-

“Yama-kun!”

The said person looked behind him to face his caller. He smiled and greeted, “Hey Yuto, what’s up?”

Yuto panted heavily noting that he actually ran up to catch his friend. “Are you free tonight? I wanna show you something.” He finally said after breathing heavily. Yamada showed signs of thinking until he finally nodded. “Great! I’ll see you tonight in our dressing room then!” The older one grinned as he waved and finally ran back to his room.

Yamada stood there for a few minutes clearly dumbfounded on what was going to happen. I wonder what’s he’s going to show me. He just shrugged and continued to walk to his destination.

-

I won’t be able to make it. I still have taping for One Pound Gospel. I’m sorry.
--Yamachan

Yuto sighed heavily as he flipped close his phone and just sat back down in disappointment. He wasn’t even in the mood to reply because he knew the younger man wouldn’t even have time to read it so he just ignored it. However, he couldn’t just ignore the annoying pain in his heart when he found out that Yamada wasn’t coming.

And I was just about to tell you…

The older man looked beside him and saw one of his surprises for his best friend and slowly yet finally, he felt a great rush of happiness as he became more optimistic.

I won’t give up! I’m still going to tell him!

-

“Hey Yuto-kun, I’m really sorry for not being able to make it the other night. Let me make it up to you.” Yamada whined as he continued poking his friend who seemed to be ignoring him for the past hour. The younger man followed Yuto wherever he went until the latter finally talked to him.

Yuto sighed as he finally stopped ignoring Yamada and turned around. “How then?” He asked.

“Well, my taping ends earlier tonight. Want to have some dinner at my house?” Yamada smiled as he finally managed to make Yuto talk to him. “Sure, but I want to pass by somewhere. I’m going to show you my surprise.” Yuto winked which made the other man chuckle and slapped him playfully.

“Pick me up from my taping area?” Yamada grinned. “I don’t even know how to drive!” Yuto pouted but agreed anyways. “Thanks!” Yamada cheered as they both went back to their dressing room to prepare for their interview with the rest of the Hey! Say! JUMP.

-

Yuto was dropped off by Jin Akanishi because the latter also went there to pick up his boyfriend, Kazuya Kamenashi. The oldest was grateful that his senpai allowed him to go with him and so they both sat down and waited for their partners to come out. It wasn’t long till Kazuya came out exhausted yet happy to see his boyfriend patiently waiting for him.

“Jiiin~” Kazuya called as he ran up towards his lover and gave him a long kiss as a sign of greeting. “Thanks for picking me up,” He smiled while Jin returned the same expression. “Well, you did promise me a memorable night.” The older man chuckled and Kazuya couldn’t agree more. The latter noticed Yuto behind Jin obviously looking for Yamada.

“Um…Yuto-kun? If you’re looking for Yama-chan, he’s still inside taping his parts. We could wait with you if you want.” Kazuya said but Yuto knew better than to let the lovey-dovey couple do more than what his eyes should even see for now. So the younger man just smiled sheepishly and shook the idea off.

“No thank you, Kamenashi-kun. I’ll be fine waiting for Yamada here.” Yuto said.

“Are you sure?” Jin asked, worried for the young boy. The latter nodded and the couple was finally convinced and left.

-

Three hours passed and it was already around past 10:00 PM and Yuto was still waiting patiently for his best friend to finish his parts for the drama. He tried calling Yamada several times but he knew that he was even too busy to look at his phone so he finally stopped.

He looked at his watch for the umpteenth time and was already getting weary. He thought that it was already time for Yamada to go home already since the latter told him that he would end early. He knew he looked stupid hoping for everything to happen but he knew with the younger boy’s schedule, he knew he can’t just butt in inside that very busy schedule.

Yuto sighed as he stood up and got inside the taping area and found everything to be already finished and packed up. Every staff member yawned as they said their ‘goodnights’ to everyone else. He looked around to see his friend and even tried to ask for Yamada but no one knew where he went and others even thought that he finally went home.

The older man knew that was a lie because he still saw Yamada’s bag around with his cell phone so it was complete proof that his friend was still around too. He sat down the couch but suddenly stood up because he felt he sat on someone and he turned to see he was right. But what surprised him though was that he actually sat on Yamada himself!

He debated between waking up and just letting the man sleep but his thoughts suddenly stopped when he saw Yamada stirring awake after feeling the heavy weight on his legs. Yuto bit his lip as Yamada rubbed his eyes to find his friend staring right through him looking tense yet worried.

“Y-Yuto-kun?”

“Hey sleepyhead,” Yuto smiled as he patted his friend on the head which made the latter’s eyes suddenly widen when he remembered what they were supposed to be doing that night.

“OH MY GOD. Yuto-kun, I’m sorry—“ But whatever Yamada was going to say halted when the older man cut in. “Don’t be. I knew you were still busy and I shouldn’t have interfered with your schedule in the first place. I should be the one sorry.” Yuto smiled sadly while Yamada just looked at his friend worriedly as he sat up to sit beside Yuto.

“I’m really sorry, you know,” the younger man whispered as he bowed his head low while Yuto wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I forgive you. That’s what friends do, right? So don’t think about it too much. There’s always next time.” Even though that was said, Yuto was still wasn’t sure if he was reassuring Yamada or himself or even both of them for that matter.

Yamada nodded. “I’ll come with you next time, I promise.” He stared at Yuto with determined eyes but the latter just believed that for 80% while the remaining percent was of feeling hopeless. But he knew better to believe in his friend.

Because that’s what friends do, right?

-

The same incident happened again and again for the past years and Yuto was getting tired every time in happens. No matter how much he actually think positively, he would think that maybe that was the only thing he could do—just think that anything’s possible.

But with Yamada’s schedule, maybe some things were impossible too.

He wasn’t blaming his friend, he would never. But with what’s happening right now no matter how young they were, Yuto just couldn’t help but wait for his friend because until now he was really determined to show him the surprises for the younger man.

-

After being successful 8 years later, Yuto was the first one to settle down with a woman compared to all of them. Everyone wasn’t really surprised at Yuto for marrying his girlfriend after 2 years of relationship but what actually surprised them was that Yamada wasn’t the best man. Everyone knew how close they were, but seeing Yamada as only a part of the guests, everybody wondered what happened. Even Yamada himself was surprised about it but he never had the chance to ask his friend about it.

-

2 days after the wedding and the newlywed couple was on honeymoon, Jin went closer to Yamada and brought him some place where it was pretty serene and relaxed.

This is the place where Yuto and I always play.

Yamada realized when they were finally on the playground on top of a hill. It was already 5:28 in the afternoon and the younger man was getting weary of what’s going to happen because his senpai won’t tell him.

“Akanishi-kun, what is it that you want me to see?” Yamada asked again while Jin just smiled at him.

“Something that Yuto wanted you to see for the past 8 years,” Jin whispered as they waited for 5:30 to finally come. “You do have to squint a bit for you to see it though.” Jin said as he looked at his watch.

The sun was slowly setting for the last minutes and Yamada was already squinting his eyes ready for whatever to come. His eyes were fixed on a simple building across the hill but after the sun was setting for the final minute, his once squinted eyes were now widened as tears started to form in his eyes.

There, with the great angle of the sunset was lighting what was a message on the once simple building.

I LOVE YOU, YAMA-CHAN.

“But…how? I wasn’t…I didn’t notice…this before…” Yamada whispered as his hand clamped his mouth as his shoulders shook while his tears finally came out.

“Yuto reserved this for 8 years until you saw it. I got you here because this was the only place where you could read the message clearly. If you’re on another place, you could only see it as a common advertisement, but in here, that’s what you could really see.” Jin explained. Yamada continued crying as he knew why he wasn’t able to see it before.

I never had time for you. All these years, this is what you wanted to tell me.

“I would’ve answered his feelings…”

“Kazu was like you once before and I knew Yuto was more determined than I am but the only difference was, Kazu gave time…” Jin said.

Yamada didn’t want to hear it anymore but he knew it was the truth and nothing but the truth. His knees gave in as he cried again and again and apologized to Yuto in his mind.

I love you too, Yuto. It’s just too late now.

But what the younger man didn’t know was that Yuto was actually behind one of the trees in the hill listening to everything with Kazuya.

“At least he actually saw it,” Kazuya said and Yuto whispered as a lone tear escaped his eye. “Are you going to talk to him?” The older man said but Yuto shook his head.

“I have a wife now, Kamenashi-kun. I have to go.” Yuto said and walked away. But just after a few steps away from his senpai, he heard “It’s never too late Yuto-kun” and left.

-

Author’s Notes: DONE. Bullet’s still isn’t finished but my sister was still so nice to let me borrow her laptop. To my dear kouhai: only 6 more fics and I’m done with your deal! xD

Thanks for reading everyone! ^^