Stay with me
Title: Stay with me
Author: Me, Nayami 8D
Pairing: Okamoto Keito x OC (Akimoto Chiaki)
Chapter: first
People think that I'm too young to know what true love is. Well, they're wrong. I'm pretty confident when I say that my boyfriend Haruki showed me what true love means.I can't help but feel proud that I've proved those people wrong.
I pass a few children carrying present on my way home. I see the Christmas lights flashing on and off while they hang by the windows of Takaki-kun. He isn't the only one I live with. I live with all the members of Hey!Say!JUMP. That's why everyone found it strange that I even found Haruki when I have such gorgeous people in my own home. But it would have been stranger if I dated one of them since I see them all as my brother.
My parents and I had a few financial problems just last year. They would avoid asking help at all costs, but not swallowing their pride would mean me not being able to go to school. That's why they asked help from someone they could surely trust.
When both of them went abroad to work, Kitagawa-san, a.k.a. Johnny-san, found no better way to help me than to keep me in school and shelter me with some of the people he trusts the most. It would have been risky to place a girl in a home full of boys that are all undergoing puberty. But when I saw how kind and understand these guys are, I understand why he didn't have second thoughts doing so.
I grab my keys and am about to unlock the door when it opens right before me.
"Chiaki-chan!" Hikaru exclaims as he grabs me by the hand. "Come inside, hurry! We're going to get the party started!"
He drags me into the dining room where a cake is placed in the middle of the table with all the members surrounding it. Suddenly, I feel nervous. I have no idea what this is for. Did I forget someone's birthday? The next birthday is Yabu's and it's not until the end of January.
"I guess Chiaki-chan forgot the day she came to this house~" Yuto says.
Oh yeah! I didn't think the anniversary of when I came to live with them was one thing to remember.
"There's no need to celebrate~" I say.
"Nonsense!" Ryutaro exclaims. "Go ahead and blow the candles~"
I do as he says. They all clap for me even though I still think they shouldn't be making a big deal out of this. Smiles flash my way and I couldn't help but return them. Our dinner is cake and ice cream. They really are determined to make this a feast. I feel slightly guilty about this. I haven't made an effort to remember this day and here they are doing their best to make it memorable. I guess I didn't want to remind myself of this day since all I that I can say about me moving here is that I've been a terrible burden to them. But they don't make it seem like that. Another reason why I love them.
Before I go to bed, I kneel by the window, thanking God that I've been accepted and loved by these wonderful people. As I crawl under the covers, I make myself remember to not forget that tomorrow is the day me and Haruki met, and I'm planning to surprise him.
The next day after school, even though Haruki and I have spent the day together, I still make some effort to get us some alone time away from school.
After school, I try to look for him but he's nowhere to be found. It's not the first time he disappears like this. So I go to the one place I find him at these times; the park.
I refuse for anyone of my friends to come with me since I want me and Haruki to be alone. On my way to the park, I can't help but notice a normal boy and a normal girl together. When I take a closer look, I realize that the boy is Haruki. I'm about to approach them when pain takes over and glues me to that exact spot at the sight of him holding her hand.
It's not just him holding her hand that hurts me, it's how he looks at the girl. How he smiles at her. The look and smile that he never showed me. As if he's in complete bliss that he never felt with me.
When they start to walk, I snap back to reality. But instead of beating the life out of the girl and dealing with him next, I surprise myself when I start hiding behind bushed and trees while following them. They don't go anywhere special. Just a walk along the pavement, but even that hurts me. Hand in hand, they brush past stores with happy faces reflecting on mirrors. Faces that no matter how happy, seem to haunt me.
They stop at what seems to be the girl's house. She climbs up a few steps to her door and again I'm stuck to the cement at the sight of their lips meeting. She goes inside and shuts the door behind her. Haruki, still smiling, grabs his phone from his pocket. He dials a number and brings the phone up to his face when I hear my phone ring.
I grab it and flip it open, answering his call after a few rings.
"Moshi moshi? he says in a joyful tone you can't miss.
"Hey," I answer.
"Want to go out?" he invites.
"Where?"
"Anywhere. I just want to spend time with you."
"Why? Are you tired of spending time with the girl you just left?" I say indifferently.
"What? Where are you?" I see his head frantically looking from both sides but not finding me. I step out of the bushes and take a few silent steps closer to him.
"Right behind you."
He turns around just in time to see the tears flooding in my eyes to roll down my cheek. He looks at me. A mix of regret and sympathy fills his gaze. His hand reaches for me, but I take a few steps back.
"Aki.. I'm.. I'm.." he mutters.
Every step he takes toward me makes me step back. I want to turn away and leave. Run away from this monster who claimed to love me. But I can't. I want to, but can't. I've loved him to much.
"Why?" I utter.
"I-I'm sorry. I just--"
"Don't try and explain. I understand."
"You do?" His face lights up.
"Yes. I understand now that I never should have believed your lies. Especially the lie you always told me, the lie that said you loved me."
His look suggests that he's regretful, but he doesn't shed one tear. He may look like it, but he isn't hurt. It is a lie. He never loved me. I was just for show.
I turn and walk the other way, making as much distance between us as possible. I never want to be near the monster. Ever. When I turn around, I expected him to be right by my tail, following me so he can apologize. But what I see is a sea of unfamiliar faces.
My friends always said that I should never shed even a single tear to a person that's not worth it. But I can't help it. My eyes fill with tears the roll down my cheek even before I blink.
Home. It's the only place I know I'll be able to let it all out without being judged even though 20 eyes will be on me. I run as fast as I can until I see the blinking lights on the windows.
The gate is open and I immediately enter it, not bothering to close it since the only place I wanna be in is in my room. The door is also unlocked. When I slam the front door shut, the sound it makes is much
louder than I intended. This catches everyone's attention.
I walk quickly to my room upstairs. Nose as red as Rudolph's and eyes puffier than ever. This is what they see that quickly alarms them to come to my aid. I hear my name called out by ten voices. My knees go weak and I collapse on the steps.
Yabu quickly catches me and settles me on the couch where I try to hide my face from these people.
"Aki-chan, doshita?" Chinen concernedly asks. But all I can reply is a couple of sniffs and a sound of complete sadness.
"Did something happen in school?" Yama-chan asks. I shake my head.
"Did you get in a fight with your friends?" Kei guesses. I shake my head again.
"Something happened with you and Haruki, right?" Keito says. I nod and a few more tears follow.
A sound between sympathy and anger fills the room. Sympathy towards me and anger towards Haruki even though they didn't know what happened yet.
I sit on the couch with everyone listening attentively, careful not to miss a single word. As I tell the story, their anger fires up even more. By the end of the story, they want to teach Haruki a lesson the next day. I tell them that it's not necessary. They don't object beyond grunting. The whole night, I'm nursed by these 10 boys. Fed, comforted, accompanied. They all tuck me into bed and sing a lullaby. Slowly, I drift to sleep.
I'm awakened by a nightmare in the middle on the night. What used to be a sweet dream, me and Haruki
strolling the park and playing by the fountain is now a haunting nightmare whenever the girl appears and hurts me, physically and emotionally.
When I wake, I'm sticky with sweat and screaming my head off. I let out another scream when I see Keito lying beside me. Did I invite him here last night? Maybe I'm still dreaming. That must be it. I don't remember letting him sleep beside me last night.
Silence fills the room and I realize that I've been voicing all those questions and conclusions out loud. Well, he didn't hear me. He's asleep. And even if he did hear me, it's just a dream.
For now, I decide to let myself feel comfortable in his arms. If this dream is caused by my despair and want for physical closeness, then I want to make the most of it. Since this maybe as close as I'll get to a boy for now, only in a dream.
The next day I wake up, I immediately look for Keito beside me. The covers where he was supposed to be are as neat as last night. It's as if he's never been here. Well, he might have not been. I confirm to myself that it was all a dream.
I walk down the stairs and realize how lonely I really am after last night. My face must really show how I feel inside, because the moment I go to the kitchen to join everyone else, they start to baby me again and say comforting words to me.
I feel slightly shy towards Keito since I dreamt of him last night. Acting awkward towards him would only lead to him asking why I'm acting this way. So instead of avoiding him, I act indifferently and just avoid eye contact. It would be unfair on his side if I start avoiding him since he really didn't do anything wrong.
He walks to my side to prepare the place mats. I start fiddling with the chopsticks and suddenly I feel his breath by my ear, about to whisper something.
"Chiaki.. It wasn't a dream," he whispers.
I feel my cheeks starting to burn and I'm sure that my face has turned bright red in shock and embarrassment. He walks away as if nothing happened while I stand there glued to the floor.