The Life Without
Title: The Life Without
Rating: g
It is a group consisting of only four people. After few long conversations, running from home incidence and Johnny’s adding few more medicine, Arashi was finally formed.
They were formed with Ohno still not wanting to give entertainment a chance, Sho still thinking that an office life will suit him, Nino still having dreams and Aiba not knowing if it’s something he should worry about. It was forced, doubtful and most of the time just the feeling of imbalance.
“Do you think this will work?” Nino asked Sho seriously, despite himself. His face pale and hand gripping the side of the boat; probably holding back his third gagging reflex. Sho gave it a thought while he stared at confused looking Aiba and somewhat blank Ohno, then back at Nino’s almost greenish face -fortunately covered from the rolling cameras by the flag he was holding.
“We are missing a little bit more of will power” Sho concluded.
“I threw up most of mine”
****
The first few years were the hardest.
Most of the time they just didn’t know what to say, what to expect and what to offer.
Sho found his will power somewhere between Hawaii and Japan. He thought that eventhough there were still alternatives that life could offer, he realized how big the step they took and they went too far from the chance to consider a possibility of turning back. He wanted to do it, more importantly he wanted succeed.
Ohno didn’t feel the realism of it all. It felt temporary and far off from what he expected in his life. Everyday he felt as though he was doing someone else’s job, but he doesn’t hate it.
Aiba, just never looked behind. Often the work felt hard and unreachable but he laughed it all off, because he can.
Nino didn’t mind, he didn’t give it that much thought. It didn’t feel that important despite the fact that it always felt real. He was carefree and always will be. He will do it seriously but never so desperately.
They often looked at Sho and felt pity.
If only there’s another member that want things just as much as Sho does.
Ohno gave Sho a soft tap on his back on their way back from New York after filming; it was the worst day of their lives, the worst yelling they ever had. They were given a great opportunity but they came in short. “We tried our best” Aiba said slowly.
Sho looked at them.
He already knew from the first day Arashi were formed that the other three didn’t feel as much pressure as he did; he already knew that the other three were too carefree to develop a pressuring headache that he was feeling. They were never the serious type as him.
He often wished for someone that could want something just as much as he does.
“They probably don’t know this, but we tried our best.” Ohno said.
They understand even when they don’t feel the same.
Suddenly it didn’t feel that hard anymore.
****
Only after few agonizing years that they finally developed a comfort zone.
Aiba would usually be in high spirits which Nino alone couldn’t reach. Sho was having more nightmares, repeatedly, asking for someone-anyone-to put Aiba to sleep. Ohno, on the other hand remained more spacey, less connected to the talks, which had the producers contemplating. But no one in the group was sadistic enough to give Ohno threatening glare or snapping comment while the camera is rolling.
“He was born that way” Nino reasoned one time. “There’s nothing we can do”
“Someone should remember if Ohno-kun was talking or not” Sho said his thoughts out loud. “We should provoke him to talk, like asking him questions.”
“Can I agree to that?” Ohno said sheepishly.
“Or you can just talk!” Nino said.
“Let me do it” Sho appointed himself.
The press calls them the late bloomer. Their variety shows were fairly amusing, but often felt somehow lost, lacking on the tsukkomi side of the comedic whole. There is only one smart person while the other three tend to be the idiots on television; It was almost always Nino would come back home with swollen hands due to repeated hitting technique.
“Those are the cutest hamburger hands” Ohno said one day. “It reminds me of raw meat. And it didn’t even hurt”
“Then it’s not hamburger” Aiba pointed. “It’s raw hamburger?”
“I think I broke something” Nino cried.
“I wish there’s another Nino” Sho said sympathetically.
It was hard but the fans got used to it, because the closeness was no less appealing. They would often come in pairs, suited for each other and no odd numbers.
“Too perfect for a group” Aiba read out loud from a magazine. “As though it was somehow calculated even from before they debuted. They even said we have all the appeals except for idol-like feel, hard core coolness and…hime-chan?”
Sho pulled the magazine closer to his face. “That’s a long list of exceptions”
“They have no idea” Nino said while leaning to Ohno.
“Ignore them” Ohno patted.
But subconsciously, they just couldn’t.
****
Concerts were often rough. It always came out good but less original. Through the years they began to learn to put thoughts on everything, it was more and more entertaining yet lacking in impact.
“We need someone that can see it in a finished version. See it in many aspects” Aiba said enthusiastically. “From start to finish! That can get the fans ‘woo’ing and ‘ahh’ ing and come back home with bubbly feet!” And the other three got the idea from the bouncy Aiba, not the words.
“That is so hard” Sho frowned deeply, while fast forwarding their latest concert footage.
“That’s because you sees nothing in detail Sho-chan. Absolutely nothing. I mean you draw a mole with no ears. Beans. Have anyone told you that? Your mole looks like a bean” Nino began babbling, which somehow got Sho laughing obliviously.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about Aiba-chan” Ohno blinked.
“Hmm…“ Aiba frowned. ”Me neither.”
Only after years and years of countless sleepless nights that they managed to make the concerts to be exhilarating, impressive and got the fans ‘ooh’ing while coming back home with bouncy feet. They realized that those came from no special talent and not from their blood type traits. They had to learn how to pay attentions to details and give it all to imagine a successful creation-often the blank papers that demanded them to start from scratch gave them too many things to consider.
It was too hard.
They often wished for someone that could make it easier.
****
They did not make their ground breaking success until 2006, when Nino got his Letters from Iwo Jima’s role. Sho almost fainted when Nino told him he will be leaving for three months.
“No, Nino-chan” Sho pleaded.
“You’ll be fine. Oh-chan will be fine and Aiba-chan will be fine too. I’ll be back before you know it” Nino said, with an obvious sneer.
“I hate you”
“You know you love me”
Nino left with an expensive bill to pay and a prayer.
****
Nino lied when he said he didn’t cry after Sho told him he would be in Vancouver during their performance in Music Station. They have experiences and they knew that they had nothing to worry about. Of course they could start and lead interesting conversations even if they’re one person short. But it was nerve wrecking anyway.
“I can’t sleep!” Aiba said on the other side of the line at three in the morning. “What if we don’t know what to say when they ask us questions?! What if we end up making awkward silences?! ARE YOU GUYS ASLEEP YET?!”
“Aiba-chan, you’re too loud” Ohno complained at the other line.
“I want to quit Johnny’s” Nino groaned.
Aiba made a sound that sounded almost like sobs, while Ohno breathed out.
“Let’s practice”
Ohno said.
****
There was no such thing as Hana Yori Dango until 2010, which someone other than Arashi members played the part.
“Who’s that guy?” Aiba asked.
“Hiro-chan” Nino answered indifferently.
“How come we don’t get this kind of roles?”
“Because that kind of perm hair looks seriously ugly on you, Oh-chan can not hurt a fly and Sho-chan with perms gives kids nightmares we just can’t put it on television”
“And Nino is a tiny person” Ohno added. “Look at how tall Rui is”
“We need someone that can play those kinds of roles” Aiba pondered. “Someone that can get us few more dramas that we can sing along with…I mean…so that we can produce singles.”
Nino silently agreed.
“Do you mean we are lacking of a person in our group?”Ohno bluntly asked.
Aiba shrugged. “I’m just saying that it could be nice”
“Are you saying we need Hiro-chan?” Nino asked, with a slight playful grin because he knew how amusing the conversation could become.
“Can he sing?!”
“NO!
****
Arashi, made it through the years, with just the four of them (the prospact of making Hiro-chan part of Arashi drove Sho nuts “We can not live through that, Aiba”). They were magnificently popular and they ruled the music industry. They were successful as other people would call it and they looked perfect in shiny clothes for television.
But when they looked at the group as whole the four of them often felt that there were holes that needed to be filled, a role that any of them just couldn’t play and a significance that just needed to be there. They worked harder to fill in blanks that often led to actions that were mostly pretend.
“Someone that could reach to fans in their twenties”
“Someone that could hit Aiba when Nino’s too far to reach him”
“A perfectionist idol”
“Moving stage”
“More eyebrows”
“A Hime-chan”
“Purple”
It was through struggle over the years they figured out what they were missing.
That one other member.
Rating: g
It is a group consisting of only four people. After few long conversations, running from home incidence and Johnny’s adding few more medicine, Arashi was finally formed.
They were formed with Ohno still not wanting to give entertainment a chance, Sho still thinking that an office life will suit him, Nino still having dreams and Aiba not knowing if it’s something he should worry about. It was forced, doubtful and most of the time just the feeling of imbalance.
“Do you think this will work?” Nino asked Sho seriously, despite himself. His face pale and hand gripping the side of the boat; probably holding back his third gagging reflex. Sho gave it a thought while he stared at confused looking Aiba and somewhat blank Ohno, then back at Nino’s almost greenish face -fortunately covered from the rolling cameras by the flag he was holding.
“We are missing a little bit more of will power” Sho concluded.
“I threw up most of mine”
****
The first few years were the hardest.
Most of the time they just didn’t know what to say, what to expect and what to offer.
Sho found his will power somewhere between Hawaii and Japan. He thought that eventhough there were still alternatives that life could offer, he realized how big the step they took and they went too far from the chance to consider a possibility of turning back. He wanted to do it, more importantly he wanted succeed.
Ohno didn’t feel the realism of it all. It felt temporary and far off from what he expected in his life. Everyday he felt as though he was doing someone else’s job, but he doesn’t hate it.
Aiba, just never looked behind. Often the work felt hard and unreachable but he laughed it all off, because he can.
Nino didn’t mind, he didn’t give it that much thought. It didn’t feel that important despite the fact that it always felt real. He was carefree and always will be. He will do it seriously but never so desperately.
They often looked at Sho and felt pity.
If only there’s another member that want things just as much as Sho does.
Ohno gave Sho a soft tap on his back on their way back from New York after filming; it was the worst day of their lives, the worst yelling they ever had. They were given a great opportunity but they came in short. “We tried our best” Aiba said slowly.
Sho looked at them.
He already knew from the first day Arashi were formed that the other three didn’t feel as much pressure as he did; he already knew that the other three were too carefree to develop a pressuring headache that he was feeling. They were never the serious type as him.
He often wished for someone that could want something just as much as he does.
“They probably don’t know this, but we tried our best.” Ohno said.
They understand even when they don’t feel the same.
Suddenly it didn’t feel that hard anymore.
****
Only after few agonizing years that they finally developed a comfort zone.
Aiba would usually be in high spirits which Nino alone couldn’t reach. Sho was having more nightmares, repeatedly, asking for someone-anyone-to put Aiba to sleep. Ohno, on the other hand remained more spacey, less connected to the talks, which had the producers contemplating. But no one in the group was sadistic enough to give Ohno threatening glare or snapping comment while the camera is rolling.
“He was born that way” Nino reasoned one time. “There’s nothing we can do”
“Someone should remember if Ohno-kun was talking or not” Sho said his thoughts out loud. “We should provoke him to talk, like asking him questions.”
“Can I agree to that?” Ohno said sheepishly.
“Or you can just talk!” Nino said.
“Let me do it” Sho appointed himself.
The press calls them the late bloomer. Their variety shows were fairly amusing, but often felt somehow lost, lacking on the tsukkomi side of the comedic whole. There is only one smart person while the other three tend to be the idiots on television; It was almost always Nino would come back home with swollen hands due to repeated hitting technique.
“Those are the cutest hamburger hands” Ohno said one day. “It reminds me of raw meat. And it didn’t even hurt”
“Then it’s not hamburger” Aiba pointed. “It’s raw hamburger?”
“I think I broke something” Nino cried.
“I wish there’s another Nino” Sho said sympathetically.
It was hard but the fans got used to it, because the closeness was no less appealing. They would often come in pairs, suited for each other and no odd numbers.
“Too perfect for a group” Aiba read out loud from a magazine. “As though it was somehow calculated even from before they debuted. They even said we have all the appeals except for idol-like feel, hard core coolness and…hime-chan?”
Sho pulled the magazine closer to his face. “That’s a long list of exceptions”
“They have no idea” Nino said while leaning to Ohno.
“Ignore them” Ohno patted.
But subconsciously, they just couldn’t.
****
Concerts were often rough. It always came out good but less original. Through the years they began to learn to put thoughts on everything, it was more and more entertaining yet lacking in impact.
“We need someone that can see it in a finished version. See it in many aspects” Aiba said enthusiastically. “From start to finish! That can get the fans ‘woo’ing and ‘ahh’ ing and come back home with bubbly feet!” And the other three got the idea from the bouncy Aiba, not the words.
“That is so hard” Sho frowned deeply, while fast forwarding their latest concert footage.
“That’s because you sees nothing in detail Sho-chan. Absolutely nothing. I mean you draw a mole with no ears. Beans. Have anyone told you that? Your mole looks like a bean” Nino began babbling, which somehow got Sho laughing obliviously.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about Aiba-chan” Ohno blinked.
“Hmm…“ Aiba frowned. ”Me neither.”
Only after years and years of countless sleepless nights that they managed to make the concerts to be exhilarating, impressive and got the fans ‘ooh’ing while coming back home with bouncy feet. They realized that those came from no special talent and not from their blood type traits. They had to learn how to pay attentions to details and give it all to imagine a successful creation-often the blank papers that demanded them to start from scratch gave them too many things to consider.
It was too hard.
They often wished for someone that could make it easier.
****
They did not make their ground breaking success until 2006, when Nino got his Letters from Iwo Jima’s role. Sho almost fainted when Nino told him he will be leaving for three months.
“No, Nino-chan” Sho pleaded.
“You’ll be fine. Oh-chan will be fine and Aiba-chan will be fine too. I’ll be back before you know it” Nino said, with an obvious sneer.
“I hate you”
“You know you love me”
Nino left with an expensive bill to pay and a prayer.
****
Nino lied when he said he didn’t cry after Sho told him he would be in Vancouver during their performance in Music Station. They have experiences and they knew that they had nothing to worry about. Of course they could start and lead interesting conversations even if they’re one person short. But it was nerve wrecking anyway.
“I can’t sleep!” Aiba said on the other side of the line at three in the morning. “What if we don’t know what to say when they ask us questions?! What if we end up making awkward silences?! ARE YOU GUYS ASLEEP YET?!”
“Aiba-chan, you’re too loud” Ohno complained at the other line.
“I want to quit Johnny’s” Nino groaned.
Aiba made a sound that sounded almost like sobs, while Ohno breathed out.
“Let’s practice”
Ohno said.
****
There was no such thing as Hana Yori Dango until 2010, which someone other than Arashi members played the part.
“Who’s that guy?” Aiba asked.
“Hiro-chan” Nino answered indifferently.
“How come we don’t get this kind of roles?”
“Because that kind of perm hair looks seriously ugly on you, Oh-chan can not hurt a fly and Sho-chan with perms gives kids nightmares we just can’t put it on television”
“And Nino is a tiny person” Ohno added. “Look at how tall Rui is”
“We need someone that can play those kinds of roles” Aiba pondered. “Someone that can get us few more dramas that we can sing along with…I mean…so that we can produce singles.”
Nino silently agreed.
“Do you mean we are lacking of a person in our group?”Ohno bluntly asked.
Aiba shrugged. “I’m just saying that it could be nice”
“Are you saying we need Hiro-chan?” Nino asked, with a slight playful grin because he knew how amusing the conversation could become.
“Can he sing?!”
“NO!
****
Arashi, made it through the years, with just the four of them (the prospact of making Hiro-chan part of Arashi drove Sho nuts “We can not live through that, Aiba”). They were magnificently popular and they ruled the music industry. They were successful as other people would call it and they looked perfect in shiny clothes for television.
But when they looked at the group as whole the four of them often felt that there were holes that needed to be filled, a role that any of them just couldn’t play and a significance that just needed to be there. They worked harder to fill in blanks that often led to actions that were mostly pretend.
“Someone that could reach to fans in their twenties”
“Someone that could hit Aiba when Nino’s too far to reach him”
“A perfectionist idol”
“Moving stage”
“More eyebrows”
“A Hime-chan”
“Purple”
It was through struggle over the years they figured out what they were missing.
That one other member.