resha_hime

“U-Uebo?” Yamapi’s eyes shot open wide at the information he received.

“Yeah...Uebo, you know… Ueda? My band mate?” Jin said, stating the obvious fact. He lay his back on the couch lazily, one arm rested behind his head, serving as a pillow.

“U-ueda? Impossible…” Yamapi stammered, almost dropping the phone in his hand as he could almost feel no strength left in his arms.

“What is impossible?” Jin asked confused as he started to close his eyes and the words came out as a mumble.

Of course! Hime! Princess, that’s one of the nick names Ryo has for Ueda. How come I didn’t notice it before? Stupid sexy me! Yamapi smacked his own head. Did Ryo realize he has kept these messages this entire time? He looked again at the cellphone in his hand. All this time he had thought that Ryo’s lover was a girl,  but it turned out that ‘she’ was actually a ‘he’ and what had shocked him the most was the fact that the person was in fact Ueda, the U of KAT-TUN, his fellow Johnny’s and Ryo’s supposed-to-be-enemy. I’m sure he hasn’t, if he has, he would have known that’ princess’ is Ueda. I have to do something!

“Ne, Jin, where’s your laptop?”

“It’s in my car, why?” Jin still had his eyes closed.

“I need to borrow it, give me the car key!” Pi demanded, reaching out his hand and told Jin to hand him the key.

“Why? What for?” Jin asked in confusion, finally opening his eyes to find Pi’s hand stretched out to him demanding the key to his car.

“Just give me the damn key! And don’t tell Ryo, I’ll explain to you later.” Jin finally reached into his pocket to take the key and threw them in Yamapi’s direction and which he caught easily. “When Ryo’s done, stall him for 10 minutes! I’ll be waiting in the car.”

“But Pi-”

“Just do it, okay? I’ll explain to you later.” Pi said as he rushed out the room. “Don’t forget, give me 10 minutes!” Pi gave his last command and soon he disappeared from Jin’s sight while the confused boy could only nod.

“Where’s Pi?” Ryo asked a few minutes later when he came back, only to find Pi was no longer in the room and replaced by Jin who was lying on the couch.

“Err…it’s his turn to go to the toilet.” Jin lied, he didn’t know why he had to lie in the first place, but he just knew he had to.

“But I didn’t see him in the toilet.”

“He went to the one on the second floor.” Jin lied again, congratulating his brain for being able to think so fast.

“Oh,” Ryo bent down to get his bag which was lying on the floor and slung it on his shoulder. “Well then let’s go!”

“Wait!” Jin quickly sat up, remembering that he mustn’t let Ryo go and he should stall him just as Pi had asked him to do.

“What?” Ryo asked, irritated.

“Your hair!” Jin pointed to his head.

“What’s wrong with my hair?” Ryo rolled his eyes.

“It’s not done properly.”

“My hair is just fine, Bakanishi.” Ryo ignored Jin and was just about to walk again when suddenly Jin shouted again.

Ryo groaned irritably “What now?”

Jin needed to think fast, he should stall him. Think something Bakanishi!

“My hair! I need to style it first.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I can’t go clubbing with my hair like this, what would the girls say?”

“I don’t think the girls care Jin, and your hair is fine! Stop being a diva. Kame has really rubbed off on you.” Ryo couldn’t believe what he heard. This Baka friend of his was being ridiculous again. Sure, they were idols and looks were important, but he didn’t need to act like a damn diva about his looks.

“I’m not being a diva, I’m a guy!” Jin protested at the term.

“Then stop acting like one! Let’s go!” Ryo said, ignoring Jin who was about to say something and just kept on walking.

“But Ryo!”

---

Inside the car, Yamapi opened Jin’s laptop hurriedly. He needed to transfer all Ryo’s messages from Ueda to Jin’s laptop. He’d better save these first, Ryo mustn’t see this, not now.

It took time to transfer all those messages, he had hundreds of them. The computer informed him that he should wait for 5 minutes in order to complete transferring the data. But he knew he couldn’t wait that long as he could hear Jin’s shouting voice from a distance, calling Ryo’s name.

“Shit, Bakanishi! I told you to stall Ryo, you stupid moron!” Yamapi looked again at the screen and he cursed. “Shit, I still need 3 more minutes!”

“Ryo look!” Jin pointed up as he saw Yamapi shaking his head from the front seat of his car, telling him that he’s not done yet on whatever he was doing.

“What now, Bakanishi?” Ryo sighed as he stopped and turned around to face Jin with a really annoyed look on his face. He had enough of Jin telling him ridiculous things the whole way from his dressing room to the parking lot. What did this moron want from him anyway?  

“T-That tree, look!” he found an object to distract Ryo, although he didn’t know what he could do with that object to prevent Ryo from walking any further.

“What’s with the tree?” Ryo rolled his eyes.

“It-it’s tall?” Damn you, brain! It’s not the time to be stupid. Think of something smarter, don’t let yourself live up to the name! Jin just grinned at Ryo’s reaction and he could see from the corner of his eyes Yamapi face-palming himself. It was the most stupid distraction anyone could come up with, he admitted.

“Bakanishi, I don’t know what’s wrong with your small sized brain, but seriously I think you need to have it checked, or changed, that is.” Ryo was really annoyed.

 “Yatta! It’s done!” Yamapi said to himself before he nodded to Jin, saving the baka from his misery trying everything he could come up with to stall Ryo. Jin sighed in relief, and grinned at Ryo who was still glaring at him. 

Ryo walked closer to the car and found Pi already sitting in the passenger’s seat “You’re here already, Pi?”

“Yeah, what took you so long?” Pi complained, pretending to have waited so long for them to arrive.

“Ask the moronic, fat guy here!” Ryo pointed at Jin.

“Hey I’m not fat!” Jin pouted at Ryo’s comment. “Not anymore!”

“Okay then guys, let’s go?” Pi gestured at them to get inside the car.

“Pi, do you have my phone?” Ryo asked as he stepped inside the car and sat in the backseat.

“Yeah, here. I’ve cleaned the inbox for you.” he passed the said phone to Ryo. Ryo missed the sigh of relief from the band leader as he finally managed to transfer all the messages in the nick of time.

-----

Ueda grabbed the ringing cellphone from his duffle bag. He looked at the caller ID and sighed. What did the baka want this time?  “Moshi-moshi!”

“Hey Tat-chan!” the voice from the other line greeted him.

“Hey Jin, what’s up?”

“Nothing, just wanted to ask if you’re doing anything tonight?”

“Well I’m at the gym right now, exercising.” He said, grabbing a small towel from his bag to wipe his sweating body. He had practiced boxing for nearly an hour as was his schedule to practice that night. He didn’t have time before for practicing, not because he was too busy with his work. He didn’t have that much work activity, like his other band mates had, but before Ryo had the accident he always went home after practice, waiting for Ryo at his apartment or at Ryo’s apartment, preparing dinner for him until Ryo arrived home and for the rest of the night, he was busy with something else. But now with Ryo’s condition, he had more time to do his training. In fact, it was almost everyday for the whole week now.

“Boxing, eh?”

“Yup, why did you ask?”

“Well, I was wondering maybe you want to have a couple of drinks with me. What time will you finish?”

“In a couple of hours. Why are you suddenly asking?” Ueda wondered, he and Jin were band mates, but they rarely go out together anymore. Before Jin went to America they were much closer and they often went out to eat or drink. But lately they seemed to be quite busy and they never see each other outside work anymore.

“Well, I just realized we haven’t had a drink for while, we promise we’d go out for a drink on our concert before in front of our fans remember? We haven’t done that.”

Ueda chuckled at Jin’s reasoning. “It’s just for the fans Jin, and it’s more than a year ago.”

“Well it’s still a promise. So do you wanna go?”

Ueda chuckled again and a smile formed on his face. “Sure, why not? Is Kame coming?”

“No, he still has some meetings for his upcoming drama, but Pi will join us.”

“Pi?” Of course Pi, he and Jin were best friends and so was Ryo. Wait, if Pi is joining, will Ryo also be there? Ueda’s heart started to beat faster and it’s not because he had just been exercising. “Just him?” He couldn’t help but to ask.

“Yeah just Pi, me and you”  

Ueda was a bit disappointed. He wished Ryo would also be there, it would be a little awkward but at least he would get to see his lover again. Not that he hadn’t meet Ryo at all that day. In fact, he had a wonderful time at lunch break with Ryo, but he still missed the Osakan man. “Alright then, I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

“Yosh! I’ll text you where you should meet me later. See ya, Tatchan!”

Ueda closed his phone with a shrug and he continued his boxing practice.

----

Jin closed his phone and gave a nod to Pi who was sitting next to him.

“What did he say?”

“He said he’ll meet us in a couple of hours, after he’s done with his boxing practice.” Jin informed him as he gave a sign to the bartender to give him another glass of beer.

“Good.” Pi said and he also asked the bartender to give him one.

“Why do you suddenly want to meet him anyway? I don’t understand, and earlier what was that all about with Ryo? You made me look like a complete idiot trying to keep him from getting any nearer to you in the car. What’s going on, Pi?” Jin was curious of his best friend’s actions. He tried to ask several times but when he was about to open his mouth, Yamapi shushed him, preventing him from saying anything in front of Ryo. And that only made him more curious.

“Well first of all, you don’t need me to make you look like an idiot, you already are.”

“Pi!” Jin protested.

Pi smiled, “And secondly, you will see. I’ll just have to clear everything up with Ueda first until I’m really sure what is going on.”

Jin just gave him a nod. “Okay then. Hey look! Ryo-chan is already drunk. Man he drinks a lot these days.”

Pi just sighed as he looked at Ryo who was sitting not far from them with his head on the table. “Yeah, let’s go to him!”

 “Princess…” Jin and Pi heard Ryo murmur.

“He’s murmuring princess again, he’s been saying that word a lot too these days, especially when he’s drunk.” Jin said, taking a seat next to Ryo who rested his head on the table helplessly.

Two hours had past and the two best friends decided Ryo shouldn’t take anymore drinks.

“That’s enough Ryo, come on we’ll take you home.”

“But I missed my princess~~ where is she Pi?” Ryo lifted his head, hand clutching on Pi’s shirt and shaking him lightly.

“You’ll meet her soon Ryo, she’s coming.” Pi said, resisting the urge to say ‘he’ instead of ‘she’.

“Really, Pi?”

Yamapi nodded and smiled. “Yes, really Ryo.” Pi encircled Ryo’s arm over his shoulder, and gave a sign to Jin to do the same with Ryo’s other arm and they both helped Ryo walk, taking him out from the club.

----

“Are you sure it is alright if we leave him alone?” Jin asked as he and Pi helped Ryo to lie down on his bed. They had managed to take Ryo back to his apartment.

“Yeah, I think it’s alright. He’s sleeping anyway.”

“Princess…”Ryo mumbled again in his sleep.

“Hey why don’t you text Ueda and tell him where to meet us.” Pi asked his best friend.

Jin nodded and took out his cellphone. “You know, I just remember Ryo used to call Ueda ‘prissy princess’” Jin said, smiling at the fact. “What a coincidence, ne?”

Yamapi gave a bitter laugh. “Yeah, what a coincidence.”

---

“Uebo should be here any minute.” Jin said as he closed his phone. He just called Ueda and asked where he was. “I still don’t understand what’s going on Pi.”

“Soon you will.” Pi said with a serious tone, making Jin more curious than he already was. Pi said nothing for the next few minutes, thinking deeply on what he should ask Ueda. He still couldn’t believe the fact that it was Ueda all along, that he was the person Ryo had been looking for, dreaming about and the person Ryo gave a ring to, not just any ring but an engagement ring. It was almost impossible for Ryo to settle down, or so Pi had thought. And the fact that the person Ryo wanted to settle down with was the same person Pi thought to be Ryo’s sworn enemy, the same person Ryo always mocked and insulted every time they were in the same room.

“Ah, there’s Uebo!” Jin said, breaking Pi’s thoughts. “Uebo! Here!” Jin waved his hand to the figure standing at the entrance of the bar.

“Hey, been here long?” Ueda greeted as he approached the two men.

“No, we just arrived, didn’t we Pi?”

Yamapi smiled and nodded his head. “Yeah. hey Ueda.” he greeted the boxer.

“Hey, Yamashita.” Ueda sat next to them and gave a sign to the bartender to give him some beer.

“Call me Pi, all my friends call me Pi and you’re my friend too.” Pi said, giving a smile to Ueda and tapped his shoulder in a friendly way.

Ueda smiled. “Okay…Pi.” Pi was never his friend, Ueda thought. Sure they were in the same company and he was his band mate’s best friend, but he never talked to him or hung out with him outside work. So he never considered Yamapi his friend.

“That’s better, can I call you Tatchan?” Pi asked.

“Sure,” Ueda smiled, although he was slightly confused at Yamapi’s sudden act of friendliness.

“Jin called you Uebo,” Yamapi turned to face Jin who was grinning at his statement. “Can I call you that too?” he turned his head to face Ueda again.

“Sure.” Ueda nodded again.

“How bout princess?” Pi said, sounding a little too accustomed to the term and Ueda’s eyes widened at that. “Or is it only Ryo who can call you that?” Yamapi continued.

“W-What do you mean?” Ueda tried to keep his voice stable, while in fact he was nervous inside, scared as to what Yamapi was implying with his question.

“You know exactly what I mean,” Pi smirked before he continued, “Don’t you, princess?”

“N-Nishikido called me that to mock me.” Ueda said, stating the fact that everybody knew.

“Oh really?” Pi asked, his voice sounding a little amused by the statement. “I thought it’s a term of endearment,” he continued. “You know… his pet name for you.”

“N-no it’s not, why would he give me a pet name?” Ueda tried to force a smile and drank his beer.

“Well people usually have pet names for their lovers.” Pi said simply, causing Ueda to choke on his beer and apparently so did Jin.

“L-lover?” Ueda stuttered, what was Yamapi trying to say? Did he know about him and Ryo?

“Yeah lover, that’s what you are to Ryo, aren’t you?” Pi asked, his face was serious this time, no smirk could be seen on his face and Ueda didn’t know what to answer. Pi knew! How did he find out?

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about! Nishikido hates me, why would I be his lover?” Ueda was still trying to hide the truth.

“Yeah Pi, are you drunk already? It’s Ueda we’re talking to here. He and Ryo-chan hates each other.” Jin finally said, and Ueda was glad that his friend decided to help him.

“Yeah, I thought so too, until I saw this.” Pi opened Jin’s laptop and showed it to the man sitting next to him, and Ueda’s eyes shot wide.

“I-It…It’s-“

“It’s your messages to Ryo. I transferred them from Ryo’s phone.” Pi informed him, a satisfied smile appeared on his face as he saw Ueda’s panicked expression.

“What? Let me see!” Jin demanded and turned the laptop to face him. “Oh My God! What is this Pi?” Jin turned to face Ueda who still had a shocked look on his face. “Uebo? Is this true?”

Ueda couldn’t say a word, his lips were gaping as if they were trying to say something, but no words came out from them. “You are Ryo’s lover aren’t you?” Pi finally asked the question he had been wanting to ask that entire night.

Ueda nodded weakly, knowing his secret had been revealed and he was unable to deny it anymore. “Yes I was.”

“What do you mean ‘was’?” Pi asked, confused by Ueda’s sentence.

“He doesn’t remember me.” Ueda said sadly, his hands were shaking as he held his glass of beer. Pi pitied him for his condition. At first he was a little mad at the fact that his best friend was hiding a secret from him, but now he was looking at a man who was hurting inside knowing the fact that his lover didn’t remember ever being with him. Ueda must have been hurt all this time.

“But that doesn’t mean that he completely forgot about you. He keeps on dreaming about you.” Pi tried to raise hope in Ueda.

“He does?” And it almost worked.

Pi nodded, “He still can’t remember who you are, but he knows he has a lover. Well, he thinks he has a girlfriend though.” Pi chuckled at the last words.

“Did he know about these?” Ueda pointed at the laptop screen.

Yamapi shook his head. “No, I haven’t told him anything yet. I transferred them from Ryo’s phone and cleared his inbox. So far he doesn’t know about these messages.”

“Please don’t tell him, Pi.” Ueda pleaded.

“Why not?”

“He’s not ready. He still thinks we’re enemies. If he knows that we are exactly the opposite, I’m afraid the truth will hurt him.”

“But he deserves to know, he’s been trying to find you, to remember you.” Pi tried to reason.

“Not now Pi, if we told him now, I’m sure his brain can’t take it, and you know what will happen.” Ueda explained. It was true that Ryo deserved to know. Hell, all he wanted to do was to tell Ryo and to jump at him claiming the Sexy Osaka Man to be his. But he knew he couldn’t, not when Ryo still thinks that he was his enemy.

“He’s right Pi, hell even I was surprised. I don’t know if Ryo can take the truth if he finds out.” Again Ueda should thank Jin for taking his side.

Pi gave a knowing sigh, “But he’s suffering now, and I know you are suffering too.”

“I can take it, Pi, but I don’t know if I can take it seeing Ryo hurt, and the worst possibility that he could-“ Ueda wasn’t able to continue. “Just please don’t tell him yet, okay?”

“Okay, but what are you going to do?” Pi asked in concern, knowing it was not easy for Ueda to handle this alone.

“I need to get him closer to me first, not as an enemy, but as a friend at least. I will try to get him to like me, and if he can accept me in his life, I’m sure by the time he remembers that we’re lovers, everything would be okay.” Ueda explained his plan.

 

“Okay, you’re right I guess, but are you sure you can do this?” Pi asked again.

“I have to do this, this is the only way.”

“Okay then, I hope you know what you’re doing.” Ueda smiled and nodded. “If you need our help, we are here for you and for Ryo too.” Yamapi said, patting Ueda’s shoulder to comfort him.

Ueda was partly glad that Yamapi and Jin found out about this secret. He was glad he had someone to talk to about this. All this time he carried this burden alone on his shoulders, but now he was glad he could at least share it with them.