When There was a Problem with the Printer
Pairing: Ohmiya
Length: One Shot
Summary: Nino needs to submit a report but his printer does not work. Afraid he will not meet the deadline, he asked for help from a stranger who works next door.
“Eh, how come I miss page 144-150?” said Nino to himself as he checked the report that he had just finished printing. A few pages were missing from the report even though he was sure he had printed those pages.
He glanced at the clock, noticing he still has some time left before the submission. He hurried to the PC to print the pages again. As usual, the printer was making a noise indicating something was about to print and he could see the green light signalling the data from the computer has been transferred to the printer. However, the green light suddenly stopped blinking and nothing came out from the printer.
“Eh, what happened?” He went to the printer to check. Nothing was wrong with the printer. All the cables are connected. He tried to switch it off and on the printer again. Then he tried to print. The same thing happened. Nothing came out of the printer.
He sighed. He was the only one working today as it was Saturday so no one could help him. He was supposed to send the report to the client yesterday but as he was busy with another work, he couldn’t finish it on time. The client gave him an extension but he needed to send it before their office closed at 12:00p.m.
“No, I cannot panic. There must be something I could do to print the report,” he tried to calm himself. He then decided to print another file as a test printing. This time, the printer successfully printed the file. So, he decided to try printing the missing pages again and yet, the printer refused to do so.
“WTF! What is wrong with u? There’s no way I could submit the report on time if I cannot print it in another 10 minutes,” Nino could only complain. He doesn’t know what to do to make the printer works.
Suddenly, he heard someone unlocked the office next door. This gave him an idea. The person who works next door could be his saviour. He would rather sacrifice his pride by asking a stranger for help than risking losing his job just because he cannot meet the deadline.
He immediately transferred the file from his PC to the usb. Then, he walked quickly to the office next door and waited for the person to appear after he knocked the door softly.
The door was opened and a small tanned man appeared. He had a chubby cheek with wavy black hair. He looked familiar though Nino couldn’t put a name to the face.
“Ninomiya Kazunari,” said the man softly and Nino was surprised to hear him. How did the guy know his name?
“Have we met before? How do you know my name?” Asked Nino and instead of answering, the man smiled softly at him.
“How can I help you?” asked the other man. Nino remembered the reason he came to the office and decided to push the question about the mysterious man away.
“Ah, can I print something using your printer? I don’t know what is the problem with my printer,” asked Nino. The man nodded his head and allowed Nino to enter his office. Nino couldn’t help but feel amazed to look at the PC and printer in the office which looked more updated than the one in his office.
Nino then handed him the USB and showed him the file he needed to be printed. He then waited at the printer for the file to come out.
“Say, how do you know my name?” asked Nino while waiting.
“I dream of you and you told me your name in my dream,” answered the man straightly. Nino glared at him silently when he noticed the man was not looking at him. He figured this man would just want to tease him.
When the paper came out of the printer and it was printed one-sided, Nino cursed himself for forgetting to tell the guy it should be double sided. He hurried to the table and put the wrong printed paper on the table.
“I’m sorry I forgot to tell you it should be double sided,” said Nino as he adjusted the setting on the PC without permission. He figured it was okay because the guy kept on smiling at him.
He took the paper from the printer and then ready to leave when the mysterious man called him, handing back the wrong printed paper to him.
“Here, I won’t need this,”
“Well, thank you for helping me. Can I at least get my saviour’s name?”
“Ohno Satoshi,” answered the mysterious man. Nino repeated the man’s name, thinking why it sounded familiar and yet he couldn’t remember.
“Good morning, Nino. Did you submit the report on time?” asked Aiba brightly, his friend since kindergarten when he entered the office on Monday.
“Yup. Aiba chan, it’s Monday and it’s morning. Why are you so loud? Don’t you know about Monday blues?” complained Nino. He knew his friend was just too cheerful and he would never get why Nino and everyone else were grumpier than ever on a Monday morning.
“I think everyone should be as cheerful as Aiba on Monday morning so that you could be productive,” another voice interrupted them. It was Sakurai Sho, their boss who had just arrived.
“With that being said, Aiba, could you please give me the lists of instruments that have been installed for this month and its layout plan? I give you an hour to submit,” Aiba nodded his head, getting ready to get his work done.
“And, Nino, I don’t want you to delay the report submission anymore,” warned Sho as he walked to his office.
“I could finish it on time if you hire more workers to do my other job,”complained Nino when Sho was out of ear-shot. However, he wasn’t really serious about his complaints. He thought that he was well paid for the job he done. Furthermore, Sho was a great boss. He maybe strict but he was well organized and ready to help unlike the previous manager who only nagged him to do his job without really helping.
“Ne, Nino. Do you have paper that I could used to scribble?” asked Aiba. Nino nodded his head, remembering the wrong printed paper that Ohno gave him. He gave the paper to Aiba to use.
“Say, have you seen the guy who works next door?” Asked Nino, without really expecting Aiba would know Ohno. But Aiba’s response surprised him.
“Ah, you finally meet Ohchan again! He’s getting cuter, right?”
“Excuse me. Have I ever met him before?” asked Nino in confusion. Aiba looked at him back with the same look until he suddenly realized something.
“He looked a bit different now, I guess because of his hair. He also did something to his teeth and he wasn’t as chubby as before. So, maybe that’s why you don’t recognize him,”
“Aiba chan, who is this Ohno Satoshi?” Asked Nino again, hoping that Aiba will stop babbling and finally answered him.
“Nino, he was the one that you keep molesting in elementary and middle school. You kept on touching his butt to the point he was already immune to your touch,” answered Aiba, which caused Nino to remember someone. There’s only person which fits the description.
“Samii...,”
“Yes, yes. That’s what you called him before. Ah, talk with you later. I need to start working,” said Aiba. He could only smile though deep inside his heart, he remembered a painful memory.
Like Aiba said, he used to be really close with Ohno in elementary and middle school. He had a crush on Ohno. For him, Ohno was someone really special and he always wanted to be with Ohno. Ohno would always understand when he wants to be alone or when he needs someone. No matter what, Ohno was always there for him.
But, they’re different. Ever since they started high school, things started to change. They grew apart and it’s not because of Ohno. Nino was the one to be blamed. He put distance between them. They’ve started to become strangers before the end of the first year.
“Ne, Nino, are you going somewhere today?” He heard Aiba asking, bringing him back to reality.
“Huh?” He asked Aiba, not knowing what Aiba meant by that.
“Here! It looks like you have an appointment today,” said Aiba as he put a paper on his table and Nino noticed a note on it.
‘Monday. 6:30 PM. Hachiko Statue,’
“Oh, but it wasn’t your handwriting. Where did you get this paper?” Nino just shrugged. He knew it could only mean Ohno was the one who write the note. But, he wondered if the note was for him or Ohno has unintentionally wrote on his paper when he was making plan with another person. However, he decided to push the thought away. There’s no way Ohno would ask him out.
Nino yawned as he entered the elevator on the next day. He was really sleepy. He went to sleep late the night before because of playing games. Well, games distract him from thinking of Ohno.
“Ah, wait!” he could heard someone was screaming from the outside, trying to get into the elevator. He immediately pushed the open button and immediately regretted his action when he saw it was Ohno who was trying to get inside. It wasn’t a good idea to see the object of your thought when you’re trying to forget him.
Like before, Ohno smiled softly at him and for some reason, he moved closer to Nino despite the wide area of the elevator.
“I waited two hours for you at Hachiko. You didn’t see the note?” asked Ohno softly. Nino could only blink in surprise.
“I bet you didn’t see it then. Well, I guess we could go for lunch together today. See you at 1,” said Ohno before leaving the elevator when they finally arrived at their floor. Nino could only stare at Ohno, wondering if Ohno was actually talking to him.
Working distracted him from thinking of Ohno especially when he had to do layout plan for Sho. Time flied fast and before he knew it, it was already 1 PM when Aiba asked him to go lunch with him. But, he refused his invitation as he had bought his own lunch at the convenience store on his way to work. So, Aiba just left with Sho and a few other workers.
“Wow, I thought you don’t want to go out to avoid me,” Nino was about to eat his bento when he heard Ohno’s voice. He turned to the door to see Ohno walking towards him.
“Samii,” he said spontaneously without thinking.
“Oh, you finally remember me. Did Aiba chan tell you about me?” Asked Ohno and Nino nodded his head.
“You’re not going for lunch?” Asked Nino when Ohno kept on looking at him as he eats. However, Ohno simply shook his head.
“I’ve a meeting with a client earlier. So, I already have lunch,”
“And yet you asked me to have lunch with you this morning,”
“Well, I could still have a dessert if we go for lunch together,”
“So, the note in the paper was for me? I thought you scribbled on the paper when someone asked you out,” asked Nino, hoping to get rid of the awkward situation whenever both of them stay quiet.
“So, you read the note and yet you stood me up,”
“Hey, like I said, I thought it wasn’t for me,”
“Well, even when I was talking to you this morning, you didn’t think I was talking to you. So, what should I do to ask you out?” Asked Ohno and Nino lowered his head in embarrassment, remembering the incident this morning.
“I’m sorry,” said Nino, almost whispering and Ohno smiled in return. Looking at the smile reminded Nino of their time spent together in the past. The smile that he thought only reserved for him. But… he shook his head to push the memory away.
“It’s okay. I better get going. I’ve got work to do. See you,” said Ohno as he started walking to the door, leaving Nino alone.
Once again, he was thinking of the past when he was left alone. In the past, when Ohno asked him out, he always avoid him, saying he was busy with school work or baseball game when he was just lying on his bed and playing games.
Ohno became one of the popular boys in high school after he joined the music club. He may not be really good in academics but he got other talents. He was really good in arts, winning a few prizes for their school in arts competition. When he joined the music club and started performing for musical, everyone was crazy for him when they listened to his soothing voice. There’s no way for someone who looked as plain as Nino who only played games would be suitable for someone as amazing as Ohno. Other students definitely gave him a disgusting look whenever they saw Ohno and Nino together, unlike when Ohno was with that person.
“Nino, are you avoiding Ohchan again?” Asked Aiba when he took his seat in front of Nino, getting ready to resume his work.
“None of your business,”
“Nino, I don’t think you should do that. No matter what, you are his friend. You shouldn’t let your feeling for him affecting your friendship, especially when you are not sure of his feeling for you,” advised Aiba. However, Nino pretended to ignore the advice. He knew Aiba was right but he couldn’t follow the advice, especially when he remembered the past.
“We are strangers now,” said Nino. Aiba only shook his head but he knew it was the cue for him to stop talking about Ohno.
Nino hurried to get his phone in the living room when it rang. He was in the kitchen doing his dishes after dinner. He was surprised to see the caller ID. ‘Samii <3’ was what written as the caller ID. He wondered when did Ohno saved his number in his phone.
“Hello, love,” said Ohno as soon he answered the call.
“Geez, when did you save your number in my phone?” asked Nino which only caused Ohno to laugh. His laughter was a melody to Nino’s ear. Nino remembered how he enjoyed listening to Ohno’s laugh back then.
“I did it right in front of your eyes this afternoon and you didn’t stop me. I thought it was okay to do so. By the way, your phone passcode is really easy to crack. Thank you for combining our birthdate for your passcode,” answered Ohno. Nino was sure his face is really red right now. He used the passcode since high school and didn’t bother to change even after they grew apart. Ohno was right. 1726 is definitely the combination of their birthdate.
“It wasn’t the combination of our birthdate!” exclaimed Nino, trying to deny the fact. He heard Ohno laughed in return, making him feel more embarrassed.
“Okay. Whatever you say. Anyway, do you always buy bento from convenience store for your lunch?”
“Not really. I usually do it when I’m in tight budget, which is almost everyday,” answered Nino, not suspecting anything. Actually, he had more than enough to eat in a restaurant but he preferred to save money. If he wants to eat in restaurant, he will make sure Aiba would treat him.
“Still stingy like before,”
“None of your business. Why are you asking? Do you want to bring me to high class restaurant? Sorry, I’m not going unless it was your treat,”
“Yeah, that’s the plan. I want to eat pasta in the new western shop near our office tomorrow. Sho kun said it is delicious,”
“Sho kun?”
“Yeah. Your boss,”
“You know my boss?”
“My roommate in university. He was the one who told me that there is an office to rent next to yours,”
“Oh,”
“So, are you going?” Asked Ohno again and Nino frowning in confusion, didn’t understand what Ohno meant by that until he remembered about the pasta in the western shop that Ohno told him about before.
“I’m busy,”
“Busy or trying to avoid me?”
“Busy avoiding you then,”
“Please stop avoiding me. I miss you. You are a great friend. It was fun hanging out with you back then,”
‘Friend. That’s all I’m going to be, right?’ thought Nino while thinking of the other person. Ohno’s boyfriend in high school. He wondered if they are still together.
“Please come. It’s going to be my treat. Sho kun said that the hamburger in the restaurant is really delicious,” said Ohno, almost begging in desperation. Well, he really knows how to beg. It has been a while since Nino eat hamburger. As it was Ohno’s treat, he had nothing to lose then.
“Okay. Whatever. I never say no to free food,”
“Yeah! I’m going to reserve the restaurant then. Thank you. See you tomorrow at 1,” said Ohno, ending the phone call. Nino could only smile while thinking if he made the right decision to eat with Ohno tomorrow. Well, he made a promise to himself that it would be the last time to do so. He would put a distance between them after this.
However, it wasn’t an easy thing to do. Unlike before when Nino tried to put distance between them, Ohno complied easily. He didn’t begging for Nino to meet him and spend time together. But he was persistent this time in trying to get Nino to spend time with him. If Nino said that he already brought bento, Ohno would still stay in his office without even eat anything. Sometimes, he would just try to steal a bite from Nino. Before long, Ohno had started to bring bento for lunch and eat together with Nino in his office.
“Wanna go to the amusement park tomorrow?” Asked Ohno when they were eating lunch together in the office. It’s Friday and tomorrow is the Saturday he had been waiting for. A new game would be released and he had decided to spend the entire weekend playing games.
“Sounds good but I think you better ask Aiba chan to go with you. He loves the ride; I’m a bit scaredy cat,”
“Huh? Why would I asked Aiba chan when it’s obvious I’m trying to woo you? It’s good if you’re a scaredy cat. It means that you might hold my hand tighter. We should go to the haunted house! I will love it when you hug me!”
“Huh?”
“A night view from the ferris wheel would be romantic. It would be a perfect opportunity for our first kiss. If I asked Aiba chan, it would be weird, not to mention I might get a punch from Sho kun,”
“Punch from Sho?” asked Nino curiously. He knew he should be interested with Ohno’s idea of having a date in amusement park and first kiss in the Ferris wheel but he wondered why he was more interested to know about Sho and Aiba.
“Eh, you didn’t know? Sho kun likes Aiba chan but he thought he was too serious for Aiba chan. I used to have the same thought about someone too and decided to do something about it. It turns out to be one of the worst decisions,” said Ohno before staring into space like he usually did back then. Nino wondered if he was thinking about his boyfriend. Maybe he wasn’t together with the guy anymore. If they’re still together, there’s no way Ohno would be spending time with Nino right?
“Is this about you and Matsumoto? Did something happen between the two of you?” asked Nino before he could stop himself. He immediately regretted it when Ohno’s expression turned painful before he closed the lid of his bento even though he wasn’t finished eating yet.
“Ah, gomen Nino. I remember I need to work on something. See you,” said Ohno and he brought the bento with him. Before he opened the door to go out, he turned to Nino.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to go out with me tomorrow. I understand. You need space,” said Ohno before leaving. Nino cursed himself for being insensitive to Ohno. He was a fool for talking about Ohno’s boyfriend when Ohno just asked him out on a date.
The door of his office opened once again and Aiba and Sho entered the office talking about something excitedly.
“I almost go for that kind of volunteering work once but something happened and I couldn’t join. If I go, I might not meet you. I don’t even know if I will still be alive,” he heard Sho told Aiba. For some reason, he was interested to know.
“What are you guys talking about?” He asked joining their conversation.
“During university, I almost go for a volunteer work in South America but couldn’t make it because it clashed with one of the events I organized. One of my friends joined the volunteering. Ah, you guys know him. All of you are from the same school as Satoshi, right?” Both Nino and Aiba nodded their head.
“So, you must have known Matsumoto Jun, right?” asked Sho again. Nino nodded his head. There’s no way he wouldn’t know Matsumoto Jun. He just talked about him with Ohno just now, which caused Ohno to be mad at him.
“So, Matsujun got the chance to join the volunteering works. Unfortunately, he and a few others were kidnapped by the revolutionaries. They were never found and the government declared that they were dead. I think it happened three to four years ago,”
Both Aiba and Sho kept on talking but Nino couldn’t focus on the conversation anymore. No wonder Ohno looked really sad just now. He understands if Ohno was mad at him. He shouldn’t talk about Jun. Ohno must have a hard time dealing with Jun’s fate and he, being insensitive as he always is, just casually mentioned Jun’s name. He should really apologize to Ohno later.
It wasn’t long before he waited outside of Ohno’s office to talk with him. He never thought he would wait for Ohno. Usually it was Ohno who waited for him, asking him to have dinner together.
“Nino, you’re not going back yet?” Asked Aiba when he noticed Nino. Nino smiled softly at Aiba and Sho who walked together out of the office.
“I have something to talk with Ohno san. See you on Monday,” said Nino as he glanced at Ohno’s office. There was no sign Ohno would come out yet.
“Okay, have a nice weekend,” said Aiba, waving his hands at Nino.
“Is there something going on between Nino and Satoshi?” He could hear Sho asking Aiba but Aiba simply raised his shoulder, indicating he had no idea what was going on between Nino and Ohno.
“Ninomiya san, are you waiting for Ohno san?” asked Chinen, one of the workers in Ohno’s office. Nino simple nodded his head.
“He is alone in the office. I don’t think he will go home yet. Come, I will let you in,” said Chinen gesturing for him to enter the office. Nino simply followed and entered the office.
As he entered, it reminded him of the first time he was here. His first meet with Ohno after a few years.
Ohno was sitting at his place but he clearly not working. Instead he was staring into space.
“It wasn’t good to claim for overtime when you’re clearly not working,” said Nino teasingly. He didn’t know if it’s the right move but he was just trying to create a light atmosphere.
Ohno stared at him in surprise, like he wasn’t expecting to see Nino there. Nino could only smile awkwardly at the other guy.
“It’s okay because I’m the boss here. I definitely do not need to claim for overtime,” said Ohno. He walked to Nino and pulled him to sit next to him. Ohno stared at him as if expecting for him to say something and Nino could only lowered his head in embarrassment. It’s not because he couldn’t form the words to apologize for what happened earlier but it’s because of Ohno’s intense stare at him.
“Samii, I’m sorry for talking about Matsumoto. I didn’t know about what happened to him. I mean, I just found out about it from…” he couldn’t finished his words when Ohno suddenly kissed him. He was too surprised to react but it didn’t take long for him to respond to the kiss even though it may have been too sloppy.
“Man, I really want our first kiss to be in the ferris wheel. You don’t know how long I’ve restraining myself from kissing you since we met again,” said Ohno. He was pouting, clearly sulking as things didn’t go as he planned. Nino could only laugh, not knowing what to say about Ohno’s childish behaviour.
“Ne, Nino,” Ohno suddenly turned serious which took Nino by surprise.
“Jun is my past now. Whatever happened between both Jun and I back then, let’s forget it, okay? Right now, you are the most important person for me. I love you so much,” said Ohno. Nino could only nod his head in response. Ohno then smiled before leaning in to kiss him again.
“So, are we going to the amusement park tomorrow? I still want to kiss you in the ferris wheel,” said Ohno. He was being childish again like he usual self.
“Sure,” said Nino in response. He guessed he would just play the new games later.
Since both of them started dating officially, Nino was more cheerful than before. Quoting Aiba’s word ‘Nino is glowing ever since he dating Ohno.’ It also made Nino brattier than before, especially since he knew his boss was interested with Aiba. So, he ended up keep on teasing them to make them confess.
“Nino, do your work and stop daydreaming about Samii” said Sho, imitating the way Nino called his beloved Ohno when he saw Nino smiling creepily remembering Ohno and their previous date. Ohno had gone a week outside of Tokyo for a meeting with client. He supposed to be back today, after lunch. He simply asked Nino to come to his office after work today so they could have dinner together.
“For your information, I’ve finished all my work. I’ve submitted the report and put it on your table for review. I’ve check the list for defective instruments and sent email to the supplier. I just want to go home and cuddle with my boyfriend but the only thing keeps me in the office is because I still have 15 minutes left before office hour is over,” complained Nino. In the past, he will not say those words to Sho but Sho had become more flexible nowadays, thanks to Aiba.
“Oh yeah. I just remembered your boyfriend is coming back from Kyoto today. That’s why you are brattier than always today. He did ask me to make sure you will not overwork today because he’s going to give you a surprise,” Nino looked baffled hearing Sho. He didn’t know anything about surprise.
“I suppose I shouldn’t say..,” said Sho. His voice trailed off as he realized his slip of tongue.
“What surprise? Is Ohchan going to propose?” asked Aiba. All other staffs whistled in excitement. Nino bet his face is red right now.
“Of course not. It’s only six months. It’s too early to get married,” denied Nino though he would admit he could feel butterfly in his stomach when he thought of it.
“I don’t know. Satoshi didn’t tell me anything about that. Nino, please pretend that you didn’t know anything about the surprise. Don’t look like you’re expecting a surprise and act surprise… well… when he give you the surprise. He would be mad if he knows I ruined his surprise. You know how scary he is when he is angry. I don’t want him to unleash his hidden Maou,”
“Yeah. Whatever. I better get going. It’s almost time,” said Nino as he packed his stuff and immediately left the office.
Ohno was not outside when he left his office. So, Nino went and rang the bell of Ohno’s office. It was Chinen who opened the door, looking a bit surprised to see him.
“Ninomiya san! Ohno san is not here,”
“Eh, where did he go? He said to meet him in the office,”
“I don’t know. He received a phone call and left immediately. I couldn’t even ask him anything. His stuff is still in the office so I think he will come back. Why don’t you come in?”
Nino let himself in the office. He tried to call Ohno a few times but he didn’t pick up. He waited for about half an hour but there is no sign of Ohno. He felt bad when he noticed Chinen keep on looking at the clock.
“I think I better go home now. I bet you’re already tired. See you tomorrow,” said Nino, excusing himself from the office. Chinen smiled gratefully and he looked relieved. Nino knew that Ohno had instructed Chinen to not give the office’s key to anybody. Even though Nino is his boss’ boyfriend, he is still an outsider for Ohno’s company.
Nino walked home alone, wondering where Ohno went and why is he unreachable until he arrived at the park near their office. From afar, he could see two figures talking closely. One is short and another is taller. The short guy looked familiar and somehow, Nino ended up getting closer to both of them.
“Samii,” Nino gasped in surprise when he realized Ohno was the short guy. Luckily he was far from the guys so they didn’t hear him.
He was even more surprised to see the other guy. Wasn’t that Matsumoto Jun? Ohno’s ex boyfriend who was supposed to be dead? How come he is here?
What happened next was even more frustrating for him. Matsumoto leaned against Ohno and he knew they were about to kiss. Before he could actually see them kissing, he walked away from the park and he could feel tears started to roll.
“Wow, I don’t expect this to be the surprise,” he told himself as he remembered the conversation he had earlier.
“Nino, someone is here to see you,”
Nino wouldn’t have to guess to know who wants to see him. It has to be Ohno. Ever since that day, he blocked Ohno’s number in his phone and doing his best to avoid seeing Ohno in the office. He came as early as he could and leave as late as he wants. Whenever his colleagues told him that Ohno was waiting for him outside, he will just ignore them. Everyone, except Sho, kept on asking him for his reason to ignore Ohno but he didn’t answer them. Before long, they stopped asking and he bet Sho might have told them what happened. Nino didn’t know if Sho truly know what happened but with Matsumoto returned from wherever he was previously, he knew Sho could make a guess. Even Ohno himself should be aware of the reason for Nino’s wrath. They were kissing in the park that Nino walked everyday! They should have guessed that Nino saw them kissing.
He couldn’t believe that Ohno would betray him like this. After all the sweet talk about Nino being the most important person in his life and Matsumoto was just his past, how could he chose Matsumoto when he appeared again? Were all those sweet words a lie then? If it is, Nino was a fool to believe then.
“I’ve told you I don’t want to see him,” said Nino coldly. He had become moody since that day.
“I don’t want to see you either but I have no choice. I messed up and now Ohno is angry at me because of you,” the voice was unfamiliar for Nino and he turned to see Matsumoto was glaring at him. Nino returned the glare.
“I don’t have anything to talk with you,”
“Trust me, we do. Sho kun, let me borrow your meeting room,” said Matsumoto and without waiting for Sho, he dragged Nino to the meeting room. Even though Nino tried to resist, Matsumoto was too strong for him.
“Honestly, I don’t know what he sees in you. You’re handsome but that’s all,” said Matsumoto. Nino felt offended to hear what Matsumoto said that he missed what the other was trying to say.
“Just because you can’t see my charms, it doesn’t mean that I don’t have any. But, what’s the point of talking? He chose you and I’m fine with it,”
“Who said he chose me? He never loves me. It was always you since before and you’re just too blind to see,”
“Yeah, he would never love… wait… what did you say?” asked Nino in surprise. He thought Matsumoto was saying something about Nino was always Ohno’s choice. But, that’s impossible. They were kissing in the park. If Ohno loves him, why would he kiss Matsumoto?
Matsumoto sighed in response, shaking his head.
“I said he never love me. He loves you since high school or maybe before that. You guys know each other since elementary school, right?”
“That’s impossible. He was dating you in high school. He kissed you in the park. How could you say he never love you?”
Again, Matsumoto shook his head in disbelief.
“For someone as clever as you, you could be stupid too. About dating me in high school, it was just rumours. We’re in the music club and often practice together. The only reason we become close was because you ignored him in high school. I admit I fall in love with him but he has his eyes on someone else. Someone who is standing in front of me right now,” explained Matsumoto and Nino couldn’t believe his ears. Ohno loved him since high school? But, assuming this is true, it wouldn’t change the fact that they kissed in the park. If Ohno didn’t love Matsumoto, why would he kiss him?
“Well, I figured you might see us in the park when Ohno told me you’ve been ignoring him. But, I think you don’t watch long enough. If you did, you might not act the way you did now. In fact, who knows what both of you might be doing right now,” said Matsumoto with a naughty grin. Nino could only stare at Matsumoto, waiting for him to continue.
“As you have known, I joined the volunteering work and ended up being kidnapped by the revolutionaries. I missed Ohno so badly when I was there. When somebody finally rescued me and the others, I want to meet him first and confess again; hoping that he would realize his feeling for me when I wasn’t around. But, I was wrong. Even if he didn’t meet you again, he would never love me. Knowing that I’ve been rejected, I asked him a favour. I want him to let me kiss him and I won’t bother him anymore. He was reluctant but at the end he agreed,”
“So, he kissed you. He still betrayed me,”
“Could you please shut up and listen,” said Matsumoto. His voice was slightly higher, showing he was annoyed to be interrupted. Nino pouted in response.
“Even though he gave me the permission to kiss him, he changed his mind when I was about to kiss him. He pushed me away, saying he couldn’t betray you. He didn’t want to let anyone kiss him other than you. So, do you see it now? There’s nothing between us. If you keep on ignoring him like you did now, I will make sure you pay for making him sad,” threatened Matsumoto with a glare. Nino figured Matsumoto could be scary as he remembered Matsumoto’s reputation as a sadist in the school.
“Are you really telling me the truth?”
“Oh, man. Are you really thick? What do I get by lying to you?” asked Matsumoto back. Nino nodded his head, agreeing that Matsumoto was right.
“So, give him the chance to explain. Talk with him. As much as I want to be with him, I want him to be happy more. And he will be happy when he is with you. So, talk! Ask him anything that you want to know,”
Nino nodded his head. He realized that he had a lot to ask Ohno now that he talked with Matsumoto.
“Well, my job here is done. So, good luck in reconcile with Ohno,” said Matsumoto as he left the meeting room. Nino could hear noise from outside of the room when Matsumoto opened the door. It may sound like everyone is busy working but he knew better. All of them must have been trying to listen to the conversation he had with Matsumoto.
Now, he had more important thing to do. To reconcile with Ohno. But, how is he going to do that with the way he treated Ohno? Would Ohno forgive him and give him another chance?
Nino didn’t know how he ended up in the office on Saturday. It wasn’t like he had any urgent job to do. He figured that he might need a distraction from thinking of Ohno. It had been three weeks since he thought he saw Ohno kissed Matsumoto and three days since he talked with Matsumoto. He knew he should do something before it’s too late but he doesn’t know how.
He clicked one of the file and ready to get some works done when someone rang the bell of his office. Lazily, he went to the door, guessing it would be Aiba as the other man told him that he wanted to work today. Aiba might forget his access card that’s why he rang the bell. However, he was surprised to see someone who is not Aiba standing in front of him when he opened the door.
“Samii,”
“Ah, I don’t know you’re working. If you don’t want to see me, I will go,” said Ohno, trying to get away. But Nino was quick to stop him and pulled Ohno into the office. Maybe, this is the opportunity to talk with Ohno.
Awkward silence. Nino used this chance to look properly at Ohno. It seems that the other guy looked miserable. He looked skinnier and there was dark circle under his eyes. Nino bet Ohno didn’t sleep and eat properly and he was the one to be blamed for that.
“Do you need any help?” asked Nino, a bit hesitant. Perhaps thinking that Nino was only offering to help because of society norm, Ohno shook his head.
“Then, can we talk? About what happened in the park? I saw both…”
“I knew it! I know you must have seen me and Jun and thought I betrayed you. That’s why you avoid me. I’m sorry, Nino! There’s nothing between Jun and I. It was just a misunderstanding. I only love you. Please trust me!” said Ohno, almost begging.
Seeing the way Ohno desperately trying to explain made Nino feel even more guilty. He didn’t know what to do so he extended his arm and pulled Ohno closer. How much he missed Ohno! His warmth! His scent! He missed everything about Ohno! What a fool he is to avoid Ohno without letting him explain.
“Nino?” Asked Ohno, completely puzzled with the way Nino acted. But, Nino simply smiled without saying anything.
“I’m sorry, Samii. Jun explained everything to me,” said Nino as he slowly letting go of Ohno who looked surprised to hear about Jun. Nino figured that Ohno didn’t know about his meeting with Jun.
“He said a lot of things. It seems that I’ve been a fool since high school,”
Ohno’s eyes widened and he looked restless.
“What did Jun tell you? Did he tell you something unnecessary?”
Looking at Ohno’s reaction made Nino chuckled. Ohno looked cuter when he panicked like that even though Nino didn’t know why he needs to panic. Whatever Jun said made Nino loves Ohno more, not the other way around.
“Relax. He told me that you love me since high school, maybe even before than that,”
“Oh,”
“Hey, remembered when you told me that you think you’re not suitable to someone?” Nino started but he smirked when he saw Ohno’s face turned red.
“Yeah… what about it?”
“Is it about me?” asked Nino. And he loved the way Ohno blushed before nodding slowly.
“That’s why I joined music club. You’re an ace for the baseball team and good in academics. There’s no way you would like me the way I like you. You always compliment my voice so I think if I join the music, maybe I can be good enough for you,”
“And when you become popular after joining the music club, I avoided you. For the same reason you join the club. Cause I think I’m not good enough for you,”
“We are stupid, aren’t we?”
Nino nodded his head in agreement.
“So, are we together again?” Asked Ohno and Nino could only roll his eyes as he couldn’t believe Ohno would ask him a stupid question. He pulled Ohno closer and started to kiss him.
“Ne, Nino! Sorry, I’m late. I…” their kiss stopped when someone interrupted them. Nino blinked his eyes to see Aiba and Sho stood up in front of him. Both Aiba and Sho looked at each other and smiling wickedly then proceed to the door and leave both Ohno and Nino alone again.
“Wow, I thought he won’t come at all. I bet he was late because he went somewhere else with Sho first,” said Nino. He didn’t pay attention to what Ohno was doing as he kept talking about Aiba and Sho. He gave idea on what both of them should do to confess.
“Samii, what are you doing to my hand?” said Nino as he pulled his hand away from Ohno. He could feel a foreign object in his finger. When he looked at his hand, he was surprised to see a ring.
“It’s beautiful,” said Nino, admiring the ring that Ohno gave him.
“I was planning to propose you on that day. But, you know what happened. Well, as you said that we’re together again, I think I should ask now,”
Even without seeing his own face, Nino bet his face is really red right now. Maybe his ears would be red too. He didn’t expect Ohno would propose him right after they reconcile.
“Ninomiya Kazunari, would you marry me?” Asked Ohno, kneeling. Nino wanted to point out that maybe Ohno should put the ring after he agreed to the proposal but he figured why bother when they both know the answer. So, instead of answering, he pulled Ohno to kiss him again.
“Are you guys done kissing? I want to start doing my work,” he could hear Aiba’s voice, followed by a laugh from Sho. Nino stopped kissing Ohno to glare at both of his friends. He knew they purposely came into the office at that time, to tease him.
“I bet we will see a glowing Nino again after this,” Added Aiba.
“Whatever. Let’s go, Samii. I don’t think I want to do any work today,” said Nino pulling Ohno with him to the door. However, Ohno stopped in front of the door, as if he just remembered something.
“Ah, can I use your printer? I need to print something. I don’t know what’s wrong with my printer but it was making weird noise,” said Ohno as he pulled out a usb and bring to Aiba.
Looking at the printer, Nino couldn’t help but thanked that non-living item. He remembered that his first meeting with Ohno after a long time was because of the printer. Then, when he was hesitant to talk with Ohno because of their misunderstanding, for some odd reason, the printer brought Ohno to him again. Coincidence? Maybe. But, that’s not important. The most important thing is he and Ohno are together again. And, he would never let Ohno go again.
A/N:
I got the idea to write this when the printer in my office caused the same problem to me. So, I shamelessly asked for help from the office next door. It happened on a Saturday too when no one was around.
I hope it wasn't weird. The image I had for Ohno in this is when he had his maou hair which makes him looked different than when he has short hair. I think it's possible if you don't remember how someone you used to love look like. I mean, if you haven't met them for a long time, the image you engraved in your mind is probably different from the way they look now. As for the name, Nino didn't usually call his real name. He used the nickname and that's why he only feel the name is familiar but he couldn't really remember the owner of the name. It's possible, right?
Actually, it wasn't supposed to be this long. I just want to make a short one-shot but because I want to use a scene from Pretty Little Liars, that's why it became long (If any of you watched PLL, could you guess which scene it is?) But, I hope it wasn't too boring and you enjoy reading it. Comments are loved. Thank you!
Length: One Shot
Summary: Nino needs to submit a report but his printer does not work. Afraid he will not meet the deadline, he asked for help from a stranger who works next door.
“Eh, how come I miss page 144-150?” said Nino to himself as he checked the report that he had just finished printing. A few pages were missing from the report even though he was sure he had printed those pages.
He glanced at the clock, noticing he still has some time left before the submission. He hurried to the PC to print the pages again. As usual, the printer was making a noise indicating something was about to print and he could see the green light signalling the data from the computer has been transferred to the printer. However, the green light suddenly stopped blinking and nothing came out from the printer.
“Eh, what happened?” He went to the printer to check. Nothing was wrong with the printer. All the cables are connected. He tried to switch it off and on the printer again. Then he tried to print. The same thing happened. Nothing came out of the printer.
He sighed. He was the only one working today as it was Saturday so no one could help him. He was supposed to send the report to the client yesterday but as he was busy with another work, he couldn’t finish it on time. The client gave him an extension but he needed to send it before their office closed at 12:00p.m.
“No, I cannot panic. There must be something I could do to print the report,” he tried to calm himself. He then decided to print another file as a test printing. This time, the printer successfully printed the file. So, he decided to try printing the missing pages again and yet, the printer refused to do so.
“WTF! What is wrong with u? There’s no way I could submit the report on time if I cannot print it in another 10 minutes,” Nino could only complain. He doesn’t know what to do to make the printer works.
Suddenly, he heard someone unlocked the office next door. This gave him an idea. The person who works next door could be his saviour. He would rather sacrifice his pride by asking a stranger for help than risking losing his job just because he cannot meet the deadline.
He immediately transferred the file from his PC to the usb. Then, he walked quickly to the office next door and waited for the person to appear after he knocked the door softly.
The door was opened and a small tanned man appeared. He had a chubby cheek with wavy black hair. He looked familiar though Nino couldn’t put a name to the face.
“Ninomiya Kazunari,” said the man softly and Nino was surprised to hear him. How did the guy know his name?
“Have we met before? How do you know my name?” Asked Nino and instead of answering, the man smiled softly at him.
“How can I help you?” asked the other man. Nino remembered the reason he came to the office and decided to push the question about the mysterious man away.
“Ah, can I print something using your printer? I don’t know what is the problem with my printer,” asked Nino. The man nodded his head and allowed Nino to enter his office. Nino couldn’t help but feel amazed to look at the PC and printer in the office which looked more updated than the one in his office.
Nino then handed him the USB and showed him the file he needed to be printed. He then waited at the printer for the file to come out.
“Say, how do you know my name?” asked Nino while waiting.
“I dream of you and you told me your name in my dream,” answered the man straightly. Nino glared at him silently when he noticed the man was not looking at him. He figured this man would just want to tease him.
When the paper came out of the printer and it was printed one-sided, Nino cursed himself for forgetting to tell the guy it should be double sided. He hurried to the table and put the wrong printed paper on the table.
“I’m sorry I forgot to tell you it should be double sided,” said Nino as he adjusted the setting on the PC without permission. He figured it was okay because the guy kept on smiling at him.
He took the paper from the printer and then ready to leave when the mysterious man called him, handing back the wrong printed paper to him.
“Here, I won’t need this,”
“Well, thank you for helping me. Can I at least get my saviour’s name?”
“Ohno Satoshi,” answered the mysterious man. Nino repeated the man’s name, thinking why it sounded familiar and yet he couldn’t remember.
“Good morning, Nino. Did you submit the report on time?” asked Aiba brightly, his friend since kindergarten when he entered the office on Monday.
“Yup. Aiba chan, it’s Monday and it’s morning. Why are you so loud? Don’t you know about Monday blues?” complained Nino. He knew his friend was just too cheerful and he would never get why Nino and everyone else were grumpier than ever on a Monday morning.
“I think everyone should be as cheerful as Aiba on Monday morning so that you could be productive,” another voice interrupted them. It was Sakurai Sho, their boss who had just arrived.
“With that being said, Aiba, could you please give me the lists of instruments that have been installed for this month and its layout plan? I give you an hour to submit,” Aiba nodded his head, getting ready to get his work done.
“And, Nino, I don’t want you to delay the report submission anymore,” warned Sho as he walked to his office.
“I could finish it on time if you hire more workers to do my other job,”complained Nino when Sho was out of ear-shot. However, he wasn’t really serious about his complaints. He thought that he was well paid for the job he done. Furthermore, Sho was a great boss. He maybe strict but he was well organized and ready to help unlike the previous manager who only nagged him to do his job without really helping.
“Ne, Nino. Do you have paper that I could used to scribble?” asked Aiba. Nino nodded his head, remembering the wrong printed paper that Ohno gave him. He gave the paper to Aiba to use.
“Say, have you seen the guy who works next door?” Asked Nino, without really expecting Aiba would know Ohno. But Aiba’s response surprised him.
“Ah, you finally meet Ohchan again! He’s getting cuter, right?”
“Excuse me. Have I ever met him before?” asked Nino in confusion. Aiba looked at him back with the same look until he suddenly realized something.
“He looked a bit different now, I guess because of his hair. He also did something to his teeth and he wasn’t as chubby as before. So, maybe that’s why you don’t recognize him,”
“Aiba chan, who is this Ohno Satoshi?” Asked Nino again, hoping that Aiba will stop babbling and finally answered him.
“Nino, he was the one that you keep molesting in elementary and middle school. You kept on touching his butt to the point he was already immune to your touch,” answered Aiba, which caused Nino to remember someone. There’s only person which fits the description.
“Samii...,”
“Yes, yes. That’s what you called him before. Ah, talk with you later. I need to start working,” said Aiba. He could only smile though deep inside his heart, he remembered a painful memory.
Like Aiba said, he used to be really close with Ohno in elementary and middle school. He had a crush on Ohno. For him, Ohno was someone really special and he always wanted to be with Ohno. Ohno would always understand when he wants to be alone or when he needs someone. No matter what, Ohno was always there for him.
But, they’re different. Ever since they started high school, things started to change. They grew apart and it’s not because of Ohno. Nino was the one to be blamed. He put distance between them. They’ve started to become strangers before the end of the first year.
“Ne, Nino, are you going somewhere today?” He heard Aiba asking, bringing him back to reality.
“Huh?” He asked Aiba, not knowing what Aiba meant by that.
“Here! It looks like you have an appointment today,” said Aiba as he put a paper on his table and Nino noticed a note on it.
‘Monday. 6:30 PM. Hachiko Statue,’
“Oh, but it wasn’t your handwriting. Where did you get this paper?” Nino just shrugged. He knew it could only mean Ohno was the one who write the note. But, he wondered if the note was for him or Ohno has unintentionally wrote on his paper when he was making plan with another person. However, he decided to push the thought away. There’s no way Ohno would ask him out.
Nino yawned as he entered the elevator on the next day. He was really sleepy. He went to sleep late the night before because of playing games. Well, games distract him from thinking of Ohno.
“Ah, wait!” he could heard someone was screaming from the outside, trying to get into the elevator. He immediately pushed the open button and immediately regretted his action when he saw it was Ohno who was trying to get inside. It wasn’t a good idea to see the object of your thought when you’re trying to forget him.
Like before, Ohno smiled softly at him and for some reason, he moved closer to Nino despite the wide area of the elevator.
“I waited two hours for you at Hachiko. You didn’t see the note?” asked Ohno softly. Nino could only blink in surprise.
“I bet you didn’t see it then. Well, I guess we could go for lunch together today. See you at 1,” said Ohno before leaving the elevator when they finally arrived at their floor. Nino could only stare at Ohno, wondering if Ohno was actually talking to him.
Working distracted him from thinking of Ohno especially when he had to do layout plan for Sho. Time flied fast and before he knew it, it was already 1 PM when Aiba asked him to go lunch with him. But, he refused his invitation as he had bought his own lunch at the convenience store on his way to work. So, Aiba just left with Sho and a few other workers.
“Wow, I thought you don’t want to go out to avoid me,” Nino was about to eat his bento when he heard Ohno’s voice. He turned to the door to see Ohno walking towards him.
“Samii,” he said spontaneously without thinking.
“Oh, you finally remember me. Did Aiba chan tell you about me?” Asked Ohno and Nino nodded his head.
“You’re not going for lunch?” Asked Nino when Ohno kept on looking at him as he eats. However, Ohno simply shook his head.
“I’ve a meeting with a client earlier. So, I already have lunch,”
“And yet you asked me to have lunch with you this morning,”
“Well, I could still have a dessert if we go for lunch together,”
“So, the note in the paper was for me? I thought you scribbled on the paper when someone asked you out,” asked Nino, hoping to get rid of the awkward situation whenever both of them stay quiet.
“So, you read the note and yet you stood me up,”
“Hey, like I said, I thought it wasn’t for me,”
“Well, even when I was talking to you this morning, you didn’t think I was talking to you. So, what should I do to ask you out?” Asked Ohno and Nino lowered his head in embarrassment, remembering the incident this morning.
“I’m sorry,” said Nino, almost whispering and Ohno smiled in return. Looking at the smile reminded Nino of their time spent together in the past. The smile that he thought only reserved for him. But… he shook his head to push the memory away.
“It’s okay. I better get going. I’ve got work to do. See you,” said Ohno as he started walking to the door, leaving Nino alone.
Once again, he was thinking of the past when he was left alone. In the past, when Ohno asked him out, he always avoid him, saying he was busy with school work or baseball game when he was just lying on his bed and playing games.
Ohno became one of the popular boys in high school after he joined the music club. He may not be really good in academics but he got other talents. He was really good in arts, winning a few prizes for their school in arts competition. When he joined the music club and started performing for musical, everyone was crazy for him when they listened to his soothing voice. There’s no way for someone who looked as plain as Nino who only played games would be suitable for someone as amazing as Ohno. Other students definitely gave him a disgusting look whenever they saw Ohno and Nino together, unlike when Ohno was with that person.
“Nino, are you avoiding Ohchan again?” Asked Aiba when he took his seat in front of Nino, getting ready to resume his work.
“None of your business,”
“Nino, I don’t think you should do that. No matter what, you are his friend. You shouldn’t let your feeling for him affecting your friendship, especially when you are not sure of his feeling for you,” advised Aiba. However, Nino pretended to ignore the advice. He knew Aiba was right but he couldn’t follow the advice, especially when he remembered the past.
“We are strangers now,” said Nino. Aiba only shook his head but he knew it was the cue for him to stop talking about Ohno.
Nino hurried to get his phone in the living room when it rang. He was in the kitchen doing his dishes after dinner. He was surprised to see the caller ID. ‘Samii <3’ was what written as the caller ID. He wondered when did Ohno saved his number in his phone.
“Hello, love,” said Ohno as soon he answered the call.
“Geez, when did you save your number in my phone?” asked Nino which only caused Ohno to laugh. His laughter was a melody to Nino’s ear. Nino remembered how he enjoyed listening to Ohno’s laugh back then.
“I did it right in front of your eyes this afternoon and you didn’t stop me. I thought it was okay to do so. By the way, your phone passcode is really easy to crack. Thank you for combining our birthdate for your passcode,” answered Ohno. Nino was sure his face is really red right now. He used the passcode since high school and didn’t bother to change even after they grew apart. Ohno was right. 1726 is definitely the combination of their birthdate.
“It wasn’t the combination of our birthdate!” exclaimed Nino, trying to deny the fact. He heard Ohno laughed in return, making him feel more embarrassed.
“Okay. Whatever you say. Anyway, do you always buy bento from convenience store for your lunch?”
“Not really. I usually do it when I’m in tight budget, which is almost everyday,” answered Nino, not suspecting anything. Actually, he had more than enough to eat in a restaurant but he preferred to save money. If he wants to eat in restaurant, he will make sure Aiba would treat him.
“Still stingy like before,”
“None of your business. Why are you asking? Do you want to bring me to high class restaurant? Sorry, I’m not going unless it was your treat,”
“Yeah, that’s the plan. I want to eat pasta in the new western shop near our office tomorrow. Sho kun said it is delicious,”
“Sho kun?”
“Yeah. Your boss,”
“You know my boss?”
“My roommate in university. He was the one who told me that there is an office to rent next to yours,”
“Oh,”
“So, are you going?” Asked Ohno again and Nino frowning in confusion, didn’t understand what Ohno meant by that until he remembered about the pasta in the western shop that Ohno told him about before.
“I’m busy,”
“Busy or trying to avoid me?”
“Busy avoiding you then,”
“Please stop avoiding me. I miss you. You are a great friend. It was fun hanging out with you back then,”
‘Friend. That’s all I’m going to be, right?’ thought Nino while thinking of the other person. Ohno’s boyfriend in high school. He wondered if they are still together.
“Please come. It’s going to be my treat. Sho kun said that the hamburger in the restaurant is really delicious,” said Ohno, almost begging in desperation. Well, he really knows how to beg. It has been a while since Nino eat hamburger. As it was Ohno’s treat, he had nothing to lose then.
“Okay. Whatever. I never say no to free food,”
“Yeah! I’m going to reserve the restaurant then. Thank you. See you tomorrow at 1,” said Ohno, ending the phone call. Nino could only smile while thinking if he made the right decision to eat with Ohno tomorrow. Well, he made a promise to himself that it would be the last time to do so. He would put a distance between them after this.
However, it wasn’t an easy thing to do. Unlike before when Nino tried to put distance between them, Ohno complied easily. He didn’t begging for Nino to meet him and spend time together. But he was persistent this time in trying to get Nino to spend time with him. If Nino said that he already brought bento, Ohno would still stay in his office without even eat anything. Sometimes, he would just try to steal a bite from Nino. Before long, Ohno had started to bring bento for lunch and eat together with Nino in his office.
“Wanna go to the amusement park tomorrow?” Asked Ohno when they were eating lunch together in the office. It’s Friday and tomorrow is the Saturday he had been waiting for. A new game would be released and he had decided to spend the entire weekend playing games.
“Sounds good but I think you better ask Aiba chan to go with you. He loves the ride; I’m a bit scaredy cat,”
“Huh? Why would I asked Aiba chan when it’s obvious I’m trying to woo you? It’s good if you’re a scaredy cat. It means that you might hold my hand tighter. We should go to the haunted house! I will love it when you hug me!”
“Huh?”
“A night view from the ferris wheel would be romantic. It would be a perfect opportunity for our first kiss. If I asked Aiba chan, it would be weird, not to mention I might get a punch from Sho kun,”
“Punch from Sho?” asked Nino curiously. He knew he should be interested with Ohno’s idea of having a date in amusement park and first kiss in the Ferris wheel but he wondered why he was more interested to know about Sho and Aiba.
“Eh, you didn’t know? Sho kun likes Aiba chan but he thought he was too serious for Aiba chan. I used to have the same thought about someone too and decided to do something about it. It turns out to be one of the worst decisions,” said Ohno before staring into space like he usually did back then. Nino wondered if he was thinking about his boyfriend. Maybe he wasn’t together with the guy anymore. If they’re still together, there’s no way Ohno would be spending time with Nino right?
“Is this about you and Matsumoto? Did something happen between the two of you?” asked Nino before he could stop himself. He immediately regretted it when Ohno’s expression turned painful before he closed the lid of his bento even though he wasn’t finished eating yet.
“Ah, gomen Nino. I remember I need to work on something. See you,” said Ohno and he brought the bento with him. Before he opened the door to go out, he turned to Nino.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to go out with me tomorrow. I understand. You need space,” said Ohno before leaving. Nino cursed himself for being insensitive to Ohno. He was a fool for talking about Ohno’s boyfriend when Ohno just asked him out on a date.
The door of his office opened once again and Aiba and Sho entered the office talking about something excitedly.
“I almost go for that kind of volunteering work once but something happened and I couldn’t join. If I go, I might not meet you. I don’t even know if I will still be alive,” he heard Sho told Aiba. For some reason, he was interested to know.
“What are you guys talking about?” He asked joining their conversation.
“During university, I almost go for a volunteer work in South America but couldn’t make it because it clashed with one of the events I organized. One of my friends joined the volunteering. Ah, you guys know him. All of you are from the same school as Satoshi, right?” Both Nino and Aiba nodded their head.
“So, you must have known Matsumoto Jun, right?” asked Sho again. Nino nodded his head. There’s no way he wouldn’t know Matsumoto Jun. He just talked about him with Ohno just now, which caused Ohno to be mad at him.
“So, Matsujun got the chance to join the volunteering works. Unfortunately, he and a few others were kidnapped by the revolutionaries. They were never found and the government declared that they were dead. I think it happened three to four years ago,”
Both Aiba and Sho kept on talking but Nino couldn’t focus on the conversation anymore. No wonder Ohno looked really sad just now. He understands if Ohno was mad at him. He shouldn’t talk about Jun. Ohno must have a hard time dealing with Jun’s fate and he, being insensitive as he always is, just casually mentioned Jun’s name. He should really apologize to Ohno later.
It wasn’t long before he waited outside of Ohno’s office to talk with him. He never thought he would wait for Ohno. Usually it was Ohno who waited for him, asking him to have dinner together.
“Nino, you’re not going back yet?” Asked Aiba when he noticed Nino. Nino smiled softly at Aiba and Sho who walked together out of the office.
“I have something to talk with Ohno san. See you on Monday,” said Nino as he glanced at Ohno’s office. There was no sign Ohno would come out yet.
“Okay, have a nice weekend,” said Aiba, waving his hands at Nino.
“Is there something going on between Nino and Satoshi?” He could hear Sho asking Aiba but Aiba simply raised his shoulder, indicating he had no idea what was going on between Nino and Ohno.
“Ninomiya san, are you waiting for Ohno san?” asked Chinen, one of the workers in Ohno’s office. Nino simple nodded his head.
“He is alone in the office. I don’t think he will go home yet. Come, I will let you in,” said Chinen gesturing for him to enter the office. Nino simply followed and entered the office.
As he entered, it reminded him of the first time he was here. His first meet with Ohno after a few years.
Ohno was sitting at his place but he clearly not working. Instead he was staring into space.
“It wasn’t good to claim for overtime when you’re clearly not working,” said Nino teasingly. He didn’t know if it’s the right move but he was just trying to create a light atmosphere.
Ohno stared at him in surprise, like he wasn’t expecting to see Nino there. Nino could only smile awkwardly at the other guy.
“It’s okay because I’m the boss here. I definitely do not need to claim for overtime,” said Ohno. He walked to Nino and pulled him to sit next to him. Ohno stared at him as if expecting for him to say something and Nino could only lowered his head in embarrassment. It’s not because he couldn’t form the words to apologize for what happened earlier but it’s because of Ohno’s intense stare at him.
“Samii, I’m sorry for talking about Matsumoto. I didn’t know about what happened to him. I mean, I just found out about it from…” he couldn’t finished his words when Ohno suddenly kissed him. He was too surprised to react but it didn’t take long for him to respond to the kiss even though it may have been too sloppy.
“Man, I really want our first kiss to be in the ferris wheel. You don’t know how long I’ve restraining myself from kissing you since we met again,” said Ohno. He was pouting, clearly sulking as things didn’t go as he planned. Nino could only laugh, not knowing what to say about Ohno’s childish behaviour.
“Ne, Nino,” Ohno suddenly turned serious which took Nino by surprise.
“Jun is my past now. Whatever happened between both Jun and I back then, let’s forget it, okay? Right now, you are the most important person for me. I love you so much,” said Ohno. Nino could only nod his head in response. Ohno then smiled before leaning in to kiss him again.
“So, are we going to the amusement park tomorrow? I still want to kiss you in the ferris wheel,” said Ohno. He was being childish again like he usual self.
“Sure,” said Nino in response. He guessed he would just play the new games later.
Since both of them started dating officially, Nino was more cheerful than before. Quoting Aiba’s word ‘Nino is glowing ever since he dating Ohno.’ It also made Nino brattier than before, especially since he knew his boss was interested with Aiba. So, he ended up keep on teasing them to make them confess.
“Nino, do your work and stop daydreaming about Samii” said Sho, imitating the way Nino called his beloved Ohno when he saw Nino smiling creepily remembering Ohno and their previous date. Ohno had gone a week outside of Tokyo for a meeting with client. He supposed to be back today, after lunch. He simply asked Nino to come to his office after work today so they could have dinner together.
“For your information, I’ve finished all my work. I’ve submitted the report and put it on your table for review. I’ve check the list for defective instruments and sent email to the supplier. I just want to go home and cuddle with my boyfriend but the only thing keeps me in the office is because I still have 15 minutes left before office hour is over,” complained Nino. In the past, he will not say those words to Sho but Sho had become more flexible nowadays, thanks to Aiba.
“Oh yeah. I just remembered your boyfriend is coming back from Kyoto today. That’s why you are brattier than always today. He did ask me to make sure you will not overwork today because he’s going to give you a surprise,” Nino looked baffled hearing Sho. He didn’t know anything about surprise.
“I suppose I shouldn’t say..,” said Sho. His voice trailed off as he realized his slip of tongue.
“What surprise? Is Ohchan going to propose?” asked Aiba. All other staffs whistled in excitement. Nino bet his face is red right now.
“Of course not. It’s only six months. It’s too early to get married,” denied Nino though he would admit he could feel butterfly in his stomach when he thought of it.
“I don’t know. Satoshi didn’t tell me anything about that. Nino, please pretend that you didn’t know anything about the surprise. Don’t look like you’re expecting a surprise and act surprise… well… when he give you the surprise. He would be mad if he knows I ruined his surprise. You know how scary he is when he is angry. I don’t want him to unleash his hidden Maou,”
“Yeah. Whatever. I better get going. It’s almost time,” said Nino as he packed his stuff and immediately left the office.
Ohno was not outside when he left his office. So, Nino went and rang the bell of Ohno’s office. It was Chinen who opened the door, looking a bit surprised to see him.
“Ninomiya san! Ohno san is not here,”
“Eh, where did he go? He said to meet him in the office,”
“I don’t know. He received a phone call and left immediately. I couldn’t even ask him anything. His stuff is still in the office so I think he will come back. Why don’t you come in?”
Nino let himself in the office. He tried to call Ohno a few times but he didn’t pick up. He waited for about half an hour but there is no sign of Ohno. He felt bad when he noticed Chinen keep on looking at the clock.
“I think I better go home now. I bet you’re already tired. See you tomorrow,” said Nino, excusing himself from the office. Chinen smiled gratefully and he looked relieved. Nino knew that Ohno had instructed Chinen to not give the office’s key to anybody. Even though Nino is his boss’ boyfriend, he is still an outsider for Ohno’s company.
Nino walked home alone, wondering where Ohno went and why is he unreachable until he arrived at the park near their office. From afar, he could see two figures talking closely. One is short and another is taller. The short guy looked familiar and somehow, Nino ended up getting closer to both of them.
“Samii,” Nino gasped in surprise when he realized Ohno was the short guy. Luckily he was far from the guys so they didn’t hear him.
He was even more surprised to see the other guy. Wasn’t that Matsumoto Jun? Ohno’s ex boyfriend who was supposed to be dead? How come he is here?
What happened next was even more frustrating for him. Matsumoto leaned against Ohno and he knew they were about to kiss. Before he could actually see them kissing, he walked away from the park and he could feel tears started to roll.
“Wow, I don’t expect this to be the surprise,” he told himself as he remembered the conversation he had earlier.
“Nino, someone is here to see you,”
Nino wouldn’t have to guess to know who wants to see him. It has to be Ohno. Ever since that day, he blocked Ohno’s number in his phone and doing his best to avoid seeing Ohno in the office. He came as early as he could and leave as late as he wants. Whenever his colleagues told him that Ohno was waiting for him outside, he will just ignore them. Everyone, except Sho, kept on asking him for his reason to ignore Ohno but he didn’t answer them. Before long, they stopped asking and he bet Sho might have told them what happened. Nino didn’t know if Sho truly know what happened but with Matsumoto returned from wherever he was previously, he knew Sho could make a guess. Even Ohno himself should be aware of the reason for Nino’s wrath. They were kissing in the park that Nino walked everyday! They should have guessed that Nino saw them kissing.
He couldn’t believe that Ohno would betray him like this. After all the sweet talk about Nino being the most important person in his life and Matsumoto was just his past, how could he chose Matsumoto when he appeared again? Were all those sweet words a lie then? If it is, Nino was a fool to believe then.
“I’ve told you I don’t want to see him,” said Nino coldly. He had become moody since that day.
“I don’t want to see you either but I have no choice. I messed up and now Ohno is angry at me because of you,” the voice was unfamiliar for Nino and he turned to see Matsumoto was glaring at him. Nino returned the glare.
“I don’t have anything to talk with you,”
“Trust me, we do. Sho kun, let me borrow your meeting room,” said Matsumoto and without waiting for Sho, he dragged Nino to the meeting room. Even though Nino tried to resist, Matsumoto was too strong for him.
“Honestly, I don’t know what he sees in you. You’re handsome but that’s all,” said Matsumoto. Nino felt offended to hear what Matsumoto said that he missed what the other was trying to say.
“Just because you can’t see my charms, it doesn’t mean that I don’t have any. But, what’s the point of talking? He chose you and I’m fine with it,”
“Who said he chose me? He never loves me. It was always you since before and you’re just too blind to see,”
“Yeah, he would never love… wait… what did you say?” asked Nino in surprise. He thought Matsumoto was saying something about Nino was always Ohno’s choice. But, that’s impossible. They were kissing in the park. If Ohno loves him, why would he kiss Matsumoto?
Matsumoto sighed in response, shaking his head.
“I said he never love me. He loves you since high school or maybe before that. You guys know each other since elementary school, right?”
“That’s impossible. He was dating you in high school. He kissed you in the park. How could you say he never love you?”
Again, Matsumoto shook his head in disbelief.
“For someone as clever as you, you could be stupid too. About dating me in high school, it was just rumours. We’re in the music club and often practice together. The only reason we become close was because you ignored him in high school. I admit I fall in love with him but he has his eyes on someone else. Someone who is standing in front of me right now,” explained Matsumoto and Nino couldn’t believe his ears. Ohno loved him since high school? But, assuming this is true, it wouldn’t change the fact that they kissed in the park. If Ohno didn’t love Matsumoto, why would he kiss him?
“Well, I figured you might see us in the park when Ohno told me you’ve been ignoring him. But, I think you don’t watch long enough. If you did, you might not act the way you did now. In fact, who knows what both of you might be doing right now,” said Matsumoto with a naughty grin. Nino could only stare at Matsumoto, waiting for him to continue.
“As you have known, I joined the volunteering work and ended up being kidnapped by the revolutionaries. I missed Ohno so badly when I was there. When somebody finally rescued me and the others, I want to meet him first and confess again; hoping that he would realize his feeling for me when I wasn’t around. But, I was wrong. Even if he didn’t meet you again, he would never love me. Knowing that I’ve been rejected, I asked him a favour. I want him to let me kiss him and I won’t bother him anymore. He was reluctant but at the end he agreed,”
“So, he kissed you. He still betrayed me,”
“Could you please shut up and listen,” said Matsumoto. His voice was slightly higher, showing he was annoyed to be interrupted. Nino pouted in response.
“Even though he gave me the permission to kiss him, he changed his mind when I was about to kiss him. He pushed me away, saying he couldn’t betray you. He didn’t want to let anyone kiss him other than you. So, do you see it now? There’s nothing between us. If you keep on ignoring him like you did now, I will make sure you pay for making him sad,” threatened Matsumoto with a glare. Nino figured Matsumoto could be scary as he remembered Matsumoto’s reputation as a sadist in the school.
“Are you really telling me the truth?”
“Oh, man. Are you really thick? What do I get by lying to you?” asked Matsumoto back. Nino nodded his head, agreeing that Matsumoto was right.
“So, give him the chance to explain. Talk with him. As much as I want to be with him, I want him to be happy more. And he will be happy when he is with you. So, talk! Ask him anything that you want to know,”
Nino nodded his head. He realized that he had a lot to ask Ohno now that he talked with Matsumoto.
“Well, my job here is done. So, good luck in reconcile with Ohno,” said Matsumoto as he left the meeting room. Nino could hear noise from outside of the room when Matsumoto opened the door. It may sound like everyone is busy working but he knew better. All of them must have been trying to listen to the conversation he had with Matsumoto.
Now, he had more important thing to do. To reconcile with Ohno. But, how is he going to do that with the way he treated Ohno? Would Ohno forgive him and give him another chance?
Nino didn’t know how he ended up in the office on Saturday. It wasn’t like he had any urgent job to do. He figured that he might need a distraction from thinking of Ohno. It had been three weeks since he thought he saw Ohno kissed Matsumoto and three days since he talked with Matsumoto. He knew he should do something before it’s too late but he doesn’t know how.
He clicked one of the file and ready to get some works done when someone rang the bell of his office. Lazily, he went to the door, guessing it would be Aiba as the other man told him that he wanted to work today. Aiba might forget his access card that’s why he rang the bell. However, he was surprised to see someone who is not Aiba standing in front of him when he opened the door.
“Samii,”
“Ah, I don’t know you’re working. If you don’t want to see me, I will go,” said Ohno, trying to get away. But Nino was quick to stop him and pulled Ohno into the office. Maybe, this is the opportunity to talk with Ohno.
Awkward silence. Nino used this chance to look properly at Ohno. It seems that the other guy looked miserable. He looked skinnier and there was dark circle under his eyes. Nino bet Ohno didn’t sleep and eat properly and he was the one to be blamed for that.
“Do you need any help?” asked Nino, a bit hesitant. Perhaps thinking that Nino was only offering to help because of society norm, Ohno shook his head.
“Then, can we talk? About what happened in the park? I saw both…”
“I knew it! I know you must have seen me and Jun and thought I betrayed you. That’s why you avoid me. I’m sorry, Nino! There’s nothing between Jun and I. It was just a misunderstanding. I only love you. Please trust me!” said Ohno, almost begging.
Seeing the way Ohno desperately trying to explain made Nino feel even more guilty. He didn’t know what to do so he extended his arm and pulled Ohno closer. How much he missed Ohno! His warmth! His scent! He missed everything about Ohno! What a fool he is to avoid Ohno without letting him explain.
“Nino?” Asked Ohno, completely puzzled with the way Nino acted. But, Nino simply smiled without saying anything.
“I’m sorry, Samii. Jun explained everything to me,” said Nino as he slowly letting go of Ohno who looked surprised to hear about Jun. Nino figured that Ohno didn’t know about his meeting with Jun.
“He said a lot of things. It seems that I’ve been a fool since high school,”
Ohno’s eyes widened and he looked restless.
“What did Jun tell you? Did he tell you something unnecessary?”
Looking at Ohno’s reaction made Nino chuckled. Ohno looked cuter when he panicked like that even though Nino didn’t know why he needs to panic. Whatever Jun said made Nino loves Ohno more, not the other way around.
“Relax. He told me that you love me since high school, maybe even before than that,”
“Oh,”
“Hey, remembered when you told me that you think you’re not suitable to someone?” Nino started but he smirked when he saw Ohno’s face turned red.
“Yeah… what about it?”
“Is it about me?” asked Nino. And he loved the way Ohno blushed before nodding slowly.
“That’s why I joined music club. You’re an ace for the baseball team and good in academics. There’s no way you would like me the way I like you. You always compliment my voice so I think if I join the music, maybe I can be good enough for you,”
“And when you become popular after joining the music club, I avoided you. For the same reason you join the club. Cause I think I’m not good enough for you,”
“We are stupid, aren’t we?”
Nino nodded his head in agreement.
“So, are we together again?” Asked Ohno and Nino could only roll his eyes as he couldn’t believe Ohno would ask him a stupid question. He pulled Ohno closer and started to kiss him.
“Ne, Nino! Sorry, I’m late. I…” their kiss stopped when someone interrupted them. Nino blinked his eyes to see Aiba and Sho stood up in front of him. Both Aiba and Sho looked at each other and smiling wickedly then proceed to the door and leave both Ohno and Nino alone again.
“Wow, I thought he won’t come at all. I bet he was late because he went somewhere else with Sho first,” said Nino. He didn’t pay attention to what Ohno was doing as he kept talking about Aiba and Sho. He gave idea on what both of them should do to confess.
“Samii, what are you doing to my hand?” said Nino as he pulled his hand away from Ohno. He could feel a foreign object in his finger. When he looked at his hand, he was surprised to see a ring.
“It’s beautiful,” said Nino, admiring the ring that Ohno gave him.
“I was planning to propose you on that day. But, you know what happened. Well, as you said that we’re together again, I think I should ask now,”
Even without seeing his own face, Nino bet his face is really red right now. Maybe his ears would be red too. He didn’t expect Ohno would propose him right after they reconcile.
“Ninomiya Kazunari, would you marry me?” Asked Ohno, kneeling. Nino wanted to point out that maybe Ohno should put the ring after he agreed to the proposal but he figured why bother when they both know the answer. So, instead of answering, he pulled Ohno to kiss him again.
“Are you guys done kissing? I want to start doing my work,” he could hear Aiba’s voice, followed by a laugh from Sho. Nino stopped kissing Ohno to glare at both of his friends. He knew they purposely came into the office at that time, to tease him.
“I bet we will see a glowing Nino again after this,” Added Aiba.
“Whatever. Let’s go, Samii. I don’t think I want to do any work today,” said Nino pulling Ohno with him to the door. However, Ohno stopped in front of the door, as if he just remembered something.
“Ah, can I use your printer? I need to print something. I don’t know what’s wrong with my printer but it was making weird noise,” said Ohno as he pulled out a usb and bring to Aiba.
Looking at the printer, Nino couldn’t help but thanked that non-living item. He remembered that his first meeting with Ohno after a long time was because of the printer. Then, when he was hesitant to talk with Ohno because of their misunderstanding, for some odd reason, the printer brought Ohno to him again. Coincidence? Maybe. But, that’s not important. The most important thing is he and Ohno are together again. And, he would never let Ohno go again.
A/N:
I got the idea to write this when the printer in my office caused the same problem to me. So, I shamelessly asked for help from the office next door. It happened on a Saturday too when no one was around.
I hope it wasn't weird. The image I had for Ohno in this is when he had his maou hair which makes him looked different than when he has short hair. I think it's possible if you don't remember how someone you used to love look like. I mean, if you haven't met them for a long time, the image you engraved in your mind is probably different from the way they look now. As for the name, Nino didn't usually call his real name. He used the nickname and that's why he only feel the name is familiar but he couldn't really remember the owner of the name. It's possible, right?
Actually, it wasn't supposed to be this long. I just want to make a short one-shot but because I want to use a scene from Pretty Little Liars, that's why it became long (If any of you watched PLL, could you guess which scene it is?) But, I hope it wasn't too boring and you enjoy reading it. Comments are loved. Thank you!