[Remix fic]- The One where Koyama Can Feel What Other People Do
Pairings: KoyaPi
A/N: Remix of "The One Where NewS Members Really Become Superheroes This Time", for said author because she never got her remix. Also, posted in a hurry today to make up for The Sad Future Talk we had today, so any edits is appreciated.
The One where Koyama Can Feel What Other People Do (Just More So)
1.
In China, Massu offers his fellow bandmembers food he bought from a store vendor. Koyama's hungry, but he also knows that bad Chinese food upsets his stomach.
"Yosha!" Yamapi says. He pumps his fist and gives Koyama a friendly nudge when he sees his hesitation.
"Isn't it great that we can all eat together, like this?" he asks, and chomps down with as much enthusiasm as Massu. As an after thought, Yamapi adds, "Aren't you hungry?"
Koyama takes a huge bite and smiles. "It's delicious!"
2.
NewS spends their first week back in Japan in the hospital.
Despite the weak stomach, Koyama recovers within two days and spends the rest of this time sitting beside Shige's bed, twisting his hands hour after hour.
Yamapi comes and visits as well. He never stays very long, but he brings Koyama a drink. He tells Koyama, "Shige will be okay. He's stubborn."
Yamapi's countenance is calm and serene, almost the same expression that he had earlier in the day, when Ryo accidentally shot him with his laser eyes, and Yamapi realized that he was invulnerable.
Yamapi's face betrays no emotion, but Koyama knows that Yamapi's worried because he can feel it.
At that moment, Koyama realizes what his power is.
3.
Episode one calls for the various members to show off their powers.
During the second day of filming, Koyama worries about Shige. Shige's jealous, and takes his lack of power very personally. Kato Shigeaki spends most of his time during filming sulking or complaining to Tegoshi, who does not help by shrugging it off with a smile and a laugh.
Koyama can't sense Tegoshi the way he can sense the others, but he can tell from the way Tegoshi smiles that being powerless doesn't bother him at all.
When Tegoshi bounces away after Shige complains something about “it not being right,” Koyama can sense Shige's bitterness-- it's suffocating and Koyama feels helpless because he knows that there's not much he can do to ease it. He tried offering encouragement the first time he sensed it, and even though Shige had smiled, Koyama knew that his words didn't make a difference.
"We'll make this a good TV show this season," Yamapi says, interrupting Koyama's thoughts. Since he's standing next to Koyama, Yamapi's feelings fill him then-- hopefulness, determination, certainty.
Yamapi's reassuring and not at all worried, not even when they drop the car on him.
4.
The more Shige and Tegoshi get tested for powers that they don't have, the more time Koyama spends with Yamapi.
In many ways, Shige and Yamapi are opposites-- Shige says things that he doesn't mean; Yamapi means what he says. Shige's witty with words; Yamapi's a poor speaker. Shige has the least number of people in his fanclub; Yamapi sold more copies of his solo single than any NewS single ever released.
Shige gets very upset with each additional test; Yamapi stays positive.
Koyama wants to be there for Shige, but he's finding that with actual empathy, Shige's negative emotions give him an upset stomach. Yamapi's feelings, however, balance Shige's. And since Yamapi always seems to be in a positive mood, the closer Koyama is in proximity to him, the better Koyama's mood becomes as a result.
Shige complained before that Yamapi has a violent on/off switch. Koyama, however, thinks that Yamapi is always the same--an honest person with no backside, the same in public as he is private. Everyone has their ups and downs, but Yamapi is always just Yamapi. Koyama thinks that the reason Shige perceives Yamapi differently is because of their ages; Koyama is after all, Yamapi's sempai in school.
One day after work, however, Koyama bids Yamapi farewell and steps outside of the dressing room. He's two steps into the hallway when he sees one of his boot laces coming undone, so he stops to fix them.
It’s at that moment when Koyama senses Yamapi's mood drop.
At first, Koyama thinks that maybe he's mistaken; after all Yamapi's emotions are faint since he is in a different room. But just to be sure that nothing had just happened, Koyama returns to the dressing room and almost trips in haste in the process.
Yamapi gives him a faint smile, and Koyama can feel him becoming happier.
"Did you forget something?"
It's at that moment when Koyama realizes that maybe Yamapi does have a violent on/off switch-- he just never sees it.
5.
Shige soon develops a depression that becomes evident to everybody, both members and staff alike.
Koyama worries and worries and worries, because that's really all that he can do.
He doesn't understand how much he has to actually worry, however, until he and Yamapi overhear the staff talking about how Shige should be cut out of the new season altogether.
"He doesn't have any powers, and Tegoshi is cuter so people would rather see him do all of the recap and summary talks anyway," Hisashi, the assistant producer says. "Plus his depression will make any of his fans tired from just looking at him."
Koyama feels his heart break a little at the same moment he feels Yamapi anger grow--it's smoldering, not burning hot the way Shige's indignation is, but it's definitely there.
Yamapi looks at Koyama and Koyama nods. He can feel as both his mood and Yamapi's change into fiery determination.
They both step into Hisashi's view, and when the assistant producer turns pale, Koyama says, "We accidentally overheard, sorry. But Shige definitely needs to stay on the program. We need him."
Yamapi says, "Shige has a lot of fans; they'll be disappointed if he doesn't show up."
"I-I know," Hisashi says, his face now red. "I-I'm sorry."
"It's okay, it's okay," Koyama reassures him. "And it's our fault for hearing. But you need to understand--"
"With or without powers," Yamapi finishes, "Shige's important to NewS."
Empathy doesn't include words, but Koyama's heart swells anyway when he hears the words that he's been thinking spoken aloud.
6.
As it turns out, Hisashi has nothing to complain about. Shige has a power after all-- it's telepathy and after it develops it drives him insane.
"Koyama, I can hear your every thought," Shige says. "Please stop thinking that you're worried about me. It doesn't help."
Ryo looks amused. "We can't stop thinking. What if I think--"
Shige turns red. "Stop that!"
And Koyama panics. He thinks, Don't think about last night's dream. Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Of course then he thinks about the dream, where Yamapi looks like he did in his An An photo shoot, all nude skin and hard muscle and--
Shige whips his head around and shouts at Koyama, "Stop it! You're doing that on purpose!"
"I'm not," Koyama denies, "I'm sorry--"
And that's the moment when Yamapi enters the room half-naked. "That's where I left my shirt!" he exclaims, and picks it up from the dressing room couch.
Shige glares at Koyama.
Koyama tries to stop his usual flow of thoughts.
Shige covers his face. "Oh my god, I'm traumatized for life."
This time it's Koyama who turns red.
7.
The next day Koyama finds it hard to look at Shige. He doesn't know if Shige's telepathy works the same way his empathy does, but he tries to keep a fair distance away from Shige just the same.
Fortunately, they have a light work day: it's a weekend, so there's no television filming, only half a day of magazine shoots.
Koyama tries to keep a distance from Yamapi too, in an attempt to keep his thoughts pure for Shige to read.
This proves to be a harder task than he thinks it should. Yamapi is absentminded and forgets things, like locking the bathroom door so that Koyama almost walks in on him, leaving bottles open so that Koyama feels compelled to close them and hand them back to him, and even forgetting to fix his tie so Koyama fixes it for him.
"Thanks Koya-chan," Yamapi says as Koyama straightens it, and Koyama feels happy as they walk together to the next shoot.
After work, Yamapi announces to the group, "Yosha! Since we worked hard, let's get yakiniku after this!"
But Tegoshi has dinner plans with TOKIO already, Massu's mother has made him dinner, and Ryo's heading back to Osaka.
Yamapi takes their rejection easily enough. "What about you, Koyama?"
Shige rolls his eyes. "He's a--a definite yes." Shige then clutches his head.
"What about you, Shige?" Yamapi asks.
"Not if you don't want me there," Shige snaps. But he doesn't face Yamapi when he says this, and when Yamapi frowns, Shige sighs.
"I have a huge headache," Shige says. "Koyama, stop worrying about me. No, Massu I haven't gotten used to it yet, it's not like drinking. Yes, Yamashita-kun, this means I won't be going. Nishikido-kun, please cut it out."
Silence.
"I am going home and taking sick leave for a few days," Shige declares. He adds, "Yes, I know it's a good idea and for the best, that's why I'm doing it." Shige's expression softens. "Your concerns are appreciated, thank you."
"Good luck, Shige!" Tegoshi says.
Shige grudgingly smiles back at him, and then looks at Koyama. "Hey I need to talk to you."
They end up squeezing into the girl's bathroom, the only room on the floor in the Jimusho building almost always guaranteed to be empty.
"Much as it is mentally scarring me to say this," Shige tells Koyama, "Yamapi likes it when you strip him. There, I've said it."
"But," Koyama begins.
Shige winces. "No it's not just you."
Koyama blinks in amazement. "But doesn't--"
Shige tugs roughly on his own hair. "Koyama, your power is to feel things. How do you know if what you're feeling towards him isn't because he feels it too?"
"But--"
"Not that I'm questioning your feelings, just--gah. He's just going with his instincts, he hasn't identified it as one thing or the other, and. Argh." Shige covers his face. "I am going to find a way to block all of this out so that I never have to go through this again."
"Er," Koyama says, "Thanks."
"I know," Shige says, "And you're welcome."
They leave the bathroom and part ways without looking at each other. Koyama would feel guilty over their entire talk, only he knows that it's the first time all day that Shige feels pleased with himself.
"So you ready to go?" Yamapi asks Koyama when he returns.
"Yes," Koyama agrees. "Oh, and let's go clothes shopping afterwards."
Yamapi beams. "Great!"
Epilogue
8.
Koyama feels a brief moment of worry when Yamapi swallows the bomb, but the only side effects of consuming a dangerous weapon for someone with invulnerability is gas and heartburn.
Yamapi takes pills for the heartburn.
There’s not much he can do for the gas. Instead Yamapi joins Koyama in laughing every time they shake off the covers for air.
9.
During Utaban, Nakai laughs at Yamapi.
"How can you have superpowers and still get rashes?"
Yamapi laughs too, and then casually fixes his collar so that it covers his neck.
The segment with Nakai’s question is never aired.
10.
As Koyama adjusts the bandage over Yamapi’s finger, Yamapi says, "I’m only sad about your powers. We’ll have to find another way to time ourselves in bed." He cracks an embarrassed smile. "Though it’s a challenge I’m willing to take."
Koyama laughs. He knows that even though his powers are gone, he feels exactly the same way that Yamapi does.