Be True To Your School, 2/2
Be True To Your School, 2/2
It continued in this fashion for the next several days, even against what Nino had thought was his best judgment. Was he ever going to get a chance like this again? Unless he became a famous musician and recorded in fancy studios himself, he couldn't top the Sakurai family's little music room. He practiced more diligently than he ever had before. Gradually the Cup Ramen song became better and better.
At Sho's house, he re-discovered his passion for music. He'd always loved playing, but having the ability to practice and fine tune his skills in the peace and quiet of Sho's basement revived him. At home, there was never any time. There was no place for Nino to practice. Everything would inconvenience someone - his mother, his grandfather, maybe even the neighbors. Here he could sit and think, jot down new lyrics, go completely wild. The only real interruption was from the maid, Sumiko-san, offering Nino some sandwiches or tea with a gentle smile before Sho came back from cram school.
Even Sho's father had poked his head in one evening, not remotely disturbed by the sight of his son's random schoolmate using the room built for his genius daughter. "Let me know if you need a demo tape recorded," the man had offered kindly. "I can put you in touch with the right people."
When he'd asked Sho about it the next day, just before the boy went off to cram school, he'd frowned. "My dad's a generous guy," Sho had told him, making his excuses and leaving.
Volleyball continued to suck, but Nino endured the two hours of forced exercise because he knew that when they were done pretending to care about athletics he could hurry to Sho's house and work on his songs. Yes, songs plural now. The Cup Ramen song was a done deal, almost entirely polished for Talent Night. And now there was a song about Dragon Quest, a song about his grandfather, and a song about Larry-kun drowning in the Pacific Ocean while trying to swim back to his home in sunny Los Angeles, California.
Well, he wouldn't tell Sho-kun about that last one.
It was the night before Talent Night when Sho asked if he could sit in and listen to Nino's songs. He'd come home from school early, looking exhausted and like the only thing that might revive him would be the chance to make terrible jokes via puppet. Nino wasn't used to an audience. Talent Night was going to be insanely nervewracking - it couldn't hurt to get some feedback from Sho.
So he played through the Cup Ramen song, strumming the guitar and singing his heart out while Sho sat and listened, the two of them shut up in the basement music room.
When he was done, he looked up to see Sho watching him.
"You're really good," he said, his big eyes bigger than usual. "Nino, you're really really good!"
He found himself blushing a bit, unused to praise. "Ah, that was 90% I'd say..."
Sho rolled his eyes. "Why are you going to Arashi High? With talent like that you could go somewhere amazing!"
Nino was confused, cocking his head. "Uh, you go to Arashi High. What happened to school spirit? If Larry-kun was here he'd say you were harshing his mellow. What does that mean again?"
Sho leaned back in his chair, thumping his head against the wall in frustration. "I don't know. I don't know anything anymore." The older boy shut his eyes. "With all the volleyball we're stuck playing and with school I haven't had time to perfect my act. Larry-kun is going to be a huge disappointment tomorrow. As it should be. I suck, I know I suck..."
Nino didn't want to confirm or deny Sho's assertion. The guy was super popular at Arashi - he had to know that, right? Despite his obvious gaps in talent, the rest of the school didn't seem to find him lacking. None of them seemed all that concerned that Sho's lips moved 99% of the time Larry-kun was talking.
He'd spent these past few weeks frustrated with Sho - wondering why he was wasting his time with ventriloquism when it was clear he wasn't that good at it.
"Sho-kun," Nino said, finally gathering his courage. "Why do you want to be a ventriloquist anyhow?"
On their first meeting, it seemed like nothing could deter Sakurai Sho's spirits. He made his bad jokes with Larry-kun, cheered on their pathetic volleyball squad, and smiled big and bright. But now Nino had seen Sho without Larry-kun, the Sho who waved goodbye to Nino every day and trudged off for cram school. Which one was the real one?
"My grandpa gave me Larry-kun," Sho finally said. "When I was five. Just for fun you know. Nothing serious. He showed me how to hold him, make his mouth and his limbs move. Taught me a few silly jokes. But he died a few years later, and I guess I wasn't willing to let go. It's been me and Larry-kun ever since. And my parents said I could enroll at Arashi High to keep practicing so long as I give it up when I graduate. I go to cram school so I can go to university. And then I'll take over the company..."
So that was it. It didn't really matter if Sho was good or bad. It didn't matter because in the spring it would be over. Sho would graduate, and Larry-kun would be boxed up. Unlike Jun-kun who would keep acting, Ohno who would keep dancing, Aiba who would keep trying to be funny, Sho would have to stop. Sure Nino thought the puppet thing was lame, but now he understood why Sho-kun refused to let Larry-kun go, even during volleyball practice.
Sho's days at Arashi High were important to him. They'd be the last days he got to be who he really wanted to be. His sister was a music prodigy so she'd get to continue her studies, but Sho's artistic dreams apparently weren't equal in his parents' eyes.
Nino set his guitar back in his case. "Going home already?" Sho asked, looking confused.
"Ah, why don't you go get Larry-kun? You sat through my Talent Night act. Let me sit through yours."
"Really?"
The tips of Sho's ears turned pink. It was too much. It was too cute. Nino knew he was doomed now. For all that Sho's lack of talent and the puppet's dead eyes pushed Nino away, Sho himself and his kindness and his passion for what he did just drew him in. Jun-kun was a terrible actor, but Aiba liked him anyway. Because Jun-kun was passionate. Because Jun-kun cared. Now Nino had to admit that it was the same with Sho-kun. And the same with every student who walked through Arashi High's doors.
They didn't have to be good. They just had to want to be there.
So this time when Sho came back downstairs with Larry-kun in tow, he found himself not paying attention to Larry-kun's goofy voice or the dumb jokes Sho told. He instead saw how happy Sho was to be performing, the way his entire demeanor changed. The way his eyes sparkled as he tried to honor the gift his grandfather gave him.
Nino saw it for the very first time, and he knew there was no turning back. He was falling for Sakurai Sho.
--
Aiba had partnered up with a boy in Sho and Ohno's class, Yokoyama, for his comedy act. Since the two of them were both complete idiots (and Nino said this with affection), they were the perfect match. Even though Nino thought their timing was a little off and that the jokes were kind of old-fashioned, they brought the house down. Nino couldn't help grinning at the look on his friend's face, the way his smile beamed out across the auditorium as he and Yokoyama soaked up the applause.
Nino was even happier when Jun-kun came running out from one of the dressing rooms, surprising everyone (especially the girls cooing after him) as he wrapped Aiba in a huge congratulatory hug. His face was already painted up for the show, white and bright, but he didn't seem to care. He set aside his cool image to embrace Aiba and squeal "Masaki, Masaki, your jokes are so awful. I love it!"
Despite the crowd's overwhelming approval, Nino could see how thrilled Aiba was just to have Matsumoto Jun's approval instead.
Nino was scheduled late in the program, and he waited idly in the wings through several mime performances, a duo on unicycles who juggled, a chorus, and several J-pop hopefuls. Then it was finally time for Dry Clean My Heart And My Overcoat. Why a show about dry cleaning and love needed full Kabuki makeup and kimonos Nino still didn't understand, but Jun-kun had marginally improved, making the entire experience entertaining enough. And there was no mistaking Aiba-kun's scratchy voice shouting "Bravo!" from the back of the house as Jun took a bow at the show's conclusion.
Soon after it was time for the volleyball squad's unofficial captain, Ohno, to perform. He was only the unofficial captain because he was the least terrible at the sport, not that that was saying much. As Ohno took the stage, waiting for his music cue, Nino smiled as he heard Aiba, Sho, and Jun somewhere in the crowd shouting "Captain! Captain!" until they were finally shushed by Katori-sensei, whose latest clothing adventure was to walk around dressed as Batman.
But as soon as the music started and Ohno started to move, the entire auditorium fell silent. He was good. Ridiculously good. His hips did things that Nino didn't know was possible (not that he was a dance expert). He commanded the stage and the audience's attention, moving like Nino had never seen him. Most of the time Ohno just stood on the volleyball court, arms out and hands clasped together in front of him waiting for the ball to arrive. But this was like an entirely different person. Now he understood why Aiba said their friend was the best in the school. Because he really was.
When the music stopped, the auditorium erupted into cheers. But Ohno simply seemed embarrassed, waving shyly before shuffling off the stage in Nino's direction. He was surprised to see the slightest smile on his friend's face. He pointed at Nino's guitar. "Uh, sorry you have to follow me..."
Nino just laughed and waited for the crowd to die down so Joshima-sensei could stumble through his name. After being announced as "Ninomiya Kazuya," Nino approached the mike, gently saying "It's Kazunari," before launching into Noodles on the Brain. Sho had come up with the title the night before, and he was just cheesy enough to use it. His newfound crush on Sakurai Sho was making him do some silly things.
He didn't receive the kind of reaction Ohno had, but despite the brightness of the stage lights and the pressure of performing, Nino heard a smattering of giggles during the song. Lyrics he'd definitely intended to be funny. It meant people were really listening to him. He received an obnoxious standing ovation from the Ohno-Jun-Aiba-Sho block in the audience, but everyone else remained seated. But there was much more applause than Nino had expected, given that he was a new student and nobody knew who the hell he was.
It felt good, hearing them cheer for him. For a stupid three minute song about ramen. He'd spent all this time poking fun at the kids here, but they really did support each other. Maybe it was just a feeling that came about when everyone knew you were the worst school. You made the best of a crappy situation.
He left the stage, setting his guitar back in his case. Sho and Larry-kun were the second to last performance of the night, and Nino found a place in the back of the auditorium beside Aiba's friend Yokoyama. Sho's lips still moved, and Nino had heard all of Larry-kun's jokes the night before, but the audience loved it. Larry-kun's impersonation of Joshima-sensei was particularly on point, and Sho had the student body eating out of the palm of his hand.
In the end when Larry-kun and Sho bowed their heads respectively, Nino heard Aiba launching into more shouts of "Bravo!" from somewhere else in the auditorium, and Nino couldn't help but join him. He pulled Yokoyama up with him, and together they hollered and cheered until Sho headed off stage, chuckling. Nino wondered if he'd heard them.
--
Three days after Talent Night, Joshima-sensei called Nino to his office. He'd been in the middle of a practice session, the intended sequel to Noodles on the Brain he was disgustingly planning to dedicate to Sho. He was really starting to lose it. He was surprised to enter the room and find Ohno seated in front of Joshima-sensei's desk looking nervous.
And Nino soon discovered why. Standing beside Joshima-sensei's desk in a business suit was none other than Higashiyama Noriyuki, the principal of Horikoshi High School. The man was known for his boy band days in the 80's (his group more popular than Katori-sensei and Joshima-sensei's groups combined), but he was equally known for his strict control of Horikoshi. It was why the school was number one and why so many of its students found great success after graduation.
So why was he here at Arashi High?
"Kazuya-san, please have a seat," Joshima-sensei mumbled, seemingly nervous in Higashiyama's presence.
"It's Kazunari," he mumbled back.
Higashiyama immediately took command of the room, remaining on his feet as he walked back and forth with fire in his eyes. "That Talent Night was extraordinary."
Extraordinary wasn't necessarily a word Nino would have chosen, but that was of course just his opinion. But his thoughts stopped drifting as soon as Higashiyama clapped a strong hand on his and Ohno's shoulders.
"...and you two were the standouts," Higashiyama said. "Come, let's give you a tour."
"A tour?" Ohno mumbled.
Higashiyama was undeterred. "Of Horikoshi. This is a recruiting session. Starting right now." When Nino and Ohno simply gaped at him, the man only held their shoulders tighter. Nino was certain that there'd be indentations in his skin for days to come. "We'll even let you dine in the cafeteria. Curry today, I think."
"Curry?" Nino and Ohno said together, perking up the slightest bit despite their overall confusion.
Joshima-sensei offered no protest, and soon enough he and Ohno were shuffling along after Higashiyama, finding a limousine with the Horikoshi school logo on the door parked at the Arashi High gate. And then they were off.
Nino found himself sitting as close to Ohno as he could, simply to have something normal to cling to. They were in their shabby Arashi High uniforms. Ohno hadn't even bothered with his tie today. Higashiyama cleared his throat, then launched into further praise of their Talent Night performances. He explained that even though Ohno was set to graduate in the spring, transferring this late would be no problem - graduating with Horikoshi on his transcript would propel him to the front of any dance audition line.
And as for Nino, who still had over a year of school to go, he'd get to use Horikoshi's facilities, record an album with the school's staff of audio engineers, and could participate in the student rock orchestra. "And of course you'd be on scholarship with us. No tuition, no extra fees. All access to facilities," Higashiyama explained. "I personally recruit all our students, and let me say that I am very disappointed in myself for not finding you both sooner."
The limo arrived and Higashiyama shook their hands. "I do very much hope you'll consider this offer."
Nino scratched his chin. "When do you need an answer?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "You mean I haven't already convinced you?" And like that he left them. He and Ohno were at Horikoshi every day for phys ed, but now they'd get to see the full experience. Did he really want to transfer though?
A cute girl with long dark hair in a ponytail jogged up to them, her face immediately blushing red as a tomato at the sight of Ohno-san. Who in turn found himself blushing at the attention.
"Hello," the girl said shyly, her Horikoshi tweed jacket and plaid skirt in impeccable shape. "You must be Ohno-san and Ninomiya-san. I'm Ishihara with the Horikoshi Student Council."
"Nice to meet you," Nino said. And Ohno said nothing, seeming content to stare at Ishihara-san's mouth and impossibly plump lips. Well, it looked like Horikoshi was getting at least one transfer today.
"Did you know, Ohno-san, that you have many fans here at Horikoshi?" Ishihara said. Too cute, Nino thought with a roll of his eyes, but Ohno was instantly taken in. Nino noticed how he stood up straighter, even buttoning his Arashi High jacket.
"Is that so?" Ohno mumbled.
"Oh yes," she said. "We all saw your...your Talent Night performance. Someone recorded it and put it on YouTube, so..." She looked at her feet. "I've watched it several times already...I mean, you're just so talented. Better than a lot of the dancers around here, in fact..."
"Oh..." Ohno looked cockier than Nino had ever seen him, his lip curling the slightest bit. "Well, isn't that something?"
Ishihara, who Nino coerced into letting them address her as "Satomi-chan" (mostly for Ohno's benefit, of course) brought them into the main building, guiding them through the practice areas, collaborative spaces, and art studios. Once she was in full-on Student Council mode and not falling over herself with her obvious crush on Mr. Dancer Extraordinaire, Satomi-chan was a fairly decent tour guide. Nino had to acknowledge how superior Horikoshi was in almost every way. There was even a design student, Okada-kun, using a large, open courtyard area to build a massive wooden gazebo all by himself. He was focused on the hammer in his hand, not even noticing the flurry of girls rushing to be the one to hand him his next tool or another nail.
"So cool," Ohno said, clearly envisioning his own harem of girls following his every move at Horikoshi. The place did have its charms, Nino had to admit.
They ate in the cafeteria with the rest of the Horikoshi students, sitting with Satomi-chan's fellow Student Council members. The Horikoshi curry, Nino decided, was probably the best he'd ever tasted. If the ridiculous athletic facilities weren't already a giveaway that this school was perfect, the curry was enough to convince him. The other Student Council members peppered them with questions - who was Nino's musical inspiration? What about Ohno's dance inspiration? Would they like to stop by and join their band? Their dance troupe? Audition for this or that together?
But something was off, Nino could feel it. Kids at the other tables weren't as polite as those at the Student Council table. He noticed a few pointing fingers as Satomi-chan brought them to the athletic facilities as the final part of their tour. Nino's stomach tumbled when they finally made it to Gym 14.
On that familiar court way in the back, he could see Jun running after a sharply spiked ball from Aiba, who was standing beside Sho (and of course, Larry-kun). Today they were playing against other teams. Most were Arashi High against Arashi High, so nobody really cared. But it seemed that the three students at the court way in the back, the students who were his friends, were being forced to play against a trio of Horikoshi male students, all of them impossibly tall.
"Satomi-chan," Ohno interrupted. "Are we done here? Our friends are over there so..."
But Satomi-chan simply patted him on the shoulder, blushing again. "That's what's so great about Horikoshi! We can play any sport we want. If you're bad at volleyball, you don't have to play. Find something you enjoy! It's not like Arashi High where they were breaking the law and had to force the students into this..."
Nino caught Sho's eyes from across the gym. Larry-kun waved at him half-heartedly, and Sho gave him a kind of confused look. What did his friends think of him now, a potential Horikoshi student?
He had to admit that Horikoshi was everything he could possibly want if he really wanted to pursue music. Supportive faculty, all the students trying their best as an additional motivator. And of course, all the doors a Horikoshi diploma might open, all the people it might introduce him to in the industry. It would be foolish not to take Higashiyama's offer seriously.
But as Satomi-chan led them out of the gym, Nino found himself looking back in Sho's direction, just in time for a Horikoshi team volleyball to hit him in the head. When the Horikoshi players started laughing at him, Nino looked away, hurrying after his tour guide.
--
Ohno's house was in one direction, Nino's in the other, so they parted when the tour was complete. Ohno only had a few months left at Arashi High. Would he really consider transferring? If anything, it made the most sense for Nino to change schools. After so many months alone in his room, he was just getting back into the swing of things. He was making friends. He'd finally grown to accept Arashi High and its students for what it was.
But what was most important? Friends or his future? He'd never get a chance like the Horikoshi offer again, he was pretty damn sure about that. And it wasn't that far from Arashi High, not really.
He pondered these things while he stood at the bus stop, deciding to take the longer way home instead of the train. He thought of his long nights practicing at Sho's house, everything the Sakurai family had done to help him. If he transferred to Horikoshi, he wouldn't have to burden them any longer. He was sure that Aiba would push him to transfer - his best friend loved having him at Arashi High, that much was obvious, but Aiba would be angry if Nino gave up the chance for something even greater.
But what about Sho?
Nino scowled, shuffling from foot to foot as he waited for the bus. Sho-kun who would have to give up Larry-kun, give up everything he'd done at Arashi High. Become another guy in a suit. If Sho was giving up his dream, why should Nino do the same? Wouldn't Sho want him to go to Horikoshi if he was able to?
"...in the locker room..."
"No way, the hell is that?"
"You're kidding. What does that guy do with it? Jerk off?
"Hamada, seriously, that's disgusting. Why'd you take it?"
"I don't know...kid's face was priceless though. 'Give it back, please give it back!' Hilarious!"
He could hear the voices of three male Horikoshi students, probably the ones from the volleyball court, walking over to stand near him at the bus stop. Nino stood where he was, not wanting to look over. It was none of his business, but he couldn't help the odd feeling creeping up in his gut, the sense that something was really wrong. He'd felt it at the lunch table, the cold eyes from across the cafeteria watching him and Ohno. The judgment because of their school. The judgment Nino had felt before and didn't want to feel ever again.
"It's a puppet. Seriously, a puppet. So stupid," one of the guys said, and the hairs on Nino's arms stood on end.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the blond hair, the USA FOREVER t-shirt. He fully turned, seeing the guys (all larger than him) tossing Larry-kun back and forth, laughing and poking at him. They took off one of his little shoes, flinging it into the street and laughing harder when a car ran over it. Sho-kun was nowhere in sight. These jerks had stolen Larry-kun from him.
"...so lame," one of the guys said, tossing the puppet to the ground and giving it a kick. "I hate that those guys have to come to our school."
"Bunch of rejects. I mean, come on, puppets?" Another kick to Larry-kun, edging him closer to the street. "We're doing that guy a favor."
Nino's hands became fists, shaking at his sides. That day at his old school came flashing back, raw and painful, churning in his belly.
"We're doing you a favor, Ninomiya!" he remembered one of the boys saying that day, shoving his head into the toilet water. "Don't you get that you don't belong here?"
He shut his eyes, hearing the sound of the puppet's plastic head scraping across the pavement.
"Ninomiya," the other boy had said that day. "I heard your mom works as a hostess. Does your mom work as a hostess? We don't want people like you at our school...people from dirty money..."
"Arashi High lets anyone in," he heard. Not in his memory, but here and now. "Maybe he's slow or something. You know, in the head?"
Another kick. This time he heard something break.
"We don't need people like you making our school look bad!" the bullies had chanted, cornering him in the locker room, kicking him in the ribs.
"But she's not!" he'd pleaded back then. "She's not like that!" Five months he'd stayed away. Five months he'd let their hurtful lies about his mom keep him from setting foot in school.
"And they have to come here and use our equipment. Pathetic." He heard Larry-kun fall off the curb and into the street, heard the violent crunch as a car ran over his body. The boys cheered.
Nino couldn't hold it in any longer, letting out a scream that made everyone at the bus stop fall completely silent. He turned around, stomping over to yank the puppet from the street. The Horikoshi jerks just laughed, watching Nino pick up the puppet and run off with it cradled in his arms.
--
He ran, running even when his lungs felt like they were on fire. He wouldn't go to Horikoshi. Could never go to Horikoshi and be in the same building as those guys. Sure Horikoshi High School connected you with the right people, gave you the best of the best. But if you weren't one of them, you were nothing.
Nino didn't want to go to a school where his friends at Arashi High would be "nothing."
He was upset with himself for crying, wiping snot away as he hurried home with Larry-kun in tow. Nino really didn't like the stupid puppet, but he meant so much to Sho. It wasn't looking good. The puppet's hair had been torn, and there was a huge crack in the plastic of his face. One arm was hanging limply, nearly torn from the puppet's body. His shoes were gone, clothes were filthy. It hadn't taken long for them to ruin Sho's most beloved thing.
His mother was sleeping before work when he got home, hurrying upstairs as quickly as he could without making noise. He pulled off Larry-kun's clothes, shoving them into the washing machine while he dug around desperately for some superglue and some soap and water to try and get the puppet fixed back up and clean again.
He eventually heard a knock at the door, and his mother poked her head in. Nino blinked, staring at the clock. He'd been trying to fix Larry-kun for four hours. She smiled at him. "Aiba-chan stopped by earlier and said you were taking a tour of Horikoshi High School. That they wanted you to transfer because of how good you are." She looked away. "I'm so sorry I couldn't make it to your Talent Night because of work..."
"I'm not going to Horikoshi, Mom. Arashi High is my school now." He nodded vehemently. "I'm going to graduate from Arashi High."
"Aiba-chan does like to exaggerate," his mother admitted. She wrinkled her nose at the disarray that was Larry-kun's tiny clothes, hanging from clothespins on Nino's bedroom balcony while the doll itself was sitting on newspaper so the superglue keeping his head together didn't drip onto the rug. "Do I want to know what you're up to?"
He looked up at his mom, saw how tired she was and knew she was off to work hard once again at the factory, all so he could go to school and make something of himself. "Just fixing this for a friend," he admitted.
His mother nodded. "I'll leave you to it. Make sure grandpa takes his pills okay?"
"Okay."
His mother left and time slipped away again. It was after midnight when he put the finishing touches (well, at the extent that he could finish anything) on the puppet. Larry-kun still looked awful but he was intact, Nino having used his limited stitching skills to keep Larry-kun's arm from falling off entirely.
The following day was a holiday off from school. He knew what he had to do.
--
Larry-kun secure in his backpack and guitar case in hand, he rang the Sakurai family's doorbell. Instead of the maid, Sho's father answered the door. "I'm sorry, Nino," Sakurai-san said. "Sho-kun's not feeling up to visitors right now..."
But then Nino set his backpack down and unzipped it. "I found him," he said.
Sho's father held the door open wide.
Nino left his guitar case by the basement door. He had to practice his songs. If he got good enough, he could play by a train station, raise enough money to record a decent demo without needing any help from Horikoshi High School. But first he climbed the stairs to Sho's room.
Horikoshi High School might mean a brighter future, but Nino wasn't really convinced that was so true. Because what future was worth becoming like those jerks at Horikoshi? What future was worth leaving his friends behind?
He knocked on Sho's door.
"Leave me alone!"
He knocked again, feeling like an idiot as he made his voice go high and squeaky, grasping around for the English words. He had to admit that Sho was much better at Larry-kun's voice. "Let me in, you son of a bitch!"
He heard footfalls on the floor, and Sho pulled his door open, face surprised. He had a black eye, courtesy Horikoshi High School. He'd fought as best he could, but three against one hadn't been possible. Nino just bent down, holding open his backpack.
"He's in pretty rough shape, sorry about that. They really did a number on him. And uh, I can't really sew. You may want your mom to fix him better..."
Sho crouched down, pulling Larry-kun out and examining him, seeing all the damage and frowning.
"Maybe it can be part of the act," Nino babbled on. "You know, like Larry-kun went back home to America and got in a street fight. It would match that black eye of yours for a while, so..."
"Nino..."
"What, did his t-shirt shrink? Do you have any idea how hard it is to wash puppet clothes? I don't even wash my own stuff, my mom does, so..."
"Nino."
He looked up, seeing Sho watching him with some kind of strange look in his eyes. He got to his feet, and Nino did the same. Sho pulled Nino into his room, tugging along the backpack and setting Larry-kun gently on the bed. And Nino was shocked when Sho returned, shoving his bedroom door shut and wrapping him up in the most ridiculous bear hug of all time.
"Thank you," Sho whispered, so close to his ear that he could feel his warm breath against his skin.
"Can't...breathe...Sho-kun..."
"Why? How? How did you find him?"
"Sho-kun..." He found himself wrapping his arms around Sho's back, enjoying it despite the air being crushed out of him.
Sho seemed to realize what he was doing, stepping back and looking embarrassed. "Ah, sorry. I just...well, I never thought I'd see Larry-kun again." Sho scratched his head. "I just thought maybe it was his time, you know? Maybe it was the only way I could really say goodbye."
"You're wrong," Nino told him.
Sho stared at him. "What do you mean?"
"You'll go to college, but why do you have to give up Larry-kun? Look at you. You already go to school all day and then cram school, it's not like you can't balance your time. So why do you have to give him up? Why can't you become the president of your dad's company and have a stupid puppet?"
Sho started smiling as soon as Nino admitted his true feelings for Larry-kun, but Nino wouldn't stop.
"Why do you have to give up? Why? It's a weird hobby, but it's not like there aren't weirder people out there. Train otakus and those creepy guys who buy 5,000 tickets to a handshake event for the AKB girls. Compared to that a puppet's not so weird unless you, I don't know, take him to the bathroom." He looked over to the bed, saw Larry-kun's empty eyes staring back. "Oh, you know what, don't tell me if you've ever had him in the bathroom with you. I don't think I need that information."
Sho stepped forward, still grinning like an idiot.
"I mean, honestly. I don't think I want to see you graduate in the spring unless you've got your hand shoved up Larry-kun's back end. He makes you happy, right? Honoring your grandpa makes you happy. And it's not like Aiba-chan or Jun-kun cares. And Oh-chan, of course. We'll stand by you no matter what. So to hell with everything..." He blinked, seeing that Sho-kun had made him step backwards until his back was pressed against his bedroom door. He found himself blushing. "Uh, Sho-kun, isn't your dad downstairs right now?"
Sho didn't answer him, stepping forward and bringing their mouths together. Well, Nino decided as soon as Sho kissed him...he'd definitely made the right choice spending his entire night putting Larry-kun back together again. They bumped noses a few times, but slowly they figured it out. It was as perfect as he could have hoped. Except for one thing.
When Sho let him breathe again, he chuckled. "Larry-kun is watching, you know. It makes me uncomfortable."
The sound of Sho's laugh was the greatest thing he ever heard.
--
"Who'd want to go to this school anyway?" Jun said with a sneer. He tossed the ball up. "Here it comes!"
Nino thoroughly missed, having to scurry down the court to grab it back. "I know, right? Arashi High's just fine."
Ohno nodded, arms out stiffly in front of him, waiting for Nino to toss the volleyball over. "I'm graduating soon," he said quietly, his voice almost lost in the gym noise. "Who needs this place?"
Nino saw his friend's gaze drift across the court, catching the eyes of Ishihara Satomi-chan who was escorting another group of potential students around. When she saw Ohno, she waved and smiled. Well, not everyone at Horikoshi was terrible, Nino decided.
Nino tossed the ball to Ohno, who managed to pass it successfully to Aiba. A second hit sent the ball flying in Jun's direction. He spiked it down with a wicked grin, making Nino dive for it. But he managed to get to it just in time, sending the ball straight up. Their very first rally of four hits!
"I got this one, suckers!" Larry-kun shouted, looking in far better shape than when Nino had last seen him. Sho's mother had even sewn him a miniature sling for his still "injured" puppet arm. But Larry-kun's athletic skills were lacking as ever.
Sho missed completely, and the five of them laughed.
"We really suck," Aiba complained, shaking his head.
But that didn't really matter. Not really, Nino thought as Sho looked over at him and smiled.
It continued in this fashion for the next several days, even against what Nino had thought was his best judgment. Was he ever going to get a chance like this again? Unless he became a famous musician and recorded in fancy studios himself, he couldn't top the Sakurai family's little music room. He practiced more diligently than he ever had before. Gradually the Cup Ramen song became better and better.
At Sho's house, he re-discovered his passion for music. He'd always loved playing, but having the ability to practice and fine tune his skills in the peace and quiet of Sho's basement revived him. At home, there was never any time. There was no place for Nino to practice. Everything would inconvenience someone - his mother, his grandfather, maybe even the neighbors. Here he could sit and think, jot down new lyrics, go completely wild. The only real interruption was from the maid, Sumiko-san, offering Nino some sandwiches or tea with a gentle smile before Sho came back from cram school.
Even Sho's father had poked his head in one evening, not remotely disturbed by the sight of his son's random schoolmate using the room built for his genius daughter. "Let me know if you need a demo tape recorded," the man had offered kindly. "I can put you in touch with the right people."
When he'd asked Sho about it the next day, just before the boy went off to cram school, he'd frowned. "My dad's a generous guy," Sho had told him, making his excuses and leaving.
Volleyball continued to suck, but Nino endured the two hours of forced exercise because he knew that when they were done pretending to care about athletics he could hurry to Sho's house and work on his songs. Yes, songs plural now. The Cup Ramen song was a done deal, almost entirely polished for Talent Night. And now there was a song about Dragon Quest, a song about his grandfather, and a song about Larry-kun drowning in the Pacific Ocean while trying to swim back to his home in sunny Los Angeles, California.
Well, he wouldn't tell Sho-kun about that last one.
It was the night before Talent Night when Sho asked if he could sit in and listen to Nino's songs. He'd come home from school early, looking exhausted and like the only thing that might revive him would be the chance to make terrible jokes via puppet. Nino wasn't used to an audience. Talent Night was going to be insanely nervewracking - it couldn't hurt to get some feedback from Sho.
So he played through the Cup Ramen song, strumming the guitar and singing his heart out while Sho sat and listened, the two of them shut up in the basement music room.
When he was done, he looked up to see Sho watching him.
"You're really good," he said, his big eyes bigger than usual. "Nino, you're really really good!"
He found himself blushing a bit, unused to praise. "Ah, that was 90% I'd say..."
Sho rolled his eyes. "Why are you going to Arashi High? With talent like that you could go somewhere amazing!"
Nino was confused, cocking his head. "Uh, you go to Arashi High. What happened to school spirit? If Larry-kun was here he'd say you were harshing his mellow. What does that mean again?"
Sho leaned back in his chair, thumping his head against the wall in frustration. "I don't know. I don't know anything anymore." The older boy shut his eyes. "With all the volleyball we're stuck playing and with school I haven't had time to perfect my act. Larry-kun is going to be a huge disappointment tomorrow. As it should be. I suck, I know I suck..."
Nino didn't want to confirm or deny Sho's assertion. The guy was super popular at Arashi - he had to know that, right? Despite his obvious gaps in talent, the rest of the school didn't seem to find him lacking. None of them seemed all that concerned that Sho's lips moved 99% of the time Larry-kun was talking.
He'd spent these past few weeks frustrated with Sho - wondering why he was wasting his time with ventriloquism when it was clear he wasn't that good at it.
"Sho-kun," Nino said, finally gathering his courage. "Why do you want to be a ventriloquist anyhow?"
On their first meeting, it seemed like nothing could deter Sakurai Sho's spirits. He made his bad jokes with Larry-kun, cheered on their pathetic volleyball squad, and smiled big and bright. But now Nino had seen Sho without Larry-kun, the Sho who waved goodbye to Nino every day and trudged off for cram school. Which one was the real one?
"My grandpa gave me Larry-kun," Sho finally said. "When I was five. Just for fun you know. Nothing serious. He showed me how to hold him, make his mouth and his limbs move. Taught me a few silly jokes. But he died a few years later, and I guess I wasn't willing to let go. It's been me and Larry-kun ever since. And my parents said I could enroll at Arashi High to keep practicing so long as I give it up when I graduate. I go to cram school so I can go to university. And then I'll take over the company..."
So that was it. It didn't really matter if Sho was good or bad. It didn't matter because in the spring it would be over. Sho would graduate, and Larry-kun would be boxed up. Unlike Jun-kun who would keep acting, Ohno who would keep dancing, Aiba who would keep trying to be funny, Sho would have to stop. Sure Nino thought the puppet thing was lame, but now he understood why Sho-kun refused to let Larry-kun go, even during volleyball practice.
Sho's days at Arashi High were important to him. They'd be the last days he got to be who he really wanted to be. His sister was a music prodigy so she'd get to continue her studies, but Sho's artistic dreams apparently weren't equal in his parents' eyes.
Nino set his guitar back in his case. "Going home already?" Sho asked, looking confused.
"Ah, why don't you go get Larry-kun? You sat through my Talent Night act. Let me sit through yours."
"Really?"
The tips of Sho's ears turned pink. It was too much. It was too cute. Nino knew he was doomed now. For all that Sho's lack of talent and the puppet's dead eyes pushed Nino away, Sho himself and his kindness and his passion for what he did just drew him in. Jun-kun was a terrible actor, but Aiba liked him anyway. Because Jun-kun was passionate. Because Jun-kun cared. Now Nino had to admit that it was the same with Sho-kun. And the same with every student who walked through Arashi High's doors.
They didn't have to be good. They just had to want to be there.
So this time when Sho came back downstairs with Larry-kun in tow, he found himself not paying attention to Larry-kun's goofy voice or the dumb jokes Sho told. He instead saw how happy Sho was to be performing, the way his entire demeanor changed. The way his eyes sparkled as he tried to honor the gift his grandfather gave him.
Nino saw it for the very first time, and he knew there was no turning back. He was falling for Sakurai Sho.
--
Aiba had partnered up with a boy in Sho and Ohno's class, Yokoyama, for his comedy act. Since the two of them were both complete idiots (and Nino said this with affection), they were the perfect match. Even though Nino thought their timing was a little off and that the jokes were kind of old-fashioned, they brought the house down. Nino couldn't help grinning at the look on his friend's face, the way his smile beamed out across the auditorium as he and Yokoyama soaked up the applause.
Nino was even happier when Jun-kun came running out from one of the dressing rooms, surprising everyone (especially the girls cooing after him) as he wrapped Aiba in a huge congratulatory hug. His face was already painted up for the show, white and bright, but he didn't seem to care. He set aside his cool image to embrace Aiba and squeal "Masaki, Masaki, your jokes are so awful. I love it!"
Despite the crowd's overwhelming approval, Nino could see how thrilled Aiba was just to have Matsumoto Jun's approval instead.
Nino was scheduled late in the program, and he waited idly in the wings through several mime performances, a duo on unicycles who juggled, a chorus, and several J-pop hopefuls. Then it was finally time for Dry Clean My Heart And My Overcoat. Why a show about dry cleaning and love needed full Kabuki makeup and kimonos Nino still didn't understand, but Jun-kun had marginally improved, making the entire experience entertaining enough. And there was no mistaking Aiba-kun's scratchy voice shouting "Bravo!" from the back of the house as Jun took a bow at the show's conclusion.
Soon after it was time for the volleyball squad's unofficial captain, Ohno, to perform. He was only the unofficial captain because he was the least terrible at the sport, not that that was saying much. As Ohno took the stage, waiting for his music cue, Nino smiled as he heard Aiba, Sho, and Jun somewhere in the crowd shouting "Captain! Captain!" until they were finally shushed by Katori-sensei, whose latest clothing adventure was to walk around dressed as Batman.
But as soon as the music started and Ohno started to move, the entire auditorium fell silent. He was good. Ridiculously good. His hips did things that Nino didn't know was possible (not that he was a dance expert). He commanded the stage and the audience's attention, moving like Nino had never seen him. Most of the time Ohno just stood on the volleyball court, arms out and hands clasped together in front of him waiting for the ball to arrive. But this was like an entirely different person. Now he understood why Aiba said their friend was the best in the school. Because he really was.
When the music stopped, the auditorium erupted into cheers. But Ohno simply seemed embarrassed, waving shyly before shuffling off the stage in Nino's direction. He was surprised to see the slightest smile on his friend's face. He pointed at Nino's guitar. "Uh, sorry you have to follow me..."
Nino just laughed and waited for the crowd to die down so Joshima-sensei could stumble through his name. After being announced as "Ninomiya Kazuya," Nino approached the mike, gently saying "It's Kazunari," before launching into Noodles on the Brain. Sho had come up with the title the night before, and he was just cheesy enough to use it. His newfound crush on Sakurai Sho was making him do some silly things.
He didn't receive the kind of reaction Ohno had, but despite the brightness of the stage lights and the pressure of performing, Nino heard a smattering of giggles during the song. Lyrics he'd definitely intended to be funny. It meant people were really listening to him. He received an obnoxious standing ovation from the Ohno-Jun-Aiba-Sho block in the audience, but everyone else remained seated. But there was much more applause than Nino had expected, given that he was a new student and nobody knew who the hell he was.
It felt good, hearing them cheer for him. For a stupid three minute song about ramen. He'd spent all this time poking fun at the kids here, but they really did support each other. Maybe it was just a feeling that came about when everyone knew you were the worst school. You made the best of a crappy situation.
He left the stage, setting his guitar back in his case. Sho and Larry-kun were the second to last performance of the night, and Nino found a place in the back of the auditorium beside Aiba's friend Yokoyama. Sho's lips still moved, and Nino had heard all of Larry-kun's jokes the night before, but the audience loved it. Larry-kun's impersonation of Joshima-sensei was particularly on point, and Sho had the student body eating out of the palm of his hand.
In the end when Larry-kun and Sho bowed their heads respectively, Nino heard Aiba launching into more shouts of "Bravo!" from somewhere else in the auditorium, and Nino couldn't help but join him. He pulled Yokoyama up with him, and together they hollered and cheered until Sho headed off stage, chuckling. Nino wondered if he'd heard them.
--
Three days after Talent Night, Joshima-sensei called Nino to his office. He'd been in the middle of a practice session, the intended sequel to Noodles on the Brain he was disgustingly planning to dedicate to Sho. He was really starting to lose it. He was surprised to enter the room and find Ohno seated in front of Joshima-sensei's desk looking nervous.
And Nino soon discovered why. Standing beside Joshima-sensei's desk in a business suit was none other than Higashiyama Noriyuki, the principal of Horikoshi High School. The man was known for his boy band days in the 80's (his group more popular than Katori-sensei and Joshima-sensei's groups combined), but he was equally known for his strict control of Horikoshi. It was why the school was number one and why so many of its students found great success after graduation.
So why was he here at Arashi High?
"Kazuya-san, please have a seat," Joshima-sensei mumbled, seemingly nervous in Higashiyama's presence.
"It's Kazunari," he mumbled back.
Higashiyama immediately took command of the room, remaining on his feet as he walked back and forth with fire in his eyes. "That Talent Night was extraordinary."
Extraordinary wasn't necessarily a word Nino would have chosen, but that was of course just his opinion. But his thoughts stopped drifting as soon as Higashiyama clapped a strong hand on his and Ohno's shoulders.
"...and you two were the standouts," Higashiyama said. "Come, let's give you a tour."
"A tour?" Ohno mumbled.
Higashiyama was undeterred. "Of Horikoshi. This is a recruiting session. Starting right now." When Nino and Ohno simply gaped at him, the man only held their shoulders tighter. Nino was certain that there'd be indentations in his skin for days to come. "We'll even let you dine in the cafeteria. Curry today, I think."
"Curry?" Nino and Ohno said together, perking up the slightest bit despite their overall confusion.
Joshima-sensei offered no protest, and soon enough he and Ohno were shuffling along after Higashiyama, finding a limousine with the Horikoshi school logo on the door parked at the Arashi High gate. And then they were off.
Nino found himself sitting as close to Ohno as he could, simply to have something normal to cling to. They were in their shabby Arashi High uniforms. Ohno hadn't even bothered with his tie today. Higashiyama cleared his throat, then launched into further praise of their Talent Night performances. He explained that even though Ohno was set to graduate in the spring, transferring this late would be no problem - graduating with Horikoshi on his transcript would propel him to the front of any dance audition line.
And as for Nino, who still had over a year of school to go, he'd get to use Horikoshi's facilities, record an album with the school's staff of audio engineers, and could participate in the student rock orchestra. "And of course you'd be on scholarship with us. No tuition, no extra fees. All access to facilities," Higashiyama explained. "I personally recruit all our students, and let me say that I am very disappointed in myself for not finding you both sooner."
The limo arrived and Higashiyama shook their hands. "I do very much hope you'll consider this offer."
Nino scratched his chin. "When do you need an answer?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "You mean I haven't already convinced you?" And like that he left them. He and Ohno were at Horikoshi every day for phys ed, but now they'd get to see the full experience. Did he really want to transfer though?
A cute girl with long dark hair in a ponytail jogged up to them, her face immediately blushing red as a tomato at the sight of Ohno-san. Who in turn found himself blushing at the attention.
"Hello," the girl said shyly, her Horikoshi tweed jacket and plaid skirt in impeccable shape. "You must be Ohno-san and Ninomiya-san. I'm Ishihara with the Horikoshi Student Council."
"Nice to meet you," Nino said. And Ohno said nothing, seeming content to stare at Ishihara-san's mouth and impossibly plump lips. Well, it looked like Horikoshi was getting at least one transfer today.
"Did you know, Ohno-san, that you have many fans here at Horikoshi?" Ishihara said. Too cute, Nino thought with a roll of his eyes, but Ohno was instantly taken in. Nino noticed how he stood up straighter, even buttoning his Arashi High jacket.
"Is that so?" Ohno mumbled.
"Oh yes," she said. "We all saw your...your Talent Night performance. Someone recorded it and put it on YouTube, so..." She looked at her feet. "I've watched it several times already...I mean, you're just so talented. Better than a lot of the dancers around here, in fact..."
"Oh..." Ohno looked cockier than Nino had ever seen him, his lip curling the slightest bit. "Well, isn't that something?"
Ishihara, who Nino coerced into letting them address her as "Satomi-chan" (mostly for Ohno's benefit, of course) brought them into the main building, guiding them through the practice areas, collaborative spaces, and art studios. Once she was in full-on Student Council mode and not falling over herself with her obvious crush on Mr. Dancer Extraordinaire, Satomi-chan was a fairly decent tour guide. Nino had to acknowledge how superior Horikoshi was in almost every way. There was even a design student, Okada-kun, using a large, open courtyard area to build a massive wooden gazebo all by himself. He was focused on the hammer in his hand, not even noticing the flurry of girls rushing to be the one to hand him his next tool or another nail.
"So cool," Ohno said, clearly envisioning his own harem of girls following his every move at Horikoshi. The place did have its charms, Nino had to admit.
They ate in the cafeteria with the rest of the Horikoshi students, sitting with Satomi-chan's fellow Student Council members. The Horikoshi curry, Nino decided, was probably the best he'd ever tasted. If the ridiculous athletic facilities weren't already a giveaway that this school was perfect, the curry was enough to convince him. The other Student Council members peppered them with questions - who was Nino's musical inspiration? What about Ohno's dance inspiration? Would they like to stop by and join their band? Their dance troupe? Audition for this or that together?
But something was off, Nino could feel it. Kids at the other tables weren't as polite as those at the Student Council table. He noticed a few pointing fingers as Satomi-chan brought them to the athletic facilities as the final part of their tour. Nino's stomach tumbled when they finally made it to Gym 14.
On that familiar court way in the back, he could see Jun running after a sharply spiked ball from Aiba, who was standing beside Sho (and of course, Larry-kun). Today they were playing against other teams. Most were Arashi High against Arashi High, so nobody really cared. But it seemed that the three students at the court way in the back, the students who were his friends, were being forced to play against a trio of Horikoshi male students, all of them impossibly tall.
"Satomi-chan," Ohno interrupted. "Are we done here? Our friends are over there so..."
But Satomi-chan simply patted him on the shoulder, blushing again. "That's what's so great about Horikoshi! We can play any sport we want. If you're bad at volleyball, you don't have to play. Find something you enjoy! It's not like Arashi High where they were breaking the law and had to force the students into this..."
Nino caught Sho's eyes from across the gym. Larry-kun waved at him half-heartedly, and Sho gave him a kind of confused look. What did his friends think of him now, a potential Horikoshi student?
He had to admit that Horikoshi was everything he could possibly want if he really wanted to pursue music. Supportive faculty, all the students trying their best as an additional motivator. And of course, all the doors a Horikoshi diploma might open, all the people it might introduce him to in the industry. It would be foolish not to take Higashiyama's offer seriously.
But as Satomi-chan led them out of the gym, Nino found himself looking back in Sho's direction, just in time for a Horikoshi team volleyball to hit him in the head. When the Horikoshi players started laughing at him, Nino looked away, hurrying after his tour guide.
--
Ohno's house was in one direction, Nino's in the other, so they parted when the tour was complete. Ohno only had a few months left at Arashi High. Would he really consider transferring? If anything, it made the most sense for Nino to change schools. After so many months alone in his room, he was just getting back into the swing of things. He was making friends. He'd finally grown to accept Arashi High and its students for what it was.
But what was most important? Friends or his future? He'd never get a chance like the Horikoshi offer again, he was pretty damn sure about that. And it wasn't that far from Arashi High, not really.
He pondered these things while he stood at the bus stop, deciding to take the longer way home instead of the train. He thought of his long nights practicing at Sho's house, everything the Sakurai family had done to help him. If he transferred to Horikoshi, he wouldn't have to burden them any longer. He was sure that Aiba would push him to transfer - his best friend loved having him at Arashi High, that much was obvious, but Aiba would be angry if Nino gave up the chance for something even greater.
But what about Sho?
Nino scowled, shuffling from foot to foot as he waited for the bus. Sho-kun who would have to give up Larry-kun, give up everything he'd done at Arashi High. Become another guy in a suit. If Sho was giving up his dream, why should Nino do the same? Wouldn't Sho want him to go to Horikoshi if he was able to?
"...in the locker room..."
"No way, the hell is that?"
"You're kidding. What does that guy do with it? Jerk off?
"Hamada, seriously, that's disgusting. Why'd you take it?"
"I don't know...kid's face was priceless though. 'Give it back, please give it back!' Hilarious!"
He could hear the voices of three male Horikoshi students, probably the ones from the volleyball court, walking over to stand near him at the bus stop. Nino stood where he was, not wanting to look over. It was none of his business, but he couldn't help the odd feeling creeping up in his gut, the sense that something was really wrong. He'd felt it at the lunch table, the cold eyes from across the cafeteria watching him and Ohno. The judgment because of their school. The judgment Nino had felt before and didn't want to feel ever again.
"It's a puppet. Seriously, a puppet. So stupid," one of the guys said, and the hairs on Nino's arms stood on end.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the blond hair, the USA FOREVER t-shirt. He fully turned, seeing the guys (all larger than him) tossing Larry-kun back and forth, laughing and poking at him. They took off one of his little shoes, flinging it into the street and laughing harder when a car ran over it. Sho-kun was nowhere in sight. These jerks had stolen Larry-kun from him.
"...so lame," one of the guys said, tossing the puppet to the ground and giving it a kick. "I hate that those guys have to come to our school."
"Bunch of rejects. I mean, come on, puppets?" Another kick to Larry-kun, edging him closer to the street. "We're doing that guy a favor."
Nino's hands became fists, shaking at his sides. That day at his old school came flashing back, raw and painful, churning in his belly.
"We're doing you a favor, Ninomiya!" he remembered one of the boys saying that day, shoving his head into the toilet water. "Don't you get that you don't belong here?"
He shut his eyes, hearing the sound of the puppet's plastic head scraping across the pavement.
"Ninomiya," the other boy had said that day. "I heard your mom works as a hostess. Does your mom work as a hostess? We don't want people like you at our school...people from dirty money..."
"Arashi High lets anyone in," he heard. Not in his memory, but here and now. "Maybe he's slow or something. You know, in the head?"
Another kick. This time he heard something break.
"We don't need people like you making our school look bad!" the bullies had chanted, cornering him in the locker room, kicking him in the ribs.
"But she's not!" he'd pleaded back then. "She's not like that!" Five months he'd stayed away. Five months he'd let their hurtful lies about his mom keep him from setting foot in school.
"And they have to come here and use our equipment. Pathetic." He heard Larry-kun fall off the curb and into the street, heard the violent crunch as a car ran over his body. The boys cheered.
Nino couldn't hold it in any longer, letting out a scream that made everyone at the bus stop fall completely silent. He turned around, stomping over to yank the puppet from the street. The Horikoshi jerks just laughed, watching Nino pick up the puppet and run off with it cradled in his arms.
--
He ran, running even when his lungs felt like they were on fire. He wouldn't go to Horikoshi. Could never go to Horikoshi and be in the same building as those guys. Sure Horikoshi High School connected you with the right people, gave you the best of the best. But if you weren't one of them, you were nothing.
Nino didn't want to go to a school where his friends at Arashi High would be "nothing."
He was upset with himself for crying, wiping snot away as he hurried home with Larry-kun in tow. Nino really didn't like the stupid puppet, but he meant so much to Sho. It wasn't looking good. The puppet's hair had been torn, and there was a huge crack in the plastic of his face. One arm was hanging limply, nearly torn from the puppet's body. His shoes were gone, clothes were filthy. It hadn't taken long for them to ruin Sho's most beloved thing.
His mother was sleeping before work when he got home, hurrying upstairs as quickly as he could without making noise. He pulled off Larry-kun's clothes, shoving them into the washing machine while he dug around desperately for some superglue and some soap and water to try and get the puppet fixed back up and clean again.
He eventually heard a knock at the door, and his mother poked her head in. Nino blinked, staring at the clock. He'd been trying to fix Larry-kun for four hours. She smiled at him. "Aiba-chan stopped by earlier and said you were taking a tour of Horikoshi High School. That they wanted you to transfer because of how good you are." She looked away. "I'm so sorry I couldn't make it to your Talent Night because of work..."
"I'm not going to Horikoshi, Mom. Arashi High is my school now." He nodded vehemently. "I'm going to graduate from Arashi High."
"Aiba-chan does like to exaggerate," his mother admitted. She wrinkled her nose at the disarray that was Larry-kun's tiny clothes, hanging from clothespins on Nino's bedroom balcony while the doll itself was sitting on newspaper so the superglue keeping his head together didn't drip onto the rug. "Do I want to know what you're up to?"
He looked up at his mom, saw how tired she was and knew she was off to work hard once again at the factory, all so he could go to school and make something of himself. "Just fixing this for a friend," he admitted.
His mother nodded. "I'll leave you to it. Make sure grandpa takes his pills okay?"
"Okay."
His mother left and time slipped away again. It was after midnight when he put the finishing touches (well, at the extent that he could finish anything) on the puppet. Larry-kun still looked awful but he was intact, Nino having used his limited stitching skills to keep Larry-kun's arm from falling off entirely.
The following day was a holiday off from school. He knew what he had to do.
--
Larry-kun secure in his backpack and guitar case in hand, he rang the Sakurai family's doorbell. Instead of the maid, Sho's father answered the door. "I'm sorry, Nino," Sakurai-san said. "Sho-kun's not feeling up to visitors right now..."
But then Nino set his backpack down and unzipped it. "I found him," he said.
Sho's father held the door open wide.
Nino left his guitar case by the basement door. He had to practice his songs. If he got good enough, he could play by a train station, raise enough money to record a decent demo without needing any help from Horikoshi High School. But first he climbed the stairs to Sho's room.
Horikoshi High School might mean a brighter future, but Nino wasn't really convinced that was so true. Because what future was worth becoming like those jerks at Horikoshi? What future was worth leaving his friends behind?
He knocked on Sho's door.
"Leave me alone!"
He knocked again, feeling like an idiot as he made his voice go high and squeaky, grasping around for the English words. He had to admit that Sho was much better at Larry-kun's voice. "Let me in, you son of a bitch!"
He heard footfalls on the floor, and Sho pulled his door open, face surprised. He had a black eye, courtesy Horikoshi High School. He'd fought as best he could, but three against one hadn't been possible. Nino just bent down, holding open his backpack.
"He's in pretty rough shape, sorry about that. They really did a number on him. And uh, I can't really sew. You may want your mom to fix him better..."
Sho crouched down, pulling Larry-kun out and examining him, seeing all the damage and frowning.
"Maybe it can be part of the act," Nino babbled on. "You know, like Larry-kun went back home to America and got in a street fight. It would match that black eye of yours for a while, so..."
"Nino..."
"What, did his t-shirt shrink? Do you have any idea how hard it is to wash puppet clothes? I don't even wash my own stuff, my mom does, so..."
"Nino."
He looked up, seeing Sho watching him with some kind of strange look in his eyes. He got to his feet, and Nino did the same. Sho pulled Nino into his room, tugging along the backpack and setting Larry-kun gently on the bed. And Nino was shocked when Sho returned, shoving his bedroom door shut and wrapping him up in the most ridiculous bear hug of all time.
"Thank you," Sho whispered, so close to his ear that he could feel his warm breath against his skin.
"Can't...breathe...Sho-kun..."
"Why? How? How did you find him?"
"Sho-kun..." He found himself wrapping his arms around Sho's back, enjoying it despite the air being crushed out of him.
Sho seemed to realize what he was doing, stepping back and looking embarrassed. "Ah, sorry. I just...well, I never thought I'd see Larry-kun again." Sho scratched his head. "I just thought maybe it was his time, you know? Maybe it was the only way I could really say goodbye."
"You're wrong," Nino told him.
Sho stared at him. "What do you mean?"
"You'll go to college, but why do you have to give up Larry-kun? Look at you. You already go to school all day and then cram school, it's not like you can't balance your time. So why do you have to give him up? Why can't you become the president of your dad's company and have a stupid puppet?"
Sho started smiling as soon as Nino admitted his true feelings for Larry-kun, but Nino wouldn't stop.
"Why do you have to give up? Why? It's a weird hobby, but it's not like there aren't weirder people out there. Train otakus and those creepy guys who buy 5,000 tickets to a handshake event for the AKB girls. Compared to that a puppet's not so weird unless you, I don't know, take him to the bathroom." He looked over to the bed, saw Larry-kun's empty eyes staring back. "Oh, you know what, don't tell me if you've ever had him in the bathroom with you. I don't think I need that information."
Sho stepped forward, still grinning like an idiot.
"I mean, honestly. I don't think I want to see you graduate in the spring unless you've got your hand shoved up Larry-kun's back end. He makes you happy, right? Honoring your grandpa makes you happy. And it's not like Aiba-chan or Jun-kun cares. And Oh-chan, of course. We'll stand by you no matter what. So to hell with everything..." He blinked, seeing that Sho-kun had made him step backwards until his back was pressed against his bedroom door. He found himself blushing. "Uh, Sho-kun, isn't your dad downstairs right now?"
Sho didn't answer him, stepping forward and bringing their mouths together. Well, Nino decided as soon as Sho kissed him...he'd definitely made the right choice spending his entire night putting Larry-kun back together again. They bumped noses a few times, but slowly they figured it out. It was as perfect as he could have hoped. Except for one thing.
When Sho let him breathe again, he chuckled. "Larry-kun is watching, you know. It makes me uncomfortable."
The sound of Sho's laugh was the greatest thing he ever heard.
--
"Who'd want to go to this school anyway?" Jun said with a sneer. He tossed the ball up. "Here it comes!"
Nino thoroughly missed, having to scurry down the court to grab it back. "I know, right? Arashi High's just fine."
Ohno nodded, arms out stiffly in front of him, waiting for Nino to toss the volleyball over. "I'm graduating soon," he said quietly, his voice almost lost in the gym noise. "Who needs this place?"
Nino saw his friend's gaze drift across the court, catching the eyes of Ishihara Satomi-chan who was escorting another group of potential students around. When she saw Ohno, she waved and smiled. Well, not everyone at Horikoshi was terrible, Nino decided.
Nino tossed the ball to Ohno, who managed to pass it successfully to Aiba. A second hit sent the ball flying in Jun's direction. He spiked it down with a wicked grin, making Nino dive for it. But he managed to get to it just in time, sending the ball straight up. Their very first rally of four hits!
"I got this one, suckers!" Larry-kun shouted, looking in far better shape than when Nino had last seen him. Sho's mother had even sewn him a miniature sling for his still "injured" puppet arm. But Larry-kun's athletic skills were lacking as ever.
Sho missed completely, and the five of them laughed.
"We really suck," Aiba complained, shaking his head.
But that didn't really matter. Not really, Nino thought as Sho looked over at him and smiled.