"My Eminent Serenity" | chapter 22
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Yamada breathed in the freshest air he ever had for the last three months of his life. The sweet and smooth summer breeze brushed his hair away from his face as he looked at the wonderful scene in front of him. He was feeling very good. Hey! Say! JUMP has been terribly busy for the past months with the releasing of their new album, SUMMARY and their latest concert DVD. He couldn't believe that summer vacation would be over in less than a week but it was the first time that he had got out of their house with the purpose of bonding with friends.
"Yama-chan! Help us here..." He heard Chinen called out.
He turned around and saw Chinen and Ryutaro setting the table, putting anything they thought would fit for the 'occasion'.
The three of them were on the Nakajima's balcony while Keito and Yuto were somewhere inside the house taking all the food they could. After some brief discussion in the living room, they came up with a unanimous decision and that was to start their 'bonding' time with a buffet of any food they find in Yuto's fridge and cupboard. Who won't agree with it anyway? It's rather a deviation from what they usually do whenever they come over to one of their friends' houses which were playing computer games, snickering something on the internet and such.
Yamada walked near to them, "What's taking them so long downstairs?" He asked, referring to the other two members.
"Maybe frying something… I heard splash of hot cooking oil just a while ago." Ryutaro said without transferring his gaze from the table in front of them.
"You're hungry already?" Chinen asked.
Yamada shook his head, "No. I'm just waiting for someone..."
Ryutaro and Chinen abruptly looked at him with wonders on their eyes. Before Chinen could fire back another question, Yamada jolted and took his phone out of his pocket.
"Moshi moshi.... Oh, you arrived already! Okay.... Just wait for me for a while ne, I'll be there." And he dashed away while saying he would go outside for a while to the other members left on the balcony.
"Ehh?" Chinen blurted out.
Ryutaro was in awe, "What was that all about?" And he suddenly thought of an idea. He walked near to the fences of the balcony where he could get a better view of the house's front part. Chinen followed suit.
Meanwhile, as Yamada hastily went downstairs, he met Yuto and Keito on the way bringing food.
"Ahh, Yama-chan, where are you going?" Yuto asked in surprise of seeing his friend going downstairs desperately.
"I'll just go outside for a while, don't worry! I'll be back immediately." He answered.
"Okay, just be back or else we won't spare you any snack!" Yuto warned before Yamada disappeared from his sight.
Yuto and Keito continued walking upstairs.
"I wonder why he is in a hurry ne~" Keito commented.
Yuto nodded, "Me too."
Outside the Nakajima Residence, someone sighed while hiding behind a tree.
'He can't see me.... I don't want him to see me. Nahh, if only I can give this to Yamada-kun for some other time... but I can't. He's a busy person and he has very little spare time so I don't want to give him too much hassle... ARGHH! Whatever Ayako!' Her mind started to get mixed up. 'Just wait for Yamada-kun, give him this cardigan, thank him from the bottom of your heart then go away!'
That moment, she heard clanking sounds behind the black gates of the house in front of her. She tilted her head to get a view of who might be going out of the house. She couldn't be careless or else her plan would fail.
She sighed in relief when she saw it was Yamada and immediately approached him, exposing herself to everyone especially to the people on the balcony upwards.
"Yamada-kun!" She exclaimed. "Here!" She gave the cardigan to him.
He took it with a smile.
"Thank you very much Yamada-kun! Thank you, thank you!" She bowed a couple of times and may continue doing so until he stopped her.
"Daijoubo! Stop thanking me already... It's fine, no problem at all."
She smiled at him, "Hehe! Oh by the way," She took something out of her bag -- something like photos. "Do you remember I told you once that I have a friend who really likes you?"
Yamada blushed slightly. Hearing words like that still made his heart flutter. "Yeah..."
"Actually, her birthday is two days away and I can't think of any present but these." She showed him some shop pictures of himself during the SUMMARY.
"Ehh?" He blurted in surprise. "You buy these things?"
"Just for this time. She really likes you so will you mind signing these for me Yamada-kun?" She pleaded politely.
He felt something weird happening inside him, a tickling feeling ravaging his stomach. "Sure."
He took the pictures and the pen from her, signed the five pictures all of which were close-up views of him performing and gave it back. "Please tell her happy birthday from me."
Her smile got wider, "Thank you very much again Yamada-kun! I'm pretty sure Michiko will have a cardiac arrest seeing your signature on these pictures."
Both of them laughed.
"That was too harsh!" He remarked while giggling.
"It's true, really. She’s somehow obsessed with you! But in a positive way, of course."
"I want to meet her someday."
She gave him an approving look, "You should. I bet you'll like her. She's interesting."
As both of them continued their random talk, four people were observing them from the balcony.
"I'm pretty sure I've seen her somewhere..." Ryutaro muttered as his brows curled in result of trying to think too much.
Chinen, on Ryutaro's right, frowned, "Maybe someone who has almost the same facial features but not really that exact girl." He suggested.
"Hmm, is she Yama-chan's girlfriend? They look so close." Keito wondered.
"That cannot happen..." The three of them heard a deep voice from the far right and simultaneously looked at the speaker. They saw Yuto looking at them with a blank expression. An expression they never thought a Yuto Nakajima could ever bare.
"S-sou dayo ne...~" Keito stuttered.
"Ne... He looks scary." Chinen whispered to Ryutaro.
Ryutaro gulped before opening his mouth to ask, "D-do you know that girl Yuto-kun?"
A moment of silence.
They thought they wouldn't ever know the answer from him and Ryutaro was preparing to mutter 'never mind' when Yuto spoke.
"That is Aya-chan..."
"EHHH???!"
Yuto was almost deafened by the loud voices of his companions.
He faked a chuckle, "Hehe! Yeah, that's her! Finally you saw her Chii~" He said before stepping away.
The scene wasn't giving him any good feelings. He felt his temper going on the wrong level again but he couldn't let it be known to the others. For him, showing jealousy about something he shouldn't be jealous in the first place was a sign of weakness. 'Yama-chan and Aya-chan are not doing anything wrong so I should stop myself from getting angry.'
"Now I remember!!!" Ryutaro blurted out.
"What is it?" Keito asked.
"I remember that she was that girl on the veterinary clinic." He revealed. "She was the one who helped me chose which hamster to buy for my cousin's birthday present two days ago! Yeah, that was her!!!"
"Veterinary clinic? You know what she was doing there?" Chinen asked the questions that were formed in Yuto's mind.
"Hmm..." Ryutaro turned pensive. "I think she went there for the vet to perform some check ups of her cat. She was carrying a small cat but it looked like weak and sick so maybe she was admitting it." He theorized.
"Small cat? Was it white with spots of orange?" Yuto suddenly asked in a curious and worried manner.
Ryutaro nodded.
"That's Yuki!"
"Yeah, that is the cat's name. I heard the vet said it. Ahh, you know her cat?"
But before they could hear his answer, Yuto disappeared, running quickly all the way downstairs.
"Why does everyone suddenly goes out of sight when we are here wanting to talk properly?" Chinen whined.
When Yuto reached the door, he saw Yamada coming through. "Where is she?"
"Ha?" Yamada was caught off guard with the question. 'He saw us?'
"Aya-chan! Where is she? I need to ask her something." Yuto explained.
"Ahh.... she walked away already." He answered him.
Yuto looked lost, "Really... I wonder where she is going. You think she's heading home?"
With how Yuto was acting in front of him, Yamada felt sympathy. Seeing him not knowing what to do was somehow ridiculous but maybe it was a consequence of loving. "She said she will be going to the veterinary clinic to visit her sick cat."
'Sick cat? Oh my, so Yuki's really admitted to the veterinary clinic! Why didn't she inform me about it?' He bowed in front of Yamada, "Arigatou. I'll just go out for a while. Please tell the others to enjoy. I'll be back soon." And he went out of the house.
Yamada sighed as he closed the front door. "Wow..." He uttered. "It's like I'm filming a scene for a romantic drama."
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Ayako sighed as she strolled on the streets of her hometown. It was still ten in the morning and the roads were quiet, except for the occasional cars passing by. She turned right and saw the sign board of the veterinary clinic almost 10 meters away.
'Today is Yuki's second day in the clinic. I wonder if her condition turns better now. This is really stressful; it feels like my child is in the hospital.' She contemplated as she looked down her feet while walking.
"Aya-chan!"
She heard someone called out but ignored it. She was not sure if she was the one being called.
"Aya-chan!!!"
The voice repeated, now with a louder volume. Ayako's eyes widened but she didn't stop walking. Her heart was pounding so hard that increased her walking pace. 'That voice...'
Nevertheless, the fast walk broke into a run.
'Ehh? Why am I running?' She asked herself as air pressure crashed unto her face.
She wanted to stop. Her mind wanted to stop but she couldn't. She knew it would be stupid to stop because it might lead to something she wouldn't like -- something like seeing him.
'Not now Yuto-kun. I still can't face you with everything that happened! I'm embarrassed, hurt, dejected, crazy and all! I don't know what will I do seeing you.' She thought as the distance from the veterinary clinic got nearer.
On the other hand, Yuto was dumbfounded as he looked at the person he was searching for running away from him.
"Nande?? Why is she running?" He asked, hoping someone might answer him.
In order to have the answer to his question, Yuto decided to run after Ayako. Having those literally long legs, he outran her within the span of few minutes and was already running in front of her when she stopped. Noticing it, he stopped too. He saw Ayako's widened eyes looking at him.
"Aya-chan! Why did you run away when I called you?" He asked curiously. Both of them faced each other, Yuto was looking down at her since she's truthfully shorter compared to him.
Ayako breathed in as she looked away, "Please Yuto-kun, I don't really think this is a good idea."
"Why?"
'Gahhh! He didn't get it.' Ayako started to look on anything except to him, "Listen..."
"Ooopss,” He cut in. “Before you answer me let me tell you that I'm here because I heard Yuki is sick, is it true?"
'Who told him?' She nodded reluctantly. "Hai."
"How is she?"
"Fine,"
"I wanna see her!" He insisted in a cute voice.
She jolted, "Nehh? I told you she's fine already and she is still in the clinic, confined so that she will be given the proper medical care." She explained with the intention of shoving him away from there.
"Then? Did the veterinarian say Yuki isn't allowed to be visited?" He asked while turning around and stepping forward, leaving Ayako flabbergasted.
"Oi, Yuto-kun, where are you going?" She called out while trying to stay still. She didn't want to be any closer to him.
"To Yuki." He continued walking towards the direction of the veterinary clinic.
'Kuso... Why couldn't he get the point that I want him out of here!!!' Her thoughts screamed as she stomped her feet following his tracks. "Whatever! Do what you want!" She exclaimed. She was pissed off.
A grin formed on Yuto's face when he heard her footsteps behind him. 'I know you don't wanna see me because I hurt you and I'm really sorry about it. I just don't know how to make it up to you Aya-chan but please do lengthen your patience. I don't wanna lose you.'
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Oh yeah!
Comments are well-accepted. ♥
It keeps me delighted while writing, seriously.
Thanks for reading! ^_^
My parents are coming home by Friday so it means 'change of lifestyle' for me.
Yeah... no late night computer escapades, no too much fan girling and, for the worst, very less time for HSJ! OH NO! but it will last for a month so I'll try to get as active as normal after then.
For now, I'll do my best to update as much as I can before Friday night arrives.
waaahh!!
Next Chapter: Click here!~