Yume de Ii Kara (Because it's Good to Dream) [a Sakurai Sho love story] Chapter 8
Singer, dancer, actor, newscaster, model. Idol, to put it simply. But behind Sakurai Sho’s public image is a sincere, dorky, passionate man. Few people get to see a real glimpse of the person behind the lights, except for what he chooses to display.
Friends, sure, but love? That’s impossible, according to the intelligent, beautiful and humble Kaori, a medical school student who doesn’t realize how much she can accomplish. But maybe, just maybe, she’s exactly what Sakurai Sho needs.
All previous chapters in the master post!
-------------------------------------------
One August evening, Sakurai Sho was on a blind date with Ogiwara Miyu at the exclusive Italian restaurant, La Cucina. Sho’s mother had insisted that he would like her. Miyu was age 27, a Psychology major at Tohoku University, and now working for the government. Pretty and articulate, she seemed like a good catch overall, so Sho endeavored to have a good evening getting to know her. They perused the menu of complicated dishes. Why had his mother chosen such a high class restaurant for a first meeting?
“Goodness, these are hard to pronounce.” Ogiwara-san laughed. “The bucatini… ama… triciana sounds good, right?”
“I think I’ll just go with the tomato penne.” Sho chuckled.
The date was going well, actually; their food was delicious, and they talked about their hobbies (she liked to swim), recent movies they had seen (she liked thrillers in particular), and their careers. Remarkably enough, Miyu was more interested in his journalism job than his entertainment world.
“Not that entertainment isn’t a fascinating career choice, but won’t journalism carry you farther in the long run? With family, health, trends… You can’t be holding concerts when you’re fifty years old, right?”
He appreciated her honesty, but he saw things differently. “Maybe it’s because my old age is still some time away - but the thing about entertainment is that you can always mold yourself towards a certain niche. Eventually, I’ll be appealing to obaa-sans.” he added jokingly.
“Maybe so.” the woman smiled, carefully sipping at her wine.
“What about your job, how does it progress?”
Ogiwara-san started explaining how she wanted to maybe get into politics, but then in his peripheral vision, Sho saw the seating hostess leading two people to their table not too far away; he did a double take. It was Kureha Kaori walking in with a young man around her age. Sho noted how the man pulled the chair out for her, and how prettier and prettier Kaori became each time he saw her. From the looks of their attire, they were on a date!
credit: ohmyghost
This gif makes me smile lol.
Kaori sat across from Natsume Saburo, an old childhood friend that she had not seen since high school; he was in the city for work, and had called her up out of the blue. It surprised her that he had picked such a luxurious restaurant for their meeting, since that had never been his style, but maybe they were just grown up now.
“Everything sounds delicious, ne?”
“Order whatever you’d like. I’m paying.” Saburo insisted.
“Eh, majide? Arigatou, ne…”
When he didn’t respond for a good moment, she glanced up and caught him staring. “Nani, Saburo-kun?” she asked amiably.
He stammered and looked down with a smile. “Sorry I - it’s just that - I can’t believe it’s been five whole years since we last saw each other!”
“Yes, you’re definitely different from before! In a good way, though. I especially like your haircut.”
“Really?” he asked hopefully.
“Nn, did you even use hair wax? I’m impressed.” she teased.
“Kaori-chan has always been a beauty, though, that hasn’t changed.”
She smiled bashfully. “No, no, no…”
Their dynamic felt very nostalgic but also comfortable. They laughed over memories of the old gang and their escapades, and explained every aspect of their new lives. In fact, they had both ended up following their childhood dreams, Kaori being in medicine of course and Saburo doing sports marketing. To see how much had been accomplished these past years, and the lack of distance between them despite that duration apart, greatly pleased Kaori.
Ogiwara-san couldn’t help but notice that the man across from her wasn’t quite giving his full attention; he would nod and ask little questions but now and then, he kept sending minute glances to a point over her shoulder. Sho was indeed (unconsciously) preoccupied, almost fidgety, wondering what the girl a few tables down was saying, what she was laughing about with that guy. They sure seemed to be having a good time--
“-Sakurai-san,” the woman in front of him said a bit loudly.
Sho blinked. “Hai.”
“I can’t help but feel like your mind is elsewhere.” she said, a little concerned.
“Eh? Iye, I just…“
Finally, Ogiwara-san turned around to see what - or rather who - he was staring at, and she immediately understood. Even without a psychology degree, it was evident where his heart was. Although Ogiwara-san’s heart sank a little (for she did find him very agreeable, with great potential) she took it with grace. No one could control their feelings, after all. And they had only just met.
“Do you know her? You should say hi.”
The man shook his head, frazzled that he had been found out. “No, she is - I just see her at work. We’re not well enough acquainted to - outside of…”
“I insist.”
Dinner was nearing its end when Kaori excused herself to go use the restroom, but with a few steps down the carpet the sight of Sakurai Sho made her stop in her tracks. She looked at him - then the woman he was with - then back, and realized the situation. Her stomach knotted, but she immediately forced herself to be cool and collected. She nodded as they made eye contact, hoping to hurry past, but to her surprise, he addressed her.
“Kureha-san, konbanwa! What a surprise.” he said a little oddly.
“… Yes, we just keep running into each other.” Kaori murmured wryly.
“This is Ogiwara Miyu-san.” he introduced without explanation.
“Hajimemashite.” Ogiwara-san smiled calmingly. “Would you like to join us? The more company the better.”
The other two turned to her in dismay. But with careful persuasion, Kaori and Saburo now sat at the table of the other “couple.” Saburo was happy to meet THE Sakurai Sho, but slowly and regrettably began to get a hint of the atmosphere between him and Kaori. And somehow, the presence of Kaori both unnerved and settled Sho at the same time - he had so much more to say, but struggled with keeping his distance.
The waiter came around with the dessert menu. Only Sho and Kaori were up for more, and they ended up sharing a tiramisu from the same small plate. Their love for good food sparked a culinary discussion between them.
Eventually, the meal ended, the men paid the checks, and the four headed out in the same direction to where they had parked. Rina and Saburo led in front.
“Hey, Mika-chan told me that you were dating someone!” Saburo suddenly brought up. Sho’s ears perked in interest.
“We actually broke up over a month ago.” Kaori said wryly. “I think I’ll give up on businessmen for awhile, no offense.” she added jokingly.
“Oi, we’re not all that bad!”
“Some might just be better at hiding it with their sales tactics.”
“Give me another chance to prove you wrong.” he said confidently. “How about tomorrow at breakfast?”
Keeping his indifferent demeanor, Sho grit his teeth to keep from saying, No, say no.
For a fleeting moment Kaori showed dismay but she played it off with a smile. “I’m - I’m actually busy all day tomorrow. I’m on call for Arashi’s Dome schedule.” she explained, acknowledging Sho.
Kaori subtly relieved the pressure from herself by turning the conversation to involve all of them. This tactfulness further made Sho smirk internally. “Sakurai-san, you must be doing some intense training if you all need me to be there!”
“You’d be surprised at all that can go wrong. If it’s not us, it’s the camera crew that gets injured. But other than that, we like to keep everyone happy and have work be like play.”
They reached Saburo’s car, and to their dismay, saw a conspicuous yellow metal jaw clamped to his car’s front wheel. It had been booted.
Saburo cried out in indignation, rushing forward. The three others were very sympathetic, and after a brief search around the sidewalk, found a small No Parking sign which had been hidden in the dark behind a bush. Saburo called the company in agitation, but reached the voice mail: they would not be available till 8am the next morning.
As Saburo continued to groan, Sho intervened. “I can drive you all home, no worries.”
Saburo’s hotel was the first along the way, and as Kaori and him stepped outside to say their goodbyes, Ogiwara-san quickly spoke up to Sho in the privacy of the car.
“She’s quite lovely,” Ogiwara-san murmured. “Kureha-san is.”
The man nodded mutely.
“She seemed fond of you.”
Tapping his fingers on the wheel, eyeing the dark profiles of Kaori and Saburo outside, “… Our relationship isn’t like that, Ogiwara-san. We’re hardly even co-workers.”
“Why do you like her?” she kept pushing.
Sho bit his lip. “What makes you think I like her?”
She gave him a hard stare. “There’s no use in denying it.”
The man stared out at the sparse roads for a long moment, not because he refused to answer, but because he had always been too hesitant to indulge in the irresponsible feeling. He had never articulated the reason even to himself.
Finally, he admitted uncomfortably, “Because Kaori is so herself in all that she does. She puts her heart into each aspect of her life. Everything about her is unexpected, like her random skills and hobbies… She’s beautiful of course, and smiles a lot…”
And, it was as if she was always trying to see him, not just what he chose to show on the outside. But he kept that to himself. Sho watched with prying eyes as Kaori and Saburo chatted and briefly hugged.
It turned out that Kaori was the last to be dropped off, as her apartment was the most out of the way. Tongue-tied, Sho and Kaori merely exchanged uncertain glances. As Sho was about to enter the highway, he glanced at the clock and pursed his lips. This was taking longer than expected.
“Kureha-san… Don’t take this the wrong way, but if I bring you all the way back home I’m definitely going to be late.”
“Late for what?”
“Zero.”
“Eh? Just drop me off at the bus station then! I don’t want to trouble you. Or I can get a taxi.”
“No, you shouldn’t go by yourself in this area at night.” He noted her appearance - she would definitely be a target. “How about I just drive straight to the studio right now? You can - ahno - just hang out in the break room, or watch the filming if you’d like.”
-----------------------------------------
I considered giving them both bad dates, either a ditzy girl or an awkward guy, but it didn’t seem too realistic. Most people are pretty decent, even if you aren’t attracted to them.
Next chapter will start off with a bit of News Zero, and Sho and Kaori will finally start to let down their guards.
Friends, sure, but love? That’s impossible, according to the intelligent, beautiful and humble Kaori, a medical school student who doesn’t realize how much she can accomplish. But maybe, just maybe, she’s exactly what Sakurai Sho needs.
All previous chapters in the master post!
-------------------------------------------
One August evening, Sakurai Sho was on a blind date with Ogiwara Miyu at the exclusive Italian restaurant, La Cucina. Sho’s mother had insisted that he would like her. Miyu was age 27, a Psychology major at Tohoku University, and now working for the government. Pretty and articulate, she seemed like a good catch overall, so Sho endeavored to have a good evening getting to know her. They perused the menu of complicated dishes. Why had his mother chosen such a high class restaurant for a first meeting?
“Goodness, these are hard to pronounce.” Ogiwara-san laughed. “The bucatini… ama… triciana sounds good, right?”
“I think I’ll just go with the tomato penne.” Sho chuckled.
The date was going well, actually; their food was delicious, and they talked about their hobbies (she liked to swim), recent movies they had seen (she liked thrillers in particular), and their careers. Remarkably enough, Miyu was more interested in his journalism job than his entertainment world.
“Not that entertainment isn’t a fascinating career choice, but won’t journalism carry you farther in the long run? With family, health, trends… You can’t be holding concerts when you’re fifty years old, right?”
He appreciated her honesty, but he saw things differently. “Maybe it’s because my old age is still some time away - but the thing about entertainment is that you can always mold yourself towards a certain niche. Eventually, I’ll be appealing to obaa-sans.” he added jokingly.
“Maybe so.” the woman smiled, carefully sipping at her wine.
“What about your job, how does it progress?”
Ogiwara-san started explaining how she wanted to maybe get into politics, but then in his peripheral vision, Sho saw the seating hostess leading two people to their table not too far away; he did a double take. It was Kureha Kaori walking in with a young man around her age. Sho noted how the man pulled the chair out for her, and how prettier and prettier Kaori became each time he saw her. From the looks of their attire, they were on a date!
credit: ohmyghost
This gif makes me smile lol.
Kaori sat across from Natsume Saburo, an old childhood friend that she had not seen since high school; he was in the city for work, and had called her up out of the blue. It surprised her that he had picked such a luxurious restaurant for their meeting, since that had never been his style, but maybe they were just grown up now.
“Everything sounds delicious, ne?”
“Order whatever you’d like. I’m paying.” Saburo insisted.
“Eh, majide? Arigatou, ne…”
When he didn’t respond for a good moment, she glanced up and caught him staring. “Nani, Saburo-kun?” she asked amiably.
He stammered and looked down with a smile. “Sorry I - it’s just that - I can’t believe it’s been five whole years since we last saw each other!”
“Yes, you’re definitely different from before! In a good way, though. I especially like your haircut.”
“Really?” he asked hopefully.
“Nn, did you even use hair wax? I’m impressed.” she teased.
“Kaori-chan has always been a beauty, though, that hasn’t changed.”
She smiled bashfully. “No, no, no…”
Their dynamic felt very nostalgic but also comfortable. They laughed over memories of the old gang and their escapades, and explained every aspect of their new lives. In fact, they had both ended up following their childhood dreams, Kaori being in medicine of course and Saburo doing sports marketing. To see how much had been accomplished these past years, and the lack of distance between them despite that duration apart, greatly pleased Kaori.
Ogiwara-san couldn’t help but notice that the man across from her wasn’t quite giving his full attention; he would nod and ask little questions but now and then, he kept sending minute glances to a point over her shoulder. Sho was indeed (unconsciously) preoccupied, almost fidgety, wondering what the girl a few tables down was saying, what she was laughing about with that guy. They sure seemed to be having a good time--
“-Sakurai-san,” the woman in front of him said a bit loudly.
Sho blinked. “Hai.”
“I can’t help but feel like your mind is elsewhere.” she said, a little concerned.
“Eh? Iye, I just…“
Finally, Ogiwara-san turned around to see what - or rather who - he was staring at, and she immediately understood. Even without a psychology degree, it was evident where his heart was. Although Ogiwara-san’s heart sank a little (for she did find him very agreeable, with great potential) she took it with grace. No one could control their feelings, after all. And they had only just met.
“Do you know her? You should say hi.”
The man shook his head, frazzled that he had been found out. “No, she is - I just see her at work. We’re not well enough acquainted to - outside of…”
“I insist.”
Dinner was nearing its end when Kaori excused herself to go use the restroom, but with a few steps down the carpet the sight of Sakurai Sho made her stop in her tracks. She looked at him - then the woman he was with - then back, and realized the situation. Her stomach knotted, but she immediately forced herself to be cool and collected. She nodded as they made eye contact, hoping to hurry past, but to her surprise, he addressed her.
“Kureha-san, konbanwa! What a surprise.” he said a little oddly.
“… Yes, we just keep running into each other.” Kaori murmured wryly.
“This is Ogiwara Miyu-san.” he introduced without explanation.
“Hajimemashite.” Ogiwara-san smiled calmingly. “Would you like to join us? The more company the better.”
The other two turned to her in dismay. But with careful persuasion, Kaori and Saburo now sat at the table of the other “couple.” Saburo was happy to meet THE Sakurai Sho, but slowly and regrettably began to get a hint of the atmosphere between him and Kaori. And somehow, the presence of Kaori both unnerved and settled Sho at the same time - he had so much more to say, but struggled with keeping his distance.
The waiter came around with the dessert menu. Only Sho and Kaori were up for more, and they ended up sharing a tiramisu from the same small plate. Their love for good food sparked a culinary discussion between them.
Eventually, the meal ended, the men paid the checks, and the four headed out in the same direction to where they had parked. Rina and Saburo led in front.
“Hey, Mika-chan told me that you were dating someone!” Saburo suddenly brought up. Sho’s ears perked in interest.
“We actually broke up over a month ago.” Kaori said wryly. “I think I’ll give up on businessmen for awhile, no offense.” she added jokingly.
“Oi, we’re not all that bad!”
“Some might just be better at hiding it with their sales tactics.”
“Give me another chance to prove you wrong.” he said confidently. “How about tomorrow at breakfast?”
Keeping his indifferent demeanor, Sho grit his teeth to keep from saying, No, say no.
For a fleeting moment Kaori showed dismay but she played it off with a smile. “I’m - I’m actually busy all day tomorrow. I’m on call for Arashi’s Dome schedule.” she explained, acknowledging Sho.
Kaori subtly relieved the pressure from herself by turning the conversation to involve all of them. This tactfulness further made Sho smirk internally. “Sakurai-san, you must be doing some intense training if you all need me to be there!”
“You’d be surprised at all that can go wrong. If it’s not us, it’s the camera crew that gets injured. But other than that, we like to keep everyone happy and have work be like play.”
They reached Saburo’s car, and to their dismay, saw a conspicuous yellow metal jaw clamped to his car’s front wheel. It had been booted.
Saburo cried out in indignation, rushing forward. The three others were very sympathetic, and after a brief search around the sidewalk, found a small No Parking sign which had been hidden in the dark behind a bush. Saburo called the company in agitation, but reached the voice mail: they would not be available till 8am the next morning.
As Saburo continued to groan, Sho intervened. “I can drive you all home, no worries.”
Saburo’s hotel was the first along the way, and as Kaori and him stepped outside to say their goodbyes, Ogiwara-san quickly spoke up to Sho in the privacy of the car.
“She’s quite lovely,” Ogiwara-san murmured. “Kureha-san is.”
The man nodded mutely.
“She seemed fond of you.”
Tapping his fingers on the wheel, eyeing the dark profiles of Kaori and Saburo outside, “… Our relationship isn’t like that, Ogiwara-san. We’re hardly even co-workers.”
“Why do you like her?” she kept pushing.
Sho bit his lip. “What makes you think I like her?”
She gave him a hard stare. “There’s no use in denying it.”
The man stared out at the sparse roads for a long moment, not because he refused to answer, but because he had always been too hesitant to indulge in the irresponsible feeling. He had never articulated the reason even to himself.
Finally, he admitted uncomfortably, “Because Kaori is so herself in all that she does. She puts her heart into each aspect of her life. Everything about her is unexpected, like her random skills and hobbies… She’s beautiful of course, and smiles a lot…”
And, it was as if she was always trying to see him, not just what he chose to show on the outside. But he kept that to himself. Sho watched with prying eyes as Kaori and Saburo chatted and briefly hugged.
It turned out that Kaori was the last to be dropped off, as her apartment was the most out of the way. Tongue-tied, Sho and Kaori merely exchanged uncertain glances. As Sho was about to enter the highway, he glanced at the clock and pursed his lips. This was taking longer than expected.
“Kureha-san… Don’t take this the wrong way, but if I bring you all the way back home I’m definitely going to be late.”
“Late for what?”
“Zero.”
“Eh? Just drop me off at the bus station then! I don’t want to trouble you. Or I can get a taxi.”
“No, you shouldn’t go by yourself in this area at night.” He noted her appearance - she would definitely be a target. “How about I just drive straight to the studio right now? You can - ahno - just hang out in the break room, or watch the filming if you’d like.”
-----------------------------------------
I considered giving them both bad dates, either a ditzy girl or an awkward guy, but it didn’t seem too realistic. Most people are pretty decent, even if you aren’t attracted to them.
Next chapter will start off with a bit of News Zero, and Sho and Kaori will finally start to let down their guards.