Dreams & Drumsticks
Title: Dreams and Drumsticks
Rating: PG
Genre : AU, Friendship, Angst,
Fandom: Hey!Say!Jump (main), TegoMass
Disclaimer: I Own the plot, title and the characterization. The Idols belong to themselves...and their careers to Johnny. This is pure fiction!!
Summary : In a tiny studio at the heart of Tokyo, five aspiring musicians struggle to achieve their dreams against all odds.
A/N: Inspired by the song Dash! by Nakajima Yuto
Note: Jump are not an idol group in this story and for now (the band) they only have five members. The fic is mostly Yuto-centric but it involves all of Jump.
Chapter 28 : Mishaps and Misunderstandings
“Taro-san!”
Keisuke wiped his face on the back of his sleeve before dashing off stage towards a tall man in a suit and large pearly glasses.
“Is this the boy you were talking about?”
Yuto clambered down the stage rather clumsily and approached them with hesitant steps.
“Yes…he’s a drummer but he’s got a rather unique voice don’t you think so?” Keisuke said excitedly.
Yuto gulped as the man scrutinized him through his amplifying lenses.
“He sure does,”
“Yuto, he’s the head of the label I’m signed to,”
“Keisuke!”
The boy turned to acknowledge the call from Chinen who stood bleary eyed on the stage before excusing himself to tend to him. Yuto fidgeted with a button of his shirt as he watched the two idols converse, trying to avoid the presence by his side.
“You’re in a band I heard,”
He nodded silently.
“Well, I’ll keep an eye on your progress then, somehow you seem promising,”
Yuto nodded again, heartbeat erratic from the fact that this was coming from the head of a successful music label.
“It’s always a plus point to know people from the industry,”
Yuto nodded again, slight hesitantly this time. Plus point?
He saw the man eyeing Keisuke silently.
“The boy’s pretty naïve though,” he sighed.
“Trying to give a boost to a person who could very well become his rival in the near future,”
It took Yuto some time to digest the words.
“Wait a second,” he began, unaware of how petulant he sounded. The man fixed an amused gaze upon him.
“I’m not trying to use Keisuke for anything,”
The man’s lips tugged into a slight smile.
“You mean to tell me, that it never crossed your mind that befriending a popular starlet would give you a boost in the industry?”
Anger boiled within him as he glared back at the man.
“No, he’s my friend and he did this just so I could get a taste of what I’m aiming for,”
“Oh really?”
Yuto frowned. Was that a mock?
“Then why would he go through all the trouble to get me to come down here just to watch you perform?”
Yuto bit his lip as a retort died in his throat. So, that’s why they sang?
He mustered up his courage as he stared right back at the older man.
“My band and I are going to make it big on our own, just you watch…I don’t need any ‘boost’ from people like you thank you very much,”
“Hey hey, I never said that it was wrong,”
Yuto held back the overwhelming hurt within him. He tightened the strap around his lithe frame before giving the man a short bow.
“I’ll take my leave,” he murmured lowly, feet moving swiftly the same way he came in. He could hear Keisuke’s voice calling him but he kept walking, hastening his steps till he reached the gate. Alexander gave him a nod and unlocked the massive door.
He felt a hand on his shoulder before he let himself be turned around.
“Where are you going?” Keisuke panted. His features tensed at the tear tracks down the taller boy’s face.
“What happened? Did he say something to you?” he asked anxiously, voice low. Yuto brushed his hand off and stepped back.
“Thanks for everything Keisuke, but please…stay away from me,”
Keisuke gaped at him, shock and confusion etched into his features.
Yuto sobbed audibly before welcoming the warm air and sunlight that greeted him through the open gate. With a heart too heavy he left the confines of the grand concert hall but not before secretly vowing to return soon.
“I will own this stage and make you swallow your words Taro-san…you just watch.”
~*~
Keito hummed silently as he zipped up his guitar bag, eyes fixed on the score he had been assigned to learn overnight. They had been given a week to learn a new song for the radio broadcast and Keito couldn't be more thankful that he was on term break. He looked up as he saw Keisuke enter the apartment but frowned as the boy marched upstairs without a greeting.
“How did it go?” he asked and flinched as the door was slammed shut.
~*~
If Keito thought he had something to worry about at home alone, he was wrong.
“What in the world is going on here?” he asked taking a place on the floor next to Ryutaro. Takaki and Hikaru seemed to be in a pretty heated discussion. Inoo was watching them with a frown and Yuto was seated on his drums, staring blankly into space.
“Hikaru-kun says the group requires another guitarist but Takaki-kun wants to add a vocalist as well,”
“Since when did we agree on opening up slots on the band?” Keito asked astounded by the news. Ryutaro shrugged.
“Well, apparently Hikaru-kun started it by saying they need a solid member with some legit experience in music and apparently the guitarist they want to add is not just apt in the instrument but apparently is a songwriter and a former child star,”
“Are you serious?”
Ryutaro nodded.
“Plus, he’s really nice,” the younger admitted unabashedly.
“Is he the guy who broke into Hikaru’s apartment last time?”
Ryutaro chuckled.
“Yup,”
Keito reflected a bit.
“I guess having someone as organized as him would be a plus point,” he agreed solemnly.
“Now here’s the problem, Takaki wants another vocalist but he’s already an Idol…remember Chinen Yuri?”
Keito nodded.
“Now Yuto says that having an Idol in the group would bring the band trouble, since he already has his own fans and if you guys are planning to start from scratch, that would be a bad idea,”
“And now?”
“Takaki’s refusing to be lead vocals if Yabu-kun joins, cause personally…I think he’s intimidated,”
“Intimidated?”
Ryutaro nodded knowingly.
“Yabu-kun used to be known as the boy with the Angel’s voice,”
Keito’s eyes widened as the situation dawned upon him.
“Um…guys,” he began softly, getting to his feet. The pair continued squabbling as Inoo gawked at them while Yuto continued his melancholic staring at the floor.
He sighed, inwardly cursing his soft-spoken nature…and then screamed. Ryutaro jumped, Inoo almost knocked his Keyboard off the stand and Yuto toppled off his stool.
“Keito what the hell was that?” Hikaru exclaimed at the flushed face of the younger now massaging his injured throat.
“Do we even have time for this?”
“We have like…a few days left till the broadcasting…this could seriously be our big break and these people who are trying to help us out…they have faith in us, we aren’t going to disappoint them are we? If we’re really going to have a new member then let’s just have him join us and get started…it’s not like our band’s original form will change now will it? It took us years to build after all.”
Keito felt extremely uncomfortable with the way he was being stared at. Maybe he said a little too much?
Takaki looked thoughtful while Hikaru was still gaping at him. He looked down at Ryutaro to find him gazing up with at him, eyes full of admiration.
“Ne...Keito,” Inoo began.
“You should talk more often.”
~*~
A/N: My sincerest apologies to all my beloved readers! Honestly I give you too much too bear....but this year is currently a killer for my academics and it kept me quite occupied all this while.
As for this story...it is actually in it's last set of chapters and the plot will be picking up the pace from here on. I hope it hasn't been too slow or boring for that matter....I've tried my best. However, comments as well as critiques are more than welcome. After all, you guys help me grow as a writer :) Thanks...
Tsu
Rating: PG
Genre : AU, Friendship, Angst,
Fandom: Hey!Say!Jump (main), TegoMass
Disclaimer: I Own the plot, title and the characterization. The Idols belong to themselves...and their careers to Johnny. This is pure fiction!!
Summary : In a tiny studio at the heart of Tokyo, five aspiring musicians struggle to achieve their dreams against all odds.
A/N: Inspired by the song Dash! by Nakajima Yuto
Note: Jump are not an idol group in this story and for now (the band) they only have five members. The fic is mostly Yuto-centric but it involves all of Jump.
Chapter 28 : Mishaps and Misunderstandings
“Taro-san!”
Keisuke wiped his face on the back of his sleeve before dashing off stage towards a tall man in a suit and large pearly glasses.
“Is this the boy you were talking about?”
Yuto clambered down the stage rather clumsily and approached them with hesitant steps.
“Yes…he’s a drummer but he’s got a rather unique voice don’t you think so?” Keisuke said excitedly.
Yuto gulped as the man scrutinized him through his amplifying lenses.
“He sure does,”
“Yuto, he’s the head of the label I’m signed to,”
“Keisuke!”
The boy turned to acknowledge the call from Chinen who stood bleary eyed on the stage before excusing himself to tend to him. Yuto fidgeted with a button of his shirt as he watched the two idols converse, trying to avoid the presence by his side.
“You’re in a band I heard,”
He nodded silently.
“Well, I’ll keep an eye on your progress then, somehow you seem promising,”
Yuto nodded again, heartbeat erratic from the fact that this was coming from the head of a successful music label.
“It’s always a plus point to know people from the industry,”
Yuto nodded again, slight hesitantly this time. Plus point?
He saw the man eyeing Keisuke silently.
“The boy’s pretty naïve though,” he sighed.
“Trying to give a boost to a person who could very well become his rival in the near future,”
It took Yuto some time to digest the words.
“Wait a second,” he began, unaware of how petulant he sounded. The man fixed an amused gaze upon him.
“I’m not trying to use Keisuke for anything,”
The man’s lips tugged into a slight smile.
“You mean to tell me, that it never crossed your mind that befriending a popular starlet would give you a boost in the industry?”
Anger boiled within him as he glared back at the man.
“No, he’s my friend and he did this just so I could get a taste of what I’m aiming for,”
“Oh really?”
Yuto frowned. Was that a mock?
“Then why would he go through all the trouble to get me to come down here just to watch you perform?”
Yuto bit his lip as a retort died in his throat. So, that’s why they sang?
He mustered up his courage as he stared right back at the older man.
“My band and I are going to make it big on our own, just you watch…I don’t need any ‘boost’ from people like you thank you very much,”
“Hey hey, I never said that it was wrong,”
Yuto held back the overwhelming hurt within him. He tightened the strap around his lithe frame before giving the man a short bow.
“I’ll take my leave,” he murmured lowly, feet moving swiftly the same way he came in. He could hear Keisuke’s voice calling him but he kept walking, hastening his steps till he reached the gate. Alexander gave him a nod and unlocked the massive door.
He felt a hand on his shoulder before he let himself be turned around.
“Where are you going?” Keisuke panted. His features tensed at the tear tracks down the taller boy’s face.
“What happened? Did he say something to you?” he asked anxiously, voice low. Yuto brushed his hand off and stepped back.
“Thanks for everything Keisuke, but please…stay away from me,”
Keisuke gaped at him, shock and confusion etched into his features.
Yuto sobbed audibly before welcoming the warm air and sunlight that greeted him through the open gate. With a heart too heavy he left the confines of the grand concert hall but not before secretly vowing to return soon.
“I will own this stage and make you swallow your words Taro-san…you just watch.”
~*~
Keito hummed silently as he zipped up his guitar bag, eyes fixed on the score he had been assigned to learn overnight. They had been given a week to learn a new song for the radio broadcast and Keito couldn't be more thankful that he was on term break. He looked up as he saw Keisuke enter the apartment but frowned as the boy marched upstairs without a greeting.
“How did it go?” he asked and flinched as the door was slammed shut.
~*~
If Keito thought he had something to worry about at home alone, he was wrong.
“What in the world is going on here?” he asked taking a place on the floor next to Ryutaro. Takaki and Hikaru seemed to be in a pretty heated discussion. Inoo was watching them with a frown and Yuto was seated on his drums, staring blankly into space.
“Hikaru-kun says the group requires another guitarist but Takaki-kun wants to add a vocalist as well,”
“Since when did we agree on opening up slots on the band?” Keito asked astounded by the news. Ryutaro shrugged.
“Well, apparently Hikaru-kun started it by saying they need a solid member with some legit experience in music and apparently the guitarist they want to add is not just apt in the instrument but apparently is a songwriter and a former child star,”
“Are you serious?”
Ryutaro nodded.
“Plus, he’s really nice,” the younger admitted unabashedly.
“Is he the guy who broke into Hikaru’s apartment last time?”
Ryutaro chuckled.
“Yup,”
Keito reflected a bit.
“I guess having someone as organized as him would be a plus point,” he agreed solemnly.
“Now here’s the problem, Takaki wants another vocalist but he’s already an Idol…remember Chinen Yuri?”
Keito nodded.
“Now Yuto says that having an Idol in the group would bring the band trouble, since he already has his own fans and if you guys are planning to start from scratch, that would be a bad idea,”
“And now?”
“Takaki’s refusing to be lead vocals if Yabu-kun joins, cause personally…I think he’s intimidated,”
“Intimidated?”
Ryutaro nodded knowingly.
“Yabu-kun used to be known as the boy with the Angel’s voice,”
Keito’s eyes widened as the situation dawned upon him.
“Um…guys,” he began softly, getting to his feet. The pair continued squabbling as Inoo gawked at them while Yuto continued his melancholic staring at the floor.
He sighed, inwardly cursing his soft-spoken nature…and then screamed. Ryutaro jumped, Inoo almost knocked his Keyboard off the stand and Yuto toppled off his stool.
“Keito what the hell was that?” Hikaru exclaimed at the flushed face of the younger now massaging his injured throat.
“Do we even have time for this?”
“We have like…a few days left till the broadcasting…this could seriously be our big break and these people who are trying to help us out…they have faith in us, we aren’t going to disappoint them are we? If we’re really going to have a new member then let’s just have him join us and get started…it’s not like our band’s original form will change now will it? It took us years to build after all.”
Keito felt extremely uncomfortable with the way he was being stared at. Maybe he said a little too much?
Takaki looked thoughtful while Hikaru was still gaping at him. He looked down at Ryutaro to find him gazing up with at him, eyes full of admiration.
“Ne...Keito,” Inoo began.
“You should talk more often.”
~*~
A/N: My sincerest apologies to all my beloved readers! Honestly I give you too much too bear....but this year is currently a killer for my academics and it kept me quite occupied all this while.
As for this story...it is actually in it's last set of chapters and the plot will be picking up the pace from here on. I hope it hasn't been too slow or boring for that matter....I've tried my best. However, comments as well as critiques are more than welcome. After all, you guys help me grow as a writer :) Thanks...
Tsu