The Hardest Part of Staying Still (5/6)
Title: The Hardest Part of Staying Still (5/6)
Group/pairing: NEWS / Massu x OC
Word Count: 2,795
Rating: G
Summary: Massu met an intriguing girl at the airport…will anything come of it? In this chapter, we deal with Massu’s temper. We’ll also see Tegoshi, Koyama, and Yamapi meddle around, while Shige and Ryo watch on the sidelines. But really, they have a plan of their own.
Author’s Note: Thank you for waiting, if you’re still interested in this story ^^
Previous Chapters: Part 1: Rush | Part 2: Busy | Part 3: Trip | Part 4:Forgive
Short recap: Koyama met with Frances to discuss what happened and to try and fix it. Massu’s upset and it’s showing in his work. Frances is really sorry and with the help of Koyama, Koyama’s mom, and Shige, they all make some gyoza as a peace offering to Massu. Frances bumps into him just as she’s leaving the ramen shop and things seem to be looking up.
~~~~~
“…but I feel really connected to NEWS.” Koyama recalled from his conversation with Frances. “I think she really means it, Massu.”
“She really said that?” Massu asked, as he took a bite of his nikuman.
The members had gathered at the Jimusho after a few months of no group activities. They were picking out their next single scheduled to be released around October.
“I’ve gotta meet this girl,” Yamapi interjected. “It’s been 3 months since you guys met, and you both seem serious about it, so why not bring her over?”
“I think mom feels lonely because you haven’t brought a girl home in a long time,” Ryo said in a mocking, sweet tone.
Koyama hit him lightly and chuckled. “They just started to patch things up and are meeting again, give them time. Right, Masuda-kun?”
Massu nodded, not giving any further details.
“Hey, you said she works in Chiba, right? That’s my home town, maybe she teaches at one of the schools I went to.” Yamapi added.
Tegoshi sat himself next to Massu, carrying his laptop with him. “Maybe we should look her up online.”
“Why?” Massu asked, his attention focused on the guys now.
“Just for fun. Plus Yamashita-kun and Nishikido-kun can see what she looks like.” Tegoshi answered with a bright smile. He was annoyingly oblivious to Massu’s discomfort concerning the direction of this topic.
“I suppose.” Massu managed to say.
Tegoshi tinkered around on Facebook as the members gathered around him.
“How did you set up a page?” Koyama asked.
“I just pretended to be a fan of Tegoshi Yuya and made a page for myself.” He said matter-of-factly.
“…Oh.”
“Is this her?” He moved the screen towards Massu, who nodded. They saw her recent pictures, but because of certain privacy features, they could only see the basic information about her college and interests and nothing else.
“She’s pretty.” Ryo admitted after a few moments. Yamapi agreed. “She definitely needs to hang out with us.”
“You’re enthusiastic.” Ryo muttered.
“Hey, most of our girlfriends have been in this industry. If she’s like what I’ve heard from you four, then I wouldn’t mind an intelligent, nice girl, to be hanging around sometimes, ok?” Yamapi reasoned.
Koyama smiled as he watched Massu space out with the mention of girlfriends.
~~~
“Frances, did you know NEWS is coming out with another single soon?” Summer asked.
“Actually no. I haven’t had time to really check up on it.”
“Are you still seeing Massu and them?” she asked tentatively, having been informed of what happened in the past few weeks.
“Yea, we’ve had lunch and what not, but they’re busy boys. I guess I should’ve known they were up to something.” Frances managed a small laugh.
“How’s work treating you?”
“It’s alright. Everyone’s very nice so it makes things easy on me. Other than that, I go eat and explore with Maya and Arthur, fellow JET’s around this area.”
They continued talking about work and life, mostly with Summer asking questions and Frances answering them.
“Hey, I should probably go to sleep.” Summer finally said, “I’ll catch up with you later. Oyasumi!”
“Oh yea, that’s right. I forget it’s 4AM over there. Ja ne, oyasuminasai~”
It was now Sunday afternoon and Frances was heading out with Massu later that night. Massu was going to pick Frances up and head back to his place for a quiet ‘date.’ Massu suggested they just watched a movie and hung out, which was perfectly fine with her. She would suggest going window shopping, but the last time they did that, it didn’t turn out so well. She wanted to keep it casual too, just until they worked out what sort of relationship they were in.
~~~
Massu owned a small apartment in Tokyo, close to one of the train stations. He only used it when NEWS was doing group activities, so when they walked into the apartment, it was fairly clean and empty.
The kitchen was just a step away from the front door, the living room right in front, sparse but with a couch and a TV. There was a sliding door on left side of the wall, presumably Massu’s room. The bathroom and an extra room were on the other side of the room; it seemed like a rather modern home.
“Make yourself comfortable. I’m going to make some tea.” The kitchen had an island in it, and Massu motioned to take a seat there. He turned on the stove to heat up a pot of water, and while waiting, sat across from Frances.
“This is a nice place, big. Does anybody house-sit for you when you’re not around?”
“One of my cousins lives here, but he’s on a business trip so I’m here by myself this week.”
There was a moment of silence where they both looked at each other, a sort of awkward silence where neither knew what to say, but Frances decisively ended it and asked, “Um, I don’t know how to say this, but are we okay, as friends or…”
“Yea, I think we are. You’re here, aren’t you?” He answered. His face was not entirely readable, but Frances still let out a sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry this has been so strained between us…it’s sort of the first time…” Massu decided to change the subject a little. “I’m guessing Koyama told you about why I took the situation so hard.”
Frances nodded. “I’m truly sorry-”
“I am too, but let’s start fresh, okay?” he suggested with a grin. The shrill sound from the kettle saved them from further discussing the grim topic. Moments later, he handed her a cup, and motioned for them to sit in the living room.
Frances took a seat in the middle of the couch, at first unsure of which side to choose. Massu was at the foot of the TV dresser picking out movies to watch. They decided on “One Missed Call,” even if that wasn’t quite a ‘first date’ type of movie. After he had put the DVD in and pressed play, she could tell Massu was at an odds deciding where to sit, and ended up sitting to the right of her. He wasn’t too close, but close enough that it was comfortable. Frances laughed at some of the previews of movies she had already watched. Massu was surprised at how many of those she had seen, because he did not have time to see those himself. She asked if he could set up the English subtitles, which he did, and then the movie began.
They quietly sipped their cooling tea during the narrative scenes of the movie. Unlike American horror films, the Japanese had more of a psychological suspense than anything else. But even so, because Frances was rather well-versed in horror films, she predicated and laughed at the ‘scary’ moments of the movie, while Massu was simply watching with utter amusement at her enthusiasm. There were some parts where both Frances and Massu jumped a little at the terrifying scene, scenes where the heroin just couldn’t escape, and scenes that left even Frances shutting her eyes momentarily. During those moments, Massu looked over at her instead of the screen, and found that he really liked her candid nature. It wasn’t like he saw himself entirely as an idol, he was quite normal, but despite this, this was the first time he felt so comfortable with someone who knew he was in the industry and was a fan. It showed him that she was at ease being with him as a person rather than someone she knew on TV; this realization gave him a warm feeling inside. This might be serious, he thought.
The movie’s credits were running when Massu felt Frances move slowly towards him. He thought she was going to get up and head to the kitchen for more tea, but then he felt her head fall onto his shoulder and realized that she had fallen asleep. Massu stiffened momentarily, unsure of whether to wake her up or to gently move her head onto the couch. Before he could decide, the weight from his shoulder lifted and Frances gave him an apologetic smile.
She was still half asleep, and rather than ignore what she did, she simply asked, “What did I miss?”
Massu grinned, “Nothing, just the credits.”
“Oh, that’s good. I guess I was more tired than I thought. I’m sorry about that.”
“No, s’ok.” Massu grabbed both of their cups and moved towards the kitchen. “Would you like something to eat here, or would you want to go out?”
“Whatever you want to do is fine. I don’t really know this area and I don’t know if it’d be bothersome if you went out in public,” she replied.
Massu laughed at this statement and said, “I have to go out sometime. Besides, most people don’t recognize me in public.”
Frances wasn’t sure how to respond to this, the topic of Massu being a Johnny’s. She walked over to the kitchen and watched as he muddled around in the fridge.
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” his voice came echoing from the fridge, “What got you interested in Johnny’s anyway?”
Frances was shocked by the suddenness of this question, but figured that it would eventually have to be answered. “Actually, I first learned about Japanese music through Dir En Grey, from a show called Fuse. I really liked the music, so I found out more about them. This was in high school, and through the years, I’ve been searching around online, and started watching dramas. From there, I found KAT-TUN,” she giggled a bit here, remembering how she entered fandom, “and then I found NEWS.”
Massu’s head popped up from the fridge door and made a weird face. “I don’t have any food here.”
Frances nearly burst out in laughter, trying really hard not to think how in the world does this man not have any food in this fridge?, but recovered quickly and said, “I’m not hungry. Are you?”
Massu smiled and returned to his seat. They decided they could be content sipping tea in the middle of the kitchen.
“What’s your favorite song?”
“Weeeek.” Frances answered excitedly.
“Do you listen to other Johnny’s?”
“Yea, KAT-TUN, Kanjani8, some Arashi.” She wasn’t quite sure if she should be disclosing her fandom interests to him so quickly, but the words flew out of her mouth before she could control herself. She was grateful that, at least, Massu was being laid back about it all.
“Really?”
“Yea, is that surprising?”
“Just…how do you find Japanese entertainment stuff in America?”
“There are a lot of online forums dedicated to Johnny’s. Do you go online at all?”
“Occasionally, but usually, the other members just let me know about that stuff.” After a beat, Massu asked the question that had been on his mind for awhile. “Now, I have to ask, who’s your favorite member?”
Frances noticeably blushed, “It’s you.”
Their eyes met for a moment, neither of them tried to maintain eye contact for more than a few seconds. He didn’t know how to respond to that, so he casually sipped on his tea and changed the subject. “Nishikido-kun and Yamashita-kun asked about you the other day.”
Frances’ eyes grew wide in surprise. He merely smiled and said, “They want to meet you.”
She choked on her tea. Massu laughed at this, but corrected himself, not wanting to be rude. She lowered her head, chuckling lightly to herself too. The conversation was more relaxed after this; Massu randomly spouting out facts about the members and their backstage routine, random facts about sound production, some business tips (courtesy of his cousin), and even ramblings about the tea they were drinking.
~~~
“I hate to leave so early, but I should go. I have work in the morning. You probably have work too, right?"
He nodded and opened the front door. "I'll walk you to the train station."
"No, no. It's okay. Thank you, though. For everything."
Massu chuckled a little. "You make it sound like we won't meet again.” He shuffled his feet, suddenly nervous about what he wanted to say. "Well…would you like to go out again next week? That is if you have time--"
"I have time." Frances answered, trying not to give away how happy she felt. "Do you have time?" she asked a little shy.
"I have time."
Frances giggled a little, realizing how roundabout their conversation was. Seeing Massu fidget in person wasn't supposed to be so exciting, but he really was just a down-to-earth person. His 'character' in fandom was definitely underplayed. He was just as kind as Koyama, straightforward like Yamapi, and just an overall great guy. Of course, he indulged in more of the random lines of conversation, but that’s what was refreshing about him.
“I’ll call you sometime, then.”
Frances nodded with a huge grin and they said their ‘goodnights’ in the hallway.
She moved to the left, trying to avoid bumping into Massu as she started towards the elevator. At the same moment, he moved in the same direction, and they bumped into each other. They did a sort of dance, fumbling to get out of each other's way, laughing nervously in along the way. In a blurred moment, Massu gently grabbed a hold of her shoulders, stopped her, and then guided her to his other side.
They stopped moving for a second, standing rather closely in the middle of the halfway. Massu realized he was still holding onto her arms, and quickly retracted his hands. Through his calm exterior, Frances could tell he was a little flustered, by the flicking of his bangs out of his face and his jittery fingers picking at his nails.
“Be careful on your way home. Goodnight.” They waved goodbye until the elevator doors closed.
Frances stood in the elevator, a million thoughts running through her mind, feeling completely giddy. She was reliving through the events of the night, wondering if she did or said the right things. Her hands were sweaty and shaking. By the end of the night, she had completely forgotten about the movie they watched and only remembered enjoying his company. And more than anything, she found herself falling for Massu, beyond the idol she knew, and for the person she was beginning to know.
~~~
Frances rummaged in her purse for her phone while walking away from the train, not paying attention to her surroundings. Just as she felt her hand touch the familiar NEWS cellphone strap, reaching further to grab it, she lost her footing on a crack in the platform sidewalk. She floundered about for a moment until a pair of strong arms steadied her. She froze, head dashing upward to apologize, and as she did this, she realized that she knew this person.
"Thank you," she ended up saying, words escaping her otherwise.
The young man looked at her for a beat too long then tentatively asked, "Um, are you, by any chance, Frances-san?"
"Yes..."
"Masuda-kun." The young man simply stated.
Frances nodded. "Thank you for helping me just now, Yamashita-san," she said, hesitating to say his name for a second.
"Ah! No problem," was Yamapi's reply. He bowed slightly, happy to see that she recognized him. Frances bowed in return.
She felt rather stupid for not having anything better to say and was really about to say goodnight, but Yamapi started up the conversation. "Did you just come back from visiting Massu?"
She nodded again. Yamapi's smile grew.
"Are you heading home yourself?" She got the courage to ask.
"Yeah, there's a brief break from work so I decided to visit my family."
"That's nice." Frances commented, unsure of what to say about work-related things, especially since she just bumped into the Yamashita Tomohisa, and they weren’t exactly acquaintances.
Yamapi gave a warm smile. “I hear you’re teaching here. Are you enjoying it so far?”
They stood there talking about Yamapi’s old middle school and how different it must be now. She would mention a few new activities they were doing with the JET program at her own school and he would jokingly complain about how he never got that experience. Neither of them expected their little conversation to segue into so many other topics, but it was like reuniting with a long-time classmate; there was just an endless amount of stuff to say, but no time.
"We should really go. I’m sorry if I kept you from your plans." Frances said, glancing at the station clock on the wall.
"Don't worry about it. It was a pleasure meeting you. Kiyotsuketene (be safe)." Yamapi replied kindly.
“It was nice meeting you too. Thanks again.” Frances replied, waving goodbye as they parted ways.
~~~
Author’s Note: It took me a lot to finish this chapter, because it’s hard writing Massu in this situation. On screen, he’s very bubbly and random, but I’ve written him in a serious manner this time. I thought it was more appropriate for the first ‘official’ date feel ^^
Also, yes, Frances has a lucky tendency of bumping into celebrities through her clumsiness XD
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the last chapter shouldn’t be too far in coming. Take care~
Group/pairing: NEWS / Massu x OC
Word Count: 2,795
Rating: G
Summary: Massu met an intriguing girl at the airport…will anything come of it? In this chapter, we deal with Massu’s temper. We’ll also see Tegoshi, Koyama, and Yamapi meddle around, while Shige and Ryo watch on the sidelines. But really, they have a plan of their own.
Author’s Note: Thank you for waiting, if you’re still interested in this story ^^
Previous Chapters: Part 1: Rush | Part 2: Busy | Part 3: Trip | Part 4:Forgive
Short recap: Koyama met with Frances to discuss what happened and to try and fix it. Massu’s upset and it’s showing in his work. Frances is really sorry and with the help of Koyama, Koyama’s mom, and Shige, they all make some gyoza as a peace offering to Massu. Frances bumps into him just as she’s leaving the ramen shop and things seem to be looking up.
~~~~~
“…but I feel really connected to NEWS.” Koyama recalled from his conversation with Frances. “I think she really means it, Massu.”
“She really said that?” Massu asked, as he took a bite of his nikuman.
The members had gathered at the Jimusho after a few months of no group activities. They were picking out their next single scheduled to be released around October.
“I’ve gotta meet this girl,” Yamapi interjected. “It’s been 3 months since you guys met, and you both seem serious about it, so why not bring her over?”
“I think mom feels lonely because you haven’t brought a girl home in a long time,” Ryo said in a mocking, sweet tone.
Koyama hit him lightly and chuckled. “They just started to patch things up and are meeting again, give them time. Right, Masuda-kun?”
Massu nodded, not giving any further details.
“Hey, you said she works in Chiba, right? That’s my home town, maybe she teaches at one of the schools I went to.” Yamapi added.
Tegoshi sat himself next to Massu, carrying his laptop with him. “Maybe we should look her up online.”
“Why?” Massu asked, his attention focused on the guys now.
“Just for fun. Plus Yamashita-kun and Nishikido-kun can see what she looks like.” Tegoshi answered with a bright smile. He was annoyingly oblivious to Massu’s discomfort concerning the direction of this topic.
“I suppose.” Massu managed to say.
Tegoshi tinkered around on Facebook as the members gathered around him.
“How did you set up a page?” Koyama asked.
“I just pretended to be a fan of Tegoshi Yuya and made a page for myself.” He said matter-of-factly.
“…Oh.”
“Is this her?” He moved the screen towards Massu, who nodded. They saw her recent pictures, but because of certain privacy features, they could only see the basic information about her college and interests and nothing else.
“She’s pretty.” Ryo admitted after a few moments. Yamapi agreed. “She definitely needs to hang out with us.”
“You’re enthusiastic.” Ryo muttered.
“Hey, most of our girlfriends have been in this industry. If she’s like what I’ve heard from you four, then I wouldn’t mind an intelligent, nice girl, to be hanging around sometimes, ok?” Yamapi reasoned.
Koyama smiled as he watched Massu space out with the mention of girlfriends.
~~~
“Frances, did you know NEWS is coming out with another single soon?” Summer asked.
“Actually no. I haven’t had time to really check up on it.”
“Are you still seeing Massu and them?” she asked tentatively, having been informed of what happened in the past few weeks.
“Yea, we’ve had lunch and what not, but they’re busy boys. I guess I should’ve known they were up to something.” Frances managed a small laugh.
“How’s work treating you?”
“It’s alright. Everyone’s very nice so it makes things easy on me. Other than that, I go eat and explore with Maya and Arthur, fellow JET’s around this area.”
They continued talking about work and life, mostly with Summer asking questions and Frances answering them.
“Hey, I should probably go to sleep.” Summer finally said, “I’ll catch up with you later. Oyasumi!”
“Oh yea, that’s right. I forget it’s 4AM over there. Ja ne, oyasuminasai~”
It was now Sunday afternoon and Frances was heading out with Massu later that night. Massu was going to pick Frances up and head back to his place for a quiet ‘date.’ Massu suggested they just watched a movie and hung out, which was perfectly fine with her. She would suggest going window shopping, but the last time they did that, it didn’t turn out so well. She wanted to keep it casual too, just until they worked out what sort of relationship they were in.
~~~
Massu owned a small apartment in Tokyo, close to one of the train stations. He only used it when NEWS was doing group activities, so when they walked into the apartment, it was fairly clean and empty.
The kitchen was just a step away from the front door, the living room right in front, sparse but with a couch and a TV. There was a sliding door on left side of the wall, presumably Massu’s room. The bathroom and an extra room were on the other side of the room; it seemed like a rather modern home.
“Make yourself comfortable. I’m going to make some tea.” The kitchen had an island in it, and Massu motioned to take a seat there. He turned on the stove to heat up a pot of water, and while waiting, sat across from Frances.
“This is a nice place, big. Does anybody house-sit for you when you’re not around?”
“One of my cousins lives here, but he’s on a business trip so I’m here by myself this week.”
There was a moment of silence where they both looked at each other, a sort of awkward silence where neither knew what to say, but Frances decisively ended it and asked, “Um, I don’t know how to say this, but are we okay, as friends or…”
“Yea, I think we are. You’re here, aren’t you?” He answered. His face was not entirely readable, but Frances still let out a sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry this has been so strained between us…it’s sort of the first time…” Massu decided to change the subject a little. “I’m guessing Koyama told you about why I took the situation so hard.”
Frances nodded. “I’m truly sorry-”
“I am too, but let’s start fresh, okay?” he suggested with a grin. The shrill sound from the kettle saved them from further discussing the grim topic. Moments later, he handed her a cup, and motioned for them to sit in the living room.
Frances took a seat in the middle of the couch, at first unsure of which side to choose. Massu was at the foot of the TV dresser picking out movies to watch. They decided on “One Missed Call,” even if that wasn’t quite a ‘first date’ type of movie. After he had put the DVD in and pressed play, she could tell Massu was at an odds deciding where to sit, and ended up sitting to the right of her. He wasn’t too close, but close enough that it was comfortable. Frances laughed at some of the previews of movies she had already watched. Massu was surprised at how many of those she had seen, because he did not have time to see those himself. She asked if he could set up the English subtitles, which he did, and then the movie began.
They quietly sipped their cooling tea during the narrative scenes of the movie. Unlike American horror films, the Japanese had more of a psychological suspense than anything else. But even so, because Frances was rather well-versed in horror films, she predicated and laughed at the ‘scary’ moments of the movie, while Massu was simply watching with utter amusement at her enthusiasm. There were some parts where both Frances and Massu jumped a little at the terrifying scene, scenes where the heroin just couldn’t escape, and scenes that left even Frances shutting her eyes momentarily. During those moments, Massu looked over at her instead of the screen, and found that he really liked her candid nature. It wasn’t like he saw himself entirely as an idol, he was quite normal, but despite this, this was the first time he felt so comfortable with someone who knew he was in the industry and was a fan. It showed him that she was at ease being with him as a person rather than someone she knew on TV; this realization gave him a warm feeling inside. This might be serious, he thought.
The movie’s credits were running when Massu felt Frances move slowly towards him. He thought she was going to get up and head to the kitchen for more tea, but then he felt her head fall onto his shoulder and realized that she had fallen asleep. Massu stiffened momentarily, unsure of whether to wake her up or to gently move her head onto the couch. Before he could decide, the weight from his shoulder lifted and Frances gave him an apologetic smile.
She was still half asleep, and rather than ignore what she did, she simply asked, “What did I miss?”
Massu grinned, “Nothing, just the credits.”
“Oh, that’s good. I guess I was more tired than I thought. I’m sorry about that.”
“No, s’ok.” Massu grabbed both of their cups and moved towards the kitchen. “Would you like something to eat here, or would you want to go out?”
“Whatever you want to do is fine. I don’t really know this area and I don’t know if it’d be bothersome if you went out in public,” she replied.
Massu laughed at this statement and said, “I have to go out sometime. Besides, most people don’t recognize me in public.”
Frances wasn’t sure how to respond to this, the topic of Massu being a Johnny’s. She walked over to the kitchen and watched as he muddled around in the fridge.
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” his voice came echoing from the fridge, “What got you interested in Johnny’s anyway?”
Frances was shocked by the suddenness of this question, but figured that it would eventually have to be answered. “Actually, I first learned about Japanese music through Dir En Grey, from a show called Fuse. I really liked the music, so I found out more about them. This was in high school, and through the years, I’ve been searching around online, and started watching dramas. From there, I found KAT-TUN,” she giggled a bit here, remembering how she entered fandom, “and then I found NEWS.”
Massu’s head popped up from the fridge door and made a weird face. “I don’t have any food here.”
Frances nearly burst out in laughter, trying really hard not to think how in the world does this man not have any food in this fridge?, but recovered quickly and said, “I’m not hungry. Are you?”
Massu smiled and returned to his seat. They decided they could be content sipping tea in the middle of the kitchen.
“What’s your favorite song?”
“Weeeek.” Frances answered excitedly.
“Do you listen to other Johnny’s?”
“Yea, KAT-TUN, Kanjani8, some Arashi.” She wasn’t quite sure if she should be disclosing her fandom interests to him so quickly, but the words flew out of her mouth before she could control herself. She was grateful that, at least, Massu was being laid back about it all.
“Really?”
“Yea, is that surprising?”
“Just…how do you find Japanese entertainment stuff in America?”
“There are a lot of online forums dedicated to Johnny’s. Do you go online at all?”
“Occasionally, but usually, the other members just let me know about that stuff.” After a beat, Massu asked the question that had been on his mind for awhile. “Now, I have to ask, who’s your favorite member?”
Frances noticeably blushed, “It’s you.”
Their eyes met for a moment, neither of them tried to maintain eye contact for more than a few seconds. He didn’t know how to respond to that, so he casually sipped on his tea and changed the subject. “Nishikido-kun and Yamashita-kun asked about you the other day.”
Frances’ eyes grew wide in surprise. He merely smiled and said, “They want to meet you.”
She choked on her tea. Massu laughed at this, but corrected himself, not wanting to be rude. She lowered her head, chuckling lightly to herself too. The conversation was more relaxed after this; Massu randomly spouting out facts about the members and their backstage routine, random facts about sound production, some business tips (courtesy of his cousin), and even ramblings about the tea they were drinking.
~~~
“I hate to leave so early, but I should go. I have work in the morning. You probably have work too, right?"
He nodded and opened the front door. "I'll walk you to the train station."
"No, no. It's okay. Thank you, though. For everything."
Massu chuckled a little. "You make it sound like we won't meet again.” He shuffled his feet, suddenly nervous about what he wanted to say. "Well…would you like to go out again next week? That is if you have time--"
"I have time." Frances answered, trying not to give away how happy she felt. "Do you have time?" she asked a little shy.
"I have time."
Frances giggled a little, realizing how roundabout their conversation was. Seeing Massu fidget in person wasn't supposed to be so exciting, but he really was just a down-to-earth person. His 'character' in fandom was definitely underplayed. He was just as kind as Koyama, straightforward like Yamapi, and just an overall great guy. Of course, he indulged in more of the random lines of conversation, but that’s what was refreshing about him.
“I’ll call you sometime, then.”
Frances nodded with a huge grin and they said their ‘goodnights’ in the hallway.
She moved to the left, trying to avoid bumping into Massu as she started towards the elevator. At the same moment, he moved in the same direction, and they bumped into each other. They did a sort of dance, fumbling to get out of each other's way, laughing nervously in along the way. In a blurred moment, Massu gently grabbed a hold of her shoulders, stopped her, and then guided her to his other side.
They stopped moving for a second, standing rather closely in the middle of the halfway. Massu realized he was still holding onto her arms, and quickly retracted his hands. Through his calm exterior, Frances could tell he was a little flustered, by the flicking of his bangs out of his face and his jittery fingers picking at his nails.
“Be careful on your way home. Goodnight.” They waved goodbye until the elevator doors closed.
Frances stood in the elevator, a million thoughts running through her mind, feeling completely giddy. She was reliving through the events of the night, wondering if she did or said the right things. Her hands were sweaty and shaking. By the end of the night, she had completely forgotten about the movie they watched and only remembered enjoying his company. And more than anything, she found herself falling for Massu, beyond the idol she knew, and for the person she was beginning to know.
~~~
Frances rummaged in her purse for her phone while walking away from the train, not paying attention to her surroundings. Just as she felt her hand touch the familiar NEWS cellphone strap, reaching further to grab it, she lost her footing on a crack in the platform sidewalk. She floundered about for a moment until a pair of strong arms steadied her. She froze, head dashing upward to apologize, and as she did this, she realized that she knew this person.
"Thank you," she ended up saying, words escaping her otherwise.
The young man looked at her for a beat too long then tentatively asked, "Um, are you, by any chance, Frances-san?"
"Yes..."
"Masuda-kun." The young man simply stated.
Frances nodded. "Thank you for helping me just now, Yamashita-san," she said, hesitating to say his name for a second.
"Ah! No problem," was Yamapi's reply. He bowed slightly, happy to see that she recognized him. Frances bowed in return.
She felt rather stupid for not having anything better to say and was really about to say goodnight, but Yamapi started up the conversation. "Did you just come back from visiting Massu?"
She nodded again. Yamapi's smile grew.
"Are you heading home yourself?" She got the courage to ask.
"Yeah, there's a brief break from work so I decided to visit my family."
"That's nice." Frances commented, unsure of what to say about work-related things, especially since she just bumped into the Yamashita Tomohisa, and they weren’t exactly acquaintances.
Yamapi gave a warm smile. “I hear you’re teaching here. Are you enjoying it so far?”
They stood there talking about Yamapi’s old middle school and how different it must be now. She would mention a few new activities they were doing with the JET program at her own school and he would jokingly complain about how he never got that experience. Neither of them expected their little conversation to segue into so many other topics, but it was like reuniting with a long-time classmate; there was just an endless amount of stuff to say, but no time.
"We should really go. I’m sorry if I kept you from your plans." Frances said, glancing at the station clock on the wall.
"Don't worry about it. It was a pleasure meeting you. Kiyotsuketene (be safe)." Yamapi replied kindly.
“It was nice meeting you too. Thanks again.” Frances replied, waving goodbye as they parted ways.
~~~
Author’s Note: It took me a lot to finish this chapter, because it’s hard writing Massu in this situation. On screen, he’s very bubbly and random, but I’ve written him in a serious manner this time. I thought it was more appropriate for the first ‘official’ date feel ^^
Also, yes, Frances has a lucky tendency of bumping into celebrities through her clumsiness XD
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the last chapter shouldn’t be too far in coming. Take care~