Shattered Smile: Chapter 2
Oct. 13th, 2017 09:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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yume_to_ameTitle: Shattered Smile Chapter 2
Pairing: Sakumoto
Rating: PG-13 (for now?)
Genre: romance, hurt&comfort
Plot: Young and ambitious medicine student Sho gets hired by wealthy Matsumoto-san to tutor his 19-year old son Jun. Jun spent months in hospital, they say, but now wants to get into a college. Soon Sho realizes that tutoring Jun is not all he needs to do. Jun seems to be broken, hiding from the world and not even opening up to his family anymore. I want to see him smile again, his father said, but no one tells Sho anything about what happened to Jun... It's incredible hard to put the broken pieces together again but Sho wants to try.
Note: This is my belated birthday story for
cielmelodies . I'm sorry it's soooo late!! I hope you will like it! Jun is like a lost puppy that needs to be cuddled.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jun-kun,” Sho greets the young guy politely, barely able to hide his relief to finally meet Jun. The last two weeks after he accepted the job offer from Matsumoto he spent with wondering about this mysterious guy and his mysterious sickness, and imagining how he would be and how he would look like. With the amount of wealth Matsumoto has accumulated he expected a spoiled and sassy kid, but…
“Thank you for coming,” Jun stutters, his words barely audible. He is not looking at Sho or anyone else, bowing his head slightly. Jun looks to the ground for the entire time, and Sho isn’t sure if he is shy or scared. Or both. His father puts a comforting arm around his shoulders and pulls him towards Sho. “Jun, this is Sho-kun. He is my best friend’s son. I told you about him, didn’t I?”
Jun nods. His hair is pretty long for a guy, covering parts of his face now, like he is hiding behind it. He looks a little bit younger than his age, Sho thinks, probably because he resembles a shy deer or a sacred kitten. Sho has to fight back the urge to reach out his hand, cup Jun’s chin and make him raise his head so that he can actually see his face! He doesn’t even know how Jun’s eyes look like.
But he figures this gesture would be pretty creepy. He smiles. “I am happy to finally meet you, Jun-kun!” he repeats.
“I’m sorry for troubling you, Sakurai-kun,” Jun answers quietly.
“Sho is fine,” Sho says casually, ignoring Jun’s obvious surprise. “How about we go to the living room? I have a whole questionnaire to ask you to see what we can do throughout the next week and what you want to do!”
Jun nods obediently, following Sho to the living room. Out of the corner of his eyes Sho can see that he is limping slightly. There are also crutches at the entrance door, probably for longer distanced walks. It kind of reminds him of the wheel chair upstairs. Gladly Jun doesn’t seem to need it anymore though. They settle in the second living room of the mansion, the smaller cosier one next to the library.
When Aiba-san brings them tea, Sho carefully starts with his interrogation. Full of motivation! “Jun-kun, which university are you interested in?”
“Any is fine for me,” Jun answers nervously.
“Hm.” Sho tilts his head. Maybe Jun doesn’t know many universities. “Do you have a subject you are interested in?”
Jun stays quiet. “Whatever my father wants me to study is fine.”
Sho blinks. “But if you ask your father, he will probably say law or economics, so that you can follow his footsteps. Is that really alright for you?”
Jun nods. “That’s okay.”
Sho stares at him for a while. Jun still hasn’t even looked at him, he keeps staring at his fingers or at the floor, eyes hidden behind his bangs. He looks like a scared, hurt little rabbit, making Sho’s heart clench in sympathy. “Did you have a subject in school that interested you?” he asks softly.
Jun shrugs.
“I can help you find out,” he suggests, thinking about how Jun apparently liked literature and music before.
Jun bites down on his lip. “It doesn’t matter,” he finally says. “It doesn’t matter what I like.”
Sho holds back his surprise. Jun apparently suppresses everything at the moment, like he is punishing himself or like he has given up on himself. Sho isn’t sure why Jun is so passive. He needs to think of a way to make him open up. However for now Sho goes back to asking simple questions, such as what Jun can remember from his classes, how many tests he missed. All things Sho actually already knows, but he wants Jun to talk more with him, to get more comfortable around him.
It’s going to be difficult to break the shell surrounding him.
~~~
Sho has started with rather simple history lessons with Jun, deciding it would be better to start with a simple subject than with maths or something alike. They normally settle down in the living room or on the terrace, with tea and cake or cookies. Jun obediently does everything Sho asks him to, but stays passive all the time. It’s like a wall he built around himself and all Sho can do is take an imaginary hammer and chisel, and try to break through it.
“Do you like history?” Sho asks when they sit at the terrace again. Aiba-san has tucked Jun in a blanket so that he won’t catch a cold.
“Sure,” Jun answers immediately, as expected. Jun never voices his dislike towards something, just like he doesn’t voice his like. Whenever they have dinner and breakfast with his father, he always obediently agrees to everything he suggests. Sho knows Matsumoto wants his son to show that he is excited for something or that he dislikes an idea, but Jun always nods politely and obeys.
Sho wishes he would at least look at him for once and not always hide behind his thick hair. A sudden idea strikes him. “Listen Jun-kun, do you have a really bad pimple? I don’t mind, just so you know.”
“Sorry?” he can hear Jun’s surprise clearly.
Sho fights back his grin. “Well, you seem to hide behind your hair, so I thought you either had a pimple or a make-up emergency case.”
“I don’t use make up,” Jun mumbles.
“So it’s a pimple,” Sho states. “Don’t worry. I was also fighting one yesterday right on my forehead. There is nothing to be embarrassed about.”
Jun looks up suddenly, much to Sho’s joy. It worked! Such a cheap trick, but it worked! Sho takes in Jun’s face which he can finally see for real. He resembles his father with his strong cheekbones, his perfectly shaped nose and his full lips, but his eyebrows are more prominent and his eyes so dark. It’s a pair of the prettiest eyes Sho has ever seen. So deep. What a beautiful guy, Sho thinks, so beautiful. Everything about Jun is beautiful. Why the heck is he hiding?
Jun pouts a bit. “You don’t have a pimple.”
“You don’t have one either,” Sho points out.
Jun looks confused. “But I never said I did,” he stutters.
Sho inwardly cheers on himself for this conversation. Not only is it silly, but Jun actually talked back to him. They are almost bickering. Well, it’s not really bickering as Jun is rather confused than anything else, but coming from Yes, Sho-kun. Of course Sho-kun. Whatever you say, Sho-kun. Sho thinks this is a huge step forward.
Jun is about to let his head drop down again and hide behind his curly strands of hair, but this time Sho is faster. He reaches out his hand, the tip of his index finger catching Jun’s chin, stopping it from moving downwards. For a moment Jun looks nervous and Sho tries to smile soothingly. “It’s important,” he says softly. “That you find a study you like.”
Jun stares at him, eyes wide like he is a scared little puppy. “What are you studying?”
“Medicine,” Sho says with a happy smile.
“Why?” Jun asks.
Sho rolls his eyes dramatically. “I could answer this question forever,” he states. “There isn’t anything I don’t like about medicine. I know being a doctor is sad and difficult sometimes, but ever since I was ten and saw how an ambulance came to help because someone collapsed on the street, I knew I wanted to do it. Now I want to become an internist! Work with people and at the same time doing research. It’s…” he pause, realizing that he is babbling again. “I’m sorry, Jun-kun, this is probably really boring to listen to.”
“No,” Jun says quietly. “Not at all.”
Sho brushes the hair out of Jun’s face. “You don’t have to face the world now, Jun-kun, but you can’t always hide. So how about you begin with facing me?”
For a moment it looks like Jun is about to burst into tears, his lips are quivering slightly and his eyes wide. But then he nods tentatively, and Sho shows him a proud smile, brushing through his hair soothingly. “Don’t be scared. I’m going to protect you.”
He doesn’t even know why he said that. Can he sound even more arrogant and full of himself!?
But to his surprise Jun nods.
~~~
Matsumoto looks surprised when Jun comes to dinner, hair brushed out of his face, but he gladly doesn’t comment on it. Instead he tells them about his day, then he urges them to tell him about their day.
“By the way, Jun,” he says after a while. “Your doctor told me you should start going for little walks outside. Longer walks. He thinks you are ready.”
“Without the crutches?” Jun asks nervously.
“Hm, yes, but I would like someone to accompany you…”
“I could do it,” Sho offers immediately, noting how Jun blushes slightly. He is so adorable.
“But you are already working enough,” Matsumoto argues.
“It’s no problem for me,” Sho argues. “I wanted to see the surroundings of this place anyways, maybe Jun-kun can show me some beautiful places?”
Jun looks surprised at Sho’s request, he probably didn’t expect to be asked for help. He looks away shyly. “I…yes, of course.”
Sho has to hold back a teasing comment, because Jun is so adorable in his lost-puppy attitude, that he wants to hug and squish him and at the same time tease him to get a cute reaction. But he figures Jun’s father might find it weird, and Jun himself too.
~~~
Aiba-san’s son comes to visit, and he just looks like his father, just a lot younger. He is tall, has a bright smile and sparkling eyes. Sho likes him instantly, because he simply is someone easy to like.
“I’m Masaki,” he introduces himself casually, before waving towards Matsumoto-san. “Yo, Junichi-san!”
His father’s face turns red in embarrassment. “Masaki,” he huffs. “Be more polite!”
Matsumoto-san however just grins, apparently he is used to Masaki’s carefree attitude. “Good to see you, Masaki-chan. How is work?”
“Great! I love it!”
“What are you doing?” Sho asks curiously.
“I’m becoming a florist,” Masaki explains, and weirdly enough Sho finds nothing more fitting for this radiating guy. It sounds like the perfect job for him.
“I’m counting on your help then to pick the flowers for the grave this year!”
Masaki’s eyes widen in surprise “Really?”
“Of course, you are the professional.”
Sho blinks in confusion. What kind of grave are they talking about? He looks at Aiba-san helplessly. “The wife,” he whispers lowly. “Died years ago.”
Sho nods tentatively, feeling relieved that he didn’t ask out loud.
“Say,” Masaki says after a while. “Is Jun-kun around?” He sounds hopeful, but to Sho’s surprise Aiba-san and Matsumoto exchange a glance.
“He is not feeling well today,” Matsumoto explains. “I’m sorry.”
Masaki sighs. “I thought so,” he mumbles.
“He needs more time,” Matsumoto says softly.
“I just miss him,” Masaki explains. “And Nino does too. He was always such a great friend. I feel bad that I can’t do anything in return.”
“You can,” Aiba-san answers him. “One day he will come around and be ready again, and then you have to be there.”
“Yes, I’m counting on you then,” Matsumoto adds.
Masaki nods earnestly, before he lets out a nervous chuckle. “I wanted to try my luck and see if Jun is coming with me to meet Nino. At the beach bar.”
“The beach bar?” Sho asks curiously. There is no ocean here, where do they have a beach?
Matsumoto chuckles. “Why don’t you take Sho-kun along? He is basically stuck in this place here all day, and never goes out. Because he has such a strong sense of duty.”
Sho frowns. “But Jun-kun will be alone then!”
Matsumoto grins. “Yeah, all alone, just with his boring father. Nobody basically.”
If Sho could he would have disappeared in a hole in a ground, but unfortunately there is none, and all he can do is agree to go with Masaki to stop the others from laughing. When he goes upstairs to grab his jacket, he feels like he hears some noise from the other side of the corridor. Silently, not to be heard, he walks towards Jun’s room, trying to listen carefully. He can hear something rustling inside. So you are awake, Sho thinks, but hiding. Why are you hiding from all your old friends? It’s almost like Jun wants to erase everything from his past. Sho lingers in front of Jun’s room for a moment, wondering if he should knock and ask him if he wants to come along, but then he doesn’t dare to.
He doesn’t want to seem like he is prying. Jun seems to weirdly accept him around him, and Sho doesn’t want to scare him away.
~~~
The beach bar really is a beach bar. Just not located at the ocean but next to the huge lake Sho spotted already. And Masaki’s friend Nino is nothing Sho had imagined. He knew beforehand that Nino was one of Jun’s best friends, from primary school on until today. Unlike Jun he isn’t shy or serious at all, rather sassy and sarcastic.
“He didn’t come along,” Masaki pouts when they greet Nino. “But I got his tutor-chan to come along.”
“I told you,” Nino answers. He looks small, and young, almost like a pre-schooler, but he has sharp eyes and his lips are tugging all the time like he has to fight not to smirk. “Ever since last year he isn’t talking to anyone. Only to his father.”
“Yeah, he is even locking Sa-chan out,” Masaki adds.
“Sa-chan?” Sho asks in confusion.
“His older brother.”
Sho blinks in surprise. He didn’t know that Matsumoto has another son.
“The accident and the whole healing process really broke him,” Nino mumbles. “No surprise.”
“The accident?” Sho looks at them in confusion. “I thought he was sick?”
“Well, he was,” Nino explains. “He spent months in hospital. He even battled a high fever. But it was due to an accident.”
Sho stares at them for a while, slowly it dawns on him why there is a wheelchair in the house and why Jun walks on crutches. How did Matsumoto say? Let’s call it illness. He probably lacked a better word for it, didn’t he?
A/N: So they finally met! And Jun is super-shy, or rather: he seems to be broken. It seems though he talked directly to Sho's heart?
no subject
Date: 2017-10-13 09:10 pm (UTC)Spot! Will be back when it's not 6am and I'm not this sleepy wHai! I'm back! :)
FIRSTLY, this line: 'He looks like a scared, hurt little rabbit, making Sho’s heart clench in sympathy.' UM, dearie, you're going to make me want to write a verse with scared!hurt!little!bunny!Jun that gets rescued by Sho. *flails*
Secondly, I seeeeee that you're making Ohchan his older brother. Right? Sa-chan? XD I can't wait for him to show up :3
Ahhhhhh I'm so glad Sho is getting a good response from Jun. Poor Jun seems so dispirited and loss, I'm glad Sho is going to take good care of him. ;3
Thank you for this chapter!!!!!!!!!!! <3 *HUGS*
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2017-10-13 09:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2017-10-13 10:20 pm (UTC)Sho already seems to have quite a lot of feelings for Jun, and more than just the desire to protect him.
Hopefully he can find out more from Masaki and Nino to help him to get Jun to open up a little.
Jun really seems so very fragile. Poor baby.
Thanks for the update, my lovely friend 💜
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2017-10-14 04:54 pm (UTC)Cant wait to know the flashback, the accident...and yeah, sa-chan is his brother 😎
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2017-10-14 09:10 pm (UTC)What really worries me though is, if Satoshi is his brother ( and I bet he amazing, cause he is rids) and can't get through to Jun- what the hell happened.
Hope Yama won't flight- cause I prefer to have them teamed about against the "kids" .
That for take the time to write and share.
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2017-10-15 02:03 am (UTC)It seems Jun's curiosity about Sho might help though, so that's good. Can't wait to see how things progress between them :)
I liked when Sho made Jun look at him :D :D :D
Thank you for the update! ^^
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2017-10-15 11:08 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2017-10-20 01:39 pm (UTC)Thanks for the update 💜
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2017-11-17 01:13 am (UTC)so he is jun's brother?
you make me curious about jun's illness, i guess that he involves in an accident which damaged his physiologic in a terrible way.
sho is always serious and dedicated to his work, i like him ;)
thanks for this chapter as well
(no subject)
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