It's Kazunari, not Kazuya - Part 9
“Two iced chocolate, please,” Nino informed the cashier.
The person behind the counter responded with the amount he had to pay for the drinks. He handed the money and then took the drinks that were put on the counter for him, amazed at how quick the worker was. Then, he turned around and walked towards a table where Ohno was waving at him. He put the drink on the table and then sat in front of Ohno, smiling.
“So, what do you want to do today?” Asked Ohno as he took the first sip of the drink and then put it back on the table.
“Nothing in particular,” answered Nino. When they were talking on the phone last night, Ohno had told him to think about what he would like to do today. However, Nino couldn’t think of anything that he was interested in. “Watch a movie, I guess,”
“Thought you would say that,” responded Ohno with a chuckle. It was easy to guess. For the past two months, they would usually go to watch a movie whenever they went out together. Except for the first one where they went fishing on the boat together. It, however, didn’t go well because of Nino’s seasickness. Since then, Ohno would let Nino choose their activity. And, as he didn’t like to go out much, he decided to watch a movie.
Nino, in return, smiled shyly at the man. They had been… hmm… how to describe it? In this place, it could be described as dating. But, in his place, it was known as courting. In essence, it was the same. But, for his people, courting means asking for permission to get married. Here, on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily mean the same. Some people who were dating didn’t end up getting married. So, frankly, he didn’t know if he would eventually marry Ohno even though he certainly hoped they would be together forever. Sounds cheesy, isn’t it?
Slowly, his mind began to replay how their relationship changed. It happened two months ago, which was the day after he went to Ohno’s house for the first time to help him with the curry pan. Being too tired, he ended up sleeping there. When he woke up, he was alone in Ohno’s room.
The bed felt different, thought Nino as he slowly opened his eyes. The bed was bigger and softer than the one in his room. If this was not his bed, he must not be in his room, then. So, where was he?
Nino shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Then, he raised his body while his eyes wandered around the room. Indeed, this was not his room. But had he been here before? It felt like he should know whose room this was. Because he was still sleepy, the answer didn’t come to him until the door was opened from the outside. Stepped into the room was his boss, wearing a pyjama.
“Good morning, Kazunari,” Ohno greeted him with a soft smile and then took a seat next to him on the bed. “Did you get a good sleep last night?”
Nino could only nod while distractedly thinking how he had ended up sleeping in Ohno’s room. From what he remembered, they watched a movie last night with Sho, Aiba and Jun. But, he didn’t get to watch till the end because he fell asleep. Did Jun purposely leave him behind? The man was keen to let him sleep in Ohno’s house after all.
“Where is Jun-kun?” Asked Nino, glad that he didn’t sound flustered. “Did he leave me here?”
“No…” Answered Ohno with a shake of his head and a little laugh. “Just like you, he was also too tired to go home. So, the two of us slept outside last night. And, by the way, he is still sleeping,”
Nino suddenly felt guilty. He had slept on Ohno’s comfortable bed while the owner slept on the couch. It must be uncomfortable. But, how did he end up here? Didn’t he fall asleep on the couch? The only explanation would be someone carried him to the room. And, as he thought of it, he immediately remembered being lifted from the couch. That person, then, put him on the bed before putting a kiss on his forehead.
Eh?
Nino unconsciously touched his forehead. Someone kissed him yesterday. It wasn’t a dream. It happened. But, who kissed him? And, why?
“Are you okay, Kazunari?” Asked Ohno. Nino was surprised when the boss took his hand and squeezed it. “You look distracted. What’s wrong?”
Nino swallowed. Being this close and alone with Ohno again made him remember what happened before Jun and Aiba showed up yesterday. Ohno almost kissed him! Would Ohno try to kiss him again? If yes, he hoped nobody would disturb them this time.
“I’m thinking about yesterday,” He distractedly answered as Ohno shortened the distance between them on the bed. He couldn’t think properly. Not when Ohno was so close to him.
“Oh…” said Ohno, amused. “A lot of things happened yesterday. Which one are you thinking about?”
Nino could feel his mouth moving to answer the question. What he answered, on the other hand, was a mystery that he couldn't figure out. Did he say something embarrassing? Ohno had a slight smile on his face and it worried Nino.
“If you say so, will you let me kiss you, then?”
It took Nino a moment to understand what Ohno had said. When he did, he couldn’t bring himself to answer. Of course, he wanted Ohno to kiss him. But will he look cheap to ask for a kiss?
Ah, let’s not overthink this. As it was too embarrassing to answer, Nino only kept his eyes shut, hoping Ohno would understand what it meant. No one had ever kissed him and he never had an urge to kiss someone. Not until he met Ohno. But, he had seen people kiss before and they always keep their eyes shut so he figured that’s what someone did when they kissed.
He could feel Ohno wrapped his arm around his shoulder. And, then, the boss softly caressed his cheeks before raising his chin. And, then, the magical moment happened as Ohno finally put his lips against Nino’s. As it was his first kiss, he didn’t know how to respond. So, he let Ohno guide him. His mind went blank as he enjoyed the kiss until Ohno finally let him go.
Nino opened his eyes, wondering if Ohno felt the same pleasure as he did when they kissed. Probably not. Nino was a novice at kissing so it must be the sloppiest kiss Ohno ever had. But, the boss was still staring at him with sparkling eyes as if Nino was the most beautiful thing he ever saw. So, perhaps, it was not as bad as he thought.
“Glad we could do it without interruptions this time,” said Ohno, slipping his arm around Nino’s waist and pulling him closer. “You are so beautiful, Kazuya,”
Nino playfully pushed Ohno’s hand away when the man tried to flick his nose. “It’s Kazunari, not Kazuya,”
Ohno chuckled. “But I love calling you Kazuya. You will always pout whenever I do that. It makes you look cute and… oh wait!" He suddenly paused, causing Nino to look at him with a frown. Ohno, then, reached out to his hand and squeezed it gently as he said words that made Nino blush.
“You are cute no matter what you do, Ninomiya Kazunari,”
The compliment wasn’t what he expected from Ohno. Remembering how Ohno had treated him before, he found it hard to believe that this Ohno was the same Ohno who forced him to pay for his dinner. The changes weren't sudden, which was a relief to Nino. Perhaps Ohno started to change his attitude towards Nino because of the meal he provided to the boss every day. And, the kiss. Why did Ohno kiss him? Was it for the reason he thought… the same reason he had responded to the kiss? Or was it just his wishful thinking and the kiss didn't mean anything to Ohno?
“Ne…” Ohno finally said, breaking the silence. “Let’s go on a proper date this time,”
“A proper date?” Asked Nino confusedly.
Ohno had a shy smile on his face. “You remember the first time I brought you out for dinner, right? I was a jerk at that time. Well… hmmm… honestly, since I met you, I’m already attracted to you. And, I want to go out with you… to get to know you better. But… well… I don’t know how to explain my behaviour at that time… It’s just…”
It was the first time he saw Ohno ramble like this. The man was usually blunt. However, Nino could understand why the boss was rambling. He was shy.
“Ah, this is so hard,” retorted Ohno, looking frustrated. He took a deep breath and looked straight at Nino’s eyes before continuing. “I like you. So, I want to properly date you. What do you think?”
“Sure. I would love to do that too!”
“Yeah!” Ohno cheered like a child. But, in the next second, he once again had a smirk on his face as he leaned forward and started to peck repeatedly at Nino’s lips. As time passed, the playful peck gradually changed into a passionate kiss.
“The weather is lovely today, Kazuya,”
Nino squinted his eyes, pouting when he heard what Ohno said. He didn’t understand why Ohno enjoyed calling him like that. Admittedly, he was annoyed at first. But, now, he was used to it even though he would still pretend to detest it.
“Stop pouting or I will kiss you,”
“You won’t!” Nino scrunched his nose. “We’re in public,”
“Oh, don’t challenge me, Kazuya,”
Ohno stood up, trying to prove that he was serious about kissing Nino in public. As Ohno was unpredictable, Nino didn’t doubt that the man would do what he said. So, he quickly urged the man to sit. But, Ohno was stubborn. He refused to do so until Nino promised him that he would stay over at Ohno’s house tonight.
“Ne, Kazuya, instead of going for a movie, how about we go for a picnic?” suggested Ohno after taking another sip of his iced chocolate. “The weather is perfect for a relaxed day at the park. You never have a picnic before, right?”
Nino shook his head. He didn’t know what people did for a picnic. But, he trusted Ohno wouldn’t force him to do something he wouldn’t enjoy.
“So, what will we do at the park?” Asked Nino curiously.
“We could just lie down on the mat and enjoy the fresh air,” answered Ohno. “And perhaps playing frisbee or just walking… hmm… cycling around the park. What do you think?”
Nino thought about it for a while. It seemed like a relaxing activity.
“Sounds fun. Okay, let’s do it,” He agreed and felt happy when he saw a wide smile on Ohno’s face.
“Let’s go now,” said Ohno. However, before they could leave the cafe, Ohno’s phone suddenly rang. He answered the call after looking at the caller ID.
“Hi, Mom,” greeted Ohno. “How are you?”
Ah, it was a call from Ohno’s mother. It might take a while for the call to end. Ohno usually had a lot to tell his mother whenever she called him. Not knowing what to do while he waited for Ohno, he simply stared at his boyfriend, loving how talkative Ohno was when he talked to his mother.
However, Nino suddenly became wary of their surrounding. It’s because he sensed magic around them. The same magic that he had sensed from Mei. It had been two months since his first encounter with the woman who had bewitched Ohno. She didn’t do anything for the past two months but never once had he lowered his guard, knowing the woman would come back for Ohno. And, now, she is back. What should he do?
As Ohno was still talking enthusiastically on the phone, Nino pointed at the washroom, letting the man know that he would head there. He could sense the magic coming from the direction. Ohno, on the other hand, simply regarded him with a nod.
He followed the magic and stopped right in front of the washroom as he had predicted. Nothing was there but the magic was the strongest.
“Hello!”
He turned around, seeing Mei in front of him. And, then, everything happened too fast. He could sense movement behind him. But, before he could do anything to see who it was, he was surrounded in the darkness.
A/N: What do you think of this part? Is it okay? What do you think will happen to Nino? Will he be okay? Will Ohno save him before anything bad could happen?
Let me know what you think of this, ne? It will be very much appreciated :)