Oretachi no Omoide - Chap 3
Chapter 3: In which answers lead to more questions…
Sho said nothing till the end of the trip. All he saw was Aiba’s confused face when he mentioned the veterinarian thing. Something was really odd… He looked like… like he used to not remembering things…
Aiba tried to start conversation but all he got were a few hmm as an answer nothing more. Sho was not even looking at him, he just stared out the train’s window. Nino always says Aiba can’t read the atmosphere and this is why he always stuck in embarrassing situations. But it was obvious even for him: Sho regretted to spent the evening with Aiba… Aiba turned away his head so the other wasn’t able to see the tears in his eyes.
When they got off the train Sho looked questioningly at Aiba who only stood next to him lowering his head sad.
“You didn’t have to come, you know…” Aiba mumbled.
“What? What do you mean…?” Sho stepped closer to Aiba confused.
“You’re a nice person, but… You don’t have to come if you don’t really want to… It’s not that I’ll be offended or something. Actually, it was really rude of me to ask you out like this; we don’t really know each other!”
Sho’s heart ached seeing Aiba like this. He wanted to hug him to comfort him and cheer him up, but that would be too soon…
“Why are you thinking I don’t want to eat dinner with you?” he asked instead and put his hand on his shoulder to be able to see his face.
“Well… you said nothing during the whole trip… and when I was talking to you, you didn’t pay attention to me…” Aiba sniffled. “ Did I do or say something and now you’re mad at me?... Cause Nino-chan always says I’m annoying and unbearable but… you’re a nice person and want you to be my friend…” Aiba said.
“Gomen, Aiba-chan, I didn’t mean to ignore you, I was just thinking about something” Sho said and smiled at him. “But I want you to be my friend too…”
“Really?” Aiba asked and looked at Sho hopefully.
“Really” the older laughed. “But can we go now? I’m starving…” he said pouting.
“Tadaima!” Aiba cried out when they stepped through the door.
“Is that you, Masaki?” they heard a woman’s voice from inside.
“Hai!” Aiba answered as they walked towards the kitchen. “I brought a friend, I hope it’s okay…” he said stepping in.
Sho almost cried out in surprise when he saw the cooking woman.
“Kaa-chan, he’s my friend, Sho-kun…”
“Hajimemashite, Sakurai Sho desu…” Sho said quickly and bowed.
“Hajimemashite, Tanabe Youko desu” the woman said smiling. “Masaki, go upstairs till the dinner is ready. Yusuke is in his room…” the woman said to her son.
Aiba nodded and gestured Sho to follow him and run up.
“Tadaima, Yusuke!” he cried happily opening a door.
“Okaeri, nii-chan!”
Sho stood in the doorway and watched as a ten years old boy hugging Aiba. They didn’t resemble. Not even a bit…
Sho felt he doesn’t understand anything now; it was like he’s starting to go crazy or fell into a nightmare. He knew nothing but that the woman downstairs in the kitchen is not the woman who he remembered to be Aiba’s mother and that Aiba didn’t have a brother!...
Then Aiba’s voice broke his thoughts.
“Nii-chan brought a friend along; greet him!” he said to his brother and pushed him toward Sho.
“Hajimemashite! Tanabe Yusuke desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!” he said like in school.
“Is there something wrong, Sho-kun?” Aiba asked when they were in his room.
Sho looked around curious. It was obvious that its owner didn’t live here all the time but there were still memo notes on the board over the table or at the wardrobe. They said ‘Winter clothes on the top shelf’ or ‘Yusuke’s next match will be in two weeks’ and such. At an other time Sho might find these funny but now he had a bad feeling seeing these signs of a mother’s over-foresight.
“What?... Oh, no, nothing is wrong… It’s just… I was wondering why you mom and brother have different name from you…” Sho tried to be nonchalant but he was desperate to know the answer.
“Oh! It’s simple. I was adopted… Kaa-chan couldn’t have a child for a long time so they decided to adopt one. Then later Yusuke was born but it didn’t change anything… I mean, they like me as I am their real child…" Aiba told smiling.
“You were adopted? But… what’s with your real parents?” Sho asked dumbfounded.
“I don’t know. I don’t remember a thing about them, just the orphanage so I guess they left me when I was small. At the orphanage they sure know something but I never bother to ask” Aiba shrugged disinterested. “It’s really not important. Now I have a family where they love me and that’s all what matters.”
“But…” Sho started but he couldn’t finish it.
“Nii-chan! Sakurai-kun! Dinner is ready!” Yusuke called them from downstairs.
“Yatta! Come on, Sho-kun, you’ll love it, kaa-chan cooks very well!” Aiba said enthusiastically and they walked downstairs.
“Are? Tou-chan?” Aiba asked when he saw there were only four setting on the table.
“He called earlier to tell me he won’t come home at dinner so it’s just the four of us tonight!” his mother answered smiling.
Aiba nodded and they all sat down.
The dinner passed in good mood. Aiba and Yusuke competed for their mom’s attention to tell her about their day. Sho listened to them chuckling. In this moment you can’t see the ten years age difference between the brothers. Aiba even looked the younger one each time when Yusuke earn Youko-san’s attention Aiba pouted childishly and glared at him.
“Oh, Masaki! Your check up will be the day after tomorrow” Youko-san said once they finished dinner.
“The day after tomorrow. Morning, right?” Aiba asked.
“Yeah, but tou-san will be on a business trip and I’ll have to work too. So can you ask one of your friends to go with you to the hospital?” the woman asked.
“Kaa-chan! I’m a big boy already, I can go alone to the hospital!” Aiba whined.
“Nii-chan is a baby, kaa-chan needs to take him to everywhere but Yusuke is a big boy and can go alone anywhere!” he singsonged mocking.
“I hate you!” Aiba said and pouted again.
“Yusuke! Don’t tease your brother!” Youko-san scolded him. “Masaki, we talked about it a lot already, Yashiki sensei asked you not to go alone too. Why don’t you ask Nino?” she suggested.
“Kaa-chan!” Aiba started to whine again. “I don’t want to go with Nino. He would tease me all the time…”
“I… I can accompany you, if you don’t mind…” Sho suggested, he listened to them in silence till now.
“No… I… you really don’t need to…” Aiba started to protest but his mother was quicker.
“Really? You can do it? It’s really nice of you! He has to be in the Kobayashi Hospital at 9 am.”
“All right, then I’ll pick him up at 8 so he won’t be late” Sho smiled at Youko-san. “But only if it’s okay with you…” he added looking at Aiba.
Aiba felt his face heat up yet he nodded. He only hoped that Sho wouldn’t think after this that he’s a freak…
Sho arrived t Aiba’s apartment way before 8 o’clock. He wondered to wait more or not… But then he decided he would look suspicious standing on the corridor so he rang the bell.
The door was opened almost immediately but not by Aiba…
“Yeah?...” the young man asked.
He was wearing tight black pants with his shirt unbuttoned and his hair was still wet from the morning shower.
“Ehm… I’m looking for Aiba-chan…” Sho said finally after a long pause expecting the man to say there’s no such a person there.
“So…” he opened the door more, signaling Sho to come in then he went inside.
“Ma-chan! Someone is looking for you!” he called loudly and stepped into the kitchen.
Sho followed him to the kitchen, hoping Aiba will be there but the scene there was something that he wasn’t ready…
Aiba’s back was toward the kitchen door, he was wearing only jeans and was busy cooking breakfast. The other man’s hand rested on Aiba’s hip casually as he leant to his side intimately.
“Jun-pon! I can’t cook like this!” Aiba said and chuckled shy.
“How much?” Jun asked but didn’t move at all to give more space to the cook.
“Almost finished…”
“Then I’ll finish it so you can take care of your guest” Jun said and kissed his cheek taking the frying pan from his hands.
“My guest?... Ah, Sho-kun!” Aiba noticed the older man when he turned around. He didn’t look at Sho in the eye and blushed; Sho didn’t know that it’s because he’s embarrassed what Sho saw or what Sho might think after he saw the earlier scene. "Is it eight already? Sorry, I forgot about time… I just change then we can leave…" he blabbed embarrassed.
“Ehm… It’s okay, you don’t have to hurry… Actually, I was too early…” Sho was just as red as Aiba.
Aiba nodded yet fled from the kitchen.
There was silence for a while, only Jun’s cooking’s noise was heard.
“So… you’re Matsumoto Jun… the model…” Sho stated instead of asking.
“Wow! I’m flattered!... You really don’t look like someone who read all those magazines…” Jun mocked. “And you are?” he asked raising a brow and turn to face Sho after he finished the last hotcake.
“Sakurai Sho. I’m… Aiba-chan’s… friend…”
Sho was mad at himself when he realized he wanted to say something which can wipe off that annoying grin from Jun’s face. And this ‘I’m Aiba-chan’s friend’ turned out really lame. And the worst was that the model saw clearly Sho’s jealousy…
“Okay, I’m ready, Sho-kun. We can leave…” Aiba said when he got back to the kitchen, totally oblivious to the silent duel between Jun and Sho. “Ah, Jun-pon, about the hotcakes…” Aiba started but Jun smiled at him sweetly and cut in:
“Yeah, I know, I’ll leave few to you. How could you think I won’t?” Jun asked acting offended by the thought.
“Yeah, I know you always think about me!” Aiba answered happily.
Sho was fed up with this lovey-dovey scene in front of him.
“I’ll wait for you in the car” he said to Aiba and stomped off the apartment.
A/N: yaay! Jun appeared too! I hope now everybody is happy^^ or maybe not because I still can't put all Arashi members into the same chapter... well, I have to try more, right?;)
A/N: don't kill me for this chap cause there's no real answers for Sho-chan...*hides*
Sho said nothing till the end of the trip. All he saw was Aiba’s confused face when he mentioned the veterinarian thing. Something was really odd… He looked like… like he used to not remembering things…
Aiba tried to start conversation but all he got were a few hmm as an answer nothing more. Sho was not even looking at him, he just stared out the train’s window. Nino always says Aiba can’t read the atmosphere and this is why he always stuck in embarrassing situations. But it was obvious even for him: Sho regretted to spent the evening with Aiba… Aiba turned away his head so the other wasn’t able to see the tears in his eyes.
When they got off the train Sho looked questioningly at Aiba who only stood next to him lowering his head sad.
“You didn’t have to come, you know…” Aiba mumbled.
“What? What do you mean…?” Sho stepped closer to Aiba confused.
“You’re a nice person, but… You don’t have to come if you don’t really want to… It’s not that I’ll be offended or something. Actually, it was really rude of me to ask you out like this; we don’t really know each other!”
Sho’s heart ached seeing Aiba like this. He wanted to hug him to comfort him and cheer him up, but that would be too soon…
“Why are you thinking I don’t want to eat dinner with you?” he asked instead and put his hand on his shoulder to be able to see his face.
“Well… you said nothing during the whole trip… and when I was talking to you, you didn’t pay attention to me…” Aiba sniffled. “ Did I do or say something and now you’re mad at me?... Cause Nino-chan always says I’m annoying and unbearable but… you’re a nice person and want you to be my friend…” Aiba said.
“Gomen, Aiba-chan, I didn’t mean to ignore you, I was just thinking about something” Sho said and smiled at him. “But I want you to be my friend too…”
“Really?” Aiba asked and looked at Sho hopefully.
“Really” the older laughed. “But can we go now? I’m starving…” he said pouting.
“Tadaima!” Aiba cried out when they stepped through the door.
“Is that you, Masaki?” they heard a woman’s voice from inside.
“Hai!” Aiba answered as they walked towards the kitchen. “I brought a friend, I hope it’s okay…” he said stepping in.
Sho almost cried out in surprise when he saw the cooking woman.
“Kaa-chan, he’s my friend, Sho-kun…”
“Hajimemashite, Sakurai Sho desu…” Sho said quickly and bowed.
“Hajimemashite, Tanabe Youko desu” the woman said smiling. “Masaki, go upstairs till the dinner is ready. Yusuke is in his room…” the woman said to her son.
Aiba nodded and gestured Sho to follow him and run up.
“Tadaima, Yusuke!” he cried happily opening a door.
“Okaeri, nii-chan!”
Sho stood in the doorway and watched as a ten years old boy hugging Aiba. They didn’t resemble. Not even a bit…
Sho felt he doesn’t understand anything now; it was like he’s starting to go crazy or fell into a nightmare. He knew nothing but that the woman downstairs in the kitchen is not the woman who he remembered to be Aiba’s mother and that Aiba didn’t have a brother!...
Then Aiba’s voice broke his thoughts.
“Nii-chan brought a friend along; greet him!” he said to his brother and pushed him toward Sho.
“Hajimemashite! Tanabe Yusuke desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!” he said like in school.
“Is there something wrong, Sho-kun?” Aiba asked when they were in his room.
Sho looked around curious. It was obvious that its owner didn’t live here all the time but there were still memo notes on the board over the table or at the wardrobe. They said ‘Winter clothes on the top shelf’ or ‘Yusuke’s next match will be in two weeks’ and such. At an other time Sho might find these funny but now he had a bad feeling seeing these signs of a mother’s over-foresight.
“What?... Oh, no, nothing is wrong… It’s just… I was wondering why you mom and brother have different name from you…” Sho tried to be nonchalant but he was desperate to know the answer.
“Oh! It’s simple. I was adopted… Kaa-chan couldn’t have a child for a long time so they decided to adopt one. Then later Yusuke was born but it didn’t change anything… I mean, they like me as I am their real child…" Aiba told smiling.
“You were adopted? But… what’s with your real parents?” Sho asked dumbfounded.
“I don’t know. I don’t remember a thing about them, just the orphanage so I guess they left me when I was small. At the orphanage they sure know something but I never bother to ask” Aiba shrugged disinterested. “It’s really not important. Now I have a family where they love me and that’s all what matters.”
“But…” Sho started but he couldn’t finish it.
“Nii-chan! Sakurai-kun! Dinner is ready!” Yusuke called them from downstairs.
“Yatta! Come on, Sho-kun, you’ll love it, kaa-chan cooks very well!” Aiba said enthusiastically and they walked downstairs.
“Are? Tou-chan?” Aiba asked when he saw there were only four setting on the table.
“He called earlier to tell me he won’t come home at dinner so it’s just the four of us tonight!” his mother answered smiling.
Aiba nodded and they all sat down.
The dinner passed in good mood. Aiba and Yusuke competed for their mom’s attention to tell her about their day. Sho listened to them chuckling. In this moment you can’t see the ten years age difference between the brothers. Aiba even looked the younger one each time when Yusuke earn Youko-san’s attention Aiba pouted childishly and glared at him.
“Oh, Masaki! Your check up will be the day after tomorrow” Youko-san said once they finished dinner.
“The day after tomorrow. Morning, right?” Aiba asked.
“Yeah, but tou-san will be on a business trip and I’ll have to work too. So can you ask one of your friends to go with you to the hospital?” the woman asked.
“Kaa-chan! I’m a big boy already, I can go alone to the hospital!” Aiba whined.
“Nii-chan is a baby, kaa-chan needs to take him to everywhere but Yusuke is a big boy and can go alone anywhere!” he singsonged mocking.
“I hate you!” Aiba said and pouted again.
“Yusuke! Don’t tease your brother!” Youko-san scolded him. “Masaki, we talked about it a lot already, Yashiki sensei asked you not to go alone too. Why don’t you ask Nino?” she suggested.
“Kaa-chan!” Aiba started to whine again. “I don’t want to go with Nino. He would tease me all the time…”
“I… I can accompany you, if you don’t mind…” Sho suggested, he listened to them in silence till now.
“No… I… you really don’t need to…” Aiba started to protest but his mother was quicker.
“Really? You can do it? It’s really nice of you! He has to be in the Kobayashi Hospital at 9 am.”
“All right, then I’ll pick him up at 8 so he won’t be late” Sho smiled at Youko-san. “But only if it’s okay with you…” he added looking at Aiba.
Aiba felt his face heat up yet he nodded. He only hoped that Sho wouldn’t think after this that he’s a freak…
Sho arrived t Aiba’s apartment way before 8 o’clock. He wondered to wait more or not… But then he decided he would look suspicious standing on the corridor so he rang the bell.
The door was opened almost immediately but not by Aiba…
“Yeah?...” the young man asked.
He was wearing tight black pants with his shirt unbuttoned and his hair was still wet from the morning shower.
“Ehm… I’m looking for Aiba-chan…” Sho said finally after a long pause expecting the man to say there’s no such a person there.
“So…” he opened the door more, signaling Sho to come in then he went inside.
“Ma-chan! Someone is looking for you!” he called loudly and stepped into the kitchen.
Sho followed him to the kitchen, hoping Aiba will be there but the scene there was something that he wasn’t ready…
Aiba’s back was toward the kitchen door, he was wearing only jeans and was busy cooking breakfast. The other man’s hand rested on Aiba’s hip casually as he leant to his side intimately.
“Jun-pon! I can’t cook like this!” Aiba said and chuckled shy.
“How much?” Jun asked but didn’t move at all to give more space to the cook.
“Almost finished…”
“Then I’ll finish it so you can take care of your guest” Jun said and kissed his cheek taking the frying pan from his hands.
“My guest?... Ah, Sho-kun!” Aiba noticed the older man when he turned around. He didn’t look at Sho in the eye and blushed; Sho didn’t know that it’s because he’s embarrassed what Sho saw or what Sho might think after he saw the earlier scene. "Is it eight already? Sorry, I forgot about time… I just change then we can leave…" he blabbed embarrassed.
“Ehm… It’s okay, you don’t have to hurry… Actually, I was too early…” Sho was just as red as Aiba.
Aiba nodded yet fled from the kitchen.
There was silence for a while, only Jun’s cooking’s noise was heard.
“So… you’re Matsumoto Jun… the model…” Sho stated instead of asking.
“Wow! I’m flattered!... You really don’t look like someone who read all those magazines…” Jun mocked. “And you are?” he asked raising a brow and turn to face Sho after he finished the last hotcake.
“Sakurai Sho. I’m… Aiba-chan’s… friend…”
Sho was mad at himself when he realized he wanted to say something which can wipe off that annoying grin from Jun’s face. And this ‘I’m Aiba-chan’s friend’ turned out really lame. And the worst was that the model saw clearly Sho’s jealousy…
“Okay, I’m ready, Sho-kun. We can leave…” Aiba said when he got back to the kitchen, totally oblivious to the silent duel between Jun and Sho. “Ah, Jun-pon, about the hotcakes…” Aiba started but Jun smiled at him sweetly and cut in:
“Yeah, I know, I’ll leave few to you. How could you think I won’t?” Jun asked acting offended by the thought.
“Yeah, I know you always think about me!” Aiba answered happily.
Sho was fed up with this lovey-dovey scene in front of him.
“I’ll wait for you in the car” he said to Aiba and stomped off the apartment.
A/N: yaay! Jun appeared too! I hope now everybody is happy^^ or maybe not because I still can't put all Arashi members into the same chapter... well, I have to try more, right?;)
A/N: don't kill me for this chap cause there's no real answers for Sho-chan...*hides*