[Fanfic] We'll Always Have Paris - Chapter Twenty - Two: One Thing That I Still Know
I love how this chapter turned out, my emotions as I write shifts up and down. :))) I hope you all will like it too as much as I do. :D
As always, this is unbeta-ed so tell me if there are any errors and mistakes. Comments, suggestions, reactions and criticisms are gladly welcomed. Happy reading! :)
Disclaimer: I am no way related to Arashi, Johnny's Entertainment or the Japanese Imperial Family. All names and events pertaining to any member of the Imperial family are purely fictional.
Chapter Twenty - Two: One Thing That I Still Know
After their lunch, Nino and Sayumi spend the rest of the afternoon strolling around the neighbourhood. Luckily for them, it’s still early and there are not much people hanging around the area yet. Nino was surprised to find out that Sayumi has never walked to any street in the whole of Tokyo. She said that when she was young, she always rides a car regardless of the distance of her destination.
When they arrived at the local playground, Nino realized that they have been walking for quite a while now and they have already explored the entire Azabu-Juban. They sat in one of the benches to rest as they watch the local kids playing in front of them.
“When I was in kindergarten, Kiyomizu would sneak me and Nee-chan out of the house to play on the park in the neighbourhood.” Sayumi recalled happily.
“Kiyomizu-san never gets busted for sneaking you guys out?” Nino asked.
Sayumi shakes her head. “The Imperial guards and the household staff ultimately found out but Kiyomizu is their boss, they listen to him and they kept our secret.” She laughs softly.
“You probably have a lot of stories regarding Kiyomizu-san doing the forbidden for you and Satsuki-san.” Nino commented.
“There are more.” Sayumi smiled meaningfully as she looks at him. “Especially with Nee-chan, she’s a big troublemaker! She would pull tricks on the guards and the maids, some of them even resigned because of her.” She started laughing uncontrollably and Nino fondly watched her.
He doesn’t understand why she suddenly tells him bits about her life as a young Princess. The bullying, how her parents protected her by leaving everything behind to start anew in a different place, even the little things like sneaking out of their palace to play with her sister.
“Why are you telling me all of these?” Nino curiously asked. “I mean, you kept all of these things from Sho-chan and now you willingly shared everything with me.” He said as the smile on her face slowly fades away. “I don’t mean it in a bad way, Yumi. I’m pleased to know that you trust me with your story, it’s just that I feel that I don’t deserve it… I feel like I’m betraying Sho-chan.” Nino tilts up his head their eyes instantly met.
He is betraying Sho right now. His heart is pounding like crazy as he drown into her eyes, he wants to touch her beautiful face and feel the softness of her skin, he badly want to get closer and smell the scent of her perfume, feel the euphoric taste of her lips.
He is betraying Sho because he is falling in love with his girl.
Sayumi breaks the intense stare and Nino finally went back to his senses. He shouldn’t be falling for her because if he do, he’s worse than what has become of Sho. He can’t do that to any of his friends because he, of all people, know exactly how it feels to be stuck in that situation.
“Because he wasn’t here.” Sayumi’s voice echoed in his ears as he sinks into his thoughts. “And you are here. You’re all I have.”
It is no denying that her voice cracks up in threatening tears as she utter those words.
“You don’t know how thankful I am to you for sticking up with me all these time.” She looks at him with a smile and teary eyes and Nino drops his gaze down. “You didn’t question me for keeping my real identity, you took care of me when I don’t have anyone else to lean on to. Even if it’s troublesome, you never fail to visit my father everyday just to accompany me in taking care of him.” She took his hand and he felt instant electricity surging up his arm. “I was scared to let people know that I’m a Princess but I realize that I am still capable of having a true friendship even if I am Sayumi. You proved that to me, Kazu.”
There are tears on her face but she wiped it off and gave him an appreciative smile before she pulled him closer to her and gave him a warm hug. His heart stopped beating. He can smell her sweet scent, feel her soft touch and he clearly hears the fast beating of her heart.
“You’re not betraying him, Kazu.” He heard her whispering as the hug prolongs. “It’s his fault for not accepting me for who I am.”
Nino closes his eyes. That’s not the words he needed to hear to stop what he’s feeling. Those words from her only revived his dejected heart. He grips her closer to him, tightening his hug, wishing if they can stay like this forever.
----------
Sho finally steps out from his car after three hours of constant wavering. He slowly crosses the street from the open parking space across the tightly guarded and media crowded hospital. He puts on his trucker hat and his sunglasses before anyone from the camera carrying paparazzi notice him.
After much interrogation from the entrance, ensuring that he isn’t a paparazzi disguising as an ordinary visitor to be able to pass through, Sho finally lets in inside the hospital lobby. He said that he’s visiting a relative and he even willingly gives out his driver’s license to surrender to the security guards.
He was anxious, feeling a bit sick in the stomach and he’s about to explode with agitation. All those fidgety emotions pile up right at this very moment and he’s already thinking if he should just go back to his car and head early for rehearsals.
He hates what has become of him these past days. He’s always indecisive, his mind is filled with questions, with what ifs. He loses focus on everything he does and he doesn’t have that same determination with his work. He gives up even before he starts trying and that what he hated the most with people.
His fingers fidgets inside his jeans pocket as he waits for the elevator. His throat is getting dry and he feels like he’s losing air. He took a deep breath and slowly exhales, that calms him a little bit.
Stop being this person and go back to the real you.
He keeps telling himself those self-assuring words for the past two days, since Nino left his apartment that night. And earlier, in his car, he’s repeating it over and over again for three hours until he gets his ass off the seat and his feet on the ground outside.
You’re an elevator ride away from fixing this mess. Don’t give up now.
He told his stubborn self as he continued breathing in and out before the elevator finally reaches his floor.
The seventh floor of the hospital is different from what it’s like downstairs or any other floor for that matter. A number of Imperial Guards are stationed on the lobby and he was welcomed by one. The guard didn’t let him pass through that easily, he was interrogated and was asked to leave for his name is not listed on the visitor’s list for the day.
Just when he’s about to give up and leave, a little girl’s voice suddenly shouted his name.
“Ah! It’s Sho-chan!!” He turns around in surprise and he before he knew it, a little girl around the age of four is hugging his knees.
“It’s Sakurai-san, Rika-chan.” Satsuki corrected the little girl before she gives Sho a smile, he bowed slightly and smiled nervously.
Satsuki told the guards that she knows him and they apologized to Sho for their strict protocols. She leads him to her father’s room and the little girl, Rika-chan, is sticking to Sho like glue, grabbing his hand on her little palm as they walk to the room.
“Ne, ne, Sho-chan-” Rika looked at her mother’s eyes and she pursed her lips. “Sakurai-san, I am going to your concert tomorrow with Mama. Nino-chan gave me tickets.” The little girl happily announces as she jumps into Sho’s lap. “Nino-chan allowed me to call him that…”
“You can call me Sho-chan too if you want.” Sho gently pats the little’s girl’s head as she smile widely.
Satsuki offered him tea and biscuits as she sat opposite him. “Yumi isn’t here yet.” She told him and Sho nods a bit timidly. “Usually, she comes just before dinner and she stays until early morning, I replace her after I drop Rika-chan to school.”
“I’m sorry if I come unannounced, I should have informed someone-”
“It’s okay, Sakurai-san. I’m more than glad to see you here.” Satsuki eyes him meaningfully as she sips on her tea. “Rika-chan, why don’t you tell Grandpa what happened to school today? He’ll be happy to hear your voice.”
Rika’s face scrunched into a frown as she leans on Sho’s chest, still seating on his lap.
“Sakurai-san isn’t going anywhere. He and Mama are going to talk and after that you can play with him.”
Rika looks up to Sho, not trusting a word her mother says as if asking him if she’s saying the truth. Sho nods reassuringly and she finally went over to her grandfather’s bed and climbed to a chair.
“She has this big crush on all you.” Satsuki told him and Sho laughed shyly. “She’s really excited for tomorrow. I bet she’s not gonna sleep tonight.”
“We’ll give our best.” Sho humbly replied. “I’ll try looking for you tomorrow if that can make her happy.”
“That will make her more than happy.” Satsuki answered.
It was awkward and weird talking to Satsuki inside the hospital room where her still unconscious father, the Crown Prince, is admitted. They both know that they wanted to shift the conversation to a more evident topic, which is Sayumi but somehow, their conversation keeps dragging on to how Rika seems to go crazy over them.
When they can’t seem to find any more words to say, they just watched Rika blabbing on to her grandfather about today’s playtime at school.
“What took you so long to come here?” Satsuki finally drops the question she’s been dying to ask. “She’s been waiting for you since day one.”
Sho was taken by surprise and he can’t find the proper words to answer her. “I was a big fool.” But he can’t put those words into something more appropriate, he was indeed a fool. “I was carried away by emotions, let anger take over me.”
“I suppose you have gotten rid of that already. Seeing that you finally came here to see her…”
Sho pressed his palms together, trying to control his breathing as he can feel that he’s again short for air. “I love her. I think that enough reason, right?”
Satsuki smiled encouragingly at him as he finally breathes easily for the first time since he entered the hospital.
“That’s the answer I’m looking for.” Satsuki said chirpily and Sho suddenly feel encouraged that she gives him her support, that after the heartbreak he gave her sister, she still welcomed him kindly into her sister’s life.
----------
In the playground in the Azabu Juban neighborhood, Nino and Sayumi are still seated on the bench, not minding the time and sudden turnout of children playing.
“Enough with my story, let’stalk about yours.” She suggested after she shares more funny stories she had with her sister when they were kids, Nino went into a small panic.
“I’m not that interesting.” He waves his hand excessively.
But Sayumi is firm in asking about his private life. “You seem to know this place very well. Do you live here?” She asked.
Nino shakes his head as excessively as he does with his hand earlier. “No way! Do you know how expensive it is to live in this area? It way too overpriced!” He reacted animatedly as Sayumi started laughing.
“Why do you know every street and narrow alleys so well then?”
Nino tilted down his head and pursed his lips before returning back to her to answer her question. “A friend used to live around this area... and for over a year, we used to spend early mornings, lazy afternoons and long nights messing with each other around this place.” There was a pleasant smile written across his face as he recalls that, as if the memories are vividly replaying on his head.
“A girlfriend?” Sayumi asked with a grin.
Nino gives a guarded laugh. “No. Just a friend... but she’s a girl.”
Sayumi beams cheerfully and Nino can’t help in doing the same as happy memories from five years ago suddenly clouded his mind.
“What happened with her?” Sayumi asked again.
“Things ended even before it started.” Nino said as Sayumi gave his a confused look. “Bad timing. I was too careful. She’s too immature...” He was lost into the clear sky as he mumbles. “Anyways, she left the country... I tried saving our friendship but it didn’t work well and worst, she never spoke to me again.”
There was a brief silence as the laughter of the children playing echoed in their ears. Talking about that girl gives Nino a warm yet bitter feeling. Warm because he never had such wonderful friendship with someone like he did with her but bitter because it ended on a bad note and if only he can go back in time and change things, he will change that one fateful night that ended their friendship.
“Let’s not talk about it.” Nino decided and Sayumi nodded. “I heard that she’s doing well and as for me, I am doing absolutely amazing right now.”
Of course he was doing absolutely amazing right now, what can be greater than being in love?
As always, this is unbeta-ed so tell me if there are any errors and mistakes. Comments, suggestions, reactions and criticisms are gladly welcomed. Happy reading! :)
Disclaimer: I am no way related to Arashi, Johnny's Entertainment or the Japanese Imperial Family. All names and events pertaining to any member of the Imperial family are purely fictional.
Chapter Twenty - Two: One Thing That I Still Know
After their lunch, Nino and Sayumi spend the rest of the afternoon strolling around the neighbourhood. Luckily for them, it’s still early and there are not much people hanging around the area yet. Nino was surprised to find out that Sayumi has never walked to any street in the whole of Tokyo. She said that when she was young, she always rides a car regardless of the distance of her destination.
When they arrived at the local playground, Nino realized that they have been walking for quite a while now and they have already explored the entire Azabu-Juban. They sat in one of the benches to rest as they watch the local kids playing in front of them.
“When I was in kindergarten, Kiyomizu would sneak me and Nee-chan out of the house to play on the park in the neighbourhood.” Sayumi recalled happily.
“Kiyomizu-san never gets busted for sneaking you guys out?” Nino asked.
Sayumi shakes her head. “The Imperial guards and the household staff ultimately found out but Kiyomizu is their boss, they listen to him and they kept our secret.” She laughs softly.
“You probably have a lot of stories regarding Kiyomizu-san doing the forbidden for you and Satsuki-san.” Nino commented.
“There are more.” Sayumi smiled meaningfully as she looks at him. “Especially with Nee-chan, she’s a big troublemaker! She would pull tricks on the guards and the maids, some of them even resigned because of her.” She started laughing uncontrollably and Nino fondly watched her.
He doesn’t understand why she suddenly tells him bits about her life as a young Princess. The bullying, how her parents protected her by leaving everything behind to start anew in a different place, even the little things like sneaking out of their palace to play with her sister.
“Why are you telling me all of these?” Nino curiously asked. “I mean, you kept all of these things from Sho-chan and now you willingly shared everything with me.” He said as the smile on her face slowly fades away. “I don’t mean it in a bad way, Yumi. I’m pleased to know that you trust me with your story, it’s just that I feel that I don’t deserve it… I feel like I’m betraying Sho-chan.” Nino tilts up his head their eyes instantly met.
He is betraying Sho right now. His heart is pounding like crazy as he drown into her eyes, he wants to touch her beautiful face and feel the softness of her skin, he badly want to get closer and smell the scent of her perfume, feel the euphoric taste of her lips.
He is betraying Sho because he is falling in love with his girl.
Sayumi breaks the intense stare and Nino finally went back to his senses. He shouldn’t be falling for her because if he do, he’s worse than what has become of Sho. He can’t do that to any of his friends because he, of all people, know exactly how it feels to be stuck in that situation.
“Because he wasn’t here.” Sayumi’s voice echoed in his ears as he sinks into his thoughts. “And you are here. You’re all I have.”
It is no denying that her voice cracks up in threatening tears as she utter those words.
“You don’t know how thankful I am to you for sticking up with me all these time.” She looks at him with a smile and teary eyes and Nino drops his gaze down. “You didn’t question me for keeping my real identity, you took care of me when I don’t have anyone else to lean on to. Even if it’s troublesome, you never fail to visit my father everyday just to accompany me in taking care of him.” She took his hand and he felt instant electricity surging up his arm. “I was scared to let people know that I’m a Princess but I realize that I am still capable of having a true friendship even if I am Sayumi. You proved that to me, Kazu.”
There are tears on her face but she wiped it off and gave him an appreciative smile before she pulled him closer to her and gave him a warm hug. His heart stopped beating. He can smell her sweet scent, feel her soft touch and he clearly hears the fast beating of her heart.
“You’re not betraying him, Kazu.” He heard her whispering as the hug prolongs. “It’s his fault for not accepting me for who I am.”
Nino closes his eyes. That’s not the words he needed to hear to stop what he’s feeling. Those words from her only revived his dejected heart. He grips her closer to him, tightening his hug, wishing if they can stay like this forever.
----------
Sho finally steps out from his car after three hours of constant wavering. He slowly crosses the street from the open parking space across the tightly guarded and media crowded hospital. He puts on his trucker hat and his sunglasses before anyone from the camera carrying paparazzi notice him.
After much interrogation from the entrance, ensuring that he isn’t a paparazzi disguising as an ordinary visitor to be able to pass through, Sho finally lets in inside the hospital lobby. He said that he’s visiting a relative and he even willingly gives out his driver’s license to surrender to the security guards.
He was anxious, feeling a bit sick in the stomach and he’s about to explode with agitation. All those fidgety emotions pile up right at this very moment and he’s already thinking if he should just go back to his car and head early for rehearsals.
He hates what has become of him these past days. He’s always indecisive, his mind is filled with questions, with what ifs. He loses focus on everything he does and he doesn’t have that same determination with his work. He gives up even before he starts trying and that what he hated the most with people.
His fingers fidgets inside his jeans pocket as he waits for the elevator. His throat is getting dry and he feels like he’s losing air. He took a deep breath and slowly exhales, that calms him a little bit.
Stop being this person and go back to the real you.
He keeps telling himself those self-assuring words for the past two days, since Nino left his apartment that night. And earlier, in his car, he’s repeating it over and over again for three hours until he gets his ass off the seat and his feet on the ground outside.
You’re an elevator ride away from fixing this mess. Don’t give up now.
He told his stubborn self as he continued breathing in and out before the elevator finally reaches his floor.
The seventh floor of the hospital is different from what it’s like downstairs or any other floor for that matter. A number of Imperial Guards are stationed on the lobby and he was welcomed by one. The guard didn’t let him pass through that easily, he was interrogated and was asked to leave for his name is not listed on the visitor’s list for the day.
Just when he’s about to give up and leave, a little girl’s voice suddenly shouted his name.
“Ah! It’s Sho-chan!!” He turns around in surprise and he before he knew it, a little girl around the age of four is hugging his knees.
“It’s Sakurai-san, Rika-chan.” Satsuki corrected the little girl before she gives Sho a smile, he bowed slightly and smiled nervously.
Satsuki told the guards that she knows him and they apologized to Sho for their strict protocols. She leads him to her father’s room and the little girl, Rika-chan, is sticking to Sho like glue, grabbing his hand on her little palm as they walk to the room.
“Ne, ne, Sho-chan-” Rika looked at her mother’s eyes and she pursed her lips. “Sakurai-san, I am going to your concert tomorrow with Mama. Nino-chan gave me tickets.” The little girl happily announces as she jumps into Sho’s lap. “Nino-chan allowed me to call him that…”
“You can call me Sho-chan too if you want.” Sho gently pats the little’s girl’s head as she smile widely.
Satsuki offered him tea and biscuits as she sat opposite him. “Yumi isn’t here yet.” She told him and Sho nods a bit timidly. “Usually, she comes just before dinner and she stays until early morning, I replace her after I drop Rika-chan to school.”
“I’m sorry if I come unannounced, I should have informed someone-”
“It’s okay, Sakurai-san. I’m more than glad to see you here.” Satsuki eyes him meaningfully as she sips on her tea. “Rika-chan, why don’t you tell Grandpa what happened to school today? He’ll be happy to hear your voice.”
Rika’s face scrunched into a frown as she leans on Sho’s chest, still seating on his lap.
“Sakurai-san isn’t going anywhere. He and Mama are going to talk and after that you can play with him.”
Rika looks up to Sho, not trusting a word her mother says as if asking him if she’s saying the truth. Sho nods reassuringly and she finally went over to her grandfather’s bed and climbed to a chair.
“She has this big crush on all you.” Satsuki told him and Sho laughed shyly. “She’s really excited for tomorrow. I bet she’s not gonna sleep tonight.”
“We’ll give our best.” Sho humbly replied. “I’ll try looking for you tomorrow if that can make her happy.”
“That will make her more than happy.” Satsuki answered.
It was awkward and weird talking to Satsuki inside the hospital room where her still unconscious father, the Crown Prince, is admitted. They both know that they wanted to shift the conversation to a more evident topic, which is Sayumi but somehow, their conversation keeps dragging on to how Rika seems to go crazy over them.
When they can’t seem to find any more words to say, they just watched Rika blabbing on to her grandfather about today’s playtime at school.
“What took you so long to come here?” Satsuki finally drops the question she’s been dying to ask. “She’s been waiting for you since day one.”
Sho was taken by surprise and he can’t find the proper words to answer her. “I was a big fool.” But he can’t put those words into something more appropriate, he was indeed a fool. “I was carried away by emotions, let anger take over me.”
“I suppose you have gotten rid of that already. Seeing that you finally came here to see her…”
Sho pressed his palms together, trying to control his breathing as he can feel that he’s again short for air. “I love her. I think that enough reason, right?”
Satsuki smiled encouragingly at him as he finally breathes easily for the first time since he entered the hospital.
“That’s the answer I’m looking for.” Satsuki said chirpily and Sho suddenly feel encouraged that she gives him her support, that after the heartbreak he gave her sister, she still welcomed him kindly into her sister’s life.
----------
In the playground in the Azabu Juban neighborhood, Nino and Sayumi are still seated on the bench, not minding the time and sudden turnout of children playing.
“Enough with my story, let’stalk about yours.” She suggested after she shares more funny stories she had with her sister when they were kids, Nino went into a small panic.
“I’m not that interesting.” He waves his hand excessively.
But Sayumi is firm in asking about his private life. “You seem to know this place very well. Do you live here?” She asked.
Nino shakes his head as excessively as he does with his hand earlier. “No way! Do you know how expensive it is to live in this area? It way too overpriced!” He reacted animatedly as Sayumi started laughing.
“Why do you know every street and narrow alleys so well then?”
Nino tilted down his head and pursed his lips before returning back to her to answer her question. “A friend used to live around this area... and for over a year, we used to spend early mornings, lazy afternoons and long nights messing with each other around this place.” There was a pleasant smile written across his face as he recalls that, as if the memories are vividly replaying on his head.
“A girlfriend?” Sayumi asked with a grin.
Nino gives a guarded laugh. “No. Just a friend... but she’s a girl.”
Sayumi beams cheerfully and Nino can’t help in doing the same as happy memories from five years ago suddenly clouded his mind.
“What happened with her?” Sayumi asked again.
“Things ended even before it started.” Nino said as Sayumi gave his a confused look. “Bad timing. I was too careful. She’s too immature...” He was lost into the clear sky as he mumbles. “Anyways, she left the country... I tried saving our friendship but it didn’t work well and worst, she never spoke to me again.”
There was a brief silence as the laughter of the children playing echoed in their ears. Talking about that girl gives Nino a warm yet bitter feeling. Warm because he never had such wonderful friendship with someone like he did with her but bitter because it ended on a bad note and if only he can go back in time and change things, he will change that one fateful night that ended their friendship.
“Let’s not talk about it.” Nino decided and Sayumi nodded. “I heard that she’s doing well and as for me, I am doing absolutely amazing right now.”
Of course he was doing absolutely amazing right now, what can be greater than being in love?