FANFIC ENTRY #17 CONT'D
CONTINUED FROM HERE
When Sho regained consciousness, Aiba was staring at him with worried eyes.
“Sho, are you okay?”
“What happened?”
“You passed out during the welcoming party. Even the director himself came here to check on you. He personally asked me to take you home after you were awake.”
“Home? Am I… fired?”
“Ha? Of course not, silly. He told me to make sure you get enough rest and be healthy again. He is very gentle and cute. You’re gonna like him for sure. His assistant is scary though.”
“Uuuum, Aiba-chan, what’s the director’s name?”
“Ohno, Satoshi Ohno-san.”
Sho began to think that sometimes fate worked in a really weird way. The new director was indeed his long lost best friend.
After Aiba dropped him at his house, Sho’s mind started to wander. After 13 years, he finally found his best friend. But he was afraid about how he was going to face Satoshi after all these years. What would he do if Satoshi hated him? He didn’t want to think about it and finally decided to get some sleep.
After spending two days lying on his bed and practically doing nothing, Sho came back to work with an anxious feeling. Sooner or later he would have to meet with Satoshi, whether he wanted it or not. He settled himself in his cubicle, and tried to concentrate more on his projects.
Sho was reading his e-mails when the new director arrived with his assistant. He waited for about ten minutes before quickly making his way to the director’s office, taking a deep breath, and knocking.
After he heard a voice asking him to come in, he opened the door and was greeted by two men, one of whom was definitely Satoshi. Seeing the cause of his frustration right in front of his eyes, Sho was stunned for a brief moment, before he managed to get out a few words.
“Ohno-san, I’m deeply sorry for the inconvenience I caused three days ago. My name is Sho Sakurai, also part of the design team. Nice to meet you.”
“Ah... Sakurai-san. Nice to meet you too. I’m Satoshi Ohno, and this is Jun Matsumoto. He will be helping me go through the details of everything.”
He doesn’t recognize me at all! But how come? Should I feel relieved or disappointed?
Conversation between them went formally about the ongoing projects. Sho explained the details and progress of all the projects he was in charge of and managed to conceal all his emotions, trying to act professional.
During their discussion, Sho couldn’t help but notice that Satoshi hadn’t changed at all. He still had that calm atmosphere around him, and flashed a gentle smile every now and then. His insight about art and design was amazing, just like back then, during their school days.
He felt his heart clench, wanting to tell him the truth about everything and ask forgiveness from his best friend. But he also knew he would ruin everything if he told him now. He needed to get out from the room quickly, before his emotions failed him.
When Sho was finally alone, he couldn’t remember how he had excused himself from the room. He just wanted to scream his heart out. Things that couldn’t be said were piling up in his chest, and he didn’t know how to deal with it.
How could he forget about me? Am I just an unimportant part of his memories? Then the things he said before were all lies. Maybe I should just forget about him and try to move on.
And once again, Sho buried himself deeper in his work, because it was the only thing that he could hold on to for now.
One month had passed, and people had quickly adjusted to the presence of the two newcomers in the office. At first, the employees were afraid of Jun, because he was a stoic guy and people were intimidated by him. But later on, they started to see that he really cared for the people around him, and started to like him.
On the other hand, Satoshi was immediately loved by everyone in the office. He was friendly and humble, not to mention his designs were far beyond amazing. Somehow, Sho realized that Satoshi was being friendly to everyone except him. He kept his distance with Sho and only talked to him if necessary.
It was just an ordinary night when Sho went out drinking with Aiba and Nino at their favorite bar. Aiba was telling stories about the one and only Satoshi Ohno to Nino, which made Nino desperately want to meet the guy. Sho could only hold in his bitter laugh, hearing what Aiba cheerfully said about his long lost friend.
After a few glasses of alcohol, Sho needed to go to the restroom, and he suddenly caught a glance of Satoshi and his assistant talking casually at the other side of the bar.
Sho didn’t mean to eavesdrop on the conversation, but they were speaking with loud voices because they were both a little drunk.
“Jun, do you believe in coincidence?”
“Hmm, why did you suddenly ask something like that?”
“I met someone at the office, someone that I’m not supposed to see anymore.”
“Someone you knew from the past?”
“He once said that he didn’t want to see me anymore. I think he might hate me.”
“He? That person is a man?”
“He was my best friend, until I said something that made him mad at me. It happened just before I moved to New York.”
“What are you going to do now, Satoshi?”
“I pretended that I forgot about him, but it’s just making things more awkward. Maybe I should go back to New York and let you handle all the things here.”
Jun smacked the back of Satoshi’s head after he finished his sentence.
“Satoshi, I might be your cousin, but don’t expect me to let you do something stupid. C’mon, you’ve always wanted to go back to Japan. Now after uncle let you, you’re just going to throw your dreams away? Think about it again. Who is he anyway?”
“Sakurai, Sho Sakurai.”
That was the last Sho heard before he quickly walked to the restroom. He surely didn’t expect to hear about this tonight, and after knowing the truth, he dared to get his hopes up once again.
He remembers! He didn’t forget about me. I still have a chance to make it right.
At that very moment, Sho decided that he would tell the truth and ask Satoshi to forgive him. He still didn’t know when or how, but he would give anything to make it work. Then, maybe, they could sort everything out and became friends again.
Sho woke up the next morning with a bright smile on his face, his first real smile since Satoshi came back into his life. Unfortunately, his good mood didn’t last for long, because apparently after that night, Jun was on a mission to protect his cute cousin from Sho Sakurai, the big bad wolf who could chase Satoshi away, back to New York.
Being overprotective as he was, Jun blocked all Sho’s efforts to meet with the Design Director. Even for work related stuff, Sho was never once able to talk with Satoshi. Despite all Jun’s efforts to ‘protect’ him, Satoshi seemed oblivious. He just wondered why Sho never came to his office to discuss things with him. Of course, sometimes they still met in the cafeteria, and Satoshi would send a small smile his way, which made Sho more frustrated than he already was.
One afternoon, Sho was reviewing things with a few workers in a function room used for doing carpentry work. He surely didn’t expect Satoshi to appear alone, without his overprotective bodyguard, curiously checking on the stuff they were making in the room. That’s when Satoshi’s eyes stopped at one particular wooden bench.
“Hey, what’s wrong with that bench over there?” Satoshi asked one worker, who seemed amused because his talented director had the time to actually come to the carpentry room.
“We made some mistakes with the measurements, so we had to leave that alone, and made a new one.”
“Can I have it?”
“Eh, sure Ohno-san. But what are you going to do with that bench?” The worker was confused and decided to ask.
“I’m bored and need something to work on. It’s a good thing I sent Jun away for a meeting. Otherwise he would have scolded me for even coming here. Now, do you have some overalls that I could use?”
Sho was standing near the storage shelf, so he grabbed a pair of overalls and gave it to the director, who received it with a grateful expression. Satoshi opened his formal shirt, leaving him with a thin white t-shirt, and quickly wore the overalls to protect his suit pants from paint splatters. He then found a spot at the corner of the room and started to paint the bench.
If Sho could catch that moment and record it in his memories to remember forever, he would. Satoshi was forgetting his surroundings and was completely absorbed in his work, with that look on his face that only appeared when he was concentrating. He mixed a few colors and changed the bench from just an ordinary wooden bench into a beautiful work of art.
In the past, Sho often accompanied his best friend when he was painting. No matter how tired he was, just watching Satoshi concentrate on his art could make him relax. And now, the scene he was longing to see was right in front of his eyes. He was mesmerized.
Sho didn’t even realize that he was staring and totally neglecting his own job, until Satoshi finished painting the bench. The artist stepped back and looked satisfied with the newly decorated bench, and suddenly Sho blurted out some words without thinking.
“Ohno-san, if you don’t mind, would you give that bench to me?”
As soon as Sho’s brain started working and he realized what he just said, he was sure that he was blushing madly. Satoshi looked surprised, but then he just nodded while looking Sho right in the eye.
“Just wait until the paint dries up, then it’s all yours.”
Not once in his life had Sho felt this embarrassed. The director had already returned to his office and Sho was still in the room with his heart beating so fast.
What am I thinking? Why am I acting like a girl in love? Wait, love? Could it be? After all these years?
Love had never been a special word for Sho Sakurai. He had been in a few relationships before, but none of them had made him experience real love. A few of his ex girlfriends even called him a perfect gentleman with no heart. Somewhere along the way, he had convinced himself that he didn’t believe in true love, but something in his heart told him that he just hadn’t found the right person.
And now, the more he thought about it, the more confused he became. His adoration for his friend might have changed into something he didn’t understand. One thing he knew for sure, he wanted to make everything work out with Satoshi. Laughing together with him, or just being there for him was all he hoped for. Even watching him smiling from afar would be enough. After all the things that he had done, he didn’t dare ask for more.
A bunch of uneventful days passed until it was nearing the end of January. Of course, Jun was still being an overprotective bodyguard and after a few failed attempts to try and talk to Satoshi, Sho was starting to feel desperate. All he needed was one chance to be left alone with his best friend to fix things up.
It was on Sho’s birthday when the chance finally came. He didn’t expect that Satoshi would walk past his cubicle and give him a small note asking him to come to the rooftop at 7 pm. Sho didn’t know what this was about, but he promised himself that he would use the chance to say all the things he wanted to say to Satoshi.
Many of his friends and colleagues called to wished him a happy birthday, but even so, Sho felt that time was moving so slowly. When the clock finally reached 7 pm, Sho quickly made his way to the rooftop.
When he arrived, Satoshi was already waiting for him while staring at the night sky. A sense of déjà vu suddenly engulfed him. The last night he spent together with his best friend was no different than tonight. The next thing he knew, they were standing side by side accompanied by comfortable silence, looking at the glimmering city lights.
A few minutes passed before Sho gathered his courage to break the silence.
“Ohno-san, do you remember who I am? I’m sorry for my rudeness, but I really need to know.”
Instead of answering his question, Satoshi reached into his pocket and pulled out a small figurine of a small boy reaching out for a golden star, and gave it to Sho with a shy grin on his face.
“Happy Birthday.”
“But… how..?” Sho received his birthday gift with a confused expression on his face.
“I never once forgot about you, Sho Sakurai. We parted and went our own ways back then, but I still treasure our friendship more than anything.”
“Then why...?”
“I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore, so in order to not make things more awkward, I pretended I didn’t know you.”
Neither of them said anything for a while, until Sho once again broke the silence.
“Satoshi, would you ever forgive me? I’m really sorry for the things I said that night. I never meant any of it. If only I had known that we might not see each other anymore.” Sho spoke with a soft voice while looking everywhere except in his friend’s eyes. He felt very nervous, and he was sure his heart would explode anytime soon.
“Sho, it was me who said weird things and hoped you would accept it without giving you time to properly think about it. I should be the one to say sorry to you.”
As always, his best friend’s voice had an immediate calming effect on Sho. He took a deep breath and realized that he was still holding the figurine Satoshi gave him as a birthday present. It was obvious that the figurine was hand-made. He tightened his hold on the figurine and gave a bright smile to his best friend.
“Thank you, Satoshi, for everything, really.”
The two best friends continued talking to catch up on things that had happened during the years they had been separated. Sho learnt that Satoshi was not happy living in New York, so he asked his father to let him go back to Japan. His father, who was actually the owner of the company, allowed his son to go, but only if Jun accompanied him.
Sho talked about his college days, his friends, and he even mentioned Aiba and Nino and asked Satoshi to join their drinking session next time, along with Matsumoto Jun.
The winter breeze was cold, but the two felt a familiar warmth in their hearts.
“Say, how about we forget the past, and get a fresh start for everything? It would be fun if we could hang out together again.”
“I don’t mind, but please tell Matsumoto-san to let me go near you sometimes. I don’t bite, you know.”
“Eh, Jun, what did he do?”
“I think he’s afraid I’ll eat you or something. He won’t let me talk to you.” Sho whined and made a cute pouting face.
Sho didn’t know what really happened, but in a blink of an eye, Satoshi was giving him a quick peck on his cheek.
“You’re so cute Sho, I don't mind you eating me,” Satoshi whispered dangerously close to his ear, which sent shivers all through Sho's body.
“Let me see what I can do about Jun. Now, I have to go back before he finds out that I’m missing. Happy Birthday and see you later, okay.”
And once again, Sho was left alone, with his cheeks burnt on the exact place Satoshi had kissed him. After he managed to control the beating of his heart and had calmed down, he smiled.
If this is what you call love, I won’t mind. Satoshi is perfect.
Epilogue - Ohno’s POV
I always think that life is full of mystery. One day you get separated from your childhood crush, and the next thing you know, you meet him again in a whole different set of circumstances.
Well, mine was seeing him lying in the infirmary looking so pale and fragile; I almost touched him just to make sure that he was alive and breathing. Even in his weak state, I could see that he had changed a lot since our teenager days. He was now taller than me, and physically more attractive than before.
And now, two months have passed since the night of his birthday and I still can’t believe that he’s right here beside me. The more time I spend together with him, the more I become infatuated with him. I’m falling for him all over again, this time with feelings stronger than before.
I love to see him blushing over the simplest things, which makes me enjoy teasing him even more. We can talk for hours without being bored, laugh our hearts out until our stomachs hurt and enjoy the comfortable silence after that. If you ask me, I would say that fate brought us together again.
Even though I still have doubts about his feelings for me, it’s hard to maintain my self-control. Especially when the object of my affection and desire is standing so close to me; I can even feel his warm breath against my neck, which is exactly what’s happening right now.
It’s only the two of us on the rooftop above our office, and he’s standing right beside me with his face only a few centimeters from mine. Without really thinking of anything, I trace his lips with my finger and slowly brush my lips against his. It’s only a gentle touch, giving him a chance to pull away. But instead, he puts his hand on my neck and pulls me closer to him.
Sho’s lips feel simply wonderful. The kiss is soft and inviting, making me losing all my senses. When I nibble at his bottom lip, he slowly opens his mouth, giving me access to taste him even more. I never thought that just a simple kiss could make me feel like this. The kiss deepens, and I’m completely drawn into an endless labyrinth of emotions, wanting him more and more. It is I who finally pull away, because I know I won’t be able to control myself if we continue to kiss.
The moonlight shines perfectly on him, and Sho looks like he’s glowing. With his fair skin, swollen lips, and messy hair, I think he’s on a mission to drive me crazy. A strand of hair is covering his forehead, and I can’t help fixing it, just so I can feel his soft brown hair brushing through my fingers. Sho’s not saying anything at all, just looking at me with his gentle eyes. I really don’t want to ruin this moment by breaking the silence, but I need to confirm his feelings for me.
“Sho, do you remember our promise 20 years ago?”
“Of course I do, Satoshi,” he answers me with a soft voice while looking to the stars above.
“In that case, would you continue to watch the stars together with me, forever? I’m still in love with you Sho, all I wanted is to be with you.”
I never liked cheesy confession scenes in romantic movies, but after today, I might change my opinion. Everything feels worth it when Sho twines my fingers with his, and he presses our lips together. It’s not a passionate kiss like the one we just shared, this one is a soft, almost chaste kiss.
Once again, we make a promise under the twinkling of the stars, and this time, the promise is sealed with a kiss.
~~THE END~~
When Sho regained consciousness, Aiba was staring at him with worried eyes.
“Sho, are you okay?”
“What happened?”
“You passed out during the welcoming party. Even the director himself came here to check on you. He personally asked me to take you home after you were awake.”
“Home? Am I… fired?”
“Ha? Of course not, silly. He told me to make sure you get enough rest and be healthy again. He is very gentle and cute. You’re gonna like him for sure. His assistant is scary though.”
“Uuuum, Aiba-chan, what’s the director’s name?”
“Ohno, Satoshi Ohno-san.”
Sho began to think that sometimes fate worked in a really weird way. The new director was indeed his long lost best friend.
After Aiba dropped him at his house, Sho’s mind started to wander. After 13 years, he finally found his best friend. But he was afraid about how he was going to face Satoshi after all these years. What would he do if Satoshi hated him? He didn’t want to think about it and finally decided to get some sleep.
After spending two days lying on his bed and practically doing nothing, Sho came back to work with an anxious feeling. Sooner or later he would have to meet with Satoshi, whether he wanted it or not. He settled himself in his cubicle, and tried to concentrate more on his projects.
Sho was reading his e-mails when the new director arrived with his assistant. He waited for about ten minutes before quickly making his way to the director’s office, taking a deep breath, and knocking.
After he heard a voice asking him to come in, he opened the door and was greeted by two men, one of whom was definitely Satoshi. Seeing the cause of his frustration right in front of his eyes, Sho was stunned for a brief moment, before he managed to get out a few words.
“Ohno-san, I’m deeply sorry for the inconvenience I caused three days ago. My name is Sho Sakurai, also part of the design team. Nice to meet you.”
“Ah... Sakurai-san. Nice to meet you too. I’m Satoshi Ohno, and this is Jun Matsumoto. He will be helping me go through the details of everything.”
He doesn’t recognize me at all! But how come? Should I feel relieved or disappointed?
Conversation between them went formally about the ongoing projects. Sho explained the details and progress of all the projects he was in charge of and managed to conceal all his emotions, trying to act professional.
During their discussion, Sho couldn’t help but notice that Satoshi hadn’t changed at all. He still had that calm atmosphere around him, and flashed a gentle smile every now and then. His insight about art and design was amazing, just like back then, during their school days.
He felt his heart clench, wanting to tell him the truth about everything and ask forgiveness from his best friend. But he also knew he would ruin everything if he told him now. He needed to get out from the room quickly, before his emotions failed him.
When Sho was finally alone, he couldn’t remember how he had excused himself from the room. He just wanted to scream his heart out. Things that couldn’t be said were piling up in his chest, and he didn’t know how to deal with it.
How could he forget about me? Am I just an unimportant part of his memories? Then the things he said before were all lies. Maybe I should just forget about him and try to move on.
And once again, Sho buried himself deeper in his work, because it was the only thing that he could hold on to for now.
One month had passed, and people had quickly adjusted to the presence of the two newcomers in the office. At first, the employees were afraid of Jun, because he was a stoic guy and people were intimidated by him. But later on, they started to see that he really cared for the people around him, and started to like him.
On the other hand, Satoshi was immediately loved by everyone in the office. He was friendly and humble, not to mention his designs were far beyond amazing. Somehow, Sho realized that Satoshi was being friendly to everyone except him. He kept his distance with Sho and only talked to him if necessary.
It was just an ordinary night when Sho went out drinking with Aiba and Nino at their favorite bar. Aiba was telling stories about the one and only Satoshi Ohno to Nino, which made Nino desperately want to meet the guy. Sho could only hold in his bitter laugh, hearing what Aiba cheerfully said about his long lost friend.
After a few glasses of alcohol, Sho needed to go to the restroom, and he suddenly caught a glance of Satoshi and his assistant talking casually at the other side of the bar.
Sho didn’t mean to eavesdrop on the conversation, but they were speaking with loud voices because they were both a little drunk.
“Jun, do you believe in coincidence?”
“Hmm, why did you suddenly ask something like that?”
“I met someone at the office, someone that I’m not supposed to see anymore.”
“Someone you knew from the past?”
“He once said that he didn’t want to see me anymore. I think he might hate me.”
“He? That person is a man?”
“He was my best friend, until I said something that made him mad at me. It happened just before I moved to New York.”
“What are you going to do now, Satoshi?”
“I pretended that I forgot about him, but it’s just making things more awkward. Maybe I should go back to New York and let you handle all the things here.”
Jun smacked the back of Satoshi’s head after he finished his sentence.
“Satoshi, I might be your cousin, but don’t expect me to let you do something stupid. C’mon, you’ve always wanted to go back to Japan. Now after uncle let you, you’re just going to throw your dreams away? Think about it again. Who is he anyway?”
“Sakurai, Sho Sakurai.”
That was the last Sho heard before he quickly walked to the restroom. He surely didn’t expect to hear about this tonight, and after knowing the truth, he dared to get his hopes up once again.
He remembers! He didn’t forget about me. I still have a chance to make it right.
At that very moment, Sho decided that he would tell the truth and ask Satoshi to forgive him. He still didn’t know when or how, but he would give anything to make it work. Then, maybe, they could sort everything out and became friends again.
Sho woke up the next morning with a bright smile on his face, his first real smile since Satoshi came back into his life. Unfortunately, his good mood didn’t last for long, because apparently after that night, Jun was on a mission to protect his cute cousin from Sho Sakurai, the big bad wolf who could chase Satoshi away, back to New York.
Being overprotective as he was, Jun blocked all Sho’s efforts to meet with the Design Director. Even for work related stuff, Sho was never once able to talk with Satoshi. Despite all Jun’s efforts to ‘protect’ him, Satoshi seemed oblivious. He just wondered why Sho never came to his office to discuss things with him. Of course, sometimes they still met in the cafeteria, and Satoshi would send a small smile his way, which made Sho more frustrated than he already was.
One afternoon, Sho was reviewing things with a few workers in a function room used for doing carpentry work. He surely didn’t expect Satoshi to appear alone, without his overprotective bodyguard, curiously checking on the stuff they were making in the room. That’s when Satoshi’s eyes stopped at one particular wooden bench.
“Hey, what’s wrong with that bench over there?” Satoshi asked one worker, who seemed amused because his talented director had the time to actually come to the carpentry room.
“We made some mistakes with the measurements, so we had to leave that alone, and made a new one.”
“Can I have it?”
“Eh, sure Ohno-san. But what are you going to do with that bench?” The worker was confused and decided to ask.
“I’m bored and need something to work on. It’s a good thing I sent Jun away for a meeting. Otherwise he would have scolded me for even coming here. Now, do you have some overalls that I could use?”
Sho was standing near the storage shelf, so he grabbed a pair of overalls and gave it to the director, who received it with a grateful expression. Satoshi opened his formal shirt, leaving him with a thin white t-shirt, and quickly wore the overalls to protect his suit pants from paint splatters. He then found a spot at the corner of the room and started to paint the bench.
If Sho could catch that moment and record it in his memories to remember forever, he would. Satoshi was forgetting his surroundings and was completely absorbed in his work, with that look on his face that only appeared when he was concentrating. He mixed a few colors and changed the bench from just an ordinary wooden bench into a beautiful work of art.
In the past, Sho often accompanied his best friend when he was painting. No matter how tired he was, just watching Satoshi concentrate on his art could make him relax. And now, the scene he was longing to see was right in front of his eyes. He was mesmerized.
Sho didn’t even realize that he was staring and totally neglecting his own job, until Satoshi finished painting the bench. The artist stepped back and looked satisfied with the newly decorated bench, and suddenly Sho blurted out some words without thinking.
“Ohno-san, if you don’t mind, would you give that bench to me?”
As soon as Sho’s brain started working and he realized what he just said, he was sure that he was blushing madly. Satoshi looked surprised, but then he just nodded while looking Sho right in the eye.
“Just wait until the paint dries up, then it’s all yours.”
Not once in his life had Sho felt this embarrassed. The director had already returned to his office and Sho was still in the room with his heart beating so fast.
What am I thinking? Why am I acting like a girl in love? Wait, love? Could it be? After all these years?
Love had never been a special word for Sho Sakurai. He had been in a few relationships before, but none of them had made him experience real love. A few of his ex girlfriends even called him a perfect gentleman with no heart. Somewhere along the way, he had convinced himself that he didn’t believe in true love, but something in his heart told him that he just hadn’t found the right person.
And now, the more he thought about it, the more confused he became. His adoration for his friend might have changed into something he didn’t understand. One thing he knew for sure, he wanted to make everything work out with Satoshi. Laughing together with him, or just being there for him was all he hoped for. Even watching him smiling from afar would be enough. After all the things that he had done, he didn’t dare ask for more.
A bunch of uneventful days passed until it was nearing the end of January. Of course, Jun was still being an overprotective bodyguard and after a few failed attempts to try and talk to Satoshi, Sho was starting to feel desperate. All he needed was one chance to be left alone with his best friend to fix things up.
It was on Sho’s birthday when the chance finally came. He didn’t expect that Satoshi would walk past his cubicle and give him a small note asking him to come to the rooftop at 7 pm. Sho didn’t know what this was about, but he promised himself that he would use the chance to say all the things he wanted to say to Satoshi.
Many of his friends and colleagues called to wished him a happy birthday, but even so, Sho felt that time was moving so slowly. When the clock finally reached 7 pm, Sho quickly made his way to the rooftop.
When he arrived, Satoshi was already waiting for him while staring at the night sky. A sense of déjà vu suddenly engulfed him. The last night he spent together with his best friend was no different than tonight. The next thing he knew, they were standing side by side accompanied by comfortable silence, looking at the glimmering city lights.
A few minutes passed before Sho gathered his courage to break the silence.
“Ohno-san, do you remember who I am? I’m sorry for my rudeness, but I really need to know.”
Instead of answering his question, Satoshi reached into his pocket and pulled out a small figurine of a small boy reaching out for a golden star, and gave it to Sho with a shy grin on his face.
“Happy Birthday.”
“But… how..?” Sho received his birthday gift with a confused expression on his face.
“I never once forgot about you, Sho Sakurai. We parted and went our own ways back then, but I still treasure our friendship more than anything.”
“Then why...?”
“I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore, so in order to not make things more awkward, I pretended I didn’t know you.”
Neither of them said anything for a while, until Sho once again broke the silence.
“Satoshi, would you ever forgive me? I’m really sorry for the things I said that night. I never meant any of it. If only I had known that we might not see each other anymore.” Sho spoke with a soft voice while looking everywhere except in his friend’s eyes. He felt very nervous, and he was sure his heart would explode anytime soon.
“Sho, it was me who said weird things and hoped you would accept it without giving you time to properly think about it. I should be the one to say sorry to you.”
As always, his best friend’s voice had an immediate calming effect on Sho. He took a deep breath and realized that he was still holding the figurine Satoshi gave him as a birthday present. It was obvious that the figurine was hand-made. He tightened his hold on the figurine and gave a bright smile to his best friend.
“Thank you, Satoshi, for everything, really.”
The two best friends continued talking to catch up on things that had happened during the years they had been separated. Sho learnt that Satoshi was not happy living in New York, so he asked his father to let him go back to Japan. His father, who was actually the owner of the company, allowed his son to go, but only if Jun accompanied him.
Sho talked about his college days, his friends, and he even mentioned Aiba and Nino and asked Satoshi to join their drinking session next time, along with Matsumoto Jun.
The winter breeze was cold, but the two felt a familiar warmth in their hearts.
“Say, how about we forget the past, and get a fresh start for everything? It would be fun if we could hang out together again.”
“I don’t mind, but please tell Matsumoto-san to let me go near you sometimes. I don’t bite, you know.”
“Eh, Jun, what did he do?”
“I think he’s afraid I’ll eat you or something. He won’t let me talk to you.” Sho whined and made a cute pouting face.
Sho didn’t know what really happened, but in a blink of an eye, Satoshi was giving him a quick peck on his cheek.
“You’re so cute Sho, I don't mind you eating me,” Satoshi whispered dangerously close to his ear, which sent shivers all through Sho's body.
“Let me see what I can do about Jun. Now, I have to go back before he finds out that I’m missing. Happy Birthday and see you later, okay.”
And once again, Sho was left alone, with his cheeks burnt on the exact place Satoshi had kissed him. After he managed to control the beating of his heart and had calmed down, he smiled.
If this is what you call love, I won’t mind. Satoshi is perfect.
Epilogue - Ohno’s POV
I always think that life is full of mystery. One day you get separated from your childhood crush, and the next thing you know, you meet him again in a whole different set of circumstances.
Well, mine was seeing him lying in the infirmary looking so pale and fragile; I almost touched him just to make sure that he was alive and breathing. Even in his weak state, I could see that he had changed a lot since our teenager days. He was now taller than me, and physically more attractive than before.
And now, two months have passed since the night of his birthday and I still can’t believe that he’s right here beside me. The more time I spend together with him, the more I become infatuated with him. I’m falling for him all over again, this time with feelings stronger than before.
I love to see him blushing over the simplest things, which makes me enjoy teasing him even more. We can talk for hours without being bored, laugh our hearts out until our stomachs hurt and enjoy the comfortable silence after that. If you ask me, I would say that fate brought us together again.
Even though I still have doubts about his feelings for me, it’s hard to maintain my self-control. Especially when the object of my affection and desire is standing so close to me; I can even feel his warm breath against my neck, which is exactly what’s happening right now.
It’s only the two of us on the rooftop above our office, and he’s standing right beside me with his face only a few centimeters from mine. Without really thinking of anything, I trace his lips with my finger and slowly brush my lips against his. It’s only a gentle touch, giving him a chance to pull away. But instead, he puts his hand on my neck and pulls me closer to him.
Sho’s lips feel simply wonderful. The kiss is soft and inviting, making me losing all my senses. When I nibble at his bottom lip, he slowly opens his mouth, giving me access to taste him even more. I never thought that just a simple kiss could make me feel like this. The kiss deepens, and I’m completely drawn into an endless labyrinth of emotions, wanting him more and more. It is I who finally pull away, because I know I won’t be able to control myself if we continue to kiss.
The moonlight shines perfectly on him, and Sho looks like he’s glowing. With his fair skin, swollen lips, and messy hair, I think he’s on a mission to drive me crazy. A strand of hair is covering his forehead, and I can’t help fixing it, just so I can feel his soft brown hair brushing through my fingers. Sho’s not saying anything at all, just looking at me with his gentle eyes. I really don’t want to ruin this moment by breaking the silence, but I need to confirm his feelings for me.
“Sho, do you remember our promise 20 years ago?”
“Of course I do, Satoshi,” he answers me with a soft voice while looking to the stars above.
“In that case, would you continue to watch the stars together with me, forever? I’m still in love with you Sho, all I wanted is to be with you.”
I never liked cheesy confession scenes in romantic movies, but after today, I might change my opinion. Everything feels worth it when Sho twines my fingers with his, and he presses our lips together. It’s not a passionate kiss like the one we just shared, this one is a soft, almost chaste kiss.
Once again, we make a promise under the twinkling of the stars, and this time, the promise is sealed with a kiss.
~~THE END~~