[Fanfic] A Beautiful Mess (Chapter Thirteen)
Update, update! I don't know if you guys wanted more of Akanishi Jin in this fic but I figured Yana needs some close friend besides Eri. Someone that she runs to whenever she needed to talk, someone who is not afraid to point out her mistakes and weaknesses and I think I sort of established their close relationship in the past chapters.
As always, the fic is unbeta-ed so forgive me if you spotted some errors while reading and don't hesitate to get my attention. Comments, suggestions, reactions are appreciated. Happy reading!
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It was already two o’clock in the morning, the road is peacefully quiet and cars are nowhere in sight except for a dark silver Mazda 6 parked outside a residential building. The engine is on and looks like the driver is seated inside, waiting for someone to come out of the building or maybe, waiting for someone to arrive home.
Akanishi Jin finally arrived home after spending the entire day in the studio, writing songs after songs. It was only after he starts feeling pain in his eyes that he manages to look for the time, it was past midnight, he’s been writing for over fourteen hours already. He was already several meters away from his apartment building when he spotted a familiar car camping by the sidewalk. He quickly pulled over behind it and jumps out of his car. He knocks on the window and the driver quickly went outside as soon as she saw him.
“It’s two in the morning, Yana. What are you doing here?” Jin asked, a smile is curling up on the side of his mouth.
From the look on Yana’s face, he already knew what she’s been doing here. And from how that smile is breaking in his face, Yana is sure that he can read her mind.
“I came to apologize.” Yana answered. “With a peace offering.” She added before pointing in the backseat of her car. Jin saw two large boxes of pizza and two bottles of soda sitting there.
“Perfect timing.” Jin remains unfazed but in his mind he knew Yana took a lot of courage to go here. She usually doesn’t admit defeat, especially whenever she gets into a fight with him. It was him who always says sorry first, not because it’s his fault but because he’s tired of fighting over petty things. “All I ate today is that curry sold over at the Jimusho and it taste really bad!”
They quickly went upstairs to Jin’s unit and began munching on their midnight snack. Somehow, without saying ‘sorry’ and ‘I forgive you’, the two friends already lets go of that fight they had a few nights ago. Jin didn’t try to mention that again tonight, he will let Eri take care of it.
“So, you’re leaving in two days? So soon…” Yana utter in dismay as she crouches on the living room floor.
“You can come with me…” Jin offered and Yana just laughs it off. “Don’t you have an American dream?” He asked.
“No.” Yana quickly dismissed. “I’m fine with Japan alone, thank you. I have other dreams in mind that doesn’t involve being in the spotlight.”
Yana’s entry in the Japanese entertainment is part of her impulsive decision of running away from her undesirable university life. A talent scout spotted her while shopping with her grandmother in Ginza back in 2003 while she’s in Japan for the Christmas holidays. The scout quickly came over and asked her if she wanted to appear in magazines to which she quickly answers ‘no’. The scout didn’t give up easily and gave her his card and instructed her to call him if ever she changed her mind, telling her that she has gorgeous eyes, an immaculate skin tone and a perfect height to match being a model. She just slips that card in to her wallet and forgets about it. But when her grades in university started dropping down, Yana decided to pick that card from her wallet and unwarily dials the scout’s number, telling him that she’s now interested and if they want to hire her, they should book her a flight back to Japan.
She was a business management major in an Ivy League institution in New York, she studied hard to get into that school only to be dictated by her grandparents that she took up a management related course because they want her to take over their business in the future. It was then that she started losing interest in studying, resulting to failing grades and threatening to be kicked out from that respectable university.
“Come on, it’s better to be in the spotlight than go hiding in the shadows where people don’t credit you enough for your hard work.” Jin stated a matter-of-factly.
“Well, sorry to disappoint you, Akanishi-san but I’m just a simple girl who loves to write songs. I never really intend to stay long in this business. Maybe in five years’ time, when I turn 30, I’ll retire and just focus on writing for other artist and maybe start directing concerts and movies, behind the scenes work where you actually don’t get yourself involve in stupid scandals and a chance to live life as normal as possible.”
“I thought you’ll retire because you want to settle down.” Jin mockingly says, receiving an evil stare from Yana. “Why don’t you find a new guy and start dating? I mean, you tried dating once, you can try it again maybe it will work this time… ” he suggested but she’s not buying.
“No way.” Yana answered. “Atleast, not for now. It’s too early. My heart is not yet ready to engage in war yet.”
“But you’re open to the idea?”
Yana thought for a while. “Maybe…” She said apprehensively and Jin raised his eyebrow with her uncertainty. “I don’t understand myself lately, you know. Maybe those medications started messing up brain or something. I think I changed a lot to the point that I myself don’t know me anymore… If that even makes sense to you.” She leaned her back on the edge of the couch and started staring blankly in the wall behind Jin.
“Care to elaborate more on that?” Jin suggested.
“Well, for one I actually started trusting guys and began making friends with them, like just pure friendship thing without any devious sexy plan involve.” Yana sighed and Jin is starting to smile naughtily.
“You mean, you actually see guys differently now? Like they’re not some kind of animal that you wanted to kill?” Jin asked and Yana nods her head. “Who is this guy? If it wasn’t too much to ask…”
Yana rests her chin on her palm before looking into Jin’s inquisitive eyes. “Nino and I are good friends now…”
Jin sniggered at the mention of Nino and good friends in one sentence. “I thought you guys wanted to kill each other?” he started laughing.
“He wasn’t that bad as I thought. He’s pretty caring, actually. Although he prefers showing that side discreetly…” Yana says softly.
“Because he’s got the hots you.” Jin gives her a knowing look.
Yana softly laughed. “I turned him down.”
“He confessed?” Jin is surprised. “So he really did like you…”
“I felt guilty actually…” Yana wrapped her arms around her legs, curling her body into ball.
Jin gapes at her. “You’re feeling guilty now? When did that happen?”
“I told you, I changed… Nino and I are starting to get along really well and I don’t want that new friendship to go to waste just because he felt something more for me. Plus, I wanted to be honest to him, I don’t want to lead him on with his feelings.”
“So you’re taking this new perception of guys and relationships to whole new level?”
“Believe it or not, yes. Just the other night, Matsumoto Jun spent the entire night in my apartment and you know what we did? We ate Chinese food and watched movies! And I actually find it really fun!”
“Wait a second… Matsumoto Jun?” Jin crosses his eyebrows.
“Well, lately we’ve been hanging out…” Yana trailed as Jin’s eyes are starting to get bigger. “Please don’t ask me when did it started because honestly, it just happen. One day we started calling each other ‘friends’, which I actually like…” She admitted. She never really called any guys’ friends besides Jin, Ryo, Yamapi and Yuu so with the addition of Matsumoto Jun in her guy friends, she was actually quite delighted.
“Hold on, I’m still confused with this… When did you meet him to begin with?”
“Around.” Yana answered vividly and Jin narrowed his eyes on her. “We just happen to bump into each other all the time and with him knowing my little secret, we have some topic to talk about.”
“You actually talk to him about that?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. That’s something. Why are you suddenly so open to some stranger?”
“He’s not a stranger! You guys know him!”
“To us, he’s not but he’s a stranger to you.”
Yana groaned in frustration as both her palm are sandwiching her cheeks, she doesn't like it when Jin is giving her an accusing look. “I told you, those meds are messing my mind that I started opening up to some stranger…”
Jin watch Yana as she contemplates on her sudden change of personality, she’s frowning and from the way she twitches her nose, she’s deeply thinking about it. He slowly sat beside her, pulled her over to his body as she rests her head on his shoulder.
“You know what I think…” Jin began to talk while playing her hair. “I think you’re starting to mature, easy as that. And that’s a good thing.”
Yana sighed, a big one, as if throwing away all the anxiousness in her system.
“You know, Matsumoto-kun can be little intimidating at first but he’s actually nice. I think you can be good friends.”
“He is…” Yana mumbled, smiling to herself as she closed her eyes.
“Can I sleep here tonight? I’m going to miss you Bakanishi, I need to utilize the time while you’re still here.”
Jin playfully strangled her into his arms. “I’m going to miss you too, Yanana. I won’t be back until summer, so please don’t mature so fast. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to know you anymore by the time I get back.”
Yana tried to get away from his arms and as soon as she manages to do so, she clasps Jin’s face to her palms. “Jin, summer’s in three months, it wasn’t that long and besides, I’m still Yanana, your best friend. No matter how mature I get I will always be your best friend.”
They cuddled into tight hug, savoring every moment they have before they separate for three months. Yana have always been thankful for having Jin around, she may not be vocal about it but Jin helped her through a lot of things, he’s like a responsible older brother who dote so much on his little sister and would do everything to keep her from harm.
---
The clock reads three o’clock in the morning and Matsumoto Jun just arrived at home after spending the night drinking with the Shiyagare staff. He started stripping off his clothes and went to the bathroom to fill the tub. He was tired and he needed a little dip in the warm water to relax. The past few days were a little hectic, because of the other members schedule, they need to squeeze their work as a group, which means filming several episodes of variety show a day and doing numerous group photo shoots and interview at one go. His solo work is starting to pile up too, the spring drama may have just started but TV stations already started their casting for next season and he was casted for Fuji TV’s next getsu9 drama, his first.
He pour some bath salt in the water started soaking his body into it, he hanged his head in the edge and closed his eyes. It was during moments like these when his mind would unconsciously start drifting into someone, some girl to be exact. That silly mind of his never fails to think about her at night, when he’s laying comfortably in bed and just about to sleep. They haven’t seen each other since that night in her apartment seeing that both of them are pretty busy. He sent her a text a few days back, asking if she’s feeling better already, she replied that she’s more than fine and she would love to hang around her apartment with him again. Of course, he’s ecstatic with that reply, he was glad that she liked his company.
He doesn’t want to rush everything with Yana. Taking things slow is the best solution. Actually, he’s pretty much satisfied with them being friends for now, after all, he thinks Yana needs time and space from all the relationship shit she experienced a few months before. Besides, at this point of their friendship, it’s better to just take time to get to know each other better.
Jun quickly snaps his eyes open when his phone started ringing, he reached for it on the bathroom floor and to his surprise, it’s a text from Yana.
From: Izumi Yana (Mobile)
================================
04/15/2010 3:20 AM
================================
This may be the first message you’ll
read once you wake up and I don’t even
know what time you wakes up but
whatever time it is, do you want to have
breakfast with me? :)
================================
Jun laughs at how silly and funny this text message is, he came in a conclusion that Izumi Yana is very cute whenever she gets hyper.
He quickly types a reply.
To: Izumi Yana (Mobile)
================================
Are you still awake? I’ll call you.
Let’s plan that breakfast.
================================
He would much prefer hearing her voice than reading her text messages.
Tomorrow is a busy day, he starts at nine in the morning. He’s not a morning person so most of the time he wakes up thirty minutes before call time and would arrive late at the location. But for Yana, he would try to wake up early, he wanted to see her so badly.
From: Izumi Yana (Mobile)
================================
04/15/2010 3:27 AM
================================
Yes! Call me now. :)
================================
He dialed her number and she picks up right away, answering with such cheerful voice at this time of the day.
“It’s almost 3:30 in the morning, why are you still awake?” Jun asked, combing his wet hair with his fingers.
“I can’t sleep.” From the sound of her voice, she’s probably laying in her bed. “Why are you still awake, Jun-kun?”
“I just arrived home.” Jun answered.
“You had a night out?” Yana asked casually and Jun is starting to smile at how they talk so freely with each other.
“Yeah, with the TV show staff. Yana, why do you suddenly want to have breakfast tomorrow?” He asked, curious.
He heard her laugh softly on the other line. “Just because I’m craving for this French toast and sausage in this one café in Omotesando and I don’t have anyone to go with.” Jun laugh at how random her reason is. “And besides, Jun-kun, I kinda miss you. We have seen each other for like… six days.” She started laughing loudly this time, he doesn’t know if she’s serious with her missing him but the fact that she mentioned that she misses him made his heart go doki-doki.
“You don’t have to make me an excuse if you only wanted to eat French toast and sausage.” Jun tried to joke.
“I am not!” Yana pretended to sound hurt. “I really do miss you… and I really do miss those French toast and sausage.” She started giggling.
Jun is irking to say that he misses her too but he figured that it will only spoil the happy atmosphere.
“Now, I’m curious to try those French toast and sausage that you’re so proud about. I can’t wait for tomorrow…errr, later, I mean.” Of course, he’s far more excited to see her.
“Oh… I was hoping you’d say you miss me too.” Yana said softly, her voice is melting in his ears. He suddenly froze in his spot, unable to respond. “I’m just kidding!” He heard her say on the other line. “Jaa, Jun-kun, it’s getting late, we should both sleep. See you later?”
Yana waited for him to speak again. “Ye… yes. Sure, see you later.” he can actually felt his throat turned dry by the sound of his voice.
“Okay. What time will you be available?” Yana continues to ask casually.
“Around 7:30? Is that good?” Jun, on the other hand, tried to sound normal as possible in the midst of the fast beating of his heart.
They quickly said their goodnights and goodbyes before hanging up their phones. Jun spent a little too much time on the tub than usual. He doesn’t want to go to sleep after that conversation, wishing that the time will fast forward to 7:30 so that he can see her again. He never felt this kind of rush before, excited, anxious and nervous at the same time. It’s not like he never went out with a girl before, he does, numerous times, but knowing the fact that he’s going to be with Izumi Yana makes a big difference.