A Single Footprint in the Snow (16)

Oct 17, 2015 11:36

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN: THAT'S HOW IT WAS

Night falls once Nino sets out. He weaves his way through the crowd on the streets. The flickering lights of street signs bedazzle his eyes. Plenty of drunk salarymen and office ladies mingle in with the usual night carouser. Among these people, Aiba is here on patrol.

Nino was surprised to learn that Aiba works as the Physical Education at their old high school; most importantly that it was he who had pushed Aiba to take the vacant position once their previous teacher left. Nino knows now that Aiba has been assigned overtime to watch for Storm's misbehaving students who has become infamous around these parts. It gives Aiba a reason to return late, but doesn't explain why he refuses to return to their apartment at all.

It's because of me, Nino thinks. His eyes flit from face to face and none of them are Aiba's. He wonders, Will I see him here tonight?

At a corner waiting for a walking signal, he recognizes the girl's uniform of his former high school and approaches the group of young students. They throw him wary looks, but he asks anyway, "Excuse me, have you seen Aiba-sensei?"

They grow more suspicious of him and one of them asks, "Why?"

While Nino hesitates to answer, the walking signal turns green and the girls move away. Nino doesn't follow them. He'll look like a creep. He turns his back to the crowd and sighs. It's been close to a decade since he's had any contact with school girls and these ones especially remind him of his adolescent years. He doesn't hold fond memories of his female classmates.

Asano Miho had been his only girlfriend in senior high and even then their relationship had not lasted more than a month. The first girl he dated after her, Matsumoto Jun, was in college and was of a different sort. Mature, independent and confident, Matsumoto had also been gorgeous. It's a shame that Nino can't actually remember what she looks like.

After Matsumoto had been Tanaka Ninako. Exactly when did Aiba and he start dating?

"Nino?" someone calls him, breaking him out of his reverie.

He looks up and sees Sho standing opposite him on the same street. "I thought you had to work overtime," Nino says abruptly.

"You told me you had a date with your fiance," Sho shots back, but he smiles. He looks around them and moves closer. "Where's your date? Are you alone?"

Nino sees the group of people waiting for Sho and he quickly replies, "She had to get up early tomorrow and left. I'm heading home."

Sho jumps in, "Then come along with us."

"It's okay. I'm heading home," Nino reemphasizes, but thinking that he'll look for Aiba undercover.

Sho has worked for Nino long enough to know that pestering his coworker will not change his mind. He concedes. "I'll see you Monday then," he says, nods his head and returns to his friends.

Nino watches them merge into the crowd, not the least regretful of being left behind. Sho and him are close friends at work, but outside of that they are different people. He understands that now, knowing that he might never tell Sho who his intended significant other is.

Nino turns to head in the opposite direction. He glances a familiar face in the crowd and stops. Aiba had just stepped out from a building. On his heels is a woman. Casually Nino will have never thought that they were together, but the woman grasps Aiba's elbow and moves closer to his side. She looks flustered and tugs him down to whisper into his ear. After a second, Aiba straightens and gives her a soft, benign smile. He fixes the long sleeve of her shirt. Nino notices that the girl is wearing the shirt Aiba had worn three nights ago.

Something breaks into Nino's chest and claws his heart and lungs out. Unfamiliar pain numbs him.

A small thought in his head tells him that this is how it should be. Aiba belongs by the side of a beautiful woman like her, but the single sane thread in his mind reminds him that even if Nino doesn't remember Aiba, they are in fact lovers and engaged. He feels angry, but for whatever reason above everything else absolute sadness crushes him.

At last Aiba turns his attention away from the woman and looks around. He meets Nino's eyes.

Nino doesn't hold his gaze for long. He heaves a ragged breath, turns and runs.

* *

SEVENTEEN

sho, fic: arashi, aiba, fic: a single footprint in the snow, nino

Previous post Next post
Up