[Fanfic] We'll Always Have Paris - Chapter Seven: What People Do For Love
Chapter 7 is up! I hope you guys will like this chapter because I personally liked it. It's a really simple one but I love the interaction with Jun here. Plus, I like the fact that it's written mostly in narration. ^_^ Tell me your thoughts about it, okay? :))
Oh, for the people celebrating the Chinese New Year, Kung Hei Fat Choi!!! :DDD
As always, this is unbeta-ed so tell me if there are any errors or mistakes. Comments, suggestions, reactions and criticisms are gladly welcomed. :)
Chapter Seven: What People Do For Love
If he can think of the toughest decision he ever made in his life, this one tops the list. For the past thirteen years, Arashi is his top priority more than anything else. His attitude towards his job is so admirable that even Johnny-san takes him as an example to follow for the younger ones. A great role model, a responsible colleague and a person with concrete goals, that’s who Sakurai Sho is among his seniors, his colleagues and even among the big bosses in the Jimusho. But that will change today as he makes that dreaded phone call to Johnny-san’s office to inform of his decision to stay.
He knows he will disappoint everyone with this rash decision, not just the members but also those in the Jimusho, his family and the fans. He hated that feeling of turning everyone down but if he put their feelings into consideration, he will have to leave the most important person in his life right now and he might never see her again.
He may have only met Sophie fourteen days ago but what he feels about her is inevitable. He never felt such affection and longing for someone else. Sophie changed every view he had with love and relationships. He didn’t think that he is capable of such love he only sees in romantic movies and dramas.
Since he was young, Sho always thought that thirty years old is a big milestone in a man’s life, he considers it as a start line. He looks forward to the day he turns thirty and begins to look forward to the changes this milestone can bring into his life. He never imagined that it will come so easily and it is, no doubt, Sophie.
The twenty-something years old Sakurai Sho never daydreams about the future, or even if he did, he does it vaguely. More than thinking about what events may happen, he thought that it’s best to take everything one day at a time and let life excites you. But now that he’s thirty, he’s most definitely positive that he wants a future with Sophie. Marriage, family, children and a big, happy home, all of that he wanted to accomplish with Sophie by his side.
Johnny-san was rather calm and composed as Sho nervously speaks to him over the phone, contrary to what he initially thought.
“The only question is, Sakurai… What is your reason for staying in Paris?” He heard Johnny-san asked.
Sho looked over Sophie behind the café’s full glass windows, diligently taking down notes from her books.
“It’s better to talk about my reason face to face, Johnny-san.”
Sophie finally looked up from her notes and swiftly glances over to Sho with a smile before going back to studying.
She doesn’t really know how to react to Sho’s decision. Of course she wanted to spend more time with him but if that means he have to drop everything back home for her, it wasn’t a soothing feeling at all. It is, in all aspects, unfair for Arashi and their millions of fans.
“How will I allow you to extend your vacation if I don’t know your reason then?” The old man has a point.
Sho scratched his head. If he tells Johnny-san that a girl is the only reason, he will never allow him to stay and will urge him to get on that flight back home with the members. Worst case scenario, the old man will probably send his men to hunt him down and get his ass off to a plane back to Tokyo, where punishments awaits him.
“Well…” Johnny-san speaks again after Sho momentarily forgets to talk. “Let me think about it. I’ll inform you of my decision later, Sakurai.” With that, Johnny-san ends the call and Sho is confused as he stares on his phone.
Hours later, Sho received a mail from Johnny-san himself, saying that he’s allowing him to stay but he shouldn’t be gone for long and he should go home soon before Arashi goes back to filming their variety shows. He doesn’t like to see a four-member Arashi on their regular shows and he even reminds Sho that he plays vital role because he acts as the main MC.
Of course, no matter how unpredictable Johnny-san’s decision is, Sho was elated. He finally got an approval from the management and now, all that’s left is to talk to the members. He decided to see them the next day, before they head to the airport and he’s wishing that it’ll go on smoothly.
----------
Before going straight to school, Sophie decided to grab a quick breakfast take out in a patisserie along the lengthy stretch of shops in Rue Cler when she saw a familiar physique shopping for French confectionaries. It’s early morning and the best way to shop for food is at this hour, where the confections are just off the oven, warm and fresh. But maybe that is not this person’s reason, knowing that he doesn’t like waking up early. Maybe because he’ll be catching a plane back home in a few hours and he needed to go for a final shopping.
“Give this to her, I’m sure she’ll love it.” Sophie handed the man a box of French macarons she bought herself as he looked at her in shock.
“I don’t expect to see you here.” He said, accepting the box before going back to filling his tray with sweets.
That man is no other than Matsumoto Jun. He was acting calmly but the awkward tension is building up in the air. Sho confessed everything to Sophie, he told her that the guys didn’t take his decision positively and he even got into a heated exchange with Jun. Since then, Sho packed his things and has been sleeping on her living room couch.
“I don’t expect to see you here alone.” Sophie said in return.
Jun abruptly glanced at her before getting back to his food shopping. He didn’t expect her to remain this friendly after the unexpected rift between him and Sho, in which, she is the reason.
“We decided to go on our own.” Jun answered indifferently. “I need to buy the remaining stuff on this list.” He showed a piece of paper filled with wish list from his girlfriend.
Sophie smiled upon the appearance of the famed wish list that Jun carries around in his pocket. She doesn’t know much about Jun’s girlfriend but from what it looks like, he is so much in love with her. He is on the phone with her most of the time and the smile on his face is just picturesque whenever he talks to her.
“Are you still mad at him?” Sophie dared to ask. She doesn’t like this fight to prolong until Sho gets back to Tokyo. It’s better for them to sort it out before the members leave and if there’s any way that she can help, she will.
Jun glared from behind before dropping the tongs to the tray and walking to the counter to pay.
“Do you expect me to be cool about it that easily?” Jun narrowed his eyes. “Do you want me to accept his decision to leave everything behind just to be with you?” The glare in his eyes scared Sophie. He was really mad. “We were all together for almost fourteen years, he only knows you for fourteen days. Now tell me, Sophie, can you blame me for getting mad at him? Can you blame me for getting disappointed with you?” Jun meaningfully said that strikes straight into Sophie’s heart.
Sophie remained momentarily still as she couldn’t move an inch or find the words to reply to that.
“It’s even more unacceptable that he choose someone like you over his successful career back home.” Jun puts in that sends Sophie pulse rate pounding faster. “You’re keeping a lot of secrets from him, are you?” He watched her face attentively as she drops down her head and couldn’t meet his questioning eyes.
“What are you implying?” She asked, braving to meet his eyes.
Jun grabs the paper bag before getting back to her. “I don’t know who you are, Sophie, that wasn’t even your real name but you’re just going to break his heart if you’re going to continue pretending to be Sophie. He loves you so much and I think someone else is even more deserving of that love, someone who is real and true to herself. A deceiver like you doesn’t deserve a tiny bit of that.”
Jun strides off to the exit, leaving Sophie close to tears with his harsh commentary. “Don’t worry, he wouldn’t hear anything from me.” He calls from the door as Sophie slowly turn to face him. “I’ll leave it all up to you until you decided to stop your game or whatever you call this. But just remember, the more you extend this little act of yours, the more you’re hurting him.”
As Jun disappears in the crowded street, the tears start to flow from Sophie’s eyes.
----------
The four members of Arashi are waiting in the hotel lobby for the taxi that will bring them to the airport. They are all quiet and doing their own thing. Actually, since yesterday, they’ve been all quiet and doing their own thing.
Ohno chooses to sleep the entire day in the hotel room, saying that he wouldn’t get enough sleep anymore once they get back home and he needs to take advantage of this free day to get all the rest he needed. Aiba and Nino decided to just around and see where their foot takes them. Since Sophie isn’t there anymore to be their tour guide, they walk around the streets, tried every delicious looking food they see, buy every item that interests them and enter every museum they passed. In the end, they are left with a full stomach, a handful of shopping bags and an almost empty wallet. Nino swears to never go out in any town with Aiba again unless he pays for everything. Jun spends time alone in the nearby park, fronting the Eiffel Tower with Yana on the phone. No matter how stressful and bad his day turned out to be, talking to Yana will always make him calm and he can’t wait until he goes back home because then, he will be able to speak to her face to face again.
They never talked about Sho again, not when Jun is around. Aiba and Nino talked about it once when they are eating in a cafe. Of course, they are not entirely happy about it but they grew to like Sophie and they know that Sho will never abandon Arashi nor will he do anything to spark some rumors about this. He is, arguably, the most responsible one in the group, they trust his decisions.
Ohno talked about his insights too when he and Nino are packing in their rooms. He understands Sho’s decision even if Arashi is deeply affected by it and just like Aiba and Nino, he trusted him. Arashi has been a big part of their lives and he trust that Sho will never do anything to harm any of them. Love is a powerful thing, he said, which truly left Nino dumbfounded, they can’t do anything about it and in the end, it all falls down to what Sho will decide, not to any of them.
Jun turns his frustrations about the matter not to any of the members but to his girlfriend over the phone. He told her that he was displeased with Sho’s impulsive decision and he is mad at Sophie for turning Sho into this different person. He admits that he was once madly in love with a girl, who is now his girlfriend, but he swears he will never do anything that will affect anybody especially the people he care about. Yana said that he shouldn’t judge anyone that easily and she said a short but on the spot comment that left Jun thinking, that people do crazy stuff when they are in love. So maybe that is a reason for him to forgive Sho, after all, he knows the feeling of being crazily in love very well.
The four boys, who are busy with their cellphones, game and laptop, was disturbed by a sudden throat clearing noise from behind. As they all looked up to see who it is, Sakurai Sho appear before them.
“I will not allow you guys leave without setting a clear understanding. I will not let this get in the way between us.” Sho started as the guys all pay their attention to him. “I know that it’s hard to believe that I came to this decision, it’s not very me…” He chuckled to let the tense air loosen up a bit and it worked as the guys, except Jun, smiled. “And I know that it appears crazy because I only know Sophie for less than two weeks but… I love her, I really do. It’s a love I never felt before, it’s a love I wanna fight for… A love I want to experience for the rest of my life... It’s very cheesy, I know but that’s exactly what I feel.”
Ohno, Nino and Aiba all gave him an encouraging smile and he is glad to know that they will always support him but Jun gave a different reaction. He stood up from his seat, pulls his luggage and walk towards Sho.
“I forgive you, Sho-kun.” Jun pats his shoulders. “And I’m sorry for getting into argument with you… We all experience love, crazy love... I did. And it’s not very me either.” The two both smiled timidly. “That argument will not change anything between us… but don’t expect me to like Sophie again.” Jun makes a firm statement that shocks his other members. “I don’t like her for you and I have my reason for that.” Sho creases his eyebrows as Jun refuses to continue. He made a promise to Sophie to not tell Sho anything about what he suspects of her and he will live by that. “I’m waiting for your return, Sho-kun.” Jun taps Sho’s upper arm before pulling his luggage and walking to the exit.
Oh, for the people celebrating the Chinese New Year, Kung Hei Fat Choi!!! :DDD
As always, this is unbeta-ed so tell me if there are any errors or mistakes. Comments, suggestions, reactions and criticisms are gladly welcomed. :)
Chapter Seven: What People Do For Love
If he can think of the toughest decision he ever made in his life, this one tops the list. For the past thirteen years, Arashi is his top priority more than anything else. His attitude towards his job is so admirable that even Johnny-san takes him as an example to follow for the younger ones. A great role model, a responsible colleague and a person with concrete goals, that’s who Sakurai Sho is among his seniors, his colleagues and even among the big bosses in the Jimusho. But that will change today as he makes that dreaded phone call to Johnny-san’s office to inform of his decision to stay.
He knows he will disappoint everyone with this rash decision, not just the members but also those in the Jimusho, his family and the fans. He hated that feeling of turning everyone down but if he put their feelings into consideration, he will have to leave the most important person in his life right now and he might never see her again.
He may have only met Sophie fourteen days ago but what he feels about her is inevitable. He never felt such affection and longing for someone else. Sophie changed every view he had with love and relationships. He didn’t think that he is capable of such love he only sees in romantic movies and dramas.
Since he was young, Sho always thought that thirty years old is a big milestone in a man’s life, he considers it as a start line. He looks forward to the day he turns thirty and begins to look forward to the changes this milestone can bring into his life. He never imagined that it will come so easily and it is, no doubt, Sophie.
The twenty-something years old Sakurai Sho never daydreams about the future, or even if he did, he does it vaguely. More than thinking about what events may happen, he thought that it’s best to take everything one day at a time and let life excites you. But now that he’s thirty, he’s most definitely positive that he wants a future with Sophie. Marriage, family, children and a big, happy home, all of that he wanted to accomplish with Sophie by his side.
Johnny-san was rather calm and composed as Sho nervously speaks to him over the phone, contrary to what he initially thought.
“The only question is, Sakurai… What is your reason for staying in Paris?” He heard Johnny-san asked.
Sho looked over Sophie behind the café’s full glass windows, diligently taking down notes from her books.
“It’s better to talk about my reason face to face, Johnny-san.”
Sophie finally looked up from her notes and swiftly glances over to Sho with a smile before going back to studying.
She doesn’t really know how to react to Sho’s decision. Of course she wanted to spend more time with him but if that means he have to drop everything back home for her, it wasn’t a soothing feeling at all. It is, in all aspects, unfair for Arashi and their millions of fans.
“How will I allow you to extend your vacation if I don’t know your reason then?” The old man has a point.
Sho scratched his head. If he tells Johnny-san that a girl is the only reason, he will never allow him to stay and will urge him to get on that flight back home with the members. Worst case scenario, the old man will probably send his men to hunt him down and get his ass off to a plane back to Tokyo, where punishments awaits him.
“Well…” Johnny-san speaks again after Sho momentarily forgets to talk. “Let me think about it. I’ll inform you of my decision later, Sakurai.” With that, Johnny-san ends the call and Sho is confused as he stares on his phone.
Hours later, Sho received a mail from Johnny-san himself, saying that he’s allowing him to stay but he shouldn’t be gone for long and he should go home soon before Arashi goes back to filming their variety shows. He doesn’t like to see a four-member Arashi on their regular shows and he even reminds Sho that he plays vital role because he acts as the main MC.
Of course, no matter how unpredictable Johnny-san’s decision is, Sho was elated. He finally got an approval from the management and now, all that’s left is to talk to the members. He decided to see them the next day, before they head to the airport and he’s wishing that it’ll go on smoothly.
----------
Before going straight to school, Sophie decided to grab a quick breakfast take out in a patisserie along the lengthy stretch of shops in Rue Cler when she saw a familiar physique shopping for French confectionaries. It’s early morning and the best way to shop for food is at this hour, where the confections are just off the oven, warm and fresh. But maybe that is not this person’s reason, knowing that he doesn’t like waking up early. Maybe because he’ll be catching a plane back home in a few hours and he needed to go for a final shopping.
“Give this to her, I’m sure she’ll love it.” Sophie handed the man a box of French macarons she bought herself as he looked at her in shock.
“I don’t expect to see you here.” He said, accepting the box before going back to filling his tray with sweets.
That man is no other than Matsumoto Jun. He was acting calmly but the awkward tension is building up in the air. Sho confessed everything to Sophie, he told her that the guys didn’t take his decision positively and he even got into a heated exchange with Jun. Since then, Sho packed his things and has been sleeping on her living room couch.
“I don’t expect to see you here alone.” Sophie said in return.
Jun abruptly glanced at her before getting back to his food shopping. He didn’t expect her to remain this friendly after the unexpected rift between him and Sho, in which, she is the reason.
“We decided to go on our own.” Jun answered indifferently. “I need to buy the remaining stuff on this list.” He showed a piece of paper filled with wish list from his girlfriend.
Sophie smiled upon the appearance of the famed wish list that Jun carries around in his pocket. She doesn’t know much about Jun’s girlfriend but from what it looks like, he is so much in love with her. He is on the phone with her most of the time and the smile on his face is just picturesque whenever he talks to her.
“Are you still mad at him?” Sophie dared to ask. She doesn’t like this fight to prolong until Sho gets back to Tokyo. It’s better for them to sort it out before the members leave and if there’s any way that she can help, she will.
Jun glared from behind before dropping the tongs to the tray and walking to the counter to pay.
“Do you expect me to be cool about it that easily?” Jun narrowed his eyes. “Do you want me to accept his decision to leave everything behind just to be with you?” The glare in his eyes scared Sophie. He was really mad. “We were all together for almost fourteen years, he only knows you for fourteen days. Now tell me, Sophie, can you blame me for getting mad at him? Can you blame me for getting disappointed with you?” Jun meaningfully said that strikes straight into Sophie’s heart.
Sophie remained momentarily still as she couldn’t move an inch or find the words to reply to that.
“It’s even more unacceptable that he choose someone like you over his successful career back home.” Jun puts in that sends Sophie pulse rate pounding faster. “You’re keeping a lot of secrets from him, are you?” He watched her face attentively as she drops down her head and couldn’t meet his questioning eyes.
“What are you implying?” She asked, braving to meet his eyes.
Jun grabs the paper bag before getting back to her. “I don’t know who you are, Sophie, that wasn’t even your real name but you’re just going to break his heart if you’re going to continue pretending to be Sophie. He loves you so much and I think someone else is even more deserving of that love, someone who is real and true to herself. A deceiver like you doesn’t deserve a tiny bit of that.”
Jun strides off to the exit, leaving Sophie close to tears with his harsh commentary. “Don’t worry, he wouldn’t hear anything from me.” He calls from the door as Sophie slowly turn to face him. “I’ll leave it all up to you until you decided to stop your game or whatever you call this. But just remember, the more you extend this little act of yours, the more you’re hurting him.”
As Jun disappears in the crowded street, the tears start to flow from Sophie’s eyes.
----------
The four members of Arashi are waiting in the hotel lobby for the taxi that will bring them to the airport. They are all quiet and doing their own thing. Actually, since yesterday, they’ve been all quiet and doing their own thing.
Ohno chooses to sleep the entire day in the hotel room, saying that he wouldn’t get enough sleep anymore once they get back home and he needs to take advantage of this free day to get all the rest he needed. Aiba and Nino decided to just around and see where their foot takes them. Since Sophie isn’t there anymore to be their tour guide, they walk around the streets, tried every delicious looking food they see, buy every item that interests them and enter every museum they passed. In the end, they are left with a full stomach, a handful of shopping bags and an almost empty wallet. Nino swears to never go out in any town with Aiba again unless he pays for everything. Jun spends time alone in the nearby park, fronting the Eiffel Tower with Yana on the phone. No matter how stressful and bad his day turned out to be, talking to Yana will always make him calm and he can’t wait until he goes back home because then, he will be able to speak to her face to face again.
They never talked about Sho again, not when Jun is around. Aiba and Nino talked about it once when they are eating in a cafe. Of course, they are not entirely happy about it but they grew to like Sophie and they know that Sho will never abandon Arashi nor will he do anything to spark some rumors about this. He is, arguably, the most responsible one in the group, they trust his decisions.
Ohno talked about his insights too when he and Nino are packing in their rooms. He understands Sho’s decision even if Arashi is deeply affected by it and just like Aiba and Nino, he trusted him. Arashi has been a big part of their lives and he trust that Sho will never do anything to harm any of them. Love is a powerful thing, he said, which truly left Nino dumbfounded, they can’t do anything about it and in the end, it all falls down to what Sho will decide, not to any of them.
Jun turns his frustrations about the matter not to any of the members but to his girlfriend over the phone. He told her that he was displeased with Sho’s impulsive decision and he is mad at Sophie for turning Sho into this different person. He admits that he was once madly in love with a girl, who is now his girlfriend, but he swears he will never do anything that will affect anybody especially the people he care about. Yana said that he shouldn’t judge anyone that easily and she said a short but on the spot comment that left Jun thinking, that people do crazy stuff when they are in love. So maybe that is a reason for him to forgive Sho, after all, he knows the feeling of being crazily in love very well.
The four boys, who are busy with their cellphones, game and laptop, was disturbed by a sudden throat clearing noise from behind. As they all looked up to see who it is, Sakurai Sho appear before them.
“I will not allow you guys leave without setting a clear understanding. I will not let this get in the way between us.” Sho started as the guys all pay their attention to him. “I know that it’s hard to believe that I came to this decision, it’s not very me…” He chuckled to let the tense air loosen up a bit and it worked as the guys, except Jun, smiled. “And I know that it appears crazy because I only know Sophie for less than two weeks but… I love her, I really do. It’s a love I never felt before, it’s a love I wanna fight for… A love I want to experience for the rest of my life... It’s very cheesy, I know but that’s exactly what I feel.”
Ohno, Nino and Aiba all gave him an encouraging smile and he is glad to know that they will always support him but Jun gave a different reaction. He stood up from his seat, pulls his luggage and walk towards Sho.
“I forgive you, Sho-kun.” Jun pats his shoulders. “And I’m sorry for getting into argument with you… We all experience love, crazy love... I did. And it’s not very me either.” The two both smiled timidly. “That argument will not change anything between us… but don’t expect me to like Sophie again.” Jun makes a firm statement that shocks his other members. “I don’t like her for you and I have my reason for that.” Sho creases his eyebrows as Jun refuses to continue. He made a promise to Sophie to not tell Sho anything about what he suspects of her and he will live by that. “I’m waiting for your return, Sho-kun.” Jun taps Sho’s upper arm before pulling his luggage and walking to the exit.