(One-shot) There's something in my house
Pairing: All 5
Words: 8754
Genre: Horror, angst
Rating: Uggh...I guess R
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine.
Summary: Aiba just moved into his new house with his younger brother help. Yet, he was bothered by something which is obviously not alive and might endanger him.
A/N: Sorry, I can't give too much detail on the summary or it won't be intersting anymore. It's HORROR. So for those who don't like this genre, don't try to read it.
-Spooky 1: There’s something in my House-
After driving for a moment with his younger brother sit on the passenger’s seat, Aiba finally stop his car in front of an apartment building. He then comes out and leads the truck which is carrying his stuff to the parking area. Having a tight schedule since a week ago forces him to settle his unfinished house moving during his only day off which is today after a busy week. He knows it’ll require his entire suppose to be resting day for now, but he doesn’t mind. After all, his new apartment’s location is really close with train’s station. It’ll definitely help him to leave for his job faster later.
Finally after almost an hour carry boxes of Aiba’s stuff until the front door, two delivery workers take their leave with Aiba and his brother send them off thankfully. The brothers then start to bring all boxes inside, one by one. For a long time both of them only focus with what they’re doing. None of them say anything until the younger one lifts his third box which he found much lighter than those he carried before. Curious, he immediately put it down back. He grabs for a nearest cutter to see what’s inside it.
“Ani?”
“Hmm?”
Aiba turns from arranging his full with clothes boxes.
“Why do you have a box of stuffed toys?”
“Ah! I found it sell by an orphanage when I was working outside Tokyo before. It’s a charity sell and they’re going to destroy it if no one want it, so I decided to buy. It’s still perfect after all.”
His brother frowns.
“But what are you going to do with these?”
“Give it as present to Miyagi area’s victims.”
The younger guy nods. Deep inside he’s also agree with his older brother’s decision since it’ll be wasting to destroy the still as good as new cute toys in the box.
“Where do you want me to put it?”
Immediately, Aiba stops with what he’s doing and pursues his lips to think. The living room is already in mess and it’ll be disturbing their way if he places it together with his other stuff.
“Just leave it in my bedroom.”
“Stuffed toys? Don’t tell me you’re scared to sleep alone at night.”
“I’m not! I-anyway just leave it there!”
Aiba snort when the other one start to laugh. Meanwhile for the younger, he knows that his older brother’s brain is already too messy to argue with him, so he just let it be and immediately carry the box into his brother’s house. Right when both his feet inside however, he feels someone is walking pass the open door behind him.
Quickly, he glances from his shoulder. His brother who by chance saw his weird action frowns.
“What’s wrong?”
The latter turn to him and just shake his head.
><><><><><><><><><><><
After some more hours had been spend to put everything from his previous house to the correct place, Aiba lay on his living room couch with a tired sigh. His brother already returns to Chiba this evening after he reassures him that he can do the final clean up by himself. The moment he finish it however, his whole body already sore especially his back.
“I never thought it will be this tiring…”
He says while closing his eyes, hoping to reduce the pain which slowly drifts him into slumber.
As time goes by, he somehow gradually feels his legs become numb. Believe it’s maybe due of his tiredness, Aiba chooses to ignore it and just let the numbness go away by itself. Hoping for a more comfortable spot, he then tosses his body to the right, but flinch when a sudden strong grip around his ankles stops him.
Surprised by it, Aiba immediately opens his eyes and looks at his feet.
He freezes to found a female teen with a pair of red eyes is holding his legs below. Due of shock Aiba unfortunately couldn’t move or say anything. He only can watch until the red eyes girl suddenly opens her mouth wide and bites his right shin hardly.
Panicky, Aiba clumsily sits up and tries to push her away. Yet, he found nothing. Not even a glimpse of the girl.
“A…dream?”
Cold sweats flow down to his face. While panting badly, he worriedly observes every inch of the living room. Still, the girl nowhere to been seen.
‘It feels so real.’
Sighing heavily, he rubs his pale face with his sweaty palm. He takes a minute to pull himself together before finally walks into his bedroom. Only after the light has been turn on and door mutely shut behind him, he finally has some guts to approach his wardrobe and change into pajamas. The silence somehow creep him again.
‘I better try to not think so much about it.’
Hardly, he shakes his head to push away the negative thought. He knows he is just tired.
Trying to not remember about his nightmare anymore, he decides to just brush his teeth and jump into bed. Fortunately there’s a bathroom in his bedroom as well so there’s no need for him to walk through living room with his still unstable emotion. As he finally stands in front the bathroom’s door, his hand reaches for the knob and turns it. He gives it a slight push, but glimpse of tall shadow inside it makes him clumsily steps aback.
“W-What’s that?”
His heartbeat’s rate increases. For a while, he just stays still and silently stare the door. Only after he finally calms down enough, he moves to approach the door again. Very slowly, he touches the doorknob before pushes it again.
This time, the door open much wider, but nothing is inside.
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The next day, everything unexpectedly back to normal to Aiba. Despite of his tiredness for couldn’t sleep well last night, he still come for Arashi’s show recording in his cheerful mood. After all, he really loves his job. He even is so looking forward for today’s schedule which his manager just informs him while ago especially when he find out he’s going to go home late today. Maybe anyone will think him weird for feels happy with the tight schedule looking by how he’s already too busy since last week, but for now he knows it’s better than staying at home. His instinct somehow tells him that what he just witnessed last night wasn’t only his imagination.
As soon as he finally reaches their greenroom, he excitedly beams his friends with his high radiation smile.
“Good morning!”
He smiles broader when he receives answer from them though it’s not as enthusiasm as him. As he closes door back, his tiredness somehow come again and immediately yawn widely for the nth time this morning. Seeing how rare Aiba isn’t so high like today, Sho smilingly brings his newspaper down.
“You must be tired after moving your stuff last night.”
“Un. Sort of.”
He answers while sleepily scratches his head.
“So everything is done? What you’re going to do with your old house?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not going to sell it. It’s the first house I bought by my own saving.”
“Keeping it as memory?”
“Un. It’s important after all right?”
Seeing the youngest member chuckle, he knows Jun must be understood his feelings. Later, two knocks suddenly comes from the other side of door follow by the voice of their stylist.
“Sorry for disturbing. Aiba-san, I need to coordinate your clothes again. Is it okay for you?”
“Sure. No problem.”
Immediately, he pulls the doorknob and follows their stylist into the closest change room. As soon as they enter it, the female stylist gives him clothes that she already prepared for Aiba earlier.
“Try it first. If you feel not comfortable tell me. I’ll be in you guys’ greenroom for the rest coordination.”
“Okay.”
After watch her walks out and close the door, Aiba takes a look at his clothes and immediately get change.
He finish in no time and turns to the big mirror inside the room. As usual, he’ll wear a shirt with pair of knees height trousers. Regardless, he doesn’t mind it at all. He even somehow thinks the style perfectly fits him after had been stick with the coordination for years long already. Satisfied, Aiba finally moves to the greenroom to look for their stylist while humming some Arashi’s old song happily.
“It’s comfortable. Let’s go with this.”
The stylist turns to him from measuring Ohno’s waist. Aiba meanwhile pokes his head while grinning before step inside to show her the clothes.
It however only makes her stunned and widens her eyes.
“Aiba-san, what happen to your leg?”
“Eh?”
Frowning, Aiba immediately looks at his legs. Upon hearing her question, the other four Arashi’s members inside curiously look at the same direction. All of them surprise to see a circle shape red wound with bluish bruise surround it on Aiba’s right shin.
“How did you get that bruise?”
Sho and Jun immediately drop with what they’re currently reading on while Ohno and Nino already make their way to their cheerful friend. On the other hand for Aiba, he’s still to speechless to answer Nino’s question.
When Jun starts to look for some massage oil inside his bag, Aiba was told to sit on nearby chair by Sho so they can take a close look on the injured.
“Did you bump into something when you’re moving your stuff?”
“No. Not at all. Besides, all the stuffs I moved were just a small and light one.”
“Then how did you get this wound?”
The injured guy tilts his head, trying to remember what was exactly happen yesterday. However, he can’t grasp any memory regarding it at all.
“It looks like a bitten wound.”
“Did your dog bite you?”
“No! They’ll never do that! Plus they’re with my family now!”
Jun at the same time comes to approach them with a small bottle.
“Yeah. There’s no way animal are going to bite him.”
“And looking by how high you’re now, I bet your injured isn’t as bad as my sprain before.”
“Agree. I think he even has no problem to do back flip.”
Ohno just giggle by their statement while Aiba furiously pout.
Later, their stylist decides to leave and look for some trousers that can cover Aiba’s wound. Of course it makes the idol to apologize her numbers of times for causing a trouble, but she just smiles reassuringly that there’s nothing to bother about. The moment the stylist closes their greenroom’s door, Jun immediately kneel to treat Aiba’s leg with Ohno hold the massage oil for him. Sho and Nino meanwhile stand near their injured friend in case he will feel any pain from Jun’s massage.
But beyond their expectation, Aiba just quietly watch Jun’s action without even gives out a small flinch.
“Sorry for troubling you, Jun.”
“It’s okay. Just be careful next time.”
Aiba nods. The reaction however forms confuse frown on Sho’s face with Nino immediately crossing his arms thoughtfully beside. They know Aiba is not a person who can hold back if he feels hurt or ticklish no matter how hard he tries. Plus, the bruise is no joke. It’s obviously bad.
“Seriously Aiba-chan, how did you get this?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t remember I’d bump, fall or kick anything yesterday or few days ago.”
“How about last night? Maybe you tripped on something?”
“No. I just-”
Abruptly, he stops.
Maybe…it has something to do with the last night incident which he believes just an unimportant nightmare?
“Aiba-chan?”
He startles.
“Ah, nothing. I don’t remember anything happen at all.”
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Time unfortunately goes faster than he wants. Finally, Aiba already stand in front of his apartment’s door. He however has no intention to open it what more take a single step inside. Only after a day live in his newly bought house, he already feels uneasy with it. Arashi has visited numerous of dangerous yet scary places long time ago for the sake of a horror shows and he somehow learnt the difference between ‘hallucination’ and ‘reality’ from it. In anyhow, of course he badly hopes will be the first reason in this case.
And he’s lucky since he’s a quite positive person.
Determinedly, he shoves his key and unlocked the front door. He then reaches for the switch and turn on the light which at least make him to feel a bit secure as soon as he closes back the door behind him. After takes off his jacket, he leaves it on the living room’s couch and looks at the clock wall. It’s already late, so he decides to just wash his face and take the medicine that Jun gave him this morning before go to catch some sleep.
‘Don’t think about anything. Don’t think about anything.’
He repeats the words again and again when he enters the kitchen’s space. After grabs for an empty glass, he takes out a full film coated of aspirin from his pocket and places it together on the dining table to take bottle of cold water from the fridge.
Then, he heard something is shifting behind him.
Luckily, he still able to resist himself from immediately turn around and just quickly grabs a bottle and can of beer from his open fridge. When he looks at the glass and medicine, he only surprises to see it moves not a little but already had been separate far from each other.
‘This is just…too much.’
Immediately, he takes the glass and fills it with water. Two tablets enter his throat follow by the cold plain water before he walks into the living room with his beer can. As he comfortably sits on his couch, he leaves his beer on the table in front and grabs for television’s remote next to it. The moment he switches it on however, the house suddenly turn to pitch dark.
‘Great. Now blackout.’
His stress sigh fills the living room. Ignoring his fear, Aiba moves toward the main switch that located just next to the front door. With a small wood chair to climb on, he opens the cover and found one of the switches inside tumble.
Soon, he looks at the living room’s space and turn on the switch. The place later brightens by a flash half seconds light, but with a tall shadow man is sitting on the seat where he just sat on before. As the place falls into darkness again, Aiba already too shocked to even make a small movement. The minute he finally gather all of his courage, he just rushes out without bother to lock the door.
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“I’m really, really sorry. I promise it’ll never happen again.”
Sho who by chance heard it as soon as their agency’s van opens in front him frowns. It’s somehow weird when the first thing he sees this morning is Aiba apologizing to someone on the other line of his phone call. He however doesn’t say anything until he slides close the door behind him and sit beside Ohno.
“What happened?”
“Seems he forgot to lock his apartment’s door and ask the landlord to do it for him.”
The rapper nods with O shape mouth. When the van finally moves, Aiba nods apologetically once again before cut his call with his last apologize. Glancing and found the cheerful guy now already stops from having conversation on his phone, Nino snorts without looking away from his DS.
“I can’t believe just because of blackout, you suddenly wanted to sleepover at my house last night.”
Aiba grin and turn to the gamer who’s sitting on the most back seats.
“It can’t be helped. It’s already too late for me to call anyone last night. Lucky me for remembered that you’re not going to bed unless you’ve finish your game.”
Nino pause his game and glance from his game’s screen immediately.
“How did you know about it?”
“You told me yesterday don’t you?”
The younger guy sighs in defeat.
“But seriously, can’t you at least lock the door? It’s dangerous you know.”
“I was rushing. I’d no time think about it.”
Sho chuckles to hear it.
“It’s not like your house is haunted by something.”
Aiba startles. Immediately, he turns around and grins happily to Sho.
“Thank you Sho! Maybe I should call someone to do exorcism later!”
The other four however look at him in disbelieve.
“Don’t tell me you took what he just said seriously?”
The cheerful guy smiles as an answer.
Maybe the latter is happy because they’re now heading to Chiba, the rest thought. Today they’re going to have outside recording which is quite rare. So there’s nothing wrong if Aiba feels excited since it’s also his hometown.
Right after they arrived, the van stops in front of a restaurant and all of them step out from it. While entering the place for having their lunch, Sho begins to talk about various places that Aiba brought him to during the recording of one of Arashi’s Himitsu episode with Nino and Jun. The three guys already lost in their conversation when Ohno decides to approach Aiba. The cheerful guy meanwhile is obviously in high spirit state since he hasn’t been in Chiba for quite long already.
“Aiba-chan?”
“Yup?”
Aiba looks at him smilingly. They sit next to each other after reach a reserved table while Nino sits on the other side of Aiba when Sho and Jun take the opposite seats.
“What’s wrong?”
“Your bruise. Is it okay already?”
“Un. Plus, it doesn’t hurt at all.”
A waitress then comes to take their order. When she finally takes her leave from there, the five of them continue to chitchatting about random topic until an unexpected guest come to their table.
“Yusuke!”
His younger brother just replies him with ‘Yo’ and greets the other members.
“Why are you here?”
Sho asks after tell the other one to take the seat beside him.
“Dad told me to give Ani what he just tried to cook recently. Ani seems busy to pay a visit at home, so I brought this here.”
As soon as he opens one of the three lunch boxes that he bring with him, all Arashi’s grin excitedly. The delicious scent is more than enough to make their mouth watery.
“Is it fine to bring cooking from other restaurant here?”
The six guys burst with laugh. Even though they know it’s inappropriate to eat it there, the idols still dig into it due of their hungriness. After all there’s no need to worry of got caught since their seat are quite isolate from other customers and even the workers’ eyes.
“So, how’s your new house?”
Aiba looks at his brother by the question while shoving a slice of chicken into his mouth. He tries to quickly swallow it so he can answer the other one, but accidently chocked it instead. His clumsy action only gain laugh from the others.
After coughing few times, Aiba return his brother’s gaze again.
“Just few problems, but I’ll manage to surpass it somehow.”
“As if. Weren’t you just run to Nino’s house last night?”
“EH?”
“No! I mean, yes. But cause there’s something-er sort of. I mean-well, ugh. Never mind.”
Seeing the older one already scratches his not itchy head, the younger brother frowns.
“I don’t get what you’re talking about at all.”
“But we found a terrible bruise on his leg. Did he injure himself when lifting his stuff before?”
Aiba’s brother frowns.
“As much as I remember, he’s not. The last boxes are the lightest ones after all.”
Aiba nods enthusiastically, totally agree with what his brother just said. The younger brother then moves to him, asking to see the wound which makes Aiba to immediately roll up his trousers. After observe it for a while, he looks at the guy in front him again with a worry look.
“You better see the doctor, Aiba-chan. It might be turning out worst.”
“I will, but after recording.”
“No. You better go now. The recording will start about 1 more hours. We still have plenty of time.”
The other members start to noisily support Ohno’s idea. Of course Aiba want to protest it though. Yet, his brother already drags him to the closest clinic after threaten him that he’ll tell their parents if he doesn’t want to listen.
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Aiba is now in a big mess. His x-ray and medical report just reach his manager’s hand while ago and he’s told immediately to take few days rest. Even the specialist can’t see what’s wrong with his wound. There’s no broken bone. No internal bleeding. No blocked blood vessels.
So, the doctor just told him to stay at home upon it maybe because of overworking which…is the last thing he wants to do.
The moment he finally stands in front of his house, he just stays till for a while. His feelings torn between get inside or the other way. It’s currently sharp 7 in the evening but he can’t ignore his hesitance. If it’s true his house is haunted like what Sho said before, he knows it’ll be dangerous for him.
‘Please. No more.’
As careful as he can, he unlocked the door, open it wider a second later before turn on the living room’s light. After closes the front door, he then leans on it with a sigh.
The beer is still there. His jacket remains unmoving.
Well, at least it proves him that everything is still safe. Step by step then he goes to his bedroom to grab for some clean clothes and get inside the bathroom to take a shower.
Within several minutes, Aiba finally finish refreshing his body. After dry himself with a white towel which he hangs on the door before, he wraps it around his hip and ready to step outside. However, he accidently notices something on the steamy mirror above the sink.
“Finger writing?”
He frowns, realizing that he never did it what more to come closer to the sink at all. Despite of his awareness with the only reason how come it can suddenly appears, he determine to steps closer to read what’s written on it. He only stops after he grasps what’s the meaning of the large Kanji character on it.
“Die.”’
And suddenly, he gets goosebumps.
Feel insecure, Aiba almost runs to leave the bathroom as soon as possible, but widen his eyes when he sees a hand all of sudden comes out from behind him from the mirror’s reflection. It almost touches his shoulder, but somehow he manages to quickly turn around.
For the second time however, he found nothing.
Now, Aiba is completely on his limit. Immediately, the idol stormed out without wasting time. He then swiftly dresses up himself before grabs for a bunny from his stuffed toys’ box and run to the living room. As he sits on the couch, he stays motionless for a while. Even though he already hugs the bunny as tight as he can, the insecure feelings inside him only getting stronger by each elapsed time. Soon, clack sound follow by footsteps are approaching come to his hearing sense. Closing his eyes tight, Aiba immediately drops the bunny and heads to the kitchen to take the medicine Jun gives to him. After pour plain water into his glass, he clumsily looks for the aspirin.
Just when he almost pushes two tablets out, he however abruptly stops.
He clearly remembers he just took two tablets last night. So, how come it’s still full like he hasn’t touched it at all?
“Not again…”
He stressfully sighs and places his palm on the dining table to lean on. These nonstop things now really give him headache. Forgetting his medicine, he quickly brings his feet to the bedroom so he can catch some sleep.
However, he stops just when he’s only few steps from the bedroom’s door.
The tall shadow man which he’s keep seeing for the entire time before is now standing on the corner of the living room, facing the direction where Aiba is freezing at with pale face.
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A week later, Arashi has a group interview from a famous magazine. Since it’s currently Ohno’s turn for alone interview, the other members just doing their own job in waiting room with Sho is reading his newspaper, Nino is exhaustedly sleeping because of his tight schedule and Jun is changing the film of his newly bought instant camera. Feel it’s unusually silent without Aiba’s happy humming or voice, Jun immediately look away from his camera to seek for the taller member.
“Aiba-chan?”
He calls out when he found Aiba is silently sitting on the chair in front of the large makeup’s mirror. The other guy however just remains silent.
“Aiba-chan?”
No response. Frowning, Jun moves closer to the other one with his camera in his hold. Seeing there’s still no trace of Aiba’s awareness about him, Jun immediately lifts his camera and snaps a picture of the supposed to be cheerful guy. Aiba who startles by it turn to him with wide eyes.
“What are you doing?”
He beams the younger one with his usual gaze when he feels confuse. Jun meanwhile smiles to see Aiba finally back to his normal self.
“Why are you sitting alone here?”
“Nothing. I’m just thinking.”
“Something’s bothering you?”
The two guys look at Sho who is now folding neatly his newspapers aside. On the other hand for Aiba, he can’t believe that he looks too obviously bothered in his friends’ eyes.
“You can talk about it if you want.”
Aiba open his mouth, but only closes it back after a while.
“I thought you’ll feel better after few days resting at your house.”
“I didn’t stay at my house.”
The other two guys there frown.
“What do you mean?”
“I-I…stay over at hotel for the entire last week.”
Surprise clearly shows on Sho and Jun’s face. They have no chance to ask further when Ohno suddenly enters the room.
“Aiba-chan, it’s your turn.”
“Okay.”
The cheerful idol’s face immediately lit up with a very bright smile. Ohno meanwhile just returns it with a calm one until Aiba finally disappear from there. They still have a group’s interview so he still can’t leave yet. Soon, he moves to sit next to Aiba’s bag and grabs for a magazine from nearby table. Sho and Jun at the same time look at each other before decide to just forget about the topic. Not long after, Nino finally sits up on the couch he’s sleeping on and sleepily rubs his eyes with tired yawn.
“It’s not my turn yet?”
“After Aiba-chan. You can go back to sleep if you want.”
The gamer just yawns again with a head shake. Jun is just about to settle himself on his seat back when Nino realizes there’s something sticking out from Jun’s instant camera.
“J, is that a picture?”
Hearing the question, Jun immediately follow Nino’s gaze. He mutters a small ‘oh’ before pulls the photo from his camera and brings it closer to his eyes.
Yet, he becomes totally speechless.
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