Forget Me Not (Chapter 2)
Sep. 1st, 2015 10:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dollmasterleeDaisuke hurried past the club goers towards the nearest exit. The cold winter air hit his face upon getting outside but he didn't care. He immediately tapped "accept call" once he deemed the noise coming from the club bearable.
"Mao! Sorry for not answering immediately... I was with friends."
Mao sounded alarmed over the phone,
"Gomen ne... I will just call later..."
"No! I mean, it's okay..." Daisuke chuckled, his excitement and nerves mixing upon hearing his beloved's voice.
"Are you in a club? I can hear music..."
"Ahh yeah, with my friends from university."
"Oh..."
"It's really fine Mao." Daisuke is grinning like an idiot again. "Why did you call, anyway? Did something bad happen? Are you okay?"
"Umm yes I'm okay... demo... Daichan..."
"What is it Mao?" Daisuke can't help but worry. Mao's voice seems agitated.
"I called my parents to tell them about my plan..."
"Oh... and?"
"Daichan... Gomenasai, I can't go home for the holidays after all..."
Daisuke's grip on his phone tightened and he felt his knees getting wobbly. He reached for the nearest wall and let his back lean on it. "W-why?"
"My parents has been planning on coming here for Christmas. They have everything planned already and their flight is booked for tomorrow. I'm sorry, I didn't expect that they'd plan to spend the holidays here."
Daisuke blinked back the tears that has started to form in his eyes. "D-don't worry about it Mao. You should spend your vacation with y-your family. I'm sure they miss you a lot and I know you miss them too."
"Daichan..."
"Ano... M-my friends are getting crazier. I-I have to go back now. I'll call you later."
"Daichan-"
"Bye, Mao..." and with that, Daisuke hit the end button. He felt hot tears on his cheeks and he furiously wiped them off using his palms.
If the world were ending today, he wouldn't care. Hell, if the ground opens and eats him up, he will just let it happen. The pain in his heart is like tearing everything in him apart. How could he be so fucking pathetic? he thought. So, this is what being dumped feels like. Worthless.
Something changed. Aiko is sure something in Daisuke's aura changed since he returned from accepting that call. He is now downing on his third bottle of beer and is strangely noisy. He laughs at his friends' stories louder than usual which is saying something since he normally laughs loudly. He also laughs even though the conversation is serious.
"What is that call all about?" Aiko thought as she stared at Daisuke now drinking his 5th. Her eyes turned into saucers as she realized he isn't drinking beer anymore but whiskey.
"Takeru! Stop him!" She ordered her friend.
"Why? He's having fun."
"No! He's not supposed to drink, remember? " She faced Daisuke, "Stop drinking already!"
Daisuke just laughed, "You sound like my mother. And I'm a strong drinker. Stronger than Mao~. Huh. Mao~ He drinks beer like its water. How could he do that with such a thin body?" Daisuke hiccupped and laughed again.
Aiko couldn't do anything but just stare at him. He just inserted Hamao's name like it's a part of anything he should talk about. And the way he says his name- it hurts Aiko more than she could ever admit.
An hour later, Ken and two other friends already said their goodbyes muttering something about "Wife is calling" " She won't open the door if I'm not home by 12."
Only four men are left plus Aiko who decided to stay to drive Daisuke home later.
When she returned from the powder room though, Daisuke is nowhere to be found.
"Takeru! Where did Daichan go?" She shook the shoulders of the half-asleep man.
"Dunno..."
"Aghhhh! You're useless..." feeling a sense of dread, she continued looking around the bar/club but she still couldn't find him.
She decided to ask one of the waiters near the exit.
"Did you see one of my friends? I keep on looking for him but I can't find him."
"What does he look like?"
"Tall. Wearing black coat and black leather boots. And he has a quite long hair but tied in a pony tail."
"Ah! The actor..."
It is during times like this that Aiko is thankful for Daisuke's popularity.
"Where did he go?"
"I saw him leaving more or less 10 minutes ago."
Ten minutes?! When I went to the toilet, Aiko thought.
She immediately dashed outside. Daisuke is drunk. He can't leave that fast.
She ran towards the parking area and stopped dead on her tracks when she saw that Daisuke's car is also nowhere to be found.
Daisuke blinked his haze away but his blurry sight is getting worse.
"Damn, I just need to go to the airport." He muttered under his breath. "I'll go propose to him in New York then kidnap and force him to marry me in one of those cute chapels. He'd be so shocked upon seeing me in his doorstep that he would be really defenseless." He smiled bitterly, the haunting emptiness in his heart gradually pervading his heart.
"Would he hate me too much if I begged?"
His grip on the steering wheel is getting careless though and he couldn't see outside his car well. It started snowing heavily again today so the chill is reaching him even through his car.
Speaking of proposal, where did he hide the ring again?
His left hand searched his pockets until he felt the something solid inside the left front pocket of his pants. Unfortunately, it slipped out of his hands while he was taking it out, falling silently near his boots.
Holding the steering wheel with his right hand, Daisuke reached for it but was disappointed when he realized it was just a packet of gum.
Suddenly, an intense light coming opposite his car which seemed to blind him and the sound of beeping horns made him realize he is about to collide with another vehicle. Reflexively, he tried to avoid the collision, maneuvering his car towards the left side. Eternity seemed to pass until there was a loud thud and he could almost see with his own eyes the overturning of his car. He felt numb all over. He could hear screams and voices from a distance though. The voices seemed to come nearer then suddenly grow fainter.
Mao...
He swore he could hear his Mao's sweet voice...
He tried to reach out but he felt himself losing consciousness. Feeling tired and sleepy, he was immediately met with total darkness- its silence welcoming and enveloping his body completely.
The sound of the falling glass on his carpeted living room snapped Mao out of his thoughts. He glanced towards the window while picking the glass up.
Strange... he thought he heard someone call his name. It was too distant though that he wasn't able to make out the voice.
He stepped into his small kitchen, reaching for the fridge to get a carton of milk.
It's almost 1 am in the morning but he still couldn't sleep. After the phone call with Daichan, he felt restless and worried. Daichan sounded... different. He's used to being scolded by the older guy but the usual accusing tone isn't present during their talk. He actually expected to hear Daichan's disappointment so he already prepared his apology speech but his friend's reaction was... again, unusual. It's like he was too busy to even care.
Yeah, well, he was in a night club after all...
Mao sighed dejectedly, downing on a full glass of milk. He was really looking forward to seeing Daichan again but he just didn't have the heart to object his excited mother.
And anyway, looks like Daichan is fine without him.
He, on the other hand, is despondent. Living alone in a foreign land is totally depressing. He doesn't have friends at the design school he is attending. At first, some girls and well, gays ( they make up almost 50 % of the school's population) tried to chat him up but because of his poor English skills they gave up after a while.
He was used to getting by on his own anyway but thoughts of his hometown, of his cat Roku and of his dear friends keep popping on his mind.
And he is trying his best to avoid thinking about Daichan most of all. It's bad enough that he often dreams dirty fantasies of him, waking up sweating and painfully hard in the middle of the night.
How he ended up like this, he couldn't comprehend. It's like one day, he just realized how fast his heart beats when the older guy is around. Although looking back, it was more or less during the filming of their last Takumi Kun series. He kept it a secret, fearing that he would lose his career and the person he cares for the most once it's laid open.
He got by hiding this tragic secret for almost 3 years. He would be fine. He can't let Daichan know how empty he feels now that he can't see his face nor hear his infectious laughter.
Daichan would surely laugh at him and tease him mercilessly if he finds out that his little brother is secretly crushing on him.
Mao gingerly went back to his leather sofa. He picked the comforter that has fallen on the floor. He should force himself to sleep so he would have energy to pick his parents and his older brother up in the airport tomorrow.
"Um... excuse me, Miss-"
The voice of a nurse hovering in front of Aiko seemed to pull her off her slumber. She looked up to meet the sincerely worried face of the nurse. She can't blame her for worrying though, her eyes are probably too swollen from crying overnight.
"You're the fiancee of Watanabe-san, aren't you?"
"H-hai." Last night, when Daisuke was transported to the hospital, she had to lie about her relationship with him. It was the only way they'd allow her to stay with him.
Thoughts about that night flashed thru her eyes. After realizing that Daisuke drove away, she rode her own car at once to follow him. The dread she was feeling materialized in front of her very own eyes. Daisuke's car was overturned on the left side of the highway, with another car stopped nearby.
Aiko snapped back to the present situation when the nurse proffered a medium-sized brown box to her. "I brought Watanabe-san's clothing- the ones he was wearing last night. His phone and other belongings are taken by the police for their investigation. And uh- a ring I found inside his coat's pocket is also here." The nurse smiled warmly at her. "Please be strong for Watanabe-san.
He needs the people who love him the most at this time."
Aiko gulped as fresh tears formed in her eyes. "Thank you for everything. I love him so much so I will stay strong for him."
The nurse tapped her lightly in the shoulder then silently walked away.
Aiko stared at the box that the nurse gave her.
A ring?
She sat back on the hospital bench and opened the box. Inside were Daisuke's boots, thick coat and clothes from last night, all wrapped individually in plastic bags. She digged more until her fingers seemed to touch a small box. Gingerly, she took it out and saw that it is a white ring box.
Her curiosity got the better of her and with shaking hands she opened it slowly.
It was Daisuke's grandmother's ring. The one he wore as a necklace pendant during their university days. She knows the significance of the ring to her ex-boyfriend, that it would someday belong to the person he would choose to marry.
Why he is carrying it that night, she doesn't know. What she knows is that she must take care of the ring for him and give it back when he wakes up from this nightmare.
"Mao! Sorry for not answering immediately... I was with friends."
Mao sounded alarmed over the phone,
"Gomen ne... I will just call later..."
"No! I mean, it's okay..." Daisuke chuckled, his excitement and nerves mixing upon hearing his beloved's voice.
"Are you in a club? I can hear music..."
"Ahh yeah, with my friends from university."
"Oh..."
"It's really fine Mao." Daisuke is grinning like an idiot again. "Why did you call, anyway? Did something bad happen? Are you okay?"
"Umm yes I'm okay... demo... Daichan..."
"What is it Mao?" Daisuke can't help but worry. Mao's voice seems agitated.
"I called my parents to tell them about my plan..."
"Oh... and?"
"Daichan... Gomenasai, I can't go home for the holidays after all..."
Daisuke's grip on his phone tightened and he felt his knees getting wobbly. He reached for the nearest wall and let his back lean on it. "W-why?"
"My parents has been planning on coming here for Christmas. They have everything planned already and their flight is booked for tomorrow. I'm sorry, I didn't expect that they'd plan to spend the holidays here."
Daisuke blinked back the tears that has started to form in his eyes. "D-don't worry about it Mao. You should spend your vacation with y-your family. I'm sure they miss you a lot and I know you miss them too."
"Daichan..."
"Ano... M-my friends are getting crazier. I-I have to go back now. I'll call you later."
"Daichan-"
"Bye, Mao..." and with that, Daisuke hit the end button. He felt hot tears on his cheeks and he furiously wiped them off using his palms.
If the world were ending today, he wouldn't care. Hell, if the ground opens and eats him up, he will just let it happen. The pain in his heart is like tearing everything in him apart. How could he be so fucking pathetic? he thought. So, this is what being dumped feels like. Worthless.
Something changed. Aiko is sure something in Daisuke's aura changed since he returned from accepting that call. He is now downing on his third bottle of beer and is strangely noisy. He laughs at his friends' stories louder than usual which is saying something since he normally laughs loudly. He also laughs even though the conversation is serious.
"What is that call all about?" Aiko thought as she stared at Daisuke now drinking his 5th. Her eyes turned into saucers as she realized he isn't drinking beer anymore but whiskey.
"Takeru! Stop him!" She ordered her friend.
"Why? He's having fun."
"No! He's not supposed to drink, remember? " She faced Daisuke, "Stop drinking already!"
Daisuke just laughed, "You sound like my mother. And I'm a strong drinker. Stronger than Mao~. Huh. Mao~ He drinks beer like its water. How could he do that with such a thin body?" Daisuke hiccupped and laughed again.
Aiko couldn't do anything but just stare at him. He just inserted Hamao's name like it's a part of anything he should talk about. And the way he says his name- it hurts Aiko more than she could ever admit.
An hour later, Ken and two other friends already said their goodbyes muttering something about "Wife is calling" " She won't open the door if I'm not home by 12."
Only four men are left plus Aiko who decided to stay to drive Daisuke home later.
When she returned from the powder room though, Daisuke is nowhere to be found.
"Takeru! Where did Daichan go?" She shook the shoulders of the half-asleep man.
"Dunno..."
"Aghhhh! You're useless..." feeling a sense of dread, she continued looking around the bar/club but she still couldn't find him.
She decided to ask one of the waiters near the exit.
"Did you see one of my friends? I keep on looking for him but I can't find him."
"What does he look like?"
"Tall. Wearing black coat and black leather boots. And he has a quite long hair but tied in a pony tail."
"Ah! The actor..."
It is during times like this that Aiko is thankful for Daisuke's popularity.
"Where did he go?"
"I saw him leaving more or less 10 minutes ago."
Ten minutes?! When I went to the toilet, Aiko thought.
She immediately dashed outside. Daisuke is drunk. He can't leave that fast.
She ran towards the parking area and stopped dead on her tracks when she saw that Daisuke's car is also nowhere to be found.
Daisuke blinked his haze away but his blurry sight is getting worse.
"Damn, I just need to go to the airport." He muttered under his breath. "I'll go propose to him in New York then kidnap and force him to marry me in one of those cute chapels. He'd be so shocked upon seeing me in his doorstep that he would be really defenseless." He smiled bitterly, the haunting emptiness in his heart gradually pervading his heart.
"Would he hate me too much if I begged?"
His grip on the steering wheel is getting careless though and he couldn't see outside his car well. It started snowing heavily again today so the chill is reaching him even through his car.
Speaking of proposal, where did he hide the ring again?
His left hand searched his pockets until he felt the something solid inside the left front pocket of his pants. Unfortunately, it slipped out of his hands while he was taking it out, falling silently near his boots.
Holding the steering wheel with his right hand, Daisuke reached for it but was disappointed when he realized it was just a packet of gum.
Suddenly, an intense light coming opposite his car which seemed to blind him and the sound of beeping horns made him realize he is about to collide with another vehicle. Reflexively, he tried to avoid the collision, maneuvering his car towards the left side. Eternity seemed to pass until there was a loud thud and he could almost see with his own eyes the overturning of his car. He felt numb all over. He could hear screams and voices from a distance though. The voices seemed to come nearer then suddenly grow fainter.
Mao...
He swore he could hear his Mao's sweet voice...
He tried to reach out but he felt himself losing consciousness. Feeling tired and sleepy, he was immediately met with total darkness- its silence welcoming and enveloping his body completely.
The sound of the falling glass on his carpeted living room snapped Mao out of his thoughts. He glanced towards the window while picking the glass up.
Strange... he thought he heard someone call his name. It was too distant though that he wasn't able to make out the voice.
He stepped into his small kitchen, reaching for the fridge to get a carton of milk.
It's almost 1 am in the morning but he still couldn't sleep. After the phone call with Daichan, he felt restless and worried. Daichan sounded... different. He's used to being scolded by the older guy but the usual accusing tone isn't present during their talk. He actually expected to hear Daichan's disappointment so he already prepared his apology speech but his friend's reaction was... again, unusual. It's like he was too busy to even care.
Yeah, well, he was in a night club after all...
Mao sighed dejectedly, downing on a full glass of milk. He was really looking forward to seeing Daichan again but he just didn't have the heart to object his excited mother.
And anyway, looks like Daichan is fine without him.
He, on the other hand, is despondent. Living alone in a foreign land is totally depressing. He doesn't have friends at the design school he is attending. At first, some girls and well, gays ( they make up almost 50 % of the school's population) tried to chat him up but because of his poor English skills they gave up after a while.
He was used to getting by on his own anyway but thoughts of his hometown, of his cat Roku and of his dear friends keep popping on his mind.
And he is trying his best to avoid thinking about Daichan most of all. It's bad enough that he often dreams dirty fantasies of him, waking up sweating and painfully hard in the middle of the night.
How he ended up like this, he couldn't comprehend. It's like one day, he just realized how fast his heart beats when the older guy is around. Although looking back, it was more or less during the filming of their last Takumi Kun series. He kept it a secret, fearing that he would lose his career and the person he cares for the most once it's laid open.
He got by hiding this tragic secret for almost 3 years. He would be fine. He can't let Daichan know how empty he feels now that he can't see his face nor hear his infectious laughter.
Daichan would surely laugh at him and tease him mercilessly if he finds out that his little brother is secretly crushing on him.
Mao gingerly went back to his leather sofa. He picked the comforter that has fallen on the floor. He should force himself to sleep so he would have energy to pick his parents and his older brother up in the airport tomorrow.
"Um... excuse me, Miss-"
The voice of a nurse hovering in front of Aiko seemed to pull her off her slumber. She looked up to meet the sincerely worried face of the nurse. She can't blame her for worrying though, her eyes are probably too swollen from crying overnight.
"You're the fiancee of Watanabe-san, aren't you?"
"H-hai." Last night, when Daisuke was transported to the hospital, she had to lie about her relationship with him. It was the only way they'd allow her to stay with him.
Thoughts about that night flashed thru her eyes. After realizing that Daisuke drove away, she rode her own car at once to follow him. The dread she was feeling materialized in front of her very own eyes. Daisuke's car was overturned on the left side of the highway, with another car stopped nearby.
Aiko snapped back to the present situation when the nurse proffered a medium-sized brown box to her. "I brought Watanabe-san's clothing- the ones he was wearing last night. His phone and other belongings are taken by the police for their investigation. And uh- a ring I found inside his coat's pocket is also here." The nurse smiled warmly at her. "Please be strong for Watanabe-san.
He needs the people who love him the most at this time."
Aiko gulped as fresh tears formed in her eyes. "Thank you for everything. I love him so much so I will stay strong for him."
The nurse tapped her lightly in the shoulder then silently walked away.
Aiko stared at the box that the nurse gave her.
A ring?
She sat back on the hospital bench and opened the box. Inside were Daisuke's boots, thick coat and clothes from last night, all wrapped individually in plastic bags. She digged more until her fingers seemed to touch a small box. Gingerly, she took it out and saw that it is a white ring box.
Her curiosity got the better of her and with shaking hands she opened it slowly.
It was Daisuke's grandmother's ring. The one he wore as a necklace pendant during their university days. She knows the significance of the ring to her ex-boyfriend, that it would someday belong to the person he would choose to marry.
Why he is carrying it that night, she doesn't know. What she knows is that she must take care of the ring for him and give it back when he wakes up from this nightmare.
