BLURRED LINES
Rating: PG-13 to R
Genre: Drama,Angst
Pairings: Akame, PiKame, JinDa & JunDa
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3: The Steadfast Tin Soldier
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One night, during his days of childhood, his mother had read him an unforgettable story. Tucked in his bed, he watched as his mother graciously lifted a large, blue book into her lap. In the front of this said book drawn was a tin soldier with one leg dressed in bright colors, and behind him, a figure to behold, a beautiful dancer made of delicate paper with a golden rose affixed on her dress who appeared to reside in a paper castle. He had grown quite tired of fairy tales and groaned as his mother began to tell the story quaintly.
Fairy tales are usually, easily forgotten. He thought.
Contrary to what he believed though, after his mother was done reading, he lived with that story in his heart. He was so much like the tin soldier, or he would like to think. Lacking one leg; yet stood firmly like his twenty-five other brothers. He was obedient and yielding. He loved unconditionally and loved with a true heart even throughout his lonely journey. The young boy remembers as his mother told him about the brave soldier melted in the stove, being watched by his beloved, he still stood strong.
Whether that love was returned, it truly did not matter. What mattered was that the soldier indeed loved, with his heart made of tin found later in the ashes.
Junnosuke Taguchi was no different from the steadfast tin soldier. Perchance, that was the tragic flaw.
----------------------------------------
It was his favorite book, so it was always kept on the top shelf. It was always there, that big blue book. How could he ever forget? It still looked new, unchanged through the years.
Like his own smile, the soldier’s smile did not seem to waver. He sighed and placed it in a paper bag. The person he wanted to give it to, certainly he wouldn’t mind such plain packing. He knew Ueda long enough to be sure of that.
He flung his back pack over his shoulder and kissed his mother goodbye, as he always did as a child. It was only a 30 minute train ride but it felt like forever, he wanted to see what the older man’s response would be. It was after all, his favorite book.
He walked in quietly the dressing room, seeing Koki and Nakamaru make faces on the large mirror and Tatsuya sitting a corner scribbling something on tissue paper was a common sight. It was just as common as having both Kamenashi and Jin late.
“What are you writing?”
Large eyes looked up to him, quite taken aback. The appointed official leader of KAT-TUN crumpled the said material and stuffed in his pocket, face flushed.
“Nothing. Just some stupid thing.”
Junnosuke laughed a little, he placed his bag on a nearby table and large hands dug inside his bag looked for that book. Once he found it, he lifted it and handed it over to the older man, hands slightly shaking.
It was childish but he couldn’t help but be nervous. He anticipated how Ueda would react. He had thought of it over and over last night. Had he ever heard of this story? Was it too, his favorite? Or maybe, he found it too bittersweet? Taguchi’s mind was racing with a million thoughts.
Admittedly, he was too much like a child. But it wasn’t like it mattered.
“What is this, Junno?”
“My favorite book, the one I told you about before.”
“Oh yes. That book.”
Of course, Ueda didn’t remember, but Junnosuke didn’t mind.
“You can keep it if you want. It’s meant as a gift. Since no one else would bother with it. The only person would be you. I think you’ll like it once you get to read it.”
Surely, someone with such depth as Tatsuya would appreciate something like this, this was what Taguchi always presumed.
“I really don’t think—”
The room stirred then when the door opened with a loud bang. All heads turned to the direction of the noise.
Taguchi didn’t like it whenever Akanishi Jin stormed in the dressing room smelling like cheap beer. He muttered out incoherent phrases and incomprehensible sentences. He laughed with no reason and slumped down on one of the plastic chairs.
Junnosuke found it irritating and painful to look at.
Irritating because everyone else in KAT-TUN had to tolerate such behavior and painful because every now and then, as he stole glances towards Ueda’s direction he could that beautiful face painted with the expression of hurt love.
Was he the only one who noticed? How Ueda Tatsuya, through the course of time had fallen in love with Akanishi, was he the only one who realized this?
Had he been watching the older boy so long that he was the only one who had taken note of the way those eyes would look at Jin? Or perhaps these conclusions existed solely in his mind?
His chest ached; he looked away and tilted his head down as Jin walked clumsily over to him and Ueda dragging a plastic chair with him. Akanishi made fun of Taguchi’s clothes and hair (saying they were shabby and Taguchi needed dire help) before he sat down beside the older man. Tatsuya placed his soft palms on both sides of Jin’s face then proceeded to brush off the hair covering his eyes.
“Why are doing this to yourself? Come on, I’ll take you home. You can’t show yourself looking like this, Jin.”
Ueda stood up and offered himself as support for Akanishi placing the taller man’s arm over his shoulder. Taguchi insisted on helping but Tatsuya brushed it off instead he specifically ordered that if ever anyone asked about Jin that they only mention that the man had called in sick.
The three left could only nod as they simply stared at the two leaving the room discretely. Taguchi ran to the window watching the pair call for a taxi outside the noisy streets.
“Akanishi; that idiot, making trouble for Ueda, it just seems wrong.”
Nakamaru commented emptily, right hand up slightly appearing that he had meant to say goodbye. Koki could only nod in agreement.
By then, the ever present smile on Junnosuke faded away. Only a few minutes did Kazuya entered the dressing room, clearly a mess, scatterbrained and out of breath. He clearly rushed in almost colliding with the chairs.
“Eh? Where are Akanishi and Ueda?”
Nakamaru and Koki stared at each other, silently asking each other what was there to say. They were about to answer in unison when the tallest of them interrupted.
“Jin had to call in sick, he wasn’t feeling very well, so Ueda decided to go and look after him.”
“Really? That’s so nice of Ueda.” The reply came in rather strained.
This tone that Taguchi used, this was the first time anyone in that room had heard it. It was composed of bitter emotion. Kamenashi could only shake his head pretending not to care about Akanishi’s condition and walked over to Nakamaru who was cracking a stupid joke nobody laughed at.
Not even Taguchi.
His eyes were only set on the so-called gift Ueda had left behind. There was always a next time, he supposed.
Koki stretched his arms and sighed, after that, the room made no sound.
“Wow, is this lonely or what?”
----------------------------------------
Author’s Notes: Possibly one of my favorite chapters. I’m not sure if anyone else would like it but I did. I am so weird. Hopefully many of may be particular with the said fairy tale, because it’s one of my favorites. It’s such a beautiful story and quite bittersweet. I saw how nicely it would fit Taguchi and Ueda’s relationship in this fic. And yes, Ueda is the paper doll, which I would later expound on. OMG I must stop before I make my author notes into an essay. *dead* Anyway, thanks for reading! I hoped you liked it! Comments and criticism are appreciated much!
Rating: PG-13 to R
Genre: Drama,Angst
Pairings: Akame, PiKame, JinDa & JunDa
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3: The Steadfast Tin Soldier
----------------------------------------
One night, during his days of childhood, his mother had read him an unforgettable story. Tucked in his bed, he watched as his mother graciously lifted a large, blue book into her lap. In the front of this said book drawn was a tin soldier with one leg dressed in bright colors, and behind him, a figure to behold, a beautiful dancer made of delicate paper with a golden rose affixed on her dress who appeared to reside in a paper castle. He had grown quite tired of fairy tales and groaned as his mother began to tell the story quaintly.
Fairy tales are usually, easily forgotten. He thought.
Contrary to what he believed though, after his mother was done reading, he lived with that story in his heart. He was so much like the tin soldier, or he would like to think. Lacking one leg; yet stood firmly like his twenty-five other brothers. He was obedient and yielding. He loved unconditionally and loved with a true heart even throughout his lonely journey. The young boy remembers as his mother told him about the brave soldier melted in the stove, being watched by his beloved, he still stood strong.
Whether that love was returned, it truly did not matter. What mattered was that the soldier indeed loved, with his heart made of tin found later in the ashes.
Junnosuke Taguchi was no different from the steadfast tin soldier. Perchance, that was the tragic flaw.
----------------------------------------
It was his favorite book, so it was always kept on the top shelf. It was always there, that big blue book. How could he ever forget? It still looked new, unchanged through the years.
Like his own smile, the soldier’s smile did not seem to waver. He sighed and placed it in a paper bag. The person he wanted to give it to, certainly he wouldn’t mind such plain packing. He knew Ueda long enough to be sure of that.
He flung his back pack over his shoulder and kissed his mother goodbye, as he always did as a child. It was only a 30 minute train ride but it felt like forever, he wanted to see what the older man’s response would be. It was after all, his favorite book.
He walked in quietly the dressing room, seeing Koki and Nakamaru make faces on the large mirror and Tatsuya sitting a corner scribbling something on tissue paper was a common sight. It was just as common as having both Kamenashi and Jin late.
“What are you writing?”
Large eyes looked up to him, quite taken aback. The appointed official leader of KAT-TUN crumpled the said material and stuffed in his pocket, face flushed.
“Nothing. Just some stupid thing.”
Junnosuke laughed a little, he placed his bag on a nearby table and large hands dug inside his bag looked for that book. Once he found it, he lifted it and handed it over to the older man, hands slightly shaking.
It was childish but he couldn’t help but be nervous. He anticipated how Ueda would react. He had thought of it over and over last night. Had he ever heard of this story? Was it too, his favorite? Or maybe, he found it too bittersweet? Taguchi’s mind was racing with a million thoughts.
Admittedly, he was too much like a child. But it wasn’t like it mattered.
“What is this, Junno?”
“My favorite book, the one I told you about before.”
“Oh yes. That book.”
Of course, Ueda didn’t remember, but Junnosuke didn’t mind.
“You can keep it if you want. It’s meant as a gift. Since no one else would bother with it. The only person would be you. I think you’ll like it once you get to read it.”
Surely, someone with such depth as Tatsuya would appreciate something like this, this was what Taguchi always presumed.
“I really don’t think—”
The room stirred then when the door opened with a loud bang. All heads turned to the direction of the noise.
Taguchi didn’t like it whenever Akanishi Jin stormed in the dressing room smelling like cheap beer. He muttered out incoherent phrases and incomprehensible sentences. He laughed with no reason and slumped down on one of the plastic chairs.
Junnosuke found it irritating and painful to look at.
Irritating because everyone else in KAT-TUN had to tolerate such behavior and painful because every now and then, as he stole glances towards Ueda’s direction he could that beautiful face painted with the expression of hurt love.
Was he the only one who noticed? How Ueda Tatsuya, through the course of time had fallen in love with Akanishi, was he the only one who realized this?
Had he been watching the older boy so long that he was the only one who had taken note of the way those eyes would look at Jin? Or perhaps these conclusions existed solely in his mind?
His chest ached; he looked away and tilted his head down as Jin walked clumsily over to him and Ueda dragging a plastic chair with him. Akanishi made fun of Taguchi’s clothes and hair (saying they were shabby and Taguchi needed dire help) before he sat down beside the older man. Tatsuya placed his soft palms on both sides of Jin’s face then proceeded to brush off the hair covering his eyes.
“Why are doing this to yourself? Come on, I’ll take you home. You can’t show yourself looking like this, Jin.”
Ueda stood up and offered himself as support for Akanishi placing the taller man’s arm over his shoulder. Taguchi insisted on helping but Tatsuya brushed it off instead he specifically ordered that if ever anyone asked about Jin that they only mention that the man had called in sick.
The three left could only nod as they simply stared at the two leaving the room discretely. Taguchi ran to the window watching the pair call for a taxi outside the noisy streets.
“Akanishi; that idiot, making trouble for Ueda, it just seems wrong.”
Nakamaru commented emptily, right hand up slightly appearing that he had meant to say goodbye. Koki could only nod in agreement.
By then, the ever present smile on Junnosuke faded away. Only a few minutes did Kazuya entered the dressing room, clearly a mess, scatterbrained and out of breath. He clearly rushed in almost colliding with the chairs.
“Eh? Where are Akanishi and Ueda?”
Nakamaru and Koki stared at each other, silently asking each other what was there to say. They were about to answer in unison when the tallest of them interrupted.
“Jin had to call in sick, he wasn’t feeling very well, so Ueda decided to go and look after him.”
“Really? That’s so nice of Ueda.” The reply came in rather strained.
This tone that Taguchi used, this was the first time anyone in that room had heard it. It was composed of bitter emotion. Kamenashi could only shake his head pretending not to care about Akanishi’s condition and walked over to Nakamaru who was cracking a stupid joke nobody laughed at.
Not even Taguchi.
His eyes were only set on the so-called gift Ueda had left behind. There was always a next time, he supposed.
Koki stretched his arms and sighed, after that, the room made no sound.
“Wow, is this lonely or what?”
----------------------------------------
Author’s Notes: Possibly one of my favorite chapters. I’m not sure if anyone else would like it but I did. I am so weird. Hopefully many of may be particular with the said fairy tale, because it’s one of my favorites. It’s such a beautiful story and quite bittersweet. I saw how nicely it would fit Taguchi and Ueda’s relationship in this fic. And yes, Ueda is the paper doll, which I would later expound on. OMG I must stop before I make my author notes into an essay. *dead* Anyway, thanks for reading! I hoped you liked it! Comments and criticism are appreciated much!
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