[FIC] LOVE SO BITTERSWEET
Title: Love So Bittersweet
Fandom/Pairing: JE/various
Rating: PG-13. ish. for language
Word Count: 2955
Notes: sorry this was so late. anyway, comments and criticism are always welcome and i hope you enjoy this super late update :)
also much much much thanks to la_soffitta for beta-reading this ♥
one | two | three | four
Nino couldn’t care less about Sho’s and Jun’s underlying issues. He didn’t care for Jun’s petty comments about some inside joke he was apparently part of, or Sho’s cryptic glances while he performed a really sad piece for Okada Junichi (really, that Sakurai could act so desperate at times). All of that was beyond him. He was just a poor boy stranded in the playground of the rich.
“I hate to say this, but I am leaving for France.” Okada announced and everyone gasped, as if on cue. “I might stay there permanently. To everyone in this room, it was an honor meeting all of you and I hope our paths will cross again.”
Nino supposed when you were rich, it didn’t matter if you were being selfish or not.
--
“What are you, some kind of sissy?”
Sho frowned at his sheet music, lonely and sad against the ebony piano. He glanced wistfully at Nino, but something flashed in his eyes and his gaze turned cold.
“It’s better if you stay out of things you don’t know about, Ninomiya-kun.”
“It’s so obvious that you’re affected by this. Are you just going to stand there and do nothing?” There were a lot of things Nino admired about Sakurai but being a coward wasn’t one of them. And he wasn’t going to take this sitting down.
“I have nothing more to tell you.”
“You’re a wimp, Sakurai Sho!”
It felt good, yelling those words at Sho’s departing figure. Nino thought that he was being a coward, obviously, and he should at least properly settle things with Okada before he could leave for that prissy country of his. When he spun around, he saw Jun staring him down with moody eyes.
“Sho-kun’s right. Don’t get yourself involved in things you don’t know about.”
Nino had no idea what he meant, but this was Jun so it was practically guaranteed that it wasn’t very bright. Letting it slide, he walked past Jun, wanting to get out of the place as soon as possible.
--
“Welco-”
Kame’s smile disappeared at the sight of the new customer. Akanishi Jin stood at the doorway, looking as rich and extravagant as ever. The playboy seemed to have remembered Kame and he smiled his way. As much as Kame loathed the guy, there was nothing he could do about it. Ohno had come out to check up on things and Kame couldn’t refuse a customer with him around.
He directed Akanishi to a table by the windows; he figured he might as well use his pretty face to attract more customers. Jin was popular enough that there were murmurs from their (very few) customers. This annoyed Kame, but Jin didn’t seem to mind so he let it be.
“This way please,” Kame waited for his customer to take a seat before whipping out a menu for him. “What can I get you?”
“You’re Kamenashi-kun, right?” Jin took the menu but he didn’t seem to be very interested in its contents. In reply, Kame flashed his “HI I AM KAME-CHAN” nametag. “Is Nino-chan around?”
“His shift starts at one in the afternoon,” Kame informed him.
“Why are you so grumpy?”
“Are you going to order or not?”
“What would you suggest?”
“They are all delicious.”
“Which is your favorite?”
“I don’t have one.”
“Which one would you like to eat right now?”
“I’m full.”
“You’re pretty cold, aren’t you?” Jin put down his menu to look at his waiter.
“I’m a very busy employee so if you’re not going to get anything soon, I’ll be going off.” It was a huge fat lie though. The place was almost empty if not for Jin, an old lady and a middle-aged man with his daughter.
“Get me this one then.” Jin pointed randomly at some dish but his gaze never left Kame.
“All right then.” Kame didn’t even bother writing that down. “Please wait here.”
Once back at the counter, Kame narrowed his eyes at him, hating how he thought he could barge in the place like he did. Jin caught his gaze, throwing back a smile and a wave. Kame seethed before he turned around, presenting Akanishi his very own back.
--
“I’m going with you.”
Sho was shaking slightly; it was the first time he had actually stood up to Okada. The latter didn’t seem to notice, as he shuffled back and forth in his room, stuffing things into his bag. For a moment, Sho thought Okada hadn’t heard him. The actor proved him wrong when he finally asked, “Why?”
“I want to prove to you that you were wrong in rejecting me years back.”
“Even if it’s no guarantee that I’ll accept that proof?”
Sho took a deep breath, and the words Nino yelled at him came back to mind.
“Yes.”
There was a long pause, and Sho’s high hopes were slowly feeling not-so-hopeful at the moment. The silence was making Sho more nervous by the second, and when Okada finally turned to face him, Sho could feel his heart pound uncomfortably in his chest.
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Okada gave a sheepish smile before handing Sho his ticket for tomorrow’s flight. “I was supposed to get you a
two-way ticket, but I’d figured that you’d want to stay there for a while.”
“Now you’re just being cocky.”
“I know how you think, Sho-kun.”
Sho rolled his eyes, locked the door behind him and smiled. Tonight was turning out to be the best night of his life. Sho should listen to Nino more often.
--
Nino didn’t know how it happened, but people seemed to hate him more after Sho went traipsing to France with his soon-to-be boytoy. Pranks were thrown at him left and right (literally, often) and Nino was running out of clean clothes to change in to. He put up with it, not bothering to lay a finger on anyone; if he harmed somebody he might get sued for all he was worth, and right now that wasn’t much.
On Day One, the guys somehow decided it would be amusing to lock Nino in a bathroom cubicle. Nino tried to force the door open, and this just made them laugh harder. In the end, Nino gave up. The door was opened by the janitor forty minutes later, and Nino was late for class.
In classes, the jokes lessened but they didn’t disappear completely. Sometimes people subtly threw things at him, other times he would have his things knocked down. Nino didn’t fight back, not even to protest.
Classes would be over soon anyway.
--
Nino groaned and realized he wouldn’t be going home like he’d wanted to when he saw his classmates approach him. They all looked the same to Nino; they all had the same expression, the same smirk, the same cruel laughter. He was dragged into the empty chemistry lab and once inside, the nameless boys started landing punches on him.
It’ll only hurt for a little bit, Nino told himself. Then it will all go away.
--
“It’s only me, don’t worry.”
Nino had never felt this happy hearing Jun’s voice. Various parts of his body simultaneously ached, he had got pretty badly beaten up this time around. In the dark chemistry lab, Nino groped around for support, trying to sit upright. He managed to hold on to something before he realized it was Jun’s arm.
“Why are you here?”
“I was looking for you?”
There was a throbbing near Nino’s right eye-that would probably result in a black eye, give or take a few hours-so he couldn’t see Jun properly; his voice was a delight to Nino’s ears anyway. It was disgusting for Nino to admit, but hearing it gave him some strength.
“You’ve found me.” Nino rasped out. “So now what?”
It was quiet for a while; Nino feared that his statement would spark another argument. He had no energy left to argue, that was for sure-he silently hoped that Jun would ignore that sharp note in his statement. Nino never curbed his tongue when it came to Jun. That’s why he liked talking to the spoiled brat even if all they did is fight.
Nino felt Jun’s hand on the back of his neck, pulling him gently towards Jun’s suit-clad chest. Nino could hear Jun’s heartbeat-slow, even thumps that almost seemed melodic to him. On the other hand, Nino’s own heartbeat was going wild, thumping madly in its place.
“Let me hold you, for starters.” Jun replied, his voice rough.
They stayed like that for some time, and after much debating, Nino finally admitted to himself that Jun smelled really good.
--
“You’re staying over.”
Nino’s eyes widened, his mouth getting ready to form a protest. A sharp pain in his arm prevented him before he even began. He was already cleaned up, his wounds had been bandaged efficiently by some of Jun’s maids, he had been changed into fluffy blue pajamas and fed a generous dinner.
“Don’t move around too much. You’ll disrupt the healing process.” Jun told him. The guest room he lent Nino was large. At the same time, it had large, wide windows, a large bed and its very own sofa-and-coffee table set at one side. Nino gawked at it when he first entered, but then he did the same thing with every other room in the house. “I’ve already told your parents, don’t worry about it.”
“Since when have you been an expert on this?” Nino sent his companion a weird look, picking at a frayed edge of his bandage.
“I’ve had tons of experience in that department.”
When Jun directed his gaze downwards, Nino noticed that his smooth manicured hands which were usually adorned with gold rings were bandaged.
“What happened to you?” Nino spat out, and his concern masked with slight annoyance.
“What do you mean, what happened to me? I had to take care of the guys who did that to you, of course.”
Was the medication making Nino woozy, or did Jun look embarrassed?
“Well. Thanks.” Nino murmured. “You didn’t need to do it, but thanks.”
For some reason, Jun couldn’t look at Nino in the eye. It was ridiculous how endearing Nino found it. He thought that Jun would be more
arrogant about it, and not the least bit embarrassed. Nino found himself smiling, and when Jun noticed it, he started smiling too.
--
Lately, Nino had been seeing more and more of Jun. It wasn’t a completely unpleasant sight, as Jun was growing on him (thanks to some unknown miracle) but it made Nino a bit curious. Surely the rich heir had an ulterior motive? No one would be crazy enough to hang out with a poor boy who’s the school’s number one public enemy without reason.
“It’s closing time, sir.” Nino snapped at Jun. He was with his F4 buddies-minus Sakurai-and they all looked at him with mild interest. “Shall I see you out, or do you need me to say it again?”
“The service here is very rude,” Jun replied haughtily. As Ohkura finished the remnants of his porridge, Jin smirked and grabbed his glass of tea. “Ninomiya, are you headed home after this?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Then I’ll wait for you outside.”
Nino rolled his eyes and muttered “Suit yourself” under his breath before leaving. Somehow, this had Jun smiling broadly.
“You’re making moves, I see.” Ohkura mumbled lazily. “Sho’s been gone for less than two weeks and you’re already hitting on him.”
“What does Sho-kun have to do with this?”
“He obviously has a soft spot for Nino-chan,” Jin pointed out bluntly. “But he went to chase after Okada so I guess you’re free to play the field.”
“Stop calling it like that,” Jun grumbled. “I heard you were making moves of your own with Nino’s friend.”
“Oh god, we’re acting like girls-gossiping about out love lives.” Of course, Jin didn’t make this sound like a good thing. “Look Jun, he’s attractive but he’s a total prude. It’s just some simple teasing, nothing to talk about.”
--
“Seriously, you’re acting like a total stalker.”
Jun looked up from the bench and saw Nino carrying his schoolbag. It was past ten in the evening and the streets were starting to empty themselves. There was a thin sheet of snow covering the expanse of the city, and Nino thought that Jun was shivering just a bit.
“A-are you going home now?” with slightly chattering teeth, Jun asked.
“Yeah, I am.”
“I’ll walk you.”
“If I get mobbed, it will totally be your fault.” Nino was convinced that Jun was a robbery waiting to happen. His clothes actually sparkled.
“Not happening.” The rich boy said flippantly. The pair started walking, their footsteps making dull echoes in the cold night. Suddenly, Nino felt awkward standing here, walking right next to the school’s richest student, in his hand-me-down uniform and stained pants, it was all too ironic. And worst of it all, the night was actually whispering lovingly to him, that he should thank Matsumoto, which was just a bit absurd, considering Matsumoto dragged him into this mess in the first place.
“Why do you do this?” Nino suddenly blurted.
“What?”
“Walk with me. You have your fancy car and you pay your driver to take you wherever you want to go. Why do you choose to walk out in the cold with me?”
“Because I’m walking with you,” Jun rubbed at his nose, looking up.
“That’s hardly a reason.”
“Is it wrong to want to spend more time with the person you like?” his voice just got a little bit higher, and it was magnified by the street’s silence. Nino was speechless for a moment.
“N-no,” he finally replied. “No, it’s not.”
--
Kamenashi had had some pretty crappy days. Sometimes, his mother would get sick and he had to ask all the people he knew to lend him money. Then he had to take at least four jobs to pay them all back. Sometimes, the baseball coach would tell him that he was simply not dedicated enough if he couldn’t spend all his hours practicing. Sometimes, a customer would yell at him for something he didn’t do. And sometimes, a girl would take his heart, walk all over it, and laugh at him all the while.
“I can’t believe you even thought that I was serious with you.” The girl was petite, with hair the color of chestnuts falling down her shoulders. She had large brown eyes that were usually warm with laughter, and a generous smile that lit her face up. Exactly like all the other girls Kame had fallen for in the past.
Now Kame didn’t even recognize her. Her hair had lost its usual luster, her eyes were cold and hard and her smile was cruel and mocking. The man on her arm was new to Kame as well. “Kamenashi-kun, I was playing around okay? I thought you were cuter, but I found someone better.”
Kame refused to say a word because after all, his mother had raised him to be a gentleman. Taking his silence as resignation, the girl giggled before dragging her new boyfriend out of the restaurant.
“I guess this means it’ll be just you tonight, sir?” the maître d’ popped out of nowhere with a large smile and a menu. Kame punched him on his nose, then left.
--
“Nino?” Kame felt like a ton of hot bricks lifted from his chest when his friend finally picked up. “Hey, are you busy right now?”
“I-I’m out right now. Matsumoto came and dragged me out to watch a movie or something. What’s up?”
“N-nothing. I was just bored. Go have fun. Try not to fall for him.”
“Shut up. You know that isn’t going to happen.” Even from the sound of his voice, Kame could picture the distaste in Nino’s face as he spoke. “I’ll just call you later then. Maybe we can have a practice session or something.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Kame put his phone back in his pocket, wishing he had someone else to call. Then, he realized that he did have someone. That professional flirt-cum-prick who arrogantly gave him his number (“In case,” Akanishi had said with a wink that made Kame want to throw up). Kame was convinced that at this point he had absolutely nothing else to lose, so he took out the crumpled piece of paper and started dialing.
--
“Akanishi.”
Hearing that cool voice almost made Kame wish he hadn’t made that call. It turned out, he had some pride left to lose, and now he felt like clinging tightly to it. But he was no coward. He wasn’t the type to leave anything he started half-done.
“Akanishi-kun, hello.”
“Who is this?”
And at that, Kame wished that he had chosen a more private place to make the call, instead of a crowded ice cream parlor. The girls behind him started giggling and whispering when they heard the name “Akanishi”.
“Kamenashi Kazuya.” Kame whispered against his cellphone.
“Kamenashi-kun. You actually kept my number!”
“I was about to throw it out.”
“Why didn’t you?”
It was a challenge. Akanishi was asking him to lay his pride down on the line, and Kame really didn’t want to. Kame took a deep breath, and he made up his mind. He’d keep his pride with him and Akanishi could go fuck himself.
“This was a really huge mistake. I’m hanging up now, sorry.”
“No!” the urgency in Akanishi’s voice stopped Kame’s thumb from pressing the one button to end the call. “No! Don’t. I was just-where are you right now?”
--to be continued
Fandom/Pairing: JE/various
Rating: PG-13. ish. for language
Word Count: 2955
Notes: sorry this was so late. anyway, comments and criticism are always welcome and i hope you enjoy this super late update :)
also much much much thanks to la_soffitta for beta-reading this ♥
one | two | three | four
Nino couldn’t care less about Sho’s and Jun’s underlying issues. He didn’t care for Jun’s petty comments about some inside joke he was apparently part of, or Sho’s cryptic glances while he performed a really sad piece for Okada Junichi (really, that Sakurai could act so desperate at times). All of that was beyond him. He was just a poor boy stranded in the playground of the rich.
“I hate to say this, but I am leaving for France.” Okada announced and everyone gasped, as if on cue. “I might stay there permanently. To everyone in this room, it was an honor meeting all of you and I hope our paths will cross again.”
Nino supposed when you were rich, it didn’t matter if you were being selfish or not.
--
“What are you, some kind of sissy?”
Sho frowned at his sheet music, lonely and sad against the ebony piano. He glanced wistfully at Nino, but something flashed in his eyes and his gaze turned cold.
“It’s better if you stay out of things you don’t know about, Ninomiya-kun.”
“It’s so obvious that you’re affected by this. Are you just going to stand there and do nothing?” There were a lot of things Nino admired about Sakurai but being a coward wasn’t one of them. And he wasn’t going to take this sitting down.
“I have nothing more to tell you.”
“You’re a wimp, Sakurai Sho!”
It felt good, yelling those words at Sho’s departing figure. Nino thought that he was being a coward, obviously, and he should at least properly settle things with Okada before he could leave for that prissy country of his. When he spun around, he saw Jun staring him down with moody eyes.
“Sho-kun’s right. Don’t get yourself involved in things you don’t know about.”
Nino had no idea what he meant, but this was Jun so it was practically guaranteed that it wasn’t very bright. Letting it slide, he walked past Jun, wanting to get out of the place as soon as possible.
--
“Welco-”
Kame’s smile disappeared at the sight of the new customer. Akanishi Jin stood at the doorway, looking as rich and extravagant as ever. The playboy seemed to have remembered Kame and he smiled his way. As much as Kame loathed the guy, there was nothing he could do about it. Ohno had come out to check up on things and Kame couldn’t refuse a customer with him around.
He directed Akanishi to a table by the windows; he figured he might as well use his pretty face to attract more customers. Jin was popular enough that there were murmurs from their (very few) customers. This annoyed Kame, but Jin didn’t seem to mind so he let it be.
“This way please,” Kame waited for his customer to take a seat before whipping out a menu for him. “What can I get you?”
“You’re Kamenashi-kun, right?” Jin took the menu but he didn’t seem to be very interested in its contents. In reply, Kame flashed his “HI I AM KAME-CHAN” nametag. “Is Nino-chan around?”
“His shift starts at one in the afternoon,” Kame informed him.
“Why are you so grumpy?”
“Are you going to order or not?”
“What would you suggest?”
“They are all delicious.”
“Which is your favorite?”
“I don’t have one.”
“Which one would you like to eat right now?”
“I’m full.”
“You’re pretty cold, aren’t you?” Jin put down his menu to look at his waiter.
“I’m a very busy employee so if you’re not going to get anything soon, I’ll be going off.” It was a huge fat lie though. The place was almost empty if not for Jin, an old lady and a middle-aged man with his daughter.
“Get me this one then.” Jin pointed randomly at some dish but his gaze never left Kame.
“All right then.” Kame didn’t even bother writing that down. “Please wait here.”
Once back at the counter, Kame narrowed his eyes at him, hating how he thought he could barge in the place like he did. Jin caught his gaze, throwing back a smile and a wave. Kame seethed before he turned around, presenting Akanishi his very own back.
--
“I’m going with you.”
Sho was shaking slightly; it was the first time he had actually stood up to Okada. The latter didn’t seem to notice, as he shuffled back and forth in his room, stuffing things into his bag. For a moment, Sho thought Okada hadn’t heard him. The actor proved him wrong when he finally asked, “Why?”
“I want to prove to you that you were wrong in rejecting me years back.”
“Even if it’s no guarantee that I’ll accept that proof?”
Sho took a deep breath, and the words Nino yelled at him came back to mind.
“Yes.”
There was a long pause, and Sho’s high hopes were slowly feeling not-so-hopeful at the moment. The silence was making Sho more nervous by the second, and when Okada finally turned to face him, Sho could feel his heart pound uncomfortably in his chest.
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Okada gave a sheepish smile before handing Sho his ticket for tomorrow’s flight. “I was supposed to get you a
two-way ticket, but I’d figured that you’d want to stay there for a while.”
“Now you’re just being cocky.”
“I know how you think, Sho-kun.”
Sho rolled his eyes, locked the door behind him and smiled. Tonight was turning out to be the best night of his life. Sho should listen to Nino more often.
--
Nino didn’t know how it happened, but people seemed to hate him more after Sho went traipsing to France with his soon-to-be boytoy. Pranks were thrown at him left and right (literally, often) and Nino was running out of clean clothes to change in to. He put up with it, not bothering to lay a finger on anyone; if he harmed somebody he might get sued for all he was worth, and right now that wasn’t much.
On Day One, the guys somehow decided it would be amusing to lock Nino in a bathroom cubicle. Nino tried to force the door open, and this just made them laugh harder. In the end, Nino gave up. The door was opened by the janitor forty minutes later, and Nino was late for class.
In classes, the jokes lessened but they didn’t disappear completely. Sometimes people subtly threw things at him, other times he would have his things knocked down. Nino didn’t fight back, not even to protest.
Classes would be over soon anyway.
--
Nino groaned and realized he wouldn’t be going home like he’d wanted to when he saw his classmates approach him. They all looked the same to Nino; they all had the same expression, the same smirk, the same cruel laughter. He was dragged into the empty chemistry lab and once inside, the nameless boys started landing punches on him.
It’ll only hurt for a little bit, Nino told himself. Then it will all go away.
--
“It’s only me, don’t worry.”
Nino had never felt this happy hearing Jun’s voice. Various parts of his body simultaneously ached, he had got pretty badly beaten up this time around. In the dark chemistry lab, Nino groped around for support, trying to sit upright. He managed to hold on to something before he realized it was Jun’s arm.
“Why are you here?”
“I was looking for you?”
There was a throbbing near Nino’s right eye-that would probably result in a black eye, give or take a few hours-so he couldn’t see Jun properly; his voice was a delight to Nino’s ears anyway. It was disgusting for Nino to admit, but hearing it gave him some strength.
“You’ve found me.” Nino rasped out. “So now what?”
It was quiet for a while; Nino feared that his statement would spark another argument. He had no energy left to argue, that was for sure-he silently hoped that Jun would ignore that sharp note in his statement. Nino never curbed his tongue when it came to Jun. That’s why he liked talking to the spoiled brat even if all they did is fight.
Nino felt Jun’s hand on the back of his neck, pulling him gently towards Jun’s suit-clad chest. Nino could hear Jun’s heartbeat-slow, even thumps that almost seemed melodic to him. On the other hand, Nino’s own heartbeat was going wild, thumping madly in its place.
“Let me hold you, for starters.” Jun replied, his voice rough.
They stayed like that for some time, and after much debating, Nino finally admitted to himself that Jun smelled really good.
--
“You’re staying over.”
Nino’s eyes widened, his mouth getting ready to form a protest. A sharp pain in his arm prevented him before he even began. He was already cleaned up, his wounds had been bandaged efficiently by some of Jun’s maids, he had been changed into fluffy blue pajamas and fed a generous dinner.
“Don’t move around too much. You’ll disrupt the healing process.” Jun told him. The guest room he lent Nino was large. At the same time, it had large, wide windows, a large bed and its very own sofa-and-coffee table set at one side. Nino gawked at it when he first entered, but then he did the same thing with every other room in the house. “I’ve already told your parents, don’t worry about it.”
“Since when have you been an expert on this?” Nino sent his companion a weird look, picking at a frayed edge of his bandage.
“I’ve had tons of experience in that department.”
When Jun directed his gaze downwards, Nino noticed that his smooth manicured hands which were usually adorned with gold rings were bandaged.
“What happened to you?” Nino spat out, and his concern masked with slight annoyance.
“What do you mean, what happened to me? I had to take care of the guys who did that to you, of course.”
Was the medication making Nino woozy, or did Jun look embarrassed?
“Well. Thanks.” Nino murmured. “You didn’t need to do it, but thanks.”
For some reason, Jun couldn’t look at Nino in the eye. It was ridiculous how endearing Nino found it. He thought that Jun would be more
arrogant about it, and not the least bit embarrassed. Nino found himself smiling, and when Jun noticed it, he started smiling too.
--
Lately, Nino had been seeing more and more of Jun. It wasn’t a completely unpleasant sight, as Jun was growing on him (thanks to some unknown miracle) but it made Nino a bit curious. Surely the rich heir had an ulterior motive? No one would be crazy enough to hang out with a poor boy who’s the school’s number one public enemy without reason.
“It’s closing time, sir.” Nino snapped at Jun. He was with his F4 buddies-minus Sakurai-and they all looked at him with mild interest. “Shall I see you out, or do you need me to say it again?”
“The service here is very rude,” Jun replied haughtily. As Ohkura finished the remnants of his porridge, Jin smirked and grabbed his glass of tea. “Ninomiya, are you headed home after this?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Then I’ll wait for you outside.”
Nino rolled his eyes and muttered “Suit yourself” under his breath before leaving. Somehow, this had Jun smiling broadly.
“You’re making moves, I see.” Ohkura mumbled lazily. “Sho’s been gone for less than two weeks and you’re already hitting on him.”
“What does Sho-kun have to do with this?”
“He obviously has a soft spot for Nino-chan,” Jin pointed out bluntly. “But he went to chase after Okada so I guess you’re free to play the field.”
“Stop calling it like that,” Jun grumbled. “I heard you were making moves of your own with Nino’s friend.”
“Oh god, we’re acting like girls-gossiping about out love lives.” Of course, Jin didn’t make this sound like a good thing. “Look Jun, he’s attractive but he’s a total prude. It’s just some simple teasing, nothing to talk about.”
--
“Seriously, you’re acting like a total stalker.”
Jun looked up from the bench and saw Nino carrying his schoolbag. It was past ten in the evening and the streets were starting to empty themselves. There was a thin sheet of snow covering the expanse of the city, and Nino thought that Jun was shivering just a bit.
“A-are you going home now?” with slightly chattering teeth, Jun asked.
“Yeah, I am.”
“I’ll walk you.”
“If I get mobbed, it will totally be your fault.” Nino was convinced that Jun was a robbery waiting to happen. His clothes actually sparkled.
“Not happening.” The rich boy said flippantly. The pair started walking, their footsteps making dull echoes in the cold night. Suddenly, Nino felt awkward standing here, walking right next to the school’s richest student, in his hand-me-down uniform and stained pants, it was all too ironic. And worst of it all, the night was actually whispering lovingly to him, that he should thank Matsumoto, which was just a bit absurd, considering Matsumoto dragged him into this mess in the first place.
“Why do you do this?” Nino suddenly blurted.
“What?”
“Walk with me. You have your fancy car and you pay your driver to take you wherever you want to go. Why do you choose to walk out in the cold with me?”
“Because I’m walking with you,” Jun rubbed at his nose, looking up.
“That’s hardly a reason.”
“Is it wrong to want to spend more time with the person you like?” his voice just got a little bit higher, and it was magnified by the street’s silence. Nino was speechless for a moment.
“N-no,” he finally replied. “No, it’s not.”
--
Kamenashi had had some pretty crappy days. Sometimes, his mother would get sick and he had to ask all the people he knew to lend him money. Then he had to take at least four jobs to pay them all back. Sometimes, the baseball coach would tell him that he was simply not dedicated enough if he couldn’t spend all his hours practicing. Sometimes, a customer would yell at him for something he didn’t do. And sometimes, a girl would take his heart, walk all over it, and laugh at him all the while.
“I can’t believe you even thought that I was serious with you.” The girl was petite, with hair the color of chestnuts falling down her shoulders. She had large brown eyes that were usually warm with laughter, and a generous smile that lit her face up. Exactly like all the other girls Kame had fallen for in the past.
Now Kame didn’t even recognize her. Her hair had lost its usual luster, her eyes were cold and hard and her smile was cruel and mocking. The man on her arm was new to Kame as well. “Kamenashi-kun, I was playing around okay? I thought you were cuter, but I found someone better.”
Kame refused to say a word because after all, his mother had raised him to be a gentleman. Taking his silence as resignation, the girl giggled before dragging her new boyfriend out of the restaurant.
“I guess this means it’ll be just you tonight, sir?” the maître d’ popped out of nowhere with a large smile and a menu. Kame punched him on his nose, then left.
--
“Nino?” Kame felt like a ton of hot bricks lifted from his chest when his friend finally picked up. “Hey, are you busy right now?”
“I-I’m out right now. Matsumoto came and dragged me out to watch a movie or something. What’s up?”
“N-nothing. I was just bored. Go have fun. Try not to fall for him.”
“Shut up. You know that isn’t going to happen.” Even from the sound of his voice, Kame could picture the distaste in Nino’s face as he spoke. “I’ll just call you later then. Maybe we can have a practice session or something.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Kame put his phone back in his pocket, wishing he had someone else to call. Then, he realized that he did have someone. That professional flirt-cum-prick who arrogantly gave him his number (“In case,” Akanishi had said with a wink that made Kame want to throw up). Kame was convinced that at this point he had absolutely nothing else to lose, so he took out the crumpled piece of paper and started dialing.
--
“Akanishi.”
Hearing that cool voice almost made Kame wish he hadn’t made that call. It turned out, he had some pride left to lose, and now he felt like clinging tightly to it. But he was no coward. He wasn’t the type to leave anything he started half-done.
“Akanishi-kun, hello.”
“Who is this?”
And at that, Kame wished that he had chosen a more private place to make the call, instead of a crowded ice cream parlor. The girls behind him started giggling and whispering when they heard the name “Akanishi”.
“Kamenashi Kazuya.” Kame whispered against his cellphone.
“Kamenashi-kun. You actually kept my number!”
“I was about to throw it out.”
“Why didn’t you?”
It was a challenge. Akanishi was asking him to lay his pride down on the line, and Kame really didn’t want to. Kame took a deep breath, and he made up his mind. He’d keep his pride with him and Akanishi could go fuck himself.
“This was a really huge mistake. I’m hanging up now, sorry.”
“No!” the urgency in Akanishi’s voice stopped Kame’s thumb from pressing the one button to end the call. “No! Don’t. I was just-where are you right now?”
--to be continued