JE/NEWS- "One Thousand and One NEWS Nippon Nights" (8/8)
*****
Epilogue
“The end,” Shige breathes, as the story finally comes to a close. He turns to Ryo beside him then, and asks, “There, were you in this one enough?”
“Everyone was!” Koyama cheers, looking content from his seat across the aisle. “It’s good teamwork, ne.”
“Do I really laugh like that when I’m drunk?” Yamapi asks.
“Yes,” everyone answers. “At least, when you’re drunk with us.”
“He’s even dumber when he’s drunk with Akanishi,” Ryo reports, and gives everyone something to think about.
Yamapi nods knowingly. “I’m the kind of drinker who adapts to his environment, ne.”
Ryo reaches out to poke him in the arm. “Stop making it sound like a good thing.”
Yamapi grins and pokes him back.
Shige relaxes his shoulders a little bit. “So everyone’s happy now, right? Because I’m done. Who knew writing stories about us could be so tiring?”
“It was amazing how fast Shige could come up with all these random stories about us,” Yamapi marvels, glancing over his groupmate with admiration. “I could never just make up that sort of thing on the spot.”
“Seriously?” Shige asks, and looks around incredulously. “You thought I made that all up on the spot?”
“Shige’s brain must turn really fast to be able to put is in these types of ridiculous situations that we’d definitely never find ourselves in during real life ne. I mean, I’ve never been locked in a room by a dog,” Koyama interjects, with an air of decided optimism. “So for you to come up with that suddenly and make it believable is a real skill.”
Shige slaps a hand to his forehead, because out of everyone here, he had thought Koyama had caught on, given that exchange they’d had before Shige had told his Australia story. But looking back on it now, he supposes Koyama had just been giddy about guessing correctly about it being set in Australia, which is disappointing, all things considered. “I didn’t just make that stuff up on my own, guys,” Shige starts to explain, patiently. “I mean, remember Nagase’s Tiger and Dragon drama? It was kind of like that.”
The other members look confused at the reference. “You’re saying that was Rakugo? Because I don’t know any Rakugo stories that sound like those,” Koyama insists, and does not help the fact that he should know because he’s the one with the degree in literature.
Shige sighs. “So, none of the stories seemed sort-of familiar to anyone? I mean, I know it was a modern day retelling or whatever, but when you think about it, we’ve all heard the situations in the stories before. At least, I hope you all have because it’s basically classical stuff.”
Blank looks.
Shige cannot believe this, because he is very certain that everyone in this room saw the Aladdin movie at least once (even though that interpretation had been drastically altered from the original). “Okay look, just consider the main situation we found ourselves in as a whole for a second here. Tyrannical leader? Distracting storyteller? Well-placed cliff hangers to postpone an awful fate? Frame stories? No? Anyone?”
Silence.
Shige sighs. “Seriously guys, read a book one of these days, will you?”
After a moment, Tegoshi very softly clears his throat. “Shige,” he begins, low and sweet, “Did you just metaphorically make yourself Ryo-kun’s virgin sacrifice turned wife?”
Shige chokes. “What?”
Tegoshi’s brow furrows in thought. “Because if you’re telling us you’re thinking of yourself like you’re Scheher…”
Shige holds up a hand to stop him, because of course and his head hurts now. “Never mind. I totally made everything up by myself on the spot because I’m an awesome genius,” he says.
Yamapi grins triumphantly at the announcement. “Shige is really smart, ne,” he repeats, as if anything that had been said since he’d declared that the first time around hadn’t happened.
“Really smart!” everyone else echoes, and is content to leave it at that.
Shige silently tells himself to just be glad that it’s all over and be proud that he’d managed to singlehandedly save the kingdom with a few slick words.
That feeling of satisfaction towards his accomplishments lasts up until the moment Ryo grins and says, “We should make this a new NEWS concert tour tradition too. Nakedness and stories. They’ll be our thing.”
“Yay!” the others chorus, happily in full agreement with their back-boss’s brilliance. “Shige telling stories every tour would be awesome!”
“It’s just like Ryo-chan to be making plans for next year already!” Koyama adds, full of admiration for his groupmate.
Ryo snorts when he hears that. “Next year? I was thinking the day after tomorrow. You’ve got to keep us entertained during Dome rehearsals too, Shige.”
“Eh, that’s even better than waiting until next year!” Yamapi murmurs appreciatively, while Shige looks at them all like they’re crazy.
The members just smile at Shige expectantly. Ryo in particular, whose smile is infuriatingly smug as well, particularly when he turns his eyes heavenward and says, innocently, “I’m sure he could be convinced to do it if I scare some people first.”
Shige supposes he should be flattered that Ryo is willing to play villain so long as he gets what he wants. He puts his hands up in surrender. “Fine, fine. No more terrorizing the staff, please,” he says, because this is just his life.
NEWS cheers some more when Shige agrees and from there it seems that all too soon, they find themselves arriving at the Tokyo train station just after midnight. The members stand and grab their bags and reluctantly part ways at the doors; Osaka has ended and tomorrow they will get a single day off before gathering at Tokyo Dome to rehearse for the final leg of a very brief concert series. Koyama tells them all to take care and drive safe as he leaves, Yamapi tells them all to stay healthy as the weather heads towards winter, and before long the members are headed off in their different directions, looking forward to seeing each other again soon.
When Koyama gets home he greets his mother and his cat properly, and tells them both he missed them.
When Tegoshi gets back to his apartment he curls up with Tinny on the couch and asks her if she knows how to open and lock doors. The look she gives him tells him that she does not, and it makes him kind of relieved.
Massu gets home and promptly face-faults into his bed; he dreams of Persian food and beer and has an inexplicable desire to call Nakamaru and apologize for being vague.
Yamapi falls asleep thinking that maybe he should give Korea another chance, except in a more official capacity, because he will definitely want bodyguards and policemen there to help keep the crowds in control. He thinks he’ll ask management about that one of these days soon.
Ryo showers in his apartment and plans on being a little tyrannical at work the day after tomorrow anyway. He probably has to look up some sort of fancy exotic restaurant to take everyone to as well, because now they all know he’s cool enough to keep doing it.
As for Shige, when he gets home that night, the first thing he does is turn on his computer and buy Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West from Amazon.jp with free overnight shipping.
Because if he’s learned anything from all of this, it’s that when one story ends, it just means that it’s time for the next one to begin.
END
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