AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello everyone! I. AM. BACK! A bit too soon here XD I know, I know some of you has hoped for a Nino fic, but I guess I can't control the urge to write another Jun's fic XD I am promising you one, but there's still something about Jun that I want to get out of my chest first. Well, of course, he is my ichiban, but he also has this such mysterious personality/private self that I can't pinpoint right until now. I don't know, I just hope writing more about him would make me understand more. Isn't that a weird/crazy logic? XD But the good news is, it is sort of a continuation of my previous/first fic
ON/OFF Screen. But to new readers, it is not a prerequisite to read that fic first before this one. This is basically a whole new story in itself. The OC will have a part here as well, though lesser than her share in my previous one.
And I am probably taking this fic in a slower pace than I did with my previous one. My RL has been kinda hectic, but still, I feel restless and afraid I will forget what I wanted to write if I didn't write this as soon as possible.
As I've mentioned in my post to the community, this fic is inspired by a story idea from
yeppie :) I love the story so much and decided to built and developed the idea around my previous fic's world.. So, without further ado, happy reading! Comments, inputs and criticisms are highly, highly appreciated! And here is the
master post for future references.
The airplane icon marks the present time. Around 2013 when ON/OFF Screen has left off.
The cloud icon marks the past. Around the year of 2006. But you won't see this yet until a few more chapters :)
「CHAPTER 1: BIRTHDAY BOY」
Matsumoto Jun keeps shifting in his seat. The last conversation he had before boarding the plane has made him feels a bit uneasy. And being one who never be able to sleep in airplanes surely doesn’t help. Especially in super long haul flight like this one.
Why would Nino stop him from seeing his girlfriend? The girlfriend he missed so much for the past 3 months. The girlfriend he was only able to talk and see through Internet waves when they finally could match their oh-so-busy schedule.
It didn’t feel the same. It didn’t feel the same as having her in front of him, reachable to touch and kiss. And he can feel her breath on his skin as they embrace..
God, I miss her, he mutters silently. Trying once more to close his eyes.
Last week, when his manager finally announced the long awaited a whole week day offs, the first thing he did was to book a plane to Los Angeles. To Hollywood. He was planning to surprise her, so he decided not to tell anyone about this. Besides, being discreet is one of his specialty. Natural talent, even.
But unfortunately he has to tell his manager eventually. There’s no way he can go outside the country without informing him, even though he is on holiday.
That’s when Nino suddenly called him, 10 minutes after he finally told his manager. Just when he was already in the waiting room and was practically counting the last minutes before boarding the plane.
“Yes, Nino?” He picked up the phone after a glance to the caller ID.
“Jun, where are you?” Nino immediately asked, his voice is out of breath as if he phoned Jun whilst he was running.
“Holiday..” He decided to not tell Nino. He knew that he kept in touch regularly with her, he might spilled the beans.
“Where?”
He scoffed, “Why are you so eager to know?”
“I heard you are going to LA?” Nino impatiently asked again.
So Take-san, his manager, has spread the word around pretty quickly.
Jun sighed, he hated lying but this was a white one anyway, “No..”
“Jun, don’t mess with me! Look, don’t go anywhere, just stay in Tokyo for a while. Seriously. Trust me on this,” Nino quickly said firmly.
Right then, an announcement was made through the speakers in the waiting room.
“To all passengers of Flight JAL 108 to Los Angeles, please proceed for boarding…”
“Look, Neen, I gotta go now. I’ll call you as soon as I get back.” Jun said quickly, overcome by the excitement of starting his journey to see her.
“But Jun, she’s already..” Nino desperately tried for the last time.
To no avail. Jun has already hung up without letting Nino finished his sentence.
Jun boarded that plane after he turn off his mobile phone. And didn’t get Nino’s mail until he reached his destination, about 10 hours later.
If only he did let Nino finished what he was trying to say, things might not turn out the way it would.
---
Even though Matsumoto Jun only managed to sleep for 4 hours throughout the long flight, he never felt this energized before in his life as he queues impatiently at the immigration. The excitement is so exhilirating, even more than the adrenaline rush he always feels before concerts. And it is his birthday! And he is going to see her very, very soon..
As he stands in a considerably long line, he lets out his mobile phone and turning it on.
Two messages coming in. No, three.
He opens the first one;
From: Nino
BAKA! Rei is on her way to Tokyo!
He gapes at his mobile phone’s screen. Stupidly, he opens another message;
From: Rei
Noooooooooo! Please don’t tell me this is happening!
This can’t be happening!
Why are you trying so hard to be romantic it backfires?!
Another message;
From: Nino
She’s already here now. There goes my birthday present for you. MENDOKUSAI!
Jun feels weak at his knees all of a sudden. And not for a good reason.
He wants to curse so bad. He wants to kick himself hard so bad. Instead he just smacks his own head with his passport and travel documents.
"Baka!"
---
"So should I be the one flying back there, or should you catch the next plane to come back here?" She asks immediately as soon as Jun get on the phone with her.
"Rei.. You should have told me," Jun voices out his protest in a low voice.
"You didn't tell me as well!" She exclaims to the phone.
"It was supposed to be a surprise!"
"Well, same here! You should have been more aware of it! It's your birthday anyways, "
Jun lets out an exasperated sigh. He really doesn't want to fight. But he feels so irritated with her and himself. The truth is Kitashiro Rei, who has been spending several months abroad shooting her debut film in Hollywood, has been giving quiet strong hints on the possibility of them celebrating his birthday together.
She has asked two nights ago what would be his dream celebration like. She has asked him what he wanted as a present.
"You.." He has answered immediately without any hesitation.
"Let's see what I can do about that.." She has subtly hinted.
But he was so wrapped up in his own plan to even notice.
"Fine, I'll try to find out when the next flight is," He mutters to the phone.
"I-I'll check as well over here.. We'll just see which one is earlier..?" She softens her voice.
Jun sighs, "Okay.."
"Hmm.."
"This is so frustrating."
"I know.."
Suddenly someone seems to grab the phone away from Rei.
"Hey, birthday boy!" Jun can immediately tells from the too familiar voice that it is no other person but Ninomiya Kazunari who is speaking. His bandmate of the idol group Arashi, his co-worker for more than a decade and supposedly his bestfriend but he used to have feelings for his girlfriend and now they are bestfriends.
"What?"
"Next time, please at least let ME know! Remember? Your bestfriend for the past decade? This won't happen if.."
"Shut it, Neen. Don't rub to an open wound," He snaps to the phone and hangs up immediately.
He swears he can hear Nino snickers just before he hung up.
He puts the phone in his jeans pocket and fix his baseball cap and eyeglasses to their proper places. Then Jun turns around and head to the booking desk.
At the desk, the lady behind the desk is serving an Asian girl in her late 20s. Jun stands behind her, waiting for her to finish doing something that he also wants to do, changing a scheduled ticket back to Tokyo. She has long straight hair that she pulls up in a bun, exposing her long nape. She wears a long jeans jacket that covers down to her thighs. With black and white striped leggings she also gives a subtle hint of her slender perfect figure.
There's something amazingly familiar about her, Jun thinks to himself as he can't take his half-sleepy eyes away from her back.
The ticket lady starts to points out details about her purchased tickets. She nods and asks several questions in perfect English. Jun is curious to eavesdrop, but the LAX airport lobby is serving its infamous name as one of the busiest airports in the world. He can't barely hear her.
But it is not her voice nor her face that finally reveals her identity. Her familiarity.
Her phone rings. Jun's heart stops as he hears the ringtone.
It can't be.. It can't be her, Jun repeats the thought over and over again in his head.
It's a Japanese song. He heard it many times before. He is too familiar with it. He knows perfectly who the song always reminded him of. She loves the song so much. She listens to it every other day. She loves it so much that she recorded her own cover for the song and made it into a ringtone.
It used to be Jun's ringtone as well. A long time ago.
He feels a sharp sting in his heart. The heart that he thought he has replaced with a new one and wouldn't reacted to any other person but his current girlfriend.
But surprisingly it does, to this girl. To the girl he used to love so much that it breaks him into pieces.
And when she turns around as she picks up her ringing phone, Jun already knows exactly who she is just a couple of seconds before. Who he is going to be standing face to face with.
She is Hanazono Minako. His first love.
She sees him just as she turns around. Her mouth forms the shape of a big O as she did.
Unexpectedly, she is not drop dead gorgeous. She is pretty and attractive, but not one who would stands out of the crowd. She is without make up, her eyes is darker than Jun's and doesn't have a special characteristic to it except for the long and thick eyelashes. She has full pinkish lips and beautiful shiny jet black hair. She wouldn't invite a second look from guys just from her looks. Not until she smiles. As the smile will light up her face and warms up anyone's heart in under zero celcius degrees weather.
But she is not smiling right now. Minako is still in shock of seeing who is right in front of her. She puts away the phone from her ear just like that. Ignoring whoever it is calling her.
"Jun.." She softly pronounces his name.
Jun's heart flutters again as he hears her saying his first name. Just like those days. Just like..
He blinks and tries to control himself. He forms a small smile, unsuccessfully stopping a hint of sadness to comes out along with it.
"Minako.." And his voice is shaking a bit as he speaks up the word he hasn't uttered, not even once, for 7 whole years.
Her name.
And right there, right now, the busy airport seems to drown around them. Everything vanishes. Bittersweet memories flashes right before their very eyes as they lock on each other, the first time ever since that one last time, 7 years ago.
And time stops right there, right then. Each of them is forgetting how to breathe. Each heart forgets how to beat. For what seems like forever.
SNAP!
Minako suddenly flicks her phone shuts. That one small sound gets them back to reality. To present time.
The noisiness of people rushing in and out of the airport comes back along with it. Time comes back.
But Jun's heart does not. The flashbacks are still right there behind his thick-rimmed eyeglasses.
Then Minako smiles her brightest smile and throws herself into Jun's arms. Hugging him.
"Happy 30th birthday!" She whispers to him. The first one to ever congratulate him leaving his 20-something years.
Surprising himself, he pulls her waist closer and hugs her tighter.
Jun smells the nostalgic smell and smile. The scent of her shampoo expectedly still hasn't changed all these years.
"Hisashiburi.." He whispers in her hair and drowns himself in them.
And he just feels his heart stings more. Not just because she is hugging her. Not just because she still remembers his birthday, along with the exact age. Not just because he can feel her breath on his skin again after so long.
But because those gestures make him realize how much he still misses her.
Continue to
Chapter 2