[PG-13] Under The Swing (Please)
Title: Under the Swing (Please)
Author: silverdoll14
Pairing: OhMiya
Genre: Romance, AU, Slight Angst
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Length - Word Count: One Shot / 459 words for lyrics, 5802 words all in all
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything except the lyrics. Arashi own their selves and the story are parts of fliuor
Synopsis: When we met someone, we can forget but it remains in our hearts. Struggles in life will come and go but you’ll conquer all if you’re with the one you were fated too, even if you’ll meet that person in the strangest place. A happy ending is inevitable may it be in this life or on the next.
Author’s notes: Yoh, just back to post this songfic. You see, I was really inspired writing lyrics recently (well, mostly for my SJ related fics) so I couldn’t miss writing one for an OhMiya fic. I had been silently reading fliuor’s fics and finished all her novels for only a week. And then I asked her if I can borrow some scenes from that fic so I can turn this into a song fic and now ta da~ Hopefully I’ll be able to make ones too with my Angel’s Wings and Catharsis but definitely I’ll be able too. It’s vital for me to write lyrics that act as OST for my novels. Hehe~ Well, enjoy… don’t forget to leave some comments of your thoughts. I hope I made the right choice in putting those parts of the novel with the lyrics. Jya ne~
P.S. post with only the lyrics can be found here.
Wo -oh - oh! Wo ye he ye he!
Please, please! Know this better
It’s you my heart chooses, it’s you I’m fated to (oh)
Please, please! Always remember
Those promises I made, those words I said with my heart
Please, please! Don’t ever forget
My sincere feelings for you will keep me going
Please, Please! Keep me in your heart
They played together until the sun almost disappeared behind the distant moutains. Then all of a sudden, Nino shouted:
“Samii, there...! That’s my coach! It came to look for me...!”
And as the older boy stretched his neck to see, he eventually distinguished the glistening wheels of a luxurious black carriage, slowly stopping under the shade of a crumbling wall. He stopped the swing with one hand, and Nino jumped off it, smiling brightly at him.
“You’re my saviour Samii.”
“I’m nothing that big...” the older chuckled.
But Nino shook his head, determined: “Come to my house to play...! We can go to my garden, and there’s a much better swing than this old one!”
The older boy looked at the creaky old swing, then at him, and smiled tenderly. “I can’t. I have to go home, soon.”
Nino’s smile faded. “You’re not coming to Nino’s house...?”
“I’m not. Nino-chan has found his family. So me too, I have to go home.”
The small boy’s eyes welled up, and soon, his whole body was shaking with tears again. With a soft sigh, the older took his small hands in his, and squeezed them with affection.
“Nino-chan...look at me.”
Nino raised his head, sobbing hard.
“Samii...is a bit different from Nino-chan.” he chose his words slowly, all the while smiling. “He needs to help his family with work everyday, because his father is sick, and cannot work. His mother is tired too, but she gives her best. That’s why I have to help her too. I won’t be able to play with you anymore.”
Nino bit his lips, the tears flowing harder. But the older boy squeezed his hands. “We won’t meet again...” he said softly. “But I’ll always remember you.”
Sniffling, Nino raised his eyes expectantly. “Really...?”
“Of course.” He smiled.
“Samii will always remember Nino?”
“Always.”
And as the two little boys stared into each other’s eyes, the older in worned out rags, and the younger in his smart looking overalls, the sun shined its last rays of the day onto the city. Patting Nino on the head, the ragged boy smiled once more. “Go, now.”
Nino nodded. He took one last look at his friend, and then ran towards the glowing coach without a second thought.
To the boy under the swing...may you always remember me.
Do you remember those stolen glances?
You caught me once, I looked away so shyly
I wasn’t sure of myself, I never have confidence
But please look inside your heart, where you place a part of me
Nino stumbled towards the pile of fancy clothes, only to realise that someone was actually sitting against the old tree, his back facing him.
Nino frowned. He tripped against the tree root, and the young man sitting there turned around, finally noticing him. He had a round face...spiky hair....Nino vaguely recognised him as one of the ‘Three Wanderers’, though he was only wearing a dusty shirt and a pair of black pants now.
Nino blinked at the man, and to his greatest confusion, the stranger suddenly smiled warmly at him. He frowned:
“Do I know you...?!”
And the stranger’s eyes slightly widened.
Nino took a step back as the man stood up silently... What a creepy guy... Why did he look so depressed? Why was he looking at his hands? Nino slowly put them behind his back, and frowned at the older man, who seemed a bit vexed, somehow.
“No...you probably don’t know me.” finally murmured the guy with a sad little smile.
Nino blinked. Oh well, took you a while to answer, he thought.
Then, the man reached out a hand: “My name is Ohno Satoshi.” he said in a soft voice.
Nino reluctantly took the hand in his. “Ninomiya Kazunari...” he replied, his smile a little stiff.
When you feel lonely, when life betrays you
Touch your hear as you close your eyes without worries
Remember that little place (that place)
The swing where memories are created in short time
“This is a nice swing.” The older man remarked out of the blue, a smile enlightening his sleepy face.
Nino raised an eyebrow. “Well, it’s old. I used it when I was like...seven. It’s not even worth a look now.”
Ohno nodded again, absently, and Nino wondered if he even listened to what he was saying. He tugged at the costume in the older man’s arms, and remarked dryly: “So you do this kind of shows for a living?”
Ohno smiled and nodded. “Well, we don’t earn much, of course...”
“Why do you do it, then, if you don’t earn much?”
“Money’s not everything.” Ohno shrugged. “Jun, Sho and I are all orphans, and we have no place to return to. My dad died of a disease...my mother died of fatigue and overwork...” his voice died off a little, but he soon smiled again. “So now, this life is what suits us best, I guess.”
Please let time stop this moment
When everything seems falling, falling to places
Let’s go on with a smile
When everything is worth, worth celebrating for
I won’t be afraid, just please smile for me
To you under the swing, please accept my earnest heart
Sho eyed the older man who was now pouring himself a cup of tea, blowing on it absent-mindedly to cool it down faster. “Satoshi...” he called hesitantly, and the older looked up.
“Yes?”
“Is there something on your mind...?” Sho asked.
And Jun smiled playfully: “Careful Sho-san, that’s a tough question for Satoshi to answer.”
Ohno laughed softly, throwing an apple at the youngest man, until he finally noticed Sho’s serious expression. He then stopped and drank a sip of tea:
“I’m fine, Sho-kun. Why do you ask?”
Sho squinted slightly. “Back at that house...when we were talking to that brat, you weren’t saying much. Well...I know you’re not the type to talk a lot anyways, but...You seemed rather depressed.”
Jun was now eyeing Ohno curiously, and seeing both their worried expressions, the oldest smiled reassuringly.
“You’re worried for me?” he said softly. “You shouldn’t be. I’m fine. I wasn’t depressed...I just...”
He looked for the right words, silently putting his cup down as he bit his lips pensively. Finally, as his eyes met Sho’s, he lowered his head... and a sigh escaped his lips.
“I knew him.” he simply said, and Jun blinked.
Shifting in his seat, Sho frowned, confused: “Who? That Ninomiya?”
Ohno nodded.
Then, seeing Jun’s revulsed expression, he chuckled and explained: “Well, it was long ago... I was only nine, back then. I was helping my mother at the market when I saw him crying in one corner of the streets... He had lost his parents in the crowd."
He walked around the room, remembering with a smile. "I helped him up... and we played while waiting for his parents to come for him. And then when it was time for him to leave...he asked me to never forget him.”
He fell silent, and Jun frowned, incredulity showing all over his face. “What? That Ninomiya kid said that?”
Ohno nodded. “Well...at that time I already knew that he was a rich kid. He kept on calling me Samii, so I never really told him my real name, but...I would never have thought that while I still remembered him perfectly, ... he would have completely forgotten my existence.”
Sho let out a deep sigh. “That’s why you immediately accepted when that servant of his came to invite us...” he calmly said, his voice wavering a bit at the end. The oldest smiled at him.
“I thought that it’d be nice to see him again. Just to talk and be like before, you know.”
“Who would have thought he’d become such a snobbish brat.” muttered Jun as he laid down in his covers.
“Really, people change in the blink of an eye.”
As Ohno remained silent, Sho slowly rose from the sofa and gave his shoulder a friendly pat.
“Don’t take this too much at heart, Satoshi-kun.” he gave an encouraging smile. “He’s just an ungrateful and immature kid, in the end... Not worth your help at all.”
Ohno returned a smile, and then, as he watched the younger man leave the room, let out a tired sigh and sat down against the wall.
Of course they were right... Ninomiya Kazunari couldn’t have stayed eternally the same. He had grown up... He didn’t need any help anymore, he had everything he wanted. And those things, Ohno certainly wasn’t part of them. They lived in two different worlds, and he had only met him once, when they were young...It was stupid to believe that Ninomiya would have remembered him forever.
Ohno closed his eyes.
He understood it all so perfectly well... So why did it hurt so much?
How long has it been when we met before?
Seeing those tears of fear, didn’t suit you at all
Can we play like before, when innocence is our bliss
I’ll lift you up, I’m just back here to catch you if you fall
“Ninomiya-kun...?”
The man raised his eyes, and Ohno automatically took a step back. It was Ninomiya, without mistake... but his eyes were red with tears, and he looked completely devastated... Ohno felt a pang in his heart.
“What happened to you...?” he murmured, almost to himself.
The younger man did not reply, and simply emptied the rest of his glass in one gulp. Ohno looked at his figure, pondering over the number of glasses he had drunk already, and wondered if the young man was even able to speak anymore.
“Ninomiya-kun... Do you remember me?” he asked in a soft tone, and the other looked at him with a blurry look.
“You’re...the performer from the other day...” he bluttered. “Ohno...Satosh...?”
The rest ended in a mumble, and Ohno smiled. He actually remembered.
“Yea. That’s it.” He sat down facing Nino. “I didn’t expect to find you in a place like this. Why don’t you go to a bar better than this one?”
Nino shook his head, then buried it in his arms.
“No. No, no. If I go to a better one, I’ll meet people...acquaintances...friends...and they’ll all ask about it.”
And suddenly, the young man burst into tears, making Ohno bite his lips in surprise. What could have happened to hurt him like that? The older man wished he could help in some way or another...but he simply didn’t know how.
“Does anyone know you’re here...?” he asked softly.
Nino shook his head, looking up: “I ran...from the house. Didn’t even bother taking a car, I just...needed to stop thinking about it. Or I would have driven crazy. But why do I even talk to you about this? It doesn’t concern you...”
Ohno looked down. “That’s true...” he tried to smile.
Nino didn’t speak for a while, and simply reajusted his hat, eyeing Ohno from underneath. He felt lost: Why was the performer so understanding...? Why was he so nice to him when he had said such nasty things in the past? He had treated the man as scum, back at the marriage celebration... so why was he still so...kind?
“You’re not asking me questions...?” he blurbed, and Ohno blinked.
“Why would I...?”
“Because everyone would? People always ask questions when something bad happens. Like... ‘tell me what happened?’ or... ‘what’s wrong?’ In the end, they just wanna know because they’re curious.”
Ohno didn’t know what to say... Was there anything to say in fact?
“Well...I don’t know what happened to you exactly...” he started. “...and I don’t know what people usually say in this kind of situation... But I know for sure that I wouldn’t want to force you into anything. I’ll listen only if you want to talk...but since I’m no good as a speaker, I can’t guarantee that I will cheer you up...”
Nino blinked, staring at the older man without a word, and Ohno soon laughed embarrassedly. “Did I say something weird, for you to be so surprised?”
Nino shook his head. “Not really, but...” He pondered. For some reason, Ohno Satoshi just wasn’t like everyone else. “You’re weird.” Nino finally said, his tears drying.
“Am I?” Ohno smiled softly.
Nino nodded. “Yea. You are.... But...” an embarrassed smile softened his features. “I think you did cheer me up...somehow.”
And as the older man blinked in surprise, Nino let a genuine smile brighten his face. He soon rose up from his chair, and looking slightly rushed, hurriedly paid his bill,. “I’ll take my leave.” he glanced shyly at Ohno. “Goodbye.”
Stop your crying and take my hand
Struggles in life will always chase after us
Remember this little place
The swing where smile can fill our hearts’ emptiness
Nino was panting to catch his breath, but he laid Ohno under the tree with delicacy, his eyes never leaving the gaping wound on the older man’s shoulder. Then he kneeled down next to the performer, who still struggled to breath, and Ohno looked up at him:
“I’m sorry…” he whispered, wincing in pain.
“No…” Nino shook his head, still sobbing. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I’ve been a bastard, an idiot, an immature kid. I’m so sorry…If you hadn’t protected me, I’d be dead by now…It’s my fault you’re like this. I…”
“Shh…” Ohno closed his eyes, and opened them again with effort. “I’m glad you’re safe. The rest doesn’t matter...”
“But why…? Why did you do that? Why did you protect me? Why did you not let me die like the ungrateful bastard I am, and leave me there…? We’ve only met since my sister’s marriage, you barely know me…So why…?”
Ohno did not reply. His breathing slowed down, and his eyelids fluttered, but he remained conscious and glanced sideways at Nino’s hands. He smiled, and centimetre by centimetre, his own fingers found Nino’s short and meaty ones. The younger man eyed him curiously as he entwined their fingers with a smile.
“You have cute fingers…” he breathed out. And Nino’s eyes widened.
“What…What did you say…?” he asked, his voice shaking. Echoes were resounding inside his head.
“I don’t like them. They’re short and ugly. They’re not nice fingers…”
Nino looked at the wounded man in front of his eyes… He looked at the sleepy eyes…the spiky hair…the chubby cheeks…the gentle smile.
“Can I call you Samii?”
“Samii…” he breathed out before he knew…And the memories rushed back at once…The roaring market, the boy in rags, the helping hand, the swing….the promises. He looked down at the man in front of him, his eyes welling up. A soft breeze blew.
“Samii…?” he called hesitantly, and Ohno’s eyes widened slightly as they stared at each other.
“One day…One day, we’ll have our happy ending together.”
A single tear rolled down Nino’s cheek.
“So it was you…?” his voice trembled under the emotion. “The boy under the swing, that day… it was you all along.”
Please let this moment last forever
As life for two of us goes on and on and on
Together we can make it through
As we keep on rolling, rolling forward
I won’t be afraid, just please stay with me
To you under the swing, please trust my earnest heart
“Is that why…?” the young man said in a trembling voice. “Is that why you did all this for me…? Is that why you protected me for all this while…?”
Jun’s face paled a little. Why was the brat crying…? And why was Satoshi lying there on the floor? He heard the older man speak up softly, and despite the privacy of the conversation, he walked closer to listen.
“Don’t cry, Nino…please. I did all this because I wanted to.”
“But why did you keep it to yourself?” Nino cried harder. “You had so many occasions to tell me who you were…! The marriage, the night at the bar, the moments after the fire, up till now… You never said a word.
Why…? I…I’ve treated you like a stranger for all this time, I…”
“I thought you didn’t want to remember…”
“What?”
Ohno smiled, and with efforts, raised a hand to wipe Nino’s tears.
“You had everything you wanted. And I was only a boy in rags…We lived in two different worlds…How could I ask you to remember me? You didn’t need me in your life.”
Nino caught his hand and kept it pressed to his cheeks: “Don’t talk nonsense…You’re- you’re more than just a boy in rags. Do you understand? You’re Ohno Satoshi…My saviour, anything you want. How can you say I don’t need you in my life…? Without you I wouldn’t be here, I-”
He broke down into tears. “I’m…sorry...” he murmured. “Samii, I’m so sorry I’ve only been a burden to you… I don’t deserve your care.”
“I wouldn’t give this care to anyone else...” Satoshi smiled, then, closed his eyes again. “I’ve never expected you to repay me, or anything…All I wanted was for you to be safe and smiling, that’s all. I’m sorry for your parents, Nino…It’s because of me that you’ve lost your smile.”
Nino shook his head, taking a breath: “No. No, it’s not your fault. You hear me? If we’re in this mess, it’s because of Uchida. If my parents are dead, it’s also because of him. You have nothing to do with this. I’ve accused you because of I was frustrated, that’s all…You’re not at fault.”
Ohno breathed out and closed his eyes. The younger man blinked at him, and suddenly, the hand at his cheek felt lifeless.
“I’m glad you’re not mad at me…” Ohno murmured feebly. “As long as you’re safe…my fate doesn’t matter.”
If life forgets, our hearts remember
The little moments when we played under the swing full of memories
Smiling without worries (without worries)
Laughing our hearts’ content (our hearts’ content)
We’ll have our happy ending together
There was a sudden breeze, and Ohno sneezed abruptly, making Nino jump. “Are you cold?” he inquired with worry.
“A bit.”
The younger man looked around him for another cover, but there was none. Swiftly, he rose from his chair and moved towards the door, when Ohno suddenly called him back: “Wait!”
Nino froze. “What…?”
“Don’t…don’t go.”
A silence followed his words.
“But…you’re cold, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but…”
“So I’ll get you a warm cover.”
“No, I…I don’t want any other cover. I’ve already got enough.”
They stared at each other for a long moment…one just as confused as the other. Those words were only a hundredth of what they really wished to say. Yet, neither could express their deepest feelings to the other.
Finally, not knowing what he was even saying, Ohno lifted up his covers with one arm, and under Nino’s astounded face, reached out his other hand towards him.
“Would…would you not come closer…? Please…”
And Nino looked at him with wide round eyes, which reflected both his love and fear. He took a timid step, then stopped, not daring to cover the last bit of distance. Ohno reached out his hand…further. And finally, he managed to grab hold of Nino’s arm. The younger man showed no resistance, and simply let himself being pulled into the performer’s embrace, cuddling against him under the warm covers. He could feel his hot breath fluttering over his skin, making him blush before he knew.
“I…I’m glad you’re okay now. Samii…”
“Why would I not be?”
Nino shook his head. “When we were back under that tree…I really thought, for a second, that you…were dead. I…I got so scared. So scared that I’d lose you forever…just when I had finally found you again.”
Ohno kissed his forehead gently, and placed a hand on his cheek. “You were worried for me…?”
Nino nodded. And they cuddled closer.
“I don’t want to lose sight of you, ever again.”
“You won’t. I’ll follow you like your shadow. I’ll be your cover, your shield…so that you’ll never have to worry again.”
They looked into each other’s eyes, and slowly, gently, Nino placed a chaste kiss on Ohno’s lips. They parted seconds later, the younger burying his head in Ohno’s neck.
Please, please! Know this better
It’s you my heart chooses, it’s you I’m fated to (woooh)
Please, please! Always remember
Those promises I made, those words I said with my heart (tadadadadadada)
Please, please! Don’t ever forget
My sincere feelings for you will keep me going(yehehehe)
Please, Please! Keep me in your heart
Woah oh ye he yeah~
The entire place quaked in a deafening roar, and before he knew what was happening, Nino saw the roof crumble down in front of his eyes, burying Ohno and Uchida with it. His eyes widened in pure horror and disbelief. No… No, it couldn’t be…
“Oh-chan!!!” he howled as tears blinded his eyes.
But there was no reply…
Soon, the place stabilised a little…The earth stopped shaking, the tunnels stopped growling… A last few rocks fell and rolled…Then, silence.
Nino looked at the huge wall of crumbles in front of his eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks in an unstoppable flood as he fell limp onto the cold floor. Shock. Horror. Despair. It couldn’t be true… “No…” It couldn’t be…Ohno, his Ohno…
As he slowly moved back, the metallic ladder gently hit his shoulder, and he dazedly looked back at it. There, at the top, a glint of light could be seen through the half open cover. Moonlight. Freedom. Life. But he couldn’t leave Ohno down here.
“Oh-chan!” he called again as he scrambled to his feet and started hitting the wall of rocks with the strength of despair. “Oh-chan! Can you hear me? Oh-chan!”
He dug his nails into the rocks, desperately trying to push them away… to destroy this wall… but it was no use. He grabbed any rubble he could find, throwing them at the mountain of boulders in the hope of breaking it. His Ohno was somewhere on the other side. He had to save him, he couldn’t leave him there. Shouting his name like a mad man, hitting this despicable barrier that separated him from his Samii…Nino cried his heart out, unable to do anything else. And still the dreadful silence engulfed his surroundings…
Where were the shaking and the falling rocks? He wished he could be buried in those ruins too! Those ruins which stole his Ohno away… Ohno…!
Nino was about to drive completely crazy, when an almost inaudible call made him freeze to the spot.
He raised his head to listen, crawling closer to stick his ear to the wall. “Oh…Oh-chan?”
A silence. He repeated: “ Oh-chan, is that you…?”
And finally, the familiar voice was heard. “Kazu… Are you okay?”
“Oh my God…”
Nino thought he’d die right there of happiness. He was alive! He was somewhere, alive!
“Where…where are you…?” he asked, looking for a crack in the pile of rocks. “Are you hurt…? Where are you? I…”
“Calm down, Kazu…Listen…”
“Tell me where you are! I…I’ll get you out of there.”
“No…! Listen, Kazu, there’s no time…Uchida-san’s lower body is completely stuck under the debris.”
Nino stopped moving for a brief instant. So Uchida was still alive? “Oh-chan, I…I’ll get you out of there. Just wait, I’ll…”
“No, Kazu, you have to run from here, you hear me? Run away from here, right now!”
On the other side of the wall, Ohno was doing his best to free his left arm from under the crumbles. His right leg was gravely hurt, and each movement shot pain through his every limb…Moreover, the gas spread on and on, making him cough harder than ever. He heard Nino’s worried voice over the pile of rocks: “Oh-chan? What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.” He reassured the younger man after covering his mouth with his sleeve. The fallen roof had trapped all the harmful gases on his side of the wall, so Nino was probably safe. For now only. “Kazu, you need to run away, now…! The ladder is still useable, is it not?”
“It is…but…” the younger man’s voice died off slightly. “I can’t leave you here!”
“I’ll catch up later on.” He shouted in order to cover his coughs. “You have to go, there isn’t much time!”
He rapidly looked at Uchida’s disarticulated body under the debris and shuddered. Was the man still conscious? He tried to pull him out from under the rubbles, but only got a scream of pain as a result. Ohno stopped and looked back in Nino’s direction. “Kazu, listen. Go up that ladder! I…I promise I’ll catch up later.”
“Liar…!” Nino was crying now. “How can you get out?! I don’t believe you! I won’t abandon you here, you hear?!”
“There isn’t much time! Soon enough the whole place will collapse, I….”
He hadn’t finished talking that the earth slowly started to tremble again, and he glanced at the remaining roof over his head. It wouldn’t be long before it all came crashing down. Nino had to climb up immediately.
“I promise I’ll catch up. I promise I’ll get myself out. Now you need to go…it’s now or never Kazu. I don’t want you to die!!”
“Do you think I want you to die?!”
“Then you understand how I feel! Get out!”
There was a silence on the other side of the wall, and for a second, Ohno thought with relief that Nino had gone. Then, his voice spoke up again, broken by tears: “Will…will you come up again? Will I see you again? Hug you again…? Kiss you again…?”
Ohno’s eyes widened. “Kazu…”
The walls still shook, and more rocks were falling, but Nino’s voice remained clear:
“I… I want us to live happily ever after…I want us to be together, until we grow old and lose our hair one by one…I want to play with you once again like when we were small, I want to die with you once we’ll both be too old to move a muscle…”
Still, the earth trembled under their feet…And for the first time, Ohno found himself crying.
“I don’t want to lose you here like this, Samii…Not now. Not here… I don’t want to!”
“You won’t...” Ohno closed his eyes to stop the tears. “I’ll always stand by your side…I’ll watch over you as long as I live. We will have our happy ending, Kazu…we will.”
He pressed his forehead against the rocks, trying to shorten the distance. The tears still rolled down his cheeks, but he smiled weakly. “One day…” he said. “Once all this is finished, we’ll go to a deserted island full of flowers and fruit trees …and there we can stay together forever...We’ll be happier than anyone on Earth.”
“We could… we could make our own swing, ne…? And you’ll push me like you used to…”
“Sure.” Ohno smiled, sniffling quietly. “Why not? And maybe we can invite the others to visit as well… Aiba would be running around the camp fire, screaming happily…Sho would be dying to get hold of some newspaper to read…And Jun would roll his eyes as we all dance crazy dances that no one’s ever seen…”
A huge rock almost crashed onto his head, and he heard Nino gasp loudly on the other side. Wiping his tears away, Ohno bit his lips, his eyes serious again.
“Go, Kazu. Now.”
“You’ll come up, ne?” he heard the worried voice ask.
“I will…I promise.”
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Then, as the entire place started to collapse, and rocks buried the dead man’s face, Ohno turned and ran for his life. His legs could barely hold him up…his last strength were leaving him. Was he gonna die here, like Uchida had said he would? No, he couldn’t…
“Kazu…”
The younger man’s eyes, the younger man’s smile… his face, his expressions, his tears, his everything. No. he definitely couldn’t die here... This couldn’t be the end yet.
“We’ll be happy…” he told himself, tears rolling down his cheeks as everything fell apart around him.
“Yes…we’ll be happy.”
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On the surface, Nino stared at the sewer’s opening, biting his lips until they bled.
“Where is he?!”
He turned back at the sound of this familiar voice… Sho was running towards him, Aiba and Jun tagging along.
“Nino, where is he?!”
“I…” he shook his head.
And at the same moment, the centre of the entire street just crumbled down in front of his eyes in a deafening thunder of rocks and rubbles, bringing the metallic cover with it, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the road. He looked at it in disbelief, shaking his head…
It wasn’t true, right? He would have laughed if it was another situation. He would have cracked up and pointed at the hole in hilarity… but not now. No, not now.
“Oh-chan!!!” he screamed until his voice broke…but he knew there wouldn’t be any reply. There would never be.
“No way…” Sho slapped a hand over his mouth in horror. And Aiba covered his face.
“He…he was still down there…?” Jun dropped to his knees.
Grabbing a handful of dirt, Nino threw it as far as he could, before hitting the ground with ear-splitting screams of pain. “It can’t be!!” he howled, tears flooding down his cheeks. “No! No, it can’t be!!”
Aiba, biting his lips, gently put his arms around him, and he let himself being hugged from the side, his eyes still closed in throbbing ache. His heart was being torn apart…as if a piece of him had been wrenched away by force…
“You promised me a happy ending, didn’t you?!” he screamed into the air. “You promised me to die with me, didn’t you?!”
“Nino, please, stop this…” Aiba was sobbing now.
“Jerk…!!” the younger man cried on, bending over while pulling at his hair. “Liar…! Jerk!!”
May it be thousands of years across time, or in the next century… I’ll always watch over you.
He closed his eyes, feeling horribly empty inside.
It hurt…. It really hurt.
Please let this moment last forever
When everything seems falling falling to places
Together we can make it through
When everything seems worth, worth celebrating for
I won’t be afraid, just please smile for me
To you under the swing, please accept my undying love (woo hoo hoo)
“Oh-chan…”
The performer smiled weakly as his eyes finally focused on Nino’s. “I thought I heard your voice…” he said.
“Oh-chan…” the younger man broke down into tears. “I thought you were dead! Bastard…! You scared me so
much...”
“I wouldn’t have died without telling you… Kazu, don’t cry. Are you this disappointed to see me here?”
“What? No…!”
“Then smile.” Ohno raised a hand to pinch his cheek. “There, show me a bratty grin.”
“I hate you…” Nino pouted, making the other laugh. “You better never leave me again.”
Ohno simply smiled without replying. And suddenly, from the back of the room, Aiba noisily blew his nose.
“Oh. That was lovely.” Jun commented sarcastically.
“I’m sorry.” Aiba flushed as Sho started to laugh next to him. “It’s such a touching moment, though...They’re finally together, and…”
“Can you stop talking as if you’re watching a stage play?” Nino raised his eyebrows.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ohno and Nino looked at the floor with a pensive smile. The younger man raised his head, glancing at the performer, then finally buried it into the warmth of his shoulder. Ohno smiled caringly, and they continued to walk like this, hand in hand, into the cold winter morning.
“I wonder what I’d do if you were gone.” Nino suddenly said, taking the other by surprise.
“Why…are you saying that?”
“Because life is so cruel…and I’ve been on the verge of losing you so many times…The day it really happens, what would I do?”
Ohno smiled sadly, staring up at the sky. “In any case,” he said. “Promise me you wouldn’t think of dying with me.”
“Oh-chan…”
“Promise me you’d live on, and be happy. Okay?”
Nino looked down, pouting slightly, and Ohno stopped walking to gently lift his chin up. “Kazu, it’s not like I’m dying tomorrow, or anything…”
Nino chuckled, a tear still rolling down his cheek. “I know…I’m probably just thinking too much… I’m so scared of losing you again, after so many things happening…after so many promises…”
Ohno smiled in melancholy. A single tear rolled down his cheek, its trace vanishing after the wind. And now, they were kids once again, running around the abandoned yard, swirling around the old yew tree, sitting underneath the swing… If time could have frozen there, when life was so easy and sweet… then what…?
“Let’s not worry about the future.” Ohno closed his eyes. “ It’s too vague, too unstable, too far. Living happily by each day is already enough.”
He caringly lifted Nino’s chin and looked at his chestnut coloured eyes, gently glowing in the sun. I love you, he wished to say…but the words died on his lips. Slowly, he placed a gentle kiss on those soft, pouted lips that he loved so much.
“To you the boy under the swing…my vow is eternal.”
He would have kept his words until the very end, protecting his love for as long as he lived. Ohno Satoshi died of a bacterial pneumonia two years later.
To you under the swing, my vow is eternally for you
(ye he~)
A stranger walked by and bumped into him by accident, making him drop his backpack by the same occasion. Somehow, as he bent down to retrieve his scattered belongings, he found the long haired boy kneeling down next to him, giving him a hand.
“Thanks” he said semi-awkwardly.
The older boy simply shook his head without replying, and he raised an eyebrow. What a silent freak…
He was about to start walking once again, when suddenly, a hand appeared in his field of vision, making him raise his head.
“My name is Ohno Satoshi.” the older boy stammered.
With a blink, the young teen eyed the hand shoved in front of his face. Um…They had already been presented once, hello…? But before he knew, something moved in him. Something, which allowed a genuine smile to gradually creep onto his cheeks. He sealed the handshake with his own hand. A small, meaty one with very short fingers.
“My name is Ninomiya Kazunari.” he said, amused. “Nice to meet you…”
One day, we’ll have our happy ending together… May it be in this life, or in another...
To you, the Boy under the swing…
Author: silverdoll14
Pairing: OhMiya
Genre: Romance, AU, Slight Angst
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Length - Word Count: One Shot / 459 words for lyrics, 5802 words all in all
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything except the lyrics. Arashi own their selves and the story are parts of fliuor
Synopsis: When we met someone, we can forget but it remains in our hearts. Struggles in life will come and go but you’ll conquer all if you’re with the one you were fated too, even if you’ll meet that person in the strangest place. A happy ending is inevitable may it be in this life or on the next.
Author’s notes: Yoh, just back to post this songfic. You see, I was really inspired writing lyrics recently (well, mostly for my SJ related fics) so I couldn’t miss writing one for an OhMiya fic. I had been silently reading fliuor’s fics and finished all her novels for only a week. And then I asked her if I can borrow some scenes from that fic so I can turn this into a song fic and now ta da~ Hopefully I’ll be able to make ones too with my Angel’s Wings and Catharsis but definitely I’ll be able too. It’s vital for me to write lyrics that act as OST for my novels. Hehe~ Well, enjoy… don’t forget to leave some comments of your thoughts. I hope I made the right choice in putting those parts of the novel with the lyrics. Jya ne~
P.S. post with only the lyrics can be found here.
Wo -oh - oh! Wo ye he ye he!
Please, please! Know this better
It’s you my heart chooses, it’s you I’m fated to (oh)
Please, please! Always remember
Those promises I made, those words I said with my heart
Please, please! Don’t ever forget
My sincere feelings for you will keep me going
Please, Please! Keep me in your heart
They played together until the sun almost disappeared behind the distant moutains. Then all of a sudden, Nino shouted:
“Samii, there...! That’s my coach! It came to look for me...!”
And as the older boy stretched his neck to see, he eventually distinguished the glistening wheels of a luxurious black carriage, slowly stopping under the shade of a crumbling wall. He stopped the swing with one hand, and Nino jumped off it, smiling brightly at him.
“You’re my saviour Samii.”
“I’m nothing that big...” the older chuckled.
But Nino shook his head, determined: “Come to my house to play...! We can go to my garden, and there’s a much better swing than this old one!”
The older boy looked at the creaky old swing, then at him, and smiled tenderly. “I can’t. I have to go home, soon.”
Nino’s smile faded. “You’re not coming to Nino’s house...?”
“I’m not. Nino-chan has found his family. So me too, I have to go home.”
The small boy’s eyes welled up, and soon, his whole body was shaking with tears again. With a soft sigh, the older took his small hands in his, and squeezed them with affection.
“Nino-chan...look at me.”
Nino raised his head, sobbing hard.
“Samii...is a bit different from Nino-chan.” he chose his words slowly, all the while smiling. “He needs to help his family with work everyday, because his father is sick, and cannot work. His mother is tired too, but she gives her best. That’s why I have to help her too. I won’t be able to play with you anymore.”
Nino bit his lips, the tears flowing harder. But the older boy squeezed his hands. “We won’t meet again...” he said softly. “But I’ll always remember you.”
Sniffling, Nino raised his eyes expectantly. “Really...?”
“Of course.” He smiled.
“Samii will always remember Nino?”
“Always.”
And as the two little boys stared into each other’s eyes, the older in worned out rags, and the younger in his smart looking overalls, the sun shined its last rays of the day onto the city. Patting Nino on the head, the ragged boy smiled once more. “Go, now.”
Nino nodded. He took one last look at his friend, and then ran towards the glowing coach without a second thought.
To the boy under the swing...may you always remember me.
Do you remember those stolen glances?
You caught me once, I looked away so shyly
I wasn’t sure of myself, I never have confidence
But please look inside your heart, where you place a part of me
Nino stumbled towards the pile of fancy clothes, only to realise that someone was actually sitting against the old tree, his back facing him.
Nino frowned. He tripped against the tree root, and the young man sitting there turned around, finally noticing him. He had a round face...spiky hair....Nino vaguely recognised him as one of the ‘Three Wanderers’, though he was only wearing a dusty shirt and a pair of black pants now.
Nino blinked at the man, and to his greatest confusion, the stranger suddenly smiled warmly at him. He frowned:
“Do I know you...?!”
And the stranger’s eyes slightly widened.
Nino took a step back as the man stood up silently... What a creepy guy... Why did he look so depressed? Why was he looking at his hands? Nino slowly put them behind his back, and frowned at the older man, who seemed a bit vexed, somehow.
“No...you probably don’t know me.” finally murmured the guy with a sad little smile.
Nino blinked. Oh well, took you a while to answer, he thought.
Then, the man reached out a hand: “My name is Ohno Satoshi.” he said in a soft voice.
Nino reluctantly took the hand in his. “Ninomiya Kazunari...” he replied, his smile a little stiff.
When you feel lonely, when life betrays you
Touch your hear as you close your eyes without worries
Remember that little place (that place)
The swing where memories are created in short time
“This is a nice swing.” The older man remarked out of the blue, a smile enlightening his sleepy face.
Nino raised an eyebrow. “Well, it’s old. I used it when I was like...seven. It’s not even worth a look now.”
Ohno nodded again, absently, and Nino wondered if he even listened to what he was saying. He tugged at the costume in the older man’s arms, and remarked dryly: “So you do this kind of shows for a living?”
Ohno smiled and nodded. “Well, we don’t earn much, of course...”
“Why do you do it, then, if you don’t earn much?”
“Money’s not everything.” Ohno shrugged. “Jun, Sho and I are all orphans, and we have no place to return to. My dad died of a disease...my mother died of fatigue and overwork...” his voice died off a little, but he soon smiled again. “So now, this life is what suits us best, I guess.”
Please let time stop this moment
When everything seems falling, falling to places
Let’s go on with a smile
When everything is worth, worth celebrating for
I won’t be afraid, just please smile for me
To you under the swing, please accept my earnest heart
Sho eyed the older man who was now pouring himself a cup of tea, blowing on it absent-mindedly to cool it down faster. “Satoshi...” he called hesitantly, and the older looked up.
“Yes?”
“Is there something on your mind...?” Sho asked.
And Jun smiled playfully: “Careful Sho-san, that’s a tough question for Satoshi to answer.”
Ohno laughed softly, throwing an apple at the youngest man, until he finally noticed Sho’s serious expression. He then stopped and drank a sip of tea:
“I’m fine, Sho-kun. Why do you ask?”
Sho squinted slightly. “Back at that house...when we were talking to that brat, you weren’t saying much. Well...I know you’re not the type to talk a lot anyways, but...You seemed rather depressed.”
Jun was now eyeing Ohno curiously, and seeing both their worried expressions, the oldest smiled reassuringly.
“You’re worried for me?” he said softly. “You shouldn’t be. I’m fine. I wasn’t depressed...I just...”
He looked for the right words, silently putting his cup down as he bit his lips pensively. Finally, as his eyes met Sho’s, he lowered his head... and a sigh escaped his lips.
“I knew him.” he simply said, and Jun blinked.
Shifting in his seat, Sho frowned, confused: “Who? That Ninomiya?”
Ohno nodded.
Then, seeing Jun’s revulsed expression, he chuckled and explained: “Well, it was long ago... I was only nine, back then. I was helping my mother at the market when I saw him crying in one corner of the streets... He had lost his parents in the crowd."
He walked around the room, remembering with a smile. "I helped him up... and we played while waiting for his parents to come for him. And then when it was time for him to leave...he asked me to never forget him.”
He fell silent, and Jun frowned, incredulity showing all over his face. “What? That Ninomiya kid said that?”
Ohno nodded. “Well...at that time I already knew that he was a rich kid. He kept on calling me Samii, so I never really told him my real name, but...I would never have thought that while I still remembered him perfectly, ... he would have completely forgotten my existence.”
Sho let out a deep sigh. “That’s why you immediately accepted when that servant of his came to invite us...” he calmly said, his voice wavering a bit at the end. The oldest smiled at him.
“I thought that it’d be nice to see him again. Just to talk and be like before, you know.”
“Who would have thought he’d become such a snobbish brat.” muttered Jun as he laid down in his covers.
“Really, people change in the blink of an eye.”
As Ohno remained silent, Sho slowly rose from the sofa and gave his shoulder a friendly pat.
“Don’t take this too much at heart, Satoshi-kun.” he gave an encouraging smile. “He’s just an ungrateful and immature kid, in the end... Not worth your help at all.”
Ohno returned a smile, and then, as he watched the younger man leave the room, let out a tired sigh and sat down against the wall.
Of course they were right... Ninomiya Kazunari couldn’t have stayed eternally the same. He had grown up... He didn’t need any help anymore, he had everything he wanted. And those things, Ohno certainly wasn’t part of them. They lived in two different worlds, and he had only met him once, when they were young...It was stupid to believe that Ninomiya would have remembered him forever.
Ohno closed his eyes.
He understood it all so perfectly well... So why did it hurt so much?
How long has it been when we met before?
Seeing those tears of fear, didn’t suit you at all
Can we play like before, when innocence is our bliss
I’ll lift you up, I’m just back here to catch you if you fall
“Ninomiya-kun...?”
The man raised his eyes, and Ohno automatically took a step back. It was Ninomiya, without mistake... but his eyes were red with tears, and he looked completely devastated... Ohno felt a pang in his heart.
“What happened to you...?” he murmured, almost to himself.
The younger man did not reply, and simply emptied the rest of his glass in one gulp. Ohno looked at his figure, pondering over the number of glasses he had drunk already, and wondered if the young man was even able to speak anymore.
“Ninomiya-kun... Do you remember me?” he asked in a soft tone, and the other looked at him with a blurry look.
“You’re...the performer from the other day...” he bluttered. “Ohno...Satosh...?”
The rest ended in a mumble, and Ohno smiled. He actually remembered.
“Yea. That’s it.” He sat down facing Nino. “I didn’t expect to find you in a place like this. Why don’t you go to a bar better than this one?”
Nino shook his head, then buried it in his arms.
“No. No, no. If I go to a better one, I’ll meet people...acquaintances...friends...and they’ll all ask about it.”
And suddenly, the young man burst into tears, making Ohno bite his lips in surprise. What could have happened to hurt him like that? The older man wished he could help in some way or another...but he simply didn’t know how.
“Does anyone know you’re here...?” he asked softly.
Nino shook his head, looking up: “I ran...from the house. Didn’t even bother taking a car, I just...needed to stop thinking about it. Or I would have driven crazy. But why do I even talk to you about this? It doesn’t concern you...”
Ohno looked down. “That’s true...” he tried to smile.
Nino didn’t speak for a while, and simply reajusted his hat, eyeing Ohno from underneath. He felt lost: Why was the performer so understanding...? Why was he so nice to him when he had said such nasty things in the past? He had treated the man as scum, back at the marriage celebration... so why was he still so...kind?
“You’re not asking me questions...?” he blurbed, and Ohno blinked.
“Why would I...?”
“Because everyone would? People always ask questions when something bad happens. Like... ‘tell me what happened?’ or... ‘what’s wrong?’ In the end, they just wanna know because they’re curious.”
Ohno didn’t know what to say... Was there anything to say in fact?
“Well...I don’t know what happened to you exactly...” he started. “...and I don’t know what people usually say in this kind of situation... But I know for sure that I wouldn’t want to force you into anything. I’ll listen only if you want to talk...but since I’m no good as a speaker, I can’t guarantee that I will cheer you up...”
Nino blinked, staring at the older man without a word, and Ohno soon laughed embarrassedly. “Did I say something weird, for you to be so surprised?”
Nino shook his head. “Not really, but...” He pondered. For some reason, Ohno Satoshi just wasn’t like everyone else. “You’re weird.” Nino finally said, his tears drying.
“Am I?” Ohno smiled softly.
Nino nodded. “Yea. You are.... But...” an embarrassed smile softened his features. “I think you did cheer me up...somehow.”
And as the older man blinked in surprise, Nino let a genuine smile brighten his face. He soon rose up from his chair, and looking slightly rushed, hurriedly paid his bill,. “I’ll take my leave.” he glanced shyly at Ohno. “Goodbye.”
Stop your crying and take my hand
Struggles in life will always chase after us
Remember this little place
The swing where smile can fill our hearts’ emptiness
Nino was panting to catch his breath, but he laid Ohno under the tree with delicacy, his eyes never leaving the gaping wound on the older man’s shoulder. Then he kneeled down next to the performer, who still struggled to breath, and Ohno looked up at him:
“I’m sorry…” he whispered, wincing in pain.
“No…” Nino shook his head, still sobbing. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I’ve been a bastard, an idiot, an immature kid. I’m so sorry…If you hadn’t protected me, I’d be dead by now…It’s my fault you’re like this. I…”
“Shh…” Ohno closed his eyes, and opened them again with effort. “I’m glad you’re safe. The rest doesn’t matter...”
“But why…? Why did you do that? Why did you protect me? Why did you not let me die like the ungrateful bastard I am, and leave me there…? We’ve only met since my sister’s marriage, you barely know me…So why…?”
Ohno did not reply. His breathing slowed down, and his eyelids fluttered, but he remained conscious and glanced sideways at Nino’s hands. He smiled, and centimetre by centimetre, his own fingers found Nino’s short and meaty ones. The younger man eyed him curiously as he entwined their fingers with a smile.
“You have cute fingers…” he breathed out. And Nino’s eyes widened.
“What…What did you say…?” he asked, his voice shaking. Echoes were resounding inside his head.
“I don’t like them. They’re short and ugly. They’re not nice fingers…”
Nino looked at the wounded man in front of his eyes… He looked at the sleepy eyes…the spiky hair…the chubby cheeks…the gentle smile.
“Can I call you Samii?”
“Samii…” he breathed out before he knew…And the memories rushed back at once…The roaring market, the boy in rags, the helping hand, the swing….the promises. He looked down at the man in front of him, his eyes welling up. A soft breeze blew.
“Samii…?” he called hesitantly, and Ohno’s eyes widened slightly as they stared at each other.
“One day…One day, we’ll have our happy ending together.”
A single tear rolled down Nino’s cheek.
“So it was you…?” his voice trembled under the emotion. “The boy under the swing, that day… it was you all along.”
Please let this moment last forever
As life for two of us goes on and on and on
Together we can make it through
As we keep on rolling, rolling forward
I won’t be afraid, just please stay with me
To you under the swing, please trust my earnest heart
“Is that why…?” the young man said in a trembling voice. “Is that why you did all this for me…? Is that why you protected me for all this while…?”
Jun’s face paled a little. Why was the brat crying…? And why was Satoshi lying there on the floor? He heard the older man speak up softly, and despite the privacy of the conversation, he walked closer to listen.
“Don’t cry, Nino…please. I did all this because I wanted to.”
“But why did you keep it to yourself?” Nino cried harder. “You had so many occasions to tell me who you were…! The marriage, the night at the bar, the moments after the fire, up till now… You never said a word.
Why…? I…I’ve treated you like a stranger for all this time, I…”
“I thought you didn’t want to remember…”
“What?”
Ohno smiled, and with efforts, raised a hand to wipe Nino’s tears.
“You had everything you wanted. And I was only a boy in rags…We lived in two different worlds…How could I ask you to remember me? You didn’t need me in your life.”
Nino caught his hand and kept it pressed to his cheeks: “Don’t talk nonsense…You’re- you’re more than just a boy in rags. Do you understand? You’re Ohno Satoshi…My saviour, anything you want. How can you say I don’t need you in my life…? Without you I wouldn’t be here, I-”
He broke down into tears. “I’m…sorry...” he murmured. “Samii, I’m so sorry I’ve only been a burden to you… I don’t deserve your care.”
“I wouldn’t give this care to anyone else...” Satoshi smiled, then, closed his eyes again. “I’ve never expected you to repay me, or anything…All I wanted was for you to be safe and smiling, that’s all. I’m sorry for your parents, Nino…It’s because of me that you’ve lost your smile.”
Nino shook his head, taking a breath: “No. No, it’s not your fault. You hear me? If we’re in this mess, it’s because of Uchida. If my parents are dead, it’s also because of him. You have nothing to do with this. I’ve accused you because of I was frustrated, that’s all…You’re not at fault.”
Ohno breathed out and closed his eyes. The younger man blinked at him, and suddenly, the hand at his cheek felt lifeless.
“I’m glad you’re not mad at me…” Ohno murmured feebly. “As long as you’re safe…my fate doesn’t matter.”
If life forgets, our hearts remember
The little moments when we played under the swing full of memories
Smiling without worries (without worries)
Laughing our hearts’ content (our hearts’ content)
We’ll have our happy ending together
There was a sudden breeze, and Ohno sneezed abruptly, making Nino jump. “Are you cold?” he inquired with worry.
“A bit.”
The younger man looked around him for another cover, but there was none. Swiftly, he rose from his chair and moved towards the door, when Ohno suddenly called him back: “Wait!”
Nino froze. “What…?”
“Don’t…don’t go.”
A silence followed his words.
“But…you’re cold, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but…”
“So I’ll get you a warm cover.”
“No, I…I don’t want any other cover. I’ve already got enough.”
They stared at each other for a long moment…one just as confused as the other. Those words were only a hundredth of what they really wished to say. Yet, neither could express their deepest feelings to the other.
Finally, not knowing what he was even saying, Ohno lifted up his covers with one arm, and under Nino’s astounded face, reached out his other hand towards him.
“Would…would you not come closer…? Please…”
And Nino looked at him with wide round eyes, which reflected both his love and fear. He took a timid step, then stopped, not daring to cover the last bit of distance. Ohno reached out his hand…further. And finally, he managed to grab hold of Nino’s arm. The younger man showed no resistance, and simply let himself being pulled into the performer’s embrace, cuddling against him under the warm covers. He could feel his hot breath fluttering over his skin, making him blush before he knew.
“I…I’m glad you’re okay now. Samii…”
“Why would I not be?”
Nino shook his head. “When we were back under that tree…I really thought, for a second, that you…were dead. I…I got so scared. So scared that I’d lose you forever…just when I had finally found you again.”
Ohno kissed his forehead gently, and placed a hand on his cheek. “You were worried for me…?”
Nino nodded. And they cuddled closer.
“I don’t want to lose sight of you, ever again.”
“You won’t. I’ll follow you like your shadow. I’ll be your cover, your shield…so that you’ll never have to worry again.”
They looked into each other’s eyes, and slowly, gently, Nino placed a chaste kiss on Ohno’s lips. They parted seconds later, the younger burying his head in Ohno’s neck.
Please, please! Know this better
It’s you my heart chooses, it’s you I’m fated to (woooh)
Please, please! Always remember
Those promises I made, those words I said with my heart (tadadadadadada)
Please, please! Don’t ever forget
My sincere feelings for you will keep me going(yehehehe)
Please, Please! Keep me in your heart
Woah oh ye he yeah~
The entire place quaked in a deafening roar, and before he knew what was happening, Nino saw the roof crumble down in front of his eyes, burying Ohno and Uchida with it. His eyes widened in pure horror and disbelief. No… No, it couldn’t be…
“Oh-chan!!!” he howled as tears blinded his eyes.
But there was no reply…
Soon, the place stabilised a little…The earth stopped shaking, the tunnels stopped growling… A last few rocks fell and rolled…Then, silence.
Nino looked at the huge wall of crumbles in front of his eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks in an unstoppable flood as he fell limp onto the cold floor. Shock. Horror. Despair. It couldn’t be true… “No…” It couldn’t be…Ohno, his Ohno…
As he slowly moved back, the metallic ladder gently hit his shoulder, and he dazedly looked back at it. There, at the top, a glint of light could be seen through the half open cover. Moonlight. Freedom. Life. But he couldn’t leave Ohno down here.
“Oh-chan!” he called again as he scrambled to his feet and started hitting the wall of rocks with the strength of despair. “Oh-chan! Can you hear me? Oh-chan!”
He dug his nails into the rocks, desperately trying to push them away… to destroy this wall… but it was no use. He grabbed any rubble he could find, throwing them at the mountain of boulders in the hope of breaking it. His Ohno was somewhere on the other side. He had to save him, he couldn’t leave him there. Shouting his name like a mad man, hitting this despicable barrier that separated him from his Samii…Nino cried his heart out, unable to do anything else. And still the dreadful silence engulfed his surroundings…
Where were the shaking and the falling rocks? He wished he could be buried in those ruins too! Those ruins which stole his Ohno away… Ohno…!
Nino was about to drive completely crazy, when an almost inaudible call made him freeze to the spot.
He raised his head to listen, crawling closer to stick his ear to the wall. “Oh…Oh-chan?”
A silence. He repeated: “ Oh-chan, is that you…?”
And finally, the familiar voice was heard. “Kazu… Are you okay?”
“Oh my God…”
Nino thought he’d die right there of happiness. He was alive! He was somewhere, alive!
“Where…where are you…?” he asked, looking for a crack in the pile of rocks. “Are you hurt…? Where are you? I…”
“Calm down, Kazu…Listen…”
“Tell me where you are! I…I’ll get you out of there.”
“No…! Listen, Kazu, there’s no time…Uchida-san’s lower body is completely stuck under the debris.”
Nino stopped moving for a brief instant. So Uchida was still alive? “Oh-chan, I…I’ll get you out of there. Just wait, I’ll…”
“No, Kazu, you have to run from here, you hear me? Run away from here, right now!”
On the other side of the wall, Ohno was doing his best to free his left arm from under the crumbles. His right leg was gravely hurt, and each movement shot pain through his every limb…Moreover, the gas spread on and on, making him cough harder than ever. He heard Nino’s worried voice over the pile of rocks: “Oh-chan? What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.” He reassured the younger man after covering his mouth with his sleeve. The fallen roof had trapped all the harmful gases on his side of the wall, so Nino was probably safe. For now only. “Kazu, you need to run away, now…! The ladder is still useable, is it not?”
“It is…but…” the younger man’s voice died off slightly. “I can’t leave you here!”
“I’ll catch up later on.” He shouted in order to cover his coughs. “You have to go, there isn’t much time!”
He rapidly looked at Uchida’s disarticulated body under the debris and shuddered. Was the man still conscious? He tried to pull him out from under the rubbles, but only got a scream of pain as a result. Ohno stopped and looked back in Nino’s direction. “Kazu, listen. Go up that ladder! I…I promise I’ll catch up later.”
“Liar…!” Nino was crying now. “How can you get out?! I don’t believe you! I won’t abandon you here, you hear?!”
“There isn’t much time! Soon enough the whole place will collapse, I….”
He hadn’t finished talking that the earth slowly started to tremble again, and he glanced at the remaining roof over his head. It wouldn’t be long before it all came crashing down. Nino had to climb up immediately.
“I promise I’ll catch up. I promise I’ll get myself out. Now you need to go…it’s now or never Kazu. I don’t want you to die!!”
“Do you think I want you to die?!”
“Then you understand how I feel! Get out!”
There was a silence on the other side of the wall, and for a second, Ohno thought with relief that Nino had gone. Then, his voice spoke up again, broken by tears: “Will…will you come up again? Will I see you again? Hug you again…? Kiss you again…?”
Ohno’s eyes widened. “Kazu…”
The walls still shook, and more rocks were falling, but Nino’s voice remained clear:
“I… I want us to live happily ever after…I want us to be together, until we grow old and lose our hair one by one…I want to play with you once again like when we were small, I want to die with you once we’ll both be too old to move a muscle…”
Still, the earth trembled under their feet…And for the first time, Ohno found himself crying.
“I don’t want to lose you here like this, Samii…Not now. Not here… I don’t want to!”
“You won’t...” Ohno closed his eyes to stop the tears. “I’ll always stand by your side…I’ll watch over you as long as I live. We will have our happy ending, Kazu…we will.”
He pressed his forehead against the rocks, trying to shorten the distance. The tears still rolled down his cheeks, but he smiled weakly. “One day…” he said. “Once all this is finished, we’ll go to a deserted island full of flowers and fruit trees …and there we can stay together forever...We’ll be happier than anyone on Earth.”
“We could… we could make our own swing, ne…? And you’ll push me like you used to…”
“Sure.” Ohno smiled, sniffling quietly. “Why not? And maybe we can invite the others to visit as well… Aiba would be running around the camp fire, screaming happily…Sho would be dying to get hold of some newspaper to read…And Jun would roll his eyes as we all dance crazy dances that no one’s ever seen…”
A huge rock almost crashed onto his head, and he heard Nino gasp loudly on the other side. Wiping his tears away, Ohno bit his lips, his eyes serious again.
“Go, Kazu. Now.”
“You’ll come up, ne?” he heard the worried voice ask.
“I will…I promise.”
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Then, as the entire place started to collapse, and rocks buried the dead man’s face, Ohno turned and ran for his life. His legs could barely hold him up…his last strength were leaving him. Was he gonna die here, like Uchida had said he would? No, he couldn’t…
“Kazu…”
The younger man’s eyes, the younger man’s smile… his face, his expressions, his tears, his everything. No. he definitely couldn’t die here... This couldn’t be the end yet.
“We’ll be happy…” he told himself, tears rolling down his cheeks as everything fell apart around him.
“Yes…we’ll be happy.”
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On the surface, Nino stared at the sewer’s opening, biting his lips until they bled.
“Where is he?!”
He turned back at the sound of this familiar voice… Sho was running towards him, Aiba and Jun tagging along.
“Nino, where is he?!”
“I…” he shook his head.
And at the same moment, the centre of the entire street just crumbled down in front of his eyes in a deafening thunder of rocks and rubbles, bringing the metallic cover with it, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the road. He looked at it in disbelief, shaking his head…
It wasn’t true, right? He would have laughed if it was another situation. He would have cracked up and pointed at the hole in hilarity… but not now. No, not now.
“Oh-chan!!!” he screamed until his voice broke…but he knew there wouldn’t be any reply. There would never be.
“No way…” Sho slapped a hand over his mouth in horror. And Aiba covered his face.
“He…he was still down there…?” Jun dropped to his knees.
Grabbing a handful of dirt, Nino threw it as far as he could, before hitting the ground with ear-splitting screams of pain. “It can’t be!!” he howled, tears flooding down his cheeks. “No! No, it can’t be!!”
Aiba, biting his lips, gently put his arms around him, and he let himself being hugged from the side, his eyes still closed in throbbing ache. His heart was being torn apart…as if a piece of him had been wrenched away by force…
“You promised me a happy ending, didn’t you?!” he screamed into the air. “You promised me to die with me, didn’t you?!”
“Nino, please, stop this…” Aiba was sobbing now.
“Jerk…!!” the younger man cried on, bending over while pulling at his hair. “Liar…! Jerk!!”
May it be thousands of years across time, or in the next century… I’ll always watch over you.
He closed his eyes, feeling horribly empty inside.
It hurt…. It really hurt.
Please let this moment last forever
When everything seems falling falling to places
Together we can make it through
When everything seems worth, worth celebrating for
I won’t be afraid, just please smile for me
To you under the swing, please accept my undying love (woo hoo hoo)
“Oh-chan…”
The performer smiled weakly as his eyes finally focused on Nino’s. “I thought I heard your voice…” he said.
“Oh-chan…” the younger man broke down into tears. “I thought you were dead! Bastard…! You scared me so
much...”
“I wouldn’t have died without telling you… Kazu, don’t cry. Are you this disappointed to see me here?”
“What? No…!”
“Then smile.” Ohno raised a hand to pinch his cheek. “There, show me a bratty grin.”
“I hate you…” Nino pouted, making the other laugh. “You better never leave me again.”
Ohno simply smiled without replying. And suddenly, from the back of the room, Aiba noisily blew his nose.
“Oh. That was lovely.” Jun commented sarcastically.
“I’m sorry.” Aiba flushed as Sho started to laugh next to him. “It’s such a touching moment, though...They’re finally together, and…”
“Can you stop talking as if you’re watching a stage play?” Nino raised his eyebrows.
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Ohno and Nino looked at the floor with a pensive smile. The younger man raised his head, glancing at the performer, then finally buried it into the warmth of his shoulder. Ohno smiled caringly, and they continued to walk like this, hand in hand, into the cold winter morning.
“I wonder what I’d do if you were gone.” Nino suddenly said, taking the other by surprise.
“Why…are you saying that?”
“Because life is so cruel…and I’ve been on the verge of losing you so many times…The day it really happens, what would I do?”
Ohno smiled sadly, staring up at the sky. “In any case,” he said. “Promise me you wouldn’t think of dying with me.”
“Oh-chan…”
“Promise me you’d live on, and be happy. Okay?”
Nino looked down, pouting slightly, and Ohno stopped walking to gently lift his chin up. “Kazu, it’s not like I’m dying tomorrow, or anything…”
Nino chuckled, a tear still rolling down his cheek. “I know…I’m probably just thinking too much… I’m so scared of losing you again, after so many things happening…after so many promises…”
Ohno smiled in melancholy. A single tear rolled down his cheek, its trace vanishing after the wind. And now, they were kids once again, running around the abandoned yard, swirling around the old yew tree, sitting underneath the swing… If time could have frozen there, when life was so easy and sweet… then what…?
“Let’s not worry about the future.” Ohno closed his eyes. “ It’s too vague, too unstable, too far. Living happily by each day is already enough.”
He caringly lifted Nino’s chin and looked at his chestnut coloured eyes, gently glowing in the sun. I love you, he wished to say…but the words died on his lips. Slowly, he placed a gentle kiss on those soft, pouted lips that he loved so much.
“To you the boy under the swing…my vow is eternal.”
He would have kept his words until the very end, protecting his love for as long as he lived. Ohno Satoshi died of a bacterial pneumonia two years later.
To you under the swing, my vow is eternally for you
(ye he~)
A stranger walked by and bumped into him by accident, making him drop his backpack by the same occasion. Somehow, as he bent down to retrieve his scattered belongings, he found the long haired boy kneeling down next to him, giving him a hand.
“Thanks” he said semi-awkwardly.
The older boy simply shook his head without replying, and he raised an eyebrow. What a silent freak…
He was about to start walking once again, when suddenly, a hand appeared in his field of vision, making him raise his head.
“My name is Ohno Satoshi.” the older boy stammered.
With a blink, the young teen eyed the hand shoved in front of his face. Um…They had already been presented once, hello…? But before he knew, something moved in him. Something, which allowed a genuine smile to gradually creep onto his cheeks. He sealed the handshake with his own hand. A small, meaty one with very short fingers.
“My name is Ninomiya Kazunari.” he said, amused. “Nice to meet you…”
One day, we’ll have our happy ending together… May it be in this life, or in another...
To you, the Boy under the swing…