Yume de Ii Kara (Because it's Good to Dream) [a Sakurai Sho love story] Chapter 9
Yume de Ii Kara Chapter 9
Pairing: Sakurai Sho/OC, Arashi/non-Johnny's females
Rating: PGGenre: Realistic romance, friendship, family
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Arashi, or anything of Johnny's Entertainment. And sorry if I've misused any Japanese phrases.
Summary: What can you do when you fall in love with someone that is out of your reach, someone as distant and brilliant as the stars? Can one dare to dream? 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!
--------------------------------
Right in front of Kaori was the futuristic white and lime green set and crisply dressed cast of News Zero that she had watched countless times on TV; she looked on politely but curiously from behind the producers. An on-location report on the historic Nagasaki bombing commemoration that Sho had been assigned played on the large CG screen. Somehow, his story was handled with sensitivity, respect, and at the same time conveyed hope for the future for Japan’s youth, all in a short 12 minutes. Throughout the rest of the program, Sho even offered various insights on sports and economic reports by the other newscasters. It was remarkable how composed of a demeanor overcame the goofy man from variety television - not like a mask, but merely another facet of himself. Kaori was impressed and yet amused at this gap.
On the car ride back, Sho and Kaori discussed his news coverage with eagerness - Kaori wanted to know all about the descendents of the survivors and if radiation repercussions could still be observed so many years later. Obliged to discuss in-depth with someone unrelated to media and news, he gave even more honest opinions and personal moments of shock.
They hadn’t noticed how late it had gotten.
“I’m sorry for keeping you up so late, Kureha-san, with work tomorrow and all.” Sho apologized.
“No don’t worry about it, these things happen. Thank you for driving me back.”
When they came to a bridge, the flow of traffic was suddenly brought to a crawl; apparently there had been an accident. They inched along ever so slowly. Music shuffle brought up an interesting song and Kaori perked up.
“You like Daichi Miura, Sakurai-san?”
The man brightened a little as well. “Have a look.” Sho said, offering her his IPod, which was plugged into the car’s speakers. “Play whatever you’d like.”
Scrolling through his library revealed a diverse mix, with everything from classical and jazz to indie rock, hip-hop and techno. Many of the artists, Kaori liked as well, and others she was curious about. Their tastes were similar.
“Eh, you don’t have any Arashi songs on here.”
“Not that I don’t like our songs - but I hear them over and over again at work.” he admitted. “Plus, it’s kind of strange to listen to my own voice in my private time, y’know…” He trailed off and started blinking rapidly, painfully. “S-sorry, I think something’s - in my eye.”
Luckily they soon arrived at Kaori’s apartment, and she ushered him inside so that he could take out his contacts (he normally would have refused, but he couldn’t drive if he couldn’t see!) He hurried to the bathroom and pulled out the lenses with a sigh of relief. Eyes now rescued, he regained his orientation, shuffled out of the bathroom and surveyed what must have been Kaori’s bedroom. Although simple and a little messy with school books and papers stuffed around her desk, her personality shown through - the geometric print bedspread, a fashionable closet, framed pictures of her travels, a corkboard of candid photos of family and friends, and abundant light from several decorative lamps.
Sho found Kaori in the living room, diligently checking her emails. She looked up from the laptop to see the idol wearing his personal glasses. The thick, shiny rims made him look a bit older and sterner, but attractively so.
“All better now?”
“Yes, much better, thank you.” Before he was about to say goodbye, the bookcase packed with her large music collection caught his eye.
“Sugoi, ne. There are so many CDs… Yatta, you have some Arashi in here.” Sho simpered. “Why don’t you just save these all to a hard drive? It would save so much space.”
She shrugged. “I like having the physical thing. It shows all the artist’s hard work… Ah, here. I think you’ll like it. It’s his newest single.”
She found what she was looking for on the shelf and handed him Daichi Miura’s “The Answer” CD. This gesture surprised Sho.
He gazed down at the girl before him who he couldn’t sit still around, at her confused but open smile and politely cautious distance. He took a step forward… Then he stopped, re-donned his shield, calmed his heart. Perhaps this was his largest fault, that he could not take risks for himself, even with a chance at one of the best gifts in life, love.
“Thanks, I will return this to you soon. I have to head out now. Oyasumi nasai.”
Primed up on coffee the next morning, Kaori came to work at the gigantic Kokuritsu Stadium. Never having actually been inside it till then, she awed at the sea of seats, the huge stage, and the extensive team (that she was now a small part of) that it took to put together a show. She had been particularly called to tend to the Juniors, who were new to large scale performances such as this - just in case their gymnastic stunts went wrong, she was there.
Right before Kaori’s lesson on electrolytes, sports drinks and energy drinks, there was a bit of a commotion on the side as the five members of Arashi arrived backstage. Upon sight of their heroes and growing anticipation for the concert, the Juniors grew restless in their seats. Struggling to keep their attention, Kaori eventually wrapped it up early and let the boys disperse for lunch.
From where she sat, in the back of the VIP section where she casually propped her legs up, she could observe and listen clearly to Arashi as they practiced set after set. Their professionalism was subtle, displayed through the seamless cooperation and familiarity of their routine. But they would also goof off, bounce around the platforms, do laps and such.
Sho would subtly glance over every now and then during rehearsal, wondering if she was watching him and praying he wouldn’t mess up in front of her. But of course he did here and there, and he wondered if the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips was because of his blunders.
This time to Kaori’s surprise when she looked up, she perceived Sho, still in one of his flashy costumes, trudging up the steps towards her with two bottled teas in his hand. He handed her a drink so expectantly that it caught her off guard - this was the opposite of his cold demeanor when they had parted the night before. A distortion of his face reflected off of her sunglasses, and he couldn’t quite read her expression.
“Why are you sitting out here in isolation?” he asked pleasantly. “And with an enormous textbook at that.”
“I’m reading ahead before school starts.” she tried to say civilly, eyeing his gaudy sequined vest uncertainly. It was certainly something up close. Several employees down below were observing the pair curiously, which made Kaori more tense.
“That’s some dedication, Kureha-sensei! When do you go back?”
“In less than two weeks.”
So soon? The man froze for a moment before resuming. “Have you liked working here?”
“Very much. I have become very fond of the Junior boys. Johnny-san has also been generous with me.”
They sat there in silence, taking in the calmness of being separated from the hubbub below.
“… It’s a pity I didn’t get to know you better.” Sho finally, hesitantly murmured.
Maybe it was the sun, but Kaori felt a blush come to her cheeks. Heart hammering from frustration and confusion, she stared at her drink and was completely aware of the space between them. The sunglasses thankfully hid her eyes.
“Can idols not be friends with normal people?” she half-joked. When Sho still didn’t say anything, she added by mirroring his honesty, “I am glad we met though, even if - it was briefly. You are a very interesting person, Sakurai-san, even outside of work.”
“Interesting? How do you mean?”
Kaori blew hot air. “I just can’t get a good grasp of - of which side of you is most dominant. I suppose there doesn’t have to be one but… it is rather perplexing. I never know whether you will be friendly or distant with me.”
“That’s my fault.” This hadn’t been his intention coming up to speak with her, somewhere in the reserves of his small danger cache, he stuttered, “If - if you’d like, I could rectify that. I w-want to - challenge your opinion of me.”
By Kaori’s blank stare, he still wasn’t making any sense. Wasn’t she supposed to be smart? This was agonizing! He ruffled his hair anxiously and grimaced, looking away from her striking eyes. If he didn’t say it soon, he would be kicking himself later.
Mustering his courage, he muttered, “Let’s - let’s go somewhere tonight.”
credit: ghostygifs
Whether it be Sakurai Sho or not, Kaori's heart was neither confident, convinced, nor won by him. Denying his proposal as being a date was cowardice. Deep down, she knew she deserved more than mixed signals and secrecy. Plus, he seemed rather more opposed to the idea than for it.
In the end, she knew what she needed, and even if he was capable of it, it was not evident that he was motivated to be that person for her. After all, he had no reason to be. He had no long-lasting reason to hold on to her. She was realistic.
Steadily but grimly, Kaori murmured, "I have to say no, Sakurai-san, I'm sorry."
----------------------
Sorry for the cliffhanger. I promise that it's for the best that Kaori says no right now!
Pairing: Sakurai Sho/OC, Arashi/non-Johnny's females
Rating: PGGenre: Realistic romance, friendship, family
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Arashi, or anything of Johnny's Entertainment. And sorry if I've misused any Japanese phrases.
Summary: What can you do when you fall in love with someone that is out of your reach, someone as distant and brilliant as the stars? Can one dare to dream? 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!
--------------------------------
Right in front of Kaori was the futuristic white and lime green set and crisply dressed cast of News Zero that she had watched countless times on TV; she looked on politely but curiously from behind the producers. An on-location report on the historic Nagasaki bombing commemoration that Sho had been assigned played on the large CG screen. Somehow, his story was handled with sensitivity, respect, and at the same time conveyed hope for the future for Japan’s youth, all in a short 12 minutes. Throughout the rest of the program, Sho even offered various insights on sports and economic reports by the other newscasters. It was remarkable how composed of a demeanor overcame the goofy man from variety television - not like a mask, but merely another facet of himself. Kaori was impressed and yet amused at this gap.
On the car ride back, Sho and Kaori discussed his news coverage with eagerness - Kaori wanted to know all about the descendents of the survivors and if radiation repercussions could still be observed so many years later. Obliged to discuss in-depth with someone unrelated to media and news, he gave even more honest opinions and personal moments of shock.
They hadn’t noticed how late it had gotten.
“I’m sorry for keeping you up so late, Kureha-san, with work tomorrow and all.” Sho apologized.
“No don’t worry about it, these things happen. Thank you for driving me back.”
When they came to a bridge, the flow of traffic was suddenly brought to a crawl; apparently there had been an accident. They inched along ever so slowly. Music shuffle brought up an interesting song and Kaori perked up.
“You like Daichi Miura, Sakurai-san?”
The man brightened a little as well. “Have a look.” Sho said, offering her his IPod, which was plugged into the car’s speakers. “Play whatever you’d like.”
Scrolling through his library revealed a diverse mix, with everything from classical and jazz to indie rock, hip-hop and techno. Many of the artists, Kaori liked as well, and others she was curious about. Their tastes were similar.
“Eh, you don’t have any Arashi songs on here.”
“Not that I don’t like our songs - but I hear them over and over again at work.” he admitted. “Plus, it’s kind of strange to listen to my own voice in my private time, y’know…” He trailed off and started blinking rapidly, painfully. “S-sorry, I think something’s - in my eye.”
Luckily they soon arrived at Kaori’s apartment, and she ushered him inside so that he could take out his contacts (he normally would have refused, but he couldn’t drive if he couldn’t see!) He hurried to the bathroom and pulled out the lenses with a sigh of relief. Eyes now rescued, he regained his orientation, shuffled out of the bathroom and surveyed what must have been Kaori’s bedroom. Although simple and a little messy with school books and papers stuffed around her desk, her personality shown through - the geometric print bedspread, a fashionable closet, framed pictures of her travels, a corkboard of candid photos of family and friends, and abundant light from several decorative lamps.
Sho found Kaori in the living room, diligently checking her emails. She looked up from the laptop to see the idol wearing his personal glasses. The thick, shiny rims made him look a bit older and sterner, but attractively so.
“All better now?”
“Yes, much better, thank you.” Before he was about to say goodbye, the bookcase packed with her large music collection caught his eye.
“Sugoi, ne. There are so many CDs… Yatta, you have some Arashi in here.” Sho simpered. “Why don’t you just save these all to a hard drive? It would save so much space.”
She shrugged. “I like having the physical thing. It shows all the artist’s hard work… Ah, here. I think you’ll like it. It’s his newest single.”
She found what she was looking for on the shelf and handed him Daichi Miura’s “The Answer” CD. This gesture surprised Sho.
He gazed down at the girl before him who he couldn’t sit still around, at her confused but open smile and politely cautious distance. He took a step forward… Then he stopped, re-donned his shield, calmed his heart. Perhaps this was his largest fault, that he could not take risks for himself, even with a chance at one of the best gifts in life, love.
“Thanks, I will return this to you soon. I have to head out now. Oyasumi nasai.”
Primed up on coffee the next morning, Kaori came to work at the gigantic Kokuritsu Stadium. Never having actually been inside it till then, she awed at the sea of seats, the huge stage, and the extensive team (that she was now a small part of) that it took to put together a show. She had been particularly called to tend to the Juniors, who were new to large scale performances such as this - just in case their gymnastic stunts went wrong, she was there.
Right before Kaori’s lesson on electrolytes, sports drinks and energy drinks, there was a bit of a commotion on the side as the five members of Arashi arrived backstage. Upon sight of their heroes and growing anticipation for the concert, the Juniors grew restless in their seats. Struggling to keep their attention, Kaori eventually wrapped it up early and let the boys disperse for lunch.
From where she sat, in the back of the VIP section where she casually propped her legs up, she could observe and listen clearly to Arashi as they practiced set after set. Their professionalism was subtle, displayed through the seamless cooperation and familiarity of their routine. But they would also goof off, bounce around the platforms, do laps and such.
Sho would subtly glance over every now and then during rehearsal, wondering if she was watching him and praying he wouldn’t mess up in front of her. But of course he did here and there, and he wondered if the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips was because of his blunders.
This time to Kaori’s surprise when she looked up, she perceived Sho, still in one of his flashy costumes, trudging up the steps towards her with two bottled teas in his hand. He handed her a drink so expectantly that it caught her off guard - this was the opposite of his cold demeanor when they had parted the night before. A distortion of his face reflected off of her sunglasses, and he couldn’t quite read her expression.
“Why are you sitting out here in isolation?” he asked pleasantly. “And with an enormous textbook at that.”
“I’m reading ahead before school starts.” she tried to say civilly, eyeing his gaudy sequined vest uncertainly. It was certainly something up close. Several employees down below were observing the pair curiously, which made Kaori more tense.
“That’s some dedication, Kureha-sensei! When do you go back?”
“In less than two weeks.”
So soon? The man froze for a moment before resuming. “Have you liked working here?”
“Very much. I have become very fond of the Junior boys. Johnny-san has also been generous with me.”
They sat there in silence, taking in the calmness of being separated from the hubbub below.
“… It’s a pity I didn’t get to know you better.” Sho finally, hesitantly murmured.
Maybe it was the sun, but Kaori felt a blush come to her cheeks. Heart hammering from frustration and confusion, she stared at her drink and was completely aware of the space between them. The sunglasses thankfully hid her eyes.
“Can idols not be friends with normal people?” she half-joked. When Sho still didn’t say anything, she added by mirroring his honesty, “I am glad we met though, even if - it was briefly. You are a very interesting person, Sakurai-san, even outside of work.”
“Interesting? How do you mean?”
Kaori blew hot air. “I just can’t get a good grasp of - of which side of you is most dominant. I suppose there doesn’t have to be one but… it is rather perplexing. I never know whether you will be friendly or distant with me.”
“That’s my fault.” This hadn’t been his intention coming up to speak with her, somewhere in the reserves of his small danger cache, he stuttered, “If - if you’d like, I could rectify that. I w-want to - challenge your opinion of me.”
By Kaori’s blank stare, he still wasn’t making any sense. Wasn’t she supposed to be smart? This was agonizing! He ruffled his hair anxiously and grimaced, looking away from her striking eyes. If he didn’t say it soon, he would be kicking himself later.
Mustering his courage, he muttered, “Let’s - let’s go somewhere tonight.”
credit: ghostygifs
Whether it be Sakurai Sho or not, Kaori's heart was neither confident, convinced, nor won by him. Denying his proposal as being a date was cowardice. Deep down, she knew she deserved more than mixed signals and secrecy. Plus, he seemed rather more opposed to the idea than for it.
In the end, she knew what she needed, and even if he was capable of it, it was not evident that he was motivated to be that person for her. After all, he had no reason to be. He had no long-lasting reason to hold on to her. She was realistic.
Steadily but grimly, Kaori murmured, "I have to say no, Sakurai-san, I'm sorry."
----------------------
Sorry for the cliffhanger. I promise that it's for the best that Kaori says no right now!