yaaaay! :)
Sep. 4th, 2010 12:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
angelshillan update! yaay! i'm just so happy i was able to update this after such a tiring week...
anyway, i have this weird liking of watching Johnny idols marriage announcements and specials... it's cute and heartwarming and it always makes me smile... too bad only Innochi and Gussan have such episodes...
anyway...
TITLE: Baby Steps
CHARACTERS: Arashi members, NewS members, Horikita Maki, Inoue Mao, Oguri Shun, Ikuta Toma, and a whole horde of other Johnny's and female Japanese actresses
PAIRING: Yamashita Tomohisa/Horikita Maki; Matsumoto Jun/Inoue Mao; others
RATINGS: PG
DISCLAIMER: The only thing i own in this story is the plot...
Prologue / Chapter1/ Chapter2/ Chapter3/ Chapter4/ Chapter5/ Chapter6/ Chapter7/ Chapter8/ Chapter8.5
Chapter 9:
“Ah, I’m sorry… I probably should have called… I hope I didn’t wake you…” Yamapi said when Maki looked shocked seeing him there.
Truth is, he would really have called her if he hadn’t left his phone at Matsujun’s place. He only realized his phone wasn’t there when he decided to call Maki from the parking lot to make sure that she still is awake and found nothing. He did remember pulling out his phone to check his schedule though so he is almost sure that he left it in his apartment.
“Ah… Not really…” Maki answered, shaking her head. “What are you doing here Yamashita-san?”
Yamapi smiled but the fact that Maki refers to him in a formal manner did not escape his notice. “I had some stuff to do somewhere near here so I thought I’d drop by and give you these…” he said, raising the fruit basket. “I heard that fruits are ideal for mothers…”
The fruit basket was actually something he just remembered when he stopped by a 24hr convenience store on his way to her place. His throat had suddenly felt dry so he decided to buy a drink, that’s when he saw the stack of fruits on the window display. But Maki didn’t really need to know that it was more of just an after thought especially when she seemed quite pleasantly surprised.
“Ah… Thank you…” she said, a small smile adorning her lips.
Just then, a familiar voice rose from the kitchen. “Maki-chan, who’s at the door?”
“Erika-chan is here?” Yamapi asked, more relieved than what he’s showing.
He had been worrying that Meisa would be at Maki’s place ever since he stepped out of Matsujun’s apartment, the encounter they had earlier is enough guarantee that things would be a hundred times more awkward than it already is if she would be there. It’s not that he’s hoping Erika would be helpful since she is close to Maki too, but she would be a lot more neutral than Meisa.
“Yes…” Maki said. “Come in, I guess…”
Yamapi smiled and stepped into her apartment, showing confidence he doesn’t really feel.
“Where should I put this?” he asked, raising the fruit basket, as Maki closed the door just behind him.
He knew the exact moment the door fully closed because the air flowing from the outside got cut off and the smell of Maki’s room permeated his senses. Suddenly, flickers of what happened that night flashed in his mind; how she responded to his kisses, how soft her skin was, how sweet she tasted, and how her body molded to his.
“Just put it on the center table…” Maki said, making him come back to his senses. “Please take a seat Yamashita-san, I’d be right back…”
----------
Maki released that breathe she was holding in when she saw Yamapi move towards her living room as she directed her own feet hurriedly the other way.
“Yamashita Tomohisa is here!” she blurted out the moment she entered her kitchen.
She isn’t exactly thrilled to see him since she is yet to recover from their encounter earlier and especially not in her apartment. In fact, the moment she saw him by her doorway, the memories of that night suddenly flashed to her. That wasn’t exactly a good thing, considering the circumstances.
She was still a bit disturbed by how Yamapi’s presence in her apartment affected her when he entered the kitchen which is why she didn’t notice that Erika and Meisa seemed to be in deep conversation. She did notice, however, how they both turned around to face her and that they’re both wearing identical expressions of shock and astonishment.
“Really?!”
“He is?!”
Maki frowned. “Why don’t you two seem surprised?” she asked suspiciously.
“Of course we are!” Erika exclaimed. “See? Shocked faces!” she said, gesturing towards her and Meisa’s face.
“No, no…” Maki said, her frown deepening as Meisa shot Erika a dirty look. “You look surprised but you don’t actually seem genuinely surprised… Did you know he was coming here?!”
“Well, I didn’t…” Meisa declared, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“Of course we don’t know, Maki-chan…” Erika amended, assuring her. “There’s no way we’d know that Yamapi-kun is coming…”
“What does he want anyway?” Meisa scowled. “I thought you two talked earlier already…”
“I don’t know…” Maki sighed, wondering the same thing.
“Well, you said you told him you’re giving him a chance, right?” Erika said. “To prove himself, remember? Maybe this is the start of him proving himself!”
“Huh?” Maki frowned. What could he possibly prove by coming to her place at 10:00 at night?
“Why don’t you go and see what he wants?” Erika suggested. “We wouldn’t really know what he’s doing here unless you go talk to him right?”
“Anoh…” Maki started, fidgeting. Erika is right, and no matter how suspicious she still is of how Erika (and even Meisa) is reacting to this occurrence, she knows that. But it doesn’t change the fact that she has no idea on how to deal with him at the moment, especially when they’re alone (even if the two women would just be within earshot in the kitchen). Turning to her best friend, she asked with slightly pleading eyes “Mei-chan, why don’t you join us in the living room? Erika-chan can handle things here on her own…”
Before Meisa could react though, Erika said “Oh no, I need Mei-chan’s help here… Besides, you’re the only one Yamapi-kun came for, not the two of you… Don’t tell me that the tough and independent Horikita Maki I know is afraid of facing Yamashita Tomohisa alone in her apartment?”
Maki pouted at the dare Erika just issued. The fact that Meisa didn’t counter Erika’s argument (though she did shoot her a glare) meant that she’s going to have to face him alone. That was only half of the problem, the second half is figuring out what he wanted there in the first place so she’d know how to deal with him.
----------
‘Tomohisa, what the heck is going on with you?!’ Yamapi asked the moment he saw Maki enter the kitchen.
He was already seated on the sofa and is currently fighting the urge to pull on his own hair or slap himself. There was no way he could explain what happened to him the moment he entered her apartment because he couldn’t understand it himself. It was as though all of a sudden, his body became perfectly attuned to Maki’s.
It wasn’t the first time, per se, that he thought of what happened that night. There are times in the past few months when he’d suddenly wake up from his sleep or nap because he’d be seeing in his dream that moment when he leaned into her outside her door. Those dreams always made him think of what happened that night, question what fueled him to do what he’d done and why he’s seeing her in his dreams all of a sudden. But no matter how hard he’d think back then, he never had the type of flashbacks he had earlier nor did he ever came up with a viable answer. He had always ended up convincing himself after that those dreams were because he was simply concerned for Maki.
And just like back then, he couldn’t give a plausible answer on why it happened. It wasn’t as if it was the first time he got that close to Maki after that night. In fact, if his memory serves him right, most of his recent encounters with Maki are closer (and rougher) as compared to earlier but this was the first time something like that happened to him.
So why did that happen? Why did he, all of a sudden, become too aware of Maki, of her scent, of her warmth? Nothing could have possibly changed within him from their last encounter, right? He couldn’t have, especially since it was only just over half a day earlier.
‘It must be the apartment…’ Yamapi told himself. It was the only thing that was different from earlier because he’s convinced there was no way something within him changed. That’s not just possible.
‘Yes, it must be it!’ he repeated, convincing himself, regaining the pseudo-confidence he had when he stepped into the apartment and lost when those visions rattled him. He needed that confidence to be able to interact with Maki properly.
He had already fully convinced himself that it was only because of the room when Maki re-entered the living room. There was an unconscious smile on his lips when he saw that she was alone and that she wasn’t hiding from him or dragging Erika in with her. He affiliated that warm feeling he felt inside of him to his regaining confidence and composure.
Anyone else other than the two of them would definitely describe it as relief.
----------
“Is everything all right?” Yamapi asked, standing up.
“Huh? Yeah…” Maki said as she walked towards the furthest seat from Yamapi. “I was just checking on Erika-chan and Mei-chan…”
“Oh, Kuroki-san is here too…” Yamapi uttered. He now knew the reason behind Meisa’s irrtation with him but it did not help in any way, not at all, not when that particular reason is miles and miles away. He’s now really looking forward to Jin’s return just so he could clobber him some for making things much, much more difficult for him.
“Yeah… She is…” Maki said. “Have a seat Yamashita-san…” she added as she sat down herself.
There was an awkward sort of silence that enveloped them as Maki waited for Yamapi to speak up and Yamapi searched for words.
“Anoh…”
“Maki-chan…”
They started almost at the same time, in an effort to put a stop to the eerie silence that reigned.
“You start…” Yamapi said.
“No, you…”
“Please, I insist…” he smiled.
Maki sighed. “What are you doing here, Yamashita-san?” she asked directly, not feeling like beating around the bush at the moment. The sooner she finds out what Yamapi needed, the sooner she’d know how to react properly, and the sooner he’d be able to leave.
“About that…” Yamapi started as he moved towards the other side of the sofa, closer to Maki. “I was wondering if I could know your schedule for tomorrow?”
“What? Why?” Maki asked, completely perplexed on why Yamapi chose to appear in her apartment when a phone call or a message to her would suffice. In fact, he didn’t even need to make contact with her since he could ask his manager to contact Riko for that.
“I was going to ask if I could pick you up after your work tomorrow…” Yamapi admitted, looking Maki in the eyes. “It wouldn’t be good for you if you do the driving on your own in your condition, right? I could pick you up… I mean, if it’s okay with you…”
Maki couldn’t speak immediately, not really expecting to hear that from him.
“I would like us to start anew again…” Yamapi continued. “If you’d want to…”
----------
“See!” Erika whispered as she and Meisa peeked at the two from the kitchen door. “He IS starting to prove himself!”
Meisa snorted. “He just said he’d like to pick her up after work tomorrow. That doesn’t prove anything.”
“Of course it does!” Erika said, stopping herself from giggling long enough for them to hear Maki’s answer.
“I’d like to give that a try…”
“She agreed..!” Erika smiled as she and Meisa straightened up.
“Of course she would…” Meisa said. “What else can she tell the father of her child when he starts speaking like that…”
“You really don’t like Yamapi-kun, do you?” Erika asked as she and Meisa continued preparing their snack.
“Yamashita?” Meisa asked. “As a person, I don’t not like him; after all, he also has some good qualities. But as a suitable match for Maki-chan? That’s another issue.”
“Why?”
“Other the fact that he’s a Johnny and it’s a guarantee that they’re going to have some really rough times from the media and the fans?” Meisa asked.
“It’s not like Maki-chan’s not bound to have some problems in the first place. She’s practically a household name…”
“Yeah, she’s meant to have some of it… But it wouldn’t be as bad if she chooses someone who’s not in the business… Heck, it wouldn’t even be half as bad if she chooses someone who isn’t a Johnny…” Meisa sighed. “I was hoping she’d choose someone who’s private actually… It would make her life a whole lot easier…”
“Well… We can’t do anything about that now…” Erika shrugged. “We can’t control who we fall in love with…”
“That’s actually it!” Meisa exclaimed. “She deserves someone who loves her, not just someone who feels responsible for her…”
“So you’re saying that if it turns out that Yamapi-kun is in love with her, you would be okay with it?” Erika asked.
Meisa shrugged, taking a glance at the two beings in the living room who seem to have lapsed into another bout of awkward silence once again, judging by how Maki continued on playing with the apple she picked up from the basket on the table while Yamapi simply watched her.
“If he loves her? Things would be very different…”
“We don’t really know…” Erika said, taking a look at the two herself. “Maybe he has some feelings for her. After all, why would he have made a move on her that night?”
Meisa snorted. “He’s popular, hot-blooded guy in his 20s…”
“So?” Erika shrugged. “That doesn’t mean that he has no control. I mean, generally, Johnny’s are much more careful with their actions than normal guys their age.”
“Not every Johnny…” Meisa countered.
Erika simply smiled and shook her head. “But we’ll never know, maybe he does have feelings for her…”
“Here’s hoping…” Meisa simply said.
“Anyway, things might be going for the better from now on…” Erika smiled. “Now that he’s started to make his move…”
“If you consider this starting…” Meisa smirked.
“Of course it is!” Erika smiled, peeking at the two once again. “Maki-chan thinks so, and that’s the most important thing. See her face?”
Meisa followed suit. The two remained to be awkward towards each other although they’d started talking again. Meisa focused on Maki’s expression. For someone who doesn’t know Maki as much as she does, Maki would seem unaffected, calm. But judging from that really small smile that’s on her lips right now and how her eyes seem to have much more life than usual, she had to agree that Erika was right. Maki considers this a start.
“Yeah… This might be a start…” she sighed. “A very lousy start…”
“Come on Mei-chan…” Erika smiled, nudging Meisa by the shoulder. “I know you’re happy this is happening, for Maki-chan at least…”
“Whatever…” Meisa smirked. “Hurry up with that fruit salad…”
Erika laughed as she resumed her mixing. “You just want to go to the living room to terrorize Yamapi-kun…” she chided.
When Meisa simply laughed Erika shook her head. “No wonder he seemed a bit apprehensive when Maki-chan said you were here too…”
----------
“NO! I DON’T KNOW WHERE JUN-KUN IS!” Yamapi shouted at his phone the moment he pressed the answer button. He was just leaving the men’s comfort room at the Ikuta Studios when his phone rang again. The tone was the one that he assigned to his co-Johnnys.
Ever since earlier that morning, he had received multiple phone calls and messages from various kouhais and sempais asking him where Matsumoto Jun is, it was getting irritating, especially since no one would tell him why they’re searching for him.
“Okay…” said Ryo from the other line, obviously taken aback. “We’re a bit testy today, aren’t we?”
“Oh, Ryo-chan… I’m sorry…” Yamapi said, wincing. “Why did you call?”
“You just answered it…” he chuckled. “I can’t contact Jun-kun. His phone is off.”
“What makes you think I’d know where he is?!” he asked in disbelief.
“Well, you seem to have the knack of knowing where to find him lately…” Ryo said. “You seem to be a bit tensed. What’s up?”
“Tensed? I’m not tensed!” he cried.
Just because he can’t seem to stay still and wait for Maki at the lobby like he planned does it mean that he’s tensed. He’s just a bit uneasy. After all, Ikuta Studios is popular for studio shooting s and it would be really suspicious if he suddenly hangs out by the lobby when he didn’t have anything to shoot there.
“Sure you’re not!” Ryo laughed. “And you and Maki-chan is on the best terms right now…”
Yamapi couldn’t help but groan. Trust Ryo to rub it in his face.
“What did you want with Jun-kun anyway?” he asked in an attempt to steer the conversation away from him.
“Huh? What’s that?” Ryo asked, evidently not listening to him. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. Subaru-kun is calling; we’re shooting for Janiben…”
Yamapi was just about speechless when Ryo ended the call without even waiting for his reply. Seriously, how could someone that small be that snarky or irritating?
He was just about convinced that Ryo is the only small person he knows who is like that when he stepped on the lobby and saw someone who actually shares that category with Ryo. Ninomiya Kazunari. And judging by the way he smiled when he saw him, he seems to be looking for him.
“Nino-kun…” he greeted with a slight bow as he walked towards him. “Fancy seeing you here…”
“Yeah…” Nino grinned. “We had a cast meeting upstairs… What are you doing here?”
“I’m waiting for someone…” he answered. The moment that left his lips though, and saw how Nino’s grin grew wider, he almost wanted to hit himself.
When Maki said that the last thing on her schedule for the day is a cast meeting, he didn’t ask for what show or movie. He was just really glad that Maki agreed to them starting over. He couldn’t believe that of all her scheduled shows, it had to be the drama that starred one of his Johnny sempais.
“So you’re the reason Jun-kun said I should look forward to tonight…” Nino smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Our meeting just ended, Maki-chan would be here in just a bit…”
Yamapi wanted to groan. Whoever casted Ryo and Nino as brothers in Ryusei no Kizuna was spot on.
as always, comments and critics are really loved... :)
anyway, i have this weird liking of watching Johnny idols marriage announcements and specials... it's cute and heartwarming and it always makes me smile... too bad only Innochi and Gussan have such episodes...
anyway...
TITLE: Baby Steps
CHARACTERS: Arashi members, NewS members, Horikita Maki, Inoue Mao, Oguri Shun, Ikuta Toma, and a whole horde of other Johnny's and female Japanese actresses
PAIRING: Yamashita Tomohisa/Horikita Maki; Matsumoto Jun/Inoue Mao; others
RATINGS: PG
DISCLAIMER: The only thing i own in this story is the plot...
Prologue / Chapter1/ Chapter2/ Chapter3/ Chapter4/ Chapter5/ Chapter6/ Chapter7/ Chapter8/ Chapter8.5
Chapter 9:
“Ah, I’m sorry… I probably should have called… I hope I didn’t wake you…” Yamapi said when Maki looked shocked seeing him there.
Truth is, he would really have called her if he hadn’t left his phone at Matsujun’s place. He only realized his phone wasn’t there when he decided to call Maki from the parking lot to make sure that she still is awake and found nothing. He did remember pulling out his phone to check his schedule though so he is almost sure that he left it in his apartment.
“Ah… Not really…” Maki answered, shaking her head. “What are you doing here Yamashita-san?”
Yamapi smiled but the fact that Maki refers to him in a formal manner did not escape his notice. “I had some stuff to do somewhere near here so I thought I’d drop by and give you these…” he said, raising the fruit basket. “I heard that fruits are ideal for mothers…”
The fruit basket was actually something he just remembered when he stopped by a 24hr convenience store on his way to her place. His throat had suddenly felt dry so he decided to buy a drink, that’s when he saw the stack of fruits on the window display. But Maki didn’t really need to know that it was more of just an after thought especially when she seemed quite pleasantly surprised.
“Ah… Thank you…” she said, a small smile adorning her lips.
Just then, a familiar voice rose from the kitchen. “Maki-chan, who’s at the door?”
“Erika-chan is here?” Yamapi asked, more relieved than what he’s showing.
He had been worrying that Meisa would be at Maki’s place ever since he stepped out of Matsujun’s apartment, the encounter they had earlier is enough guarantee that things would be a hundred times more awkward than it already is if she would be there. It’s not that he’s hoping Erika would be helpful since she is close to Maki too, but she would be a lot more neutral than Meisa.
“Yes…” Maki said. “Come in, I guess…”
Yamapi smiled and stepped into her apartment, showing confidence he doesn’t really feel.
“Where should I put this?” he asked, raising the fruit basket, as Maki closed the door just behind him.
He knew the exact moment the door fully closed because the air flowing from the outside got cut off and the smell of Maki’s room permeated his senses. Suddenly, flickers of what happened that night flashed in his mind; how she responded to his kisses, how soft her skin was, how sweet she tasted, and how her body molded to his.
“Just put it on the center table…” Maki said, making him come back to his senses. “Please take a seat Yamashita-san, I’d be right back…”
----------
Maki released that breathe she was holding in when she saw Yamapi move towards her living room as she directed her own feet hurriedly the other way.
“Yamashita Tomohisa is here!” she blurted out the moment she entered her kitchen.
She isn’t exactly thrilled to see him since she is yet to recover from their encounter earlier and especially not in her apartment. In fact, the moment she saw him by her doorway, the memories of that night suddenly flashed to her. That wasn’t exactly a good thing, considering the circumstances.
She was still a bit disturbed by how Yamapi’s presence in her apartment affected her when he entered the kitchen which is why she didn’t notice that Erika and Meisa seemed to be in deep conversation. She did notice, however, how they both turned around to face her and that they’re both wearing identical expressions of shock and astonishment.
“Really?!”
“He is?!”
Maki frowned. “Why don’t you two seem surprised?” she asked suspiciously.
“Of course we are!” Erika exclaimed. “See? Shocked faces!” she said, gesturing towards her and Meisa’s face.
“No, no…” Maki said, her frown deepening as Meisa shot Erika a dirty look. “You look surprised but you don’t actually seem genuinely surprised… Did you know he was coming here?!”
“Well, I didn’t…” Meisa declared, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“Of course we don’t know, Maki-chan…” Erika amended, assuring her. “There’s no way we’d know that Yamapi-kun is coming…”
“What does he want anyway?” Meisa scowled. “I thought you two talked earlier already…”
“I don’t know…” Maki sighed, wondering the same thing.
“Well, you said you told him you’re giving him a chance, right?” Erika said. “To prove himself, remember? Maybe this is the start of him proving himself!”
“Huh?” Maki frowned. What could he possibly prove by coming to her place at 10:00 at night?
“Why don’t you go and see what he wants?” Erika suggested. “We wouldn’t really know what he’s doing here unless you go talk to him right?”
“Anoh…” Maki started, fidgeting. Erika is right, and no matter how suspicious she still is of how Erika (and even Meisa) is reacting to this occurrence, she knows that. But it doesn’t change the fact that she has no idea on how to deal with him at the moment, especially when they’re alone (even if the two women would just be within earshot in the kitchen). Turning to her best friend, she asked with slightly pleading eyes “Mei-chan, why don’t you join us in the living room? Erika-chan can handle things here on her own…”
Before Meisa could react though, Erika said “Oh no, I need Mei-chan’s help here… Besides, you’re the only one Yamapi-kun came for, not the two of you… Don’t tell me that the tough and independent Horikita Maki I know is afraid of facing Yamashita Tomohisa alone in her apartment?”
Maki pouted at the dare Erika just issued. The fact that Meisa didn’t counter Erika’s argument (though she did shoot her a glare) meant that she’s going to have to face him alone. That was only half of the problem, the second half is figuring out what he wanted there in the first place so she’d know how to deal with him.
----------
‘Tomohisa, what the heck is going on with you?!’ Yamapi asked the moment he saw Maki enter the kitchen.
He was already seated on the sofa and is currently fighting the urge to pull on his own hair or slap himself. There was no way he could explain what happened to him the moment he entered her apartment because he couldn’t understand it himself. It was as though all of a sudden, his body became perfectly attuned to Maki’s.
It wasn’t the first time, per se, that he thought of what happened that night. There are times in the past few months when he’d suddenly wake up from his sleep or nap because he’d be seeing in his dream that moment when he leaned into her outside her door. Those dreams always made him think of what happened that night, question what fueled him to do what he’d done and why he’s seeing her in his dreams all of a sudden. But no matter how hard he’d think back then, he never had the type of flashbacks he had earlier nor did he ever came up with a viable answer. He had always ended up convincing himself after that those dreams were because he was simply concerned for Maki.
And just like back then, he couldn’t give a plausible answer on why it happened. It wasn’t as if it was the first time he got that close to Maki after that night. In fact, if his memory serves him right, most of his recent encounters with Maki are closer (and rougher) as compared to earlier but this was the first time something like that happened to him.
So why did that happen? Why did he, all of a sudden, become too aware of Maki, of her scent, of her warmth? Nothing could have possibly changed within him from their last encounter, right? He couldn’t have, especially since it was only just over half a day earlier.
‘It must be the apartment…’ Yamapi told himself. It was the only thing that was different from earlier because he’s convinced there was no way something within him changed. That’s not just possible.
‘Yes, it must be it!’ he repeated, convincing himself, regaining the pseudo-confidence he had when he stepped into the apartment and lost when those visions rattled him. He needed that confidence to be able to interact with Maki properly.
He had already fully convinced himself that it was only because of the room when Maki re-entered the living room. There was an unconscious smile on his lips when he saw that she was alone and that she wasn’t hiding from him or dragging Erika in with her. He affiliated that warm feeling he felt inside of him to his regaining confidence and composure.
Anyone else other than the two of them would definitely describe it as relief.
----------
“Is everything all right?” Yamapi asked, standing up.
“Huh? Yeah…” Maki said as she walked towards the furthest seat from Yamapi. “I was just checking on Erika-chan and Mei-chan…”
“Oh, Kuroki-san is here too…” Yamapi uttered. He now knew the reason behind Meisa’s irrtation with him but it did not help in any way, not at all, not when that particular reason is miles and miles away. He’s now really looking forward to Jin’s return just so he could clobber him some for making things much, much more difficult for him.
“Yeah… She is…” Maki said. “Have a seat Yamashita-san…” she added as she sat down herself.
There was an awkward sort of silence that enveloped them as Maki waited for Yamapi to speak up and Yamapi searched for words.
“Anoh…”
“Maki-chan…”
They started almost at the same time, in an effort to put a stop to the eerie silence that reigned.
“You start…” Yamapi said.
“No, you…”
“Please, I insist…” he smiled.
Maki sighed. “What are you doing here, Yamashita-san?” she asked directly, not feeling like beating around the bush at the moment. The sooner she finds out what Yamapi needed, the sooner she’d know how to react properly, and the sooner he’d be able to leave.
“About that…” Yamapi started as he moved towards the other side of the sofa, closer to Maki. “I was wondering if I could know your schedule for tomorrow?”
“What? Why?” Maki asked, completely perplexed on why Yamapi chose to appear in her apartment when a phone call or a message to her would suffice. In fact, he didn’t even need to make contact with her since he could ask his manager to contact Riko for that.
“I was going to ask if I could pick you up after your work tomorrow…” Yamapi admitted, looking Maki in the eyes. “It wouldn’t be good for you if you do the driving on your own in your condition, right? I could pick you up… I mean, if it’s okay with you…”
Maki couldn’t speak immediately, not really expecting to hear that from him.
“I would like us to start anew again…” Yamapi continued. “If you’d want to…”
----------
“See!” Erika whispered as she and Meisa peeked at the two from the kitchen door. “He IS starting to prove himself!”
Meisa snorted. “He just said he’d like to pick her up after work tomorrow. That doesn’t prove anything.”
“Of course it does!” Erika said, stopping herself from giggling long enough for them to hear Maki’s answer.
“I’d like to give that a try…”
“She agreed..!” Erika smiled as she and Meisa straightened up.
“Of course she would…” Meisa said. “What else can she tell the father of her child when he starts speaking like that…”
“You really don’t like Yamapi-kun, do you?” Erika asked as she and Meisa continued preparing their snack.
“Yamashita?” Meisa asked. “As a person, I don’t not like him; after all, he also has some good qualities. But as a suitable match for Maki-chan? That’s another issue.”
“Why?”
“Other the fact that he’s a Johnny and it’s a guarantee that they’re going to have some really rough times from the media and the fans?” Meisa asked.
“It’s not like Maki-chan’s not bound to have some problems in the first place. She’s practically a household name…”
“Yeah, she’s meant to have some of it… But it wouldn’t be as bad if she chooses someone who’s not in the business… Heck, it wouldn’t even be half as bad if she chooses someone who isn’t a Johnny…” Meisa sighed. “I was hoping she’d choose someone who’s private actually… It would make her life a whole lot easier…”
“Well… We can’t do anything about that now…” Erika shrugged. “We can’t control who we fall in love with…”
“That’s actually it!” Meisa exclaimed. “She deserves someone who loves her, not just someone who feels responsible for her…”
“So you’re saying that if it turns out that Yamapi-kun is in love with her, you would be okay with it?” Erika asked.
Meisa shrugged, taking a glance at the two beings in the living room who seem to have lapsed into another bout of awkward silence once again, judging by how Maki continued on playing with the apple she picked up from the basket on the table while Yamapi simply watched her.
“If he loves her? Things would be very different…”
“We don’t really know…” Erika said, taking a look at the two herself. “Maybe he has some feelings for her. After all, why would he have made a move on her that night?”
Meisa snorted. “He’s popular, hot-blooded guy in his 20s…”
“So?” Erika shrugged. “That doesn’t mean that he has no control. I mean, generally, Johnny’s are much more careful with their actions than normal guys their age.”
“Not every Johnny…” Meisa countered.
Erika simply smiled and shook her head. “But we’ll never know, maybe he does have feelings for her…”
“Here’s hoping…” Meisa simply said.
“Anyway, things might be going for the better from now on…” Erika smiled. “Now that he’s started to make his move…”
“If you consider this starting…” Meisa smirked.
“Of course it is!” Erika smiled, peeking at the two once again. “Maki-chan thinks so, and that’s the most important thing. See her face?”
Meisa followed suit. The two remained to be awkward towards each other although they’d started talking again. Meisa focused on Maki’s expression. For someone who doesn’t know Maki as much as she does, Maki would seem unaffected, calm. But judging from that really small smile that’s on her lips right now and how her eyes seem to have much more life than usual, she had to agree that Erika was right. Maki considers this a start.
“Yeah… This might be a start…” she sighed. “A very lousy start…”
“Come on Mei-chan…” Erika smiled, nudging Meisa by the shoulder. “I know you’re happy this is happening, for Maki-chan at least…”
“Whatever…” Meisa smirked. “Hurry up with that fruit salad…”
Erika laughed as she resumed her mixing. “You just want to go to the living room to terrorize Yamapi-kun…” she chided.
When Meisa simply laughed Erika shook her head. “No wonder he seemed a bit apprehensive when Maki-chan said you were here too…”
----------
“NO! I DON’T KNOW WHERE JUN-KUN IS!” Yamapi shouted at his phone the moment he pressed the answer button. He was just leaving the men’s comfort room at the Ikuta Studios when his phone rang again. The tone was the one that he assigned to his co-Johnnys.
Ever since earlier that morning, he had received multiple phone calls and messages from various kouhais and sempais asking him where Matsumoto Jun is, it was getting irritating, especially since no one would tell him why they’re searching for him.
“Okay…” said Ryo from the other line, obviously taken aback. “We’re a bit testy today, aren’t we?”
“Oh, Ryo-chan… I’m sorry…” Yamapi said, wincing. “Why did you call?”
“You just answered it…” he chuckled. “I can’t contact Jun-kun. His phone is off.”
“What makes you think I’d know where he is?!” he asked in disbelief.
“Well, you seem to have the knack of knowing where to find him lately…” Ryo said. “You seem to be a bit tensed. What’s up?”
“Tensed? I’m not tensed!” he cried.
Just because he can’t seem to stay still and wait for Maki at the lobby like he planned does it mean that he’s tensed. He’s just a bit uneasy. After all, Ikuta Studios is popular for studio shooting s and it would be really suspicious if he suddenly hangs out by the lobby when he didn’t have anything to shoot there.
“Sure you’re not!” Ryo laughed. “And you and Maki-chan is on the best terms right now…”
Yamapi couldn’t help but groan. Trust Ryo to rub it in his face.
“What did you want with Jun-kun anyway?” he asked in an attempt to steer the conversation away from him.
“Huh? What’s that?” Ryo asked, evidently not listening to him. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. Subaru-kun is calling; we’re shooting for Janiben…”
Yamapi was just about speechless when Ryo ended the call without even waiting for his reply. Seriously, how could someone that small be that snarky or irritating?
He was just about convinced that Ryo is the only small person he knows who is like that when he stepped on the lobby and saw someone who actually shares that category with Ryo. Ninomiya Kazunari. And judging by the way he smiled when he saw him, he seems to be looking for him.
“Nino-kun…” he greeted with a slight bow as he walked towards him. “Fancy seeing you here…”
“Yeah…” Nino grinned. “We had a cast meeting upstairs… What are you doing here?”
“I’m waiting for someone…” he answered. The moment that left his lips though, and saw how Nino’s grin grew wider, he almost wanted to hit himself.
When Maki said that the last thing on her schedule for the day is a cast meeting, he didn’t ask for what show or movie. He was just really glad that Maki agreed to them starting over. He couldn’t believe that of all her scheduled shows, it had to be the drama that starred one of his Johnny sempais.
“So you’re the reason Jun-kun said I should look forward to tonight…” Nino smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Our meeting just ended, Maki-chan would be here in just a bit…”
Yamapi wanted to groan. Whoever casted Ryo and Nino as brothers in Ryusei no Kizuna was spot on.
as always, comments and critics are really loved... :)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-04 03:08 am (UTC)I never thought Meisa would be tied with Jin. Was thinking along the lines of Kame because they had a drama together. I'll understand why Meisa would be piss with Bakanishi...haha...
Glad to see Yamaki interacting more and Yamapi finally making a right move towards winning Maki's acceptance (and heart!). I wonder if they will get caught by one of the reporters now that they are going to be hanging out together...
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-04 04:27 am (UTC)i just thought Jin and Meisa would make an interesting combo... although now, i'm searching for who to pair up with Kame...
thanks as always... :)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-04 07:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-04 10:00 am (UTC)oh, yeah... a lot of things can happen in just one night... :D
thanks... :)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-04 09:00 am (UTC)ahaha...".Whoever casted Ryo and Nino as brothers in Ryusei no Kizuna was spot on..." well said. LOL
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-04 10:02 am (UTC)yeah... character-wise, Ryo and Nino may actually be brothers... :)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-04 09:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-04 10:05 am (UTC)thanks for reading and commenting on all the chaps... :)
just curious (i may just be slow right now but...), who is Anchan?
thanks... :)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-04 10:09 am (UTC)Anchan? Oh, it's Nino. It's what he was called in yamada tarou monogatari.. I re watched it recently and started calling him that. Teehee, he's my ichiban in Arashi. ^__^
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-04 12:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-04 12:32 pm (UTC)Yay! some Yamaki action!
Love how you wrote Yamapi's feelings. There's a reason why he keeps dreaming of her and thinks of her that way. hehe XD
Kyaaa Nino!
I love him so much hahaha XD
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-04 12:45 pm (UTC)thanks for reading and commenting... :)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-05 02:14 am (UTC)Erika and Meisa bit is cute! lol!
Last sentence is FTW! I really thing they rocked being brothers!
The phasing is a bit slow though... I wonder how long will this go? :DD
Thanks for sharing! Will wait for the next one! ^^
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-05 02:21 am (UTC)yeah, i did notice that it's slow paced, i'm already working on it... :) i don't think it'd go beyond 20 chaps though so don't worry... :)
thanks again... :)