And Keito’s was the one I’ve been secretly wanting to write and the one Kiyu-chan told me to write. So here it is.
I always wanted to write about Keito’s transition into the Jimusho but this one kind of ran away from me. When I started writing the part about how the chapter connected to the title, somehow, the stars part made me think of the song ‘Shine’ by Anna Nalick. It’s a particular favorite of mine because one of my closest friends, Colleen, sent it to me when I wasn’t feeling that confident in myself. And it just comes back to me every time I’m feeling like I can’t get to the finish. And I remember that I can shine too. I hope you guys love it as much as I do.
Thanks again to Kiyu-chan for beta-ing for me. And thanks for waiting. I hope you guys like it!