Otanjoubi no Monogatari 1/3: Realizations (Part 4/6)
Title: Realizations (Five times Arashi helped Chinen realize his feelings for Takaki + the result)
Pairing: TakaChii (and other pairings on the side)
Notes: A (very late) birthday fic for yatsuiko-chan. Otanjoubi omedetto gozaimasu~! (haha, kinda your present for the birthday of “Lord Ohno”, as he’s part of the story anyway… please don’t kill me for this…)
Summary: It's Ohno!
→Part 1 of 3 of your very belated birthday present :3
Disclaimer: Yeah I own them, and Nino is Chinen's biggest closet fan. *SHOT*
•Ohno•
The four members of Arashi looked up as their fifth member entered their dressing room. Nino came in quietly, went to the far end of the table they were all gathered around and put his head in his arms.
"Doushitano, Ninomiya-kun?" Jun asked cautiously.
"You didn't hurt Chinen-kun, didn't you?" Sho asked in an urgent tone. Nino shook his head, refusing to answer.
"Nino..." Ohno said, gently placing a hand on Nino's head. A sob broke out from Nino, startling the other members. They all looked on helplessly as Nino cried, Ohno rubbing his back soothingly.
"Oh-chan... onegai... please talk to Chinen for me... I just wanted to help... but I think I just made things worse..." Nino wailed, sobbing onto Ohno's shirt. Ohno stroked the head of the crying boy, waiting for him to calm down.
Soon, Nino's tears subsided and he sat quietly, his group mates surrounding him. He looked at Ohno with pleading, watery eyes. Ohno looked at Nino for a long time before nodding his head and standing up.
"Where is he?"
•••
Chinen sat where Nino left him, his head bowed as though he was sleeping peacefully. But in reality, he was anything but peaceful.
His head was spinning with all the possibilities, his heart pounding frantically in his chest. He didn't know what to think anymore; he doesn't know whether to be happy or sad... the general emotion in his heart? Confusion...
"Chinen-kun... daijobu ka?" a voice asked.
Chinen looked up, expecting to find Takaki. To his surprise he was almost disappointed when he saw Ohno instead...
"Ohno-kun... onegai... please help me... I don't know what to do anymore..."
"Doushite?" Ohno asked gently, taking a seat beside Chinen.
"Ever since I joined Johnny's, my goal was to be close to you... you know I like you right?"
Ohno answered him with a gentle smile, giving Chinen courage to continue.
“I like you... I really do! But this like is being taken over by something I don't know... something bigger... I'm afraid..." whispered Chinen.
Ohno put his arm around his kouhai's shoulders, making the little boy raise his head to look at the person sitting beside him.
"Why should you be afraid? That feeling isn't something to be scared of... those feelings in your heart shouldn't be locked up; they should be set free and be properly conveyed to the right person. Chinen-kun, please listen to me; I know that you like me, but you must know that this is a different form of 'like'... I accept your feelings with gratitude, but please don't confuse those feelings with the real thing..."
"The... the real thing?" Chinen asked, his head whirling in confusion. Ohno looked at Chinen with a sad face.
"I know what you're going through right now. It's hard and confusing trying to sort out what you really feel, but please always remember to be honest with yourself. If you're going to ignore those feelings and insist on confusing it with what you feel for me or for other people, isn't that just lying to yourself? Please trust in your heart... you'll surely find happiness... Believe on tomorrow and don't fear anything..."
"What I feel for you is... different?" Chinen said softly... and a tear suddenly fell from his eyes, startling him.
And the teas kept on falling... he tried to stop, but he couldn't control his tears... in the end he just let them flow...
And while he sat, crying his eyes out, he thought about one thing...Why was he really crying? Was it disbelief and disappointment of the truth? The refusal to change how things have always been?
Was it because of the doubt on how the future will turn out?
The fear that things will not turn out like he wanted it to?
The fear of the destruction of a cherished friendship?
The realization that he was lying to himself all this time?
The realization that the answer to all of his questions was right in front of him the whole time?
The realization that all his insecurities in the past were the obstacles hindering his path to happiness?
The realization that all these questions will never be resolved unless he had the courage to know the answer?
Slowly, like a jigsaw puzzle being solved, the pieces were slowly falling into place...
He realized that being friends wasn't an excuse for being afraid. If the person you like has already seen the true you, then there is certainly no need for barriers between the two of you... Just because you're friends doesn't mean that you couldn't like a person...
His sobs softened, his tears stopped on their own accord. The sun has risen over the horizon of confusion... his future was brightening... slowly, yes, but definitely brightening...
Ohno sat silently beside Chinen the entire time, patting the little boy's back. Finally, Chinen looked at Ohno, wiping his eyes on his sleeve in the process. Ohno smiled at his kouhai and wiped a stray tear at the corner of the little boy's eye.
"Sometimes you may lose what's important, but after this, you can walk on holding a feeling that can't be taken away..."
Chinen truly smiled for the first time, recognizing the lyrics from "Everyday". He looked at his beloved sempai, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Hontou ni arigato gozaimasu, Ohno-kun... you've helped me realize something important..." Chinen said in a soft tone, his gentle smile brightening his face. Ohno suddenly pulled Chinen into a tight hug, surprising the latter.
"Ganbare, Chinen-kun... I really hope you do well... demo...?"
"What is it, Ohno-kun?" Chinen probed, quite surprised at his sempai's apparent discomfort. Ohno raised his head and smiled sheepishly at his kouhai.
"Whatever happens... don't forget me ne? I'll... I'll always be here for you; the rest of Arashi too! We're always here to support you in whatever you do..."
Chinen laughed for the first time that day. "Mochiron! I'll always be here to support Ohno-kun! Ohno-kun wa daisuki~!"
"Tell that to him properly this time," Ohno said with a laugh. Chinen smiled.
"Hai!"