Title: Thirty Minutes

Author: Regina Wren

E-mail: wren13 @ gmail.com

Fandom & Pairings: Janne Da Arc; ka-yu x yasu, ka-yu x OFC

Keywords: yaoi, het, angst

Rating: Teens

Words: 940

Status: Complete

Disclaimer: My story. Not my people. Not making any profit, not intending to hurt anyone either. This is a work of fiction springing entirely from my twisted little brain. As far as I know none of this ever happened.

Comments: It's named "30 Minutes" after the t.A.T.u song:
"Either way, options change,
Chances fails, trains derail.
30 minutes, the blink of an eye,
30 minutes to alter our lives."

It's about the moments that change your life: sometimes you can change them, for good or bad, and sometimes you can only stand by and watch.

And because I set myself thirty minutes in which to write this.



Thirty Minutes
By Regina Wren



I figured it was going to happen one day. I'd been thinking about it since middle school, when I'd first met Ka-yu, but somehow I still wasn't prepared when he walked into practice one morning, bursting with excitement, and told us the news. Of course everyone immediately went over to wish their best.

Up until then I had been drawing on the back of some sheet music - a dragon climbing out of an egg - but now my pen hovered frozen over the page. I was still blinking at what he'd just said. "Ayako and I are engaged. We're going to get married!" It shouldn't have come as such a surprise really, seeing how crazy they were about each other. But somehow it felt like a door had just been slammed in my face. Now there was no more wondering or waiting. Or hoping that maybe he'd change his mind. Not that I'd been holding onto a lot of hope on that, but at least I could imagine, or something.

"Hey Yasu," You threw an arm around my shoulders, giving me a nudge. "Wake up, man. D'you hear what Ka-yu said? He said he got engaged."

Yeah, and I wasn't likely to forget it.

Then I pulled myself together, letting a familiar smile slip onto my face. "Is that right?"

You grinned at me. "Yep. You looked kinda spaced out... Or are you jealousss...?" he drew out the word suggestively.

He was just teasing though, I knew. So I gave him the expected reply. "Yeah, that's right, Ka-yu doesn't love me anymore." I made my voice sound petulant, but didn't let my smile slip for a moment. When you sounded like you were joking you could get away with saying almost anything in our band. I'd adopted that particular trick years ago.

You laughed, good humoured. Despite all I ever played and joked about, You was like most people: he'd believe what he wanted, what was easiest to believe. He wouldn't doubt me.

I stood up off the amp I'd been sitting on and dropped my abandoned drawing onto a table. The dragon's wings were going to have to remain unfinished for now.

"Ka-yu. Congratulations." He glanced over when he heard my voice. "I'm sure you'll both be very happy together," I said, slapping a hand on his back for emphasis. I meant it too. He was full of elation this morning; it wasn't often anyone saw Ka-yu this genuinely happy. I'd known a long time ago that he would never look at me the way he looked at girls, and I did want him to be happy after all, even if I wasn't the one that could give him that happiness. Still hurt though.

"Thanks Yasu." He beamed at me.

I'd kissed him once in high school, just to see how he'd react. When he stared at me in shock and confusion afterwards I immediately felt bad and I never tried it again. He never said anything to anyone, but he did act a little weird for a while, like he was freaked out or something. He got over it eventually though; I guess once I had girlfriends he stopped questioning. Nowadays he certainly didn't have a problem with kissing me on stage, but neither of us ever raised the point outside of jokes and fanservice.

At that moment our manager stuck his head 'round the door wanting to know if the rumours were true. Good news spread fast apparently. I watched Ka-yu go, trying not to feel like it was me specifically that he was walking away from.

Damnit, I needed to stop letting him get to me.

"Yasu, you ok?" Kiyo asked peering up at my face. We all liked to pick on Kiyo sometimes, but honestly, he was impossible not to like. He was the one who kept us all sane when things got a bit crazy, and there was something sympathetic about him so I think we all trusted him more than anyone. But he was also not easily fooled.

Still I was determined not to let my face slip. "Yeah, I'm fine. What? You guys think I'd rather be fucking Ka-yu myself?" I said it loud enough for the rest of Janne Da Arc to hear and there was a round of sniggering and amusement from the room. Thankfully Kiyo didn't ask anymore, because that comment suddenly sparked a chorus of innuendo.

I was about to join in when my phone rang.

Stepping into a corner, out of the way, I fished it out of my pocket, only quickly glancing at the name on the display. "Sachiko." The girl I was currently seeing.

"Hi Yasu," she said brightly before falling into a softer voice. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, it's fine."

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to come over tonight. I'm cooking..." she added cheerfully as extra incentive. Her voice alone reminded me of the way her face looked when she smiled at me, and the scent of her hair... A warm reassurance hovered in my chest.

Over by the door Ka-yu stood chatting to some of the staff. He was laughing and almost bouncing with excitement.

Something twisted in my chest. Wanting. Uncertain. Torn. I glanced away and stared down at the half-finished dragon crawling out of its egg instead. But I was happy for him. Even with everything else I was feeling I couldn't deny that.

"Yasu? Are you still there?"

Despite myself I had to smile. My heart ached, but my smile wasn't fake this time. "Ah... yeah, sorry. That sounds great, Sachiko. I'd love to."














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Completed: 05.03.17