Title: Kanpai!
Author: Biohazard Geeky Nutcracker
coolohohLength: One shot (778 words)
Rating: G
Pairing: Jun-centric
Beta:
jheiliSummary: A song brought back many memories for Jun.
"Kanpai!"
Glasses clinked and Jun swallowed gulps of the cool, frothy beer.
It was good.
Of course, it wasn't the first time Jun had drunk the golden, slightly bitter liquid. He had sneaked cans into the dormitory before. Well they all had. But this time, instead of drinking it in the dark in his dorm while on his bed (they figured that if someone came in to have a spot check, they could stuff the cans somewhere under the bedding and pretend to be sleeping together), he was drinking it in broad daylight now.
Jun held his glass out and gave a toothy grin, which leader returned with a knowing smile, as Ohno filled up his glass once more.
He was now of legal age.
20.
The magical age in Japan. So much so that they even kept the olden way of saying the number. It wasn't ni-jyuu sai, but it was hatachi.
Hatachi.
Jun rolled the word over in his tongue, smiling as he remembered the song his bandmates made for him and sang during the concert earlier.
He was the last of the five to come of age, and with his coming of age, the group they had created, 'A friends' would be disbanded. He felt a little teary eye at that. The random discussions they had with the rest of the members, together with their managers and staff... the random singing sessions and attempts to keep things a secret. He would miss all that. Sure they were still Arashi, they would still be together... which made him feel that all the more it should not be disbanded right? After all, as important as being 20 was, Jun was sure that every year before and after that was also important. It's not like you could just... work hard for a year and slack the rest off. Life wasn't like that. Especially now that he had just become an adult.... Ah right. An adult. Yes. That's the why 20 was so important. Because he was now officially an adult.
Perhaps for others it meant more. Because it would be around the time they graduated from school and started working. But not for Jun. He'd been in Johnnys for seven years now, of which four years were as Arashi. Four whole years. It felt too long and yet too short. Too short and yet too long. They had done so much crazy stuff together as Arashi, yet there were still so much more that Jun wanted to do. He'd been interested in concert production all along, and he was glad that the staff let him take part in their organization and discussion. But there was still so much he did not know, still so much to learn... Jun frowned as his mind continued to wander off.
"What's up? Why are you looking so gloomy? It's your birthday Jun, cheer up!" Sho said as he patted Jun on the back, jolting Jun out of his thoughts.
"Oh nothing. I was just thinking of stuff." Jun replied.
"Drink up drink up." A slightly tipsy Aiba said.
"Look the ice has all melted already, it's all diluted!" Aiba continued.
Ohno helpfully topped up Jun's glass with fresh beer, while Nino added in more ice cubes.
"Kanpai!" The five of them said in unison before draining their glass.
"Ne Nino, you have your guitar with you?" Jun asked rather abruptly.
"Yeah guitar guitar!" Aiba cheered, "Play something!"
Reluctantly Nino agreed, and it soon turned into a messy drinking and drunken karaoke session.
"Kanpai! Ima kimi wa jinseino
ookina ookina butai ni tachi
Haruka nagai michinori wo aruki hajimeta
Kimi ni shiawase are!"
The boys burst out into laughter as they finished the song, and Ohno supplied them with yet more beers.
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"Matsumoto! Why are you constantly lost in your own world!" Nagabuchi said.
Loudly. Almost yelling, but it was just talking for the legendary Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi.
"Sorry, I was concentrating!" Jun apologized as he snapped out of his memory.
Jun couldn't help but think back on the past decade though, as the aniki guest sang the song.
"Kanpai! Ima kimi wa jinseino
ookina ookina butai ni tachi
Haruka nagai michinori wo aruki hajimeta
Kimi ni shiawase are!"
Cheers! Now you standing on the big, big stage of your life
You are about to embark on a long, distant journey
Here's wishing you happiness and good fortune!
Indeed, it had been 10 tough but happy and blessed years. Jun smiled as he strummed the guitar.
And there was still a long road ahead of him.
"You are about to embark on a long, distant journey
Here's wishing you happiness and good fortune!"
T/N: This fic was inspired by the Arashi ni Shiyagare episode that aired on the 31st of Jan 2015, as well as the song Kanpai by Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi. The lyrics are from the hook of the song, whereas I re-did the song translations myself... because I think those translations available on the Internet kinda sucks.