[One-Shot] Train
Title: Train
Author: twentyeytako
Pairing(s): AKAME
Rating:PG13
Genre: Romance
Beta by: me. *yep.*
Disclaimer: i still think i'm one of Johnny's lost nieces or granddaughters and i will inherit the company when he retires. until that happens, i don't own any of them.
Summary: Jin and Kame got to know each other by sitting next to each other on the subway. (I really suck in writing summaries)
Author's Note: a fic request from yukitsubute for the help_pilipinas fund raising event. Sorry it took me quite a while to finish this.
Jin ran. He just got out of the Iidabashi station of the Tozai line and is now tranferring to the Namboku line.
This is Jin's everyday life. He gets out of school at 4:30pm and rides the Tozai line at Nakano Station to reach Iidabashi in time for the Namboku line's departure at 5pm. He switches betweent the two subway lines to reach Saitama where he lives.
Akanishi Jin is a senior from Horikoshi High School. Unlike the other students in his school who are famous, Jin considers himself a normal guy. Horikoshi is a private high school in Nakano, Tokyo and is known for being attended by many celebrities. Although good looking and model like, he isn't part of show business. He is often offered contacts by different talent agencies but he always refuses as he hates being the center of attention. He leaves all the limelight to his parents. The reason why he was able to enter the school is because of his family's status. His father is a business magnate and his mother is a known Ikebana instructor. When his parents told him that he will enter Horikoshi, he argued with them but in the end, he agreed when his parents complied to his conditions. He requested to live a normal highschool life. He told his parents he wanted to move out of their mansion and be independent. His father agreed but insisted on hiring a driver to take him to school. Jin refused and said he wanted to learn how to use the public transportation. His parents knew they can never change their son's mind so they just gave up.
Jin stood on the platform waiting for the train to Saitama. He is wearing his school uniform which made other passengers on the station stare at him. Unlike other high schools who wears a black gakuran, Horikoshi uses the blazer type of uniform that's why it is easily recognized. People in the station wonder how a student from Horikoshi ended up riding a train. Jin adjusted his scarf and tried to cover the lower half of his face. After a few moments, the train arrived and stopped to pick up some passengers. A door to one of the carts opened right in front of Jin. People began to disembark from the train and Jin patiently waited until he can enter.
The Namboku line isn't as packed as the Tozai line and add to that, a lot of passengers alight from the train in Iidabashi station. This is why there are a lot of vacant seats in this line's train. When the people dispersed, Jin stepped inside the train and that's when he saw him. A highschool student, just like himself, sitting beside the opposite door of the train.
Kame sighed. He held his book as he watched other passengers come and go. Everyday, he rides the Namboku line. It has become a habit to read and watch other people who rides the train with him. He gets a glimpse of other people's lives in the short time that they travel and admired most of them.
Kamenashi Kazuya is a junior from Tokyo Gakuen High School. He used to attend a high school in Saitama but transferred to Tokyo Gakuen when the high school granted him a scholarship because of his excellence in academics. Although a bit shy, Kame is known in the all boys school because of his intelligence and talent in baseball. When he started attending the high school in his sophomore year, teachers already noticed he was a bright student. The baseball coach saw him during PE class and immediately asked him to join the team. By the end of the school year, Kame was already announced as the top student of their batch and was appointed as the baseball team's pitcher. Even though he gets a lot of attention, Kame keeps his high school life simple. This is one reason why his school mates admired and respected him.
As part of the baseball team, he was required to attend training after his classes. They usually finish around 4pm but unlike his other teammates who heads straight home after practice, Kame always takes a quick shower and changes back to his gakuran. He then makes his way to the Meguro Station to ride the Namboku line.
Kame and Jin were used to their everyday routine that they didn't expect their lives will change when they meet each other.
Kame looked up when the doors opened during the train's stop in Iidabashi. Just like everybody else, he was wondering why a student from Horikoshi was taking the train. Jin stepped inside and surveyed the train. There were still a lot of vacant seats at the far end but he didn't want to sit beside old salary men. When he saw the empty seat beside Kame, he decided to take it.
"Do you mind?" Jin asked as he stood in front of Kame.
"Huh?"
"Do you mind if I sit here?" Jin clarified.
Kame just shook his head.
Jin took off the scarf he was wearing before sitting down then the train started to move again. He looked around the train but nothing special took his attention. He turned to the guy sitting next to him and saw him engrossed in a book. Jin leaned forward to see the cover. He was still reading the title when Kame closed the book and put it down to his lap.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Kame asked.
"Ah, no. Sorry, I was just wondering what you were reading." Jin replied.
"It's Ore Ore by Tomoyuki Hoshino-san."
"Ah, I see. I've heard about it. Is it good?"
"I'm not even halfway through the novel so it's still too early to give my judgement."
"Oh."
"Uhhmm, I'm wondering, what is a Horikoshi student like you doing in a public train?" Kame asked.
"Why? Is there a law that says students from my school can't ride?"
"It's not like that. I mean, why aren't you riding your own car? Why take the train and race with hundreds of passengers? It's obvious you're an elite."
"Hey, hey, we've only known each other for 10 minutes and you're already talking like you've known me for years."
"Am I not right? With you being rich and all? You're attending Horikoshi, that's already a give away. Plus, in a sea of people, you're one of those guys who stands out even without trying. Everybody's been staring at you not only because of your uniform, but also because of the aura you give." Kame said.
"I got used to that unwanted attention. It's not my first time to ride the train wearing this you know. I've been doing it for half a year now."
"Eh? Really?"
"Yeah. I always take the Tozai line and just change to Namboku in Iidabashi to get home."
"And home is?"
"Saitama."
"Really? I'm from Saitama and I've been riding this train line since the start of the academic year but I've never seen you."
"As you've said, there's hundreds of people riding the train so it's no wonder we never see each other."
"Ah, I guess you're right. Plus, I've always been riding this cart and been sitting in this same spot."
The next day, Jin remembered what Kame said and tried to see if he was telling the truth about sitting on the same spot. Jin waited for the train doors to open and then he saw Kame sitting exactly where he was yesterday. Jin stepped inside the train and went over to Kame
"So you were telling the truth." Jin said as he sat beside Kame.
"Truth about what?"
"You sitting here."
"Huh? Why would I lie about that?"
"Never mind never mind."
"Uhh, why are you here?"
"I'm going home of course."
"No, what I mean is, why are you sitting here again?"
"Well, we had a good conversation yesterday and I think we should continue that. Seeing that you're not really doing anything, I guess it's okay to just talk again, right?"
Kame raised an eyebrow at Jin.
"Anyway, I believe I haven't introduced myself. My name's Akanishi Jin and I'm a senior at Horikoshi." Jin said as he extended his hand to Kame but the younger man just ignored him.
"Hey, you know, it's rude to just ignore someone who's introducing themself. Didn't they teach that at Hibiya?" Jin said.
"Hibiya?"
"Yes. Hibiya High School. You're from that school right?"
"No. I'm from Tokyo Gakuen." Kame replied.
"Eh? Really? Wow!"
"Pffft."
"That's amazing. You must be really smart. So, are you gonna tell me your name now?"
"Kamenashi. Kamenashi Kazuya." Kame said.
Jin smiled. Since he saw Kame yesterday, he felt at ease with him.
"Kamenashi. Okay then, can I call you Kame? You can call me Jin."
Kame didn't answer. Instead, he took his bag and opened it to get his book. That's when Jin saw Kame's baseball glove.
"Ah! You play baseball?" Jin asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah."
"Ooooh. You're part of your school's team?"
Kame nodded.
"What position?"
"Pitcher."
"That's good! I heard Tokyo Gakuen's sports teams are really amazing. Expecially their baseball and soccer teams.
"We're not that great, you know."
"I bet you're 100x better than Horikoshi's."
"How can you say that about your school?"
"Because, I hate it. I hate that I have to be there, I hate all the kids who go there and I hate the society's image about the people attending that school. Plus, I know how weak their sports clubs are, I'm part of the soccer team and we've never had a single practice." Jin said.
"Then what's the point of having clubs?"
"Exactly."
"If you hate Horikoshi, why are you still attending that school?" Kame asked.
"Because that's what my parents want. In exchange, I asked them to allow me to live on my own."
Jin explained his life to Kame and how he ended up in Horikoshi. Although Kame was having doubts about Jin, he can't help but listen to him as he shares his life and as their conversation lenghtened, the more Kame felt comfortable with Jin.
When the train stopped in Saitama, Jin and Kame got out. They continued talking as they walked out of the station and headed home.
Ever since, the two of them sat next to each other on the train ride to Saitama every single day. Most of the time , Jin talks about what happened to him that day or if Kame's too tired from practice, they just sit silently and enjoy each other's company. There was a time that Kame fell asleep while Jin was sharing a story. Jin just noticed nobody's been listening to him when Kame's head fell on his shoulders. Jin just sighed and smiled as he let the younger man use him as a pillow. When they reached Saitama, Kame was surprised that he was resting his head on Jin's shoulder. He sat up and saw the older man also fell asleep. He woke him up and told him they need to get out of the train.
In one of their train rides home, Jin told Kame how he truly felt about Horikoshi and his parents.
"I'm not happy there." Jin said.
"Then why don't you talk to your parents and tell them how you feel?"
"My parents never listen. They want everything to go their way."
"Have you tried? I believe that parents only wants the best for their kids but sometimes, they over analyze things. They over look the fact that their kids are not them. All you have to do is talk to them properly. Tell them how you truly feel and they'll listen to you. Trsut me." Kame said.
On the last day of the second semester, Jin excitedly stepped inside the train to talk to Kame but when the doors opened, the younger man wasn't there. He looked around the train cart but Kame was nowhere in sight. He sat down and felt worried. Kame didn't look like he was sick yesterday. Dozens of things ran through his head and he started to panic. That's when students from Komagome High School got in the train and he overheard them talking.
"Ahh, what's the point of going to that match if we're loosing?" One guy said.
"We're not going to see Komagome. We're there to see how great Takyo Gakuen's pitcher is! I heard he's now considered the best in the region!"
"And you know what? My cousin says he's also the best student in Tokyo Gakuen!"
"Uwaaaa! That's really amazing!"
"I know! That Kamenashi Kazuya is really something!"
Jin's face lit up when he heard Kame's name.
"Excuse me, did you just say Kamenashi Kazuya?" Jin asked.
"Yes. You know him?"
"He's my friend. Can you please tell me where they're holding the baseball game?"
"It's in Saitama Highschool." the student replied.
"Okay, thanks!"
Jin dashed out of the train once it opened its door. He hailed a taxi and asked the driver to take him to Saitama High School. When he got there, he headed straight to the baseball field and there he saw Kame on the pitcher's mound. Kame looked serious as he threw the ball to the batter. Jin watched as Kame easily striked out player after player of the opposite team. When it was Tokyo Gakuen's turn to bat, they easily got to first and second base. It was now Kame's turn and as the other team's pitcher threw the ball, Kame swung with all his might. His bat came in contact with the ball and before Kame could react to what happened, the crowd began to cheer and his team mates lifted him up in the air. He just hit a home run and won the game for their team.
Jin was stunned. He knows Kame is a pitcher but he though he was just a reserved player. Even though he doesn't really play baseball, he's watched enough games to say that Kame is a great player. Watching just that match, he felt proud. Kame looked simple and never really shared details about his close-to-perfect life.
Kame sat on the bleachers and was getting ready to pack his bag when his other team mates waved good bye at him and thanked him for all the hard work during the game. He started packing his things but stopped when someone stood in front of him. He looked up to see who it is and found Jin beaming at him.
"What are you doing here?" Kame asked.
"Otsukare!" Jin greeted.
"Thanks."
"You were amazing! I never knew you were that great in baseball!" Jin said.
"I still have a lot to learn. It's just luck."
"Oh come on, it takes hard work and talent to play like that."
"Tsk."
Kame zipped his bag, stood up and started to walk away.
"Hey!" Jin grabbed Kame's arm to stop him.
"What?"
"Why are you acting so cold? Did I do something?"
"No. It's just that--why are you here? How did you know I'm here?" Kame asked.
"I was wondering why you weren't on the train. I was worried. Then I heard those kids from Komagome that there's a baseball match here and they mentioned your name."
Kame sighed and put down his bag.
"Is there something wrong, Kame?" Jin asked.
"Jin,what are we?"
"What do you mean? We're friends, of course!"
"How can you say that we're friends? We just randomly met each other on the train."
"It's true that we just met randomly but sitting next to each other and talking everyday after that is what made us friends."
"But you're the only one who insists on sitting next to me and you're the only one talking most of the time."
"It might look like it's one sided but it's not. If you weren't comfortable with me, you could've told me to sit somewhere else. You wouldn't listen to every single word I say if you weren't interested."
"You don't know anything about me."
"Yes I do."
"What do you know about me, then?"
"That you're from Saitama and you're attending Tokyo Gakuen. You're part of the baseball team and you're number one in your batch."
"That's it?"
"Is there anything else I need to know? As you've said, you hardly talk about yourself."
"It's just that--"
"Look, I'm really happy when I met you because finally, I have someone I can talk to who will listen to me and not judge me. I learned to take note of what happened to me the entire day no matter how small of an event it is because I know that I'll have someone to share it to. It's the first time I encountered a real person. A person with no pretentions and accepts me for who I am and not for who my parents are."
"You don't understand. There's something that you should know about me."
"Go ahead. It's my turn to listen." Jin said.
Kame just stood there hesitating.
"Come on, Kame. Try me. Just say whatever it is that you need to say."
Kame took a deep breath.
"I'm gay."
"Excuse me?"
"I said I'm gay." Kame repeated.
"What?"
"I'm gay. I like guys and--"
"And what?"
"and I think I like you. No--"
"No?"
"No, I mean, I like you. I like you a lot but it's wrong. It's not suppose to be this way. This is not suppose to happen. I told my self I won't fall in love with a guy even if I know I'm gay. I was doing fine until--until you came. You sat beside me and trusted me with your life and I couldn't help it. I can't stop my self from listening to your stories because I get to know you better and the more I know about you the harder I fell for you."
Jin stood in silence.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry it has to be like this." Kame said.
Kame grabbed his bag and left Jin alone. He didn't bother looking back as he ran away from the field.
They had a week long break from school so Kame and Jin never really saw each other after what happened at the baseball field. When school for the third semester started, Kame dreaded the trip home. When the train stopped in Iidabashi station, he glued his eyes on the passengers getting in the train. The train operator already announced that the doors are closing and Jin was still nowhere in sight. Kame's heart skipped. Half of him didn't want to see Jin but the other half anticipated to catch a glimpse of him.
This went on and Kame still sat on the same spot and took the same train schedule but Jin never showed up. Kame was getting more and more frustrated and as the days go by, he realizes how badly he wants to see Jin and talk to him. He wants to apologize and ask him forget what he said before. All he wants is for Jin to be by his side even just as a friend.
By the end of the week, Kame finally decided to look for Jin and talk to him. He skipped class and baseball practice to go to Horikoshi. He stayed outside the gate and waited. When the bell rang and students began to come out, he stood by the side walk to easily find Jin. He saw dozens of famous people going out of the school but he never saw Jin. When only a few people were left waiting, he approached one of them.
"Excuse me, do you know Akanishi Jin?" Kame asked.
"Ah, yes."
"Have you seen him?"
"I'm sorry but Akanishi-kun hasn't been in school since the start of the semester." the student replied.
Kame felt crushed. All he really wanted was to see Jin but now it was impossible. He took a last look at Horikoshi before making his way to the train station.
Passengers come and go at the Iidabashi station. Kame stood at the platform waiting for the train to arrive. He felt like everything around him was moving fast and he's the only one in slow motion. The only thing running through his mind is the image of Jin.
Announcement that the train is approaching was heard. People began to gather on the platform and when the train stopped, everyone made way for the alighting passengers.
Kame sighed. He was keeping his head low to avoid contact with other people but one of the passengers getting off the train bumped into him and he fell. The passenger was in such a hurry that he didn't even bother to apologize and help Kame stand up.
Kame sat on the platform as he started to recollect himself. He was dusting his bag when someone offered his hand to help him stand. Kame took it and the other guy pulled him up.
"Ah, Than--"
Kame's heart skipped as he saw who the other man was.
"Jin..."
People began to enter the train. Final boarding announcements were made but Jin and Kame ignored it. They were left at the staion with some other passengers.
"What are you doing here?" Jin asked.
"I was looking for you. I was wondering why you haven't been taking the train since the stat of the semester." Kame said.
Jin just stared at Kame.
"I'm sorry. About what happened at the baseball field. It's just that-- can we just pretend it never happened? Can we go back to being normal friends?"
"Why?"
"Because--"
"Why do you want me to pretend that something great never happened?"
"Excuse me?"
"I won't. I'll treasure that moment for the rest of my life.
"What?"
"Meeting you, hearing what you had to say that day, it made me realize what I really wanted. What I need to do to be completely happy. I want to see you everyday. I want to be with you."
"But, I thought you didn't want anything to do with me because of who I am. I didn't see you for quite a long time."
"No, I like you for who you are and I admire you for telling me the truth. I was away for the past few weeks because I withrew from Horikoshi and fixed my transfer papers."
"Transfer?"
Kame was stunned. He looked at Jin and realized he wasn't wearing his Horikoshi uniform. Instead, Jin was wearing a black gakuran similar to his.
"You mean?"
"I'm now a Tokyo Gakuen student and a forward of the varsity soccer team." Jin said.
Kame could not believe it. He and Jin will be in the same school.
"From now on, we'll be sitting right next to each other from Meguro Station." Jin said. He took off his scarf and smiled.
Kame smiled back.
Jin pulled Kame towards him and he started to wrap the scarf around their necks and as he did, he kissed Kame on his forehead.
"Jin, I--"
"Shhh."
Jin cupped his face and without any warning, kissed Kame full on the lips. Jin didn't care that dozens of passengers stared and walked around them as the train stopped to pick up some passengers. To him, showing Kame how he felt was the only thing that mattered.
When their kiss ended, Jin locked Kame in a tight embrace.
"You made us miss the train for the second time." Kame said, his chin resting on Jin's shoulder.
"We can always catch the next one."
Jin took Kame's hand and intertwined their fingers as they wait for the next train to come.
Author: twentyeytako
Pairing(s): AKAME
Rating:PG13
Genre: Romance
Beta by: me. *yep.*
Disclaimer: i still think i'm one of Johnny's lost nieces or granddaughters and i will inherit the company when he retires. until that happens, i don't own any of them.
Summary: Jin and Kame got to know each other by sitting next to each other on the subway. (I really suck in writing summaries)
Author's Note: a fic request from yukitsubute for the help_pilipinas fund raising event. Sorry it took me quite a while to finish this.
Jin ran. He just got out of the Iidabashi station of the Tozai line and is now tranferring to the Namboku line.
This is Jin's everyday life. He gets out of school at 4:30pm and rides the Tozai line at Nakano Station to reach Iidabashi in time for the Namboku line's departure at 5pm. He switches betweent the two subway lines to reach Saitama where he lives.
Akanishi Jin is a senior from Horikoshi High School. Unlike the other students in his school who are famous, Jin considers himself a normal guy. Horikoshi is a private high school in Nakano, Tokyo and is known for being attended by many celebrities. Although good looking and model like, he isn't part of show business. He is often offered contacts by different talent agencies but he always refuses as he hates being the center of attention. He leaves all the limelight to his parents. The reason why he was able to enter the school is because of his family's status. His father is a business magnate and his mother is a known Ikebana instructor. When his parents told him that he will enter Horikoshi, he argued with them but in the end, he agreed when his parents complied to his conditions. He requested to live a normal highschool life. He told his parents he wanted to move out of their mansion and be independent. His father agreed but insisted on hiring a driver to take him to school. Jin refused and said he wanted to learn how to use the public transportation. His parents knew they can never change their son's mind so they just gave up.
Jin stood on the platform waiting for the train to Saitama. He is wearing his school uniform which made other passengers on the station stare at him. Unlike other high schools who wears a black gakuran, Horikoshi uses the blazer type of uniform that's why it is easily recognized. People in the station wonder how a student from Horikoshi ended up riding a train. Jin adjusted his scarf and tried to cover the lower half of his face. After a few moments, the train arrived and stopped to pick up some passengers. A door to one of the carts opened right in front of Jin. People began to disembark from the train and Jin patiently waited until he can enter.
The Namboku line isn't as packed as the Tozai line and add to that, a lot of passengers alight from the train in Iidabashi station. This is why there are a lot of vacant seats in this line's train. When the people dispersed, Jin stepped inside the train and that's when he saw him. A highschool student, just like himself, sitting beside the opposite door of the train.
Kame sighed. He held his book as he watched other passengers come and go. Everyday, he rides the Namboku line. It has become a habit to read and watch other people who rides the train with him. He gets a glimpse of other people's lives in the short time that they travel and admired most of them.
Kamenashi Kazuya is a junior from Tokyo Gakuen High School. He used to attend a high school in Saitama but transferred to Tokyo Gakuen when the high school granted him a scholarship because of his excellence in academics. Although a bit shy, Kame is known in the all boys school because of his intelligence and talent in baseball. When he started attending the high school in his sophomore year, teachers already noticed he was a bright student. The baseball coach saw him during PE class and immediately asked him to join the team. By the end of the school year, Kame was already announced as the top student of their batch and was appointed as the baseball team's pitcher. Even though he gets a lot of attention, Kame keeps his high school life simple. This is one reason why his school mates admired and respected him.
As part of the baseball team, he was required to attend training after his classes. They usually finish around 4pm but unlike his other teammates who heads straight home after practice, Kame always takes a quick shower and changes back to his gakuran. He then makes his way to the Meguro Station to ride the Namboku line.
Kame and Jin were used to their everyday routine that they didn't expect their lives will change when they meet each other.
Kame looked up when the doors opened during the train's stop in Iidabashi. Just like everybody else, he was wondering why a student from Horikoshi was taking the train. Jin stepped inside and surveyed the train. There were still a lot of vacant seats at the far end but he didn't want to sit beside old salary men. When he saw the empty seat beside Kame, he decided to take it.
"Do you mind?" Jin asked as he stood in front of Kame.
"Huh?"
"Do you mind if I sit here?" Jin clarified.
Kame just shook his head.
Jin took off the scarf he was wearing before sitting down then the train started to move again. He looked around the train but nothing special took his attention. He turned to the guy sitting next to him and saw him engrossed in a book. Jin leaned forward to see the cover. He was still reading the title when Kame closed the book and put it down to his lap.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Kame asked.
"Ah, no. Sorry, I was just wondering what you were reading." Jin replied.
"It's Ore Ore by Tomoyuki Hoshino-san."
"Ah, I see. I've heard about it. Is it good?"
"I'm not even halfway through the novel so it's still too early to give my judgement."
"Oh."
"Uhhmm, I'm wondering, what is a Horikoshi student like you doing in a public train?" Kame asked.
"Why? Is there a law that says students from my school can't ride?"
"It's not like that. I mean, why aren't you riding your own car? Why take the train and race with hundreds of passengers? It's obvious you're an elite."
"Hey, hey, we've only known each other for 10 minutes and you're already talking like you've known me for years."
"Am I not right? With you being rich and all? You're attending Horikoshi, that's already a give away. Plus, in a sea of people, you're one of those guys who stands out even without trying. Everybody's been staring at you not only because of your uniform, but also because of the aura you give." Kame said.
"I got used to that unwanted attention. It's not my first time to ride the train wearing this you know. I've been doing it for half a year now."
"Eh? Really?"
"Yeah. I always take the Tozai line and just change to Namboku in Iidabashi to get home."
"And home is?"
"Saitama."
"Really? I'm from Saitama and I've been riding this train line since the start of the academic year but I've never seen you."
"As you've said, there's hundreds of people riding the train so it's no wonder we never see each other."
"Ah, I guess you're right. Plus, I've always been riding this cart and been sitting in this same spot."
The next day, Jin remembered what Kame said and tried to see if he was telling the truth about sitting on the same spot. Jin waited for the train doors to open and then he saw Kame sitting exactly where he was yesterday. Jin stepped inside the train and went over to Kame
"So you were telling the truth." Jin said as he sat beside Kame.
"Truth about what?"
"You sitting here."
"Huh? Why would I lie about that?"
"Never mind never mind."
"Uhh, why are you here?"
"I'm going home of course."
"No, what I mean is, why are you sitting here again?"
"Well, we had a good conversation yesterday and I think we should continue that. Seeing that you're not really doing anything, I guess it's okay to just talk again, right?"
Kame raised an eyebrow at Jin.
"Anyway, I believe I haven't introduced myself. My name's Akanishi Jin and I'm a senior at Horikoshi." Jin said as he extended his hand to Kame but the younger man just ignored him.
"Hey, you know, it's rude to just ignore someone who's introducing themself. Didn't they teach that at Hibiya?" Jin said.
"Hibiya?"
"Yes. Hibiya High School. You're from that school right?"
"No. I'm from Tokyo Gakuen." Kame replied.
"Eh? Really? Wow!"
"Pffft."
"That's amazing. You must be really smart. So, are you gonna tell me your name now?"
"Kamenashi. Kamenashi Kazuya." Kame said.
Jin smiled. Since he saw Kame yesterday, he felt at ease with him.
"Kamenashi. Okay then, can I call you Kame? You can call me Jin."
Kame didn't answer. Instead, he took his bag and opened it to get his book. That's when Jin saw Kame's baseball glove.
"Ah! You play baseball?" Jin asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah."
"Ooooh. You're part of your school's team?"
Kame nodded.
"What position?"
"Pitcher."
"That's good! I heard Tokyo Gakuen's sports teams are really amazing. Expecially their baseball and soccer teams.
"We're not that great, you know."
"I bet you're 100x better than Horikoshi's."
"How can you say that about your school?"
"Because, I hate it. I hate that I have to be there, I hate all the kids who go there and I hate the society's image about the people attending that school. Plus, I know how weak their sports clubs are, I'm part of the soccer team and we've never had a single practice." Jin said.
"Then what's the point of having clubs?"
"Exactly."
"If you hate Horikoshi, why are you still attending that school?" Kame asked.
"Because that's what my parents want. In exchange, I asked them to allow me to live on my own."
Jin explained his life to Kame and how he ended up in Horikoshi. Although Kame was having doubts about Jin, he can't help but listen to him as he shares his life and as their conversation lenghtened, the more Kame felt comfortable with Jin.
When the train stopped in Saitama, Jin and Kame got out. They continued talking as they walked out of the station and headed home.
Ever since, the two of them sat next to each other on the train ride to Saitama every single day. Most of the time , Jin talks about what happened to him that day or if Kame's too tired from practice, they just sit silently and enjoy each other's company. There was a time that Kame fell asleep while Jin was sharing a story. Jin just noticed nobody's been listening to him when Kame's head fell on his shoulders. Jin just sighed and smiled as he let the younger man use him as a pillow. When they reached Saitama, Kame was surprised that he was resting his head on Jin's shoulder. He sat up and saw the older man also fell asleep. He woke him up and told him they need to get out of the train.
In one of their train rides home, Jin told Kame how he truly felt about Horikoshi and his parents.
"I'm not happy there." Jin said.
"Then why don't you talk to your parents and tell them how you feel?"
"My parents never listen. They want everything to go their way."
"Have you tried? I believe that parents only wants the best for their kids but sometimes, they over analyze things. They over look the fact that their kids are not them. All you have to do is talk to them properly. Tell them how you truly feel and they'll listen to you. Trsut me." Kame said.
On the last day of the second semester, Jin excitedly stepped inside the train to talk to Kame but when the doors opened, the younger man wasn't there. He looked around the train cart but Kame was nowhere in sight. He sat down and felt worried. Kame didn't look like he was sick yesterday. Dozens of things ran through his head and he started to panic. That's when students from Komagome High School got in the train and he overheard them talking.
"Ahh, what's the point of going to that match if we're loosing?" One guy said.
"We're not going to see Komagome. We're there to see how great Takyo Gakuen's pitcher is! I heard he's now considered the best in the region!"
"And you know what? My cousin says he's also the best student in Tokyo Gakuen!"
"Uwaaaa! That's really amazing!"
"I know! That Kamenashi Kazuya is really something!"
Jin's face lit up when he heard Kame's name.
"Excuse me, did you just say Kamenashi Kazuya?" Jin asked.
"Yes. You know him?"
"He's my friend. Can you please tell me where they're holding the baseball game?"
"It's in Saitama Highschool." the student replied.
"Okay, thanks!"
Jin dashed out of the train once it opened its door. He hailed a taxi and asked the driver to take him to Saitama High School. When he got there, he headed straight to the baseball field and there he saw Kame on the pitcher's mound. Kame looked serious as he threw the ball to the batter. Jin watched as Kame easily striked out player after player of the opposite team. When it was Tokyo Gakuen's turn to bat, they easily got to first and second base. It was now Kame's turn and as the other team's pitcher threw the ball, Kame swung with all his might. His bat came in contact with the ball and before Kame could react to what happened, the crowd began to cheer and his team mates lifted him up in the air. He just hit a home run and won the game for their team.
Jin was stunned. He knows Kame is a pitcher but he though he was just a reserved player. Even though he doesn't really play baseball, he's watched enough games to say that Kame is a great player. Watching just that match, he felt proud. Kame looked simple and never really shared details about his close-to-perfect life.
Kame sat on the bleachers and was getting ready to pack his bag when his other team mates waved good bye at him and thanked him for all the hard work during the game. He started packing his things but stopped when someone stood in front of him. He looked up to see who it is and found Jin beaming at him.
"What are you doing here?" Kame asked.
"Otsukare!" Jin greeted.
"Thanks."
"You were amazing! I never knew you were that great in baseball!" Jin said.
"I still have a lot to learn. It's just luck."
"Oh come on, it takes hard work and talent to play like that."
"Tsk."
Kame zipped his bag, stood up and started to walk away.
"Hey!" Jin grabbed Kame's arm to stop him.
"What?"
"Why are you acting so cold? Did I do something?"
"No. It's just that--why are you here? How did you know I'm here?" Kame asked.
"I was wondering why you weren't on the train. I was worried. Then I heard those kids from Komagome that there's a baseball match here and they mentioned your name."
Kame sighed and put down his bag.
"Is there something wrong, Kame?" Jin asked.
"Jin,what are we?"
"What do you mean? We're friends, of course!"
"How can you say that we're friends? We just randomly met each other on the train."
"It's true that we just met randomly but sitting next to each other and talking everyday after that is what made us friends."
"But you're the only one who insists on sitting next to me and you're the only one talking most of the time."
"It might look like it's one sided but it's not. If you weren't comfortable with me, you could've told me to sit somewhere else. You wouldn't listen to every single word I say if you weren't interested."
"You don't know anything about me."
"Yes I do."
"What do you know about me, then?"
"That you're from Saitama and you're attending Tokyo Gakuen. You're part of the baseball team and you're number one in your batch."
"That's it?"
"Is there anything else I need to know? As you've said, you hardly talk about yourself."
"It's just that--"
"Look, I'm really happy when I met you because finally, I have someone I can talk to who will listen to me and not judge me. I learned to take note of what happened to me the entire day no matter how small of an event it is because I know that I'll have someone to share it to. It's the first time I encountered a real person. A person with no pretentions and accepts me for who I am and not for who my parents are."
"You don't understand. There's something that you should know about me."
"Go ahead. It's my turn to listen." Jin said.
Kame just stood there hesitating.
"Come on, Kame. Try me. Just say whatever it is that you need to say."
Kame took a deep breath.
"I'm gay."
"Excuse me?"
"I said I'm gay." Kame repeated.
"What?"
"I'm gay. I like guys and--"
"And what?"
"and I think I like you. No--"
"No?"
"No, I mean, I like you. I like you a lot but it's wrong. It's not suppose to be this way. This is not suppose to happen. I told my self I won't fall in love with a guy even if I know I'm gay. I was doing fine until--until you came. You sat beside me and trusted me with your life and I couldn't help it. I can't stop my self from listening to your stories because I get to know you better and the more I know about you the harder I fell for you."
Jin stood in silence.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry it has to be like this." Kame said.
Kame grabbed his bag and left Jin alone. He didn't bother looking back as he ran away from the field.
They had a week long break from school so Kame and Jin never really saw each other after what happened at the baseball field. When school for the third semester started, Kame dreaded the trip home. When the train stopped in Iidabashi station, he glued his eyes on the passengers getting in the train. The train operator already announced that the doors are closing and Jin was still nowhere in sight. Kame's heart skipped. Half of him didn't want to see Jin but the other half anticipated to catch a glimpse of him.
This went on and Kame still sat on the same spot and took the same train schedule but Jin never showed up. Kame was getting more and more frustrated and as the days go by, he realizes how badly he wants to see Jin and talk to him. He wants to apologize and ask him forget what he said before. All he wants is for Jin to be by his side even just as a friend.
By the end of the week, Kame finally decided to look for Jin and talk to him. He skipped class and baseball practice to go to Horikoshi. He stayed outside the gate and waited. When the bell rang and students began to come out, he stood by the side walk to easily find Jin. He saw dozens of famous people going out of the school but he never saw Jin. When only a few people were left waiting, he approached one of them.
"Excuse me, do you know Akanishi Jin?" Kame asked.
"Ah, yes."
"Have you seen him?"
"I'm sorry but Akanishi-kun hasn't been in school since the start of the semester." the student replied.
Kame felt crushed. All he really wanted was to see Jin but now it was impossible. He took a last look at Horikoshi before making his way to the train station.
Passengers come and go at the Iidabashi station. Kame stood at the platform waiting for the train to arrive. He felt like everything around him was moving fast and he's the only one in slow motion. The only thing running through his mind is the image of Jin.
Announcement that the train is approaching was heard. People began to gather on the platform and when the train stopped, everyone made way for the alighting passengers.
Kame sighed. He was keeping his head low to avoid contact with other people but one of the passengers getting off the train bumped into him and he fell. The passenger was in such a hurry that he didn't even bother to apologize and help Kame stand up.
Kame sat on the platform as he started to recollect himself. He was dusting his bag when someone offered his hand to help him stand. Kame took it and the other guy pulled him up.
"Ah, Than--"
Kame's heart skipped as he saw who the other man was.
"Jin..."
People began to enter the train. Final boarding announcements were made but Jin and Kame ignored it. They were left at the staion with some other passengers.
"What are you doing here?" Jin asked.
"I was looking for you. I was wondering why you haven't been taking the train since the stat of the semester." Kame said.
Jin just stared at Kame.
"I'm sorry. About what happened at the baseball field. It's just that-- can we just pretend it never happened? Can we go back to being normal friends?"
"Why?"
"Because--"
"Why do you want me to pretend that something great never happened?"
"Excuse me?"
"I won't. I'll treasure that moment for the rest of my life.
"What?"
"Meeting you, hearing what you had to say that day, it made me realize what I really wanted. What I need to do to be completely happy. I want to see you everyday. I want to be with you."
"But, I thought you didn't want anything to do with me because of who I am. I didn't see you for quite a long time."
"No, I like you for who you are and I admire you for telling me the truth. I was away for the past few weeks because I withrew from Horikoshi and fixed my transfer papers."
"Transfer?"
Kame was stunned. He looked at Jin and realized he wasn't wearing his Horikoshi uniform. Instead, Jin was wearing a black gakuran similar to his.
"You mean?"
"I'm now a Tokyo Gakuen student and a forward of the varsity soccer team." Jin said.
Kame could not believe it. He and Jin will be in the same school.
"From now on, we'll be sitting right next to each other from Meguro Station." Jin said. He took off his scarf and smiled.
Kame smiled back.
Jin pulled Kame towards him and he started to wrap the scarf around their necks and as he did, he kissed Kame on his forehead.
"Jin, I--"
"Shhh."
Jin cupped his face and without any warning, kissed Kame full on the lips. Jin didn't care that dozens of passengers stared and walked around them as the train stopped to pick up some passengers. To him, showing Kame how he felt was the only thing that mattered.
When their kiss ended, Jin locked Kame in a tight embrace.
"You made us miss the train for the second time." Kame said, his chin resting on Jin's shoulder.
"We can always catch the next one."
Jin took Kame's hand and intertwined their fingers as they wait for the next train to come.