Kanawanai Yakusoku chapter 4
Title : Kanawanai Yakusoku
Pairing : Sakumoto/Juntoshi/Sakumiya
Genre : Angst, romance, m-preg (not clearly mentioned)
Length : chaptered
Rating : pg
Disclaimer : I own nothing, only that I borrowed their names for the characters.
Summary : A semi long distance relationship was never a problem for Jun and Sho, they trusted each other and managed to live the same path. However, the sudden appearance of Ninomiya and Ohno had affected Jun’s decision.
Warning : Bad English, no beta
Jun walked along the sidewalk, making sure that he was on the right street. He would go to the wedding organizer, not mentioning that he and Sho hadn’t talked about further details. Sho said that he left everything to Jun; however, the wedding concept was something which supposed to be decided by both parties - Jun thought bitterly.
He stopped in front of the five-floored building number 17; the Mikatsuki Wedding Organizer was located at the third floor. As he disembarked the lift, he found an office on the left side of the corridor with ‘Mikatsuki’ kanji character printed on its door. He pushed the glass door and headed towards the reception desk; a young woman welcomed him with a broad smile on her lips.
"Good morning, Sir. How may I help you?" the girl asked.
“I want to meet Ninomiya san, I had made an appointment yesterday,” Jun said.
“What is your name, Sir?” the girl asked while searching on her computer.
“Matsumoto Jun.”
"Your appointment is at nine," the woman looked at him and smiled. “I’ll inform Ninomiya san, please wait a moment,” she said while gesturing to Jun to wait at the sofa on the right side of the reception desk. It was still fifteen minutes to nine, he came too early.
Jun sat down on the couch and looked around the office; the interior design was so good; there was an abstract painting on the wall across from him and an antique jar at the left corner. The soft blue sofa fit the blue paint of the wall; the arrangement of minimalist furniture gave a perfect nuance to the room.
"Would you like some coffee or tea?" the same woman asked him as she came back from Ninomiya’s office room.
"Coffee, please," Jun said.
“Please wait a moment,” she smiled again and disappeared to the back of the office.
Jun slid out his phone and checked his email; the last one was from Sho. He explained shortly about his next flight and told Jun not to work too hard. There was no ‘I miss you’ or ‘I love you’ - like always. He had gotten used to Sho’s insensitivity, but he hoped Sho would write those simple words on his email once in a while.
Jun opened another email from one of his customers who ordered extra cake for next week. He forwarded the message to Aiba and asked him to reply to the customer. Then he browsed randomly until he found the review about Ohno’s stage play. The actor’s photograph was attached at the ending part of the article; he was holding the sword like a real Samurai.
“Young talented actor, Ohno Satoshi, refused to act for a drama series”
The article was poorly written and it was more like a criticism towards the artist instead of the main topic that he refused to play a role in a drama. Jun skipped the page and searched for another article about the wedding. None of the party concept attracted him and he felt even more frustrated by looking at them. He closed the browser and glanced at his watch; it was already closed to nine am.
A few minutes later, the woman came back with a tray in her hands, she approached the table, put the cup in front of Jun and gestured to him to enjoy the coffee.
"Thanks," Jun said.
He sipped the coffee which was a little bit sweet for his liking; he spread his sight to his surrounding once again. He wondered what kind of people came here to discuss about their upcoming wedding; he wondered whether they also felt the same way as he did - stressed for nothing. He must have been looked stupid to come here all alone without a partner; he tried not to think about Sho at the moment, because it made him even more agony.
"Excuse me, Sir," the same woman approached him as he finished half of his coffee. "Ninomiya san is ready to meet you."
Jun put the cup down on the table and followed the woman’s step towards the door across from the waiting room. She knocked three times before holding the door knob.
"Come in," a man's voice was heard.
Jun entered the room as the woman opened it for him, he thanked her as she left and closed the door behind.
“Good morning, Matsumoto san,” the man behind the desk greeted him; he rose off of his seat and approached Jun. “I’m Ninomiya Kazunari, it’s very great to see you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” Jun offered a smile to the man and took a seat as the other gestured to him to sit down. They sat down face to face with the low table between them. The atmosphere in this room was also pleasant with soft fragrant which smelled like oil massage from the tropical islands.
Jun looked at the man before him; he was probably in the middle of his twenties, his short black hair was nicely combed, he had beautiful nose and pretty lips; two moles decorated his chin. In other words; he was a very good-looking-guy.
“I have received your email,” Ninomiya said, flashing a genuine smile at Jun. “You have a unique concept,” he added.
“I’m not sure about this,” Jun replied, “I need your help to modify it. By the way, it was my friend who recommended you, he said that you’re so good in arranging the wedding.”
"Your friend?"
"His name is Aiba," Jun said.
"Aiba kun? you know him?" Ninomiya beamed.
"Yes, we work together."
Ninomiya's eyes widened as Jun mentioned it, "You must be that famous pettisier, the one who created the cakes for the Mayor's daughter’s wedding?"
Jun nodded.
"I'm so happy to meet you," Ninomiya said, extending his hands to shake Jun's. "I'm honored if I can help you."
Jun didn’t know how to react to Ninomiya’s compliment; he never considered himself as famous. He did work hard for his shop, but he never chased any popularity.
"Thank you," was all he could say. “But I don’t think that I had made the details plan for the wedding."
"Don't worry," Ninomiya said. “I can handle it.”
"That's great," Jun said. “Can we take a glance at the plan? I need to ask a few things.”
“Sure,” Ninomiya nodded.
Jun slid out his tab from his hand bag and turned it on; he opened the file and showed to Ninomiya. He had just realized that he hadn’t made any design for the wedding invitation, maybe Ninomiya could also help him with that.
The man checked the concept and nodded a few times. He handed the tab back to Jun and rose off of the sofa and headed towards his working desk. He searched something inside his drawer which looked like a photo album.
“These are the photos of the wedding I had arranged,” Ninomiya said while handing Jun the album. Jun took it and flipped the pages; all of the photos looked great, some of them were taken abroad.
“One more thing, do you want me to design the wedding invitation as well?” the man asked.
“Oh, yes, I almost forget,” Jun said. He put down the album on the table, slid a pencil and a piece of paper out from his bag, then he wrote his and Sho’s name. He handed it to Ninomiya.
"Sho?" the man confirmed. His right hand pointed at the kanji character of Sho's name.
"Yes, Sakurai Sho, my boyfriend's name," Jun said.
Ninomiya nodded, his eyes fixed on the kanji character for a while as if making sure that Jun had written it in the right way. He looked at Jun and flashed a smile.
"I'll study your plan and will work on it, let's meet up on Tuesday evening, maybe we can have a dinner, what do you say?" Ninomiya asked.
"Sure, but is it okay for you? I mean it's out of the working hours."
"My special service," Ninomiya winked. "Can you come with your boyfriend?"
"I'm afraid I can't, he's still in Hawaii on Tuesday."
"Hawaii? Does he work there?"
"No, he's a pilot," Jun said.
"Oh," Ninomiya nodded understandingly. He made a note on his own notebook and put a post it on its page. "Can I have your phone number?" he asked.
"Sure," Jun searched for his name card inside his wallet and handed it to Ninomiya.
"Thanks," the man stuffed it inside his notebook. "I'll call you. Is it okay for me to decide where to meet?"
"I'll leave it to you," Jun said.
"Alright then. See you on Tuesday.”
“Thank you,” Jun said, standing up from the sofa, shaking Ninomiya’s hand again before leaving the office. Ninomiya walked him towards the exit and Jun had just realized that the man was way shorter than him; but the height suited his figure in some ways.
He couldn't erase the image of Ninomiya's face from his head. There was something about that man which brought an unexplainable feeling to him. But maybe Jun only over thought about it since he was so nervous about the wedding. There were two months left before April, he still had time to plan and worry about everything.
He walked towards the nearest supermarket and bought some groceries. He hadn't cooked something for these past two weeks. The preparation for the mayor's daughter's wedding had stolen his entire time. He felt guilty to Sho that he was all busy when Sho was home. He should have spared more time for the pilot.
He pushed the trolley towards the meat section and picked fresh beef, pork and chicken. He planned to make something for his employees; something to thank them for their hard work.
He turned towards the vegetable section, there were a few women picking some vegetable while comparing the price. Jun stopped his trolley and took a look at the vegetables before him. He was about to take a bunch of spinach when somebody called his name.
"Matsumoto san?"
He lifted his head and found Ohno. He carried a shopping basket in his hand which almost full of his purchasing. The man smiled broadly at him and approached him with light steps. Ohno's appearance was even more casual compared with the last time they met at Jun's shop. He wore a T-shirt below his simple designed jacket, a knee length pants and a pair of sneakers.
"Ohno san, it's a surprise to meet you here."
The actor shook his head, “Where did you expect to meet me? Did you finish?”
"I still need to buy some fresh vegetables and milk," Jun said, glancing at his almost full trolley.
"I'll accompany you," Ohno said without any hesitation.
"But, I think I still need quite sometimes, you must be in a hurry."
"Don't worry," Ohno said while shifting towards the vegetable section to help Jun picking them.
"Are you free today?" Jun asked.
"I have to practice after lunch," Ohno said. "Where do you plan to have lunch?"
Jun hesitated and shook his head, "I haven't decided."
"Let's eat ramen then," Ohno said lightly.
This man seemed never thought before act; Jun wondered whether he was really a shy boy when he was in high school. The way he talked to Jun was casual, as if they already knew each other very well. The assurance in his voice indicated that Jun would say yes to his invitation - somehow it intrigued Jun.
Jun looked at his watch to give himself more time to think.
"I guess..."
"Just for a couple of minutes if you're busy," Ohno said.
"No, I didn't mean that. I guess we can go," he stuttered as seeing Ohno's bright smile.
They finished their purchasing and walked outside to the bright light with their heavy plastic bags. The sign of spring could be seen already, even though the air was still freaking cold. Ohno led their steps towards the ramen restaurant which located around three blocks from the supermarket. Jun had never been here; the restaurant was a small one at the corner of the street. The place was nearly hidden by the ice cream shop next to it which color was too bright. Ohno entered the cramped door and a voice of an old woman welcomed them.
"Ah, Satoshi kun, you come again," her gaze moved to Jun, "and you drag a super handsome man with you," she smiled at Jun who replied nervously. "Take a seat, you two, I'll get your ramen."
"Thank you, Inohara san," Ohno said, gesturing to Jun to take a seat at the counter.
"She knows you very well," Jun commented.
"I come here too often," Ohno said, tapping his long fingers on the table. There were a few new scratches on his left fingers, but the wound on his thumb was still the hugest. "Are you interested in learning sword?" he asked Jun out of the blue.
"Er," Jun hesitated. "I don't know."
"You can join me in the studio."
Jun smiled weakly; he didn’t know how to face someone like Ohno who was too straightforward. The man smiled back at him, his eyes found their way to look at Jun straightly. Jun averted his gaze away; he shouldn’t have agreed to Ohno’s invitation at the first place to have lunch together.
They ate in silence. Jun complimented the ramen as he finished. The old woman showed him her sincere smile and wished him a good day.
"Please come again, Satoshi kun and take your handsome friend again."
"I will," Ohno said and bowed slightly.
They walked out of the restaurant side by side towards the nearest bus stop. Ohno glanced at his phone and murmured that he was late.
"Is it okay?"
"It's not okay, but don't worry, they can start without me. So, where is Sho kun?"
"Hawaii," Jun said. "He'll be home in a few days. I have just talked to a wedding organizer; I was kind of nervous."
"You'll get married for real?" Ohno asked as if he heard a news of shooting accident at his neighborhood.
"Yeah, Sho kun and I have been living together for a long time and we think that it’s time for us to get married."
"What a lucky bastard," Ohno mumbled while giving Jun a stiff grin.
"Do you have someone special?" Jun asked.
"Everybody is special for me."
"I mean, like Sho kun to me."
Ohno thought for a while and shook his head. "I haven't found the right person. I have dated a few times, but of course it ended whether because we didn’t fit or because they found my down side and left."
"I'm sorry,"
"It's not the thing you have to be sorry for."
"You'll find them," Jun said.
"Perhaps," Ohno nodded. "But, you know, there are a few people who already found their other half but they separated because of the twist of fate."
"Poor them," Jun said, wondering whether those people were truly exist; it must be too cruel for both of them to lose a special person just because the unfairness or the other factors which led them into separation.
"I hope to see you again," Ohno said as they arrived at the bus stop.
"Please come to my shop anytime you want," Jun replied and bowed to the man.
As they separated, Jun’s mind flew to Sho. He missed the man already; it had been a long time since they had lunch together. It felt like someone else’s life in the past which had no connection with them. Come to think of it; he and Sho never really had a real date. They went to cinemas, to libraries, to museums, to shopping mall, but none of them seemed fun enough. Jun felt a grip in his chest; he didn’t know what it was, but it always told him that the incorrect things kept on occurring between them.
Yet, he loved Sho - too much that it hurt.
Jun mumbled ‘I’m home’ to the empty apartment. He took care of the groceries and wrote an email to Sho about the wedding organizer. He didn’t know what kind of message he should send to Sho. It took longer than he expected and after half an hour, he finally typed.
from : Jun3008@gmail.com
to : Sho.Sakurai@yahoo.co.jp
subject : upcoming wedding
Dear Sho,
How are you?
I missed you already, this apartment seemed emptier without you, but don't worry, I can bear it with loud music and movies. How's your flight? Do you have a great time in Hawaii? You forgot your swimsuit, I bet you have to buy the new one;)
I went to the wedding organizer office this morning. The man in charge for our wedding named Ninomiya Kazunari, I think I'm gonna like him. We'll meet again on Tuesday evening to talk about the details, do you have anything you want me to tell him? Or maybe we can meet him together when you're home.
I met Ohno san as well, do you have a friend who's looking for a partner? I think we should introduce him to someone, he seems lonely (just my guess).
Tell me what you have in mind for our wedding. I'll be waiting for you to come home, safe flight.
Love
Jun
The email seemed okay; he clicked the send button and looked blankly at the laptop screen. He brushed his hair with his fingers and laughed at himself for thinking too deep only to send his own boyfriend a damn email.
Why did he fall in love with Sho? The man was good looking for sure, but that wasn’t the only reason why Jun loved him. Sho could make him chasing his wildest dream; Sho could make him restless; Sho could make him feel like a sparkling light.
He imagined Sho’s muscled body; Sho’s abs; Sho’s kiss; Sho’s touch when they made love. He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, smelling the remaining scent of Sho in the room. He felt like a dumb, but who cared? He leaned his head on the armrest of the sofa, it didn’t take a long time before he dozed off. He dreamt about Sho - and Ninomiya. Both of them appeared at the different scene, but they were at the same place. Jun tried to call their name, but none of them realized his presence.
When he woke up, it was almost five in the evening; Jun rose off of the sofa and headed the bathroom to take a quick shower. He tried to grasp his dream, but the details leaked as if he trying to hold the water on his fist. Jun reminded himself that he was over thought about everything, maybe the wedding blue syndrome was truly existing.
***
When Jun entered his shop, his employees welcomed him with bright smile as he entered; all of them seemed curious about his wedding plan. However, Jun didn’t want to talk about it, he hated the feeling of being exposed. He headed towards the kitchen and found Aiba who was busily baking the apple pie from Jun’s newest receipt.
“Morning, how was it?” Aiba asked straightly.
“I think I’ve found the right guy,” Jun replied while wearing the apron around his waist. “We’ll meet again on Tuesday and perhaps it would be nice if I bring him some present.”
“Can you ask him to date me?” Aiba asked innocently.
Jun gave his friend a questioning look and shook his head. He patted Aiba’s shoulder and whispered, “It depends on your own bravery…and maybe charm.”
Aiba grinned awkwardly and continued his work. Jun checked the finished apple pie and didn’t find something wrong with the taste. It was his original creation; he delivered the receipt to Aiba and asked the guy to try it.
He remembered the reason of creating this cake, it was for the Valentine day and he bitterly thought that Sho wouldn’t be here, just like the previous year, two previous years and a year before that.
He sighed deeply and looked sadly at the apple pie.
“Sho kun is such a cold person,” he mumbled.
“Eh? What did you say?”
“No, nothing,” Jun shook his head. He wished he could be like Ohno who was so straightforward about everything.
Jun had seen many couples who looked so happy when they got married and he had imagined that he would have the same thing with Sho. But, the reality didn’t offer something you like; his feeling about the wedding was still vague. There was time where he wished that he were someone else; there was time where he wished that he and Sho stayed like this forever - without stupid thing called marriage.
However, he knew that Sho was a person hard to keep; Jun didn’t know a thing about Sho’s past before they dated, but he felt that Sho’s soul was broken. The first time they made love; Sho didn’t even look into his eyes, as if his mind was somewhere else. Jun didn’t know how to love Sho in the right way and he thought that Sho would leave him as soon as he found something he’d been looking for. But Sho chose to stay with him; Sho always came home to him; Sho always kissed him in a way which melted him. With that, Jun convinced himself that Sho loved him as much as he did.
Was he pretending to be happy with Sho? Jun never really thought about it; the time he spent with Sho was lovely. Sho’s warm body was something he needed the most when he felt tired. How could he say that he was pretending?
Maybe he couldn’t have the weekly date like the ordinary couple had, maybe Sho wasn’t a type of a romantic person who would give him surprise on his birthday, but Jun had decided that he would live with the man. He tasted the pie once again and thought maybe he should bring some for Ninomiya on the day they would meet.
To be continued
a/n: Finally come back from my working trip for a while before going to another one. OMG I’m already sick of the food from hotels.
Tell me what do you think about this chapter? Maybe some of you hate me for doing it to Jun L. Thank you for the feedback in the previous chapters.
Have a good weekend everyone.
chapter 3 // chapter 5
Pairing : Sakumoto/Juntoshi/Sakumiya
Genre : Angst, romance, m-preg (not clearly mentioned)
Length : chaptered
Rating : pg
Disclaimer : I own nothing, only that I borrowed their names for the characters.
Summary : A semi long distance relationship was never a problem for Jun and Sho, they trusted each other and managed to live the same path. However, the sudden appearance of Ninomiya and Ohno had affected Jun’s decision.
Warning : Bad English, no beta
Jun walked along the sidewalk, making sure that he was on the right street. He would go to the wedding organizer, not mentioning that he and Sho hadn’t talked about further details. Sho said that he left everything to Jun; however, the wedding concept was something which supposed to be decided by both parties - Jun thought bitterly.
He stopped in front of the five-floored building number 17; the Mikatsuki Wedding Organizer was located at the third floor. As he disembarked the lift, he found an office on the left side of the corridor with ‘Mikatsuki’ kanji character printed on its door. He pushed the glass door and headed towards the reception desk; a young woman welcomed him with a broad smile on her lips.
"Good morning, Sir. How may I help you?" the girl asked.
“I want to meet Ninomiya san, I had made an appointment yesterday,” Jun said.
“What is your name, Sir?” the girl asked while searching on her computer.
“Matsumoto Jun.”
"Your appointment is at nine," the woman looked at him and smiled. “I’ll inform Ninomiya san, please wait a moment,” she said while gesturing to Jun to wait at the sofa on the right side of the reception desk. It was still fifteen minutes to nine, he came too early.
Jun sat down on the couch and looked around the office; the interior design was so good; there was an abstract painting on the wall across from him and an antique jar at the left corner. The soft blue sofa fit the blue paint of the wall; the arrangement of minimalist furniture gave a perfect nuance to the room.
"Would you like some coffee or tea?" the same woman asked him as she came back from Ninomiya’s office room.
"Coffee, please," Jun said.
“Please wait a moment,” she smiled again and disappeared to the back of the office.
Jun slid out his phone and checked his email; the last one was from Sho. He explained shortly about his next flight and told Jun not to work too hard. There was no ‘I miss you’ or ‘I love you’ - like always. He had gotten used to Sho’s insensitivity, but he hoped Sho would write those simple words on his email once in a while.
Jun opened another email from one of his customers who ordered extra cake for next week. He forwarded the message to Aiba and asked him to reply to the customer. Then he browsed randomly until he found the review about Ohno’s stage play. The actor’s photograph was attached at the ending part of the article; he was holding the sword like a real Samurai.
“Young talented actor, Ohno Satoshi, refused to act for a drama series”
The article was poorly written and it was more like a criticism towards the artist instead of the main topic that he refused to play a role in a drama. Jun skipped the page and searched for another article about the wedding. None of the party concept attracted him and he felt even more frustrated by looking at them. He closed the browser and glanced at his watch; it was already closed to nine am.
A few minutes later, the woman came back with a tray in her hands, she approached the table, put the cup in front of Jun and gestured to him to enjoy the coffee.
"Thanks," Jun said.
He sipped the coffee which was a little bit sweet for his liking; he spread his sight to his surrounding once again. He wondered what kind of people came here to discuss about their upcoming wedding; he wondered whether they also felt the same way as he did - stressed for nothing. He must have been looked stupid to come here all alone without a partner; he tried not to think about Sho at the moment, because it made him even more agony.
"Excuse me, Sir," the same woman approached him as he finished half of his coffee. "Ninomiya san is ready to meet you."
Jun put the cup down on the table and followed the woman’s step towards the door across from the waiting room. She knocked three times before holding the door knob.
"Come in," a man's voice was heard.
Jun entered the room as the woman opened it for him, he thanked her as she left and closed the door behind.
“Good morning, Matsumoto san,” the man behind the desk greeted him; he rose off of his seat and approached Jun. “I’m Ninomiya Kazunari, it’s very great to see you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” Jun offered a smile to the man and took a seat as the other gestured to him to sit down. They sat down face to face with the low table between them. The atmosphere in this room was also pleasant with soft fragrant which smelled like oil massage from the tropical islands.
Jun looked at the man before him; he was probably in the middle of his twenties, his short black hair was nicely combed, he had beautiful nose and pretty lips; two moles decorated his chin. In other words; he was a very good-looking-guy.
“I have received your email,” Ninomiya said, flashing a genuine smile at Jun. “You have a unique concept,” he added.
“I’m not sure about this,” Jun replied, “I need your help to modify it. By the way, it was my friend who recommended you, he said that you’re so good in arranging the wedding.”
"Your friend?"
"His name is Aiba," Jun said.
"Aiba kun? you know him?" Ninomiya beamed.
"Yes, we work together."
Ninomiya's eyes widened as Jun mentioned it, "You must be that famous pettisier, the one who created the cakes for the Mayor's daughter’s wedding?"
Jun nodded.
"I'm so happy to meet you," Ninomiya said, extending his hands to shake Jun's. "I'm honored if I can help you."
Jun didn’t know how to react to Ninomiya’s compliment; he never considered himself as famous. He did work hard for his shop, but he never chased any popularity.
"Thank you," was all he could say. “But I don’t think that I had made the details plan for the wedding."
"Don't worry," Ninomiya said. “I can handle it.”
"That's great," Jun said. “Can we take a glance at the plan? I need to ask a few things.”
“Sure,” Ninomiya nodded.
Jun slid out his tab from his hand bag and turned it on; he opened the file and showed to Ninomiya. He had just realized that he hadn’t made any design for the wedding invitation, maybe Ninomiya could also help him with that.
The man checked the concept and nodded a few times. He handed the tab back to Jun and rose off of the sofa and headed towards his working desk. He searched something inside his drawer which looked like a photo album.
“These are the photos of the wedding I had arranged,” Ninomiya said while handing Jun the album. Jun took it and flipped the pages; all of the photos looked great, some of them were taken abroad.
“One more thing, do you want me to design the wedding invitation as well?” the man asked.
“Oh, yes, I almost forget,” Jun said. He put down the album on the table, slid a pencil and a piece of paper out from his bag, then he wrote his and Sho’s name. He handed it to Ninomiya.
"Sho?" the man confirmed. His right hand pointed at the kanji character of Sho's name.
"Yes, Sakurai Sho, my boyfriend's name," Jun said.
Ninomiya nodded, his eyes fixed on the kanji character for a while as if making sure that Jun had written it in the right way. He looked at Jun and flashed a smile.
"I'll study your plan and will work on it, let's meet up on Tuesday evening, maybe we can have a dinner, what do you say?" Ninomiya asked.
"Sure, but is it okay for you? I mean it's out of the working hours."
"My special service," Ninomiya winked. "Can you come with your boyfriend?"
"I'm afraid I can't, he's still in Hawaii on Tuesday."
"Hawaii? Does he work there?"
"No, he's a pilot," Jun said.
"Oh," Ninomiya nodded understandingly. He made a note on his own notebook and put a post it on its page. "Can I have your phone number?" he asked.
"Sure," Jun searched for his name card inside his wallet and handed it to Ninomiya.
"Thanks," the man stuffed it inside his notebook. "I'll call you. Is it okay for me to decide where to meet?"
"I'll leave it to you," Jun said.
"Alright then. See you on Tuesday.”
“Thank you,” Jun said, standing up from the sofa, shaking Ninomiya’s hand again before leaving the office. Ninomiya walked him towards the exit and Jun had just realized that the man was way shorter than him; but the height suited his figure in some ways.
He couldn't erase the image of Ninomiya's face from his head. There was something about that man which brought an unexplainable feeling to him. But maybe Jun only over thought about it since he was so nervous about the wedding. There were two months left before April, he still had time to plan and worry about everything.
He walked towards the nearest supermarket and bought some groceries. He hadn't cooked something for these past two weeks. The preparation for the mayor's daughter's wedding had stolen his entire time. He felt guilty to Sho that he was all busy when Sho was home. He should have spared more time for the pilot.
He pushed the trolley towards the meat section and picked fresh beef, pork and chicken. He planned to make something for his employees; something to thank them for their hard work.
He turned towards the vegetable section, there were a few women picking some vegetable while comparing the price. Jun stopped his trolley and took a look at the vegetables before him. He was about to take a bunch of spinach when somebody called his name.
"Matsumoto san?"
He lifted his head and found Ohno. He carried a shopping basket in his hand which almost full of his purchasing. The man smiled broadly at him and approached him with light steps. Ohno's appearance was even more casual compared with the last time they met at Jun's shop. He wore a T-shirt below his simple designed jacket, a knee length pants and a pair of sneakers.
"Ohno san, it's a surprise to meet you here."
The actor shook his head, “Where did you expect to meet me? Did you finish?”
"I still need to buy some fresh vegetables and milk," Jun said, glancing at his almost full trolley.
"I'll accompany you," Ohno said without any hesitation.
"But, I think I still need quite sometimes, you must be in a hurry."
"Don't worry," Ohno said while shifting towards the vegetable section to help Jun picking them.
"Are you free today?" Jun asked.
"I have to practice after lunch," Ohno said. "Where do you plan to have lunch?"
Jun hesitated and shook his head, "I haven't decided."
"Let's eat ramen then," Ohno said lightly.
This man seemed never thought before act; Jun wondered whether he was really a shy boy when he was in high school. The way he talked to Jun was casual, as if they already knew each other very well. The assurance in his voice indicated that Jun would say yes to his invitation - somehow it intrigued Jun.
Jun looked at his watch to give himself more time to think.
"I guess..."
"Just for a couple of minutes if you're busy," Ohno said.
"No, I didn't mean that. I guess we can go," he stuttered as seeing Ohno's bright smile.
They finished their purchasing and walked outside to the bright light with their heavy plastic bags. The sign of spring could be seen already, even though the air was still freaking cold. Ohno led their steps towards the ramen restaurant which located around three blocks from the supermarket. Jun had never been here; the restaurant was a small one at the corner of the street. The place was nearly hidden by the ice cream shop next to it which color was too bright. Ohno entered the cramped door and a voice of an old woman welcomed them.
"Ah, Satoshi kun, you come again," her gaze moved to Jun, "and you drag a super handsome man with you," she smiled at Jun who replied nervously. "Take a seat, you two, I'll get your ramen."
"Thank you, Inohara san," Ohno said, gesturing to Jun to take a seat at the counter.
"She knows you very well," Jun commented.
"I come here too often," Ohno said, tapping his long fingers on the table. There were a few new scratches on his left fingers, but the wound on his thumb was still the hugest. "Are you interested in learning sword?" he asked Jun out of the blue.
"Er," Jun hesitated. "I don't know."
"You can join me in the studio."
Jun smiled weakly; he didn’t know how to face someone like Ohno who was too straightforward. The man smiled back at him, his eyes found their way to look at Jun straightly. Jun averted his gaze away; he shouldn’t have agreed to Ohno’s invitation at the first place to have lunch together.
They ate in silence. Jun complimented the ramen as he finished. The old woman showed him her sincere smile and wished him a good day.
"Please come again, Satoshi kun and take your handsome friend again."
"I will," Ohno said and bowed slightly.
They walked out of the restaurant side by side towards the nearest bus stop. Ohno glanced at his phone and murmured that he was late.
"Is it okay?"
"It's not okay, but don't worry, they can start without me. So, where is Sho kun?"
"Hawaii," Jun said. "He'll be home in a few days. I have just talked to a wedding organizer; I was kind of nervous."
"You'll get married for real?" Ohno asked as if he heard a news of shooting accident at his neighborhood.
"Yeah, Sho kun and I have been living together for a long time and we think that it’s time for us to get married."
"What a lucky bastard," Ohno mumbled while giving Jun a stiff grin.
"Do you have someone special?" Jun asked.
"Everybody is special for me."
"I mean, like Sho kun to me."
Ohno thought for a while and shook his head. "I haven't found the right person. I have dated a few times, but of course it ended whether because we didn’t fit or because they found my down side and left."
"I'm sorry,"
"It's not the thing you have to be sorry for."
"You'll find them," Jun said.
"Perhaps," Ohno nodded. "But, you know, there are a few people who already found their other half but they separated because of the twist of fate."
"Poor them," Jun said, wondering whether those people were truly exist; it must be too cruel for both of them to lose a special person just because the unfairness or the other factors which led them into separation.
"I hope to see you again," Ohno said as they arrived at the bus stop.
"Please come to my shop anytime you want," Jun replied and bowed to the man.
As they separated, Jun’s mind flew to Sho. He missed the man already; it had been a long time since they had lunch together. It felt like someone else’s life in the past which had no connection with them. Come to think of it; he and Sho never really had a real date. They went to cinemas, to libraries, to museums, to shopping mall, but none of them seemed fun enough. Jun felt a grip in his chest; he didn’t know what it was, but it always told him that the incorrect things kept on occurring between them.
Yet, he loved Sho - too much that it hurt.
Jun mumbled ‘I’m home’ to the empty apartment. He took care of the groceries and wrote an email to Sho about the wedding organizer. He didn’t know what kind of message he should send to Sho. It took longer than he expected and after half an hour, he finally typed.
from : Jun3008@gmail.com
to : Sho.Sakurai@yahoo.co.jp
subject : upcoming wedding
Dear Sho,
How are you?
I missed you already, this apartment seemed emptier without you, but don't worry, I can bear it with loud music and movies. How's your flight? Do you have a great time in Hawaii? You forgot your swimsuit, I bet you have to buy the new one;)
I went to the wedding organizer office this morning. The man in charge for our wedding named Ninomiya Kazunari, I think I'm gonna like him. We'll meet again on Tuesday evening to talk about the details, do you have anything you want me to tell him? Or maybe we can meet him together when you're home.
I met Ohno san as well, do you have a friend who's looking for a partner? I think we should introduce him to someone, he seems lonely (just my guess).
Tell me what you have in mind for our wedding. I'll be waiting for you to come home, safe flight.
Love
Jun
The email seemed okay; he clicked the send button and looked blankly at the laptop screen. He brushed his hair with his fingers and laughed at himself for thinking too deep only to send his own boyfriend a damn email.
Why did he fall in love with Sho? The man was good looking for sure, but that wasn’t the only reason why Jun loved him. Sho could make him chasing his wildest dream; Sho could make him restless; Sho could make him feel like a sparkling light.
He imagined Sho’s muscled body; Sho’s abs; Sho’s kiss; Sho’s touch when they made love. He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, smelling the remaining scent of Sho in the room. He felt like a dumb, but who cared? He leaned his head on the armrest of the sofa, it didn’t take a long time before he dozed off. He dreamt about Sho - and Ninomiya. Both of them appeared at the different scene, but they were at the same place. Jun tried to call their name, but none of them realized his presence.
When he woke up, it was almost five in the evening; Jun rose off of the sofa and headed the bathroom to take a quick shower. He tried to grasp his dream, but the details leaked as if he trying to hold the water on his fist. Jun reminded himself that he was over thought about everything, maybe the wedding blue syndrome was truly existing.
***
When Jun entered his shop, his employees welcomed him with bright smile as he entered; all of them seemed curious about his wedding plan. However, Jun didn’t want to talk about it, he hated the feeling of being exposed. He headed towards the kitchen and found Aiba who was busily baking the apple pie from Jun’s newest receipt.
“Morning, how was it?” Aiba asked straightly.
“I think I’ve found the right guy,” Jun replied while wearing the apron around his waist. “We’ll meet again on Tuesday and perhaps it would be nice if I bring him some present.”
“Can you ask him to date me?” Aiba asked innocently.
Jun gave his friend a questioning look and shook his head. He patted Aiba’s shoulder and whispered, “It depends on your own bravery…and maybe charm.”
Aiba grinned awkwardly and continued his work. Jun checked the finished apple pie and didn’t find something wrong with the taste. It was his original creation; he delivered the receipt to Aiba and asked the guy to try it.
He remembered the reason of creating this cake, it was for the Valentine day and he bitterly thought that Sho wouldn’t be here, just like the previous year, two previous years and a year before that.
He sighed deeply and looked sadly at the apple pie.
“Sho kun is such a cold person,” he mumbled.
“Eh? What did you say?”
“No, nothing,” Jun shook his head. He wished he could be like Ohno who was so straightforward about everything.
Jun had seen many couples who looked so happy when they got married and he had imagined that he would have the same thing with Sho. But, the reality didn’t offer something you like; his feeling about the wedding was still vague. There was time where he wished that he were someone else; there was time where he wished that he and Sho stayed like this forever - without stupid thing called marriage.
However, he knew that Sho was a person hard to keep; Jun didn’t know a thing about Sho’s past before they dated, but he felt that Sho’s soul was broken. The first time they made love; Sho didn’t even look into his eyes, as if his mind was somewhere else. Jun didn’t know how to love Sho in the right way and he thought that Sho would leave him as soon as he found something he’d been looking for. But Sho chose to stay with him; Sho always came home to him; Sho always kissed him in a way which melted him. With that, Jun convinced himself that Sho loved him as much as he did.
Was he pretending to be happy with Sho? Jun never really thought about it; the time he spent with Sho was lovely. Sho’s warm body was something he needed the most when he felt tired. How could he say that he was pretending?
Maybe he couldn’t have the weekly date like the ordinary couple had, maybe Sho wasn’t a type of a romantic person who would give him surprise on his birthday, but Jun had decided that he would live with the man. He tasted the pie once again and thought maybe he should bring some for Ninomiya on the day they would meet.
To be continued
a/n: Finally come back from my working trip for a while before going to another one. OMG I’m already sick of the food from hotels.
Tell me what do you think about this chapter? Maybe some of you hate me for doing it to Jun L. Thank you for the feedback in the previous chapters.
Have a good weekend everyone.
chapter 3 // chapter 5