Fanfiction: Johnny's Entertainment: Any Way The Wind Blows [1/3]
Title: Any Way The Wind Blows [1/3]
Fandom: Johnny's Entertainment
Pairings: Sakurai Sho/Kato Shigeaki, eventual Nishikido Ryo/Kato Shigeaki
Warnings: Slash.
Status: Incomplete.
Notes: This started out as a commentfic at trivialaffair's LJ, and then grew. And grew. And grew. I hope you like this prelude to what you've already read, Triv. The title is a Queen reference, though the reference doesn't really matter. (Heh.) I just think a lot of the individual lines fit this fic pretty well, though not the song as a whole. Other possible titles included 'Scaramouche, Scaramouche, Will You Do The Fandango?', 'So You Think You Can Love Me And Leave Me To Die', and 'Look Into The Skies, And See', none of which would have made any sense. Not like this title does, either, but it can, I suppose. I really suck at giving titles. T_T
Shige can tell you how they got together because he knows exactly what happened, but at the same time he can’t quite tell you why they got together because he doesn’t know what, exactly, happened. He remembers every event of their long, strange, drawn-out relationship, but cannot explain any part of it.
He doesn’t know if he regrets it.
*
It is January the 1st, 2007, when Sakurai Sho first properly notices Kato Shigeaki.
Johnny’s Countdown has ended and the dressing rooms are full of boys and men winding down from their highs, packing up and going home or out to celebrate the New Year. Kato Shigeaki is standing alone at the common food table in the corridor outside the dressing rooms, looking for something to sustain him until he gets home, when Sakurai walks out of one of the dressing rooms. He recognises Kato as part of NEWS, who have just returned from hiatus, so he decides to stop, and congratulate him.
“Ah, Kato-kun,” he says, “Congratulations on NEWS’ return.” He is slightly surprised to see Shige look up and around slightly, as if wondering who Sakurai is talking to, before thanking him politely, albeit in a slightly starstruck manner. Sakurai can’t quite blame the kid - the hierarchies of the jimusho are treacherous enough to navigate without the complications of being NEWS’ underdog to boot.
So he stands next to Kato and pours himself green tea from what remains in the 2 litre plastic bottle, and jostles him playfully with his shoulder as he jokes, “Ah, you don’t look too happy about returning at all.” He expects the boy to give the token polite response of denial, so he is surprised when he actually says, “Well, I just began reading law at Aoyama, I’m not quite ready to be an idol again…”
Sakurai isn’t normally the type to be curious about other people’s lives, even those whom he already knows rather well, but this confession piques his interest. Yet he surprises himself - and Kato, apparently, judging from the wide-eyed expression on his face - when he asks, “Well, want to catch a bite somewhere?”
Kato doesn’t know why he says yes; he puts it down to the fact that he’s hungry and food sounds good, and it’s 2 in the morning and his brain isn’t quite functioning from both the starvation and the fatigue.
It proves, as they both secretly suspected, not to be the most comfortable of situations to be in, but the two eventually warm to each other. Sakurai turns out to be the intellectual that everybody reveres him for, and Kato is impressed in equal parts by his intelligence, and his deferential way of talking that puts others right on the same level as him.
Before long Kato finds himself confessing all manner of things to Sakurai - how he’s scared of dragging everybody down, how everyone in NEWS except Koyama and Massu seems so strange and scary and capable and he’s secretly afraid of them all. He tells Sakurai about his fears for NEWS, how he doesn’t know how they’re just going to pick right up from where they left off, how successful their two-month long concert tour is going to be, how he’s afraid for himself and his own future.
In return, Sakurai confides in Kato and tells him that if Arashi hadn’t worked out, he would have quit Johnny’s and gone to be a salaryman. Kato’s amazed at this, because to him Arashi are sacred and untouchable - everybody can see just by looking how close the 5 of them are - so close, they are practically one person with 5 separate bodies. But Sakurai’s words - “Every group starts somewhere, Kato-kun,” - give him some sort of comfort even as he wonders if NEWS will ever get there.
By the time they go home, the dawn is breaking. They exchange numbers as old ladies do their slow but steady march down the pavement past them, and shake hands and wish each other a happy new year, Kato promising to call if he ever needs help - though, Sakurai laughs, he wonders how an economics student could ever help a law student anyway.
For a long time after, they don’t talk, because Kato feels awkward calling up his senpai, who would certainly have better things to do than to entertain the questions of a kouhai. The few times he looks back on that day at the start of 2007, he puts it down to the good feeling and spirit in the air that comes with the new year, and doesn’t think about it again.
*
A text message comes for him sometime in September.
Kato-kun! I hear NEWS is going to Taipei soon. How are you feeling? Excited? All the very best, and be careful not to fall ill. I hope you haven’t forgotten to tell your lecturer!
And Kato smiles, because he realises that he’s just experienced the fussing of ‘the mama of Arashi’.
Yes, I have, thank you for your concern. I can’t wait, the Chinese fans have waited for so long as well.
Good, good, it’s good to hear that you’re getting used to the life of an idol. ^o^
Kato doesn’t quite know what to say in response to that, so he leaves his phone aside, because the rest are calling him back to rehearsal.
*
Over the course of the next few months, Sho messages Shige a lot. He talks about whatever strikes his fancy - the weather, current politics, what he thought about that evening of News Zero. He just randomly picks his phone up without any prior thought and messages him, just like that.
Shige had started out with responses that were unfailingly polite, but gradually the responses became warmer, with Shige’s own brand of wry, wicked humour. It wasn’t very long before Sho realised that he was picking his phone up more and more just to message Shige, that he was beginning to look forward to his replies - that he dreaded even the thought of Shige not responding.
It doesn’t take him very long at all to realise that he might feel something more than simple fondness for Shige.
Sho knows what he sees in Shige. He sees a smart young boy who thinks about his future the way he thought nobody else in Johnny’s did. He sees someone whom he can talk to about intelligent things and not have their eyes glaze over, before absently nodding and sliding their attention on to other things.
But it’s not only that, he suspects. He thinks that maybe it also has got something to do with the sharp edge to Shige that doesn’t reveal itself until one gets under his skin. He’s got a mischievous streak a mile wide, yet at times he can be so naïve and plain-spoken, like a little child. He’s hot-headed and impulsive the way Sho is not, and this personality in one so industrious mystifies him.
And Shige is sad and lonely, and sometimes Sho wonders if he’s the only one who senses that. That first night, so long ago, where he stood alone outside the dressing rooms - Sho got the feeling that even with Koyama around, Shige felt strange and out of place in NEWS, in the jimusho.
It makes him think of Arashi, and the accompanying feelings of affection, and makes him feel something approaching pity for the younger man, because it also makes him instantly and powerfully aware all over again of how frightening one’s own bandmates can be, especially when they hadn’t been together for long, and especially when those bandmates seem so skilled beyond one’s own potential.
In other words, he sees someone like him, yet not quite, and the mystery and the pull of attraction is more than he can bear.
*
It is January the 1st, 2008, when Kato Shigeaki first properly notices Sakurai Sho.
Of course they’ve been corresponding, through text messages and emails, even brief conversations during the rare times they’ve bumped into each other in hallways, en route to meetings or breaks or rehearsals. Each time leaves Sho grinning a little bit wider, and hoping Shige doesn’t notice the look in his eyes, the one that has Jun pulling away with a sigh and socking him lightly on the shoulder, except that hit holds nothing but concern and worry in it.
Shige has noticed, of course, the way Sakurai-kun’s been looking like he wants to look away from him all the time, except that he never seems to succeed at it. He’s also noticed the increased frequency of Sho’s mail, and also, to his slight surprise, that he himself looks forward to receiving each quirky mail from Sho. He says things without quite saying anything at all, and Shige is often calmed and relieved by the underlying messages of concern in Sho’s words.
It’s nice to know someone cares, after all.
Strangely, though, when they bump into each other backstage after it’s all over, there is something suddenly electric in the air. They each privately wonder if it’s the Countdown atmosphere, that heady mix of excitement and anticipation and concert high, that’s contributed to this extra sensation, this feeling like something, anything can happen. It’s suddenly awkward, but not in an uncomfortable way.
Shige breaks it with a grin, one of those heart-stopping grins which he’s worked on and seems to be getting really, really close to perfecting, because Sho feels that the air around them has become a bit deliciously suffocating. He says, “Sakurai-kun.”
And Sho wracks up his courage to say, just as before, “Want to catch a bite, later?”
Shige gives him a little wry grin and says, apologetically, “NEWS is going out after this,” and Sho’s heart falls a little, and he tries not to look too disappointed. But then Shige says, (and Sho tells himself that that was not a tone of hopefulness he detected in his voice,) “Maybe tonight instead?”
And Sho is smiling so widely that he hopes he doesn't look like an idiot, and he agrees.
Part Two.
Part Three.
Fandom: Johnny's Entertainment
Pairings: Sakurai Sho/Kato Shigeaki, eventual Nishikido Ryo/Kato Shigeaki
Warnings: Slash.
Status: Incomplete.
Notes: This started out as a commentfic at trivialaffair's LJ, and then grew. And grew. And grew. I hope you like this prelude to what you've already read, Triv. The title is a Queen reference, though the reference doesn't really matter. (Heh.) I just think a lot of the individual lines fit this fic pretty well, though not the song as a whole. Other possible titles included 'Scaramouche, Scaramouche, Will You Do The Fandango?', 'So You Think You Can Love Me And Leave Me To Die', and 'Look Into The Skies, And See', none of which would have made any sense. Not like this title does, either, but it can, I suppose. I really suck at giving titles. T_T
Shige can tell you how they got together because he knows exactly what happened, but at the same time he can’t quite tell you why they got together because he doesn’t know what, exactly, happened. He remembers every event of their long, strange, drawn-out relationship, but cannot explain any part of it.
He doesn’t know if he regrets it.
*
It is January the 1st, 2007, when Sakurai Sho first properly notices Kato Shigeaki.
Johnny’s Countdown has ended and the dressing rooms are full of boys and men winding down from their highs, packing up and going home or out to celebrate the New Year. Kato Shigeaki is standing alone at the common food table in the corridor outside the dressing rooms, looking for something to sustain him until he gets home, when Sakurai walks out of one of the dressing rooms. He recognises Kato as part of NEWS, who have just returned from hiatus, so he decides to stop, and congratulate him.
“Ah, Kato-kun,” he says, “Congratulations on NEWS’ return.” He is slightly surprised to see Shige look up and around slightly, as if wondering who Sakurai is talking to, before thanking him politely, albeit in a slightly starstruck manner. Sakurai can’t quite blame the kid - the hierarchies of the jimusho are treacherous enough to navigate without the complications of being NEWS’ underdog to boot.
So he stands next to Kato and pours himself green tea from what remains in the 2 litre plastic bottle, and jostles him playfully with his shoulder as he jokes, “Ah, you don’t look too happy about returning at all.” He expects the boy to give the token polite response of denial, so he is surprised when he actually says, “Well, I just began reading law at Aoyama, I’m not quite ready to be an idol again…”
Sakurai isn’t normally the type to be curious about other people’s lives, even those whom he already knows rather well, but this confession piques his interest. Yet he surprises himself - and Kato, apparently, judging from the wide-eyed expression on his face - when he asks, “Well, want to catch a bite somewhere?”
Kato doesn’t know why he says yes; he puts it down to the fact that he’s hungry and food sounds good, and it’s 2 in the morning and his brain isn’t quite functioning from both the starvation and the fatigue.
It proves, as they both secretly suspected, not to be the most comfortable of situations to be in, but the two eventually warm to each other. Sakurai turns out to be the intellectual that everybody reveres him for, and Kato is impressed in equal parts by his intelligence, and his deferential way of talking that puts others right on the same level as him.
Before long Kato finds himself confessing all manner of things to Sakurai - how he’s scared of dragging everybody down, how everyone in NEWS except Koyama and Massu seems so strange and scary and capable and he’s secretly afraid of them all. He tells Sakurai about his fears for NEWS, how he doesn’t know how they’re just going to pick right up from where they left off, how successful their two-month long concert tour is going to be, how he’s afraid for himself and his own future.
In return, Sakurai confides in Kato and tells him that if Arashi hadn’t worked out, he would have quit Johnny’s and gone to be a salaryman. Kato’s amazed at this, because to him Arashi are sacred and untouchable - everybody can see just by looking how close the 5 of them are - so close, they are practically one person with 5 separate bodies. But Sakurai’s words - “Every group starts somewhere, Kato-kun,” - give him some sort of comfort even as he wonders if NEWS will ever get there.
By the time they go home, the dawn is breaking. They exchange numbers as old ladies do their slow but steady march down the pavement past them, and shake hands and wish each other a happy new year, Kato promising to call if he ever needs help - though, Sakurai laughs, he wonders how an economics student could ever help a law student anyway.
For a long time after, they don’t talk, because Kato feels awkward calling up his senpai, who would certainly have better things to do than to entertain the questions of a kouhai. The few times he looks back on that day at the start of 2007, he puts it down to the good feeling and spirit in the air that comes with the new year, and doesn’t think about it again.
*
A text message comes for him sometime in September.
Kato-kun! I hear NEWS is going to Taipei soon. How are you feeling? Excited? All the very best, and be careful not to fall ill. I hope you haven’t forgotten to tell your lecturer!
And Kato smiles, because he realises that he’s just experienced the fussing of ‘the mama of Arashi’.
Yes, I have, thank you for your concern. I can’t wait, the Chinese fans have waited for so long as well.
Good, good, it’s good to hear that you’re getting used to the life of an idol. ^o^
Kato doesn’t quite know what to say in response to that, so he leaves his phone aside, because the rest are calling him back to rehearsal.
*
Over the course of the next few months, Sho messages Shige a lot. He talks about whatever strikes his fancy - the weather, current politics, what he thought about that evening of News Zero. He just randomly picks his phone up without any prior thought and messages him, just like that.
Shige had started out with responses that were unfailingly polite, but gradually the responses became warmer, with Shige’s own brand of wry, wicked humour. It wasn’t very long before Sho realised that he was picking his phone up more and more just to message Shige, that he was beginning to look forward to his replies - that he dreaded even the thought of Shige not responding.
It doesn’t take him very long at all to realise that he might feel something more than simple fondness for Shige.
Sho knows what he sees in Shige. He sees a smart young boy who thinks about his future the way he thought nobody else in Johnny’s did. He sees someone whom he can talk to about intelligent things and not have their eyes glaze over, before absently nodding and sliding their attention on to other things.
But it’s not only that, he suspects. He thinks that maybe it also has got something to do with the sharp edge to Shige that doesn’t reveal itself until one gets under his skin. He’s got a mischievous streak a mile wide, yet at times he can be so naïve and plain-spoken, like a little child. He’s hot-headed and impulsive the way Sho is not, and this personality in one so industrious mystifies him.
And Shige is sad and lonely, and sometimes Sho wonders if he’s the only one who senses that. That first night, so long ago, where he stood alone outside the dressing rooms - Sho got the feeling that even with Koyama around, Shige felt strange and out of place in NEWS, in the jimusho.
It makes him think of Arashi, and the accompanying feelings of affection, and makes him feel something approaching pity for the younger man, because it also makes him instantly and powerfully aware all over again of how frightening one’s own bandmates can be, especially when they hadn’t been together for long, and especially when those bandmates seem so skilled beyond one’s own potential.
In other words, he sees someone like him, yet not quite, and the mystery and the pull of attraction is more than he can bear.
*
It is January the 1st, 2008, when Kato Shigeaki first properly notices Sakurai Sho.
Of course they’ve been corresponding, through text messages and emails, even brief conversations during the rare times they’ve bumped into each other in hallways, en route to meetings or breaks or rehearsals. Each time leaves Sho grinning a little bit wider, and hoping Shige doesn’t notice the look in his eyes, the one that has Jun pulling away with a sigh and socking him lightly on the shoulder, except that hit holds nothing but concern and worry in it.
Shige has noticed, of course, the way Sakurai-kun’s been looking like he wants to look away from him all the time, except that he never seems to succeed at it. He’s also noticed the increased frequency of Sho’s mail, and also, to his slight surprise, that he himself looks forward to receiving each quirky mail from Sho. He says things without quite saying anything at all, and Shige is often calmed and relieved by the underlying messages of concern in Sho’s words.
It’s nice to know someone cares, after all.
Strangely, though, when they bump into each other backstage after it’s all over, there is something suddenly electric in the air. They each privately wonder if it’s the Countdown atmosphere, that heady mix of excitement and anticipation and concert high, that’s contributed to this extra sensation, this feeling like something, anything can happen. It’s suddenly awkward, but not in an uncomfortable way.
Shige breaks it with a grin, one of those heart-stopping grins which he’s worked on and seems to be getting really, really close to perfecting, because Sho feels that the air around them has become a bit deliciously suffocating. He says, “Sakurai-kun.”
And Sho wracks up his courage to say, just as before, “Want to catch a bite, later?”
Shige gives him a little wry grin and says, apologetically, “NEWS is going out after this,” and Sho’s heart falls a little, and he tries not to look too disappointed. But then Shige says, (and Sho tells himself that that was not a tone of hopefulness he detected in his voice,) “Maybe tonight instead?”
And Sho is smiling so widely that he hopes he doesn't look like an idiot, and he agrees.
Part Two.
Part Three.