Somewhere Only We Know [a Ninomiya Kazunari love story] - Chapter 18, part 2
Somewhere Only We Know, Chapter 18, part 2
Pairing: Ninomiya Kazunari/OC
Rating: PG
Genre: Realistic romance, friendship, family
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything of Arashi or Johnny’s Entertainment! Sorry if I misuse some Japanese phrases.
Summary:
When you’ve been alone for so long, sometimes you forget that you’re lost. But if you one day brush across another hand grappling in the dark - if you dare to take it and hold on tight - you just might find the way out together. Love, in the end, is what saves us all; if you’re brave enough you’ll find it, and if you’re crazy enough it just might stay.
All previous chapters in the master post!
Note: If you read the previous part 1, I made some changes, so please go back and see the edited version :)
--------
The directors called a break for lunch. Being out in the middle of nowhere, the staff tried to find their own amusement. One person broke out a guitar which started being passed from hand to hand between everyone who wanted to display their talent. Sometimes it was like a high school talent show, other times rather impressive. Nino, who was included in the circle, clapped encouragingly after each mini performance.
Unable to deny her hunger any longer, Yuri timidly ventured out of the privacy of the van in search of food. She winced when she heard her name called loudly.
“There you are, Shimada-san! Why don’t you sing something for us?” Anzai suggested, seeing that the woman had been more quiet than usual. Over the past two months Manager Anzai had grown quite fond of her talent, and because they were near in age, she felt like they were almost like friends. “I hear that you play acoustic very well.”
Yuri’s expression fell. Who had spread that rumor? The guitar landed in her arms like a game of hot potato, but no one would take it from her. The former idol in her always had a difficult time refusing others.
“What should I play…?” she relented with a gulp, expertly adjusting the hollow instrument in her lap. Yuri avoided his gaze at all costs. What that kiss on the cheek had meant… she still had no idea. But she was sure that it had certainly disturbed him. She just hoped that she had enough professionalism left to push through the trip without any more pesky feelings interfering.
“An Arashi song, onegai!” another actor joked. To the side, Nino’s eyes were guardedly sharp. The last time she had sung on her balcony had awed him more than he wanted to admit, but he had wanted to hear more ever since.
“Gomen, I don’t know the chords for any of those…”
“How about Shiawase’s theme song?” someone else piped. “I read in the news that it was in the works.”
“Yes, let’s have a duet with Shimada-san and Ninomiya-san!”
The two uncertainly glanced at each other from across the circle. They had both rehearsed separately with the composer Katsumi Rina, but had yet to actually record anything. The lunch group became so enthusiastic with the proposal that they were pushed together.
Nino cleared his throat uncomfortably. “This is meant for piano, but I hope it sounds okay anyway. Ai no Uta.”
“The gentle wind always blows on the road
I want to meet you, but is it okay for such a thing
There’s small heart beats and our feelings will overlap
I’m just waiting for them to dissolve quietly into each other”
Singers at heart, there was just no room for false feeling; the music forced them to sync as a unit, naturally creating intimacy through its reverberations. Their harmonies flowed and so did the emotions behind the words.
“Why do people yearn for answers?
I’m happy with this, happy (Watashi wa kore de shiawase na no ni shiawase na no ni)”
She had never heard Nino’s unfiltered singing before. There was a strength in its rawness, a depth and sincerity in its subtle vibrato. It caught her off guard, how well it complimented her own voice. Nino met her sparkling gaze and they nodded together to cue the chorus.
“Can you hear the Song of Love?
It’s a small love
In order to smile, it seems we’re drawn close
By your tender sound
Time is flowing, dreams are flowing
They change various shapes
Right here with you, I’m fine with only this…”
(Lyrics translation here: http://atashi.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/koizora-drama-ending-theme-ai-no-uta/)
The snippet of song ended as Yuri’s strumming softly faded away, and an enthusiastic applause smattered from all around. The directors and Nomura-san had even curiously gathered for a listen. But like a lullaby, it was trying to lure her into a state of vulnerability.
------At the town’s municipal office, a disgruntled office worker finally allowed Yukino and Kazuhide to sit at his desk.
“I am sorry for your loss.” the man first muttered to Yukino. “I read about your father in the papers.”
The girl bowed gracefully. “I am just grateful that you’re willing to help us. I know it’s an ambiguous situation.”
Sifting through yellowing folders, the man pulled out a document. “Yes, here is the proof that ownership has not switched hands. It belongs to the successor, so that is you, Sugase-san.”
Yukino exhaled in relief. “Yokatta…”
“Frankly, the city would be happy that you came to claim it.”
“Eh, why is that?”
“… It’s a wreck, after all.”
It was time to go find the elusive house. Dusk was settling into the golden waves of grass, and Yuri was quite happy, just like this. It was a beautiful day and out in nature, it almost felt like it was just the two of them. They did not have to take a leap towards anything; it was safe. She gazed up at Nino, whose eyes turned a burnt orange color as he turned to study the sunset. He silently smiled back and slipped his cushiony warm hand into hers.
In Yuri’s heart, the only way she could put herself through these scenes and do a convincing job was to pretend, for just those moments, to truly believe that he loved her. Just for a while, before real life recommenced. She had practiced so much restraint that she did not catch the soft expression on Nino’s face when she was not looking his way.
credit: shokim
Then, they heard it: The distant rush of a river that Yukino’s father had always told her about in stories. The man’s memories were coming to life for his daughter, and she spurred ahead.
Yukino’s stomach dropped as she looked down at the photograph, then back up to compare with the reality. Decades later, what now remained was a dilapidated structure, merely a hollowed-out, overgrown shell of what the house once was. The paint had been cracked by the environment’s wind and rain. Its boarded windows were hanging off their hinges like false lashes. Natural vegetation had crept in from the surrounding forest to silently reclaim the space.
Kazuhide asked grimly, “What do we do now?”
“We’re going in.”
The rusty door gave in with ease. The initial shock of gloomy stale air sent them coughing, and their footsteps kicked up the thick layer of dust and grime accumulated over the years. Kazuhide quickly went to open up some windows and let in some circulation. Something in this abrupt change was sinister, like a rude awakening.“What happened to this place…?”
“While my father was still in training near the end of the war, my grandparents died alone in this house.” Yukino sighed and took in the dismal state. “It looks like it was raided since then. Most of the furniture’s gone.”
They wandered through the spooky corridors; the floorboards creaked under their weight. Broken chairs and disintegrating rugs were strewn through the small rooms as if they had been abandoned mid-use.
“How did they die?”
“No one really knows why - maybe invading soldiers or starvation…”
A chill ran up Kazuhide’s spine. He whipped around, but there was nothing but the dusty hallway. The last rays of daylight had slipped away, and the shadows in the house suddenly thickened.
“Nani?”
“Nothing. I just…” He gulped and muttered lowly, “Do you think this place is haunted?”
“Eh?”
“Haven’t you heard the war ghost stories? People that died without peace stuck around the place of their death, lashing out at the living to appease their…”
“Mou~ Don’t say that!” Yukino cringed; she began to feel her skin crawl as soon as he put the image in her head.
The further they ventured into the carcass of a house, the darker and dingier it became. Their steps became tip-toeing and their sides instinctively fused to keep their wits about them. Now they were sure that they weren’t just being paranoid - there was definitely a scuttling sound flitting around them like a phantom, but whenever they turned back, they saw nothing but black shadows.
Finally, they came to a single door at the end of the narrow hall. There seemed to be some sort of dark aura surrounding the frame as if it was the portal to a demon’s lair, and whatever was behind it was waiting for them. Kazuhide took a deep, shaky breath and yanked it open.
"IYAAAA!" The adventurous pair screamed loud enough to exorcize any remaining ghosts. A stream of wild rats the size of guinea pigs spilled out of the closet with grating, inhuman shrieks. Their worm-like tails and beady eyes riled around beneath Yukino and Kazuhide’s frantic, scrambling feet like an infested wave. The two ran in the opposite direction and did not look back.
--------The minute of truth quickly approached, and Yuri found herself in a surreal state of acceptance.
By the time they roamed back to civilization, the moon had replaced the sun in the inky sky and they had missed the last train back to the city. Kazuhide’s wages from his bookstore job were not impressive in the least and he was only able to afford a single room in a dreary motel for the two of them to stay overnight. To his relief, Yukino did not comment on the drab, cramped conditions or the fact that they were sharing a space to sleep.
It was like magic, how the simplest memories with her took root in Kazuhide’s heart to stay. While he frantically scribbled in his journals the multitude of emotions to try to make sense of them all, Yukino was silently curled up by the tiny open window, staring up at the stars. He heard her sigh ever so quietly and he realized that this wasn’t the time to be preoccupied with writing. Hurriedly shutting the notebook to hide his mellifluous words, he went and stood by the window with hands in his pockets.
“You can see so many stars here.” Yukino readily murmured.
The dreamy look in her eyes turned Kazuhide’s chest; he suddenly wished he could give her so much more than this meager room. He wished that the window weren’t so ridiculously small so that she could simply see all the stars she wanted. He took her hand, and she gazed up at him with soft eyes.
In the script Kazuhide was supposed to kiss Yukino right then and there to suppress his feelings of guilt and the secrets he sometimes forgot he harbored. But Nino didn’t want Yuri’s first kiss to be in this ugly hotel room. She deserved much more, so he would try his best within the circumstances they found themselves in.
Nino grinned mischievously. “Come with me.”
The roof of the old building was easily reached through the unlocked stairwell. Kazuhide guided Yukino over the slippery shingles with a warm, kind arm. Their young laughter was hushed and scared away a nocturnal cat from its perch.
“If the landlady catches us…” Yukino giggled. “Or if we fall straight through…”
Kazuhide whispered back, “Still, tell me this view isn’t worth it.”
For the first time Yukino dared to lose sight of her feet and was awestruck by the vast peppering of stardust stretching across the entire expanse above. She had never seen anything more breathtaking, more humbling. It was impossible to soak it all in. But Kazuhide wasn’t paying attention to the constellations. He cradled her cheek in his hand and her gaze flittered on him. With bated breath, he-
credit: hayashi-niko
“-Stop, stop, stop!” Nino's lips froze a mere inch away as Nomura’s wizened voice startlingly called out from the shadows where the staff gathered, shattering the fragile atmosphere. The two actors awkwardly blinked against the haphazard stage lights and squinted in search of where the voice was coming from.
“What is it, Nomura-san?” director Hisamatsu inquired anxiously. He thought they were building up to the peak quite nicely.
The old man barked, “Ninomiya-san, I will not tolerate the typical ‘idol’ kiss; it’s not convincing at all! Don’t think about offending any fans, either. Okay? Start again, for real.”
“W-wakarimashita!” Nino called uncertainly with a furrowed brow. He had tried to control the situation and not give himself away.
Yuri’s flush was lost in the darkness as the cameras rolled once more. She thought of how no one had ever really looked into her eyes, held her as if they held their world, and kissed her with their whole heart. But then, that’s what Nino did as he ever so gently tilted her chin up and pressed his lips to hers. And when Nino gave in, he found that her soft, sweet lips, compared to all the others that he had haphazardly met, this was the only taste that sank into his very toes.
credit: h0t-summer on Tumblr?
----------
This song is actually Mai Fukui's "Ai no Uta" (the Koizora theme). I wanted to write my own, but I couldn't think of anything as beautiful as that song. Plus, I think that's where I got the inspiration for the title Shiawase Na No Ni. Song video with English lyrics here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csrumLPOcUc
Hope you liked this chapter :)
Pairing: Ninomiya Kazunari/OC
Rating: PG
Genre: Realistic romance, friendship, family
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything of Arashi or Johnny’s Entertainment! Sorry if I misuse some Japanese phrases.
Summary:
When you’ve been alone for so long, sometimes you forget that you’re lost. But if you one day brush across another hand grappling in the dark - if you dare to take it and hold on tight - you just might find the way out together. Love, in the end, is what saves us all; if you’re brave enough you’ll find it, and if you’re crazy enough it just might stay.
All previous chapters in the master post!
Note: If you read the previous part 1, I made some changes, so please go back and see the edited version :)
--------
The directors called a break for lunch. Being out in the middle of nowhere, the staff tried to find their own amusement. One person broke out a guitar which started being passed from hand to hand between everyone who wanted to display their talent. Sometimes it was like a high school talent show, other times rather impressive. Nino, who was included in the circle, clapped encouragingly after each mini performance.
Unable to deny her hunger any longer, Yuri timidly ventured out of the privacy of the van in search of food. She winced when she heard her name called loudly.
“There you are, Shimada-san! Why don’t you sing something for us?” Anzai suggested, seeing that the woman had been more quiet than usual. Over the past two months Manager Anzai had grown quite fond of her talent, and because they were near in age, she felt like they were almost like friends. “I hear that you play acoustic very well.”
Yuri’s expression fell. Who had spread that rumor? The guitar landed in her arms like a game of hot potato, but no one would take it from her. The former idol in her always had a difficult time refusing others.
“What should I play…?” she relented with a gulp, expertly adjusting the hollow instrument in her lap. Yuri avoided his gaze at all costs. What that kiss on the cheek had meant… she still had no idea. But she was sure that it had certainly disturbed him. She just hoped that she had enough professionalism left to push through the trip without any more pesky feelings interfering.
“An Arashi song, onegai!” another actor joked. To the side, Nino’s eyes were guardedly sharp. The last time she had sung on her balcony had awed him more than he wanted to admit, but he had wanted to hear more ever since.
“Gomen, I don’t know the chords for any of those…”
“How about Shiawase’s theme song?” someone else piped. “I read in the news that it was in the works.”
“Yes, let’s have a duet with Shimada-san and Ninomiya-san!”
The two uncertainly glanced at each other from across the circle. They had both rehearsed separately with the composer Katsumi Rina, but had yet to actually record anything. The lunch group became so enthusiastic with the proposal that they were pushed together.
Nino cleared his throat uncomfortably. “This is meant for piano, but I hope it sounds okay anyway. Ai no Uta.”
“The gentle wind always blows on the road
I want to meet you, but is it okay for such a thing
There’s small heart beats and our feelings will overlap
I’m just waiting for them to dissolve quietly into each other”
Singers at heart, there was just no room for false feeling; the music forced them to sync as a unit, naturally creating intimacy through its reverberations. Their harmonies flowed and so did the emotions behind the words.
“Why do people yearn for answers?
I’m happy with this, happy (Watashi wa kore de shiawase na no ni shiawase na no ni)”
She had never heard Nino’s unfiltered singing before. There was a strength in its rawness, a depth and sincerity in its subtle vibrato. It caught her off guard, how well it complimented her own voice. Nino met her sparkling gaze and they nodded together to cue the chorus.
“Can you hear the Song of Love?
It’s a small love
In order to smile, it seems we’re drawn close
By your tender sound
Time is flowing, dreams are flowing
They change various shapes
Right here with you, I’m fine with only this…”
(Lyrics translation here: http://atashi.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/koizora-drama-ending-theme-ai-no-uta/)
The snippet of song ended as Yuri’s strumming softly faded away, and an enthusiastic applause smattered from all around. The directors and Nomura-san had even curiously gathered for a listen. But like a lullaby, it was trying to lure her into a state of vulnerability.
------At the town’s municipal office, a disgruntled office worker finally allowed Yukino and Kazuhide to sit at his desk.
“I am sorry for your loss.” the man first muttered to Yukino. “I read about your father in the papers.”
The girl bowed gracefully. “I am just grateful that you’re willing to help us. I know it’s an ambiguous situation.”
Sifting through yellowing folders, the man pulled out a document. “Yes, here is the proof that ownership has not switched hands. It belongs to the successor, so that is you, Sugase-san.”
Yukino exhaled in relief. “Yokatta…”
“Frankly, the city would be happy that you came to claim it.”
“Eh, why is that?”
“… It’s a wreck, after all.”
It was time to go find the elusive house. Dusk was settling into the golden waves of grass, and Yuri was quite happy, just like this. It was a beautiful day and out in nature, it almost felt like it was just the two of them. They did not have to take a leap towards anything; it was safe. She gazed up at Nino, whose eyes turned a burnt orange color as he turned to study the sunset. He silently smiled back and slipped his cushiony warm hand into hers.
In Yuri’s heart, the only way she could put herself through these scenes and do a convincing job was to pretend, for just those moments, to truly believe that he loved her. Just for a while, before real life recommenced. She had practiced so much restraint that she did not catch the soft expression on Nino’s face when she was not looking his way.
credit: shokim
Then, they heard it: The distant rush of a river that Yukino’s father had always told her about in stories. The man’s memories were coming to life for his daughter, and she spurred ahead.
Yukino’s stomach dropped as she looked down at the photograph, then back up to compare with the reality. Decades later, what now remained was a dilapidated structure, merely a hollowed-out, overgrown shell of what the house once was. The paint had been cracked by the environment’s wind and rain. Its boarded windows were hanging off their hinges like false lashes. Natural vegetation had crept in from the surrounding forest to silently reclaim the space.
Kazuhide asked grimly, “What do we do now?”
“We’re going in.”
The rusty door gave in with ease. The initial shock of gloomy stale air sent them coughing, and their footsteps kicked up the thick layer of dust and grime accumulated over the years. Kazuhide quickly went to open up some windows and let in some circulation. Something in this abrupt change was sinister, like a rude awakening.“What happened to this place…?”
“While my father was still in training near the end of the war, my grandparents died alone in this house.” Yukino sighed and took in the dismal state. “It looks like it was raided since then. Most of the furniture’s gone.”
They wandered through the spooky corridors; the floorboards creaked under their weight. Broken chairs and disintegrating rugs were strewn through the small rooms as if they had been abandoned mid-use.
“How did they die?”
“No one really knows why - maybe invading soldiers or starvation…”
A chill ran up Kazuhide’s spine. He whipped around, but there was nothing but the dusty hallway. The last rays of daylight had slipped away, and the shadows in the house suddenly thickened.
“Nani?”
“Nothing. I just…” He gulped and muttered lowly, “Do you think this place is haunted?”
“Eh?”
“Haven’t you heard the war ghost stories? People that died without peace stuck around the place of their death, lashing out at the living to appease their…”
“Mou~ Don’t say that!” Yukino cringed; she began to feel her skin crawl as soon as he put the image in her head.
The further they ventured into the carcass of a house, the darker and dingier it became. Their steps became tip-toeing and their sides instinctively fused to keep their wits about them. Now they were sure that they weren’t just being paranoid - there was definitely a scuttling sound flitting around them like a phantom, but whenever they turned back, they saw nothing but black shadows.
Finally, they came to a single door at the end of the narrow hall. There seemed to be some sort of dark aura surrounding the frame as if it was the portal to a demon’s lair, and whatever was behind it was waiting for them. Kazuhide took a deep, shaky breath and yanked it open.
"IYAAAA!" The adventurous pair screamed loud enough to exorcize any remaining ghosts. A stream of wild rats the size of guinea pigs spilled out of the closet with grating, inhuman shrieks. Their worm-like tails and beady eyes riled around beneath Yukino and Kazuhide’s frantic, scrambling feet like an infested wave. The two ran in the opposite direction and did not look back.
--------The minute of truth quickly approached, and Yuri found herself in a surreal state of acceptance.
By the time they roamed back to civilization, the moon had replaced the sun in the inky sky and they had missed the last train back to the city. Kazuhide’s wages from his bookstore job were not impressive in the least and he was only able to afford a single room in a dreary motel for the two of them to stay overnight. To his relief, Yukino did not comment on the drab, cramped conditions or the fact that they were sharing a space to sleep.
It was like magic, how the simplest memories with her took root in Kazuhide’s heart to stay. While he frantically scribbled in his journals the multitude of emotions to try to make sense of them all, Yukino was silently curled up by the tiny open window, staring up at the stars. He heard her sigh ever so quietly and he realized that this wasn’t the time to be preoccupied with writing. Hurriedly shutting the notebook to hide his mellifluous words, he went and stood by the window with hands in his pockets.
“You can see so many stars here.” Yukino readily murmured.
The dreamy look in her eyes turned Kazuhide’s chest; he suddenly wished he could give her so much more than this meager room. He wished that the window weren’t so ridiculously small so that she could simply see all the stars she wanted. He took her hand, and she gazed up at him with soft eyes.
In the script Kazuhide was supposed to kiss Yukino right then and there to suppress his feelings of guilt and the secrets he sometimes forgot he harbored. But Nino didn’t want Yuri’s first kiss to be in this ugly hotel room. She deserved much more, so he would try his best within the circumstances they found themselves in.
Nino grinned mischievously. “Come with me.”
The roof of the old building was easily reached through the unlocked stairwell. Kazuhide guided Yukino over the slippery shingles with a warm, kind arm. Their young laughter was hushed and scared away a nocturnal cat from its perch.
“If the landlady catches us…” Yukino giggled. “Or if we fall straight through…”
Kazuhide whispered back, “Still, tell me this view isn’t worth it.”
For the first time Yukino dared to lose sight of her feet and was awestruck by the vast peppering of stardust stretching across the entire expanse above. She had never seen anything more breathtaking, more humbling. It was impossible to soak it all in. But Kazuhide wasn’t paying attention to the constellations. He cradled her cheek in his hand and her gaze flittered on him. With bated breath, he-
credit: hayashi-niko
“-Stop, stop, stop!” Nino's lips froze a mere inch away as Nomura’s wizened voice startlingly called out from the shadows where the staff gathered, shattering the fragile atmosphere. The two actors awkwardly blinked against the haphazard stage lights and squinted in search of where the voice was coming from.
“What is it, Nomura-san?” director Hisamatsu inquired anxiously. He thought they were building up to the peak quite nicely.
The old man barked, “Ninomiya-san, I will not tolerate the typical ‘idol’ kiss; it’s not convincing at all! Don’t think about offending any fans, either. Okay? Start again, for real.”
“W-wakarimashita!” Nino called uncertainly with a furrowed brow. He had tried to control the situation and not give himself away.
Yuri’s flush was lost in the darkness as the cameras rolled once more. She thought of how no one had ever really looked into her eyes, held her as if they held their world, and kissed her with their whole heart. But then, that’s what Nino did as he ever so gently tilted her chin up and pressed his lips to hers. And when Nino gave in, he found that her soft, sweet lips, compared to all the others that he had haphazardly met, this was the only taste that sank into his very toes.
credit: h0t-summer on Tumblr?
----------
This song is actually Mai Fukui's "Ai no Uta" (the Koizora theme). I wanted to write my own, but I couldn't think of anything as beautiful as that song. Plus, I think that's where I got the inspiration for the title Shiawase Na No Ni. Song video with English lyrics here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csrumLPOcUc
Hope you liked this chapter :)