Title: EVERYBODY’S GOT SOMETHING TO HIDE EXCEPT ME AND MY HONEYStarring: Yamashita Tomohisa and Inoue Mao and A LOT of other famous people
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Love/comedy
Disclaimer: No I don’t own Yamapi (though I wish and pray hard I do) or Mao. I am not whatsoever affiliated with JE either. It’s fiction. Look it up in the dictionary.
Chapters: ?
CHAPTER 8It was another brand new day and it is business as usual for Yamapi. He didn’t sleep in his girlfriend’s house for a change but he was in an uncontrollably good mood when he woke up in his and Akanishi’s shared abode. He had another itinerary with his band, and Mao had to go to school without him, which meant they won’t be seeing each other for a whole day. Nevertheless, Yamapi’s happiness could not be controlled. He checked himself in the mirror and he was smiling from ear to ear. Akanishi, who just woke up and looked utterly hung over, stared at him weirdly. Their morning conversation went like this:
PI: [realizing Akanishi is awake] O~ha~you.
JIN: [sleepy and has a bed head] Did you sleep with a hanger in your mouth? Wipe that smirk off your face.
PI: Nope. I’m just glad I’m alive for another day.
JIN: I got it! You’re back with Keiko. No, wait. With Aoi. Or is it…Gotssan?
PI: Goodness no. [takes out the photo sticker of him and Mao and sticks it on the mirror]
JIN: [squinting his eyes at the photo sticker] Who’s that?
PI: I’ll give you a hint. [Hanazawa Rui tone of voice] Ma~ki~no.
JIN: Heh?! Inoue Mao? You’re sleeping with Inoue Mao?
PI: Why does it always have to be sex with you, I mean I can be in a platonic relationship you know.
JIN: You lucky bastard. I’ve been trying to get respectable and popular actresses today to go out with me but I’m not their type at all! It’s like I’m a magnet to gravure models and singers but I repel actresses. [looks at the photo sticker and points at Mao] Oh she’s cute. And she’s got really nice skin. Wonder what it feels like…
PI: [slaps Akanishi’s hand away from the beloved photo sticker] Okay stop touching it. Yes she is cute and has nice skin. And just for the record, it feels like silk.
JIN: Ne, ne, ne, ne. When you break up with her, I can go after her, right?
PI: [death glare] Just because I’m in a good mood doesn’t mean I can’t hit you right now.
JIN: Heh? But you’re going to break up with her sooner or later, just like always.
PI: I’m never breaking up with her.
JIN: [laughing awkwardly] No seriously, Pi, come on.
PI: I am serious. I’m keeping her. Forever.
JIN: Whoa. This has never happened before. Okay, uhm…how do I explain it to you to make you understand…uhm, you are a superhero. With superpowers. Superheroes are not allowed to get involved with anybody. Superheroes cannot be attached, because those he is attached to, will end up hurt by the enemies. Superheroes cannot love a girl because girl equals weakness. Superheroes have to put the world first before the girl, do you understand the logic here?
PI: I’m. Not. Breaking. Up. With. Her.
JIN: Johnny’s going to kill you.
PI: I don’t care.
JIN: Johnny’s going to break you two apart once he finds out.
PI: He can try.
JIN: I am not comprehending this Is she that great in bed?
PI: Seriously, I am this close to hitting you, you’re ruining my good mood. I’m off to work.
Yamapi left, fuming with agitation. The only reason why he’s so agitated is because Jin was right. Johnny and the company forbid him to date anybody for the mean time, ever since the scandal of him and Goto leaked out. Tabloids printed pictures of them canoodling in public and it stirred anger among his crazy female fans. Because of that, he was forced to break up with her and if that wasn’t painful enough for her, Goto started receiving death threats from random people, and is constantly stalked by mentally unstable fans of him. It also ruined his reputation somehow because he had dated a girl who everyone hated already in the first place. As a super idol, he had to maintain an image—pure, innocent and virginal, yet oozing with sex appeal. People expect Johnny’s Boys to be saints; perfect and hallowed They expect them to be virgins and mama’s boys. Famous, rich, extremely handsome singers who can easily get any girl, are supposed to be virgins? Yamapi thought. Please. Even the youngest juniors have done it already. Being god-like was his job and if his newfound relationship with Mao comes out, he is going to get a mouthful from Johnny, and he might probably even make them break up the way he did when he was Goto. Even before he and Mao decided to date, this has been the plight that’s been bugging him. He decided to call Mao before he gets into his serious “work” mode. He held his phone to his ear while he drove. He was going to yell “Kawaii!” as soon as he heard her voice but to his astonishment, a guy’s voice greeted him.
“Hello?” it said, a manly voice.
Yamapi almost lost control of the wheel.
“Heh? Who’s this?” Yamapi inquired, caught off guard.
“Oh uhm, sorry, Mao-chan went to the bathroom for a while. Can I take a message?”
Yamapi was silent for a few seconds.
“No, just tell her I called. Is this, by any chance, Koichi?”
“Yes.”
“Why’s her phone with you?”
“She left it on the table. She’s coming back, we’re studying.”
“Oh I see. Tell her I called.”
“Okay.”
They both hung up. Yamapi deliberately stomped on the gas pedal in anger but he didn’t exactly know what he was angry about. Normally he never gets crazy jealous over little stuff, but this time it’s different. He has never been this possessive over anyone before.
Mao strode her way back to where she and Koichi sat in the library.
“Yamashita-san called.” Koichi said without delay.
“Oh. You…answered it?”
“Yeah.”
“Did he sound…angry?” she asked worriedly, thinking how Yamapi likes being in a jealous fit.
“No. Why would he be angry?”
“Nothing.”
It didn’t take long for Koichi to realize the obvious.
“Oh I get it. You and him are…” he said, and she just smiled meekly in reply.
Koichi nodded.
“Why did he call? What did he say?”
“I don’t know, he didn’t leave a message.”
“That’s surprising. He should be too busy to call me up.”
“But isn’t that good? He makes time for you.”
Mao laughed a little.
“I guess.” she said, turning slightly pink.
Koichi closed all his books and moved closer to her.
“I have a favor to ask. I’m taking an outside photography class and I was hoping you could be my model.”
“Me? Okay. But what’s the theme?”
“Anything, really. I was thinking of bringing you to my grandmother’s butterfly garden later and take pictures. Is that okay? It’ll b quick.”
“Butterfly garden?”
“Yeah, she breeds butterflies and grows exotic flowers too. She has this big garden full of them, you’ll love it.”
“Sugoi. I’d love to see that.”
“Hai. We’ll meet up later after class then. I’ll take you there.”
“Okay.”
Before Koichi left for his next class, he thanked her deeply. Mao was thinking whether or not she should call Yamapi but she figured he would be busy anyway so she decided to call him later.
“Why isn’t she calling back? That Koichi probably didn’t tell her I called, the jerk.” Yamapi grumbled in the dressing room, making his band members look at him weirdly.
“So? Why don’t you call her again?” Ryo said.
“No. That would be too needy. And pathetic. I’m neither of those.” Yamapi said with an air of arrogance.
“Oh stop it, gimme your phone I’ll dial for you.” Tego said bluntly.
Yamapi looked at him disdainfully.
“I know your tactics, idiot. You’re trying to trick me so you can get her number.” Yamapi said flatly.
The other members guffawed while Tego said “Damn it.” under his breath. Yamapi decided not to call her back (even though he knew he wanted to because he missed her) and preoccupy himself with the TV appearance they were going to do.
It was mid-afternoon when Mao and Koichi met up after their classes.
“Are we taking the train?” Mao asked as they walked out of the building.
“No.” Koichi simply replied and led her to a parked, shiny black motorbike. A Harley one at that.
Mao stood there, gaping at it.
“Kak~koi.” she breathed.
Koichi laughed amusedly and handed her the extra helmet.
“Are you alright riding here?” he asked.
“Yeah of course. I’m kind of scared though. What happened to your car?” she asked, putting on the helmet.
“I still have it, I just like to switch to motorcycles from time to time. Daijoubu, I’ll keep you safe.” he assured, and hopped on his bike. He beckoned her to follow and she did.
“Kyaa sugoi!” she exclaimed as soon as he started it.
“Hold on tight.” he advised, and she held his waist firmly, and felt his athlete abs.
She flinched and yelled a little when they zoomed forward.
Meanwhile, Yamapi, in the studio with his band, was thinking hard and quietly talking to himself.
“She probably doesn’t miss me. Maybe she might not really like me that much. That’s why she hasn’t called back. Oh no. Maybe she’s breaking up with me. How can she break up with me? She can’t break up with me.”
“Oh my god if you don’t stop that I’m breaking up with you.” Ryo said exasperatedly.
“Do you think she likes me?”
“Most probably because you told us a million times that she said the person she likes is you.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot about that.”
Ryo rolled his eyes.
“Ugh, she just wrecks me. Her cuteness just wrecks me. She’s so cute I want to eat her up. And did you see her cute skinny figure? Have you seen her cute petite body? It’s such a killer.” Yamapi babbled like a girl.
“No Pi, I haven’t, because Mao is just a floating head.” Ryo said with heavy sarcasm.
“Do we look good together? Are we the compatible type who would last forever?”
“Yes, Pi you’re a match made in heaven.”
“Yosh. I feel confident now. Ryo-chan’s always there to support me, ne.” Yamapi said cheerfully, patting Ryo, who looked worn out from all his ramblings, on the back.
“I think I’m going to come by her house tonight. Surprise her a bit.” he added as an afterthought.
Going back to Mao and Koichi, they have reached their destination. It wasn’t as far as Mao had expected but it was long ride for her considering that it was close to a rollercoaster ride. She was frightened yet excited the whole time. They both got off the bike, and took off their helmets—no helmet hair whatsoever.
“I think there are two Sadako hand marks on my stomach.” Koichi joked, rubbing the spot where Mao had held him for dear life.
Mao laughed shyly and attempted to punch him on the arm, but she remembered he was not Yamapi. Yamapi, she thought. She remembered she was supposed to call him, so she reached for her phone, but as it turned out, she was out of battery. She swore under her breath. Koichi led her to a sort of pentagon-shaped glass house/ green house. From outside she could already see the myriad of colorful flowers and the little vibrant things fluttering around, which she concluded as butterflies. They walked a stone path towards it, while Koichi took his camera out of its little bag.
“It’s beautiful.” she already said, even though they haven’t entered yet.
“It is. My grandmother should be here.” he said.
He opened the glass door to a paradise of flowers and butterflies. The fragrance automatically hypnotized Mao. She didn’t know where to look first; it was simply a whole different world. Koichi had to take her by the hand because she seemed too dazed to continue walking.
“Grandma?” he called out.
“Hai!” an old woman wearing a huge straw hat and a butterfly net popped in out of nowhere, causing Mao to jump back in surprise.
“There you are.” Koichi said, and hugged the tiny old woman.
“You are getting taller and taller everyday. Oh. Is she your girlfriend?”
“No, no. She’s a friend in my university. We’re here to take pictures.”
The old woman looked at Mao in a loving way.
“Such a pretty face.” she crooned.
“Thank you. I’m Mao.” Mao said politely, bowing appropriately.
“Are you sure you don’t like Koichi?”
“Okay, we have to start now, bye.” Koichi interrupted before the situation got awkward. He pulled Mao away as his grandmother smiled at them.
Mao ogled at the variety of flowers, occasionally stopping to lean in and take a whiff of them. Butterflies fluttered all over the place, and there were more in little containers displayed in an array. Mao tired to catch one that flapped above her head, while Koichi clicked away. She was so photogenic, it was like every capture was a Kodak moment.
The sunlight helped with the effect too, enveloping her like she was a holy apparition.
Between shots he would just pause and look at her a little bit, which isn’t creepy, but it would be something Yamapi would be pissed about.
“Your grandmother is nice. Don’t you want to live her?” she asked, gazing upwards, where butterflies played above her. Click.
“No, I want to live alone for once.”
“So you can bring home girls, huh.” she laughed and looked at him. Another click.
“Nah, I’m not the type.”
Mao looked out the glass windows, where the sunlight came in. It was the kind of dark orange light the sun gave off when the afternoon was about to end. She had her back turned to him. Click.
“That’s refreshing. I rarely know men like that.” she muttered, narrowing her eyes into slits as she stared at the sun. Click.
“Oh, you mean your boyfriend was like that?”
“Yeah, kind of.” she smiled weakly.
“Hey.”
She turned her head to face him. Click.
“Perfect.” he smiled, knowing he got the best shot.
Yamapi has been trying to contact her but her phone was shut off. This made him all jumpy than he already was. Their work was done for the day, and he wanted nothing more than to go and see her, since he hasn’t for the whole day. He hurried himself after everything was done.
When the sun had finally set, Mao and Koichi decided to head back, but not before his grandmother offered them to have tea with her. They had a brief chat over tea, and Mao kept laughing, since the old woman still has some spunk left in her. She told Mao to come back anytime, which thoroughly touched her. She promised she would, since she fell in love with her lavenders. They headed back when the sky was already turning dark. On the way back, she wasn’t so frightened of the ride anymore. She loosened her grip and sat comfortably behind him. She was going to ride a motorcycle in her next drama, so she was grateful she was able to get used to it beforehand. Koichi stopped in front of her building, and she got off, giggling.
“That was better than the last ride.” she said gleefully, taking off the helmet and handing it to him.
“Thank you for today.” he said sincerely.
“Thank you too. I love your grandmother.” she smiled.
He looked at her intently, which sort of gave her a funny feeling—he looked at her the way Yamapi always looked at her.
“I’m going now. Be careful.” she said and was about to leave.
“Wait.” Koichi said.
She turned to him. He reached for something inside his jacket pocket and took her hand.
“Here.” he said, placing a small lavender on her palm, the flower she loved so much.
She beamed at him.
“Koichi-san. Thank you.” she said, meaning it.
“I know this is very sudden, but I think it’s the perfect to time to say it, before the opportunity passes by.” he said, suddenly sounding serious.
She looked at him curiously.
“I like you. I have no intentions whatsoever, because I know that you have someone. But I want you to know that I am probably one of the few who would stand aside and wait. I don’t mean to complicate things by confessing to you, because I still want to be your friend.”
His words seemed to elude her. She felt so taken aback she didn’t know how to react. She didn’t see this coming.
“You…” she faltered, but she couldn’t find the next words.
“Yes I do. But I won’t do anything. I respect your relationship with Yamashita-san and I do wish you two the best. I hope this doesn’t change our friendship.”
“No, of course not.” she finally said.
He smiled.
“When everything doesn’t work out, I’ll be here. I’m going to fall in love with you, even if you don’t have to love me back.” he said, then to her surprise, he kissed her on the cheek. She froze in the moment.
He started his bike, then before she knew it, he whizzed out of sight. For a few staggering moments, she just stood there, her feet planted to the ground. She looked at the lavender flower on her palm and smiled. He was a good guy. And maybe in another world, in another dimension, where Yamapi didn’t exist, she could fall in love with him. But in this lifetime, she was crazy for one guy only. She started walking towards the entrance of her building, holding the lavender in her fist, but almost toppled sideways when she saw Yamapi sitting on the steps to the entrance, looking like he was about to murder someone.
“Pi-chan.” she said in hushed tone. As if she wasn’t surprised by Koichi’s confession already.
He slowly stood up and as he walked towards her she secretly hid the lavender in her pocket. She had to admit she was a bit frightened. She has never seen him look this angry before. She expected him to create an outburst.
“I didn’t know you were coming. You waited for a long time?” she asked.
“Yeah.” he answered quietly, and there, she knew she was supposed to be scared.
She’d rather have him yelling at her.
“You should’ve told me.” she said.
“I tried calling you.”
“I ran out of battery.”
“Where did you two go?”
“He needed me as his subject for his photography class. We went to his grandmother’s green house.”
Yamapi gritted his teeth and flexed his jaw. He was trying to restrain himself.
“I don’t want you being around him anymore.” he said forebodingly.
“What? He’s—“
“I saw everything. From the moment you arrived to the moment he kissed you. I was supposed to kick his ass right then and there but see, I’m a good guy. And I don’t want to do it in front of you. I know he likes you and I don’t trust him one bit. I don’t want you hanging out with him.”
“He has no intentions. He promised he won’t make things complicated, because he knows that I have you.”
“Bullshit. We are complicated enough as it is. I am trying to keep this thing between us intact because sooner or later, everyone’s going to be saying ‘Break up with her! Before things get worse!’ and it’s killing me because I don’t want to break up with you and now, a third party comes in, and you expect me not to worry? He will tear us apart.”
“No. Your anger and jealousy will tear us apart.” she retorted.
“You just don’t understand, do you?”
“No I don’t understand. I can’t understand why you don’t trust me. I don’t understand why you make me feel like I’ve done something wrong. I don’t understand why you can’t understand that I—“
At this point she pressed her index finger on his chest and started crying.
“—want to make this work too, you’re not the only one who’s worried because believe it or not, I love you, and not even Koichi-san or Johnny-san or your past girlfriends or the whole world can change that fact.” she cried, hot tears rolling down her cheeks.
Yamapi sighed, and hugged her head.
“Don’t cry, I hate it when you cry.” he said inaudibly, feeling pained again from seeing her tears.
“Are you still mad?” she whimpered, her voice muffled by his shirt.
“No. I can never stay mad at you.” he said soothingly and wiped her tears.
“You were scary” she sniffed.
“Gomen ne.” he said, and attempted to kiss her cheek but then moved to her forehead.
“I don’t want to kiss you there anymore, he kissed you there.” he said jokingly.
“You’re not going to beat him up, are you?”
“No. I can’t blame him for liking you. But if he tries anything, I won’t hold back.”
She lightly slapped his face.
“Did you mean that? You really love me?” he smiled.
Mao frowned.
“Say it again.” he said.
“No. Go home.”
“Huh? I came here to see you and you send me away? Come on, just whisper it to me.”
“No.”
Mao went inside and he followed her all the way upstairs. He was planning on spending the night again there, but she wouldn’t let him unless he stopped asking her to say it again. He stopped then. He spent the night beside wanting to hear the words again, but even if she was reluctant to say it again, he was happy. The climactic evening ended good, even though nothing happened between them that night (again, yes, I know, let’s keep this PG-13 first).
He walked out of the building the next morning feeling once again giddy. They had a fight, but made up in the end, and even found out that his girlfriend actually loved him. That was enough for him, and the happiness it gave him couldn’t be taken away. Nearby the building, a car was parked, and in it were two unknown men, who took photographs of idols for a living. They were on standby since last night, ever since Yamapi went in with Mao, and now as Yamapi exited the building after having spent the night, the photographers took a good photo of him, just as they did the night before.
