Kanawanai Yakusoku chapter 6
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
It was already dark outside when Jun finally woke up; his head was dizzy as hell. There was no clock inside that room which he recognized was a hospital room, so he had no idea how long had he been sleeping. He slowly lifted his head from the pillow and looked around; he had never been hospitalized before and he never liked the nuance in the hospital (well, who does?). He tried to remember what happened, he picked Sho at the airport, he returned to his shop with a great headache and a sudden increase of the temperature of his body. He remembered Aiba approached him panicky as he fell down to the floor.
He had just realized that he was hungry.
The door opened, revealing Sho who brought a plastic bag in his right hand. "Jun, you're awake," he said with a smile on his lips. He put down the bag on the side table and pulled a chair towards him, “I bought your favorite food.”
Sho reached the bag, sliding out the curry box from it, preparing the spoon and gesturing that he wanted to feed Jun.
“I can do it by myself, Sho,” he took the curry from Sho’s hand, ignoring the man’s disappointment.
"Are you still mad at me?"
Jun shook his head.
"I just don't want to talk with you right now, my head is dizzy like hell."
“Alright,” Sho mumbled a reply. He looked tired and sleepless, but Jun wasn’t in the state to put a pity on him right now.
“I’d better wait outside,” he continued.
“You’d better go home,” Jun said, looking at Sho’s sleepy eyes, “get some sleep.”
“I’ll use the hospital’s guest room,” Sho said, walking towards the door with unsteady steps. Jun felt a wave of guilty for driving Sho away, but he was still mad at the man and fighting at this state was the last thing he wanted. He knew that Sho must have been worried about him, but somehow he didn’t want to see Sho, half of him wished that the man would have delayed his departure from Hawaii.
The room fell into an odd silence as Sho left. Jun ate the curry and stopped half-way, he barely tasted it due to his numb tongue, he drank a glass of water and leaned his head on the pillow. The headache seemed reluctant to leave anytime soon, so he gave up and closed his eyes again.
Jun was about to doze off when he heard the door fluttered open.
"I told you that I don't want to see you right now," Jun said without even opening his lids.
"Whoa, sorry about that," a voice answered which definitely didn’t belong to Sho.
"Ohno san,” Jun mumbled, feeling so embarrassed.
"I went to your shop and Aiba san told me that you are hospitalized. I was worried, so I came," the man said, smiling softly. He put down the flowers he was carrying into the empty vase on the table and pulled the chair which Sho had left closer to Jun.
"Thank you for coming, I'm alright," Jun said, lifting his head off the pillow, the action had made it even more hurt than before.
"If you’re alright, you wouldn’t be here," Ohno stated, extending his hand to touch Jun’s forehead. “You’re burning.”
It was just an ordinary touch, but Jun didn’t get used to someone else’s touch other than Sho. Somehow, he wanted to jerk away, but he couldn’t, he let Ohno examine him, even almost caressed his cheek in a gentle way.
"You had curry,” Ohno noticed the half-finished curry on the side table, “I love curry, too," Ohno added. "I even cook it by myself, sometimes.”
"You still have time to cook?" Jun asked, glad that Ohno finally moved his hand away from his face.
"I'm not that busy, of course, I still have to cook," he winked.
"So, would you bring me some?"
"Curry?"
"Yuph," Jun said.
"Sure, but only if you’re in a good shape, I bet you can’t taste anything right now."
Sho hated cooking, he even couldn’t cook something instant for himself. He had tried to make curry for Jun when he was too tired to cook for dinner and it ended up with war-zone-like kitchen and almost burnt house. Sho had never stepped into the kitchen ever since.
“It’s a coincidence that we love the same food,” Jun said.
Ohno gave him a little nod while digging into his tote bag and sliding out a book from inside.
"I often read for my sister when she was sick, she always told me that book could make her feel better," the man said. "She suffered from asthma when she was a kid."
"I'm sorry," Jun muttered.
"She's okay now," Ohno smiled and opened the book he was carrying. It was Murakami Haruki's novel - Kafka on the Shore.
"Have you read it?"
Jun shook his head.
Ohno started reading and because he was good in making funny faces, Jun was too busy laughing and didn't pay attention to the storyline. When Ohno stopped at the second chapter, Jun's eyes were teary.
"You're so funny," Jun said.
"Oh, thank you," Ohno said, bowing his head jokingly.
"This is my first time to be hospitalized," Jun said, touching the infusion needle in his left hand. "I prefer my own bed, it's so frustrating. Have you been hospitalized?"
Ohno needed a good ten seconds before giving an answer. "When I was a kid, my foot wounded so bad from a bicycle accident, I got a few stitches. I stayed for half-day before the doctor let me leave the hospital."
"You can't call it hospitalized," Jun grinned.
"It depends on," Ohno shrugged. "For my little brain, it was hospitalized."
Jun chuckled and took the novel from Ohno's hand. "May I borrow it?"
"Sure."
Jun flipped the pages, he had never really read novels. The only book he had read seriously was Japanese History and that was because of the final test when he was still in high school.
"The character you played," Jun said, remembering the stage play he had watched with Sho a few weeks ago, "was Toyotomi Hideyoshi*."
Ohno nodded. "My favorite character so far."
"I'm looking forward to your next stage play," Jun said. "Maybe aside from a historical character."
"Like what?"
"A porn star."
Ohno laughed for real this time, his laughter was something Jun never heard before. It warmed him in some way. He still grinned widely at Jun for some times while talking about his experience in playing the role he didn't really like.
They continued talking with the random topic until the nurse came to the room and reminded Ohno that the visiting time had over.
“Time flies,” Ohno glanced at his watch, “get well soon, Jun kun.”
Jun almost flinched as he heard Ohno mentioned his given name. Was that on purpose or Ohno forgotten that they had just known each other?
"Thank you for coming," Jun said, smiling at Ohno. The man grabbed his tote bag and shouldered it. He gave Jun a shady look once again before leaving the room.
Jun watched him disappeared beyond the door and let the weird feeling rushed into his heart. Ohno had visited him and he had laughed together with him, not mentioning that he needed some sleep and he still had a terrible headache. He closed his eyes, trying to forget Ohno’s laughter which echoed inside his ears.
***
When Jun woke up the next morning, he found Sho was sound asleep on the couch across from his bed. His face was half hidden by the jacket he used as a blanket. He looked at the man with a bunch of guilty; they should have enjoyed happier days if only he didn’t act like a selfish kid.
The headache was gone and his temperature wasn’t as high as yesterday. Jun lifted his head from the pillow and sat down; he looked at Sho’s face and realized that he had missed the man very much. The miscommunication between them wasn’t Sho’s fault, it was his from the beginning.
Sho stirred and opened his eyes as if knowing that Jun was looking at him. He gave Jun a weak smile.
“Morning,” Sho murmured, raising from the sofa and approaching Jun’s bed.
“Sho, I’m sorry for yesterday,” Jun said.
Sho shook his head, he sat down at the chair and examining Jun’s temperature like what Ohno did yesterday.
"You're getting better," he said.
“I can’t wait to leave this place,” Jun spread his sight around the room, he missed his own bed too much.
Sho nodded and leaned closer to kiss him on his forehead.
“I’m sorry,” he said while puling Jun closer to him. The latter couldn’t analyze what was that sorry referred to; was it because Sho didn’t reply his email? Was it because he switched off his phone and had Jun wait for nearly three hours at the airport? Was that because he left the wedding in Jun’s hand?
Sho’s hand caressed his hair softly and let Jun rest on his chest a little while until the doctor came to examine him.
The doctor permitted him to leave the hospital in the afternoon and gave him a prescription for medicine. Jun thanked her, so did Sho.
Aiba came to bring them lunch and to help Jun packing things, even though there was not much of it and ignored Jun’s protest that he didn’t need to come.
"I don't know that you read Murakami's work," Aiba commented as he found the book under Jun’s pillow.
"Oh, that..." Jun hesitated. He didn't tell Sho that Ohno came to see him yesterday. He couldn't bring himself to the conversation anyway. He took the book and inserted it into the tote bag that Aiba brought for him.
Sho was ready at the hospital lobby with Jun’s car as he and Aiba exited the front door. Both of them got in the car, fastened their seat belt and left the hospital. Jun leaned his head to the seat; he only spent a night in the hospital but it felt far longer than that.
“Are you okay?” Sho asked.
He nodded and closed his eyes along the way.
***
Jun slept right away as they reached the apartment. Sho had taken care of Jun’s belongings, sent Aiba to the shop and ordered dinner. It was already dark outside when Jun opened his eyes; he climbed down his bed and walked towards the living room. Sho was reading a thick book while listening to music through the headphone.
Jun sat down beside him and rested his head on Sho’s shoulder. The man put down the book on the table and turned off the music on his portable player.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“A little bit,” Jun answered.
“You slept like a baby,” Sho commented. “I rarely saw you at that state.”
“It’s because you always sleep earlier than I do,” Jun mumbled.
He moved his head to Sho’s lap instead; his head softly brushed Jun’s hair.
“Sho, when will we meet Ninomiya san?” Jun asked.
Sho paused his movement in brushing Jun’s hair; he kept silence for mere seconds before murmuring that it wasn’t necessary to meet Ninomiya since Jun already met him and talked about detail with the man.
“The wedding must be decided by both of us, you and me,” Jun said, lifting his head from Sho’s lap.
“I know,” Sho said, taking both of Jun’s hand and squishing them softly. “I trust you, Jun.”
Sho seemed upset by the topic; he rose off of the sofa and headed the kitchen, telling Jun that he had ordered pizza for their dinner. Jun thought that maybe Sho was just like him, having a slight wedding blue syndrome and avoided the topic as much as he could. However, Sho was the one who brought the talk about the wedding when they were ready to go to bed.
“Jun, let’s move to Italy after we got married,” Sho said, calm enough as if moving to another country was as simple as that.
Jun couldn’t digest what Sho said for a couple of minutes. The odd silence drifted above them, he found Sho’s eyes which were looking right at him.
“There’s much time to think,” Sho continued. “You can learn patisserie thing better in Italy, we can travel Europe and…”
“Sho,” Jun cut him. “I never mentioned that I want to move.”
“I know,” Sho said softly, rather begging. “But please think about it. I’ve just gotten an offer from the European Airlines to work for them and I think it’s a good chance.”
“What about my shop?” Jun asked. “I can’t leave it. I can’t start all over again in a foreign country where I know no one,” Jun continued, trying to keep his voice in a normal tone.
“I don’t need a prompt reply,” Sho said.
Jun didn’t answer, he closed his eyes and imagined his life in a completely foreign country. Sho never mentioned about the offer from the European Airlines - maybe he had said once that he wanted to work outside of Japan, but Jun thought that he was only joking.
“Good night,” Jun heard Sho’s voice. That night, Jun needed longer time than usual to fall asleep.
***
Jun argued that he was strong enough to work the next day, ignoring Sho’s lecture that he should stay in bed at least for three days. Staying at home had made Jun even more agony; after a long argument and a compromising promise that he would be back home if he felt unwell - finally Sho gave up.
Sho sent him to the shop by car, telling Jun not to work too hard and saying that he would pick him up by six in the evening.
“I got it,” Jun sighed, giving Sho an irritating look before he alighting the car.
He walked towards the shop entrance while sliding out his phone from his jeans pocket and found a message from an unknown number. He clicked it open and read it:
Jun, how are you today? Have you returned to the shop? Can’t wait to eat your cake again.
Ohno
How did Ohno find his phone number? Did he get it from Sho or maybe Aiba?
Confused, Jun had no idea how to reply to Ohno’s message. He inserted the phone back to his pocket and entered the shop. Aiba was busily finishing a big birthday cake when Jun got there. The taller man gave him a broad smile.
“Matsujun!” he beamed, “I thought the doctor told you to take a proper rest for three days.”
“I’m bored to death at home,” Jun mumbled, offering Aiba a smile. “Don’t worry, I’m strong enough this time.”
Aiba nodded understandingly and told him about the order they had gotten during Jun’s absence.
“Ninomiya came here yesterday,” Aiba said.
“Ninomiya? I didn’t make any appointment,” Jun replied.
“He just bought a few cakes and left,” Aiba shrugged. “By the way, when will Sho kun depart again?” Aiba asked.
“Next two days,” Jun answered. He eventually recalled Sho’s idea of moving to Italy - what would Aiba say if Jun agreed to that?
“Any progress on your wedding plan? I mean you have more spare time to talk to Sho kun when he’s at home.”
Jun shook his head. “He doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“Why?”
Jun shrugged.
“Wedding blue syndrome,” Aiba murmured unclearly.
Jun couldn’t guess what was in Sho’s mind about the wedding. They literally didn’t talk about it. He began to feel uncertain; Sho was clearly hiding something which he couldn’t mention and Jun hated this feeling. He needed a vacation from all this chaotic thought - a complete distraction which could make him forget about the wedding stuff.
He tried to concentrate on his chocolate roll and put aside his worrisome for a while. The cake he was making was another original recipe; he proudly looked at it when it finished.
“Matsujun, your special guest has come,” Aiba whispered to him as the man returned from the front part of the shop.
Jun gave him a questioning gaze and peered through the glass wall and spotted Ohno’s figure who was standing in front of the shelf, choosing the cakes he wanted to buy. Jun’s thought went to Ohno’s message that he hadn’t replied yet; he bit his lower lip, considering whether it was better to pretend that he wasn’t here.
“He’s been waiting for you,” Aiba said, patting his shoulder.
Jun took a long deep breath before walking from the kitchen, still on his apron. He approached the man who immediately realized his presence. Ohno wore a nice duffle coat and a pair of boots today - so much different compared to the last time Jun met him. He looked rather fashionable this time.
“Welcome,” Jun greeted him.
Ohno smiled broadly at him, “Jun kun,” he said with a sparkling face, “Are you strong enough to work? You still look pale,” the man continued.
“I’m fine, thanks for your concern,” Jun replied. He was still awkward with the way Ohno called him as ‘Jun kun’. It sounded unfamiliar in his ears.
“I really want to have a breakfast here,” Ohno said, giving Jun a stern look. “Not mentioning it’s already close to lunch time, and I missed you.”
Jun had no idea how to reply to that statement, he always felt this way when he talked with Ohno. The actor seemed to know that he was confused because he left Jun towards the nearest table, letting Jun stand there like a stupid.
“I…tried something new, er- maybe you can taste it,” he mumbled unclearly, leaving Ohno towards the kitchen.
He thought that by meeting Ohno a few times, he would be able to have a normal talk with the artist; like what he did with Aiba. But he was wrong, Ohno had made him awkward - something that he hadn’t felt for years. He shook his head; he couldn’t think this way about Ohno - it was just a mere admiration towards the actor - that was it.
“Matsujun,” Aiba called. “Don’t you think there’s something fishy about that Ohno san?”
“Like what?” he asked, even though he already knew what Aiba was going to say.
“He flirts with you,” Aiba said. “I think he likes you in that way.”
“No way, Aiba,” Jun waved his hand, “he’s Sho’s best friend and he knew that we’re going to get married.”
“It doesn’t stop him, I presume,” Aiba shrugged.
“He can’t do anything either,” Jun replied as he putting the cake on the tray, “That’s his right to put a liking on me, I can’t forbid him to do such thing,” he couldn’t believe his own words - what if Ohno liked him for real?
Jun lifted the tray and returned to Ohno who was checking something on his phone.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” Jun put down cake and cup of coffee in front of Ohno. He was about to leave when Ohno took his wrist.
He looked at their intertwined hands and moved his gaze to Ohno’s face. The actor’s childish expression had prevented him from pulling his hand away from Ohno’s grip.
“Would you come to my next stage play?” he asked. “It’s not a historical one,” he added.
Jun knew that Ohno would pursue him to come even if he made excuses.
“When?” he asked, hoping that Ohno would loosen his grip on his wrist.
“Next two days, at 7 pm.”
That would be the day Sho left for his flight to Los Angeles, Jun thought.
“Er-, I’ll think about it,” Jun said. He was relief that finally Ohno lets go of his hand. The actor offered an innocent smile as he nodded confidently.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Jun wished the man a good day and returned towards the kitchen. He slumped on the chair and looked blankly on the wall across from him. It had been three years since he had a semi-long distance relationship and he never considered himself as a lonely person. On the opposite, waiting for Sho’s return was something he had been enjoying. However, Ohno’s presence had shown him how lonely he was. He hated to admit it, but now the loneliness which he had been hiding appeared at the back of his mind, gripping him tightly.
“Are you okay?” Aiba approached him with a worrisome in his face.
“No, I’m just…” Jun shook his head again. “I’m fine.”
He stayed still for a couple of minutes and returned to his work. Ohno had gone when he peeked through the kitchen door and it made Jun somehow relief but also disappointed at the same time.
It was still five in the afternoon when Sho showed up with six cans of beer inside the plastic bag he was carrying. He entered the kitchen and handed the plastic bag to Aiba’s hand.
“My gratitude for taking care of Matsujun,” he told Aiba.
“Thank you,” Aiba took the bag and stored the beers inside the fridge.
“Want to taste it?” Jun took the chocolate roll he had just finished and feed it to Sho.
“Matsujun, you got a guest again,” Aiba’s head peeked from the door. Jun wondered whether Ohno had returned again to buy some cakes as an excuse to visit him. He rose off of the chair and walked outside, Sho followed behind him.
“Good evening, Matsumoto san, Sakurai san,” Ninomiya’s figure was standing before him, looking fresh on his green jacket.
Jun bowed shortly at the man; not realizing that Sho froze behind him.
*Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a Samurai during Azuchi Momoyama period who succeeded his former lord, Oda Nobunaga. He built Osaka Castle as well.
To be continued
a/n: Hi, thank you for the precious comments at the previous chapters; it really makes me happy that you enjoy this series so far. Don’t hesitate to pinpoint the mistakes or typos or maybe improper vocabularies if you find some, because it helps me in doing an improvement for my next story.
There is not much development in this chapter, except that Ohno really really flirted on Jun.
chapter 5 // chapter 7
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
It was already dark outside when Jun finally woke up; his head was dizzy as hell. There was no clock inside that room which he recognized was a hospital room, so he had no idea how long had he been sleeping. He slowly lifted his head from the pillow and looked around; he had never been hospitalized before and he never liked the nuance in the hospital (well, who does?). He tried to remember what happened, he picked Sho at the airport, he returned to his shop with a great headache and a sudden increase of the temperature of his body. He remembered Aiba approached him panicky as he fell down to the floor.
He had just realized that he was hungry.
The door opened, revealing Sho who brought a plastic bag in his right hand. "Jun, you're awake," he said with a smile on his lips. He put down the bag on the side table and pulled a chair towards him, “I bought your favorite food.”
Sho reached the bag, sliding out the curry box from it, preparing the spoon and gesturing that he wanted to feed Jun.
“I can do it by myself, Sho,” he took the curry from Sho’s hand, ignoring the man’s disappointment.
"Are you still mad at me?"
Jun shook his head.
"I just don't want to talk with you right now, my head is dizzy like hell."
“Alright,” Sho mumbled a reply. He looked tired and sleepless, but Jun wasn’t in the state to put a pity on him right now.
“I’d better wait outside,” he continued.
“You’d better go home,” Jun said, looking at Sho’s sleepy eyes, “get some sleep.”
“I’ll use the hospital’s guest room,” Sho said, walking towards the door with unsteady steps. Jun felt a wave of guilty for driving Sho away, but he was still mad at the man and fighting at this state was the last thing he wanted. He knew that Sho must have been worried about him, but somehow he didn’t want to see Sho, half of him wished that the man would have delayed his departure from Hawaii.
The room fell into an odd silence as Sho left. Jun ate the curry and stopped half-way, he barely tasted it due to his numb tongue, he drank a glass of water and leaned his head on the pillow. The headache seemed reluctant to leave anytime soon, so he gave up and closed his eyes again.
Jun was about to doze off when he heard the door fluttered open.
"I told you that I don't want to see you right now," Jun said without even opening his lids.
"Whoa, sorry about that," a voice answered which definitely didn’t belong to Sho.
"Ohno san,” Jun mumbled, feeling so embarrassed.
"I went to your shop and Aiba san told me that you are hospitalized. I was worried, so I came," the man said, smiling softly. He put down the flowers he was carrying into the empty vase on the table and pulled the chair which Sho had left closer to Jun.
"Thank you for coming, I'm alright," Jun said, lifting his head off the pillow, the action had made it even more hurt than before.
"If you’re alright, you wouldn’t be here," Ohno stated, extending his hand to touch Jun’s forehead. “You’re burning.”
It was just an ordinary touch, but Jun didn’t get used to someone else’s touch other than Sho. Somehow, he wanted to jerk away, but he couldn’t, he let Ohno examine him, even almost caressed his cheek in a gentle way.
"You had curry,” Ohno noticed the half-finished curry on the side table, “I love curry, too," Ohno added. "I even cook it by myself, sometimes.”
"You still have time to cook?" Jun asked, glad that Ohno finally moved his hand away from his face.
"I'm not that busy, of course, I still have to cook," he winked.
"So, would you bring me some?"
"Curry?"
"Yuph," Jun said.
"Sure, but only if you’re in a good shape, I bet you can’t taste anything right now."
Sho hated cooking, he even couldn’t cook something instant for himself. He had tried to make curry for Jun when he was too tired to cook for dinner and it ended up with war-zone-like kitchen and almost burnt house. Sho had never stepped into the kitchen ever since.
“It’s a coincidence that we love the same food,” Jun said.
Ohno gave him a little nod while digging into his tote bag and sliding out a book from inside.
"I often read for my sister when she was sick, she always told me that book could make her feel better," the man said. "She suffered from asthma when she was a kid."
"I'm sorry," Jun muttered.
"She's okay now," Ohno smiled and opened the book he was carrying. It was Murakami Haruki's novel - Kafka on the Shore.
"Have you read it?"
Jun shook his head.
Ohno started reading and because he was good in making funny faces, Jun was too busy laughing and didn't pay attention to the storyline. When Ohno stopped at the second chapter, Jun's eyes were teary.
"You're so funny," Jun said.
"Oh, thank you," Ohno said, bowing his head jokingly.
"This is my first time to be hospitalized," Jun said, touching the infusion needle in his left hand. "I prefer my own bed, it's so frustrating. Have you been hospitalized?"
Ohno needed a good ten seconds before giving an answer. "When I was a kid, my foot wounded so bad from a bicycle accident, I got a few stitches. I stayed for half-day before the doctor let me leave the hospital."
"You can't call it hospitalized," Jun grinned.
"It depends on," Ohno shrugged. "For my little brain, it was hospitalized."
Jun chuckled and took the novel from Ohno's hand. "May I borrow it?"
"Sure."
Jun flipped the pages, he had never really read novels. The only book he had read seriously was Japanese History and that was because of the final test when he was still in high school.
"The character you played," Jun said, remembering the stage play he had watched with Sho a few weeks ago, "was Toyotomi Hideyoshi*."
Ohno nodded. "My favorite character so far."
"I'm looking forward to your next stage play," Jun said. "Maybe aside from a historical character."
"Like what?"
"A porn star."
Ohno laughed for real this time, his laughter was something Jun never heard before. It warmed him in some way. He still grinned widely at Jun for some times while talking about his experience in playing the role he didn't really like.
They continued talking with the random topic until the nurse came to the room and reminded Ohno that the visiting time had over.
“Time flies,” Ohno glanced at his watch, “get well soon, Jun kun.”
Jun almost flinched as he heard Ohno mentioned his given name. Was that on purpose or Ohno forgotten that they had just known each other?
"Thank you for coming," Jun said, smiling at Ohno. The man grabbed his tote bag and shouldered it. He gave Jun a shady look once again before leaving the room.
Jun watched him disappeared beyond the door and let the weird feeling rushed into his heart. Ohno had visited him and he had laughed together with him, not mentioning that he needed some sleep and he still had a terrible headache. He closed his eyes, trying to forget Ohno’s laughter which echoed inside his ears.
***
When Jun woke up the next morning, he found Sho was sound asleep on the couch across from his bed. His face was half hidden by the jacket he used as a blanket. He looked at the man with a bunch of guilty; they should have enjoyed happier days if only he didn’t act like a selfish kid.
The headache was gone and his temperature wasn’t as high as yesterday. Jun lifted his head from the pillow and sat down; he looked at Sho’s face and realized that he had missed the man very much. The miscommunication between them wasn’t Sho’s fault, it was his from the beginning.
Sho stirred and opened his eyes as if knowing that Jun was looking at him. He gave Jun a weak smile.
“Morning,” Sho murmured, raising from the sofa and approaching Jun’s bed.
“Sho, I’m sorry for yesterday,” Jun said.
Sho shook his head, he sat down at the chair and examining Jun’s temperature like what Ohno did yesterday.
"You're getting better," he said.
“I can’t wait to leave this place,” Jun spread his sight around the room, he missed his own bed too much.
Sho nodded and leaned closer to kiss him on his forehead.
“I’m sorry,” he said while puling Jun closer to him. The latter couldn’t analyze what was that sorry referred to; was it because Sho didn’t reply his email? Was it because he switched off his phone and had Jun wait for nearly three hours at the airport? Was that because he left the wedding in Jun’s hand?
Sho’s hand caressed his hair softly and let Jun rest on his chest a little while until the doctor came to examine him.
The doctor permitted him to leave the hospital in the afternoon and gave him a prescription for medicine. Jun thanked her, so did Sho.
Aiba came to bring them lunch and to help Jun packing things, even though there was not much of it and ignored Jun’s protest that he didn’t need to come.
"I don't know that you read Murakami's work," Aiba commented as he found the book under Jun’s pillow.
"Oh, that..." Jun hesitated. He didn't tell Sho that Ohno came to see him yesterday. He couldn't bring himself to the conversation anyway. He took the book and inserted it into the tote bag that Aiba brought for him.
Sho was ready at the hospital lobby with Jun’s car as he and Aiba exited the front door. Both of them got in the car, fastened their seat belt and left the hospital. Jun leaned his head to the seat; he only spent a night in the hospital but it felt far longer than that.
“Are you okay?” Sho asked.
He nodded and closed his eyes along the way.
***
Jun slept right away as they reached the apartment. Sho had taken care of Jun’s belongings, sent Aiba to the shop and ordered dinner. It was already dark outside when Jun opened his eyes; he climbed down his bed and walked towards the living room. Sho was reading a thick book while listening to music through the headphone.
Jun sat down beside him and rested his head on Sho’s shoulder. The man put down the book on the table and turned off the music on his portable player.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“A little bit,” Jun answered.
“You slept like a baby,” Sho commented. “I rarely saw you at that state.”
“It’s because you always sleep earlier than I do,” Jun mumbled.
He moved his head to Sho’s lap instead; his head softly brushed Jun’s hair.
“Sho, when will we meet Ninomiya san?” Jun asked.
Sho paused his movement in brushing Jun’s hair; he kept silence for mere seconds before murmuring that it wasn’t necessary to meet Ninomiya since Jun already met him and talked about detail with the man.
“The wedding must be decided by both of us, you and me,” Jun said, lifting his head from Sho’s lap.
“I know,” Sho said, taking both of Jun’s hand and squishing them softly. “I trust you, Jun.”
Sho seemed upset by the topic; he rose off of the sofa and headed the kitchen, telling Jun that he had ordered pizza for their dinner. Jun thought that maybe Sho was just like him, having a slight wedding blue syndrome and avoided the topic as much as he could. However, Sho was the one who brought the talk about the wedding when they were ready to go to bed.
“Jun, let’s move to Italy after we got married,” Sho said, calm enough as if moving to another country was as simple as that.
Jun couldn’t digest what Sho said for a couple of minutes. The odd silence drifted above them, he found Sho’s eyes which were looking right at him.
“There’s much time to think,” Sho continued. “You can learn patisserie thing better in Italy, we can travel Europe and…”
“Sho,” Jun cut him. “I never mentioned that I want to move.”
“I know,” Sho said softly, rather begging. “But please think about it. I’ve just gotten an offer from the European Airlines to work for them and I think it’s a good chance.”
“What about my shop?” Jun asked. “I can’t leave it. I can’t start all over again in a foreign country where I know no one,” Jun continued, trying to keep his voice in a normal tone.
“I don’t need a prompt reply,” Sho said.
Jun didn’t answer, he closed his eyes and imagined his life in a completely foreign country. Sho never mentioned about the offer from the European Airlines - maybe he had said once that he wanted to work outside of Japan, but Jun thought that he was only joking.
“Good night,” Jun heard Sho’s voice. That night, Jun needed longer time than usual to fall asleep.
***
Jun argued that he was strong enough to work the next day, ignoring Sho’s lecture that he should stay in bed at least for three days. Staying at home had made Jun even more agony; after a long argument and a compromising promise that he would be back home if he felt unwell - finally Sho gave up.
Sho sent him to the shop by car, telling Jun not to work too hard and saying that he would pick him up by six in the evening.
“I got it,” Jun sighed, giving Sho an irritating look before he alighting the car.
He walked towards the shop entrance while sliding out his phone from his jeans pocket and found a message from an unknown number. He clicked it open and read it:
Jun, how are you today? Have you returned to the shop? Can’t wait to eat your cake again.
Ohno
How did Ohno find his phone number? Did he get it from Sho or maybe Aiba?
Confused, Jun had no idea how to reply to Ohno’s message. He inserted the phone back to his pocket and entered the shop. Aiba was busily finishing a big birthday cake when Jun got there. The taller man gave him a broad smile.
“Matsujun!” he beamed, “I thought the doctor told you to take a proper rest for three days.”
“I’m bored to death at home,” Jun mumbled, offering Aiba a smile. “Don’t worry, I’m strong enough this time.”
Aiba nodded understandingly and told him about the order they had gotten during Jun’s absence.
“Ninomiya came here yesterday,” Aiba said.
“Ninomiya? I didn’t make any appointment,” Jun replied.
“He just bought a few cakes and left,” Aiba shrugged. “By the way, when will Sho kun depart again?” Aiba asked.
“Next two days,” Jun answered. He eventually recalled Sho’s idea of moving to Italy - what would Aiba say if Jun agreed to that?
“Any progress on your wedding plan? I mean you have more spare time to talk to Sho kun when he’s at home.”
Jun shook his head. “He doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“Why?”
Jun shrugged.
“Wedding blue syndrome,” Aiba murmured unclearly.
Jun couldn’t guess what was in Sho’s mind about the wedding. They literally didn’t talk about it. He began to feel uncertain; Sho was clearly hiding something which he couldn’t mention and Jun hated this feeling. He needed a vacation from all this chaotic thought - a complete distraction which could make him forget about the wedding stuff.
He tried to concentrate on his chocolate roll and put aside his worrisome for a while. The cake he was making was another original recipe; he proudly looked at it when it finished.
“Matsujun, your special guest has come,” Aiba whispered to him as the man returned from the front part of the shop.
Jun gave him a questioning gaze and peered through the glass wall and spotted Ohno’s figure who was standing in front of the shelf, choosing the cakes he wanted to buy. Jun’s thought went to Ohno’s message that he hadn’t replied yet; he bit his lower lip, considering whether it was better to pretend that he wasn’t here.
“He’s been waiting for you,” Aiba said, patting his shoulder.
Jun took a long deep breath before walking from the kitchen, still on his apron. He approached the man who immediately realized his presence. Ohno wore a nice duffle coat and a pair of boots today - so much different compared to the last time Jun met him. He looked rather fashionable this time.
“Welcome,” Jun greeted him.
Ohno smiled broadly at him, “Jun kun,” he said with a sparkling face, “Are you strong enough to work? You still look pale,” the man continued.
“I’m fine, thanks for your concern,” Jun replied. He was still awkward with the way Ohno called him as ‘Jun kun’. It sounded unfamiliar in his ears.
“I really want to have a breakfast here,” Ohno said, giving Jun a stern look. “Not mentioning it’s already close to lunch time, and I missed you.”
Jun had no idea how to reply to that statement, he always felt this way when he talked with Ohno. The actor seemed to know that he was confused because he left Jun towards the nearest table, letting Jun stand there like a stupid.
“I…tried something new, er- maybe you can taste it,” he mumbled unclearly, leaving Ohno towards the kitchen.
He thought that by meeting Ohno a few times, he would be able to have a normal talk with the artist; like what he did with Aiba. But he was wrong, Ohno had made him awkward - something that he hadn’t felt for years. He shook his head; he couldn’t think this way about Ohno - it was just a mere admiration towards the actor - that was it.
“Matsujun,” Aiba called. “Don’t you think there’s something fishy about that Ohno san?”
“Like what?” he asked, even though he already knew what Aiba was going to say.
“He flirts with you,” Aiba said. “I think he likes you in that way.”
“No way, Aiba,” Jun waved his hand, “he’s Sho’s best friend and he knew that we’re going to get married.”
“It doesn’t stop him, I presume,” Aiba shrugged.
“He can’t do anything either,” Jun replied as he putting the cake on the tray, “That’s his right to put a liking on me, I can’t forbid him to do such thing,” he couldn’t believe his own words - what if Ohno liked him for real?
Jun lifted the tray and returned to Ohno who was checking something on his phone.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” Jun put down cake and cup of coffee in front of Ohno. He was about to leave when Ohno took his wrist.
He looked at their intertwined hands and moved his gaze to Ohno’s face. The actor’s childish expression had prevented him from pulling his hand away from Ohno’s grip.
“Would you come to my next stage play?” he asked. “It’s not a historical one,” he added.
Jun knew that Ohno would pursue him to come even if he made excuses.
“When?” he asked, hoping that Ohno would loosen his grip on his wrist.
“Next two days, at 7 pm.”
That would be the day Sho left for his flight to Los Angeles, Jun thought.
“Er-, I’ll think about it,” Jun said. He was relief that finally Ohno lets go of his hand. The actor offered an innocent smile as he nodded confidently.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Jun wished the man a good day and returned towards the kitchen. He slumped on the chair and looked blankly on the wall across from him. It had been three years since he had a semi-long distance relationship and he never considered himself as a lonely person. On the opposite, waiting for Sho’s return was something he had been enjoying. However, Ohno’s presence had shown him how lonely he was. He hated to admit it, but now the loneliness which he had been hiding appeared at the back of his mind, gripping him tightly.
“Are you okay?” Aiba approached him with a worrisome in his face.
“No, I’m just…” Jun shook his head again. “I’m fine.”
He stayed still for a couple of minutes and returned to his work. Ohno had gone when he peeked through the kitchen door and it made Jun somehow relief but also disappointed at the same time.
It was still five in the afternoon when Sho showed up with six cans of beer inside the plastic bag he was carrying. He entered the kitchen and handed the plastic bag to Aiba’s hand.
“My gratitude for taking care of Matsujun,” he told Aiba.
“Thank you,” Aiba took the bag and stored the beers inside the fridge.
“Want to taste it?” Jun took the chocolate roll he had just finished and feed it to Sho.
“Matsujun, you got a guest again,” Aiba’s head peeked from the door. Jun wondered whether Ohno had returned again to buy some cakes as an excuse to visit him. He rose off of the chair and walked outside, Sho followed behind him.
“Good evening, Matsumoto san, Sakurai san,” Ninomiya’s figure was standing before him, looking fresh on his green jacket.
Jun bowed shortly at the man; not realizing that Sho froze behind him.
*Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a Samurai during Azuchi Momoyama period who succeeded his former lord, Oda Nobunaga. He built Osaka Castle as well.
To be continued
a/n: Hi, thank you for the precious comments at the previous chapters; it really makes me happy that you enjoy this series so far. Don’t hesitate to pinpoint the mistakes or typos or maybe improper vocabularies if you find some, because it helps me in doing an improvement for my next story.
There is not much development in this chapter, except that Ohno really really flirted on Jun.
chapter 5 // chapter 7