4 AUs Where Jin Gets What He Wants and 1 That's Reality. Part 1
Title: 4 AUs Where Jin Gets What He Wants and 1 That's Reality. Part 1
Author: tinyangl
Characters: Akanishi Jin. LARGELY Akanishi Jin. Then you have NewS, KAT-TUN, Urawa Reds Football Players, Original Characters up the Wazoo, Takki, Yabu, Reio, Johnny and Nishiyama Maki (kinda) show up for a second there (blink too fast and you’ll miss it!) And just yes, lots of people in this very massive fic.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Nothing really except cursing. They drink a lot, smoke some.
Summary: Jin's said a lot of things over the years-what kind of different lives would he lead?
Notes: Written for je_holiday to shatteredinu, hopefully you'll enjoy this fic and it satisfies the Jin quota. It's a massive fic that probably shouldn't have been as massive as it ended up being. ♥♥ Thanks to my beta (AKA cynicalism) for letting me babble on and on about this fic for so long. For correcting every mistake I've made and helping me better this. It desperately needed it.
i. "I want to always be with Pi, because when I am with him, even a normal day would become interesting, Pi as a pillar of NEWS is just a kid in front of me."
- Myojo ~ November 2004.
2007.
"Akanishi! Get your ass back here or I am going to-"
"You'd have to catch me first, Ryo-chan!" Jin yells over his shoulder before coming to a stop in front of a startled Koyama stepping out of the elevator. "Kei-chan!" he says gleefully before the sound of Ryo's yells get closer and closer. "See you later!" he waves to a still stunned Koyama who waves back awkwardly. Ryo dashes by, a streak of blonde, and Koyama just stands there, rather confused and lost before Shige comes by and pats him on the back, leading him into their dance room. "Come on, Ryo-chan!" Jin cries out behind his shoulder. "It was only an innocent joke!"
"Switching my bento with only pickles is not an innocent joke, Akanishi!"
Jin cracks up, his lead faltering as he dashes down the corridor. His misstep causes him to slow down enough for Ryo to catch up to him and tackle him to the ground, tickling his sides. Jin can't even think of resisting; he's too busy laughing. "Everyone else thought it was funny!" he says in between his giggles. Ryo gets up, stopping his attack.
Ryo glares, sitting on Jin's stomach. "Yes, but I'm the one without lunch."
"It's not like I stole your lunch or anything. I gave it to Shige." Jin grins widely. "Was going to give it to Massu, but thought better of it."
Ryo rises then falls back down, putting all his weight into it.
Jin hides his cough. "You weigh like nothing."
Ryo huffs before getting up and walking back to their practice room. Jin follows behind him, hand on his stomach as he smarts from the impact-small or not, it still hurt. Inside the rehearsal room, most of NewS is already warming up except Massu who’s still eating lunch.
"Shige," Jin calls out, gesturing towards Ryo. "Give Ryo-chan his bento before he starts crying." Ryo punches him in the shoulder as Shige blinks innocently at Jin.
"Eh? That wasn't-" Shige falters, glancing at Massu in the corner of his eye. Jin pales off the glare from Ryo's face.
"You-You didn't-" Jin stumbles, trying to think of the best escape route out the room and out of Ryo's grasp.
It takes another minute of Shige glancing awkwardly at Massu who's absolutely oblivious to Shige's glances and just chewing his food, chatting nonchalantly with Tegoshi-Jin half-wonders if he's really listening-of Jin's wide eyes and of Ryo's glare. "I didn't," Shige finally says to Jin's enormous relief, pulling out Ryo's still full bento from his backpack and handing it to Ryo. "But I couldn't miss the look on your face."
Jin glares at Shige darkly. "Remember the days when you were quiet and kept to yourself?"
"Yeah, I also remember you picking on me because I was quiet and kept to myself," Shige snorts, bending at the waist to touch his toes.
"Are you saying that I made you this way?"
"Basically, yes." Shige manages to dodge the hit from Jin, only to tumble to the side. Jin takes that as a bit of comeuppance, no matter how small. When he starts to stretch, he finally realizes that their dance instructor is staring at them, and not a good stare at that.
"Hi, sensei?" Jin says weakly.
His instructor's gaze only narrows.
--
Sometimes, Jin thinks that he hangs out with Yamapi and Ryo more than one should-not only do they work together being in the same group, but they constantly go out to eat, drink, pick up chicks, maybe karaoke. If it were possible to get a Yamapi and Ryo overload, Jin thinks he reached that point ages ago.
A pillow hits Jin squarely on the face-a hit Jin takes laughing. "Stop screeching like an alley cat already!" Ryo yells into the microphone.
"I was only imitating you!" Jin retorts, just as loud as Ryo.
Yamapi's laughter bounces off the walls before he snatches the microphone from Ryo's hand, continuing the song-although he doesn't do any better than Jin in the matter. He's fortunate though to at least get more than the few seconds Jin was allowed to sing before a pillow flies into his face.
"Seriously! I didn't come to karaoke to get my ear drums shot!" Ryo scowls.
Jin cracks up before the door opens and the rest of NewS comes spilling into the room, bags of food and drinks in hands. The three in the room greet them with equal amount of cheer before Ryo takes the microphone from Yamapi and proceeds to sing the last minute of the song. Jin looks up as Koyama and Shige settle into the couch right beside Yamapi while Tegoshi and Massu sit on Ryo's other side.
"Hey! Where's my food?!" Yamapi frowns, pushing bags out of his way after looking through them.
Massu passes him the one in his hand. "It's in this one, Yamashita-kun!"
"Ne, Ryo-tan, want to share lunch?" Tegoshi asks, pushing his bento towards Ryo, chopsticks already in hand.
Ryo shrugs. "Sure." Tegoshi feeds him with a grin, asking him if he'd liked it and Ryo grins back, nodding. "Yeah, that was delicious." Jin resists from gagging.
"Ah! Where's my lunch?!" Shige exclaims before digging through the remaining dishes.
Jin blinks, hugging his bento tightly as Shige narrows his eyes in Jin's direction.
"Eh?! I don't have it!"
"This isn't revenge for earlier, is it?" Shige scowls.
Jin shakes his head vigorously and Shige makes a lunge towards Jin's bento before Koyama pulls him back, pushing a bento onto Shige's lap. "Baka, this is your lunch. Should pay more attention."
Shige blinks, looking down at his bento. "Ah. Sorry, Akanishi-kun," he says sheepishly.
Jin sticks his tongue out before starting on his food. He can faintly hear Tegoshi starting on a new song with Yamapi singing along underneath his breath beside Jin. Jin resists from grinning-a scene like this one was nowhere near possible when they had first been formed.
--
2003.
When Yamapi and Ryo are called to Johnny's office, Jin is fortunate enough to be around as well, walking with them and coming up with outrageous reasons for why they could possibly be called. Johnny opens the door to let them in and catches sight of Jin hanging around by the couches.
Jin bows properly-because he knows better than to piss off the President of the Jimusho-before Johnny eyes him and then tells him to come into the office too. Jin's heart practically flies out of his chest as he wonders if he'd done anything bad in the past week or something.
When he enters, it's only Yamapi and Ryo inside and they give Jin a confused look, to which he shrugs in reply. Jin stands next to the two as Johnny takes a seat in front of them.
The next few words out of Johnny's mouth stun the three boys to silence.
"Wait, what about our old groups?" Yamapi asks helplessly-Jin knows he's thinking of 4Tops.
Johnny shakes his head at Yamapi. "No need to worry. NewS is only temporary."
Yamapi doesn't let out a breath of relief, but the other two know it's there.
"The photo shoot for the single will be tomorrow morning, and I need the three of you there at 9 sharp."
They nod at the same time, most likely afraid of anything that would come out of their mouths.
Johnny smiles at them. "Great. Have fun, and don't worry about your old groups. It'll all work out."
--
Johnny lied. NewS was anything but temporary. Jin can still remember the devastated look on Yamapi's face when 4Tops was officially broken up. It was something he never wanted to see on anyone's face ever again.
--
But Jin only has to look in a mirror because a week later, he's replaced in KAT-TUN by another A-Akiyama Jun-and is told that he's meant to only focus on NewS.
Jin confronts Ryo who is fortunate enough to still be in Kanjani8. "Why are you the one that's able to stay in your old group?"
"Only one of us can be around?"
"Uchi's also in two groups," Jin says dryly.
"Because your work ethic sucks," Ryo retorts, changing tracks.
Jin chucks his empty beer can at Ryo's head. "You're not comforting me whatsoever."
"I never signed up for that. Can I back out?"
Jin throws his head in his arms and shuts his eyes, grumpy and depressed. When he opens them next, he realizes with a start that the room's dark and a blanket's resting over his shoulders. He sighs-Ryo's always been a lot nicer than he lets on.
--
2004.
After the announcement that NewS is permanent and that they're releasing another single-Kibou ~Yell~-Jin throws himself into the new group, realizing that he doesn't really know anyone in NewS other than Yamapi and Ryo, and Uchi by proxy. There is a whole other half of the group to know, five (used to be six) members whose names Jin only vaguely knows. One of them being that fanboy of Yamapi's who Jin never failed to use to tease Yamapi.
"Wait, what's that kid's name again?" Jin asks Yamapi as they stand against a wall right before they go onto Shounen Club, pointing at one with dark brownish orange hair. Oh, and single eyelids.
"Koyama," Yamapi sighs, shaking his head. "Remember? He's the one that's going to Meiji? I asked him for advice?"
If Jin's heard that before, he doesn't recall it whatsoever. He nods anyway. "Yeah sure. How about the kid beside him?"
Yamapi pauses as he narrows his eyes at the black-haired kid with random streaks of gold in his hair. "I think… Kusano? Or was that Shige?"
Yamapi continues pondering which one is which, but Jin's already left him, approaching Shige with a firm "Which are you?"
Shige blinks, turns to Koyama helplessly but all he gets is a weak shrug. "Er. Which?" Shige repeats.
"Yeah. Kusano or Shige?" He can hear the start of Koyama's giggles, but Jin continues with his questions. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I just can't keep everyone's name straight and well, it's hard to keep track when half of you don't speak."
Shige blinks again. "Uh. Shige. I'm Shige, Akanishi-kun."
"Oh, cool then! Nice to actually meet you, Shige." With that, Jin turns on his heel and returns to Yamapi to let him know the answer, and from that, they figure out which one Kusano-the kid with the slight Mohawk that falls over his eyes.
Still, for at least two months after, Yamapi and Jin don't get the two straight.
Jin hears Koyama patting Shige on the back and telling him that at least it'd make a funny story in the future when they finally do get it right.
(Four years or so later when Shige does remember, he makes it a point to mix up Yamapi and Jin's names for about two weeks. Jin thinks it's absolutely hysterical; Yamapi isn't as fond, but he takes the abuse anyway.)
--
2005.
When Jin does finally get the two straight, he bonds with them in completely different ways-Jin's interest in English had been growing steadily and it turns out that Shige's not half bad at the language himself (even telling Jin a story about how he'd talked to his teacher in English about Johnny's Jimusho-Jin couldn't stop laughing). Kusano is almost, almost as good as Jin is in dancing, and maybe even singing (Yamapi thinks Jin just doesn't want to be overtaken by anyone), and frequently, the two practice together, trying to improve their skills. Tegoshi often joins them-mainly when they're practicing and training their voices; Massu joins them too, but he comes during the dancing lessons.
Jin thinks that even if they are the juniors that came out of nowhere to join their group, they're really not half bad. He even manages to convince Yamapi to come around whenever he's free.
"Please," Ryo snorts when Jin approaches him. "You're kidding, right?"
"What?" Jin blinks. "It's kinda fun."
"Working more? Who are you and where the hell is Akanishi?"
Jin sticks his tongue out. "And what do you suggest, genius?"
"If it's singing, then obviously karaoke. Dancing, we could just go clubbing. You're such an idiot."
"We don't want to risk going clubbing just yet. Who's the idiot now?" Jin retorts, arms crossed.
"Whatever. Just think of something interesting and then I'll think on it."
"You know, you do have to interact with these people."
Ryo gives him a cheeky smile. "I do that enough. Especially when I hang out with you. It's like hanging out with a combination of them."
Jin pauses then shrugs. "Well, in a way that's actually accurate."
"Idiot," Ryo laughs. "Anyway, I gotta get going. Meeting Uchi for some kind of dinner thing."
"'Kay," Jin says, waving as Ryo rushes out of the room, his bag slung over his shoulder.
--
Jin gets a call from Ryo late that night. "Uchi got caught drinking underage." Jin can't think of what to say to make anything better. "There's going to be a meeting in the morning," Ryo continues after Jin's mouth drops open and closes about five times-he counted-without a single word coming out.
"Ryo," Jin finally says, the only thing he can think to say.
"I'll see you in the morning," Ryo abruptly says, cutting off any thoughts that could’ve formed in Jin’s head.
"Right. Morning." As soon as the words leave Jin's mouth, the dial tone resonates on the other line. Jin sighs, rubbing a hand against his forehead.
He can't sleep for the rest of the night.
--
Nobody knows how to act around Ryo for weeks after the news of Uchi's headline and suspension-to be fair, Ryo doesn't make it easy for anyone. He sits off to the side of the rehearsal room, making it a point that nobody goes near him and scowling when someone approaches even if it's Yamapi or Jin.
"Are we going to keep tiptoeing around Nishikido-kun?" Shige asks Jin, frowning as Jin helps him with his stretches.
"I guess." Jin has an identical frown on his face. "He won't even talk to Yamapi. That's when you know it's bad."
"At least he hasn't been drinking," Yamapi says darkly.
"I don't think Nishikido-kun can be around alcohol right now anyway," Tegoshi points out. They all watch as Ryo stretches, not looking at any of the other members.
"Stop staring at me," Ryo barks suddenly from across the room and everyone's gaze abruptly switches from Ryo to each other. Still, nobody can really concentrate.
--
Halfway through Ryo's shooting of One Litre of Tears, Jin realizes that Ryo's suddenly acting normal again. "Are you okay?" Jin asks out of the blue after Ryo shoves Shige lightly, laughing at some stupid joke he'd made.
Ryo raises an eyebrow. "Idiot." He turns away, striking up a new conversation with Koyama. Jin doesn't care to elaborate when he sees the grin on Ryo's face; Jin thinks he's doing just fine.
--
2006.
It's Massu who calls him when the next big thing happens-they'd arranged a sort of system so if something happened, not one person would have to do all the calling. It'd started after Yamapi had found out about his co-starring role with Kame in Nobuta wo Produce, and even though Yamapi had spent half the night calling everyone, he still managed to miss one person. (Tegoshi came into work the next day devastated and wondering what this meant for NewS if Yamapi was going to make a single with Kame. Jin spent an hour calming Tegoshi down, and then another hour arranging the phone system with Koyama.)
"It's Kusano," Massu says simply, sounding near tears.
"What about Kusano?" Jin asks, sitting up abruptly in his bed and throwing off the blankets. He's practically ready to fly out the door and race to the hospital if need be.
"He got caught drinking." Jin can feel his stomach plummet within seconds.
"What?" Jin asks, voice cracking in the middle.
"There's going to be a meeting in the morning. I think we're really in trouble this time," Massu says, choking on his words.
"No, nono. It'll be fine. I don't…" Jin licks his lips. "It'll be fine. I'm sure it's just a mistake. Kusano wouldn't do something like that."
"Un," Massu replies. "I'll let you go so you can call Ryo then."
"Right." Jin's not really paying attention, wondering what he is going to say to Ryo. Massu's gone before Jin realizes and Jin stares at his cell phone, Ryo's number in front of him. He doesn't know what he's going to say, but he feels bad for Ryo who has to call Tegoshi right after. He feels doubly bad for being relieved in a sense.
--
The news ends up not being good. NewS is suspended without any information about if they're coming back and if yes, when.
Jin hates that the plummeting in his stomach feeling hasn't left for half a year. He thought it had-he thought they were okay, happy, finally recovered from everything. Everyone's faces-corners of their lips down, eyes refusing to meet Kusano's, and the absolute quiet-they're never quiet, not if Jin could help it-says so much more.
When they leave the office, Kusano collapses against a nearby wall, tears streaming down his face but no words coming out of his mouth. Everyone just watches him; none of them can say a word. Tegoshi's hands clutch Massu's arms and Jin can see his silent tears stream down his face.
"Did you drink?" Ryo asks harshly, breaking the silence after a good five minutes.
"No!" Kusano insists. "I wouldn't! Not after-" His words stop there as Yamapi places a firm hand on his shoulder.
"We believe you, Kusano." His voice is rough, a different kind of rough-like he's trying his best not to break out into tears. "We can get through it. It's just a little bump."
"But it's not," Jin hears himself say. He claps a hand over his mouth, startled by the sound of his own voice. Everyone's eyes are on him and Jin suddenly feels like shrinking, disappearing. Despite his better judgment, Jin elaborates, "It's not just a little bump. We're disbanded. Put on hiatus for who knows how long. Maybe forever."
Ryo growls next to him, and next thing Jin knows, Ryo's pushed him up against the wall. "We know that already! We don't need you to repeat it back to us."
"Stop it!" Yamapi yells as Koyama and Shige pull Ryo off Jin, although it doesn't take them much effort. Jin slumps against the wall as Tegoshi and Massu rush to his side, Massu helping to keep him upright. "We should just go home, get some sleep. We have the rest of the tour left and the announcement," Yamapi says firmly.
Jin looks up to meet Yamapi’s eyes. Yamapi refuses to look at him though, sharply turning towards Kusano. "I'll take Kusano home and let his parents know what happened."
They make nods of agreement, even a noise from some of them. And slowly, they walk through the front door of the building, not sure when the next time they'll enter as a group.
Jin finds himself at some family restaurant with Koyama and Shige-glasses of water in front of them, but not a single word to be spoken. Jin likes it better that way.
--
The tour is completely and utterly awkward, to say the least. On stage, the remaining 7 members manage to put on a good enough show-smiles and conversation and playfulness, despite everyone in the audience knowing what's to come. Backstage though, Jin hates how suddenly they've regressed back to the time they first came together.
In a way, Jin wonders if he made it worse by saying what he had said. But he pushes the thought out of his head, tries hard to anyway, and lets everyone act as cold and distant as they had way back when.
While Jin hates this whole situation, half of him is relieved-it'll be much easier to break ties when they're not friends.
Jin hates himself more for thinking like this.
--
Jin thinks it's slightly hysterical when he hears that KAT-TUN's going to debut in the middle of NewS' tour. "No hard feelings?" Kame asks when most of the members-minus Akiyama who doesn't know Jin enough to intrude-drop by Jin's apartment to tell him the news.
"I'm not part of your group anymore," Jin says honestly. "I haven't been for years. You didn't need to come here for my permission." He walks inside his apartment, leaving the door open for the rest to enter.
Koki and Ueda exchange looks before Koki comments, "But it has to sting. Going on hiatus and watching your other group debut."
"When you put it that way," Jin jokes, pulling out beers from his refrigerator and passing them to the others. "Look," Jin says, popping off the cap and taking a swig of beer. "The way I see it, you guys deserve it after everything. You can't even say KAT-TUN is my other group when it's been 3 years since we've worked together."
"But," Nakamaru starts, the beer of bottle unopened in his hands.
"Hey. All I can say or should say is "Congratulations." And you worked hard for this debut." Jin gives them a crooked smile before lifting his bottle up to them and taking another swig. "Now, why don't you guys open up those beers and stay over for a while? I could use the company."
They exchange glances before Taguchi says enthusiastically, "We should've come panning then!"
Jin blinks before taking the beer away from Taguchi. "Maybe not with you." Taguchi beams and Jin rolls his eyes, handing it back. "Some things never change, huh?"
"Tell us about it," Koki snorts before they settle on Jin’s couch.
--
Jin only gets the idea of going to America after he talks to one of his friends, some stupid friend who makes some off-handed remark about how if Jin likes speaking in English so much, why doesn't he go to America?
It gets Jin thinking though-why doesn't he go to America? He doesn't have anything particularly tying him to Japan at that moment-not when he doesn't have any acting jobs, not when NewS is on "hiatus," not when his friends aren't really talking to him anymore.
"That sounds like a good idea," Johnny says when Jin goes to his office to ask for permission. "It'll give you something to do during the break, and it'll be something to bring back to the group when you come back."
"Yes, sir," Jin murmurs. "Thank you for the opportunity." He only says that second part to be polite, because as Koyama once told him, politeness will get you honey, curtness will get you bees. (Jin swore that Koyama had made the phrase up, but after Jin had been nice to their dance teacher-who, admittedly, did not like Jin whatsoever-Jin managed to get even a "Well done" which he would never have gotten before. Koyama had shot him a please grin when he'd heard that.)
When Jin leaves the room, he isn't quite sure he's ready for what he's done. But in the end, what's done is done. Jin walks out of the building, ready to tell everyone his big-maybe good, maybe bad-news.
--
Koyama and Massu are overwhelmingly happy for him. "Good for you!" Massu cheers as they talk over slices of cake. "It'll be exciting, ne? Going to America and learning more English."
"I'll help you pack and prepare!" Koyama says cheerfully, even though they both know that the job will probably end up being done the day before Jin's flight.
Shige, predictably, takes the more educational route. "Well, you have to prepare for it. Make sure you choose the right school too."
Yamapi doesn't say much, not that Jin'd expected him to. He's stoic to the end, especially as of late, and Jin wonders if Yamapi realizes how dark the bags are under his eyes. "Pi," Jin starts.
"I think that's great," Yamapi says with a crooked smile. He stirs his iced tea with his straw, ice clinking against the glass. "When you come back, you'll have to teach me something."
Jin agrees, then jokes, "But it'll be hard to teach you how to be as awesome as me." Yamapi punches him lightly on the shoulder.
His meeting with Tegoshi turns out better than he'd expected-Jin had been strangely worried about it. "That's really exciting!" Tegoshi chirps. "Do you think Johnny-san will let me join you?"
Jin laughs a little. "Not when you're in the middle of shooting a drama."
"True. But My Boss, My Hero should be ending soon!" Tegoshi laughs again. "Maybe I can join you afterwards."
"Interested in learning English?" Jin asks, a little surprised at Tegoshi's insistence.
"Not really," Tegoshi answers, but stops there and moves on to another topic-soccer. It takes Jin until the end of the day to realize that Tegoshi's insistence was something closer to Jin's heart-he wasn't (and shouldn't think he was) the only one smarting from the split up.
It's Ryo who makes Jin really think about his decision. Jin goes to his apartment in Tokyo on the last night before he goes to Osaka for some job with Kanjani8.
"Come on, Akanishi! Who do you think you're kidding?" Ryo growls, kicking a nearby wall. "You really think now is a good time to leave? Now? After everything we've gone through, you decide to go to L.A.?" Ryo doesn't add the thought "When we need you the most?" but Jin can hear it hanging at the end of his questions-an accusation.
Jin wavers under Ryo's harsh gaze, but Jin knows what he wants, what he needs. "It's because of everything that's going on," Jin says quietly.
"Fine, asshole," Ryo says-voice eerily steady. He picks up a nearby pillow, chucking it at Jin's face with as much strength as he can muster; Jin doesn't dare to move. "Get out of here. Run if you like." Jin half wonders if Ryo's only talking about his apartment.
Jin does as he says though, leaves Ryo's apartment quietly, not feeling any better than when he'd arrived-not that he'd actually expected to feel better. When Jin finally leaves, he doesn't see Ryo-just the uncomfortable glances from the NewS members as they see him off.
For the entire time Jin's in L.A., Ryo's words always hover somewhere in the back of his head and Jin can't stop himself from wondering if that was what he was doing by leaving Japan.
But then one of his friends passes him a beer and Jin forgets the question for another day.
--
All of NewS is at the airport when Jin comes back from America, albeit scattered all over to avoid notice. It's Koyama and Shige that meet him at the gate, and Jin's more than surprised to see them.
"Shouldn't you not be here?" Jin asks, eyes wide as he clutches his bag tighter.
"Don't worry," Shige grins. "Johnny slipped the reporters the wrong date. They think you're coming back tomorrow."
Koyama gives Jin a once over, tilts his head to the side and mumbles, "You've been eating a lot, haven't you?"
Jin wraps an arm around his waist, frowning. "I know I've gotten chubbier, but-"
"You look good," Koyama reassures him. "Happier than when you left."
"Eh?" But before Jin can ask him to elaborate, they run into Tegomass. Tegoshi tackles Jin with a hug, looking much different than Jin can remember which Jin says right off the bat.
"Puberty," Shige mumbles underneath his breath, but Jin manages to hear him and laughs in response.
"Eh? What'd you say, Shige?" Tegoshi asks, blinking innocently-he seems to have gotten that down pat while Jin was gone.
Massu shakes his head. "It wasn't anything, Tegoshi," he responds after Shige shakes his head, refusing to say a word.
"Ah. Also, I saw the news about your single. Congratulations!" Jin says, grinning at the two.
Massu and Tegoshi look down, slightly flushing at it. "Thanks," Massu replies.
"Your English was atrocious though."
Tegoshi sticks his tongue out. "Sorry we're not as great as you are, Akanishi-kun."
"If only, if only?" Jin jokes before Massu laughs, helping Jin pull the last of his suitcases from the baggage claim.
When they reach the doors, Jin is mildly disappointed to see only Yamapi-Yamapi with his cap pulled down so low that Jin thinks it must be cutting off circulation and huge sunglasses that they take up half his face. "Welcome back, Bakanishi."
Jin engulfs him in a hug so tight that even Jin loses sense of breathing for as long as it lasts. "I'm glad to be back," Jin murmurs-and it's striking to him just how true the words are.
"Idiots. How long are you going to stand there?" The words cause Jin to pull back from Yamapi sharply, practically tossing him aside as he stares straight at Ryo who's standing by the doorway, hands stuffed in his pockets.
"Ryo." Jin hadn't at all expected Ryo to be there-but he'd hoped. They hadn't spoken for six-no, seven months after all. "You're-"
"Stupid. Of course I'd come to see if you were still alive or not," Ryo says curtly, but Jin doesn't care. He takes five steps forward and pulls Ryo into a tight hug. "I'm not made of fluff like you are! Stop squeezing!" Ryo yelps.
Jin doesn't feel like ever letting go.
--
Jin returns mid-December, just in time for Johnny to tell them-thankfully not last minute-that they're returning as a group for Countdown. They cheer all around him, although they try to keep it as low-key as possible, until Johnny drops the final bit.
"As seven, you'll go back on stage and announce that NewS is back from hiatus."
"Wait, seven?" Jin blurts out-the first one to do so; the others chime in right after.
"Yes. Kusano and Uchi are going to be demoted to trainees as punishment, and no telling if they'll be back in your group."
They're stunned to silence, and that's the same state they're in when they leave the room. "Trainees," Massu echoes after minutes pass.
"It's gotta be temporary," Tegoshi says-Jin can just hear the hope in his voice. "In time, they'll be back, ne?"
"Sure," Yamapi replies, although he doesn't sound like he has much hope at all. "But for now, we gotta work hard. We're actually coming back."
"Knew this day would finally come," Koyama says, grinning at them. Jin looks around the room, meeting everyone's eyes-hopeful, positive, excited. Nervous, anxious, confused. Scared.
--
2007.
It's not simple for them to come together again-they've all changed in their own way. Yamapi pushes it off as them separating, learning different things and then bringing all those things into a brand new NewS, but Jin knows he's faltering as much as the rest of them.
Tegoshi's older now, more adept at the business-not the innocent kid they remembered clinging onto Massu's arm, hoping everything would be all right. He'd also grown into his looks as well, and even though Shige had been joking, it was like he'd hit puberty.
Massu's responsibility expanded when Tegomass debuted, and he'd taken the brunt of the work, especially when it came to taking care of Tegoshi and making sure that he would be able to deal with the evils of celebrity.
Shige's become more conscientious of everything around him-always calculating the best move, or what people were feeling to act accordingly. He'd also felt the bittersweet taste of being forgotten and lonely-of wondering if quitting was his only solution.
Koyama'd felt helpless during the hiatus, and he'd taken that emotion and turned it into his work-working harder than Jin could remember him ever doing. He became more active all of a sudden, always pushing, pushing and pushing. Jin could see the worry sitting somewhere behind his gaze.
Ryo had gotten used to working with Kanjani8-he's quieter than usual, and always watching, just watching. He isn't as curt as he used to be, more pensive and Jin didn't know if he missed the poison tongue or not. Jin wasn't entirely sure this was a good thing or not.
Yamapi's change is the most drastic, Jin thinks. He’s hard now-having made it in the entertainment industry with a solo single, also messing up and bouncing from it easily (not easily at all if the phone call after the recording at around 6 in the morning was any indication). He's more of a leader than he had been way before, but he's also much colder, more calculating. Jin definitely doesn't like it.
Jin doesn't think he’s changed, not really. Except scattered remarks from the others tell him otherwise.
"You've become more vocal, haven't you?" Shige says during a discussion for their return tour.
"More manly!" Tegoshi chimes.
"Lay off the food already. I know you were starving, but geez." Ryo snatches the bag of chips away from him (which leads Jin to say that Ryo needs to eat more - Jin thinks he only set himself up for that).
"You've been thinking before you speak, haven't you?" Yamapi asks during one of their dinners. "That's weird." Jin refuses to say that Yamapi's been doing the same lately.
"You haven't had much energy. Are you tired?" Massu asks, worry laced in his voice before he hands Jin one of his favorite energy drinks. "It'll help at least a little."
Koyama watches him a lot more than he'd like. "America was rough on you, wasn't it?" he asks when they're resting during rehearsal. "You seem like you were broken." Jin closes his eyes and vehemently denies it-at least, half of the statement is a lie. It isn't America that breaking him though.
In the end, Jin feels like everyone's walking on eggshells.
Maybe even himself. Maybe.
--
"This is ridiculous," Jin mutters under his breath. NewS has been straining at the seams ever since their return, some unspoken tension that nobody can really pinpoint.
"What?" Koyama asks, the closest to him as they relax in the baths after their last concert in Taipei.
"Nothing, nothing." Jin sighs before dunking his head in the water, eyes closed.
That same night in the privacy of their room in the inn, the members of NewS (minus Tegoshi because they refuse to even risk it) get plastered. Tegoshi looks at them with sour faces, sipping on his Coke. "You're all so loud," he complains, one finger pressed in his ear.
"You're just jealous," Jin laughs, an arm thrown around Tegoshi's shoulders. "Just take a sip already."
"No way!" Koyama cries out, knocking Jin's cup out of his grip-Jin stares at the stain spreading on the rug, he sniffles. "We're not going to have another scandal."
"We've had too much of those already," Ryo sniffs, throwing back another cup of sake.
"We say as we spend a night drinking," Massu says-he'd only had a small amount of alcohol, making him the closest to sanity other than the completely sober Tegoshi.
"Oh, come on. Enjoy yourselves. We just finished an international concert," Yamapi sighs, taking another drink himself.
Shige sniffles suddenly; everyone's gaze falls on his shaking shoulders. "You know," he starts, hiccuping. "I love you, guys!"
Jin's mouth falls open, as does Ryo's while Koyama crawls his way over to Shige, hands firmly on Shige's shoulders. "I love everyone too, Shige!" Koyama cries out, pulling Shige into a hug. "Me too!"
Yamapi stares at the sobbing mess before turning to Tegoshi, half-squinting as he does so. "How much has he had to drink?"
Tegoshi scoffs. "Like half a bottle of sake."
Jin stares at the small containers before saying, "Wow, he's a bad drinker."
"He's a newly formed adult?" Ryo says before laughing.
"No really!" Shige cries out, startling everyone. "I think NewS is great. We've gone through so much, and yet. And yet," Shige sniffles again, messily rubbing the back of his hands against his face. "We're still here. Together. Drinking sake like adults."
"Or Coke like a kid," Tegoshi inserts dryly.
"Stop complaining." Jin chucks his pillow at Tegoshi's head. "You have like a month to go, then you can be the slobbering mess." Tegoshi only sticks his tongue out before sucking on his straw.
"Okay, Shige," Yamapi says, moving over to help Shige calm down and pulling the sake bottle away from him. "Let's get you into bed. I think you've had too much to drink."
"I don't ever want us to separate," Shige mumbles, just as they're putting the sheets back on him.
"We won't, don't worry." Koyama nods, trying to add emphasis, or to convince himself-Jin's not entirely sure.
"Then why are we still acting so weird?" Shige whines, sitting back up and kicking away the sheets.
They freeze and Jin exchanges glances with Koyama, eyes wide.
"What?" Ryo asks slowly-as though that would help Shige understand. As though Shige couldn't understand the question.
"We're still awkward. We're pretending that everything's okay. But we all lost something in the hiatus. Like, like. I don't know. Just. Everything's weird." Shige frowns, head tilted to the side as he stares at some point in the floor-trying so hard just to think. "It shouldn't be weird. Not anymore."
"It's not," Koyama says with reassurance. "It's okay between us."
Shige looks up at Jin with puppy dog eyes-at Jin likely because he's the closest. "Really?"
Jin has to close his eyes to answer, dots filling the darkness. "Yeah. It's okay." Jin's not sure if it's the alcohol that's affecting his stomach, but he feels queasy as the words leave his mouth. It doesn't matter because when he opens his eyes next, Shige's conked out on the bed and everyone's just staring at him.
"Is it really?" Tegoshi asks, taking another sip.
Jin looks Tegoshi in the eyes. "You tell me."
Tegoshi never answers him, not unless the sound of him sucking on air and ice is supposed to be the answer.
--
After that night, they all make some sort of weird effort to change-Jin's not sure how he notices, but he does. Ryo pays more attention to everyone's schedule, making sure that everyone does what they're supposed to.
"I know you're tired, stupid, but imagine how mad at yourself you'll be if you don't do your absolute best on that test." Jin raises an eye as he leans against the cafe's table. Ryo hangs up his phone and returns Jin's gaze. "That was just Shige. He has some law test or whatever."
"Nice," Jin says easily, only because he doesn't want Ryo to be embarrassed (Ryo tends to hit when he's embarrassed and Jin would rather not get more bruises; Jin gets teased enough about those).
Jin and Massu end up being semi-teachers, helping out whenever someone needs help with a dance move or a problem with the lyrics or with the melody and harmony. "Can't be helped," is a common phrase for them and the other members frown when they use it.
"You make it sound like we're really sad for asking you for help," Koyama points out, frowning.
"It's never in that sense," Massu insists. "We just think it's funny you come to us for help."
"I'd never go to Jin for help," Ryo snorts.
Jin sticks his tongue out. "Then learn the routine during the bridge on your own." Ryo's eye twitches. Massu cracks up.
"Can't be helped?" Massu asks. Ryo sighs while Koyama shakes his head.
Koyama's calls get more frequent. "Are you eating?" "Are you sleeping properly?" "Have you gone to the doctor lately?" "Have you gotten that new pack of condoms yet?" (The last one being more of a joke text to Jin. He was on a date when it arrived and his date did not appreciated it-Koyama couldn't stop laughing after Jin had told him.)
Tegoshi and Shige become proper adults in more than one sense-realizing the real weight of the job they had as Johnny's idols-not that they hadn't known to begin with. But after turning 20, something inside them switches and they work harder than ever. They seem to become much more aware of themselves-like when Shige got his haircut.
"Holy shit," Jin breathes when Shige walks into the room. Immediately, Shige stops, hand in his hair as he frowns.
"Does it look bad?" Shige asks, worried. "I thought I'd try something new."
Koyama reaches over, eyes wide. "It's so short."
"Is that a mohawk?" Ryo asks.
"Kinda yeah." Shige bites the bottom of his lip.
Massu says cheerfully, "I like it! It looks nice."
Shige blinks at him, then shakily asks, "Really?"
"Mm-hmm!" Massu repeats. Tegoshi agrees along with him. And one by one, the rest of the members chime in their approval for Shige's new haircut.
"Thanks," he breathes out in relief. "I was a little fearful."
"Just glad you didn't come in blonde," Jin jokes, glancing sideways at Ryo who only gives him the middle finger.
"I'm not that crazy," Shige retorts. Ryo uses his other hand to flash Shige the middle finger as well. Jin can't stop laughing.
Yamapi, for his part, tries hard to make sure they were talking more-communicating about the activities and putting things together. Jin realizes he was really growing into his role as a leader-more than he'd been willing to accept only so little years ago.
It's not easy for them, but one step at a time does eventually lead up to the door they'd been searching for all that time.
--
2008.
A year after Countdown, after their return, Jin takes the hands of his band mates as they stare out at the roaring crowd. The lights blind him, but he squints through the pain. Next to him, Yamapi's grin stretches across his face; his grip tightens and Jin's grip tightens in turn. Yamapi laughs loudly. On his other side, Koyama's trying to fight through the tears, but failing horribly.
Jin has to practically scream to be heard, but he does it anyway. "Koyama, you're such a baby!"
"So what!" Koyama yells back, laughing as he wipes back his tears with the back of his hand, refusing to let go.
Down the line, Jin can see the grins and laughter and tears of his band mates-no, close friends. They all exchange glances as Yamapi yells into the microphone. "Sen no!"
In one loud, clear yell without aid of microphones, NewS comes together. "We are NewS!"
Jin feels his heart swell with pride.
ii. But in reality, even now I still want to be a professional soccer player!! (laugh) Rather, when I grow up I'm really going to be a pro soccer player!! I'll take the offer the second it comes (laugh).
- Vivi ~ July 2008
2006.
"Why'd you take this job again?" Hiro snipes as they watch some pop idols try to warm up before challenging them at soccer.
Jin snorts. "Look who's talking. Aren't you standing with me for a reason?"
"Only because someone has to watch over you."
"You just want to kick some idol ass," Jin jokes, grinning as one of the guys in the group-weren't they called KAT-TUN or something?-looks Jin in the eye and smirks. As though he could easily score or block one of Jin's kicks. Jin didn't hold back the roll of his eyes.
"Stop. We're here to make nice," Hiro scolds under his breath.
"Yeah, well, nobody gave them that memo," Jin sneers.
After the idols gracefully receive their challenge (some more gracefully than others-the one with the big nose doesn't seem quite happy with the idea of challenging actual soccer players, especially when the batsu game is something like getting pelted by soccer balls), Jin thinks that this is when the real fun begins.
"Go easy on them," Hiro says before Jin approaches the scoring line. "It's not like they're actual pros."
"But then that'd ruin my fun," Jin snorts. Hiro rolls his eyes at him.
At the end of the game, KAT-TUN manages to get three scores to Jin and Hiro's two and Jin scowls in the back as Hiro pats him on the back comfortingly. "I can't believe you went easy on them," Jin huffs.
"Hey. That's what we were told, okay? It's not like I wanted to do that anymore than you did."
"Sell out."
"Pansy."
"Hey! You're the jerkwad that lost the game," Jin retorts.
"And even serious, you still missed a goal."
Jin pauses. "So my aim got away from me for a second there, so what?"
"Yeah… I don't think our captain will think the same." Jin shoves Hiro before walking across the gym, heading towards the lockers before one of the guys-the bald one-stops Jin to shake his hand.
"Hey! I know we didn't introduce ourselves properly yet, but I'm Tanaka Koki. That was a fun game."
Jin puts on his "I'm only doing this to be nice" smile as he shakes Koki's hand. "Yeah, that was pretty fun. Too bad we lost."
"Well, you were trying to take it easy on us so not surprised."
Jin makes a noise that's half agreement, half aggravation (because he knows the truth of it in the end), then plasters a smile on his face. "You guys did well though." Jin pauses before adding as an afterthought, "For idols anyway."
Koki's eyebrow goes up just as Hiro's hand hits Jin on the back. "Hey, Akanishi. Making buddy-buddy, I see." Hiro gives Koki a nod. "Hey, Taka-"
"Takasaki Hiroyuki," Koki continues with a grin. "The other Urawa Reds forward." When both Jin and Hiro give him raised eyebrows, Koki shrugs. "I follow a little football."
"Oh, really?" Hiro says; Jin can tell he's a little impressed that an idol would even follow any bit of football. "So what'd you think of our last game?"
Jin groans. "You're just bringing that up because you managed to score the winning goal."
"And you're bitter because you missed your goal."
"Screw off."
"And you're epic fail, dude." Jin scowls as Hiro throws an arm over Jin's shoulders. "It's okay. We kinda love you anyway. Or at least, half the team does. The other half thinks you're an ignorant twat, but they're not wrong in that."
"Is that supposed to comfort me because it doesn't."
"It's not supposed to."
Jin throws Hiro a face before Koki starts laughing - Jin realizes that he'd forgotten that Koki had even been standing there in the first place. "Are you guys always like that?"
"Pretty much, yeah," Hiro jokes. "It's our way of showing our love."
"Through abuse? Don't I know that," Koki snorts. Jin raises an eyebrow, but one of Koki's team-no, band mates calls for him. "Well, it was nice talking to you guys and thanks for the game. Maybe next time, we can actually play seriously. There are a lot of football fans in the Jimusho."
"That sounds good!" Hiro says enthusiastically, pulling out his cell phone-from where, Jin doesn't want to know-and gesturing for Koki to give his number.
After Koki leaves and his number successfully saved to Hiro's phone, Jin raises an eyebrow at Hiro. "What was that about?"
"Hey. Do you know the kind of ass you could get hanging around idols?"
Jin rolls his eyes, shoving Hiro away from him. "Fuck that. I don't need idols to get any sort of ass," Jin says over his shoulder as he continues to the locker rooms.
"Do not mock the ass!" Hiro calls out, following behind Jin. "They are precious and we are unworthy of their presence. Unless we are with the mythical idols." Jin gives Hiro a face before shaking his head.
--
Jin meets up with Koki and some of his idol friends not too long afterwards, only because Hiro insisted on his going. And it’s only after Hiro’s whining that he would always go where Jin wants because he's a true friend like that, that Jin folds.
"But if this ends up sucking, I'm out of there in a heartbeat," Jin warns as the two try to make their way to the bar which is practically inaccessible from the main entrance.
"Oh please, they're idols. They know how to have fun."
"You say as if you've known them for ages," Jin says dryly.
"Eh, close enough. Know one, know the rest," Hiro jokes.
"I'm sure they'd love to hear that concept."
"Already heard it," Koki inserts, voice coming from behind them.
Jin jerks back in surprise, meeting Koki's amused expression. "Where the hell-" he starts, but before he can even get the question out, Koki answers it. "Saw you guys coming from the dance floor and thought I'd help you to the bar."
"We're not that helpless," Jin grumbles.
Hiro only elbows him. "Thanks! Where are your buddies?"
"Ah, most of them are on the floor already. Two are probably still at the table, throwing back shots."
Jin raises an eyebrow. "Drinking a fond pastime for you idols?"
"Not for you?"
"Only occasionally, but we like to take care of our bodies," Jin half-sneers.
If Koki hears the bite in his voice, he doesn't acknowledge it, instead pushes them successfully towards the bar. "Well, how about tonight be one of those exceptions?" Koki asks, grinning. Hiro nods towards Jin, his eyes pleading.
"Fine. But only a beer, okay?"
Koki and Hiro cheer, immediately ordering that beer for Jin. That gives Jin the time to turn around and observe the club; the dance floor has parted in the middle, leaving room for the two males-Jin's a little surprised when he realizes that the other person is not a female-grinding along with the beat.
"That's Ueda and Kame," Koki clarifies for Jin (even if he really didn't care to know). "You met them that day too."
Jin blinks, slightly amazed because he can't really remember them - at least not from just the shape of their bodies and the obscured expressions on their face.
Before Jin realizes it, Koki's leading them towards the tables, and the table they stop at is occupied by two people - their table already filled with at least 7 shot glasses, and that's not including the ones in their hand. "God, already?" Koki snorts, raising an eyebrow at the guys. "We've only been here for ten minutes."
"We're finally on break," the brunette half-slurs. "I plan on enjoying tonight with lots and lots of alcohol."
"And maybe some ass," his friend adds, grinning before the two clink their glasses together and throw back their alcohol. Jin winces when one of them makes a guttural groan, visibly wincing at the burn of his drink.
"That's Yamapi," Hiro tries to whisper to Jin, gesturing with his head at the brunette. "And the other one's his best friend, Ryo."
"What the hell, Hiro," Jin hisses. "Do you follow their Jimusho or something?"
"I could've been a Johnny's boy," Hiro grumbles before stepping forward to introduce himself to the other two. Jin frowns before he moves to Hiro's side.
"That's Akanishi Jin," Koki says. "Yamashita Tomohisa and Nishikido Ryo. Other members of Johnny's Jimusho, but they work in another group."
"Nice to meet you," Jin says. It takes him a few seconds to realize why one of those names sounds so familiar and when it finally comes to him, Jin is more than glad that the club's dark so nobody can see him flush.
"Yeah, you too," Ryo says-he sounds more sober than the other one does, who is already slurring through his words.
"How much has this guy had to drink?" Koki asks Ryo.
Ryo shrugs. "By the time I picked him up at his apartment, he was already plastered. Looks like he got an early start."
Yamapi laughs, sloppily leaning an elbow against their table. "Like I said, I'm enjoying tonight." He tilts his head to the side as he stares at Jin with a gaze so intense that Jin looks at the others in panic. "You look slightly familiar," he says, pointing a finger in Jin's near vicinity.
"Well, he's a popular football prayer," Koki supplies, putting his beer down. "You've probably caught sight of him on television or something."
"No, no," Yamapi mumbles. "He looks much more familiar than that. Where are you from?"
Jin raises an eyebrow. "Tokyo?"
"Wow, so specific," Yamapi deadpans, but he doesn't press the issue. Instead, he throws back another shot. Jin frowns, only taking a small sip of his beer. "What?" Yamapi snaps when he sees Jin's eye on him.
"Nothing. Just... You're drinking a lot, aren't you?" Hiro elbows him sharply in the side.
Yamapi blinks, leaning an elbow against the table and trying to get close to Jin without having to actually walk around. "What's it to you?"
Ryo sighs, grabbing the newly filled shot glass from Yamapi's hand. "He's right, you know." Yamapi grabs the shot back and chokes it down before anyone can say anything.
"And I don't give a shit about some stranger's opinion," Yamapi says eloquently before stepping down from the high stool and grabbing Koki's hand, dragging him towards the dance floor-Jin can hear Koki's yelp of surprise, but once his feet touch the floor, Koki doesn't seem to mind.
"Sorry about that. Pi's not usually that high strung," Ryo says, taking a sip of his water. "We're just going through a lot lately." Ryo stops there and even though Jin is absolutely curious, he doesn't ask anything further.
"Ah," Jin says instead, before taking another swig of his beer. He winces a bit as he swallows, wondering what the hell kind of beer this place sells.
"Well, I don't think Koki got the chance to introduce us," Hiro inserts after a minute of silence. "I'm Takasaki Hiroyuki and this is Akanishi Jin. We're from the Urawa Reds." Ryo gives him a blank stare and Hiro falters in his introduction. "A football team?"
"Ah. Football."
Jin snickers before taking another swig. Then pauses when he realizes he's finished his beer. "Hiro," he frowns. "My beer's done."
"Then order some more," Hiro says off-handedly as he takes a swig of his own.
Jin pouts. "Please?"
Hiro raises an eyebrow. "Okay, hold on," he says before walking towards the bar. Ryo snorts loudly and Jin frowns at him.
"Can't order your own drink?" Ryo asks, raising an eyebrow.
"More like take advantage of your kouhais," Jin smirks as Hiro places his new beer in front of him.
"Sure, or you could just say that you're lazy," Hiro snorts.
"But lying's not a good thing, don't you remember?" Jin snickers. He takes another sip and has to wince through it. "Seriously. What is in this drink?"
Hiro only shrugs.
--
“So,” Jin half-slurs. “I could’ve been a Johnny’s boy. I just got rejected, sad sad me.” He slumps his head against the emptied table. Hiro snickers as Ryo raises an eyebrow at Jin.
“What made you want to go into Johnny’s?” Ryo asks, taking a sip of his water.
“Oh. I saw you on television,” Jin admits just as Koki and Yamapi come back to the table.
“You saw Ryo-chan?” Yamapi asks curiously, stealing Ryo’s glass of water from his hand. “In what?”
Jin shrugs. “I don’t remember. It was so long ago. He was so puny. …Well, he still is now, but like, he was an actual child. …Or was he? He might’ve been 15. I don’t remember.”
Koki holds Ryo back in his seat. “Let’s see how good a dancer you are.” Koki says, changing the topic and pulling Jin off his seat.
“I’m sure I have a thing or two to teach you,” Jin sneers as he stumbles his way towards the dance floor.
“Shouldn’t you be stopping him?” Ryo asks Hiro who’s looking at the spectacle in amusement.
“Not at all. I’m sure Akanishi has everything under control,” Hiro says.
Jin has no issues with personal space as he grinds against Koki, swiveling his hips. Koki’s eyes widen for a second before he retaliates in turn, his hand sliding down Jin’s ass to pull Jin in closer. Jin smirks before throwing his head back and just moving to the heavy beat of the song playing. His neck muscles flex under the strain and Koki drags his hand down Jin’s front.
“You’re playing with fire, Akanishi,” Koki mutters as he leans in.
Jin laughs. “No, you are.” His eyes glitter in the dark of the club.
--
Jin opens his eyes to searing pain. “Fuck,” he hisses, pressing fingers to his forehead-pushing away the blanket to do so. He stops suddenly, realizing that the blanket is not familiar to him-since when did he have black silk?-and that he’s half naked underneath the sheets. Jin blinks. “Oh fuck,” he mumbles as he sits up.
When he moves, the body beside him stirs-another half-naked male body.
“Oh fuck,” Jin says again, eyes wide-but another shot of pain causes him to wince.
“Nngh.” The body says and the male turns over to get a good look at Jin. “Who are you?” he asks, voice dry.
Jin stares, not at all recognizing the person behind him. “Aka…nishi Jin,” he manages to say.
The male pushes up from the bed, half sitting as he drags a hand through his hair. “Yamashita Tomohisa.” He gives Jin a once over. “I don’t remember you. Did we fuck last night?”
With the name, Jin finally remembers who Yamapi is. “Er, not sure,” Jin says weakly. “I don’t remember either.”
“Idiots.” the voice comes from outside the bedroom and Yamapi snorts when he hears it. Footsteps start up, approaching the two.
“Ryo-chan,” Yamapi tells Jin, which instantly clicks in Jin’s head-thankfully.
Ryo’s at the doorway, fully clothed-to Jin’s immense glee. He doesn’t think he could handle seeing another half-naked guy-he would really wonder what happened the night before. “You didn’t sleep with each other, don’t worry.” He sips a cup of coffee before continuing. “Just got wasted, conked out and we had to throw you on the bed.”
Jin can’t help his sigh of relief.
“Thanks,” Yamapi deadpans.
“It’s not that,” Jin says. “It’s just that you’re not my type.”
“If you’re one of those guys who denies his sexuality,” Yamapi starts, sucking on an end of a cigarette. “I swear-”
“Not that,” Jin snorts. “I’m well and gay, but you’re just really not my type.”
Ryo smirks. “I called it. After last night, totally doesn’t surprise me.”
“After last night?” Jin asks, a little afraid to find out the truth himself.
“I think you made out with Koki like five times the entire night. Each time longer than the next,” Ryo supplies.
Jin flushes. “Oh.”
Ryo smirks. “Why don’t you lazies get up and come to the table? Breakfast was served hours ago.”
Jin’s stomach agrees whole-heartedly with that statement.
--
About six hours later, Jin finds himself finally leaving Yamapi’s apartment with Hiro in tow (who Jin discovered had slept on the couch while Ryo had taken the guest room). “They’re not half bad,” Jin says, shutting his cell phone with two newly saved phone numbers.
Hiro grins. “Told you idols aren’t half bad.”
“You never said that,” Jin snorts.
“Well, I thought it.”
“Doesn’t count.” Jin then turns to look Hiro in the eye. “By the way, what the hell did you give me to drink last night? That was not beer, was it?” Hiro chuckles weakly.
“It got you to open your shell?” he says.
“Yeah, apparently to the point that I’d spill my early childhood boy-crush on Nishikido. Thanks for that,” Jin says dryly.
“Again, opening of shell.”
“Yeah, and my way of opening your shell-” Jin starts.
“Please don’t finish that,” Hiro pleads. “If I have to hear you make another really bad line, I will leave.”
Jin huffs. “They work on other people.”
“Other drunk people.”
“See if I go out with you again.”
forward to Part 2
Author: tinyangl
Characters: Akanishi Jin. LARGELY Akanishi Jin. Then you have NewS, KAT-TUN, Urawa Reds Football Players, Original Characters up the Wazoo, Takki, Yabu, Reio, Johnny and Nishiyama Maki (kinda) show up for a second there (blink too fast and you’ll miss it!) And just yes, lots of people in this very massive fic.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Nothing really except cursing. They drink a lot, smoke some.
Summary: Jin's said a lot of things over the years-what kind of different lives would he lead?
Notes: Written for je_holiday to shatteredinu, hopefully you'll enjoy this fic and it satisfies the Jin quota. It's a massive fic that probably shouldn't have been as massive as it ended up being. ♥♥ Thanks to my beta (AKA cynicalism) for letting me babble on and on about this fic for so long. For correcting every mistake I've made and helping me better this. It desperately needed it.
i. "I want to always be with Pi, because when I am with him, even a normal day would become interesting, Pi as a pillar of NEWS is just a kid in front of me."
- Myojo ~ November 2004.
2007.
"Akanishi! Get your ass back here or I am going to-"
"You'd have to catch me first, Ryo-chan!" Jin yells over his shoulder before coming to a stop in front of a startled Koyama stepping out of the elevator. "Kei-chan!" he says gleefully before the sound of Ryo's yells get closer and closer. "See you later!" he waves to a still stunned Koyama who waves back awkwardly. Ryo dashes by, a streak of blonde, and Koyama just stands there, rather confused and lost before Shige comes by and pats him on the back, leading him into their dance room. "Come on, Ryo-chan!" Jin cries out behind his shoulder. "It was only an innocent joke!"
"Switching my bento with only pickles is not an innocent joke, Akanishi!"
Jin cracks up, his lead faltering as he dashes down the corridor. His misstep causes him to slow down enough for Ryo to catch up to him and tackle him to the ground, tickling his sides. Jin can't even think of resisting; he's too busy laughing. "Everyone else thought it was funny!" he says in between his giggles. Ryo gets up, stopping his attack.
Ryo glares, sitting on Jin's stomach. "Yes, but I'm the one without lunch."
"It's not like I stole your lunch or anything. I gave it to Shige." Jin grins widely. "Was going to give it to Massu, but thought better of it."
Ryo rises then falls back down, putting all his weight into it.
Jin hides his cough. "You weigh like nothing."
Ryo huffs before getting up and walking back to their practice room. Jin follows behind him, hand on his stomach as he smarts from the impact-small or not, it still hurt. Inside the rehearsal room, most of NewS is already warming up except Massu who’s still eating lunch.
"Shige," Jin calls out, gesturing towards Ryo. "Give Ryo-chan his bento before he starts crying." Ryo punches him in the shoulder as Shige blinks innocently at Jin.
"Eh? That wasn't-" Shige falters, glancing at Massu in the corner of his eye. Jin pales off the glare from Ryo's face.
"You-You didn't-" Jin stumbles, trying to think of the best escape route out the room and out of Ryo's grasp.
It takes another minute of Shige glancing awkwardly at Massu who's absolutely oblivious to Shige's glances and just chewing his food, chatting nonchalantly with Tegoshi-Jin half-wonders if he's really listening-of Jin's wide eyes and of Ryo's glare. "I didn't," Shige finally says to Jin's enormous relief, pulling out Ryo's still full bento from his backpack and handing it to Ryo. "But I couldn't miss the look on your face."
Jin glares at Shige darkly. "Remember the days when you were quiet and kept to yourself?"
"Yeah, I also remember you picking on me because I was quiet and kept to myself," Shige snorts, bending at the waist to touch his toes.
"Are you saying that I made you this way?"
"Basically, yes." Shige manages to dodge the hit from Jin, only to tumble to the side. Jin takes that as a bit of comeuppance, no matter how small. When he starts to stretch, he finally realizes that their dance instructor is staring at them, and not a good stare at that.
"Hi, sensei?" Jin says weakly.
His instructor's gaze only narrows.
--
Sometimes, Jin thinks that he hangs out with Yamapi and Ryo more than one should-not only do they work together being in the same group, but they constantly go out to eat, drink, pick up chicks, maybe karaoke. If it were possible to get a Yamapi and Ryo overload, Jin thinks he reached that point ages ago.
A pillow hits Jin squarely on the face-a hit Jin takes laughing. "Stop screeching like an alley cat already!" Ryo yells into the microphone.
"I was only imitating you!" Jin retorts, just as loud as Ryo.
Yamapi's laughter bounces off the walls before he snatches the microphone from Ryo's hand, continuing the song-although he doesn't do any better than Jin in the matter. He's fortunate though to at least get more than the few seconds Jin was allowed to sing before a pillow flies into his face.
"Seriously! I didn't come to karaoke to get my ear drums shot!" Ryo scowls.
Jin cracks up before the door opens and the rest of NewS comes spilling into the room, bags of food and drinks in hands. The three in the room greet them with equal amount of cheer before Ryo takes the microphone from Yamapi and proceeds to sing the last minute of the song. Jin looks up as Koyama and Shige settle into the couch right beside Yamapi while Tegoshi and Massu sit on Ryo's other side.
"Hey! Where's my food?!" Yamapi frowns, pushing bags out of his way after looking through them.
Massu passes him the one in his hand. "It's in this one, Yamashita-kun!"
"Ne, Ryo-tan, want to share lunch?" Tegoshi asks, pushing his bento towards Ryo, chopsticks already in hand.
Ryo shrugs. "Sure." Tegoshi feeds him with a grin, asking him if he'd liked it and Ryo grins back, nodding. "Yeah, that was delicious." Jin resists from gagging.
"Ah! Where's my lunch?!" Shige exclaims before digging through the remaining dishes.
Jin blinks, hugging his bento tightly as Shige narrows his eyes in Jin's direction.
"Eh?! I don't have it!"
"This isn't revenge for earlier, is it?" Shige scowls.
Jin shakes his head vigorously and Shige makes a lunge towards Jin's bento before Koyama pulls him back, pushing a bento onto Shige's lap. "Baka, this is your lunch. Should pay more attention."
Shige blinks, looking down at his bento. "Ah. Sorry, Akanishi-kun," he says sheepishly.
Jin sticks his tongue out before starting on his food. He can faintly hear Tegoshi starting on a new song with Yamapi singing along underneath his breath beside Jin. Jin resists from grinning-a scene like this one was nowhere near possible when they had first been formed.
--
2003.
When Yamapi and Ryo are called to Johnny's office, Jin is fortunate enough to be around as well, walking with them and coming up with outrageous reasons for why they could possibly be called. Johnny opens the door to let them in and catches sight of Jin hanging around by the couches.
Jin bows properly-because he knows better than to piss off the President of the Jimusho-before Johnny eyes him and then tells him to come into the office too. Jin's heart practically flies out of his chest as he wonders if he'd done anything bad in the past week or something.
When he enters, it's only Yamapi and Ryo inside and they give Jin a confused look, to which he shrugs in reply. Jin stands next to the two as Johnny takes a seat in front of them.
The next few words out of Johnny's mouth stun the three boys to silence.
"Wait, what about our old groups?" Yamapi asks helplessly-Jin knows he's thinking of 4Tops.
Johnny shakes his head at Yamapi. "No need to worry. NewS is only temporary."
Yamapi doesn't let out a breath of relief, but the other two know it's there.
"The photo shoot for the single will be tomorrow morning, and I need the three of you there at 9 sharp."
They nod at the same time, most likely afraid of anything that would come out of their mouths.
Johnny smiles at them. "Great. Have fun, and don't worry about your old groups. It'll all work out."
--
Johnny lied. NewS was anything but temporary. Jin can still remember the devastated look on Yamapi's face when 4Tops was officially broken up. It was something he never wanted to see on anyone's face ever again.
--
But Jin only has to look in a mirror because a week later, he's replaced in KAT-TUN by another A-Akiyama Jun-and is told that he's meant to only focus on NewS.
Jin confronts Ryo who is fortunate enough to still be in Kanjani8. "Why are you the one that's able to stay in your old group?"
"Only one of us can be around?"
"Uchi's also in two groups," Jin says dryly.
"Because your work ethic sucks," Ryo retorts, changing tracks.
Jin chucks his empty beer can at Ryo's head. "You're not comforting me whatsoever."
"I never signed up for that. Can I back out?"
Jin throws his head in his arms and shuts his eyes, grumpy and depressed. When he opens them next, he realizes with a start that the room's dark and a blanket's resting over his shoulders. He sighs-Ryo's always been a lot nicer than he lets on.
--
2004.
After the announcement that NewS is permanent and that they're releasing another single-Kibou ~Yell~-Jin throws himself into the new group, realizing that he doesn't really know anyone in NewS other than Yamapi and Ryo, and Uchi by proxy. There is a whole other half of the group to know, five (used to be six) members whose names Jin only vaguely knows. One of them being that fanboy of Yamapi's who Jin never failed to use to tease Yamapi.
"Wait, what's that kid's name again?" Jin asks Yamapi as they stand against a wall right before they go onto Shounen Club, pointing at one with dark brownish orange hair. Oh, and single eyelids.
"Koyama," Yamapi sighs, shaking his head. "Remember? He's the one that's going to Meiji? I asked him for advice?"
If Jin's heard that before, he doesn't recall it whatsoever. He nods anyway. "Yeah sure. How about the kid beside him?"
Yamapi pauses as he narrows his eyes at the black-haired kid with random streaks of gold in his hair. "I think… Kusano? Or was that Shige?"
Yamapi continues pondering which one is which, but Jin's already left him, approaching Shige with a firm "Which are you?"
Shige blinks, turns to Koyama helplessly but all he gets is a weak shrug. "Er. Which?" Shige repeats.
"Yeah. Kusano or Shige?" He can hear the start of Koyama's giggles, but Jin continues with his questions. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I just can't keep everyone's name straight and well, it's hard to keep track when half of you don't speak."
Shige blinks again. "Uh. Shige. I'm Shige, Akanishi-kun."
"Oh, cool then! Nice to actually meet you, Shige." With that, Jin turns on his heel and returns to Yamapi to let him know the answer, and from that, they figure out which one Kusano-the kid with the slight Mohawk that falls over his eyes.
Still, for at least two months after, Yamapi and Jin don't get the two straight.
Jin hears Koyama patting Shige on the back and telling him that at least it'd make a funny story in the future when they finally do get it right.
(Four years or so later when Shige does remember, he makes it a point to mix up Yamapi and Jin's names for about two weeks. Jin thinks it's absolutely hysterical; Yamapi isn't as fond, but he takes the abuse anyway.)
--
2005.
When Jin does finally get the two straight, he bonds with them in completely different ways-Jin's interest in English had been growing steadily and it turns out that Shige's not half bad at the language himself (even telling Jin a story about how he'd talked to his teacher in English about Johnny's Jimusho-Jin couldn't stop laughing). Kusano is almost, almost as good as Jin is in dancing, and maybe even singing (Yamapi thinks Jin just doesn't want to be overtaken by anyone), and frequently, the two practice together, trying to improve their skills. Tegoshi often joins them-mainly when they're practicing and training their voices; Massu joins them too, but he comes during the dancing lessons.
Jin thinks that even if they are the juniors that came out of nowhere to join their group, they're really not half bad. He even manages to convince Yamapi to come around whenever he's free.
"Please," Ryo snorts when Jin approaches him. "You're kidding, right?"
"What?" Jin blinks. "It's kinda fun."
"Working more? Who are you and where the hell is Akanishi?"
Jin sticks his tongue out. "And what do you suggest, genius?"
"If it's singing, then obviously karaoke. Dancing, we could just go clubbing. You're such an idiot."
"We don't want to risk going clubbing just yet. Who's the idiot now?" Jin retorts, arms crossed.
"Whatever. Just think of something interesting and then I'll think on it."
"You know, you do have to interact with these people."
Ryo gives him a cheeky smile. "I do that enough. Especially when I hang out with you. It's like hanging out with a combination of them."
Jin pauses then shrugs. "Well, in a way that's actually accurate."
"Idiot," Ryo laughs. "Anyway, I gotta get going. Meeting Uchi for some kind of dinner thing."
"'Kay," Jin says, waving as Ryo rushes out of the room, his bag slung over his shoulder.
--
Jin gets a call from Ryo late that night. "Uchi got caught drinking underage." Jin can't think of what to say to make anything better. "There's going to be a meeting in the morning," Ryo continues after Jin's mouth drops open and closes about five times-he counted-without a single word coming out.
"Ryo," Jin finally says, the only thing he can think to say.
"I'll see you in the morning," Ryo abruptly says, cutting off any thoughts that could’ve formed in Jin’s head.
"Right. Morning." As soon as the words leave Jin's mouth, the dial tone resonates on the other line. Jin sighs, rubbing a hand against his forehead.
He can't sleep for the rest of the night.
--
Nobody knows how to act around Ryo for weeks after the news of Uchi's headline and suspension-to be fair, Ryo doesn't make it easy for anyone. He sits off to the side of the rehearsal room, making it a point that nobody goes near him and scowling when someone approaches even if it's Yamapi or Jin.
"Are we going to keep tiptoeing around Nishikido-kun?" Shige asks Jin, frowning as Jin helps him with his stretches.
"I guess." Jin has an identical frown on his face. "He won't even talk to Yamapi. That's when you know it's bad."
"At least he hasn't been drinking," Yamapi says darkly.
"I don't think Nishikido-kun can be around alcohol right now anyway," Tegoshi points out. They all watch as Ryo stretches, not looking at any of the other members.
"Stop staring at me," Ryo barks suddenly from across the room and everyone's gaze abruptly switches from Ryo to each other. Still, nobody can really concentrate.
--
Halfway through Ryo's shooting of One Litre of Tears, Jin realizes that Ryo's suddenly acting normal again. "Are you okay?" Jin asks out of the blue after Ryo shoves Shige lightly, laughing at some stupid joke he'd made.
Ryo raises an eyebrow. "Idiot." He turns away, striking up a new conversation with Koyama. Jin doesn't care to elaborate when he sees the grin on Ryo's face; Jin thinks he's doing just fine.
--
2006.
It's Massu who calls him when the next big thing happens-they'd arranged a sort of system so if something happened, not one person would have to do all the calling. It'd started after Yamapi had found out about his co-starring role with Kame in Nobuta wo Produce, and even though Yamapi had spent half the night calling everyone, he still managed to miss one person. (Tegoshi came into work the next day devastated and wondering what this meant for NewS if Yamapi was going to make a single with Kame. Jin spent an hour calming Tegoshi down, and then another hour arranging the phone system with Koyama.)
"It's Kusano," Massu says simply, sounding near tears.
"What about Kusano?" Jin asks, sitting up abruptly in his bed and throwing off the blankets. He's practically ready to fly out the door and race to the hospital if need be.
"He got caught drinking." Jin can feel his stomach plummet within seconds.
"What?" Jin asks, voice cracking in the middle.
"There's going to be a meeting in the morning. I think we're really in trouble this time," Massu says, choking on his words.
"No, nono. It'll be fine. I don't…" Jin licks his lips. "It'll be fine. I'm sure it's just a mistake. Kusano wouldn't do something like that."
"Un," Massu replies. "I'll let you go so you can call Ryo then."
"Right." Jin's not really paying attention, wondering what he is going to say to Ryo. Massu's gone before Jin realizes and Jin stares at his cell phone, Ryo's number in front of him. He doesn't know what he's going to say, but he feels bad for Ryo who has to call Tegoshi right after. He feels doubly bad for being relieved in a sense.
--
The news ends up not being good. NewS is suspended without any information about if they're coming back and if yes, when.
Jin hates that the plummeting in his stomach feeling hasn't left for half a year. He thought it had-he thought they were okay, happy, finally recovered from everything. Everyone's faces-corners of their lips down, eyes refusing to meet Kusano's, and the absolute quiet-they're never quiet, not if Jin could help it-says so much more.
When they leave the office, Kusano collapses against a nearby wall, tears streaming down his face but no words coming out of his mouth. Everyone just watches him; none of them can say a word. Tegoshi's hands clutch Massu's arms and Jin can see his silent tears stream down his face.
"Did you drink?" Ryo asks harshly, breaking the silence after a good five minutes.
"No!" Kusano insists. "I wouldn't! Not after-" His words stop there as Yamapi places a firm hand on his shoulder.
"We believe you, Kusano." His voice is rough, a different kind of rough-like he's trying his best not to break out into tears. "We can get through it. It's just a little bump."
"But it's not," Jin hears himself say. He claps a hand over his mouth, startled by the sound of his own voice. Everyone's eyes are on him and Jin suddenly feels like shrinking, disappearing. Despite his better judgment, Jin elaborates, "It's not just a little bump. We're disbanded. Put on hiatus for who knows how long. Maybe forever."
Ryo growls next to him, and next thing Jin knows, Ryo's pushed him up against the wall. "We know that already! We don't need you to repeat it back to us."
"Stop it!" Yamapi yells as Koyama and Shige pull Ryo off Jin, although it doesn't take them much effort. Jin slumps against the wall as Tegoshi and Massu rush to his side, Massu helping to keep him upright. "We should just go home, get some sleep. We have the rest of the tour left and the announcement," Yamapi says firmly.
Jin looks up to meet Yamapi’s eyes. Yamapi refuses to look at him though, sharply turning towards Kusano. "I'll take Kusano home and let his parents know what happened."
They make nods of agreement, even a noise from some of them. And slowly, they walk through the front door of the building, not sure when the next time they'll enter as a group.
Jin finds himself at some family restaurant with Koyama and Shige-glasses of water in front of them, but not a single word to be spoken. Jin likes it better that way.
--
The tour is completely and utterly awkward, to say the least. On stage, the remaining 7 members manage to put on a good enough show-smiles and conversation and playfulness, despite everyone in the audience knowing what's to come. Backstage though, Jin hates how suddenly they've regressed back to the time they first came together.
In a way, Jin wonders if he made it worse by saying what he had said. But he pushes the thought out of his head, tries hard to anyway, and lets everyone act as cold and distant as they had way back when.
While Jin hates this whole situation, half of him is relieved-it'll be much easier to break ties when they're not friends.
Jin hates himself more for thinking like this.
--
Jin thinks it's slightly hysterical when he hears that KAT-TUN's going to debut in the middle of NewS' tour. "No hard feelings?" Kame asks when most of the members-minus Akiyama who doesn't know Jin enough to intrude-drop by Jin's apartment to tell him the news.
"I'm not part of your group anymore," Jin says honestly. "I haven't been for years. You didn't need to come here for my permission." He walks inside his apartment, leaving the door open for the rest to enter.
Koki and Ueda exchange looks before Koki comments, "But it has to sting. Going on hiatus and watching your other group debut."
"When you put it that way," Jin jokes, pulling out beers from his refrigerator and passing them to the others. "Look," Jin says, popping off the cap and taking a swig of beer. "The way I see it, you guys deserve it after everything. You can't even say KAT-TUN is my other group when it's been 3 years since we've worked together."
"But," Nakamaru starts, the beer of bottle unopened in his hands.
"Hey. All I can say or should say is "Congratulations." And you worked hard for this debut." Jin gives them a crooked smile before lifting his bottle up to them and taking another swig. "Now, why don't you guys open up those beers and stay over for a while? I could use the company."
They exchange glances before Taguchi says enthusiastically, "We should've come panning then!"
Jin blinks before taking the beer away from Taguchi. "Maybe not with you." Taguchi beams and Jin rolls his eyes, handing it back. "Some things never change, huh?"
"Tell us about it," Koki snorts before they settle on Jin’s couch.
--
Jin only gets the idea of going to America after he talks to one of his friends, some stupid friend who makes some off-handed remark about how if Jin likes speaking in English so much, why doesn't he go to America?
It gets Jin thinking though-why doesn't he go to America? He doesn't have anything particularly tying him to Japan at that moment-not when he doesn't have any acting jobs, not when NewS is on "hiatus," not when his friends aren't really talking to him anymore.
"That sounds like a good idea," Johnny says when Jin goes to his office to ask for permission. "It'll give you something to do during the break, and it'll be something to bring back to the group when you come back."
"Yes, sir," Jin murmurs. "Thank you for the opportunity." He only says that second part to be polite, because as Koyama once told him, politeness will get you honey, curtness will get you bees. (Jin swore that Koyama had made the phrase up, but after Jin had been nice to their dance teacher-who, admittedly, did not like Jin whatsoever-Jin managed to get even a "Well done" which he would never have gotten before. Koyama had shot him a please grin when he'd heard that.)
When Jin leaves the room, he isn't quite sure he's ready for what he's done. But in the end, what's done is done. Jin walks out of the building, ready to tell everyone his big-maybe good, maybe bad-news.
--
Koyama and Massu are overwhelmingly happy for him. "Good for you!" Massu cheers as they talk over slices of cake. "It'll be exciting, ne? Going to America and learning more English."
"I'll help you pack and prepare!" Koyama says cheerfully, even though they both know that the job will probably end up being done the day before Jin's flight.
Shige, predictably, takes the more educational route. "Well, you have to prepare for it. Make sure you choose the right school too."
Yamapi doesn't say much, not that Jin'd expected him to. He's stoic to the end, especially as of late, and Jin wonders if Yamapi realizes how dark the bags are under his eyes. "Pi," Jin starts.
"I think that's great," Yamapi says with a crooked smile. He stirs his iced tea with his straw, ice clinking against the glass. "When you come back, you'll have to teach me something."
Jin agrees, then jokes, "But it'll be hard to teach you how to be as awesome as me." Yamapi punches him lightly on the shoulder.
His meeting with Tegoshi turns out better than he'd expected-Jin had been strangely worried about it. "That's really exciting!" Tegoshi chirps. "Do you think Johnny-san will let me join you?"
Jin laughs a little. "Not when you're in the middle of shooting a drama."
"True. But My Boss, My Hero should be ending soon!" Tegoshi laughs again. "Maybe I can join you afterwards."
"Interested in learning English?" Jin asks, a little surprised at Tegoshi's insistence.
"Not really," Tegoshi answers, but stops there and moves on to another topic-soccer. It takes Jin until the end of the day to realize that Tegoshi's insistence was something closer to Jin's heart-he wasn't (and shouldn't think he was) the only one smarting from the split up.
It's Ryo who makes Jin really think about his decision. Jin goes to his apartment in Tokyo on the last night before he goes to Osaka for some job with Kanjani8.
"Come on, Akanishi! Who do you think you're kidding?" Ryo growls, kicking a nearby wall. "You really think now is a good time to leave? Now? After everything we've gone through, you decide to go to L.A.?" Ryo doesn't add the thought "When we need you the most?" but Jin can hear it hanging at the end of his questions-an accusation.
Jin wavers under Ryo's harsh gaze, but Jin knows what he wants, what he needs. "It's because of everything that's going on," Jin says quietly.
"Fine, asshole," Ryo says-voice eerily steady. He picks up a nearby pillow, chucking it at Jin's face with as much strength as he can muster; Jin doesn't dare to move. "Get out of here. Run if you like." Jin half wonders if Ryo's only talking about his apartment.
Jin does as he says though, leaves Ryo's apartment quietly, not feeling any better than when he'd arrived-not that he'd actually expected to feel better. When Jin finally leaves, he doesn't see Ryo-just the uncomfortable glances from the NewS members as they see him off.
For the entire time Jin's in L.A., Ryo's words always hover somewhere in the back of his head and Jin can't stop himself from wondering if that was what he was doing by leaving Japan.
But then one of his friends passes him a beer and Jin forgets the question for another day.
--
All of NewS is at the airport when Jin comes back from America, albeit scattered all over to avoid notice. It's Koyama and Shige that meet him at the gate, and Jin's more than surprised to see them.
"Shouldn't you not be here?" Jin asks, eyes wide as he clutches his bag tighter.
"Don't worry," Shige grins. "Johnny slipped the reporters the wrong date. They think you're coming back tomorrow."
Koyama gives Jin a once over, tilts his head to the side and mumbles, "You've been eating a lot, haven't you?"
Jin wraps an arm around his waist, frowning. "I know I've gotten chubbier, but-"
"You look good," Koyama reassures him. "Happier than when you left."
"Eh?" But before Jin can ask him to elaborate, they run into Tegomass. Tegoshi tackles Jin with a hug, looking much different than Jin can remember which Jin says right off the bat.
"Puberty," Shige mumbles underneath his breath, but Jin manages to hear him and laughs in response.
"Eh? What'd you say, Shige?" Tegoshi asks, blinking innocently-he seems to have gotten that down pat while Jin was gone.
Massu shakes his head. "It wasn't anything, Tegoshi," he responds after Shige shakes his head, refusing to say a word.
"Ah. Also, I saw the news about your single. Congratulations!" Jin says, grinning at the two.
Massu and Tegoshi look down, slightly flushing at it. "Thanks," Massu replies.
"Your English was atrocious though."
Tegoshi sticks his tongue out. "Sorry we're not as great as you are, Akanishi-kun."
"If only, if only?" Jin jokes before Massu laughs, helping Jin pull the last of his suitcases from the baggage claim.
When they reach the doors, Jin is mildly disappointed to see only Yamapi-Yamapi with his cap pulled down so low that Jin thinks it must be cutting off circulation and huge sunglasses that they take up half his face. "Welcome back, Bakanishi."
Jin engulfs him in a hug so tight that even Jin loses sense of breathing for as long as it lasts. "I'm glad to be back," Jin murmurs-and it's striking to him just how true the words are.
"Idiots. How long are you going to stand there?" The words cause Jin to pull back from Yamapi sharply, practically tossing him aside as he stares straight at Ryo who's standing by the doorway, hands stuffed in his pockets.
"Ryo." Jin hadn't at all expected Ryo to be there-but he'd hoped. They hadn't spoken for six-no, seven months after all. "You're-"
"Stupid. Of course I'd come to see if you were still alive or not," Ryo says curtly, but Jin doesn't care. He takes five steps forward and pulls Ryo into a tight hug. "I'm not made of fluff like you are! Stop squeezing!" Ryo yelps.
Jin doesn't feel like ever letting go.
--
Jin returns mid-December, just in time for Johnny to tell them-thankfully not last minute-that they're returning as a group for Countdown. They cheer all around him, although they try to keep it as low-key as possible, until Johnny drops the final bit.
"As seven, you'll go back on stage and announce that NewS is back from hiatus."
"Wait, seven?" Jin blurts out-the first one to do so; the others chime in right after.
"Yes. Kusano and Uchi are going to be demoted to trainees as punishment, and no telling if they'll be back in your group."
They're stunned to silence, and that's the same state they're in when they leave the room. "Trainees," Massu echoes after minutes pass.
"It's gotta be temporary," Tegoshi says-Jin can just hear the hope in his voice. "In time, they'll be back, ne?"
"Sure," Yamapi replies, although he doesn't sound like he has much hope at all. "But for now, we gotta work hard. We're actually coming back."
"Knew this day would finally come," Koyama says, grinning at them. Jin looks around the room, meeting everyone's eyes-hopeful, positive, excited. Nervous, anxious, confused. Scared.
--
2007.
It's not simple for them to come together again-they've all changed in their own way. Yamapi pushes it off as them separating, learning different things and then bringing all those things into a brand new NewS, but Jin knows he's faltering as much as the rest of them.
Tegoshi's older now, more adept at the business-not the innocent kid they remembered clinging onto Massu's arm, hoping everything would be all right. He'd also grown into his looks as well, and even though Shige had been joking, it was like he'd hit puberty.
Massu's responsibility expanded when Tegomass debuted, and he'd taken the brunt of the work, especially when it came to taking care of Tegoshi and making sure that he would be able to deal with the evils of celebrity.
Shige's become more conscientious of everything around him-always calculating the best move, or what people were feeling to act accordingly. He'd also felt the bittersweet taste of being forgotten and lonely-of wondering if quitting was his only solution.
Koyama'd felt helpless during the hiatus, and he'd taken that emotion and turned it into his work-working harder than Jin could remember him ever doing. He became more active all of a sudden, always pushing, pushing and pushing. Jin could see the worry sitting somewhere behind his gaze.
Ryo had gotten used to working with Kanjani8-he's quieter than usual, and always watching, just watching. He isn't as curt as he used to be, more pensive and Jin didn't know if he missed the poison tongue or not. Jin wasn't entirely sure this was a good thing or not.
Yamapi's change is the most drastic, Jin thinks. He’s hard now-having made it in the entertainment industry with a solo single, also messing up and bouncing from it easily (not easily at all if the phone call after the recording at around 6 in the morning was any indication). He's more of a leader than he had been way before, but he's also much colder, more calculating. Jin definitely doesn't like it.
Jin doesn't think he’s changed, not really. Except scattered remarks from the others tell him otherwise.
"You've become more vocal, haven't you?" Shige says during a discussion for their return tour.
"More manly!" Tegoshi chimes.
"Lay off the food already. I know you were starving, but geez." Ryo snatches the bag of chips away from him (which leads Jin to say that Ryo needs to eat more - Jin thinks he only set himself up for that).
"You've been thinking before you speak, haven't you?" Yamapi asks during one of their dinners. "That's weird." Jin refuses to say that Yamapi's been doing the same lately.
"You haven't had much energy. Are you tired?" Massu asks, worry laced in his voice before he hands Jin one of his favorite energy drinks. "It'll help at least a little."
Koyama watches him a lot more than he'd like. "America was rough on you, wasn't it?" he asks when they're resting during rehearsal. "You seem like you were broken." Jin closes his eyes and vehemently denies it-at least, half of the statement is a lie. It isn't America that breaking him though.
In the end, Jin feels like everyone's walking on eggshells.
Maybe even himself. Maybe.
--
"This is ridiculous," Jin mutters under his breath. NewS has been straining at the seams ever since their return, some unspoken tension that nobody can really pinpoint.
"What?" Koyama asks, the closest to him as they relax in the baths after their last concert in Taipei.
"Nothing, nothing." Jin sighs before dunking his head in the water, eyes closed.
That same night in the privacy of their room in the inn, the members of NewS (minus Tegoshi because they refuse to even risk it) get plastered. Tegoshi looks at them with sour faces, sipping on his Coke. "You're all so loud," he complains, one finger pressed in his ear.
"You're just jealous," Jin laughs, an arm thrown around Tegoshi's shoulders. "Just take a sip already."
"No way!" Koyama cries out, knocking Jin's cup out of his grip-Jin stares at the stain spreading on the rug, he sniffles. "We're not going to have another scandal."
"We've had too much of those already," Ryo sniffs, throwing back another cup of sake.
"We say as we spend a night drinking," Massu says-he'd only had a small amount of alcohol, making him the closest to sanity other than the completely sober Tegoshi.
"Oh, come on. Enjoy yourselves. We just finished an international concert," Yamapi sighs, taking another drink himself.
Shige sniffles suddenly; everyone's gaze falls on his shaking shoulders. "You know," he starts, hiccuping. "I love you, guys!"
Jin's mouth falls open, as does Ryo's while Koyama crawls his way over to Shige, hands firmly on Shige's shoulders. "I love everyone too, Shige!" Koyama cries out, pulling Shige into a hug. "Me too!"
Yamapi stares at the sobbing mess before turning to Tegoshi, half-squinting as he does so. "How much has he had to drink?"
Tegoshi scoffs. "Like half a bottle of sake."
Jin stares at the small containers before saying, "Wow, he's a bad drinker."
"He's a newly formed adult?" Ryo says before laughing.
"No really!" Shige cries out, startling everyone. "I think NewS is great. We've gone through so much, and yet. And yet," Shige sniffles again, messily rubbing the back of his hands against his face. "We're still here. Together. Drinking sake like adults."
"Or Coke like a kid," Tegoshi inserts dryly.
"Stop complaining." Jin chucks his pillow at Tegoshi's head. "You have like a month to go, then you can be the slobbering mess." Tegoshi only sticks his tongue out before sucking on his straw.
"Okay, Shige," Yamapi says, moving over to help Shige calm down and pulling the sake bottle away from him. "Let's get you into bed. I think you've had too much to drink."
"I don't ever want us to separate," Shige mumbles, just as they're putting the sheets back on him.
"We won't, don't worry." Koyama nods, trying to add emphasis, or to convince himself-Jin's not entirely sure.
"Then why are we still acting so weird?" Shige whines, sitting back up and kicking away the sheets.
They freeze and Jin exchanges glances with Koyama, eyes wide.
"What?" Ryo asks slowly-as though that would help Shige understand. As though Shige couldn't understand the question.
"We're still awkward. We're pretending that everything's okay. But we all lost something in the hiatus. Like, like. I don't know. Just. Everything's weird." Shige frowns, head tilted to the side as he stares at some point in the floor-trying so hard just to think. "It shouldn't be weird. Not anymore."
"It's not," Koyama says with reassurance. "It's okay between us."
Shige looks up at Jin with puppy dog eyes-at Jin likely because he's the closest. "Really?"
Jin has to close his eyes to answer, dots filling the darkness. "Yeah. It's okay." Jin's not sure if it's the alcohol that's affecting his stomach, but he feels queasy as the words leave his mouth. It doesn't matter because when he opens his eyes next, Shige's conked out on the bed and everyone's just staring at him.
"Is it really?" Tegoshi asks, taking another sip.
Jin looks Tegoshi in the eyes. "You tell me."
Tegoshi never answers him, not unless the sound of him sucking on air and ice is supposed to be the answer.
--
After that night, they all make some sort of weird effort to change-Jin's not sure how he notices, but he does. Ryo pays more attention to everyone's schedule, making sure that everyone does what they're supposed to.
"I know you're tired, stupid, but imagine how mad at yourself you'll be if you don't do your absolute best on that test." Jin raises an eye as he leans against the cafe's table. Ryo hangs up his phone and returns Jin's gaze. "That was just Shige. He has some law test or whatever."
"Nice," Jin says easily, only because he doesn't want Ryo to be embarrassed (Ryo tends to hit when he's embarrassed and Jin would rather not get more bruises; Jin gets teased enough about those).
Jin and Massu end up being semi-teachers, helping out whenever someone needs help with a dance move or a problem with the lyrics or with the melody and harmony. "Can't be helped," is a common phrase for them and the other members frown when they use it.
"You make it sound like we're really sad for asking you for help," Koyama points out, frowning.
"It's never in that sense," Massu insists. "We just think it's funny you come to us for help."
"I'd never go to Jin for help," Ryo snorts.
Jin sticks his tongue out. "Then learn the routine during the bridge on your own." Ryo's eye twitches. Massu cracks up.
"Can't be helped?" Massu asks. Ryo sighs while Koyama shakes his head.
Koyama's calls get more frequent. "Are you eating?" "Are you sleeping properly?" "Have you gone to the doctor lately?" "Have you gotten that new pack of condoms yet?" (The last one being more of a joke text to Jin. He was on a date when it arrived and his date did not appreciated it-Koyama couldn't stop laughing after Jin had told him.)
Tegoshi and Shige become proper adults in more than one sense-realizing the real weight of the job they had as Johnny's idols-not that they hadn't known to begin with. But after turning 20, something inside them switches and they work harder than ever. They seem to become much more aware of themselves-like when Shige got his haircut.
"Holy shit," Jin breathes when Shige walks into the room. Immediately, Shige stops, hand in his hair as he frowns.
"Does it look bad?" Shige asks, worried. "I thought I'd try something new."
Koyama reaches over, eyes wide. "It's so short."
"Is that a mohawk?" Ryo asks.
"Kinda yeah." Shige bites the bottom of his lip.
Massu says cheerfully, "I like it! It looks nice."
Shige blinks at him, then shakily asks, "Really?"
"Mm-hmm!" Massu repeats. Tegoshi agrees along with him. And one by one, the rest of the members chime in their approval for Shige's new haircut.
"Thanks," he breathes out in relief. "I was a little fearful."
"Just glad you didn't come in blonde," Jin jokes, glancing sideways at Ryo who only gives him the middle finger.
"I'm not that crazy," Shige retorts. Ryo uses his other hand to flash Shige the middle finger as well. Jin can't stop laughing.
Yamapi, for his part, tries hard to make sure they were talking more-communicating about the activities and putting things together. Jin realizes he was really growing into his role as a leader-more than he'd been willing to accept only so little years ago.
It's not easy for them, but one step at a time does eventually lead up to the door they'd been searching for all that time.
--
2008.
A year after Countdown, after their return, Jin takes the hands of his band mates as they stare out at the roaring crowd. The lights blind him, but he squints through the pain. Next to him, Yamapi's grin stretches across his face; his grip tightens and Jin's grip tightens in turn. Yamapi laughs loudly. On his other side, Koyama's trying to fight through the tears, but failing horribly.
Jin has to practically scream to be heard, but he does it anyway. "Koyama, you're such a baby!"
"So what!" Koyama yells back, laughing as he wipes back his tears with the back of his hand, refusing to let go.
Down the line, Jin can see the grins and laughter and tears of his band mates-no, close friends. They all exchange glances as Yamapi yells into the microphone. "Sen no!"
In one loud, clear yell without aid of microphones, NewS comes together. "We are NewS!"
Jin feels his heart swell with pride.
ii. But in reality, even now I still want to be a professional soccer player!! (laugh) Rather, when I grow up I'm really going to be a pro soccer player!! I'll take the offer the second it comes (laugh).
- Vivi ~ July 2008
2006.
"Why'd you take this job again?" Hiro snipes as they watch some pop idols try to warm up before challenging them at soccer.
Jin snorts. "Look who's talking. Aren't you standing with me for a reason?"
"Only because someone has to watch over you."
"You just want to kick some idol ass," Jin jokes, grinning as one of the guys in the group-weren't they called KAT-TUN or something?-looks Jin in the eye and smirks. As though he could easily score or block one of Jin's kicks. Jin didn't hold back the roll of his eyes.
"Stop. We're here to make nice," Hiro scolds under his breath.
"Yeah, well, nobody gave them that memo," Jin sneers.
After the idols gracefully receive their challenge (some more gracefully than others-the one with the big nose doesn't seem quite happy with the idea of challenging actual soccer players, especially when the batsu game is something like getting pelted by soccer balls), Jin thinks that this is when the real fun begins.
"Go easy on them," Hiro says before Jin approaches the scoring line. "It's not like they're actual pros."
"But then that'd ruin my fun," Jin snorts. Hiro rolls his eyes at him.
At the end of the game, KAT-TUN manages to get three scores to Jin and Hiro's two and Jin scowls in the back as Hiro pats him on the back comfortingly. "I can't believe you went easy on them," Jin huffs.
"Hey. That's what we were told, okay? It's not like I wanted to do that anymore than you did."
"Sell out."
"Pansy."
"Hey! You're the jerkwad that lost the game," Jin retorts.
"And even serious, you still missed a goal."
Jin pauses. "So my aim got away from me for a second there, so what?"
"Yeah… I don't think our captain will think the same." Jin shoves Hiro before walking across the gym, heading towards the lockers before one of the guys-the bald one-stops Jin to shake his hand.
"Hey! I know we didn't introduce ourselves properly yet, but I'm Tanaka Koki. That was a fun game."
Jin puts on his "I'm only doing this to be nice" smile as he shakes Koki's hand. "Yeah, that was pretty fun. Too bad we lost."
"Well, you were trying to take it easy on us so not surprised."
Jin makes a noise that's half agreement, half aggravation (because he knows the truth of it in the end), then plasters a smile on his face. "You guys did well though." Jin pauses before adding as an afterthought, "For idols anyway."
Koki's eyebrow goes up just as Hiro's hand hits Jin on the back. "Hey, Akanishi. Making buddy-buddy, I see." Hiro gives Koki a nod. "Hey, Taka-"
"Takasaki Hiroyuki," Koki continues with a grin. "The other Urawa Reds forward." When both Jin and Hiro give him raised eyebrows, Koki shrugs. "I follow a little football."
"Oh, really?" Hiro says; Jin can tell he's a little impressed that an idol would even follow any bit of football. "So what'd you think of our last game?"
Jin groans. "You're just bringing that up because you managed to score the winning goal."
"And you're bitter because you missed your goal."
"Screw off."
"And you're epic fail, dude." Jin scowls as Hiro throws an arm over Jin's shoulders. "It's okay. We kinda love you anyway. Or at least, half the team does. The other half thinks you're an ignorant twat, but they're not wrong in that."
"Is that supposed to comfort me because it doesn't."
"It's not supposed to."
Jin throws Hiro a face before Koki starts laughing - Jin realizes that he'd forgotten that Koki had even been standing there in the first place. "Are you guys always like that?"
"Pretty much, yeah," Hiro jokes. "It's our way of showing our love."
"Through abuse? Don't I know that," Koki snorts. Jin raises an eyebrow, but one of Koki's team-no, band mates calls for him. "Well, it was nice talking to you guys and thanks for the game. Maybe next time, we can actually play seriously. There are a lot of football fans in the Jimusho."
"That sounds good!" Hiro says enthusiastically, pulling out his cell phone-from where, Jin doesn't want to know-and gesturing for Koki to give his number.
After Koki leaves and his number successfully saved to Hiro's phone, Jin raises an eyebrow at Hiro. "What was that about?"
"Hey. Do you know the kind of ass you could get hanging around idols?"
Jin rolls his eyes, shoving Hiro away from him. "Fuck that. I don't need idols to get any sort of ass," Jin says over his shoulder as he continues to the locker rooms.
"Do not mock the ass!" Hiro calls out, following behind Jin. "They are precious and we are unworthy of their presence. Unless we are with the mythical idols." Jin gives Hiro a face before shaking his head.
--
Jin meets up with Koki and some of his idol friends not too long afterwards, only because Hiro insisted on his going. And it’s only after Hiro’s whining that he would always go where Jin wants because he's a true friend like that, that Jin folds.
"But if this ends up sucking, I'm out of there in a heartbeat," Jin warns as the two try to make their way to the bar which is practically inaccessible from the main entrance.
"Oh please, they're idols. They know how to have fun."
"You say as if you've known them for ages," Jin says dryly.
"Eh, close enough. Know one, know the rest," Hiro jokes.
"I'm sure they'd love to hear that concept."
"Already heard it," Koki inserts, voice coming from behind them.
Jin jerks back in surprise, meeting Koki's amused expression. "Where the hell-" he starts, but before he can even get the question out, Koki answers it. "Saw you guys coming from the dance floor and thought I'd help you to the bar."
"We're not that helpless," Jin grumbles.
Hiro only elbows him. "Thanks! Where are your buddies?"
"Ah, most of them are on the floor already. Two are probably still at the table, throwing back shots."
Jin raises an eyebrow. "Drinking a fond pastime for you idols?"
"Not for you?"
"Only occasionally, but we like to take care of our bodies," Jin half-sneers.
If Koki hears the bite in his voice, he doesn't acknowledge it, instead pushes them successfully towards the bar. "Well, how about tonight be one of those exceptions?" Koki asks, grinning. Hiro nods towards Jin, his eyes pleading.
"Fine. But only a beer, okay?"
Koki and Hiro cheer, immediately ordering that beer for Jin. That gives Jin the time to turn around and observe the club; the dance floor has parted in the middle, leaving room for the two males-Jin's a little surprised when he realizes that the other person is not a female-grinding along with the beat.
"That's Ueda and Kame," Koki clarifies for Jin (even if he really didn't care to know). "You met them that day too."
Jin blinks, slightly amazed because he can't really remember them - at least not from just the shape of their bodies and the obscured expressions on their face.
Before Jin realizes it, Koki's leading them towards the tables, and the table they stop at is occupied by two people - their table already filled with at least 7 shot glasses, and that's not including the ones in their hand. "God, already?" Koki snorts, raising an eyebrow at the guys. "We've only been here for ten minutes."
"We're finally on break," the brunette half-slurs. "I plan on enjoying tonight with lots and lots of alcohol."
"And maybe some ass," his friend adds, grinning before the two clink their glasses together and throw back their alcohol. Jin winces when one of them makes a guttural groan, visibly wincing at the burn of his drink.
"That's Yamapi," Hiro tries to whisper to Jin, gesturing with his head at the brunette. "And the other one's his best friend, Ryo."
"What the hell, Hiro," Jin hisses. "Do you follow their Jimusho or something?"
"I could've been a Johnny's boy," Hiro grumbles before stepping forward to introduce himself to the other two. Jin frowns before he moves to Hiro's side.
"That's Akanishi Jin," Koki says. "Yamashita Tomohisa and Nishikido Ryo. Other members of Johnny's Jimusho, but they work in another group."
"Nice to meet you," Jin says. It takes him a few seconds to realize why one of those names sounds so familiar and when it finally comes to him, Jin is more than glad that the club's dark so nobody can see him flush.
"Yeah, you too," Ryo says-he sounds more sober than the other one does, who is already slurring through his words.
"How much has this guy had to drink?" Koki asks Ryo.
Ryo shrugs. "By the time I picked him up at his apartment, he was already plastered. Looks like he got an early start."
Yamapi laughs, sloppily leaning an elbow against their table. "Like I said, I'm enjoying tonight." He tilts his head to the side as he stares at Jin with a gaze so intense that Jin looks at the others in panic. "You look slightly familiar," he says, pointing a finger in Jin's near vicinity.
"Well, he's a popular football prayer," Koki supplies, putting his beer down. "You've probably caught sight of him on television or something."
"No, no," Yamapi mumbles. "He looks much more familiar than that. Where are you from?"
Jin raises an eyebrow. "Tokyo?"
"Wow, so specific," Yamapi deadpans, but he doesn't press the issue. Instead, he throws back another shot. Jin frowns, only taking a small sip of his beer. "What?" Yamapi snaps when he sees Jin's eye on him.
"Nothing. Just... You're drinking a lot, aren't you?" Hiro elbows him sharply in the side.
Yamapi blinks, leaning an elbow against the table and trying to get close to Jin without having to actually walk around. "What's it to you?"
Ryo sighs, grabbing the newly filled shot glass from Yamapi's hand. "He's right, you know." Yamapi grabs the shot back and chokes it down before anyone can say anything.
"And I don't give a shit about some stranger's opinion," Yamapi says eloquently before stepping down from the high stool and grabbing Koki's hand, dragging him towards the dance floor-Jin can hear Koki's yelp of surprise, but once his feet touch the floor, Koki doesn't seem to mind.
"Sorry about that. Pi's not usually that high strung," Ryo says, taking a sip of his water. "We're just going through a lot lately." Ryo stops there and even though Jin is absolutely curious, he doesn't ask anything further.
"Ah," Jin says instead, before taking another swig of his beer. He winces a bit as he swallows, wondering what the hell kind of beer this place sells.
"Well, I don't think Koki got the chance to introduce us," Hiro inserts after a minute of silence. "I'm Takasaki Hiroyuki and this is Akanishi Jin. We're from the Urawa Reds." Ryo gives him a blank stare and Hiro falters in his introduction. "A football team?"
"Ah. Football."
Jin snickers before taking another swig. Then pauses when he realizes he's finished his beer. "Hiro," he frowns. "My beer's done."
"Then order some more," Hiro says off-handedly as he takes a swig of his own.
Jin pouts. "Please?"
Hiro raises an eyebrow. "Okay, hold on," he says before walking towards the bar. Ryo snorts loudly and Jin frowns at him.
"Can't order your own drink?" Ryo asks, raising an eyebrow.
"More like take advantage of your kouhais," Jin smirks as Hiro places his new beer in front of him.
"Sure, or you could just say that you're lazy," Hiro snorts.
"But lying's not a good thing, don't you remember?" Jin snickers. He takes another sip and has to wince through it. "Seriously. What is in this drink?"
Hiro only shrugs.
--
“So,” Jin half-slurs. “I could’ve been a Johnny’s boy. I just got rejected, sad sad me.” He slumps his head against the emptied table. Hiro snickers as Ryo raises an eyebrow at Jin.
“What made you want to go into Johnny’s?” Ryo asks, taking a sip of his water.
“Oh. I saw you on television,” Jin admits just as Koki and Yamapi come back to the table.
“You saw Ryo-chan?” Yamapi asks curiously, stealing Ryo’s glass of water from his hand. “In what?”
Jin shrugs. “I don’t remember. It was so long ago. He was so puny. …Well, he still is now, but like, he was an actual child. …Or was he? He might’ve been 15. I don’t remember.”
Koki holds Ryo back in his seat. “Let’s see how good a dancer you are.” Koki says, changing the topic and pulling Jin off his seat.
“I’m sure I have a thing or two to teach you,” Jin sneers as he stumbles his way towards the dance floor.
“Shouldn’t you be stopping him?” Ryo asks Hiro who’s looking at the spectacle in amusement.
“Not at all. I’m sure Akanishi has everything under control,” Hiro says.
Jin has no issues with personal space as he grinds against Koki, swiveling his hips. Koki’s eyes widen for a second before he retaliates in turn, his hand sliding down Jin’s ass to pull Jin in closer. Jin smirks before throwing his head back and just moving to the heavy beat of the song playing. His neck muscles flex under the strain and Koki drags his hand down Jin’s front.
“You’re playing with fire, Akanishi,” Koki mutters as he leans in.
Jin laughs. “No, you are.” His eyes glitter in the dark of the club.
--
Jin opens his eyes to searing pain. “Fuck,” he hisses, pressing fingers to his forehead-pushing away the blanket to do so. He stops suddenly, realizing that the blanket is not familiar to him-since when did he have black silk?-and that he’s half naked underneath the sheets. Jin blinks. “Oh fuck,” he mumbles as he sits up.
When he moves, the body beside him stirs-another half-naked male body.
“Oh fuck,” Jin says again, eyes wide-but another shot of pain causes him to wince.
“Nngh.” The body says and the male turns over to get a good look at Jin. “Who are you?” he asks, voice dry.
Jin stares, not at all recognizing the person behind him. “Aka…nishi Jin,” he manages to say.
The male pushes up from the bed, half sitting as he drags a hand through his hair. “Yamashita Tomohisa.” He gives Jin a once over. “I don’t remember you. Did we fuck last night?”
With the name, Jin finally remembers who Yamapi is. “Er, not sure,” Jin says weakly. “I don’t remember either.”
“Idiots.” the voice comes from outside the bedroom and Yamapi snorts when he hears it. Footsteps start up, approaching the two.
“Ryo-chan,” Yamapi tells Jin, which instantly clicks in Jin’s head-thankfully.
Ryo’s at the doorway, fully clothed-to Jin’s immense glee. He doesn’t think he could handle seeing another half-naked guy-he would really wonder what happened the night before. “You didn’t sleep with each other, don’t worry.” He sips a cup of coffee before continuing. “Just got wasted, conked out and we had to throw you on the bed.”
Jin can’t help his sigh of relief.
“Thanks,” Yamapi deadpans.
“It’s not that,” Jin says. “It’s just that you’re not my type.”
“If you’re one of those guys who denies his sexuality,” Yamapi starts, sucking on an end of a cigarette. “I swear-”
“Not that,” Jin snorts. “I’m well and gay, but you’re just really not my type.”
Ryo smirks. “I called it. After last night, totally doesn’t surprise me.”
“After last night?” Jin asks, a little afraid to find out the truth himself.
“I think you made out with Koki like five times the entire night. Each time longer than the next,” Ryo supplies.
Jin flushes. “Oh.”
Ryo smirks. “Why don’t you lazies get up and come to the table? Breakfast was served hours ago.”
Jin’s stomach agrees whole-heartedly with that statement.
--
About six hours later, Jin finds himself finally leaving Yamapi’s apartment with Hiro in tow (who Jin discovered had slept on the couch while Ryo had taken the guest room). “They’re not half bad,” Jin says, shutting his cell phone with two newly saved phone numbers.
Hiro grins. “Told you idols aren’t half bad.”
“You never said that,” Jin snorts.
“Well, I thought it.”
“Doesn’t count.” Jin then turns to look Hiro in the eye. “By the way, what the hell did you give me to drink last night? That was not beer, was it?” Hiro chuckles weakly.
“It got you to open your shell?” he says.
“Yeah, apparently to the point that I’d spill my early childhood boy-crush on Nishikido. Thanks for that,” Jin says dryly.
“Again, opening of shell.”
“Yeah, and my way of opening your shell-” Jin starts.
“Please don’t finish that,” Hiro pleads. “If I have to hear you make another really bad line, I will leave.”
Jin huffs. “They work on other people.”
“Other drunk people.”
“See if I go out with you again.”
forward to Part 2