Fake - Part 4
“What do you want, Imada?” Nino yelled, eyeing the knife in her hand. “Put the knife away.”
“I want to know the truth.” Imada pointed the knife towards Nino before she shortened the distance between them. “Are you really dating Satoshi?”
Nino chose to stay silent. She wasn’t in her right mind. Anything that he said would only make her furious.
“I know both of you are lying.” She yelled at him in frustration. “It’s a lie. You’re just pretending to be his boyfriend. I have never seen you with him before this. But, suddenly, you appear and claim to be his boyfriend. No! You must be lying.”
“Please calm…” She lunged towards him with her knife. Thankfully, Nino was faster than her and successfully dodged her. She lost her balance and stumbled forward, accidentally letting go of the knife. Nino took the chance to throw the knife far from them.
Imada looked at him with an unreadable expression. Both of them stared at each other. Imada was the first to break the stare. She covered her face and then he heard her sobbing. Nino scratched his head, not sure what to do. He approached her and sat next to her.
“I’m sorry.” He told her. The way she cried made him feel guilty for lying. Yes, she might have been wrong for what she did to Ohno, but it was still wrong for him to lie about their status.
“You don’t have to apologize. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t do that to Ohno san.” She said, finally calm down after crying for a long time. “I never get rejected before. So, it’s hard for me to accept that he doesn’t love me.”
“You cannot force someone to love you, Imada san.”
“I know but it still hurts to be rejected,” Imada responded. “Tell me the truth. Is he really your boyfriend?”
Nino stayed silent for a while, debating on what he should answer. But, his silence gave away the answer Imada was looking for as she continued. “So, you’re lying. I thought so.” She didn’t seem to be angry, though. Instead of scolding him for lying, she only laughed at him.
“He wasn’t my boyfriend yet at that time. But, today, we sort of declare our feelings for each other.”
Imada looked thoughtful for a while before she smiled at him. As he looked at her carefully, he realized how beautiful she is. He had too many weaknesses and yet, Ohno chose him. He felt insecure, thinking that Ohno might regret choosing him over Imada.
“Both of you look good together.” She remarked before standing up. Nino followed suit. "Please take good care of him and don't worry, I will not bother you anymore. Can we be friends?"
"Sure," Nino answered sincerely. A few minutes of talking with Imada made him think that maybe Imada wasn't as bad as he thought. "A quick question, though. How do you put the letter in my mailbox?"
He was suddenly reminded by the threatening letter he received on Saturday. After what happened today, he concluded that the letter wasn't a prank. Imada must have put it in his mailbox. But, how? He knew there were a few possibilities but he believed that the guard wouldn't let her enter the building without the access card.
Imada, on the other hand, looked at him in confusion, as if he had horns on his head.
"You put the letter in my mailbox, right?" He continued when Imada didn't answer him.
"I don't know where your house is and I don't send any letters to you." She clarified. "Why? Did someone threaten you?"
Nino shook his head. He tried to hide his surprise. It wasn’t Imada, so, who sent him the letter? "It's just a prank, maybe." He tried to ease his own worry.
She looked at him worriedly.
"You shouldn't take this matter lightly."
"Don't worry. I'll be okay." He quickly dismissed her. Unlike his friends, she didn't argue. She only stared at him for a few minutes before shrugging her shoulder.
It felt weird to ring the bell for his own house. But, he had to do so because his keys are with Ohno. The guards let him enter the building, though, because they recognized him.
"Nino!" Ohno greeted him with a big smile before leaning forward to hug him. "Why are you late? I'm very worried, you know!"
"At least let me enter the house first, Ohchan." Nino playfully pushed Ohno. His newly acquired boyfriend pouted before he opened the door widely to let Nino enter his own house. Nino found the situation to be funny and he laughed because of that.
"Why are you laughing?" Ohno tilted his head cutely after he locked the door.
"Nothing." Nino shook his head. "It feels like you're the owner of the house and I'm the guest."
Ohno laughed together with him before he said something that surprised Nino.
"Mama said it's time for me to move out of the house. Do you need a roommate? I think this house is too big for one person."
"If you're willing to share the loan, then it's fine with me."
"Is it expensive?"
Nino only responded with a laugh. Ohno must be fooling around, as usual. There's no way Mrs Ohno will ask her beloved son to move out of the house. She's very doting on him, she wouldn't let Ohno out of her sight for a long time. However, he ceased laughing when he realized Ohno was staring at him as if he expected Nino to answer.
"Wait… Are you serious?" Nino asked. "Mama wants you to move out of your house?"
"No." Ohno shook his head. Nino sighed in relief. So, Ohno was just joking. "But, I want to move out."
Nino narrowed his eyes as he stared at Ohno, trying to decide whether he was making a joke again. He seemed serious, which was a surprise for Nino. He didn't expect Ohno to leave his house. He is a mama's boy, even though he's almost thirty years old. Or… did he want to do this because of Nino?
"It has nothing to do with you," Ohno informed him as if he could read his mind. "Well, maybe it's partially because of you."
"What do you mean?" Nino asked even though he already had a guess. But, he wanted to hear it from Ohno.
"Privacy. I want to be alone with you so that nobody will bother us." Ohno gave him a teasing look, which caused Nino's imagination to run wild. "Besides, I'm too old to stay with my parents. It's time for me to be independent."
"Have you told them about it?"
Ohno nodded his head. "I also told them we're dating."
If Nino was drinking water right now, he would definitely spit it out. He didn't expect Ohno would inform his parents about them this early. Ahh, how did they react? He was worried that they would hate him because of it. It's true they care about him but his worry is understandable, right? They might think he's not suitable for Ohno. He couldn't even give them grandchildren.
“Relax,” Ohno said quickly, once again proving himself to be a mind reader. “They were happy when I told them about it. Did you forget? You’re their best son-in-law.”
Nino only gave him a small smile in return. It didn’t convince him because it was a self-proclaimed title.
“Let’s eat first and I will tell you everything,” Ohno said, pulling him to the dining table. He didn’t realize how starving he was until he saw two plates of hamburger steak on the table. Ohno noticed the hungry look he had and chuckled before pushing him to sit.
“Did you make this?” He asked. He didn’t know Ohno could cook. The steak looked exactly like the one Mrs Ohno made for him. So, maybe Ohno had asked his mother to do so for him.
“Hey, that’s an insult.” Ohno pouted as he handed a glass of water to Nino. But, it seemed like he was trying to stifle his laugh so Nino knew he was just pretending to be offended. “I learn from Mama.”
“Really?” He teased Ohno.
“Yes.” Ohno pouted once again. “You can ask Mama if you don’t believe me.”
"Okay, I believe you. Is it edible?"
"Hey!" Ohno looked at him with dissatisfaction. He only laughed in return before he took the first bite. He opened his eyes widely, surprised with how well made the steak was.
"Is this the first time you make it?" He asked. Ohno shook his head.
"If you want to know, I failed when I made it before. This is the first time I made it perfectly. Maybe because I made it for my boyfriend."
He lowered his face, not letting Ohno see him. He was pretty sure his face was red now and if Ohno saw him blushing, he would definitely tease him.
"Sappy. I didn't say it's delicious." Nino mumbled. "So your parents are okay with us?"
"Yes. They know I've loved you and they support me. They're just a little angry because this should have happened a long time ago." Ohno told him. "They invite you for dinner this Saturday."
"Hmmm… okay." Nino nodded his head. He didn't know how to respond actually. He still had a hard time believing everything went smoothly. Ohno confessed his love for him. Imada had given up on Ohno. Ohno's parents were okay with them being together. It felt surreal. How should he describe the feeling? Hmm… it's like every good thing that happened in his life now was to compensate for something terrible that will happen later.
They continued to eat in silence. He was grateful that Ohno didn't ask him anything else. Sometimes it was hard to read Ohno's expression because he always looks sleepy. But, he could see that Ohno was restraining himself from asking what was bothering him. For that, he was thankful.
Nino volunteered to do the dishes. Ohno had already prepared their dinner so it's only fair for him to do the dishes. However, Ohno disagreed with him and asked him to take a rest because Nino had been busy with work today. Well, he decided to follow Ohno's suggestion and headed to the living room.
After he finished with the dishes, Ohno took a seat next to him on the couch. He took Nino's hand in his and squeezed it.
"What's wrong, Nino?" Ohno tilted his head as he looked at him with concern. Just like in his dream, Ohno lightly stroked his hand to comfort him. It didn't help, though. He was still insecure and he didn’t even know why.
As he didn't say anything, Ohno slowly lifted Nino's face to look at him before he said with a soft voice. “Something is bothering you, right?” Nino only shook his head. However, Ohno didn’t buy it. “Are you afraid of something?”
“Hmmm…" He had been fighting the urge to talk with Ohno about his insecurity. However, the moment Ohno looked at him with understanding in his eyes, he lost control. "This feels like a dream. I’m afraid that when I wake up the next morning, all of this will disappear. You and I are just friends and not a couple like we are now.” He told Ohno about how insecure he was. It was even more embarrassing when he started to tell Ohno about the dream he had before. He thought Ohno will make fun of him because of the stupid dream but Ohno simply listened attentively to him. He pulled Nino closer to him. Nino put his head on Ohno’s chest as Ohno caressed him soothingly, making it easier for him to express his doubt.
“I’m afraid that one day you will realize Imada san is a better choice than me. Perhaps you will leave me just like in my dream.” He didn’t realize he was whining. He lifted his face to look at Ohno, who quickly shook his head, denying what Nino had said. “Are you sure you love me?”
He ended up asking the question that he had been dreading to ask. And now, he was afraid to hear the response. What if Ohno said he wasn’t sure? What should he do?
“Silly Kazu,” Ohno said, pinching his nose playfully before kissing the tip. “Of course, I love you!”
“Why?”
“Hmmm….” Ohno didn’t answer him straight away. Instead, he looked at Nino thoughtfully. He seemed to be taking his time to answer and for Nino, every second that passed was torturing him. “Can I ask you the same question, then?”
Eh? He didn’t expect the response. What did Ohno mean by that? He looked at Ohno with a frown which made Ohno leaned forward and put a kiss on his lips.
“Do you love me?” Ohno asked. Nino nodded his head. Ohno gave him a smile. “Why?”
Nino tilted his head, thinking of how to answer the question. To be honest, he didn’t know what to answer. He was afraid his answer would be inadequate and Ohno would realize it was not worth it to be with him.
"Just tell me, okay?"
He didn't know what superpower Ohno had but he made it easier for Nino to be comfortable with him. That was one of the reasons he loves Ohno.
"I love having you around. Even though you don’t really talk, your presence comforts me. " He looked at Ohno's expression, checking to see if Ohno thought of him as a sappy person. Ohno only smiled softly at him, gesturing for him to go on. “When I saw you with Imada san, it was… painful to watch. I’m not sure what it was at that time but now I know. It was jealousy." He laughed a little, not knowing why. “I was relieved to know there’s nothing between the two of you. When I knew what she had been doing to you, I was angry because she dared to claim you as hers. That’s what prompted me to declare you as my boyfriend. I cannot stand the thought of someone else as your lover.”
Once he started to talk, he found it easier to continue. But the next part was harder to explain.
“I started to think about my feelings for you after our first kiss. For the first time since we met, I was… hmm… afraid to be alone with you. But, I don’t know why. Jun said everything that I do was because I’m in love with you. I was in denial so I ignored him. But… I think I had the dream because my subconscious was… hmmm... trying to tell me that... I cannot live without you… and… Jun was right… hmmm…. I love you.” He mumbled the last part.
Okay, what did he just say? He quickly covered his face after he said that. It’s too embarrassing. He always made fun of his friends for being sappy and now he’s acting like one with Ohno. Ah, it’s too embarrassing!
“You’re so cute,” Ohno said. He could hear his boyfriend laughing before he took Nino’s hands away from his face. Nino didn’t try to stop him. They stared at each other and before he could blink, Ohno leaned forward and kissed him. He didn’t want to think of anything at all and just focused on kissing Ohno.
“I love you too,” Ohno confessed as he slowly let go of Nino. “Since we met, I can’t see myself being with anyone else other than you. I don’t know how to describe the feeling It’s like… we complement each other. But, I’m too shy to confess. I mean… look at me… I’m almost thirty years old but I still live with my parents.” Nino laughed softly at this. This was another reason why he loves Ohno. He found it endearing how devoted Ohno was towards his parents. “I was surprised you want to befriend someone as weird as me. So, I couldn’t even imagine you could love me back.” Nino smiled as he looked at Ohno who seemed to be daydreaming as he talked. “Hey, do you want to know something?”
He gave Ohno a questioning look. As he tried to read Ohno's expression, there's something mischievous in Ohno's eyes. But, there's also something else. Guilt? Hmm… why would Ohno feel guilty?
"Remember our kiss in the car?" Ohno asked slowly. Nino nodded his head. At the same time, an idea started to form in his mind. He knew why Ohno felt guilty.
"Did you trick me?" Nino quickly asked, pretending to be angry. Ohno gave him a sheepish smile before he continued.
"Not really… I saw someone but it wasn't Imada. It was your colleague. I don't know her name. At that moment, I just thought that maybe you will change your mind about our fake dating situation. So, it's better to take advantage of it and kiss you."
"A simple kiss will be enough then. Why do you have to french kiss me?" Nino narrowed his eyes.
"You respond so I should just enjoy the moment," Ohno answered with a teasing smile. "I don't regret it at all."
Nino playfully pushed him. "Go and get me a glass of water. I'm thirsty."
"Okay." Ohno gave him a kiss at the corner of his mouth before he stood up and went to the kitchen. Nino shook his head as he watched Ohno. Wow, he’s really dating his best friend. True, he was still worried about everything but he decided to just enjoy the moment with Ohno. He believes everything will be okay if both of them worked together to make this relationship work.
“Here you go.” Ohno handed him a glass of water as he requested. “Kazu, was there an accident on your way home?”
Nino shook his head.
“Then, why are you late? It took you an hour to get home after you texted me. Our office is only twenty minutes away.”
Oh. Should he tell Ohno the truth? He didn’t want Ohno to be worried but their relationship has just started. So, he shouldn’t lie, right?
“I was with Imada san.” He told Ohno, whose eyes widened upon hearing it. But, he quickly continued before Ohno could say anything. “Listen first, okay. Nothing serious happens.”
With a sigh, he told Ohno what happened after he sent the text message to Ohno. He began by telling Ohno that Imada had followed him to the car park and was ready to attack him with a knife. Ohno was enraged when he heard that. To be honest, he never saw Ohno that furious before.
“You have nothing to worry about. See, I’m fine. We talked and she was… I think she already accepted that you don’t love her.”
“You believe her?” Ohno asked, clearly didn’t convinced by what Nino had told him.
“She looks sincere,” Nino answered. “I think she will not bother us anymore.”
Ohno only sighed in return. He stayed quiet for a while and avoided looking at Nino. Ah, what should he do? Was lying about what happened earlier better for both of them? But, he didn’t want to lie to Ohno.
“So, she knows we were lying,” Ohno said.
Nino nodded his head. “But, she also knows that we’re in a relationship now.”
“I think we still need to be careful.” Ohno continued. “I don’t know. I don’t think she can be trusted. It’s just my instinct.”
“Okay, we will be careful. Don’t worry, okay?” Nino reassured his boyfriend. He contemplated whether he should tell Ohno that it wasn’t Imada who sent the threatening letter. But, maybe he shouldn’t. He didn’t want to make Ohno even more worried about him. Besides, he still thought of the letter as a prank.
A month had passed since the day they confessed about their feelings. Ohno hadn’t officially moved out from his parents’ house despite staying most of the nights in Nino’s house. His reason? He was too lazy to pack his stuff.
Things were pretty much normal for them. As promised, Imada didn’t bother them. Nino almost forgot about the threatening letter until one day, he received a text message from an unknown number.
You didn’t follow my advice.
Don’t blame me if something happens.
Hint: You will receive a present today.
And not long after he got the text, he received the news that Ohno was involved in an accident. There was another text message from the same number after that.
Do you like my present?
Next
A/N: Sorry for making the confrontation between Nino and Imada to be too short. I have my own reason to have Imada change her mind. But, do you think she had accepted that Ohno didn't love her?
I hope I didn't make the story too draggy. Just a quick question, though. Who do you think threaten Nino? Is it Imada and she just pretend to be clueless when Nino asks about the letter? Or, is it Nana? Or someone else entirely? Let me know what you think.
Thank you so much for the warm comments! I really appreciate it :)