Somewhere Only We Know [a Ninomiya Kazunari love story] - Chapter 33
Somewhere Only We Know, Chapter 33
Pairing: Ninomiya Kazunari/OC
Rating: PG
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!
-----------
The month of January continued gliding forward like the reliable metallic trains coursing throughout the city, taking along with them the shivering sensation of a new year having begun. That soft, drizzly evening, Kawashima Minoru patiently waited in a large, bustling downtown café for his client to arrive so that they could go over some prints. He sipped at his slightly bitter coffee; it was any other day like the next. A gust of cold wind as someone else pushed through the front door. He turned his head, hoping his buyer had arrived, but instead it was a pink-cheeked young woman bundled in a sleek wool coat from their mutual friend’s latest winter collection. A colorful paper bag also hung from her arm. Kawashima’s eyes curiously followed her silhouette as she ordered two hot beverages and carried the tray up to an empty table on the second floor. He wondered who she was meeting. Perhaps he was mistaken, but her shoulders hung in defeat and her current daydream didn’t appear to be a pleasant one.
Biting his lip, he decided to try something fun. He took out his phone.
'Shimada-san, I saw the new trailer for your movie. Congrats, ne, I’m looking forward to seeing it.'
Up above, Shimada Yuri perked up at the text.
'Thank you very much! Honestly I’m a little nervous - the premiere is only a few weeks away!'
'Well we’re all planning on watching it on opening night, and we’ll be cheering for you.'
He sat very still and admired the sweet smile like the beginning of a laugh come upon Yuri’s face as she read his message. She was radiant, the man mused, even when she thought that no one was looking.
'I wish I could have an after-party with you guys instead of with all those film critics haha. By the way, I’m really sorry I keep on turning down everyone’s invites, I’ve just been so swamped.'
'Iye, we totally understand. Ganbatte, ne.'
Just then the marketing agent for A Bathing Ape clothing line appeared, so Kawashima stood up to bow and reluctantly slipped his phone back in his pocket. While they flipped through the test shots discussing the potential for each image, another woman that Kawashima recognized as Yuri’s manager climbed the stairs. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Yuri enthusiastically present the gift to Anzai-san, who was beyond surprised and pleased. They seemed more like friends than a manager and her charge.
Yuri’s bright face was not exactly as simple, nor as disingenuous, as a mask. When the moment called for her to think of someone other than herself - the TV personalities asking for a reaction, a fan requesting an autograph, her manager’s birthday, or Ninomiya Kazunari needing a lap to rest his weary head in - it would push away all that weighed on her chest. She was able to temporarily forget the rumors circulating about her returning to, being jealous of, or scaring away Jolie, whatever the Internet decided to report that morning. The hate mail from both fandoms (Jolie AND Arashi) which had begun to trickle into the agency with increasing frequency (which Anzai-san had failed to conceal from her) faded into white noise…
-------
Perhaps it had only been a matter of time before Yuri’s frugally rented apartment (which had driven away four other tenants before her because of its constantly broken this-and-that) had begun to show its cracks again. One day the refrigerator decided to call it quits, only to be realized when Yuri had tried to pour out some curdled, spoiled milk into her coffee. While Ninomiya Kazunari crouched inside the belly of the appliance to find the broken circuit, Yuri dangled her legs over the edge of the counter and debated whether or not she should finish the ice cream before it melted.
To distract herself from the idea of dessert, she instead searched the news - the first review from the film’s pre-screening had been blogged that afternoon. She read aloud:
“With an idol and an ex-idol as its two leading actors, I expected ‘Shiawase Na No Ni’ be another saccharine production created specifically to lure couples for its Valentine’s Day release. Needless to say, I underestimated the power of a true story in its ability to teach and burn in our hearts as only brutal experience can do. The film, adapted from the novel of the same title, is a mesmerizing artwork displaying the author - millionaire Nomura Kazuhide’s - life of victory, loss, and of course, love.
“Leading actor Ninomiya has already proven his amazing versatility and screen presence with past works such as the Hollywood movie ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ and tanpatsu drama ‘Door to Door,’ and this performance is also no disappointment. In ‘Shiawase Na No Ni’ he adds a new role to his repertoire, a serious romantic lead as the young Nomura Kazuhide. Ninomiya embodies the spirit of youth and the shadow of deceit, and yet is able to wipe it away with a simple innocent grin. He captures the honest love of a man with sensitivity, integrity, and complexity - with his mistakes and flaws and passion, he could be any one of us…”
Meanwhile, there was no reaction from Nino, only the continual clunking sounds of fiddling in the fridge.
“… Then there is newcomer actress Shimada Yuri, playing strong-willed Sugase Yukino. It is an unexpected pairing for Johnny’s Entertainment to gamble on, but Shimada shines from the very first scene. Like Ninomiya, she embodies a precarious balance - of fragility and strength, beauty and harshness - that is rarely required of female leads even these days, and in itself a risky first impression to make. She does not TRY to be alluring or angelic or an ingénue; she just lives openly and for herself and invites you along, and that’s why you fall in love with her. I am excited to see just what she does next.
“Nevertheless, how could the normal heartbreak of one normal man capture the attention, let alone the imagination, of an audience? Even in the midst of the dream-like cinematography like a Joe Wright film, director Hisamatsu doesn’t try to pull any tricks. There is no apology. Undeniably realistic, you feel as if you are watching your own former life play before your eyes, but with irony - even from the beginning you pretty much know the end, and you constantly try to make excuses for how it can’t be, how it has to change. Of course fate is already set in place. It’s almost masochistic. But let me ask you - what would you not give, if you could go back and fix your biggest mistake? Think about it for a minute, then go watch this movie.”
Yuri looked up from the article to see Nino, features softened by the weak glow of the single lightbulb, beaming proudly at her. Without a word, he rose and gently ruffled her hair as he walked past towards the hallway.
The instant he closed the bathroom door, both their phones lit up with a new message.
On Yuri’s, it read: Kawashima - 'My uncle keeps bugging me about when you’re going to stop by the restaurant again!' The young woman grinned and replied…
And on Nino’s blue light screen, the text glared: M - 'Want to go out for drinks with us later?'
The man’s footsteps were inaudible as he soon returned to the kitchen, where Yuri was chuckling and typing someone a text.
“Who’s that?” Nino popped up behind her shoulder.
Yuri jumped. “Just a friend. He’s a photographer I worked with once.”
“Just a friend, huh?”
“Eh, are you jealous?” she verbally stuck her tongue out. Some small, twisted part of her needed him to be.
“Nope.” he muttered indifferently, getting back to work on the fridge. There was a strange moment of silence. Then, with his back towards her he slowly spoke, “Ne, is it okay if I meet up with some old friends tonight?”
“Of course you can.” A hesitant, almost nervous laugh barely escaped her. The small knot in her stomach was presumed spontaneous and pushed away. “You don’t need my permission, right?”
“Just making sure.” he shrugged. “Wasn’t sure if you’d already been planning something for us…”
Yuri noted the time in concern. “Don’t you have to head out to dance practice soon?”
Suddenly a guttural chugging noise interrupted, and the large appliance began to whir to life again.
“Sugoi, you did it! Arigatou!”
As always, Yuri saw Nino on his way out. The man distractedly lingered at the entrance and all of a sudden, he reached his arms around her, pulled her close and buried his face in her hair to breath in the scent of her perfume.
“Gomen ne, Yuri…”
Yuri tried to tell herself that he was apologizing for needing to leave for work. What else would he have meant, anyway? She kissed him as a light farewell. “Ii yo. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Mulling around the halls glaring at a script was the baby-faced Yamada Ryosuke. Ninomiya Kazunari, on his way to the dance studio, saw the young member of HeySayJump! gesturing in a troubled manner and muttering lines to an invisible partner before him. Nino was about to pass by without a word of acknowledgment when his kouhai jumped up as if he was exactly the person Yamada had wanted to see.
“Ninomiya-kun, konnichiwa!”
“Yo.”
“Chotto ii desu ka?”
Although Nino didn’t want to be bothered, the worry in Yamada’s face reminded him of Arashi’s earlier struggles and softened his conscience. “… Sure, what’s up?”
He blurted all in one go and hardly took a breath, “Well, I’m filming for this drama you see, and yesterday was so embarrassing - we took nearly twenty takes of this one scene but the director wasn’t satisfied with my performance, so we have to try again next week. He’s so strict! It’s a crucial scene, though! I felt like I’d wasted everyone’s time, and my manager scolded me too.”
“Yabai. Why was it so difficult to do?”
“It - it’s a romantic scene.”
“Ah, sou…?”
“I thought it would be a cinch compared to crying or angry scenes, but apparently not. If I can’t get this right no one’s ever going to hire me again…!”
“Don’t pressure yourself so much, Yamada-kun.”
“How do you do it?”
“Eh?”
“For Shiawase Na No Ni - you and Shimada-san - how do you two make it look so convincing? Not just in the film, but even during promotions; I swear it seems like… But for real, how do you create chemistry with your co-star?”
“I don’t have any tricks.” A small but painful smirk came across the man’s smooth face. “It just helps when you’re actually in love with them.”
“... Hai?” Yamada gaped. Just what was his senpai confessing so casually as if he were discussing baseball?
“Not that I recommend it, of course. It makes things rather… complicated…”
Trying to remain polite towards his well-respected senpai, Yamada mutely nodded. Behind the scenes of Arashi’s success, there were probably amazing legends that would never be proven.
Nino cleared his throat. “Anyways, our Domyouji-san would be the best person to give advice on that topic, not me.”
Then again, Nino was pretty sure that Matsujun had been so believable in Hana Yori Dango having too fallen in love with his co-star. However, Matsujun had been smarter than Nino because he had never let it happen again; no one could ever make Matsujun feel the same way as Inoue Mao did. Nino was beginning to wonder if it was the same for him too - one person could not quite be replaced no matter how hard he tried.
.
------------
Nooo Nino, what are you doing?? (... I ask myself as I write, knowing exactly what's happening lol). Stay tuned! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Pairing: Ninomiya Kazunari/OC
Rating: PG
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!
-----------
The month of January continued gliding forward like the reliable metallic trains coursing throughout the city, taking along with them the shivering sensation of a new year having begun. That soft, drizzly evening, Kawashima Minoru patiently waited in a large, bustling downtown café for his client to arrive so that they could go over some prints. He sipped at his slightly bitter coffee; it was any other day like the next. A gust of cold wind as someone else pushed through the front door. He turned his head, hoping his buyer had arrived, but instead it was a pink-cheeked young woman bundled in a sleek wool coat from their mutual friend’s latest winter collection. A colorful paper bag also hung from her arm. Kawashima’s eyes curiously followed her silhouette as she ordered two hot beverages and carried the tray up to an empty table on the second floor. He wondered who she was meeting. Perhaps he was mistaken, but her shoulders hung in defeat and her current daydream didn’t appear to be a pleasant one.
Biting his lip, he decided to try something fun. He took out his phone.
'Shimada-san, I saw the new trailer for your movie. Congrats, ne, I’m looking forward to seeing it.'
Up above, Shimada Yuri perked up at the text.
'Thank you very much! Honestly I’m a little nervous - the premiere is only a few weeks away!'
'Well we’re all planning on watching it on opening night, and we’ll be cheering for you.'
He sat very still and admired the sweet smile like the beginning of a laugh come upon Yuri’s face as she read his message. She was radiant, the man mused, even when she thought that no one was looking.
'I wish I could have an after-party with you guys instead of with all those film critics haha. By the way, I’m really sorry I keep on turning down everyone’s invites, I’ve just been so swamped.'
'Iye, we totally understand. Ganbatte, ne.'
Just then the marketing agent for A Bathing Ape clothing line appeared, so Kawashima stood up to bow and reluctantly slipped his phone back in his pocket. While they flipped through the test shots discussing the potential for each image, another woman that Kawashima recognized as Yuri’s manager climbed the stairs. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Yuri enthusiastically present the gift to Anzai-san, who was beyond surprised and pleased. They seemed more like friends than a manager and her charge.
Yuri’s bright face was not exactly as simple, nor as disingenuous, as a mask. When the moment called for her to think of someone other than herself - the TV personalities asking for a reaction, a fan requesting an autograph, her manager’s birthday, or Ninomiya Kazunari needing a lap to rest his weary head in - it would push away all that weighed on her chest. She was able to temporarily forget the rumors circulating about her returning to, being jealous of, or scaring away Jolie, whatever the Internet decided to report that morning. The hate mail from both fandoms (Jolie AND Arashi) which had begun to trickle into the agency with increasing frequency (which Anzai-san had failed to conceal from her) faded into white noise…
-------
Perhaps it had only been a matter of time before Yuri’s frugally rented apartment (which had driven away four other tenants before her because of its constantly broken this-and-that) had begun to show its cracks again. One day the refrigerator decided to call it quits, only to be realized when Yuri had tried to pour out some curdled, spoiled milk into her coffee. While Ninomiya Kazunari crouched inside the belly of the appliance to find the broken circuit, Yuri dangled her legs over the edge of the counter and debated whether or not she should finish the ice cream before it melted.
To distract herself from the idea of dessert, she instead searched the news - the first review from the film’s pre-screening had been blogged that afternoon. She read aloud:
“With an idol and an ex-idol as its two leading actors, I expected ‘Shiawase Na No Ni’ be another saccharine production created specifically to lure couples for its Valentine’s Day release. Needless to say, I underestimated the power of a true story in its ability to teach and burn in our hearts as only brutal experience can do. The film, adapted from the novel of the same title, is a mesmerizing artwork displaying the author - millionaire Nomura Kazuhide’s - life of victory, loss, and of course, love.
“Leading actor Ninomiya has already proven his amazing versatility and screen presence with past works such as the Hollywood movie ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ and tanpatsu drama ‘Door to Door,’ and this performance is also no disappointment. In ‘Shiawase Na No Ni’ he adds a new role to his repertoire, a serious romantic lead as the young Nomura Kazuhide. Ninomiya embodies the spirit of youth and the shadow of deceit, and yet is able to wipe it away with a simple innocent grin. He captures the honest love of a man with sensitivity, integrity, and complexity - with his mistakes and flaws and passion, he could be any one of us…”
Meanwhile, there was no reaction from Nino, only the continual clunking sounds of fiddling in the fridge.
“… Then there is newcomer actress Shimada Yuri, playing strong-willed Sugase Yukino. It is an unexpected pairing for Johnny’s Entertainment to gamble on, but Shimada shines from the very first scene. Like Ninomiya, she embodies a precarious balance - of fragility and strength, beauty and harshness - that is rarely required of female leads even these days, and in itself a risky first impression to make. She does not TRY to be alluring or angelic or an ingénue; she just lives openly and for herself and invites you along, and that’s why you fall in love with her. I am excited to see just what she does next.
“Nevertheless, how could the normal heartbreak of one normal man capture the attention, let alone the imagination, of an audience? Even in the midst of the dream-like cinematography like a Joe Wright film, director Hisamatsu doesn’t try to pull any tricks. There is no apology. Undeniably realistic, you feel as if you are watching your own former life play before your eyes, but with irony - even from the beginning you pretty much know the end, and you constantly try to make excuses for how it can’t be, how it has to change. Of course fate is already set in place. It’s almost masochistic. But let me ask you - what would you not give, if you could go back and fix your biggest mistake? Think about it for a minute, then go watch this movie.”
Yuri looked up from the article to see Nino, features softened by the weak glow of the single lightbulb, beaming proudly at her. Without a word, he rose and gently ruffled her hair as he walked past towards the hallway.
The instant he closed the bathroom door, both their phones lit up with a new message.
On Yuri’s, it read: Kawashima - 'My uncle keeps bugging me about when you’re going to stop by the restaurant again!' The young woman grinned and replied…
And on Nino’s blue light screen, the text glared: M - 'Want to go out for drinks with us later?'
The man’s footsteps were inaudible as he soon returned to the kitchen, where Yuri was chuckling and typing someone a text.
“Who’s that?” Nino popped up behind her shoulder.
Yuri jumped. “Just a friend. He’s a photographer I worked with once.”
“Just a friend, huh?”
“Eh, are you jealous?” she verbally stuck her tongue out. Some small, twisted part of her needed him to be.
“Nope.” he muttered indifferently, getting back to work on the fridge. There was a strange moment of silence. Then, with his back towards her he slowly spoke, “Ne, is it okay if I meet up with some old friends tonight?”
“Of course you can.” A hesitant, almost nervous laugh barely escaped her. The small knot in her stomach was presumed spontaneous and pushed away. “You don’t need my permission, right?”
“Just making sure.” he shrugged. “Wasn’t sure if you’d already been planning something for us…”
Yuri noted the time in concern. “Don’t you have to head out to dance practice soon?”
Suddenly a guttural chugging noise interrupted, and the large appliance began to whir to life again.
“Sugoi, you did it! Arigatou!”
As always, Yuri saw Nino on his way out. The man distractedly lingered at the entrance and all of a sudden, he reached his arms around her, pulled her close and buried his face in her hair to breath in the scent of her perfume.
“Gomen ne, Yuri…”
Yuri tried to tell herself that he was apologizing for needing to leave for work. What else would he have meant, anyway? She kissed him as a light farewell. “Ii yo. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Mulling around the halls glaring at a script was the baby-faced Yamada Ryosuke. Ninomiya Kazunari, on his way to the dance studio, saw the young member of HeySayJump! gesturing in a troubled manner and muttering lines to an invisible partner before him. Nino was about to pass by without a word of acknowledgment when his kouhai jumped up as if he was exactly the person Yamada had wanted to see.
“Ninomiya-kun, konnichiwa!”
“Yo.”
“Chotto ii desu ka?”
Although Nino didn’t want to be bothered, the worry in Yamada’s face reminded him of Arashi’s earlier struggles and softened his conscience. “… Sure, what’s up?”
He blurted all in one go and hardly took a breath, “Well, I’m filming for this drama you see, and yesterday was so embarrassing - we took nearly twenty takes of this one scene but the director wasn’t satisfied with my performance, so we have to try again next week. He’s so strict! It’s a crucial scene, though! I felt like I’d wasted everyone’s time, and my manager scolded me too.”
“Yabai. Why was it so difficult to do?”
“It - it’s a romantic scene.”
“Ah, sou…?”
“I thought it would be a cinch compared to crying or angry scenes, but apparently not. If I can’t get this right no one’s ever going to hire me again…!”
“Don’t pressure yourself so much, Yamada-kun.”
“How do you do it?”
“Eh?”
“For Shiawase Na No Ni - you and Shimada-san - how do you two make it look so convincing? Not just in the film, but even during promotions; I swear it seems like… But for real, how do you create chemistry with your co-star?”
“I don’t have any tricks.” A small but painful smirk came across the man’s smooth face. “It just helps when you’re actually in love with them.”
“... Hai?” Yamada gaped. Just what was his senpai confessing so casually as if he were discussing baseball?
“Not that I recommend it, of course. It makes things rather… complicated…”
Trying to remain polite towards his well-respected senpai, Yamada mutely nodded. Behind the scenes of Arashi’s success, there were probably amazing legends that would never be proven.
Nino cleared his throat. “Anyways, our Domyouji-san would be the best person to give advice on that topic, not me.”
Then again, Nino was pretty sure that Matsujun had been so believable in Hana Yori Dango having too fallen in love with his co-star. However, Matsujun had been smarter than Nino because he had never let it happen again; no one could ever make Matsujun feel the same way as Inoue Mao did. Nino was beginning to wonder if it was the same for him too - one person could not quite be replaced no matter how hard he tried.
.
------------
Nooo Nino, what are you doing?? (... I ask myself as I write, knowing exactly what's happening lol). Stay tuned! I'd love to hear your thoughts!