Old Bones - JE - G
title: Old Bones
wishlist fic for yamapea ♥
word count: 884
Johnny was tired. He didn't feel well today. Again. He was getting old. He didn't like to think about it, didn't want to admit it, but it was the truth. Johnny Kitagawa was old. And he was tired.
In the past, whenever he started feeling run down or burnt out, Johnny did one of two things. He either looked forward, or he looked around. Forward had him chasing his dreams again, how much more he wanted to accomplish, how much further Johnny's Entertainment had to climb to make it to the top. And around, particularly as the years progressed, because he was at the top now, and see how much he had accomplished, survey a busy, thriving entertainment business and feel that hum in his bones of the success of the worker hive. But, lately, neither of those seemed to work the way they did before. They didn't give him an extra boost of drive, they didn't give him that last spurt of energy you get when you come up on the finish line. He just didn't have the energy to give.
Running things didn't give him as much pleasure as it did before. To be honest, he wasn't running things the way he did before, not really. He'd gotten busy and delegated operations (because you have to do that sometimes), and he'd gotten old and appointed managers (because he can't be the one running around after kids). Juniors still told stories about him, the weird old man who sometimes showed up at auditions but mostly did mysterious managerial things, flicking their fates about with a shuffle of papers, and even being important enough to tell the sempai what to do (and everyone knew that part was the most amazing). But that felt mostly like hearsay and legend some days.
Johnny still came into the office every day, a hold-over from an era defined by long hours and life-time employment, but he didn't have his fingers into everything anymore, not the way he used to. It used to be that he knew everything that was going on in his company, and he knew it as soon as the participants knew it, almost before it even happened. These days it felt like he was working in an isolated bubble, trying to touch the company through layers of gauze and cotton. It almost felt like he was being retired out, coming in to work, but moved to the side of the office, where the information eddied occassonally--if everyone else were having a slow day and were a little bit bored--instead of being at the swirling center of the company.
Some days, like today, Johnny wondered if maybe he shouldn't just go home. Let the office whirl on by without him. He didn't have anything to do at home, but at least he wouldn't have to watch other people with more energy propelling his dream without him.
He went to the cafeteria instead. More people, less cotton fuzz. He wasn't really hungry but Johnny seldom was these days, so he ordered rice with korokke and miso. The lunch lady had worked there at least 15 years and recognized him, and gave him 2 extra korokke and a smile before shooing him past her window so she could serve the staff-member behind him.
The cafeteria was full up, right around noon, even though the weather was nice and gaggles of juniors were taking their lunches outside, back into the smoking area behind the building. Johnny slipped into an empty corner seat a few tables down and took a moment, eyes closed, sucking in the chaotic bustle of lunch hour. It was a good kind of energy.
He ate quickly, getting most of the way through his bowl of rice, and the two korokke that came with the meal. The soup was hot and comforting, and when he finished that he closed his eyes again, letting everything wash over him. When he opened his eyes, Yamashita Tomohisa was standing behind the seat across from him.
"Ah, Johnny-san," Yamashita greeted him politely. "Do you mind if I sit here? It's really crowded today." Johnny nodded and waved him down. "It's kind of unusual to see you down in the cafeteria. All this noise."
"It's good down here. See the juniors, the groups, the staff all together. Everyone's growing up." He doesn't mean to, but Johnny can't help sounding just a little wistful.
"That's right," Yamapi agrees amicably. "It's nice to eat with everybody, even if you're not really eating together. Just being around everyone can give you a lot of energy, don't you think?"
Johnny nods again. "Yes, coming down here is good for one's mood." He manages one last bite of korokke before giving up. She shouldn't have given him the extra.
Yamapi continued, taking a big spoonful of curry rice. "Besides, the food is good here."
Johnny arranges his empty dishes on his tray and stands up. "YOU," he says, handing Yamashita the plate holding the two extra korokke. "Eat this."
Yamashita's smiles and takes the plate. "YOU. Keep looking forward. It's not Johnny's without you."
Johnny frowned down at him. "YOU. Don't be rude to your elders." Yamashita ducked his head apologetically, but he was still smiling. Maybe Johnny didn't feel so tired today afterall.
wishlist fic for yamapea ♥
word count: 884
Johnny was tired. He didn't feel well today. Again. He was getting old. He didn't like to think about it, didn't want to admit it, but it was the truth. Johnny Kitagawa was old. And he was tired.
In the past, whenever he started feeling run down or burnt out, Johnny did one of two things. He either looked forward, or he looked around. Forward had him chasing his dreams again, how much more he wanted to accomplish, how much further Johnny's Entertainment had to climb to make it to the top. And around, particularly as the years progressed, because he was at the top now, and see how much he had accomplished, survey a busy, thriving entertainment business and feel that hum in his bones of the success of the worker hive. But, lately, neither of those seemed to work the way they did before. They didn't give him an extra boost of drive, they didn't give him that last spurt of energy you get when you come up on the finish line. He just didn't have the energy to give.
Running things didn't give him as much pleasure as it did before. To be honest, he wasn't running things the way he did before, not really. He'd gotten busy and delegated operations (because you have to do that sometimes), and he'd gotten old and appointed managers (because he can't be the one running around after kids). Juniors still told stories about him, the weird old man who sometimes showed up at auditions but mostly did mysterious managerial things, flicking their fates about with a shuffle of papers, and even being important enough to tell the sempai what to do (and everyone knew that part was the most amazing). But that felt mostly like hearsay and legend some days.
Johnny still came into the office every day, a hold-over from an era defined by long hours and life-time employment, but he didn't have his fingers into everything anymore, not the way he used to. It used to be that he knew everything that was going on in his company, and he knew it as soon as the participants knew it, almost before it even happened. These days it felt like he was working in an isolated bubble, trying to touch the company through layers of gauze and cotton. It almost felt like he was being retired out, coming in to work, but moved to the side of the office, where the information eddied occassonally--if everyone else were having a slow day and were a little bit bored--instead of being at the swirling center of the company.
Some days, like today, Johnny wondered if maybe he shouldn't just go home. Let the office whirl on by without him. He didn't have anything to do at home, but at least he wouldn't have to watch other people with more energy propelling his dream without him.
He went to the cafeteria instead. More people, less cotton fuzz. He wasn't really hungry but Johnny seldom was these days, so he ordered rice with korokke and miso. The lunch lady had worked there at least 15 years and recognized him, and gave him 2 extra korokke and a smile before shooing him past her window so she could serve the staff-member behind him.
The cafeteria was full up, right around noon, even though the weather was nice and gaggles of juniors were taking their lunches outside, back into the smoking area behind the building. Johnny slipped into an empty corner seat a few tables down and took a moment, eyes closed, sucking in the chaotic bustle of lunch hour. It was a good kind of energy.
He ate quickly, getting most of the way through his bowl of rice, and the two korokke that came with the meal. The soup was hot and comforting, and when he finished that he closed his eyes again, letting everything wash over him. When he opened his eyes, Yamashita Tomohisa was standing behind the seat across from him.
"Ah, Johnny-san," Yamashita greeted him politely. "Do you mind if I sit here? It's really crowded today." Johnny nodded and waved him down. "It's kind of unusual to see you down in the cafeteria. All this noise."
"It's good down here. See the juniors, the groups, the staff all together. Everyone's growing up." He doesn't mean to, but Johnny can't help sounding just a little wistful.
"That's right," Yamapi agrees amicably. "It's nice to eat with everybody, even if you're not really eating together. Just being around everyone can give you a lot of energy, don't you think?"
Johnny nods again. "Yes, coming down here is good for one's mood." He manages one last bite of korokke before giving up. She shouldn't have given him the extra.
Yamapi continued, taking a big spoonful of curry rice. "Besides, the food is good here."
Johnny arranges his empty dishes on his tray and stands up. "YOU," he says, handing Yamashita the plate holding the two extra korokke. "Eat this."
Yamashita's smiles and takes the plate. "YOU. Keep looking forward. It's not Johnny's without you."
Johnny frowned down at him. "YOU. Don't be rude to your elders." Yamashita ducked his head apologetically, but he was still smiling. Maybe Johnny didn't feel so tired today afterall.