Work Text:
1. Best Hair
Nino has a smooth hair. Yes, I know that mine is straight, but I don’t play with my hair. I enjoy brushing and drying Nino’s hair, so I can play with it. I once braided his hair when it was long. Maybe I miss braiding my sister’s hair.
My hair is rather stiff, but Nino’s is soft and smooth. He didn’t even apply conditioner. When he put his head on my lap, like now, my fingers will automatically play his hair, twirl it between my fingers or pull it softly. His hair always smells good. We share the same shampoo brand, but I don’t know why Nino’s hair smells better than mine. I love sniffing his pillow when I’m making the bed. The scent lingers even I’ve washed the sheets.
Nino’s hair is the best hair I ever know and-
“Sho-chan, how long till you stop playing with my hair?” Nino looks up to meet my eyes.
“Till I’m satisfied,” I said while playing through his hair.
2. How I Met You
Otsukaresama AU
2013
Sho prepared for his news segment. The AD gave the cue, and he was ready to present his coverage.
“Japan has produced thousands of games since the last decade. Now, as we can see, games are not only for pastime hobbies. It’s the era that we can make a living from playing games. In today’s Ichimen, I will present an interview with the winner of the 1st Puzzles & Dragons Japan Cup and a professional gamer, Ninomiya Kazunari. A professional gamer is a person who plays electronic games, such as video game, PC game, and so on, to get a salary from it. We’ll talk about a life of a professional gamer and how to be a professional gamer. Let’s look at the VTR.”
The VTR showed Sho sitting in a cozy room, waiting for the interviewee to appear. Nino then came in wearing a soft hoodie and jeans to greet him. Sho immediately stood up and bowed.
“Hi, nice to meet you,” Sho held out his hand.
“Nice to meet you,” Nino reached the hand and shook it. Sho then let him sit on the chair across from Sho.
“I’m Sakurai Sho.”
“Ninomiya Kazunari.”
“Congratulations for your winning in the championship.”
“Ah, thank you. I’m honored to meet you.”
“Thank you for coming! Actually, I’m not great with games and not familiar with a gamer’s life. So, I hope I can learn more about it from you.”
“You choose the right mentor. Gamer’s life is fun and I’m sure that you’ll become a gamer after this.”
Sho laughed, “We’ll see!”
-
“What an interesting interview to know more about a professional gamer. He even brought you to his favorite game shop,” Murao-san commented.
“Thank you. Yes, he told me that being a professional gamer is like someone pays him to do his hobby. We can make a living by having gaming skills, but we need other life skills too. With the budding enthusiasm in this job and more tournaments to come, I hope Japan will have more professional gamers. That’s all from Ichimen.” Sho bowed.
2018
“Next in Ichimen, we have Sakurai-caster’s interview with a professional Esports athlete,” Murao-san read the text over the teleprompter.
“Yes, we’re going to talk about how the merge of three Japan Esports associations will affect Japan’s future on Esports. Japan government established Japanese Esports Union, or JeSU, on January 2018 to accommodate and give chances to professional eAthletes and gamers to compete in competitions; expanding our wings not only on the game making industry but also on the national and international game playing competitions.”
“I read Esports will be included in this year’s Asian Games. Is that right?” Ralph-san asked.
“Yes. Japan Esports Team will join the exhibition game in Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games 2018. There are 7 games that will be played during the exhibition, including Puzzles & Dragons. I’ve interviewed Ninomiya Kazunari, one of the Japanese professional Pazudora eAthletes, to know more about Esports opportunity in Japan and his preparation for the exhibition.”
“Sakurai-san has interviewed him a few years ago, right?” Murao-san asked.
“Yes, I interviewed him in 2013. He was the first winner of the 1st and 2nd Puzzles & Dragons Japan Cup in 2013 and 2014. Now, he’s a licensed professional individual gamer for Pazudora, along with other gamers. Let’s look at the VTR.” Sho smiled proudly.
Sho and Nino would never know that their first meeting in 2013 brought them together until today. Five years of being friends, having a discreet romantic relationship later, and will legalize their partnership soon, after Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games 2018 ended.
3. Bad Habit
Sho and Nino were having lunch in the office cafeteria. They were slurping their piping hot ramen.
“Yosh! I’ll clean my room tomorrow,” Sho said.
“Did you mean your dirty room?” Nino teased him.
“Oi! It’s messy, not dirty!”
“Yeah, yeah, so messy that you must shove all the books off of the mattress to sleep, huh?”
“Oi, stop it!” Sho slapped Nino’s arm playfully. “My books are overflowing the shelf and I need to sort it. Maybe I’ll donate the unused ones.”
“Good, then.”
“Or do you wanna adopt my books? I can take a pic of them, you choose, and I’ll give them to you. Then I can donate the rest.”
“Sounds good.”
-
Nino was lying on his stomach while playing Pazudora when Sho video-called him. It was almost dusk. Nino picked up the call with a frown, “Hello?”
“Nino... Help me...” Sho pleaded with a dead tired, drench-in-sweat face.
“Sho-chan? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Nino got up quickly.
“Yes, but...” Sho nodded and switched to the rear camera mode. “Look...” Sho showed his messy room. The floor was full of books, CDs, magazines, piano scores, and other weird things he never knew Sho had. Was that a cat sculpture? The bed was buried in piles of... things. Nino couldn’t see either the floor or the bed. How long has Sho abandoned his room? Where did Sho sleep all this time? Or is it his room? Isn’t it a storage room? “I originally wanted to clean my room, but I found these hidden treasures and felt nostalgic and...”
Nino sighed heavily, “I always knew it would end like this.”
“Help...”
“Wait for me,” Nino grabbed his jacket and his house key.
“Thank you, Nino! You’re my hero! I’ll give 3, no, 5 of my favorite books!”
Nino put on his shoes, “Yeah, yeah. I’ll hang up now. See you in...” Nino glanced at his wall clock, “10 minutes.”
-
They laid on the living room floor, panting. All the donated books were in the box, ready to deliver. Sho’s shelves were tidy, jam-packed with books. Nino changed the bed sheet and blanket. All the piano scores were in a separate folder on another shelf. They tied the old magazines, and they just needed to throw it away.
Sho turned to Nino, “Thank you for your help. And sorry for using your gaming day to help me.”
Nino looked at Sho, “How can I refuse if you show that face? You got me, Sakurai.”
Sho chuckled, “What should we eat for dinner?”
“Delivery food? I don’t have energy to cook. Even breathing makes me tired.”
“Sounds good,” Sho reached his phone to order some food.
“Thanks god it’s Saturday. I still have time to play games tomorrow,” Nino sighed.
4. So Give Me One More Kiss
Sho is an avid fan of lip balms. He always keeps one of it everywhere and uses it religiously. He’ll be restless if he can’t find it in his luggage or his pocket. Somehow, I’m afraid that he’s addicted to lip balm.
We’re in the greenroom now, waiting for the VSA staff to set the next game set. Aiba goes to the toilet, while Riida and Jun go somewhere. The plus one guest is talking with his manager outside. Sho is sitting beside me while reading an article on his phone. Oh, he’s nibbling his lips. Lip balm time. He shoves his hand into his pants pocket, takes the lip balm, opens the lid, and applies it evenly on his already shiny lips.
“Hm? You want it too?” Sho notices that I’m watching him and turns to me.
“Eh? No, no. We shouldn’t share lip balm, right?”
“Yeees, but try it. It tastes so good!” Sho rummages his bag and takes something from it. “Look! I have an extra lip balm! Still new. Here, it’s for you.”
I frown, “Huh? Really? I don’t use lip balm often tho.”
“Come on, just try it. You’ll love it,” Sho grins and gives me the lip balm. Why does this sound like Sho is giving me drug?
I finally open the package and put it on my lips. Eh? It smells and tastes good! “Sho-chan!”
“Now you believe me, right? It tastes that good! That’s why I always buy it.”
An idea comes through my mind, “I know how to make it tastes better.”
Sho’s eyes bulge, “How?”
“Come here,” Sho comes closer innocently and I steal a kiss from him. “Does it taste better?” I smirk.
Sho flusters and touches his lips, “You-”
“Excuse me, the set is ready,” A staff opens the door and informs us to go back to the studio.
Sho, who still flusters, yelps while I reply to the staff, “Okay, I’ll let other know. Thanks,” The staff smiles and bows before walking back to the studio.
We get up from the chair and check our makeup in the mirror. Sho still has the rosy cheek after I stole a kiss minutes ago. What a cute guy. I send a message in Arashi’s group chat about the next game shooting.
“Ni- Nino, let’s go the studio...” Sho says while looking at me from the mirror.
“Okay,” I smile widely. I notice that he gazes at my lips and looks away immediately. So cute. He walks out quickly to hide his blush, make me wanna tease him more. I tug his hand, “Sho-chan,” and steal one more kiss in front of the greenroom door.
“Nino-”
“This tastes a lot better on your lips,” I kiss him once again before opening the door and smirk. “Come on, everyone is waiting for us.”
“Ninooo! You sly!” Sho’s yell and my laugh echo in the empty corridor.
5. Harmony
Just One Look AU
ARASHI here is the same with the real ARASHI but I change ARASHI’s Sho and Nino’s name to be Sakurai Hiroto and Ninomiya Kazuya. Sho-chan and Nino here are Sakurai Sho and Ninomiya Kazunari.
Nino doesn’t have any class until afternoon and he doesn’t wanna spend too much money in the canteen, so he strolls to the choir club room. He opens the door and finds the small but cozy room empty.
“Lucky!”
He puts his backpack on the floor and grabs an acoustic guitar in the corner. He strums it and sits on the floor. He tunes it a bit and plays some random songs. He then plays ARASHI’s latest song, Sketch. It’s their 5th anniversary song. His sister plays that song almost every day, she even has the limited-edition CD of that song. As expected of an avid fan. He likes the song but can’t sing the rap part, so he just plays the guitar part and sings the non-rap part. He can sing the easier rap part from other members tho.
“Sou da motto motto motto... Chikaku ni kite mireba...” he then hears a knock on the door. “Yes?”
The door is opened and Sho peeks from the outside, “Nino?”
“Ah! Sho-chan! Come in!”
“What are you doing?” Sho puts his backpack on the chair near the door.
“Just playing guitar to kill the time before going to the next class. You don’t have a class now?”
“Just done. You play Sketch?” Sho sits next to Nino, who is strumming the guitar.
“Eh? You know this song?”
“My sister is so hype about it. And I find out it’s a wonderful song.”
“Me too. My sister plays it every day. But I can’t sing the rap part, it’s too difficult.”
“I can sing that part! Wanna try?”
“Eh? How?”
“Because I like Hip Hop.”
“I never expected that you like Hip Hop.”
“Because of my good student image?” Sho asked, and Nino chuckles, ”I like Hip Hop since junior high.”
“Then, let’s try from the chorus,” Nino replies, ”Ah, I’m so excited,” Nino stretches his hamburger hands before playing guitar. They turn around so they’re sitting face to face now.
“Play the intro then you sing the normal part, I’ll follow the rap part.”
“Okay. Ready?”
“Yes.”
Nino plays the intro and fast-forwards to the chorus part, “Sou da motto motto motto...”
Sho raps, “Mazu wa ooki na kansha no kotoba wo...”
“Chikaku ini kite mireba...”
“Kiiteru anata mau fukumu doushi yo...”
“Kyou dake wa iin ja nai? Bokura no ai o kanjiru kurai...”
“’Mou ii yo’ Tada orera ni tsuite oide...”
They look at each other in awe and Nino said while playing guitar, “I guess it’s fate that we share the same surname with Hiroto-kun and Ninomiya-kun...” Sho chuckles, then they continue playing the song. This time, Nino replays the intro and Sho sings Hiroto-kun’s rap verse, then Nino follows suit, singing the other part. Their voice overlaps, a neat harmony echoes in the small room.
Suddenly, the choir club leader and vice leader enter the room while clapping their hands. Nino and Sho halt, but grin sheepishly afterward.
“No, no! Keep playing! As expected of our tenor and bass singer. You two will be aces in no time!” The leader said.
The vice leader beams, “Sho-chan’s rap is beautiful! I’m so proud of you two...”
“Stop it, Senpai!” Nino waves the praise off. Sho steals a glance at Nino. Nino turns to Sho and grins happily while making a peace sign with his hand. The sudden attack makes Sho flusters and turns away to hide his blushing face.