Unmask Me (Chapter 4)
"You know, something about your mask is awfully familiar," Sho commented as he slurped on his bowl of ramen, "I just can't really tell why."
"Oh? I had it designed at this shop that specialises in these types of stuff, " Nino (he had complained Sho sounded too formal with 'Ninomiya-san') answered, "the dude who made this for me is super chill and even gave me a discount."
Sho gave a thoughtful look. Where had he heard something like that before?
"I MIGHT be wrong," Sho began, "but by any chance, do you know any magic tricks?"
"Oh, I do!" Nino spoke up excitedly before giving a brief pause, "wait a second. How did you know anyway?!"
"I didn't know, but I know the guy whom you performed your magic trick for," Sho gestured to his mask, "I had mine made at the same place."
"What?! Wait...is it the crafts-guy who does not wear a mask?"
"That's the one. Pretty sneaky, huh. Doing some magic tricks for him."
"No need to get jealous, you know. I can easily show you one."
Sho grinned and put down his chopsticks.
"Well. Impress me," he challenged. Nino shrugged as he picked out a deck of cards from his pocket, evidently prepared with a few tricks up his sleeve.
!!!!!!!!!
After getting to know him through several more meals together, Sho had to admit that Nino was possibly one of the most easygoing people he had ever met.
"It's probably because he has the tendency to break a good number of rules with no qualms whatsoever," Sho thought one day as he watched Nino walk out of the apartment without his mask on again.
"Seriously? Again? Do you LIKE getting caught without it?"
Nino shrugged. "Nothing wrong with feeling a bit of wind on my cheeks before having to put it on for the next 12 hours," he remarked before taking out his 3DS, his fingers moving fast as he started a game.
"For your information, that same security guy who always caught you has started to lecture ME for letting you go out without it. It is, as I quote him, 'culturally inappropriate'," Sho explained as he got into the lift.
Nino sighed and shook his head.
"Very well. Help me put it on. I can't move away from this boss battle as it is."
Sho shrugged and reached inside Nino's bag for his mask before carefully positioning it in front of his face. He then trailed his fingers carefully along the ribbon attached firmly on both sides of the mask, tying them together behind Nino's head in a firm ribbon.
He was just about to draw back his fingers before he felt Nino's gold-brown eyes looking up at his own through the mask. For a moment- a very brief moment- he wondered if the gold paint on the mask had complemented Nino's own eyes. Before either of them could make a comment, the lift doors swung open to reveal the carpark. Mario, on Nino's screen, had lost one life.
"S..Sorry about that."
"Nah it's okay. I've still got 15 lives left in this guy," Nino joked as he walked out, and Sho followed with a smile on his face.
Moments later, they caught sight of Sho's car. Nino stopped in his tracks, his eyes staring questioningly at the car from behind the mask.
"Erm, Sho-kun? Is this so-called 'fun place for the day' a bit out of the way?"
"Well, I suppose it is a bit of a drive," Sho said mysteriously,"it's just a place I rented out till tomorrow so you can get your ass out of your apartment every once in a while."
"Yeah, okay. I get that I need fresh air or I would get cabin fever and whatnot but SERIOUSLY?!" Nino asked incredulously, "how far out are we going?"
"Oh.. not VERY far.." Sho mumbled as he escorted Nino over to his shotgun seat in the front, "just...a small place at the beach."
Nino buried his masked face into his palms.
"Of every place, you had to pick the beach?"
"Hey! What's wrong with the beach?
"Well, in case your mask is blocking your vision, the sun is out and it's hotter than hell outside! Also..." Nino paused before saying sheepishly, "I get seasick. I can't go out into the sea. There is literally NOTHING for me to do there."
"You don't have to go out to the beach ALL DAY, you know," Sho explained, "I brought plenty of things with me. We can chill inside the beach house a bit before walking outside for the cool evening air."
"Yeah okay, but you aren't going to make me swim or boat or anything like that right? Please? I beg of thee?"
Sho rolled his eyes and gave Nino a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Just trust me."
Nino grunted in his mask.
"You are damn lucky it's a Friday," he said with a snort before reaching for the knot that held his mask to his face, "you don't mind if I take it off right now right? No one will notice."
The mask falls off his face, and Sho was once again struck by how the soft features of Nino's face just seemed to glow even in the shadows of the carpark. Shaking his head out of his thoughts, he started the engine and wound down the window by his side as he pulled the car out of the carpark, the passing breeze running fast through his hair.
"Wake me up when we're there, yeah?" Nino said as he wound down the window beside him as well before leaning back on his seat, his eyes closed as the wind blew at his hair.
Sho nodded as he looked over and caught a glimpse of a carefree Nino who slept beside him.
He had no idea why he thought watching Nino sleep was an even more beautiful sight than the scenery around him.
He reached a hand up to his own mask and touched it in deep thought, reaching for the knot behind his head.
"Focus, Sho," he thought as he put both his hands on the wheel, "focus."
!!!!!!!!!
"As you so suggested, we shall only go out in the evening later. Meanwhile, shall we amuse ourselves with a movie?" Nino suggested, "I brought some DVDs like you wanted."
"Awesome! I'll let you choose," Sho said as he took out a bag of potato chips and some cans of beer.
He lounged on the small couch with Nino before Nino pressed the "Play" button.
"What movie did you pick?"
"It's one of my favourites. It's got this really deep, sad storyline behind it. I think you will like it."
Sho nodded as the movie opened with a three girls playing in their room, lifting their teacups daintily to their dolls. One took a hairbrush and started brushing a porcelain doll's hair. The other offered to pour imaginary cream into another girl's tea. Before long, the three girls looked at Sho and Nino through the screen. They then glanced over at the windowsill right by their window, as if something was there. They then started walking over to it, as if in a trance, stepping on the dolls and tea cups as they broke.
"Wh-what's happening?!" Sho asked, suddenly feeling incredibly afraid.
"I would tell you, but I think that would spoil the fun of the movie," Nino said.
The three girls were opening the window and were stepping onto the windowsill.
"Wait, what are the-"
Sho watched as the three girls leapt off the windowsill, and a few seconds later, a woman screamed.
"... WHAT ARE WE WATCHING?!" Sho cried out in fear as Nino looked at him in surprise.
" 'The Woman in Black'," he said, "it's a movie with a g-"
"WITH GHOSTS?!"
"Well, you just gave the story away, but yeah. A ghost of some sort.."
"WE ARE CHANGING THE FILM!" Sho demanded as he took deep breaths, "alright. What else did you bring?"
" 'Ouija 2', 'Dead Silence', 'Annabelle', 'The Haunting of-' "
"Seriously?! Why are they all horror movies?!"
"Well they are my favourites," Nino said nonchalantly, "you brought something else you wanna watch?"
"No.." Sho said with a sigh as he went over to turn the lights on, "for future references, I'm not good with horror, okay?!"
"Okay okay, I'm sorry you're so chicken-hearted."
"I'm not! I just have a VERY low threshold for unpleasant surprises!" Sho said as he propped beside Nino with a book in hand, "I'm NOT watching any of that."
"Okay okay I know now," Nino said as he switched over the DVD player in the cabin to play a radio channel instead, "a bit of radio won't disturb you, would it?"
"...So long as the radio doesn't start haunting me, I should be alright."
"You know, in Sinister 2, the ham radio actuall-"
"SHUT UP!"
"Just kidding~"
Sho tried to look at his book while feeling his hands tremble slightly from the shock of the horror movie just a while ago. Beside him, Nino seemed to pick up on that because he started giggling.
"What?!"
Nino only smirked and shook his head. He then reached for a small cushion and placed it on Sho's lap.
"There. Hug it until you stop shivering," Nino said as he took out his 3DS, "I'll play until dinnertime."
He then plunged into the game with his headphones on, as if lost in his own world.
Sho hugged the cushion close to him as he propped up his book and read, the soothing ambience of the ocean waves and the radio calming his senses.
The hours passed leisurely as Sho turned the pages, and before he felt a slight pressure on his left shoulder. He turned to see that Nino had fallen asleep beside him, his head resting on his shoulder. His 3DS had fallen out of his hand onto his lap, the game screen still on. Sho reached over, closed the console and placed it on the table. He then took the cushion from his lap and rested it on Nino's before returning to his book.
!!!!!!!!!
"Isn't the evening breeze awesome?" Sho asked as he walked with Nino along the beach to a small ramen eatery, "you can't find this back in town."
Nino nodded as he inhaled deeply to take in the salty scent of the sea.
"You're right. The air is different here."
Sho took off his slippers and held them in his hand as he tapped his feet in the seawater, feeling it sweep pleasantly between his toes and up his ankles.
"This is great! You should try it!"
Nino wrinkled his nose at Sho.
"Sandy..gritty..wet..dirty...urgh. Not exactly what I want to be before dinner."
"It's only your feet though."
"It is still unpleasant."
"Suit yourself," Sho commented,"just know that you are missing out in one of the many joys in life."
"I'm alright with the all the other joys in life. Just not this one."
"You sure?"
It took a bit of hesitation before Nino slipped slowly out of his slippers and immersed his feet into the sea, letting the seawater.
"COLD!" he yelped as he jumped out of the way of the waves.
Sho laughed as walked back towards Nino.
"You'll get used to it."
Nino grinned and nodded as he kicked his feet against the ebbing waves.
"It's not... bad, I suppose. It's actually pretty nice," Nino said as he stood by the shoreline and looked at the sun setting in the horizon, "shall we come back again together some time?"
Sho stepped beside Nino and looked at the sunset, feeling the peaceful, comfortable silence settle between them.
It had to be the most peaceful weekend he ever had in a very long while.
!!!!!!!!!
"Couldn't we have just gone to the usual ones that are out of people's way?" Sho asked on one of their regular dinners after work, "why do we have to go to this one stall that is in the middle of the city?"
"Because," Nino coaxed, "nowhere else are you going to get ramen sets with the 4 seasons as their themes."
"Is THIS crowd worth weaving through for just two bowls of ramen?" Sho asked, gesturing to the crowds of people shuffling back and forth. It was the dinner hour on a working day, and people were either looking for a place to eat or walking out and about after eating.
"You won't get lost. You will be fine."
"Oh? Yeah. Of course. Because I can recognise you amidst this sea of masked people." Sho remarked sarcastically.
"Okay, I get your point," Nino answered as he pondered for an idea, "erm, how about you hold my hand?"
Sho blinked as he stopped in his steps..
"What?"
"I said, hold my hand," Nino said, "no need to worry about getting lost then, right?"
Sho had no idea why but the idea of holding Nino's hand was making his cheeks feel unusually warm. He was probably catching a chill.
"Well.." Sho managed awkwardly as he tried to come up with an answer when the lights of the pedestrian crossing turned green.
"Oops. No time," Nino said as he grabbed Sho's hand in his.
"Hey!" Sho called, but before he could protest, Nino was already skillfully weaving through the crowds, his left hand firmly tugging Sho along by his right hand. Together, they slipped through the sea of people before finally arriving at the shop that Nino had wanted to go to.
"Wow, Sho-chan," Nino commented, "your hands sure are warm. Hot, even. Did you drink some tea before coming?"
"Y-yeah! It was a cup of hot tea!"Sho said brusquely and ambled towards their seats. He was grateful that the mask did its job of hiding a good part of his face. He couldn't tell Nino that something else on his mind was making his hand burn.
!!!!!!!!!
"Sho-kun?"
"Hmm?"
Jun gave him an unamused look.
"Do you mind telling me why you are holding on to MY hand?"
Sho looked up at Jun before gazing down at his left hand that lay over Jun's right before withdrawing it in a flash. Jun shook his head with a knowing grin.
"You have been so distracted for a few days now. Is everything okay?"
Sho nodded, refusing to admit that he was too deep in his thoughts to notice. The soft burn of Nino's hands still remained in his palm even though it had been a few days ago.
"Hey, erm.. " Sho began as he looked at his friend, who only raised a skeptical eyebrow as he waited,"it hasn't been long since.. You know, my breakup, right?"
Jun blinked a few times before giving a thoughtful look.
"Generally, I guess a few months isn't typically considered 'long'. But if you ask me, it's about damn time."
"Oh...". Sho trailed, his mind off in thought once more. Jun narrowed his eyes.
"Oh ho...you met someone new, didn't you?"
Sho jumped in surprise, a blush creeping on the apples of his cheeks.
"What, no! I..I have not.."
Jun smirked in response.
"So you were gripping my hands just now because it is a perfectly natural thing to do when you are thinking?"
Sho sighed. Jun knows him too well.
"I REALLY have not met anyone new, you know,"Sho said,"..ever since that guy who had my books."
Jun nodded as he looked down at his coffee...and his eyes widened as he FINALLY had an inkling as to what Sho meant.
"Wait, THAT guy? " Jun asked incredulously as he tried to stifle a giggle,"I did NOT see that coming."
"Don't laugh, you idiot!" Sho hissed under his breath,"look. It really isn't what you think. I.. I don't really know how I feel about him."
"Huh?! Hold up. What do you mean you 'don't know' ?"
"I mean, he might be a bit of a rebel and rule breaker but he is a nice person," Sho said," so I do like him. I just...I just don't know if.."
"You don't know if you really like him or if it was just the loneliness and your subconscious need for companionship?"
Sho nodded. Jun hummed as he sipped on his coffee.
"Maybe you should give it time," he advised," I'm sure the time will come when you will know."
Sho looked uncertainly at his friend. He wasn't comfortable with vague answers, but he decided that his friend might have a point.
"But really... YOU with a rebel and rule breaker for a potential lover?" Jun asked with a look of a amusement and a hint of pride,"I never thought I'd live to see the day. I guess opposites DO attract."
"Oh hush up, will you!"
!!!!!!!!!
Days passed by quickly as Sho threw himself in his work in an effort to put his emotional dilemma with Nino at the back of his mind. Just then, he heard his office phone ring.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Sakurai-san? There is a woman who wants to meet you downstairs."
Sho frowned. He did know some female friends but they know exactly how he felt about being looked up at work without calling beforehand. So that only leaves...
Sho's chest felt tight as he slowly got up and walked towards the lift.
He had an idea who it could be. he just couldn't bring himself to believe it until he stepped out of the elevator into the office lobby.
And there she stood, with her familiar curly brown hair and her white, bejewelled mask...his ex-girlfriend.
Chapter 5 here
"Oh? I had it designed at this shop that specialises in these types of stuff, " Nino (he had complained Sho sounded too formal with 'Ninomiya-san') answered, "the dude who made this for me is super chill and even gave me a discount."
Sho gave a thoughtful look. Where had he heard something like that before?
"I MIGHT be wrong," Sho began, "but by any chance, do you know any magic tricks?"
"Oh, I do!" Nino spoke up excitedly before giving a brief pause, "wait a second. How did you know anyway?!"
"I didn't know, but I know the guy whom you performed your magic trick for," Sho gestured to his mask, "I had mine made at the same place."
"What?! Wait...is it the crafts-guy who does not wear a mask?"
"That's the one. Pretty sneaky, huh. Doing some magic tricks for him."
"No need to get jealous, you know. I can easily show you one."
Sho grinned and put down his chopsticks.
"Well. Impress me," he challenged. Nino shrugged as he picked out a deck of cards from his pocket, evidently prepared with a few tricks up his sleeve.
!!!!!!!!!
After getting to know him through several more meals together, Sho had to admit that Nino was possibly one of the most easygoing people he had ever met.
"It's probably because he has the tendency to break a good number of rules with no qualms whatsoever," Sho thought one day as he watched Nino walk out of the apartment without his mask on again.
"Seriously? Again? Do you LIKE getting caught without it?"
Nino shrugged. "Nothing wrong with feeling a bit of wind on my cheeks before having to put it on for the next 12 hours," he remarked before taking out his 3DS, his fingers moving fast as he started a game.
"For your information, that same security guy who always caught you has started to lecture ME for letting you go out without it. It is, as I quote him, 'culturally inappropriate'," Sho explained as he got into the lift.
Nino sighed and shook his head.
"Very well. Help me put it on. I can't move away from this boss battle as it is."
Sho shrugged and reached inside Nino's bag for his mask before carefully positioning it in front of his face. He then trailed his fingers carefully along the ribbon attached firmly on both sides of the mask, tying them together behind Nino's head in a firm ribbon.
He was just about to draw back his fingers before he felt Nino's gold-brown eyes looking up at his own through the mask. For a moment- a very brief moment- he wondered if the gold paint on the mask had complemented Nino's own eyes. Before either of them could make a comment, the lift doors swung open to reveal the carpark. Mario, on Nino's screen, had lost one life.
"S..Sorry about that."
"Nah it's okay. I've still got 15 lives left in this guy," Nino joked as he walked out, and Sho followed with a smile on his face.
Moments later, they caught sight of Sho's car. Nino stopped in his tracks, his eyes staring questioningly at the car from behind the mask.
"Erm, Sho-kun? Is this so-called 'fun place for the day' a bit out of the way?"
"Well, I suppose it is a bit of a drive," Sho said mysteriously,"it's just a place I rented out till tomorrow so you can get your ass out of your apartment every once in a while."
"Yeah, okay. I get that I need fresh air or I would get cabin fever and whatnot but SERIOUSLY?!" Nino asked incredulously, "how far out are we going?"
"Oh.. not VERY far.." Sho mumbled as he escorted Nino over to his shotgun seat in the front, "just...a small place at the beach."
Nino buried his masked face into his palms.
"Of every place, you had to pick the beach?"
"Hey! What's wrong with the beach?
"Well, in case your mask is blocking your vision, the sun is out and it's hotter than hell outside! Also..." Nino paused before saying sheepishly, "I get seasick. I can't go out into the sea. There is literally NOTHING for me to do there."
"You don't have to go out to the beach ALL DAY, you know," Sho explained, "I brought plenty of things with me. We can chill inside the beach house a bit before walking outside for the cool evening air."
"Yeah okay, but you aren't going to make me swim or boat or anything like that right? Please? I beg of thee?"
Sho rolled his eyes and gave Nino a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Just trust me."
Nino grunted in his mask.
"You are damn lucky it's a Friday," he said with a snort before reaching for the knot that held his mask to his face, "you don't mind if I take it off right now right? No one will notice."
The mask falls off his face, and Sho was once again struck by how the soft features of Nino's face just seemed to glow even in the shadows of the carpark. Shaking his head out of his thoughts, he started the engine and wound down the window by his side as he pulled the car out of the carpark, the passing breeze running fast through his hair.
"Wake me up when we're there, yeah?" Nino said as he wound down the window beside him as well before leaning back on his seat, his eyes closed as the wind blew at his hair.
Sho nodded as he looked over and caught a glimpse of a carefree Nino who slept beside him.
He had no idea why he thought watching Nino sleep was an even more beautiful sight than the scenery around him.
He reached a hand up to his own mask and touched it in deep thought, reaching for the knot behind his head.
"Focus, Sho," he thought as he put both his hands on the wheel, "focus."
!!!!!!!!!
"As you so suggested, we shall only go out in the evening later. Meanwhile, shall we amuse ourselves with a movie?" Nino suggested, "I brought some DVDs like you wanted."
"Awesome! I'll let you choose," Sho said as he took out a bag of potato chips and some cans of beer.
He lounged on the small couch with Nino before Nino pressed the "Play" button.
"What movie did you pick?"
"It's one of my favourites. It's got this really deep, sad storyline behind it. I think you will like it."
Sho nodded as the movie opened with a three girls playing in their room, lifting their teacups daintily to their dolls. One took a hairbrush and started brushing a porcelain doll's hair. The other offered to pour imaginary cream into another girl's tea. Before long, the three girls looked at Sho and Nino through the screen. They then glanced over at the windowsill right by their window, as if something was there. They then started walking over to it, as if in a trance, stepping on the dolls and tea cups as they broke.
"Wh-what's happening?!" Sho asked, suddenly feeling incredibly afraid.
"I would tell you, but I think that would spoil the fun of the movie," Nino said.
The three girls were opening the window and were stepping onto the windowsill.
"Wait, what are the-"
Sho watched as the three girls leapt off the windowsill, and a few seconds later, a woman screamed.
"... WHAT ARE WE WATCHING?!" Sho cried out in fear as Nino looked at him in surprise.
" 'The Woman in Black'," he said, "it's a movie with a g-"
"WITH GHOSTS?!"
"Well, you just gave the story away, but yeah. A ghost of some sort.."
"WE ARE CHANGING THE FILM!" Sho demanded as he took deep breaths, "alright. What else did you bring?"
" 'Ouija 2', 'Dead Silence', 'Annabelle', 'The Haunting of-' "
"Seriously?! Why are they all horror movies?!"
"Well they are my favourites," Nino said nonchalantly, "you brought something else you wanna watch?"
"No.." Sho said with a sigh as he went over to turn the lights on, "for future references, I'm not good with horror, okay?!"
"Okay okay, I'm sorry you're so chicken-hearted."
"I'm not! I just have a VERY low threshold for unpleasant surprises!" Sho said as he propped beside Nino with a book in hand, "I'm NOT watching any of that."
"Okay okay I know now," Nino said as he switched over the DVD player in the cabin to play a radio channel instead, "a bit of radio won't disturb you, would it?"
"...So long as the radio doesn't start haunting me, I should be alright."
"You know, in Sinister 2, the ham radio actuall-"
"SHUT UP!"
"Just kidding~"
Sho tried to look at his book while feeling his hands tremble slightly from the shock of the horror movie just a while ago. Beside him, Nino seemed to pick up on that because he started giggling.
"What?!"
Nino only smirked and shook his head. He then reached for a small cushion and placed it on Sho's lap.
"There. Hug it until you stop shivering," Nino said as he took out his 3DS, "I'll play until dinnertime."
He then plunged into the game with his headphones on, as if lost in his own world.
Sho hugged the cushion close to him as he propped up his book and read, the soothing ambience of the ocean waves and the radio calming his senses.
The hours passed leisurely as Sho turned the pages, and before he felt a slight pressure on his left shoulder. He turned to see that Nino had fallen asleep beside him, his head resting on his shoulder. His 3DS had fallen out of his hand onto his lap, the game screen still on. Sho reached over, closed the console and placed it on the table. He then took the cushion from his lap and rested it on Nino's before returning to his book.
!!!!!!!!!
"Isn't the evening breeze awesome?" Sho asked as he walked with Nino along the beach to a small ramen eatery, "you can't find this back in town."
Nino nodded as he inhaled deeply to take in the salty scent of the sea.
"You're right. The air is different here."
Sho took off his slippers and held them in his hand as he tapped his feet in the seawater, feeling it sweep pleasantly between his toes and up his ankles.
"This is great! You should try it!"
Nino wrinkled his nose at Sho.
"Sandy..gritty..wet..dirty...urgh. Not exactly what I want to be before dinner."
"It's only your feet though."
"It is still unpleasant."
"Suit yourself," Sho commented,"just know that you are missing out in one of the many joys in life."
"I'm alright with the all the other joys in life. Just not this one."
"You sure?"
It took a bit of hesitation before Nino slipped slowly out of his slippers and immersed his feet into the sea, letting the seawater.
"COLD!" he yelped as he jumped out of the way of the waves.
Sho laughed as walked back towards Nino.
"You'll get used to it."
Nino grinned and nodded as he kicked his feet against the ebbing waves.
"It's not... bad, I suppose. It's actually pretty nice," Nino said as he stood by the shoreline and looked at the sun setting in the horizon, "shall we come back again together some time?"
Sho stepped beside Nino and looked at the sunset, feeling the peaceful, comfortable silence settle between them.
It had to be the most peaceful weekend he ever had in a very long while.
!!!!!!!!!
"Couldn't we have just gone to the usual ones that are out of people's way?" Sho asked on one of their regular dinners after work, "why do we have to go to this one stall that is in the middle of the city?"
"Because," Nino coaxed, "nowhere else are you going to get ramen sets with the 4 seasons as their themes."
"Is THIS crowd worth weaving through for just two bowls of ramen?" Sho asked, gesturing to the crowds of people shuffling back and forth. It was the dinner hour on a working day, and people were either looking for a place to eat or walking out and about after eating.
"You won't get lost. You will be fine."
"Oh? Yeah. Of course. Because I can recognise you amidst this sea of masked people." Sho remarked sarcastically.
"Okay, I get your point," Nino answered as he pondered for an idea, "erm, how about you hold my hand?"
Sho blinked as he stopped in his steps..
"What?"
"I said, hold my hand," Nino said, "no need to worry about getting lost then, right?"
Sho had no idea why but the idea of holding Nino's hand was making his cheeks feel unusually warm. He was probably catching a chill.
"Well.." Sho managed awkwardly as he tried to come up with an answer when the lights of the pedestrian crossing turned green.
"Oops. No time," Nino said as he grabbed Sho's hand in his.
"Hey!" Sho called, but before he could protest, Nino was already skillfully weaving through the crowds, his left hand firmly tugging Sho along by his right hand. Together, they slipped through the sea of people before finally arriving at the shop that Nino had wanted to go to.
"Wow, Sho-chan," Nino commented, "your hands sure are warm. Hot, even. Did you drink some tea before coming?"
"Y-yeah! It was a cup of hot tea!"Sho said brusquely and ambled towards their seats. He was grateful that the mask did its job of hiding a good part of his face. He couldn't tell Nino that something else on his mind was making his hand burn.
!!!!!!!!!
"Sho-kun?"
"Hmm?"
Jun gave him an unamused look.
"Do you mind telling me why you are holding on to MY hand?"
Sho looked up at Jun before gazing down at his left hand that lay over Jun's right before withdrawing it in a flash. Jun shook his head with a knowing grin.
"You have been so distracted for a few days now. Is everything okay?"
Sho nodded, refusing to admit that he was too deep in his thoughts to notice. The soft burn of Nino's hands still remained in his palm even though it had been a few days ago.
"Hey, erm.. " Sho began as he looked at his friend, who only raised a skeptical eyebrow as he waited,"it hasn't been long since.. You know, my breakup, right?"
Jun blinked a few times before giving a thoughtful look.
"Generally, I guess a few months isn't typically considered 'long'. But if you ask me, it's about damn time."
"Oh...". Sho trailed, his mind off in thought once more. Jun narrowed his eyes.
"Oh ho...you met someone new, didn't you?"
Sho jumped in surprise, a blush creeping on the apples of his cheeks.
"What, no! I..I have not.."
Jun smirked in response.
"So you were gripping my hands just now because it is a perfectly natural thing to do when you are thinking?"
Sho sighed. Jun knows him too well.
"I REALLY have not met anyone new, you know,"Sho said,"..ever since that guy who had my books."
Jun nodded as he looked down at his coffee...and his eyes widened as he FINALLY had an inkling as to what Sho meant.
"Wait, THAT guy? " Jun asked incredulously as he tried to stifle a giggle,"I did NOT see that coming."
"Don't laugh, you idiot!" Sho hissed under his breath,"look. It really isn't what you think. I.. I don't really know how I feel about him."
"Huh?! Hold up. What do you mean you 'don't know' ?"
"I mean, he might be a bit of a rebel and rule breaker but he is a nice person," Sho said," so I do like him. I just...I just don't know if.."
"You don't know if you really like him or if it was just the loneliness and your subconscious need for companionship?"
Sho nodded. Jun hummed as he sipped on his coffee.
"Maybe you should give it time," he advised," I'm sure the time will come when you will know."
Sho looked uncertainly at his friend. He wasn't comfortable with vague answers, but he decided that his friend might have a point.
"But really... YOU with a rebel and rule breaker for a potential lover?" Jun asked with a look of a amusement and a hint of pride,"I never thought I'd live to see the day. I guess opposites DO attract."
"Oh hush up, will you!"
!!!!!!!!!
Days passed by quickly as Sho threw himself in his work in an effort to put his emotional dilemma with Nino at the back of his mind. Just then, he heard his office phone ring.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Sakurai-san? There is a woman who wants to meet you downstairs."
Sho frowned. He did know some female friends but they know exactly how he felt about being looked up at work without calling beforehand. So that only leaves...
Sho's chest felt tight as he slowly got up and walked towards the lift.
He had an idea who it could be. he just couldn't bring himself to believe it until he stepped out of the elevator into the office lobby.
And there she stood, with her familiar curly brown hair and her white, bejewelled mask...his ex-girlfriend.
Chapter 5 here