Begin Again (one shot in three parts)
Mar. 3rd, 2017 08:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yun_miyakeTitle : Begin Again
Pairing : Sakumoto/Sakumiya (past)/Ohmiya
Length : 12722 words
Genre : romance
Rating : NC-17
Summary : Sho, the owner of a yoghurt production company found himself in an endless agony as his boyfriend broke up with him. He was trying to get over his past love story but found it was hard to do, until he met Jun. However, it wasn’t easy for him to start again, not when his heart still split into two…
Note: It’s been a while since I write NC-17 scene, so maybe they are awkward and not as good as you wish for, I’m sorry for that
Special thanks to the beta reader
Originally posted for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
shoexchange 2017
The sun had just set on the west sky when Sho and one of his employees finished delivering the yoghurt to Samejima Hotel. September had come, but the humid air of summer still remained, leaving them all sweaty in their working uniforms. Actually, it wasn’t necessary for Sho to do this work; he could have his employees to take care of the delivery, but Ohno, the president of Samejima Hotel, had personally requested him to come.
In Sho's opinion, meeting to have lunch together would have been a better option than this if Ohno's intention was to talk about business. He didn't understand why Ohno wanted to meet him at the storage facilities of the hotel (which were quite far from the main building by the way), and at such an odd hour on top of it.
Sho wiped the sweat on his forehead and glanced at his watch. He normally had his employees deliver the yoghurt in the morning, unless there was a special order. It seemed that Ohno would increase the amount of yoghurt he usually ordered from them, which meant that they'd have to work harder to meet all of their customers' requests.
The star product of Sho’s company was their strawberry yoghurt. Thanks to their original recipe, it was truly one of a kind in Japan. There were many other yoghurt brands, but none of them were as good as Sho’s. To maintain its quality, he used high quality strawberries from the finest farms, but now the strawberry farm which usually provided the fruits was having a little trouble and couldn’t fulfill the stock for the next three months. Sho had to find a temporary substitute for it, which was not an easy job.
Ohno was waiting for him at the storage room. He wore his usual dark suit despite the humid air. He welcomed Sho with a smile when he got out of the truck.
“Sho kun,” he said, shaking Sho's hand with a tight grip, “Thank you for coming. As expected, you’re so dedicated to your job.”
Sho replied with a business smile and told Ohno that it was his obligation to keep his customers at utmost satisfaction. Ohno gave him a soft laugh and gestured to him to start moving the yoghurt boxes to the storage room.
“Thank you for your hard work.” Ohno handed Sho a bottle of mineral water.
Sho thanked him for the water and drank it. Ohno continued staring at him intently.“Is there anything in particular you wanted to discuss with me?” Sho asked, trying not to sound suspicious. “Are there any complaints about the yoghurt?”
“No,” Ohno replied immediately. He looked at Sho as if trying to find something wrong in him, “Your yoghurt is the best I can get. There’s no such thing like complaints from me, don’t worry.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Sho answered.
“Thank you again and see you, Sho kun,” Ohno said, bowing slightly at him and left the place.
Sho left the hotel, still thinking about Ohno’s intentions. Something must have happened, and whatever it was made Ohno have some interest in him. He had a hunch that it was a personal matter. The thought of it displeased him.
Sho wiped the sweat on his forehead. It was almost 8 pm when he arrived at the company. His working mode had decreased, replaced by a slight pain in his heart. Now that he wasn't on duty anymore, he couldn't help but thinking about Nino again. Nino had broken up with him after dating for two years.Sho couldn’t find out why their relationship didn’t work out. They were a perfect couple, at least in Sho's opinion. Sho always listened to Nino’s wishes and did what the other man wanted. The worst part was that Nino was Sho's company's production director, which meant that Sho had to see him every day.
“You’re too tame, Sho chan.”
That was the reason Nino gave him for their breakup. Sho didn’t even know what he meant by that. Too tame? What was Nino talking about? His behavior? His appearance? Or perhaps something related to sex?
Sho shook his head, he was still hoping that there would be a way for them to get back together. Sho tried to show Nino that he still loved him, but Nino ignored him. He wasn’t even affected by their break up.
Sho stepped towards the storage room to check on the strawberry stock. He slid out his planner from his tote bag and read a note he made the last week. They had to find the substitute farm within a week or they'd have to stop the production for the time being until finding a replacement.
“We have to find another farm.”
Sho almost dropped the planner in his hands as he heard the voice from behind one of the shelves.
“Nino, you’re still here?”
“I have just finished my monthly report,” Nino said. “I’m here to look for my gloves, I think I left them somewhere around here,” he explained.
"Ah, I see…" Sho mumbled.
"Anyway, we don't have much stock left. I'm sure you already noticed that." Nino's voice sounded a bit more distant. He appeared at the other end of the shelves, gripping a pair of gloves in his hands. "If we don't do something soon, we'll run out of product by next week."
“You’re right,” Sho agreed, “but I don’t know where to find the same quality.”
“I’ve done a small research and there are a few options that seem good for us,” Nino said, approaching Sho. Sho felt his cheeks warming up as the distance between them closed. It was the first time they were alone after the break up after all, so he couldn't control his nervousness. At this distance, Sho noticed that Nino had gained some weight lately. He had also changed his hair color. Sho’s heart clenched as he saw the ring around Nino’s ring finger.
He pretended that he didn’t notice it and busied himself with his planner, not knowing what to do. It had been three months since their break up – only three months and Nino had found someone else who gave him a ring? There was a loud buzz in his ears as he wondered if that had been the real reason behind Nino’s urge for them to break up.
“Sho chan, are you okay?” Nino asked, touching Sho's elbow lightly.
“I’m fine, sorry.” Sho looked into Nino’s eyes, wishing that those eyes could tell him the truth. “I think I’ll leave now,” Sho mumbled.
"I'll hang around here for a while. I’m still waiting for Ohno kun to pick me up.”
“Ohno? Which Ohno?”
“Samejima Hotel's owner,” Nino answered casually. “We’ve been dating for two months.”
Sho knew that his heart had broken into million pieces – all over again – as he heard what Nino said. He realized now that Ohno’s urge to meet him personally was because of his relationship with Nino. He couldn't believe that skinny, tanned, koala-like man was Nino's current boyfriend. And Sho was supposed to be 'tame' compared to him?
Sho tried hard not to seem too jealous when he replied Nino’s words, and left as soon as he could to prevent himself from saying something awful about Ohno.
***
Sho wished he would never meet Nino anymore for the rest of his life. Seeing him always made Sho want to punch something, but there wasn't anything Sho could do about it. It wasn't like he could fire Nino for having a new boyfriend. That would be unprofessional and very unfair.
Sho just had to focus on his job, which was to make sure that everything was done according to protocol. This factory was his family's business, and he had to show his father that he was capable enough to run it well. The immediate problem he had to solve was to find a temporary strawberry provider.
He had already checked Nino's research. Out of the farms Nino listed, there were three nearby: Horizon Strawberry, Muteki Farm and Gold Farm. Sho read their profile and decided that he would pay a visit to each of them to see what they got.
“I’ll go today,” Sho told Nino as both of them headed towards the production area where five employees worked on yoghurt packages.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Nino asked.
“No, I’ll go by myself, you need to contact…er-…Ohno san. Tell him that we'll have his order for next Thursday as usual.” Sho looked doubtfully at Nino, whose expression was hard to read.
“Alright,” Nino said, smiling at Sho, who averted his gaze as fast as he could.
He drove his car to the first farm, which was located around 10 km away from the factory. The location was strategic and it was easy to find, but the owner had a contract with a particular company and they couldn’t sell his strawberries to Sho. Sho thanked them for having him and continued his trip to the next farm.
Muteki Farm was great, but they wanted a permanent contract, not just for three months and Sho couldn’t offer them that. He left the farm with a heavy heart, thinking that maybe today’s trip would be just a waste of time.
The last farm he visited was Gold, which location was the farthest from the factory and he had to walk on a small path to reach it. There was a big board on the entrance where it was written ‘welcome’ in Japanese, but there was nobody there. Sho looked once again at the address to make sure that he was in the right place. He continued walking and found a small hut which seemed to be used as a temporary place to take a rest. In front of the hut, he found a table, which had a kettle and two empty cups on top. A half-eaten pie was left there as well.
“Hello,” Sho called.
Nobody answered.
He sighed and sat down on one of the chairs beside the table, regretting that he had wasted too much time today, thinking that he should have phoned them beforehand to make sure that they would sell their strawberries to him. He was about to leave when someone appeared from behind the hut.
“Can I help you?”
Sho turned immediately and saw a tall man wearing a wide hat and a pair of boots. The man took off his hat, revealing his sweaty face and dark-brown hair.
“Oh, I’m from Shomury Yoghurt Company and wish to meet with the owner of the farm,” Sho answered as he stood up from the chair. He approached the man who gave him a curious look.
Sho fished his business card box out of his bag. “Here’s my name card,” he continued, pushing the card to the man’s hand.
“Sakurai Sho,” the man read. “I’m Aiba Masaki, it’s very nice to meet you,” he shook Sho’s hand in enthusiasm, smiling broadly at Sho. It was a sincere smile, not a business smile like he usually got from other people.
“Nice to meet you, too,” Sho mumbled a reply.
"May I ask why you need to see the owner?" Aiba asked, still examining Sho's card.
"Well, I'm looking for a new strawberry provider," Sho replied. "The farm that has been supplying the strawberries for our production won't be able to meet our orders for the next few months. I saw your address online, so I decided to pay you a visit and see if we could make a deal."
“I see. The problem is that our strawberries are for research interest,” Aiba said, inserting Sho’s name card into his shirt pocket, “We never sell them to anyone, but maybe you can talk to my friend first.” Aiba grinned apologetically.
Despite saying that, Aiba guided Sho to the farm's greenhouse. He opened the door and let Sho get in first.
"Matsujun, we have a guest," Aiba said as he closed the door.
The man called Matsujun was busy checking something on the strawberry plants when they entered. He didn’t answer until he finished his work. He wore a white towel around his head and the same boots as Aiba, but this man’s appearance was rather seductive. He looked at Sho, examining him, while he walked towards them.
The man’s cheeks were reddened, sweat covering his face, but it didn’t hide his mesmerizing figure. He was tall and rather muscular, and had a strong face with two big eyes under thick eyebrows. As he approached closer, Sho could see that he had beautiful lips which looked naturally soft. In other words, he was handsome – way too handsome for someone who worked in a strawberry farm.
“My name is Matsumoto Jun, how may I help you?” he shook Sho’s hand and smiled for the first time, softening his seductive aura.
Confused , Sho introduced his name and handed his name card to Matsumoto.
“Shomury,” Matsumoto read the card, “I know this company. I have tasted the yoghurt, it was delicious.”
“Thanks,” was all Sho could mumble as a reply. He didn’t know why his brain ability decreased as Matsumoto appeared before him. “I’m looking for strawberries to produce my yoghurt.”
“We don’t sell them, I told him,” Aiba chimed in, turning his gaze at Matsumoto.
“Unfortunately, Aiba kun is right,” Matsumoto added. “But you can taste them if you want,” he nodded at Aiba, who smiled in agreement.
Sho tried to find the right words to explain that he had no time for that, already making plans to look for another farm to avoid losing his customers for not being able to deliver their orders on time. Instead of saying anything about it, Sho found himself squatting beside Matsumoto, picking strawberries.
“We grow them based on what we have found during our research. Once we get the results we want, we will show the local farmers how to grow them using our method,” Matsumoto told him.
Sho took a bite and was surprised by the flavor. It was different to the strawberries he had eaten before. The sweetness and sourness were in the right proportion, the fruit was juicy and it would be perfect for making yoghurt.
“This is amazing,” Sho praised, looking at Matsumoto straight in the eye.
“Thank you,” the man smiled shyly, erasing the image of his seductive side completely.
“Can I have a few of them for sample?” Sho asked. “I know that you’re not selling them, but would you consider it? I mean, I just need them for three months.”
Matsumoto extended his hand to the strawberry stalk and touched it lightly before answering, “I need to think about it. You can have the samples though.”
“Thanks,” Sho said, looking at the man’s face which suddenly made all the butterflies in his stomach fly away.
They picked a small amount of strawberries and talked randomly. Matsumoto was surprisingly easy to talk with. He told Sho about the project he was working on, and that he also worked as a biology teacher at a private university.
“Thank you for these,” Sho lifted the box with strawberries inside. “I’ll make some yoghurt with them and send you some of it.”
“We'll be looking forward to it,” Aiba said. He and Matsumoto walked Sho to his car and wished him a good day.
“Can I have your phone number in case I need to contact you,” Sho said.
“Sure,” Aiba fished his phone from his pocket and exchanged his phone number with Sho. Matsumoto mumbled that he left his phone in his bag at the hut – that was a real pity, since Sho wanted to talk to him again.
“You can contact me,” Aiba beamed.
“Sure do. Thanks, Aiba san,” Sho said, trying to hide his disappointment the best he could.
He drove his car back to the factory and found Nino waiting for him at his office. He gave Sho a wide smile as he entered the room and asked if he wanted some coffee.
“No, thank you,” Sho answered, sitting on the chair across from the man.
“How’s the farm hunting?”
“Not too bad.” Sho shrugged, thinking of Matsumoto. “I brought the sample strawberries. The farm owner is still considering whether they will sell them to us or not.”
Nino nodded but said nothing in response. He typed something on his phone and left Sho alone in his office. Sho massaged his temple. He was somewhat tired today and needed some alcohol to boost his mood.
***
The next time Sho met Matumoto was on the way to the station on his day off. The man was carrying a heavy plastic bag in his hand and was talking on the phone when he recognized Sho. He waved his hand to Sho and smiled at him. Matsumoto ended the conversation and inserted his phone into his pocket, and greeted Sho good morning with a smile which could light up the whole station.
“It’s a nice coincidence to meet you here, Sakurai san,” he shook Sho’s hand energetically. “I’ve gotten your yoghurt and it was delicious as always.”
“Thanks,” Sho answered. “Where are you heading to?”
“Oh, I’ve just finished my weekly groceries. You?”
“I have no particular plan. I just want to ride the train around the city and go back home. That’s how I relieve my stress.” Sho shrugged.
“That’s unique.” Jun smiled. “Why don’t you join me and Aiba kun? We’ll have lunch at the hut and maybe a little barbeque.”
“That’s very nice of you, but I don't want to intrude.”
“Of course not, you’re very welcome,” Jun said, beaming at Sho, who couldn’t find any other excuse to deny the invitation.
They rode the train to the farm side by side, Jun’s right hand touched Sho’s thigh by coincidence as the train moved. The train wasn’t that full, there were a few middle-aged women who were carrying the same plastic bag like Jun had.
The scene reminded him of his last date with Nino. He and Nino went to Chiba by train, and stayed there for three days. It seemed like something that happened in someone else’s life instead of his. He wondered whether Nino still remembered the trip. Of course, not, Sho thought bitterly. Ohno perhaps had already taken him to various places, perhaps to a private villa by the beach in Okinawa. It was weird, how his imagination worked when it was about Nino.
Sho pushed the thoughts about Nino away and stole a glance at Matsumoto’s appearance. He looked so nice in his simple tweed jacket above his jeans. He let his curly bangs fall naturally over his forehead. His hair was dyed soft brown, which made him look even cuter.
It’s not happening, Sho thought, because he felt the exact same feeling when he first pursued Nino. Well, Nino was different. He was like a wild ball which Sho needed to chase and catch. Maybe he was affected by the fact that he had recently broken up with Nino and shaken to know that Nino had found a replacement for him. He was afraid that his feeling for Matsumoto was fleeting, because he only wanted to make Nino jealous. However, he reminded himself that this feeling was one-sided, Matsumoto probably already got a partner.
“Our stop is on the next station,” Matsumoto said.
Sho nodded and followed Jun's steps towards the automatic door. They alighted the train and walked outside of the station. It was rather far to walk to the farm, but the weather was fine and their light talk helped them ignore the distance.
“Welcome back,” Aiba greeted Jun as they reached the hut. “Oh, you bring company,” he added when he saw Sho behind him.
“Matsumoto san invited me here,” Sho answered.
“Just call me Jun,” Jun winked at him.
“Jun,” Sho awkwardly addressed the man by his given name.
“Sounds better,” Jun said while putting the plastic bag on the table and began taking out the groceries from inside. “What do you want for drink, Sho kun?”
“Beer will be fine.”
“Aiba kun, three beers, please.”
Aiba came out of the hut and handed them the cold beers. Jun sat beside Sho while sipping his own beer. He smiled at Sho as their gazes met.
The three of them had a nice lunch while talking about the history of Jun and Aiba's small strawberry farms. The owner of the land was Jun’s professor, who was in abroad for a particular research and left the land in Jun’s hands. Jun decided to use it for his research. Since he liked strawberries a lot, he chose that fruit to apply his method and began planting them with Aiba’s help.
The atmosphere between them was so pleasant that Sho forgot that they were almost strangers. He told them about his yoghurt company and also about his private matters. He accidentally mentioned that his boyfriend of two years, Nino, had broken up with him not long ago and that they had to see each other at work every day.
“How unfortunate,” Jun said, patting Sho's shoulder in a friendly way.
“Maybe I wasn't good enough for him,” Sho said, trying to smile at Jun.
“Or you are too good for him,” Jun said, flashing a smile at Sho.
***
Sho left the farm with a lighter heart. Something in Jun’s smile had eased some of his worries. He entered the Starbucks before going home and ordered a cup of latte. He sat down on the chair by the glass wall, looking outside towards the sidewalk.
His light mood didn’t last very long as he saw Nino and Ohno walking hand in hand right outside. Nino looked happy as he circled his hand around Ohno’s elbow. Sho could see their expression clearly from inside. It made him feel very jealous of Ohno again.
Sho finished his coffee and left the café towards his apartment. It was still 7 in the evening and he simply had nothing to do to forget what he had just saw. He shook his head in agony, reminding himself that he had other things to be worried about.
He reached his office the next day earlier than usual. The first thing he did was making a phone call to Jun to ask him if he had changed his mind. Jun had mentioned that he would consider selling the strawberries to Sho, but that he had a few conditions. Sho didn’t have any problem if Jun had particular requests in order to sell his strawberries to him. The most important thing was to get those fruits for his yoghurt production during the following weeks.
“Hi, Sho kun! How are you?”
Jun’s voice was so delightful that it bothered Sho in some ways.
“I’m fine, thank you,” Sho said, trying to keep his voice calm, “So, have you decided if you'll make a deal with me?”
Jun didn’t answer for good ten seconds. Sho could imagine Jun's handsome face as he was deep in thought.
“Aiba kun and I have discussed and I think we will sell you the fruits,” Jun said, “but…”
“I’m fine with any conditions.”
Jun took a deep breath on the other line, “I will need your help to harvest the strawberries because we don't have the people to do that. You may bring someone else with you, someone you can trust. My farm isn’t meant to be used for commercial purposes. I would be in trouble if the university knows what I’m doing.”
Sho understood the consequences Jun would be facing if he sold the strawberries to him and he really appreciated Jun’s trust.
“I’ll do that,” Sho said, thinking that he wouldn’t mind to harvest the strawberries by himself if he could save his own company. “It’s just for three months and I would never bother you again, I promise.”
“Please keep your words,” Jun said. “When will you come here?”
Sho checked his schedule and the production deadline, “Is tomorrow okay?”
“Sure, tomorrow will be fine."
“Okay, I’ll be there around 9 am,” Sho said, noting it on his agenda. “Thanks so much, Jun.”
“My pleasure. Have a nice day, Sho kun.”
Sho clutched his phone tighter, not believing his luck that Jun finally agreed to sell them the strawberries. He opened the album folder on his phone and looked at the picture they took together the last time they met. Jun had really nice eyes and nice hair.
The problem was to find someone he could trust to harvest the strawberries. He had no choice but to bring Nino with him.
***
“Why me?” Nino asked, uniting his eyebrows together when Sho told him that both of them would go to pick strawberries at Matsumoto’s green house on their day off. “I have a date tomorrow night.”
“Come on, Nino, it’s in the morning.”
“I need all day to make over,” Nino said, rolling his eyes at Sho.
Sho knew that Nino was joking. The real reason behind his protest probably was that he never did any physical activities, and picking strawberries seemed already too hard for him. But Sho had no choice, he couldn’t betray Jun’s trust by bringing someone else. He shut his laptop down and left the office to go towards the front entrance of the factory. He fished his phone from his pocket and checked the messages; one of them was from Jun.
Sho clicked it open and read Jun’s message. I It was short and straight to the point, but it brightened his mood a little bit.
Hi, Sho kun
I’m looking forward to picking the strawberries with you. I’ll make something for our lunch tomorrow. Aiba kun received a lot of vegetables from his parents.
See you
Jun
Jun had added cute emoticons at the end of the message. Sho never liked emoticons because he thought they were childish. He remembered that he scolded Nino when he used too many emoticons in his messages. Maybe that was one of many reasons why Nino broke up with him. He was too serious indeed, and perhaps even a bit old-fashioned.
He stuffed his phone back in his pocket after replying Jun’s message and headed towards the garage. He needed to drive one of his trucks tomorrow, so he had to check that it was working properly. He was sure that Nino wouldn’t like the idea of riding a truck though, if the last time was anything to go by. It was then that they found out about Nino's motion sickness, and Nino hated that truck very much since then, for he blamed the truck for how awful he felt that day.
Sho sighed, noticing that his thoughts had drifted off to his memories of his relationship with Nino once again. He didn’t know how long he would need to get Nino out of his head. It seemed impossible, since Nino was always around, and it was kind of a torture whenever Sho heard him talking with Ohno on the phone. He couldn’t stop comparing himself to Ohno either, wondering what Ohno had that he didn't and getting frustrated when he couldn't find an answer that satisfied him.
***
Nino didn’t try to hide his displeasure along the way towards the strawberry farm. He grumbled and frowned, refusing to talk to Sho, and played with his phone the entire time.
“Jun and Aiba are nice. I think you’ll like them,” Sho said to Nino.
“Mmmm,” Nino responded coldly.
Sho didn’t try to talk to him for the rest of their trip. He regretted inviting Nino in the first place, seeing how terrible his mood was. But things changed once they arrived at the farm. Aiba seemed to possess some kind of power to cheer up Nino’s mood. Sho could hear their voices when they talked while picking the strawberries. Jun had welcomed them warmly and shook Nino’s hand firmly as Sho introduced them. He glanced at Sho meaningfully as he heard Nino’s name, but didn't say anything until they were alone.
“So, that is Nino,” Jun said, looking at Sho from between the leaves. Jun was staring directly into Sho's eyes, making him nervous.
“Yes, he’s my production director,” Sho said, avoiding Jun’s gaze on purpose.
“He’s cute,” Jun turned his head to take a look at Nino and waved his hand as their gazes met.
Sho didn’t answer. He knew that Nino was cute, everybody said the same about him. He shook his head and returned his attention to the strawberries he was picking.
“It’s sad that you guys broke up,” Jun said.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now,” Sho mumbled, almost squishing the strawberry in his hand.
“You’ll hurt it!” Jun leaned closer to him. “You have to do it more gently, like this.” He showed Sho how to pick it, but Sho didn’t pay attention. He had just realized how close they were. Jun’s full lips were just a few inches from his and their position was too compromising. Jun’s gaze locked to Sho's lips, as if waiting for Sho to do something, but Sho couldn’t move. He was completely frozen.
“Sho, do you want some water?” Sho heard Nino’s voice from behind.
Sho turned his head right away and felt relieved that Nino interfered at the right time. He couldn’t understand why his heart beat wildly when Jun was near him. Jun shifted and continued picking the strawberries in silence, giving Sho time to arrange his breaths and to calm down his nerves. He had admired Jun’s look from the first time they met, but he thought that everybody did, because Jun was so handsome.
He wasn’t in the mood to start a new romantic relationship. He wasn't over the heartbreak the end of his relationship with Nino gave him, and he was afraid to experience it once more. He stole a glance at Jun’s figure beside him. Unlike Nino who had a more child-like cuteness, Jun could only be described as beautiful, the kind of beauty that Sho hadn’t seen for a long time. He also had a very kind personality. In spite of that, Sho decided that he couldn't let himself get carried away. Jun was almost a stranger to him after all. He was probably just confusing physical attraction with feelings.
They took a break for lunch. Jun had made pasta for them. He sat beside Nino and talked lightly. They looked like old friends.
“Jun kun, this is yummy!” Nino complimented.
“Thanks. Pasta is the only thing I can cook,” Jun said, smiling at Nino.
“He's lying,” Aiba chirped in. “He can cook everything like a professional chef.”
Jun chuckled and gave Sho a meaningful look. He averted his gaze away and pretended to pay attention at the trees across the green house. They continued picking the strawberries after lunch but changed partners, Sho with Aiba and Jun with Nino.
Aiba was a very talkative and active person. He never seemed to run off of energy. He told Sho about his parents’ restaurant somewhere in Chiba and invited Sho to pay a visit when he had time. Sho listened to him while stealing a glance every now and then in Nino and Jun’s direction. Both of them were talking, but Sho couldn’t hear them. Jun smiled all the time – he looked way too handsome when he smiled broadly.
“Sho kun, do you like Matsujun?” Aiba asked all of a sudden.
“W-what? No, I mean, he’s a lovely person. I think anyone would like him.” Sho cleared his throat, trying not to look nervous under Aiba’s suspicious gaze.
Aiba’s smile widened. “I mean this kind of like.” He formed a heart shape with his hands.
Sho blushed and looked at the strawberry in his hand, which also had a heart-like shape. He didn’t want to label his feeling as that kind of like.
“Jun is nice,” Sho mumbled, not knowing what else to say.
“If you pursue him, I can be of help, you know.”
Sho looked at Aiba’s eyes and shook his head. “Thanks, Aiba san, but I don’t have that kind of feelings towards Jun.”
“Really? I can tell by looking into your eyes.”
“You’re probably mistaken.” Sho shrugged.
They finished their work before sunset and left the farm. Jun whispered something to Nino and both of them chuckled like high school girls. They bid good bye. Sho tried hard not to look at Jun’s face as they separated. Aiba’s words echoed in his ears.
“Do you like Jun?”
No, he didn’t and he would never allow himself to like Jun.
PART 2
PART 3
Pairing : Sakumoto/Sakumiya (past)/Ohmiya
Length : 12722 words
Genre : romance
Rating : NC-17
Summary : Sho, the owner of a yoghurt production company found himself in an endless agony as his boyfriend broke up with him. He was trying to get over his past love story but found it was hard to do, until he met Jun. However, it wasn’t easy for him to start again, not when his heart still split into two…
Note: It’s been a while since I write NC-17 scene, so maybe they are awkward and not as good as you wish for, I’m sorry for that
Special thanks to the beta reader
Originally posted for
shoexchange 2017 The sun had just set on the west sky when Sho and one of his employees finished delivering the yoghurt to Samejima Hotel. September had come, but the humid air of summer still remained, leaving them all sweaty in their working uniforms. Actually, it wasn’t necessary for Sho to do this work; he could have his employees to take care of the delivery, but Ohno, the president of Samejima Hotel, had personally requested him to come.
In Sho's opinion, meeting to have lunch together would have been a better option than this if Ohno's intention was to talk about business. He didn't understand why Ohno wanted to meet him at the storage facilities of the hotel (which were quite far from the main building by the way), and at such an odd hour on top of it.
Sho wiped the sweat on his forehead and glanced at his watch. He normally had his employees deliver the yoghurt in the morning, unless there was a special order. It seemed that Ohno would increase the amount of yoghurt he usually ordered from them, which meant that they'd have to work harder to meet all of their customers' requests.
The star product of Sho’s company was their strawberry yoghurt. Thanks to their original recipe, it was truly one of a kind in Japan. There were many other yoghurt brands, but none of them were as good as Sho’s. To maintain its quality, he used high quality strawberries from the finest farms, but now the strawberry farm which usually provided the fruits was having a little trouble and couldn’t fulfill the stock for the next three months. Sho had to find a temporary substitute for it, which was not an easy job.
Ohno was waiting for him at the storage room. He wore his usual dark suit despite the humid air. He welcomed Sho with a smile when he got out of the truck.
“Sho kun,” he said, shaking Sho's hand with a tight grip, “Thank you for coming. As expected, you’re so dedicated to your job.”
Sho replied with a business smile and told Ohno that it was his obligation to keep his customers at utmost satisfaction. Ohno gave him a soft laugh and gestured to him to start moving the yoghurt boxes to the storage room.
“Thank you for your hard work.” Ohno handed Sho a bottle of mineral water.
Sho thanked him for the water and drank it. Ohno continued staring at him intently.“Is there anything in particular you wanted to discuss with me?” Sho asked, trying not to sound suspicious. “Are there any complaints about the yoghurt?”
“No,” Ohno replied immediately. He looked at Sho as if trying to find something wrong in him, “Your yoghurt is the best I can get. There’s no such thing like complaints from me, don’t worry.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Sho answered.
“Thank you again and see you, Sho kun,” Ohno said, bowing slightly at him and left the place.
Sho left the hotel, still thinking about Ohno’s intentions. Something must have happened, and whatever it was made Ohno have some interest in him. He had a hunch that it was a personal matter. The thought of it displeased him.
Sho wiped the sweat on his forehead. It was almost 8 pm when he arrived at the company. His working mode had decreased, replaced by a slight pain in his heart. Now that he wasn't on duty anymore, he couldn't help but thinking about Nino again. Nino had broken up with him after dating for two years.Sho couldn’t find out why their relationship didn’t work out. They were a perfect couple, at least in Sho's opinion. Sho always listened to Nino’s wishes and did what the other man wanted. The worst part was that Nino was Sho's company's production director, which meant that Sho had to see him every day.
“You’re too tame, Sho chan.”
That was the reason Nino gave him for their breakup. Sho didn’t even know what he meant by that. Too tame? What was Nino talking about? His behavior? His appearance? Or perhaps something related to sex?
Sho shook his head, he was still hoping that there would be a way for them to get back together. Sho tried to show Nino that he still loved him, but Nino ignored him. He wasn’t even affected by their break up.
Sho stepped towards the storage room to check on the strawberry stock. He slid out his planner from his tote bag and read a note he made the last week. They had to find the substitute farm within a week or they'd have to stop the production for the time being until finding a replacement.
“We have to find another farm.”
Sho almost dropped the planner in his hands as he heard the voice from behind one of the shelves.
“Nino, you’re still here?”
“I have just finished my monthly report,” Nino said. “I’m here to look for my gloves, I think I left them somewhere around here,” he explained.
"Ah, I see…" Sho mumbled.
"Anyway, we don't have much stock left. I'm sure you already noticed that." Nino's voice sounded a bit more distant. He appeared at the other end of the shelves, gripping a pair of gloves in his hands. "If we don't do something soon, we'll run out of product by next week."
“You’re right,” Sho agreed, “but I don’t know where to find the same quality.”
“I’ve done a small research and there are a few options that seem good for us,” Nino said, approaching Sho. Sho felt his cheeks warming up as the distance between them closed. It was the first time they were alone after the break up after all, so he couldn't control his nervousness. At this distance, Sho noticed that Nino had gained some weight lately. He had also changed his hair color. Sho’s heart clenched as he saw the ring around Nino’s ring finger.
He pretended that he didn’t notice it and busied himself with his planner, not knowing what to do. It had been three months since their break up – only three months and Nino had found someone else who gave him a ring? There was a loud buzz in his ears as he wondered if that had been the real reason behind Nino’s urge for them to break up.
“Sho chan, are you okay?” Nino asked, touching Sho's elbow lightly.
“I’m fine, sorry.” Sho looked into Nino’s eyes, wishing that those eyes could tell him the truth. “I think I’ll leave now,” Sho mumbled.
"I'll hang around here for a while. I’m still waiting for Ohno kun to pick me up.”
“Ohno? Which Ohno?”
“Samejima Hotel's owner,” Nino answered casually. “We’ve been dating for two months.”
Sho knew that his heart had broken into million pieces – all over again – as he heard what Nino said. He realized now that Ohno’s urge to meet him personally was because of his relationship with Nino. He couldn't believe that skinny, tanned, koala-like man was Nino's current boyfriend. And Sho was supposed to be 'tame' compared to him?
Sho tried hard not to seem too jealous when he replied Nino’s words, and left as soon as he could to prevent himself from saying something awful about Ohno.
***
Sho wished he would never meet Nino anymore for the rest of his life. Seeing him always made Sho want to punch something, but there wasn't anything Sho could do about it. It wasn't like he could fire Nino for having a new boyfriend. That would be unprofessional and very unfair.
Sho just had to focus on his job, which was to make sure that everything was done according to protocol. This factory was his family's business, and he had to show his father that he was capable enough to run it well. The immediate problem he had to solve was to find a temporary strawberry provider.
He had already checked Nino's research. Out of the farms Nino listed, there were three nearby: Horizon Strawberry, Muteki Farm and Gold Farm. Sho read their profile and decided that he would pay a visit to each of them to see what they got.
“I’ll go today,” Sho told Nino as both of them headed towards the production area where five employees worked on yoghurt packages.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Nino asked.
“No, I’ll go by myself, you need to contact…er-…Ohno san. Tell him that we'll have his order for next Thursday as usual.” Sho looked doubtfully at Nino, whose expression was hard to read.
“Alright,” Nino said, smiling at Sho, who averted his gaze as fast as he could.
He drove his car to the first farm, which was located around 10 km away from the factory. The location was strategic and it was easy to find, but the owner had a contract with a particular company and they couldn’t sell his strawberries to Sho. Sho thanked them for having him and continued his trip to the next farm.
Muteki Farm was great, but they wanted a permanent contract, not just for three months and Sho couldn’t offer them that. He left the farm with a heavy heart, thinking that maybe today’s trip would be just a waste of time.
The last farm he visited was Gold, which location was the farthest from the factory and he had to walk on a small path to reach it. There was a big board on the entrance where it was written ‘welcome’ in Japanese, but there was nobody there. Sho looked once again at the address to make sure that he was in the right place. He continued walking and found a small hut which seemed to be used as a temporary place to take a rest. In front of the hut, he found a table, which had a kettle and two empty cups on top. A half-eaten pie was left there as well.
“Hello,” Sho called.
Nobody answered.
He sighed and sat down on one of the chairs beside the table, regretting that he had wasted too much time today, thinking that he should have phoned them beforehand to make sure that they would sell their strawberries to him. He was about to leave when someone appeared from behind the hut.
“Can I help you?”
Sho turned immediately and saw a tall man wearing a wide hat and a pair of boots. The man took off his hat, revealing his sweaty face and dark-brown hair.
“Oh, I’m from Shomury Yoghurt Company and wish to meet with the owner of the farm,” Sho answered as he stood up from the chair. He approached the man who gave him a curious look.
Sho fished his business card box out of his bag. “Here’s my name card,” he continued, pushing the card to the man’s hand.
“Sakurai Sho,” the man read. “I’m Aiba Masaki, it’s very nice to meet you,” he shook Sho’s hand in enthusiasm, smiling broadly at Sho. It was a sincere smile, not a business smile like he usually got from other people.
“Nice to meet you, too,” Sho mumbled a reply.
"May I ask why you need to see the owner?" Aiba asked, still examining Sho's card.
"Well, I'm looking for a new strawberry provider," Sho replied. "The farm that has been supplying the strawberries for our production won't be able to meet our orders for the next few months. I saw your address online, so I decided to pay you a visit and see if we could make a deal."
“I see. The problem is that our strawberries are for research interest,” Aiba said, inserting Sho’s name card into his shirt pocket, “We never sell them to anyone, but maybe you can talk to my friend first.” Aiba grinned apologetically.
Despite saying that, Aiba guided Sho to the farm's greenhouse. He opened the door and let Sho get in first.
"Matsujun, we have a guest," Aiba said as he closed the door.
The man called Matsujun was busy checking something on the strawberry plants when they entered. He didn’t answer until he finished his work. He wore a white towel around his head and the same boots as Aiba, but this man’s appearance was rather seductive. He looked at Sho, examining him, while he walked towards them.
The man’s cheeks were reddened, sweat covering his face, but it didn’t hide his mesmerizing figure. He was tall and rather muscular, and had a strong face with two big eyes under thick eyebrows. As he approached closer, Sho could see that he had beautiful lips which looked naturally soft. In other words, he was handsome – way too handsome for someone who worked in a strawberry farm.
“My name is Matsumoto Jun, how may I help you?” he shook Sho’s hand and smiled for the first time, softening his seductive aura.
Confused , Sho introduced his name and handed his name card to Matsumoto.
“Shomury,” Matsumoto read the card, “I know this company. I have tasted the yoghurt, it was delicious.”
“Thanks,” was all Sho could mumble as a reply. He didn’t know why his brain ability decreased as Matsumoto appeared before him. “I’m looking for strawberries to produce my yoghurt.”
“We don’t sell them, I told him,” Aiba chimed in, turning his gaze at Matsumoto.
“Unfortunately, Aiba kun is right,” Matsumoto added. “But you can taste them if you want,” he nodded at Aiba, who smiled in agreement.
Sho tried to find the right words to explain that he had no time for that, already making plans to look for another farm to avoid losing his customers for not being able to deliver their orders on time. Instead of saying anything about it, Sho found himself squatting beside Matsumoto, picking strawberries.
“We grow them based on what we have found during our research. Once we get the results we want, we will show the local farmers how to grow them using our method,” Matsumoto told him.
Sho took a bite and was surprised by the flavor. It was different to the strawberries he had eaten before. The sweetness and sourness were in the right proportion, the fruit was juicy and it would be perfect for making yoghurt.
“This is amazing,” Sho praised, looking at Matsumoto straight in the eye.
“Thank you,” the man smiled shyly, erasing the image of his seductive side completely.
“Can I have a few of them for sample?” Sho asked. “I know that you’re not selling them, but would you consider it? I mean, I just need them for three months.”
Matsumoto extended his hand to the strawberry stalk and touched it lightly before answering, “I need to think about it. You can have the samples though.”
“Thanks,” Sho said, looking at the man’s face which suddenly made all the butterflies in his stomach fly away.
They picked a small amount of strawberries and talked randomly. Matsumoto was surprisingly easy to talk with. He told Sho about the project he was working on, and that he also worked as a biology teacher at a private university.
“Thank you for these,” Sho lifted the box with strawberries inside. “I’ll make some yoghurt with them and send you some of it.”
“We'll be looking forward to it,” Aiba said. He and Matsumoto walked Sho to his car and wished him a good day.
“Can I have your phone number in case I need to contact you,” Sho said.
“Sure,” Aiba fished his phone from his pocket and exchanged his phone number with Sho. Matsumoto mumbled that he left his phone in his bag at the hut – that was a real pity, since Sho wanted to talk to him again.
“You can contact me,” Aiba beamed.
“Sure do. Thanks, Aiba san,” Sho said, trying to hide his disappointment the best he could.
He drove his car back to the factory and found Nino waiting for him at his office. He gave Sho a wide smile as he entered the room and asked if he wanted some coffee.
“No, thank you,” Sho answered, sitting on the chair across from the man.
“How’s the farm hunting?”
“Not too bad.” Sho shrugged, thinking of Matsumoto. “I brought the sample strawberries. The farm owner is still considering whether they will sell them to us or not.”
Nino nodded but said nothing in response. He typed something on his phone and left Sho alone in his office. Sho massaged his temple. He was somewhat tired today and needed some alcohol to boost his mood.
***
The next time Sho met Matumoto was on the way to the station on his day off. The man was carrying a heavy plastic bag in his hand and was talking on the phone when he recognized Sho. He waved his hand to Sho and smiled at him. Matsumoto ended the conversation and inserted his phone into his pocket, and greeted Sho good morning with a smile which could light up the whole station.
“It’s a nice coincidence to meet you here, Sakurai san,” he shook Sho’s hand energetically. “I’ve gotten your yoghurt and it was delicious as always.”
“Thanks,” Sho answered. “Where are you heading to?”
“Oh, I’ve just finished my weekly groceries. You?”
“I have no particular plan. I just want to ride the train around the city and go back home. That’s how I relieve my stress.” Sho shrugged.
“That’s unique.” Jun smiled. “Why don’t you join me and Aiba kun? We’ll have lunch at the hut and maybe a little barbeque.”
“That’s very nice of you, but I don't want to intrude.”
“Of course not, you’re very welcome,” Jun said, beaming at Sho, who couldn’t find any other excuse to deny the invitation.
They rode the train to the farm side by side, Jun’s right hand touched Sho’s thigh by coincidence as the train moved. The train wasn’t that full, there were a few middle-aged women who were carrying the same plastic bag like Jun had.
The scene reminded him of his last date with Nino. He and Nino went to Chiba by train, and stayed there for three days. It seemed like something that happened in someone else’s life instead of his. He wondered whether Nino still remembered the trip. Of course, not, Sho thought bitterly. Ohno perhaps had already taken him to various places, perhaps to a private villa by the beach in Okinawa. It was weird, how his imagination worked when it was about Nino.
Sho pushed the thoughts about Nino away and stole a glance at Matsumoto’s appearance. He looked so nice in his simple tweed jacket above his jeans. He let his curly bangs fall naturally over his forehead. His hair was dyed soft brown, which made him look even cuter.
It’s not happening, Sho thought, because he felt the exact same feeling when he first pursued Nino. Well, Nino was different. He was like a wild ball which Sho needed to chase and catch. Maybe he was affected by the fact that he had recently broken up with Nino and shaken to know that Nino had found a replacement for him. He was afraid that his feeling for Matsumoto was fleeting, because he only wanted to make Nino jealous. However, he reminded himself that this feeling was one-sided, Matsumoto probably already got a partner.
“Our stop is on the next station,” Matsumoto said.
Sho nodded and followed Jun's steps towards the automatic door. They alighted the train and walked outside of the station. It was rather far to walk to the farm, but the weather was fine and their light talk helped them ignore the distance.
“Welcome back,” Aiba greeted Jun as they reached the hut. “Oh, you bring company,” he added when he saw Sho behind him.
“Matsumoto san invited me here,” Sho answered.
“Just call me Jun,” Jun winked at him.
“Jun,” Sho awkwardly addressed the man by his given name.
“Sounds better,” Jun said while putting the plastic bag on the table and began taking out the groceries from inside. “What do you want for drink, Sho kun?”
“Beer will be fine.”
“Aiba kun, three beers, please.”
Aiba came out of the hut and handed them the cold beers. Jun sat beside Sho while sipping his own beer. He smiled at Sho as their gazes met.
The three of them had a nice lunch while talking about the history of Jun and Aiba's small strawberry farms. The owner of the land was Jun’s professor, who was in abroad for a particular research and left the land in Jun’s hands. Jun decided to use it for his research. Since he liked strawberries a lot, he chose that fruit to apply his method and began planting them with Aiba’s help.
The atmosphere between them was so pleasant that Sho forgot that they were almost strangers. He told them about his yoghurt company and also about his private matters. He accidentally mentioned that his boyfriend of two years, Nino, had broken up with him not long ago and that they had to see each other at work every day.
“How unfortunate,” Jun said, patting Sho's shoulder in a friendly way.
“Maybe I wasn't good enough for him,” Sho said, trying to smile at Jun.
“Or you are too good for him,” Jun said, flashing a smile at Sho.
***
Sho left the farm with a lighter heart. Something in Jun’s smile had eased some of his worries. He entered the Starbucks before going home and ordered a cup of latte. He sat down on the chair by the glass wall, looking outside towards the sidewalk.
His light mood didn’t last very long as he saw Nino and Ohno walking hand in hand right outside. Nino looked happy as he circled his hand around Ohno’s elbow. Sho could see their expression clearly from inside. It made him feel very jealous of Ohno again.
Sho finished his coffee and left the café towards his apartment. It was still 7 in the evening and he simply had nothing to do to forget what he had just saw. He shook his head in agony, reminding himself that he had other things to be worried about.
He reached his office the next day earlier than usual. The first thing he did was making a phone call to Jun to ask him if he had changed his mind. Jun had mentioned that he would consider selling the strawberries to Sho, but that he had a few conditions. Sho didn’t have any problem if Jun had particular requests in order to sell his strawberries to him. The most important thing was to get those fruits for his yoghurt production during the following weeks.
“Hi, Sho kun! How are you?”
Jun’s voice was so delightful that it bothered Sho in some ways.
“I’m fine, thank you,” Sho said, trying to keep his voice calm, “So, have you decided if you'll make a deal with me?”
Jun didn’t answer for good ten seconds. Sho could imagine Jun's handsome face as he was deep in thought.
“Aiba kun and I have discussed and I think we will sell you the fruits,” Jun said, “but…”
“I’m fine with any conditions.”
Jun took a deep breath on the other line, “I will need your help to harvest the strawberries because we don't have the people to do that. You may bring someone else with you, someone you can trust. My farm isn’t meant to be used for commercial purposes. I would be in trouble if the university knows what I’m doing.”
Sho understood the consequences Jun would be facing if he sold the strawberries to him and he really appreciated Jun’s trust.
“I’ll do that,” Sho said, thinking that he wouldn’t mind to harvest the strawberries by himself if he could save his own company. “It’s just for three months and I would never bother you again, I promise.”
“Please keep your words,” Jun said. “When will you come here?”
Sho checked his schedule and the production deadline, “Is tomorrow okay?”
“Sure, tomorrow will be fine."
“Okay, I’ll be there around 9 am,” Sho said, noting it on his agenda. “Thanks so much, Jun.”
“My pleasure. Have a nice day, Sho kun.”
Sho clutched his phone tighter, not believing his luck that Jun finally agreed to sell them the strawberries. He opened the album folder on his phone and looked at the picture they took together the last time they met. Jun had really nice eyes and nice hair.
The problem was to find someone he could trust to harvest the strawberries. He had no choice but to bring Nino with him.
***
“Why me?” Nino asked, uniting his eyebrows together when Sho told him that both of them would go to pick strawberries at Matsumoto’s green house on their day off. “I have a date tomorrow night.”
“Come on, Nino, it’s in the morning.”
“I need all day to make over,” Nino said, rolling his eyes at Sho.
Sho knew that Nino was joking. The real reason behind his protest probably was that he never did any physical activities, and picking strawberries seemed already too hard for him. But Sho had no choice, he couldn’t betray Jun’s trust by bringing someone else. He shut his laptop down and left the office to go towards the front entrance of the factory. He fished his phone from his pocket and checked the messages; one of them was from Jun.
Sho clicked it open and read Jun’s message. I It was short and straight to the point, but it brightened his mood a little bit.
Hi, Sho kun
I’m looking forward to picking the strawberries with you. I’ll make something for our lunch tomorrow. Aiba kun received a lot of vegetables from his parents.
See you
Jun
Jun had added cute emoticons at the end of the message. Sho never liked emoticons because he thought they were childish. He remembered that he scolded Nino when he used too many emoticons in his messages. Maybe that was one of many reasons why Nino broke up with him. He was too serious indeed, and perhaps even a bit old-fashioned.
He stuffed his phone back in his pocket after replying Jun’s message and headed towards the garage. He needed to drive one of his trucks tomorrow, so he had to check that it was working properly. He was sure that Nino wouldn’t like the idea of riding a truck though, if the last time was anything to go by. It was then that they found out about Nino's motion sickness, and Nino hated that truck very much since then, for he blamed the truck for how awful he felt that day.
Sho sighed, noticing that his thoughts had drifted off to his memories of his relationship with Nino once again. He didn’t know how long he would need to get Nino out of his head. It seemed impossible, since Nino was always around, and it was kind of a torture whenever Sho heard him talking with Ohno on the phone. He couldn’t stop comparing himself to Ohno either, wondering what Ohno had that he didn't and getting frustrated when he couldn't find an answer that satisfied him.
***
Nino didn’t try to hide his displeasure along the way towards the strawberry farm. He grumbled and frowned, refusing to talk to Sho, and played with his phone the entire time.
“Jun and Aiba are nice. I think you’ll like them,” Sho said to Nino.
“Mmmm,” Nino responded coldly.
Sho didn’t try to talk to him for the rest of their trip. He regretted inviting Nino in the first place, seeing how terrible his mood was. But things changed once they arrived at the farm. Aiba seemed to possess some kind of power to cheer up Nino’s mood. Sho could hear their voices when they talked while picking the strawberries. Jun had welcomed them warmly and shook Nino’s hand firmly as Sho introduced them. He glanced at Sho meaningfully as he heard Nino’s name, but didn't say anything until they were alone.
“So, that is Nino,” Jun said, looking at Sho from between the leaves. Jun was staring directly into Sho's eyes, making him nervous.
“Yes, he’s my production director,” Sho said, avoiding Jun’s gaze on purpose.
“He’s cute,” Jun turned his head to take a look at Nino and waved his hand as their gazes met.
Sho didn’t answer. He knew that Nino was cute, everybody said the same about him. He shook his head and returned his attention to the strawberries he was picking.
“It’s sad that you guys broke up,” Jun said.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now,” Sho mumbled, almost squishing the strawberry in his hand.
“You’ll hurt it!” Jun leaned closer to him. “You have to do it more gently, like this.” He showed Sho how to pick it, but Sho didn’t pay attention. He had just realized how close they were. Jun’s full lips were just a few inches from his and their position was too compromising. Jun’s gaze locked to Sho's lips, as if waiting for Sho to do something, but Sho couldn’t move. He was completely frozen.
“Sho, do you want some water?” Sho heard Nino’s voice from behind.
Sho turned his head right away and felt relieved that Nino interfered at the right time. He couldn’t understand why his heart beat wildly when Jun was near him. Jun shifted and continued picking the strawberries in silence, giving Sho time to arrange his breaths and to calm down his nerves. He had admired Jun’s look from the first time they met, but he thought that everybody did, because Jun was so handsome.
He wasn’t in the mood to start a new romantic relationship. He wasn't over the heartbreak the end of his relationship with Nino gave him, and he was afraid to experience it once more. He stole a glance at Jun’s figure beside him. Unlike Nino who had a more child-like cuteness, Jun could only be described as beautiful, the kind of beauty that Sho hadn’t seen for a long time. He also had a very kind personality. In spite of that, Sho decided that he couldn't let himself get carried away. Jun was almost a stranger to him after all. He was probably just confusing physical attraction with feelings.
They took a break for lunch. Jun had made pasta for them. He sat beside Nino and talked lightly. They looked like old friends.
“Jun kun, this is yummy!” Nino complimented.
“Thanks. Pasta is the only thing I can cook,” Jun said, smiling at Nino.
“He's lying,” Aiba chirped in. “He can cook everything like a professional chef.”
Jun chuckled and gave Sho a meaningful look. He averted his gaze away and pretended to pay attention at the trees across the green house. They continued picking the strawberries after lunch but changed partners, Sho with Aiba and Jun with Nino.
Aiba was a very talkative and active person. He never seemed to run off of energy. He told Sho about his parents’ restaurant somewhere in Chiba and invited Sho to pay a visit when he had time. Sho listened to him while stealing a glance every now and then in Nino and Jun’s direction. Both of them were talking, but Sho couldn’t hear them. Jun smiled all the time – he looked way too handsome when he smiled broadly.
“Sho kun, do you like Matsujun?” Aiba asked all of a sudden.
“W-what? No, I mean, he’s a lovely person. I think anyone would like him.” Sho cleared his throat, trying not to look nervous under Aiba’s suspicious gaze.
Aiba’s smile widened. “I mean this kind of like.” He formed a heart shape with his hands.
Sho blushed and looked at the strawberry in his hand, which also had a heart-like shape. He didn’t want to label his feeling as that kind of like.
“Jun is nice,” Sho mumbled, not knowing what else to say.
“If you pursue him, I can be of help, you know.”
Sho looked at Aiba’s eyes and shook his head. “Thanks, Aiba san, but I don’t have that kind of feelings towards Jun.”
“Really? I can tell by looking into your eyes.”
“You’re probably mistaken.” Sho shrugged.
They finished their work before sunset and left the farm. Jun whispered something to Nino and both of them chuckled like high school girls. They bid good bye. Sho tried hard not to look at Jun’s face as they separated. Aiba’s words echoed in his ears.
“Do you like Jun?”
No, he didn’t and he would never allow himself to like Jun.
PART 2
PART 3
