Somewhere Only We Know [a Ninomiya Kazunari love story] - Chapter 25
Somewhere Only We Know, Chapter 25
Pairing: Ninomiya Kazunari/OC
Rating: PG-13
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 one day you 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!
This chapter is a bit riskier than any others I've done, just FYI.
------------
Ninomiya’s general life principle was to conserve energy when and wherever possible, but once he had decided on something, he took it quite seriously. He knew that the window of opportunity was soon closing, and he took a deep breath and dialed.
“Moshi moshi?” Yuri’s voice came up quietly.
“Ahno sa,” his voice came out softly, “Do you have time to talk?”
“Gomen, I’m out at dinner with someone. Can I call you back? Jya.” And she quickly hung up.
The man exhaled slowly and stared down at the script that had just been delivered to him. It was certainly going to be tough on her.
credit: kazuninoxja on Tumblr
--------
Surrounded by winding conveyer belts of colorful sushi boats, Yuri hurriedly stuffed her phone back in her purse. An older man in a grey suit sat across from her.
“Is that a man?” her father Shimada Ryo tentatively inquired.
Yuri flushed a little and nodded.
“… Sorry, I suppose you don’t want me prying.”
“Iye…”
In hopes of bringing her a smile, he turned to the traveling food and promptly picked up a plate.
“Hora~ they have your favorite.”
The woman numbly stared at the fattening spam musubi on the table. “This used to be my favorite?”
His enthusiasm faltered. “Ah, that’s right - this is more for kids, isn’t it? You’re a young lady now.”
“No - it’s nostalgic!” she insisted, and took a big bite. “Oishi.” As much as there was between them, she did not want to hurt her father’s feelings.
“Speaking of which--” From out of his briefcase he produced a small flat pink box. “This is for you. Your birthday is tomorrow, deshou?”
Speechlessly, she lifted the lid to reveal a beautiful pair of sky blue cashmere gloves.
“I know that your hands get cold very easily, and since winter is approaching…”
An unexpected lump formed in Yuri’s throat as she contemplatively stroked the buttery soft material. After all these years, her father had still remembered everything. In many ways, he knew her better than anyone.
“… Do you like them?”
The girl nodded furiously. “I - I’ll use them well. Arigatou… otou-san.”
Shimada Ryo blinked in shock at the poignant word from his daughter’s own mouth. Otou-san.
----------
For crying out loud she was a proper adult, she kept telling herself. There were various famous film bare-back scenes she could professionally reference, such as Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet, Tenshi no Koi… Plus, there was no need to be nervous - the only person who would actually see anything would be… Nino.
Yuri bashfully pulled the makeup artist aside for a word. “Sumimasen, Fukami-san, I have a tattoo that I need to cover up. Can you help?”
In the privacy of the dressing room, Yuri covered herself with the robe costume while the makeup artist applied foundation and concealer over the small patch of dark ink running along her side.
“I had no idea you had a tattoo, Shimada-san. It’s very different from your image.”
“My agency never found out.”
Fukami seemed to notice that the actress wasn’t being quite herself. “Are you feeling anxious about today’s scene?”
“A little.” she admitted. “It’s my first, ahno…”
“Don’t worry - Johnnies are very professional about this sort of thing, after all.”
As the two lead actors stood still in the dimly lit in their positions, Yuri kept her robe wrapped securely around her like a flimsy coat of armor and would not look at Nino for more than a second. The man could tell with a second’s glance that she was doing her best to appear confident and womanly in front of the staff. It was not until the cameras began to roll, and Yuri’s eyes suddenly fluttered darkly and dangerously, that Nino felt heat rise in his chest. She glided towards him with a certain sway of the hips that sent the folds of the robe whispering around her bare legs.
With an undressing gaze Nino slowly slipped the silk down to the dip of her waist and unpinned her hair, releasing it down in a cascade down the milky skin of her back. He looked at Yuri as hungrily and dreamily as any woman would ever want to be looked at. And he took her warmth in his arms.
------
And when the Cut was called and the set was being cleared, Nino was secretively pulled to the side by a staff member.
“Ninomiya-san, we’ve prepared a cake for Shimada-san. You should present it to her.”
“A cake? What for?”
“Today is Shimada-san’s birthday, didn’t you know?”
His stomach twisted guiltily. Why hadn’t she told him?
The directors strategically distracted the actress with discussion of volume fluctuation when suddenly all the lights extinguished. Yuri wheeled around in bewilderment, and she was met with the orange glow of a dozen flickering birthday candles dotting a large frosted cake. The vulnerable awkwardness of that day’s shoot was forgotten.
“… Happy Birthday dear Shimada-san, happy birthday to you! Tanjoubi omedettou!” they all applauded. Standing right behind the cake was Ninomiya Kazunari, who subtly winked.
Grinning from ear to ear, she closed her eyes and blew out the candles with all her might. Refusing to tell what she had wished for, she cut the cake straight through the middle and smiled for the cameras. Everything backstage was being filmed. The cake deliverer, her co-star, gave her a quick side hug in front of all the crew. Her gratitude radiated towards him even though none of this surprise had been through his own efforts. As was custom, Yuri was called in the middle to deliver a little speech.
“Sugoi… I’m already 26!” she began wryly. A flash of recognition of her dwindling 20’s came across her features, but she shook it off for the sake of the staff. “Although my acting career has just begun, I’ve already learned so much about the profession from all of you. Thank you for being patient with me, and giving me a chance to grow as an actress. You’ve all shown given me motivation to put my all into this film, and I can’t believe we’ll be finished within a few weeks. I’ve had so much fun. Ganbarimasu!”
--------
Nino promised that by midnight, he would be home from work and waiting for her. A little after 1:30am, she drowsily rang his bell. The man opened the door with a raised brow.
“You’re late.”
“Gomen, the - the drinking party kind of ran over time…” she hiccupped.
Yuri followed him inside where he returned straight to the video game he had been in the middle of. His eyes glued on the combative images on the screen, and he seemed to have no intention of paying attention to her. The birthday girl’s shoulders fell; Nino glanced over nonchalantly.
“Ne, can you get me some water? And bring over the things on the table, too.”
Shuffling over to the kitchen with a pout, she filled a glass and dubiously delivered the items she’d found - an empty picture frame and a bulky square camera.
“What are these for…?”
A faint smirk came across Nino’s features. Already light headed from the alcohol in her system, she flushed as he pulled her in by the waist. With his other hand, he pointed the camera towards them at arm’s length.
“Hai, cheezu~”
With a pop and a flash, a small piece of shiny film ejected from the camera. Slowly, the white Polaroid materialized with Nino’s smug grin and Yuri’s blushing beam. Nino then promptly slid the photo into the frame, and handed it to her. Maybe it was in her imagination, but there seemed to be a lovely, irreplaceable happiness captured in that moment.
“Take this. It’s for your nightstand.”
“Eh?”
Now, he faced her with full sincerity and with his hands on his knees uttered, “I want to make us official. Tsukiatte kudasai.”
Yuri gulped soberly. She barely comprehended exactly what he was saying, those formal words of proposal. “… Because you saw me naked?” she muttered skeptically.
“Omae!” he sputtered. “I’m being serious here. Let’s - let’s do this.”
The woman’s deep kiss said it all.
Few things in life caught him off guard but as they sank into his bed and fought for air, Ninomiya felt like he was learning how to live again. Yuri’s blazing heart and the taste of her skin sank into his memory like a new swelling season. He loved the way she sighed into his ear and the pressure of her fingers digging into his back. Her thin bones ached just like his, and together they struggled and fell brilliantly in the dark into the tangle of sheets. Maybe it was not right, but to him, this was love.
A ray of sharp October sunshine leaked through the window and splayed across the man’s content face. He awoke to see the sultry, beautiful lover with kohl-smeared eyes still asleep in the pillow next to him. Their night had been real, after all. As Yuri dreamt, Nino ran a velvet hand over her curves and traced the pair of angel wings inked along the contours of her ribs. Although 'forever' was not a function in his mind, he was quite certain that there would never be anyone quite like her... after her.
---------
Even though this is a rather risky turn of the story I wanted something very real and likely to happen. I hope it was done in a classy way.
Pairing: Ninomiya Kazunari/OC
Rating: PG-13
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 one day you 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!
This chapter is a bit riskier than any others I've done, just FYI.
------------
Ninomiya’s general life principle was to conserve energy when and wherever possible, but once he had decided on something, he took it quite seriously. He knew that the window of opportunity was soon closing, and he took a deep breath and dialed.
“Moshi moshi?” Yuri’s voice came up quietly.
“Ahno sa,” his voice came out softly, “Do you have time to talk?”
“Gomen, I’m out at dinner with someone. Can I call you back? Jya.” And she quickly hung up.
The man exhaled slowly and stared down at the script that had just been delivered to him. It was certainly going to be tough on her.
credit: kazuninoxja on Tumblr
--------
Surrounded by winding conveyer belts of colorful sushi boats, Yuri hurriedly stuffed her phone back in her purse. An older man in a grey suit sat across from her.
“Is that a man?” her father Shimada Ryo tentatively inquired.
Yuri flushed a little and nodded.
“… Sorry, I suppose you don’t want me prying.”
“Iye…”
In hopes of bringing her a smile, he turned to the traveling food and promptly picked up a plate.
“Hora~ they have your favorite.”
The woman numbly stared at the fattening spam musubi on the table. “This used to be my favorite?”
His enthusiasm faltered. “Ah, that’s right - this is more for kids, isn’t it? You’re a young lady now.”
“No - it’s nostalgic!” she insisted, and took a big bite. “Oishi.” As much as there was between them, she did not want to hurt her father’s feelings.
“Speaking of which--” From out of his briefcase he produced a small flat pink box. “This is for you. Your birthday is tomorrow, deshou?”
Speechlessly, she lifted the lid to reveal a beautiful pair of sky blue cashmere gloves.
“I know that your hands get cold very easily, and since winter is approaching…”
An unexpected lump formed in Yuri’s throat as she contemplatively stroked the buttery soft material. After all these years, her father had still remembered everything. In many ways, he knew her better than anyone.
“… Do you like them?”
The girl nodded furiously. “I - I’ll use them well. Arigatou… otou-san.”
Shimada Ryo blinked in shock at the poignant word from his daughter’s own mouth. Otou-san.
----------
For crying out loud she was a proper adult, she kept telling herself. There were various famous film bare-back scenes she could professionally reference, such as Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet, Tenshi no Koi… Plus, there was no need to be nervous - the only person who would actually see anything would be… Nino.
Yuri bashfully pulled the makeup artist aside for a word. “Sumimasen, Fukami-san, I have a tattoo that I need to cover up. Can you help?”
In the privacy of the dressing room, Yuri covered herself with the robe costume while the makeup artist applied foundation and concealer over the small patch of dark ink running along her side.
“I had no idea you had a tattoo, Shimada-san. It’s very different from your image.”
“My agency never found out.”
Fukami seemed to notice that the actress wasn’t being quite herself. “Are you feeling anxious about today’s scene?”
“A little.” she admitted. “It’s my first, ahno…”
“Don’t worry - Johnnies are very professional about this sort of thing, after all.”
As the two lead actors stood still in the dimly lit in their positions, Yuri kept her robe wrapped securely around her like a flimsy coat of armor and would not look at Nino for more than a second. The man could tell with a second’s glance that she was doing her best to appear confident and womanly in front of the staff. It was not until the cameras began to roll, and Yuri’s eyes suddenly fluttered darkly and dangerously, that Nino felt heat rise in his chest. She glided towards him with a certain sway of the hips that sent the folds of the robe whispering around her bare legs.
With an undressing gaze Nino slowly slipped the silk down to the dip of her waist and unpinned her hair, releasing it down in a cascade down the milky skin of her back. He looked at Yuri as hungrily and dreamily as any woman would ever want to be looked at. And he took her warmth in his arms.
------
And when the Cut was called and the set was being cleared, Nino was secretively pulled to the side by a staff member.
“Ninomiya-san, we’ve prepared a cake for Shimada-san. You should present it to her.”
“A cake? What for?”
“Today is Shimada-san’s birthday, didn’t you know?”
His stomach twisted guiltily. Why hadn’t she told him?
The directors strategically distracted the actress with discussion of volume fluctuation when suddenly all the lights extinguished. Yuri wheeled around in bewilderment, and she was met with the orange glow of a dozen flickering birthday candles dotting a large frosted cake. The vulnerable awkwardness of that day’s shoot was forgotten.
“… Happy Birthday dear Shimada-san, happy birthday to you! Tanjoubi omedettou!” they all applauded. Standing right behind the cake was Ninomiya Kazunari, who subtly winked.
Grinning from ear to ear, she closed her eyes and blew out the candles with all her might. Refusing to tell what she had wished for, she cut the cake straight through the middle and smiled for the cameras. Everything backstage was being filmed. The cake deliverer, her co-star, gave her a quick side hug in front of all the crew. Her gratitude radiated towards him even though none of this surprise had been through his own efforts. As was custom, Yuri was called in the middle to deliver a little speech.
“Sugoi… I’m already 26!” she began wryly. A flash of recognition of her dwindling 20’s came across her features, but she shook it off for the sake of the staff. “Although my acting career has just begun, I’ve already learned so much about the profession from all of you. Thank you for being patient with me, and giving me a chance to grow as an actress. You’ve all shown given me motivation to put my all into this film, and I can’t believe we’ll be finished within a few weeks. I’ve had so much fun. Ganbarimasu!”
--------
Nino promised that by midnight, he would be home from work and waiting for her. A little after 1:30am, she drowsily rang his bell. The man opened the door with a raised brow.
“You’re late.”
“Gomen, the - the drinking party kind of ran over time…” she hiccupped.
Yuri followed him inside where he returned straight to the video game he had been in the middle of. His eyes glued on the combative images on the screen, and he seemed to have no intention of paying attention to her. The birthday girl’s shoulders fell; Nino glanced over nonchalantly.
“Ne, can you get me some water? And bring over the things on the table, too.”
Shuffling over to the kitchen with a pout, she filled a glass and dubiously delivered the items she’d found - an empty picture frame and a bulky square camera.
“What are these for…?”
A faint smirk came across Nino’s features. Already light headed from the alcohol in her system, she flushed as he pulled her in by the waist. With his other hand, he pointed the camera towards them at arm’s length.
“Hai, cheezu~”
With a pop and a flash, a small piece of shiny film ejected from the camera. Slowly, the white Polaroid materialized with Nino’s smug grin and Yuri’s blushing beam. Nino then promptly slid the photo into the frame, and handed it to her. Maybe it was in her imagination, but there seemed to be a lovely, irreplaceable happiness captured in that moment.
“Take this. It’s for your nightstand.”
“Eh?”
Now, he faced her with full sincerity and with his hands on his knees uttered, “I want to make us official. Tsukiatte kudasai.”
Yuri gulped soberly. She barely comprehended exactly what he was saying, those formal words of proposal. “… Because you saw me naked?” she muttered skeptically.
“Omae!” he sputtered. “I’m being serious here. Let’s - let’s do this.”
The woman’s deep kiss said it all.
Few things in life caught him off guard but as they sank into his bed and fought for air, Ninomiya felt like he was learning how to live again. Yuri’s blazing heart and the taste of her skin sank into his memory like a new swelling season. He loved the way she sighed into his ear and the pressure of her fingers digging into his back. Her thin bones ached just like his, and together they struggled and fell brilliantly in the dark into the tangle of sheets. Maybe it was not right, but to him, this was love.
A ray of sharp October sunshine leaked through the window and splayed across the man’s content face. He awoke to see the sultry, beautiful lover with kohl-smeared eyes still asleep in the pillow next to him. Their night had been real, after all. As Yuri dreamt, Nino ran a velvet hand over her curves and traced the pair of angel wings inked along the contours of her ribs. Although 'forever' was not a function in his mind, he was quite certain that there would never be anyone quite like her... after her.
---------
Even though this is a rather risky turn of the story I wanted something very real and likely to happen. I hope it was done in a classy way.