9 1/2 Weeks - 05 - (Week 2: Monday)
Dec. 31st, 2012 11:49 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Week 2: Monday
"Excuse me?"
Jin looks up at the accent. She has red hair, a shy smile, and a very rumpled looking map that's getting more rumpled in her hand. Also a backpack on, and shades against the glare, pushed up into her hair.
"You speak English?" Jin says, because he hasn't forgotten. His friends left one by one as they hit their thirties, and his tongue wraps around the sounds less confidently, but he hasn't forgotten everything.
The smile spreads wide over her freckled face. "Yes. Fantastic. Thank you."
It's the first thing today that makes him laugh. She's lost, she says, she didn't rent a cell phone and she can't find her hotel. She sits down next to him on the old splintered bench and Jin helps her make sense of her map, asks how she landed in a hotel in this area and not somewhere more central. She's from Europe, and doesn't ask him what a thirty-eight-year-old Japanese guy is doing sitting in a park at two in the afternoon.
The days get so long when he's at home. And it's always quiet. So quiet.
He had a job last winter, four months in a row. He got up at three in the morning, and cycled for half an hour to pack bento boxes from four to noon in a sterile industrial kitchen; the hours wrecked him but it was steady, dull, and he was on time with his rent and his child support. Came home wired and limp and fell dead into bed when half of Tokyo was still in their offices. Those were good months.
"I hear the heat gets worse," she says, wrinkling her cute nose and laughing. "I couldn't stand that."
"There's good aircon everywhere," Jin says. "You just need to dash across open spaces quickly." His fingers mimic running feet before he even realizes, and she laughs again.
"Shelter in shopping malls, yeah," she says, and Jin grins at her because it's so obvious she's not the type. Not that she fits in out here any better, and when she starts telling him a tale of internet confusion and evil kanji, he catches himself looking. Noticing her slightly chapped lips and the freckles on her naked arms, the light blond hairs, the outline of her bra under a soft t-shirt.
He doesn't look, not normally. But he doesn't normally talk to people either. He comes to the park to watch the birds or to watch people from a distance. He's started to recognize the pensioners and sometimes he'd love to just go and talk, even if they'd know full well why a thirty-eight-year-old Japanese guy is sitting in a park, at two in the afternoon.
They chat about her trip, her flight, her failed attempts at learning Japanese. She's younger than he is, but not scarily so. Bright like a sunny day and adventure. She likes him too, he's not that blind. He can smell her sunscreen.
Jin hasn't been with anyone since Meisa; those sad last tries at the end, a few months before he moved out. He doesn't remember the last time someone's even touched him, except when he hugs his kids.
He's started on Care. His voice is better, but still strange. Practice. He needs it. He wonders if that's what Kamenashi likes, that Jin sings and plays like he's trying to wear an old skin that no longer fits.
Wonders why it would even matter to him, when it hasn't in so long. He doubts Kamenashi needs to look at Jin to feel good about himself
"So, I think I should manage not to get any more lost and end up a ghost in the streets of Tokyo," she says.
"Don't do the ghost thing," Jin says quickly. "That freaks me out."
She laughs; she's got a deep, loud laugh. "You're funny."
And when's he last been funny? "It's important," he says. "No spooking where I live."
She grins deeply. "I should probably get going. And with all this, I kind of missed lunch, I'm starving."
"If you head that way, there's a ramen place, it's good and cheap," he says. Yeah. It's really cheap. Even he could afford to buy a girl lunch there, if he really wanted.
There's a pause, she's waiting. What does he want?
"I hope you have a good time in Japan," he says, and she gets it and it's fine and he won't think about it.
He watches after her when she marches off, her backpack bouncing a choppy rhythm. At the edge of the park, she smiles over her shoulder, and then she's gone.
Week 2: Monday
"Excuse me?"
Jin looks up at the accent. She has red hair, a shy smile, and a very rumpled looking map that's getting more rumpled in her hand. Also a backpack on, and shades against the glare, pushed up into her hair.
"You speak English?" Jin says, because he hasn't forgotten. His friends left one by one as they hit their thirties, and his tongue wraps around the sounds less confidently, but he hasn't forgotten everything.
The smile spreads wide over her freckled face. "Yes. Fantastic. Thank you."
It's the first thing today that makes him laugh. She's lost, she says, she didn't rent a cell phone and she can't find her hotel. She sits down next to him on the old splintered bench and Jin helps her make sense of her map, asks how she landed in a hotel in this area and not somewhere more central. She's from Europe, and doesn't ask him what a thirty-eight-year-old Japanese guy is doing sitting in a park at two in the afternoon.
The days get so long when he's at home. And it's always quiet. So quiet.
He had a job last winter, four months in a row. He got up at three in the morning, and cycled for half an hour to pack bento boxes from four to noon in a sterile industrial kitchen; the hours wrecked him but it was steady, dull, and he was on time with his rent and his child support. Came home wired and limp and fell dead into bed when half of Tokyo was still in their offices. Those were good months.
"I hear the heat gets worse," she says, wrinkling her cute nose and laughing. "I couldn't stand that."
"There's good aircon everywhere," Jin says. "You just need to dash across open spaces quickly." His fingers mimic running feet before he even realizes, and she laughs again.
"Shelter in shopping malls, yeah," she says, and Jin grins at her because it's so obvious she's not the type. Not that she fits in out here any better, and when she starts telling him a tale of internet confusion and evil kanji, he catches himself looking. Noticing her slightly chapped lips and the freckles on her naked arms, the light blond hairs, the outline of her bra under a soft t-shirt.
He doesn't look, not normally. But he doesn't normally talk to people either. He comes to the park to watch the birds or to watch people from a distance. He's started to recognize the pensioners and sometimes he'd love to just go and talk, even if they'd know full well why a thirty-eight-year-old Japanese guy is sitting in a park, at two in the afternoon.
They chat about her trip, her flight, her failed attempts at learning Japanese. She's younger than he is, but not scarily so. Bright like a sunny day and adventure. She likes him too, he's not that blind. He can smell her sunscreen.
Jin hasn't been with anyone since Meisa; those sad last tries at the end, a few months before he moved out. He doesn't remember the last time someone's even touched him, except when he hugs his kids.
He's started on Care. His voice is better, but still strange. Practice. He needs it. He wonders if that's what Kamenashi likes, that Jin sings and plays like he's trying to wear an old skin that no longer fits.
Wonders why it would even matter to him, when it hasn't in so long. He doubts Kamenashi needs to look at Jin to feel good about himself
"So, I think I should manage not to get any more lost and end up a ghost in the streets of Tokyo," she says.
"Don't do the ghost thing," Jin says quickly. "That freaks me out."
She laughs; she's got a deep, loud laugh. "You're funny."
And when's he last been funny? "It's important," he says. "No spooking where I live."
She grins deeply. "I should probably get going. And with all this, I kind of missed lunch, I'm starving."
"If you head that way, there's a ramen place, it's good and cheap," he says. Yeah. It's really cheap. Even he could afford to buy a girl lunch there, if he really wanted.
There's a pause, she's waiting. What does he want?
"I hope you have a good time in Japan," he says, and she gets it and it's fine and he won't think about it.
He watches after her when she marches off, her backpack bouncing a choppy rhythm. At the edge of the park, she smiles over her shoulder, and then she's gone.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-12-31 12:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-02 01:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-12-31 01:09 pm (UTC)I love this new angle, he can be bitter and his life sucks, but still he is kind of a sparkly sunshine <3 <3 <3 <3 blame the Hew Year and the morning for my sappiness <3 before he was always so depressed and maybe he is now also, even if his kids he has so many regrets and pain inside, missing them. Here is thinks about his morning exhausting work like about some good days <3
He doesn't remember the last time someone's even touched him, except when he hugs his kids.
;___________________________________;
and I'm curious why? break up with Meisa was such a hard blow?He wonders if that's what Kamenashi likes, that Jin sings and plays like he's trying to wear an old skin that no longer fits.
That's interesting. I like that Jin is trying to understand Kame, because he accepted the help being to carefree, who knows what happend with Kame throu this year and what kind of weirdo he become. >_>
He doubts Kamenashi needs to look at Jin to feel good about himself
And here i'm not agree with Jin. maybe he really feels better looking at Jin.
After every part I have too many questions. T____________T SO CURIOUS!!!
Thank you for the update!!!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-02 01:42 pm (UTC)Jin can charm people without even trying, when he's not being deliberately obstructive. :)
The breakup with Meisa was hard, yeah. And he's just been too down to be really... interested in anybody. ._.
who knows what happend with Kame throu this year and what kind of weirdo he become.
Indeed! :p And also, Jin is always interested in Kame, really. DESTINY!
And here i'm not agree with Jin. maybe he really feels better looking at Jin.
:)) In some ways, you're totally right. But those are ways that haven't occurred to Jin yet.
Thank you for your comment and your many questions. :Dv
(no subject)
Date: 2012-12-31 01:21 pm (UTC)He doesn't remember the last time someone's even touched him, except when he hugs his kids.
;_______________; ....so basically, Jin's starved for affection, for anything really, someone to talk to, someone to touch him. also for money. why does that make me feel like it plays straight into Kamenashi's hands. >____> (also, kame touched him, but if i were jin i wouldn't count that either or try to forget about it. creepay.)
The thing with the woman, when he looks at her and suddenly realizes he's looking, seeing all the little things, smelling the sunscreen. I thought the looking thing is such a cool detail you picked up on, it's so true. Like, that shift from just visually seeing another person and then considering and seeing them as someone you're visually attracted to. I like how you wrote that.
"I hope you have a good time in Japan," he says, and she gets it and it's fine and he won't think about it.
He is so ashamed in this whole chap, I get the very strong feeling he doesn't try to get to know her more/at least maybe make out with her despite all his human contact/communication/touch deprivation because of this shame, because his sense of self-worth is at a low, because he can't really imagine good things happening to him anymore. ;____;
Thank you for another
sadlovely bit of this puzzle! ♥(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-02 01:42 pm (UTC)Nah, he doesn't count Kame touching him, he barely really noticed that except for 'get out of my face, I'm trying to sing here'. But starved, yeah. Poor guy.
We're happy that how he notices the woman on a sensual basis works. :)
And yes, you're right about the self worth. Maybe less with her because to her he can be truly anonymous, but in general, he's not really feeling up to dealing with people and what he thinks their thoughts about him must be. Because his own thoughts about himself are pretty crappy. :/
Thank you for the lovely comment.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-12-31 05:40 pm (UTC)i confess i was in panick by the time he was almost inviting her to the ramen place ahahah
thanks for this! happy new years :D
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-02 01:43 pm (UTC)Well said! We're glad this comes across properly.
Ramen? Why the panic? She seemed like a nice woman. ;)
Happy New Year to you too!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-01 01:43 am (UTC)HAPPY NEW YEAR ^_^
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-02 01:43 pm (UTC)Hope you enjoy the next part. (MWAAAHAHAHA)
Happy New Year to you too!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-01 02:07 am (UTC)The break up with Meisa must have really hurt, he couldn't enter another relationship.. At least he could still attract the opposite sex..
Jin practicing Care, can't wait for his performance in front of kame..
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-02 01:44 pm (UTC)He can still totally attract them though. :D
Oh, yes, he's practicing. Practicing a lot. No more awful surprises. :)
Thank you for commenting, and Happy New Year!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-02 01:07 pm (UTC)Not that she fits in out here any better, and when she starts telling him a tale of internet confusion and evil kanji, he catches himself looking. Noticing her slightly chapped lips and the freckles on her naked arms, the light blond hairs, the outline of her bra under a soft t-shirt.
I have no idea why, but I quite liked this part.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-03 07:15 pm (UTC)To be fair, the friends didn't (all) leave him, they just left Japan. Still sad for Jin. T______T
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-03 12:35 pm (UTC)Though I can't wait for his rendition of care!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-03 07:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-05 02:05 pm (UTC)but Kame is the only one you're allowed to date :(( *kicked*"Don't do the ghost thing," Jin says quickly. "That freaks me out."
He's still Jin ;www; ♥♥♥
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-10 03:49 pm (UTC)Also, I hope Kame doesn't have to look at Jin to feel good about himself, but after reading some of the comments below I'm doubting it. I don't like it. WHAT ARE YOU NOT TELLING US.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-10 07:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-20 08:46 am (UTC)And finally he meets somehow who doesn’t know about the mess he’s in and who wouldn’t judge him for anything. That must be nice for him, too.
Still it’s interesting how Jin’s thoughts jump to Kame. How they jump from Meisa and touching to Kame. Someone left an impression there, huh? And well he seems to adapt to the fact that that’s his new source of income. Somehow I would’ve expected more protest there. But then again he’s not that stupid to turn down a good deal even though it seems he can’t stand the guy.
"Don't do the ghost thing," Jin says quickly. "That freaks me out."
Oh… Jin and the ghosts. *g* It’s cute actually. Though he probably wouldn’t want to hear that. :P
It seems so hard for Jin to deal with people. Even the ones that don’t piss him off. Which is sad. What the hell has he gotten himself into? T___T
(no subject)
Date: 2013-01-20 07:57 pm (UTC)Yes, it makes a change from his normal lifestyle. :)
And finally he meets somehow who doesn’t know about the mess he’s in and who wouldn’t judge him for anything.
That is also true, though he'd soon start feeling like a fraud for not admitting it.
Somehow I would’ve expected more protest there. But then again he’s not that stupid to turn down a good deal even though it seems he can’t stand the guy.
He really doesn't like Kame's attitude, but if he found him totally disgusting he probably wouldn't be doing this. >_> It's just, hey, Kamenashi, whatever. There's a familiarity, we thought, that just makes Jin roll with it.
What the hell has he gotten himself into? T___T
He got sekritly married and had kids and didn't act like a proper idol in an unforgiving and more and more corrupt industry. Sorry, Jin.