[Arashi Fanfic] Love, Courage and Cherry Pie: Chapter 2
Remember you are in no way obliged or required to read this. For your entertainment only.
"Ne, Tomo-kun, where do you see yourself ten years from now?"
"Hm?"
"I used to think about this all the time, when I was a kid. I was so sure of what I wanted back then, even though my dreams would change from day to day." A pause. "Yet now, I don't know what to say when people ask me that. I just don't know anymore."
Tomohisa kept his eyes on the road straight ahead.
"Every time I think about it, I just can't see myself doing any of the things I come up with. On top of that, life keeps on throwing surprises my way. First this exchange, then meeting you, now Arashi-not that I'm complaining, of course-but I really don't know what to expect anymore. It's just so surreal. In the best way possible. But it's like I've got no control over my life anymore, because I don't know what I want to do, and the less sure I am, the more control I lose. It's a vicious cycle which won't break."
She stopped, drowned in her own thoughts. The car pulled up to the kerb, Tomohisa shifted the gearstick to P and pulled the handbrakes.
"I'm sorry for rambling. Thank you, I had a fabulous time."
She leaned over and hugged him, as a gesture of thanks, to Tomohisa's surprise. The contact was brief, but Tomohisa felt his heart pound hard from the hug. Tomohisa was glad that it was a dark night: he was sure that his face flushed a bright red. The look of pleasant shock was still on Tomohisa's face when Yuuki got off the car and bade him goodnight.
Nino's right, he thought. She is special.
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Life returned to normal after that unbelievable weekend for Yuuki. Or as close to normal as possible. Over the span of a weekend, suspicion that her lunch buddy is one of the most popular and well-known celebrities in Japan was confirmed, and the two of them attended her favourite band's concert in one of the biggest venues in Japan. On top of that, she was taken backstage and met the members personally, then somehow got invited to the post-concert yakiniku, and ended up with some of their phone numbers and mail addresses. Yet, somehow, she overcame all that excitement and returned to being a normal uni student, ready for another day of classes… and lunch with Tomo-kun.
Yuuki had a neighbour who had worked on a successful TV series many years ago, and was not unknown within the acting circle. This particular neighbour and his wife took her out for dinner one night, the first time she had to stay at home alone. She ended up feeling like some zoo animal that evening-it was as though everyone in the restaurant stole glimpses of the actor-neighbour, then stared at her, for various reasons. Lunch with Tomo-kun never felt quite like that- at least the students didn't stare as much or as blatantly- but Yuuki did feel that some were casting more than just curious glances their way. She was also sure that some knew that Tomo-kun was the famous Yamapi, if not all of them. The fact that she knew, despite being technically a gaijin, the strict policy Johnny imposes on his artists, added to her dilemma. She couldn't think of not having lunch with Tomo-kun, but was afraid that it might cause him trouble, and attract unnecessary attention to both of them. The inner battle persisted through all her morning classes that Monday after, resulting in a couple of missed questions and some very poor notes. In the end, Yuuki decided that her head was too troublesome, and decided to follow her instincts when it came to all matters relating to her new friends, Tomo-kun and Arashi. And so she continued to sit at that usual spot every lunchtime, her bento box by her side and a novel in hand as she waited for her lunch buddy.
♪purupuru shimpuru~
Ohno's au ringtone interrupted the tranquility. Yuuki flicked open her phone and smiled.
I'll be doing some filming at the Cuddly Dominion Saturday morning, and will have the rest of the day off. Could you come and keep me company? I could introduce you to Pan-kun and James.
Aiba Masaki
Yuuki wasn't surprised by Aiba's mail message. It was a couple of weeks after they had first met, the two had become mail buddies since then, exchanging messages regularly. Even though they had only known each other for a short while, Yuuki felt a connection with him. While she felt comfortable with Tomo-kun, she was at ease with Aiba. It was as though they could understand each other without exchanging words. Checking her schedule for Saturday, she typed a quick reply.
If you put it that way…I guess I don’t have much of a choice, ne. =P Thanks.
See you Saturday!
Yuuki
The sound of her mobile being closed was joined by a small clatter, as Yamapi set down his lunch tray. She had a small excited grin on her face as he greeted her.
“Curry rice again?” she asked, and wrinkled her nose.
“Set A again?” he retaliated.
Yuuki stuck out her tongue playfully.
"Well? How was your weekend? Did you do anything interesting?" Tomo-kun asked, with a cheeky grin on his face. Yuuki decided to play along.
"I had the most amazing weekend ever. I went to a concert, was taken backstage, then went to yakiniku with the group and the staff. It was great. I wish you were there. Come to think of it, I think you were. Oh wait, that was a couple of weeks ago, wasn't it?"
He chuckled.
"Thank you. It was more than I ever expected." Yuuki said, "I've told you that, right?"
"Yes, you have, and you're welcome." he replied. "So, are you free this weekend?"
"It's only Monday, and you're planning for the weekend already? There's no need to think ahead so much!" Yuuki exclaimed.
"Well, I have this weekend off, and remembered you haven't really had a chance to explore yet. I could show you around, and do a bit of sightseeing."
"Really? Cool! How about Sunday?"
"Shouldn't be a problem. Whatcha doing Saturday?" Tomo-kun asked, offhandedly, and shoveled a spoonful of curry rice into his mouth.
"Oh, I'm going to the Cuddly Dominion. Someone offered to introduce me to Pan-kun." Yuuki replied with a smile. She proceeded to play with the food in front of her, and missed the flash of surprise and jealousy on Tomo-kun's face.
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The week passed quickly. Though the lunch routine was not broken, Yuuki sensed that Tomo-kun had become a little quiet and distant. Their conversations at lunch was dominated by Yuuki, bouncing ideas as to what they'll do on Sunday, where they'll go and so on. Tomohisa just smiled, and told her to leave everything to him. Especially the meals. Knowing you, he said coolly, you'll end up making so much food we won't even get a chance to try the local specialties. But there was something in his demeanour when Tomo-kun said that. Sure, there's no doubt that Tomo-kun looked excited about the trip, but Yuuki also saw that there were moments when he became a little distant during their conversations, engrossed in his own thoughts. It felt as though Tomo-kun was pushing her away a little, as if to punish her for a misdeed against him. Friday came, and the pair made arrangements to meet for Sunday's road trip. Though Yuuki was sure something was up, she hadn't the courage to ask him directly. So she pondered, in her little mind, the possible reasons for his sudden change for the rest of the day.
Saturday morning, Yuuki was up early, making bentos in her pyjamas. On seeing the time, she hurriedly made sure that everything was packed nicely, then changed into more suitable clothes for a zoo outing-a long, loose t-shirt and three-quarter length jeans, with a pair of converse sneakers. Her hair was short, and clipped behind her ears, her face fresh and makeup free. Apart from a watch and a simple silver ring, she was basically accessories free. Checking her reflection one last time in front of her mirror, she grabbed the bags and left her small apartment.
It was a crisp autumn day, with a hint of summer lingering in the skies. The sun was bright, casting a blanket of warmth all around. It was about 11 in the morning, with the temperature going up as time passed, cooled momentarily by wispy breezes. She was just walking up to the main gates when her mobile rang.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Yuuki-chan? Aiba desu. Ima doko?"
"I'm just the gates." Yuuki replied in Japanese. "Are you done for the day?"
"Yup, I'm all done.." he replied. "I'll come round to the front gate now, should be there quite soon."
"Hai, mattemasu. Ja ne."
As the gates came into full view, with the ticket windows and pamphlet stands, Yuuki saw a young man with perfectly proportioned body and lean legs, clad in overalls, running towards the entrance inside the gates. He stopped and looked around, and on seeing her, his face broke into a welcoming smile and made his way towards her.
"Yuuki-chan! Konnichiwa!"
"Konnichiwa! How are you, Aiba-chan?" Yuuki asked. "I hope you don’t mind me calling you that."
"Ii yo ii yo." His face broke into a grin. "Saa, ikou ka? The staff have gone to put away their stuff, but Pan-kun's still out and about. We should be able to catch him just before lunch."
"What are we waiting for then? Let's go!"
"Jaa, Pan-kun no Mori e…"
"Ikou!"
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Pan-kun, the most loved chimpanzee in Japan, was absolutely adorable. Unlike actors, he didn't have on-screen and off-screen sides-what was seen on TV was exactly what Yuuki got that day. As Yuuki and Aiba approached the treehouse, Pan-kun ran towards Aiba-chan. The pair, both clad in overalls, hugged tightly as though they were old friends who had not seen each other for years, even though Aiba-chan had only stepped away for a little while. It was a most amusing and touching sight. Pan-kun was inquisitive and curious about the newcomer at first, performing various ritualistic moves, but welcomed Yuuki with a hug and a kiss after a few moments, satisfied that she was not an 'enemy'. Pan-kun was so friendly, and unable to contain his excitement, he literally dragged the two back to his treehouse, opened his fridge, and drank all the bottles of juice inside. James, Pan-kun's famous partner, was out on a mission. So when Miyazaki-san took Pan-kun away for lunch, Aiba showed Yuuki around the zoo, TSD style-all behind the scenes and very hands on. It was probably the most interesting experience Yuuki ever had involving animals. She just couldn't believe it could be a job. An actual, real job. In a way, Yuuki was quite jealous of Aiba. But the boy was much too sweet for anyone to think ill of him- after all, he was, quite literally, the cutest of them all.
After a few hours of feeding and petting animals, and talking to the keepers, Aiba and Yuuki found a nice spot in the woods for lunch. Aiba had initially thought of buying lunch or something along those lines, and didn't expect Yuuki's bag to contain three bento boxes and a thermos. Much to his surprise, she had made karaage and spring rolls, along with a light salad and onigiri. The thermos held not hot chocolate, but the iced version. Aiba was like a kid who was offered to try everything inside the candy store, and ate to his heart's content-just as well, because Yuuki swore to only carry the empty boxes back. And by the end of it, she was sure everyone at the zoo heard Aiba's "Umai!" and "Oishii"-the greatest compliments to any cook.
"Ne, Yuuki-chan," Aiba spoke as they drank the iced chocolate, "Why did you become a fan of Arashi?"
"Well, do you want the short version or the long one?"
"Eto…short one first."
"Okay. It was because of you."
"Eh?" Aiba turned to face Yuuki, surprised.
"It was right after I had watched Hanadan. My friend, who introduced me to the series, told me that the actor who played Domyouji was in this group, and the group sang the theme song. Back then, I had no knowledge of how the Japanese entertainment industry, and so she started showing me various clips of you guys on a variety of shows. One of them happened to be a Mago Mago Arashi episode, the Kodomo no Bangohan with a certain Hina-chan. Technically I was Jun-baited, but it was really your interaction with Hina-chan which really sealed the deal. I think it was the way you said 'banana'." She turned her head and looked at Aiba. "And I can't believe that I just had lunch with Aiba Masaki. The same Aiba who turned me into an Arashi fan."
"Heh… sounanoka…" Aiba gave a little chuckle. "Matsujun would probably throw a hime fit if he knew about this. He's pretty proud of his status as 'Jun bait', you know."
Yuuki gave a soft laugh. "Well, I guess Tomo-chan's not too impressed by the fact that I'm an Arashi fan, not a NewS one."
Aiba laughed. "Aah, Pi-chan kawaisou…ne?"
Yuuki giggled. "Yeah, poor Tomo-kun. I guess I should pay him a little more attention."
"You know," Aiba started, a grin still on his face, "You remind me of someone, Yuuki-chan."
"Eh? Really?"
"Yeah. She's my friend's fiancée. Her name's Hikari. She's fun, bubbly, a little wild at times… but so nice and considerate, not to mention absolutely adorable. Hikari's like… like a little sister to me." He stopped. Yuuki could see Aiba's longing for this girl in his eyes, but trying to convince himself that there was truth to his words. Particularly to the last statement.
"She must be really special." Yuuki said softly, choosing her words carefully.
"Yeah, she is." Aiba's clear eyes were distant, as though he was recalling some sort of pleasant yet painful memory.
Yuuki felt a little pang in her heart. It was a soft, dull, and almost non-existent feeling, but it was there.
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"Arigatou, Aiba-chan!" Yuuki said, as she exited Aiba's car in front of the train station. She insisted on catching the train back, just as she had made her way to the zoo. Being driven by Tomo-kun after the last train departed was one thing, being dropped off in front of her apartment block in broad daylight was another. "I had a great time today." She beamed.
"You're welcome! Just let me know whenever you want to head to a zoo." He smiled. "Anytime."
"Thank you. Take care!"
"You too! Bai-bai!"
"See ya!"
As she sat in the train, Yuuki kept thinking about what Aiba said earlier. That she reminded him of someone. That the someone was his friend's fiancée. And the look on his face while he thought about her. Innocent and inexperienced in love as she may be, it wasn't hard for anyone to tell that Aiba obviously in love with the girl, but didn't want to hurt anyone and kept the feeling to himself.
He must be in so much pain, Yuuki thought. Poor Aiba.