Somewhere Only We Know [a Ninomiya Kazunari love story] - Chapter 40, part 2
Somewhere Only We Know, Chapter 40, part 2
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!
-----------
In the meantime, those in the city who had not made it even close to the guest list for the movie premiere had to make due with surfing Twitter and Instagram for updates. Most of the posts focused on the idol Ninomiya Kazunari, but his co-star’s face appeared quite often as well.
“Sugoi, Arashi fans are amazing…” Taiga muttered as he scrolled through his newsfeed. “This is pretty much in realtime.”
Elena was elated. “It’s my dress! Yuri-chan looks so amazing! She’s such a great model!”
“Yes, the gown turned out so well! I bet you’re going to get so many offers after this.”
“Uwa, is it snowing outside?” Yuya went to check out the window; indeed it was.
From behind the counter emerged restaurant owner Kawashima Kenji with a plate of steaming gyoza and raised a brow; while everyone else immediately dug into the dumplings, his nephew Minoru sternly stared down at his phone.
“I made your favorite today, Minoru.”
The young man sat up at attention. “Ah - hai - arigatou gozaimasu.”
“Something on your mind?” Akiho asked curiously.
He shook his head, and his uncle looked over his shoulder at the picture of the actress in a pale lavender gown.
Kawashima Kenji nodded, “Yuri-san is beautiful, ne.”
Just that second, another slew of fancams and pictures were uploaded for the world to see.
“Ah, look at this close up! Isn’t Yuri just radiant? Her skin, I’m so jealous…”
“No she’s not.” Minoru unexpectedly uttered.
Everyone regarded at him quizzically.
“I mean - she usually is radiant, and I guess her skin is too - but right now, she’s not. She looks miserable.”
“Are you serious? She’s non-stop smiling.”
“Isn’t it obviously fake? She’s not being herself.”
No one knew what to say.
“Err… you must know her a lot better.” Elena prodded.
“I just, you know--” He quickly stuffed his mouth with a gyoza. “I’m a photographer; I can tell these sorts of things, expressions and all.”
“Sou ka…”
Phone hidden behind his bowl, Minoru scrolled through his text message from the night before. Underneath the little word bubble, it still displayed, ‘Sent 8:10pm.’ Yuri still had not read it.
-------
Whether intimate understanding was indication of love or not, there was yet one more person at that point in Yuri’s life that could read her every move - even better than Minoru and certainly more than the strangers milling around at the after party, trying to get a word in with the stars - it was Ninomiya Kazunari. He knew that Yuri had been waiting for this moment for so long, not just to see the final result, but to have something to show the world other than her past failures. He wanted to pick her up by the waist, hold her, tell her how she had some such a good job, tell her how proud he was, but everyone else - the fans, the critics, the socialites - beat him to it. All these admirers stood as a sea between them. Every now and then during the pause as the next person butted in to speak to Nino, he managed to catch a glimpse of Yuri. It was his best attempt at being able to celebrate with her even when it almost felt like they were simply two strangers in the same room.
It had been so long since Yuri had been so flattered in such a public space that she was not quite sure if it was actually directed towards her, or if she was simply swimming in the limelight that had spilled over from the idol whose name carried the movie to audiences. Amidst the chaos and the noise, and despite the fog in her brain, Yuri still realized he was never far off, always offering a glance or a wink and a nod of reassurance. They were finishing this journey together; at least he had kept that promise.
Another hand tapped her on the shoulder. It was a relief to see Manager Anzai, who had finally managed to squeeze in through the hubbub.
“Shimada-san, you are so amazing!” Anzai exclaimed. “I was so moved!”
Yuri nodded in appreciation. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Hey, there’s someone here to see you.”
Meaningfully, Anzai pulled in a discreet Shimada Ryo.
“Otou-san, you made it!”
To her surprise, he approached without hesitation and gave her the warmest hug she had had in a long time. Despite all watching eyes, she treasured the moment as long as she could.
“Otsukaresama deshita, Yuri.” the father murmured in her ear.
When Yuri opened her eyes she saw, meekly waiting behind him a woman in her nicest formal dress.
Park Sun Hwa, furious that her daughter had reconciled with her father, had refused the invitation to the premiere. They had not spoken since and yet, here she stood. Yuri’s throat closed in dismay, confusion, elation, as her mother beamed at her without a hint of bitterness and gently cupped Yuri’s face in her graceful hands so similar to her own.
“We are so proud of you, Yuri ah.”
“O-omma, what are you… what are you doing here? I thought you weren’t--”
“Your father convinced me to come.”
“He - he what?”
“I’ve forgiven him… and myself… and life, for all that it’s dealt. It’s time I let it go.”
Yuri stared in disbelief.
“I’ve held that anger inside me for far too long, and I know that it made me a bad mother for the child that I still had left. It wasn’t fair for you, and I’m so sorry for all those years. Your father and I talked and I think - in the end - everything that I had wanted to hear didn’t matter anymore. Because it’s alright now, despite it all.”
“Omma…”
“We’ll talk about it some more, okay? For now, let’s just celebrate you. Our beautiful daughter has grown up so well.”
Looking between her mother’s peaceful expression and her father’s brave smile, a stream of tears finally began to fall from Yuri’s eyes. Ever since her youth she had used that burden as a crutch, a false strength to propel herself forward. It was only now, after it was lifted, that she realized how heavy it had actually been and how perhaps deep down, it was the only thing she had truly wanted. Ironically, everything else in that space in time - including her broken heart - was fleetingly softened in comparison.
Late into the festivities the excitement had faded and the glamorous guests trickled away one by one, for these sorts of evenings always had to come to an end. There in the center of the hall sat Yuri in her gown of silk; a wide circle of empty tables separated her and the remaining crowd, as if they could sense that she had much to contemplate. She was resting her head in her hand as Nino approached and hardly stirred as he wordlessly took a seat.
credit: yuri-aholic on Tumblr
Nino followed her gaze to the older couple a distance away; he recognized them from the pictures that Yuri still kept displayed on her shelf - the pictures that dated back to when they were still one family. Now much older than in those photographs, her mother and father leaned in towards each other carefully, but tenderly - not as lovers, for that was no longer the aim - but perhaps as two old friends who had been on opposite sides of a cold war, reconnected and indefinably familiar.
Yuri met his gaze with a steady twinkle in her eye and with a tilt of the head, directed his attention to the left. There in the shadows, Nino saw Nomura-san in deep discussion with a woman around his age. Their hands were grasped intently in pardon.
A deep breath of amazement escaped Nino’s lips. “Sugoi… Life is strange. You just never know how things will turn out.”
“That’s what makes it beautiful, I guess.” Yuri murmured after a pause. “Even if it’s not how you’d ever imagined, or wanted, it still sort of works out eventually.”
He gave her a side glance. “Are you happy that your parents are speaking again?”
“Nn…”
“Even though it doesn’t really change anything?” It’s not like their resolution could rewrite the past at all.
“But it does.” Yuri stared him straight on, amazed that he did not understand. “They finally have closure; that means everything.”
For some reason, he knew that it was urgent to speak to her in private, soon. “Hey, it’s late, but do you want to stop by my place after we leave here?”
“My mother is staying over at my place while she’s visiting, so…”
“Ah, sou ka… How long is she going to be here?”
“Not sure; as long as she wants to, I guess.”
The two lounged there in fluttering silence for a long time, breathing slowly as the world kept turning around them. They were a brilliant pair, with the intensity of their connection apparent to all around. Yet just between them, they both knew that soon they would be arriving at a fork in the road; they just didn’t yet know what they would choose when they came to it. In a way, this was the most honest they had ever been with each other.
All of a sudden Yuri turned to Nino and smiled wistfully.
“We used to do this all the time - people watch, that is.”
Why did her past tense sound so conclusive?
“Nn, along the river bank by the running trail.”
“Why haven’t we done that in so long?”
“I guess it got too cold to sit outside.” Nino answered matter-of-fact, although deep down he knew this probably wasn’t the question she was truly asking. He, also, asked without expectation, “Should we maybe do something new?”
She heard the tone in his voice too, and bit her lip. “Maybe,” she whispered, “One of these days.”
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!
-----------
In the meantime, those in the city who had not made it even close to the guest list for the movie premiere had to make due with surfing Twitter and Instagram for updates. Most of the posts focused on the idol Ninomiya Kazunari, but his co-star’s face appeared quite often as well.
“Sugoi, Arashi fans are amazing…” Taiga muttered as he scrolled through his newsfeed. “This is pretty much in realtime.”
Elena was elated. “It’s my dress! Yuri-chan looks so amazing! She’s such a great model!”
“Yes, the gown turned out so well! I bet you’re going to get so many offers after this.”
“Uwa, is it snowing outside?” Yuya went to check out the window; indeed it was.
From behind the counter emerged restaurant owner Kawashima Kenji with a plate of steaming gyoza and raised a brow; while everyone else immediately dug into the dumplings, his nephew Minoru sternly stared down at his phone.
“I made your favorite today, Minoru.”
The young man sat up at attention. “Ah - hai - arigatou gozaimasu.”
“Something on your mind?” Akiho asked curiously.
He shook his head, and his uncle looked over his shoulder at the picture of the actress in a pale lavender gown.
Kawashima Kenji nodded, “Yuri-san is beautiful, ne.”
Just that second, another slew of fancams and pictures were uploaded for the world to see.
“Ah, look at this close up! Isn’t Yuri just radiant? Her skin, I’m so jealous…”
“No she’s not.” Minoru unexpectedly uttered.
Everyone regarded at him quizzically.
“I mean - she usually is radiant, and I guess her skin is too - but right now, she’s not. She looks miserable.”
“Are you serious? She’s non-stop smiling.”
“Isn’t it obviously fake? She’s not being herself.”
No one knew what to say.
“Err… you must know her a lot better.” Elena prodded.
“I just, you know--” He quickly stuffed his mouth with a gyoza. “I’m a photographer; I can tell these sorts of things, expressions and all.”
“Sou ka…”
Phone hidden behind his bowl, Minoru scrolled through his text message from the night before. Underneath the little word bubble, it still displayed, ‘Sent 8:10pm.’ Yuri still had not read it.
-------
Whether intimate understanding was indication of love or not, there was yet one more person at that point in Yuri’s life that could read her every move - even better than Minoru and certainly more than the strangers milling around at the after party, trying to get a word in with the stars - it was Ninomiya Kazunari. He knew that Yuri had been waiting for this moment for so long, not just to see the final result, but to have something to show the world other than her past failures. He wanted to pick her up by the waist, hold her, tell her how she had some such a good job, tell her how proud he was, but everyone else - the fans, the critics, the socialites - beat him to it. All these admirers stood as a sea between them. Every now and then during the pause as the next person butted in to speak to Nino, he managed to catch a glimpse of Yuri. It was his best attempt at being able to celebrate with her even when it almost felt like they were simply two strangers in the same room.
It had been so long since Yuri had been so flattered in such a public space that she was not quite sure if it was actually directed towards her, or if she was simply swimming in the limelight that had spilled over from the idol whose name carried the movie to audiences. Amidst the chaos and the noise, and despite the fog in her brain, Yuri still realized he was never far off, always offering a glance or a wink and a nod of reassurance. They were finishing this journey together; at least he had kept that promise.
Another hand tapped her on the shoulder. It was a relief to see Manager Anzai, who had finally managed to squeeze in through the hubbub.
“Shimada-san, you are so amazing!” Anzai exclaimed. “I was so moved!”
Yuri nodded in appreciation. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Hey, there’s someone here to see you.”
Meaningfully, Anzai pulled in a discreet Shimada Ryo.
“Otou-san, you made it!”
To her surprise, he approached without hesitation and gave her the warmest hug she had had in a long time. Despite all watching eyes, she treasured the moment as long as she could.
“Otsukaresama deshita, Yuri.” the father murmured in her ear.
When Yuri opened her eyes she saw, meekly waiting behind him a woman in her nicest formal dress.
Park Sun Hwa, furious that her daughter had reconciled with her father, had refused the invitation to the premiere. They had not spoken since and yet, here she stood. Yuri’s throat closed in dismay, confusion, elation, as her mother beamed at her without a hint of bitterness and gently cupped Yuri’s face in her graceful hands so similar to her own.
“We are so proud of you, Yuri ah.”
“O-omma, what are you… what are you doing here? I thought you weren’t--”
“Your father convinced me to come.”
“He - he what?”
“I’ve forgiven him… and myself… and life, for all that it’s dealt. It’s time I let it go.”
Yuri stared in disbelief.
“I’ve held that anger inside me for far too long, and I know that it made me a bad mother for the child that I still had left. It wasn’t fair for you, and I’m so sorry for all those years. Your father and I talked and I think - in the end - everything that I had wanted to hear didn’t matter anymore. Because it’s alright now, despite it all.”
“Omma…”
“We’ll talk about it some more, okay? For now, let’s just celebrate you. Our beautiful daughter has grown up so well.”
Looking between her mother’s peaceful expression and her father’s brave smile, a stream of tears finally began to fall from Yuri’s eyes. Ever since her youth she had used that burden as a crutch, a false strength to propel herself forward. It was only now, after it was lifted, that she realized how heavy it had actually been and how perhaps deep down, it was the only thing she had truly wanted. Ironically, everything else in that space in time - including her broken heart - was fleetingly softened in comparison.
Late into the festivities the excitement had faded and the glamorous guests trickled away one by one, for these sorts of evenings always had to come to an end. There in the center of the hall sat Yuri in her gown of silk; a wide circle of empty tables separated her and the remaining crowd, as if they could sense that she had much to contemplate. She was resting her head in her hand as Nino approached and hardly stirred as he wordlessly took a seat.
credit: yuri-aholic on Tumblr
Nino followed her gaze to the older couple a distance away; he recognized them from the pictures that Yuri still kept displayed on her shelf - the pictures that dated back to when they were still one family. Now much older than in those photographs, her mother and father leaned in towards each other carefully, but tenderly - not as lovers, for that was no longer the aim - but perhaps as two old friends who had been on opposite sides of a cold war, reconnected and indefinably familiar.
Yuri met his gaze with a steady twinkle in her eye and with a tilt of the head, directed his attention to the left. There in the shadows, Nino saw Nomura-san in deep discussion with a woman around his age. Their hands were grasped intently in pardon.
A deep breath of amazement escaped Nino’s lips. “Sugoi… Life is strange. You just never know how things will turn out.”
“That’s what makes it beautiful, I guess.” Yuri murmured after a pause. “Even if it’s not how you’d ever imagined, or wanted, it still sort of works out eventually.”
He gave her a side glance. “Are you happy that your parents are speaking again?”
“Nn…”
“Even though it doesn’t really change anything?” It’s not like their resolution could rewrite the past at all.
“But it does.” Yuri stared him straight on, amazed that he did not understand. “They finally have closure; that means everything.”
For some reason, he knew that it was urgent to speak to her in private, soon. “Hey, it’s late, but do you want to stop by my place after we leave here?”
“My mother is staying over at my place while she’s visiting, so…”
“Ah, sou ka… How long is she going to be here?”
“Not sure; as long as she wants to, I guess.”
The two lounged there in fluttering silence for a long time, breathing slowly as the world kept turning around them. They were a brilliant pair, with the intensity of their connection apparent to all around. Yet just between them, they both knew that soon they would be arriving at a fork in the road; they just didn’t yet know what they would choose when they came to it. In a way, this was the most honest they had ever been with each other.
All of a sudden Yuri turned to Nino and smiled wistfully.
“We used to do this all the time - people watch, that is.”
Why did her past tense sound so conclusive?
“Nn, along the river bank by the running trail.”
“Why haven’t we done that in so long?”
“I guess it got too cold to sit outside.” Nino answered matter-of-fact, although deep down he knew this probably wasn’t the question she was truly asking. He, also, asked without expectation, “Should we maybe do something new?”
She heard the tone in his voice too, and bit her lip. “Maybe,” she whispered, “One of these days.”