Videos
Let Go (Sakurai Sho and Utada Hikaru 'duet'): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrxSSqv2ZBI
Arashi meets Clueless: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKKo1rkTuQw
Not too delicate (Sho fanvid): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q78zVI7FTE


Scans

Well, life has been pretty busy lately. But what do you expect; no one ever says that the last year of high school is a breeze :/ 

Anyway, I know that a lot of you guys are waiting for the next installment of WoL, right? right?? I hope so! I've written about half of the next chapter, but...I'm just not feeling it. Like, I know exactly where I'm going with it, and I've already got quite a few future chapters penned. But this one is just draggy. And I am not one to publish a half-hearted chapter ;) So I planning on riding out the stress of the next few weeks, and once I'm past all the formal (um...the equivalent of the senior prom, I guess??) and mid-year exam CRAZY, I'm going to sit down properly in front of my (NEW!!!) computer and get to work. Mmmmkay? Please hang in there all my awesome readers ;o;

And to make the deal sweeter, I've dragged out this video from my vault of half-finished mixvids and fanvids and polished it up...it's a Sho and Hikki 'duet' set to m-flo and yoshika's 'let go'. Awesome song, btw.

So if you feel so inclined, just skip over to YT and give it a whirl! :) 

TTFN

xx

 

Chapter Five: On And On

The moonlight reflected wetly off the pavement, as we stumbled past closed shop fronts and glowing neon signs. The evening air was so hot and so thick, or was that just me? As I tripped for the umpteenth time on a crack in the gum-stained cement, I felt myself slip a little further under the night’s intoxicating ambiance. Sho was beside me somewhere; I had this vague knowledge, and teamed with the physical reassurance of a hand clutching another hand, I felt illogically safe. The moon continued to illuminate the lonely street in its damp light, and when Sho made some stupid joke about nothing, my dizzy giggles didn’t stem from comprehension.

‘I should be worrying about something.’ I thought, preoccupied with throwing my feet forward to match his pace. For some reason I couldn’t exactly remember, my desire had been to pitch common sense out the window today.

‘You’ll regret it.’ My subconscious whispered words of warning, but I disregarded them, instead pulling my companion towards to bright lights and the para-para music of a purikura café.

“Let’s?”

Sho pushed the coins into the slot with his thumb, dropping most of them and huffing impatiently. I looked around the shop, the lights blurring together into a long stroke of pastel colours. The sounds of girly recorded voices and clinking of change made my head swim. I saw out of the corner of my eye a mirror. No, it was a poster of me. Why was I here again? The pastels brightened momentarily, flashing bright and saturated. I waited for a minute, or was it an hour? Honestly, I always had trouble keeping track of time when I got like this.

An arm extended from behind the plastic curtains and dragged me into the machine, lifting my feet off the ground in a great swoop. Of course, I just had to trip on the booth edge on the way, and crashed straight into Sho.

“Hey there stranger.” I smiled sunnily up at him, my inebriated state allowing me to ignore the raging butterflies in my stomach far more effectively than compared to when I was sober. “You saved me from the candy hearts outside.”

“Yeah, I know.” Sho replied easily, drawing out the vowels of each word.

“Now pose for the camera.” He smirked, but the beauty of it was lost in an explosion of white light. I spun to face the lens, striking a dramatic pose, shoving a peace sign into the screen. Sho laughed wildly and thrust his limbs into an idol-esque stance, somehow cool even when he was tilting to one side drunkenly. Flash.

Hurried changing of positions, wide smiles and ridiculous hand signs. Flash.

Scrambling to sit on a bench, trying to fit into the image, our coordination failing. Flash.

An arm here, a leg there, somehow we were swimming in a pool. Flash.

A sudden press of lips to my face; my head was spinning, and I couldn’t breathe. Flash.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded, trying to lean away from his achingly gorgeous face, but the world tipped and instead I had to pull closer, so I didn’t fall. There was some irony in this, I knew, but unfortunately the vodka and midori in my system objected to the process of thinking, and with a resigned groan I gave up completely. Flash.

We tumbled out of the cubicle and lurched towards to next partition. Sho took the lead; my breath was still coming in ragged gasps as the photos came up on the screen. Discard, keep, keep, discard, keep, keep, keep. I wanted to say something, to object to the last two images, but Sho was clapping his hands together in a pleased way at the look of utter shock on my face, followed by the heady smile in the last frame. I flushed with embarrassment, but he didn’t think anything of it so I decided to let it slide. No point bringing my discomfort to his attention.

Stickers and writing, a scrawled hand printing our initials, stamping the date. We laughed ourselves silly at the glitter and cute, and instead chose the bizarre and outlandish settings; suddenly I sporting a moustache and top hat, and Sho was modelling a bonnet and batman mask. As the purikura printed, I leaned my sweaty forehead against the cool metal wall and murmured gently while touching the spot on my cheek his lips had exalted briefly. Eventually, I knew, I would be able to think straight again. Just not for a while.

---

The sky never gets dark in Tokyo; the lights of the city forever stain the velvet heights in murky shades of rainbow. I stuck my head out of the taxi window and let the wind whip some vestiges of sobriety back. The poetry of Tokyo in motion hurt my eyes, but I didn’t dare close them. Not tonight.

After exiting the purikura café, Sho had received a call from one of his band members, inviting him to what, and I quote, “is a seriously awesome party.” I gathered that it was a work function gone wild, and Sho, having admitting guiltily that they were his favourite type of party, invited me to come along.

‘NO!’ My mind had shouted, and my mouth had said, “Sure.”

It was a wonder we made it, but eventually we pulled up in front of an ordinary office building in Shinjuku, and were allowed to breeze into the party without any difficulties. A crowd of TV celebrities filled the hall, and when Sho took my hand and guided me through the throng I didn’t pull away. It was easy to relax here; the music was loud, the lights were dim, and everyone carried themselves with disdainful ease. I felt myself smile at nothing in particular, as we approached a tall beaming man, who opened his arms in recognition and pressed his bare chest against us as a welcoming gesture.

“Sho-chan!” He exclaimed with genuine pleasure, caramel-coloured hair sweeping low over his brow. “You came!”

“Thanks for inviting us Aiba-kun.” Sho said, before pulling another tall man into a ‘guy hug’; the type I could never understand. Clasped hands, three thumps on the back, the signature grin. “Matsujun.” He stated, but slurred on the ‘tsu’ so it became ‘Mathujun.’

‘Mathujun’ frowned at Sho over his glass of Riesling, and said with disapproval, “You’re drunk, aren’t you?”

I watched as Sho smiled innocently and replied “Of course.” As I swung my gaze between the half-familiar faces, the bevy of dewy-skinned beauties standing with us distracted me. The women sipped their cocktails and let out the occasional happy, vacuous burst of laughter, while touching their noses in a conspiratorial way. I smiled uneasily at them, snatching a glass of what I hoped was water off a nearby waiter’s tray. Maybe I was wrong about relaxing after all.

Something thudded heavily in my ears as I saw one woman snake her shimmering arm around Sho’s waist; I couldn’t tell if it was the music or my heart. A raw emotion flared within my chest as I turned my face from the sight, trying to ignore his head swivelling towards hers, and his hands dropping to her silk-clad back. I choked on an unidentifiable reaction and pushed my shoulders up, shrugging away the feelings raging within me. A cool hand brushed against my forearm; I looked up to see cheekbones to slit my wrists on and a pair of mildly concerned eyes. ‘Mathujun’.

“Do need some fresh air?”

He steered me towards a pair of open doors, and walked with me outside. I shivered, so he gave me his jacket, even though my shaking wasn’t from the temperature. The stained sky curved impossibly over my head as I exhaled shakily, gripping my glass until my knuckles whitened. Through all the fog in my brain, I felt the stabbing mixture of hurt, embarrassment, and most of all betrayal. ‘This isn’t right.’ I thought ruefully. I chastised myself again. There was no reason to feel these things; they should be reserved for someone who had a claim on Sho. Not me. Never me.

“It’s Jun, by the way.”

A correction. I stored the name away for later, when I could think enough to care. He began talking slowly, and his voice lulled me into a semblance of tranquillity; I allowed my ears to follow the intonations of his words and numbed myself against the pain. A sip of wine, a supportive smile, and soon I was leaning against the chilly glass window comfortably.

“So, how long have you and Sho been friends for?”

I tried to do an exact calculation, but it was useless. “Oh, a few years. Maybe three?”

Jun nodded, and swirled his glass thoughtfully. “It’s nice to a friend like that, isn’t it?” It was a rhetorical question, so I didn’t answer.

“Somehow,” he continued, “I can sense there’s some unhappiness in you, if you’ll excuse me for being so personal.”

I didn’t say anything, but twisted the tumbler despondently in my hands. He was right, of course. Anyone who was the slightest bit perceptive would have picked that up; liquor always revealed my truest thoughts and feelings. Still, there was no need to go around broadcasting it.

The sound of shattering glass echoed nearby; Jun continued indifferently.

“I can stay out here, if you like. Or I can go back in.” It was a simple question, and I knew he wouldn’t judge me for picking the weak answer.

“I’m sorry. It’s not something that you can just label, y’know? But thanks. For helping me earlier.”

Jun smiled quietly and accepted his jacket from my hands. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t get into any trouble.”

He drifted back into the party, leaving me both reassured and unsettled. I sighed and stood up determinedly, albeit unsteadily. There was no point hiding out here. We were friends, friends, friends. Friends want each other to enjoy themselves, and to be happy. If Mountain Dew could make Sho happy tonight, so be it. It was time I started regaining control of my emotions, and I was starting now.

I feared walking back into the sight of Sho and Dew in a clinch, but thankfully they were still standing with the rest of the group. Heartened, I made my way slowly across the room, waiting for a friendly face to appear. Sure enough, it arrived in the form of a sweet-faced girl who intercepted me at a cluster of richly upholstered couches.

“Hi! I’m Becky.” She smiled excitedly, and asked if she could please, please get an autograph?

“Sure.” I smiled and hoped it looked real, opening my bag to find a pen. However, I was confronted with sheets of purikura and an engraved bracelet. ‘Damn. Forgot to give them to Sho.’ I bit my lip uncertainly. Did I have the mettle to return back to the group? Probably not. Sighing, I shifted them aside and found the pen.

“I’m a really big fan!” the girl said gleefully, as I tried desperately to recall her name for the autograph. Betty? No, it was an English name, but not that. My eyes lifted to the ceiling in thought, but not before I saw a black dress and blue polo detach themselves from a group and head towards the doors. Ouch. What was that? Something banged hard against my ribs, knocking the air out of my lungs. Ouch.

“Utada-san?”

The sweet face helped me to sit; I bent over and clutched at my chest. What was this? Ouch. Make it stop!

“It hurts.” I whispered, leaning towards the kind girl unconsciously. She held my hand and sat down next to me, obviously unsure of what to do. But it was enough; the pain was slowly pushing my brain out of its stupor, and I started thinking again. I became frustrated at myself.

‘Oh my God. Stop being melodramatic.’ I gritted my teeth and sat up.

“Um…are you okay?”

I nodded, convincing both her and myself. How many times had I been asked that question already?

“Sorry. I think I’ve had a bit too much to drink.” I admitted, and she smiled back easily, not leaving the couch. We sat there for a while; I couldn’t tell if we were talking or silent. A languid coil of smoke rose from her lips, she blew it away from me considerately. Would you like one? No thanks, I don’t smoke.

“You’re lucky. I wish I could stop. It’s an addiction.”

I had to laugh at that. “Don’t worry. I’m full of addictions as well.”

‘And they’re worse than yours.’ My mind added mournfully. Becky cocked her head to the side and flicked ash from her cigarette, her multicoloured eyes sparkling in the intimate lighting.

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah.”

She giggled and took a long drag, making it look elegant. “Well, we all do.”

I pushed my fringe back and closed my eyes. “Amen.”

The party swirled on around us; someone had taken over the sound system and was singing, sensational dresses spun around and whipped up the floor. It felt an extract from the Great Gatsby. 

A little while after, or so I thought, two leather jackets approached us and offered us drinks and indecent proposals. No thanks; we’re happy here all the same. Becky winked at their departing backs, and confided to me that she would have taken the offer up if she weren’t already dating someone.

“You?”

I threw my head back against the upholstery and laughed. “Not exactly.”

She shot me a sympathetic gaze and guessed. “Complicated?”

“Messy, complicated, wrong and impossible.” I confessed in a loud whisper.

Becky pursed her lips and ground the cigarette out on the table edge. “He’s married?”

“God no. A friend.”

Oh. She beckoned over two finger bowl sized glasses of champagne. “You really shouldn’t drink anymore, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Excellent.”

---

I awoke to something cold pressing against my cheek.

Struggling to lift a hand towards my face, it took a good five seconds for my brain to catch up with my body. Someone murmured and the chill was removed, instead replaced by warm fingers.

“You awake?”

I groaned and tried to locate the unidentifiable voice. My mouth was blocked up with cotton wool, and my head was pounding. I licked my dry lips carefully, before opening my eyes to a painfully bright light. Oh. I know what this is.

“Yuu?” I asked tentatively, glancing around for her familiar figure. Sure enough, she was sitting on the edge of my bed, an ice pack in one hand, a tray with paracetamol and a glass of water in the other. She put them down carefully on the floor and helped me sit up.

“Jesus Hikki, you look like hell. What on earth did you get up to last night?” I tried to remember, but the throbbing in my temples protested. Oh. This is a hangover, right?

“It certainly is. Do you know what time you called me? Two o’clock in the morning! I had to drive out to the middle of Shinjuku to get you. What happened to shopping with Sho?”

Sho. There was something about that name that caused a wave of emotions to engulf me. What was it? I cursed my temporary amnesia; why couldn’t I remember what happened yesterday?

“Gimme the pills.” I groaned. Thinking could come later, after painkillers and a shower. Yukako sighed and pushed the glass into my hand, telling me that she was going to call my manager and cancel any appointments I had this morning. The mattress lifted as she stood, and I could hear her dialling Madoka’s number. Damn. I took the medicine guiltily, wishing I could think clearly enough to give Yukako a proper explanation. It really wasn’t fair for me to do this to her.

The sunlight continued to stream in through the open curtains, oblivious to my sensitive eyes. I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. A hasty shower, because I’d forgotten to turn the hot water on again. My brain still wasn’t functioning properly; I couldn’t think in full sentences yet, everything was coming out in dot points. Memories of the previous night were also returning to me like disjoined sentences, full of vivid and appalling images; what the hell had I been thinking?

Yukako made scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast, and sat me down with a stern look. “So, spill.”

Where to start? The beginning would be logical, of course. So I told her about the shopping, the dinner and the drinks. I managed to give her a decent recollection of what had happened after dinner, although my descriptions of the party were far more descriptive than factual. I did my best to put it all into chronological order; but when all I could offer was the colour of the room, or the smell of a stranger’s cigarette smoke, it was hard to fit the puzzle together. Yukako nodded patiently, and didn’t criticize me when I admitted sheepishly that I honestly couldn’t tell her what happened after my conversation with Becky.

“Well,” she crossed her legs and grinned wickedly. “It certainly sounds like you had fun.”

I cracked a closed-lip smile. “Maybe, maybe not. It seems like my friend left me high and dry, don’t you think?” I added bitterly. Now that I could process rational thought again, I couldn’t help but feel extremely annoyed at Sho. Sure, okay. I wasn’t allowed to get upset at him leaving with a gorgeous woman for the night. But I was allowed to be incensed at him for totally forgetting about me.

“Jerk.” I scowled darkly.

Yukako laughed at my expression, and picked up her handbag. “Don’t worry. If I know anything about the guy, it’s that he’ll be apologizing soon. Besides, at least one good thing came out of yesterday. You figured out how to deal with your raging lust for him.”

“Hey!”

“I’m serious. Remember; men are never worth it.”

“Yeah yeah. Only fashion is worth it, I know.” I replied, repeating her favourite mantra. Honestly, for Tokyo’s biggest flirt, Yukako didn’t seem to care about men very much at all.

She stroked the back of my head as she left. “And don’t you forget it. I’m late for work, talk to you later.”

I waved lazily at the door, before bringing our plates into the kitchen with a sigh. I hoped she was right. Last night’s crazy events would all be worth it, if my newfound resolution to quash my feelings for Sho worked. I pottered around the house for a while, checking my email and paying bills. I had nothing to do, and it grated on my nerves. Desperate for a distraction, I nearly leaped towards the phone when it rang shrilly.

“Hello?”

“Hey. It’s me.” A quiet voice said on the other side. My heart leapt into a staccato beat, and despite my best efforts I couldn’t control the reaction.

“Oh hi. Decided to call?” I replied snappily, irritated at both him and myself. Sho heaved out an exasperated sigh.

“I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have left you there last night.” His voice was sincere, and I was waiting for the self-justification but it never came. Damn. It was going to be difficult to stay angry with him.

I kneaded my forehead tiredly. “You’re not going to make an excuse?”

He responded forlornly that there wasn’t any. 

“You’re right. There isn’t.” I worried my bottom lip in thought. “I’m really pissed at you, by the way.”

Sho mumbled something in unintelligible, before adding, “I know, and I’m really sorry. It was such a wild night. It wasn’t until third club that I even realised where I was. Kind of an ‘oh shit!’ moment.” He laughed sullenly.

My grip on the phone tightened imperceptibly. “Third club? That’s where you went? Clubbing?”

“Yeah,” he explained. “We basically party hopped the rest of the night. A mutual friend had a group organized in Roppongi…I can’t even remember what the place’s name was. It’s all blurry and jittery, like I spent the night on shake-cam.” Sho groaned, and apologized again. “I haven’t done anything like that for a long time.”

An immense rush of gratitude swept through me. ‘He didn’t do it with Dewy!’ I sang gleefully in my mind, to the tune of some vague television commercial. A riotous bubble of laughter rose unbidden, and I tried my best to compose myself, smothering a grin behind my hand even though no one could see me.

“I hope you had a good time.” I replied diplomatically, and hoped it didn’t sound too sarcastic. Sho grunted in response.

“By the way, you need to pick up your friend’s present. Forgot to return it to you last night.”

“Oh yeah. You wouldn’t be going anywhere in Shiodome today, would you? I have to go to NTV this afternoon.”

“I’m not, sorry. I’ll be in Shibuya most likely.” Just to make sure, I checked my planner. There it was, a lunch interview with Oricon Style. Thank God it wasn’t a photo shoot.

Sho exclaimed when I confirmed it. “Wait! Could you give it to Aiba instead? He’s going to NHK later. He can pass it on to me tomorrow.” He suggested.

I shrugged. “Sure, I guess I could drop it off on the way. He’s the shirtless guy from the party, right?”

“Yeah, he’s got a tendency to lose his shirt after a few drinks. I’ll ask him where he’ll be filming and text it to you.” There was a short pause. “Hey, Hikki? Thanks again for coming out with me yesterday. I had fun.”

My fingers tensed around the phone again. “Me too.” I replied, and meant it. Seeing Sho again yesterday had been tough, but it was a wake up call. I had to get over my juvenile infatuation; there was absolutely no way I was going to lose him as a friend because of it.

“I’ll see you later, then.”

“Okay, bye. Thanks again for helping me out.” I waited until the line dropped before pressing ‘end call’.

Shit. This was going to be harder than I thought.

---

YAY SWIRLY DRUNK WRITING! So fun creating this chapter 8D The funniest thing is, I completely was stuck for song to name this chapter after...then I listened to Hikkis new album and BAM! 'On And On' is totally channeling the feeling I had here :P SO WEIRD, IS THIS BECOMING CANON HAHAHAH *SHOT*

No graphic specifically for this chapter...but here's one I did a few weeks go for the shits and giggles, pardon my language. It's pretty awful, but what do you expect with my photoshop 5 + mouse combination...SOMEDAY, I WILL HAVE CS3 AND A TABLET. CS4 sucks.

EDIT: Youtube disabled my original trailer, but I've sucessfully got them to allow me to re-upload it again!! YAY :)

 Oooookay! Now that the festive season is over, I actually managed to find enough time to finish this chapter! As promised, there's much more Sho in here...

Chapter Four: Infatuation

I was running late.

“Dammit!” I muttered, fighting my way through the crowd at Ueno station. Not for the first time, I silently cursed my case of bad luck. Today’s meeting with Sho had kept me awake most of the previous night, tossing and turning while going through every possible situation. The last few days had been a huge jumbled mess, and although it was deplorable, this completely casual meeting had been blown massively out of proportion within my mind. Every time I thought about seeing him again, my stomach would clench and it was all I could do to continue breathing normally. After dragging myself out of bed, I had left home early to grab lunch, more as a means of distracting myself than out of actual hunger. Of course, my order didn’t come out for ages, by which time I had missed my train, and was late, late, late.

As I stepped onto the escalator, I nervously fingered a strand of my hair. Despite my best efforts, my feelings for Sho had only grown over the last week. What had begun as a simple admittance of attraction on Monday was now approaching the dangerous territory of infatuation. Never before had I experienced such feelings, and if I was honest with myself, their unfamiliarity truly frightened me. I had begun watching Arashi’s TV shows, just to observe the way Sho looked while eating (which I now found oddly alluring), or the stupid ‘sports loser’ image he adopted when attempting physical activities (which I couldn’t help but laugh at). Once, Yukako had barged in on me actually reading one of his magazine interviews. I cringed at the memory.

I had spotted a familiar face staring out of a magazine rack while walking home from a meeting with the record company that evening. I bit my lower lip uncertainly. Wouldn’t it be strange, to buy it? It’s not like I didn’t have photos of us together in real life at home. Besides, I had to put an end to these frivolous desires, before they became worse.
“God, Hikki. You’re worse than a high school girl with a crush.” Nodding determinedly, I walked past the boisterous display.

Five minutes later, I exited the newsagent shamefaced, stuffing the idol magazine into my handbag.

The steam coming off the water was crinkling the magazine’s glossy pages, and absently I traced the contours they formed. Sighing, I allowed my head to hang back onto the tub’s edge dejectedly. I had no idea what to do. The rapid increase in the intensity of my affection for Sho had left me completely lost. It felt like I had no control over my own heart.

The bathroom door banged open so suddenly that I dropped the issue of Duet into the bathwater and let out a frightened squeal. Yukako apologized carelessly, before rummaging through my cupboards.
“Hey, do you have any toothpaste? I’ve run out.”

I huffed indignantly at her intrusion. “Why hello to you too. Don’t mind my current state of nudity or anything. I’ll just continue to sit in here, shall I?”

Looking over briefly, Yukako sniffed and stated flippantly that it “Wasn’t like she hadn’t seen it before.” However, she paused her search and looked back with renewed interest.
“What have you got there?”

Looking down, I realised that my now waterlogged magazine had floated back to the surface. Snatching it away quickly, I tried my best to suppress the panic accompanying my mortified blush. “Nothing.”

Moving quickly, Yukako grabbed the mushy pile of paper out of my grip. As she looked at the cover, her eyes widened perceptibly. “Utada Hikaru! Are you looking at pictures of you-know-who while in the bath?”

My cheeks flushed even brighter red, and I covered my face hastily.
“Of course not!” I mumbled, sounding pitiful to my own ears. Snatching back the Duet, I opened it to a random page. “I was looking at,” I stole a glance at the name, “Tegoshi.”

Yukako pulled a face. “Isn’t he a little young-looking for you?” Nevertheless, she bought the story, and left shortly afterwards.

‘Way too close.’ I thought to myself. If anyone, anyone, knew how often thoughts of Sho occupied my mind, it could be disastrous. Not the least to mention that I myself still had no idea what they all meant. Was this how Yukako felt around the still-anonymous konbini guy? Was this even normal?

Stepping off the escalator, I gladly exited the throng of schoolkids and university students. Saturday classes had just finished, and despite my sunglasses and casual clothing, several people were staring curiously at me as I passed through the barriers. The outside humidity was so thick it felt like the air had liquefied, and I immediately felt myself break into a fine sweat. Grimacing, I reluctantly began jogging towards the corrugated Ameyoko gate that was visible over the walls of suitcases and leather goods. According to the clock above the archway, it was 2:40.

I slowed down as I reached the gate, and looked around in anticipation. Not seeing Sho anywhere, I allowed a wave of disappointment to wash over me. Beneath all my emotional turmoil, I really had been looking forward to seeing him again. I cast a last, hopeful glance around but couldn’t recognise his face among the dawdling passers-bys. I began despondently fumbling through my bag for my phone to call him and apologize, whilst being jostled on all sides by shopping bags and cranky old ladies.

Suddenly, someone was pressed up flush against my back, far too close to be a casual passerby. I stiffened, and tried desperately to remember the self-defence moves I had seen in Miss Congeniality. However, before I even had the chance to recall the first step, a wonderfully familiar, laughing voice was breathing down my neck.

“Boo.”

Instead of relaxing in the knowledge of the person’s identity, my entire body tensed and I felt my all hair stand on end. The contact between our bodies sent electric-like jolts down my spine and through my arms, right into my fingertips. I stood very, very still, trying to calm down. Abruptly, I was spun around to look into Sho’s amused face.
“Hikki, relax. It’s just me.”

‘That’s the whole problem!’ my mind shouted, and I squeezed my eyes shut so he wouldn’t see the clashing emotions in them. Whatever level of rationality I thought I had still retained this morning had disappeared, and his very presence was choking me far more than the humidity. It became irrevocably clear to me that I was definitely more than just attracted to Sho. I didn’t have time to explore the possibilities of this revelation however, because Sho was now asking whether I was all right, and it would do me no good to continue standing still like some bizarre statue.

I opened my eyes and smiled hesitantly. Sho had stepped backwards, and was leaning easily against a stack of fake designer handbags. A trucker cap shadowed his face, and he too was wearing casual clothing; dark blue polo tee, tatty denim shorts and summer sandals.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He began earnestly, but I cut him off.

“No, it’s fine. I just freaked out a bit, that’s all.” Now that there was space between us, I felt more comfortable. My voice wasn’t shaking, thank goodness, and I shook my head to rid the last of my previous thoughts.
‘I’m not going to think about that now.’ I vowed silently, and grinned with newfound confidence.
“Actually, I had been deciding what self-defence attack to launch on you.”

Grinning in relief, Sho quickly re-adopted his playful tone. “Oh really? Well, it’s a good thing you’re incredibly indecisive then. You took so long to recover, I thought you’d suffered a heart attack.”

I pulled a face, before remembering something. “Oh! I’m so sorry for being late!” I paused guiltily. “I figured you would have left already.”

“Nah.” He shrugged good-naturedly. “I knew you’d turn up eventually. I didn’t mind waiting for you since you’re doing me a favour, even though I’m essentially an impatient guy.” He flicked my forehead gently. “Try not to test my patience too often though.”

I felt a swooping sensation where my stomach had previously resided, and it was all I could do to laugh shakily. “Thanks and sorry. I’ll try my best next time.” I received a particularly strong jostle, and took it as a sign to move on. “Should we go?” I suggested, quickly becoming averse to the cramped conditions.

“Yeah.” Sho agreed easily, and we joined the endless shuffle of people. As we proceeded through the bag section, he described his friend to me.
“She’s my old university friend. I wanted to get her a CD or DVD, but I don’t really know what she’s into anymore. It’s been a while since I last saw her,” he admitted. “Basically, she’s not really into fashion. And she’s allergic to most flowers and dairy products.”

I groaned. “So that rules out all the easy presents, right?”
He nodded apologetically. We continued through the preserved food area wordlessly, before I had an idea.
“What about jewellery?”

Sho twisted his gaze away from a display of dried reptilian-looking things. “Do you find that kind of display really off-putting, or is that just me?” he asked seriously, scrunching his nose up in disgust.

Readjusting my bag on my shoulder, I tried to recapture his attention impatiently. “I said, what about jewellery? I know some great stalls where you can get bracelets and stuff engraved.”

He pondered the idea for a while. “Sure, if you don’t think it’s too…y’know…romantic.” He flinched uncomfortably.

I continued on, determined not to lapse into silence again. “I think it should be fine. They have informal pieces there as well.”

Sho looked relieved, and smiled gratefully at me. “Sounds good then. I didn’t want to give her the wrong impression or anything…she’s only a friend.”

An irrational glee filled me with his words. Ashamed, I turned my gaze to the banners and signs hanging above the shop fronts. I had no right to feel happy about Sho being single, because there was no way this asinine infatuation I was currently suffering from would ever eventuate into something. I would rather die than admit to him that I like liked him. They very thought of it made my palms itch, and I felt myself grow tongue-tied.

I quickly strode ahead to the first row of shoes I saw, and began intently examining them while buying time to gather myself. Sho caught up to me a moment later, looking utterly perplexed. His eyes queried me, but I shook my head blindly in response, still unable to form coherent sentences. I turned my attention back to a pair of bright yellow strappy heels, but not before I saw him shaking with laughter. Re-discovering my ability to talk, I bit out a self-defensive question.
“What?”
His response was to begin sniggering loudly, pulling his cap down to hide his face lest someone recognise his laugh. I couldn’t help but smile unwillingly at him, and lightly smacked him with one of the shoes. “What is so funny?”

“I’m sorry,” he broke into hopeless laughter again, and I feigned impatience, crossing my arms and pouting. Settling down slightly, he rubbed his face. “You’ve just been all over the place today. Are you really okay?”

‘What can I say, Sho? I suddenly find you amazingly gorgeous and sexy, and it’s all I can do not to constantly think about you? Yeah, that’ll go down well.’ I snorted scathingly, even though I was half-pleased at how easily I was able to admit it to myself. ‘This is progress.’ I grinned bemusedly.

“Of course I’m fine, baka. I just really like these shoes.” I replied, and half of it was true. The heels really were striking, but as I turned over the price tag, I discovered they were also extravagantly expensive. Sighing, I placed them back on the rack grudgingly. However, Sho picked them up and looked at them contemplatively.

“These really would look great on you.” He murmured thoughtlessly. I gripped the rack tightly, desperately hoping that he wouldn’t notice the way my heart had leaped into my throat at the sound of his low, ardent voice.

“Yeah, well,” I paused breathlessly, “I only brought about ¥20,000. C’mon, let’s go find your friend’s present.” I reached out to return the shoes, but Sho avoided my fingers and looked at the price tag. Shrugging dismissively, he pulled out his wallet. As I gaped in open-mouthed surprise, he calmly counted its contents, before pulling out a handful of notes. Turning to look at me, he met my eyes and grinned adorably.

“Are you going to ask for your size, or not?”

I sputtered with indignation. There was absolutely no way he was spending that much money on me, and I told him so immediately. Unfortunately, he answered by taking a firm grip of my shoulders and steering me towards the seat, where I promptly collapsed, woozy from the sensations his warm, strong hands had had upon my skin. It wasn’t until the saleslady had finished fitting the heels, and Sho was paying, that I realised exactly how foolish I had been this morning to wear a singlet top.

---

I was doing my very best to focus on my dinner, but in reality I was failing miserably.

After buying Sho’s friend’s present, we had both faced each other awkwardly. The whole thing had the feeling of a farewell, but I had been suddenly overwhelmed with a desire to stay in his presence for just a bit longer. I suggested wandering aimlessly, and Sho agreed quickly, on the condition that we had dinner afterwards. I was a bit thrown by that request; of course we had regularly gone to dinner together before I had left for New York. But now…now I honestly wasn’t sure if I would be able to act normally. Already today I had been suffering from habitual swooning each and every time he innocently touched me.

While we had been ‘aimlessly wandering’ my self-confidence had been building up, and by the time we stopped for dinner I felt fairly sure I had created a certain level of tolerance to his company. We had been talking freely and openly, and I had almost, almost forgotten about my feelings for him, leaving them hovering at the edge of my mind.

Of course, all good things have come to an end. As he lead me into an intimately lit restaurant with booths filled with couples, all my previous conviction had quickly crumbled. I could practically hear Yukako shouting triumphantly in my head, ‘A-woohoo! First date!’

So now we were sitting opposite each other, silently eating with a distinctly awkward air around us. As I poked miserably at my grilled eel, Sho’s knee shifted under the table, so our legs were touching. I nearly dropped my chopsticks, and hurriedly shovelled a mouthful of rice into my mouth, preventing myself from saying something entirely embarrassing. ‘I must be truly masochistic.’ I thought blackly.
I heard Sho stop eating his soba, and I managed to hold out a few seconds before swallowing and looking up in defeat. He had taken off his cap, and the dim lighting softened the edges of his face so that I couldn’t decipher what he was thinking. I knew, though, that he was about to tell me. Sure enough, he opened his mouth in preparation, but the waiter chose that very moment to arrive with our drinks. Exhaling in relief, I grabbed mine and took a large swill. Sho raised his eyebrows, but I smiled innocently back.
“How’s your soba?”

“It’s good.” Sho answered simply, not once taking his eyes off mine. I looked back defiantly, daring him to take a guess at what I was thinking. He quirked the corners of his mouth up in amusement, before picking up his chopsticks. He began eating again, but still keeping eye contact. I gulped nervously, suddenly unsure of what he was doing.

As he swallowed slowly, it took all my self-control to stare back at him, and not drop my gaze to watch his throat. If I had found him eating sexy on TV, it was nothing compared to watching him eat in real life.

I reached out to take another swill of my drink, and finished the whole glass. As the waiter appeared with another full replacement, I took another audaciously large gulp, still staring Sho down. He quirked his head to the side, and swallowed another mouthful of noodles, exaggerating the motion. I almost smiled. We were playing a game, I realised.

This time I drank greedily, lifting my chin so he could see my exposed neck. At this, Sho began to choke on his noodles. I couldn’t help it; I began giggling uncontrollably, nearly spitting out my drink. We both dissolved into hopeless laughter, completely oblivious of the stares we were drawing.

“What are you drinking?” Sho managed to choke out between guffaws.

“Melonball. Vodka and midori.” I answered, lifting it up with a wink and finishing the remainder from our earlier challenge.

Sho quickly grabbed my glass and put it down. “Hikki! Are you serious?” He looked at my now empty second glass in consternation. I started giggling again at his dismayed expression, and gestured for another with great flourish. Sho grabbed my hand from the air, but the waiter had already seen me.
“Hey, slow down.”

I closed my eyes, feeling slightly light headed from the combination of alcohol and the feel of his much larger hand encasing mine. Damn. He still hadn’t moved his knee away either. Although I was no lightweight, if he kept grabbing at me like that I wasn’t going to last long at all. The waiter appeared beside us, and placed down a new glass. Sho swiped it out of my grasp immediately, and when I reached again for it stubbornly he grabbed my other hand. I pouted, before grinning cheekily. Another game.

I began sliding down the seat, trying to get closer to it. He prevented this by shifting his legs to block my way. Enjoying this far too much in my increasingly inebriated state, I ducked my head down to seemingly drink. Sho followed suit, until we were having a staring contest over the rim of the glass. Was it just me, or was his face growing closer?

Belatedly, my brain began to process that this possibly was not the best position to be in. It only took a moment for my muscles to react, and I pulled away with such force that Sho was dragged forward over the table. Immediately, he released my wrists and leaned back. We stayed like that for a while, contemplating each other. Then he broke into a triumphant grin.

“I won.”

Flushing with embarrassment, I gritted my teeth in frustration. It was just a game to him, of course. But it had nearly become something more, and I was horrified at my lack of self-control. Perhaps sensing my discomfort, Sho frowned, before taking his beer and chugging it down. I gawked at this unexpected action. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he tilted his glass in cheers. “May as well keep you company, since you’re determined tonight.”

I smiled warmly at his gallantry before lifting my glass in a toast. “To a night that will be remarkable then, even if not memorable.”

He smirked, before clinking our glasses. “Welcome back to Tokyo.”

At that moment, I truly believed that somehow, I really would get over my infatuation. That somehow, everything would turn out all right.

---

Aaaand it's done! Everyone enjoying it so far? MUCHO MUCHO LOVE FOR THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE WHO REVIEW :heart:  :heart: I'm hoping everyone reading likes this story  :)

Started writing chapter 5 last night...we're about to get into the good stuff now  :D  Drama, passion, betrayal etc. etc.  <3

Hope to see you all on the other side! 

Graphic, but nothing fancy this time... :/
(click to view entry to see full graphic...it got cut off D: )