Will you love me? - Part 2
Nino smiled to himself, watching the pins fall one by one. This was hard to believe but… yes! He won the game, much to his surprise. Thanks to his strong determination to get a kiss from Ohno, he was able to focus on the game and scored a lot. As for Ohno… his boyfriend wasn’t lucky this time. Most of his balls ended up in the gutter, making Nino wonder if he intentionally did that. But, that seemed impossible. Why would he let Nino win, right? It didn’t make any sense.
“Well, congratulations,” said Ohno. Whether he was happy or not with the result… Well, it was hard to say since he still sounded indifferent.
“Thank you,” answered Nino. “About the wish…”
“Since you win, I will treat you for dinner tonight,” interrupted Ohno, confusing Nino. This was something that the man often does. He sometimes didn’t let Nino talk. “I already made a reservation,”
“But, that’s not what we agreed upon,” said Nino. No, there’s no way he’s going to give up on a kiss. “A wish… not dinner treat,”
Ohno smiled, making Nino even more bewildered. No, it wasn’t just a smile. It’s more like a chuckle and it’s weird because Ohno never smiled when he’s with Nino.
“You can still get your wish,” explained Ohno. “Think carefully about what you want since it’s only one wish. Tell me what your wish is when you’re ready. In the meantime, I’m hungry so let’s eat. It will be my treat,”
And, just like that, Ohno turned around and walked ahead of Nino. Sighing, Nino followed behind. He knew what his wish would be. But, maybe it would be better to voice it out before they parted way today. A kiss under the moonlight. That would be romantic, right?
Ohno brought him to a fancy restaurant, adding more to Nino’s confusion. Why was Ohno so different today? They usually go to a simple restaurant such as McDonald’s for a date. So, why would he bring Nino to this restaurant? He even made a reservation. That’s so weird.
The waiter brought them to their table and handed them the menu before going away to attend to another customer. The solemn atmosphere in the restaurant made Nino uncomfortable, feeling as if he didn’t belong there. Just look at the way the other customer dressed. So sophisticated. Thank goodness, Ohno brought him here from the office. At least, he was wearing a suit.
“You don’t like this place?” said Ohno, perhaps sensing his uneasiness from the way his eyes darted around the restaurant. Ohno was the total opposite of him. The way he sat… the way he flipped the menu… Ohno looked so elegant. Well, he is a son of a wealthy businessman. Of course, he was already used to this environment.
“What do you want to eat?” asked Ohno.
“Hmmm… I’m…”
“Satoshi?”
The two of them were interrupted by a waitress who was surprised and excited to see Ohno. Since it was inappropriate for a waitress to squeal like that, the other waiters glared at her.
“Oops, sorry!” said the waitress. Her tone indicated that she didn’t feel bad at all for behaving like that. “So, Satoshi, have you decided?”
Well, at least, she wasn’t loud this time. However, Nino didn’t like her tone and the way she was looking at Ohno. Also, the way she called Ohno by his first name irked Nino. Who is she? She seemed familiar, though. But, Nino didn’t think he had seen her before.
Nino, then, turned his attention towards Ohno. His boyfriend was smiling, amused by the whole situation.
“Minami-chan,” said Ohno. “How are you?”
Minami? Wasn’t that the name of…
“Fine,” answered Minami. The other waiters looked in their direction, undeniably repelled by her attitude. But, she ignored them as she continued excitedly. “Wow, you’re getting more handsome, Satoshi. I regret dumping you,”
Dumping, Nino repeated the words in his head. So, it’s true. As he thought, the waitress was indeed Ohno’s ex-girlfriend. No wonder she looked familiar. Sho had shown Nino a picture of her.
“Well, since I’m single now, how about we get back together?”
What? Nino almost screamed. Did she just ask Ohno to be her boyfriend again? She had no shame at all.
“I’m sorry, Minami-chan,” answered Ohno. He seemed to be enjoying this moment. What happened next surprised Nino. Ohno reached out to take Nino’s hand on the table and kissed it softly. It was the first time he ever touched Nino that way. “This is Kazunari. And, he is my boyfriend,”
The surprised look on Minami’s face was funny to look at. However, Nino couldn’t take any delight in seeing it as the realization dawned on him. No wonder Ohno had been behaving weirdly today. It was his plan all along. With the knowledge about Minami’s job as a waitress here, he brought Nino to this restaurant to show her what she missed by dumping Ohno back then.
Usually, Nino will make small talk with Ohno during their date. He would talk about his days, hoping Ohno would also do the same thing. But, as expected, Ohno barely paid attention to what he said.
Tonight, Nino was in no mood to talk. His mind was miles away, thinking. Was it worth it to stay in this relationship? All these times, he stayed with Ohno with the hope that the man would love him someday. But, seeing how he was used by Ohno as a tool to amuse himself, what’s the point of staying? He had put too much effort for nothing. Maybe it’s time to give up.
“Shall we go now?” Asked Ohno, bringing him out of his trance. A nod was the only thing Nino could manage. When they stood up, Minami appeared from the kitchen, sparing a glance at them. Almost immediately, Ohno wrapped his arm around Nino’s waist. Nino knew it was done to make Minami jealous. It did nothing to make him feel better. What’s the point of having Ohno all over him if it wasn’t because the man loved him? Nino still had his pride. And, as much as he wanted Ohno to love him, he now knew it was hopeless.
“Let’s break up,”
There. Nino finally said it. He stayed silent as they walked together to the train station, thinking about what to do next. And, this was the answer he came up with. End the relationship. He had his pride. He wouldn’t let Ohno continue to use him.
“What?” Ohno was surprised. “Why?”
“Do you think I’m stupid?” Nino raised his voice, pushing Ohno away from him. The street was empty. No one was here to watch their drama. “I know why you brought me to the restaurant. You want to make her jealous,”
Ohno was about to cut him off like he always did. But, Nino won’t let him. Not this time!
“You’re being weird today. Wrapping your arms around me… for a second, I thought the day had finally come. You finally love me. But, I was wrong. You only do it to practice… so that we will look like a normal couple in front of her. How could you do this to me? Don’t I mean anything to you?” He scoffed. He rarely showed his emotion. But, this had been too much and he couldn’t contain it anymore. He had to let it go.
“Nino…”
“She is now single, right?” Nino continued, still wouldn’t let the man talk. “So, why do you want to stay with me? Let’s break up! You can now go to her!”
Nino covered his face with his hands as tears started to flow. No, he won’t cry. Not in front of this man who didn’t know how to appreciate him.
“Nino…” Ohno said again. Nino could hear footsteps approaching him.
“Go away…” Nino said, almost begging. Was his voice hoarse? He hoped not. He didn’t want Ohno to know he was crying. “I don’t want to see you anymore,”
The footsteps stopped. But, it wasn’t for long. A few seconds later, Nino heard the footsteps again. However, instead of approaching him, Ohno walked further and further from him until Nino couldn’t hear him anymore. As the sound faded, Nino uncovered his face, watching the man walk away.
A weak smile was on Nino’s face. So, it’s true, then. A part of him hoped that Ohno would deny his accusation… would convince Nino that his boyfriend… oops… ex-boyfriend, now… he hoped Ohno would tell Nino that it was just his imagination… that he had grown to love Nino. But, it was only his wishful thinking. Ohno didn’t love him. And he never will. That’s a fact.
He lost in his thoughts, not caring how long he had been sitting on the street. He heard footsteps. Did Ohno come back? Now, that can’t be. It must be a stranger.
Nino glanced at his watch. It’s late so he should be heading home now. But, the footsteps stopped right in front of him. And, when he lifted his face, he found himself staring at a familiar face.
It was his boss. Matsumoto Jun.
The next day, Nino pretended as if nothing bad happened to him last night. He went to work, did his job, and talked to his colleagues. Of course, it wasn’t easy to focus on his work. More than often, Ohno would be on his mind. As a result, it took him a long time to finish his job. As for the quality of his work, he could only hope he didn’t make any serious mistakes. Of course, he checked them but… ah, he didn’t know.
“Ninomiya-san,”
Nino flinched upon hearing Jun called his name. He didn’t like the tone used by the boss. That, paired with the impassive look on Jun’s face meant trouble. Yes, the manager was always serious. But, this time… it sounded like Nino was in trouble. Did he make a grave mistake in the report that he just handed to Jun?
“In my room now,” The boss said. It seemed like he was trying to contain his anger. Nino only nodded his head and followed the man. As he walked, he could hear murmurs among his colleagues, speculating what kind of trouble he had caused.
“Ninomiya-san,” said Jun once Nino sat across from him. He put the report on the table. “Did you check it?
“Yes,” Nino answered, keeping his face down. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Jun, knowing that there must be a serious mistake in the report. If not, Jun won’t ask about it.
“You get the unit wrong,” Jun let out a sigh. “Have you checked your email?”
Nino shook his head. Man, how could he forget to check his email?
Jun didn’t say anything, only assessing him. Then, he shook his head. “Nope, you shouldn’t work today. Just go home,”
“But…”
“Ninomiya-san,” Jun cut him off. Seemed like everyone always interrupted him when he wanted to talk. “You are not fit to be working today,”
Nino couldn’t say anything to counter that. He couldn’t deny it. Jun was right. Indeed, he couldn’t do his job properly today. Not when he kept thinking about Ohno.
Last night, after Nino bumped into Jun at the street leading to the train station, they barely exchanged a word. Nino immediately excused himself to go home. Jun followed him home, perhaps to make sure he stayed safe. When they met again today, both acted as if nothing happened the night before.
So far, Jun hadn’t asked him anything about it. But, it seemed like the conversation he dreaded would happen now, thanks to the way he performed his job today.
“Do you know that you are one of my precious staff, Ninomiya-san?” Jun began.
This made Nino feel bad. Why was it hard for him to focus today? Why would he let something personal like a break-up affect his job?
“You are so good at everything you do. I almost feel jealous of how easy you do your job,” Jun continued. “But… I cannot allow you to work today. Go home. Rest. And, when you feel better, come to work,”
“I have a report to finish,”
“Do you think you can finish the report with your current condition?”
Nino couldn’t answer. It’s impossible, he knew it. But, he couldn’t just abandon his work.
“I will ask someone else to do it,” said Jun when Nino stayed silent. His voice was softer this time. “On the other hand, you go home and rest. This is an order,”
The boss won’t take no as an answer. So, with a heavy heart, Nino nodded. “I’m sorry for the trouble,”
“Good,” said Jun, smiling. “Now, go,”
Nino stood up, ready to leave the office. However, just when he was about to open the door, Jun stopped him.
“I saw what happened,” said Jun. For a second, Nino was at a loss of what he meant, not expecting Jun would want to talk about it. “Ninomiya… hmm… don’t be sad because he doesn’t love you back. You may not realize it but… hmmm… there’s someone who loves you,”
“Who?”
“Me,”