Title:Fame
Pairings:NinoxSho
Genre:Fluff
Rating:G
Word Count:1578
Disclaimer:Plot mines, this is fiction, wish they are mine.
Summary:Nino wants to achieve his lifelong dream of fame, but he's afraid he won't make it big.

It wasn’t easy getting to the top of the chain in the entertainment industry for Ninomiya Kazunari. He wholly thought that it was going to be as easy as 123, but he thought wrong the moment he entered his second audition for the day. Everyone who wanted to be just like him all looked and did better compared to his amateur skills-- if only he joined drama and singing classes when he was younger...

“Number 105!”

Nino looked up from his shaky hands and saw a woman, dressed in fashionable clothes, standing besides the door of fate. Her hair was fairly long and black, and she had a stout, professional-look on her face. She was almost hard to recognize if he didn’t watch TV. He recognized her as Chiaki Kuriyama, another known famous actress who had acted in several dramas he’s watched in the past. Other than that, Nino was surprised to see someone famous in a scouting agency.

“Number 105!” She called out again in a serious voice.

“Ah, yes! I’m here!” He announced as he stood up from the chair he sat on for two hours. “I’m here.”

Step by step, Nino dared not to look at her in the eyes, afraid he’ll chicken out in the end. However, he couldn’t help but glance up, knowing that a famous person was in the building, and a few inches away from him. As he got closer, it was as if his presence was a delight for her once the seriousness on her face was replaced by a light smile. Seeing her in person was way better than seeing her in TV.

“G-good morning, K-Kuriyama-san...” He mumbled as he respectfully bowed.

“I see you know me.”

“O...Of course... I’ve watched you in dramas...”

“Well, I’m glad you recognized me,” She giggled as he stood straight, “But I won’t be the only one famous here, you know. I think you’ll recognize the others.”

“C-cool...” Was all Nino could mutter out as Kuriyama showed him inside of the studio.

She was right. As soon as Nino entered the studio, he saw all the judges, famous, young and old. Starting from the left was Kuriyama and besides her was Anne, another famous actress whose father was his admired actor, Watanabe Ken. Besides her was Iura Arata, an actor he somewhat knows. Next on the row was Domoto Koichi, a singer and actor from an agency that was highly overpopulated by men. Lastly, was a man he could barely recognize. He had a strong face on, but Nino couldn’t take his eyes off the man’s handsome face. For almost a minute, he was frozen until Kuriyama urged him to step in the middle of the studio.

While he was asked to wait, Nino’s eyes went back to the unrecognizable man still trying to figure out who he was. Maybe he was in the same agency with Domoto Koichi since the both of them were fairly handsome, but Nino wasn’t sure. He’ll have to look that one up later.

Though Nino felt extremely nervous with their presence. On the bright side, it was a good thing so he can get feedback from them. However, on the other ide, they were the pros, the master of their work and Nino was afraid they won’t like his performance. Well... at least he has another audition later just in case they don’t accept him.

“So, what do you have for us today?” Anne asked him after she and the others were finished with whatever they were doing.

Nino took a breath before speaking so it would refrain him from stuttering and looking like an idiot. “I’ve brought my acting skills, and I have an original song I’d like to perform.”

“Oh, is that so?” Domoto asked him as he went through his files again. “I’d like to hear it after your acting.”

“Ok...”



Nino thinks he did fairly well for the acting part because they all looked satisfied with the way he delivered his lines, and showed the right emotions with it. As soon as he was finished with his first part, the four were all moved in a bit closer to each other, and were discussing things he couldn’t hear.

What if they were saying that he did an awesome performance? Nino couldn’t help but smile a little at this thought. But what if... they won’t like his song? His smile, then, was cleanly wiped off his face as soon as the doubt kicked in. Besides, he didn’t even have a band to properly create a song except for his guitar, piano, vocals, and writing skills. Well, if he doesn’t make it in with his singing skills, it’ll be ok with just acting as long as he can fulfill his dream of fame.

It took them quite awhile, with their closed and serious discussion. The first one to break it up was the man on the farther right, whose eyes were strictly on him. Nino immediately looked away, embarrassed that he had looked at him longer than he did before he acted out his skills. Soon, the other three finally dispersed their conversation before he heard a cough for attention.

It came from Kuriyama, who still had the same smile from when he came in the studio. “We’d like to hear your original song. Do you need instruments?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll have...” She paused for a second before looking to her left and then to him again, “Sakurai Sho-san play your song for you. Do you have piano sheets he can use?”

Oh, so that was his name.

“Yes, I do,” He mumbled as he retrieved it from his bag besides the door, “It’s a bit messy...”

The handsome man, Sakurai Sho, smiled. “I don’t mind.”

Nino looked away instantly from the man’s face, awed by the stunning smile as if he was an angel brought down from heaven.

When he had given his sheets to the angel-like man, he felt more than ready. He didn’t know how, or why, he felt that way, but knowing that the angel-like man was playing the music for him was more than enough he could ask for. Finally, when he heard the piano keys being played, Nino took a breather and opened his mouth the moment the keys hit the right notes.

*Wakari yasuku sou kantan ni.
Kimi mo boku mo wakaru gurai kantan ni.
Tsutaete miyou.
"Suki nanda yo."

Kage wo kasaneta ano basho no koto ya.
Onaji toki wo aruki tsunaide kita koto ya.
Sonna toki wo zenbu kaete...

Utaeru you ni, todoku you ni,
Kimi wo mukae ni iketara na..

Boku ni wa wakarunda.　Kimi no iru basho ga.
Marude mieteru ka no you ni, tonari ni iru you ni.
Dakara tsurainda.　Wakatteiru kara, douemo ikenainda.
"Mada mada ganbare" tte soko kara kimi wa warau kara...

Kimi ni gohan wo tsukutte.
Kimi ni suki na mono wo dae.
Demo heranai.
Sore ni mo nareta yo.

Kondo umaku, tsukuttara.　Sonna wake nai no ni ganbatte miru...

Kimi ni wa miete, boku ni wa mienai.
Yopparatta ikioi de "zurui" to tsubuyaku.
Dou kana?　Boku wa chotto kawatta no kana?
"Darashinaku natte kita?"
Mado kaze ni notte kikoeta.　Aikawarazu da na...

Yasashiku warau kimi ga ano jikan ga kuukan ga.
Nakitaku naru kurai ichiban daiji na mono da yo.
Nante itteta koro wa ienakatta.
...Doue ienakatta kana?
Miageta saki no mono yori, kimi wa...　Kimi wa...
Ima nara ieru.

Niji yori kimi wa kirei da...*

The song was carried out until the last note then silence followed. Nino dared not to look at the judges faces except the clean marble floor he was standing on. Of course, they hated it since the room was deadly silent to prove it. He should have picked a different song before he left, something upbeat and--

“Amazing!” He heard Domoto boast out loud as the others began to clap. “I’ve never heard of anyone with your voice. Truly, you are talented in both fields.”

“I agree,” Both Anne and Kuriyama declared in unison.

“I knew you were something from the start, Ninomiya,” He heard Kuriyama comment him in a cheery voice. “Sakurai-san, any comments?”

Nino looked behind him and saw the angel-like man stand from the piano chair. It was hard to tell if he was OK with him or not because his facial expression hadn’t changed from earlier.

“I...” The man finally spoke with a rumbling and deep voice, “... I approve. Ninomiya-san, welcome to Arashi agency.”

“I...” Nino paused for who knows how long. Firstly, he didn’t know what to say, how to react, and what reality even is. Before he could utter a word out, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and the last thing he remembered seeing was the angel-like man, with a beautiful smile on his lips...



It felt like the audition was yesterday as Nino celebrated his second anniversary in Arashi agency. Chiaki Kuriyama, Anne, Domoto Koichi, and Sakurai Sho-- plus other famous people-- were all surrounding him with smiles on their faces. Nino couldn’t happier as he looked at the crowd before him.

At least, finally, he had achieved his lifelong dream of fame.

Now to achieve his other dream: Love. Smirking, Nino strode past crowds, grabbed the angel-like man’s wrist, and dragged him from the party. It’s one to thing to have fame, but its another thing to have a small crush on the man who helped him get through it.

END