HANA YORI DANGO: HEY! SAY! JUMP chapter 7
The following Monday, Akiko entered through the halls of Eitoku Gakuen, relieved to enter like everyone else. Without the worry of being pounded. As she made her way to the classroom, she saw a small commotion at the door. Apparently Yamada was ruffling Chinen’s hair as Yuto locked him with his arms. She smiled at the sight of these friends. They really were close. At this moment Keito came out of the classroom and grabbed Chinen for himself. “OI!” Chinen yelled as Keito wrestled him. Akiko looked around for Ryutaro, but then she remembered “Ah…he is younger than us…”
Thus, she mad her way up. All the students retired to their seats as the bell rang. Yuto however remained outside. He had seen Akiko coming. “Ohio…” he said smiling.
Akiko stared. She was really becoming fond of his sweet smile. “Ohio” she replied. They entered the class together. But this was a very wrong thing to do. For some reason, the whole class became silent. Mai whispered “Are they…together…?”
Yuto became blank.” IE nononononon” he said in panic shaking his hands in front of Keito and Yamada who were both staring at him with their eyebrows raised. Chinen rolled his eyes and looked away quietly. Akiko silently made her way to her seat. She was used to these sudden eruptive rumors so she could not care less. She seated herself and returned to work as Yuto sat on the table and hid his face from the rest. The classes began and ended. Began again and ended. It seemed like ages until recess finally came. Akiko made her way to the dining hall where everyone was sitting down enjoying their meals. She happily went and found herself a seat. It was nice to be out of the common public’s eye once more. As she lay with her head on the table, a cold hand gripped hers. She knew those fingers. She looked up and saw Daiki standing there above her. Yabu was looking down from the lounge above. A small grin on his face. She remembered Daiki’s grip when he was about to kill her and had flung her onto the floor during her rescue for that dumb Nitobe, wherever he was now. Never had she felt such a soft hand. She looked up at him as he grinned. “Yabu says you should come sit with us…”
“EH??” Akiko screamed along with the rest of the school. Kyoko and Mai practically stood up. Kei bumped into a wall and fell. Daiki smiled. He picked up her bento and dragged a very reluctant Akiko up the stairs. She tried to hold back but Daiki’s grip was too strong. Obviously… since he was an athlete and son of famous basket ball player Arioka Satoshi. As she entered the velvet lounge she looked around. Hikaru smiled and pulled a couch for her. She shook her head and said. “No I’m okay, honestly…” But Yabu came and put his both hands on her shoulders. “Daijobu….your my guest up here…” he said with a grin and pushed her onto the chair. With a cheeky grin he backed off and took his place on a huge red and golden sofa opposite. Akiko smiled awkwardly looked around as Hikaru and Daiki both competed to sit in Yabu’s lap. “Oooi!” Yabu yelled as Chinen took their place.
“No fair…”they joked around. She looked around. It was a golden lounge, beautifully decorated with velvet red carpets. There were sofa’s and a small glass table with many sakuras in a vase on top of it. She stared around and saw a plate of strawberries on one small table and a very serious Yamada eating them while reading the newspaper. Yuto and Takaki were not here and neither was Inoo. Ryutaro came up the stairs and was taken aback to see Akiko there. She greeted him politely and stood up. She went to Daiki to snatch back her bento. Daiki was looking at it with interest and showing it off to the other JUMP boys. “It’s wood!! A real wooden BENTO!! MY grandma used to have this…” he said smiling holding it up in the air as poor Akiko struggled to get it back. “Hey, give it back Arioka san!”
“My name is DAIKI!! Please call me Daiki!!!…Why is it that you only call Yabu…by the name he prefers…” Daiki said as Akiko succeeded in snatching back her bento. She blushed. “That’s not it….”
Yabu smiled and scratched his head. “I guess I have that effect on women…” he said sassily. Hikaru and Daiki looked at each other before they pounded on Yabu… “Hello, I’m still here!” Chinen yelled as two boys came crashing into him. “Boys….”Akiko sighed with a smile. She loved their friendship. Somehow, it was a wonderful love between them. As peaceful as the evening wind she was so fond off. With that she sat down quietly and opened her bento. Ryutaro was eating something as well. She noticed it was…daifuku??? That was a very low budget food. For a JUMP member he really had very humble taste. “I like that...” she thought smiling to herself as she inserted her rice cake into her mouth. As expected she saw somebody eyeing with interest on her food. She smiled as Hikaru moved closer. “Its rice balls, onigiri, my mom makes them and so can I. Something you’ve obviously never seen before right?” she said smiling. Hikaru nodded as Daiki joined him with an awe expression on his face. “Wow poor people food…can I try???” he said sitting beside her. She took her chopstick and slipped one rice cake into Hikaru and Daiki’s mouth each. Yabu laughed from behind.
“OISHI!!” Daiki roared as Hikaru nodded. “This is tasty…You made this??” Hikaru asked Akiko who nodded.
“MARRY ME” Hikaru yelled.
“OOI!!” Yabu yelled from behind and pulled Hikaru away from a very astonished Akiko. “Ignore him ignore him…he’s just joking” Yabu said as he pulled away Hikaru who shook his head. “NO no I’m not!!!” Yabu shut his mouth with his hand and dragged him by the coat as Daiki smiled swallowing the last bit of the delicious rice balls. There was noise on the stairs as Yuto and Inoo came up followed closely by Takaki. Yuto smiled as he staggered from seeing Akiko there. Inoo did not seem surprised at all. Takaki however, did not look happy. He looked at Akiko and attempted to go back down the stairs but Yabu pulled him in. “Hey wanna know something…” Yabu whispered. Soon Takaki calmed down as he and Yabu got chatting. Yuto grinned and sat down next to Akiko. She smiled in reply. Ryutaro looked from one to the other. Suddenly the bell rang and Akiko looked at her watch. “Eh, I have to be in arts class, anyone here in arts?” she said looking around. All she heard was “boring…” and she knew she was the only one taking arts in that lounge. “JA ..ne!” she said smiling and ran down the stairs. Yuto sighed as he saw her leave. ‘Ne, Yuto are you and Akiko together?? Cuz that’s what the whole junior forms have been saying…” Ryutaro asked when he was sure Akiko had left.
“WHAT!?” All the JUMP boys stared at Yuto. Even Yamada put his strawberry plate down and Chinen took advantage of this to steal the plate before Yamada could stop him.”EH..ie ie” Yuto said flabbergasted. “Oh… I was just asking…” Ryutaro said nodding then went back to his nooks. Yabu and Inoo both stared as Yuto avoided gaze with them. Chinen smiled “There not together, but Yuto has learnt some lessons on flirting however…”
Yuto looked at him confused. “Eh??HONTO I’m so proud of YOU!!” replied Daiki faking to be teary. Yabu still looked perplexed. Inoo stared at Yuto.”Why? she’s being soft with you or something?”
Chinen stood up yawning…”Why wouldn’t she? It’s not her fault Yuto does creepy things like that at night…” Chinen’s eyes flashed once more as Yuto stood up in rage. “EH night?” Yabu looked startled. “CREEPY THINGS??” Keito and Inoo said together exchanging glances with a shocked Hikaru. Daiki sat down looking from one face to another. Ryutaro looked up in worry at Chinen and Yuto. Yamada however remained seated with an amused expression, as if he were watching a movie or something.
“I did not do anything creepy and it was late evening, not night!” Yuto muttered eyeing Chinen who sat down on the sofa and crossed his legs. “Then why did you have to go all dramatic and hug her like that…?” Chinen asked. His eyes grew even brighter. JUMP stared at Yuto. “I was just…just wanted to…keep her warm… it was cold….that all” Yuto said avoiding their gazes and sat back down. He was red but he himself was not sure what brought the color into him. His anger at Chinen or embarrassment. Takaki stood up. “You too always argue…First over Yamada now Akiko…Just stop already”. Yamada chocked on a strawberry seed as JUMP roared into laughter. Chinen looked puzzled and Yuto still upset. Yamada was still choking.
Remarkably, Takaki managed to quiet down the situation. But the damage had been done. Chinen sat on one side of Ryosuke and Yuto on the next. Yamada eyed from one to the other anxiously. “I’m stuck in the middle…help” he whispered to Keito and Yabu who were both pulling Daiki who was pretending to be Yamada being ripped in half by Chinen and Yuto. JUMP returned to joking like normal. But inside, most of them were thinking the same thing. Nakajima Yuto made the first move?
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At the end of school, Akiko came out from the door of Etikou Gakuen. Some girls were standing there staring at her with utmost dislike. “She gets to sit with them…” or some would say “She’s not that pretty, what does Yuto see in her?” Akiko ignored these remarks and walked down the road. She really wanted to go home. She felt tired. When she arrived home her heart wanted to lie down in the bed and sleep. NO matter how heavy it felt, she still had to go to work. She undressed and opened her cupboard. “Eh where’s my?” Pulling on a towel she ran to her mother’s room.”Okahsan!! Where’s my Yukata? For work?”
Her mother, Hisa Okekawa looked up. Her friends normally addressed her as OK during her younger days. Well, that is what Hisa’s father told them. Hisa’s mother laughed “It had to be washed honey, I put it in the laundry” she said to an Akiko who wanted to feint. “MOM I need it for work like in 3o minutes!?”
Okekawa looked up at her distressed daughter. “Why don’t you wear mine? I have one pinkish one…” she said pulling out a simple Yukata. Hisa looked at her mother. “This is your nice one mom…” she said silently taking it in her arms as her mother kissed her on her forehead. “Its okay honey, just don’t tear it or anything…now hurry up or you’ll be late for work.” Hisa changed into her mothers’ lovely Yukata and came out. Indeed it looked nice. She sighed and went out for work. As she was walking down the street, one again she saw Ryutaro making his way up. A black car now stood not far away from him. Why was he always around in her neighborhood? But what Hisa saw did not only answer her question, but most of her thoughts on Morimoto Ryutaro. Morimoto Ryutaro climbed the stairs of a wooden house and called out ”Okahsan…Tadaima!” as he unlocked the door. A elderly woman came out and welcomed him inside. “Chotto” he said and ran back down to the black car. From the trunk of the black car he pulled out a bicycle. Ryosuke came out of the car and shut the trunk. Just as they were saying their good byes, they both turned and spotted a dumb struck Akiko standing there with her hands on her mouth. As they looked at her she turned away and attempted to run. ‘Matte!!” Yamada called out and she stopped.
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A few minutes later Akiko was seated in front of Ryutaro and Yamada in Ryutaro’s kitchen. She sat silently as Ryutaro mom busied around with some dishes then left for work. She sipped her tea quietly and thanked Ryu’s mom who was delightfull. After Ryutaro’s Okahsan had left, Akiko looked at the two and decide to break the silence. “You live here?” she asked. Ryutaro nodded. “Im actually, just like you Akiko. I’m a scholarship student…”
Akiko’s jaw dropped. “YOU?? But you’re a JUMP??? You’re a…just like me…”
she said silently looking at Ryutaro’s sweet face. Yamada put his back against the wall behind and shut his eyes. He was least interested to talk.
Ryutaro smiled and continued. “Since you saw me, its better I just explain. I am not like the other JUMP boys. I got accepted into Eitoku on a scholarship. However, JUMP I joined with the help of Yamada here.” he said refilling Akiko’s tea cup. Yamada stared at his full cup. He was paying no attention to the other two.
Akiko looked at Yamada”So he is nice after all…”
“Yamada drops me off to school everyday. I go with him. So the other kids don’t notice especially the rest of JUMP.”Ryutaro continued.
“They don’t know?” Akiko asked sipping her tea slowly. It was really good.
“No, of course not. They just think Yamada’s being friendly. Well he is nice enough to drop me off….and he found out first but he decided to keep my secret. I don’t want them to know. I like being part of JUMP. Their really nice and fun. In fact I love them….I’m scared to think that they will shun me if they find out the truth…”
Akiko stared at him. She felt her heart suddenly die down. Such a sweet boy, but such a sad life. Imagine having to lie to make friends… She put her hand on his shoulder and said “I will keep your secret, but you must know that one day u have to tell them the truth...And if they are really such good friends they will accept you for who you are…” Ryotaro looked at her with soggy eyes. “Arigatou…”
Akiko smiled and kissed Ryutaro on the forehead. Ryutaro looked slightly shocked but smiled gently. Akiko realized something. She truly had a feeling that she and Ryutaro were going to be great friends.
NOTE: IM SOOOOOOOO sorry for the late update...holidays are over...so naturally ive been bz...anyways i hope you like this update enjoy!!