[ficlet] Entrances & Exits
Title: Entrances & Exits
Rating: G
Pairing: Sho/Massu friendship
Word Count: 990
Summary: Everyone's a little awkward sometimes.
Author's Notes: A little something to get my mind away from obsessively following the going on's in Iran. This is heavily influenced from Sho's message to Massu in Dec 08's Wink Up message board. It's...probably a little abstract for what I was going for, but hopefully, that doesn't take away from the general feel of the fic. :D;;; Thanks to taysqueak for looking it over! ♥ There may be a sequel to this, whenever I feel up for it, so...stay tuned?
It kind of goes without saying, but sometimes, Massu is awkward.
There are times where he thinks something is funny and he'll laugh at it for a good five minutes before realizing that no one else is laughing, or worse yet, no one else is even really paying attention. There are times he does the same and completely forgets the presence of his bandmates when he has his favorite gyoza sitting in front of him, waiting to be eaten. There are times where he fidgets and squirms a little whenever it's just him and Yamapi in the dressing room because no matter how long NEWS sticks around for, he thinks he'll always have that, "Ah~ it's Yamapi!" kind of feeling, because he and Yamapi exist in two different planes of the idol world. The same feeling can be applied when he randomly and completely coincidentally runs into Sakurai Sho at some nondescript restaurant in Shibuya.
He thinks they probably make a really funny image, Sakurai looking spotless in his suit and tie, no doubt coming from News Zero filming or something equally smart and sophisticated. Massu is dressed in his usual brightly colored and obnoxiously patterned hoodies and baggy cargo pants and they sit next to each other, conversation starting and stopping and starting and stopping. It reminds Massu of that time where Arashi made him pop up on stage during a concert's MC and how utterly terrified he was.
It makes sense, in Massu's mind. For some reason, even though Massu backdanced for Arashi countless times, despite knowing the members of Arashi are nice and kind and sempais in every sense of the word, and even despite Ninomiya's fondness of calling him 'Giri-Massu', Arashi was kind of that group Massu genuinely liked so much, he couldn't begin to imagine what it'd be like to form legitimate friendships with any of them, let alone Sakurai, the brain of the bunch. Massu feels his hands getting clammy and accidentally drops his chopsticks onto the floor.
"I've gotta get going," he says without even thinking, fingers already pulling out crumpled yen notes from his pocket and slapping them on the counter, and he grabs his jacket and is out the door before he even realizes what he's doing. He hopes the prickly feeling of knowing someone was watching him was the manager who baffles at such an exorbitant amount of money for a half-eaten bowl of ramen, but there is a pretty big chance that this is not the case. Massu begins to power walk towards the closest metro station, sighing in defeat.
He tells Tegoshi about it the next day at their photoshoot, not exactly by choice, but because Tegoshi always had a weird sixth sense when it comes to Massu feeling a little down on himself.
"He probably thinks I'm crazy," Massu says, slumped over in his chair, cheek pressed against the cold metal of the dressing room table.
Tegoshi turns his head so he's face to face with him. "I don't think so. Sho-kun isn't like that."
"I wouldn't really know," Massu replies, eyes falling shut as Koyama flits by, ruffling his hair in the process.
"Well, if you hadn't run out of the restaurant..." Tegoshi trails off, sitting up straight again.
Massu itches his nose. "He definitely has to think I'm crazy. I think I'm crazy."
"Crazy, no." Tegoshi pauses. "Strange and awkward, yes."
"I don't think that's any more reassuring."
Tegoshi smiles that 100 mega-watt smile. "It sounds like you have some hero worship, that's all. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone looks up to Sho-kun at some point."
Except, for whatever reason that he can't quite figure out, he is a little embarrassed by it.
Thankfully, the next few days are all tied up with concert rehearsals and lights and sound and other gadgets and gizmo checks at their next concert venue, so it isn't until the next week when Massu sees Sakurai emerging from one of the elevators at the jimusho, head buried in the pages of his planner. Massu watches for a few moments, slightly unsure of what to do, until Sakurai is almost out the entrance and he hears his own voice call for the other man.
"Masuda-kun?" Massu hears Sakurai say as he jogs closer to him.
"Hey," he starts awkwardly.
Sakurai smiles. "Hi."
"I'm sorry," is what he wants to say, "I'm sorry for running out on you last week, but I was nervous because you're smart and strong and good-looking and I'm, well, I'm just me. I can kind of sing okay, I eat too much to be healthy, I mess up during TV performances a lot, I cry during concerts all the time and I make funny squishy faces. I'm no where near your league."
Instead, what he says is, "Are you free tomorrow night?" and he fidgets a little as Sakurai checks his planner, then nods his head yes. "Do you want to get dinner?"
"Together?" Sakurai asks.
Massu blanches. "If not, that's okay, I was just -- "
"Sure, that sounds good." Sakurai interrupts, then scribbles something on a scrap piece of paper and tears it out of his planner. "I've got to go, I'm a little late to an interview, but -- my phone number. Call me, okay? We'll definitely figure something out."
And just like that, Massu watches Sakurai leave the building, waving at him as he rushes out the jimusho doors, shoulder knocking against the doorframe on his way out. Massu can't help but chuckle as Sakurai stumbles, straightens himself, then hops into the taxi waiting for him. It makes him feel a little better and he smiles, fingers idly toying with the piece of paper in his hands. In fact, Massu is still standing in the same spot with the same cheerful smile on his face when Tegoshi walks through the entrance.
"Massu?" Tegoshi taps his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Massu nods. "I'm fine." He beams. "Just a little awkward."
As he begins the walk to NEWS' dressing room, Massu digs out his cell phone and saves Sakurai's number.
Rating: G
Pairing: Sho/Massu friendship
Word Count: 990
Summary: Everyone's a little awkward sometimes.
Author's Notes: A little something to get my mind away from obsessively following the going on's in Iran. This is heavily influenced from Sho's message to Massu in Dec 08's Wink Up message board. It's...probably a little abstract for what I was going for, but hopefully, that doesn't take away from the general feel of the fic. :D;;; Thanks to taysqueak for looking it over! ♥ There may be a sequel to this, whenever I feel up for it, so...stay tuned?
It kind of goes without saying, but sometimes, Massu is awkward.
There are times where he thinks something is funny and he'll laugh at it for a good five minutes before realizing that no one else is laughing, or worse yet, no one else is even really paying attention. There are times he does the same and completely forgets the presence of his bandmates when he has his favorite gyoza sitting in front of him, waiting to be eaten. There are times where he fidgets and squirms a little whenever it's just him and Yamapi in the dressing room because no matter how long NEWS sticks around for, he thinks he'll always have that, "Ah~ it's Yamapi!" kind of feeling, because he and Yamapi exist in two different planes of the idol world. The same feeling can be applied when he randomly and completely coincidentally runs into Sakurai Sho at some nondescript restaurant in Shibuya.
He thinks they probably make a really funny image, Sakurai looking spotless in his suit and tie, no doubt coming from News Zero filming or something equally smart and sophisticated. Massu is dressed in his usual brightly colored and obnoxiously patterned hoodies and baggy cargo pants and they sit next to each other, conversation starting and stopping and starting and stopping. It reminds Massu of that time where Arashi made him pop up on stage during a concert's MC and how utterly terrified he was.
It makes sense, in Massu's mind. For some reason, even though Massu backdanced for Arashi countless times, despite knowing the members of Arashi are nice and kind and sempais in every sense of the word, and even despite Ninomiya's fondness of calling him 'Giri-Massu', Arashi was kind of that group Massu genuinely liked so much, he couldn't begin to imagine what it'd be like to form legitimate friendships with any of them, let alone Sakurai, the brain of the bunch. Massu feels his hands getting clammy and accidentally drops his chopsticks onto the floor.
"I've gotta get going," he says without even thinking, fingers already pulling out crumpled yen notes from his pocket and slapping them on the counter, and he grabs his jacket and is out the door before he even realizes what he's doing. He hopes the prickly feeling of knowing someone was watching him was the manager who baffles at such an exorbitant amount of money for a half-eaten bowl of ramen, but there is a pretty big chance that this is not the case. Massu begins to power walk towards the closest metro station, sighing in defeat.
He tells Tegoshi about it the next day at their photoshoot, not exactly by choice, but because Tegoshi always had a weird sixth sense when it comes to Massu feeling a little down on himself.
"He probably thinks I'm crazy," Massu says, slumped over in his chair, cheek pressed against the cold metal of the dressing room table.
Tegoshi turns his head so he's face to face with him. "I don't think so. Sho-kun isn't like that."
"I wouldn't really know," Massu replies, eyes falling shut as Koyama flits by, ruffling his hair in the process.
"Well, if you hadn't run out of the restaurant..." Tegoshi trails off, sitting up straight again.
Massu itches his nose. "He definitely has to think I'm crazy. I think I'm crazy."
"Crazy, no." Tegoshi pauses. "Strange and awkward, yes."
"I don't think that's any more reassuring."
Tegoshi smiles that 100 mega-watt smile. "It sounds like you have some hero worship, that's all. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone looks up to Sho-kun at some point."
Except, for whatever reason that he can't quite figure out, he is a little embarrassed by it.
Thankfully, the next few days are all tied up with concert rehearsals and lights and sound and other gadgets and gizmo checks at their next concert venue, so it isn't until the next week when Massu sees Sakurai emerging from one of the elevators at the jimusho, head buried in the pages of his planner. Massu watches for a few moments, slightly unsure of what to do, until Sakurai is almost out the entrance and he hears his own voice call for the other man.
"Masuda-kun?" Massu hears Sakurai say as he jogs closer to him.
"Hey," he starts awkwardly.
Sakurai smiles. "Hi."
"I'm sorry," is what he wants to say, "I'm sorry for running out on you last week, but I was nervous because you're smart and strong and good-looking and I'm, well, I'm just me. I can kind of sing okay, I eat too much to be healthy, I mess up during TV performances a lot, I cry during concerts all the time and I make funny squishy faces. I'm no where near your league."
Instead, what he says is, "Are you free tomorrow night?" and he fidgets a little as Sakurai checks his planner, then nods his head yes. "Do you want to get dinner?"
"Together?" Sakurai asks.
Massu blanches. "If not, that's okay, I was just -- "
"Sure, that sounds good." Sakurai interrupts, then scribbles something on a scrap piece of paper and tears it out of his planner. "I've got to go, I'm a little late to an interview, but -- my phone number. Call me, okay? We'll definitely figure something out."
And just like that, Massu watches Sakurai leave the building, waving at him as he rushes out the jimusho doors, shoulder knocking against the doorframe on his way out. Massu can't help but chuckle as Sakurai stumbles, straightens himself, then hops into the taxi waiting for him. It makes him feel a little better and he smiles, fingers idly toying with the piece of paper in his hands. In fact, Massu is still standing in the same spot with the same cheerful smile on his face when Tegoshi walks through the entrance.
"Massu?" Tegoshi taps his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Massu nods. "I'm fine." He beams. "Just a little awkward."
As he begins the walk to NEWS' dressing room, Massu digs out his cell phone and saves Sakurai's number.