Title: EVERYBODY'S GOT SOMETHING TO HIDE EXCEPT ME AND MY HONEYStarring: Yamashita Tomohisa and Mao Inoue and A LOT of other famous people
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Love/Comedy
DISCLAIMER: No, I do not own Yamapi (though I wish and pray hard I do) and Mao. I am not whatsoever affiliated with JE either. This is fiction. Look it up in the dictionary.
Chapters:?
CHAPTER 2That night, Yamapi buried himself with homework. Indeed, he had missed a lot of classes and therefore needed to catch up. If there are perks of being a super idol, there are definitely downticks. This was one of those downticks. He was in his room, books spread all over his bed, the TV was on high volume, and his tired eyes hid behind his reading glasses. He had a stressful day, and when he made his way home via train, he sat at the same spot where he and Mao sat. He half hoped to see her again on the train ride home too, but she wasn’t around. Maybe he just liked the idea of having someone to talk to in a dreary, dull train ride. His eyes were about to close when NewS’s RUSS-K commercial came on in loud volume. He jolted up and tousled his already messy hair. He looked up at the TV, chuckled, and thought, “Ryo-chan. Kawaii.” at Ryo’s dancing. He grabbed the remote and switched it off. He haphazardly flipped through the pages of the books and while doing so, his eyelids got heavier and heavier. Just as he was about fall in deep sleep, the phone rang. He bolted upright and grunted in irritation. He lazily reached for the receiver and held it against his ear.
“Hello…” he yawned.
“Yamashita-san?” a man’s voice on the other line said in an urgent tone.
“Yes.”
“Sorry for calling up at this hour. But this was very last minute, you have to be informed immediately.”
“What is it? Did someone in NewS got caught smoking and drinking again?”
“No. It’s about you. You’ve been cast in a drama.”
Yamapi’s eyes dilated as he quickly stood up in surprise.
“Eh?” he cried.
“Originally, you were second choice. But our first choice, he backed out at the last minute, which left s with you. We realize that it’s very sudden, but can you accept our offer?”
Yamapi ran his fingers roughly though his hair and made a face.
“What kind of drama is it?” he asked hesitantly.
“It’s a comedy love story. It will all be explained in the meeting tomorrow.”
“Aren’t you going to ask my manager or agent or representative abou this? Or Johnny? Did you ask him?”
“He was the one who recommended you.”
Jesus Christ. Now I really have to do this, he thought. He already had the band, plus the schoolwork to worry about, and now there’s one more headache.
“What time tomorrow?” he asked gravely, his voice raspy now.
“7 am. TBS building.”
“7am? Nande…so early!” he complained like a kid.
“We’re sorry but that’s the allotted time. Please come on time.”
“Yeah yeah okay.”
“Then, thank you for accepting. Good evening.”
“Yeah.”
He hung up and plunged into his bad, his books crumpling under him. If only someone could tutor me and help me with everything, he thought, misery all over his face.
He woke up earlier than he usually did the following morning. Work, as always, he thought as he got ready. All the way to his car he kept pondering why meetings have to be this early. He was not a morning person, and he definitely was bad at waking up in the mornings. This time he was lucky, but still, he wasn’t a morning person. Though the sun was out and the sky was blue, hinting a very good day, he felt gloomy and cranky, basically opposite the weather.
He entered the building hiding his baggy eyes with his trusty trucker cap, swaggering but sprinting, showing he’s in a hurry. Let’s just get this thing over with, he thought in the elevator. He glanced at his watch. 7:01. Fashionable late as always. He entered the room and a long table of executives and other people greeted him. He bowed and greeted them properly, but without looking at them. He felt a bit embarrassed that they all waited for him.
“Sit here, Yamashita-san.” a man in a suit told him, pulling out an empty armchair from the table. He bowed once more apologetically and sat down. The room smelled of coffee and paper—much like an office.
“Good morning.” Teppei Koike greeted him. Yamapi smiled in surprise and greeted him back.
“Good morning.” another voice greeted him from the right side of the table. He almost fell out of his seat when he found whose voice it was. Mao Inoue. What are the odds, huh.
“Oh. G-good morning!” he stammered in genuine surprise.
Their conversation on the train the day before flashed back in his head and it dawned on him that this was the drama she was talking about. He laughed inwardly, thinking of it as a surprising twist of fate. She was wearing that smile again. The smile that he had seen on the train ride. Kind of like she knew a funny little secret smile. He was so occupied with marveling at the wonder of this all that he didn’t even realize that the meeting had begun. He didn’t realize he had other co-stars either (which he barely knew since the only people he’s first degree friends with was Teppei and Mao). The drama was another TV tie-in of a manga, entitled Mars. he barely listened to the other details . All he knew was that he was going to play the male lead and…
“Mao-chan will play the female lead.” one of the producers said. That got Yamapi out of his stupor. Everyone clapped while he clapped along as she bowed her heads gratefully.
“You two already know each other, ne?” another one of the producers asked.
“Yes, we go to the same university.” Mao replied.
“Good to know. That way, there wont be any tension between you two during the filming.” he remarked with a sort of forced grin.
Let’s hope, Yamapi said in his head. When the meeting ended and after everyone had finished signing papers and greeting each other goodbye, they all filed out of the room. Mao got on the elevator first, and just as it was about to close, Yamapi squeezed himself in, hitting his forehead on the doors in the process.
“Ouch/” he cried.
Mao pushed the open button as he got in safely.
“Are you alright?” she asked him, semi smiling, semi laughing.
“Yeah.” he replied while rubbing his forehead.
“What floor?” she asked.
“Basement parking.” he said and she pushed the button for parking.
“You still didn’t bring your car?” he asked her, still feeling the impact on his head.
“I’m taking a cab this time. To save gas.” she answered.
“If you want I can give you a ride home.” he offered.
Usually he asks this question merely to be polite but this time he actually wanted to take her home (to her home, not his).
“No, it’s okay you might be busy today.” she waved him off.
“No I insist. Really.” he said in a persuasive tone.
The bell jingled and the doors opened to the lobby.
“You sure it’s alright?” she asked, looking hesitant.
“Sure.” he smiled reassuringly and pressed the close button himself.
The moment they stepped out to the parking basement to his car, there was a strange feeling and both of them felt it. The strange thing is that yesterday was the first time they had an actual conversation and now they’re riding in his car together, to her home. Yamapi pushed the automatic lock on his keys and a silver convertible Benz emitted a sound ad its headlights flashed. Kakkoi, Mao thought. They both got in and closed the doors in unison.
“Nice car.” she said, her bulbous eyes glinting.
“Thanks. I think so too. Let’s go.” he said casually as he started the car.
They drove out of the parking basement and bright sunlight greeted them as soon as they revved out in the open. They put on their sunglasses at the same time as if it were rehearsed. Mao loved the breeze and how it blew her hair. Yamapi was so used to it already.
“Do you live with your family?” he asked.
“No.”
“Friend?”
“No.”
“Boyfriend?”
Mao chuckled shyly.
“I live by myself. In a flat.” she replied before he could go on and on.
“Really? You don’t get scared?”
“Sometimes. When there’s a thunderstorm at night.”
He laughed softly as he made a right. He stopped as the traffic light went red.
“Are you having a hard time in school?” he asked, secretly hoping that she was. Misery really does love company.
“No actually. I’m doing great.” Why?” she replied with such a cheerful tone. Very unfortunate for him.
“I am. I’m having a hard time, there’s a lot I need to catch up on. And this new drama isn’t going to make it easier.” he complained.
“Oh…well, if you want I can help you with your studies. I can help you study.” she suggested.
“Eh…? But, you have your own studies to mind, right? Wouldn’t that be too troublesome?” he said, quite surprised by her generosity.
“I’m taking up Chinese. There’s not much to do and it’s quite easy. I can manage to help you.” she answered.
Although this was a very handsome offer, he felt a bit embarrassed. He didn’t mean to disrupt her life by suddenly making her his personal tutor—a tutor that doesn’t get paid for that matter. He looked at her reluctantly and she could sense he had second thoughts.
“But it’s really not necessary. I mean, you might get all entangled with our schoolwork and mine—“ he explained as the light turned green. he stepped on the gas and zoomed forward.
“You do want to catch up don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“And you want to pass the exams.”
“Yes.”
“Then I can help. It’s the least I can do for you for driving me home.”
“Eh?!” Yamapi exclaimed and they both laughed.
“Tell you what. Whoever wins rock-paper-scissors get to decide.” she suggested as if it was the best solution.
“Seriously?” Yamapi laughed.
“Yes!” she said surely.
“Okay, okay, fine.” he surrendered.
They began playing jan-ken-po when the light turned red again and as fate had planned it, Mao won.
“See? I won fair and square so I’ll help you with your studies.” she said in an I-told-you-so tone.
“Alright. In the future, I will look back at how my educational attainment was determined by a rock-paper-scissors game.” he quipped, as she laughed heartily.
When they arrived in front of her building, they exchanged numbers and e-mails.
“So when do we start?” Mao asked as she dialed her number on his phone.
“As soon as possible I suppose.” he replied while he was saving his number on her phone.
They were standing in front of the entrance to the building, attracting attention from all the passers-by.
“What’s that?” he asked curiously, pointing at two small robotic equipment with lenses that hung on top of the entrance door.
“Oh a video and a camera.”
“Two cameras?”
“Yeah. One records and one takes pictures every 10 seconds like the ones in the highways. It’s for surveillance too.”
“So it just keeps on clicking?”
“Yes. Sugoi, ne?”
“Yes.”
They both looked at the clicking camera and waved at it like dorks.
“Quick. Pose.” Yamapi said, and they both did the traditional V signs and stuck out their tongues immaturely. Then they heard another click.
“Sugoi!” he laughed. “Where do the stills go?”
“Security.”
“Oh…embarrassing.”
They laughed and gave back each other’s phones.
“So tomorrow night? Is that okay?’ he asked.
“Yes. Where?”
“Uhm… I’ll pick you up here. Then we’ll find a spot.”
“Oh okay. See you then.”
“Bye.”
“Oh and thanks for the ride.”
“No problem.”
Before they parted ways they posed one last goofy pose for the camera and then went separate ways, as they silently laughed.
--END OF SECOND CHAPTER--
