Cupid - Part 3
“I… hmm… Okay, I will do it,” Nino finally said after thinking about it for a while. Only one date. He didn’t do it to give Ohno a chance. Rather, he did it to stop Jun from pestering him about it. “I will go on a date with Ohno-san,”
“Great!” Jun exclaimed. “I will tell Sakurai-san about this,”
“Okay, whatever,” Nino said. “Can I get back to work?”
“Of course,” Jun said as he texted someone on his phone. It’s probably Sakurai. Nino stood up and was already walking away when Jun muttered. “Oh, and I will give your number to Sakurai-san so that he can pass it to Ohno-san,”
Nino stopped on his track and then turned to look at Jun again. “Why?”
Jun rolled his eyes as if Nino had just said something stupid. Okay, the reason for giving his phone number was obvious. It would be easier to arrange the date. But, they could still use Jun as their middleman, right?
“They can just tell you when and where the date is going to be, right?” Nino tried to reason with Jun.
Once again, Jun rolled his eyes. “What if you’re not free on that day? Or, you don’t like the place that Ohno-san chose for the date? You are aware of how fussy you are, right?”
Nino pouted. He refused to admit that Jun was right. Indeed, he was particular about those kinds of things. “Whatever,”
Jun chuckled and then pinched his cheeks. “If Ohno-san knows how spoiled you are, he must be regretting asking you out on a date,”
Nino glared at his friend. “Then, tell him about my bratty self. I don’t have to go on a date with him then,”
“Not a chance,” Jun laughed. “Let him see it with his own eyes. Now, go and do your work, Little Cupid. If an unknown number calls you, don’t forget to answer. It might be Ohno-san,”
“Shut up,” Nino stuck his tongue out at Jun. “And don’t call me Little Cupid,”
“Awh,” Jun cooed. “Only Ohno-san can call you that?”
"No!" Nino quickly denied. "I just want you to be more original and don't steal from others. Besides, it's lame,"
"No, it's not," Jun shook his head. "It's a cute name. Okay, as you wish, I will stop calling you Little Cupid. Let it be something special for you and your new boyfriend,"
"He is not…" Nino didn't have the chance to finish what he was going to say because Jun had pushed him out of his room and closed the door.
"Urgh! Whatever!" Nino glared at the door before he walked to his table to do his work.
For the rest of the day, Nino was not busy at all. He was supposed to meet a couple to see if they were comfortable with each other. However, one of them couldn't make it so the meeting was rescheduled for another day.
So, all day long, Nino only went through the list of clients who were still single in the database, trying to see if he could set them up. Even though he had tested their compatibility using a software, he still preferred checking them to make sure it would be perfect. While doing that, Nino also received text messages from his client, asking for advice about how to proceed with the relationship. It made him laugh sometimes when he thought about it. People sought his advice for this kind of thing as if he was an expert. If only they knew about his failed… ah, don’t think about that!
Ten minutes before 6 PM, his phone rang. An unknown number flashed on the screen. Crap, he almost forgot that Ohno might call him today. Should he answer it?
Nino contemplated for a while but in the end, he decided to answer the call. He didn't want Ohno to call him again if he rejected this call. He moved to the resting area, not wanting Kame or other staff to overhear the conversation.
"Moshi Moshi,"
"Good evening, Ninomiya-san," It wasn't Ohno who greeted him. It was Sakurai. "Sorry to bother you at this hour. Is it okay to talk to you right now?"
"Sure," He agreed. "Do you want to talk about the date?"
"No," Answered Sho. "I'm here to ask whether it's okay for Ohno-sama to call you at 9:30 tonight to discuss the date?"
"Huh?"
"As I said…" Sakurai said with the same monotonous voice. "Ohno-sama wants to call you at 9:30 tonight to discuss the details of your date,"
"Why can't we just do it now?"
"Ohno-sama is busy right now. He should be free by 9:30 to discuss with you,"
"No…" Nino rolled his eyes. Urgh! Why was it so difficult? Sakurai could just tell him about the time and place for the date. "I mean… just tell me when and where. There's no need to call me again tonight,"
"The date is between you and Ohno-sama," Sakurai said matter-of-factly. "The two of you have to discuss it together. If I told you the details and you do not agree, I have to inform Ohno-sama. He will set a new date and if you disagree again, the process will be repeated. So, it's better if you and Ohno-sama discuss it together,"
"Huh?" To be honest, Nino didn't understand what Sakurai was talking about. "Then, he should just call me tonight,"
"So, I assume it's okay if he calls you tonight at 9:30, right?"
"Yes," Whatever. This was so absurd.
“Okay, I will put this on his schedule,” Nino tried to fight the urge to roll his eyes again. He didn’t know who was weirder. Was it Ohno for letting Sakurai manage his schedule? Or was it Sakurai who seemed to be enjoying making a schedule for Ohno? “Now, as for what to talk about during the phone call…” Huh? Nino widened his eyes. This should also be discussed before the phone call? Nino was confused now. Is this for the date or a business meeting? Urgh, these people were weird. “...Please make sure both of you agree on the following details: time, place, and activity that you want to do for the date. It will be easier for me to organize it. And, make sure it ends around 9:50 PM. Ohno-sama should be sleeping by 10 PM,”
“You plan for his bedtime?”
“Yes,” Answered Sho. “Do you have other questions?”
“I don’t think so,” Nino said. Sho politely ended the call. Then, he texted Ohno's number to Nino with a reminder to pick up the phone when Ohno called him later. Okay, whatever. Nino would decide whether he would answer depending on his mood later.
Nino went home after that. After having dinner alone, he browsed through Netflix, looking for a series or anime to watch. Hmm, after thinking for a while, he decided to watch a Korean drama. The plot seemed to be interesting.
As he was engrossed, thinking about the mystery surrounding the main characters of the drama, he was startled when he received a phone call. Ohno's name flashed on the caller ID. Eh, it's already 9:30, he noted, glancing at the clock.
Nino picked up the call despite being annoyed. The drama was about to be interesting. Could Ohno choose a different time to call?
"Moshi Moshi," He greeted Ohno. Thank God, he didn't curse at the businessman and can still sound calm.
"Hmm… Hi, Ninomiya san," Ohno's soft and soothing voice reached his ear. Almost immediately, his anger at Ohno disappeared. Ohno was cute when he was awkward. "Am I bothering you?"
"Sort of," Answered Nino. "I'm watching a Korean drama and was about to know the connection between the main characters,"
"Oh…" He could hear Ohno sigh. Seemed like the businessman was disappointed because of his response. "I will call you tomorrow, then,"
"I'm just kidding, Ohno-san," Nino said quickly to stop Ohno from ending the call. "So, about the date… when are we going to do it?"
"Oh… hmm… before that… what makes you change your mind, Ninomiya-san? Did Sho-chan threaten you?"
Was it a threat? Hmm… he didn’t think so. He would like to think of it as persuading.
"Nah…" Nino answered, deciding not to tell Ohno about what Jun and Sakurai did. "Even if he threatens me, do you think I will comply easily?"
"You look stubborn,"
"See? Sakurai-san didn't make me change my mind," Nino said. "I get back to the office and think maybe we could go for a date once and see how it goes. Besides, there's no harm in dating a rich man like you. Maybe I can get a new game for free,"
There's no way he would ask Ohno to buy anything for him. Not even a game. Admittedly, he was stingy but he wouldn't do such things to someone he barely knew.
"Do you want me to buy a game for you? What game do you want?"
"Nope! It's just a joke, okay," Nino clarified. "First thing you have to know about me… don't take whatever I say seriously. I like to joke and tease people. So, don't trust whatever I say,"
“So, when you rejected me earlier… it is just a joke?” Ohno asked, causing Nino to be at a loss of what to say. Should he correct Ohno or let it be? “That’s why you agree to go out with me this time?”
“Err…” Seriously, what should he say? He had no idea at all.
Fortunately, he glanced at the clock and realized he only had about ten minutes left to talk about the date with Ohno. “That’s not important. There’s something else we should be talking about. The date…”
“Ah…”
“I don’t want it to be fancy. Let’s go on a normal date, okay?”
“Fancy?”
“You know… like what rich people usually do when they go on a date...” Nino tried to think of an example. “Reserving the whole restaurant or shop… go to a grand restaurant… or dining in a cruise, perhaps…”
“Ah…” Ohno said. From the response, Nino could sense that Ohno actually wanted to do one of the things he had listed.
“You actually plan to do one of them, right? That’s why Sakurai said something about easier to plan. I don’t want to do that, okay? I want to go to a place where I could feel comfortable,”
“Okay…” Ohno said. Nino could easily imagine a pout on his face. “If we go to the aquarium, is it considered as a normal date?”
Nino thought about it. Going to the aquarium for a date? Hmm, it didn’t sound bad at all. “It is… as long as you don’t reserve the whole aquarium for us,”
“I won’t,” He could hear Ohno laugh at the end of the line. “You agree to go to the aquarium?”
“Un,” Nino hummed in agreement. “Let’s go there this Saturday at 10 AM. Then, we will eat lunch together. Is it okay?”
“Okay,” Ohno said. “I will ask Sho-chan to buy the ticket for us,”
Nino didn’t object to that. It would be easier that way because they didn’t have to queue to buy the ticket. He glanced at the clock, noticing it was 9:52.
“Oops, it’s time for you to sleep. I don’t want Sakurai to be angry at me for keeping you awake,”
“Ah…” Ohno sounded disappointed. “Yes, I better go to sleep now. Are you going to continue watching the Korean drama?”
“Of course!” Nino answered. He usually slept around 12. “I need to know if the hero and the heroine are actually the children they mentioned at the beginning of the drama,”
“Okay… hmm… enjoy watching the drama, Li… Ninomiya-san,” Ohno said. Nino ignored the slip of the tongue. “See you…”
“Oh yes, I just remember something,”
“Huh? What is it?”
“If you want to contact me, please contact me directly. Don’t ask Sakurai-san to schedule a phone call, please,”
“Eh?”
“This is not an appointment. Just call me. Or if you are worried that you might bother me with your call, you can just text me,”
“Okay…”
“And you can call me Nino,”
“Really?”
“Yes, I prefer Nino than Little Cupid,”
“Okay…” From the way he talked, Ohno seemed to be happy. And a thought occurred to Nino. Did he once again lead Ohno on by letting him call him like that? “See you on Saturday. And thank you so much for giving me a chance,”
“Hmm… good night, Ohno-san,” Nino said. Then, he ended the phone call and looked at the calendar. Today was Wednesday. So, two more days before the date. Hmm, hopefully, it would go well.
Ohno didn’t contact him on Thursday. But, he sent him a text on Friday evening, informing him that Sakurai had bought the ticket for the aquarium. Nino only responded with a smiley emoji.
“Awh… someone is happy because he has a date tomorrow,”
A familiar voice said from behind him. He didn’t have to turn around to know it is Jun.
“Nino has a boyfriend?” Kame sounded surprised. Nino glared at his boss for being nosy. Thank God, there were only three of them in the agency right now. The others already went home. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Nino insisted.
“Not yet,” Jun butted in. “But, don’t worry. They will be together soon,”
“Ah, no wonder you look happier these days,” Kame said. “Ne, Nino, who is the guy? Tell me, please,”
“Cannot reveal his identity yet,” Jun put a finger on his lips, causing Nino to roll his eyes. If he didn’t want people to know, why did he talk about it in the first place? “But, once it is confirmed they are dating, we will know,”
“It won’t happen, okay?” Nino stated. “Well, I want to go home,”
He didn’t wait for Jun or Kame to say anything and quickly left the agency. If he stayed, Jun would tease him more.
At first, he thought of going straight home. However, he changed his mind and went to a bookstore. He wanted to see if there’s a new and interesting manga to read.
Hmm… the mangas in the bookstore seemed to be boring. What a waste of time! Well, since he was already in this area, maybe he could buy something to eat for dinner here. However, before he could leave the bookstore, something caught his attention.
It was an English book, entitled Strange the Dreamer. The cover was pretty. It was in blue and yellow and decorated with butterflies. Nino reached out to read the synopsis when another hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed the same book.
“Hey!” Nino said without looking at the other person. “I hold it first,”
“Little Cupid?”
Nino blinked his eyes as he slowly let go of the book and turned to look beside him. Eh? Ohno? The businessman wasn’t wearing his suits. Instead, he was simply dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. His casual image made him look different but he still looked attractive.
“Are you a stalker?” Nino teased. “Did you follow me?”
“No!” Ohno quickly denied as he put back the book on the shelf. Once again, he didn’t seem to realize that Nino was just joking. “I’m just…”
“Relax, Ohchan,” Nino laughed. Ohno seemed a little taken aback and it confused him. “What’s wrong?”
“You call me Ohchan,”
“Did I?” Nino pretended not to remember it. The name just popped out in his mind when he saw Ohno. “Well, you call me Little Cupid even though I didn’t allow you to call me with that name. So, don’t complain when I call you Ohchan,”
Ohno smiled shyly. “I’m not angry. I like it. As for Little Cupid, I will try to avoid it,”
Nino sighed. Truthfully, the name wasn’t that bad. “You can call me Little Cupid. It’s better than Cutie Cupid,”
“Really? Thank you so much, Little Cupid,”
“But, not in front of Jun-Kun,” Nino warned the businessman who nodded eagerly. “What are you doing here?”
“Nothing, really,” Answered Ohno. “Just walking around to find something to eat,”
“This is not a restaurant, in case you didn’t notice,” Nino remarked. “You will not find food here,”
Ohno scratched his head. He looked cute that way.
Oops, what did he just think about?
“Have you had your dinner, Little Cupid?”
Nino shook his head. “I’m waiting for a prince to feed me,”
“Can I be the prince, then?”
“Hmm…”
Poll
A/N: I hope this is okay. They are still not going out for a date. But, they already agreed to do it. But, how many dates are they going to have? Only 1? Two dates? Or more?
I seemed to enjoy calling Nino Little (Little Kazunari, Little Cupid, and of course Little Fox). Blame him for being too small and adorable. What I usually call him is actually my cute little abang pendek (abang pendek = shorty bro).
Has anyone read Strange the Dreamer before? I love the book because the cover makes me think of Ohmiya. And the book is also nice, I think.
Out of topic. But, which Korean drama do you think Nino is watching?
I will close the poll on Monday, November 2.
Let me know what you think of this part, ne? It will be very much appreciated :)