How Dare You! - Part 10
Nino couldn't stand looking at Ohno's face right now. The voice in his head told him to quit the job. But, the sensible part of him said that it would be stupid to do so just because of Ohno. Besides, he loved the job and he doubted he could find another job like this.
So, he decided to take a week off from work. Under normal circumstances, there's no way the human resource department would allow him to take a long holiday under short notice. But, the head of the department had a soft spot for him and thus, he approved Nino's leave application.
At first, Nino thought to spend his holiday at home playing games to take his mind off Ohno. But, aside from the office, his house was the place he had spent most of his time with Ohno. Whenever he closed his eyes, he could see Ohno smiling at him. So, following Aiba's advice, he decided to go to his parents' house. He hadn't visited them for a while, after all.
Off he went to see his family. He arrived at his hometown in the afternoon when it was time for lunch. His sister, Kazuha was the one who opened the door when he knocked. She looked at him in surprise.
"Why aren't you working?" Kazuha asked. Kazuha worked as a freelance editor so she spent most of her time home.
"Is that how you greet your baby brother, nee-chan?" He retorted, hoping to sound like his usual self. He didn't want his family to know about his problem.
"Well… you seldom come to visit on weekdays. So, of course, I am surprised. What brings you here?"
"Who is that, Kazuha?"
Before Nino could answer, he heard his mother's voice inside the house.
"It's Kazunari, Mama,"
"Huh?" His mother gasped. He could hear the sound of footsteps approaching the door and then his mother appeared. She smiled warmly when she saw him.
"Kazunari, what a pleasant surprise!" His mother said as he embraced him. "Are you here alone or do you bring him with you?"
Knowing exactly who his mother meant by that, he couldn't stop the tears from flowing. He had told his mother about Ohno, ensuring her that he would bring Ohno with him when he came to visit her. But now… he sobbed even harder.
"What's wrong, honey?" His mother asked softly. But, he didn't answer. He could only cry, remembering the hatred that he saw in Ohno's eyes. Seeing his reluctance to answer, his mother seemed to understand why he was like this. Kazuha tried to probe his mother but she shushed her.
"Let's get you inside, ne," His mother suggested. He nodded his head and then the three of them entered the house.
His mother brought him to the living room and asked Kazuha to make a cup of tea for him. She obeyed without protest and when she was back in the living room, Nino's mother asked her to leave them alone. She seemed reluctant but went ahead with a pout on her face.
"Where is papa?" He asked as he didn't see his father anywhere in the house. His father had retired from work a few years ago. Since then, he mostly spent his time in the house.
"Going out to see an old friend," His mother answered. "Are you okay, Kazunari? Would you like to tell me what happened?"
Nino shook his head. He wasn't here to burden his mother with his problem. He was here to forget Ohno, to think of what he would do next. But, it seemed hard to do so.
His mother smiled understandingly. "It's okay. I won't force you,"
He returned the smile. His mother then left to prepare lunch for the three of them.
His family left him alone on the first day. His mother probably told his father and Kazuha not to bother him. They didn't ask him anything, instead, they were the one who told him gossips about people in their neighbourhood. He tried to engage in the conversation but it was hard. He kept thinking of Ohno and the video, wondering why Ohno hated him. What did he do to deserve the hatred?
But, on the second day, his sister barged into his room, waking him up early in the morning.
"Nee-chan, it's still early!" He complained. "Why are you here?"
"I want to eat melon pan!" Kazuha announced excitedly. Nino frowned looking at her, not quite getting what she meant. So, he lied down on the bed once again, ignoring his sister.
"Kazunari!" Kazuha whined, pulling him to sit on the bed. "Let's go and buy a melon pan!"
"Later. I'm sleepy,"
"If we don't go now, it will be sold out! I want to eat the melon pan made by Suzuki baa-chan,"
Nino's eyes opened widely hearing the name. He no longer felt sleepy as he thought of memory from his childhood. Both of them always wake up early to line up and buy the famous melon pan in their neighbourhood. It was truly the best melon pan he ever ate.
"I'll wait for you in the living room. You better be quick," she urged him. Nino simply dismissed her, telling her he will be there in five minutes.
He finished preparing shorter than he anticipated. Once he was ready, his sister quickly pulled him, complaining that he was late and if they didn't get the bread, it would be Nino's fault. Nino simply stuck out his tongue at her. They were ready to go out when Nino's mother appeared from the kitchen.
"Where are the two of you going?"
"Melon pan," Kazuha answered.
His mother simply laughed looking at the two of them. She asked them to buy groceries on their way home and she would text them what to buy.
When they arrived at the bakery, there was already a long line of people wanting to buy melon pan just like them. Kazuha pouted as they lined up, blaming Nino for being late.
"It's not my fault," Nino protested. "You should tell me from yesterday so that I can wake up early,"
"Don't you dare to blame me for this," Kazuha flicked his nose to annoy him. Nino could only laugh, thinking of how similar they were. Despite the long line, it went by pretty quickly and fortunately, they got to buy the bread.
"So much fuss early in the morning," Nino complained as they sat down to eat. He took a bite, exclaiming excitedly how delicious the bread was.
"Kazu, you know I am nosy and impatient, right?" Kazuha began, sounding serious all of a sudden. Nino sighed, knowing exactly what she wanted to talk about. Ah, he should have known she had another motive for taking him out today.
"Mama has told me not to bother you. You will tell us when you're ready but…"
"What do you want to know?" He asked, trying to sound angry. But, it didn't come out the way he wanted it to be. His sister happily continued.
"Who should I kill for hurting my baby brother?"
Nino couldn't stop himself from laughing when he saw Kazuha's expression. She didn't look scary at all despite what she said.
"It's not funny, okay," Kazuha pouted. "I'm serious,"
"I know," Nino said, still laughing. "But, you don't look scary at all. I don't think he will be afraid of you,"
"Who is he?" Kazuha inquired. Nino stopped laughing, debating whether he wanted to tell her. He was grateful for what she did today. Since the incident with Ohno happened, he found it hard to laugh. But, Kazuha made him feel better today with her antics. She was similar to Aiba in that aspect.
"Tell me!" She urged him.
"Geez, you're so nosy," Nino said, trying to ignore her. She glared at him. It was something that she always did to make people do her bidding. No one was afraid of her when she did that but they complied nevertheless to stop her from nagging.
"Okay, I will tell you," Nino decided after contemplating for a while. He wanted to tell her not because she forced him but because he wanted an opinion from an outsider on how to handle this problem. Usually, it was Aiba who advised him but just like him, Aiba was too emotional to think rationally right now.
So he told her how it began with Ohno tricking him into meeting his parents. And then it turned into a real relationship. But, Serina appeared and then she started to ruin their relationship. He told her everything that Serina had done including showing him a video that revealed Ohno's true intention of dating him.
"Urgh… What a jerk!" Kazuha raised her voice angrily when he finished. Nino didn't say anything. She was right. Ohno was a jerk for what he did to Nino.
“But…” Kazuha looked thoughtful before she continued. “Do you think Ohno san is a bad person?”
Nino didn’t answer her. After what happened between them, it was natural for him to think of Ohno as a bad person. But, once again, there was a voice in his head which told him that there’s an explanation for it and he should listen to Ohno’s side of the story. But… he was too afraid to do anything.
“This Serina… why do you think she showed you the video?” Kazuha asked when he remained silent. “Is it for your sake or for her sake?”
Nino frowned, couldn’t really understand what his sister meant. “Does it matter?”
“Of course, it matters!” Kazuha claimed. “She tried to destroy the relationship between you and Ohno san. The video might be real but how about the circumstance that prompted him to say that? He could be manipulated just like you,”
Nino wanted to scoff upon hearing what Kazuha had said. Ohno was manipulated by Serina? Yeah, right!
But… what she had said, it was the same thing that he had been thinking about since he saw the video. Why did Ohno hate him? Why did Ohno want to punish him? Was it because of something that Serina told him? Those are the questions that he kept asking.
“Look, Kazu… I’m not taking his side in this matter. I don’t know him. But, I think you should listen to him first before you make any decision. I don’t want you to regret leaving him because of something Serina told you. She’s not someone you could trust,” Kazuha continued, once again telling him things that had been in his mind. “You still have time to think about this. Think carefully, okay, Kazu?”
Nino simply nodded his head.
“Well, if Ohno san is guilty, don’t worry,” Kazuha assured him. “I’ve told you. He’s going to pay for making my baby brother cry,”
This time, Nino laughed out loud when he heard Kazuha call him her baby brother again. He’s an adult but for her, he would always be her baby brother.
“I’ve told you, I don’t like it when you call me baby brother,” He joked, trying to lighten the mood between them. “I’m an adult,”
“Whatever!” She pinched his cheek. “You’re my baby brother so I will call you that whenever I want,”
Nino laughed again. “Thanks, nee-chan. I can’t believe you’re capable of advising people,”
Kazuha smacked his head. “I like it better when you’re bratty like this,”
Nino only smiled at her. And, he was glad that he talked with Kazuha about his problem. It gave him insight on what to do. It was the same thing he had been thinking of doing. But, his sister gave him the courage to do it. Well, it’s time to enjoy his holiday first. He would deal with Ohno after his vacation.
"Ohno san…" Ohno looked away from the computer screen to find Aiba standing in front of him. "Here is the document that you asked for,"
Aiba put a document on his table and then bowed his head before leaving the office. He didn't even look at Ohno. But, Ohno knew what he would see in the cheerful guy's eyes if they looked at each other. Anger. Disappointment. Hatred. After what he did to Nino, he deserved that.
Things had been different since Serina showed a video to Nino. A video of him telling Serina that he wasn't in love with Nino and was only in a relationship with him because he wanted to hurt Nino. He was so stupid. He had let Serina manipulate him again. And now, whenever they met in the building, Serina would smile triumphantly at him.
Shit! He should be more careful before it happened, knowing that she would always have a few tricks up her sleeve. And, right now, he had no idea what to do to win Nino back. Nino would never trust him again.
He couldn't focus on his work so he shifted his attention towards the person in his mind. Today was the first day Nino was back from his vacation. He didn’t know where or what Nino did during his vacation. But, he was relieved that Nino didn’t quit the job. And, it seemed that the vacation had helped to improve his mood.
He observed his staff from the room, happy to see the pleasant atmosphere between them. They were laughing happily and he wondered what it was about. Once upon a time, he used to be a part of that. But, if he joined them now, the atmosphere would be different. It would be tense. Nino would ignore him, Aiba wouldn't even look at him and Jun… he would scowl at him. The only one who seemed indifferent was Sho. But, it didn’t mean he wasn’t angry at Ohno. He was just being professional at work.
"Kazunari…" He said the name softly. How he wished he could call the name again and the owner would look at him with affection and not hatred.
“I’ve told you not to call me by that name, right?”
Ohno jerked in surprise to find Nino standing at his door. How did Nino move so quickly? He was just at his desk…
Perhaps it was just his imagination, he concluded. He shook his head and returned to the computer screen only to be surprised once again to hear a sigh and then the sound of the door closing. He blinked his eyes when Nino sat in front of him. Then, he returned his gaze towards Nino’s desk and saw he was no longer there. So, the person who was sitting in front of him was the real Nino.
“You’re real?” A stupid question to ask.
Nino rolled his eyes. “Believe me, this would be the last place I want to be. And you…” He pointed at Ohno. “You will be the last person I want to talk to,”
“But, you’re here,” Ohno remarked. Was it for something good or for something bad?
“Because I need an answer,” Nino responded. “Are you busy?”
Ohno shook his head. He was actually pretty busy but there’s no way he could work when he hadn’t settled things with Nino. And, this could be his only chance to set things right.
“Do you know what she showed me?” Nino asked.
Ohno nodded his head. It was easy to guess. There’s only one thing that would make Nino angry with him.
“Was the video real?”
Once again, Ohno nodded his head. He had no reason to lie. It’s better if he was honest with Nino.
“What you said in the video…” Nino was in pain, he knew that from his expression. But, Nino tried to act strong and it made Ohno feel guilty to see Nino trying to pretend that he wasn’t affected by what was in the video. “... do you mean it?”
“I…” He stopped himself. He didn’t know what to say. So, he only shook his head. It’s the truth, after all. He didn’t mean what he said. He only said that to stop Serina from taunting him. If Nino didn’t believe him, it’s okay. No one would believe him.
“Funny…” Nino said, scratching his head. “I don’t know why but I believe you,” Ohno’s eyes opened widely upon hearing what Nino had said. Did he hear correctly? “If it’s a lie, I am the stupidest person ever for trusting you, Ohchan. But... I saw hatred in your eyes. Who was it for? Me?”
Ohno quickly shook his head, wanting to deny what Nino might have been thinking about. “It was for me. I hate myself for letting Serina nee-chan get into my head again,”
Nino didn’t say anything, only gave him a look to continue. So, he took a deep breath before he continued.
“I used to defy her back then,” Ohno began. It’s going to be a long story. But, he would keep it short. “And to punish me, she dated my best friend. The only friend I had. My friend and I got into a fight because of that and we stopped talking. And then, I lost him in an accident caused by a drunk driver,”
Nino tilted his head. He was frowning, clearly didn’t understand why he suddenly talked about his friend.
“We never get the chance to reconcile. I was petty. I blamed the driver that killed my friend and I promised that I will punish him if I ever find him. Serina nee-chan…”
“Wait…” Nino stopped him from continuing. It seemed like he finally understood the reason Ohno suddenly started talking about his friend. “Do you think I was responsible for the accident? Is that why you talk about punishing me?”
Ohno nodded his head. He lowered his face, couldn’t bring himself to look at Nino because of how stupid he was for blindly trusting Serina.
"Wow…" Nino said. "I'm kinda disappointed to know you trust what she said about me. It's like… don't you know me at all? I would never drive if I'm drunk,"
Ohno didn't say anything. He brought this upon himself. If only he didn't let his emotion control him when Serina accused Nino, none of this would happen.
"But… who am I to judge?" Nino said, more to himself rather than to Ohno. "I made the same mistake. I trust the video that she gave me over you even though I know it wasn't something she did out of kindness. She did that to separate the two of us,"
"It's different," Ohno countered. "She gave you proof. I just blindly trust her,"
Nino only gave him a weak smile before he asked. "So, why did you change the plan? And if she didn't show me that stupid video, what is the new plan to break my heart?"
"I changed the plan because I don't want to hurt you. There’s no new plan. I was just lying so that she will stop bothering me. But, she knows I lied and that's why she showed you that video. I know it's hard to believe. But, I'm really telling you the truth. And I really hope you will forgive me,"
Nino didn't say anything. He simply stared at Ohno.
"I love you, Kazu…" He quickly stopped himself when he realized he almost called Nino by his first name. "Will you give me another chance, Ninomiya san?"
Nino would reject him, he knew that. But, he still wanted to try.
"I…"
Poll
A/N: Hope this was okay. Thank you so much for reading and I appreciate your participation in the poll as well as for your comments on my fic.