Fic: The Family Game (1/3)
Title: The Family Game
Pairing: Sakumoto (Sakurai Sho/Matsumoto Jun)
Rating: NC-17 (just be patient)
Summary: Matsumoto Jun and Sakurai Sho meet again, thanks to their daughters, and Jun has to deal with the awkwardness and old feelings of his first love.
Warnings: Dad AU, canon but not canon? (Arashi happened but they never reached fame), children, MatsuJun is in a dress at one point. Is Nino cameo considered a warning?
Notes: Not quite the dad AU I had in mind when I started to write but this is where my mind took me. This is the first ever exchange fic I've ever written, originally posted over at je_united for the 2019 exchange. I had a lot of fun writing this, and I really recommend joining the exchange if you're a fan of Johnny's and want to write! This helped me motivate myself to pick up writing, and actually finish stuff. It's great!
The 2020 exchange is currently OPEN so head over there and join us on AO3 if you haven't signed up yet! :D
“Have a seat, Matsumoto-san. Sumire-chan’s parents should be here any minute.”
Matsumoto Jun sat down on the small wooden chair to the left in the classroom. The walls were practically papered with drawings and he couldn't help but smile when he spotted a familiar style he's seen develop over the last few years. There's no doubt the dog drawn on Sora's picture is the fruit of hard practise to try and copy the oil painting Ohno gifted the girl on their last visit at his seaside home. Sora's been nagging him about getting a dog since she first learned how to speak, and only drawing dogs is the newest of attempts to convince her daddy to get her one. He would not give in on that one, but maybe he’d give Leader a call and arrange another weekend hangout. Salmon season hadn't begun yet, right?
A sudden noise from outside the classroom and then a loud knock on the door rattled Jun out of his thoughts.
“Ah, Sakurai-san! How nice of you to finally join us. Not to be rude, but I was expecting to see your wife? She's usually the one to pick up Sumire-chan”, the teacher says to the newly arrived guest.
“Sorry sensei, it's not my intention to disappoint. Forgive me for being late. Ayami-san is unfortunately unable to come, and the meeting I attended…”
Jun’s body froze in his seat. That voice. He'd recognise it anywhere, and not just because he hears it whenever he turns on the TV.
Sakurai Sho. The TV profile of Japan. He had worked his way up from being a errand boy at a small television network, to become a news anchor, host and the narrator in at least two handful of variety shows at the largest broadcast organisation. No one with a TV could possibly escape the voice or face of this man.
Sakurai Sho was also, like Jun, a former Johnny's member, having joined only a year before Jun. They were former colleagues, having debuted together with three other boys.
Former colleague and former love.
Yes, because this Sakurai Sho, with his wide eyes and smile full of teeth, was the very same person the 12 year old Matsumoto Jun had fallen head over heels in love with at first sight during a time when he didn't even really know what love was.
They hadn't met since they signed the papers to disband Arashi, when Jun was 22 years old and bitter, confused and heartbroken.
Now, over 10 years later, fate seemed to have decided to let their paths cross again.
“Have a seat, Sakurai-san. This is Matsumoto-san, Sora's father.”
Jun could see the very moment when Sho registered his presence and realised exactly who it was sitting in the chair next to him. They both nodded politely at each other.
“No need for any formal introduction. We're old friends. It's nice to see you again, Matsumoto-san.”
Old friends. Yeah right. Friends.
Jun felt the bitterness from his youth come back with full force and decided to change the subject.
“Sensei. You said there had been an incident? With Sora-chan and Sumire-chan?”
“Ah yes, sorry. The reason why I called you to this meeting is because the girls has been at each other's throats and the negativity is spreading throughout the class. The other students feel uncomfortable when the girls starts to get verbal. I've tried to separate them and I've tried to talk to them, but they don't listen and they won't tell me what's wrong. Have they said anything at home?”
“I haven't heard anything about this situation. Sumire has been the same as always”, Sho said with a strange look on his face.
“I haven't heard anything either, although now that you mention it... I have noticed that Sora tends to not talk as much about her day at school as she used to”, Jun answered.
“Well, now you're aware of the issue. Me and my colleagues will work hard to solve this problem, but the school can only do so much. I believe it's important for all children to get support from home, and I do think these two girls would benefit from meeting in another environment than school. I know the two of you are both very busy with your respective careers, but maybe you could arrange a meeting of sorts, so the girls can meet outside of school. Let them get used to each other. I'm sure they could become the best of friends if they get over this quarrel, whatever it is about. And with their fathers already being friends, a good example has already been set.”
“Yeah, friends”, Jun muttered under his breath.
That was two months ago. Two months since Sakurai Sho walked into Jun’s life again, this time with a spawn. Okay, that was unfair. Sumire was a lovely girl, bright and witty. Jun supposed she looked like her mother, whom he had yet to encounter, but whenever she smiled and her eyes widened she transformed into the spitting image of her father. Jun couldn't help but to from back whenever he was met with that image.
They had made a deal to alternate between the two of them. Jun and Sora would have Sumire over every odd weekend, and Sho would take Sora for a while on even weekends. The two girls had been quiet and awkward with each other at first, but soon warmed up and played together like nothing had ever happened. Jun and Sho only met when they dropped off or picked up their respective child, and only made awkward small talk while waiting for the girls to get ready to leave. At least the girls didn't notice the way their fathers struggled. Sora had taken a liking to Sho and once in a while she'd talk excitedly about how Sho had joined the girls and played with them when he wasn't busy with work. It seemed like it didn’t happen all too often, as Sora spoke about it like it was a special treat. Those days were the best, and hearing his daughter talk so fondly about his former band mate made his stomach do small cartwheels.
Again.
“So, how's Sho-chan? Have you confessed yet?”
Ninomiya Kazunari was the only former group member Jun met regularly. Initially Jun was the only one who decided to stay with Johnny's, as he got an offer to work with stage preparations and that suited him just fine. It was hard work to get a tour concept on paper to become reality, but the end result and to see the performing group and fans enjoy the stage he had created was worth it all. Nino, on the other hand, had left the company along with the other three. Their leader, Ohno Satoshi, had moved to a small sleepy seaside town where he made a living out of fishing and Aiba Masaki had moved back to his hometown and was busy managing the Aiba family restaurant. Sho had gone to television and Nino had disappeared to God knows where for a year or so, before emerging and accepting a job offer as a writer and composer. Although they worked in different departments in the company (and Nino worked a lot from home), they always made sure to drop by and say hi to each other when opportunity knocked. And Nino, knowing the whole story, was more than thrilled to hear that Jun and Sho had started talking again.
“There's nothing to confess. Our daughters are friends and meet regularly, Sakurai-san and I are civil when we meet and that's it.”
“So you're taking it slow for the sake of your children? Is that why you haven't gone down on your knees yet? ‘Oh Sho-chan I love you~ I loved you since I was young and had buck teeth, but now I'm grown up with perfect teeth so my mouth is perfect for sucking your co-”
“NINO! I do not sound like that and don't bring up my ugly teen teeth, please”. Jun’s face was bright red and he tried to shake off the image of being in from of Sho, looking up at him from down below. “Besides, he's married. If his kid is not an issue, then his wife sure is”.
“Hmmm there is that… who is she? The wife, that is?”
“Beats me. I've only ever met with Sakurai-san. Sumire never mentioned her either but I guess she's just as busy as Sakurai-san, if not more”.
“‘Sakurai-san’. Jun-pon, say after me. Sho-chan. Shoooo-chan. You were never formal with him when we were kids, no need to start now. I'm sure Sho-chan doesn't mind a little familiarity”.
Jun ignored Nino and stared at the papers in front if him. He knows Sho wouldn't mind if he was informal, but the thought of it brought back sour memories of his teenage self, following his beloved senpai everywhere he'd go and doing everything to be noticed. He remembered the day of Sho's graduation and how he afterwards has ripped off his second button on his gakuran and given it to Jun. Jun had never felt such happiness; his heart felt like it was about to burst and he felt like he was underwater. His head was spinning and he heard Sho saying something but he couldn't hear a single thing. He had just stood there, dumbfounded, until he could do nothing but smile until his cheeks hurt and blush like he was burning up from inside. When he’d come back from his high, Sho had been gone but he’d been too happy about the button to reflect too much on his absence. No other day would ever compare to this one, he had been sure of it.
(There had been days when he felt a similar kind of happiness. Like the day when he first held Sora in his arms, and wept because this miracle was his flesh and blood. And she was his, only his. Nothing could ever take replace him as her father.)
After Sho's graduation however, things had changed. Sho began to distance himself and gave Jun the cold shoulder more often than not. He'd laugh crudely at Jun’s puppy love and tell him off. The final hit had been when Sho one day came to practice with a huge grin, telling everybody about how he had met someone and she had agreed to be his girlfriend. Jun had never felt such betrayal, even if they weren't together. Hell, they weren't even dating. They never had. Jun had no right to be jealous, but he was. And that had been the beginning of the end of their relationship, both professional and private. Jun stopped following Sho around and started to hang out with others. He found two good friends in Ohno and Nino, who both noticed the rift between Sho and Jun, but never commented much on it. Jun had been grateful. His fragile heart had taken enough damage.
Although it had been years, Jun could still feel the sting of the memories in his eyes. He was over Sho, he had had plenty of relationships after and he had even loved a few. Yes, a part of him would always be weak for Sho but that didn't mean he still wanted to have a romantic relationship with him.
Right?