The Wizardly Ways of Ninomiya Kazunari (Chapter 3)
“Still up?” Nino asked surprised as he came out of his bedroom late the night.
Jun shrugged as he put the papers aside he was studying and looked at Nino for a second. “I am more surprised you left Ohno alone.”
“He’s fast asleep. I took a nap, he didn’t. Pretty sure the flight had been stressful.”
“Still doesn’t explain why you are not with him. You normally don’t let him out of your eyes for at least two days after he is back.”
Nino shrugged and sat down beside him, he drew his legs up to his body and observed him for a few more minutes. “I was just getting myself a drink,” he said in the end, laughing when Jun looked at him a bit unbelieving. He understood it was a very weak lie. If he really needed a drink he would have used his magic.
Nino leant against Jun with a small hum. “Okay, I’m worried about you.”
“Why? I am okay.”
“You’re not,” Nino disagreed. “I can’t help but recognise your emotions. Especially if they are so strong.”
“I tend to forget that,” Jun hummed and Nino rolled his eyes.
“Well, I do. So what is going on? What are you keeping from me? It’s bothering me.”
“I’m sorry for bothering you,” Jun said with a sigh and started to tread his fingers through Nino’s hair. It was stupid but the motion somehow relaxed him. Nino stayed silent as he waited for Jun to sort out his thoughts.
“I am thinking about the future,” Jun explained. “I am no longer a child, running after its stupid dreams.”
“There are no stupid dreams. There are a few that are easier to achieve than others though.”
Jun chuckled and shook his head. “Maybe for a wizard, but not for us normal humans,” Jun said and put his hand on top of his mouth before Nino could disagree. “And that is okay for me. You are already bound by so many rules it is a surprise you decided to stay around.”
“I have Oh-chan,” Nino said with a shrug. “And I could not leave you stranded when you decided to purchase your dream of being an actor. You didn’t leave me stranded either.”
Jun chuckled and hummed in thought. “I might have decided otherwise if I already knew what a brat you were to become.”
“I always have been a brat,” Nino said with a cheeky grin to which Jun pinched his nose.
“Yeah you probably blinded me on purpose,” he said flinching when Nino frowned and then licked his hand. “Disgusting!”
“Well, your fault,” he chuckled. “You held your hand over my mouth and nose. And I did not use any magic on you back then.”
“Ah, so how did my favourite ring appear again after I looked for it for a week?”
“Luck?” Nino offered and laughed when Jun snorted. “But for real. What brought those thoughts up?”
“I am serious when I say I will give up if I don’t get the role. It is tiring and depressing. I don’t like it anymore, aid it is just time for me to grow up. And it is time to move on, Nino. I appreciate that you don’t mind paying the rent for both of us to support me, but…”
“I think I understand in a way. I just want you to know that there is no need to pressure yourself, okay?”
“I know that. Don’t worry, I will not rush anything.”
“That’s good then.”
“And Nino?”
“Mhm?”
“I would like it if you don’t think I am special because I didn’t bully you big then.”
“I don’t think you are special because of that. I know you are special because of many different things,” Nino argued. “But it is a sweet memory for me.”
“Why?”
“Because I was very certain that the term would be the worse I will ever have to live through. Not only because I had to go to a human school and learn all those stuff without using magic. I grew up with it around me and used it all the time and I knew the horror stories about it from my cousins. I was also a very shy kid and home-schooled before. So I was sure not to enjoy a second.”
“I still don’t understand, it came true, right?”
“Yes, but I was too stubborn to give up but was sure that I would never want to work with humans afterwards. You taught me the opposite. So I am thankful for that. If not for you I would never have met Oh-chan. And that would’ve been a pity.”
Jun shuddered at the thought. As much as he complained about the shows of love Nino and Ohno put out he was sure that they were real soul-mates and that the world would be a sadder place if they never met. “You’re right that would have been awful,” he said and Nino laughed out loud.
“Yep, so let me be thankful,” he mumbled and kissed his cheek. “It’s not only because you offered me a hand but much more. And I promise there is no way I will ever let you exploit me, okay?”
“But what if you and Ohno want to live together?”
“If it comes to that, we will find a solution together, Jun. It doesn’t mean I will throw you out, Ohno wouldn’t do that either. And right now I am pretty thankful that his art material doesn’t mess my whole apartment.”
“You wouldn’t mind;” Jun argued and Nino shrugged, maybe not, but he was not too sure about that. He hated chaos, same with Jun that’s why they worked well together as flatmates.
“Jun, I’m sure you’ll get the role. It’s perfect for you. They would be stupid not to take you. Please don’t worry.”
“If you say so…”
“I do, and I promise I would not go there and make them take you, okay?”
“Okay, thanks I guess.”
“You’re welcome,” Nino said with a chuckle. “Try to get some sleep though. You look tired and nobody will hire you if you have deep eye shadows.”
“Brat,” Jun said and ruffled his hair. “You should go back to Ohno, or he’ll get upset.”
“Never, he knows I only love him,” Nino said with a chuckle. “And he knows you are important and a good guy. Or he wouldn’t let us live together that easily.”
“Pretty sure he will let you do whatever you want.”
“No, he doesn’t. He also can get jealous when people flirt with me, and really angry when he thinks I do something stupid,” Nino said seriously.
Jun’s eyes softened as he nodded and flicked his nose. “I know, he’s a good guy. Always has been when it came to you.”
“Because I’m special,” Nino said with a grin.
“Sure whatever you say.” Jun rolled his eyes when Nino jumped to his feet and seconds after two bottles of cold tea appeared in his hands.
“Goodnight Jun.”
“Goodnight brat.”
Nino was still chuckling silently to himself as he entered his room and climbed on the bed beside Ohno, who looked up from the book he was reading when Nino offered him one of the bottles.
“Talked it all out?”
“For tonight yes,” Nino agreed and smiled when Ohno pulled him on his lap and put his arm around him as he swayed them to music only he could hear. “I’m glad.”
“Me too,” Nino whispered, closing his eyes as Ohno started to leave small kisses along his neck. He was one of the luckiest persons alive he thought with a small smile.
Jun shrugged as he put the papers aside he was studying and looked at Nino for a second. “I am more surprised you left Ohno alone.”
“He’s fast asleep. I took a nap, he didn’t. Pretty sure the flight had been stressful.”
“Still doesn’t explain why you are not with him. You normally don’t let him out of your eyes for at least two days after he is back.”
Nino shrugged and sat down beside him, he drew his legs up to his body and observed him for a few more minutes. “I was just getting myself a drink,” he said in the end, laughing when Jun looked at him a bit unbelieving. He understood it was a very weak lie. If he really needed a drink he would have used his magic.
Nino leant against Jun with a small hum. “Okay, I’m worried about you.”
“Why? I am okay.”
“You’re not,” Nino disagreed. “I can’t help but recognise your emotions. Especially if they are so strong.”
“I tend to forget that,” Jun hummed and Nino rolled his eyes.
“Well, I do. So what is going on? What are you keeping from me? It’s bothering me.”
“I’m sorry for bothering you,” Jun said with a sigh and started to tread his fingers through Nino’s hair. It was stupid but the motion somehow relaxed him. Nino stayed silent as he waited for Jun to sort out his thoughts.
“I am thinking about the future,” Jun explained. “I am no longer a child, running after its stupid dreams.”
“There are no stupid dreams. There are a few that are easier to achieve than others though.”
Jun chuckled and shook his head. “Maybe for a wizard, but not for us normal humans,” Jun said and put his hand on top of his mouth before Nino could disagree. “And that is okay for me. You are already bound by so many rules it is a surprise you decided to stay around.”
“I have Oh-chan,” Nino said with a shrug. “And I could not leave you stranded when you decided to purchase your dream of being an actor. You didn’t leave me stranded either.”
Jun chuckled and hummed in thought. “I might have decided otherwise if I already knew what a brat you were to become.”
“I always have been a brat,” Nino said with a cheeky grin to which Jun pinched his nose.
“Yeah you probably blinded me on purpose,” he said flinching when Nino frowned and then licked his hand. “Disgusting!”
“Well, your fault,” he chuckled. “You held your hand over my mouth and nose. And I did not use any magic on you back then.”
“Ah, so how did my favourite ring appear again after I looked for it for a week?”
“Luck?” Nino offered and laughed when Jun snorted. “But for real. What brought those thoughts up?”
“I am serious when I say I will give up if I don’t get the role. It is tiring and depressing. I don’t like it anymore, aid it is just time for me to grow up. And it is time to move on, Nino. I appreciate that you don’t mind paying the rent for both of us to support me, but…”
“I think I understand in a way. I just want you to know that there is no need to pressure yourself, okay?”
“I know that. Don’t worry, I will not rush anything.”
“That’s good then.”
“And Nino?”
“Mhm?”
“I would like it if you don’t think I am special because I didn’t bully you big then.”
“I don’t think you are special because of that. I know you are special because of many different things,” Nino argued. “But it is a sweet memory for me.”
“Why?”
“Because I was very certain that the term would be the worse I will ever have to live through. Not only because I had to go to a human school and learn all those stuff without using magic. I grew up with it around me and used it all the time and I knew the horror stories about it from my cousins. I was also a very shy kid and home-schooled before. So I was sure not to enjoy a second.”
“I still don’t understand, it came true, right?”
“Yes, but I was too stubborn to give up but was sure that I would never want to work with humans afterwards. You taught me the opposite. So I am thankful for that. If not for you I would never have met Oh-chan. And that would’ve been a pity.”
Jun shuddered at the thought. As much as he complained about the shows of love Nino and Ohno put out he was sure that they were real soul-mates and that the world would be a sadder place if they never met. “You’re right that would have been awful,” he said and Nino laughed out loud.
“Yep, so let me be thankful,” he mumbled and kissed his cheek. “It’s not only because you offered me a hand but much more. And I promise there is no way I will ever let you exploit me, okay?”
“But what if you and Ohno want to live together?”
“If it comes to that, we will find a solution together, Jun. It doesn’t mean I will throw you out, Ohno wouldn’t do that either. And right now I am pretty thankful that his art material doesn’t mess my whole apartment.”
“You wouldn’t mind;” Jun argued and Nino shrugged, maybe not, but he was not too sure about that. He hated chaos, same with Jun that’s why they worked well together as flatmates.
“Jun, I’m sure you’ll get the role. It’s perfect for you. They would be stupid not to take you. Please don’t worry.”
“If you say so…”
“I do, and I promise I would not go there and make them take you, okay?”
“Okay, thanks I guess.”
“You’re welcome,” Nino said with a chuckle. “Try to get some sleep though. You look tired and nobody will hire you if you have deep eye shadows.”
“Brat,” Jun said and ruffled his hair. “You should go back to Ohno, or he’ll get upset.”
“Never, he knows I only love him,” Nino said with a chuckle. “And he knows you are important and a good guy. Or he wouldn’t let us live together that easily.”
“Pretty sure he will let you do whatever you want.”
“No, he doesn’t. He also can get jealous when people flirt with me, and really angry when he thinks I do something stupid,” Nino said seriously.
Jun’s eyes softened as he nodded and flicked his nose. “I know, he’s a good guy. Always has been when it came to you.”
“Because I’m special,” Nino said with a grin.
“Sure whatever you say.” Jun rolled his eyes when Nino jumped to his feet and seconds after two bottles of cold tea appeared in his hands.
“Goodnight Jun.”
“Goodnight brat.”
Nino was still chuckling silently to himself as he entered his room and climbed on the bed beside Ohno, who looked up from the book he was reading when Nino offered him one of the bottles.
“Talked it all out?”
“For tonight yes,” Nino agreed and smiled when Ohno pulled him on his lap and put his arm around him as he swayed them to music only he could hear. “I’m glad.”
“Me too,” Nino whispered, closing his eyes as Ohno started to leave small kisses along his neck. He was one of the luckiest persons alive he thought with a small smile.