Crooked Road
Title: Crooked Road
Pairing/Group: NEWS; Gen.
Rating: G
Warnings: Minor angst concerning the break-up of NEWS.
Summary: As Shige’s high school reunion approaches, he looks back at his life and wonders what kind of person he has become.
Note: Originally written and posted for je_ficgames. Team Future; prompt: "I am an elite person."
Shige took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink, there was a nice din. He watched as more people came in, mostly business men getting off late, ties loosened, shoulders slumped, and ready for the day to end. They may not have dinner at home waiting for them (or maybe they did, but it was already cold) and they would sit at the bar too, taking solace and company with others like them.
A tall older man walked in, scanning the room. He was wearing a tie, but it wasn't loosened. He took a seat next to Shige.
"Kei, you're late," Shige said, finishing his first drink and ordering one for the older man.
"Hey you know how shooting can run over schedule."
"Yeah," Shige sighed the reply.
Sensing Shige’s disappointment in not having a particularly busy schedule, Koyama responded, "Hey, be glad you only guest star on variety shows once in awhile; you don't have to deal with the waiting time, and the light adjustments, and the make up, and the--"
"Ok, ok, you’re right, I don’t miss those parts," Shige said, laughing. Both ordered food and continued chatting. "So, how are the wife and kid...s. Wow, I can't believe your second one's on the way."
"Yes! Everyone is great, we are so excited for the new baby to come. Hitomi jokingly mentioned wanting to start a support group for idol's wives and I think she's seriously doing it because she'll need help when the second one comes. They could babysit each other's kids."
Shige snorted before saying, "Are you sure this wasn't your idea first, and then you just convinced her to do it?"
Koyama hit the younger man on the arm, "No! It was her very good idea.”
Shige placed his hand by his forehead gesturing his apology, but started chuckling anyway. "I really miss this, this hanging out and being idiots in public, because lord knows I don't get to do that anymore and I hardly see you guys. Your schedules are just as conflicting as ever,” his voice lowered at the last few words.
Koyama noticed this and knew how Shige took the drastic schedule change the hardest after NEWS broke up in 2015. And that was five years ago. He never really recovered like he wanted or expected to. It was also somewhat a surprise when people still recognized them on the streets, people who ‘used to be fans.’ The recognition was both a blessing and a curse -he knew they could never tour again, at least not in the way he wanted, but he appreciated knowing that they left an impression on some people. Although they both knew that that was a part of the industry life and the luck of the draw, it didn’t make the change any less difficult.
Koyama patted his best friend on the back. "If you have time off from working on your next masterpiece, you should come visit us. What is your next novel about anyways?"
Before Shige had a chance to answer, they heard familiar voices by the door and saw that Massu and Tegoshi had finally made it to the restaurant.
"Hey guys, long time no see!" Tegoshi yelled and gave both Koyama and Shige hugs. Massu did the same. "Sorry, we’re late. Did you wait long?”
“No, no, we were just catching up,” Koyama replied.
Tegoshi mocked gasped, “You mean you don’t text each other every night all raburabu?”
Shige hit him lightly on the arm, “Hey, we’re trying to keep our relationship a secret from his wife, okay?”
They all laughed. “How are things with you guys?" Massu asked, settling in and ordering some food.
"Great! Shige was just about to tell me about his new novel," Koyama replied.
"Still working on it is all it is," he answered, sounding exasperated.
"Cheer up, Shige. Your last one made for a great manga and drama adaptation, so I have faith this will too," Tegoshi replied, patting Shige on the shoulders.
"You watched it?"
"We might not text you as often as Koyama does, but of course we watched it; we watch everyone’s stuff as much as possible. We made that promise a long time ago, didn't we?" Massu looked at everyone expectedly.
They nodded and Shige smiled. Even when they've gotten older, he could always count on Massu to remember small moments like that. Although this would sometimes show up to the fans as random comments, Massu always had a reason or logic in his mind for saying the things he did.
The food came at this time and everyone started eating, sometimes picking off of someone else’s plate.
“How’s the tour going, Tegoshi? Massu?” Koyama asked.
“It’s going amazing, as usual,” Tegoshi replied with a prideful tone.
“Of course it is, and we’ll find that out very soon when we visit, won’t we, Shige?” Koyama said nudging the younger man knowingly.
Shige nodded.
“Shall we announce your presence as the ‘elite idol-novelist-photographer-Kato Shigeaki?’” Tegoshi asked. “Seeing as you’re the only one out of us who moved onto something different.”
Shige thought about that comment and wondered if Tegoshi was only making fun of him for his lack of a clear career path (or maybe it was just unclear in his mind), but then he wondered if all those labels really applied to him. He was about to say something, but Tegoshi had already moved on from that topic. “Hey, my high school class is having its 15th year reunion. Is yours doing the same?”
“Yea, but I don’t know if I’m going to it. You?” In the back of Shige’s mind, he was worried that if he did go, he would have to face everyone’s questions, just like right now, about what he had planned for himself now. He knew he could talk about it openly with these guys, but wasn’t sure how his old high school classmates would be like. A lot of Aoyama Gakuin kids stayed at the university and moved onto greater things like being lawyers and on the ladder to a political position, whereas he wasn’t even using his degree.
Tegoshi’s words pulled Shige out of his thoughts.
“Yea, I think I will go. It’s been a long time and it’s nice to go back to my old haunts, meet up with some of my old soccer friends.”
“We really haven’t aged, have we?” Massu pointed out, seemingly out of the blue.
“What do you mean? Maybe you two haven’t, still touring and acting silly,” Koyama started to say, “But you’re talking about high school reunions and look at me; I’m almost 40!”
“Koyama, you’re 36,” Massu responded, very matter of factly.
“Thanks for pointing that out,” Koyama replied with a bit of snark.
Tegoshi held back a laugh and said, “What I think he meant is that we’re still very much like our ‘old’ selves.
True to form, Massu nodded and let out a laugh, the one that sounded like “ufufufufu,” and everyone crunched over laughing. They really hadn’t changed that much from their 20’s.
They finished dinner after much talking and reminiscing, and it soon became time for the restaurant to close down.
“Well, I have to say this is one of the best ideas you’ve ever had, Koyama,” Tegoshi said.
Koyama looked over at him and pulled him in for a tight hug. “It means a lot to me that we’re still doing this.”
Everyone nodded, not saying anything and yet saying so much. It was the kind of bond that came from years and years of being thrown into crazy situations and learning how to talk to one another; it came from hours after hours of dance practice -until everyone moved as a group; it came from learning how to do hair and make-up for each other, waking up in each other’s sleeping spaces, being woken up by cameras, and days shared in recording studios and photoshoots, being made to do odd things for variety shows. Over the years, despite being a band whose members were pulled from all four directions, they made it through all the changes together. It was unlike any experience out there. It was like a drug that, after awhile, you couldn’t live without. Even if it was just one member you saw for lunch or a song on the radio- your body started to move to the rhythm, the memory layered into your muscles.
As everyone went their separate ways that night, Shige decided that it wasn’t time to head home just yet. As much as he cherished their monthly meetings, being with the members often gave him a lot to ponder afterwards, so he headed to the spot he knew would be calm.
Standing in front of Goucher Memorial Hall at Aoyama Gakuin, Shige breathed in the fresh night air. He had a lot of history at this building, especially with the benches right in front. He spent most days on campus studying with friends, or simply just sitting, watching people pass, and taking pictures. It was from this spot that he decided what his first novel was going to be about.
The trees overhead had given him shade to think, while at the same time, the passing breeze through the leaves would calm his brain from overthinking.
With the reunion coming up, Shige had done a lot of thinking; wondering where his life should be, what kind of expectations he had for it since the day he joined Johnny’s, and where he was going from here on out. He once believed that planning was necessary in life, but the entertainment industry taught him quickly that things were fluid, and that no amount of planning was going to turn out perfectly.
After a few moments looking at the dimly lit hall behind him, and finally taking a seat at the benches, he closed his eyes and thought about all the things he juggled during those college years.
Being in the spot light wasn’t always easy, having to fake smiles, and speak in front of crowds, but he adapted. Now, as he was working more behind the scenes, in writing, in experiencing new things to broaden his imagination, he was trying to balance wanting the hectic idol schedule, yet living with the reality that it wasn’t going to happen the same way as it once did. It would take time for him to learn that there was more to success than necessarily selling x amount of singles or albums or books; he would adapt to this new path and time in his life and find success that was true to himself.
Maybe I am an elite person, he thought to himself. He had truly amazing friends, fans that still cared, and so many possibilities ahead of him. To have the experience of being in a band, all those hours spent dance and vocal training, hours in make-up, dressing in outrageously sparkly clothing, but especially remembering the fans' screams as they dimmed the lights at the start of the concert. For someone who was 6th most loved, he could still say that he was an elite person no matter what his future had in store.
With that in mind, he got out his phone and started typing up some notes for his next masterpiece, as Koyama had called it. Whatever and wherever the story was going to be, it would be an adventure.
Pairing/Group: NEWS; Gen.
Rating: G
Warnings: Minor angst concerning the break-up of NEWS.
Summary: As Shige’s high school reunion approaches, he looks back at his life and wonders what kind of person he has become.
Note: Originally written and posted for je_ficgames. Team Future; prompt: "I am an elite person."
Shige took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink, there was a nice din. He watched as more people came in, mostly business men getting off late, ties loosened, shoulders slumped, and ready for the day to end. They may not have dinner at home waiting for them (or maybe they did, but it was already cold) and they would sit at the bar too, taking solace and company with others like them.
A tall older man walked in, scanning the room. He was wearing a tie, but it wasn't loosened. He took a seat next to Shige.
"Kei, you're late," Shige said, finishing his first drink and ordering one for the older man.
"Hey you know how shooting can run over schedule."
"Yeah," Shige sighed the reply.
Sensing Shige’s disappointment in not having a particularly busy schedule, Koyama responded, "Hey, be glad you only guest star on variety shows once in awhile; you don't have to deal with the waiting time, and the light adjustments, and the make up, and the--"
"Ok, ok, you’re right, I don’t miss those parts," Shige said, laughing. Both ordered food and continued chatting. "So, how are the wife and kid...s. Wow, I can't believe your second one's on the way."
"Yes! Everyone is great, we are so excited for the new baby to come. Hitomi jokingly mentioned wanting to start a support group for idol's wives and I think she's seriously doing it because she'll need help when the second one comes. They could babysit each other's kids."
Shige snorted before saying, "Are you sure this wasn't your idea first, and then you just convinced her to do it?"
Koyama hit the younger man on the arm, "No! It was her very good idea.”
Shige placed his hand by his forehead gesturing his apology, but started chuckling anyway. "I really miss this, this hanging out and being idiots in public, because lord knows I don't get to do that anymore and I hardly see you guys. Your schedules are just as conflicting as ever,” his voice lowered at the last few words.
Koyama noticed this and knew how Shige took the drastic schedule change the hardest after NEWS broke up in 2015. And that was five years ago. He never really recovered like he wanted or expected to. It was also somewhat a surprise when people still recognized them on the streets, people who ‘used to be fans.’ The recognition was both a blessing and a curse -he knew they could never tour again, at least not in the way he wanted, but he appreciated knowing that they left an impression on some people. Although they both knew that that was a part of the industry life and the luck of the draw, it didn’t make the change any less difficult.
Koyama patted his best friend on the back. "If you have time off from working on your next masterpiece, you should come visit us. What is your next novel about anyways?"
Before Shige had a chance to answer, they heard familiar voices by the door and saw that Massu and Tegoshi had finally made it to the restaurant.
"Hey guys, long time no see!" Tegoshi yelled and gave both Koyama and Shige hugs. Massu did the same. "Sorry, we’re late. Did you wait long?”
“No, no, we were just catching up,” Koyama replied.
Tegoshi mocked gasped, “You mean you don’t text each other every night all raburabu?”
Shige hit him lightly on the arm, “Hey, we’re trying to keep our relationship a secret from his wife, okay?”
They all laughed. “How are things with you guys?" Massu asked, settling in and ordering some food.
"Great! Shige was just about to tell me about his new novel," Koyama replied.
"Still working on it is all it is," he answered, sounding exasperated.
"Cheer up, Shige. Your last one made for a great manga and drama adaptation, so I have faith this will too," Tegoshi replied, patting Shige on the shoulders.
"You watched it?"
"We might not text you as often as Koyama does, but of course we watched it; we watch everyone’s stuff as much as possible. We made that promise a long time ago, didn't we?" Massu looked at everyone expectedly.
They nodded and Shige smiled. Even when they've gotten older, he could always count on Massu to remember small moments like that. Although this would sometimes show up to the fans as random comments, Massu always had a reason or logic in his mind for saying the things he did.
The food came at this time and everyone started eating, sometimes picking off of someone else’s plate.
“How’s the tour going, Tegoshi? Massu?” Koyama asked.
“It’s going amazing, as usual,” Tegoshi replied with a prideful tone.
“Of course it is, and we’ll find that out very soon when we visit, won’t we, Shige?” Koyama said nudging the younger man knowingly.
Shige nodded.
“Shall we announce your presence as the ‘elite idol-novelist-photographer-Kato Shigeaki?’” Tegoshi asked. “Seeing as you’re the only one out of us who moved onto something different.”
Shige thought about that comment and wondered if Tegoshi was only making fun of him for his lack of a clear career path (or maybe it was just unclear in his mind), but then he wondered if all those labels really applied to him. He was about to say something, but Tegoshi had already moved on from that topic. “Hey, my high school class is having its 15th year reunion. Is yours doing the same?”
“Yea, but I don’t know if I’m going to it. You?” In the back of Shige’s mind, he was worried that if he did go, he would have to face everyone’s questions, just like right now, about what he had planned for himself now. He knew he could talk about it openly with these guys, but wasn’t sure how his old high school classmates would be like. A lot of Aoyama Gakuin kids stayed at the university and moved onto greater things like being lawyers and on the ladder to a political position, whereas he wasn’t even using his degree.
Tegoshi’s words pulled Shige out of his thoughts.
“Yea, I think I will go. It’s been a long time and it’s nice to go back to my old haunts, meet up with some of my old soccer friends.”
“We really haven’t aged, have we?” Massu pointed out, seemingly out of the blue.
“What do you mean? Maybe you two haven’t, still touring and acting silly,” Koyama started to say, “But you’re talking about high school reunions and look at me; I’m almost 40!”
“Koyama, you’re 36,” Massu responded, very matter of factly.
“Thanks for pointing that out,” Koyama replied with a bit of snark.
Tegoshi held back a laugh and said, “What I think he meant is that we’re still very much like our ‘old’ selves.
True to form, Massu nodded and let out a laugh, the one that sounded like “ufufufufu,” and everyone crunched over laughing. They really hadn’t changed that much from their 20’s.
They finished dinner after much talking and reminiscing, and it soon became time for the restaurant to close down.
“Well, I have to say this is one of the best ideas you’ve ever had, Koyama,” Tegoshi said.
Koyama looked over at him and pulled him in for a tight hug. “It means a lot to me that we’re still doing this.”
Everyone nodded, not saying anything and yet saying so much. It was the kind of bond that came from years and years of being thrown into crazy situations and learning how to talk to one another; it came from hours after hours of dance practice -until everyone moved as a group; it came from learning how to do hair and make-up for each other, waking up in each other’s sleeping spaces, being woken up by cameras, and days shared in recording studios and photoshoots, being made to do odd things for variety shows. Over the years, despite being a band whose members were pulled from all four directions, they made it through all the changes together. It was unlike any experience out there. It was like a drug that, after awhile, you couldn’t live without. Even if it was just one member you saw for lunch or a song on the radio- your body started to move to the rhythm, the memory layered into your muscles.
As everyone went their separate ways that night, Shige decided that it wasn’t time to head home just yet. As much as he cherished their monthly meetings, being with the members often gave him a lot to ponder afterwards, so he headed to the spot he knew would be calm.
Standing in front of Goucher Memorial Hall at Aoyama Gakuin, Shige breathed in the fresh night air. He had a lot of history at this building, especially with the benches right in front. He spent most days on campus studying with friends, or simply just sitting, watching people pass, and taking pictures. It was from this spot that he decided what his first novel was going to be about.
The trees overhead had given him shade to think, while at the same time, the passing breeze through the leaves would calm his brain from overthinking.
With the reunion coming up, Shige had done a lot of thinking; wondering where his life should be, what kind of expectations he had for it since the day he joined Johnny’s, and where he was going from here on out. He once believed that planning was necessary in life, but the entertainment industry taught him quickly that things were fluid, and that no amount of planning was going to turn out perfectly.
After a few moments looking at the dimly lit hall behind him, and finally taking a seat at the benches, he closed his eyes and thought about all the things he juggled during those college years.
Being in the spot light wasn’t always easy, having to fake smiles, and speak in front of crowds, but he adapted. Now, as he was working more behind the scenes, in writing, in experiencing new things to broaden his imagination, he was trying to balance wanting the hectic idol schedule, yet living with the reality that it wasn’t going to happen the same way as it once did. It would take time for him to learn that there was more to success than necessarily selling x amount of singles or albums or books; he would adapt to this new path and time in his life and find success that was true to himself.
Maybe I am an elite person, he thought to himself. He had truly amazing friends, fans that still cared, and so many possibilities ahead of him. To have the experience of being in a band, all those hours spent dance and vocal training, hours in make-up, dressing in outrageously sparkly clothing, but especially remembering the fans' screams as they dimmed the lights at the start of the concert. For someone who was 6th most loved, he could still say that he was an elite person no matter what his future had in store.
With that in mind, he got out his phone and started typing up some notes for his next masterpiece, as Koyama had called it. Whatever and wherever the story was going to be, it would be an adventure.