[FIC] Saturdays (Shirota/Aiba; PG)
My ShiroAi muse is back. ♥ EDEN ponta-chan, I'm sorry. I intended this to be a KamaDate, but it turned out to be ShiroAi T_T. I hope you don't mind.
Title: Saturdays
Author: nikki hiiragizawa
Fandom: The Musical Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Shirota/Aiba
Genre: drama, romance
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1136
Disclaimer: Shirota Yuu and the D-BOYS are under Watanabe Enterntainment. Aiba Hiroki is under AVEX Entertainment, Inc. The author is in no way affiliated with either companies and this work, even though based on real events, will not happen in real life.
Challenge: 20_waka
Theme: #18 - Forgetting
If completely
Cold were we
And had ended it,
Forgetting you
Would come easily.
-Izumi Shikibu
~x~
Shirota Yuu hated Saturdays.
A few months ago, Saturday was Shirota’s epitome of bliss. It was a day he always looked forward to. Oftentimes, he would move all his events and appointments to all the other days of the week, even Sundays, just so he could leave Saturday free. It was a day he allotted for himself and his personal life.
However, right now, he felt like dropping Saturday off his days of the week. Right now, there weren’t any reason to lay off work on a Saturday. He walked in to an empty apartment anyway, and the memories of the last few things that happened in there were too painful to brood over. Shirota found staying in his apartment the whole day unnerving and depressing.
People say that when you’re depressed, you need to keep yourself busy in order to keep the gloomy disposition out of your system. Shirota intended to follow the advice, and worked long hours, accepting any project that came his way. Still, his manager seemed to have gotten used to leaving Saturday free for him. Shirota wanted to tell her that leaving Saturdays free for him was meaningless now, but he did not want to explain to his manager why and how everything happened.
He was scared of spending Saturday in his apartment. He was scared of remembering. That was probably the reason why Shirota was now squashed in an ice cream parlor booth, sitting between Zukki and Endou. Yanagi and Adachi sat on the other side of the table. In front of them were towering parfaits, each customized to each person’s weird taste.
“We look like retards here,” Adachi jokingly remarked. “Five guys spending Saturday in an ice cream parlor.” It was true enough. Most of the other booths were filled with either groups of girls or lovers.
Zukki shushed him. “Don’t say that. It’s Shirotan who’s treating us,” he scolded good-naturedly. Suddenly, his face turned solemn as he stabbed his parfait with a spoon. “But really, it’s a bit insulting, treating us like your weekend entertainment. I even have a photoshoot later.”
Endou shrugged at Zukki’s statement. “If you’re really lonely, Shirotan, you should take up work on Saturdays.” He slightly winced as Yanagi kicked his shin under the table.
“Who says I’m lonely?” Shirota slowly said, glum. “I just want to spend some time with you guys.” He continued to prod at the chocolate in his parfait, missing the knowing looks his friends exchanged. This was, after all, the fifith week Shirota had forced them off their schedules to spend time with him. Basketball. Movie. Ice cream parlor. Walking aimlessly in a nearby park or mall. That was the itinerary every blessed week. Shirota may not have noticed but his friends did.
“We know you too well,” Yanagi gently said. “You don’t like going out on your free time and you prefer staying at home.” When Shirota made no sign that he heard, Yanagi sighed. “We’re not stupid, you know. If you can’t help it, go talk...”
“I can’t do that!” Shirota snapped, surprising the rest. Realizing his outburst, Shirota shook his head. “I mean...I have to move on. I am moving on. It’s just that -- I can only do it slowly.”
Endou licked his spoon. “You won’t tell us what happened. Aibacchi won’t talk either. We don’t know anything. I don’t even know why I’m here but I still think talking to Aibacchi will be better.”
Adachi nodded in agreement. “I don’t think it’s that serious, right, Shirotan?”
Shirota dropped his spoon. “No, you don’t understand. Aiba-chan is...”
“Then snap out of it!” Zukki exclaimed. “If you want to move on, then show that you really want to! I can’t feel how you’re feeling but seeing you gloomy and sulky like that doesn’t really make me a happy camper either.” He stood up abruptly and walked towards the counter. “I’m off to my photoshoot. I’ll go pay the bill.”
Adachi seemed worried that Zukki was annoyed, but he kept quiet. “I won’t force you to tell us, Shirotan, but I’m really concerned about what happened.”
Shirota did not make a sound save from the scraping sounds his spoon made against the glass.
“He even gave all his sappy movie DVDs to me,” Yanagi said woefully. “And he repainted his apartment.” When Adachi blinked in surprise, Yanagi turned to Shirota. “If this meetup will help you get over your depression and help you move on, I don’t really have a problem participating.”
“Try going out with a new group,” Endou suggested. “Date girls. Shop. Go to karaoke. Do things you’ve never done before. I’m sure you’ll get over your old self in no time.”
Shirota nodded, letting their words sink in. Yanagi suddenly excused himself to go the restroom and Endou followed him. Before leaving, Endou muttered, “But we still think you’re better off talking to him.”
Shirota watched them go and sighed. “Maybe I should really rebuild my life,” he told Adachi. “I’ll try talking to my manager and see if she can fix my schedules and include Saturdays again. Maybe I should also try asking xxxx-san out to dinner after our filming. Maybe I should just go to places I don’t usually go, for a change of environment.”
Adachi nodded a bit hesitantly. “You really want to forget?” he asked Shirota warily as he drank from a water bottle.
“I don’t. I mean, I don’t know.” Shirota rubbed his temple. “I have no other choice now but to move on, right? Aiba-chan has especially made life easy for me by setting an example about forgetting our relaationship. If we continue like this, we’d move on to separate lives, I hope.” He took a spoonful of his ice cream. “I’ll learn,” he finally said.
Adachi quietly watched him. “Aiba-chan...he mentioned you in his blog.”
Shirota’s spoon clattered to the tabletop. It’s owner stared at Adachi in bewilderment.
“What?”
“He did. It was his entry from...Wednesday, I think.” Adachi nodded to emphasize his words. “He wrote that he remembered practicing with you,” Adachi hid a chuckle, “...and that he cried while listening to your song recordings.”
Adachi wanted to elaborate that Aiba’s entry was primarily not about Shirota, but about Aiba’s recorder. However, he decided to just sit back and enjoy his ice cream as he watched Shirota swallow, pick his bag up, and hurriedly go out of the ice cream parlor. Outside, Shirota frantically hailed a taxi and left.
“Where did Shirotan go?” Yanagi asked as he and Endou went back to the table.
Adachi shrugged and smiled as he spooned the last of his ice cream. “I don’t know, but I think you have to give his DVDs back soon.”
Yanagi and Endou looked at each other before exchanging knowing smiles. Looks like Saturdays won't be much hated anymore.
END
Note: Aiba's April 25, 2007 entry was about his voice recorder which he used while practicing for Tenimyu. He said that his recordings from Hyoutei Myu were still there and he listened to his voice/song sessions with Shirota while inside a train. At one point, he was driven to tears (inside the train) while listening to the recordings.
Thank you for reading :)♥
Title: Saturdays
Author: nikki hiiragizawa
Fandom: The Musical Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Shirota/Aiba
Genre: drama, romance
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1136
Disclaimer: Shirota Yuu and the D-BOYS are under Watanabe Enterntainment. Aiba Hiroki is under AVEX Entertainment, Inc. The author is in no way affiliated with either companies and this work, even though based on real events, will not happen in real life.
Challenge: 20_waka
Theme: #18 - Forgetting
If completely
Cold were we
And had ended it,
Forgetting you
Would come easily.
-Izumi Shikibu
~x~
Shirota Yuu hated Saturdays.
A few months ago, Saturday was Shirota’s epitome of bliss. It was a day he always looked forward to. Oftentimes, he would move all his events and appointments to all the other days of the week, even Sundays, just so he could leave Saturday free. It was a day he allotted for himself and his personal life.
However, right now, he felt like dropping Saturday off his days of the week. Right now, there weren’t any reason to lay off work on a Saturday. He walked in to an empty apartment anyway, and the memories of the last few things that happened in there were too painful to brood over. Shirota found staying in his apartment the whole day unnerving and depressing.
People say that when you’re depressed, you need to keep yourself busy in order to keep the gloomy disposition out of your system. Shirota intended to follow the advice, and worked long hours, accepting any project that came his way. Still, his manager seemed to have gotten used to leaving Saturday free for him. Shirota wanted to tell her that leaving Saturdays free for him was meaningless now, but he did not want to explain to his manager why and how everything happened.
He was scared of spending Saturday in his apartment. He was scared of remembering. That was probably the reason why Shirota was now squashed in an ice cream parlor booth, sitting between Zukki and Endou. Yanagi and Adachi sat on the other side of the table. In front of them were towering parfaits, each customized to each person’s weird taste.
“We look like retards here,” Adachi jokingly remarked. “Five guys spending Saturday in an ice cream parlor.” It was true enough. Most of the other booths were filled with either groups of girls or lovers.
Zukki shushed him. “Don’t say that. It’s Shirotan who’s treating us,” he scolded good-naturedly. Suddenly, his face turned solemn as he stabbed his parfait with a spoon. “But really, it’s a bit insulting, treating us like your weekend entertainment. I even have a photoshoot later.”
Endou shrugged at Zukki’s statement. “If you’re really lonely, Shirotan, you should take up work on Saturdays.” He slightly winced as Yanagi kicked his shin under the table.
“Who says I’m lonely?” Shirota slowly said, glum. “I just want to spend some time with you guys.” He continued to prod at the chocolate in his parfait, missing the knowing looks his friends exchanged. This was, after all, the fifith week Shirota had forced them off their schedules to spend time with him. Basketball. Movie. Ice cream parlor. Walking aimlessly in a nearby park or mall. That was the itinerary every blessed week. Shirota may not have noticed but his friends did.
“We know you too well,” Yanagi gently said. “You don’t like going out on your free time and you prefer staying at home.” When Shirota made no sign that he heard, Yanagi sighed. “We’re not stupid, you know. If you can’t help it, go talk...”
“I can’t do that!” Shirota snapped, surprising the rest. Realizing his outburst, Shirota shook his head. “I mean...I have to move on. I am moving on. It’s just that -- I can only do it slowly.”
Endou licked his spoon. “You won’t tell us what happened. Aibacchi won’t talk either. We don’t know anything. I don’t even know why I’m here but I still think talking to Aibacchi will be better.”
Adachi nodded in agreement. “I don’t think it’s that serious, right, Shirotan?”
Shirota dropped his spoon. “No, you don’t understand. Aiba-chan is...”
“Then snap out of it!” Zukki exclaimed. “If you want to move on, then show that you really want to! I can’t feel how you’re feeling but seeing you gloomy and sulky like that doesn’t really make me a happy camper either.” He stood up abruptly and walked towards the counter. “I’m off to my photoshoot. I’ll go pay the bill.”
Adachi seemed worried that Zukki was annoyed, but he kept quiet. “I won’t force you to tell us, Shirotan, but I’m really concerned about what happened.”
Shirota did not make a sound save from the scraping sounds his spoon made against the glass.
“He even gave all his sappy movie DVDs to me,” Yanagi said woefully. “And he repainted his apartment.” When Adachi blinked in surprise, Yanagi turned to Shirota. “If this meetup will help you get over your depression and help you move on, I don’t really have a problem participating.”
“Try going out with a new group,” Endou suggested. “Date girls. Shop. Go to karaoke. Do things you’ve never done before. I’m sure you’ll get over your old self in no time.”
Shirota nodded, letting their words sink in. Yanagi suddenly excused himself to go the restroom and Endou followed him. Before leaving, Endou muttered, “But we still think you’re better off talking to him.”
Shirota watched them go and sighed. “Maybe I should really rebuild my life,” he told Adachi. “I’ll try talking to my manager and see if she can fix my schedules and include Saturdays again. Maybe I should also try asking xxxx-san out to dinner after our filming. Maybe I should just go to places I don’t usually go, for a change of environment.”
Adachi nodded a bit hesitantly. “You really want to forget?” he asked Shirota warily as he drank from a water bottle.
“I don’t. I mean, I don’t know.” Shirota rubbed his temple. “I have no other choice now but to move on, right? Aiba-chan has especially made life easy for me by setting an example about forgetting our relaationship. If we continue like this, we’d move on to separate lives, I hope.” He took a spoonful of his ice cream. “I’ll learn,” he finally said.
Adachi quietly watched him. “Aiba-chan...he mentioned you in his blog.”
Shirota’s spoon clattered to the tabletop. It’s owner stared at Adachi in bewilderment.
“What?”
“He did. It was his entry from...Wednesday, I think.” Adachi nodded to emphasize his words. “He wrote that he remembered practicing with you,” Adachi hid a chuckle, “...and that he cried while listening to your song recordings.”
Adachi wanted to elaborate that Aiba’s entry was primarily not about Shirota, but about Aiba’s recorder. However, he decided to just sit back and enjoy his ice cream as he watched Shirota swallow, pick his bag up, and hurriedly go out of the ice cream parlor. Outside, Shirota frantically hailed a taxi and left.
“Where did Shirotan go?” Yanagi asked as he and Endou went back to the table.
Adachi shrugged and smiled as he spooned the last of his ice cream. “I don’t know, but I think you have to give his DVDs back soon.”
Yanagi and Endou looked at each other before exchanging knowing smiles. Looks like Saturdays won't be much hated anymore.
END
Note: Aiba's April 25, 2007 entry was about his voice recorder which he used while practicing for Tenimyu. He said that his recordings from Hyoutei Myu were still there and he listened to his voice/song sessions with Shirota while inside a train. At one point, he was driven to tears (inside the train) while listening to the recordings.
Thank you for reading :)♥