Message from You - Part 1
Title: Message from You
Pairing: OhMiya
Summary: Ohno always exchange messages with someone special but he never met the person
Do you know that next Saturday is a special day for me?
Ohno Satoshi pressed send after he composed the message. Then, he waited for the reply. A reply from someone special.
It’s your birthday. Do you have any requests?
The reply came almost immediately. Ohno stared at the message. Just like he expected, the person remembered his birthday. With a smile on his face, he typed his reply.
Yes. Will you fulfil it?
One minute passed before he received a reply.
Sure. What is it?
Ohno paused himself before he typed his reply. He knew what he wanted as his birthday gift this year. But, he was still contemplating whether he should ask. He was afraid of the reaction he would receive from his special person. But, no matter what, he wanted that person to fulfil his wish. This would be his only chance.
I want to meet you.
He waited and waited. But, the reply never came.
“Papa, I don’t want to go there. Please let me stay here with Jun.” 10 years old Ohno cried, refusing to move when his father pulled him. His father shook his head, telling him not to be spoilt. Ohno had to follow his parents to their new house because of his father's promotion. Ohno hated it. He didn’t want to be separated from his best friend, Matsumoto Jun.
“No, Satoshi. We have to go. Who’s going to take care of you if you stay here?” His mother tried to console him. But, he still shook his head.
“I can take care of myself.” Ohno said, still sobbing. His mother only smiled at him in return.
“My dear, I know you can take care of yourself.” His mother began. Ohno pouted in return. No matter what, he wanted to stay. “But, you’re only ten years old. There are things you cannot do by yourself. You will need adults’ help. Do you want to trouble Uncle Matsumoto?"
Ohno shook his head. He didn’t want to be a burden for his neighbour.
"But I cannot see Jun anymore if I move." He whined.
"It's okay. We can call him everyday." His mother said. After thinking for a while, Ohno nodded his head. His parents smiled in relief before they brought him outside where the cab was already waiting for them.
"Ohchan!" He turned around when someone called him. It wasn't Jun. It was Ninomiya Kazunari, Jun's cousin. His parents died in an accident so Jun’s parents took care of him. Ohno hadn’t seen him for a while, not since he warned the boy not to bother him and Jun anymore. Ignoring Nino, Ohno eyed the surroundings, looking for Jun. But, no. His friend was not here.
"Where is Jun?" He asked Nino.
"Sorry, Jun is still sulking. He is mad because you want to leave him."
"I'm not leaving him." Ohno said angrily. He was furious at Nino for accusing him of leaving. "I will come back."
He was ready to enter the cab when someone called him again. It was Jun. His friend came running towards him. Smiling widely, Ohno did the same and they met in the middle.
"I'm sorry for being mad. Please don't go, Ohchan." Jun cried just like him.
"I will come back." He told Jun. Then, he gave Jun a piece of paper. His mother's phone number was written there.
"Call me." He told Jun. Then, with a heavy step, he entered the cab. He waved at Jun as the cab brought him away.
"Satoshi, why are you staring at your food?" His friend, Sakurai Sho, waved his hand right in front of Ohno's face. Ohno blinked as he tried to remember where he was. Oh, yes, he was having his lunch with Sho. He ignored his friend and looked at his phone first. His special person hadn't replied his message since yesterday. It wasn't something that he should be bothered about. Sometimes his special person took time to text him back. But, right now, all he could think about was the person was trying to avoid him because of his request.
"Are you okay? You seem distracted." Sho asked. Ohno nodded his head in return.
"Ne…" Sho began to fidget in his seat as Ohno took the first bite of his lunch. "Can I ask you a personal question?"
"Sure."
"When are you going to introduce me to your boyfriend?"
Ohno choked on his food when he heard that. Sho handed him a glass of water as he thought of how to respond. He didn't have a boyfriend. Yes, he had a special someone but that person wasn't his boyfriend. Not yet.
"I don't have a boyfriend."
"Yeah, right." Sho narrowed his eyes at him in suspicion. "I've known you for three years. You keep texting someone whenever you're free and will always have a smile on your face when you read his message."
Ohno could feel his face turned red. He didn't know how to react so he only pouted in return.
"So, who is he?" Sho asked once again. It's obvious he wouldn't drop the subject until he got his answer.
"How do you know the person is a he and not a she?"
"Just a guess. So, will you answer my question?"
Ohno glared at Sho but complied nevertheless.
"His name is Matsumoto Jun and he was my neighbour." Ohno started. "When I was ten, I moved to another town. At first, we talked everyday by phone. But, it became less frequent as we grew older. And then we stopped talking."
Ohno stopped for a while to drink his water. Then he continued.
"After graduation, I accidentally found his facebook. I looked at his pictures and when I was certain it was really him, I added him as a friend. Then, I braced myself to send him a message."
"So, it's really him." Sho asked for confirmation and Ohno nodded his head.
"We started talking through facebook before he gave me his number. Since then we've been constantly texting each other. But, we're not dating. I haven't met him yet."
"Why?" Sho asked. He frowned his eyebrows.
That was a hard question to answer. It's true he hadn't met Jun yet even though they had been exchanging messages for 3 years. Each time he asked to meet Jun, the other guy would come up with a reason to avoid the meeting. He didn't know why Jun didn't want to meet him. It' s not only that. Jun also refused to answer his call. That's why he decided to use his birthday to have a chance to meet Jun.
"I don't know." He answered simply. "Are you satisfied now?"
Sho only grinned at him in return before both continued eating. As he ate, he kept thinking of whether he should text Jun. With a sigh, he took his phone and typed a message for Jun.
Hey, what are you doing right now?
Just a simple message. He wanted to see if Jun will respond this time. He waited for 5 minutes before his phone buzzed. He eagerly took the phone to see a message from Jun.
Working. How about you?
Ohno was about to reply but he paused when he saw Jun was typing another message. He wanted to see Jun’s response first.
Sorry I didn’t reply yesterday.
My boss suddenly called me for a meeting.
Jun was still typing but Ohno quickly typed another message before he pressed send.
Can we meet on my birthday?
He patiently waited for the reply. Silently, he prayed that Jun will agree with his request this time.
Sorry. I have to go to Osaka on that day.
He let out a sigh, feeling disappointed that Jun still refused to meet him. Why?
“Is everything okay?” Sho asked.
“I ask to meet him on my birthday. But, he refused to meet me. I don’t want to accuse him but I think he is avoiding me.” He ended up voicing out his complaint to Sho.
“Maybe he’s really busy.” Sho said. “Anyway, don’t forget our dinner today.”
Ah, that. He just remembered that he had promised to meet Sho’s boyfriend today.
“I don’t want to be the third wheel.”
“It’s okay. Masaki’s friend will be there too.”
“You’re not trying to set me up with his friend, are you?” Ohno narrowed his eyes at Sho in suspicion. His friend had a weird sense of humor. Sometimes, he will do something unexpected. However, Sho only laughed at him.
“Don’t worry, my friend.” Sho said. “I know you will not be interested. You’re in love with Jun.”
Ohno glared at Sho. He hated to admit it. However, Sho was right. Even though he hadn’t met Jun yet, he’s in love with the guy. Was it weird to fall in love with Jun just because of the messages he received from the other guy?
Call this number.
Ohno stared at the message for a while. Jun had left a phone number for him after they exchanged messages on facebook for a week. Should he call the number? He kept contemplating about it since he received the message a week ago.
“Well, here goes nothing.” Ohno said to himself as he plucked up the courage to call the number. He waited for a while but no one answered the call. So, he ended it. Jun must be busy, he thought to himself. Maybe it’s better to send a message to let Jun know it’s his number.
Hi, it’s me, Ohchan. I tried to call you earlier but you didn’t pick up.
There. He sent the message. He hoped Jun will reply the message as soon as possible. Then, Ohno put his phone in his pocket and busied himself with his work. He forgot about the message. He only remembered about it at the end of his office hours. When he checked his phone, there was a message from Jun.
Ohchan who?
That was what Jun sent to him. He didn’t find anything to be weird with the reply. Maybe Jun forgot that he had given his number to Ohno.
Ah, sorry to bother you, Jun.
It’s me, Ohno Satoshi.
We talked in fb before. Then you give me your number and ask me to call you.
There was no reply. Ohno waited patiently but Jun didn’t reply to his message. It seemed like he had read the messages so he wondered why Jun kept quiet. Was he angry at Ohno for sending him messages? But, he’s the one who gave the number to Ohno. Why would he be angry at Ohno then? Hmmm, maybe he was busy. Ohno tried to console himself.
Jun finally replied the message two weeks after that. Ohno was surprised to see Jun’s message. He thought Jun had already forgotten him.
Sorry, Ohchan. I was busy with work. How are you?
Ohno quickly typed his reply.
It’s okay.
I'm fine. Just get home from a fishing trip.
Starting that day, they will constantly send each other messages. They didn’t do it everyday but it’s quite frequently. His day will feel incomplete if he didn’t get any messages from Jun. it’s weird, though. Even though they were only exchanging messages, he felt like Jun was someone who knew him very well.
Sho brought him to a yakiniku restaurant for dinner that night. When they arrived, there was a guy waiting for them in the room. He stood up when they entered. Ohno stared at the guy who was about the same height as him. His skin was too fair with no hint of flaw. He had a cute button nose and thin lips with a mole on the chin. His eyes were a beautiful shade of brown. Even though it was just for a split second, the guy flinched upon seeing him, as if he recognized Ohno. It’s weird, though, because Ohno felt the same. He didn’t think he had met the guy before but there was something familiar about him.
“Ninomiya san!” Sho was the first to greet the other guy. Based on the way he greeted the person, Ohno didn’t think this was Sho’s boyfriend. Well, he didn’t seem to be Sho’s type as well. “I’m happy to finally meet you. Masaki always talk about you.”
“Just call me Nino.” Nino said with a soft smile. “Aiba chan talks a lot about you too. I’m surprised to know he’s dating someone who is completely opposite of him.”
“Are you badmouthing me, Nino chan?” A cheerful voice said from behind. The three of them turned around to see a tall guy approaching them. He smiled brightly at them before he hugged Sho and then kissed him on the lips.
“Euwww…. Get a room, please!” Nino said, pretending to be annoyed. Aiba stuck his tongue out at Nino. Ohno, on the other hand, only tilted his head, staring at Nino. Who was this person? Why did he look familiar?
“Satoshi…” Sho called him. He only responded with a soft ‘un’ but his attention was still on Nino, thinking where he might see him before. Ah, he smacked his own head. He saw a picture of Nino in Jun’s facebook.
“Ah, you’re Jun’s friend. I saw your picture in his facebook.” Ohno said excitedly, happy that he finally remembered where he had seen Nino before. Perhaps he had imagined it but Nino seemed to be hurt with what he said for a second before he flashed him a smile.
"Jun kun is my cousin." Nino clarified. Ohno's eyes widened. No wonder Nino looked familiar. He was Jun's cousin who always wanted to join them playing when they were kids. But, Ohno usually ignored him. He didn't really like Nino because he was too clingy. "Ah, now I remember you. You're Ohchan. Jun's friend."
"Yes, that's me." Ohno said. Both of them looked at each other awkwardly. Thankfully, Sho was there to save the day. He suggested them to sit and order the food. They can continue talking as they eat.
Ohno didn't really talk. He spent the dinner listening to what the others were saying. But, he noticed something. Nino seemed cheerful as he teased Aiba. But, something was off about him. Whenever he smiled, it didn't seem to reach his eyes. It's weird, Ohno thought to himself. Why did he feel he wanted to make Nino smile genuinely instead of pretending to be happy? Why did he have a desire to protect Nino? He barely knew him.
“Satoshi…” Ohno reluctantly diverted his attention from Nino when Sho called him. Sho looked at him as if he expected him to say something. But, Ohno could only frown at him. He didn’t hear Sho or anyone asked him anything.
“Yes?” He asked.
“You’re miles away, Satoshi.” Sho told him. “Masaki suggested something to do for your birthday.”
“What is it?”
“Sho told me your birthday is next Saturday. Let’s go hiking, Ohchan.” Aiba said excitedly. Even though it was their first meeting, Aiba had been friendly to him, unlike Nino who seemed reserved.
“Sure.” Ohno quickly agreed.
“Yeah!” Aiba screamed loudly. Then, he took his phone and dialled a number. Everyone looked at him suspiciously. However, Aiba ignored them.
“Hello, Matsujun!” Aiba talked loudly to the person at the other end of the line. He put the phone on speaker. Nino, who was next to Aiba, gasped loudly. His reaction made Ohno thinking whether the person Aiba had called was actually Jun, the person he had wanted to meet.
“You’re too loud, Aiba chan. What do you want?” Jun asked. It’s the first time Ohno had heard Jun’s voice. His voice was just like what he had imagined, based on what he remembered about Jun.
“Let’s go hiking next week.” Aiba told Jun. The question piqued Ohno’s interest. He dreaded to know Jun’s answer. Jun didn’t know he will also be there for the hiking. If Jun agreed with Aiba, he will know that Jun had been lying to him and was indeed trying to avoid him.
“When?”
“Next Saturday, Nov 26th.”
“Ah…” Jun said. Ohno focused his attention to hear what Jun will say. “I’m not here. I will be in Osaka.”
Ohno was relieved when he heard the answer. So, Jun didn’t lie to him. He’s going to Osaka. He didn’t try to avoid Ohno.
“Bring Nino with you.” Jun continued. Ohno laughed softly as he looked at the way Nino pouted. “He’s free. If he says he’s busy, it’s just him playing with the games. Take him out. He needs to be under the sun.”
“Shut up, J!” Nino interrupted. Jun laughed loudly.
“Oh, you’re there, Nino. You hear me. You’re going with Aiba next weekend.”
“No, I will not go!”
“You will go or I will not buy…”
“But, you promise that you will buy it for me.”
“My dear Nino. Don’t you remember? I said I will buy the game for you if you go out.”
Nino pouted before he said. “Fine, I’ll go.”
Ohno watched the whole scene with a smile. Truthfully, the only thing he remembered about Nino was him being clingy. But, seeing the interaction between Nino and Jun, he remembered how close the two of them were. It made him love Jun even more as he remembered how doting Jun was towards Nino when they're small.
I met your cousin today. I was there when you forced him to go hiking.
Ohno sent a message to Jun when he arrived home. The reply came shortly after that.
Nino? Oh, he told me about it.
Ohno took a few minutes trying to think of what he wanted to tell Jun.
Both of you are so cute.
There was no reply after that, not even any indications that Jun was typing something. All he could see was Jun already read the message. He only let out a sigh, deciding to take a shower first before he slept.
After he showered, he checked his phone, hoping that Jun had replied his message. He did and Ohno couldn’t describe how happy he was.
Do you remember Nino?
Huh? He was a little taken aback by the response. But, somehow, it made sense for Jun to ask about Nino because of what happened earlier.
To be honest, I don’t remember him until he told me he is your cousin. I only know he looks familiar because I saw his picture in your fb.
Jun read the message and then it was shown he was typing his response. Ohno waited patiently for that.
Oh.
Ohchan, I’m really sleepy right now. Good night.
Ohno stared at the message. Even though it was a simple and normal message, he could feel something was wrong with it. Was he overthinking?
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