[Fic] Fast Forward. Rewind
Title : Fast Forward. Rewind (Part 3)
Pairing : Ohno/Nino
Rating : PG
Summary : He’d been trying to uncover the truth about the events prior to their departure from Yamato for years, but all he could dig out from it was the same thing that had been reported repeatedly on national television, regarding the congregation’s involvement in the attack in Tokyo, and nothing more.
Warning : mentions of mass murder, religious cults
Miyama Kitchen, Asakusa
Asakusa Tokyo, Present Day
The dinner invitation came just in time, as he was leaving Sho’s apartment, wondering if he should go straight to the hospital so he could formally file for a leave of absence, or just go back to his apartment for the time being. Jun’s message, however, was persuading enough for him to decide turning the car around and driving back to Jun’s adopted family’s restaurant.
Nino heard Bando-san’s exuberant greeting of welcome even before he could slide the door open, and the familiar scent of what’s being cooked made Nino’s mouth water. Inside, he immediately spotted Jun behind the counter, the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows as he puttered around the small space.
“Ah, I knew it would be you,” Bando-san quipped, as he gestured Nino inside. Nino frowned but otherwise said nothing as he sat on the stool there, watching Jun. To Jun, Bando-san said, “Hiroto, Hamburg Steak-san is here,” before he turned to Nino and asked Nino what he’d liked to drink.
Jun turned to him and nodded. “Beer, if you have it.”
“Sure thing, Sensei.”
Jun stepped forward when Bando-san left, bending over to retrieve something under the counter, before handing it over to Nino.
It’s an envelope.
“Is that a love letter, Sensei?” he joked, although Nino could tell it was anything but. The pristine, white envelop looked too formal and elegant, not to mention the fact that it bore the logo of the company Jun was employed in.
“No, but something much better,” Jun winked. “That’s a copy of the request made by the Yamato local government regarding the mass grave case. We’ll be handling it from now on.”
“You don’t say,” he muttered, awed at this sudden development. “Does that mean you’ll have direct access on the investigation reports now?” he asked; his friend rolled his eyes in answer, probably aware that that was all Nino had been thinking about for days on end.
“That and more,” Jun said, at the same time Bando-san returned with two cans of Asahi. He slid them across the counter and towards Nino and left without another word, just as Jun placed a steaming plate of hamburger steak in front of him. “It means that we’re allowed to be present during the turn over. The local government of Kanagawa Prefecture had arranged for the remains to be transferred to Tokyo Medical University, where they would perform DNA analysis on each skeletal remains found in that grave. After that, it’s just a matter of time before the comparison begins. As I’m sure you already know, DNA samples of all the existing members of the congregation have been collected and entered into the database right after the attack in Tokyo, so, I’m hoping we will know the remains’ identities soon.”
Nino released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding, half-glad and equal-parts terrified at this very sudden turn of events.
He stared forlornly at the hamburger steak Jun prepared for him and felt his appetite slipping further away.
“When is the turn-over happening?” he asked; he guessed his plan to file for a vacation was happening, after all.
“Tomorrow.” Jun confirmed.
Nino’s breath catch in his throat as he shut his eyes. This was it. After more than twenty years of waiting, of wondering, this was it; he was this close to the truth, finally.
And he was completely terrified.
“Okay,” he breathed; he was trembling, and he knew he wasn’t because of the cold. “Okay.”
+
Yamato, Summer 1994
“That would be the third one now,” Aiba-kun remarked; the three of them have been watching the front from the residence building’s rooftop, and have been checking out the same white van parked there at the front. The sky was darker now, and the three of them were there for at least two hours, peeking from the waist-high railing watching the same two people as they got off from the vehicle and into the building, before reappearing carrying yet another suitcase, similar to the first two the three of them saw the men dragging out and into the waiting van earlier, before it drove off.
“Someone is moving out from one of the apartments, maybe?” Aiba-kun noted as he turned to Kazunari. Next to him, Ohno remained speechless, but the subtle way Ohno’s fingers settled across the small of Kazunari’s back as a quiet acknowledgment told Kazunari Ohno was thinking about it, too.
The fact that this wasn’t the first time he and Ohno witnessed the same thing made Kazunari feel uneasy. Two nights ago, Kazunari saw the same van, and probably the same guys hauling the same dark-colored suitcase out of the building from the balcony of his family’s apartment, their movements were quick and efficient.
“Maybe,” Ohno commented, voice quiet, pulling Kazunari away from the railing. Kazunari went willingly, gaze darting between Aiba-kun, who was still staring down the front of the building, and to Ohno’s face, as Ohno’s hand drifted from the small of Kazunari’s back to his elbow, squeezing lightly. There was something there, in Ohno’s eyes that told Kazunari the other boy knew something, but was careful not to say anything.
“Get away from there, Ma-kun. Come on, we’re heading downstairs; it’s almost time for the evening prayer. If we miss it again, I’m betting that not even our fathers would be able to save us from the punishment box. And believe me, it’s the last place you would want to be put in. It’s worse than being caught in an elevator during an earthquake, I swear.”
Aiba-kun chuckled but otherwise complied, as he stepped away from the railing.
“I heard the adults are doing an overnight worship later,” Aiba said, wriggling his eyebrows meaningfully at them. “That means we can sneak out. Meet you up here later?”
Kazunari knew about that overnight worship, but he wasn’t sure if he could sneak out without his sister knowing. He knew better than to agree, really, but… “We’ll be here,” Ohno said, nudging Kazunari.
Aiba high-fived them both before leading the way to the stairs, Ohno pushing him forward to follow Aiba before Kazunari could even ask what he was thinking.
----
Kazunari made sure his sister was already asleep before he made his way to the front door as quiet as he could manage it. Their parents left the house for the scheduled overnight worship just after dinner, and if Kazunari was lucky, they wouldn’t be back until before sunrise. Still plenty of time since it was only a quarter past ten now.
He was in the motion of putting on his shoes when there was that unmistakable sound of someone knocking on their front door. For a moment there, Kazunari was worried it was his mother, but then it was followed by the sound of his name being called out.
It’s Ohno.
He couldn’t help the smile that formed on his lips, nor the way he almost stumbled across to slide the door open, hoping he didn’t look as excited as he felt. But he guessed it didn’t matter, because when he opened the door, Ohno was smiling too, and there was this soft look on his face that made Kazunari’s heart thump unevenly in his ribcage.
“O-Oh-chan, aren’t we supposed to meet at the rooftop? What are you -“ he asked, or at least started to, but Ohno was quick to cut him off, lifting a finger to his own mouth to silence Kazunari.
“I already went there. I found Ma-kun sleeping on the bench, so I thought I should head back down to check where you are,” Ohno said. Kazunari nodded and slipped out of the door very carefully. When he turned back around, Ohno was still there, arms crossed over his chest and was standing too close Kazunari had to take a step backward so he wouldn’t end up breathing right into Ohno’s face.
When he did, however, his back hit the doorframe and he winced at the sudden pain. Obviously another wrong move on his part because then Ohno was surging forward to his rescue, one hand on his waist and the other joining his on his shoulder.
“What? What happened?”
Kazunari trembled at the contact, but he did his best not to show it. He shook his head and kept his eyes on the ground, hoping the warmth settling on his stomach hadn’t ended up on his face.
“N-Nothing,” he said, straightening his back and sidestepping Ohno. Ohno seemed oblivious to the fact that his presence was setting Kazunari’s already frazzled nerves on fire, and if that wasn’t enough to terrify the hell out of Kazunari’s young and equally inexperienced heart, he was certain that the realization that he was harboring an uninhibited crush towards the other boy.
“Are you okay?”
He nodded, even though a part of him knew he was far from being okay. He opened his mouth to say something but Ohno’s fingers cupping his cheek beat him to it.
“You don’t look okay though, are you sure you still want to hang out tonight? Why don’t you just go back and rest? I’ll just tell Ma-kun -“
“No, no, I’m okay,” he was sputtering before he could stop himself, and smiled despite himself. Ohno took his hand away but only so he could use it to grab Kazunari’s own, pulling him away from the door.
“Fine, but you’re telling me if you’re not feeling well, okay?” Ohno insisted as he started leading the way. Nino wondered if it was okay to tug his hand back, but a huge part of him was thoroughly enjoying the feel of Ohno’s warm fingers threaded against his own.
“Okay,” he said, and felt Ohno squeezing their fingers together.
Pairing : Ohno/Nino
Rating : PG
Summary : He’d been trying to uncover the truth about the events prior to their departure from Yamato for years, but all he could dig out from it was the same thing that had been reported repeatedly on national television, regarding the congregation’s involvement in the attack in Tokyo, and nothing more.
Warning : mentions of mass murder, religious cults
Miyama Kitchen, Asakusa
Asakusa Tokyo, Present Day
The dinner invitation came just in time, as he was leaving Sho’s apartment, wondering if he should go straight to the hospital so he could formally file for a leave of absence, or just go back to his apartment for the time being. Jun’s message, however, was persuading enough for him to decide turning the car around and driving back to Jun’s adopted family’s restaurant.
Nino heard Bando-san’s exuberant greeting of welcome even before he could slide the door open, and the familiar scent of what’s being cooked made Nino’s mouth water. Inside, he immediately spotted Jun behind the counter, the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows as he puttered around the small space.
“Ah, I knew it would be you,” Bando-san quipped, as he gestured Nino inside. Nino frowned but otherwise said nothing as he sat on the stool there, watching Jun. To Jun, Bando-san said, “Hiroto, Hamburg Steak-san is here,” before he turned to Nino and asked Nino what he’d liked to drink.
Jun turned to him and nodded. “Beer, if you have it.”
“Sure thing, Sensei.”
Jun stepped forward when Bando-san left, bending over to retrieve something under the counter, before handing it over to Nino.
It’s an envelope.
“Is that a love letter, Sensei?” he joked, although Nino could tell it was anything but. The pristine, white envelop looked too formal and elegant, not to mention the fact that it bore the logo of the company Jun was employed in.
“No, but something much better,” Jun winked. “That’s a copy of the request made by the Yamato local government regarding the mass grave case. We’ll be handling it from now on.”
“You don’t say,” he muttered, awed at this sudden development. “Does that mean you’ll have direct access on the investigation reports now?” he asked; his friend rolled his eyes in answer, probably aware that that was all Nino had been thinking about for days on end.
“That and more,” Jun said, at the same time Bando-san returned with two cans of Asahi. He slid them across the counter and towards Nino and left without another word, just as Jun placed a steaming plate of hamburger steak in front of him. “It means that we’re allowed to be present during the turn over. The local government of Kanagawa Prefecture had arranged for the remains to be transferred to Tokyo Medical University, where they would perform DNA analysis on each skeletal remains found in that grave. After that, it’s just a matter of time before the comparison begins. As I’m sure you already know, DNA samples of all the existing members of the congregation have been collected and entered into the database right after the attack in Tokyo, so, I’m hoping we will know the remains’ identities soon.”
Nino released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding, half-glad and equal-parts terrified at this very sudden turn of events.
He stared forlornly at the hamburger steak Jun prepared for him and felt his appetite slipping further away.
“When is the turn-over happening?” he asked; he guessed his plan to file for a vacation was happening, after all.
“Tomorrow.” Jun confirmed.
Nino’s breath catch in his throat as he shut his eyes. This was it. After more than twenty years of waiting, of wondering, this was it; he was this close to the truth, finally.
And he was completely terrified.
“Okay,” he breathed; he was trembling, and he knew he wasn’t because of the cold. “Okay.”
+
Yamato, Summer 1994
“That would be the third one now,” Aiba-kun remarked; the three of them have been watching the front from the residence building’s rooftop, and have been checking out the same white van parked there at the front. The sky was darker now, and the three of them were there for at least two hours, peeking from the waist-high railing watching the same two people as they got off from the vehicle and into the building, before reappearing carrying yet another suitcase, similar to the first two the three of them saw the men dragging out and into the waiting van earlier, before it drove off.
“Someone is moving out from one of the apartments, maybe?” Aiba-kun noted as he turned to Kazunari. Next to him, Ohno remained speechless, but the subtle way Ohno’s fingers settled across the small of Kazunari’s back as a quiet acknowledgment told Kazunari Ohno was thinking about it, too.
The fact that this wasn’t the first time he and Ohno witnessed the same thing made Kazunari feel uneasy. Two nights ago, Kazunari saw the same van, and probably the same guys hauling the same dark-colored suitcase out of the building from the balcony of his family’s apartment, their movements were quick and efficient.
“Maybe,” Ohno commented, voice quiet, pulling Kazunari away from the railing. Kazunari went willingly, gaze darting between Aiba-kun, who was still staring down the front of the building, and to Ohno’s face, as Ohno’s hand drifted from the small of Kazunari’s back to his elbow, squeezing lightly. There was something there, in Ohno’s eyes that told Kazunari the other boy knew something, but was careful not to say anything.
“Get away from there, Ma-kun. Come on, we’re heading downstairs; it’s almost time for the evening prayer. If we miss it again, I’m betting that not even our fathers would be able to save us from the punishment box. And believe me, it’s the last place you would want to be put in. It’s worse than being caught in an elevator during an earthquake, I swear.”
Aiba-kun chuckled but otherwise complied, as he stepped away from the railing.
“I heard the adults are doing an overnight worship later,” Aiba said, wriggling his eyebrows meaningfully at them. “That means we can sneak out. Meet you up here later?”
Kazunari knew about that overnight worship, but he wasn’t sure if he could sneak out without his sister knowing. He knew better than to agree, really, but… “We’ll be here,” Ohno said, nudging Kazunari.
Aiba high-fived them both before leading the way to the stairs, Ohno pushing him forward to follow Aiba before Kazunari could even ask what he was thinking.
----
Kazunari made sure his sister was already asleep before he made his way to the front door as quiet as he could manage it. Their parents left the house for the scheduled overnight worship just after dinner, and if Kazunari was lucky, they wouldn’t be back until before sunrise. Still plenty of time since it was only a quarter past ten now.
He was in the motion of putting on his shoes when there was that unmistakable sound of someone knocking on their front door. For a moment there, Kazunari was worried it was his mother, but then it was followed by the sound of his name being called out.
It’s Ohno.
He couldn’t help the smile that formed on his lips, nor the way he almost stumbled across to slide the door open, hoping he didn’t look as excited as he felt. But he guessed it didn’t matter, because when he opened the door, Ohno was smiling too, and there was this soft look on his face that made Kazunari’s heart thump unevenly in his ribcage.
“O-Oh-chan, aren’t we supposed to meet at the rooftop? What are you -“ he asked, or at least started to, but Ohno was quick to cut him off, lifting a finger to his own mouth to silence Kazunari.
“I already went there. I found Ma-kun sleeping on the bench, so I thought I should head back down to check where you are,” Ohno said. Kazunari nodded and slipped out of the door very carefully. When he turned back around, Ohno was still there, arms crossed over his chest and was standing too close Kazunari had to take a step backward so he wouldn’t end up breathing right into Ohno’s face.
When he did, however, his back hit the doorframe and he winced at the sudden pain. Obviously another wrong move on his part because then Ohno was surging forward to his rescue, one hand on his waist and the other joining his on his shoulder.
“What? What happened?”
Kazunari trembled at the contact, but he did his best not to show it. He shook his head and kept his eyes on the ground, hoping the warmth settling on his stomach hadn’t ended up on his face.
“N-Nothing,” he said, straightening his back and sidestepping Ohno. Ohno seemed oblivious to the fact that his presence was setting Kazunari’s already frazzled nerves on fire, and if that wasn’t enough to terrify the hell out of Kazunari’s young and equally inexperienced heart, he was certain that the realization that he was harboring an uninhibited crush towards the other boy.
“Are you okay?”
He nodded, even though a part of him knew he was far from being okay. He opened his mouth to say something but Ohno’s fingers cupping his cheek beat him to it.
“You don’t look okay though, are you sure you still want to hang out tonight? Why don’t you just go back and rest? I’ll just tell Ma-kun -“
“No, no, I’m okay,” he was sputtering before he could stop himself, and smiled despite himself. Ohno took his hand away but only so he could use it to grab Kazunari’s own, pulling him away from the door.
“Fine, but you’re telling me if you’re not feeling well, okay?” Ohno insisted as he started leading the way. Nino wondered if it was okay to tug his hand back, but a huge part of him was thoroughly enjoying the feel of Ohno’s warm fingers threaded against his own.
“Okay,” he said, and felt Ohno squeezing their fingers together.