Be My Prince Charming? Chapter 10: Love or Riches?
I'M DONE. THAT'S IT. I QUIT.
Just joking. I'm almost done LOL.
So yeah, please enjoy chapter 10 of this. I worked hard APPRECIATE IT. TWO MORE CHAPTERS LEFT!!!
Okay so here are the chapters so far:
Chapter one: Twenty-Three Times
Chapter two: Raw Horse Flavoured Ice Cream?
Chapter three: Fashion Idiots
Chapter four: Wig, Hat, and Sunglasses
Chapter five: Blackmail
Extra Chapter: Short and Sweet
Chapter six: It Hurts
Chapter seven: Ice Cream Turtles
Chapter eight: Break Out!
Chapter nine: Losers go First!!
Okay now START STORY!
I awoke to the sound of my mother's urgent voice.
"Wake up, Honey... Please..."
There was panic in her voice. I hurriedly sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. The feeling of dread crept up from the pit of my stomach.
"What happened?" I asked as I tried to untangle myself from the bed sheets.
She bit her lip, her eyes were filled with worry, "We can't go outside.. Did.. Did something happen between you and Yuto-kun?"
What? What did she mean by that? I rushed to the window and opened the blinds slightly to take a peek.
A blinding flash startled me. I blinked several times, waiting for my vision to return. As the world became visible again, I found myself staring into a camera lens. Panic spread through me and I closed the blinds in a hurry.
"W..Why are there cameras outside?" I managed to croak.
"They know"
I turned to see Chizuru leaning against the door frame, her eyes were in a fury.
"What?" I exclaimed, "but... but we didn't do anything!"
"I know you guys wouldn't" She frowned, "maybe a fan was very observing?"
"You should stay home today..." my mother sighed and she nervously glanced over to the window, " it's not safe out there..."
"I'll go to school," I said.
"Are you kidding me?" Chizuru exclaimed, "aren't you worried about what will happen to you?"
"No." I replied, "I'm not a coward. I'm not staying home just because there's some people with cameras outside. I'm gonna suck it up and go to school."
My mom sighed, "Be careful, okay?"
I nodded, "Of course I will."=
"Call me if anything goes wrong," Chizuru said, "I'll come right away."
"Thanks" I smiled.
--------------------------------------
Noise. Yelling, screaming. Yuto pulled his bag higher on his shoulder and continued to walk down the street. The crowd seemed uncontrollable, they were pushing past each other, trying to make their way towards him. The sounds of questions were being yelled over each other. Girlfriend. That one word drifted out from the crowd. He stopped in his tracks and listened for the question again.
"Did your girlfriend really sleep with several men? Including you?"
Yuto's eyes widened. What the hell? His pocket vibrated, it was his phone. He took it out and checked the text.
Yuto. This is bad. Tell Hidenka-chan to stay home today. Please check the link I provided. Let's skip school. Meet me in Johnny's Jimusho. Now.
-Ryosuke
His eyes drew to the link below the message. Hesitantly, he clicked it as he picked up his pace. The link took him to a blog page with a long written article. He clicked his tongue, the photographers were still on his trail. There was a huge crowd of people ahead. Perfect. He strode quickly in as he took off his school blazer. The interviewers and photographers were madly searching for him. He stuffed the blazer in his school bag as he pulled out a jacket and slipped it on. He then turned and walked back the way he came and left his stalkers in the crowd. He pulled the jacked hood on and continued to read the web site as we walked.
------------------------------
Hi, this is my 1st blog entry, but that's not important rn. i have to tell you something really shocking. If ur a fan of HSJ's Nakajima Yuto, then I think u should read this. This is NOT a lie. The pictures are definitely Nakajima-san himself.
U all know that Nakajima-san is breaking a rule in JE. The one where you have a gf b4 ur 20.
and to tell u the truth, the chick he's with is a complete whore. She slept with lots of guys before they started dating. She may look like a normal gurl to u, but that's how she entices you. Don't fall for it, no matter wat she says. It's probly all a lie anyways.
This is all the stuff I know on her:
Name: xxxxxxxx xxxx
Age: xx
Address: xxxxxx xxxxxx
School: xxxxxxx xxxxx
Look at this picture of Nakajima-san:
[user posted picture]
Notice the brown bracelet I've circled in red? That's his bracelet.
Here's a closeup of the bracelet:
[user posted picture]
That's the exact bracelet he wuz wearing while on a date w/ his slutty gf.
[user posted picture]
Again, dun be fooled by her plain looks. She's a total bitch.
Here's a close up of the bracelet in the photo:
[user posted picture]
and if ur still not convinced, a close up of his face:
[user posted picture]
oh, and rumour has it that the 2 already had sex. That doesn't look good for a Johnny's idol. That shows you that Nakajima-san doesn't care about Johnny's regulations or his fans. He'd rather bang up a slutty gurl that may as well have diseases for all the guys she's slept w/. I dun think he's setting a very good example for the younger Johnny's Jr.'s don't u think?
Maybe he shouldn't be qualified for Johnny's? And they should kick him out? Who knows? You can decide. Ur his fans.
Thank you for reading this. That's all,
Charmander
----------------------------------
Charmander?
I put down my phone and began to massage my temples. This can't be happening...
I almost dropped my phone when it vibrated for an incoming text. Hesitantly, I opened the mail. As the ID displayed, I sighed in relief. It was just Yuto.
Hidenka-chan, please stay home today. I think you've already noticed that our secret is out... Please stay safe and don't do anything rash. DON'T. I repeat, DON'T go to school, alright?
You will always be my Princess,
-Basashi Ouji Yuto
I smiled and began to type a reply
Thanks for the concern, but it's fine. I'm going to school. There's a difference between being rash, and being a coward. I'm not backing down.
-Ichigo Hidenka-chan
Almost immediately, my phone vibrated again.
If you go, I swear I will take you home myself. I'm not joking. And there's also a difference of being safe or being stupid. Don't you dare make me go over there.
-Basashi Ouji Yuto
I put my phone in my bag and began to walk to school. I was walking for about two minutes when I heard my cellphone ring tone coming from my bag. I sighed. I should have turned it off. I stood there and let it ring for a bit. Finally I decided to pick it up. Exasperated, I flipped open the phone and pressed the receiver to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Are you going to school!?" His voice snapped.
"Yes" I snapped back irritatedly.
"You are so stupid!" He yelled, "you STUPID STUPID girl!"
"I am NOT being stupid!"
"Yes you are! You're still going!?" his voice seemed to be shaking a bit.
"Yeah, and you're not stopping me!" I cried.
"Listen to me okay? I-"
"No, you listen to ME. I knew the consequences of this relationship the moment you asked me. And I am NOT going to let some people at school or some idiots with cameras get the better of me! I am not a coward. I don't want to run away from my problems. And it's not dangerous! I'm not gonna die you know! Bullying is the least of my problems! I HATE hearing that I can't do something someone else can! I can do this! Don't tell me to do otherwise!"
He didn't reply.
"Hello? Were you even listening?"
I listened into the receiver. I heard him panting hard. Why would he be breathing like that? Then I heard the slapping of shoes on concrete.
"You're.. Not running here... are you..?"
"Nooo!" He yelled sarcastically, " I'm practicing for a new dance!"
"Wait.. What??!" I cried. How close to me was he?
Then I heard it. The unmistakable sound of his pounding feet coming from behind me. I whirled around right when he barreled into me. He latched his arms around my waist and hoisted me up onto his right shoulder. Then he proceeded to turn and charge back the way he came.
"Let me go!" I yelled while I kicked and struggled. I tried to get him to loosen his grip with no prevail. He held a strong grip on me and ran with a purpose.
"Where are you taking me?" I asked angrily.
"Johnny's." he replied, his breathing harsh, "It's probably the safest place around here..."
I sighed. He was too stubborn and I couldn't change his mind.
----------------------------------------
"Nice to finally meet you all," I bowed.
Yuto pulled me back up, "You're being too polite."
Yabu smiled, "Yuto's right. We're not Gods you know."
"Exactly. A friend of one of us is a friend of all of us," Takaki grinned.
"So cheesy, Yuyan." Hikaru laughed and slapped the top of Takaki's head.
"Ow!" Takaki whined and started to fix his hair, "don't ruin my hair-do."
"I'm so sorry this had to happen to you." Inoo sighed, "and I really doubt those rumours are true in the first place anyways."
"If they were, I would kick your ass for doing it under aged..." Yamada mumbled, slapping the top of Yuto's head.
"Ow! Don't hit me! I didn't!" Yuto protested.
"Guys, shut up." Yabu's authoritative voice kicked in, "so what do you think we can do on this problem?"
"What can we do?" Ryutaro scoffed, "It's the eleven of us against the majority of Japan... and Johnny."
"I don't want Yuto to be kicked out!" Chinen cried, "without Yuto, JUMP wouldn't be JUMP!"
"I agree." Daiki replied, "nine members just isn't JUMP,"
"But still," Keito reasoned, "Ryu's right. What can we do?"
"Could we pretend none of this happened and carry on as it is?" Hikaru asked, earning a slap on the head from Takaki.
"Stupid." He replied, "How can we when there's picture evidence?"
"But we can't really say or do anything about it, can we?" Keito asked, "sure, we're idols. But saying something may jeopardize Yuto's career even more... And even our own."
"I actually agree with Yaotome-san," I said, "I think we should carry on as if nothing happened. Things could die down."
The room was silent. The members looked at me surprised as if they didn't expect me to speak.
Finally, Ryutaro broke the silence with a penetrating question, "and what if they don't? Then what do we do?"
"Then we could figure it out then, right?" I retaliated. The room seemed to come alive again. The boys began to smile and started hooting and yelling.
"But then the situation then and now will be exactly the same" Ryutaro snapped, "if we can't think of anything now, we won't be able to later!"
The rest of JUMP hooted and yelled once more, this time for the youngest boy.
"But what if we do come up with something?" I asked. My pride was too high to go down like this.
"Then tell me.." Ryutaro leaned in, eyebrow raised, "If we can come up with something later, we can certainly come up with something now. So.. What do you think we can do about it?"
I opened my mouth to give a witty reply when there was a sharp knock at the door.
A small high voice rose from the dressing room door, "Can I come in?"
"Shit, it's one of the Juniors! Hide her!" Inoo whispered.
I frantically looked for a place to hide, my heart began to beat faster and I felt my palms sweat. Why is there no hiding place in a dressing room? The JUMP members worked synchronized. The boys had the closet quickly opened, then promptly picked me up and shoved me in. I heard the closet door click and lock behind me. I moved quickly to the corner of the area and tried to cover myself with the costumes around me.
"Come in." came Yabu's voice.
There were footsteps around the room.
"I have to find a costume for the designer because it was broken I think... Can I find it?" the high voice asked.
"Which one is it?" Yamada asked.
"I don't know..." the voice replied, "But I'll know when I see it. Can you let me look?"
"Go ahead," came Keito's calm reassuring voice.
His reply was followed by a moment of silence. I panicked slightly. Did he find out? Or did he hear me?
"Erm..." the Junior began, "You're standing in front of the costume closet, Nakajima-san..."
I heard Yuto sigh, he was hesitating, ".... Tell me what it looks like. I'll help you find it."
While the Junior was describing the costume, I looked around my surroundings again and prayed that I wasn't visible in any way.
"Okay let me check."
The closet door opened and I was relieved to see only Yuto step in.
"Hidenka-chan?" he whispered.
I shuffled the clothes around me so he'd know where I was. His footsteps came up to me and he lifted the sweater off my head.
"Hey, Princess." he smiled.
"More like Cinderella in the closet right now," I whispered back and grinned.
"You're still my Princess to me.." he murmured and pressed his lips to mine softly.
"Nakajima-san! Did you find it!?"
He jumped and looked up, "Y..yeah I'm still looking!" he started shuffling through the bright coloured costumes.
"Is it this one?" I asked and held a piece of cloth.
He looked at it and smiled, "Yeah it is.. Thanks." He took hold of the costume and leaned in again.
"Yuto!! Hurry up!" Yamada yelled.
Yuto clicked his tongue and stood up, "Yeah, coming!" he rushed out and closed the door behind him.
I heard the tiny voice thank him and leave the room. The closet door opened again not long after and Daiki poked his head in.
"Coast's clear. You can come out now."
I got out of the clothing mess and joined them outside.
"Well that was a close call.." Yabu sighed, "is the closet the only good hiding place here?"
"Basically.." Keito replied.
"By the way..." I began, "why are none of you at school?"
"Yeah that was me.." Yamada raised his hand sheepishly, "I told everyone to skip school because we needed to talk..."
"We came because we wanted to meet you." Hikaru grinned.
"Especially since that guy." Ryutaro pointed at Yuto, "Wont shut up about you."
"There's nothing wrong with expressing love" Yuto protested and wrapped his arms around my waist.
My face burned as the rest of JUMP hooted like hyenas.
"You guys are an animated bunch." I commented.
"Hell yeah we are!" Hikaru yelled. JUMP cheered in reply.
I laughed. It was fun being with them. They were always so cheerful and happy. We joked and chatted for a while, just having fun.
Then came another knock at the door. This time I got up and ran to the closet. Yuto held the door open for me and snapped it shut behind me. I dove into the pile of clothes and engulfed myself with the endless loads of costumes. As I lay there in the darkness, I heard muffled arguing outside. My heart began to beat faster again. What could be going on? I heard the voices of JUMP yelling out random things and stomping feet around. All of a sudden, it be came quiet. I panicked. What was happening?
"Nakajima-san. I don't have to ask again. Please get off the closet doors."
"No."
Then it became so deathly silent that it was scary. My heart threatened to burst in my chest.
There was a sigh, "We aren't going to kill her. Johnny-san just wants to talk to her. That's all there is."
"And what would he want to discuss with her?" Yuto asked. His voice was indifferent. Cold.
"That's not for you to hear at this moment."
"Then I'm not moving."
"Don't make me call security."
He didn't reply.
"We could also take your job too."
After a long pause of silence, he finally spoke, "You're only going to talk? And nothing more?"
"Yes, nothing more."
The closet door opened and footsteps came in. Another set of footsteps started but was cut short.
"Let me deal with this" came Yuto's voice and the closet door closed shut.
I slowly got up from under the costumes. Yuto walked over and hugged me tight, "I'm so sorry... I thought you'd be safe here, but I only made it worse."
I wrapped my arms around his waist, "It's okay.. At least I had some fun."
He smiled and pressed his lips to mine. He put his arms around me and held me closer, his lips moved slowly against mine. When he finally puled away, I buried my face against his chest and felt his heart beating against my cheek.
He held me close and whispered, "What ever happens today, we walk out of Johnny's together, alright?"
I nodded, "Alright."
-------------------------------
His desk was high and a bit intimidating. I breathed slowly and tried to keep myself calm. I was scared... really scared.
"So you're the girl everyone has been talking about, right?" asked Johnny as he flipped through the papers on his desk. The papers made subtle rippling sound every time he flipped a page.
"I would.. guess so..." I replied slowly. I frowned, did I sound TOO slow?
"I see..." he paused to put the papers into a folder, "I have a question for you."
I hesitated. What question would he ask?
"Y..yes?"
"How much?"
"Excuse me?"
"How much money can I pay you to leave Nakajima-kun alone?"
Well he just went all out bluntly. I sat there dumbfounded. Was he seriously asking me that question? A small wave of anger went through me and I tried to calm myself as I gripped hard onto the leather seat I sat on. Instead, I only shook my head politely.
"I'm sorry, but I can't take up your offer."
"Don't be so modest. Knowing a girl like you, you may be in a dire need of income am I not right?"
This time I couldn't hold back my anger. My blood began to boil and I stood up and pushed back my seat.
"That's enough. I'm not a slut. I'm not a whore. I'm me. I'm not in dept nor am I sleeping with anyone. Don't think that love can be placed as a price. There's no amount of money that will make me break up with him. Keep your filthy money. I don't want it."
And with that, I walked out of the office and slammed the door shut behind me. Yuto looked up from his seat anxiously. His expression was guilty and worried. I only smiled and gestured for him to go into the office. He nodded and walked tentatively in.
Waiting for Yuto to come out was torture. What sort of things could Johnny offer for him? I prayed that things would be okay. Moreover, I prayed that whatever Johnny offered, Yuto would decline.
After a few minutes of waiting in agony, he walked out, grabbed my hand and started to speed walk out. I had to jog to keep up with his long legs. His expression looked almost pained. But I still wanted to know.
"What happened?" I asked.
He was silent for a bit. He seemed reluctant to reply. Then finally, he replied.
"He offered me a drama," he scoffed. Then his voice dropped and he looked at me seriously, "... and my fame back..."
We were silent for a while and we left the building together quietly.
"So... What did you say?"
"I told him to cast someone else... and use someone else as his cash cow," he half smiled, his eyes shone in the sunlight, "What did he ask you?"
I snickered, "He offered me money. I told him that I wasn't a slut and kindly told him to fuck off."
He laughed, the sunlight made it so that his eyes looked like they were almost almond coloured. I marveled at the beauty of his eyes and he caught my stare, "What?"
I blushed and looked away, "N.. Nothing..."
He smiled and squeezed my hand, "Let's go somewhere"
"Where?" I asked.
"I don't care.." he sighed happily, "as long as I'm with you."
"Then it's settled," I grinned, "we walk aimlessly."
"Exactly." he laughed and leaned his forehead on mine, "Hidenka-chan."
"Yes?" I asked, the familiar heat rose to my cheeks again.
"I love you.." he whispered and pecked my lips, "... stay with me always"
My heart beat ten times faster and my cheeks grew even hotter, "Yes... I will..."
~OWARI~
Just joking. I'm almost done LOL.
So yeah, please enjoy chapter 10 of this. I worked hard APPRECIATE IT. TWO MORE CHAPTERS LEFT!!!
Okay so here are the chapters so far:
Chapter one: Twenty-Three Times
Chapter two: Raw Horse Flavoured Ice Cream?
Chapter three: Fashion Idiots
Chapter four: Wig, Hat, and Sunglasses
Chapter five: Blackmail
Extra Chapter: Short and Sweet
Chapter six: It Hurts
Chapter seven: Ice Cream Turtles
Chapter eight: Break Out!
Chapter nine: Losers go First!!
Okay now START STORY!
I awoke to the sound of my mother's urgent voice.
"Wake up, Honey... Please..."
There was panic in her voice. I hurriedly sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. The feeling of dread crept up from the pit of my stomach.
"What happened?" I asked as I tried to untangle myself from the bed sheets.
She bit her lip, her eyes were filled with worry, "We can't go outside.. Did.. Did something happen between you and Yuto-kun?"
What? What did she mean by that? I rushed to the window and opened the blinds slightly to take a peek.
A blinding flash startled me. I blinked several times, waiting for my vision to return. As the world became visible again, I found myself staring into a camera lens. Panic spread through me and I closed the blinds in a hurry.
"W..Why are there cameras outside?" I managed to croak.
"They know"
I turned to see Chizuru leaning against the door frame, her eyes were in a fury.
"What?" I exclaimed, "but... but we didn't do anything!"
"I know you guys wouldn't" She frowned, "maybe a fan was very observing?"
"You should stay home today..." my mother sighed and she nervously glanced over to the window, " it's not safe out there..."
"I'll go to school," I said.
"Are you kidding me?" Chizuru exclaimed, "aren't you worried about what will happen to you?"
"No." I replied, "I'm not a coward. I'm not staying home just because there's some people with cameras outside. I'm gonna suck it up and go to school."
My mom sighed, "Be careful, okay?"
I nodded, "Of course I will."=
"Call me if anything goes wrong," Chizuru said, "I'll come right away."
"Thanks" I smiled.
--------------------------------------
Noise. Yelling, screaming. Yuto pulled his bag higher on his shoulder and continued to walk down the street. The crowd seemed uncontrollable, they were pushing past each other, trying to make their way towards him. The sounds of questions were being yelled over each other. Girlfriend. That one word drifted out from the crowd. He stopped in his tracks and listened for the question again.
"Did your girlfriend really sleep with several men? Including you?"
Yuto's eyes widened. What the hell? His pocket vibrated, it was his phone. He took it out and checked the text.
Yuto. This is bad. Tell Hidenka-chan to stay home today. Please check the link I provided. Let's skip school. Meet me in Johnny's Jimusho. Now.
-Ryosuke
His eyes drew to the link below the message. Hesitantly, he clicked it as he picked up his pace. The link took him to a blog page with a long written article. He clicked his tongue, the photographers were still on his trail. There was a huge crowd of people ahead. Perfect. He strode quickly in as he took off his school blazer. The interviewers and photographers were madly searching for him. He stuffed the blazer in his school bag as he pulled out a jacket and slipped it on. He then turned and walked back the way he came and left his stalkers in the crowd. He pulled the jacked hood on and continued to read the web site as we walked.
------------------------------
Hi, this is my 1st blog entry, but that's not important rn. i have to tell you something really shocking. If ur a fan of HSJ's Nakajima Yuto, then I think u should read this. This is NOT a lie. The pictures are definitely Nakajima-san himself.
U all know that Nakajima-san is breaking a rule in JE. The one where you have a gf b4 ur 20.
and to tell u the truth, the chick he's with is a complete whore. She slept with lots of guys before they started dating. She may look like a normal gurl to u, but that's how she entices you. Don't fall for it, no matter wat she says. It's probly all a lie anyways.
This is all the stuff I know on her:
Name: xxxxxxxx xxxx
Age: xx
Address: xxxxxx xxxxxx
School: xxxxxxx xxxxx
Look at this picture of Nakajima-san:
[user posted picture]
Notice the brown bracelet I've circled in red? That's his bracelet.
Here's a closeup of the bracelet:
[user posted picture]
That's the exact bracelet he wuz wearing while on a date w/ his slutty gf.
[user posted picture]
Again, dun be fooled by her plain looks. She's a total bitch.
Here's a close up of the bracelet in the photo:
[user posted picture]
and if ur still not convinced, a close up of his face:
[user posted picture]
oh, and rumour has it that the 2 already had sex. That doesn't look good for a Johnny's idol. That shows you that Nakajima-san doesn't care about Johnny's regulations or his fans. He'd rather bang up a slutty gurl that may as well have diseases for all the guys she's slept w/. I dun think he's setting a very good example for the younger Johnny's Jr.'s don't u think?
Maybe he shouldn't be qualified for Johnny's? And they should kick him out? Who knows? You can decide. Ur his fans.
Thank you for reading this. That's all,
Charmander
----------------------------------
Charmander?
I put down my phone and began to massage my temples. This can't be happening...
I almost dropped my phone when it vibrated for an incoming text. Hesitantly, I opened the mail. As the ID displayed, I sighed in relief. It was just Yuto.
Hidenka-chan, please stay home today. I think you've already noticed that our secret is out... Please stay safe and don't do anything rash. DON'T. I repeat, DON'T go to school, alright?
You will always be my Princess,
-Basashi Ouji Yuto
I smiled and began to type a reply
Thanks for the concern, but it's fine. I'm going to school. There's a difference between being rash, and being a coward. I'm not backing down.
-Ichigo Hidenka-chan
Almost immediately, my phone vibrated again.
If you go, I swear I will take you home myself. I'm not joking. And there's also a difference of being safe or being stupid. Don't you dare make me go over there.
-Basashi Ouji Yuto
I put my phone in my bag and began to walk to school. I was walking for about two minutes when I heard my cellphone ring tone coming from my bag. I sighed. I should have turned it off. I stood there and let it ring for a bit. Finally I decided to pick it up. Exasperated, I flipped open the phone and pressed the receiver to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Are you going to school!?" His voice snapped.
"Yes" I snapped back irritatedly.
"You are so stupid!" He yelled, "you STUPID STUPID girl!"
"I am NOT being stupid!"
"Yes you are! You're still going!?" his voice seemed to be shaking a bit.
"Yeah, and you're not stopping me!" I cried.
"Listen to me okay? I-"
"No, you listen to ME. I knew the consequences of this relationship the moment you asked me. And I am NOT going to let some people at school or some idiots with cameras get the better of me! I am not a coward. I don't want to run away from my problems. And it's not dangerous! I'm not gonna die you know! Bullying is the least of my problems! I HATE hearing that I can't do something someone else can! I can do this! Don't tell me to do otherwise!"
He didn't reply.
"Hello? Were you even listening?"
I listened into the receiver. I heard him panting hard. Why would he be breathing like that? Then I heard the slapping of shoes on concrete.
"You're.. Not running here... are you..?"
"Nooo!" He yelled sarcastically, " I'm practicing for a new dance!"
"Wait.. What??!" I cried. How close to me was he?
Then I heard it. The unmistakable sound of his pounding feet coming from behind me. I whirled around right when he barreled into me. He latched his arms around my waist and hoisted me up onto his right shoulder. Then he proceeded to turn and charge back the way he came.
"Let me go!" I yelled while I kicked and struggled. I tried to get him to loosen his grip with no prevail. He held a strong grip on me and ran with a purpose.
"Where are you taking me?" I asked angrily.
"Johnny's." he replied, his breathing harsh, "It's probably the safest place around here..."
I sighed. He was too stubborn and I couldn't change his mind.
----------------------------------------
"Nice to finally meet you all," I bowed.
Yuto pulled me back up, "You're being too polite."
Yabu smiled, "Yuto's right. We're not Gods you know."
"Exactly. A friend of one of us is a friend of all of us," Takaki grinned.
"So cheesy, Yuyan." Hikaru laughed and slapped the top of Takaki's head.
"Ow!" Takaki whined and started to fix his hair, "don't ruin my hair-do."
"I'm so sorry this had to happen to you." Inoo sighed, "and I really doubt those rumours are true in the first place anyways."
"If they were, I would kick your ass for doing it under aged..." Yamada mumbled, slapping the top of Yuto's head.
"Ow! Don't hit me! I didn't!" Yuto protested.
"Guys, shut up." Yabu's authoritative voice kicked in, "so what do you think we can do on this problem?"
"What can we do?" Ryutaro scoffed, "It's the eleven of us against the majority of Japan... and Johnny."
"I don't want Yuto to be kicked out!" Chinen cried, "without Yuto, JUMP wouldn't be JUMP!"
"I agree." Daiki replied, "nine members just isn't JUMP,"
"But still," Keito reasoned, "Ryu's right. What can we do?"
"Could we pretend none of this happened and carry on as it is?" Hikaru asked, earning a slap on the head from Takaki.
"Stupid." He replied, "How can we when there's picture evidence?"
"But we can't really say or do anything about it, can we?" Keito asked, "sure, we're idols. But saying something may jeopardize Yuto's career even more... And even our own."
"I actually agree with Yaotome-san," I said, "I think we should carry on as if nothing happened. Things could die down."
The room was silent. The members looked at me surprised as if they didn't expect me to speak.
Finally, Ryutaro broke the silence with a penetrating question, "and what if they don't? Then what do we do?"
"Then we could figure it out then, right?" I retaliated. The room seemed to come alive again. The boys began to smile and started hooting and yelling.
"But then the situation then and now will be exactly the same" Ryutaro snapped, "if we can't think of anything now, we won't be able to later!"
The rest of JUMP hooted and yelled once more, this time for the youngest boy.
"But what if we do come up with something?" I asked. My pride was too high to go down like this.
"Then tell me.." Ryutaro leaned in, eyebrow raised, "If we can come up with something later, we can certainly come up with something now. So.. What do you think we can do about it?"
I opened my mouth to give a witty reply when there was a sharp knock at the door.
A small high voice rose from the dressing room door, "Can I come in?"
"Shit, it's one of the Juniors! Hide her!" Inoo whispered.
I frantically looked for a place to hide, my heart began to beat faster and I felt my palms sweat. Why is there no hiding place in a dressing room? The JUMP members worked synchronized. The boys had the closet quickly opened, then promptly picked me up and shoved me in. I heard the closet door click and lock behind me. I moved quickly to the corner of the area and tried to cover myself with the costumes around me.
"Come in." came Yabu's voice.
There were footsteps around the room.
"I have to find a costume for the designer because it was broken I think... Can I find it?" the high voice asked.
"Which one is it?" Yamada asked.
"I don't know..." the voice replied, "But I'll know when I see it. Can you let me look?"
"Go ahead," came Keito's calm reassuring voice.
His reply was followed by a moment of silence. I panicked slightly. Did he find out? Or did he hear me?
"Erm..." the Junior began, "You're standing in front of the costume closet, Nakajima-san..."
I heard Yuto sigh, he was hesitating, ".... Tell me what it looks like. I'll help you find it."
While the Junior was describing the costume, I looked around my surroundings again and prayed that I wasn't visible in any way.
"Okay let me check."
The closet door opened and I was relieved to see only Yuto step in.
"Hidenka-chan?" he whispered.
I shuffled the clothes around me so he'd know where I was. His footsteps came up to me and he lifted the sweater off my head.
"Hey, Princess." he smiled.
"More like Cinderella in the closet right now," I whispered back and grinned.
"You're still my Princess to me.." he murmured and pressed his lips to mine softly.
"Nakajima-san! Did you find it!?"
He jumped and looked up, "Y..yeah I'm still looking!" he started shuffling through the bright coloured costumes.
"Is it this one?" I asked and held a piece of cloth.
He looked at it and smiled, "Yeah it is.. Thanks." He took hold of the costume and leaned in again.
"Yuto!! Hurry up!" Yamada yelled.
Yuto clicked his tongue and stood up, "Yeah, coming!" he rushed out and closed the door behind him.
I heard the tiny voice thank him and leave the room. The closet door opened again not long after and Daiki poked his head in.
"Coast's clear. You can come out now."
I got out of the clothing mess and joined them outside.
"Well that was a close call.." Yabu sighed, "is the closet the only good hiding place here?"
"Basically.." Keito replied.
"By the way..." I began, "why are none of you at school?"
"Yeah that was me.." Yamada raised his hand sheepishly, "I told everyone to skip school because we needed to talk..."
"We came because we wanted to meet you." Hikaru grinned.
"Especially since that guy." Ryutaro pointed at Yuto, "Wont shut up about you."
"There's nothing wrong with expressing love" Yuto protested and wrapped his arms around my waist.
My face burned as the rest of JUMP hooted like hyenas.
"You guys are an animated bunch." I commented.
"Hell yeah we are!" Hikaru yelled. JUMP cheered in reply.
I laughed. It was fun being with them. They were always so cheerful and happy. We joked and chatted for a while, just having fun.
Then came another knock at the door. This time I got up and ran to the closet. Yuto held the door open for me and snapped it shut behind me. I dove into the pile of clothes and engulfed myself with the endless loads of costumes. As I lay there in the darkness, I heard muffled arguing outside. My heart began to beat faster again. What could be going on? I heard the voices of JUMP yelling out random things and stomping feet around. All of a sudden, it be came quiet. I panicked. What was happening?
"Nakajima-san. I don't have to ask again. Please get off the closet doors."
"No."
Then it became so deathly silent that it was scary. My heart threatened to burst in my chest.
There was a sigh, "We aren't going to kill her. Johnny-san just wants to talk to her. That's all there is."
"And what would he want to discuss with her?" Yuto asked. His voice was indifferent. Cold.
"That's not for you to hear at this moment."
"Then I'm not moving."
"Don't make me call security."
He didn't reply.
"We could also take your job too."
After a long pause of silence, he finally spoke, "You're only going to talk? And nothing more?"
"Yes, nothing more."
The closet door opened and footsteps came in. Another set of footsteps started but was cut short.
"Let me deal with this" came Yuto's voice and the closet door closed shut.
I slowly got up from under the costumes. Yuto walked over and hugged me tight, "I'm so sorry... I thought you'd be safe here, but I only made it worse."
I wrapped my arms around his waist, "It's okay.. At least I had some fun."
He smiled and pressed his lips to mine. He put his arms around me and held me closer, his lips moved slowly against mine. When he finally puled away, I buried my face against his chest and felt his heart beating against my cheek.
He held me close and whispered, "What ever happens today, we walk out of Johnny's together, alright?"
I nodded, "Alright."
-------------------------------
His desk was high and a bit intimidating. I breathed slowly and tried to keep myself calm. I was scared... really scared.
"So you're the girl everyone has been talking about, right?" asked Johnny as he flipped through the papers on his desk. The papers made subtle rippling sound every time he flipped a page.
"I would.. guess so..." I replied slowly. I frowned, did I sound TOO slow?
"I see..." he paused to put the papers into a folder, "I have a question for you."
I hesitated. What question would he ask?
"Y..yes?"
"How much?"
"Excuse me?"
"How much money can I pay you to leave Nakajima-kun alone?"
Well he just went all out bluntly. I sat there dumbfounded. Was he seriously asking me that question? A small wave of anger went through me and I tried to calm myself as I gripped hard onto the leather seat I sat on. Instead, I only shook my head politely.
"I'm sorry, but I can't take up your offer."
"Don't be so modest. Knowing a girl like you, you may be in a dire need of income am I not right?"
This time I couldn't hold back my anger. My blood began to boil and I stood up and pushed back my seat.
"That's enough. I'm not a slut. I'm not a whore. I'm me. I'm not in dept nor am I sleeping with anyone. Don't think that love can be placed as a price. There's no amount of money that will make me break up with him. Keep your filthy money. I don't want it."
And with that, I walked out of the office and slammed the door shut behind me. Yuto looked up from his seat anxiously. His expression was guilty and worried. I only smiled and gestured for him to go into the office. He nodded and walked tentatively in.
Waiting for Yuto to come out was torture. What sort of things could Johnny offer for him? I prayed that things would be okay. Moreover, I prayed that whatever Johnny offered, Yuto would decline.
After a few minutes of waiting in agony, he walked out, grabbed my hand and started to speed walk out. I had to jog to keep up with his long legs. His expression looked almost pained. But I still wanted to know.
"What happened?" I asked.
He was silent for a bit. He seemed reluctant to reply. Then finally, he replied.
"He offered me a drama," he scoffed. Then his voice dropped and he looked at me seriously, "... and my fame back..."
We were silent for a while and we left the building together quietly.
"So... What did you say?"
"I told him to cast someone else... and use someone else as his cash cow," he half smiled, his eyes shone in the sunlight, "What did he ask you?"
I snickered, "He offered me money. I told him that I wasn't a slut and kindly told him to fuck off."
He laughed, the sunlight made it so that his eyes looked like they were almost almond coloured. I marveled at the beauty of his eyes and he caught my stare, "What?"
I blushed and looked away, "N.. Nothing..."
He smiled and squeezed my hand, "Let's go somewhere"
"Where?" I asked.
"I don't care.." he sighed happily, "as long as I'm with you."
"Then it's settled," I grinned, "we walk aimlessly."
"Exactly." he laughed and leaned his forehead on mine, "Hidenka-chan."
"Yes?" I asked, the familiar heat rose to my cheeks again.
"I love you.." he whispered and pecked my lips, "... stay with me always"
My heart beat ten times faster and my cheeks grew even hotter, "Yes... I will..."
~OWARI~