FANFIC ENTRY #17
[My inbox tells me that this is the last fic for the contest! If you think yours is missing, please contact me ASAP and I will make sure to get it here. Feel free to email me about fics already posted if there is a problem. Thanks for such a wonderful turn out, everyone! See you for voting. ♥]
Fic Title: As Far As The Stars Shining in The Night Sky
Rating: PG-13 (kissing)
Summary: Two best friends were separated, and fate brought them back
together again.
AS FAR AS THE STARS SHINING IN THE NIGHT SKY
“You never know how precious someone is until you lose that special person.”
Sho Sakurai, assistant director at a prestigious interior design company, learnt the meaning of those words the hard way. Thirteen years ago, he lost someone very important to him because of his own mistake. Even though years had passed, there was still a part of him that couldn't accept what really happened that day.
Often, Sho would go up to the rooftop above his office, his favorite place to think, and wonder what would have happened if he had acted any other way. Yet, he still couldn’t find the answer. Only the aching of his heart was getting stronger.
“Sho-chan…, Sho-chan…!”
Startled by the voice of someone calling him, Sho woke up from his daydreaming. The person calling was his best friend and colleague, Masaki Aiba.
“Sho, what are you doing here? I’ve been searching for you all over. Have you heard the latest rumor?” Aiba asked cheerfully.
“Hmm? Rumor? Don’t think I’ve heard one lately. So many office rumors going around, I've stopped paying attention to unimportant gossip.”
“Come on, Sho, you’re so slow. Everyone was talking about this, and you didn’t even hear a single word? Where have you been?”
“Uuum, working?”
“YOU, my friend need to go out more and have fun. All you think about is work. We haven’t gone drinking in ages.” Aiba pouted more after hearing Sho’s answer.
“Look Aiba-chan, I don’t think now is the right time to lecture me about having fun. I’ve had enough of that from your e-mails. Now, what’s the important rumor? You’re making me curious.”
“Well, I’m sure that you already know that Kitamura-san will be moving to another company soon, after his current project is finished. I’ve heard that our big boss will send someone from the main branch to be in charge of the design team. The goal is to make Japan a second base after our main branch in New York.”
“Hmmm... so...?”
Hearing an unexcited tone from his friend, Aiba couldn’t help but raise his voice higher. It suddenly crossed his mind that his best friend was changing into a cold, emotionless guy, and he certainly didn’t like that.
“Sho, don’t you get it, you will have a new boss! And that new boss could be a foreigner. How can you be so calm? I would be excited if I were you.”
“Okay, okay, I get it. I’m just not in the mood lately and I could really use some distractions. Shall we go drinking tonight?”
Aiba grinned widely as soon as Sho finished his sentence. Sho could see that his friend was really concerned about him, and Sho wanted to at least make his best friend happy once in a while.
“Yosha, then you will meet Nino tonight. He’s one of my drinking friends, and works as a photographer. I’m sure you’re gonna like him.”
Lunch time was already over, and Sho really needed to get back to his work, so he practically dragged Aiba from the rooftop and got back to his cubicle to do some quality checking on finished products.
How he ended up working in an interior design company was still a big mystery, even to Sho himself. Sho always knew that he had zero sense with art, and he really was not capable of designing furniture. But the company loved him, not only because he was a hard worker, but because he was also a perfectionist. Most of the products he recommended became popular in the market. He was in charge of quality checking, and Sho Sakurai would notice even the smallest defect.
The drinking session with Aiba and Nino went pretty well. Nino was a chatty person, and sometimes he acted like a brat. After only a few hours of drinking, Nino was invading Sho’s personal space and calling Sho his best friend. Sho didn’t mind really, because Nino and Aiba could distract him from the depressing thoughts that were haunting him lately.
One week after his conversation with Aiba, the news about Sho’s new boss was confirmed. Thankfully the new director was not a foreigner, but a Japanese man who had lived in New York since he was a teenager. This would be his first visit to Japan after more than ten years.
Sho couldn’t help but be curious about his new boss. There was no other information about him, even his name was being kept secret until the day he would arrive and start working. The rumor said he would bring one assistant with him to help him handle his new team. The director’s arrival was scheduled for December 1st, and the whole design team, including Sho, anxiously awaited him.
In order to distract himself, Sho was working long hours, and used any excuse he had to be involved in most of the important projects. Aiba and Nino texted him over and over again, asking him to take care of himself, but Sho ignored them and buried himself deeper in his projects.
When it was time for the new Design Director’s arrival, Sho was exhausted. He was not eating properly and now his head was pounding mercilessly. His colleagues were telling him to take a sick leave and rest, but Sho was being stubborn. He didn’t want to miss his chance to meet his new boss and greet him in person. All the news about his boss being a talented designer really made Sho excited to meet him.
All the employees were standing in the office lobby to welcome the new director. When the security guard opened the front door, all eyes looked in anticipation. Different from what people might have expected, the director was still very young, as he was in his early 30’s. He had a cute, innocent face and not a very tall build, which made him look younger than his actual age. He also had tanned skin and sleepy eyes that looked like he could fall asleep anytime and anywhere.
The moment Sho laid eyes on the new director, he was shocked. Sho couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was him. He looked slightly different, but there was no mistaking, it was definitely him.
Is it just my hallucination? Maybe I’m too sick to think straight. Maybe it’s my imagination playing tricks on me, just because I wanted to meet him again so badly.
Sho’s head was spinning; all he could hear was the noise buzzing around him. He tried to find something to hold on to, but couldn’t find anything. The next thing he knew, everything had gone pitch black and his mind was travelling back to the past.
He opened his eyes and his memories came to him in flashbacks. He was having a dream, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t wake up. Next thing he knew, he was reliving bits and pieces of his bittersweet memories.
Satoshi (age 6) and Sho (age 5)
They were playing together at the park and the day was starting to get dark.
Sho was supposed to go home with his nanny, but there was no sign of her coming to pick him up.
“Sato-chan, please don’t leave me alone, I’m afraid.”
Satoshi said nothing, but he patted Sho’s head and continued to hold his hand until Sho’s nanny arrived 1 hour later.
Satoshi (age 10) and Sho (age 9)
“Happy birthday, Sho-kun, I’m sorry I can’t give you anything else.”
It was a drawing of both of them, watching the stars from the riverbank, the place where they used to hang out and had spent hours playing together.
“Satoshi-kun, thank you. I will treasure this forever.”
“Sho-kun, would you promise me something?”
“Of course, Satoshi-kun. What is it?”
“When we’re adults, promise me that we will continue watching the stars together, no matter what happens.”
Sho nodded and linked his pinky finger with Satoshi’s.
“Let the stars be the witness of our promise, Satoshi-kun.”
Satoshi (age 17) and Sho (age 16)
Sho and Satoshi became the best of friends and entered the same high school. Sho was an outstanding soccer player and Satoshi often participated and won art competitions. The guys at school always picked on them because both of them were very popular among female friends.
“Sakurai-kun, are you sure that both of you are only friends? Next thing we know, you and Ohno-kun might be busy kissing each other.”
“Booo, both of you are gays, just admit it already!!”
Sho was embarrassed and couldn’t deal with the teasing anymore. He tried to keep his distance from his best friend by ignoring his e-mails and phone calls. Sho started to go home by himself and no longer spent time together with Satoshi.
One day Sho got a message from Satoshi, an invitation to watch the stars together at their usual place. It had been a long time since they had hung out together and Sho really missed his best friend. He replied to the mail saying that he would come to watch the stars with Satoshi.
By the time Sho arrived at the riverbank, Satoshi was already waiting for him. He smiled gently and asked Sho to sit beside him. They sat together in silence, watching the stars twinkling above them in the night sky.
“Sho-kun, did I do something wrong?” Satoshi broke the silence.
Sho couldn’t answer the question, so he didn’t say anything. A brief moment had passed when he heard Satoshi sigh and speak softly to him.
“Sho-kun, I…, I think I like you.”
“Satoshi-kun, I like you too, you’re my friend.”
“No, it’s not like that. I think I like you, more than a friend.”
Sho was stunned, and couldn’t say anything. The voices of his classmates teasing both him and Satoshi echoed in his head. They were both boys, and two boys weren’t supposed to like each other more than a friend.
“Satoshi-kun, what are you talking about?”
“Sho…”
Satoshi reached out to hold Sho’s hand, but Sho immediately jerked his hand away.
“Satoshi-kun, please... I... I don’t think I want to see you anymore. I’m sorry…”
So Sho did the only thing he could think of as a way out. He forced himself to run, away from Satoshi, and didn’t even look back. His fear of being bullied by his classmates clouded his mind and heart.
Three days had passed, and Sho never once saw Satoshi, not in school, nor around their neighborhood. He was starting to wonder about his best friend and asked one of Satoshi’s classmates. When he finally got his answer, he didn't want to believe it.
“Ohno-kun? You don’t know? He quit school three days ago. His father was transferred to another country. He didn’t even tell us where.”
For a brief moment, Sho was speechless. He needed time to process the words, and after he finally grabbed the meaning, he ran towards the only place he could think to go.
By the time he arrived at Satoshi’s house, it was already empty. Sho knocked and yelled, calling for his best friend, but nobody answered.
A neighbor finally came out and informed the panicked teenager that the whole family had left first thing in the morning, with no information about whether they would be coming back. Sho immediately called Satoshi’s phone number, but the number was not in use anymore.
It was like a big bomb had been dropped on him. 10 years of friendship ended because of his stupid pride. He should have just ignored his classmates teasing and did what his heart told him. Now everything was too late. His best friend was gone and nowhere to be found. Tears flowed down his cheeks, and the bitter memories of his past slowly faded into the darkness.
GO TO PART TWO
Fic Title: As Far As The Stars Shining in The Night Sky
Rating: PG-13 (kissing)
Summary: Two best friends were separated, and fate brought them back
together again.
AS FAR AS THE STARS SHINING IN THE NIGHT SKY
“You never know how precious someone is until you lose that special person.”
Sho Sakurai, assistant director at a prestigious interior design company, learnt the meaning of those words the hard way. Thirteen years ago, he lost someone very important to him because of his own mistake. Even though years had passed, there was still a part of him that couldn't accept what really happened that day.
Often, Sho would go up to the rooftop above his office, his favorite place to think, and wonder what would have happened if he had acted any other way. Yet, he still couldn’t find the answer. Only the aching of his heart was getting stronger.
“Sho-chan…, Sho-chan…!”
Startled by the voice of someone calling him, Sho woke up from his daydreaming. The person calling was his best friend and colleague, Masaki Aiba.
“Sho, what are you doing here? I’ve been searching for you all over. Have you heard the latest rumor?” Aiba asked cheerfully.
“Hmm? Rumor? Don’t think I’ve heard one lately. So many office rumors going around, I've stopped paying attention to unimportant gossip.”
“Come on, Sho, you’re so slow. Everyone was talking about this, and you didn’t even hear a single word? Where have you been?”
“Uuum, working?”
“YOU, my friend need to go out more and have fun. All you think about is work. We haven’t gone drinking in ages.” Aiba pouted more after hearing Sho’s answer.
“Look Aiba-chan, I don’t think now is the right time to lecture me about having fun. I’ve had enough of that from your e-mails. Now, what’s the important rumor? You’re making me curious.”
“Well, I’m sure that you already know that Kitamura-san will be moving to another company soon, after his current project is finished. I’ve heard that our big boss will send someone from the main branch to be in charge of the design team. The goal is to make Japan a second base after our main branch in New York.”
“Hmmm... so...?”
Hearing an unexcited tone from his friend, Aiba couldn’t help but raise his voice higher. It suddenly crossed his mind that his best friend was changing into a cold, emotionless guy, and he certainly didn’t like that.
“Sho, don’t you get it, you will have a new boss! And that new boss could be a foreigner. How can you be so calm? I would be excited if I were you.”
“Okay, okay, I get it. I’m just not in the mood lately and I could really use some distractions. Shall we go drinking tonight?”
Aiba grinned widely as soon as Sho finished his sentence. Sho could see that his friend was really concerned about him, and Sho wanted to at least make his best friend happy once in a while.
“Yosha, then you will meet Nino tonight. He’s one of my drinking friends, and works as a photographer. I’m sure you’re gonna like him.”
Lunch time was already over, and Sho really needed to get back to his work, so he practically dragged Aiba from the rooftop and got back to his cubicle to do some quality checking on finished products.
How he ended up working in an interior design company was still a big mystery, even to Sho himself. Sho always knew that he had zero sense with art, and he really was not capable of designing furniture. But the company loved him, not only because he was a hard worker, but because he was also a perfectionist. Most of the products he recommended became popular in the market. He was in charge of quality checking, and Sho Sakurai would notice even the smallest defect.
The drinking session with Aiba and Nino went pretty well. Nino was a chatty person, and sometimes he acted like a brat. After only a few hours of drinking, Nino was invading Sho’s personal space and calling Sho his best friend. Sho didn’t mind really, because Nino and Aiba could distract him from the depressing thoughts that were haunting him lately.
One week after his conversation with Aiba, the news about Sho’s new boss was confirmed. Thankfully the new director was not a foreigner, but a Japanese man who had lived in New York since he was a teenager. This would be his first visit to Japan after more than ten years.
Sho couldn’t help but be curious about his new boss. There was no other information about him, even his name was being kept secret until the day he would arrive and start working. The rumor said he would bring one assistant with him to help him handle his new team. The director’s arrival was scheduled for December 1st, and the whole design team, including Sho, anxiously awaited him.
In order to distract himself, Sho was working long hours, and used any excuse he had to be involved in most of the important projects. Aiba and Nino texted him over and over again, asking him to take care of himself, but Sho ignored them and buried himself deeper in his projects.
When it was time for the new Design Director’s arrival, Sho was exhausted. He was not eating properly and now his head was pounding mercilessly. His colleagues were telling him to take a sick leave and rest, but Sho was being stubborn. He didn’t want to miss his chance to meet his new boss and greet him in person. All the news about his boss being a talented designer really made Sho excited to meet him.
All the employees were standing in the office lobby to welcome the new director. When the security guard opened the front door, all eyes looked in anticipation. Different from what people might have expected, the director was still very young, as he was in his early 30’s. He had a cute, innocent face and not a very tall build, which made him look younger than his actual age. He also had tanned skin and sleepy eyes that looked like he could fall asleep anytime and anywhere.
The moment Sho laid eyes on the new director, he was shocked. Sho couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was him. He looked slightly different, but there was no mistaking, it was definitely him.
Is it just my hallucination? Maybe I’m too sick to think straight. Maybe it’s my imagination playing tricks on me, just because I wanted to meet him again so badly.
Sho’s head was spinning; all he could hear was the noise buzzing around him. He tried to find something to hold on to, but couldn’t find anything. The next thing he knew, everything had gone pitch black and his mind was travelling back to the past.
He opened his eyes and his memories came to him in flashbacks. He was having a dream, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t wake up. Next thing he knew, he was reliving bits and pieces of his bittersweet memories.
Satoshi (age 6) and Sho (age 5)
They were playing together at the park and the day was starting to get dark.
Sho was supposed to go home with his nanny, but there was no sign of her coming to pick him up.
“Sato-chan, please don’t leave me alone, I’m afraid.”
Satoshi said nothing, but he patted Sho’s head and continued to hold his hand until Sho’s nanny arrived 1 hour later.
Satoshi (age 10) and Sho (age 9)
“Happy birthday, Sho-kun, I’m sorry I can’t give you anything else.”
It was a drawing of both of them, watching the stars from the riverbank, the place where they used to hang out and had spent hours playing together.
“Satoshi-kun, thank you. I will treasure this forever.”
“Sho-kun, would you promise me something?”
“Of course, Satoshi-kun. What is it?”
“When we’re adults, promise me that we will continue watching the stars together, no matter what happens.”
Sho nodded and linked his pinky finger with Satoshi’s.
“Let the stars be the witness of our promise, Satoshi-kun.”
Satoshi (age 17) and Sho (age 16)
Sho and Satoshi became the best of friends and entered the same high school. Sho was an outstanding soccer player and Satoshi often participated and won art competitions. The guys at school always picked on them because both of them were very popular among female friends.
“Sakurai-kun, are you sure that both of you are only friends? Next thing we know, you and Ohno-kun might be busy kissing each other.”
“Booo, both of you are gays, just admit it already!!”
Sho was embarrassed and couldn’t deal with the teasing anymore. He tried to keep his distance from his best friend by ignoring his e-mails and phone calls. Sho started to go home by himself and no longer spent time together with Satoshi.
One day Sho got a message from Satoshi, an invitation to watch the stars together at their usual place. It had been a long time since they had hung out together and Sho really missed his best friend. He replied to the mail saying that he would come to watch the stars with Satoshi.
By the time Sho arrived at the riverbank, Satoshi was already waiting for him. He smiled gently and asked Sho to sit beside him. They sat together in silence, watching the stars twinkling above them in the night sky.
“Sho-kun, did I do something wrong?” Satoshi broke the silence.
Sho couldn’t answer the question, so he didn’t say anything. A brief moment had passed when he heard Satoshi sigh and speak softly to him.
“Sho-kun, I…, I think I like you.”
“Satoshi-kun, I like you too, you’re my friend.”
“No, it’s not like that. I think I like you, more than a friend.”
Sho was stunned, and couldn’t say anything. The voices of his classmates teasing both him and Satoshi echoed in his head. They were both boys, and two boys weren’t supposed to like each other more than a friend.
“Satoshi-kun, what are you talking about?”
“Sho…”
Satoshi reached out to hold Sho’s hand, but Sho immediately jerked his hand away.
“Satoshi-kun, please... I... I don’t think I want to see you anymore. I’m sorry…”
So Sho did the only thing he could think of as a way out. He forced himself to run, away from Satoshi, and didn’t even look back. His fear of being bullied by his classmates clouded his mind and heart.
Three days had passed, and Sho never once saw Satoshi, not in school, nor around their neighborhood. He was starting to wonder about his best friend and asked one of Satoshi’s classmates. When he finally got his answer, he didn't want to believe it.
“Ohno-kun? You don’t know? He quit school three days ago. His father was transferred to another country. He didn’t even tell us where.”
For a brief moment, Sho was speechless. He needed time to process the words, and after he finally grabbed the meaning, he ran towards the only place he could think to go.
By the time he arrived at Satoshi’s house, it was already empty. Sho knocked and yelled, calling for his best friend, but nobody answered.
A neighbor finally came out and informed the panicked teenager that the whole family had left first thing in the morning, with no information about whether they would be coming back. Sho immediately called Satoshi’s phone number, but the number was not in use anymore.
It was like a big bomb had been dropped on him. 10 years of friendship ended because of his stupid pride. He should have just ignored his classmates teasing and did what his heart told him. Now everything was too late. His best friend was gone and nowhere to be found. Tears flowed down his cheeks, and the bitter memories of his past slowly faded into the darkness.
GO TO PART TWO