Install Me in Your Heart
Ninomiya 'Nino' Kazunari had just arrived at his office when a call came for him. Putting his stuff on the table, he quickly answered the call even though he didn't recognise the number. In his line of work, it was customary to receive such calls. This could be a call from a potential customer.
"Hello,"
"Err… hi," a hesitant soft voice sounded from the other end of the line. "Is this Ninomiya-san?"
"Yes, I am Ninomiya," answered Nino. "May I know who you are and why you are calling me, sir?"
"Hmm… My name is Ohno…" said the voice. He still sounded timid. Nino could see that the man rarely talked to other people from the way he spoke. "Hmm, I saw your ad and hmmm… I want to buy your software,"
“May I know which one you mean?”
“Hmm… the one with the symbol A,” answered Ohno. “I don’t know its name but I used it before,”
The man explained that he used to work at a publishing company where he was in charge of creating illustrations for books. He had just quit the company and now worked as a freelancer. Before this, the company provided the software and now, he had to buy it to continue his work.
“Is it expensive?” Asked Ohno once he finished explaining. That was a delicate answer. As a freelancer, Ohno might find the price of the software expensive. But, Nino knew how to handle it.
“Well, it depends,” explained Nino. “Nowadays, those software were sold under subscription. It can be annually or monthly. For example, if you subscribe annually, you can only use it for a year. To continue using the software, you will have to renew the license,”
“Oh,” came Ohno’s short reply. From the tone, Nino would guess that the man didn’t like how the software was sold. “Hmm, is there another software similar to the one I told you about but it isn’t under subscription?”
“Well, I have a few other options but all of them are under subscription,” said Nino. “Maybe, we can meet and I can show you which one is the feasible solution for you,”
“That sounds good,” responded Ohno. “Let me check my schedule,”
Nino did the same. He knew he wouldn’t be available today because he had three other appointments. Tomorrow should be okay, noted Nino as he noticed the date. Oh, it’s his birthday tomorrow.
“Is tomorrow afternoon, okay? Asked Ohno. “Around 3 PM?”
“That would be perfect,” said Nino, writing it on his planner. They agreed on the place to meet and then ended the call.
Nino arrived at the meeting place 10 minutes before 3 PM. Earlier this morning, he had texted Ohno to make sure the meeting would take place as they had planned. Ohno had replied to his text with the thumbs-up emoticon. Nino looked around the co-working space they had agreed to meet. Was Ohno here yet? He had no idea what the man looked like but none of the men in the working space looked like what he had imagined Ohno would be. Well, to be on the safe side, it would be better to text Ohno to ask if he’s already here.
The reply came immediately. Ohno informed him that he was still on his way and would be there soon. Nino then told him that he would be in the discussion room close to the entrance. He entered the room and started preparing for his presentation.
Not long after that, a short man around his height knocked on the door. Looking shy, he asked, “Hmm… Ninomiya-san?”
Nino nodded his head. “I assume you are Ohno-san,”
The man smiled at Nino and took a seat opposite him. He took out a book and a laptop from his bag. Nino couldn’t help but stare at Ohno, finding the man cute. He had imagined Ohno as a reclusive person because of how awkward he sounded on the phone. Knowing the nature of his work, one would think that Ohno would be an indoor person. But, seeing how tanned the man was, it looked like the man spent a great deal outside. For some reason, it made Ohno look sexy. Combining that with his awkwardness just made Ohno attractive to him.
He quickly shook his head, realizing it was unprofessional of him to ogle his client.
“Sorry for being late,” said Ohno. “I missed my stop earlier,”
“Did you fall asleep on the train?” teased Nino. The man didn’t say anything but the twin spots of red that appeared on his cheeks were enough to confirm it.
“Well, let’s start,” said Nino before he began showing Ohno a few software available at his company. He explained the basic features of the software before explaining the differences between them as well as their strength and weaknesses
“This software might be the most expensive…” said Nino, trying to hide his smile as he noticed the frown on Ohno’s face. It made him wonder if Ohno understood his explanation or not. “... But, it is widely known among the designers. As such, if you encounter any problems while using it, it will be easier to find a solution,”
“That sounds great…” said Ohno. “But, I don’t think I can afford it,”
“Mind telling me your budget?”
Ohno shook his head. “Let’s just say, I can only afford the cheapest one among the software you showed me,”
“The cheapest one is not that bad. It might not be as stable as the others but based on what you told me about your project, I think it will be suitable,” said Nino. “Anyway, all these software have a trial period, which varies. This one, for example, the trial period is for 30 days. The one you inquired about earlier has a 7-day trial period. So, you can try this first and see if it meets your requirement,”
“Hmmm… but, how do you install it?”
“Well, since you have your laptop with you, I can install it for you now,”
Ohno beamed with happiness to hear it. The smile that was on his face was dazzling, making Nino’s heart beat faster. He had to look away to make sure he wouldn’t do anything stupid.
“Thank you so much, Ninomiya-san!” said Ohno. “I actually have a project to work on right now. I was worried that I might have to decline it if I cannot find the right software,”
“Good!” said Nino. He tried to avoid looking straight at the man. “You can give it a try right away and if you like it, you can purchase it before your trial ended. Hmmm, can I install it now?”
Ohno nodded his head and pushed the laptop towards Nino. A smile adorned his face. Gosh, why was this man so cute?
Installing the software gave Nino a chance to calm himself. It didn’t take long to install. In fifteen minutes, the software was already on Ohno’s laptop. He pushed it back at Ohno, accidentally brushing their hands together. Once again, his heart beat faster.
“If it doesn’t work for you…” said Nino, trying his best to look normal. “I can install the other for you,”
“Thank you. You are really wonderful, Ninomiya-san,” said Ohno. Gosh, this man really needed to stop looking so cute and adorable. “Hmm, can you install something else for me?”
“What is it?” Nino asked, frowning.
“Install me in your heart,” said Ohno, looking shy.
That caught Nino off guard. Did he hear correctly? What did Ohno mean by that?"
"Is that a pickup line?"
Ohno was blushing in return.
"It's lame, right?"
"Yes, it is," agreed Nino. "Well, if you are serious about wanting me to install you in my heart, treat me for dinner tonight. We can talk about ourselves instead of this boring software,"
"That's my plan," said Ohno. Nino found it hard to believe that the shy and timid person he met earlier was quite brazen to ask him out. Well, whatever, he knew it might not be a good idea to go out with his client. But, today was his birthday. Cut him some slack, please. For the first time in years, he was finally not alone in celebrating his birthday. Not that he would let Ohno know.
"If you say so, let's go, then,"