AkaHara one-shot: Photograph
Title: Photograph
Author: ringo_seijin
Genre: Romance
Rating: G
Characters: Akanishi Jin, Uehara Takako
Word Count: 2821
Warning: Not edited. Look out for horrible grammatical mistakes plus sudden 'timeslips'. No hallelujah chance though!
Uehara Takako gave a sad sigh as she dragged her feet over to the bus stop, with a plastic bag in her hand, containing her breakfast. Holding back the tears in her eyes, she pat the head of the stray dog that has been her companion at the bus stop every morning since one year ago. Takako smoothened the fur on the dog’s back as she whispered to it while it looked back at her with its soulful brown eyes, as if asking her what has happened to her.
“Even you can sense it, huh?”
Takako shook her head sadly and reached into her plastic bag for her breakfast, a tuna mayo sandwich and a packet of milk as usual. The dog wagged its tail furiously upon catching sight of its breakfast. Well, it’s what Takako would always do to share her breakfast with the stray dog. It has been a year and the pitiful little puppy a year ago has grown up into a medium sized brown dog. What has never changed throughout this entire year was Takako’s daily schedule. Every morning, she would wake up at eight in the morning and get ready to leave the house she shared with Issa, her boyfriend of nearly two years, by eight forty-five for the convenience shop nearby to get her breakfast. A sandwich and a packet of fresh milk. By nine ten, she would reach the bus stop where the dog would be happily waiting for her, and its breakfast. Then, they would share the breakfast Takako bought and finish it by nine twenty when the bus arrive, sending Takako to her workplace by ten o’clock. It may seemed dull, but to Takako, everyday was a day full of love and happiness for she has overcame many obstacles just to be with her boyfriend of nearly two years. Despite great objections from her family, Takako decided to move in with him anyway and in the process, damaged her relationship with her family. But to Takako, all is worthwhile for she has found her true love. Well, at least she thought it was so.
… …
Takako frowned as she noticed a pair of unfamiliar female heels at the door. Shrugging the uneasy feeling off, she unlatched the door and was immediately attracted to the whisperings coming from Issa’s room. Curious, she tiptoed over to the door, which was left ajar and peeked inside to receive the rudest shock she could ever get. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes as she found Issa in bed with another girl. Takako gasped and immediately covered her mouth with her hand in a desperate attempt to hide the fact that she was crying. Issa, sensing another’s presence slowly disentangled his arms from the girl’s and climbed up into a sitting position on his bed, staring straight at Takako coldly.
“All right, so now you found out. You may leave.”
Takako stood rooted to the ground as the girl gave her a sniggering look before locking lips with Issa.
“Why, Issa? Why are you doing this to me?”
Takako couldn’t help it but started to sob as Issa looked at her in an annoying manner, obviously hoping that she would disappear immediately from the house.
“Why? Oh Taka-chan, aren’t you naive? Can’t you see for yourself? This is what I wanted. This is what you could never give me. And since that’s the case, I think we should just break up. All right, I’m not a heartless creature. I’ll give you a week’s time to find a new place to move into. By the end of this week, Mai will be moving in.”
… …
Takako finally allowed a tear to escape her eyes as she stared at the sandwich and the packet of fresh milk in her hands. No, she wouldn’t be able to force them down her throat. Wiping the tear away with the back of her hand, she tore of the wrapper of the sandwich and lay it down in front of the dog before setting the opened packet of fresh milk beside the sandwich. Takako frowned slightly as the dog looked back at her instead of attacking the food like it would always do. Taking a step forward, it pressed its nose into the palm of her hand, licking it affectionately. Takako smiled. Well, at least, she still has a friend left.
“I’m all right, doggie. I just don’t feel like eating today.”
As if understanding her words, the dog bent down its head and started to finish up the sandwich and the milk. It was not long before the bus arrives and all that was left of Takako’s breakfast was a sandwich wrapper and an empty packet of fresh milk. Bending over to pick up the rubbish, Takako gave a final pat on the dog’s head.
“Goodbye, doggie. May we meet again.”
… …
Akanishi Jin cursed silently as he sprang up from his cozy bed, grabbing the alarm clock that he placed by his bedside. It showed eight forty-five am.
“F*ck! I’ve overslept again!”
Slapping himself on his forehead, Jin set his alarm clock back onto his bedside table dejectedly before climbing off his bed, heading for the washroom to wash up. Staring at the mirror, Jin started poking his own reflection in a reprimanding manner.
“Oei, Akanishi Jin! How can you always oversleep? How can you ever take the picture of the sunrise if you always shut off the alarm and go back to sleep? Why can’t you just wake up on time? Why?”
Shaking his head, Jin made his way over to his window after picking up the camera he has left on his table the night before. He has been planning to take a picture of the sunrise since two weeks ago. And through these fourteen days, he has overslept! Cursing at himself over and over again, Jin held up his camera and let his focus roam the street for anything interesting. He has promised his editor a flawless picture of the sunrise two weeks ago. Oh well, perhaps he should send in a flawless picture of the sunset instead. All of a sudden, someone strolling down the street caught his attention. Readjusting the focus of his camera lenses, Jin finally managed to see her face clearly. He didn’t know why but her eyes captivated him. Unknowingly, Jin started pressing down on his shutters as she walked over to the bus stop with a small smile on her face, swinging a plastic bag from the nearby convenience store to and fro in her hand. Jin didn’t understand why, but his fingers seemed to have a new life of their own, pressing down on the shutters furiously as she patted the stray dog that has followed her over to the empty seat affectionately; tearing out pieces of the sandwich she has took out from the plastic bag and feeding it to the dog while she ate; opening up the packet of milk after she has finished half of it and giving the rest of it to the dog; picking up the rubbish when the dog has finished up the remaining food and throwing it away at the rubbish bin. Jin wanted to stop. He wanted to stop taking photographs of this lady he didn’t even know. But there was nothing he could do other than to stand by his window and pressing down on the shutters until the point she stood up when a bus arrived at the bus stop. Keeping his fingers still at the side of his camera, Jin willed himself not to press down on the shutters anymore as he watched. The lady merely stood by the seat, patting the dog affectionately on its head as the rest of the people crowded around the entrance of the bus, trying their best to be the first to get onto the bus. From time to time, she would take a glance over at the bus, but it wasn’t until the crowd around the entrance has almost entirely went up the bus did she strolled over to the bus slowly, climbing up the bus and taking her place right at the entrance on the bus.
“What was I doing?”
Jin set his camera back onto his table and sat down on his unmade bed, pondering over what he has done. Was he intruding in her privacy? He has all the while been taking photographs of scenery, never people. What made him take her photographs? Why was there this sudden urge to press down on his shutters and taking each and every look in her eyes the very moment he saw it? What was so captivating about her eyes? Jin didn’t understand. He took another look at his alarm clock. There’s one thing he knew. He would be standing by this window at nine ten tomorrow morning as well, with his camera in his hand. And his camera would never stop clicking until the bus arrives at nine twenty. He was deeply captivated by her. Shaking away the loose thoughts in his mind, Jin reached for his mobile phone and dialed for his editor, who also happened to be his best friend since his middle school days.
“Oei, Pi! Well, I was thinking, maybe I should be taking a picture of the sunset instead, you know…”
… …
Jin sat at his working desk and stared at those photographs he has pinned onto the soft board set in front of his desk. Each and every photographs of the girl in his dreams whom he would never get to know. Over the past months, Jin has been getting out of bed at eight forty-five sharp so as to get ready to take one photograph of her each day. Shaking his head, Jin chided himself for being somewhat, perverse, as he read through those scribbles he has written down below some of the photographs.
‘What has made you so happy today?’
‘When would I ever get to know your name?’
‘You looked tired. Had a rough night?’
‘What happened? Why are you crying?’
Jin stuck out his finger and swiped it across the photograph, as if hoping to wipe away the pesky tear that has just escaped from the corner of her captivating eyes. It has to be those eyes. They seemed to be telling Jin something but sadly, he could never understand what they are trying to say. No matter how hard he stared at those eyes, no matter how hard he tried to understand, he couldn't. He just couldn't.
"Just what has happened? Why did you disappear?"
Jin lowered his head onto the desk as he sighed; thinking back on the last day he set eyes on this stranger whom has stolen his heart away with the look in her eyes.
… …
Jin stood by his window, armed with his camera as usual, trying to get the girl into focus. However, the usual grin that would light up his face upon seeing those eyes of hers was replaced by a frown. Something is not right. The way she walk; the way she swing the plastic bag in her hand; the look in her eyes; and the disappearance of the usual smile on her face. She didn’t seem to be herself today. Something must be wrong. Jin frowned as she arrived at the bus stop and stared into space with sadness in her eyes, even ignoring the stray dog when it came up to her. After what seemed like an eternity, she snapped out of her thoughts and fished out her usual breakfast from the plastic bag. As she looked down at the sandwich and packet of milk in her hands, a tear finally escaped from the corner of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
'Click'
Jin didn't know why, but he immediately pressed down on the shutter at that very moment. Adjusting the focus of his camera again, Jin stood stiffly by his window and continued to watch, the frown never leaving his face. The girl made no move to wipe away her tears but went on to unwrap the sandwich and open up the packet of milk. However, instead of eating them, she placed it down on the floor, in front of the dog. Patting the dog on its head, she coaxed it to finish up her usual share as well. After the dog has polished off the sandwich and milk, the girl bent over to pick up the rubbish and patted it gently on the head once again, whispering to it. Jin lowered his camera slowly as he watched her forlorn figure climbing up the bus after everyone has done so. All of a sudden, Jin's cheerful mood was destroyed. He knew that something must have happened to that girl, something so bad that it has the power to remove the brightest smile one can ever see. But what he didn't know was that, that may be the very last time he gets to set eyes on her ever again
… …
Jin sighed once again as he stared up at that particular photograph.
"Do you know that I'm missing you? Would you ever know that I exist?"
It has been one month since Jin last set eyes on her. How he wished he could get to see her again. He would do anything, everything, just to see her again. But sadly, there's nothing he can do. Maybe, he should forget about her. Nodding to himself, Jin stood up from his chair and removed the soft board hanging on the wall in one forceful motion. The more he looked at these photographs, the more his heart ached. A month has past, and it's time to move on. Taking one last look at those beautiful photographs, Jin ignored the tugging in his heart and stuffed the soft board into a small space behind his wardrobe. Hopefully, the day would come whereby he would forget about the very existence of this soft board.
"Good-bye."
… …
Jin smiled to himself victoriously as he examined the photographs he has just developed, spread across his working desk. Yes! He has finally been able to wake up at an unearthly hour of 5am to take pictures of the sunrise. Comparing each and every photograph, Jin was trying to select the best two out of the twelve when it started to get real noisy out in the corridors.
"Oh crap! What on earth is going on outside?"
Jin threw a dirty look over at his door and decided to continue with his work and ignore the noise instead. However, the noise level gradually increased up to an extent whereby Jin could no longer tolerate it any longer. Dragging his chair back with a loud screech, Jin stomped over to the door and flung it open to find a couple of workers shouting at the top of their lungs at each other while carrying big boxes and furniture up the stairs and over to the once empty unit beside his.
"Oh f*ck!"
Slamming his door shut, Jin walked over to his couch and plopped down onto it. There's no way to get those workers to lower their volume and he knew it. Well, he would just have to wait till they are done with the moving. Blaming his luck, Jin was about to pick up his camera and hit the streets for more inspirations when a soft knock came on his door. Walking over to the door, Jin pulled it open.
"Erm, Hi! I'm your new neighbour. Just felt that I should be paying a visit."
Jin stared at her in shock. No, this couldn't be happening. Blinking his eyes hard for a couple of times, Jin found himself still staring back at her. How could it be possible? After disappearing for more than a month, she has reappeared right before him. This is too good to be true, he must be dreaming. Was he?
"Erm, am I disturbing?"
Jin snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at the girl standing right in front of him. The girl in his photographs. The girl in his dreams he once thought he would never get to know.
"Of-of-of course not! Err, why don't you come in for a cup of tea while the workers carry your belongings up?"
Jin couldn't help it but started grinning goofily as the girl smiled back at him at his invitation.
"Can I?"
"Of course!"
Jin didn't know why but he started to feel both nervous and excited as the girl stepped into his house gingerly.
"Oh, by the way, I'm Uehara Takako."
"Oh, Akanishi Jin here!"
Jin couldn't wipe that goofy grin off his face as he motioned for Takako to take a seat on his couch while he walked into his kitchen to brew a pot of tea for her.
“Uehara Takako. Her name is Takako.....”