Eighteen Twenty Five (1825)
Title: Eighteen Twenty Five (1825)
Word Count: 1,702
Group/Pairing: NEWS; NishiKato
Remix of: twenty-three by natsudive; it was an awesome fic and I hope I did it justice ♥
~~~
The first time (probably not the first time, but it sure felt like it) Ryo and Shige walked home together, Ryo acted paranoid that they would get spotted on the subway together, couldn’t strike up a conversation, and couldn’t keep a steady pace because he was constantly adjusting to Shige’s. Shige was doing the same, which resulted in a rather awkward, stilted, pace-it was just a mess, but they eventually made it to their first stop, Ryo’s apartment. Ryo waved goodbye to Shige, visibly relieved, as he stepped inside.
A few minutes after Ryo had settled into his apartment, he realized he hadn’t properly thanked Shige, so he sent him a text.
Kato-kun,
thanks for walking with me tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow. Otsukaresama-deshita*.
Shige, still walking as he read the text, smiled. “Always straight to the point, Nishikido-kun,” he said aloud. In the back of his mind, he imagined an extra line that wasn’t said, let’s do this again sometime.
~~~
The next time the two walked home together, Ryo admitted that his ride had forgotten him, but then quickly qualified this by saying that the subway was the quicker route home anyway. Shige didn’t say anything in response, merely preparing himself, mentally, to deal with another awkward night walking home with Nishikido Ryo.
They got on and off the subway safely, with no fan sightings or anything out of the ordinary, and they were walking on the street leading to Ryo’s apartment when he noticed someone following them (or so he thought).
“Even if there was someone else around, god forbid other people use the same sidewalk as we do.” Shige flippantly said.
Ryo punched him in the arm. “Are you saying that you think I’m paranoid?”
“Those are your words, not mine.” Shige replied, a smirk on his face, though hidden by the dark.
Ryo took longer to respond than usual, so Shige followed up with another comment. “Look, I know we don’t hang out often, but it’s just walking home. We’re not going to show up in Friday’s latest edition being exposed as secret lovers.”
Ryo nearly choked on his own breath, which caused Shige to burst out laughing, though he tried to stop himself before Ryo had a chance to lash back. It was rather dark, but beneath the streetlights, Shige could tell Ryo was glaring daggers at him.
“Very funny, Shige.” Ryo eventually said. He smiled, not able to hold the pretend-angry look any longer.
“I try.”
~~~
NEWS didn’t quite meet up again until they had a scheduled photo shoot. Ryo showed up quite disheveled and more sleep deprived than usual, and even more so after they finish for the day. So, when Ryo silently started walking towards the door as he saw Shige doing the same, Shige didn’t question it and just said goodbye to the remaining members as they left.
The two hadn’t exchanged a word since getting off of work, and usually Shige would think up something to talk about, but he knew that today was just not a good day. Instead, he took out his camera from inside his schoolbag, and searched for moments, people, buildings that caught his attention.
After taking a few snaps, Shige noticed Ryo staring at him. “Is this bothering you? I mean, I’ll stop-”
“No,” Ryo said quickly, realizing he was staring. “I was just…watching. I don’t know how you can manage to do that after being in front of the camera all day,” he mused.
Shige nodded. “I know what you mean, but this is me behind the camera, it’s quite different and I enjoy it. There’s no popping of flash bulbs, constant chatter of people, or the blazing lights they shine on us; it’s just the quiet shutter taking in the scene.”
Ryo nodded silently as the younger man continued taking pictures, noting just how quiet the camera really was. Their pace soon became steady, matching the sound of shoe on gravel and the ever-so-often clicking of the camera lens.
~~~
For the first time in a month, Shige walked home alone. It seemed like every day of the week, he had been commuting straight to work from school, and if he had recordings with Koyama, their manager would drop them off afterwards. And of course, there were times when Ryo tagged along, and it was becoming more of a usual thing now. However, Shige knew that it was only a matter of time before Ryo would be getting his license back. For a moment, it felt nice to think about walking home alone again, but then another feeling surfaced and he didn’t know what to make of it.
Shige shook the feeling off, but made a mental note of asking Ryo to take him on a drive once his license was reinstated.
~~~
“Hey, wait up!”
Ryo and Shige stopped for a moment to see Koyama running towards them. They had just gotten out of a meeting with their managers about their upcoming releases.
“Wanna go get something to eat on the way home?” he suggested as he caught up with the pair.
“Sure if you want,” Shige answered. Ryo wasn’t so sure about that.
“Let’s go, Ryo-chan. I know you like to head home straight from work, but you need a break too.”
“Going home is his break, Koyama.” Shige said without thinking.
Koyama seemed to have no problem getting past that statement and said, “Well, you need a break from your usual break.”
Ryo knew that there was no getting around Koyama’s logic so he went along with the plan.
They were walking past a few stores when Ryo noticed a Lawson around the corner.
“Have you ever just gone into a Lawson and bought the chicken nuggets you’re always advertising?”
“I’ve done it once, late at night. The clerk didn’t even recognize me.” Shige answered, a little disappointed. Ryo laughed at this, but nearly choked when he heard Koyama’s next suggestion.
“We should all go in there and get some chicken nuggets then!”
Shige busted out laughing and immediately agreed to the idea; he had nothing to lose. A part of him wanted to see how Ryo would react, but a part of him worried that he would suffer the backlash of his sempai. The older Osakan may be shy and worrisome, but he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and unleash the wrath that is Nishikido Ryo when he wanted to.
Koyama, noticing Ryo's uncertainty, assured him that they would just get in, get out, and there was nothing to worry about. Ryo agreed, but made a deal with him that he would go first. And so, they entered Lawson, Koyama leading the way, and bee-lined it to the front counter. Ryo stood with his arms crossed, head lowered, prepared for a rush of screaming fan-girls.
Nothing happened.
The clerk, a young girl with long, flowing hair, and a shy smile, greeted Koyama like she would greet any other customer. He got the steaming chicken nuggets, paid for it, and left without any incident.
Ryo clamped up at the register, but managed to get his point across. He might have come across as being rude as he mumbled a quick 'thank you,' took his food, and walked out as fast as his legs could take him. Koyama was happily eating his chicken nuggets outside while waiting for Ryo to come out of the store.
"That wasn't so bad right, Ryo-chan? Now you can say you've experienced Lawson-"
"Kya~!" came from inside the store.
Ryo noticeably jumped, and then rushed to follow Koyama as he went to see what was going on.
"I'm a huge fan of yours, Kato-san!" The shy clerk suddenly became this bubbly school girl, visibly shaking with excitement at meeting Shige.
"Thank you." Shige bowed, a bit embarrassed, but smiling like a fool.
When he finished the transaction, he walked out with a smug face, particularly directed towards Ryo.
"Don't give me that look," he said crassly.
Koyama patted his best friend and laughed. "Isn't that great, Shige-kun! Now, you can't say you don't have fans."
"I never said I didn't have any fans; I'm just always the least loved."
"Well, now you can't say that either," Koyama continued, totally ignoring the negativity. "I bet Ryo-chan was your good luck charm today, too." Koyama added, with a huge smile.
Ryo brushed the comment off, saying that there's no such thing, yet feeling better about the whole situation.
Damned if Koyama wasn't too cheerful for his own good.
~~~
“Suteji ni agareeeee! Koishite taito iin janai? Hot, hot, hot, unmei ga fever,” Ryo sang in the dressing room. Nobody was really paying attention; Yamapi was looking for his shirt, Massu was eating, Tegoshi was brushing his teeth, and Koyama was packing something into his bag.
They just filmed for an episode of Shounen Club, and had just gotten back stage to unwind and head home early.
“Urusai na**,” Shige jokingly said as he passed by Ryo to grab a towel.
“You have to sing the same line, so don't complain.”
“Mine’s better.”
“How?”
“Because it’s first.”
“Whatever.”
Shige chuckled and headed towards Koyama. “Hey, I think I left my CD at your house…”
Ryo didn’t catch the rest of that conversation, because Yamapi was now standing in front of him.
“Ready?” he asked. He had his car keys in hand and his shades already on.
Ryo glanced over at Shige, who was now shoving something into his bag, and answered, “No, I think I’m set. Thanks though.”
Yamapi pretended not to see that moment of hesitation, and yelled out an “otsukare!*” as he walked out of the room.
“Yamapi, bye bye~” Tegoshi yelled back and then glanced at Ryo. “Eh, you’re not going out with Yamapi and Jin tonight?”
“Too tired.”
Across the room, Shige said something in parting to Koyama, who still had filming with Nakamaru later that day. He said a quick 'see you tomorrow' to Tegoshi and Massu, and then stood by the exit. He had gotten used to the routine of waiting for Ryo by the door, and sure enough, he came trudging along a few moments later.
“Ready?"
“Yep.”
~~~
The End :)
Notes: *Thanks for your hard work today
**That's annoying/shut up
I attempted the remix challenge using 'time.' I was basically drawing out some of the moments from the original story and slowing down time. The title is the number of days there is in 5 years :) I liked the idea of using numbers as a title, so I borrowed that aspect from the original fic as well :)
Word Count: 1,702
Group/Pairing: NEWS; NishiKato
Remix of: twenty-three by natsudive; it was an awesome fic and I hope I did it justice ♥
~~~
The first time (probably not the first time, but it sure felt like it) Ryo and Shige walked home together, Ryo acted paranoid that they would get spotted on the subway together, couldn’t strike up a conversation, and couldn’t keep a steady pace because he was constantly adjusting to Shige’s. Shige was doing the same, which resulted in a rather awkward, stilted, pace-it was just a mess, but they eventually made it to their first stop, Ryo’s apartment. Ryo waved goodbye to Shige, visibly relieved, as he stepped inside.
A few minutes after Ryo had settled into his apartment, he realized he hadn’t properly thanked Shige, so he sent him a text.
Kato-kun,
thanks for walking with me tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow. Otsukaresama-deshita*.
Shige, still walking as he read the text, smiled. “Always straight to the point, Nishikido-kun,” he said aloud. In the back of his mind, he imagined an extra line that wasn’t said, let’s do this again sometime.
~~~
The next time the two walked home together, Ryo admitted that his ride had forgotten him, but then quickly qualified this by saying that the subway was the quicker route home anyway. Shige didn’t say anything in response, merely preparing himself, mentally, to deal with another awkward night walking home with Nishikido Ryo.
They got on and off the subway safely, with no fan sightings or anything out of the ordinary, and they were walking on the street leading to Ryo’s apartment when he noticed someone following them (or so he thought).
“Even if there was someone else around, god forbid other people use the same sidewalk as we do.” Shige flippantly said.
Ryo punched him in the arm. “Are you saying that you think I’m paranoid?”
“Those are your words, not mine.” Shige replied, a smirk on his face, though hidden by the dark.
Ryo took longer to respond than usual, so Shige followed up with another comment. “Look, I know we don’t hang out often, but it’s just walking home. We’re not going to show up in Friday’s latest edition being exposed as secret lovers.”
Ryo nearly choked on his own breath, which caused Shige to burst out laughing, though he tried to stop himself before Ryo had a chance to lash back. It was rather dark, but beneath the streetlights, Shige could tell Ryo was glaring daggers at him.
“Very funny, Shige.” Ryo eventually said. He smiled, not able to hold the pretend-angry look any longer.
“I try.”
~~~
NEWS didn’t quite meet up again until they had a scheduled photo shoot. Ryo showed up quite disheveled and more sleep deprived than usual, and even more so after they finish for the day. So, when Ryo silently started walking towards the door as he saw Shige doing the same, Shige didn’t question it and just said goodbye to the remaining members as they left.
The two hadn’t exchanged a word since getting off of work, and usually Shige would think up something to talk about, but he knew that today was just not a good day. Instead, he took out his camera from inside his schoolbag, and searched for moments, people, buildings that caught his attention.
After taking a few snaps, Shige noticed Ryo staring at him. “Is this bothering you? I mean, I’ll stop-”
“No,” Ryo said quickly, realizing he was staring. “I was just…watching. I don’t know how you can manage to do that after being in front of the camera all day,” he mused.
Shige nodded. “I know what you mean, but this is me behind the camera, it’s quite different and I enjoy it. There’s no popping of flash bulbs, constant chatter of people, or the blazing lights they shine on us; it’s just the quiet shutter taking in the scene.”
Ryo nodded silently as the younger man continued taking pictures, noting just how quiet the camera really was. Their pace soon became steady, matching the sound of shoe on gravel and the ever-so-often clicking of the camera lens.
~~~
For the first time in a month, Shige walked home alone. It seemed like every day of the week, he had been commuting straight to work from school, and if he had recordings with Koyama, their manager would drop them off afterwards. And of course, there were times when Ryo tagged along, and it was becoming more of a usual thing now. However, Shige knew that it was only a matter of time before Ryo would be getting his license back. For a moment, it felt nice to think about walking home alone again, but then another feeling surfaced and he didn’t know what to make of it.
Shige shook the feeling off, but made a mental note of asking Ryo to take him on a drive once his license was reinstated.
~~~
“Hey, wait up!”
Ryo and Shige stopped for a moment to see Koyama running towards them. They had just gotten out of a meeting with their managers about their upcoming releases.
“Wanna go get something to eat on the way home?” he suggested as he caught up with the pair.
“Sure if you want,” Shige answered. Ryo wasn’t so sure about that.
“Let’s go, Ryo-chan. I know you like to head home straight from work, but you need a break too.”
“Going home is his break, Koyama.” Shige said without thinking.
Koyama seemed to have no problem getting past that statement and said, “Well, you need a break from your usual break.”
Ryo knew that there was no getting around Koyama’s logic so he went along with the plan.
They were walking past a few stores when Ryo noticed a Lawson around the corner.
“Have you ever just gone into a Lawson and bought the chicken nuggets you’re always advertising?”
“I’ve done it once, late at night. The clerk didn’t even recognize me.” Shige answered, a little disappointed. Ryo laughed at this, but nearly choked when he heard Koyama’s next suggestion.
“We should all go in there and get some chicken nuggets then!”
Shige busted out laughing and immediately agreed to the idea; he had nothing to lose. A part of him wanted to see how Ryo would react, but a part of him worried that he would suffer the backlash of his sempai. The older Osakan may be shy and worrisome, but he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and unleash the wrath that is Nishikido Ryo when he wanted to.
Koyama, noticing Ryo's uncertainty, assured him that they would just get in, get out, and there was nothing to worry about. Ryo agreed, but made a deal with him that he would go first. And so, they entered Lawson, Koyama leading the way, and bee-lined it to the front counter. Ryo stood with his arms crossed, head lowered, prepared for a rush of screaming fan-girls.
Nothing happened.
The clerk, a young girl with long, flowing hair, and a shy smile, greeted Koyama like she would greet any other customer. He got the steaming chicken nuggets, paid for it, and left without any incident.
Ryo clamped up at the register, but managed to get his point across. He might have come across as being rude as he mumbled a quick 'thank you,' took his food, and walked out as fast as his legs could take him. Koyama was happily eating his chicken nuggets outside while waiting for Ryo to come out of the store.
"That wasn't so bad right, Ryo-chan? Now you can say you've experienced Lawson-"
"Kya~!" came from inside the store.
Ryo noticeably jumped, and then rushed to follow Koyama as he went to see what was going on.
"I'm a huge fan of yours, Kato-san!" The shy clerk suddenly became this bubbly school girl, visibly shaking with excitement at meeting Shige.
"Thank you." Shige bowed, a bit embarrassed, but smiling like a fool.
When he finished the transaction, he walked out with a smug face, particularly directed towards Ryo.
"Don't give me that look," he said crassly.
Koyama patted his best friend and laughed. "Isn't that great, Shige-kun! Now, you can't say you don't have fans."
"I never said I didn't have any fans; I'm just always the least loved."
"Well, now you can't say that either," Koyama continued, totally ignoring the negativity. "I bet Ryo-chan was your good luck charm today, too." Koyama added, with a huge smile.
Ryo brushed the comment off, saying that there's no such thing, yet feeling better about the whole situation.
Damned if Koyama wasn't too cheerful for his own good.
~~~
“Suteji ni agareeeee! Koishite taito iin janai? Hot, hot, hot, unmei ga fever,” Ryo sang in the dressing room. Nobody was really paying attention; Yamapi was looking for his shirt, Massu was eating, Tegoshi was brushing his teeth, and Koyama was packing something into his bag.
They just filmed for an episode of Shounen Club, and had just gotten back stage to unwind and head home early.
“Urusai na**,” Shige jokingly said as he passed by Ryo to grab a towel.
“You have to sing the same line, so don't complain.”
“Mine’s better.”
“How?”
“Because it’s first.”
“Whatever.”
Shige chuckled and headed towards Koyama. “Hey, I think I left my CD at your house…”
Ryo didn’t catch the rest of that conversation, because Yamapi was now standing in front of him.
“Ready?” he asked. He had his car keys in hand and his shades already on.
Ryo glanced over at Shige, who was now shoving something into his bag, and answered, “No, I think I’m set. Thanks though.”
Yamapi pretended not to see that moment of hesitation, and yelled out an “otsukare!*” as he walked out of the room.
“Yamapi, bye bye~” Tegoshi yelled back and then glanced at Ryo. “Eh, you’re not going out with Yamapi and Jin tonight?”
“Too tired.”
Across the room, Shige said something in parting to Koyama, who still had filming with Nakamaru later that day. He said a quick 'see you tomorrow' to Tegoshi and Massu, and then stood by the exit. He had gotten used to the routine of waiting for Ryo by the door, and sure enough, he came trudging along a few moments later.
“Ready?"
“Yep.”
~~~
The End :)
Notes: *Thanks for your hard work today
**That's annoying/shut up
I attempted the remix challenge using 'time.' I was basically drawing out some of the moments from the original story and slowing down time. The title is the number of days there is in 5 years :) I liked the idea of using numbers as a title, so I borrowed that aspect from the original fic as well :)