The Far Side of the Moon (Chapter 7)
Title : The Far Side of the Moon
Pairing : Juntoshi, Sakumiya, Sakuraiba
Length : chapter
Genre : angst, romance, drama
Rating : pg-13
Disclaimer : This story is just my imagination
Summary : L’art de La Vie museum is the place where Jun worked. Something in his past had led him there, giving him some space to be alone and pitied himself. It had been two years with the same old routine and he thought that his peaceful life would go on as long as it could be. He didn’t know that he was placed there on purpose - for redemption…
Betaed by keshichan ,,I can't thank you enough for helping me, I would never post this fic without you, thanks so much, girl
Chapter 7
It had been a long time since Jun made cake; it was difficult to find the right timing to do it and he was a moody person. He didn’t feel like going somewhere today, the light headache still remained, but it didn’t bother him at all. He mixed the eggs and powder in a big bowl and watched the mixer run; his lips formed a smile, even though he didn’t know what he was smiling for.
He recalled how Ohno’s hand fit perfectly around his that morning, two days ago. He could still feel the warmth that lingered and it reached his heart. He even wanted to hold those hands for the entire day, and even asked Ohno not to leave. He didn’t know where those words came from; however, Ohno’s features were so familiar, and he felt that he needed to get closer to him before he disappeared again.
It was so awkward for Jun when Ohno walked him to his apartment which was located just downstairs from Ohno’s apartment. So, that’s why I thought I was waking up inside my house, Jun mused.
“I’ve just moved here,” Ohno said as they walked together along the corridor, heading toward Jun’s door. “We can visit each other then,” he continued. Exactly just like what Jun wanted to hear. As they got near, he imagined Ohno pushing him to the wall, placing both of his hands on his sides and forcing a kiss on his lips. But it never happened, that man left while wishing him a good day.
“Ohno Satoshi…” he mentioned the name over and over, as if it would lead him into something.
He finished the batter and started to pour them to the cake container; he put it in the oven and set the timer before preparing the additional cream for the flavor.
Fox had been looking at him for all the time, as if he understood there was something wrong with him.
“I’m fine, Fox,” Jun stated. The cat meowed and licked his front leg then left him, and walked towards the sofa.
He just switched off the oven when he heard a knock on his door. It was a Sunday and nobody worked on a Sunday to check on broken pipes or to repair a broken air conditioner. He guessed that that person had mistaken Jun’s place as their friends or… maybe, he wished, that it was Ohno who wanted to see him again. As his thoughts were being filled by what ifs, he took off his gloves and walked to check who his visitor was. He was taken aback when he saw that, as he looked through the peephole, behind his door was Aiba.
He and Aiba couldn’t be called as friends, they were only workmates and seeing him in front of his doorstep was kind of surprising.
“Aiba san?”
Aiba grinned and locked his fingers together; he looked as confused as Jun did. He opened the door wider and gestured for the guy to come in. Aiba hesitated for a moment before following him in; it had been forever since Jun brought somebody to his house and he felt as if he broke his own rules.
“Your place is so cozy,” Aiba commented as they stepped towards the living room.
“Thanks,” Jun said in return. “How did you find my address?”
“From the database,” Aiba offered an apologetic smile. “There’s something I want to discuss with you.”
“Is it about work?” Jun asked while pulling out the cake from the oven. The smell filled the room; it brought a pleasant atmosphere. It even woke Fox up from his nap, he smelled the air and he meowed hopefully.
“You bake?” Aiba rose from his seat, lifting Fox with him as he joined Jun in the kitchen. It gave him more time to answer Jun’s question.
“Want to try?” Jun gestured for the man to take a bite of the newly baked cake, still wishing it was Ohno who knocked on his door and had Fox in his arms.
Jun handed Aiba a fork and gave him a slice. After eating it, Aiba gave Jun a thumb up. Fox struggled to break free from Aiba’s hand, meowed as he asked for his part. Jun stifled a chuckle as he gave the cat a bite and ate the rest. He nodded in approval; it was too sweet but not bad.
“Want some coffee?” Jun asked Aiba as he took out two cups from the kitchen cabinet. Aiba accepted his offer as he returned to his seat; praising the cake once more. As he boiled water and prepared coffee, Jun thought about Ohno’s Sunday mornings. Did he paint all day? Did he go out and meet some friends? Did he go to the bowling site alone?
“What do you want to discuss with me?” Jun asked as they sat across from each other at the dining table.
Aiba gripped the cup stronger than needed, he lifted his face to meet Jun’s gaze; he opened his mouth and closed it again.
“Do you remember what we talked about before the party?”
Jun searched at the back of his mind: they talked about the director, the owner of the museum and about Nino whom Jun saw stealing something at the stationery section. His stomach clenched when he remembered that kid; he hadn’t gotten any emails from Sakurai for his punishment.
“We talked about many things,” Jun said while sipping the coffee, “our director, that bloody Sakurai san, the museum owner that remains mysterious…”
“Have you heard the man named Ohno Satoshi?” Aiba cut him.
“What’s with him? I met him two days ago at the party and…” he didn’t continue what happened next; he got drunk, and found himself on Ohno’s bed.
“Sakurai san mentioned his name on the phone and talked to him with full respect,” Aiba said, he looked at the cake, as if trying to find something in it, “I think they have some connection.”
“Sakurai san? Did you overhear their conversation at the party?” Jun confirmed.
“No,” Aiba shook his head, avoiding Jun’s gaze almost immediately. “I heard them talking by coincidence.”
Jun felt discomfort as Aiba mentioned Sakurai’s name. He remembered how Sakurai’s eyes stared at him with weird coldness when they sat face to face inside his office. He still smelled something fishy about that director, his connection with Nino, and if Aiba was right, he also had something with Ohno. He hoped it wasn’t something romantic.
“Have you ever thought that maybe the owner of the museum is someone ordinary? Even hiding himself on purpose?” Aiba said, as if talking to no one.
“What do you mean?” Jun asked, even though he knew what Aiba would say.
“That Ohno Satoshi? Isn’t he suspicious?”
“As far as I remember, our owner’s name is Enomoto Kei,” Jun said, sipping his coffee. “The last time I checked on the website, he’s still Enomoto Kei.”
“How do you know that it’s his real name?” Aiba looked at his with a detective-like gaze which Jun did not like. He averted his gaze to the trees outside the window. Unknown to Jun and Aiba, Ohno was in his apartment upstairs, painting abstract which attracted Jun in its strange way.
“It’s none of our concern if he wants to fake his name,” Jun answered. He took a look on Aiba’s face, he caught a glimpse of anxiety on Aiba’s expression and he had just realized that there was something on his neck. It was barely seen, but Jun swore that he saw finger marks there. Aiba seemed to realize his gaze as he hid it quickly.
“Jun,” Aiba bit his lower lip, he hesitated for a moment, “I think I want to quit L’art de La Vie.”
Jun did not know how to respond to Aiba’s statement. They just held a party to launch the gallery and Aiba not once mentioned that he hated his job. He was the most enthusiastic person Jun had ever met; it did not make sense to Jun that he wanted to quit.
They stopped talking about work. Aiba played with Fox while Jun washed the dishes. Jun had just thought that this Sunday would go as peaceful as it could be, when he heard someone groan in pain outside.
“It’s the wrong floor, we need to go upstairs,” he heard a familiar voice.
“He can’t make it,” another voice answered and Jun knew it as well.
Jun ran to the door before analyzing further; he turned the knob and pulled it open. He found three men on the corridor and even though he had too many questions to be answered, he pushed those questions aside. Ohno was in the center, he looked like someone dying. Sakurai and Nino were on his each side, supporting him, but Ohno seemed to lose all his power; his eyes were shut tightly, he released a last groan and went limp.
“Let me help,” Jun approached them and assisted them to keep Ohno off the ground. He heard Aiba followed behind and joined them without saying a word. “We can bring him to my room.”
None of them spoke when they lay Ohno down on Jun’s bed. Jun initiated to call a doctor but Sakurai said no.
“He doesn’t need any doctors,” he said coldly.
“He’s dying, can’t you see that?” Jun looked to the other man’s eyes. He could be his boss, but he didn’t really care about it right now. He felt something twinge inside his stomach; what kind of connection did Sakurai have with Ohno?
Ohno might be no one to Jun, but he didn’t want something bad to happen to this man either. Aiba had moved to the sofa, and stayed silent. Nino was beside him, for the first time Jun saw a mourning expression on that kid’s face. Somehow he wanted to hug him and tell him that everything would be okay, but he had some kind of a hunch that it was Nino’s fault.
“He only needs to lay down a few hours,” Sakurai explained to Jun with an air of arrogance. His eyes roamed around; Jun couldn’t read his expression clearly. It was a mixture between mocking and wondering. Fox meowed once and walked closer to Sakurai. It tilted his head as if reading Sakurai’s face. He meowed again after a minute or so and jumped on the bed where Ohno laid; cozying up beside the man.
Jun watched the cat; was it possible that Fox knew he had some feeling towards Ohno? But it was something stupid to think of; he left the director and approached Aiba and Nino who were sitting in the sofa.
The kid’s eyes were bloodshot; clearly, he’d been crying. And since nobody wanted to explain what had happened, Jun didn’t pry. He joined them all in silence because apparently, that was the only thing they could do for now.
Sakurai stood still beside the bed; his hands locked. Aiba looked down at the floor; Jun couldn’t see his face and Nino began to sob again.
“It was my fault,” he said, breaking the silence. “I’m sorry,” his lips trembled as he tried to hold his tears. He slid out something from his pocket and gave it to Jun. “Your watch,” he said.
Jun took it and looked at Nino’s face; he forgot how he it felt to be seventeen, but it was a hard age. He pitied this kid and felt guilty for hating him, he leaned closer to the young boy, “Thank you,” he said.
“Do you know Ohno san?” Jun asked.
“He’s my savior,” Nino said, but he didn’t provide any answers other than that.
The kid began to hide his face onto his palms, sobbing quietly. Jun tried to match these three people, Sho and Nino were friends or maybe something else that he didn’t want to think of, and Ohno, what was the connection he had with both of them?
“Nino, let’s go,” Sakurai approached Nino and held his wrist, dragging him without waiting for his response.
Nino stood up and trailed Sakurai, even though he did it half-heartedly. They stepped towards the door; somehow they looked like best friends, going out to have something fun.
“Wait, what should I do with him?” Jun chased them. Sakurai turned around; he glanced at Ohno’s sleeping face.
“He’ll be fine, you don’t need to do anything other than lending him your bed,” the man spoke quickly, he looked briefly at Aiba and turned towards the door, his hand still gripped Nino’s wrist.
The kid looked at Jun for the last time; his eyes signed guilt. He followed Sakurai towards the corridor, trailing behind like a loyal dog.
***
Ohno wanted to believe that everything that happened was an accident. That Toma’s death had nothing to do with him. That he was at the wrong place, at the wrong time; however, the nightmares that he had after that particular day never stopped haunting him: the swimming pool, the empty corridor, Toma’s lifeless body…
He ran and ran, trying to forget what had happened. But he couldn’t, he wanted to kill himself for the first time in his life, even though he never succeed to do so. He didn’t go to school for a week after the incident and buried himself under the covers, as if hiding himself from Toma’s ghost. Nevertheless, it wasn’t the exact thing he wanted to hide from, it was himself. There was some kind of monster inside him, only that he didn’t know it. He touched his left lid and wondered whether the monster was hiding there. Nothing happened. His left eye was just as blind as usual; there wasn’t anything special about it, except bringing him to misery.
Many years after that day; the same thing never happened again - something which involved his left eye. Everything was as normal as it could be and he had been waiting for too long to look for Jun again, but the guy appeared at his own will. He applied for the job at the museum, saying that he wanted to work there because he liked art, even though that was not the real reason. Jun wanted to avoid people; just like Ohno, and Toma’s death must have affected him as much as it affected Ohno. Did Jun know about the incident? Did he work at the museum to get revenge? Or, did he simply not know a thing, an innocent man who tried to get away from his loneliness?
***
Aiba had left around two hours ago and Jun was totally alone with Ohno. The man was still in deep sleep; he showed no signs of waking up. Fox crouched at the edge of the bed, right next to Ohno’s foot, he looked like a weird dog, protecting his master, ignoring the fact that he was a cat and Jun was his real master.
Jun gave up watching and decided to cook for dinner. He tried to not think about Ohno’s presence in his bed. He made simple curry rice for two persons, hoping that Ohno would wake up at dinner time and join him to eat together. However, what kind of conversation would they have?
‘Hey. You’re awake finally. I made some curry rice for dinner.’
It sounded so cheesy, even in his head. Jun brought plates to the dining table, prepared green tea and waited. He should have called an ambulance and brought Ohno to the hospital, but Ohno seemed only to be sleeping and there was nothing wrong with him, regardless the groan he released at the corridor.
Fox meowed as if sensing something and Jun heard movements from his bedroom. He rose from his seat and approached Ohno who was already standing tall; he looked at Jun with wide opened eyes. His left eye seemed to see something beyond him, and without any warning, Ohno dashed to him and hugged him tight.
Jun never expected this; he froze and let Ohno embrace him, like a lost child who was looking for protection. Jun moved his hand to Ohno’s back and rubbed it softly, he smelled Ohno’s scent which was surprisingly pleasant (he didn’t remember it since the last time they touched, he was too drunk).
“Ohno san…” he called the man.
“Just let me,” Ohno answered, almost in whisper.
They stayed like that for minutes until Ohno released him and murmured apologies.He rejected dinner and walked towards the door without wasting any time, and did not even glance and Jun's disappointed face.
Jun stood behind the closed door, hoping that Ohno would come back and say that he changed his mind. The man lived upstairs, Jun could chase him and insist for him to stay, but he had no rights to do so. He ignored the curry and decided to go outside; maybe finding some stress reliever wasn't a bad idea.
***
Jun decided to go to the game center nearby and sat down at one of the pachinko machines. He wasn’t aware of the time since the place was still crowded. Feeling the watch on his wrist made him feel relieved. He played with the machine without giving much concentration. Various sounds reached his ears as he competed with the old man beside him. The noise somehow made him feel more alive.
“It’s rare to see somebody like you here.”
Jun peeked at his right and saw Nino. He wasn’t sure at first because the kid’s face was half-hidden in the hood of his jacket.
“Nino…”
“Is he okay?” he asked, referring to Ohno.
“He’s more than okay,” Jun answered. He still couldn’t guess what kind of connection Nino had with Ohno or Sakurai. “Are you friends?” he asked, not knowing how to hide his curiosity.
“Do you really want to know?” Nino murmured behind his hood. “I guess that you have some feelings for him.”
“That’s not it…”
“He’s my savior,” Nino cut him, “I would do anything to make him fall in love with me,” he said as he lifted his head to meet Jun’s gaze. “Just kidding, he only considers me as his brother, nothing more.”
Jun gulped, Nino’s naked photos flashed in his mind, did Ohno take those photos? But that was not something brothers did.
“You like him, don’t you?” Nino asked when Jun didn’t give any answers.
He kept silent, feeling so miserable that a seventeen-year-old kid could guess what was in his mind correctly.
“Sorry for taking your watch,” the kid murmured. “Ohno san collapsed at the supermarket; he was there to pay for the things I stole,” Nino continued, “I have kleptomania.”
Jun rose from his seat and held Nino’s elbow, “Follow me,” he said.
Nino said nothing as they walked side by side, the night was warm, and they could see the stars blinking on the dark sky.
“Where are we going?” the kid asked for the first time.
“I just realized that I haven’t eaten,” Jun answered, smiling at the shorter. “Where is Sakurai san?”
“I escaped from him,” Nino shrugged. “He always treats me like I am something fragile, it bothers me.”
Jun smiled; he didn’t know this kid that much and he couldn’t tell whether he was telling the truth or the other way around. This kid - how should he put it - had something that could attract people. Jun remembered the first time he saw him at the stationery section; he had an urge to talk to him, and it bothered him.
They stopped by at a small ramen restaurant on the corner of the street. Nino ate quickly as if he hadn’t eaten for days and for the first time, Jun saw an innocent expression and it made him look cute.
“You’ll be working at the museum, right?” Jun opened the conversation.
Nino nodded.
“You can ask me if you have any problem,' Jun said sincerely.
Nino looked at him long enough, “Aren’t you worried that I will steal your things again?”
Jun shook his head, “I don’t have anything except this watch that is worth stealing.”
Nino chuckled silently and finished his ramen.
Jun went home with a lighter heart; it was weird that he felt happy when he talked with Nino. Even though the kid didn’t reveal anything about his relationship with Sakurai or Ohno, he could sense that Nino was keeping something, but it didn’t really matter now.
He opened his door and found Fox was waiting for him.
“I’m home,” he said as he lifted the cat to his arms, he had just realized that he was sleepy.
TBC
a/n: Sorry for the late post, I've been busy recently ^^v
Pairing : Juntoshi, Sakumiya, Sakuraiba
Length : chapter
Genre : angst, romance, drama
Rating : pg-13
Disclaimer : This story is just my imagination
Summary : L’art de La Vie museum is the place where Jun worked. Something in his past had led him there, giving him some space to be alone and pitied himself. It had been two years with the same old routine and he thought that his peaceful life would go on as long as it could be. He didn’t know that he was placed there on purpose - for redemption…
Betaed by keshichan ,,I can't thank you enough for helping me, I would never post this fic without you, thanks so much, girl
Chapter 7
It had been a long time since Jun made cake; it was difficult to find the right timing to do it and he was a moody person. He didn’t feel like going somewhere today, the light headache still remained, but it didn’t bother him at all. He mixed the eggs and powder in a big bowl and watched the mixer run; his lips formed a smile, even though he didn’t know what he was smiling for.
He recalled how Ohno’s hand fit perfectly around his that morning, two days ago. He could still feel the warmth that lingered and it reached his heart. He even wanted to hold those hands for the entire day, and even asked Ohno not to leave. He didn’t know where those words came from; however, Ohno’s features were so familiar, and he felt that he needed to get closer to him before he disappeared again.
It was so awkward for Jun when Ohno walked him to his apartment which was located just downstairs from Ohno’s apartment. So, that’s why I thought I was waking up inside my house, Jun mused.
“I’ve just moved here,” Ohno said as they walked together along the corridor, heading toward Jun’s door. “We can visit each other then,” he continued. Exactly just like what Jun wanted to hear. As they got near, he imagined Ohno pushing him to the wall, placing both of his hands on his sides and forcing a kiss on his lips. But it never happened, that man left while wishing him a good day.
“Ohno Satoshi…” he mentioned the name over and over, as if it would lead him into something.
He finished the batter and started to pour them to the cake container; he put it in the oven and set the timer before preparing the additional cream for the flavor.
Fox had been looking at him for all the time, as if he understood there was something wrong with him.
“I’m fine, Fox,” Jun stated. The cat meowed and licked his front leg then left him, and walked towards the sofa.
He just switched off the oven when he heard a knock on his door. It was a Sunday and nobody worked on a Sunday to check on broken pipes or to repair a broken air conditioner. He guessed that that person had mistaken Jun’s place as their friends or… maybe, he wished, that it was Ohno who wanted to see him again. As his thoughts were being filled by what ifs, he took off his gloves and walked to check who his visitor was. He was taken aback when he saw that, as he looked through the peephole, behind his door was Aiba.
He and Aiba couldn’t be called as friends, they were only workmates and seeing him in front of his doorstep was kind of surprising.
“Aiba san?”
Aiba grinned and locked his fingers together; he looked as confused as Jun did. He opened the door wider and gestured for the guy to come in. Aiba hesitated for a moment before following him in; it had been forever since Jun brought somebody to his house and he felt as if he broke his own rules.
“Your place is so cozy,” Aiba commented as they stepped towards the living room.
“Thanks,” Jun said in return. “How did you find my address?”
“From the database,” Aiba offered an apologetic smile. “There’s something I want to discuss with you.”
“Is it about work?” Jun asked while pulling out the cake from the oven. The smell filled the room; it brought a pleasant atmosphere. It even woke Fox up from his nap, he smelled the air and he meowed hopefully.
“You bake?” Aiba rose from his seat, lifting Fox with him as he joined Jun in the kitchen. It gave him more time to answer Jun’s question.
“Want to try?” Jun gestured for the man to take a bite of the newly baked cake, still wishing it was Ohno who knocked on his door and had Fox in his arms.
Jun handed Aiba a fork and gave him a slice. After eating it, Aiba gave Jun a thumb up. Fox struggled to break free from Aiba’s hand, meowed as he asked for his part. Jun stifled a chuckle as he gave the cat a bite and ate the rest. He nodded in approval; it was too sweet but not bad.
“Want some coffee?” Jun asked Aiba as he took out two cups from the kitchen cabinet. Aiba accepted his offer as he returned to his seat; praising the cake once more. As he boiled water and prepared coffee, Jun thought about Ohno’s Sunday mornings. Did he paint all day? Did he go out and meet some friends? Did he go to the bowling site alone?
“What do you want to discuss with me?” Jun asked as they sat across from each other at the dining table.
Aiba gripped the cup stronger than needed, he lifted his face to meet Jun’s gaze; he opened his mouth and closed it again.
“Do you remember what we talked about before the party?”
Jun searched at the back of his mind: they talked about the director, the owner of the museum and about Nino whom Jun saw stealing something at the stationery section. His stomach clenched when he remembered that kid; he hadn’t gotten any emails from Sakurai for his punishment.
“We talked about many things,” Jun said while sipping the coffee, “our director, that bloody Sakurai san, the museum owner that remains mysterious…”
“Have you heard the man named Ohno Satoshi?” Aiba cut him.
“What’s with him? I met him two days ago at the party and…” he didn’t continue what happened next; he got drunk, and found himself on Ohno’s bed.
“Sakurai san mentioned his name on the phone and talked to him with full respect,” Aiba said, he looked at the cake, as if trying to find something in it, “I think they have some connection.”
“Sakurai san? Did you overhear their conversation at the party?” Jun confirmed.
“No,” Aiba shook his head, avoiding Jun’s gaze almost immediately. “I heard them talking by coincidence.”
Jun felt discomfort as Aiba mentioned Sakurai’s name. He remembered how Sakurai’s eyes stared at him with weird coldness when they sat face to face inside his office. He still smelled something fishy about that director, his connection with Nino, and if Aiba was right, he also had something with Ohno. He hoped it wasn’t something romantic.
“Have you ever thought that maybe the owner of the museum is someone ordinary? Even hiding himself on purpose?” Aiba said, as if talking to no one.
“What do you mean?” Jun asked, even though he knew what Aiba would say.
“That Ohno Satoshi? Isn’t he suspicious?”
“As far as I remember, our owner’s name is Enomoto Kei,” Jun said, sipping his coffee. “The last time I checked on the website, he’s still Enomoto Kei.”
“How do you know that it’s his real name?” Aiba looked at his with a detective-like gaze which Jun did not like. He averted his gaze to the trees outside the window. Unknown to Jun and Aiba, Ohno was in his apartment upstairs, painting abstract which attracted Jun in its strange way.
“It’s none of our concern if he wants to fake his name,” Jun answered. He took a look on Aiba’s face, he caught a glimpse of anxiety on Aiba’s expression and he had just realized that there was something on his neck. It was barely seen, but Jun swore that he saw finger marks there. Aiba seemed to realize his gaze as he hid it quickly.
“Jun,” Aiba bit his lower lip, he hesitated for a moment, “I think I want to quit L’art de La Vie.”
Jun did not know how to respond to Aiba’s statement. They just held a party to launch the gallery and Aiba not once mentioned that he hated his job. He was the most enthusiastic person Jun had ever met; it did not make sense to Jun that he wanted to quit.
They stopped talking about work. Aiba played with Fox while Jun washed the dishes. Jun had just thought that this Sunday would go as peaceful as it could be, when he heard someone groan in pain outside.
“It’s the wrong floor, we need to go upstairs,” he heard a familiar voice.
“He can’t make it,” another voice answered and Jun knew it as well.
Jun ran to the door before analyzing further; he turned the knob and pulled it open. He found three men on the corridor and even though he had too many questions to be answered, he pushed those questions aside. Ohno was in the center, he looked like someone dying. Sakurai and Nino were on his each side, supporting him, but Ohno seemed to lose all his power; his eyes were shut tightly, he released a last groan and went limp.
“Let me help,” Jun approached them and assisted them to keep Ohno off the ground. He heard Aiba followed behind and joined them without saying a word. “We can bring him to my room.”
None of them spoke when they lay Ohno down on Jun’s bed. Jun initiated to call a doctor but Sakurai said no.
“He doesn’t need any doctors,” he said coldly.
“He’s dying, can’t you see that?” Jun looked to the other man’s eyes. He could be his boss, but he didn’t really care about it right now. He felt something twinge inside his stomach; what kind of connection did Sakurai have with Ohno?
Ohno might be no one to Jun, but he didn’t want something bad to happen to this man either. Aiba had moved to the sofa, and stayed silent. Nino was beside him, for the first time Jun saw a mourning expression on that kid’s face. Somehow he wanted to hug him and tell him that everything would be okay, but he had some kind of a hunch that it was Nino’s fault.
“He only needs to lay down a few hours,” Sakurai explained to Jun with an air of arrogance. His eyes roamed around; Jun couldn’t read his expression clearly. It was a mixture between mocking and wondering. Fox meowed once and walked closer to Sakurai. It tilted his head as if reading Sakurai’s face. He meowed again after a minute or so and jumped on the bed where Ohno laid; cozying up beside the man.
Jun watched the cat; was it possible that Fox knew he had some feeling towards Ohno? But it was something stupid to think of; he left the director and approached Aiba and Nino who were sitting in the sofa.
The kid’s eyes were bloodshot; clearly, he’d been crying. And since nobody wanted to explain what had happened, Jun didn’t pry. He joined them all in silence because apparently, that was the only thing they could do for now.
Sakurai stood still beside the bed; his hands locked. Aiba looked down at the floor; Jun couldn’t see his face and Nino began to sob again.
“It was my fault,” he said, breaking the silence. “I’m sorry,” his lips trembled as he tried to hold his tears. He slid out something from his pocket and gave it to Jun. “Your watch,” he said.
Jun took it and looked at Nino’s face; he forgot how he it felt to be seventeen, but it was a hard age. He pitied this kid and felt guilty for hating him, he leaned closer to the young boy, “Thank you,” he said.
“Do you know Ohno san?” Jun asked.
“He’s my savior,” Nino said, but he didn’t provide any answers other than that.
The kid began to hide his face onto his palms, sobbing quietly. Jun tried to match these three people, Sho and Nino were friends or maybe something else that he didn’t want to think of, and Ohno, what was the connection he had with both of them?
“Nino, let’s go,” Sakurai approached Nino and held his wrist, dragging him without waiting for his response.
Nino stood up and trailed Sakurai, even though he did it half-heartedly. They stepped towards the door; somehow they looked like best friends, going out to have something fun.
“Wait, what should I do with him?” Jun chased them. Sakurai turned around; he glanced at Ohno’s sleeping face.
“He’ll be fine, you don’t need to do anything other than lending him your bed,” the man spoke quickly, he looked briefly at Aiba and turned towards the door, his hand still gripped Nino’s wrist.
The kid looked at Jun for the last time; his eyes signed guilt. He followed Sakurai towards the corridor, trailing behind like a loyal dog.
***
Ohno wanted to believe that everything that happened was an accident. That Toma’s death had nothing to do with him. That he was at the wrong place, at the wrong time; however, the nightmares that he had after that particular day never stopped haunting him: the swimming pool, the empty corridor, Toma’s lifeless body…
He ran and ran, trying to forget what had happened. But he couldn’t, he wanted to kill himself for the first time in his life, even though he never succeed to do so. He didn’t go to school for a week after the incident and buried himself under the covers, as if hiding himself from Toma’s ghost. Nevertheless, it wasn’t the exact thing he wanted to hide from, it was himself. There was some kind of monster inside him, only that he didn’t know it. He touched his left lid and wondered whether the monster was hiding there. Nothing happened. His left eye was just as blind as usual; there wasn’t anything special about it, except bringing him to misery.
Many years after that day; the same thing never happened again - something which involved his left eye. Everything was as normal as it could be and he had been waiting for too long to look for Jun again, but the guy appeared at his own will. He applied for the job at the museum, saying that he wanted to work there because he liked art, even though that was not the real reason. Jun wanted to avoid people; just like Ohno, and Toma’s death must have affected him as much as it affected Ohno. Did Jun know about the incident? Did he work at the museum to get revenge? Or, did he simply not know a thing, an innocent man who tried to get away from his loneliness?
***
Aiba had left around two hours ago and Jun was totally alone with Ohno. The man was still in deep sleep; he showed no signs of waking up. Fox crouched at the edge of the bed, right next to Ohno’s foot, he looked like a weird dog, protecting his master, ignoring the fact that he was a cat and Jun was his real master.
Jun gave up watching and decided to cook for dinner. He tried to not think about Ohno’s presence in his bed. He made simple curry rice for two persons, hoping that Ohno would wake up at dinner time and join him to eat together. However, what kind of conversation would they have?
‘Hey. You’re awake finally. I made some curry rice for dinner.’
It sounded so cheesy, even in his head. Jun brought plates to the dining table, prepared green tea and waited. He should have called an ambulance and brought Ohno to the hospital, but Ohno seemed only to be sleeping and there was nothing wrong with him, regardless the groan he released at the corridor.
Fox meowed as if sensing something and Jun heard movements from his bedroom. He rose from his seat and approached Ohno who was already standing tall; he looked at Jun with wide opened eyes. His left eye seemed to see something beyond him, and without any warning, Ohno dashed to him and hugged him tight.
Jun never expected this; he froze and let Ohno embrace him, like a lost child who was looking for protection. Jun moved his hand to Ohno’s back and rubbed it softly, he smelled Ohno’s scent which was surprisingly pleasant (he didn’t remember it since the last time they touched, he was too drunk).
“Ohno san…” he called the man.
“Just let me,” Ohno answered, almost in whisper.
They stayed like that for minutes until Ohno released him and murmured apologies.He rejected dinner and walked towards the door without wasting any time, and did not even glance and Jun's disappointed face.
Jun stood behind the closed door, hoping that Ohno would come back and say that he changed his mind. The man lived upstairs, Jun could chase him and insist for him to stay, but he had no rights to do so. He ignored the curry and decided to go outside; maybe finding some stress reliever wasn't a bad idea.
***
Jun decided to go to the game center nearby and sat down at one of the pachinko machines. He wasn’t aware of the time since the place was still crowded. Feeling the watch on his wrist made him feel relieved. He played with the machine without giving much concentration. Various sounds reached his ears as he competed with the old man beside him. The noise somehow made him feel more alive.
“It’s rare to see somebody like you here.”
Jun peeked at his right and saw Nino. He wasn’t sure at first because the kid’s face was half-hidden in the hood of his jacket.
“Nino…”
“Is he okay?” he asked, referring to Ohno.
“He’s more than okay,” Jun answered. He still couldn’t guess what kind of connection Nino had with Ohno or Sakurai. “Are you friends?” he asked, not knowing how to hide his curiosity.
“Do you really want to know?” Nino murmured behind his hood. “I guess that you have some feelings for him.”
“That’s not it…”
“He’s my savior,” Nino cut him, “I would do anything to make him fall in love with me,” he said as he lifted his head to meet Jun’s gaze. “Just kidding, he only considers me as his brother, nothing more.”
Jun gulped, Nino’s naked photos flashed in his mind, did Ohno take those photos? But that was not something brothers did.
“You like him, don’t you?” Nino asked when Jun didn’t give any answers.
He kept silent, feeling so miserable that a seventeen-year-old kid could guess what was in his mind correctly.
“Sorry for taking your watch,” the kid murmured. “Ohno san collapsed at the supermarket; he was there to pay for the things I stole,” Nino continued, “I have kleptomania.”
Jun rose from his seat and held Nino’s elbow, “Follow me,” he said.
Nino said nothing as they walked side by side, the night was warm, and they could see the stars blinking on the dark sky.
“Where are we going?” the kid asked for the first time.
“I just realized that I haven’t eaten,” Jun answered, smiling at the shorter. “Where is Sakurai san?”
“I escaped from him,” Nino shrugged. “He always treats me like I am something fragile, it bothers me.”
Jun smiled; he didn’t know this kid that much and he couldn’t tell whether he was telling the truth or the other way around. This kid - how should he put it - had something that could attract people. Jun remembered the first time he saw him at the stationery section; he had an urge to talk to him, and it bothered him.
They stopped by at a small ramen restaurant on the corner of the street. Nino ate quickly as if he hadn’t eaten for days and for the first time, Jun saw an innocent expression and it made him look cute.
“You’ll be working at the museum, right?” Jun opened the conversation.
Nino nodded.
“You can ask me if you have any problem,' Jun said sincerely.
Nino looked at him long enough, “Aren’t you worried that I will steal your things again?”
Jun shook his head, “I don’t have anything except this watch that is worth stealing.”
Nino chuckled silently and finished his ramen.
Jun went home with a lighter heart; it was weird that he felt happy when he talked with Nino. Even though the kid didn’t reveal anything about his relationship with Sakurai or Ohno, he could sense that Nino was keeping something, but it didn’t really matter now.
He opened his door and found Fox was waiting for him.
“I’m home,” he said as he lifted the cat to his arms, he had just realized that he was sleepy.
TBC
a/n: Sorry for the late post, I've been busy recently ^^v