How Dare You! - Part 3
Nino went to the office early the next morning. Usually, he would go to work together with Aiba. But, since he had woken up early, he decided to leave without his friend. As Aiba was still sleeping and he didn’t want to bother him, he simply left a note on the table.
While on the train for work this morning, he thought of what happened yesterday. Of all things that could happen, he never thought that he would spend the night with his boss having dinner together. It was even harder to believe that they were with Ohno’s family with him apparently as Ohno’s boyfriend. It was totally absurd!
But, what was even more absurd was Aiba’s stupid logic. How could he think Ohno was doing it because he liked Nino? Hilarious! He couldn’t stop laughing when he heard that. Even though Aiba had tried to justify his opinion, Nino had shut him down, telling him it’s impossible Ohno liked him. If anything, Ohno hated him and that’s why he had made Nino’s life miserable yesterday.
When he arrived, he was surprised to see he wasn’t alone. Ohno was already in his office, staring intently at the computer. It’s strange because usually, Ohno would be the last one to arrive. But, well… even Nino was early so there must be a reason why Ohno arrived early today.
He went to the pantry to prepare coffee for himself. As he did so, he wondered whether he should confront Ohno now. There’s no one in the office so maybe it’s a perfect time. He didn’t want Jun and Sho to know what had happened yesterday. He had made Aiba promise not to tell anyone else. Aiba might be nosy but he knew how to keep his mouth shut.
As he was lost in his own thoughts, thinking of what to tell Ohno, someone approached him and then wrapped his waist. He went still, not knowing how to react. This was the first time someone had dared to embrace him like this. However, he started to relax when he heard a familiar voice chuckling. He sighed, knowing it was Ohno who was behind him.
He jabbed the man with his elbow. Ohno yelped playfully in response before he released his hold on Nino’s waist. Once he had been released, Nino turned around, standing face-to-face with the Maou. It was shocking to see how their faces were mere inches from each other. They were too close and he swore, he could smell Ohno’s minty breath.
“What are you doing?” He pushed Ohno away. The guy moved from him. He laughed loudly, clearly to mock him but all Nino could do was glare at him. Seriously, it was early in the morning and Ohno had already got on his nerves.
“A cup of coffee, please,” Ohno handed him his mug. He tilted his head and gave Nino puppy eyes, trying to look cute.
“I already made coffee in the pot. So, you just have to pour it into your mug. It’s not that hard!” Nino said in annoyance. He didn't take the mug from Ohno. It was rude of him but he didn't care. Ohno was to be blamed for this.
Urgh, his boss was even weirder today. What Ohno did yesterday during dinner was understandable because they were with his parents and they were apparently a couple. But, why did Ohno keep acting weird today? It’s creepy.
To make him even more frustrated, Ohno remained calm. All his boss did was smirk before pushing him away from the counter and then pouring a cup of coffee into the mug he was holding. Once he was done, he turned around to face Nino once again. No smile on his face this time.
“You’re early today, Ninomiya,” Ohno said in the same cold tone that Nino was familiar with. There’s no trace of playfulness on his face either. Instead, Ohno was once again back to being solemn and serious. Nino didn’t know how to feel about this. For one thing, he was amazed by how easily Ohno changed his expression. But, it was pretty disturbing too!
“I have work to do,”
It was baffling for him when Ohno suddenly laughed. Eh? This was too creepy! Was everything okay with Ohno? Should he be worried that something might be wrong with the manager’s brain?
“Ah… this is so fun!” Ohno exclaimed. “See, I can be fun if I want. I’m not really dull and boring,"
Huh? Another baffling moment… what did Ohno mean by that?
As Nino tried to make sense of what had happened, Ohno strode closer and then whispered in his ears.
"You look so cute when you're confused…" Ohno flicked Nino's nose gently. "... Kazunari,"
He did it again! He called Nino's first name! Ah, it's too much! Nino was ready to swing his hand, to land his small fist on Ohno's smug face.
But…
A sound from his back made him stop, alerting him that there's someone else in the pantry. He didn't want to turn around, afraid to see who the other person was. He prayed that it was Aiba even though it would be impossible. Even if Aiba woke up right after he left, it would take some time for his friend to arrive at work.
"Ah, good morning, Matsumoto san," Ohno greeted the newcomer cheerfully, distancing himself from Nino.
It's Jun! Jun is the newcomer. Ah… Why Jun?
Nino turned around and saw the surprised look on Jun's face as he tried to make sense of what he had seen. The surprised look was quickly replaced by amusement. And, it made Nino wish he could look at a mirror right now. Pretty sure his face was red. He cursed silently when he noticed how Jun was clearly trying to stifle his laugh.
"Good morning, Ohno san," Jun nodded his head.
Ohno only gave a small smile at Jun and then he excused himself from the pantry. However, before he left, he leaned closer to Nino, earning a curious look from Jun, and then he whispered. "Lunch together today. Don't you dare go out without me,"
Urgh… how dare Ohno threaten him! Fine, if he could survive dinner with Ohno yesterday, the lunch would be a piece of cake.
"What's going on between you and Ohno san?" As expected, Jun didn't waste a second to ask once Ohno was out of earshot.
"Ask that stupid boss yourself," Nino said, channelling his anger to his poor friend. "He had been acting weird since yesterday. And I'm in hell because of him. First, he made the office gloomy. Now, he keeps trying to get on my nerves. Urgh, stupid idiot dumb boss!"
Once he started cursing, he couldn't stop it. And he was lucky because Ohno didn't hear any of it. The stupid idiotic dumb maou was already in his room.
"Easy, man!" Jun tried to calm him. "I don't think he's that bad."
Nino glared at his friend. But, it had no effect on Jun. Instead, Jun started his long speech of why Ohno Satoshi is a good manager. Nino shrugged him off, ignoring whatever good point Jun talked about Ohno. Okay, he admitted that despite his unfriendly personality, Ohno had been a helpful boss. But… he didn't like how the boss had changed after…
Something clicked in his mind. He finally understood what Ohno meant by being boring and dull earlier.
"Ne…" He tapped Jun's shoulder, remembering he was alone with Jun in the washroom yesterday. He had complained about how grave the office had been since Ohno came. "Are we alone in the washroom yesterday? You know… before you left with Sho for your appointment…"
"Hmm… maybe… I don't remember, Nino!"
"Was he in the washroom? Did he hear what I said?" Nino mumbled. If he was not mistaken, there's certainly no one else in the washroom. Not even in the stalls.
But… Ah… Now he remembered… Ohno entered the washroom when he was leaving. Stupid Nino! Why didn't he realize that there's a possibility of Ohno overhearing the conversation he had with Jun? He must be angry because of what Nino had said about him. That's why he had been a jerk to Nino since yesterday.
It started to make sense now. Ohno was doing this because he wanted to prove that he can be fun. To prove that he wasn't dull and boring.
But… there's another mystery… Why would Ohno involve his family in this? He had no answer for that…
"Why are you so quiet? What are you thinking about?" Jun asked, distracting his thoughts.
"None of your business," Nino said playfully, being bratty as usual. "What I'm thinking about is too complicated. A mediocre mind like you won't understand,"
As usual, Jun only rolled his eyes before he muttered. "Yeah, right. Too complicated? Nah... I bet you're just thinking about Ohno san. Both of you have been weird since yesterday. But, I'm not going to pry into your private matter. Ohno san seems to be more relaxed and I like it. So, I hope you will not do something stupid to jeopardize this. If not…"
Jun left his words hanging. But, it was enough to let Nino know that he would make Nino suffer. Ah, to hell with that. Ohno was only in a good mood because he had made Nino's life miserable. And Nino won't stay quiet. Ohno would regret this. He would regret trying to mess with Nino.
Ah, he shouldn't waste his time sitting here and talking to Jun. It's time to do his work and then he can plot his revenge!
So, off he went, leaving Jun alone.
The morning was… uneventful. After their encounter in the pantry earlier, Ohno didn't bother him anymore. In fact, his boss was too busy, he didn't even go out of his room.
Good… He hoped Ohno would be too busy and forget about their lunch. It would be better if Ohno forgot to have his own lunch. He let out evil laughter, glancing at his boss before he continued to do his work.
"Why are you grinning like an idiot when you look at Ohno san, Nino?" Sho asked, much to Nino's surprise. Sho’s eyes were on the screen but apparently he could still notice what others were doing. Damn! He thought he had been subtle enough.
"Because Ohno san is someone special for him," It wasn't Nino who responded. It was Jun. Hearing that, Aiba was ready to add something. However, Nino gave him a sharp look and Aiba stayed silent with a pout.
"Oh…" Sho didn't look surprised. No one said anything after that.
However, despite his hope to have the lunch date cancelled, he found himself casting a look towards Ohno from time to time. He blamed it on his desire to have his revenge on Ohno. He hadn't planned what to do to Ohno yet. But, if they're really going to have lunch together, he would stay calm. That's his mistake yesterday. He was too overwhelmed and let Ohno control the situation. No, this time, it would be different.
When it was almost the time for lunch, he glimpsed towards Ohno only to find the guy staring back at him. Once he noticed what Nino was doing, he smiled triumphantly as he left the room and walked towards Nino. Without thinking, Nino stuck out his tongue at Ohno.
Oh, man… once again, he had let his annoyance towards Ohno control him. Ah, stay calm, Nino!
"Kazunari…" Ohno stroked his shoulder gently. His friends pretended to be ignorant. But, he was sure they were listening. "Let's go for lunch together,"
"Okay…" He easily agreed, saving his work before he stood up. "I thought you would cancel our date. You seemed busy,"
"Well, of course, I am busy," Ohno said, wrapping his arm around Nino's waist as they walked together. "But, I still have to eat, right?"
He could feel his phone vibrate in his pocket. But, he didn't check. Pretty sure it was Aiba who texted him. Ah, Aiba is so nosy!
Ohno brought him to a western restaurant near their office. Nino had been here before so he knew exactly what he wanted to eat. The steak here was delicious even though it was quite pricey. But, who cares.
"Thank you for the treat," Nino said after the waiter left.
"Pay with your own money," Ohno said before pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket. He handed it out but Nino didn't take it. He knew what it was. It must be the receipt from yesterday.
"You ask me out so you have to pay," He stuck his tongue out at Ohno again. This time, he didn't care if he looked childish. "So, why are you doing this?"
As expected, Ohno didn't answer him. Instead, he pretended to be busy looking around the restaurant. Geez, he is so annoying!
But, Nino didn't push him for an answer. Patience was the key here.
"What do you think?" Ohno suddenly said as the waiter put their meals on the table. Nino didn't answer immediately. He stayed silent, wanting the waiter to be gone first.
"If I know, I wouldn't ask you," He answered, pretending to be flustered once again. Let Ohno feel he had an upper hand right now.
"Please…" He pleaded, reaching out to take Ohno's hand on the table. Ohno beamed with happiness as he pushed Nino's hand away.
"No need to beg, dearie. I will tell you if you want to know. I'm doing it because…" Ohno paused, perhaps trying to be dramatic.
"Because…" Nino waited for the answer. Another smug smile from Ohno before he continued.
"It's for fun…" Ohno answered, confirming what Nino had thought. "I overheard you complain to Matsumoto san that the office is gloomy because of me. You complain that I'm boring and dull. So, I did this to let you see me in a different way, to let you know that I can be unpredictable too."
Nino feigned surprise as he listened to Ohno's explanation. He already knew that. Ohno simply confirmed his thoughts. One mystery solved, then.
"But, why do you have to deceive your parents?" He asked, didn’t care if he sounded eager this time.
Ohno looked uncomfortable as he mumbled. "Let's just say… it's for the future,"
"Huh?" Nino scowled. Future? What kind of answer was that? "Care to elaborate?"
Ohno shook his head.
"Tell me or I will tell your parents!" He urged Ohno, trying to sound as threatening as possible. It worked because Ohno quickly tried to calm him.
"I don't know how to tell them about my… hmm… sexual orientation," Ohno mouthed the last word, signifying how embarrassed he was. "So, I did that as an experiment. It seems like they are okay if I have a boyfriend,"
Oh… that wasn't what he expected. And truthfully, he didn't know how to react.
"Do you have an actual boyfriend?" He asked, out of curiosity. Twin spots of red appeared on Ohno's cheeks.
"No…" Ohno shook his head. "I just discovered this recently. I realize that I like a guy… in a different way,"
Recently? Nino wondered who the person might be. Could it be one of his colleagues? Maybe it's Jun. But, Aiba was quite attractive too. And Sho had a lot of fans so it could be him too.
However, upon hearing that Ohno liked someone, he felt something weird and he didn't like it.
He tried to push the feeling away, deciding to be his bratty self again. "Well… Ohno san, that is not a good way to test whether your parents will be okay with it. I'm adorable and loveable. So, of course, they will like me,"
Ohno rolled his eyes but he didn't say anything about that. Instead, he excused himself to go to the washroom.
That's when he realized Ohno had finished his food. Wow, that was fast. He better eats quickly too.
However, even after he finished eating, Ohno didn't appear. He started to feel weird about this so he called one of the waiters to ask about Ohno.
"He already left," The waiter answered. "He said you're going to pay. Are you ready to pay now?"
Damn! That Maou… urgh!
Poll
A/N: Thank you for participating in my poll. To be honest, I don't know what to think of this part. I hope it's okay and you enjoy reading it.
And I get idea for the last part from Ohno. If I'm not mistaken, he left Aiba to pay the bill once, right? That one could be accidental but this one, he did it on purpose. He just loved to tease Nino. And, since he had been teasing us with his moves for Turning Up Remix challenge, I decided to make him playful in this one.
Just a quick question, who do you think Ohno likes? Is it one of them or someone else?
As always, comments are very much appreciated. Thank you for supporting me. And, please take a good care of yourself. COVID-19 is so scary. I hope it will be over soon.