Fic: Shameless [Chapter 1]
Shameless
Author: Revolutionary Girl Saffron
0. Prologue
1. Akihabara to Ginza
Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto, and I suppose My Sassy Girl belongs to Ho-sik Kim (novel), Jae-young Kwak (screenplay) and Jae-young Kwak (Director). I am but a lowly student with massive debt. If I owned Naruto there would be a lot less flashbacks and a lot more naughtiness 8D.
Author Notes: I never forgot this story, but I just assumed no one would care if I finished. Boy was I wrong! Seeing all your comments of encouragement moved me into writing again, I’m rusty but will definitely get better. So, this story is for you, MY SHAMELESS FANS! 3 ß Kissy face!
Also I should mention here that since starting this, I found that there was a guy on IMBD, known as bumfromkorea, that translated most of the original story, and it’s freakin’ awesome, so I’ll be including bits from that too
Shameless, Part 1 - Akihabara to Ginza
“Ne, Shino..Shino..SHINO!”
He was startled from his thoughts, and turned to the direction where the thrown chopsticks came from, his friend Naruto.
“Pass the sake over!”
“You could have just asked me, instead of yelling and throwing things” He tutted inwardly as he filled his cup and passed the earthenware jug to Chouji, who paused from his eating just long enough to pass it over to Naruto. He sipped his drink, and grimaced slightly. Too sour…
“The sake has gone off”
“Ehhh?” Naruto looked at his cup as if it was poisoned for a second or two, then shrugged and took a gulp of his own drink “There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s awesome, and you’re just too much of a pussy because it’s too strong!” He took another deep drink and slopped another round of the hot drink into his cup.
“Shut up, you dobe” Sasuke, Naruto’s boyfriend, muttered with a smirk “You’re making everyone here look at you like a drunk”
“I’m not a DRUNK! And I’m not a dobe neither” Despite, his loud (Which was pretty normal for the blond) denial, Shino could see Naruto’s tanned face was already starting to flush from the effects from the drink, he also saw Sasuke and Shikamaru exchange a look between them.
“You” Shikamaru started, loading the words carefully as he lit a cigarette, “Are drunk. And a lightweight girl”
The effect was instant and devastating. “Why, you-you MOTHERFU-“
STUMBLETHUMP!!. Devastatingly funny that was, as Naruto tried to stand up and to punch his friend, all the while forgetting to use his legs. As the other patrons of the bar (and few passer-bys from outside) looked over in curiosity, Chouji laughed hard, clutching his stomach. Shikamaru was not too far behind and even Sasuke was chuckling.
Shino himself had to resist the urge to giggle and settled for a smirk, laughing was not for him, even with his friends. Laughing was…loud. It was one thing to be friends with people that made noise all the time, but contributing himself was simply out of the question.
As he took another sip of his Kakitamajiru(1) soup, watching Naruto sheepishly picking himself off the floor with Sasuke’s help, he still wondered how he managed to get such a group of friends. Well, yes he knew how it happened, but it still seemed bizarre to him.
He had known Shikamaru and Chouji from high school, and the three of them made the ‘outsiders’ group at the small and exclusive academy. Shikamaru was good looking enough to be considered a catch with the girls, but he had always preferred to spend all his time with his overweight, almost homely childhood friend, Chouji. They had another childhood friend, Ino, who went to another high school and was now studying abroad, but he knew that until high school they called themselves InoShikaCho, but now it was just ShikaCho. Shino had become friends with ShikaCho when they were all assigned for class cleanup duty one day, and it had progressed from then. Shino had always felt relaxed with them, most of their time together was spent outside, Shikamaru and Chouji eating and looking at the clouds, talking about nothing, Shino with a book. Some times he kept a slight distance, he knew that there was an attraction between them even then. No tension or awkwardness, just comfort and closeness. They did not need to tell him when they started to date, he already knew.
When they entered Tokyo University, all studying Japanese History, they met Naruto and Sasuke in the first day of class, when Naruto accidentally called Shikamaru a bastard. It was a case of mistaken identity, and Shikamaru himself was not bothered (Or did not have the energy to be annoyed, Shino could still not tell) but Sasuke, who had been next to Shikamaru, was, and they started bickering in the room until the teacher came in. After class, Naruto (probably after being threatened by Sasuke) apologized for his rudeness. From that day, all five sat together in their classes. At first Shino was…reluctant to talk to Naruto, such a crude, loud and thoughtless person, but eventually he started to warm to him, he was so friendly and animated, with the sort of personality (when he calmed down) you could not not like. He soon learned that Sasuke and Naruto were still a new couple, they had been in same high school and hated each other the whole time, yet started dating in the holiday between school and university.
His friends’ relationships were interesting to Shino. ShikaCho he could understand, they had things in common with each other, and could spend hours together without annoying each other. Sasuke and Naruto was a different story, they fought at least twice a week and loved nothing more than antagonizing each other. At first, he decided it was lust that kept them together and that they would break up within a few months. But that was when they were eighteen, and now, nearly three years later, about to enter Grad school, they were still strong.
From the group’s table position, they were at the front of the bar, next to the large window with a view of the December night, and a tall, lanky man about his age hurried past the window caught his eye, and he watched him for a moment. Shino himself had very few significant relationships in his life, the last being Takeru, when he was seventeen. That man looked a bit like Takeru, his type, slight, quiet and thoughtful. Naruto once teased him that he must be secretly straight to like such feminine men, but that was what he liked, someone who could make his life a little easier. Maybe if the one day he brought home a boy to his parents, a delicate-but not effeminate man like that could perhaps ease the difficulty for him…
His phone started to vibrate on the table, almost vibrating into the cup. He looked at the display screen, then grimaced slightly as he flipped it open.
“Hello, mother”
“Don’t you ‘Hello, mother’ with me, young man, where the hell are you!?” She always sounded annoyed on the phone, but this time she sounded, well, pissed off.
“I’m in a bar with my friends”
“You were supposed to help me clear out my office tonight, and you’re in a bar?”
“But that’s next week”
“What? You sure?”
“Yes mother, you said two days ago it would be next week instead because you had that meeting today. Check your diary”
A pause, pages rustling “Oh” He had to resist the urge to roll his eyes “Um…well then, be a good son and buy your mother a box of doughnuts”
“…Doughnuts?” He hated when she just changed the subject like that “It’s nearly midnight, where would I get doughnuts?”
“Don’t be silly, there’s that American sweets shop near Ginza station that sells doughnuts, I think they close at two”
“But I’m in Akihabara-”
“Then it won’t take long to get there, will it? Go get them for your old poor ‘Kaasan(2) and make sure not to wake us up when you come home, okay?”
“But-“
“Goodnight!” Dial tone. He brought the phone down from his ear and stared in disbelief at it.
“Was that your ‘Kaasan?” He looked up and saw Chouji looking at him in confusion.
“Yes, she wants me to go to Ginza for doughnuts, right now”
“Now?” Chouji glanced outside with concern “But it’s snowing, why didn’t you say you’d do it tomorrow or something?”
Shino was already checking his wallet “Because even if I leave it for tomorrow, she’ll never let the matter drop, and she’ll go on about my ungratefulness” There was more than enough for the doughnuts and return journey “She’s always irritable when she’s writing a book, so right now it’s best just to do as she says”
“Maaa, really?” Chouji still looked concerned but smiled a bit “Then why don’t you go quickly then come back? I promise I won’t eat the doughnuts as long as you bring me some”
He had to smile at that “With jam?”
“Yup, and a plain one for Shika”
-
Akihabara station had a crowd waiting for trains, which for a Friday night was pretty normal, but small enough that he was able to make his way to the far end of the platform away from the crowd without difficulty. Up at this end there was only a middle aged couple, and an elderly woman.
There was also a boy in a heavy coat, and even without seeing face, Shino could see that he was very drunk, because he was swaying slightly, head down. He was dangerously too close to the edge of the platform, in fact the tips of his sneakers were already over the edge. If he was not careful, he’d fall right on to the tracks. Shino quietly walked to the front of the platform, just out of grabbing distance of the boy. Hopefully if he started to fall he could catch the drunk in time.
Nearly five minutes later, the Tannoy’s cheerful pre-announcer jingle started “Yamanote Circle Line train to Shinjyuku approaching, please keep a distance until the train arrives, and allow passengers to disembark first, thank you” He glanced at the drunk boy again, he was definitely swaying more. In fact he looked like he was about to go to sleep standing up. He’s going to fall in.
Behind Shino, and the other end of the platform, the train lights appeared at the end of the tunnel, but all the registered in his mind was the increasing sounds of the train, and the boy swaying…his knees giving out…
As quick as he could, he grabbed the guy by the hood of his coat and pulled him a few steps away from the edge, letting go when out of immediate danger. A second later, the train passed where the boy would have fallen, and Shino looked quickly away, because the drunk was staring at him now. He had saved his life, but as far as he knew, the drunk could be thinking he was trying to rob him. Almost half a minute passed, the train slowing to a stop about a dozen feet ahead, and still the guy was staring at him. Just as the doors where about to open, Shino finally looked back at the guy to ask why was he was staring. He stopped. The drunk boy was not looking him in a malicious way, just looking in a slightly hazy but disturbingly focused way, which really did not make any sense. He could see now that the boy was about his age, with red facial tattoos, a lip ring, and a pierced eyebrow. A punk. After a moment, the boy sneered slightly then turned away, pulling up his black furred hood over his head before elbowing his way on to the train.
-
For the longest time afterwards, Shino would consider what happened on that Friday night train journey to be one of the most bizarre incidents of his life. Well, in fairness, after this night a lot more strange things would happen, but since this was the turning point, he would remember it best of all.
At the time, however, it seemed that he was being lumbered with a fucking mess.
At first, it all seemed pretty normal, the drunk boy immediately leaned against the train doors opposite Shino quietly. Shino himself was leaning against the opposite train doors, the carriage was not too full, all the seats were taken but only he and the drunk were standing. Most of the journey was uneventful, the boy was quiet, gripping the handlebar above his head in a tight grip, eyes closed. Possibly reaching some new level of drunkenness, Shino guessed, and he had to smile a little, because the boy was swaying in time to the movements of the train, eyes still closed, looking as if he was about to go to sleep. This rough looking guy, about to doze off, looked almost…cute. In fact, he was actually quite good looking. Not delicate, but maybe handsome, despite the strange things he put in his face. His hair was a messy dark brown, like he had been rolling around all day like a dog.
Suddenly, the boy made a hiccupping noise, then a weird sort of gulping hiccup, like he was trying to keep something down. He lurched to the side to lean against the nearby pole by the seats, groaning slightly. Shino looked around quickly, only he seemed to be paying attention to him, he was hiccupping more, still swaying. He was… he looked like he was going to… Oh he hoped he wasn’t going to-
Abruptly, the boy shivered violently, and vomited on the man in the seat in front of him.
Now that had everyone’s attention, including from the man who had been sick on.
There was a stunned silence, except for the boy turning his head to be sick again on the floor nearby. The man, after about ten seconds, slowly wiped his head with his newspaper, and looked at in disbelief and horror. Then, slowly, reached up again and pulled off his toupee, now plastered in vomit. Only after staring at that for a moment, did he look at the boy next to him, bent over double holding his stomach, shivering. Everyone on the carriage was still too stunned to do anything, and for Shino, it only got worse from there.
The boy eventually managed to stand up again, definitely looking for the worse, and spotted Shino with his dazed eyes. Smiled, reached towards him, and spoke;
“Honey…honey ….” And promptly passed out.
Another shocked silence, only this time Shino felt all eyes on him. He was as shocked as everyone else! Why had that guy-
“YOU!”
He actually jumped that time. It was that time he felt his shoulders and back rubbing against the doors, like he could run away from this. He looked at the direction of the voice, and saw the man with vomit on him standing up, face turning red with rage.
“You’re responsible for this guy!?”
“No-“ Shino started.
“It’s true!” A lady stood up this time, wearing sunglasses (at this time of night?) “I saw him looking at him”
“Why didn’t you look after him!?” The man’s face looked like it was about to turn purple, and he was holding his stained toupee in a white knuckled grip.
This was bad.
“Um”
-
Shino could not believe this, he really could not believe this.
Apparently he was now this guy’s ‘boyfriend’, having to take responsibility for this oaf. He had to pay for the poor man’s dry cleaning with all the money he had on him, as well as take off his sweater to mop up the mess. By the time he was done, the train had stopped, and he had to drag the boy out of the carriage by his arms. People who had seen what happened had tutted as they stepped over the boy. He even caught one or two whispers of “Delinquent lifestyles”. He, a delinquent? That was a first.
When the train left, with the platform empty, he briefly wondered if he should just leave this guy on the floor. He didn’t even know this boy, and he had already gotten him into more trouble than he had even been in, in his entire life.
It was very tempting to just dump him on a bench and leave.
But he had not, he had decided to do the honourable (stupid) thing and carry him on his back to a hotel. Shino had just left the train station, and he was already sweating. Despite the winter cold and his coat open, with the dead weight of the boy on his back and the fact that Shino was never the physical type anyway, his back was killing him.
As he walked on he looked around desperately, that had to be somewhere to dump this guy. People were staring and giggling
Suddenly he saw a large, nondescript building off the main road, with blacked-out windows. A love hotel. He was not that desperate yet, and even he knew that those places usually charged by the hour.
His knees shook at the weight on him, and he felt sweat trickled down the back of his neck. Maybe he was that desperate.
-
He stared at the price list of ‘Sweetheart Hotel’ tacked on the frosted glass in disbelief and more than a little disgust.
“¥42,000(3) for an overnight stay?“
The nondescript silhouette behind the glass shrugged, “Standard fee. Same for everyone, unless you want one of the really kinky rooms, that’s extra”
“But I’m just… we’re just looking for a place to sleep, we’re not going to…do anything else”
“Sure kid, whatever you say. That’s the price, take it or leave”
Well, of course he had to take it, the sooner he ditched this dead weight the better, not only was his back killing him but the guy was making him deaf in his left ear with his snoring.
“Alright”
-
Shino had to practically throw the guy on the bed before his back broke in two. Still burning hot, he stripped off his coat and sat with his back to the large bed, out of breath. Three floors. He had climbed three flights of stairs, because there was no lift in the building. He really, really, should have asked about that before he signed the agreement form. Right now he was so exhausted he wanted to die. In the last thirty minutes he had cleaned up vomit, carried this guy for nearly a mile and up dozens of stairs, and, with the cost of the dry cleaning and the room, he was nearly “¥43,000 out of pocket, and that wasn’t even counting the loss of his sweater. And the bastard was still out cold, still snoring, still annoying.
About ten minutes later, when his breathing was back to normal, he glanced at the boy on the bed, who had now rolled towards the other side of the bed, and started snoring again.
It was very tempting to just fall asleep here. But he really did not know this guy, or how he would react in the morning, waking up in the morning with a stranger.
As Shino put on his coat and pulled his wallet from his slacks, he wondered for the first time that night what he had done. He had done the decent thing, but he did not even know this guy, and he had gotten into trouble for him. Being in trouble was a pretty foreign concept to him, and he was not sure if he liked it. He had always been trusted and liked by his elders for his perfection and reliability, but it was as if this boy’s delinquency had infected him from when he saved him from falling.
A delinquent. Aburame Shino, a delinquent.
He counted his money. Not enough cash, he would have to pay with his credit card, and explain the transaction to his parents later. There was a desk by the window with hotel stationary. He picked up a pen that had seen better days, and a piece of headlined paper, and scribbled a quick note for the boy, that he carried him when he passed out, to call when he was awake. Just as he finished writing his number, he glanced at the clock. Just past two. He needed to get home soon for a decent night of sleep.
-
Why was his pillow was moving?
Shino raised his head fuzzily, his eyes barely open. It did not look like it was moving, but he put his hand on it just to make sure, as his head cleared. It definitely was not moving, but vibrating. He lifted the pillow cautiously. It was his phone, which explained a lot.
Rubbing his eyes, he put on his glasses and opened his phone without looking at the display screen.
“Hello?”
The line almost crackled with the venom of the voice on the other end of the line; “Oi, you bastard, what the fuck did you do to me!?”
--
1. Egg drop soup. Made with string beans, shiitake mushrooms and egg.
2. Informal term for ‘mother’ i.e. mum, or mom. Shino would call her ‘Okaasan’ (mother), but I used ‘Kaasan’ here to informality… writing ‘mum’ here just seems wrong .
3. About £200, or 400.
--
A/N: Mwahahahahahaha!! (Five exclamation points, a sure sign of insanity.)
Love it? Want to kill me because it’s that bad? Then review!